"So what will you do now, Legend of the West?"
Alatar stood beside the throne, looking down condescendingly: "Strike me down for your 'justice'?"
"If you want to try, then come ahead."
"But I must warn you. Even if you defeat me and awaken the King of Khand, it will only make things worse."
"Right now we only have two enemies: Mordor and the Easterlings. After you do those things, we'll have three, and then no one will escape."
The king slumped on the throne, showing no reaction to these words.
Levi gripped his sword, his mood unreadable.
"You really are taught by the same teacher."
Among the five wizards who came to Middle-earth, only Alatar and Saruman had volunteered to come. The other three were either invited or forcibly dispatched here.
"Do you think you can achieve success this way?"
"No, I never expected this small tribe caught in the middle to accomplish anything."
Alatar said expressionlessly: "But Khand has its uses. It can help us exhaust the Great Enemy's power, along with the Easterling rebels who have allied with them."
"Worthless." Levi shook his head.
"No faith, no ideals, no goals. Just people controlled and deceived by you... This is meaningless."
"How can you say it's meaningless?"
Alatar said seriously: "You don't know the difficulties of this land. People are ignorant, inflexible, constantly shouting the Eye's name. It's like this everywhere."
"How many people have broken up their families just to make offerings to the Eye?"
"Haven't you seen that since I arrived, the residents here no longer have to endure the Great Enemy's oppression or send their wealth and resources to Mordor batch by batch?"
"The Great Enemy would drain their blood and flesh, while I, I want nothing. Who is more noble and who more base? Isn't this obvious to anyone with eyes?"
"The Eye's faith is deeply rooted and hard to remove. Without sufficiently forceful methods, how can we oppose him?"
Levi looked deeply at this Blue Wizard.
"You've been too deeply influenced by that power."
"Drink some milk and sober up."
"I'll never touch that stuff again in my life."
Alatar firmly refused.
"Then I'll have to force you to drink some."
"You can try."
The atmosphere in the hall gradually grew tense.
Halbarad gripped his barrow-blade tightly. He stepped forward but was pushed back by Levi.
"Leave this to me. Go guard the door. If anyone asks, say we're having a banquet inside."
"A banquet?"
Halbarad looked at Alatar's rather grim expression, then at Levi's calm face.
"Well, then I'll be security for a while."
He shrugged and went out.
"Foolish. I thought you'd be reasonable."
Alatar held his staff, slowly descending the steps.
"When someone becomes overly blindly confident, they think everyone else is foolish."
Levi replied, drawing his long sword.
Crash!
Without warning, thunder struck out of nowhere from Alatar's hand, instantly crossing half the hall's distance to strike at Levi's feet, blasting a large hole in the floor.
"I don't wish to be your enemy. This is the final warning."
Alatar stared at Levi.
But Levi merely crossed that crater, saying flatly: "Before coming here, I've met three wizards. They all know some spells, but you're the first to direct magic at me."
"You won't want to know what that feels like."
"No, actually, I'm quite curious to try."
As he spoke, Levi stepped forward.
Alatar's expression darkened further.
"Mortals always try to challenge beings they don't understand."
The wizard struck his staff on the ground. His sea-blue robes moved without wind, his figure gradually growing taller as if becoming a giant. When Levi snapped back to his senses, he realized it was just an illusion from the soul's overwhelming pressure.
Whether wizards or elves, their most essential difference from mortals was their souls.
Those with powerful souls could influence the outside world with will, invoking various miraculous powers.
People usually called this magic.
Unlike those magics disguised as technology, their magic truly moved with the heart, using consciousness to interfere with reality.
For wizards or some powerful elves, magic was just a natural creation that came with the heart. Whatever effect they wanted to achieve, they could achieve.
Flames rose within the great hall, gathering around the Blue Wizard, surrounding him to become a flame-wreathed giant.
"Are you imitating a Balrog?"
Levi drank a fire resistance potion.
However, the expected Balrog-like flame eruption didn't come. The next moment, lightning formed around the massive flame phantom, the two intertwining and circling before crashing over with a thunderous roar.
Levi's pupils contracted as he immediately switched to a wooden shield.
Thud!
The wooden shield shattered and went into cooldown. Runic rings, necklaces, and belts all flashed golden light, blocking the massive impact outside. Thunder and fire seemed to strike an indestructible shield, or be cut open by a black blade, spreading to both sides behind him.
With one strike, except for the small area under and behind Levi, the entire hall was filled with flames.
The runic shield shattered, and emergency shields activated.
"Unexpected."
Levi looked up to see the Blue Wizard's form still thin and small. The so-called 'giant' seen earlier was just an illusion from soul oppression.
"Indeed unexpected."
The long sword mercilessly struck toward Alatar.
Clang!
A crisp collision rang out.
Alatar raised his staff high, immediately creating a solid white barrier around him, firmly blocking Nemesis outside.
