"You? How can you prove it?" Saruman questioned, his eyes cold.
"I have a magic that can extract memories from myself or others." Luke pressed his wand to his temple, recalling the situation at the time, and whispered a spell.
A silver thread was drawn from his temple; it was a memory from that time.
Once a memory is extracted, to view it, one must either implant it into someone else's mind or use a Pensieve.
A Pensieve was not realistic, and everyone around him was, without exception, a powerful individual, likely unwilling to let Luke tamper with their memories.
However, Luke had another option.
He looked at Galadriel and requested, "Lady Galadriel, I heard that you can create a water mirror that shows the past and future. Could you please create a container here that can hold memories, so that everyone can see the scenes within?"
"As you wish."
Galadriel did not refuse. She picked up a wine jug from the table, walked to the nearby river, and scooped up a jug of clear water.
When she poured it onto the tabletop, the clear water seemed to be infused with magic, emitting starlight, very clear and bright, forming a very distinct water mirror.
At Galadriel's signal, Luke flicked the memory thread wrapped around his wand into the water mirror.
The memory merged into the water mirror, creating a ripple.
The water mirror displayed Luke's past memories, from his first encounter with the Witch-king of Angmar possessing a body in the Barrow-downs tomb, to the expedition team encountering hundreds of wights on the road, and the scene of Gandalf battling the Witch-king of Angmar possessing a wight.
Everyone gathered around the water mirror, watching the images within with solemn expressions.
Even Saruman, who was stubborn and unwilling to admit the truth, now looked grim and remained silent.
After all, the facts were very clear. Apart from Luke, everyone present was a far-sighted and powerful individual, and they could all recognize that it was undoubtedly the Witch-king of Angmar.
But Saruman clearly did not want to admit he was wrong.
"Although it is confirmed to be the Witch-king of Angmar, this does not mean that Sauron has returned. When his finger was cut off by Narsil, his physical form was already destroyed, and only his spirit remains, which is nothing to fear."
"Moreover, without the one ring, he cannot gain power and threaten Middle-earth again."
Elrond and Galadriel did not speak, but they stood behind Gandalf, clearly having made their choice.
Saruman saw this scene, and his jealousy towards Gandalf intensified. He was clearly the leader of the White Council, but now he was isolated and helpless.
"Leaving aside the matter of the Nazgûl, just the Dwarves' problem, Gandalf, you need to give us an explanation."
Saruman seized on another topic, pressing him step by step.
"You always love to meddle, clearly there is no trouble, yet you go looking for it yourself. We all know what sleeps in the Lonely Mountain, yet you stubbornly insist on trying to awaken that dragon. You are bringing trouble upon yourself."
"I cannot agree with your opinion, Saruman." Gandalf shook his head, "The dragon Smaug does not belong to any side. Once he allies with the Orc, it will bring unpredictable consequences to all forces in Middle-earth."
"Only by letting the Dwarves reclaim the Lonely Mountain can we restrain the dark forces in the Far East and prevent them from expanding."
Just as Gandalf and Saruman were arguing, Lindir, Elrond's secretary, brought news.
Thorin Oakenshield had left Rivendell early with the Dwarves and Bilbo.
When speaking of this news, Lindir's tone carried a hint of joy.
During this time, the Dwarves had given the elves of Rivendell a huge headache.
They not only squandered all of Rivendell's food and wine but also dismantled the elves' musical instruments for firewood, constantly making loud noises, and bathing in the elves' fountains…
But Elrond, adhering to the courtesy of treating guests as honored, did not blame them.
Now that the Dwarves had left, the entire Rivendell felt like a celebration, and the elves were almost ready to hold a celebratory feast.
This White Council meeting ultimately ended on a sour note due to Saruman's disagreement.
Saruman was the leader of the White Council. Although Elrond and Galadriel agreed with Gandalf's opinion, they would not openly oppose Saruman.
Therefore, Gandalf's proposal for the White Council members to jointly attack Dol Guldur ultimately failed to be achieved.
So Gandalf decided to go to Dol Guldur first to investigate and confirm whether the Dark Lord Sauron was truly hiding there.
Before leaving Rivendell,
After obtaining Elrond's permission, Luke used magic on a fireplace to set up a node for the Floo Network, connecting the fireplace in Rivendell with the one in the Weathertop tower.
