Alone and Infinite

The debris left behind by the panicked crowd has become tattered and broken over the past hundred years.

Only the stone buildings remained standing in the wind and rain, providing some shelter for the surviving residents.

"This is it!"

Li Xia stood in the circular city hall. It was spacious, and the second floor had many rooms that could accommodate everyone. The walls were extremely sturdy, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

A notification from the Hall of Light immediately popped up.

The human faction's base has been determined.

[Current Location: Ruins of River Valley City Hall]

[Quartermaster Joel has been confirmed dead.]

A new quartermaster will be generated in the Hall of Fame.

[Generating]

The Quartermaster has been refreshed.

Li Xia was stunned for a moment, then followed the instructions and saw a person in the innermost room on the second floor.

He looks exactly like old Joel, except his expression is blank and he only answers questions mechanically.

I glanced at the redemption list and found that the items that had been redeemed before had been replenished.

As the faction leader, my reputation level has been automatically locked at the highest level.

[Reverence: 1203 points]

Killing Smaug grants battlefield contribution points, and combined with the points gained from completing missions, the total battlefield contribution points have now reached a certain level.

1. Xia (contribution 85%)

With a lead of more than 60% over the second place, they have basically secured first place.

However, so far, the contribution points have only amounted to a little over one hundred points, which is the share of the rewards that the apostles receive after completing faction missions.

If you want to exchange for the [Enlightenment Potion], you'll have to wait for the upcoming Battle of the Five Armies, as this is where the majority of contribution points are earned; you'll get it by defeating Orks.

So take advantage of this time and get ready!

Li Xia looked at the apostle who was preparing to rest and sneered twice. "You still want to rest?"

Task assigned! Get to work!

Outside the valley, an army dressed in magnificent golden armor marched forward in orderly steps.

"Your Majesty, the Valley State is just ahead! The surviving residents of Long Lake Town have already arrived here."

The handsome Elf King, riding atop a giant moose, waved his hand, and the Elf army continued its advance.

A brand new notification suddenly popped up in front of Li Xia in the city hall.

The Elf forces are about to arrive in the Valley Kingdom!

"My lord! My lord, a large army of elves has arrived outside."

Boris, who was on guard outside, rushed in, panting and shouting.

Li Xia nodded, got up and walked outside. The curious apostles immediately put down their tasks and followed him out to watch the excitement.

I couldn't help but gasp as soon as I stepped out the door.

Outside, a densely packed army of elves stood in neat rows.

"Da da da"

The crisp sound of hooves echoed from the other end of the street.

A huge moose walked in with elegant steps.

An elf wearing a crown of branches and leaves rode on his back.

He bowed slightly in greeting.

"Thranduil, King of the Woodlands, Elvenking, son of Orifil, wishes to meet with the leader of the surviving inhabitants of Laketown."

[Note: You will be negotiating with Thranduil, the leader of the Elven faction. The outcome of these negotiations will greatly influence the course of the War of the Five Armies. Please proceed with caution, Apostle!]

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

Chapter 56 The Highest Rewards for the Three Major Factions!

Before Li Xia could speak, a general suddenly appeared behind him.

Wearing a bunny costume, less than 1.5 meters tall, with clenched fists and gleaming eyes, he shouted loudly:

"Standing before you is Summer, the protector of Lake-town, the heir to the throne of Vale, our leader, the one who pierced Smaug's heart, Summer the Dragon Slayer!"

???

The apostles watching were filled with awe; it had to be you.

Li Xia was also somewhat taken aback. Although he felt a little embarrassed, he had to admit that the introduction of the cute beast was quite in line with the way things were introduced in the Central Plains.

"The raven brought a message that a human warrior had slain the wicked tyrant Smaug."

Thranduil dismounted from the moose and nodded slightly:

"Therefore, I have come here specifically to discuss with the Dragon Slayer that the endless treasures in Lonely Mountain should rightfully include a share for you and Longlake Town."

The elves quickly brought over an exquisite oak table, covered it with a velvet tablecloth, and set out fine food and fruit.

The fragrant wine filled the air with its aroma, and two high-backed chairs with soft cushions were placed on either side of the table.

"I hope the leaders of Laketown can feel the sincerity of the elves through their hospitality, and that the friendship between Laketown and the elves can flow on like the rivers of Lonely Mountain."

Thranduil raised his crystal goblet. Contrary to popular belief, the elves in Lord of the Rings were skilled at brewing wine.

"May our friendship endure, and may the residents of Changhu Town, who have suffered so much, also feel the comfort of fine wine and food at this moment, just as I have."

Li Xia also raised his glass, and as soon as he said this, the apostles noticed that the eyes of the residents of Changhu Town not far away seemed to light up.

"Of course, I am well-intentioned and willing to extend a helping hand to the residents who are suffering."

Thranduil beckoned, and huge deer pulled a cart piled high with food and clear, sweet spring water.

Cheers immediately erupted from the residents of Longlake Town. Even the apostles rubbed their stomachs; they still needed to eat.

There might be some food stored in the space, but it's only for emergencies, and the personal space is so small that it fills up quickly with just a few things.

Without any prompting, they surged forward, busily carrying the supplies down. With these supplies, they could hold out for a while longer and find a new way to survive.

"I have come here not only to offer my assistance, but also to discuss with you the unclaimed wealth in Lonely Mountain that would make anyone envious."

