Luke was a little embarrassed by Gandalf's praise.
Gandalf was a man of the world.
He knew his own capabilities and wouldn't really think his magic was stronger than Gandalf's.
"Right, this is what your father left for you before he died, the key and map to the Lonely Mountain's gate," Gandalf said, taking out a golden key and a map, and handing them to Thorin.
"You saw my father?" Thorin's emotions stirred, his eyes fixed on Gandalf.
After the dragon Smaug occupied the Lonely Mountain, the Durin Dwarves wandered around, eventually settling in the Blue Mountains.
But Thorin's father, Thráin, was unwilling to give up their homeland in the Lonely Mountain, so he led a team to scout the Lonely Mountain, but then disappeared without a trace.
Gandalf sighed, "To investigate the dark traces, I once secretly infiltrated Dol Guldur and saw Thráin, who had been imprisoned there for many years.
He was exhausted, his days were numbered, and before he died, he gave me the key and map to the Lonely Mountain's gate, asking me to pass them on to you."
Seeing Thorin immersed in sadness, Gandalf didn't try to persuade him further, and got up to leave.
"If you've made your final decision, I'll be waiting for you at The Prancing Pony in a month."
Thorin looked down at the key and map in his hand, not answering him.
On the way out, Luke asked Gandalf, puzzled, "How are you so sure he'll come in the end?"
Gandalf showed a confident smile.
"He'll come; I saw the ambition to reclaim the Lonely Mountain in his eyes."
"Alright, Luke, let's part ways here." Gandalf stopped and explained to Luke, "Before this, I need to go to other places to gather some information, so I can't go with you."
Luke nodded, not asking him where he was going.
After watching Gandalf leave, Luke silently thought, "System, sign me in!"
As soon as he encountered Thorin Oakenshield, the system reacted, but he waited until now because there were people around earlier.
[Signed in at Blue Mountains - Dwarf Hold, congratulations on obtaining "dictionary of runes"!]
Luke was stunned when he saw the title of the book, and only realized after flipping through it for a while.
Ancient Runes, also known as Runes, are ancient symbols with magic power; each symbol corresponds to specific magic or concepts, and when combined, they produce different effects.
When making Alchemy items, engraving Runes on the items can have an enchanting effect, enhancing the item's magic and efficacy.
Therefore, Ancient Runes can be said to be a prerequisite for learning Alchemy.
Hogwarts only offered Ancient Runes as an elective in third year, and Alchemy in sixth or seventh year.
Alchemy is different from other magic; spells and Transfiguration have limitations, and once the spell is interrupted or the magic is dispelled, the enchanted item returns to its original state.
But the effect of Alchemy is like solidifying magic; even if the magic is dispelled, the Alchemy product still has magic properties.
In the magic world, from small items like Memory Balls, Golden Snitch, Quick-Quotes Quills, Wizard Chess, Sneakoscopes, to large items like the Knight Bus, Hogwarts Express train, Mirror of Erised, Pensieve, Time-Turners, and even the Philosopher's Stone, all are products of Alchemy.
It can be said that Alchemy is applied throughout all aspects of the magic world.
Luke naturally longed for Alchemy, especially the Philosopher's Stone, which is known as the highest achievement of Alchemy, a treasure that can turn lead into gold and grant immortality.
As a Wizard, Luke's lifespan is longer than that of ordinary humans.
But in Middle-earth, not to mention the Elves with eternal life, he might not even outlive the Dúnedain.
If he wanted to live longer, the Philosopher's Stone was one way.
However, this was too distant for Luke at present; he only wanted to learn Alchemy now to deepen his magic foundation.
So, learning and mastering Ancient Runes became his task for the next period of time.
The "dictionary of runes" is a very thick dictionary of Ancient Runes, recording the meanings and explanations of Rune symbols, etc. The content is very dry and boring, requiring great patience to study carefully.
After completing the sign-in, Luke did not leave the Dwarf Town immediately, but started to wander around the town.
Dwarves are skilled at mining and forging ores; they dig tunnels, extract various ores from the mountains, smelt them, and then forge them into various exquisite weapons, armor, and handicrafts.
As Luke walked around, he found that some of the weapons and armor sold in the town were not made for Dwarves, but rather fit the height and build of humans.
Seeing Luke's arrival, the dwarf shop owner enthusiastically stepped forward and asked, "What weapon does the guest need? As long as you need it, we can forge it for you, absolutely guaranteed quality!"
