With Durin's Gate now open, everyone was finally able to enter Moria. The Dwarves were the first to step inside, their faces alight with a mix of awe and anticipation. However, Smaug was far too large to fit into a space box, and Moria itself was riddled with numerous long, narrow tunnels, which would hinder his movement. Luke wisely decided to send Smaug to fly directly to the East Gate on the other side of the Misty Mountains. He recalled that the Balrog had appeared near Durin's Bridge, which was close to the East Gate. It would be much easier for Smaug to enter from that side. They would then join forces to confront the Balrog together. As for the Giant Eagle Súlond, Luke simply instructed him to guard the West Gate, ensuring no orcs could escape that way.
After entering the gate, Gandalf solemnly warned the Dwarves: "Be careful. There is an evil creature here, even older than the Watcher in the Water. It lurks deep underground. Do not awaken it until we are absolutely certain!" The Dwarves' initial excitement at entering Moria vanished instantly. They had all, naturally, heard the legends of the Balrog, and they immediately fell silent, gripping their weapons tightly and looking around vigilantly.
Moria contained countless intricate and complex passages. Without someone familiar with the layout to guide them, it would be easy to get lost and never find their way out. Fortunately, among their group, Gandalf had been here before and possessed an excellent memory. So, everyone followed him up a grand stair-corridor. Along the way, they passed countless bottomless mines, relics left behind by the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm who once mined mithril.
Even on the stone walls of the corridors, veins of mithril ore shimmered with a bright silver luster when illuminated by light. This kind of mithril ore, worth a fortune outside, was once so common to the Dwarves that they had no interest in mining it, believing its mithril content was too low. But now, the Dwarves looked at the surrounding mithril ore with burning eyes. If they hadn't known the seriousness of their mission, they would have eagerly pried the ore off with their weapons.
They reached the end of the stair corridor, arriving at the 21st Hall on the seventh level of Moria. Moria had a total of twenty-one halls. The first hall was closest to the East Gate, followed by the second, the third, and so on, all the way west to the twenty-first hall, which was closest to the West Gate.
The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm had once mined mithril from the east, building halls as they went, eventually digging through the Misty Mountains to create a passage that ran straight through them. According to Gandalf, it would take four full days to walk straight from the West Gate of Moria to the East Gate. The fact that they were able to dig through the Misty Mountains, which Morgoth once used to block the armies of the Valar, truly showcased the Dwarves' astonishing digging ability.
The 21st Hall was a vast space supported by massive stone pillars and flanked by doors leading to various locations. Also within the 21st Hall was the Chamber of Mazarbul, which housed Dwarven records and books. This was the tomb of Balin and the place where the last dozen or so Dwarves were killed by orcs in another fateful storyline.
"The Axe of Durin!" Balin suddenly exclaimed, spotting an axe on a stone table. He rushed over, picked up the axe, and examined it carefully, his face alight with surprise as if he had found the greatest treasure. It was no exaggeration to say that the Axe of Durin was indeed a treasure to Durin's clan. It was the weapon of Durin I and, as a family heirloom, had always been a symbol of Moria's rule. Balin was ecstatic at obtaining the Axe of Durin.
Luke looked around, assessing the Dwarf library. It was a pity that, due to the long erosion of time and the destruction wrought by the orcs, the precious records and books once stored by the Dwarves had turned to dust. Not even a repairing spell could restore them.
Suddenly, a hidden arrow flew through the air, targeting Balin, who was holding the Axe of Durin. Balin was completely unprepared. Seeing the arrow about to strike his neck, Luke immediately raised his hand and cast the Iron Armor Charm to block the projectile. Balin stared at the arrow, which had stopped mere centimeters from him, and took a deep, shaky breath, still trembling with lingering fear. "Luke, you saved my life!"
Gandalf immediately drew his sword and shouted solemnly, "Prepare for battle, it's orcs!" The Dwarf warriors became instantly alert, quickly pointing their weapons towards the doorway.
Inside the vast, empty caves of Moria, bursts of drums echoed through the mines, accompanied by the guttural roars of orcs. Luke chanted a spell and conjured a dazzling ball of light, sending it soaring into the air to illuminate the entire mine outside the 21st Hall. Outside, they saw a dense horde of orcs frantically rushing in from the four doors of the hall. The Dwarf warriors, well-trained, swiftly divided into four groups, blocking each of the four gates to engage the attacking orcs. There were thousands of orcs, far outnumbering the Dwarves, and among them were hundreds of Trolls, several meters tall. War was imminent.
As the first orcs surged through the gate, the Dwarven warriors charged forward, swiftly dispatching the incoming orcs in a brutal, efficient manner. Although outnumbered, the Dwarves held the advantage of terrain, forcing the orcs to funnel through only four narrow gates. They were then killed in batches by the Dwarves, a situation reminiscent of a single man holding off a thousand. After the initial wave of orcs was repelled, they quickly sent forward their enormous, highly defensive Ogres to serve as living shields and siege weapons, clearing the path for the other orcs. An Ogre used a massive hammer to instantly smash open the stone wall of the gate, preparing to charge in and attack.
"Confringo!" Luke cast a spell, knocking the Ogre away. Then he called to Balin, "Let Gandalf and I deal with the Trolls, and you concentrate on the orcs!" Balin nodded, entrusting the most dangerous Trolls to Luke and Gandalf, relieving the Dwarves of that burden. He immediately took up his newly acquired Axe of Durin and worked with the Dwarf warriors to fell the orcs that rushed into the hall.
Luke and Gandalf focused their efforts on battling the Trolls. The Ogre was not only colossal in size but also possessed strong magical resistance. Even Luke's full-strength Shattering Charm couldn't entirely defeat it. But Luke was not in a hurry. With a wave of his wand, he brought to life a long row of statues carved on the north and south walls of the hall.
These statues, crafted by the Dwarf kings of Khazad-dûm or by skilled artisans, were several meters tall, roughly the same size as the Trolls. The statues broke free from the wall and stepped down, kicking away the orcs that blocked their path, then engaging the Trolls in battle. Several statues surrounded an Ogre.
Even though the Ogre was strong, it was entangled by the statues and fell to the ground. Upon seeing this, Luke immediately drew his Divine Spear, Aiglos, and nimbly leaped onto a statue's shoulder in a few steps. He instantly pierced the Ogre's head, turning its brain to pulp.