Thranduil said softly, “Besides the gold in the Lonely Mountain, what I crave most is my late wife’s keepsake—the platinum and gemstone necklace. A hundred years ago, I sent this necklace to the Lonely Mountain to ask the craftsmen there to repair it for me.”

But the dwarves refused to return the necklace, saying that repairing it would be too expensive and that I would have to pay for the repairs to exceed the necklace's value.

The dwarves' greed and treachery shattered the ancient covenant.

The dwarves on Lonely Mountain have been poisoned by gold and jewels, especially the appearance of the Arkenstone in the Heart of the Mountain, which has infected them with a disease—a mad thirst for all wealth.

I once gave them advice, but sincere advice is like bitter wine, and no one likes it.

"Xia, the Dragon Slayer, now this vast wealth is also before you. I hope you will also hold fast to the light in your heart, just as you just asked for food and water for the sake of the people."

Li Xia put down his wine glass. If the original plot had been followed, promising to take only one-twelfth of the wealth would have been the normal course of events.

Elves and dwarves led the charge, while humans played a supporting role.

However, if you want to gain more contribution points, this approach is clearly not enough.

Li Xia recalled the notification from the Temple of Light: [You will be negotiating with Thranduil, the leader of the Elven faction. The outcome of these negotiations will greatly influence the course of the War of the Five Armies. Apostle, please negotiate with caution!]

As the leader of the human faction, he is different from the other apostles and has the ability to change the course of the story!

"Thranduil, Elvenking, I'm afraid the treasures on Lonely Mountain are not without an owner. Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrall and heir to Lonely Mountain, is still alive and should be there right now."

Smaug was also awakened by him and came to Lake Town. I feel that I have the right to claim compensation from Thorin for this.

And to express my gratitude for your help, I would like to ask Thorin for his platinum necklace, which I will present to you as a token of our friendship.

"Thorin Oakenshield? I used to imprison him in the dungeon, but he was rescued by a burglar. I thought he had died in Smaug's attack, but I didn't expect him to be alive."

Thranduil's handsome face darkened; Middle-earth places great importance on bloodlines and inheritance.

If Thorin were still alive, as the son of the King of Lonely Mountain, he would undoubtedly have the right to inherit the wealth of Lonely Mountain.

“If what you say is true, I’m afraid we won’t be able to get a single piece of gold from that greedy dwarf unless the dragon disease that has been passed down since his ancestors has been completely cured.”

But Li Xia's plan didn't stop there; he then dropped an even bigger bombshell.

“Elven King, I have received news that the Orks of the Misty Mountains, led by Azog, have come out in full force and will arrive here in a few days.”

"Azog? The Ork Legion? That's impossible!"

Thranduil shook his head:

"If they want to get here, they have to go through the Misty Forest. The entire forest is under the surveillance of the woodland elves, and my sentries have not reported anything unusual."

"But what if we use ley lines? We can go around the side of Lonely Mountain and dig a tunnel using ley lines. You can go and verify that."

As Li Xia continued speaking, he noticed that Thranduil's expression had changed. Thranduil solemnly summoned a group of elves and whispered instructions. Soon, they rode their deer out of Valhalla.

“If what you say is true, I’m afraid I must return to my kingdom immediately. I will not let the blood of my elven people be shed for these greedy and shameless dwarves.”

Let Thorin rot and stink while he's holding this pile of gold!

Thranduil spoke rapidly: "You can also take the survivors to the Woodland Kingdom, and I promise to get you safely to Gondor."

If I go to Gondor, I won't be able to do the main quest.

Li Xia shook his head: "Thranduil, I'm afraid you haven't realized a serious problem yet."

He took out a topographical map of the area and drew a circle at the foot of the solitary mountain:

"Besides wanting the wealth of Lonely Mountain, what Azog desires most is its geographical location; it is extremely strategic and guards the vital passage."

Once occupied by Azog, and with its terrifying wealth, Orc will expand to a horrific extent, allowing it to seize Rivervale, Lonely Mountain Castle, and, together with the Misty Mountains, firmly lock the Misty Forest within its encirclement.

The ancient covenant between dwarves and elves stems from the fact that neither can exist without the other—you should understand this!

Thranduil understood? Of course he did.

Previously, he had only been briefly blinded by anger. Now, the Elf King stared at the map in silence, wavering.

So Li Xia decided to strike while the iron was hot and put forward his own idea.

"I think we can form an alliance. Although we are outnumbered, those who survive are all brave warriors who dare to draw their swords against Smaug."

Next, we'll negotiate with Thorin to help him defend the city, but we demand a quarter of the treasure of Lonely Mountain! If he doesn't give it to us, we'll storm in!

What finally moved Thranduil was his last sentence: "The Orcs' movements will attract the attention of everyone in Middle-earth. We will not fight alone."

When Li Xia and Thranduil raised their glasses together according to elven custom.

All the apostles received a notification from the Temple of Light.

[Announcement to all: The Human and Elf factions have formed an alliance. Quartermasters will be available to apostles of both factions. Existing contribution points and bonuses will remain unchanged.]

The apostles of the elven faction suddenly changed color.

This is the ultimate goal, not the relationship between rescuers and those being rescued.

They are allies, not just allies.

Li Xia wants the highest reward from all factions!

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

Hmm, it's best to limit the writing of faction leaders in the early stages of the story, as it will tie the protagonist down and inevitably introduce a lot of things unrelated to the plot.

I sped up and quickly finished this trial instance; in the early stages, the main character should focus on solo play.

As usual, I'm asking for your monthly votes.

Chapter 57 The Tripartite Alliance is Established!