If everything he had seen before could find similar things in memory and still had traces to follow, then the door before him was truly inconceivable.
Whether it was magic, undead spirits, or incredibly exquisite forging techniques, these were all things that originally existed in this world.
But this alone.
"This is not something that should exist in this world."
Gandalf stared at the Nether portal before him, deep in thought for a long time.
"However, since it exists, it means it has received approval. I believe it must be a new melody."
"It's a pity I cannot witness the things within with my own eyes."
"There's nothing much to see anyway," Levi interjected at the right moment. "Inside there's only lava, red stones, some abandoned ruins, and remaining creatures."
That's what he said, but if you really delved into it, according to the lore, that entire Nether might very well be the remains of some massive creature, and the ruins inside were truly ancient civilization ruins.
"Sounds a bit like the deep pits of Khazad-dûm."
Gandalf shook his head, sighing with emotion.
"To be honest, everything here really gave me quite a shock, especially that such a large territory is managed by just you alone. Before entering, I thought there would be many subjects inside, not golems."
As he spoke, an iron golem slowly approached, examining this rare guest and scratching its head with mechanical curiosity.
It offered a small red flower.
"Oh, thank you."
Gandalf gently accepted the small red flower and carefully stored it away.
Clang, clang. After delivering the flower, the iron golem returned to its patrol route with heavy steps.
This iron golem was decent... it could handle things and gave flowers even to adults, not just children.
"There are many things I can only do myself," Levi explained with just this one sentence.
However, if there really were residents who needed protection, he wouldn't be stingy about it.
Perhaps it was time to consider...
Unlike the hurried Faradon who came and went quickly.
When Levi invited Gandalf to stay for a few more days, this wise old man agreed without hesitation and immediately claimed a guest room.
Of course, he maintained proper etiquette, always being polite to Levi and answering all of his questions thoroughly.
Getting along with Gandalf felt very natural to him. This wizard's knowledge and demeanor were no less than those of the Lord of Rivendell, but the feeling they gave was somewhat different. Compared to Elrond, Gandalf was more easygoing.
A few days passed quickly. This morning, Gandalf found Levi and greeted him.
"Thank you for your hospitality during this time, Levi, but I must continue my journey."
"Very well, may your path be free of obstacles."
Gandalf nodded and said, "It was truly an unforgettable encounter, especially your cooking. I'm almost reluctant to leave."
"Haha, a hobbit friend of mine said the same thing."
"A hobbit friend? Indeed, with your cooking skills, it would be hard to find a hobbit who wouldn't welcome you."
"Well then, time waits for no one. I must continue on some adventures."
Gandalf prepared to continue his journey with the provisions Levi had given him.
"Adventures?" Levi asked.
"Yes, adventures."
He felt his hands getting a bit itchy. Not counting the Nether, it seemed like it had been a while since his last outing.
On this side, Gandalf looked at Levi and nodded again.
"Yes, adventures. I do have some adventurous work here. Of course, if someone were willing to come along..."
A moment later.
Levi, wearing a full set of black netherite armor and riding a 20-speed horse equipped with diamond horse armor, asked, "Where are we going?"
Gandalf fell silent for a moment.
"Levi, we're going on an adventure, not to war."
"That horse... I suggest you lead it back, and you'd better keep a low profile like me. This will help us better hide ourselves in the wilderness."
"Alright, you make a good point."
He agreed, looking at his equipment and then at Gandalf's attire.
It had to be said that Gandalf's grey robe was indeed excellent clothing for outdoor adventure travel... it could shield from wind and rain while being inconspicuous, emphasizing practicality above all.
But having gotten used to going out fully armored recently, suddenly asking Levi to remove it was quite uncomfortable and gave him a lack of security.
Finally, under Gandalf's constant requests and reminders, he reluctantly removed his helmet and put it in his backpack, donning an inconspicuous wide linen cloak that completely covered his black armor. With the hood up, he looked like another wizard.
Actually, the netherite armor had quite a good design. Wearing it didn't make him look bulky or heavy. It didn't appear that thick and was even somewhat form-fitting. As for armor affecting movement... it didn't affect Levi anyway.
At this moment, he looked completely like a travel-worn wilderness ranger, except that ordinary rangers usually wore leather armor.
No, looking at it this way, rather than a wilderness ranger, he was more like a wandering knight.
"This... will work too, if you don't mind the weight of the armor."
"It's fine," Levi replied.
The matter of carrying weight could be completely ignored by him.
"Then let's set off." Gandalf waved his hand grandly, pointing in a direction.
Levi looked.
"The Misty Mountains?"
"Yes, the orcs in the Misty Mountains have been somewhat too active recently, even bold enough to wander near Rivendell. Perhaps they're conducting some unspeakable secret activities. I must investigate their intentions."
He was silent for a while.
"About this, I do know something. Uh, actually, they might be coming after me. Just a while ago, there were several hundred warg riders sent to attack me, though I annihilated more than half of them."
"And recently I feel this area has been quite quiet. Since the last attack, no orcs have approached here."
"...What exactly did you do to make them hate you so much?"
Levi looked at his reputation.
[Misty Mountains Orcs: -370 (Mortal Enemy)]
"Nothing much really, just like I said... took out several hundred of their warg riders."
Gandalf stared at him for a while.
"Well, let's say that's the case. Our confusion is half resolved."
"However, besides the abnormal movements west of the Misty Mountains, they've also deployed large numbers of spies to areas east of the Misty Mountains. Many fortresses destroyed in the great war between dwarves and orcs over a hundred years ago are now reoccupied by orcs. I'm temporarily unclear about their intentions."
Gandalf shook his head, worried about the situation in the eastern regions.
"Is that so? Then it's worth a visit."
So far, Levi hadn't been to places farther than Rivendell. Having a guide familiar with Middle-earth's routes to lead an adventure was quite good.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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