Battle of the Dragons

Sauron's superior Morgoth, is one of the most powerful gods; however, 'Morgoth' is not his real name, but rather Melkor.

However, considering the habits of big shots, it's probably just a name they use casually, so it shouldn't be taken seriously.

At the end of the First Age, the War of Wrath broke out. Morgoth was defeated and killed, and his soul was banished from the world. However, his power was tightly integrated with the entire world, making him impossible to completely expel.

The dragon Ancalagon, which Gandalf and Saruman were discussing, was the first winged dragon, Morgoth's bodyguard and chief double-flowered red staff, and of all dragons, it possessed the greatest strength and the largest body.

Ancalagon's death directly led to Morgoth defeat in the War of Wrath.

However, though Ancalagon dead, Morgoth's remaining power continued to nourish him until Sauron found him and buried him beneath Barad-dûr.

Incidentally, the person who killed the strongest dragon Ancalagon was Eärendil, the pride of the elves. The Star Water that Russell won in the lottery was named after him.

Russell knew nothing of the above; he was completely ignorant of the history of Middle-earth, much of which was taught to him by Aragorn.

There's nothing we can do; he's lost his memory!

Russell cleared his throat. "Well then, Gandalf, enough with the small talk, I just have one question: between you and Ancalagon, who is stronger?"

"Ancalagon powerful!" Gandalf answered decisively, without hesitation for a second.

Russell was shocked. "No way! You're Gandalf the White, how could you be inferior to that four-legged snake?"

Gandalf rolled his eyes at Russell, too lazy to pay him any attention, and turned to Saruman had recovered from his self-healing, to discuss. "I am quite certain that Ancalagon is dead. Morgoth's power can only keep his body intact, but it will never bring him back to life."

Saruman nodded. "I understand what you mean. Sauron, like me, has attached his soul to Ancalagon's body and gained a powerful physical form."

"No, you are not like Sauron."

"Why? What's different?"

"Sauron possesses the One Ring!"

Saruman: "..."

Seeing Saruman speechless with anger, Gandalf's mood improved considerably. The anger that Russell had stirred up vanished instantly, and he continued, "Ancalagon is incredibly powerful, but it has been dead for two ages. Even if Sauron possesses the One Ring, it will be difficult for him to unleash its full power."

Saruman nodded, agreeing that this was indeed the case.

Gandalf: "Let the three of us join forces and see just how strong he really is. If we can't beat him, we'll retreat immediately and find reinforcements."

"Do you have any reinforcements, elves?"

Saruman tentatively asked, "The elves and Ancalagon are mortal enemies. Maybe we can really get them on the war bandwagon."

Russell pricked up his ears. Gandalf had gone to find reinforcements yet again. Come to think of it, myths from both the East and the West seem to follow the same pattern: if you can't win, you call for help.

"No, my reinforcements are not elves..."

Gandalf shook his head slightly, gave Saruman a contemptuous smile, pointed to the sky, and said arrogantly, "I am a white-robed mage who is under the watchful eye of the high leader. The difference in importance between me and you, an exiled prisoner, is like heaven and earth. The high leader once promised me that I could ask him for help if I encountered a troublesome enemy."

Saruman: "..."

Saruman didn't speak, but Russell heard him grinding his teeth, possibly planning a plane crash to kill Gandalf.

"Let's go test Ancalagon, possessed by Sauron, and see just how powerful he is!"

After saying this, Gandalf jumped onto the back of the Bone Dragon, dragged the reluctant Russell up with him, and the three of them flew towards Ancalagon.

Not long after taking off, Saruman crashed into Ancalagon's knee.

The raging hurricane stirred up dark forces, Ancalagon had barely flapped its wings when Barad-dûr, the largest fortress in Middle-earth, was reduced to ruins, as fragile as a toy made of building blocks.

The Bone Dragon was swept away by the hurricane and stabilized itself thousands of meters away. When Russell and the other two looked up, they were all speechless with wide eyes.

