Without some barbeque! Ha Got em!
When Isengard was restored to its original state, everyone looked at the environment, which seemed as if it had never been damaged, and felt as if they were dreaming.
If it weren't for the dragon corpses scattered on the ground, everyone would have thought they had only experienced a nightmare.
Luke waved his magic wand again, and the broken wood and stones transformed into wooden tables and stone platforms.
Eventually, the wide, flat grassland of Isengard gained enough seating to accommodate tens of thousands of people for eating and drinking.
And eating and drinking they did.
Luke took out a golden cup, summoned and conjured countless fine wines and delicacies, filling all the tables.
Everyone gasped in surprise, their eyes wide as they stared at everything before them.
Then Luke brought out several dragons cultivated by Saruman to entertain all the warriors.
These dragons were tens of meters long, each a behemoth, enough for all the warriors to enjoy.
Only the dragons that were hybrids of dragons and Fellbeasts had toxic bodies and couldn't be eaten, while other dragons could be eaten.
So, after Luke announced that everyone could eat as much fragon meat as they wanted, without restraint...
All the warriors cheered and gathered around the dragon corpses, working together to cut the dragon meat.
After all, this was dragon meat! Everyone was incredibly excited, thinking that they could boast to others and their descendants that they had also eaten dragon meat!
While entertaining the warriors, Luke didn't forget his pets.
Smaug had no intention of treating these creatures created by Saruman as his kin and directly enjoyed an entire dragon by himself.
Sulond, Aslan, and Cerberus also had their shares.
Among them, Cerberus, unafraid of the toxic blood and flesh of the hybrid dragons was directly allocated all the poisonous dragons by Luke, becoming the one among all pets to receive the most dragon meat, even Smaug couldn't compare.
This deligghted Cerberus, who stood triumphantly on the dragon corpse, wagging its tail joyfully.
As for Herpo, he unfortunately missed out on this opportunity to share dragon meat because he had fallen into hibernation.
However, Herpo's favorite food was Acromantula, and the Chamber of Secrets still stored a large number of spider corpses that hadn't been fully eaten yet, so Herpo might not even feel regret.
At the banquet, Luke sat at the center of the feast, with the leader of the Dunlendings, Brog, and the King of Rohan, Thengel, seated to his left and right, respectively.
They enjoyed various delicacies while savoring the dragon meat barbecue.
It was Luke's first time eating dragon meat, which was fire-resistant and took a long time to cook.
Fortunately, it was a cold Dragon, a hybrid of a frost dragon. If it had been dragon meat from a fire dragon, its fire resistance would be even stronger, and ordinary flames would probably find it very difficult to cook.
Luke put a skewer of dragon meat into his mouth to taste.
Hmm, it was very chewy, and the taste was good, somewhat similar to beef.
'Hmm this meat would make some great burgers...'
After eating it, Luke gradually felt his blood and lifeforce surging, as if he had consumed a great tonic. He felt energized, and the fatigue from the battle quickly subsided.
Luke's eyes lit up; it truly lived up to its reputation as a dragon, with every part of its body being a treasure.
Brog and King Thengel beside him felt it even more distinctly, their faces flushed, blood and lifeforce surging, and sweat breaking out all over their bodies.
At the same time, they also felt their bodies being continuously nourished.
Upon discovering this, both men looked surprised and, forgetting their composure, abandoned the other delicacies on the table and devoted themselves to gnawing on the dragon meat.
Similarly, all the warriors also discovered the nourishing properties of the dragon meat and scrambled to eat, fearing they would miss out if they ate too slowly.
Faced with this situation, Luke was not worried that the warriors would finish all the dragon meat.
After all, there were dozens of dragons from Mordor alone, each tens of meters long and weighing tens of tons.
And the Dunlendings and Rohan Cavalry combined numbered only nearly ten thousand.
Two or three dragons would be enough for everyone to eat their fill.
Not to mention such a large number of dragon corpses.
Faced with so many dragon corpses, Luke felt a bit of a headache.
Even if he used boxes expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm, he would need more than a dozen boxes, and he would also need to consider preservation issues.
