Looking at the petrified Gollum, Luke snorted lightly, waved his hand, and brought him downstairs.
Bilbo, who was waiting, was first surprised and then delighted to see Gollum brought back by Luke.
Luke threw Gollum on the ground and waved his hand to undo the petrification on him.
"Don't even think about escaping, or I won't guarantee I won't kill you directly. You know I can do it." Luke said with a sneer, watching Gollum tremble in fear while his eyes kept darting around, trying to sneak a peek at his surroundings.
Hearing Luke's icy words, Gollum shivered, immediately reined in his petty thoughts, and looked at him with fear.
"Tell me, how did you travel all this way to get here? And you ambushed Bilbo's home, and then came to my Castle? What do you intend to do?"
Gollum's eyeballs darted around as he cautiously replied, "Gollum, Gollum wants to find his precious. Gollum's precious was stolen by Baggins. Gollum just wants to find his precious!"
"Still trying to play mind games with me? Crucio!"
With his Legilimency, Gollum's thoughts were completely exposed to him. Luke mercilessly cast Crucio directly.
Struck by Crucio, Gollum instantly let out a shrill scream and wail, curling up on the ground with a face full of pain.
Gollum felt an indescribable pain, even more agonizing than Sauron's torture.
His two personalities constantly switched to share and alleviate the soul-piercing torment.
Bilbo, who was beside him, initially felt a sense of relief, but as he watched Gollum's veins bulge and his eyes almost pop out from the pain, he gradually felt a twinge of pity.
He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
However, Luke did not torment him for long. When Gollum was too weak to even make a sound, he stopped the Crucio's torture.
He casually cast several healing spells on Gollum, then looked at him indifferently, "Can you speak properly now? Or should I give you a few more moments of Crucio to consider?"
Gollum looked at Luke with extreme fear. At this moment, Luke seemed far more terrifying than the Dark Lord. He shook his head repeatedly, "No, no! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
He then recounted his journey, starting from when Bilbo took the one ring, and how he followed the direction of the expedition team.
He spoke of how he was swept away by a tornado outside Isengard, taken to Mordor, tortured by Sauron, and then released, eventually making his way to the vicinity of Weathertop.
After an unsuccessful infiltration, he turned to Bree City and unexpectedly met hobbits working there.
Gollum himself was once a hobbit and remembered that Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit, so he secretly targeted the hobbits in Bree City.
And from these hobbits, he heard news of Bilbo Baggins.
After all, Bilbo was quite famous in the Shire now, not only because his expedition to the Lonely Mountain was widely spread in the Shire, but also because he was a friend of the Black Robed Wizard Luke and a frequent guest at Hogwarts Castle.
So Gollum easily inquired about Bilbo's whereabouts and his address from these hobbits.
Thus, he journeyed all the way to the Shire, found Bag End, and attacked Bilbo, attempting to reclaim the one ring that Bilbo had taken.
However, the one ring was no longer in Bilbo's hands, so Gollum naturally gained nothing.
Immediately, he suspected whether the one ring had been taken by Luke? So, upon seeing Bilbo use Floo powder to teleport to Hogwarts Castle, he also tried to use Floo powder to infiltrate the Castle in search of the one ring.
He even considered that Bilbo would surely bring Luke back, so he took the risk, hoping to exploit the time difference.
Hearing Gollum's words, both Luke and Bilbo were surprised by Gollum's perseverance.
The expedition to the Lonely Mountain was in 2941, and now a full 7 years had passed.
He never thought that to retrieve the one ring, Gollum would never give up, crossing the Misty Mountains alone, traversing Mirkwood, escaping the pursuit of Orcs, Wargs, Acromantulas, Elves, and Ents, and surviving until now—truly a testament to his luck!
"Who injured the Kraken and saved you when you tried to cross the Black Lake and were caught by the giant octopus?" Luke interrogated again.
Hearing Luke's words, Gollum shook his head frantically, "I don't know! I really don't know! After I left Mordor, I ran non-stop, but I felt eyes watching me! But I couldn't see them... I swam desperately from the lake, all the way to the shore, and then I kept running, running until I reached Bree before stopping... I always tried to get rid of those hidden eyes, but they would catch up quickly. I came to Baggins's house, came here through the fireplace, and then those eyes disappeared!"
Gollum's words were a bit chaotic, but Luke still confirmed he wasn't lying.
So, after Sauron released Gollum, he also secretly sent Ringwraiths to track him?
And to ensure Gollum's survival until the one ring was found, they even injured the Kraken when it was about to eat Gollum, allowing him to escape?
If that's the case, then those Ringwraiths are very likely still in the Shire, searching for Gollum?
Thinking of this, Luke suddenly had an idea.
He smiled and looked at Gollum, saying, "Gollum, how about we play a game of cat and mouse? If you cooperate well, I can spare your life. What do you think?"
Hearing Luke's words, both Gollum and Bilbo looked puzzled.
Luke pulled out a golden ring and threw it to Gollum.
