Just as Luke was tempted by the staff,
Gandalf, however, made a request first, "Luke, please do me a favor and make me a magic wand?"
Luke was a little surprised and asked in confusion, "Gandalf, you already have a staff, why do you need another magic staff?"
"A Wizard always needs to have two plans, doesn't he?" Gandalf winked mischievously at Luke, "If my staff ever gets lost, having a magic wand in hand will always be safer."
"Of course, as a reward, I will also make a staff for you. How about that?"
"That would be great!" Luke exclaimed inwardly.
So Luke agreed without hesitation, after all, he was still getting the better deal. Compared to the simple making of a magic wand , a staff requires a very precious magic gem as its core.
So Gandalf also prepared Luke mentally in advance, "magic gems are hard to find. They are basically collected by ancient Elves or Dwarf royalty, so I probably won't be able to make a staff for you in a short time. I hope you can understand."
Luke certainly had no objections, "I know that making a staff is not easy, and I'm not in a hurry to have one for now. So Gandalf, please don't worry too much about me, just let it be."
In the time that followed, Gandalf told Bilbo and Luke about the various landscapes and cultures he had seen on his travels through Middle-earth, including the beautiful Rivendell, the mysterious Golden Wood of Lothlórien, the deep Mirkwood, the dangerous Misty Mountains, and also Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and so on.
Bilbo and Luke were both fascinated, and in Gandalf's vivid descriptions, they felt as if they had seen those sights with their own eyes.
However, unlike Bilbo, Luke was thinking about what kind of rewards he would get from signing in at these places.
Seeing the longing expressions of Bilbo and Luke, a smile flashed in Gandalf's eyes, and then he extended an invitation once more.
"Luke, Bilbo, besides delivering Thráin II's relics to his son, I also plan to organize a team to go to the Lonely Mountain to investigate the situation of the dragon Smaug. I want to invite you to join us on this adventure!"
"Adventure? No, I'm not going on an adventure!" Bilbo instantly recoiled, shaking his head in refusal with a look of resistance, "Adventure has nothing to do with a hobbit like me, Gandalf, find someone else. I just want to stay in Bag End and enjoy a peaceful life every day."
Gandalf did not give up and continued to persuade, "Bilbo, put aside your resistance first and think about what your heart truly desires. Aren't you curious about the world outside? Whenever you read those adventure books, haven't you ever thought about experiencing them yourself? Don't forget that the adventurous blood of the Took family flows in your veins. Your ancestors had legendary adventures. Don't you want to inherit their spirit?"
Bilbo was somewhat swayed, feeling his blood boil and a surge of adventurous courage welling up in his heart.
Luke, who was standing by, also seemed to sense something, and his gaze inadvertently swept over Gandalf's hand.
Although he couldn't see anything, he guessed that Gandalf had just used the power of the Ring of Fire, Narya.
According to his limited understanding, this Elven ring, besides being able to control the fire element, also had the ability to inspire courage in people, making it a very precious and powerful artifact.
To rule Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron once disguised himself as "Annatar, Lord of Gifts," and, with his beautiful appearance and exquisite craftsmanship, he deceived the Elves' trust, guiding them to forge the Rings of Power, specifically the Seven Rings for the Dwarves and the Nine Rings for Men, secretly injecting dark, corrupting power into them.
Then, he secretly forged the one ring in Mount Doom to control the other Rings of Power.
However, unbeknownst to him, the Elven smith Celebrimbor, using the knowledge Sauron imparted, independently forged the Three Elven Rings: narya, the Ring of Fire; Nenya, the Ring of Water; and Vilya, the Ring of Air.
Finally, they fell into the hands of Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien in the Golden Wood, Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell in Imladris, and Gandalf.
Because the forging process of the Three Elven Rings did not go through Sauron's hands, they were not contaminated by his dark power.
However, because the rings' forging craftsmanship came from the Dark Lord Sauron, they were inherently controlled by the one ring. Unaware of what kind of influence Sauron had on the rings, the owners of the Three Elven Rings restrained themselves from using their power, thereby avoiding attracting Sauron's attention.
But even so, the Three Elven Rings could still be called artifacts.
Galadriel, the owner of the Ring of Water, used its power to erect a magical barrier around Lothlórien in the Golden Wood, making Lothlórien perpetually spring-like and protecting it from external dark forces.
Elrond, the owner of the Ring of Air, used its power to create the last refuge for the Elves—Rivendell, and became the best healer in Middle-earth.