Luke pointed to a silver armor in front of him and asked, puzzled, "Why do you also sell human armor here? Do humans come here to buy it?"
Upon hearing this, the dwarf owner immediately puffed out his belly and said proudly, "Our dwarf forging skills are unmatched, many humans dream of owning a weapon forged by us, and we have dedicated sales channels with humans; these weapons are custom-made for them."
So that's how it is, Luke understood.
He didn't expect Dwarves to be not only skilled in forging but also so good at business.
No wonder they accumulated such vast wealth in the Lonely Mountain, which in turn attracted the covetousness of the dragon Smaug, who claimed it for himself.
Luke picked up a longsword forged by Dwarves and examined it carefully; it was just an ordinary weapon made for humans, but its sharpness and hardness were indeed superior to those forged by humans.
He put down the sword and then asked the dwarf owner, "Boss, I have an ancient sword that needs to be repaired. I wonder if you can restore its former sharpness? Of course, price is not an issue!"
The dwarf owner's eyes lit up when he heard the last sentence, but he didn't immediately give a guarantee, instead saying, "If the guest wants to repair an ancient sword, we need to first check the extent of its damage to determine if it can be repaired."
Then his gaze swept over Luke, and he asked, puzzled, "Guest, where is your sword?"
Luke waved his hand, and a greatsword flew out of the carriage on the street behind him, floating in front of the dwarf owner.
"It's this ancient sword. Can you see if it can be repaired?"
The dwarf owner was startled, looking at the greatsword floating in front of him, somewhat afraid to take it. His original intention to heavily overcharge instantly vanished, and his attitude towards Luke immediately became respectful and cautious, "So you're a wizard, please forgive me for not recognizing your identity just now!"
Luke didn't mind his change in attitude and said, "Take a look, can this ancient sword be restored?"
The dwarf owner's gaze returned to the greatsword, corroded by rust, in front of him. He carefully took it, then observed it closely.
"Hmm... the blade material is cast bronze, sturdy and durable, with superb casting techniques, and it's quite large. Is this Númenórean forging craftsmanship?" The dwarf owner looked up with a surprised expression.
A flicker of admiration crossed Luke's eyes, and he nodded, "This sword was previously corroded by the dark power of a wight. After purification, it lost its former sharpness and power. Can you see if there's a way to restore it?"
The dwarf owner looked troubled and shook his head, "If it's just a simple surface repair, it's very easy, but if you want to restore its former sturdiness and sharpness, it would have to be re-forged in a furnace..."
"Then re-forge it in the furnace!" Luke said directly.
"Sir, please listen to me. The Númenórean sword material is very heat-resistant. The temperature of my furnace here probably can't melt it. It needs a large furnace, and we only have one large furnace here. To use it, we need to get the owner's permission."
"Who is the owner then?"
"It's our King—Thorin Oakenshield!"
Inside Thorin's hall.
Luke met Thorin Oakenshield again, only half a day later.
"It's you, the black-robed Wizard." A hint of surprise flashed in Thorin's sharp eyes at Luke's reappearance, and he frowned slightly, saying, "So, the customer who commissioned Bondi to reforge the ancient sword was you?"
Luke didn't have much affection for Thorin, but now wanting to use him to reforge the Barrow wight's ancient sword, he had no choice but to come in person.
"We meet again, Thorin Oakenshield, grandson of Thrór, son of Thráin II, King Under the Mountain." Luke, imitating Gandalf's words, nodded in greeting, "I once seized an ancient sword from a Barrow wight in the Barrow-downs, but the ancient sword has suffered erosion from time and evil forces, and has long lost its former sharpness and toughness. I heard that the Dwarf race is unmatched in forging craftsmanship, so I wanted to ask if you could help see if it can be reforged."
The terrifying reputation of the Barrow-downs was known even to the Dwarves, and the Barrow wight made people tremble with fear.
Thorin had heard Gandalf mention that Luke had ventured into the Barrow-downs alone, but he hadn't expected Luke to actually seize an ancient sword from a Barrow wight. This gave him a clear understanding of Luke's strength for the first time.
Such a person, no matter how arrogant Thorin was, he would treat with caution.
So he stepped down from his seat and said to Luke, "Forging is as simple as eating and drinking for us. We accept your business!"
"But before that, may I see the ancient sword?"