"My precious!" Gollum instantly showed a look of surprise and greed, grabbed the golden ring, and immediately put it on his finger.
But very quickly, the expression of surprise turned to astonishment, then disappointment and anger, and he threw the golden ring on the ground.
"No, this isn't my precious! Fake! It's fake!"
Luke waved his hand, making the golden ring float up to Gollum's face, his expression brooking no argument, "No, from now on, it is real!"
Gollum was startled by Luke's cold gaze and immediately flinched back, as if his previous hysteria was just an illusion.
Luke ignored his change and said, "Later, I will announce that a treasure has been lost here, stolen by a thief, and I will issue a wanted poster to search for you throughout the territory."
"So Gollum, you have to carry this 'treasure' you stole and wander around outside a lot, and try to draw out those eyes behind you."
"I imagine, Gollum, you don't want to be constantly watched by those eyes, do you?"
Hearing Luke's words, Gollum looked at the golden ring in front of him, a little hesitant.
Luke didn't give him a chance to refuse. He walked up to Gollum, "Hand out."
Gollum looked at Luke with fear, his withered, long, thin hand trembling as he extended it.
Luke pressed the tip of his wand against Gollum's arm and chanted a silent spell.
Gollum's face showed pain, but out of fear of Luke's authority, he still dared not make the slightest move.
A mark of two trees gradually appeared on Gollum's arm.
This was a modification Luke made based on Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark. Luke disliked the gloomy and ugly appearance of Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark, so he changed it to a Two Trees mark, resembling the Holy White Tree and the mao long tree on Weathertop.
This was the first time Luke had used the Dark Mark on someone. The Dark Mark was Lord Voldemort's means of controlling Death Eaters. It could not only be used to summon Death Eaters but also to communicate remotely through the Dark Mark. Furthermore, if any Death Eater attempted to betray him, they would be tormented by the Dark Mark to the point of wishing for death.
And the golden ring, a replica of the one ring, Luke had also enchanted it, making it full of allure and dark aura.
Of course, this was just an application of Confundo, making anyone who saw the golden ring immediately mistake it for the one ring.
Even wearing the ring would envelop the wearer in an invisibility spell, creating an effect similar to the one ring.
It could be said to be a decent magic item.
"Alright, you can leave now, but if you don't want to suffer agonizing pain, then obey my words."
As he spoke, he activated the Dark Mark slightly. Instantly, Gollum felt a sharp pain in his arm. The roots of the two trees rapidly grew and spread, burrowing deep into his flesh and bone marrow, and showing signs of gradually spreading to his entire arm, and even his whole body.
Moreover, the wider the spread, the more intense the pain, no less severe than Crucio.
Luke had no intention of prolonged torture; he merely let Gollum experience some pain before stopping the torment and letting him leave with the golden ring.
And after Gollum put on the golden ring, he instantly vanished, becoming invisible.
This effect made Bilbo gasp in surprise when he saw it, his eyes wide as he scanned the surroundings, trying to find any trace of Gollum.
Only Luke, relying on the Dark Mark, could sense Gollum's direction of movement.
Watching Gollum disappear from the Castle and run down the mountain, Luke smiled and turned to Bilbo, saying, "Alright, let's announce this unfortunate news to the public now. Just say that a treasure you deposited with me has been stolen by a thief."
Bilbo nodded, a bit confused, not understanding what Luke intended to do.
But he felt that Luke was always reliable, so he would listen to him.
Soon, a message spread from within the Castle: a thief had infiltrated Hogwarts Castle and stolen a treasure belonging to the Lord's friend, which was deposited there. It was said to be a golden ring that could make one invisible.
The Lord issued a wanted poster, vowing to catch the thief, and warned the citizens of the territory to be careful, as the invisible thief could be hiding anywhere, including in their homes, so they should protect themselves and their property.
At the same time, a wanted portrait of Gollum was drawn and posted at the gates of Amon Sul and Bree City, offering a very generous reward.
Suddenly, both cities erupted in a frenzy. Many people, worried about their property being stolen, quickly hid their valuables and locked their doors and windows to prevent the invisible thief from entering their homes.
But even more people were attracted by the reward and the golden ring itself, as a ring that could grant invisibility was enough to make many desire it.
So, many people began trying to find the thief who stole the ring, coming up with various ingenious schemes.
Some used food to lure him, some used hounds to track him, some searched for footprints... The news even spread to other places, and people everywhere became curious and desirous of the golden ring.
And with the efforts of many, Gollum's tracks were indeed discovered. Someone found poultry that had been bitten to death and eaten raw, and discovered footprints significantly smaller than human ones. With the help of hounds' sense of smell, Gollum's location was quickly pinpointed.
He was successfully found in an abandoned warehouse, ravenously devouring food.
After a fierce chase and struggle, though he unfortunately escaped, everyone witnessed the monster quickly put on a golden ring and vanish into thin air.
At this point, the topic of the golden ring and the monster thief became even more heated.
