What You Fear Comes True
Russell kept whining for hours. Aragorn waited for a long time but didn't see him return. He hugged the Holy Sword and dozed off. The melodious songs of the elves reached his ears. His eyelids were drooping, but he finally couldn't resist the drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep.
On the other side, Russell, to avoid accidentally bumping into Galadriel and Frodo, ran as far as he could and went straight to the waterfall at the edge of Lothlórien.
A ten-meter-high waterfall plunges down, forming a pool of water, which, under the moonlight, has a certain beauty.
Aragorn was overthinking it. No matter how bold Russell was, he wouldn't dare to seduce a female elf right under Galadriel's nose. Besides, even if he wanted to, she wouldn't be interested in him!
Russell ran away purely for refuge, to prevent his butterfly wings from causing Galadriel to go berserk and truly turn into a Witch. They say corruption triples the power; if Galadriel were to turn evil, Sauron would probably be out of the picture!
Another thing is that he happened to see a white horse that was exceptionally handsome and wondered if it was possible to tame it.
Russell's eyes lit up as he watched the dozen or so unicorns dozing by the waterfall. He wiped his drool, thinking to himself that this was a golden opportunity. He warned himself that he had to be quick, cut off a piece of meat, and run, making sure he wasn't caught red-handed.
"Hissing sound~~~"
The unicorns seemed to sense that some treacherous people wanted to harm them. After snorting, they took off running and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Russell had even drawn his knife, but his attack came up empty-handed. Chasing after them now was too risky, so he could only wait and see, tiptoeing across the water and crept into the waterfall to conceal his presence.
The waterfall wasn't very powerful, but Russell used his Magic Power to see the scenery outside the water curtain clearly. After waiting for a while, the unicorn didn't come, but Galadriel, dressed in white, did.
Galadriel, what is she doing here?
Russell cursed his bad luck, realizing that what he feared most had come to pass, and quickly held his breath, afraid to move.
Galadriel strode to the edge of the pool with a blank expression, raised her hand, and the Nenya, Ring of Water, lit up. A soft curtain of light descended, separating the pool and waterfall from the outside world into two distinct realms.
Russell's heart skipped a beat. He knew this scene all too well; next, he would be naked from women's clothes.
Following the unicorn, he didn't get to eat any meat, but he did get to see the Elf Queen bathing. To be honest, Russell wasn't happy at all; on the contrary, he felt that disaster was imminent, and if he were discovered, he would lose his life.
Almost without thinking, Russell stepped out of the waterfall before Galadriel could make a move.
"This is a very nice place, a habitat for unicorns. The elves dare not disturb them, so few people come here," Galadriel said, looking at Russell.
Galadriel's voice possessed an ethereal, otherworldly quality, typical of elven women, sounding almost inhuman. Yet, while her voice was as melodious as a gentle stream flowing through a secluded valley, it sent chills down Russell's spine. Galadriel hadn't come to bathe; she was here for him.
"Well, Lady of the Manor, what brings you here?" Russell asked, forcing himself to be polite.
"Master Russell, didn't you bring me here?" Galadriel retorted.
"You've misunderstood. I just couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air."
"No, you heard my telepathic message, that's why you brought me here. Now tell me, how did you do it, what method did you use to resist the temptation of the One Ring?" Galadriel stepped on the water, her white, jade-like feet creating ripples as she walked towards Russell.
I used the Mechanical Heart Skill Card, hardened my heart like iron, and refused the temptation of the Lord of the Rings!
Russell's eye twitched. He wanted to answer truthfully, but it would be pointless; Galadriel would have to be crazy to believe him. Besides, the fact that the Elf Queen had asked this question indicated that she harbored ill intentions towards the One Ring and was on the verge of turning to the dark side.
Russell remained silent, glancing around furtively, ready to break out at any moment.
He knew he had to get as far away as possible. Lothlórien was Galadriel's territory, and no matter what he said, the elves would never believe Galadriel coveted the One Ring. Even if they did believe him, they would immediately try to kill him to erase the stain on the Queen's reputation.
"It's no use. No one can leave here without my permission," Galadriel said coldly.
"Really... I'd love to try." Russell licked his dry lips. The two of them were more than ten centimeters apart, and looking at each other made him very uncomfortable.
By this time, he was already browsing the cards. Whenever Galadriel made a move, he would use the Teleportation Skill Card. As he looked at them, he suddenly found that he had inexplicably drawn a few more lottery cards.
Galadriel narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing Russell's confidence. She changed her previous indifference and smiled sweetly, "It was just a test. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"Hehe, since that's the case, can I leave now?" Russell said with a forced smile.
Galadriel shook her head. "To be honest, the One Ring has stirred my desire for power and strength, and I want to know why you overcame it to resist its temptation."
This makes a lot of sense, but Russell doesn't believe it. Galadriel seeks a way to defeat the One Ring not to escape temptation, but to better control the Ring.
"Tell me how to defeat the Ring, and I will give you anything you want." Galadriel looked down at Russell, a hint of black in her eyes.
"Lady of the Wood, Sauron said the same thing to me!"
Galadriel paused, the darkness in her eyes vanishing instantly. She leaned close to Russell's ear, a fragrant breeze wafting through her, and teased, "But I'm different from him. In Rivendell, there's a little elf picking mushrooms, and in Lothlórien... there's one too."
At this moment, Galadriel's temperament suddenly changed; she became innocent and pure yet incredibly alluring, and she began to turn evil.
Russell gasped upon hearing this. Aragorn was right; the elves were really bored, eavesdropping on his bedtime stories.
Seeing Russell's reaction, Galadriel's sly smile deepened. She pressed her palm against his face, slowly sliding it down. Russell didn't move. Logically, teleporting away now would be the most sensible thing to do, but he trusted Galadriel, the powerful woman crowned the 'Queen of Magic,' who could surely overcome his lust for power.
Among the many forces opposing Sauron, the elves are indispensable. Russell decides to make a small sacrifice and cooperate with Galadriel to help her awaken the purity within her.
However, just as he closed his eyes, Galadriel withdrew her hand that had slid to his chest.
"?"
Russell opened his eyes, Galadriel in front of him had transformed back into the aloof Elf Queen had been before. "Thank you for your help. Although the process was a bit unpleasant, I have passed the test."
"What?"
Russell's eyes widened. What do you mean by passing the test? I don't understand. You... you're not going to turn evil?
No way! That's the One Ring, the supreme authority that governs the three races of Middle-earth. You're having an internal struggle, you'll have to struggle for a while!
Galadriel had declared she wouldn't turn evil, glanced contemptuously at Russell and snorted, "Mage Russell, don't even think about the unicorn. It's late, go back and rest!"
After saying this, Galadriel left without looking back, stepping on the water. The surrounding barrier also disappeared instantly, leaving Russell completely bewildered. It was rare for him to want to sacrifice for the world, but he wasn't even allowed to!
But he quickly realized, "Holy crap, just how much do you despise me that you'd rather give up the One Ring than continue turning evil!"