Thus, in the future, he could easily travel back and forth between Weathertop and Rivendell via the Floo Network.
And as a thank you, Luke gifted a small pouch of Floo powder to Elrond, enough for one person to use for ten teleportations.
Traveling from Rivendell to the Lonely Mountain required crossing the Misty Mountains, where the terrain was rugged and impassable.
So Luke left his carriage and the pony, Little Dullard, in Rivendell, entrusting them to the elves' care.
Afterward, he and Gandalf set off on foot towards the Misty Mountains, following in Thorin's footsteps.
Thorin and his company had departed a day earlier than Luke and Gandalf,
However, the two were not in a hurry, instead walking at a leisurely pace.
Luke had the Palantír, so he wasn't afraid of not finding Thorin and his company.
"Where are they now?" Gandalf plopped down on a stone, slowly puffing on his pipe as he inquired.
"Let me see." Luke picked up a small leather pouch from his waist, pulled out a crystal ball several times larger than the pouch, and looked carefully into it.
"Hmm… They are already nearing the High Pass. If we want to catch up, it will probably take a lot of time."
He then stuffed the Palantír back into the small leather pouch and pulled out a bottle of water to drink from it.
Seeing this, Gandalf couldn't help but exclaim, "Your magic truly surprises me more and more. It even involves spatial magic."
"This is the Undetectable Extension Charm, merely a magic that expands space. It's not even considered spatial magic," Luke said, shaking his head.
The Book of Spells recorded many spells, including the Undetectable Extension Charm.
The Undetectable Extension Charm can infinitely expand the internal space of an object without changing its external volume.
Many things in the magical world apply this charm, such as Wizard suitcases, magic tents, secret bases, and other scenarios requiring concealment and expansion.
Among them, the most iconic item is Newt Scamander's suitcase, which almost contains a small world filled with countless magical creatures.
The Undetectable Extension Charm is an advanced spell, very difficult to learn. Luke practiced for a long time and only managed to expand a stable space with a diameter of over two meters inside a small leather pouch.
With this space, Luke's life became much more convenient. All the items in his carriage were packed into his small leather pouch, including his personal sword and dagger. Aside from a wand in his hand, he could be said to be traveling light.
Gandalf was very envious of this and begged Luke to create a space for him as well. For this purpose, he specifically expanded his pipe pouch, intending to use it exclusively for storing Shire tobacco, so he could smoke tobacco wherever he went in the future.
No wonder Saruman would mock him, saying he had been addled by the hobbits' tobacco.
"Excessive humility is pride, Luke." Gandalf shook his head, disagreeing,
"Your magic is different from ours. We borrow the power of nature from outside, while your magic is more like an embodiment of your inner self, changing with your will. You say 'Let there be light,' and there is light."
"Such an ability is beyond us. Although it is still very small, its future is limitless."
"Oh, by the way, you now have the elven gem gifted by Lady Galadriel. You can start making your staff. What wood do you plan to use? Once you've chosen, I will begin making it for you."
When it came to this, Luke also hesitated.
As for the material for the staff's body, he had a large section of willow heart that he could use, but willow heart was only the most suitable magic wood he had encountered so far, not the best choice for a staff body.
Now that he had precious magic gems like the Elf Gem, he naturally wanted to find a tree with the strongest magic properties to forge a powerful staff.
In that case, willow heart seemed a bit ordinary.
"Gandalf, you are well-traveled and knowledgeable. Do you have any recommendations for staff materials?"
Gandalf pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, among the trees with the strongest magic properties in Middle-earth, the Ents are certainly among them. They are the Tree-herders created by Yavanna, the Goddess of Plants. Even the Huorn in the Old Forest are controlled by the Ents."
"Radagast has a good relationship with the Ents of Fangorn Forest. Perhaps you could entrust him to help you get a branch from an Ent to make a staff."
"Next would be the Mallorn trees of Lothlórien. Those are divine trees that grow in Valinor, the Blessed Realm in the West. They are descendants of the divine trees created by Yavanna, the Goddess of Plants, in imitation of Laurelin, one of the Two Trees, and they contain powerful magic."
"Lady Galadriel once brought the seeds of the Mallorn trees to Lórien and planted them, which is how it earned the beautiful name of the Golden Wood. If you wish to use a branch from a Mallorn tree to make a staff, you will need to go to Lórien and obtain Lady Galadriel's permission."