Everyone was discussing the ring, especially those who had seen it, vividly describing its magic.
Such discussions naturally attracted the attention of some with ulterior motives.
In a tavern in Amon Sul, a cloaked figure sat in a dark corner, silently listening to the conversations around him, a black staff propped beside him.
If Luke were here at this moment, he would be extremely surprised.
Because the cloaked figure before him was none other than Saruman!
Saruman was disguised as a traveler, and his staff was also disguised as a walking stick.
Hogsmeade had many traveling merchants doing business, as well as travelers, bards, and adventurers who came to admire Weathertop Castle and the Two Trees of Valinor.
Therefore, Saruman's appearance did not attract attention.
Saruman's visit was not at Sauron's behest, but a secret journey.
His purpose was clear: the one ring.
Saruman was not as loyal to Sauron as the Ringwraiths; he had his own hidden agenda.
After receiving news of the one ring, Gollum had arrived, and Saruman followed close behind.
Although Sauron had promised to forge a ring of power for Saruman, with Saruman's greed, no matter how powerful a ring of power was, it could not compare to the one ring and would not satisfy his appetite.
Rather than submitting to Sauron, Saruman preferred to seize the one ring and take his place, ruling the world with its power.
Now, hearing that Gollum had stolen a golden ring, suspected to be the one ring, and that it had become public knowledge, Saruman, with his intelligence, was naturally suspicious of this news.
But his reason was now consumed by the temptation of the one ring, and confident in his own strength, he decided to first find Gollum and confirm whether he possessed the one ring.
If it was real, then it would be an effortless gain.
With the one ring, he would no longer need to depend on Sauron; not only would recovering Isengard be possible, but ruling the world would no longer be a dream.
The only thing that concerned him was that this was Luke's territory. He couldn't cause too much of a stir, or even easily use magic, otherwise, if Luke in the Castle noticed, it could easily lead to failure.
If he were exposed here, it would likely invite Luke's targeting. Not only would he not get the one ring, but he might even be purged by Sauron.
After all, he had used a different excuse for coming out this time.
Once Sauron discovered he was here, he would guess that he was also looking for the one ring.
At that point, he would be caught between two fires, with no place to stand in either the light or the darkness.
Meanwhile, on the Barrow-downs.
The Witch-king of Angmar fell silent, looking at the empty Barrow-downs, devoid of any Barrow-wights.
The place, once cursed by him and filled with dark power, had long since been purified.
Only some extremely weak Barrow-wights remained, lying quietly in their underground tombs, in eternal slumber.
His proud creation, thus destroyed, the Witch-king of Angmar was furious.
He emanated dark energy, chanting ancient dark incantations.
Immediately, the sky darkened, ominous clouds covered the heavens, and evil power once again revived on the Barrow-downs.
Streams of black mist, emanating an evil aura, appeared around the Witch-king of Angmar. These black mists were corrupted evil spirits, under the control of the Witch-king of Angmar.
Thousands of dense evil spirits burrowed into the ground and graves, possessing the dry bones.
Under the corruption of evil power, the resting dry bones once again opened their red-glowing evil eyes, emitting black mist. The dry bones became hard as iron, with hands firm and sharp, capable of easily tearing people apart.
The dry bones possessed by evil spirits transformed into Barrow-wights, climbing out of their graves. Their bodies were stiff yet swift, letting out low, gloomy roars, filled with evil energy.
The temperature on the Barrow-downs plummeted, becoming incredibly cold and biting. Mist permeated the area, enveloping the hilltop, making it ominous once again.
In the Old Forest, Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry, as if sensing something, looked towards the Barrow-downs.
Goldberry showed a worried expression.
But Tom Bombadil still smiled cheerfully, as if nothing could make him unhappy. He gesticulated wildly, comforting his wife:
"Now, my dear Goldberry, don't worry about these things. Just like flowers bloom, leaves fall, and after winter comes a new spring, all things will pass. Let's think about what to make for dinner!"
Goldberry withdrew her gaze upon hearing this and gently said to Tom Bombadil, "These wraiths are searching for the ring. Tom, don't lose the ring and cause trouble for Luke and them, alright?"
Tom pulled out the one ring, played with it in his hand, and then put it on his pinky finger, confidently saying, "My dear Goldberry, don't worry, old Tom will take good care of it.
It's just that this little thing has been restless these days, always wanting to attract those wraiths and that poor Hobbit, so I have to make it behave! I don't want my Old Forest disturbed by those wraiths!"
——
On the Barrow-downs, the Witch-king of Angmar was oblivious to what was happening in the nearby Old Forest.
Facing the thousands of reverently prostrate Barrow-wights around him, the Witch-king of Angmar was very pleased.
The evil spirits within these Barrow-wights were all people who had died under a morgul blade, their hearts pierced by fragments of the morgul blade, transforming them into Netherworld creatures, controlled by the Witch-king of Angmar.
Then, through the Witch-king of Angmar's evil sorcery, they possessed corpses and skeletons, transforming into Barrow-wights.