Ancalagon entirely black, with twelve horns protruding like thorns on its ferocious and terrifying dragon head, and its indifferent eyes radiating endless cold light.

Its dorsal fin, sharp as a sword, is adorned with a cluster of thorns that extend from its neck to its tail, reflecting a metallic sheen. Countless razor-sharp spines grow in abundance, and its wings blot out the sky; a gentle flap can unleash an endless whirlwind.

Because of its enormous size, only the front half of its body could be seen, but one thing was certain: the dragon's tail, which had been glimpsed earlier, was definitely over a thousand meters long.

Compared to him, Smaug, possessed by Saruman, was the worst of the worst.

"Roar roar roar—"

Ancalagon dragon head high, roaring and howling to the sky, its high-pitched cry echoing throughout Middle-earth. Then, it locked its gaze on Russell and his companions, its terrifying aura suddenly solidifying, its breath spewing out dense Dark Energy that poured out in all directions like waves.

Russell felt as if he could hardly move under that gaze, feeling incredibly oppressed. The hot blood in his chest seemed to freeze in the cold, and even the air felt thick and hard to breathe.

"Well, Gandalf, let's skip the probing and start asking for help from above!" Russell's back was soaked with cold sweat. If someone could send Bone Dragon flying with a sneeze, what was there to probe?

"No, I must find out just how powerful he is before I can report this to my superiors..." Gandalf insisted, abandoning his usual lazy and slacking-off approach.

Saruman gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, roared, and lunged at Ancalagon.

Gandalf didn't mention Sterilizing Soap, and Russell didn't bring it out either. The size difference was too great, and even if Ancalagon turned around and bent over, they couldn't do anything about it. They guessed that if the Bone Dragon could fit completely into the bullseye, that would be awkward.

Rumble!!

The dragon's wings slammed down, and its massive claws slammed the Bone Dragon to the ground, creating a large crater like a cannonball.

The difference between the two was so great that it was like heaven and earth; even with all its might, the Bone Dragon could not fathom the depth of Ancalagon's power.

Russell climbed out of the crater. Saruman had taken most of the blow, and Gandalf had cushioned the fall, so he wasn't seriously injured. After circulating his Magic Power, he was mostly recovered.

Gandalf, are you alright?

Russell got up and helped Gandalf up. When he touched Gandalf's body, his expression changed drastically. It was very soft, as if it had no bones.

Gandalf's face turned ashen, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Russell, I'm dying..."

"Ha, that's it? No, I mean, you're almost done for, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and call for help!" Russell's eyes widened. Gandalf was really thick-skinned; he was about to kneel down, and he still had the mind to spout nonsense.

"Don't worry, I'll go get help right away. Russell, you mustn't die, you must hold on until I get back..." Gandalf finished speaking, closed his eyes, kicked his legs, and died in Russell.

Russell: (one-one)

A thousand alpacas were running through his mind. Russell was speechless and didn't know what to say. The Maiar were indeed a magical race. He had traveled through many worlds and could be considered well-informed, but he had never encountered such a bizarre way of asking for help before.

"Saruman, Gandalf will go find reinforcements. From now on, we'll have to rely on ourselves..."

Russell turned his head, his eyelids twitched, and he closed his mouth. In the crater, there was only a pile of broken skeletons left. Saruman had already run away.

"Damn it, I knew it. You white-robed people are all black inside."

"Roar roar roar—"

Ancalagon lowered its dragon head, its huge eyes filled with a mocking gaze—it was Sauron's eyes.

"..."

Russell swallowed hard. Gandalf had told him to hold on a little longer, that reinforcements would arrive soon.

But how can he persevere, perhaps by putting on a talent show to reassure Ancalagon?

"It's better to rely on yourself than on others," Russell glanced at the system panel, gritted his teeth, and said, "System, use 'Character Card: Níðhöggr'."

[Character Card: Níðhöggr (The prelude to Ragnarok, very minor role, skilled at gnawing on trees)]

That's it, my liver can't take it anymore...