Luke handed over the Barrow wight's ancient sword he had brought.
Thorin took the ancient sword; the greatsword, longer than he was, felt weightless in his hand, held with just one hand.
He carefully examined the ancient sword, the regal solemnity fading from his face, replaced for the first time by the seriousness and professionalism of a craftsman, "The sword-casting process is complex, the blade is diamond-shaped, suitable for thrusting and slashing, the hilt is designed for one hand, the guard is a bronze crescent shape, and there's a White Tree emblem…"
"Is this a treasure sword belonging to the royal family, descendants of Númenór?" Thorin looked at Luke with a tone of certainty.
Luke nodded, explaining, "It once belonged to the last prince of the Cardolan Kingdom."
Thorin suddenly understood. Dwarf history recorded Cardolan, a kingdom that split from the Arnor Kingdom, and naturally, he also knew that this kingdom, established by the descendants of the Númenórean, was ultimately destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar.
The Númenórean, taught by the Noldor, the most skilled blacksmiths among the Elves, mastered superb forging techniques. Even the Dwarves, who were naturally adept at forging, would not underestimate the craftsmanship of the Númenórean.
Thorin held the ancient sword, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Luke with burning eyes, saying, "I will personally forge your ancient sword, and I will invite the other most excellent craftsmen in our clan to help. Not only will it regain its former sharpness, but it will even become more powerful…"
Hearing Thorin's words, Luke's face showed no joy; instead, he gazed at him seriously, directly asking, "What are your conditions?"
He didn't believe Thorin would be so kind as to use the full strength of his clan to help him reforge the ancient sword.
"I want to invite you to join the expedition to the Lonely Mountain, to help us fight the dragon of the Lonely Mountain!" Thorin stated his purpose.
Luke frowned, looking at the Dwarf prince in confusion, "Have you forgotten that I already agreed to Gandalf to join your expedition?" Why would he use this as a condition?
Thorin shook his head, "No, you don't understand. I want to invite you to join *my* expedition, not Gandalf's expedition!"
Luke was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood Thorin's meaning, and was instantly astonished.
Good heavens, the expedition team hadn't even been fully assembled yet, and this Dwarf prince was already trying to seize power, attempting to snatch leadership of the expedition from Gandalf!
Was he trying to poach Gandalf's corner now?
Luke was a bit speechless, but he still shook his head and said, "Although I agreed to join the expedition, I am only joining as a collaborator and am not subject to anyone's command, whether the leader is you or Gandalf!"
Thorin's expression was somewhat gloomy upon hearing this. Ever since the dragon occupied the Lonely Mountain and he was forced into exile, with no one offering aid, he had ceased to trust anyone. Not even Gandalf did he trust.
However, reclaiming the homeland of the Lonely Mountain was not only his father Thráin II's obsession but also his ambition to revitalize the Durin clan.
So he re-proposed the conditions: "The previous conditions remain unchanged. As the heir of the Durinfolk, I formally invite you to join the expedition, and you do not need to obey my commands, but you must ensure that you fully help me reclaim the Lonely Mountain, how about it?"
Luke's eyes flickered. He naturally knew that even without him, Thorin and the others would eventually reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
But he still shook his head, chuckling, "Your demand is not low; one sword is not worth that price!"
Thorin gritted his teeth, "Plus one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain's treasure! As long as you help me reclaim the Lonely Mountain, I can share the treasure within the Lonely Mountain with you!"
At this, Luke's spirits lifted. He knew that the Lonely Mountain's treasure was piled high like a mountain, the richest place in all of Middle-earth; even one-tenth of it would be wealth comparable to an entire kingdom!
"Alright, but we need to sign a contract!" Luke agreed, while also proposing a condition.
After all, he remembered that this fellow had a family genetic 'dragon sickness'; as soon as he came into contact with the Lonely Mountain's treasure, he would lose his sanity and become mad and paranoid, filled with greed and possessiveness for the treasure.
However, at this time, Thorin was not affected by the dragon sickness, and he readily agreed to Luke's condition.
Moreover, he believed that with a contract, Luke would be more dedicated to helping them reclaim the Lonely Mountain, rather than giving up halfway.
Thus, with mutual consent from both parties, and witnessed by a host of Dwarf kin and elders, Luke and Thorin signed the contract.