In his heyday, the Witch-king of Angmar used this sorcery to create a large army of Barrow-wights, established the Kingdom of Angmar, destroyed Arthedain and Cardolan, and ravaged the Eriador region.
The Witch-king of Angmar's gaze turned eastward, falling upon the distant Weathertop, filled with malice.
He then turned to Bree, which was closer to the Barrow-downs, and commanded the Barrow-wights: "Attack that city tonight, destroy it for me! Transform its people into your servants!"
Upon hearing the Witch-king of Angmar's words, the Barrow-wights let out excited roars, their eyes, flickering with evil light, full of bloodlust... Bree City,
The former Bree, now revitalized, had become a city with tens of thousands of inhabitants.
Due to its convenient location at the intersection of the East-West Road and the North-South Road, all travelers and merchants had to pass through here, so its development was comparable to Amon Sul.
Especially since the disappearance of the Barrow-wights from the Barrow-downs, the road from Bree to the Shire had become much safer, leading to more frequent contact between the two places.
High-quality goods from all corners of the land converged in Bree, then sold to the Shire region.
At the same time, various products from the Shire, such as pipe-weed, ale, and mushrooms, were also transported to Bree, consumed by Bree City residents, and sold to other regions.
Especially the Shire's pipe-weed, which was renowned far and wide, not only sold to the southern kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan, but even the Dwarf kingdoms east of the Misty Mountains were loyal enthusiasts of pipe-weed.
Bree City earned a continuous stream of money solely from the transit business of pipe-weed, a pillar industry that made Luke, the mayor of Hogsmeade, incredibly envious.
Consequently, Bree City's urban development progressed rapidly. The original wooden palisades were replaced by tall stone walls, and over a thousand militiamen defended it.
Previously, a band of brigands in the South Downs, coveting Bree City's wealth, boldly attempted to attack Bree and plunder its riches.
However, they were ultimately defeated by Bree City's militia, captured, and immediately brought to justice.
This incident didn't even alarm Luke until Mayor Lucky reported it to Luke later, at which point Luke learned of it.
Therefore, since then, the surrounding bandits and robbers no longer dared to covet Bree, or even obstruct the trade routes to and from Bree.
On this day, Bree City was still prosperous and bustling.
The city gates closed late at night.
But the city remained lively, especially in taverns and inns, which were still crowded.
The Prancing Pony Inn, as Bree City's largest inn, had a history of several centuries and had become a landmark of Bree City.
Even now, with the city's development and expansion adding several more inns, The Prancing Pony still had the most customers.
Mr. Butterbur, the innkeeper, seemed never to sleep. Even late at night, he would sit behind the bar, constantly wiping glasses, listening to the news guests brought from far and wide, or chatting with familiar customers.
The biggest topic in the inn recently was undoubtedly the Lord's golden ring that had been stolen.
Everyone was discussing the thief who dared to sneak into the Castle and steal. Local residents, in particular, scorned the thief for daring to offend the Lord, stating that if he were caught, he would surely be severely punished.
At the same time, they couldn't help but be curious about the ring that could grant invisibility.
Just as the inn was bustling, the militia guards at the city gate couldn't help but yawn.
But just as they were dozing off, a chill jolted them awake.
"It's foggy?" A militiaman looked confusedly at the thick fog in the distance, spreading towards them.
At the same time, dark clouds had appeared in the sky at some unknown point, obscuring the moon and plunging the surroundings into gloom.
But an older militia captain felt a sense of unease and immediately became vigilant.
"Attention! This fog is not right!"
"The fog isn't right? What's wrong with it?" A young militiaman asked, somewhat confused.
The militia captain shook his head. He wasn't sure either, just felt something was off.
Just as others expressed doubt, faint lights appeared in the mist, flickering in and out of view.
The next second, a black shadow, extremely fast and difficult to catch with the naked eye, burst out of the mist, directly arriving at the city gate, slamming heavily against it.
The immense impact made the militiamen on the city wall feel a slight tremor.
Everyone gasped, their faces filled with terror.
"What... what exactly is that?"
After one impact, the black shadow didn't give up, slamming heavily against the city gate again.
It seemed determined not to stop until the city gate was broken.
"Quick, throw down the oil lamp! Let's see what it is!" The militia captain immediately shouted.
A soldier quickly threw an oil lamp from the wall down onto the ground.
The oil lamp smashed on the ground in front of the city gate, scattering and igniting a raging fire, illuminating the area around the city gate.
And finally, it illuminated the thing that was striking the city gate.
In an instant, everyone's faces turned pale, filled with terror.
"Barrow-wights!!!"
And just then, countless Barrow-wights, thousands of them, swarmed out of the mist!
Seeing so many Barrow-wights, everyone's hearts seemed to stop for a few seconds, fear evident on their faces.
Outside the gates of Bree City, an army of Wights was at the city's edge.
Seeing so many Wights, the faces of the city's militia turned pale with terror.