As for Gandalf, it goes without saying that he used the Ring of Fire, narya, to inspire the people of Middle-earth to fight against the darkness and guided them to victory over the Dark Lord Sauron and his minions.
If these rings didn't already have masters, and if those masters weren't extremely powerful, Luke would have been tempted.
If he had the chance, he would really like to see the Three Elven Rings.
Speaking of which, the Ring of Fire, narya, can indeed inspire courage.
But encountering Bilbo, a fellow who could hold the one ring for decades without being corrupted, the power of the Ring of Fire was greatly diminished.
Bilbo's desire for peace ultimately overcame the courage that had been stirred within him. He shook his head directly, refusing with a look of rejection, "That adventurous experience was from my great-great-great-great-granduncle's time, it was a very long time ago. I am just an ordinary Baggins now, living a peaceful life, and I have no interest in adventure!"
Seeing that Bilbo was unaffected by the power of the Ring of Fire, Gandalf was also a little surprised. Seeing Bilbo's strong resistance, he temporarily gave up on persuading him further and turned to Luke.
"Luke, what's your opinion? Are you willing to join the adventure team?"
Luke hadn't expected to be invited so smoothly. Although he was happy, he didn't immediately agree, but instead asked, "Gandalf, if you invite me to join the team, what do you want me to do?"
Gandalf saw that Luke was somewhat swayed and immediately explained seriously, "This expedition will pass through many dangerous areas. I would like to ask you to protect the team and ensure their safe arrival at the Lonely Mountain when I am not present."
"When you are not present? Gandalf, are you not planning to accompany the team?" Luke looked at Gandalf in surprise.
Gandalf shook his head, his expression becoming somewhat solemn, "When I returned this time, I stayed in the Misty Mountains for several months. I found that the number of Orcs there suddenly increased dramatically, and they were well-organized, clearly indicating the birth of a new king. Moreover, there are rumors of frequent Necromancer activity around Dol Guldur. I suspect that a powerful evil force is secretly growing and orchestrating all of this."
"To prevent the Orcs and the evil dragon of the Lonely Mountain from uniting and causing a greater threat, I decided to organize an expedition to the Lonely Mountain to investigate the dragon's whereabouts. Once this team is organized, I may need to go to the Misty Mountains and the Dol Guldur area to investigate the situation. At that time, I will need you to protect the team."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Luke's expression also became serious, "Alright, I am willing to join the team!"
Gandalf immediately smiled upon hearing this, "Welcome to the Lonely Mountain Expedition!"
On the road west of the Shire.
Luke and Gandalf were sitting in a cart pulled by a pony named Little Stunner, leisurely traveling west.
Their journey was to the Blue Mountains.
After the evil dragon Smaug occupied the Lonely Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield led the dwarven refugees from the Lonely Mountain to settle in the Blue Mountains.
Gandalf needed to deliver the relic entrusted to him by Thráin II to Thorin Oakenshield, who resided in the Blue Mountains.
As for Luke, he accompanied Gandalf, ostensibly to meet the heir of the Durinfolk, but in reality, he wanted to check in and sign in at the Blue Mountains.
"Gandalf, there are only two of us in the expedition team now. Are you sure you can persuade Thorin Oakenshield to go to the Lonely Mountain?" Luke asked Gandalf, while using Petrificus Totalus to stop two Mandrakes that were uncomfortable from being shaken and trying to burrow out of the soil, preventing them from causing trouble.
Gandalf puffed on his pipe, smiling confidently, "I'm quite confident in my eloquence. Besides, the Lonely Mountain is the homeland of the Durinfolk. After being occupied by the evil dragon for so many years, I believe they, who have been displaced, will be willing to reclaim their home."
After speaking, he looked at the two Mandrakes petrified by Luke, shaking his head with some sympathy, "Poor fellows, why did you bring them? Wouldn't it be better to leave them in the greenhouse for Bilbo to take care of?"
Luke looked at him speechlessly, "I wouldn't dare to entrust Mandrakes to Bilbo. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'd find his corpse when I returned!"
The Mandrakes were about to mature at any time, and the sound they emitted would be fatal. Even he had to handle them carefully, let alone entrust them to Bilbo.
The Blue Mountains, where Thorin Oakenshield resided, were located west of the Shire, not far away. Gandalf and Luke walked for a week before arriving at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
After the evil dragon Smaug occupied the Lonely Mountain, the Durinfolk were forced to flee, constantly moving from place to place, and finally settled in the Blue Mountains.
