Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 60 The Battle of the Five Armies! (Please continue reading)
Valinor is the abode of the gods of Middle-earth, while the Maiar are the lower gods who assist the Valar (chief gods) in managing the world.

In the movie, the main villain Sauron, Gandalf, and several other wizards are actually 'Maia', and are of the same rank.

They were sent down by the gods of Valinor to fight against Sauron, taking on physical forms, and some of their power was also sealed.

Now Gandalf also sees himself as one of their own kind, namely, the "Maia".

After a moment's thought, Li Xia realized that the Temple of Light was the true creator of this world, and in a sense, he, as an apostle, could indeed be considered the 'Maia' of the Temple of Light.

This must be the identity the Temple of Light bestows upon the Apostles. I wonder if Gandalf would have a mental breakdown if he knew there were about a hundred Maiar like him.

However, it's also possible that as the leader of the human faction, he caught Gandalf's attention, which led to him being given the identity of 'Maia'.

As a high elf, Thranduil, the Elvenking, didn't care whether Xia was human or Maiar; at this moment, he was more interested in admiring the gem in his hand.

“I am Gandalf the Grey, and I have come here to bring news of the Ork invasion.”

Gandalf, holding his staff, nodded to Li Xia and the Elven King, saying:

"I am delighted to see the elves, dwarves, and humans standing together once again in the face of the invasion of the dark forces."

If you want to be prepared, you must hurry, because Oak will arrive very soon, approximately…

Gandalf looked at the sky outside the tent: "Ork will be here when the sun moves to the distant mountain peaks."

"Oh my god, I have to get back quickly!" Bilbo jumped up, even though he felt he had been quite brave after such a long adventure.

But the battlefield was still too terrifying for a hobbit; he wasn't even as tall as the mace in the hobbit's hand!
Li Xia glanced at the countdown on the panel; there were still four hours left, and time was indeed running out.

"Thranduil, let's ask Thorin to come over and finalize things as soon as possible before we begin the battle."

Thranduil glanced at the gem in his hand with some reluctance, but finally looked away and nodded.

"I don't understand why you sent me here at such a critical moment."

Thorin was still wearing his gleaming armor and the dwarf crown, his face grim.

Several dwarves stood around him, including Bilbo, who looked very uneasy, his two hairy feet rubbing together incessantly.

Even though he had made preparations, Bilbo still couldn't help but feel nervous when the moment actually arrived.

"If you feel that matters concerning your throne are not important, you may leave."

Li Xia spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The throne?" Thorin's heart skipped a beat. In addition to his bloodline, the Dwarf King's power also included the Heart of Arken, which was similar to the Imperial Seal of the Kingdom.

Only when the two are combined can one become the true King of Dwarves, but Thorin has yet to find the Heart of Arken.

Thranduil opened the lid of the wooden box, and a gleaming light leaped out, shining brightly in the morning light.

Thorin suddenly stood up, both surprised and furious, and strode forward to take the jewel.

"Snap!" The brilliance of the gemstone vanished completely.

Thranduil was faster than him, pulling the wooden box back in.

Seeing the fury on Thorin's face, Thranduil felt a little better. The dwarves had humiliated him in the same way back then, and now they had finally gotten their revenge.

As Thorin's desperate search came into view, his face contorted and twisted in a grimace, and even the dwarves behind him became excited.

"How did you obtain the dwarven heirloom—has someone betrayed me? Is there a despicable thief among us?"

Bilbo suddenly realized he was about to step forward and admit it.

But Li Xia spoke first:

"Thorin, perhaps you've forgotten who occupied the Lonely Mountain Kingdom for a hundred years. As a beautiful gem, what do you think would happen if a dragon saw it?" Bilbo was suddenly stunned. He stared wide-eyed at Li Xia, who was taking the gem's origins upon himself. The little hobbit was almost moved to tears.

Bilbo Baggins's favorability towards you has increased significantly.

"You mean this was found on Smaug?"

Thorin's momentum suddenly waned, and even his voice became much softer. In any case, he was essentially a beneficiary of others' success.

"Of course, this was found when the Elvenking Thranduil sent men to retrieve Smaug's body."

Li Xia secretly attributed another credit to the Elf King:
"Out of alliance and friendship, we are willing to return the jewel to you—"

Thorin was stunned again. He could hardly believe his ears. He hadn't expected to get the gem back so easily.

"However, this must wait until we have fully completed our alliance, and as payment for the Elf King salvaging the gem, you must return his wife's belongings."

Thranduil's favorability towards you has increased moderately.

The complete fulfillment of the alliance naturally meant defeating the Orks, paying the money, and restoring the Dwarves and Vale Kingdom to their former glory.

Thorin remained silent for a long time, even feeling somewhat uneasy, wondering if his intention to renege on the debt had been exposed.

After a long while, the dwarf king finally nodded: "Alright, I agree!"

[Battlefield Side Quest: The Thief's Guilt (Completed)]

[Given your behavior, Bilbo Baggins's favorability towards you has increased significantly.]

[Task Rating: Extremely High]

[Mission Reward: To be distributed after the Battle of the Five Armies concludes]

[In light of your actions, King Thranduil's favor towards you has greatly increased.]

You have obtained the Elf faction discount privilege; the price will be reduced by 10% when redeeming Elf faction rewards.

A 10% price drop is equivalent to a 10% discount.

Is the Elf King really that stingy?
Considering the original story, his ability to hold a grudge for over a hundred years and his recent small act of revenge seems quite normal.

Four hours passed by in a flash.

The apostles who knew the exact time grew increasingly nervous; some sat silently to the side in a daze, while others muttered to themselves nervously.

More often than not, they were constantly wiping the weapons in their hands—even though these swords were so shiny they could be used as mirrors.

[Announcement to All: The Final Trial - Battle of the Five Armies Begins]

[The Ork Legion is attacking!]

All the apostles couldn't help but stand up and gaze at the horizon.

Darkness swept in with terrifying speed, black clouds instantly filled the sky, thunder rumbled and rolled through the mountains with the wind, and lightning illuminated the peaks.

Amid the rumbling thunder, another dark shadow came whirling and rushing, but it was not blown by the wind, but came from the north, like a huge cloud made up of birds, so dense that no light could penetrate their wings.

The ground trembled, and several earth vein worms, like tunnel boring machines, roared as they burst out of the ground, and the Orcs surged out like a tide.

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)