"There is also a tree that is even harder to find. It is called the White Tree, a descendant of Telperion, one of the Two Trees, and also a symbol of the Númenórean and Gondor. In Minas Tirith, the holy city of Gondor in the south, there is a White Tree planted, but it has already withered."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Luke also fell into thought.
Excluding the hard-to-find White Tree, the other two could be considered.
However, relatively speaking, the Mallorn trees of Lórien seemed easier to obtain, especially since Galadriel had already invited him to be her guest in Lórien and had also promised to make a magic wand for Arwen.
As for Fangorn Forest, he heard that the Ents there were not very good-tempered, and he also had conflicts with their close relatives—the Huorn of the Old Forest. He wondered if that would have an impact?
Never mind, he would see then!
Luke decided to consider this matter after the journey to the Lonely Mountain was over.
However, speaking of staffs, Luke had also promised to make a magic wand for Gandalf.
The body of the magic wand had already been completed, only the core was missing.
Lady Galadriel gave him five strands of her hair. These strands contained magic and the light of the Two Trees, possessing incredible power, making them the best choice for a wand core.
Three of them belonged to the three siblings, Elrohir, Elladan, and Arwen. Of the remaining two, one was originally intended to be tried as the core for Gandalf's magic wand, but it turned out not to be compatible with Gandalf.
Just like the Elf rings they each wore, Gandalf belonged to fire, while Galadriel was water; their magic did not blend.
So, Luke could only regretfully, with a full smile, pocket the remaining two strands of hair.
Galadriel's hair carried her blessing, containing the power to resist darkness and protect the heart.
What was most terrifying about Sauron was not his destructive power, but his power to corrupt the heart and cause people to fall. The nine Nazgûl were originally human kings, but Sauron corrupted their hearts through the nine rings, eventually making them his most loyal servants.
The one ring was something even a Maia like Gandalf dared not touch.
With Luke's current strength and willpower, if he were to face Sauron directly, he would be unable to resist the mental erosion of dark power.
But with Galadriel's hair, he didn't have to worry about his mind being corrupted and twisted.
Guided by the Palantír, Luke and Gandalf hurried towards the High Pass of the Misty Mountains.
Halfway there, they encountered a thunderstorm.
"Protego!" Luke cast a spell on himself and Gandalf. Even in the pouring rain, their bodies remained clean, without a single drop of rain.
"Luckily you have your magic," Gandalf said with a smile, "but Thorin and the others are in for it. They're probably drenched by now."
But he looked at the thunderstorm in the mountains and the huge rumbling sounds, gazing worriedly in the direction of the High Pass.
"It is said that Rock Giants frequent this area. I just hope they don't encounter them, otherwise it would really be a landslide and they would lose their lives!"
"Gandalf, are you sure you don't have the gift of prophecy?" Luke looked at him with a complicated expression, then handed him the Palantír, signaling him to look at its contents.
Gandalf heard this and had a bad feeling, quickly looking into the crystal ball.
He saw several Rock Giants, as tall as mountains, in the image, playing by throwing huge rocks at each other, creating a scene of a landslide.
And Thorin and the others, like ants, were hiding in the crevices of rocks, trembling and dodging the various falling boulders.
In such a situation, it was fortunate that they had protagonist's luck; not a single one had been crushed to death so far.
Seeing this situation, Gandalf couldn't sit still.
Rock Giants mostly slept, and even if someone passed by, they would only be mistaken for a mountain, but now they were unlucky enough to encounter them.
"Luke, hurry! We must get there before they are crushed to death!"
Luke didn't delay, casting magic on Gandalf's and his own legs, quickly rushing towards the High Pass with a light, floating gait.
With Gandalf's Ring of Fire dispelling fatigue, the two hardly paused for rest, moving quickly the entire way.
Finally, after running for several hours, the two finally arrived at the High Pass.
Seeing the Rock Giants up close, the impact and shock were even more pronounced. The Rock Giants were over a thousand feet tall, taller and larger than the tower on Weathertop, with their upper bodies directly disappearing into the clouds.
It was these Rock Giants stirring the clouds that created the thunderstorm.
It was fortunate that these Rock Giants preferred to stay in the mountains and loved to sleep, sleeping for hundreds or thousands of years, and were neutral, not participating in the conflicts of Middle-earth.