"H-how are there so many Wights? Weren't the Wights of the Barrow-downs already eliminated?" a militiaman stammered, his voice trembling.
But no one could answer his question; everyone was too scared to think straight.
Among these militiamen, some were original residents of Bree, who had grown up hearing terrifying rumors of the Barrow-downs Wights. Before the Lord established his territory, Wights would occasionally appear on the main road passing the Barrow-downs, and no one dared to travel there at night.
Now, after a few years of peace, how could these Wights reappear?
The militia captain was the quickest to react, immediately shouting, "Everyone prepare for battle! Ring the alarm bell now! We cannot let the Wights break into the city, or Bree will become a hell!"
All the militiamen quickly grabbed their bows and arrows, shooting at the Wights below the city.
Another militiaman sprinted to the bell tower, frantically and anxiously ringing the alarm bell.
The urgent ringing of the alarm bell instantly spread throughout Bree City.
The lively atmosphere in the taverns and inns instantly quieted, and then everyone looked outside in disbelief, confirming that the alarm bell was not an illusion.
Residents who were sleeping were also awakened by the alarm bell and quickly roused their families.
Bree's alarm bell was a tradition spanning hundreds of years, and even though it had expanded into Bree City, the bell's purpose remained unchanged.
The more frequently and urgently the alarm bell rang, the more dangerous the situation. For example, when bandits from the South Downs tried to raid before, Bree's alarm bell only rang three times, and most residents went about their business as usual.
But this time, it was ringing non-stop and very urgently.
This meant that Bree had encountered an unprecedented danger, and the entire city was in a life-or-death crisis.
The city immediately fell into a panic.
Mayor Lucky, who was sleeping, was awakened by the alarm bell. After realizing what was happening, he was immediately scared out of his sleep.
"Mayor! Mayor Lucky!" a militiaman quickly burst into Mayor Lucky's house, shouting in terror, "Wights! Thousands of Wights have gathered outside the city gate! They are trying to break through the gate right now!"
"What? Wights!" Lucky's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief, "Where did these Wights come from? Weren't the Wights of the Barrow-downs already gone?"
Ever since the Wights on the Barrow-downs were dealt with by Luke, adventurous individuals had occasionally ventured into the Barrow-downs over the past few years. Even Mayor Lucky had sent people to investigate the Barrow-downs and confirmed that there were no Wights left.
So where did these Wights come from now?
"No, so many Wights, I need to find a safe place to hide!" Lucky shivered, his face filled with fear.
As a prominent family in Bree City, Lucky's ancestors had all lived in Bree. According to ancestral legends, Bree had encountered a Wight crisis a long time ago, with hundreds of Wights attacking Bree.
At that time, it was said that Bree suffered heavy losses, and almost all the residents of the small town were nearly massacred.
Now with thousands of Wights, wouldn't it be even more deadly?
Lucky was so scared that he only wanted to find a safe place to hide.
But just as he was about to flee, his footsteps stopped, as if he had remembered something, "No, I am the Mayor!"
He looked at the surrounding buildings, his eyes full of unwillingness, struggle, and hesitation.
"This city was painstakingly built by me; every brick and tile is my effort. I cannot let those Wights destroy my hard work! I am going to be the greatest Mayor of Bree City... Yes, I cannot run! I absolutely cannot let that fellow Luke mock me!"
Just as the militiaman who had come to report thought the Mayor was about to flee, he unexpectedly stopped himself.
Then he quickly put on his invulnerable spider-silk clothing, and still feeling insecure, he put on a set of ancestral armor over it. Then, the heavily armored Mayor Lucky, to the militiaman's astonished expression, drew his sword.
"Go, take me to the city wall to see the situation! Also, gather all the fighting-capable men in the city. We absolutely cannot let the Wights break into the city, and have the women and children hide in the cellars!"
...On the city wall, the militiamen used bows and arrows to shoot at the Wights below.
But the Wights' bodies were hard as iron, and being mere skeletons, they were not afraid of arrow attacks. They continuously slammed into the city gate.
Although the city gate was made of thick, hard wooden planks and reinforced with a sturdy crossbar behind it, it could not withstand the violent impacts of the Wights. It began to emit unbearable creaking sounds.
Even worse, although the city wall was high, some Wights used their hard, sharp claws to penetrate the stone wall and climb towards the battlements.
In such a critical situation, the militia captain noticed that the Wights avoided the flames burning on the ground below. He immediately saw a glimmer of hope and ordered the archers to light their arrows and use fire against the Wights.
As burning arrows were shot at these Wights,
the fire attack had some effect. The Wights instinctively feared flames. When the arrows landed on them, they ignited the remnants of fabric on their bodies.
The Wights climbing the city wall were even doused with oil by the militiamen on the battlements and set ablaze directly.
The Wights' attack was temporarily repelled by the flames, which allowed the militiamen on the battlements to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
And just then, Mayor Lucky finally arrived. He was completely wrapped up, and the heavy armor on his body made him pant heavily.
