Malphegor

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 59

"They should be awaiting us."

At the pass through the Misty Mountains, Gandalf spoke.

"That was our arrangement."

"That's not guaranteed." Garrett surveyed the terrain. It appeared exactly as it had during his previous visit, utterly unchanged.

"Well, even if they didn't wait, with the heavy rain just now, they must've stopped somewhere to rest. While they rest, we'll catch up."

"Hmm?"

Gandalf suddenly halted and examined a cave nearby.

"This is the f...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 58

"Lady Galadriel."

Garrett nodded respectfully, though he truly had no notion why the Lady of Lothlórien had come to speak with him.

As Galadriel approached, he could sense a faint divine radiance emanating from her presence, as if it sought to cleanse and purify all it touched.

Unconsciously, he lifted his gaze and met her eyes.

If he recalled correctly, this lady's gift of foresight surpassed that of any Istari or elven lord, she could perceive farther and in greater...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 57

A fortnight later, the dwarves were holding a bonfire celebration, feasting on roasted meats and vegetables they had brought from Garrett's stronghold, making a noisy ruckus.

In such a quiet and secluded valley, having even this small patch of liveliness was rare, a touch of warmth and life added to the hidden glen.

Meanwhile, in the guest chambers arranged by the elves, Garrett had just planned to rest when Gandalf summoned him for a walk.

He hadn't yet fallen asleep and ac...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 56

Early morning, Bilbo was already wandering aimlessly along the terraces and balustrades, strolling about and admiring the scenery.

"The place where Elves dwell..."

Just as Gandalf had said, when he was young, he had once run off alone in search of the legendary Elves, going deep into the Old Forest. When he returned around midnight, his feet were covered in leaves and burrs.

It was then that the spark of adventure was first kindled in his heart. Now, having truly encountered...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 55

Swish.

A longsword swept down, and another warg burst into flames, howling in agony as it collapsed.

Garrett rode his swift mount, relentlessly pursuing the scattered orcs, buying precious time for the dwarves.

"Bring down his horse first!"

The orc war-chief shouted. Several archers drew their bows from a distance and loosed a volley at Garrett's steed.

But even if they could strike a target at full gallop, which was doubtful, the worst they could achiev...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 54

"Why the hell did you have to steal the kill?"

Garrett sheathed his sword helplessly.

"You really know how to show up at the right time."

"Ah haha! A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to," Gandalf replied.

While speaking, he tapped his staff against the three troll statues frozen mid-flight, nodding approvingly, clearly pleased with his handiwork.

"Fortunate that no one lost life or limb."

"That's thanks to your burgl...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 53

Gandalf and Garrett had walked quite a distance before Gandalf finally composed himself. He then said, "Whether those dwarves approve or not, we must reach Rivendell. The moon-letters on that map can only be read by Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. We cannot possibly achieve the final objective of this quest without them. We require the elves' aid."

"Garrett, when the moment comes, I hope you can help me persuade them, by whatever means necessary."

"Alright, I will if it's necessary," G...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 52

"Burp~"

At the great dining table, Bombur let out a belch, rolled his eyes, and promptly fell asleep in his chair, snoring loudly.

"Oh dear..."

Gandalf shook his head. "Someone help carry him to bed. I warned him not to eat quite so much."

Balin patted his round belly and sighed.

"Forgive me, Gandalf, but I've never tasted such delicious food. Everything here is wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, the food is tasty... It's only a pity there's no ale. If I'd...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 51

"Home is now behind, the world is ahead."

It was Bilbo's first time stepping beyond the borders of the Shire.

That night, he found himself unable to sleep. He had only lain down for a short while before restlessly rising again.

Gandalf was also sleepless, as was Garrett.

One leaned against a boulder, drawing thoughtfully on his pipe. The other stood watch at an elevated position, scanning their surroundings.

ROAR.

Strange cries and unsettling noise...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 50

"Easy now, easy! Put your weapons down. This is our companion, Bombur, Dwalin, forks and spoons are not swords and axes. Bofur, you'd best put down that flute, it poses no threat to his armor..."

Gandalf calmed them one by one, coaxing the dwarves like anxious children to lower their guard.

"Is this the formidable ally you mentioned?"

The calmest among them had to be Thorin. This dwarf, who carried himself with the bearing of a king, hadn't made any sudden movements from the...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 49

The so-called expedition naturally referred to the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

Soon, Gandalf explained what had transpired when he met Thorin in Bree, as well as his strategic concerns about Erebor in the North, speaking freely without worrying whether Garrett could fully understand it.

Clearly, he regarded Garrett as one of his closest allies, otherwise he wouldn't have revealed everything so candidly.

"Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, heir to the title of King...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 48

"Our meeting wasn't by chance, was it, Gandalf?"

