When Did I Get a Sword in My Hand?
[The host has come into contact with the story character Galadriel, triggering Lottery Draw and granting five chances to draw prizes. Would you like to draw now?]
"System, when was this lottery triggered? Why didn't I hear any notification sound?" Russell asked curiously.
"Hehe, Uncle Luo, it was triggered the first time I saw the Elf Queen, but..." Perhaps afraid of being struck by lightning, the system chose to shut up halfway through its sentence.
"Nonsense! That old woman has lived for who knows how many years. No matter how beautiful she looks, she's still an old woman. How could I possibly be distracted by her? You must have deliberately muted the sound to embarrass me." Russell snorted coldly. He couldn't be wrong; it must be the system.
Lightning bolts rained down on the mental world, striking the system and causing it to scream in agony. At first, it cried out that it was innocent, but later it changed its story and admitted that it was indeed the one who deliberately framed Russell.
"I knew it would be like this. With your IQ, you still want to frame me..." Russell smiled contemptuously, his depressed mood improving considerably. "Remember this lesson, behave yourself next time. Now open the five lottery draws."
Although Galadriel is an old woman with the same looks and figure as the heroine in the game's CG, making her seem unreal, she is still quite powerful. The five draws don't have to wait until the World Quest ends; they can begin now.
[Item Card: Magic Power (Without Magic Power, you can't do anything except be attacked)]
[Item Card: Nenya, Ring of Water (Guardian from the Sea)]
[Item Card: Light of Eärendil (Its scent is invigorating, its taste is longevity-enhancing)]
[Item Card: Light of Eärendil (Its scent is invigorating, its taste is longevity-enhancing)]
[Item Card: Light of Eärendil (Its scent is invigorating, its taste is longevity-enhancing)]
Russell: "..."
Damn it, how did a system like yours manage to learn such an advanced skill as padding word count?
Caruso didn't even glance at the magical items; the more the merrier. He used them directly to enhance his own magic. He did know about the Light of Elandil and the Star Water, which represented the power of light, but the system's evaluation of them was very subtle, leaving one speechless.
Russell vaguely remembers that Sister Juice the same review back then!
As for the Nenya, Ring of Water, Russell has put it aside for the time being, not daring to touch it. The Three Elven Rings also possess the Magic Power to corrupt people's hearts. The root cause of Galadriel's corruption was that she had worn the Ring of Water for too long.
"Speaking of which, I'm clearly following the lightning-based path, so why are all my items water-based? Could there be some deeper meaning behind it all?"
Russell frowned in thought. No one had drawn Character Card, which was a little disappointing. He had been thinking of taking a few selfies during his transformation as a memento to prove that he had been to Middle-earth.
Back inside, Aragorn, having waited in vain, leaned against the door and fell fast asleep. Russell was slightly moved, but when he saw Gandalf lying on the wooden bed, he immediately frowned.
"You cheat code guy, you're wrapped in a quilt and you still have the nerve to sleep in the bed? Aragorn doesn't even have a place to sleep." Russell was annoyed. He moved Gandalf off the bed, but... he covered Aragorn with a blanket and lay down on the bed himself.
Now I feel much better!
The next day, to be precise, around three or four in the morning, rustling sounds came from inside the treehouse.
Russell hadn't been sleeping deeply to begin with, and he immediately opened his eyes upon hearing the sound. The person making the sound was Gandalf; the guy with the cheat codes had woken up.
What happened next made Russell a little flustered. After Gandalf got up, he was a little dissatisfied with the Grey Robe he was wearing. He took it off and turned it inside out, revealing the white side underneath.
In just five seconds, the Grey Robe turned into a white robe. Gandalf straightened the white robe, pointed a finger at his staff, and the staff, which resembled a withered tree, shed its understated disguise and turned into a radiant silver-white.
After doing all that, Gandalf felt incredibly good about himself. He picked up his staff and spun around twice, and then... he saw Russell staring in disbelief.
Russell: (_)
Gandalf: (˙灬˙)
His expression gradually stiffened, and the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, but Gandalf, being a mature Maiar, coughed lightly and said, "Russell, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."
"No, no, no, I just woke up and didn't see anything. Also... could you put the sword down?" Russell was exasperated.
"A sword! What sword?" Gandalf exclaimed in surprise. He looked down and saw a sword in his hand. "Huh? When did I get a sword? Who gave it to me? Who was it?"
Russell: "..."
After Gandalf was promoted to White Robe, not only did his strength increase, but his skin also became much thicker than before. He coughed lightly and sheathed his longsword. "Russell, Galadriel and I have been friends for many years. When I arrive in Lothlórien, I cannot fail to pay her a visit, otherwise it would be too impolite. Would you like to come with me?"
Why is it only a visit to Galadriel, but not to Celeborn? Also, is it really appropriate to meet Galadriel in the middle of the night?
Russell muttered to himself, but his expression remained unchanged. "No, I was too exhausted from the battle with the Balrog. I just want to rest now."
"Alright, I'll be right back." Gandalf nodded in satisfaction, said goodbye to Russell, and sneaked out the door.
Clearly, Gandalf knew that meeting Galadriel late at night could easily lead to misunderstandings, which is why he was acting like a thief, afraid of being discovered.
The next day at noon, Russell and his party saw Galadriel and Gandalf in the main hall of the lord's palace again. The three were arguing about something, and Celeborn looked very unhappy.
"The forces of darkness are growing stronger in the East, and the armies of Mordor and Isengard are stirring. Humanity needs the help of the Elves; the two races have always been allies," Gandalf said.
"Gandalf, I don't know what the other Elven lords will choose, but Lothlórien will certainly not participate in this war. The era of the Elves in Middle-earth is over, and we will cross the sea to the West." Celeborn's attitude was firm. Like Elrond, he would not put the Elves in danger because of Gandalf's request.
Galadriel remained silent. She shared the same view as Celeborn, seeing the future in the struggle against the One Ring: the rise of humanity was unstoppable, and neither elves nor dwarves could stand aside.
The tide had turned, and even if she obtained the One Ring, she could not change it. Therefore, she abandoned her pride, her ambition for land and power, and accepted her fate, deciding to return to the West to reunite with her family.
Seeing Galadriel remain silent with her eyes closed, Gandalf was very disappointed, but he could not blame or force her. From the Elven perspective, Celeborn and Galadriel had not done anything wrong.
Russell watched quietly from the side. Sauron's manipulative skills were indeed formidable. His verbal prowess was unparalleled in the Lord of the Rings. He swept through Middle-earth with a bowl of poisonous chicken soup, leaving the three races completely bewildered.