"Luke!" Bilbo was overjoyed to see Luke return and quickly ran out of the yard to greet him.
Luke smiled gently and said, "I'm back!"
He then waved his hand, causing everything on the carriage to float down, and picked out a Dwarf-forged dagger, presenting it to Bilbo.
"This is for me?" Bilbo asked in surprise.
Luke nodded.
This was a gift he had specially chosen for Bilbo; although it couldn't compare to a true divine weapon, it was still meticulously crafted by Dwarf artisans.
He remembered that Bilbo would encounter his Sting in the Trollshaws, but using this dagger as a substitute until then was also good.
"Thank you! I love it!" Bilbo held the dagger, very excited, and continuously caressed it like a treasure.
"It's good that you like it. Oh, by the way, could you prepare a rather dark room for me? I have a use for it," Luke said.
"A dark room?" Bilbo was a little confused but didn't press further, instead replying, "Then there's only the cellar at the deepest part of the hobbit-hole. Besides some wine stored there, there's nothing else. You can go there."
"Okay, thank you, I understand." Luke nodded. He then placed the petrified Mandrake back into the glass greenhouse, using several layers of glass covers to insulate and block out sound.
Then he took another Mandrake into the cellar, along with a pot of black mud, thirteen caged bats, a large bag of sea salt, and a clay pot.
The cellar was indeed dark; apart from a tiny skylight allowing some light through, there were no ventilation gaps around.
But as soon as Luke arrived, he sealed the last small skylight as well, letting no light in.
Then Luke pulled the Mandrake out of its pot and replaced it with the black mud he had brought.
This black mud was dug from a graveyard at midnight on a full moon night. Luke didn't want to recall the digging process, as it would tarnish his Wizard image.
After replacing it with the black mud from the graveyard, Luke grabbed a bat from the cage, expressionlessly slit its chest with a dagger, took out its heart, dripped the blood onto the Mandrake root, and then buried the dead bat in the black mud.
The entire process looked bloody and eerie; if anyone else had seen it, they would have suspected him of being an evil Wizard!
Having done all this, Luke did not continue.
In the following days, he only needed to water the Mandrake with the heart blood of one bat each day; nothing else needed to be done.
So, in the days that followed, Bilbo saw Luke go to the cellar every day, and then emerge with a faint smell of blood.
Although Bilbo was curious, as a good friend, he still restrained his curiosity and did not ask too many questions.
On the 13th day, Luke took out the last bat from the cage, extracted its heart, dripped the blood onto the Mandrake root, and then buried the bat in the black mud.
At this point, the Mandrake's soil had become foul-smelling, and the Mandrake itself had become gloomy, as if it were a plant growing in darkness, exuding an eerie and ominous aura.
At midnight on the thirteenth day, Luke pulled the Mandrake out of the black mud.
Then he poured sea salt into the clay pot halfway, placed the Mandrake inside, and completely buried it with the remaining sea salt.
He also compacted it to ensure the Mandrake wouldn't struggle out of the salt.
Having done all this, Luke covered the clay pot with a black cloth, ensuring no light would reach the inside of the pot.
Only when the moon came out at night would he remove the black cloth and open the skylight, allowing moonlight to shine directly onto the sea salt.
After seven days of this, the sea salt became increasingly black, eventually turning completely black.
Luke took out the Mandrake buried in the sea salt.
At this moment, the Mandrake had died, its features twisted, its small eyes pitch black and eerie, and its entire body emanating an aura of darkness and ill omen.
This was the cursed object made from the Mandrake—a voodoo doll.
"Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection" mentioned: "Making cursed objects with Mandrake is like handing the grim reaper's scythe to oneself—it reaps not only the enemy's pain but also the caster's soul."
Although Luke took the warning in the book seriously, he did not avoid it entirely.
After all, Dark Arts like curses, if used too much, would indeed affect one's temperament and easily twist the soul, but their power and effect were also incomparable to other Magic.
Moreover, he had now learned Music Magic from Tom. Music Magic had an active and cheerful infectiousness, capable of counteracting the side effects brought by Dark Arts.
So he was not at all worried that his temperament would be altered by Dark Arts.
Thinking of this, he was very grateful to Tom; this Music Magic seemed to have no destructive power, but it was of great help to him.
After completing the voodoo doll, Luke carefully wrapped it in cloth and then placed it in a small wooden box. This item could not be touched for long periods, otherwise, it would easily bring bad luck to people, so he had to put it away carefully.
After cleaning up all the remaining items, Luke left the cellar.
He had already spent more than half a month making the voodoo doll.
During this time, Gandalf had not come to Hobbiton, and he didn't know what he was busy with.
However, according to Luke's estimation, it wouldn't be long before Gandalf and the Dwarves would arrive here, thus officially beginning their expedition.
So, in the following days, Luke spent his time reading the dictionary of runes and waiting.