Seeing that the number of orcs was increasing, Luke simply released the Basilisk Herpo from its box and instructed it to guard the West Gate. He and the animated statues guarded the North Gate. Gandalf and the Dwarves were responsible for guarding the South Gate and the East Gate respectively. The power of Herpo the Basilisk was immediately apparent. He stood guard at the West Gate, his yellow eyes staring out. All the orcs and Trolls who came in through the West Gate died instantly, without exception. Orcs who luckily didn't meet the Basilisk's gaze still retreated in fear. For a moment, the orcs at the West Gate dared not attack again.
And at the South Gate, Gandalf stood firm. Beside him, five hundred Dwarf warriors battled against the orcs. He took the lead, holding his staff in his left hand and a sword in his right, dodging the Ogre's attacks with remarkable agility. He then used his staff to release a shock wave to repel the Ogre, immediately following up with his sword to finish it off, swiftly slaying it. At the East Gate, Balin and the remaining 500 Dwarf warriors also successfully resisted wave after wave of attacks from the orcs. The Dwarves were well-equipped, covered in armor meticulously crafted by Dwarven artisans, and the orcs' weapons could do no harm to them. As for the North Gate where Luke was, the animated statues fought for him in the front, and he was only responsible for finishing off any attacks from behind.
The battle lasted for a long time. The attack did not cease until most of the orcs were either killed or wounded. With a rapid beat of drums, the orcs retreated into the darkness once more. Seeing this, the Dwarves cheered in triumph. This time, they had killed twice as many orcs as they had! Luke then carefully put the Basilisk Herpo back into the suitcase and stored it away. The Basilisk was useful, but its eyes could kill anyone who looked at it. Like a sharp, double-edged sword, one had to be extremely careful. When the Dwarves saw it, they were overjoyed, but then a somber realization set in. So, when there were many people around, Luke tried his best to keep the Basilisk from being unleashed.
After the battle, everyone was a little tired. The Dwarves pushed the piles of orc and Troll corpses deeper into the mine, and then took a short break. When they had rested enough, they set out again.
Led by Gandalf, the group walked eastward, passing through the 20th Hall, the 19th Hall, the 18th Hall... Each time, they were attacked and blocked by small groups of orcs. The Dwarf warriors handled all the orcs without Luke and Gandalf having to take action. Luke and Gandalf were both conserving their strength, and the closer they got to the center of Moria, the more serious their expressions became.
When they arrived at the Second Hall, they encountered an unprecedented attack from the orcs. Thousands of orcs swarmed towards the Second Hall. The orcs became extremely frenzied and aggressive, attacking everyone fearlessly. There were also countless Cave Trolls, some holding weapons such as large iron clubs, some carrying slings, all trying to trap them here. Faced with so many orcs and Trolls, the group became very solemn. Even these orcs were very cunning. To guard against the eyes of Luke's Basilisk, they had deliberately blinded the eyes of the Trolls, and then had orcs ride on the Trolls' backs to control their attacks. The orcs themselves also closed their eyes. They had lived in dark caves for a long time; even without sight, they could still rely on hearing and smell to perceive their surroundings.
Faced with so many orcs and Ogres, attacking frantically and fearlessly, even Luke and Gandalf dared not underestimate them.
"Confringo!"
Luke cast a spell directly at the stone wall above the mine, causing it to collapse instantly. Countless huge stone fragments fell, crushing countless orcs into pulp. He also destroyed the stairs, corridors, and other passages, leaving no way for the orcs to attack.
"In the name of the Valar, evil be averted!"
Gandalf also struck the ground hard with his staff, releasing a dazzling shock wave that knocked the orcs and Trolls away. After briefly repelling the orcs, neither of them had any intention of getting further entangled. Gandalf looked as if he was facing a great enemy, and said to Luke in a deep voice:
"Luke, do you feel the temperature around you getting higher?"
Luke nodded and looked at him seriously. "Our real enemy is coming!"
The rapidly rising temperature around them could only signify one thing: the Balrog was coming. Luke and Gandalf both understood the Balrog's immense power and were unwilling to expend too much energy fighting the orcs, risking exhaustion when facing their true foe.
"Don't get entangled with the orcs here! Cross Durin's Bridge and head to the First Hall!" Gandalf shouted to the Dwarves. "There's an older, more powerful evil behind these orcs, controlling them. That thing is about to emerge!"
Upon hearing Gandalf's urgent command, Balin didn't hesitate, immediately ordering the Dwarf warriors to break through to the east with all their might. The Dwarves took the lead, pushing forward, while Luke and Gandalf covered their rear. Everyone moved swiftly, not daring to stop for even a moment. The air around them grew stiflingly hot, as if summer had arrived in an instant, and the Dwarves were soon sweating in their armor. This meant the Balrog was drawing closer. All were on high alert, rushing towards Durin's Bridge.
The orcs never gave up their pursuit. Even after sensing the temperature change, they seemed to be energized, their fear strangely mixed with a heightened frenzy. The orcs in Moria had a subservient relationship with the Balrog, worshipping it as a god. They accepted its rule, acting as its enforcers, gathering intelligence, and guarding its territory. Azog, the Orc King Luke had slain, had been the former leader of the orcs of Moria and served the Balrog. So, in a way, Luke already had a history with this demon. Luke and Gandalf continued to fend off the pursuing orcs, swiftly following the Dwarves eastward.
Finally, everyone arrived at Durin's Bridge. Durin's Bridge spanned between the First and Second Halls, with a vast, bottomless abyss beneath it. The bridge was approximately fifty feet long, narrow, and lacked guardrails, allowing only single-file passage. It was a fortification built by the Dwarves in ancient times, intended to prevent enemies from entering from either the East or West Gate, serving as the last line of defense. However, the Dwarf craftsmen who built this bridge could never have imagined that the enemy would not attack from the east or west, but would emerge from the very abyss beneath the bridge.
By this time, the surrounding temperature was almost unbearable. Gandalf seemed to sense something profound and strode onto the bridge, gazing into the abyss. Seeing the flickering fire below, Gandalf's expression became grim, as if facing his ultimate enemy.
"Cross the bridge quickly!" he bellowed. It was no easy feat for over a thousand people to cross such a narrow bridge in a short period. Luke immediately cast a spell toward the bridge: "Engorgio!" The bridge deck suddenly widened, becoming broad enough for more than a dozen people to walk side-by-side. "Go!" The Dwarves, feeling as though they had narrowly escaped a desperate situation, surged onto the bridge and ran to the other side. Luke and Gandalf continued to cover the rear.
Watching the flames creeping ever closer from the abyss and the scorching heat intensifying around them, Luke immediately pulled out two potions and handed one to Gandalf. "This is the fireproof potion I made ahead of time. It can withstand even Fiendfyre for a while. Drink it!" Gandalf took the somewhat cool potion and drank the entire bottle in one gulp without hesitation. His eyes suddenly lit up. "Thank goodness you're here! This is working remarkably well!" Luke immediately drank his own bottle of the potion. A chilling sensation instantly washed over him, causing him to shudder involuntarily. The effect was immediate; the scorching heat no longer affected him.