Otherwise, it would be a disaster for any side.
"Protego!"
Innumerable huge shattered rocks flew towards Luke and Gandalf, blocked by a magic barrier.
Against the sky full of shattered rocks, Luke and Gandalf moved forward with difficulty.
Seeing that the Rock Giants were still happily throwing stones, Gandalf angrily said, "These mischievous fellows don't care if there's life underfoot; they always play by themselves."
Saying that, he raised his staff and struck it heavily, erupting a dazzling light, his voice like thunder: "Quiet down, you naughty rascals! All of you stop your games!"
The Rock Giants were attracted by the dazzling light and all stopped their movements, curiously lowering their heads to look at Gandalf.
"Don't play the stone-throwing game anymore! Look at what you've done to this place!" Gandalf sternly reprimanded, adopting the demeanor of a dean of students.
Luke looked up at the Rock Giants in the sky, then at the imposing Gandalf in front of him.
Luke was indeed intimidated by Gandalf's demeanor, but looking at the motionless Rock Giants above, he felt a bad premonition and quietly asked, "Uh, Gandalf, are you sure this really works?"
"I don't know, I'm just trying." Gandalf stood tall, his expression unchanged, speaking in a low voice.
What? Luke's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at him.
The next second, he saw the Rock Giant above move.
Picking up the huge rock in its hand, it threw it towards Luke and them.
"Confringo!"
A blinding magic spell struck the boulder, shattering it into countless fragments.
Luke stood at the front, keeping a wary eye on the distant Giants while loudly complaining, "Gandalf, your method is completely useless!"
Instead, it attracted the attention of all the Rock Giants.
"Things don't always go as planned, do they?" Gandalf shrugged innocently.
"At least Bilbo and the others are safe, aren't they?"
Luke rolled his eyes in exasperation. He still had the leisure to joke around now? Why didn't he make a move!
"Watch out!" Gandalf shouted a warning.
Several Rock Giants grabbed huge boulders and hurled them towards Luke and Gandalf.
Those boulders were like meteors falling from the sky, carrying immense impact force, enough to smash through mountains and crush the two of them into meat paste!
Luke naturally saw them immediately, his face changing. He gripped his magic wand and channeled his magic with all his might.
"Protego Maxima!"
A powerful magic barrier instantly formed, transforming into a thick glowing spherical shield that enveloped both Luke and Gandalf.
Gandalf didn't just stand there watching. He grabbed his staff with both hands and struck forcefully into the air. The powerful force shattered the incoming boulders into countless pieces, which were then blocked by Luke's magic barrier.
The two of them successfully fended off this wave of boulders, but this clearly piqued the Rock Giants' interest, and they picked up more boulders to throw again.
Both of them immediately looked grim. Casting magic was very physically demanding, and they would eventually run out of stamina, while the Giants had an endless supply of boulders.
"We can't confront them head-on. We need to find a way to obscure their vision, then find Thorin and the others and leave here as quickly as possible!"
Gandalf shouted amidst the thunderstorm.
"I have a magic spell I can try," Luke said loudly, "but I haven't tried it before, so I don't know if it will succeed."
"Don't hesitate, try it quickly, I believe in you!" Gandalf forcefully shattered an incoming boulder and urged him loudly.
Luke directly summoned the "Book of Spells."
He remembered there was a smoke spell inside that could release mist to hide one's figure and obscure enemy vision.
He had an impression of this spell; he remembered Dumbledore had used it to cover up when he met Newt Scamander in London, enveloping the entire city in mist.
Luke had only briefly looked at this spell before, and now he could only learn and use it on the fly, following the spell book.
"Vaporize ~"
Fortunately, this spell was not complicated. Luke succeeded on his first try. Thick clouds of mist poured out from the tip of his magic wand, continuously spreading outwards in a vortex.
In the blink of an eye, the entire High Pass was enveloped in thick fog, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of their face.
The Rock Giants tried to part the mist to find people, but the mist was endless, as if it had no end. They could only roar in frustration and haphazardly throw away the boulders in their hands.
"Well done, Luke!" Gandalf praised in a low voice.
Luke took out the Palantír. Guided by the Palantír, the two successfully passed through the mist and between the Rock Giants, arriving at Thorin and the others' location.
This was inside a cave. The cave was empty, with no signs of anyone having left.