He had also gathered most of the city's militia and opened the armory.
When he saw the thousands of Wights with evil, ghostly fires burning in their eyes and dry, decaying skin in front of the city gate, Lucky gasped, his legs almost giving out from fright.
When he saw the Wights being driven back by the flames, he immediately felt like he had grasped a lifeline and shouted, "Quick! Gather all the oil, kerosene, everything! I have one hundred and twenty-two barrels of olive oil in my warehouse; bring them all over here and burn these monsters to death!"
Lucky, usually stingy, no longer cared about his precious olive oil; he only wanted to burn these Wights to death.
Upon receiving the order, some militiamen quickly went to collect flammable materials.
The remaining majority of the militiamen were defending on the city wall.
Mayor Lucky was timid, looking at the dense crowd of Wights below, he really wanted to leave. But, conscious of his position as Mayor, he bravely stayed.
While other militiamen shot flaming arrows, he, unable to shoot arrows, simply picked up stones and threw them down.
He successfully hit a Wight attempting to climb the wall, sending it crashing down, and immediately became excited. But the next second, he shivered in fear at the Wight's red eyes.
As countless flammable and explosive materials were continuously brought over, even the owner of the Prancing Pony Inn sent high-proof liquor. Everything was poured down, drenching the area outside the city gate, and then set ablaze.
Instantly, outside Bree City, it was surrounded by raging flames, with fire soaring into the sky, directly illuminating the area outside the city.
The Wights were blocked by the wall of fire and instinctively retreated in fear.
Everyone on the city wall cheered.
As long as they could stop the Wights and hold out until dawn, when the sun came out, these Wights would have no choice but to leave.
But before they could rejoice for long, the Wights, as if controlled by something, had their red eyes glow even more intensely, and thick black smoke emanated from their bodies.
Ignoring the dark creatures' instinctive fear of fire, they all, at speeds difficult for the naked eye to catch, turned into black shadows, passing through the wall of fire and slamming into the city gate.
The flames burned off the Wights' clothes and decaying skin, but under the shroud of the black smoke, they failed to cause significant damage to the Wights.
One by one, the Wights, as if maddened, roared and slammed their hard bodies against the city gate.
One, two... dozens, hundreds. They say that water dripping wears away stone; how could even the hardest city gate withstand such violent impacts from so many Wights?
To the terrified gazes of the militiamen, the wooden city gate directly shattered.
Just as the Wights revealed their sinister smiles, preparing to rush through the gate for a bloody massacre,
after crashing through the wooden city gate, they directly slammed into an iron grate.
The iron grate was cast from steel, in a grid pattern, weighing several tons.
The entire iron grate was embedded within the city wall, originally suspended above the gate arch. It was meant to be lowered directly to block the enemy's entry into the city when faced with an irresistible invasion.
The iron grate's defensive strength was greater than the wooden gate, successfully blocking the Wights and preventing them from rushing into the city.
Through the iron grate, the militiamen inside the city looked with surprise at the Wights that were being held back.
Mayor Lucky even more excitedly and proudly announced, "It was me! This was my design when the city was first built!"
Others also looked at this usually vain and not-so-likable Mayor with new respect.
They never expected that this defense, added during the construction of the city wall, would now become crucial in holding back the Wights.
The iron grate's defense was strong; no matter how the Wights slammed into it, they could not break through.
Seeing this, the Wights gave up on breaking through the city gate and instead gathered together, forming human ladders like ants crossing a river.
The thousands of Wights, forming human ladders, were enough to easily scale the city wall.
Everyone seeing this scene looked terrified.
They all desperately threw stones, fire, and other attacks, trying to stop the Wights' actions.
"Mayor Lucky, we can't hold on much longer!" the militia captain shouted, "We need to ask Lord Luke for help! Only he can save us!"
Mayor Lucky was somewhat at a loss for what to do at this moment. He was also desperately carrying and throwing stones down, his face full of fear and panic.
"Help? But the area outside the city is full of Wights now. How can we go to Hogwarts Castle to ask Lord Luke for help?"
"No!" Lucky suddenly remembered something, his eyes immediately lighting up, "The Prancing Pony Inn! The fireplace at the Prancing Pony Inn can lead to Hogwarts Castle! We can go there to ask Lord Luke for help!"
However, before they could go to the Prancing Pony Inn, a clear eagle's cry came from the east.
A storm suddenly arose, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and lightning flashed with thunder.
Everyone looked up at the sky in surprise, and amidst the flashing lightning, they saw a giant figure appearing in the clouds.
"It's Sulond! It's Lord Luke's pet, Sulond!" Mayor Lucky said very excitedly.
He regularly visited Hogwarts Castle to report the situation of Bree City to Luke, and thus had the fortune of seeing the giant eagle/Thunderbird Sulond, who lived in the golden mao long tree or circled above Weathertop, and was deeply impressed by him.
And the Wights, who were trying to stack themselves, also seemed to sense the danger and paused their actions.