They had little time to prepare. When the last Dwarf crossed the bridge, the raging fire below the abyss had already reached the bridgehead. A long whip of fire burst from the abyss, heading straight for Luke and Gandalf. "Protego Maxima!" Luke's wand had long been replaced with his staff. He unleashed a colossal magical barrier with all his strength, protecting himself, Gandalf, and the Dwarves behind him. The fire whip struck the magic barrier, causing ripples to instantly spread across its surface.
Seeing that Luke had successfully blocked the whip of fire, Gandalf quickly shouted to the Dwarves behind him: "Don't delay! Go to the First Hall and make for the East Gate!" Balin looked at the scorching whip of fire and the flames in the abyss, knowing they couldn't help by staying. He immediately led the Dwarves away without hesitation. Gandalf also positioned himself to assist Luke in confronting the powerful enemy.
The flaming whip, having no effect, was quickly retracted. The next second, a colossal, searing orange flame erupted from the abyss and landed instantly on the opposite side of the bridge. Some of the orcs nearby were incinerated by the flames before they could react. But the other orcs paid no heed, staying away from the intense heat, gazing at the flames with a mixture of fear and worship, as if they were facing a god. Gandalf and Luke were the closest, and thanks to their fireproof potion, the blazing heat had no effect on them. But both of them looked stern and ready to strike.
Amidst the searing flames, a giant figure loomed: its body draped in shifting shadows, its chest a blazing fire. It had burning yellow eyes, a mane of flaming hair and steam, a head like a bison with two massive horns, a pair of shadow-like wings on its back, and a long, flaming tail. It looked exactly like the image of a demon from ancient legends.
It was the Balrog, a fallen Maia. A powerful demon who had single-handedly destroyed the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm and occupied this land for thousands of years. The Balrog was like a huge furnace, igniting everything around it. It emitted incredibly hot heat from its entire body, melting the stone slabs around it and making the surrounding air unbearable.
Perhaps because it saw that Gandalf and Luke were unaffected by its high temperature, the Balrog became furious. The flames on its body suddenly intensified. It drew out a massive sword that was burning with black smoke and searing flames, and slashed towards them. The flaming sword instantly shattered Luke's magic barrier.
"Luke, lend me your Flaming Sword!" Gandalf shouted hurriedly.
Luke immediately drew the Flaming Sword and threw it to Gandalf.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielding the Flame of Anor! The Dark Fire will not aid you, you Flame of Udûn!" Gandalf's voice echoed over the abyss, like a declaration and a spell. The Flaming Sword in his hand ignited with a sacred, blazing white flame, emitting a holy light. Gandalf swung his Flaming Sword and clashed it against the Balrog's flaming sword. A powerful impact erupted instantly, forcing both Gandalf and the Balrog back a few steps.
"Avada Kedavra!" Luke raised the staff in his hand and pointed it at the Balrog. An extremely dazzling green light shot out from the gem on the staff. The breath of death that emanated was far more powerful than any magic it had unleashed previously. Feeling threatened, the Balrog reacted instantly, slashing at the incoming death curse with the giant flaming sword in its hand.
The Killing Curse and the flaming giant sword collided, and a violent explosion occurred instantly. A dazzling green light erupted, destroying everything around it. The Balrog was thrown backward, and the giant flaming sword in its hand shattered into countless pieces. The immense power of the explosion forced Luke and Gandalf to retreat, then gaze at the Balrog opposite them with renewed vigilance.
Luke was in a heavy mood. He hadn't expected that the Killing Curse, which he had been brewing for so long, would be so easily blocked by the Balrog, only damaging one of its swords. This was a huge deviation from his original plan to at least severely injure the Balrog. However, at this moment, he had no time for emotions. He could only concentrate all his energy to prepare for the Balrog's next attack.
Sure enough, the next second, the angry roar of the Balrog came from the other side of the broken bridge. Then came the raging, scorching flames, which engulfed them like a tidal wave.
"Aqua Eructo!" Luke activated his staff, summoning a surging spring of water, forming a wall of water to block the flames. It was said that water could extinguish fire, but the flames released by the Balrog were too hot and continued to evaporate the water wall. Luke could only continuously summon water to replenish the wall, struggling to resist the invasion of the flames.
Gandalf also attacked simultaneously, raising his staff and sword, which burned with holy white flames, and crossing them above his head, releasing a dazzling shield of light. "Return to the shadow, servant of Morgoth!" The light shield quickly expanded and grew larger, forcing out all the surrounding demonic fire. The Balrog waved a long whip of fire and lashed it at the light shield. Every time it lashed, the light shield shrank.
Gandalf groaned and once again extended his shield of light to resist the Balrog's flaming whip. But as a Maia, Gandalf's power, though restricted, was ultimately not as potent as the full might of the Balrog, a pure spirit of fire. Under the whip of fire, the light shield became smaller and smaller, and was finally shattered. Gandalf stumbled back instantly, using his staff to support himself, looking breathless.
"Balrog, watch out!" Seeing this, Luke quickly took something from his space bag and threw it towards the Balrog opposite. A suitcase flew towards the Balrog. The Balrog reacted swiftly, swinging its flaming whip and hitting the suitcase directly. The suitcase instantly collapsed, and the spatial enchantment within could no longer be maintained.
All its contents were spewed out as if vomiting. In an instant, a volume of water as large as a football field appeared out of thin air and fell directly on the Balrog. It was like pouring water on red-hot iron, the crackling sound endless. Ordinary water naturally couldn't extinguish the flames on the Balrog's body, but it would still make the Balrog uncomfortable.
At the same time, along with the flood, a huge statue of the Watcher in the Water also appeared. The Balrog naturally recognized its neighbor, the Watcher in the Water. It could even be said that they were in league with each other, both having crawled out from underground, one occupying Moria and the other the lake outside Moria.
The Balrog could tell that the stone statue in front of it was the Watcher in the Water itself. Its flaming eyes showed some confusion, as if wondering how it could have come to be like this. However, despite its surprise, the Balrog showed no mercy to the figure that appeared before it and blocked its way. It swung its whip, preparing to burn the statue to ashes. But suddenly, it came face to face with a snake head emerging from the mouth of the "Watcher in the Water" and met a pair of yellow snake eyes. It turned out that Basilisk Herpo was hiding in the slightly open mouth of the "Watcher in the Water" and successfully launched a sneak attack.