This evening, as Luke and Bilbo had just sat down, preparing to enjoy dinner, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Bilbo looked puzzled, exchanging surprised glances with Luke, "Who could be knocking at this late hour?"
Luke, however, had some guesses; it should be Gandalf or the Dwarves who had arrived.
But he didn't voice his guess, instead saying, "Let's go see and find out."
Bilbo agreed, rose from his chair, and went to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a bald Dwarf stood at the entrance.
"I am Dwalin, at your service," he introduced himself.
Before Bilbo could react, Dwalin walked straight into the house and then prepared to scrape his muddy feet on a wooden chest by the door.
"That's… my mother's dowry chest~" Bilbo didn't even have time to stop him.
However, before Dwalin's foot could touch the chest, the chest was moved away by an invisible force, causing him to kick empty air and almost stumble and fall.
Dwalin's eyes widened as he stared at the chest that had dodged him, and then he noticed Luke sitting at the dining table in the living room, immediately realizing, "Amazing Magic! You must be the black-robed Wizard Luke that Thorin spoke of, a pleasure to meet you!"
But he was immediately distracted by the food on the dining table, and without another word, he came to the dining table and plopped down in Bilbo's seat.
"I've been traveling so long, I'm starving!"
As he spoke, he reached out, grabbed the food on the table, and continuously stuffed it into his mouth. His movements were crude and swift, his thick beard covered in food crumbs, as if he hadn't eaten for days.
Luke's brows furrowed at the sight, and his appetite instantly vanished. He put down his knife and fork.
Bilbo was dumbfounded and hadn't had time to question when the door was knocked on again.
This time it was a white-bearded Dwarf, Balin.
He also walked in unceremoniously and greeted Dwalin familiarly.
"Who are you? Why are you in my house?"
Bilbo tried to stop them, but they acted as if they hadn't heard him, and even started rummaging through his pantry.
Immediately after, the door was knocked on repeatedly.
A group of Dwarves arrived one after another: Kili and Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori... Each one swaggered into the house and then squeezed around the small dining table.
The house instantly became crowded and noisy.
Bilbo stood to the side, looking at these uninvited guests with a helpless and shocked expression.
His home seemed to have become a gathering place for Dwarves, and he had become an outsider.
He looked at the Dwarves, who were rummaging through all the food and wine stored in his pantry, with a tearful expression. He could only look pleadingly at Luke: "Luke~"
Seeing Bilbo's frustrated expression, both angry and daring not to speak, Luke chuckled with a hint of sympathy. He patted Bilbo's shoulder, deciding to help him vent and teach these impolite Dwarves a lesson.
"Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus..."
The living room instantly fell silent. Twelve Dwarves were frozen in place, in various poses, with only their eyes darting around, revealing looks of terror.
Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief and said with gratitude and relief, "Thank goodness for you, Luke!"
But before he could fully relax, the door was knocked on again.
Bilbo was somewhat shaken and dared not open the door.
Luke had no choice but to walk over and open the door.
Standing outside the door was Thorin Oakenshield.
"Thorin."
"Luke."
The two nodded in greeting to each other.
"Has Gandalf arrived?" Thorin asked as he walked through the door.
Luke shook his head, "Not yet. He must have been delayed by something."
Thorin frowned at his words.
When he walked into the living room and saw the petrified Dwarves, his pupils instantly constricted, his expression became solemn, and he questioned Luke in a deep voice, "What's going on? What have you done?"
Luke's expression was calm. "They were a bit impolite. I just temporarily made them quiet."
Thorin's expression turned somewhat ugly. He felt that Luke was trying to assert his dominance. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Please, Wizard Luke, undo the Magic on them. I will apologize to you on their behalf!"
Luke shook his head. "The one they should apologize to is not me, but the owner of this place..."
"Sorry, I'm late!" Gandalf's voice suddenly came from the doorway, interrupting the tense atmosphere inside. Gandalf walked in, bending at the waist, and looked at everyone with a smile, asking, "Did I miss anything?"
"Gandalf, you're here!" Bilbo looked as if he had seen a savior, rushing forward with excitement. The oppressive atmosphere just now had almost made him unable to breathe.
"Hello there, Bilbo!" Gandalf greeted him with a smile, then saw the petrified Dwarves stiffly standing at the dining table, his eyes flashing. "It seems you've all met each other, so I don't need to introduce you, do I?"
Seeing Gandalf come out to ease the atmosphere, Luke also had no intention of completely antagonizing the Dwarves. He waved his hand and lifted the Petrificus Totalus from the Dwarves.
The Dwarves, whose bodies had been stiff for a long time, instantly collapsed together weakly, groaning and moaning as they rubbed their sore limbs.
At the same time, their gazes towards Luke held a hint of awe.