The next second, the Thunderbird Sulond appeared above Bree City.
With electricity flickering around him, Sulond's feathers bristled, attracting lightning from the surrounding clouds. It instantly condensed into a lightning bolt as thick as a bucket, striking directly downwards.
Under the illumination of the lightning, it was as if day had broken. Everyone on the city wall felt the hair on their heads stand on end and their skin tingle with electric current.
The next second, the enormous lightning bolt narrowly grazed them, striking directly onto the piles of Wights stacked together.
Electric light exploded, shattering countless Wights, their bones instantly turning to ash.
Others were blasted away, their bodies sparking with sizzling electricity, charred black, with severed limbs and broken bodies.
The militiamen on the city wall, seeing how easily many of the terrifying Wights were dealt with by the lightning, immediately looked up at the Thunderbird, wreathed in thunder in the sky, with awe and reverence.
Sulond did not cease his attack. With each flap of his wings, the surrounding clouds surged, absorbing all the electricity within them, then releasing lightning to strike the Wights on the ground.
The Wights suffered a baptism of lightning; the purest and most potent lightning gave the evil spirits possessing the bones no chance to react before they were directly reduced to ash.
Watching the number of Wights dwindle under Sulond's lightning attacks, the militiamen on the city wall grew increasingly excited, cheering spontaneously for Sulond.
The citizens within the city also calmed down from their panic, looking up at the Thunderbird in the sky with adoration and pleasant surprise.
"Look, Lord Luke's Thunderbird has come to save us! We are safe!"
All the city's inhabitants showed excited and proud expressions; they knew Lord Luke would come to save them!
Meanwhile, the traveling merchants and travelers temporarily staying in the city, after thankfully escaping a disaster, all looked with awe at the lightning-wielding Thunderbird in the sky.
Such a divine bird, capable of controlling lightning and changing the weather, was the pet of the mysterious lord of Weathertop. This filled them with curiosity and respect for that Wizard lord.
If possible, they too wished to become subjects of the lord.
The one-sided attack of the Thunderbird on the Wights continued. Sulond controlled the cloud storm, simultaneously absorbing electricity from the clouds and continuously releasing lightning.
Outside the city, large craters were constantly blasted by lightning, and scattered fragments of Wight bodies were everywhere.
But just as Sulond was clearing the Wights, an arrow was aimed at him in the sky.
With a whoosh, a black arrow shot forth, carrying an ominous and dark aura, flying directly towards Sulond.
The black arrow was incredibly fast, and concealed by the night, making it impossible to evade.
It was only when it was right in front of the Thunderbird that he discovered it.
But at this point, dodging was no longer an option.
Just as the black arrow was about to hit the Thunderbird, a scale-like shield appeared before him, blocking the arrow's attack.
It turned out that the scale-like shield was a magic shield crafted by Luke using a Gram scale and Alchemy.
When worn, it would automatically deflect attacks.
Sulond had such a Dragon Scale Shield hidden on him.
Nearly being shot, Sulond was startled and enraged. His sharp gaze instantly locked onto the attacker.
It was Adûnaphel the Quiet, one of the Ringwraiths, skilled in long-range attacks using the Morgul Arrow.
Sulond unleashed a massive lightning bolt, striking towards the Ringwraith.
The Ringwraith did not panic; instead, he raised his bow again, chanted a dark spell, and the ring of power in his hand glowed eerily. A Morgul Arrow was then shot, directly colliding with the lightning.
The Morgul Arrow unleashed immense dark power, surprisingly matching the lightning. The two clashed in the air, creating a violent explosion and a massive shockwave.
Everyone on the city wall was nearly thrown off.
Sulond let out a sharp cry, forcefully flapping his wings, stirring up a gale. The clouds surged, growing thicker and thicker, as if about to collapse.
The next moment, a torrential downpour began, as if to drown the earth.
The militiamen on the city wall and the residents in the city all took shelter from the rain, straining their eyes to discern the situation in the rain.
They wanted to help, but they also knew this was beyond their ability to intervene.
In the storm, Sulond was in his element. The torrential rain not only failed to obstruct his vision but also became his aid.
Sulond plunged directly into the clouds, merging with the surrounding thunderclouds, unleashing his most powerful lightning.
In an instant, like a lightning pool overflowing, countless lightning bolts, using the raindrops as pathways, densely assailed the Ringwraith.
The Ringwraith tried to dodge, but the lightning enveloped him like an electric net from all directions. Even the ground beneath his feet had currents cutting off his retreat.
Left with no choice, the Ringwraith could only activate the ring of power in his hand, using dark power to resist the lightning's attack.
In an instant, the Ringwraith was surrounded by countless lightning bolts, erupting in dazzling electric light.
Amidst the intertwining collision of lightning and dark power, everything around was destroyed. The Ringwraith's black robe and armor were obliterated by the lightning.
However, the Ringwraith himself was not severely wounded. He possessed one of the Nine Rings of Men, a ring of power. Unless the ring was destroyed, he would not be annihilated by lightning.