Basilisk Herpo glared fiercely, releasing its strongest deadly gaze. The Balrog suddenly felt something was wrong, but it was too late. It only felt that its spirit was attacked, and it became dazed in an instant, its conscious thought momentarily blank. The Basilisk's Eye naturally couldn't kill the Balrog, a fallen Maia, but it could still affect it. This gave Luke an opportunity to counter-attack.
Luke gripped the staff tightly with both hands, poured all his magical power into it, and released the Killing Curse once again. "Avada Kedavra!" The dazzling green light rose again, turning into a green lightning bolt as thick as a bucket, attacking the Balrog.
The Killing Curse struck the Balrog instantly. The demon let out a painful shriek, as if severely wounded, and the flames writhing across its body flickered ominously. Luke was breathing heavily, leaning on his staff, a flicker of triumph on his face. But the next second, his expression froze, and his pupils constricted.
The Balrog had broken free from the Basilisk's hypnotic gaze. In a surge of pure fury, it whipped its fire whip, lashing the Watcher in the Water and the Basilisk (who had successfully launched its sneak attack) away from it, sending them tumbling directly into the abyss below.
Before Luke could even worry about Basilisk Herpo, the Balrog unleashed a low, guttural roar. The surrounding flames were then sucked into the Balrog's body as if it were a whale swallowing the entire inferno. The previously dim flames on the Balrog's form suddenly surged anew, radiating an even more scorching temperature. Simultaneously, it conjured a blazing flaming scepter. The Balrog swung this scepter, and even hotter flames gushed forth, spraying directly towards Luke and Gandalf.
Luke's face tightened, and he slammed his staff hard into the ground, mobilizing all his magical power. "Protego Maxima! Omnia Protecta! Impedimenta!" Luke erected an immensely strong magical barrier, instantly covering both himself and Gandalf. But the flames released by the Balrog were overwhelmingly hot; the surrounding rocks quickly began to melt into magma.
The magical barrier Luke held was also gradually thinning, as if melting away! To make matters worse, the effectiveness of his fireproof potion began to wear off, and he started to feel the searing heat. Without hesitation, he quickly pulled out several more bottles of fireproof potion from his pocket and poured them all into his mouth. He then handed an identical potion to Gandalf beside him.
"Gandalf, drink the potion quickly! Otherwise, the Balrog will roast us alive if it doesn't kill us outright!"
Gandalf immediately raised his head and drank the potion, then bravely faced the Balrog's flames. He held Luke's Flaming Sword in his hand, and the Ring of Fire on his finger flared fully for the first time, radiating a dazzling light. "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of Anor's Flame! The fire of darkness cannot defeat the flame of light! No evil spirit can overcome me!" The Ring of Fire, Narya, unleashed its formidable power. Countless fire elements converged, causing the Flaming Sword in Gandalf's hand to ignite with a roaring, sacred fire.
Gandalf and Luke were engulfed in a storm of fire, the sacred flames clashing violently against the dark fires of the Balrog. The entire mine was instantly consumed by flames, forming a churning sea of fire where orange and white flames intertwined. Countless orcs, unable to escape, were swallowed by the inferno, turning to ash.
The surrounding rock structures were obliterated and melted by the scorching heat. Luke looked at the devastation around him, a profound sense of relief washing over his face. Fortunately, he had prepared the fireproof potion; otherwise, even if he wasn't burned to death, he would have been roasted alive by the intense temperature!
Seeing Gandalf mobilize the power of the Ring of Fire and just barely hold his own against the Balrog, Luke also took out the Light of Eärendil and pointed his staff at the crystal bottle. "Lumos!" Normally a simple illumination charm, when combined with the Light of Eärendil within the crystal jar, it produced an unexpected effect.
The Light of Eärendil erupted with a dazzling radiance, a purifying power that suppressed all darkness. It momentarily obscured the Balrog's flames, causing the Balrog, a creature of shadow and fire, to feel immense discomfort. The Balrog was forced to retreat continuously, compelled to use its huge, shadow-transformed wings to block the overwhelming light.
Luke and Gandalf, fighting in unison, seemed to gain the upper hand. But both knew this was only temporary. Individually, their strength was no match for the Balrog's full might. Unless they could quickly eliminate the demon, they would inevitably perish if they continued to simply waste time! At that moment, a deafening roar of a giant dragon echoed from the direction of the First Hall in the east. Luke and Gandalf were immediately delighted. Their much-needed help had finally arrived!
Sure enough, the next second, a massive dragon, clad in sturdy armor and flapping its colossal wings, broke through the solid mountain wall and descended from the sky. "My Lord, I'm here! The great dragon Smaug is here to save you!"
Hearing Smaug's imposing words, Luke said impatiently: "Stop talking nonsense! Let's deal with the Balrog together!"
"Okay, watch me!" Smaug responded confidently, directly spraying hot dragon flames at the Balrog opposite. The scorching dragon fire engulfed the Balrog. The demon didn't dodge, but stood there, seemingly accepting the baptism of the dragon's flames. It absorbed all the dragon fire into its body, and the flames around it grew stronger, emanating an even more powerful aura.
"Uh, this..." Smaug was momentarily stunned. Luke's face darkened, immediately suspecting the dragon was deliberately causing trouble. "You stupid dragon, the Balrog is the incarnation of fire! You spit fire at it, thinking it's not strong enough?" Luke raged. If fire could deal with the Balrog, he would have summoned Fiendfyre long ago! Why would he wait for this idiotic dragon to breathe fire? "Don't fight it with fire; suppress it with your body!"
Hearing Luke's scolding, Smaug felt a little guilty and immediately lunged, biting the Balrog. Smaug was over a hundred meters long, while the Balrog was only six or seven meters tall. Even without the blessing of dragon flame, Smaug's immense body and hard scales and armor were enough to keep him engaged with the Balrog for a while. More importantly, as a fire-breathing dragon, Smaug possessed a certain resistance to the flames unleashed by the Balrog.
Of course, this didn't mean Smaug could defeat the Balrog. Although Smaug was covered with hard scales and had an extremely large body, he was essentially still a mortal creature. The Balrog was a fallen Maia, a lesser god with a divine body made of flames. Smaug's physical attacks could hardly hurt the Balrog. However, Luke had no hope that Smaug could defeat the Balrog; he just needed to hold it back.
Facing the giant dragon Smaug's attack, the Balrog swung its flaming whip and lashed Smaug. Smaug roared in pain from the blow. His ferocity aroused, he continued to bite and attack with his claws and teeth, even attempting to swallow the Balrog whole. The dragon Smaug did indeed cause some trouble for the Balrog, forcing it to divert some of its attention. This also reduced the pressure on Luke and Gandalf.
