Territory Sightings

This bona fide wizard stared intently at Li Wei, as though trying to discern something from him.

I don't recall hearing anything about a new colleague coming.

But if he had to put it into words, the feeling this man gave off... was somewhat familiar.

"My name is Gandalf—Gandalf the Grey. That's what those who know me call me."

The young human lord, Li Wei, had successfully caught the old wizard's attention.

Though he found it somewhat surprising, Gandalf was a wizard. And the title of wizard meant that he was a wizard—one who had lived for a very long time.

After traveling Middle-earth for so many years, what hadn't old Gandalf seen?

He was merely someone with magical powers, though this particular individual did feel rather unique.

"Li Wei, an adventurer."

"An adventurer? You look more like an architect, or perhaps a lord."

"Thank you. Lord might be overstating it, but I am indeed an architect on the side."

As he spoke, Li Wei's gaze gradually drifted upward toward Gandalf.

30/30

Old Gandalf's constitution was no ordinary thing either.

Although it showed Gandalf having 30 health points, Li Wei had good reason to suspect that this health bar might be locked.

"Gandalf, um... it wouldn't be very hospitable to leave a visiting guest standing at the doorstep. Why not come in and have a look around?"

"Oh, yes, certainly. I'd be delighted." Gandalf nodded and followed Li Wei through the iron gate.

His eyes roamed everywhere, observing the layout within the walls.

The animals kept in separate pens, the expansive stables and feeding troughs, and the ripe crops were all perfectly normal. It was autumn now, and indeed time for harvest. It had to be said that the crops were growing splendidly; one could tell at a glance that they would yield abundant produce.

Gandalf nodded and continued looking elsewhere.

Was that... a blacksmith's shop?

Why did this forging table look so familiar? He seemed to have seen it somewhere before.

Wait, what was that over there?

Gandalf immediately spotted the Enchanting Table, as well as the unknown runes constantly converging upon it from the surrounding bookshelves. This novel sight greatly aroused his curiosity.

"I can sense some kind of magic within it."

Rustle—

Sensing Gandalf's approach, the book atop the Enchanting Table automatically opened, turning its contents toward him. It gave the wizard quite a small shock.

"It is indeed something I use to imbue equipment with magic."

"Speaking of which, your staff doesn't seem very sturdy. Would you like me to enchant it for you?"

"Enchant it? You mean add magic to it? If that is possible, I would be willing to try."

For some reason, Gandalf felt an inexplicable, faint sense of closeness and familiarity toward the young man before him. That feeling was like returning to a time long, long ago—before he had come to Middle-earth, perhaps even earlier than that...

Without realizing it, Gandalf handed his staff to Li Wei, his eyes fixed on him as though trying to see through him.

Clearly, Li Wei's title collection was undergoing another inspection.

Gandalf nodded, confirming that the young man was not an enemy of the Free Peoples. He was also a friend of the Elves and the Rangers, and he seemed to get along well with Dwarves too.

Perhaps afterward, he should ask around nearby. Such a massive structure could not have appeared out of nowhere without word getting out. The nearby settlements might have heard some rumors or tales of his deeds.

While Gandalf was deep in thought, Li Wei was not acting without purpose either.

Wooden Staff Attack +5.

Good lord, who would have thought that a mere wooden stick had the same attack power as a Stone Sword? Anyone hit on the head with this would be seeing stars.

Before the Enchanting Table, Li Wei stared at the rather polished staff in his hand and pondered for a long while.

"What is it?" Gandalf finally could not help asking.

"Nothing. I just think this staff is rather unique."

Gandalf nodded. "It has indeed been with me for a long time."

Li Wei fell silent.

Is that what I care about?

What I care about is why the new mod unlock notification still hasn't appeared?!

Is this thing even a magic staff or not?

After waiting for quite some time and seeing that nothing really happened, Li Wei could only temporarily give up. With a sigh, he took out lapis lazuli and placed the staff onto the Enchanting Table.

The staff floated into the air. The lapis lazuli melted away in Li Wei's hand, transforming into waves of radiance that flowed into the staff.

Unbreaking III, Sharpness IV.

Not bad.

Li Wei casually took a Sharpness IV enchanted book from a nearby chest and upgraded the staff straight to Sharpness V.

This staff now had a full 8 points of attack damage. It was very powerful.

Li Wei handed it back to Gandalf.

The moment Gandalf took hold of the staff, now faintly surrounded by an almost imperceptible glow, he immediately sensed the difference. He gave it a couple of casual swings, each one cutting through the air with force.

"I can feel it. It's sturdier, sharper, and could even be used as a fine weapon."

Gandalf was very satisfied.

"Thank you, young... uh, Li Wei. This will make my journey much smoother."

The wise old man thought for quite some time, yet truly had no idea what he ought to call Li Wei. After all, Li Wei had rather a lot of titles.

In the end, he gave up thinking about it and simply called him by name.

"As long as it helps you."

Though Li Wei's Territory was large, it did not actually contain that many facilities. Many areas still stood empty, without any specific plans for them.

It did not take long to make a full circuit.

Along the way, whenever Gandalf saw something magical, he could always find something similar in his memories. He told Li Wei of his own experiences while commenting on the things here.

For a moment, it almost seemed as though Gandalf were the one showing Li Wei around.

Brewing station.

"Brewing potions? I know someone in the forest who also brews medicines with strange effects, though he usually uses them to treat the animals nearby."

Nether Wart farm.

"Oh, I believe I have seen this kind of sand before, in the Dead Marshes to the east. That place is covered in the remains of people who died in ages past. Grievances gather there in heaps, ghosts lurk everywhere, and travelers who are not careful can be bewitched by those phantoms, sink to the bottom of the lake, and drown, becoming one of the restless spirits."

No, don't worry. The Soul Sand here would not drag you down if you put it in water. It would make you rise instead.

Li Wei answered silently in his heart.

"Forgive me for saying so, but this is simply too evil. The ingredients you use for brewing potions are actually cultivated from Wraiths."

Gandalf said this as he pointed at the Nether Wart.

This was just like... like something a necromancer would do.

Gandalf shook his head repeatedly. Still, despite his words, the wizard raised no objections and did not try to stop Li Wei. He merely took one look before moving on.

After all, it only looked a little evil and had not displayed any actual harm.

Gandalf had always been like this, calm and composed.

Yet even so, when he followed Li Wei to the vicinity of the Nether portal, his eyes still widened. He stopped dead in place, unable to move another step.

"This..."

Old Gandalf unconsciously lit his pipe.

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