The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 1086 Tom Bombadil
“Tom Bombardier!” Roland sighed softly. After all, this character didn't have much screen time in the game, just a pure Old Forest NPC. He was practically nonexistent in the original stories either; the only record of him was: a mysterious figure who had always existed throughout the history of Arda. He lived deep within the Old Forest, and his dwelling seemed to be surrounded by his divine power. Though kind, he never allied with the free people. His existence became a part of the Hobbit's oral tradition, as seen in the ballad, “The Adventures of Tom Bombardier.”

Tom Bombadil's origins are unknown. However, we do know that he existed before Morgoth came to Arda, meaning he was there before the Valar arrived. No one knows what role he played in ancient times, but he must have witnessed those momentous events and battles, the decay of Middle-earth's vast forests, and perhaps even felt his own power slowly diminishing.

The extent of Tom Bumbadir's contact with the outside world is unknown; however, he has names among many peoples and even becomes a character in the folklore of elves, dwarves, and men. In the Third Age, Tom Bumbadir and his beautiful wife, Goldenberry, lived in a small house on the banks of the Willow River in the Old Forest. He associated with the Stag-landers and hobbits like the farmer Margot, which perhaps explains his optimistic nature and capricious attitude towards life. Because of his cheerful and kind heart, some free people considered him a potential ally (such as Elrond, where Eristotle thought he would attend the meetings), but Gandalf believed that Tom Bumbadir paid little attention to the struggle between darkness and light and would not play a significant role in the success or failure of the cause.

However, this "old god" did indeed help the young hobbits during the War of the Ring. When Frodo and his companions were trapped by the "Old Man of the Willow" in the Old Forest (he was also a Root, but corrupted by resentment and very wicked! What? You ask why there are Roots in the Old Forest? Fun fact—the Old Forest was once part of Fangorn Forest!), Tom, as the owner of the Old Forest, rescued them and even let them stay at his house for two days. During this time, Tom was very interested in the Ring but was not swayed! Most unusually, he didn't change at all after putting on the Ring, while Tom Bombadil could still see Frodo even after he put on the Ring!

That's terrifying! If this thing is real, he's at least a demigod! And Gildo Inglorian (a member of the Fenrod family of elves) even visited Tom Bombadil to tell him about Frodo and his companions. No matter how you look at it, this person is no ordinary person... Such a legendary figure, whose stories circulate among elves, dwarves, and humans, might not be quite a true god, but Roland has no doubt that he's a demigod!

"That Venerable One's real name? Aren't you afraid he'll sense it?" Marquis Al-Tegran Franz sneered. High-level professionals can vaguely sense when someone calls their real name, similar to some kind of rule-based power. For a demigod's perception, your blatantly calling his real name is practically the same as standing right in front of him and calling him by his real name!
“Of course! An ancient legendary figure from Middle-earth! He’s not a bad person, not as serious as you think! Relax!” Roland shook his head. What kind of intimidation could a demigod who spends all his time farming in the woods have? He’s just a pure old farmer!
“I hope so…” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz shook his head. He instinctively maintained awe towards god-level power. After all, Roland’s disregard for divine power could be considered as youthful arrogance, but Marquis Al-Tegran Franz had actually witnessed god-level power before!
……

"Have you prepared enough manpower?" Roland asked Aragorn.

"They're all settled! They'll lead the townspeople and villagers to build fortifications and maintain vigilance! The messenger has also set off!" Aragorn nodded. In this world, because of Roland, Aragorn chose to control the town of Bri and the surrounding area. This allowed the previously wandering Dúnedan people to regroup. On Roland's advice, Aragorn decided to use the old capital of the Northern Hills as a military fortress, while his family migrated south to the Bri region. In Roland's words, if they couldn't win, they could always run away as a whole tribe!

“By the way, if Isengard’s men come looking for you… remember to be careful!” Roland patted Aragorn meaningfully.

“Saruman, the leader of the White Way?” Aragorn murmured to himself. Although he was still young, he keenly sensed that there was something hidden in the matter. When he turned his gaze to Roland again, Roland had already looked away and was no longer looking at him.

……

"Hey guys! We're about to reach the Old Forest! Your friend Thorin will be showing you around!" Thorin joked.

"Hey! Tourism King! Something's not right with the scenery at your place!" Weiss, who was flying in the sky, jumped down on his dragon and said seriously.

"What's wrong? Did you find anything?" Roland and the others turned to look, since Weiss wouldn't have come down without making a sound.

"I saw the dead! King of Tourism, your travel routes are full of safety hazards!" Weiss shook his head and said regretfully.

"Hey! Isn't this what I brought all these dwarven warriors for? Are we all here for a vacation with our army?" Thorin's beard twitched with delight. Finally, he had a chance to put his skills to good use. Otherwise, this trip would have been a real vacation.

“Leave it to us! Dwarves have high resistance to undead power!” Thorin declared. The dwarves had been carrying the load throughout the journey, so why wait for an easy target? “Then we’ll be counting on you, Traveling King!” Bard said seriously, suppressing a laugh.

“Yes! The great King of Travel!” Thranduil quietly chimed in, then casually looked into the distance, pretending to be very busy.

"Wait! Vis! Vili! How large is the undead?" Roland pulled Thorin aside and looked at the man and the dragon. He knew that there was a difference between the undead and the undead scourge!
“There are only a limited number, I only saw a lot of skeletons! They’re staggering toward us!” Weiss and Vili exchanged a glance and said.

"Damn it! I knew I'd forgotten something! This is an ancient cemetery! No wonder!" Roland sighed as he unfolded the map again and saw the tombstone markings on it.

"Thorin! Have your men finish this quickly and don't get entangled!" Roland nodded.

"Omske! You and Lavian take a cavalry unit to reinforce the enemy!" Roland instructed Omske.

“The rest of you should take the main road and avoid the battlefield. Let’s not waste our time! They’re just a bunch of skeletons!” Roland nodded to the other lords.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Omske thumped his chest, bowed, and turned to leave.

“I have a plan!” said Marquis Al-Tegran Franz, raising his index finger.

"Hmm? You have a plan too? Tell me!" Roland's eye twitched.

“Weren’t we here to clear out potential hazards along the way? I think this ancient tomb mound will definitely become a major problem!” said Marquis Al-Tegran-Franz.

“By the way, I remember there are traces of ancient tomb monsters here! You gentlemen must be careful!” Aragorn suddenly spoke up.

"..." In an instant, Roland, Bard, and Bai Yi all turned pale.

"Looks like we need to clean it up!" Roland nodded.

The mysterious old man – Tom Bombadil – makes his appearance.