At this moment, the system finally responded.
[Hogwarts Sign-in System: Locating Moria, do you want to sign in?]
Hearing the system prompt, Luke's eyes lit up, and he urgently shouted in his heart: "Sign in! Sign in quickly!" He just hoped this check-in would give him something to deal with his current situation.
[Sign in successfully, congratulations on obtaining Grindelwald's improved version of the Fiendfyre!]
Then, a memory of Grindelwald's improvements to Fiendfyre instantly flooded into his mind. Fiendfyre possessed extremely powerful destructive properties. It could burn almost everything, and even Horcruxes could be easily destroyed by it. However, because it was incredibly dangerous and uncontrollable, even the most evil dark wizards dared not cast the Fiendfyre spell easily.
But there was one exception: Grindelwald. Grindelwald had not only mastered the Fiendfyre Charm but also refined it, granting it the ability to distinguish friend from foe. For those loyal to him, even within the Fiendfyre's embrace, it remained harmless. However, for enemies, the Fiendfyre unleashed its all-destructive power. Luke, having gained the memory of Grindelwald's improved Fiendfyre Charm, was instantly overjoyed.
He immediately cast the Fiendfyre Spell without hesitation, and the dark blue Fiendfyre gushed from his wand, spreading wildly in all directions with a violent, destructive, scorching power. The Fiendfyre relentlessly devoured all combustible materials around it, even the flames of the Balrog, and finally transformed into the image of another Balrog burning with dark blue flames!
Gandalf was momentarily startled by the Fiendfyre raging around him, but he soon realized that these terrifying flames didn't seem to pose a threat to him, nor did they radiate any burning temperature. The Balrog was also drawn to the newly appeared Fiendfyre "Balrog." The next second, under Luke's mental control, the Fiendfyre "Flame Demon" roared and rushed directly towards the Balrog.
The Balrog felt provoked by the Fiendfyre "Flame Demon" and swung its fire whip to attack the impostor who dared to mimic it. The two Balrogs entangled in a fierce fight, blue and orange flames intertwined, continuously erupting with scorching, terrifying power. Everything around them was burned and melted by the flames, as if they were in a sea of magma and fire.
But the Balrog was ultimately a fallen Maia, the master of fire. The "Flame Demon" transformed by Fiendfyre was eventually torn to pieces by the Balrog and reverted back into mere flames. Seeing that the Balrog had the upper hand and that Fiendfyre could do nothing to it, Luke remembered the original fate that had happened when Gandalf and the Balrog fell into the abyss together, and how the flames on the Balrog's body were extinguished when it fell into the deep water at the bottom of the abyss. This was completely different from the situation where he had used water to deal with the Balrog before, only for it to evaporate instantly.
He quickly asked Gandalf, "Gandalf, in what kind of water can the fire of the Balrog be extinguished?"
Hearing Luke's words, Gandalf was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly realized. "The Vala Ulmo is the lord of all waters. Wherever there is flowing water, it is his domain. Moreover, he hates the evil deeds of Morgoth and his minions, the Balrogs, so they are greatly restricted in water. If we can lure the Balrog into the water, perhaps we can extinguish its flames and weaken its power!" The question remained: where was there water to divert it to? The two of them looked at the bottomless abyss below them at the same moment.
"I can feel water vapor in the abyss, there must be water underneath!" Gandalf affirmed. Luke naturally knew there was water below. But how to lead the Balrog into the abyss?
On Smaug's side, the Balrog was, after all, far more powerful than the dragon. The Firelord used his fire scepter to release scorching flames, melting the dragon armor on Smaug's body and burning his scales red, as if he were about to be roasted. Surrounded by flames, Smaug couldn't help but let out a painful dragon roar. Although he had a certain resistance to fire, he couldn't withstand the continuous burning of the dark flames by the Balrog.
"Evil spirit, you shall not pass!" Gandalf stood in the center of Durin's Bridge, his Flaming Sword ablaze in his hand, emitting a dazzling light that drew the Balrog's attention. The Balrog raised his flaming whip, flames blazing from his nostrils, and a sneer in his yellow eyes, as if to accuse Gandalf of overestimating his abilities.
He walked onto the bridge and swung his whip of flame. The tip of the whip was like a swift, agile serpent, whirring with the wind as it lashed at Gandalf. Wherever the whip passed, the air ignited, leaving a trail of twisted lines.
Gandalf quickly dodged sideways, swinging his Flaming Sword in an attempt to block the Balrog's attack. The Flaming Sword and the flaming whip collided with each other, making a loud noise and splashing countless sparks. The huge impact force spread in all directions, causing cracks to appear on the surrounding stone bridges. Gandalf staggered back under the immense force, and the flame of the Flaming Sword in his hand grew dim. The Balrog's mockery intensified as it continued to advance, closing in on Gandalf.
"Avada Kedavra!" Luke's attack caused the Balrog to swing its fire whip vigilantly, colliding with the incoming magical spell. The fire whip shattered instantly, and the Killing Curse was also offset. At the moment when the Balrog was distracted, Gandalf gathered his strength and struck the stone bridge hard with his staff. With a loud bang, the stone bridge collapsed rapidly under the powerful force, and stones fell into the abyss. The bridge beneath the Balrog's feet also broke, and its huge body lost its support. With a terrifying roar, it fell into the abyss.
But the next second, a whip of fire flew out from the abyss and swept directly towards Gandalf. "Protego!" Luke was well prepared and immediately provided protection for Gandalf. The fire whip was blocked by the Iron Armor Charm and returned in vain. But then it stretched out again like a fire snake and directly coiled around a protruding stone wall above the abyss below. Relying on the fire whip, the figure of the Balrog quickly approached upwards from the abyss again.
Upon seeing this, Luke drew out the Divine Spear Aiglos without hesitation, concentrated all his strength, gathered magical power on the Divine Spear, and suddenly thrust it deep into the ground. The ground cracked instantly, and the remaining half of the stone bridge and the stone wall extending to the abyss were broken and fell into the abyss, knocking down the Balrog that was climbing up below.
"Smaug, take us down!" Luke and Gandalf quickly scrambled onto Smaug's back. The massive dragon plummeted freely into the abyss, carrying the two figures with him.
The abyss beneath Durin's Bridge wasn't a dwarven excavation; it was a naturally formed chasm deep within the mountain. It was utterly bottomless. Even the Dwarves who had once dwelled there didn't know its true depth, and none had ever dared to measure it. Luke and Gandalf, clinging to Smaug's back, fell deeper and deeper into the chasm.