After some twists and turns, everyone calmed down again. Although they didn't particularly welcome the Dwarves, Bilbo still took out all the food and wine from the pantry to entertain everyone.
At the dining table, Luke and Gandalf sat together, while the Dwarves, led by Thorin, sat together.
Only Bilbo was constantly busy going back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table.
Everyone discussed the expedition while eating dinner.
"We don't need to confront the Dragon Smaug directly. We just need a key person—he's flexible enough and not easily discovered, then he can quietly sneak into the Lonely Mountain's hall and steal the Arkenstone," Gandalf said.
"With the Arkenstone, Thorin, as the heir of the Durin family, you can gather a Dwarf army and reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the Dragon's hands."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Thorin was somewhat moved. He looked at Gandalf, "Do you have a candidate?"
Gandalf didn't answer but turned his gaze to Bilbo.
Thorin also followed Gandalf's gaze and immediately frowned, questioning, "Gandalf, are you sure?"
In Thorin's opinion, this Hobbit was completely useless except for cooking. He was shorter than a Dwarf, and his arms were not as strong as a Dwarf's, making him very weak and of no use at all.
Bilbo was somewhat flustered by everyone's gazes and tried to shrink behind Luke.
Seeing this, Thorin's frown deepened.
However, Gandalf didn't think so. He explained, "hobbits are small in stature, light-footed, and possess an innate instinct for stealth. They are skilled at moving unnoticed (such as secretly picking mushrooms or avoiding neighbors), making them the perfect choice for a burglar."
"Moreover, hobbits are never noticed by evil Dragons, unless they are trampled underfoot—and Smaug's eyes and nose are sharp enough. He is familiar with the scent of Dwarves, Elves, and Men, but he has never seen a Hobbit, nor can he imagine what they could do."
Thorin was somewhat convinced by Gandalf's words, but he still remained skeptical about Bilbo as a candidate.
Seeing Thorin remain silent, Gandalf turned to Bilbo and said with a very serious attitude, "Then, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, are you willing to join the expedition and venture to the Lonely Mountain?"
"Me?" Bilbo was caught off guard, his expression shocked, and then he shook his head frantically, "No, I can't! I never go on adventures, find someone else!"
Gandalf watched Bilbo hide behind Luke but didn't give up.
"Bilbo, don't you want to experience a great adventure? Think about those adventure books you've read. Don't you want to personally experience those places described in the books? And when you return from your adventure, you can even write your own adventure book, so that your future descendants will know about your adventures and be proud of you!"
"And Luke will be accompanying you on this adventure. Don't you want to go with him?"
When Luke was mentioned, Bilbo looked at him with some confusion, "Luke, do you want me to go too?"
Luke shook his head, not joining Gandalf in persuading him, but sincerely said, "No matter what decision you make, I will support you."
Although he knew that Bilbo would leave the Shire, encounter the One Ring of his destiny, and that his choice would even determine the direction of the entire Middle-earth, making him a key character in the saga of the Ring.
But if Bilbo was content with an ordinary life, only wishing to live as a common Hobbit in the Shire, he would also unhesitatingly choose to support him.
Hearing Luke's words, Bilbo's expression showed struggle and hesitation, with rationality and courage constantly in conflict.
Finally, he took a deep breath and said to everyone, "I am willing to join!"
As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if he had used up all his courage, and he shrank back again, hiding behind Luke.
Luke was stunned to hear Bilbo's quick reply.
Gandalf, however, was very happy and raised his wine glass, "Our Master Thief has returned! Let us welcome Bilbo Baggins to the party!"
"To Bilbo Baggins, the Master Thief!" the Dwarves cheered loudly.
When Luke came back to his senses, his emotions were somewhat complex. He didn't expect Bilbo to agree so quickly. He remembered that in his memory, Bilbo only made the final decision after Gandalf and the others left, and then caught up with the expedition team.
Obviously, such a change stemmed from him.
However, since Bilbo agreed, Luke also supported his decision, and immediately asked Thorin and Bilbo to sign a contract, specifying the reward for Bilbo helping the Dwarves reclaim Lonely Mountain.
He didn't want Bilbo to get no reward after helping so much.
And Thorin, in order to reclaim Lonely Mountain, was also very generous, agreeing to share the Lonely Mountain treasure. As long as the arkenstone was found and Lonely Mountain was reclaimed, one-fourteenth of the treasure would be given to Bilbo.
As for Gandalf, he didn't ask for any reward.
After getting the contract and signing his name, Bilbo felt a little dizzy.
If he were to obtain one-fifteenth of the Lonely Mountain treasure according to the contract, he would become the richest hobbit in the entire Shire.
Late at night,
The Dwarves, who had finished off all the liquor in Bag End, lay scattered on the beds, snoring like thunder.
Bilbo, in the master bedroom next door, tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep at all.
On the one hand, the Dwarves' snoring was too loud, and on the other hand, he was thinking about the upcoming adventure.