The contract stated the conditions under which Luke would join the expedition and help the Dwarves reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
In return, the Durinfolk would use the full strength of their clan to help him reforge the ancient sword, and after reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, one-tenth of the Lonely Mountain's treasure would be gifted to Luke.
Afterward, Luke remained in the Dwarf territory.
Thorin and the other Dwarf craftsmen then began to reforge Luke's precious sword.
The place for sword casting was not in the Dwarf town but deep inside the mine tunnels of the Blue Mountains, thousands of meters underground, using the temperature of the underground magma to melt the Barrow wight's ancient sword.
The Dwarves did not avoid Luke during the forging, so Luke also had the privilege of riding the Dwarves' cable car mine cart, descending thousands of meters underground.
Here, the temperature dramatically rose, and the ground was a fiery red magma.
On the colossal basalt forging platform, Thorin and two other craftsmen, with bare arms and wearing leather armor, wielded huge iron hammers, continuously pounding the glowing red iron block.
The three moved in a continuous and orderly fashion, striking the iron block with a mysterious and complex rhythm, producing rhythmic clanging sounds. Sparks flew, and the sounds echoed incessantly in the cave, like a battle song of clashing weapons and charging horses.
Luke stood not far away, quietly watching this scene, his eyes filled with anticipation.
The surrounding scorching heat seemed to have no effect on him; he still wore a thick, long cloak, which emitted a cool sensation, as if brushed by a mountain spring, dispelling the surrounding heat waves.
The Dwarves had promised to reforge the best sword for Luke, so they naturally wouldn't make an empty promise.
To enhance the sword's quality and power, they took out a portion of their treasured Mithril and added it to the ancient sword during forging.
Mithril is an extremely rare and precious magic metal, as light as silver yet harder than steel; adding even a small amount to ordinary steel can forge a sword capable of cutting through iron like mud.
Even Narya, the Ring of Water, one of the three Elven Rings, has its band crafted from Mithril.
The only known source of Mithril ore is the Mines of Moria, inhabited by the Balrog, but since the Balrog occupied the Mines of Moria, Mithril lost its source and became even more precious and scarce.
The fact that it could now be used to forge Luke's sword was enough to demonstrate the Dwarves' sincerity.
It also showed how eager the Durinfolk were to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
Through continuous forging and tempering, Thorin and two Dwarf craftsmen spent three full days gradually reshaping the ancient sword.
Just before the final quenching, Luke intervened.
Under the bewildered gazes of the three Dwarves, he approached the glowing red sword, drew his magic wand, and, using it as a pen, waved it in the air against the sword, and mysterious runes appeared on the sword's surface.
As magic power was infused, the runes emitted a faint glow, like flowing symbols, becoming even more mysterious and extraordinary.
"What kind of script is this?" Thorin and the two craftsmen had never seen such writing and were very surprised and curious. They could feel that these characters contained magic power, no less potent than Elvish or Dwarvish script.
Luke replied, "These are Runes."
These days, besides monitoring the sword-forging progress, he had been diligently studying the contents of the dictionary of runes. Although he couldn't claim to be proficient, he had learned a few basic Runes and engraved them onto the sword.
Hearing Luke's reply, the Dwarves exchanged glances. "Runes? Are we ignorant? How do we not remember these symbols in Runes?"
Luke slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that the Dwarves' script was also called Runes, but the Dwarves' Runes and the Runes of the magic world were not the same thing.
To be precise, the Dwarven Runes originated from the script invented by the Sindar Elves, and could be considered a variation of Elvish script, also known as Cirth.
The Runes in the dictionary of runes, however, are an ancient magic script from the Harry Potter world. Their inventor is said to be Odin, the King of Gods. To gain supreme wisdom, Odin hung himself upside down on the World Tree for nine days and nights, enduring torment, and sacrificed his right eye to exchange for the secrets of Runes from the Well of Wisdom.
Of course, in the Harry Potter world, Odin, the King of Gods, was merely a powerful Wizard from Norse mythology, but the Runes he invented were the foundation of ancient magic and Alchemy.
So he immediately explained, "These are not your Dwarven Runes, but Wizard Runes, which can also be called magic script."
The Dwarves understood, but became even more curious and surprised.
As far as they knew, there were only a few Wizards in all of Middle-earth, and even those few Wizards had their own script?
But no matter how curious they were, their most important task at hand was still to complete the forging of the ancient sword.