The frigid wind howled around them, stinging their faces. They lost all sense of time; had it been ten minutes, an hour, or a full day? The abyss was utterly pitch black, and they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces. Fortunately, Luke and Gandalf were pressed tightly against the dragon's back, and Smaug shielded them from most of the biting wind, allowing them to keep their eyes open and observe their surroundings.
Just as Luke wondered if they had reached the very depths of the earth, Smaug abruptly spread his wings, dramatically slowing their descent. "Master," he warned, his voice a low rumble, "The Balrog is below, climbing upward!" Luke and Gandalf peered down into the inky blackness, spotting a flicker of fire that grew larger and larger. In the absolute darkness, fire always stood out vividly. Soon, they saw the Balrog waving a whip of fire, rapidly ascending the sheer, smooth stone wall of the abyss.
The previously cold air around them began to grow hot. The Balrog below also noticed Luke and the others above. Seeing its enemies, it was instantly filled with a jealous rage, letting out an ear-splitting roar at them, then surging upward along the steep wall as if it were flat ground. Luke quickly pulled out the last three bottles of fireproof potion, giving one to himself and one to Gandalf, then feeding the final one to Smaug. After drinking the fireproof potion, Smaug felt a sudden chill throughout his body, and the fire in his stomach was instantly extinguished. For a moment, he couldn't even breathe dragon flames.
"Master?" Smaug asked, confused.
"Don't let the Balrog escape!" Luke instructed. "Hold onto it tightly! Once it falls into the water beneath the abyss, its strength will be greatly reduced, and it will no longer pose a threat to us!"
The next moment, the Balrog's flaming whip arrived. The long whip coiled directly around Smaug's feet. Smaug was surprised to find that the Balrog's flames seemed to pose no threat to him. He immediately bit the flaming whip and began pulling upward, along with the Balrog below. Then he gripped the Balrog tightly and continued to plummet downward with it.
The Balrog struggled relentlessly, unleashing terrifying flames that engulfed Smaug and, by extension, Luke and Gandalf on his back. Thanks to the fireproof potion, Luke and Gandalf were spared, but they knew the potion's potency wouldn't last forever. If they couldn't defeat the Balrog before then, they would all be severely burned, perhaps even killed.
As Smaug and the Balrog continued their freefall struggle, Luke and Gandalf also descended. Gandalf's staff had been lost long ago. He clutched his Flaming Sword and Glamdring, his elven sword, in each hand, leaping from Smaug's body and landing on the Balrog's back.
He plunged his Flaming Sword into the Balrog's back, and as they fell, he engaged the demon with Glamdring. Luke could only hear the piercing roar of the wind around him, his eyes nearly blinded. But as he watched Smaug and Gandalf both fighting the Balrog, he gritted his teeth, grasped his staff, and unleashed a spell with all his might.
"Descendo!"
As the spell was cast, all those who were already falling rapidly suddenly felt an immense downward pull, like being dropped by a heavy weight, and their descent accelerated even more. The rapid fall transformed the flames on the Balrog's body into a long, fiery tail. The strong feeling of weightlessness made Luke float upward, and he could only cling tightly to Smaug's dragon tail to avoid being flung away.
Soon, a gust of cold water vapor wafted up to them. "Master, we're almost at the bottom of the abyss!" Smaug's voice echoed in Luke's ears amidst the rushing wind. Perhaps sensing the deep water below, the Balrog struggled frantically, and instantly erupted with terrifying, scorching flames, engulfing Luke, Gandalf, and Smaug in a sea of fire. Even with the protection of the fireproof potion, Luke still felt the searing heat. Fire raged all around him; even the air he breathed was hot flame. His clothes and space bag were incinerated by the flames. With crackling sounds, everything inside the space bag spewed out and flew in all directions.
But Luke no longer cared about these items. He quickly snatched the Divine Spear Aiglos, then leaped towards the Balrog, plunging it directly into one of the Balrog's eyes, unleashing a burst of destructive power. The Divine Spear exploded with such force that it blew off half of the Balrog's head. But the Balrog's body was made of flames, and as long as those flames weren't extinguished, it wouldn't truly die. The half of the Balrog's head that was blown off quickly regrew under the rapid replenishment of its internal flames. However, Luke showed a relieved expression. Because when half of the Balrog's head was blown off, although it didn't die, its thinking was temporarily suspended. The result was that they had reached the bottom of the abyss.
"Arresto Momentum!" Luke's voice rang out. Luke, Gandalf, and Smaug all instantly hovered a few dozen centimeters above the water, avoiding being smashed into pulp. The Balrog, on the other hand, plummeted directly into the deep water without slowing down, creating a massive splash. Simultaneously, there was the incessant crackling sound of water meeting fire. After hovering for almost a second, Luke, Gandalf, and Smaug fell heavily into the water.
Luke instantly felt like he had entered an ice cave. The water around him was so cold that his blood vessels and heart felt as if they were freezing. It was pitch black all around, with no light whatsoever. Luke released a Lumos charm, illuminating the water surface at the bottom of the abyss. Only then did he see Smaug, Gandalf, and the Balrog! Luke quickly climbed onto Smaug's back, thus avoiding the consequences of freezing to death by continuing to soak in the water. But at this time, Gandalf was still fighting with the Balrog.
"Evil spirit, this is the realm of Ulmo! You have no power here!" Gandalf's voice was like thunder, resounding throughout the abyss, and the Flaming Sword in his hand shone with light. As if to confirm Gandalf's words, the Balrog fell into the water, and all the flames on his body were extinguished. It became extremely weak, transforming into a sticky, dark shape. Although it was still powerful, it was much weaker than before, its strength not much different from Gandalf's.
"Master, you come down too!" A hissing voice suddenly sounded from the side. Then the serpent monster Herpo emerged from the water and asked Luke happily with his eyes closed.
"Herpo!" Luke was stunned for a moment, then surprised. When Herpo and the Watcher in the Water were thrown into the abyss by the Balrog, he had been a little worried about Herpo's safety, but he didn't expect that he was perfectly fine. He immediately ordered the Basilisk: "Herpo, go help Gandalf, use your eyes and fangs to fight the Balrog!" Hearing Luke's order, Herpo swam quickly towards the Balrog.
Herpo was a vengeful Basilisk, and he naturally remembered the Balrog throwing him down, so he instinctively wanted to attack the weakened Balrog. He dove into the deep water, swam quickly under the Balrog who was fighting Gandalf, and bit the Balrog's leg directly, then injected it with highly toxic venom. The Balrog felt pain, and although the Basilisk's venom couldn't kill it, it still made it weaker.