Levi swung his sword again, but Alatar no longer just defended. His staff burst with brilliant light, becoming like lightning. With one swing, he clashed directly with Levi's sword using his staff, the force so great it felt like facing a heavy hammer.
If it were an ordinary human or orc, this blow would probably send them flying.
However, Levi stood like a nail. He hadn't moved half a step. He locked onto the wizard before him, striking sword after sword, each more powerful and damaging than the last.
When damage had stacked several times...
Boom!
Alatar finally sensed something wrong. He drew a sword from his waist, and blazing flames immediately wrapped around it, making the sword glow red-hot.
Lightning staff in one hand, flame sword in the other, plus combat skills honed over thousands of years. For a moment, Levi was directly suppressed by this skill and forced to retreat.
Swoosh.
Levi dodged and jumped back, sending out a white sword energy to force Alatar back.
"If this is all you're capable of, you'll probably never defeat me."
Alatar stepped forward.
"There's more."
Levi pulled out a mallorn wand with a 'Nine Hells' core attached.
Now both wielded a staff in one hand and a sword in the other.
As Levi waved the mallorn wand, a mass of small red bats appeared out of nowhere. Over a hundred Nine Hells Flame Bats gathered together, rushing rapidly toward Alatar.
"Too evil!"
Seeing these fierce-faced, fiery little bats, even Alatar, corrupted as deeply as he was, couldn't help saying this.
Pop!
A bat was scorched by blazing flames and immediately exploded, shaking Alatar back a step.
But this was just the beginning.
One by one, the Nine Hells Flame Bats clawed at Alatar's barrier a few times before showing their unstable nature and exploding on the spot. For a moment it was like setting off firecrackers, except these firecracker strings were tied with large-sized explosives.
After emptying one wand's aspects, Levi switched to a second wand...
Moments later, hundreds of bats rampaged overhead. Alatar had to divert some attention to deal with these abominable little things, gradually growing more irritated.
Just then, that Western legend who had summoned evil bats approached again, fiercely striking down with his sword.
Thud!
Alatar was knocked back several steps.
Such great strength. Even stronger than before!
A Level II Strength potion went down.
"If this is all you're capable of, you'll probably never repel me."
Levi returned the phrase unchanged.
Alatar sweated profusely, dealing with hundreds of Nine Hells Flame Bats' suicide attacks while also handling Levi's increasingly powerful strikes.
Finally, when Levi's combo reached its peak and he was even planning a jumping strike, Alatar took a deep breath and shouted: "Enough!"
Boom.
The staff struck the ground hard, and a massive light ring exploded from it. The enormous impact directly cleared all bats at once, while Levi was blown flying backward, nearly falling outside the door.
"What's that commotion?"
The two guards outside immediately turned around.
"They're having a banquet inside," Halbarad said, blocking both men.
The guards drew their weapons with unfriendly expressions, and Halbarad placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Thus a new battle began.
Strong white light flashed through the hall, momentarily bleaching everything colorless.
When this radiance disappeared, Levi quickly ate a golden apple, restoring his lost health.
Looking again, Alatar panted heavily, his staff still standing before him, but the flames surrounding his sword had vanished.
Seeing Levi approach again and even swing that elven sword, he hurriedly picked up his staff.
Crack!
The moment sword met staff, the staff shattered from the middle, becoming a pile of wood chips.
The long sword passed through the staff, truly striking its enemy for the first time in this battle.
Wait, this sensation...
Levi looked somewhat puzzled.
He looked ahead and found the wizard's health bar hadn't moved at all.
This isn't right. I definitely hit him just now, right?
Thud.
Alatar fell straight to the ground, yet no flames rose from his body.
At this moment his eyes suddenly became much clearer, no longer holding their previous darkness and coldness.
Something had been dispelled by that sword strike.
"You won," he said.
His tone was more relaxed than ever, as if freed from something.
Levi silently sheathed his sword.
He didn't know if it was his imagination, but the speed of that fall seemed somewhat unnatural.
This battle had been quite perilous.
Wizards, or rather Maiar, even when trapped in mortal bodies with divine power heavily restricted, their abilities were still so formidable.
If it were unrestricted, full-power combat... he might really be killed in one exchange.
"Uh..."
When the staff completely turned to dust, the King of Khand on the throne let out a groan.
The pallor on his face gradually faded as the king slowly stood, struggling to open his eyes and look around at this flame-filled hall.
The wizard lay on the ground, a seemingly powerful black-armored warrior stood silently in the hall, his personal guards were knocked down outside the door, and beside them stood a tall foreigner.
The king took a deep breath, his posture gradually straightening and his complexion reddening.
He slowly said:
"My memories are unclear, like having a very long dream with many shadows passing before me..."
"Wise wizard, tell me. What happened?"