Seeing that the Ringwraith was not severely wounded, Sulond erupted with countless electric lights around him, seemingly intending to launch an all-out attack.
The Ringwraith dared not underestimate him, heightened his vigilance, and focused all his attention on countering the Thunderbird's attack.
But the next second, a dagger appeared out of thin air behind the Ringwraith, directly plunging into his spirit form.
At the same time, Luke himself emerged from the Invisibility Cloak.
The dagger plunged into the Ringwraith's back was one of the four daggers Luke had obtained from the Barrow-downs crypt. It was a weapon forged by the Númenóreans to combat the Ringwraiths, possessing the ability to restrain them and dispel their magic.
At this moment, the Ringwraith's spirit form suffered a heavy blow, twisting violently and letting out a painful, sharp shriek.
Then it exploded directly, creating a massive blast that nearly sent Luke flying backwards.
The Ringwraith vanished, leaving only a ring of power dropped on the ground.
Luke used his wand to pick up the ring and placed it into a mithril box.
He looked at the Invisibility Cloak in his hand, unable to help but feel satisfied.
This Invisibility Cloak truly lived up to its legend as a deathly hallows capable of evading Death. When he wore it and approached the Ringwraith, the Ringwraith failed to detect him, allowing him to successfully execute the sneak attack.
Having dealt with this Ringwraith, Luke instructed Sulond to continue eliminating the remaining Wights.
He, meanwhile, quickly used Apparition to arrive at the Barrow-downs. He surveyed the surroundings and immediately frowned.
The Witch-king of Angmar was the controller behind those Wights. He had originally come disguised in the Invisibility Cloak, intending to deal with the Witch-king of Angmar.
However, he only saw another Ringwraith—Adûnaphel the Quiet—and found no trace of the Witch-king of Angmar.
This made him feel somewhat uneasy, but he also didn't want to let go of the Ringwraith before him.
So he simply decided to deal with this Ringwraith first.
However, doing so would alert the enemy. Once Adûnaphel the Quiet disappeared, the other Ringwraiths would likely sense it.
"Hmm?" Luke suddenly had a premonition and looked directly to the east, "Is something happening with Gollum?"
Without another word, he instantly vanished from his spot.
— — — — — —
In the Weathertop Hills, north of Weathertop.
Gollum had been constantly hiding these days, not only being searched for by humans but also by those entities that had been secretly watching him before.
Although he had narrowly escaped several times using the ring's invisibility, he had been living in constant fear.
After finally getting rid of those people, he at last reached these hilly woods and found an underground cave to hide in.
Gollum did not choose to leave but remained near Weathertop, primarily because he still hadn't given up his quest for the precious One Ring.
He looked at the golden ring in his hand, seeing that this ring was identical to the One Ring, and knew that the Black Robed Wizard must have seen the One Ring with his own eyes, perhaps even had close contact with it, which was why he could conjure a ring just like it.
So either the One Ring was in the Black Robed Wizard's hands, or he knew where the One Ring was.
Even though that Black Robed Wizard filled him with dread, especially when he thought of the methods of torture, his body would involuntarily twitch, feeling a faint pain.
But the thought of reclaiming his precious One Ring always prevailed, and he vaguely felt the ring was somewhere in this area.
Therefore, until he obtained the One Ring, he was unwilling to leave.
Gazing at the golden ring in his hand, Gollum was utterly captivated, murmuring, "My precious, my precious!"
But he quickly broke free from the Confundo of the ring, his face showing disgust and hatred as he wanted to throw away this fake.
Even though this golden ring had the ability to make one invisible, to Gollum, it was no different from the weeds and stones around him.
However, seeing the Two Trees mark on his arm, Gollum's face again showed fear, and he dared not throw away the ring.
He had tried various methods to remove the mark, but none had worked.
He even considered cutting off his arm directly to escape the control of the Dark Mark.
But the Dark Mark seemed to know what he was thinking; when he took a knife to cut his arm, it directly moved to his chest or other places.
For this, he could only give up.
Among Gollum's two personalities, the timid and cowardly Smeagol was already terrified of Luke and dared not harbor any thoughts of resistance.
But the evil personality Gollum was different. Even though he feared Luke's methods of torture, he had no intention of submitting, even with the control of the Dark Mark.
He only wanted to reclaim and possess the One Ring, like a disguised jackal, always ready to turn on its master.
Luke naturally saw through Gollum's true nature, but he didn't care about it.
If it weren't for Gollum still having some use, he would have directly dealt with him long ago.
Just as Gollum was hiding in the cave, holding the golden ring and reminiscing about the One Ring, the entrance to the cave was blasted open by a huge force, scaring Gollum so much he almost dropped the ring.
Outside the cave entrance, Saruman stood there, looking into the cave with a sneer, having located Gollum's position.
"Gollum, I know you're in there, hand over the ring obediently!"
Gollum's face changed drastically, showing terror, and he quickly put the ring on his finger, instantly becoming invisible.