Seeing this, Gandalf struck the ground in front of him with his staff. The ground instantly collapsed, revealing a huge, pitch-black slide.
"Oh no, this is a trap set by the Goblins! Thorin and the others must have been captured by the Goblins!"
"Don't worry, Gandalf, let's first check their situation with the Palantír." Luke pulled out the Palantír, and the crystal ball displayed the scene Luke wanted to see.
In the crystal ball's image, Thorin and the others were in a very large underground cave, surrounded by countless wooden suspension bridges and ladders, as well as tens of thousands of densely packed Goblins.
Goblins are actually a type of Orc. They are small in stature, with dark green skin, much smaller than humans. They typically live in underground caves, mines, or mountain tunnels, prefer to operate in the dark, are skilled at digging and building underground passages, and live by stealing, robbing, and setting traps.
Unlike the strong and violent Orcs, Goblins are more cunning and timid.
At this moment, the Dwarves were surrounded by countless Goblins, their weapons confiscated, and they were being led before the Goblin King.
Bilbo, on the other hand, displayed the hobbit's stealth talent, managing to escape the notice of all the Goblins, thus successfully evading arrest.
"Ha, it seems our Mr. Burglar was lucky enough to escape a calamity," Gandalf said. "We need to pick up the pace, or these Dwarves will become Goblin food."
Saying this, he tapped the surrounding stone wall with his staff, then struck a section of the wall forcefully. The wall cracked, revealing a cave passage.
"Let's go to Goblin-town."
Before Luke put the crystal ball back into his leather pouch, he happened to see Bilbo being discovered by a Goblin, and during their struggle, both fell into a deep chasm beneath the cave.
Falling from a great height, Bilbo was very lucky not to have died. Besides a few scrapes, he had no serious injuries.
The Goblin, however, died instantly from the fall.
He truly lives up to being the protagonist!
While Luke breathed a sigh of relief, he could only sigh in his heart.
If it were an ordinary person, they would have died from the fall long ago, just like the Goblin that fell with him.
But he just happened to be fine in various ways.
Confirming that Bilbo was fine, Luke confidently put the crystal ball back into his leather pouch and quickly followed Gandalf.
He thought that if he remembered correctly, Bilbo was about to encounter his fated one ring, thereby officially beginning the prelude to the demise of Sauron, the Dark Lord.
Luke had no intention of interfering with Bilbo's destiny, or of getting the one ring first.
Aside from hobbits like Bilbo, who have ridiculously high magic resistance, even Gandalf and Galadriel dared not easily touch the one ring. He did not believe he would be an exception and be able to resist the one ring's dark corrosion.
Perhaps as soon as he put on the one ring, he would become its servant, or even an existence like a Nazgûl.
Therefore, he kept his distance from the one ring, not wanting to touch it at all.
Gandalf and Luke finally arrived inside the mountain cave.
It looked like an underground world, with intricate passages and interconnected caves, like a vast and complex underground labyrinth.
The cave was dim, and Thorin's party was led before the Goblin King.
The Goblin King was different from other Goblins; he was incredibly tall, with a very large head, almost three meters high, and held a staff with a ram's head.
Compared to other Goblins, the Goblin King was more cunning, evil, cruel, and also very intelligent.
After capturing the Dwarves, he interrogated them about their purpose for being there. When he saw that among the confiscated items there were elven artifacts stolen by the Dwarves, he suspected they were sent by the Elves.
Upon discovering Thorin's sword, Orcrist, which had killed many Goblins, he furiously ordered his subordinates to kill them all.
From a distance, the two individuals hidden by the Disillusionment Charm witnessed this scene.
Luke quietly asked Gandalf, who was beside him, "Gandalf, should we intervene?"
Gandalf slightly shook his head, "Wait a moment."
At the same time, the Goblin King also uttered this phrase.
The Goblin King recognized Thorin's identity. After mocking and ridiculing Thorin's destitution, he ordered his subordinates to send a message to Azog, the King of Orcs, preparing to exchange Thorin for Azog's reward.
"Now!" Gandalf leaped directly in front of the Goblins, unleashing a powerful magic shockwave that instantly overturned the Goblin cave.
Countless Goblins, including the Goblin King, were all sent flying by the shockwave.
Gandalf descended like a savior before the Dwarves, "Grab your weapons and run!"