Alatar replied: "As you can see, King of Khand, I have been defeated."
"I see."
The king picked up the sword before his seat and descended the steps.
"A foreigner and an outsider. You broke into my hall, knocked down my guards, and defeated the wise wizard who counsels me..."
The situation did seem to be this way.
But many vague and illusory memories in his mind suggested to this king that something wasn't quite right.
However, regardless of what wasn't right, there was only one clear thing to do now:
Kill!
"Alatar, I have questions for you later."
He stepped over the Blue Wizard lying on the ground, pointing his sword at Levi:
"But now! I'll make these two foreigners know the price of breaking in here!"
Levi's eyes showed slight helplessness: "Would you believe me if I said I came to help restore your clarity?"
"You mention clarity..."
The king stopped his movement and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Yes, clarity! I'm now clearer than ever before. That dark voice circling in my mind has finally disappeared. It was like a poisonous sore on bone, making me live in confusion all this time..."
"And when all this dissipated, I finally thought of the answer to that question. I know what our country truly lacks!"
"Oh? What is it?" Levi asked with interest.
"A true king!"
He shouted: "Those who sat on the throne in the past were always incompetent and cowardly. People followed such weak kings and worshipped a false so-called 'Dark Lord,' letting him command them. This is what led our country into weakness."
"I understand now. Only when a truly powerful king appears can he lead the people to resist this undignified slavery."
"Now I'll first use you foreigners who rashly entered the hall to test my strength, then restore our past glory!"
"Feel honored. You're about to become the first stepping stones on great Khand's path to revival!"
Thud!
Levi kicked the King of Khand to the ground and carried him aside to lie down.
"Still doesn't seem very clear."
"He's been corrupted too long."
Alatar got up and kindly carried the king back to his throne so he could at least sleep in his seat.
"Give him some time to recover. There might still be hope for discussion."
"What about you?" Levi asked.
"Not very good. Could I have a cup of milk?"
Glug glug.
Moments later, Alatar handed back the cup.
"Thank you. At least my mind can be clear for a short time."
"I have plenty of milk. Drink a few more cups?"
"I said before. It can temporarily dispel the gloom in my heart but can't solve the root cause."
Alatar shook his head.
"Then keep drinking."
"Cough cough..."
Alatar started coughing.
"No, no, don't worry. I can hold on."
"I must thank you again. That sword strike didn't hit me. Something else was struck."
"Are you going to keep talking?"
A voice drifted from outside.
Halbarad stood at the doorway, looking at the flames filling the hall, saying somewhat helplessly: "My suggestion is to put out the fire first, or this hall will burn down soon."
Splash.
Several buckets of water went down, extinguishing all flames.
"Much better."
Halbarad could finally enter.
The three gathered in the hall.
"So what do you plan to do now?"
Alatar said to Levi: "Mordor and Easterling armies are already on the road. Their pace won't be much slower than ours. Maybe just days away." He looked at the still-sleeping King of Khand. "And now we might even lose our only ally."
"It's fine," Levi reassured him. "I'm here, aren't I?"
"You want to help Khand fight that army? Help a potentially future enemy?" Halbarad asked.
Even staying mostly outside this affair, he could understand the current situation.
This King of Khand had only temporarily escaped alternating control by Sauron and Alatar. Clear-headed he might be, but this didn't mean he was on their side.
After the wizard and Levi left, this region might still be dominated by Sauron, marching west with Easterlings or Haradrim.
This was the general trend. Not something one or two people could change, unless they stayed here forever.
"I need to remind you," Alatar said. "The people here still worship the Great Enemy. Worship, not control. I originally planned to eliminate this blind faith through more violent methods, but now it seems that even if my methods were more violent, this propaganda and faith spanning thousands of years couldn't be cleared in the short term.
"Don't think everyone here is a friend just because our arrival went smoothly. Their cold indifference is only due to the king's orders. Once he awakens and cancels this order, street vendors and passing residents will immediately pull out their daggers and cleavers, swinging them fiercely at us.
"Especially you, Halbarad. You wouldn't want to know Eastern humans' attitude toward Dúnedain. Don't expose yourself, or even the king's orders won't protect you."
"I know." Halbarad replied flatly.
Both looked at Levi, seeking final opinion.
A nation's survival and the entire East's recent developments might be decided in these few words.
Alatar gave a final warning: "We may face large numbers of enemies from all directions. Even this city we're in is an enemy city. Neither retreat nor escape routes exist." He sighed, instinctively reaching for his staff, but only grasped a handful of debris. "Oh..."
Fighting as a wizard without a staff felt deeply unnatural.
Well, no matter. Bow and sword would have to do.
"No." Levi shook his head, his voice calm but determined. "There are no true dead ends in this world, only people who can't find the way. No path? Then I'll dig it open. If everyone here is an enemy... then I'll face everyone."