Luke was not idle either. He quickly summoned back all the things that fell after the space bag was burned using the Accio Charm. "Gandalf, catch your staff!" Luke shouted to Gandalf and threw the staff over. Gandalf was delighted when he saw his lost staff. Facing a powerful enemy like the Balrog, the sword was not as useful as the staff. He caught the staff successfully and instantly released a powerful spell, knocking the Balrog away.
"Avada Kedavra!" Luke's Killing Curse followed closely and instantly hit the sticky-shaped Balrog. The Balrog roared in pain and became weaker in an instant.
Faced with the combined assault of Gandalf, Luke, Smaug, and the Basilisk, the Balrog finally gave up the fight and fled into a dark tunnel. "Chase him! We can't give him time to recover!" Gandalf took the lead and chased after him. Luke saw that the tunnel was too narrow to allow Smaug to pass through, so he could only tell Smaug to return with the petrified Watcher in the Water. He mounted Herpo, caught up with Gandalf, and made him ride as well. Herpo had a keen sense of smell and could track the scent of the Balrog without the guidance of Luke and Gandalf.
The dark tunnels at the bottom of the abyss were dug by someone unknown. They stretched in all directions and were so densely packed that it seemed as if they had dug through the entire underground. Luke noticed that Gandalf was looking at these dark tunnels with an expression that he had never been more nervous about.
"What's wrong with you, Gandalf? Is there something wrong with these tunnels?"
Gandalf's voice was weak, as if he was afraid of disturbing some being in the darkness. "May the Valar bless us! We won't encounter the creatures that live here! Otherwise, we will face a creature far more dangerous and terrifying than the Balrog!"
When Luke heard Gandalf's words, his heart tightened. "What kind of creature is that? It can make you so nervous?"
Gandalf shook his head. "I don't know what they are either. I only know that they are a very mysterious and ancient nameless creature. Not even Sauron knows what they are!" He paused, his voice barely a whisper. "But I don't think we'll encounter them. The Balrog seems to know this place very well. If it's not confused, it won't take the initiative to face the nameless creatures underground."
But it was unclear whether this was Gandalf's crow's mouth, or if he truly possessed the gift of prophecy. Just as they caught up with the Balrog, it seemed as if it encountered something that frightened it. For the first time, a sound emanated from its inhuman, sulfur-smelling throat—not an angry roar, not a painful wail, but... a short, sharp, almost whimpering whine, filled with the most primitive panic.
The Balrog didn't bother to attack them, not even looking at them. It moved hastily and terrified, desperately running towards the tunnel leading to the surface. Gandalf seemed to sense something and immediately became nervous. "Hurry! Follow the Balrog and don't look back!"
The Basilisk Herpo seemed to have sensed something as well, and with all his might, he carried Luke and Gandalf on his back and swam quickly in the direction where the Balrog was fleeing, as if there was some terrifying monster behind them. Luke almost fell off the Basilisk. He quickly grabbed the red feathers on its head to avoid being thrown off. At the same time, the ground was shaking as if an earthquake had occurred, and countless broken lime chips fell from the top of the tunnel.
A strange "silence" suddenly descended—not silence, but all sounds, including the sounds of rapid movement and breathing, seemed to be absorbed and swallowed by a thick, invisible curtain. Then, a deeper darkness spread in the deepest part of the tunnel. It wasn't merely the absence of light, but a sense of nothingness brought on by existence itself, a pure darkness that obliterated all color and form.
An indescribable ancient whisper, not through his eardrums, but vibrating directly into Luke's soul. It was a chaotic mess, filled with incomprehensible malice and pure, cold hunger. An indescribable fear that came from the instinct of life gripped Luke tightly, like an icy snake coiling around his heart.
Just when Luke thought he was about to be swallowed by this overwhelming fear, a wave of warmth and courage infused him, alleviating the despair in his heart. It was Gandalf, who had enveloped him in time with the power of the Ring of Fire, Narya.
Luke didn't hesitate. His instinct for survival eclipsed his fear of the darkness. He used his staff to cast the magical music taught to him by Tom Bombadil, and with the help of its power, he summoned his Patronus. Like lighting a faint candle in a murky swamp, the light of the Patronus slowly illuminated the space around him, dispelling the sticky darkness that clung to his skin and bringing a brief, fleeting ray of hope. The appearance of the magical music made the darkness behind them pause momentarily, but then the whispers suddenly became sharper and denser, like thousands of fine needles piercing into his consciousness.
The Basilisk Herpo struggled to swim with Luke and Gandalf on his back, following closely behind the Balrog, who was no longer the hunter but the hunted. At this moment, the Balrog had become their only hope. Its huge figure twisted and struggled in the dim light, carving out a narrow escape route for Luke and the others in the terrifying pursuit of pure darkness. But the invisible horror in the depths of the abyss, with its icy will, was like a frozen gaze, tightly locking onto these fleeing prey.
They didn't know how long it took; it felt like an eternity. But in the darkness at the end of the tunnel, a faint light finally appeared. The Balrog in front, the Basilisk behind, and Luke and Gandalf on its back, like arrows shot from a bow, surged towards the light with their last vestiges of strength.
They burst out of the dark tunnel and finally arrived at a dwarven secret passage, which bore clear traces of human excavation. The gaze of the nameless creature behind them still followed like a shadow, so they didn't dare to stop, continuing their climb up the secret passage. It wasn't until they reached the lowest dungeon of Khazad-dûm that the nameless creature's oppressive presence finally disappeared from their perception.
Escaping from the abyss, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, clearly showing the relief of surviving a disaster. Luke's clothes were soaked through, and it was impossible to tell if it was cold sweat or water from the abyss.
"What on earth was that thing?" Luke asked, still trembling with lingering fear.
"A creature that lives at the center of the earth and gnaws at the very foundations of the world," Gandalf replied, taking a deep breath and offering no further details. "Well, let's forget about it. They won't come to the surface until the end of time. Before that, we don't need to pay too much attention to them, because that will only cause trouble." Then, he turned his gaze back to the Balrog in front of them, his expression serious and cold. "The deep waters of Ulmo have temporarily extinguished the Balrog's flames. We must kill it completely before it reignites and regains its strength!"
The Balrog on the opposite side also turned around, its eyes, burning with eternal hatred, locking onto Luke and Gandalf once more. The panic it had felt in the abyss just now had been replaced by a deeper, simmering rage. Its eyes held a mixture of fury at having survived such a terrifying experience, and profound hatred for them, the instigators. It let out a deafening roar, and the entire underground space shook, as if it wished to vent all the fear it had endured in the abyss. Just when Luke and Gandalf thought the Balrog was about to attack them, it turned around and fled!