There were tens of thousands of Goblins in the cave. Although Gandalf dealt with a batch, they continuously swarmed from all directions.
The group ran while dealing with the Goblins blocking their path, and also had to shake off the enemies relentlessly pursuing them from behind.
Just then, the fallen Goblin King suddenly appeared in front of the group, his enormous body blocking their way forward.
"Do you think you can escape? Never!" The Goblin King angrily brandished a large club, his face distorted with a savage cruelty.
Dense throngs of Goblins also surrounded them from all directions, blocking all paths.
The group immediately found themselves in a desperate situation.
"Gandalf, what should we do?" The Dwarf Balin placed his only hope in Gandalf.
Gandalf's expression was calm, even bearing a hint of a smile.
"Don't worry, we still have help!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The next second, a dazzling magic spell struck the Goblin King from behind him.
The Goblin King's face was contorted, his movements and expression instantly frozen, with only his eyes revealing a look of terror and unease.
Luke appeared behind the Goblin King, drew his Blazefury, and plunged it into the Goblin King's lower back, releasing scorching flames that instantly incinerated all of the Goblin King's internal organs to ash.
With the Goblin King's death, the surrounding Goblins instantly fell silent, but then came fury.
"He killed the King! That Wizard killed the King! Avenge the King!"
All the Goblins became frantic and uneasy, filled with murderous intent and madness, swarming towards Luke and the others like a tidal wave.
"Protego Totalum!" A circular barrier protected the group and blocked the Goblins outside.
The Goblins frantically attacked the magic barrier, clinging to it in dense masses, forming a solid wall of flesh, impenetrable.
Seeing the Goblins unable to break through, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
However, seeing the increasing number of Goblins around them, the Dwarves grew worried again.
"Luke, what should we do now? They can't get in, but we can't get out either?"
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
Luke soothed them.
He then pulled out a pot of Mandrakes from his leather pouch.
Ever since it matured, the Mandrake had been regularly bound by Luke with the Petrificus Totalus spell to prevent it from emitting fatal sounds.
Now that he had learned the Silencing Charm from the Book of Spells, it could finally be put to use.
Luke first applied several layers of Silencing Charm to himself and his companions, then removed the Mandrake's Petrificus Totalus spell, grasped the Mandrake's root, and pulled hard.
The Mandrake, which had accumulated so much resentment, instantly vented its emotions wildly once the spell was lifted, writhing its ugly body and emitting a shrill, piercing cry.
Even those protected by the Silencing Charm heard a piercing sound and instinctively covered their ears.
The Goblins outside, however, directly suffered the full impact of the Mandrake's cry.
Under the attack of the death-calling magic sound, the Goblins at close range instantly perished, while those further away directly fainted, falling into the abyss below like dumplings, smashing into a pulp.
The Goblin cave instantly fell silent; not a single Goblin remained standing.
Luke waved his wand, sweeping the piled-up Goblin corpses into the abyss, then cast a Petrificus Totalus spell on the still wailing Mandrake, making it quiet again.
Only then did he lift the Silencing Charm from the group.
"Alright, it's safe now."
The Dwarves stared in shock at the Goblin corpses everywhere, then looked at the humanoid plant in Luke's hand, their faces filled with awe.
The power of this plant was simply terrifying!
"Oh my goodness, what in the world is that thing? Its sound actually wiped out so many Goblins!" The Dwarf Balin was dumbfounded.
"Its sound is terrifying! Even through the magic, I could hear its sound, like a female ghost's voice. My whole body felt light, as if my soul was about to be pulled out!" Fili said with lingering fear, "I can't imagine what it would be like to actually hear its voice!"
"If you really heard it, you'd end up like those Goblins," Balin retorted, rolling his eyes at him.
"Since this thing's sound is so powerful, when we get to the Lonely Mountain, why don't we just throw it at Smaug and kill the Dragon directly?" The youngest Dwarf, Kili, enthusiastically suggested.
Hearing Kili's idea, all the Dwarves' eyes instantly lit up, their gazes fixed on the Mandrake in Luke's hand.
Thorin was even more hopeful; if the Dragon could truly be dealt with this way, he wouldn't need to search for the arkenstone to rally the Dwarven race; he could simply reclaim the Lonely Mountain directly.
However, the next moment, Gandalf gave a negative answer.
Gandalf was also very surprised by the power of the Mandrake's sound, but he still shook his head.