Luke and Gandalf, meanwhile, were sitting on the sloping lawn of Bag End's roof.
One looked up at the stars, the other silently puffed on his pipe.
"I went to the wilderness for a while and exchanged information with some ranger friends. I found that the Orc army in the Misty Mountains has been stirring recently, and there are even traces of several Orc squads in the wilderness," Gandalf exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice somewhat solemn.
"So I will part ways with you halfway and go to the Misty Mountains to investigate. The expedition team will be handed over to you then!"
Gandalf had told him about this before, so Luke was mentally prepared.
He nodded, turned to look at Gandalf, "Is there anything you need my help with?"
To be honest, compared to being with the Dwarves, he preferred to follow Gandalf.
Gandalf smiled and pointed to the sword at his waist, "I'd be very willing to have you as a helper, but haven't you already made a deal with the Dwarves to escort them?"
"By the way, your sword is really good! Have you named it?"
"This sword is called Blazefury."
Seeing Gandalf interested in his sword, Luke drew it out with a hint of showing off and handed it to him. At the same time, he answered Gandalf's previous question, saying indifferently:
"I only promised to help them reclaim Lonely Mountain, but I didn't say I would take care of them like a nanny. And I don't think Thorin would want to see my prestige or yours surpass his in the team."
Speaking of Thorin, Gandalf also had a headache. Although the team had just been formed, the conflict between Thorin and Gandalf had already begun to emerge.
Thorin, a person with extremely strong control, has been trying to control the leadership of the expedition team.
Gandalf was not willing to contend for any leadership, and was even willing to give in to Thorin most of the time. But as the proposer and organizer of the team, with his powerful strength and prestige, he naturally had prestige in the team.
Not to mention that he also wore narya, the Ring of Fire, on his hand. The ring would make those around him feel warm, courageous, and hopeful, making people instinctively want to be close to him and revolve around him.
So unless Thorin or Gandalf actively bowed their heads or left, conflicts would sooner or later break out during the expedition.
But this was not something Luke needed to worry about.
And Gandalf didn't pay too much attention to it either. Now that Luke, a Wizard, was in the team, he felt much more at ease and focused more on investigating the surging dark forces.
Forgetting about Thorin, that troublesome fellow, Gandalf focused his attention on the sword in front of him, which looked like it was cast from gold.
"The craftsmanship of the Dwarves is indeed amazing!" Gandalf stroked the sword, full of admiration. As soon as he grasped the hilt, magic power surged into the sword body, and the sword instantly burned with scorching golden flames, emitting light like the sun!
"Blazefury, it truly lives up to its name!"
Luke was stunned to see the golden flames released by Blazefury in Gandalf's hand.
These golden flames were different from his previous red flames, more scorching, sacred, and dangerous. Luke could feel that if he touched these flames, even if only a little, he would be instantly burned to ashes!
"Gandalf, what kind of flame is this?"
"This is the Fire of Arnor, also known as the Fire of the Sun," Gandalf explained.
Luke was struck by this. The Flame Sword only released red magic flames in his hand, but when it fell into Gandalf's hand, it actually released the Fire of the Sun!
The difference was too great!
Luke even felt that Blazefury in his hand was a treasure covered in dust, entrusted to the wrong person.
However, thinking that Gandalf was a Maia disguised as a Wizard, Luke felt a little better.
After all, the other party was a god, and he was just an ordinary Wizard. It's not strange to have a gap, isn't it? Luke comforted himself.
Putting away the flames, Gandalf discovered the mysterious runes appearing on the sword body and was very curious, "What kind of writing is this? I feel that it contains mystery and power."
"This is magic script, you can also think of it as the writing of Wizards." In order to avoid having the same name as the Dwarven runes, he still chose a different explanation.
"The writing of Wizards?" Gandalf was very surprised. He had never known that Wizards had any writing, but then a guess popped into his mind, and he stared at Luke in disbelief.
"Is this writing you created?"
Besides this guess, he really couldn't think of any other explanation.
"Gandalf, you think too highly of me!" Luke smiled bitterly and shook his head. He didn't dare to lie in front of this wise gray-robed Wizard, but he couldn't talk about the system, so he could only choose a vague explanation.
"You can think of this as heaven-bestowed. Although only I currently master this magic script, it was not created by me."
But the shock this answer brought to Gandalf was no less than his previous guess.
The term "heaven-bestowed" inevitably made Gandalf misunderstand, and then he looked at Luke with an envious gaze, "The favor of the Father of All is truly making me feel jealous!"
Huh? Luke was confused, what favor of the Father of All? Did Gandalf misunderstand something?
But Gandalf didn't mean to explain either. After returning Blazefury to Luke, he went back to Bag End to rest.
The next morning,
After eating the last bit of stored food in Bag End, everyone was ready to go.