Chapter Sixty: The Battle of the Five Armies!

Valinor is the dwelling place of the gods in Middle-earth, and the Maiar are the lesser spirits who assist the Valar in governing the world.

Figures like Sauron, the great villain from the movies, and the wizards such as Gandalf are actually Maiar, making them equal in rank.

They were dispatched by the gods of Valinor to combat Sauron, taking on physical forms while having a portion of their powers sealed away.

Now, Gandalf also regarded himself as one of their kind—that is to say... a "Maia."

After a brief moment of reflection, Li Xia grasped the underlying logic: the Hall of Light was the true creator deity of this world, and as an apostle, he could indeed be considered a "Maia" of the Hall of Light in a certain sense.

This must be the identity bestowed upon the apostles by the Hall of Light. He wondered if Gandalf's brain would short-circuit if he knew there were around a hundred other Maiar like him.

Yet it was also possible that, because he was regarded as the leader of the human faction and had caught Gandalf's attention, he had been assigned the status of a "Maia."

As for Thranduil, the Elven King, being a High Elf, it mattered little to him whether Xia was human or a Maia; at this moment, he was far more eager to admire the gemstone in his hand.

"I am Gandalf the Grey, and I have come to bring news of the Orc invasion."

Holding his wooden staff, Gandalf nodded in acknowledgment to Li Xia and the Elven King.

"I am gladdened to see that Elves, Dwarves, and Men once again stand united against the encroachment of the dark forces.

If you wish to make any preparations, you must act swiftly, for the Orcs will arrive shortly. Approximately..."

Gandalf glanced at the sky outside the tent. "When the sun moves to the distant mountain peak, the Orcs will be upon us."

"Good heavens, then I must hurry back!" Bilbo leaped up. Although he felt he had grown quite courageous after enduring a long and perilous adventure, the battlefield was still far too terrifying for a Hobbit; he was scarcely taller than an Orc's warhammer!

Li Xia glanced sideways at the countdown on his interface: four hours remaining. Time was indeed running short.

"Thranduil, let us summon Thorin so we can finalize our plans and begin our preparations without delay."

Thranduil cast a reluctant glance at the gemstone in his hand before finally looking away and nodding.

...............

"I do not understand why you summoned me here at such a critical juncture."

Thorin was still clad in his gleaming armor, wearing the Dwarven crown upon his head, his expression grim.

Several dwarves stood beside him, and Bilbo was among them. The Hobbit looked extremely uneasy, his two furry feet constantly rubbing against each other.

Even though he had prepared himself, now that the moment had truly arrived, Bilbo could not help but feel nervous.

"If you deem matters concerning your throne to be insignificant, you are free to leave," Li Xia said unhurriedly.

"The throne?" Thorin's heart gave a violent thump. Aside from royal lineage, the authority of the King Under the Mountain required the Arkenstone, an artifact akin to the imperial jade seal.

Only when the two were united could one truly be the King of Dwarves, yet Thorin had never managed to find the Arkenstone.

Nearby, Thranduil lifted the lid of a wooden box, and a brilliant radiance leapt forth, shining with a stark, luminous white in the morning light.

Thorin sprang up abruptly, shocked and furious, and strode forward, reaching out to seize the jewel.

"Snap!" The radiance of the gemstone vanished completely.

Thranduil was even faster, pulling the wooden box back toward himself.

Seeing the fury on Thorin's face, Thranduil felt his mood improve considerably. This was how the dwarves had once humiliated him, and now he was finally exacting his revenge.

Watching the object of his desperate quest dangled before his eyes, Thorin's face twisted into a ferocious scowl, and even the dwarves behind him grew agitated.

"How did you come by the heirlooms of the dwarves—did someone betray me? Is there a vile thief among us?"

Bilbo gave a start, nearly stepping forward to confess.

However, Li Xia spoke up first:

"Thorin, perhaps you have forgotten who occupied the Kingdom of Erebor for a century. As a precious gemstone, how do you suppose it would fare under the gaze of a dragon?"

Bilbo froze abruptly, his mouth wide open as he watched Li Xia take responsibility for the origin of the gemstone. The little Hobbit felt as though he were on the verge of tears of gratitude.

[Bilbo Baggins's favorability toward you has increased significantly.]

"You mean... this was recovered from Smaug?"

Thorin's imposing aura suddenly deflated, and his voice dropped to a whisper. Regardless of the circumstances, he was, in truth, merely reaping the rewards of another's labor.

"Indeed. It was found when Elven King Thranduil sent men to salvage the corpse of Smaug."

Li Xia quietly attributed yet another credit to the Elven King.

"In the name of alliance and friendship, we are willing to return the gem to you—"

Thorin froze once more. He could hardly believe his ears, never expecting that he would be able to reclaim the Arkenstone with such ease.

"However... it must wait until we have fully fulfilled our alliance. Furthermore, as compensation for the Elven King retrieving the gemstone, you must return his wife's heirloom."

[Elven King Thranduil's favorability toward you has increased moderately.]

Fulfilling the alliance completely naturally meant repelling the Orcs, after which the debts would be settled, and the Dwarves and Dale would be restored.

Thorin remained silent for a long time, feeling somewhat anxious as he wondered if his hidden intention to renege on the deal had been exposed.

After another long moment, the Dwarven King finally nodded. "Very well, I agree!"

[Battlefield Side Quest: The Burglar's Remorse (Completed)]

[In light of your actions, Bilbo Baggins's favorability toward you has increased significantly.]

[Quest Evaluation: Exceptional]

[Quest Reward: Distributed after the Battle of the Five Armies concludes]

[In light of your actions, Elven King Thranduil's favorability toward you has increased significantly.]

[You have obtained the Elf Faction Discount Privilege: prices for redeeming Elf faction rewards are reduced by ten percent.]

A ten-percent price reduction... wasn't that just a nine-tenth discount?

Was the Elven King truly this petty?

Recalling from the original tale how he could hold a grudge for over a century, coupled with his petty act of retaliation just moments ago, it actually seemed quite natural.

.................

Four hours passed in the blink of an eye.

The apostles, aware of the exact timing, grew increasingly tense. Some sat in silence, staring blankly into space, while others muttered to themselves nervously.

Most continuously polished their weapons—even though their blades were already bright enough to serve as mirrors.

[Global Announcement: The final trial, the Battle of the Five Armies, has begun.]

[The Orc legions are attacking!]

All the apostles could not help but stand up, gazing out toward the horizon.

Darkness swept in with terrifying speed; black clouds instantly blanketed the sky, thunder rolled through the mountains amidst howling gales, and lightning illuminated the peaks.

Amidst the rolling thunder, another mass of shadows swirled and rushed forward. It was not driven by the wind, but came from the north like a vast cloud composed of birds, so dense that no light could pierce their wings.

The ground shuddered as several earth-shrawms, resembling tunnel-boring machines, roared out from beneath the earth, and the Orcs poured forth like a tidal wave.