"The Mandrake cultivated by Luke, its sound contains magic and can heavily strike the soul, making it fatal to most creatures."
"But for powerful creatures like the Dragon Smaug, his soul is extremely strong and solid. Even the Mandrake's sound cannot kill him; at most, it can heavily injure him, and only if he is caught off guard."
Gandalf's words were very convincing.
The Dwarves were all disappointed upon hearing this, and Thorin even withdrew his gaze from the Mandrake.
"Let's go, let's get out of here first."
"No rush." Luke shook his head, reminding them, "Bilbo hasn't been found yet."
"Oh right, where's Bilbo?"
"Bilbo? Wasn't he with us the whole time?"
"We haven't seen him since we were captured by the Goblins."
The Dwarves only then realized, speaking over each other.
Gandalf also frowned, "Has anyone seen Bilbo?"
The Dwarves shook their heads.
"Oh, goodness, when that plant was crying earlier, Bilbo didn't hear it too, did he?" The Dwarf Balin gasped, as if something had occurred to him, and said in horror.
The other Dwarves' eyes widened in fear, looking at Luke.
Gandalf also looked at Luke with some concern upon hearing this.
Luke shook his head, "Don't worry, I made sure Bilbo wasn't here before I dared to release the Mandrake's sound."
"Not here? Then where did he go?"
Luke pointed to the abyss crack below.
"I saw him fall down on the Palantír."
Seeing everyone's expressions change, he continued to add:
"Don't worry, he's very lucky. After falling, he's perfectly fine, apart from a few scrapes."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Wizard Luke, next time, please finish what you're saying in one breath. It's really quite frightening!"
"I'll try," Luke replied without much sincerity.
"By the way, Luke, quickly use your Palantír to find Bilbo's location, and we'll go find him."
Luke pulled out the crystal ball and concentrated on looking, while the others also gathered around.
"Strange, why can't I see Bilbo?" Luke frowned, his face showing confusion.
The crystal ball displayed the scene at the bottom of the abyss, but Bilbo's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on? Is this orb broken?" The Dwarves were also full of surprise.
Gandalf was also puzzled when he saw it, and reached out: "Luke, can you let me see it?"
Luke handed the orb over.
Gandalf took the orb, thinking of Bilbo's location.
But the orb still showed the same image as before, and Bilbo's figure was not seen.
"Is this orb really broken? Has the Palantír's shelf life expired?"
"I told you these things made by Elves look good but are useless, not as sturdy as what we Dwarves make."
The Dwarves complained for a while.
On the contrary, Luke looked at the image on the orb and suddenly realized.
Could it be that Bilbo had already obtained the one ring and put on the ring to become invisible?
That's why the Palantír could show his location but not his figure.
However, only he knew about this, and it was not good to expose the matter of Bilbo obtaining the one ring in front of these Dwarves.
So he maintained the same puzzled expression and put the "broken" orb into his leather pouch.
And suggested that everyone go to the bottom of the abyss to find Bilbo.
But before that, Luke still had to sign in once.
Soon after entering the Goblin cave, the System reacted, but at that time, it was an emergency, and there was no time to respond.
Now he could finally sign in.
"Hogwarts Sign-in System: Location Misty Mountains – Goblin Town, do you want to sign in?"
Luke was full of anticipation and silently thought: "Sign in."
"Sign-in successful, congratulations on obtaining the Basilisk Cultivation Method!"
Basilisk Cultivation Method? Luke was surprised.
He didn't expect this sign-in to be this thing.
To his knowledge, the Basilisk is a very dangerous Dark Arts creature in the Harry Potter world. The Basilisk's eyes have powerful destructive power; any creature that directly meets its gaze will die immediately, and creatures that indirectly meet its gaze will be petrified.
Moreover, the Basilisk also has deadly venom; besides Phoenix tears, no other Potion or magic can cure it.
The Basilisk also has a long lifespan, able to live for thousands of years, and will grow larger and larger.
The Basilisk is very dangerous; besides Parseltongue, which can communicate with and control the Basilisk, no one else can tame it.
Therefore, many Dark Wizards who tried to cultivate a Basilisk were eventually backfired by the Basilisk and died directly.
Now Luke has the Parseltongue talent. If he can cultivate a big weapon like a Basilisk, it would be like adding wings to a tiger for him.