"Of course not. It was no coincidence."

Gandalf spoke slowly, "The matter of Erebor has always troubled me, Thorin. That dragon has been entrenched there for far too long. Sooner or later, it will draw the attention of something even more evil."

Erebor was a vital defensive position.

If it were breached and occupied by dark forces, they could use it as a pathway to march north, straight to Angmar.

At that point, th...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 47

Snow.

This stuff usually could only be seen in the high altitudes of the Misty Mountains or the great snowfields of the far north. In other regions, one would have to wait for winter.

But snow had never demonstrated much practical utility, so Garrett hadn't paid it much attention. However, while snow itself might prove useless, the ice that often accompanied it was more valuable.

Ice, or more precisely, the non-melting packed ice synthesized from regular ice, was essential f...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 46

"Haah."

In the marshlands, Garrett stretched lazily after eliminating another small outpost. He brushed at the blood-stained, tattered linen cloak covering his armor.

As his sword pierced through the orc's throat beneath his feet, the brilliant blue radiance along the blade gradually faded.

Flames rose from the corpse, dispersing some of the early morning mist. He extended his hands toward the fire, seeking a trace of warmth.

The air was growing ever colder.

A lo...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 45

"It's him, it's definitely him!"

That warrior!

"We've been deceived again!"

The orc sub-chieftain was furious. He immediately raised the scimitar in his hand and shouted in Garrett's direction: "We—"

Behind him, a large crowd of wargs and orcs wore fierce expressions, just awaiting the command to charge back and tear that human to pieces.

"We retreat!"

The sub-chieftain spun around and began fleeing, but the surrounding orcs were stunned. When they finall...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 44

"Garrett, wait a moment!"

On his side, Garrett had eliminated dozens of orcs and over ten wargs, leaving only a single chieftain alive.

Gandalf hurried over and examined the last survivor.

"I thought you'd forgotten our objective."

"Don't worry, I can control my blade."

Garrett sheathed his sword, while Gandalf pressed his staff against the orc chieftain's chest to prevent him from rising and retaliating.

Their objective, naturally, was to extract intellige...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 43

Buzz.

Deep underground, directly below, a ring began to tremble.

"My precious~"

A filthy hand caressed it, gripping it tightly.

---

"The more powerful one becomes, the easier it is to be blinded by power and fall to its temptation. But such people never come to a good end, because that item has only ever had one true master. Isildur, who once possessed the Ring, was tempted right before Mount Doom, and ultimately perished in the Gladden Fields south of h...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 42

Whether for Garrett or for Gandalf, travel and adventure had long become routine.

Especially for Garrett, who had only recently returned from the Nether, after growing accustomed to the extreme conditions there, trekking across Middle-earth again almost felt like a leisurely countryside walk. At least he no longer had to constantly endure the acrid smell of sulfur or suffer through scorching heat. Although the Nether's high temperatures didn't physically affect him, that didn't mean he ...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 41

If everything Gandalf had witnessed before could still find some trace of familiarity in memory, then the portal before him was truly something beyond comprehension.

Whether it was magic, the undead, or masterful forging techniques, these were all things that naturally existed in this world.

But this... this was the exception.

"This is not something that belongs to Arda."

He gazed at the Nether portal before him, lost in contemplation for a considerable while.

"B...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 40

The robed wizard fixed his eyes on Garrett, as if trying to discern something about him.

I don't recall hearing anything about a new Istari arriving, though...

But if he truly considered it, something about this man felt... familiar.

"I am Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey. That's what all who know me call me."

The young human had successfully captured his attention.

Although somewhat surprised, he was, after all, one of the Istari, and being a wizard meant he h...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 39

The Valar knew how many bastion remnants Garrett had to raid just to acquire these four netherite ingots.

Although he could mine for scraps himself, not only was the chance of finding them extremely low, but even doing it personally wasn't faster than locating a bastion. More importantly, even if he mined them, he didn't have enough diamonds to craft armor anyway, he still needed to find additional sources for those precious gems.

That's where the bastion remnants proved invaluabl...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 38

Nether warts were essential for potion brewing, while blazes provided both consumable materials and components for brewing stand.

Clang!

A sword struck a blaze, but the sound it made was that of metal clashing against metal.

No one truly understood what material these creatures were composed of, only that they were remarkably resilient.

Boom boom boom...

Several blazes launched blazing projectiles, surrounding and attacking him. But they proved ...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 37

Although he had harbored suspicions, when Garrett actually witnessed those words, his heart still pounded rapidly.

Ever since entering this world and noticing that the hearts on his health bar were the standard variety and not the permanent death variant, he had wondered whether he possessed only one life.

But he'd never had the opportunity to confirm it, after all, he could hardly risk death merely to test the theory.

Soon, however, his emotions settled.

[Bed ...