Just as Luke was tempted by the staff,
Gandalf, however, made a request first, "Luke, please do me a favor and make me a magic wand?"
Luke was a little surprised and asked in confusion, "Gandalf, you already have a staff, why do you need another magic staff?"
"A Wizard always needs to have two plans, doesn't he?" Gandalf winked mischievously at Luke, "If my staff ever gets lost, having a magic wand in hand will always be safer."
"Of course, as a reward, I will also make a staff for you. How about that?"
"That would be great!" Luke exclaimed inwardly.
So Luke agreed without hesitation, after all, he was still getting the better deal. Compared to the simple making of a magic wand , a staff requires a very precious magic gem as its core.
So Gandalf also prepared Luke mentally in advance, "magic gems are hard to find. They are basically collected by ancient Elves or Dwarf royalty, so I probably won't be able to make a staff for you in a short time. I hope you can understand."
Luke certainly had no objections, "I know that making a staff is not easy, and I'm not in a hurry to have one for now. So Gandalf, please don't worry too much about me, just let it be."
In the time that followed, Gandalf told Bilbo and Luke about the various landscapes and cultures he had seen on his travels through Middle-earth, including the beautiful Rivendell, the mysterious Golden Wood of Lothlórien, the deep Mirkwood, the dangerous Misty Mountains, and also Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and so on.
Bilbo and Luke were both fascinated, and in Gandalf's vivid descriptions, they felt as if they had seen those sights with their own eyes.
However, unlike Bilbo, Luke was thinking about what kind of rewards he would get from signing in at these places.
Seeing the longing expressions of Bilbo and Luke, a smile flashed in Gandalf's eyes, and then he extended an invitation once more.
"Luke, Bilbo, besides delivering Thráin II's relics to his son, I also plan to organize a team to go to the Lonely Mountain to investigate the situation of the dragon Smaug. I want to invite you to join us on this adventure!"
"Adventure? No, I'm not going on an adventure!" Bilbo instantly recoiled, shaking his head in refusal with a look of resistance, "Adventure has nothing to do with a hobbit like me, Gandalf, find someone else. I just want to stay in Bag End and enjoy a peaceful life every day."
Gandalf did not give up and continued to persuade, "Bilbo, put aside your resistance first and think about what your heart truly desires. Aren't you curious about the world outside? Whenever you read those adventure books, haven't you ever thought about experiencing them yourself? Don't forget that the adventurous blood of the Took family flows in your veins. Your ancestors had legendary adventures. Don't you want to inherit their spirit?"
Bilbo was somewhat swayed, feeling his blood boil and a surge of adventurous courage welling up in his heart.
Luke, who was standing by, also seemed to sense something, and his gaze inadvertently swept over Gandalf's hand.
Although he couldn't see anything, he guessed that Gandalf had just used the power of the Ring of Fire, Narya.
According to his limited understanding, this Elven ring, besides being able to control the fire element, also had the ability to inspire courage in people, making it a very precious and powerful artifact.
To rule Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron once disguised himself as "Annatar, Lord of Gifts," and, with his beautiful appearance and exquisite craftsmanship, he deceived the Elves' trust, guiding them to forge the Rings of Power, specifically the Seven Rings for the Dwarves and the Nine Rings for Men, secretly injecting dark, corrupting power into them.
Then, he secretly forged the one ring in Mount Doom to control the other Rings of Power.
However, unbeknownst to him, the Elven smith Celebrimbor, using the knowledge Sauron imparted, independently forged the Three Elven Rings: narya, the Ring of Fire; Nenya, the Ring of Water; and Vilya, the Ring of Air.
Finally, they fell into the hands of Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien in the Golden Wood, Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell in Imladris, and Gandalf.
Because the forging process of the Three Elven Rings did not go through Sauron's hands, they were not contaminated by his dark power.
However, because the rings' forging craftsmanship came from the Dark Lord Sauron, they were inherently controlled by the one ring. Unaware of what kind of influence Sauron had on the rings, the owners of the Three Elven Rings restrained themselves from using their power, thereby avoiding attracting Sauron's attention.
But even so, the Three Elven Rings could still be called artifacts.
Galadriel, the owner of the Ring of Water, used its power to erect a magical barrier around Lothlórien in the Golden Wood, making Lothlórien perpetually spring-like and protecting it from external dark forces.
Elrond, the owner of the Ring of Air, used its power to create the last refuge for the Elves—Rivendell, and became the best healer in Middle-earth.
As for Gandalf, it goes without saying that he used the Ring of Fire, narya, to inspire the people of Middle-earth to fight against the darkness and guided them to victory over the Dark Lord Sauron and his minions.
If these rings didn't already have masters, and if those masters weren't extremely powerful, Luke would have been tempted.
If he had the chance, he would really like to see the Three Elven Rings.
Speaking of which, the Ring of Fire, narya, can indeed inspire courage.
But encountering Bilbo, a fellow who could hold the one ring for decades without being corrupted, the power of the Ring of Fire was greatly diminished.
Bilbo's desire for peace ultimately overcame the courage that had been stirred within him. He shook his head directly, refusing with a look of rejection, "That adventurous experience was from my great-great-great-great-granduncle's time, it was a very long time ago. I am just an ordinary Baggins now, living a peaceful life, and I have no interest in adventure!"
Seeing that Bilbo was unaffected by the power of the Ring of Fire, Gandalf was also a little surprised. Seeing Bilbo's strong resistance, he temporarily gave up on persuading him further and turned to Luke.
"Luke, what's your opinion? Are you willing to join the adventure team?"
Luke hadn't expected to be invited so smoothly. Although he was happy, he didn't immediately agree, but instead asked, "Gandalf, if you invite me to join the team, what do you want me to do?"
Gandalf saw that Luke was somewhat swayed and immediately explained seriously, "This expedition will pass through many dangerous areas. I would like to ask you to protect the team and ensure their safe arrival at the Lonely Mountain when I am not present."
"When you are not present? Gandalf, are you not planning to accompany the team?" Luke looked at Gandalf in surprise.
Gandalf shook his head, his expression becoming somewhat solemn, "When I returned this time, I stayed in the Misty Mountains for several months. I found that the number of Orcs there suddenly increased dramatically, and they were well-organized, clearly indicating the birth of a new king. Moreover, there are rumors of frequent Necromancer activity around Dol Guldur. I suspect that a powerful evil force is secretly growing and orchestrating all of this."
"To prevent the Orcs and the evil dragon of the Lonely Mountain from uniting and causing a greater threat, I decided to organize an expedition to the Lonely Mountain to investigate the dragon's whereabouts. Once this team is organized, I may need to go to the Misty Mountains and the Dol Guldur area to investigate the situation. At that time, I will need you to protect the team."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Luke's expression also became serious, "Alright, I am willing to join the team!"
Gandalf immediately smiled upon hearing this, "Welcome to the Lonely Mountain Expedition!"