But how did he feel that he was increasingly heading towards the path of a Dark Wizard?
Parseltongue, Basilisk pet, isn't this a proper Dark Wizard in the magic world!
Forget it, Dark Wizard it is, Luke also gave up on the struggle.
Anyway, as long as it can enhance his strength, who cares if he is a Dark Wizard or a White Wizard.
After all, a great man once said, black cat, white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat.
Luke accepted the knowledge about Basilisk cultivation. Basilisk cultivation is not complicated; you need to find a seven-year-old rooster, lay a magic egg on a night when Sirius is overhead, and place the magic egg under a toad to hatch.
The magic egg that eventually hatches will be a emerald green Basilisk. To distinguish its gender, just look at whether there is a scarlet feather on its head; if there is, it's a male snake, otherwise, it's a female snake.
Of course, a rooster laying eggs is inherently against common sense, even in the magic world.
So there is a specific Dark Arts ritual that resonates with the stars, which can break the taboo of natural laws.
That is, on a night when Sirius is overhead, using the power of the stars as an Introduction, forcibly rewriting biological instincts through Dark Arts, thereby making a rooster lay a cursed magic egg, and then nurturing a Dark Arts creature like the Basilisk.
Middle-earth also has Sirius, so Luke doesn't have to worry about not being able to conceive a Basilisk.
It's just that a seven-year-old rooster is hard to find, and the time when Sirius is overhead is around midnight on January 1st each year.
It is already June, so he would have to wait another half a year for the next time Sirius appears.
By then, the Lonely Mountain quest would have long been over.
So Luke could only temporarily put aside the matter of cultivating the Basilisk.
The Goblins in the cave were either dead or unconscious, posing no threat to the group.
The group did not rush to find Bilbo but planned to search for treasure in this underground Goblin kingdom.
First and foremost was the largest cave where the Goblin King resided; that was clearly the most likely place to hide treasure.
And when everyone entered, as expected, the cave was filled with a cave full of gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds, a massive amount never seen before, probably besides the treasure of the Lonely Mountain, there has never been so much treasure seen!
Even Thorin, who had seen the treasure of the Lonely Mountain, couldn't help but be surprised looking at the treasure in front of him.
"Oh my goodness, we're going to be rich!" The Dwarf Dwalin's eyes were filled with obsession.
"Don't drool, Dwalin, and these treasures are Luke's spoils of war, not yours!" The Dwarf Balin slapped his bald head and reminded him unhappily.
After being reminded, the Dwarves instantly reacted and reluctantly withdrew their eyes.
Although they were greedy for wealth, they also knew that it was Luke's credit that everyone managed to escape from the Goblin encirclement unscathed this time; they didn't put in any effort.
Luke, however, didn't have much emotional fluctuation towards the treasure in front of him. Having seen many treasures, he was already able to treat them with a normal mindset.
So he generously expressed his willingness to share, letting everyone take as much as they could.
Except for Thorin, who refused as usual, the other Dwarves accepted Luke's kindness and happily shoveled the gold, silver, and jewels in front of them into their pockets and backpacks, stuffing them full.
While the Dwarves were shoveling the treasure, Luke noticed a glimmer of silver light exposed beneath the gold coins.
He walked over curiously and pushed aside the gold coins covering it.
The item buried in the gold coins completely revealed its true form.
It was an exquisite and magnificent spear, entirely silvery-white, emitting a cold light. The spear shaft was engraved with beautiful patterns and mysterious runes. The spearhead was like the tip of a snow peak, pure white and chillingly sharp, as if it could pierce through all the hardest materials.
Luke's eyes widened as he looked at it with admiration, and he couldn't help but reach out and grab the spear.
As soon as he grasped the spear, his pupils contracted, and the magic in his body involuntarily surged into the spear.
The spear burst forth with dazzling cold light, its spearhead revealing its full sharpness, containing a terrifying explosive force.
Luke couldn't help but thrust it into the cave wall, and the spear pierced directly into the stone wall as if it were piercing tofu.
Immediately, a powerful destructive force was released from the spearhead, and the entire stone wall quickly cracked and threatened to collapse.
Gandalf, who was nearby, looked very surprised when he saw the spear, "Luke, can you let me see it?"
Luke noticed Gandalf's change in expression, handed him the spear, and asked, "Gandalf, do you know this spear?"