"Chase!" Gandalf and Luke didn't hesitate and followed closely. In the lowest dungeon of Khazad-dûm, an endless spiral staircase led all the way to the highest peak. The Balrog fled up these stairs. Luke and Gandalf rode on the Basilisk Herpo in pursuit. The flying broom that Luke originally possessed had been burned away in the Balrog's flames. Both Gandalf and Luke unleashed their strongest attacks.
On the seemingly endless stairs, both sides kept climbing, chasing, and fighting. Even though the Balrog's strength had been greatly reduced and it had lost its flames, it was still incredibly powerful. Its sharp claws had become its most deadly weapon, and its sticky, shadowy body was more dangerous than a venomous snake, capable of suffocating its foes.
"Avada Kedavra!" Luke found the right moment and once again gathered his malice to cast the Killing Curse. The Killing Curse instantly struck the sticky Balrog. The Balrog roared in pain, the fire in its eyes dimmed, and its breath grew weaker.
The Basilisk Herpo also seized this opportunity to quickly entangle the Balrog, staring directly at it. It then launched a wave of heavy blows and even bit the Balrog's neck hard, injecting venom. The Balrog cried out in pain and used its sharp steel claws to tear the Basilisk off its body and throw it away. But the next second, Gandalf's sword, burning with white flames, stabbed directly into the Balrog's waist. The flames of light dealt another huge blow to the Balrog.
The Balrog's strength was continuously weakened. Feeling its life threatened, it dared not fight with the two men and the snake any longer, and fled madly to the end of the endless stairs again. Luke and Gandalf were not faring much better.
Their robes were already tattered, their skin was covered in burns, and every breath was filled with pain and the smell of blood. Even with the power of the Ring of Fire, the exhaustion of their souls could not be dispelled. Especially Luke, after repeatedly releasing the Killing Curse with his staff, his body and mind were severely overloaded. If it were not for the support of Narya's power, he would have been unable to fight again. However, before getting rid of the Balrog, they dared not relax at all.
They climbed tirelessly in pursuit, perhaps climbing tens of thousands of steps. Finally, a huge, slanted crack appeared in the darkness ahead, as if the earth had been split open by a giant axe. The cold air rushed in violently, carrying the long-lost, chilling breath of the mountains. They burst out almost at the same time. Everything suddenly became clear!
The biting cold wind was like countless icy blades, blowing across Luke's face. There was snow all around, a vast expanse of white. This was the Silverlode Peak above the Misty Mountains! In front of them was a giant tower carved entirely from huge stones—the Tower of Durin. Silverlode Peak was surrounded by cliffs thousands of feet high on all sides, from which one could overlook the land shrouded in clouds and mist.
As the Balrog arrived, new flames began to emanate from its body, its aura surged, and a flaming whip reappeared in its hand. However, after its strength had been continuously weakened, the Balrog at this moment was completely different from when the battle began. The Balrog's flames burned with unnatural fury amidst the icy wind and snow, seemingly transforming all fear and anger into a force of destruction. A massive whip of flames tore through the cold wind, lashing towards them with a wave of heat powerful enough to melt steel.
"Confringo!" Luke used all his strength to activate his staff and released a powerful spell towards the flaming whip. The dazzling magic spell collided with the flaming whip, producing a huge impact, and the flaming whip directly exploded into countless flaming meteors. Gandalf swung his staff, releasing a dazzling wave of light, which smashed the Balrog against Durin's Tower. Cracks instantly appeared in Durin's Tower, and the rock-carved stone walls turned into lava and flowed down.
Luke and Gandalf continued their attacks, aided by the Basilisk Herpo, who glared at the Balrog, ready to strike it with his eyes. At this moment, clouds swirled beneath the thousand-foot cliff to the east. A giant dragon rushed out from the clouds at the foot of the mountain, flapping its wings and rushing towards Durin's Tower. Smaug charged at the Balrog, and like a battering ram, he smashed his tail into the Balrog, striking it against Durin's Tower once again. Durin's Tower could no longer bear the weight, and its massive stone walls shattered and collapsed, sending thousands of tons of boulders crashing down upon the Balrog.
The flames on the Balrog's body flickered as it was hit. Luke and Gandalf didn't miss the opportunity to strike a blow when the enemy was down, and together with Smaug, they besieged the Balrog. On the top of the Silverlode Peak, tongues of fire suddenly appeared, rays of light shone, and dragons roared into the sky. The huge movement caused the sky to change suddenly, and the wind and clouds surged.
Seeing the dark clouds gathering in the sky, Gandalf showed a joyous expression and raised his staff high into the sky. "I am the messenger of wind and cloud, the rider of thunder! Evil fire of Udûn, in the realm of the sky, you have no place to survive!" Gandalf's thunderous voice exploded on the top of the lonely peak. As if in response to his call, lightning flashed in the clouds, and suddenly a bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket fell directly towards him.
Gandalf caught the lightning with his staff and instantly struck the Balrog. The Balrog showed fear on its face, and it turned the flames into a fire shield to try to resist. But facing the power of thunder, the Balrog's resistance was fragile and powerless, and the flame shield collapsed and dissipated in an instant! The thunder penetrated its huge body without any hindrance.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The never-extinguished flames around the Balrog suddenly went out, like an extinguished candle, revealing its charred, ugly appearance. The Balrog was dying, and the boiling flames inside it became dim and cool. This time, it couldn't produce even a single flame, let alone reignite the fire. Gandalf, who summoned the thunder, looked like he had used up his last bit of strength, his face full of fatigue and weakness.
"Luke, quickly pierce its heart with the Divine Spear!"
Without hesitation, Luke rushed towards the Balrog. In the midst of its fear and despair, he grabbed the spear and used all his strength to thrust it into the burning heart in the Balrog's chest. The Balrog let out one last shrill, soul-shaking scream. The shriek pierced through the clouds and echoed for a long time among the cliffs of Silverlode Peak, filled with unwillingness, pain, and complete annihilation. The fire burning in its eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only a sticky black body that exuded sulfur and a foul stench.
Seeing that the Balrog was completely dead, Luke suddenly collapsed to the ground powerlessly, without even the strength to pull out his spear. He was panting heavily, physically and mentally exhausted, his magical power severely overdrawn, his skin was burned, and he felt tired and painful all over.
Gandalf on the opposite side was not much better off than Luke. His robe was torn and could no longer cover his body. His beard was burnt off, and there were marks of burns all over his body. Even his staff showed signs of damage, like a stick that had been burned by fire. But even so, both of them showed a relaxed smile that they had never had before. They had finally killed the Balrog!