So, another round of quenching, hammering, and polishing followed.
Finally, a golden longsword, over 1 meter long, exquisitely crafted, elegantly designed, with natural curves, thickness, and patterns, and no particularly ornate decorations, quietly emerged.
The ancient sword, originally cast from bronze, now had a portion of Mithril added by the Dwarves, giving it an overall golden hue with a silvery-white luster, and faint silver patterns covering it, making it look like a sword forged from gold.
Luke gripped the sword in surprise. The reforged blade was much smaller and lighter than before, but it suited him better.
He tried to infuse magic power into the sword, and instantly, several mysterious runes appeared on the blade. The runes glowed, and the blade ignited with intense red flames, radiating high heat that distorted the surrounding air.
This was the power of the Runes Luke had engraved on the sword. While reading the dictionary of runes, he had considered combining Dwarven forging with the power of magic script to allow the sword to unleash greater power.
So he specifically chose the Runic symbols representing fire, combined them in the simplest way, and engraved them onto the blade.
And the result was as Luke had expected, even exceeding his expectations.
He excitedly gripped Blazefury in his hand and slashed at a nearby wooden stake. The stake was instantly split in half, and the flames from the blade quickly climbed onto the stake, rapidly consuming it.
Thorin, as one of the blacksmiths, also narrowed his pupils at this sight, startled by the power of the sword he had forged.
If used against enemies, even if they weren't cut down by the sword, they would be burned to death by the sword's eerie flames!
As for the other two Dwarf craftsmen, after their initial shock, they were extremely excited. To be able to forge such a powerful sword meant that when the sword's reputation spread in the future, they, as its creators, would also be remembered in history.
This was an achievement many craftsmen dreamed of.
After regaining some composure, Thorin asked Luke, "What do you plan to name this sword?"
Luke put down the sword, and the flames on the blade disappeared, the runes also receding.
"Blazefury, it shall be called Blazefury!" Luke said, his eyes bright, caressing the sword as if it were a treasure.
Thorin recalled how the sword had emitted flames earlier and nodded. "The name suits the sword, indeed. I hope this sword will shine brightly in your hands in the future."
"It will!"
With the sword forged, Thorin and the two craftsmen spent another day helping to craft a scabbard.
The scabbard was beautiful and sturdy, made of ivory wrapped in gold, exquisitely carved, and inlaid with magnificent gems.
With Blazefury inserted into its scabbard and strapped to his waist with a leather belt, Luke now looked quite like a Knight if he were to put on a suit of armor.
Thorin looked at Luke and tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "Won't you stay here a few more days? I've already sent word via raven to my distant cousins; once they arrive, the expeditionary force will be complete."
It wasn't because he and Luke had developed a deep bond over these days, but rather he wanted to draw Luke to his side, so he could gain a dominant position in the expeditionary force alongside Gandalf.
Luke naturally guessed Thorin's intentions and secretly shook his head.
After spending these days together, he had also realized that Thorin Oakenshield was a very stubborn and arrogant person, prone to suspicion and mistrust, and likely trusted no one outside of the Dwarf race.
Although it wasn't obvious yet, once the "Dragon Sickness" was triggered by the Lonely Mountain treasure, these traits would be amplified, making him even more paranoid.
Even though their relationship seemed to have grown closer these past few days, it remained a transactional one between Luke and Thorin, with no change.
So Luke declined Thorin's invitation, shaking his head and saying, "I'll be going ahead. I still have matters to attend to. I'll meet up with you in the Shire then."
Then, under Thorin's silent gaze, Luke, with his newly acquired sword, drove his carriage and left the Dwarf town.
In fact, Luke wasn't lying. These past two days, he had noticed that the two Mandrake plants in his carriage were becoming somewhat restless, and the pimples on their faces had disappeared, indicating they were clearly maturing.
He didn't want to handle the Mandrake plants in Dwarf territory, so he planned to return to the Shire for further processing.
It took approximately seven days to travel from the Dwarf town to the Shire. Halfway through the journey, both Mandrake plants had matured and produced a small flower bud.
Mature Mandrake plants are very dangerous; their screams can be lethal. Therefore, Luke needed to regularly apply Petrificus Totalus to them to prevent them from suddenly emerging from the soil and emitting their deadly cries.
Carefully tending to the two Mandrake plants, Luke finally returned to the Shire, arriving in Hobbiton on the afternoon of the seventh day.