The Blue Mountains once had two dwarven city-states, Belegost and Nogrod, but they gradually declined and became desolate, leaving behind many mine tunnels that extended deep into the mountain. The exiled Durinfolk lived in these mine tunnels, and a small town formed in front of the caves.
Luke accompanied Gandalf to the Durinfolk settlement.
This was his first time seeing Dwarves.
He looked at everything around him, feeling very new.
The Dwarves' height was only slightly taller than that of hobbits, reaching only Luke's waist.
However, unlike hobbits, Dwarves had rugged appearances, broad shoulders and waists, and full beards. Even female Dwarves had beards.
Luke was amazed. If it weren't for being able to distinguish them by clothing, he wouldn't even be able to tell the Dwarves' genders.
The Dwarves also curiously scrutinized Luke and Gandalf, these two tall strangers.
Gandalf didn't mind the surrounding gazes at all and even greeted the surrounding Dwarves in a friendly manner.
"We're looking for Thorin, Thorin Oakenshield. Can you tell me where he is now?"
Gandalf asked a dwarf.
The dwarf looked strangely at Gandalf and Luke, then casually pointed behind him.
"He's in the innermost blacksmith shop right now. If you're looking for him, go there."
After thanking the dwarf, Gandalf led Luke to the blacksmith shop.
Arriving at the blacksmith shop,
the furnace was roaring, and intense heat emanated from the forge.
A dwarf, dressed in leather and with bare arms,
was holding a hammer, intently striking a red-hot iron block, sparks flying everywhere.
He had long black hair and a long beard. He was short but exceptionally muscular. The heavy hammer was light in his hands, and he easily hammered the iron block into a rough shape.
Gandalf raised his hand to greet him:
"Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, grandson of Thrór, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey Wizard."
Then he pointed to Luke.
"This is Luke, who is traveling with me, Luke the Black Wizard."
Thorin seemed not to hear and continued to focus on forging iron.
Gandalf didn't mind. He turned to examine the forge, then pulled out a heavy sword from a shelf, held it in his hand, and carefully felt it, commenting, "The dwarven weapon forging craftsmanship is indeed exquisite, not inferior even to that of the elves."
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing 'elves', Thorin, who was forging iron, immediately let out a cold snort.
His tone conveyed disdain and contempt.
He raised his head, looking at Gandalf and Luke with cold and suspicious eyes.
"What do you want with me?"
Gandalf went straight to the point.
"Thorin Oakenshield, as the royal heir of the dwarves, are you willing to take on the responsibility of an heir, reclaim your lost homeland, and retake the Lonely Mountain?"
Thorin was not provoked by these words. He gave Gandalf a cold look and sneered.
"Don't you know that the Lonely Mountain has been occupied by an evil dragon? The Dwarves are now hopeless. Do you think we are capable of dueling with a dragon?"
Gandalf shook his head.
"To my knowledge, that dragon has been sleeping for a long time. You don't need to directly fight the dragon; you only need to steal the arkenstone, the Dwarves' most precious treasure.
You can then, as the heir of the Durinfolk, use the arkenstone to rally other Dwarves and reorganize an army to drive the dragon out of the Lonely Mountain."
A glint flashed in Thorin's eyes, clearly indicating his interest.
But he still looked at Gandalf and Luke with suspicion.
"You're so eager to help us? What are your conditions?"
"I don't need anything. My goal is that dragon," Gandalf explained.
"These past few days, I've noticed the Orcs starting to stir. Their movements are orderly, which means a king must have emerged. To prevent the Orcs and the dragon from joining forces later, I need the strength of the Dwarves to first eliminate the dragon, this hidden danger."
"What about him?"
Thorin directly turned his questioning gaze to Luke, who had remained silent.
Luke frowned at Thorin's suspicious gaze.
"Don't mind me. I'm just here at Gandalf's invitation. I'm not interested in your affairs and won't interfere."
Noticing Luke's displeasure, Gandalf looked at Thorin with a serious expression.
"Luke is a powerful Wizard. He once helped the hobbits defeat the Huorn family of the Old Forest, and he even ventured deep into the Barrow-downs to defeat the barrow-wights and return unscathed. His name is widely spread across the Eriador wilderness, and his magic is beyond what I can achieve.
If you want to safely reach the Lonely Mountain, or even deal with the dragon, Luke is a guarantee."
Hearing Gandalf's serious and earnest words, Thorin's gaze towards Luke also became solemn.
Gandalf was not unknown among Dwarves, elves, and humans. Although his image was more often that of a wise man who frequently traveled to various places to organize different forces against darkness.
But no one would doubt his power.
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!"