Being lazy, he simply enlisted the nearly ten thousand warriors on site to help process these dragon corpses.
Dragon hearts, dragon livers, dragon blood, dragon brains, and other Potion materials were all packed into barrels, directly piling up like mountains.
As a reward for their help, Luke gave each person a piece of dragon scale as a souvenir.
Dragon scales were incredibly hard and almost unbreakable; ordinary swords could not penetrate them, and each scale was huge, enough to make a shield.
The many warriors loved this gift, as it was a dragon scale, of extraordinary value and significance.
Many would take them back and pass them down as family heirlooms through generations.
----
At the open-air banquet in Isengard,
Even when everyone was so full of dragon meat that they couldn't fit another piece, they had only consumed two dragons in the end.
At this point, everyone's stomachs were bloated, and they were burping while their faces were flushed and steam rose from their bodies, looking like they had over-nourished themselves.
But everyone was extremely satisfied and delighted.
As warriors, their bodies all had hidden ailments to varying degrees.
But now, these physical problems were gradually being removed by the energy in the dragon meat, restoring their health.
Moreover, their blood and constitution became incredibly abundant, and each of them was full of strength, feeling like they could kill an ox.
It could be said that because they had eaten dragon meat, every single person present had gained immense benefits.
King Thengel's face was flushed, as if he had just emerged from a steamer, with steam and sweat rising from his body. He said gratefully to Luke:
"Thank you so much for your generous gift, Wizard Luke! My knee joint used to bother me a bit, but now it feels much better!"
Luke accepted his thanks and also presented King Thengel with a set of dragon bones from the two dragons that had been eaten, as a souvenir.
Luke did not forget Brog, and bestowed upon him a complete set of dragon bones.
( Everytime I see the name Brog the author never forgets to remind that he's the leader of the Dunlendings, every god damn time)
Both men were very surprised by the dragon bones Luke had given them.
Upon returning to Edoras, King Thengel specially hired skilled craftsmen to reassemble the dragon bones into a three-dimensional dragon bone specimen, which was placed in the center of the Royal Palace Hall for his subjects and guests to admire.
As for Brog, he used the dragon bones as a framework to build a magnificent golden tent, with a dragon head overlooking from the top of the tent, creating a sense of oppression.
This golden tent, known as the Dragon Pavilion, became the place where successive leaders of the Dunlending discussed affairs, holding a revered status.
Returning to the matter at hand, once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill...
King Thengel formally bid farewell to Luke, intending to lead the Rohan Cavalry back to Rohan.
On one hand, he was uneasy about the scattered Mordor forces, worried they might launch a counterattack.
On the other hand, King Thengel looked south with a worried expression.
"I wonder how the Kingdom of Gondor is doing now? Our ancestors received favor from Gondor and swore allegiance to them, but this time, because Rohan was also under attack, we couldn't go to support them. I only hope Gondor can hold on."
Luke looked at King Thengel and understood: "Are you preparing to go support Gondor?"
King Thengel nodded: "Previously, due to the invasion from Mordor, we couldn't go to support Gondor in time. But now that the crisis in Rohan is resolved, we must certainly follow our ancestors' oath and go to their rescue."
"I just hope we won't be too late!"
Luke, however, was not too worried and comforted him: "Mordor launched attacks on all sides this time, with Isengard being the main target. Now that they have failed, other places should also retreat in succession.
Moreover, Gandalf has already gone to Gondor for support, and with his abilities, he will certainly be able to organize the Rohirrim to fight against Mordor's army."
Gandalf had the Portkey given by Luke. If Minas Tirith, the Capital of Gondor, were to fall, Gandalf would surely return through the Portkey.
The lack of movement now indicated that Gondor's situation had not yet reached a desperate state.
That's why Luke wasn't as worried as King Thengel.
Hearing Luke's words, King Thengel's worried heart eased slightly, and he sighed, saying, "I hope so!"
However, to be on the safe side, King Thengel still decided to lead the Cavalry to support Gondor at the fastest possible speed.
Rohan and Gondor were separated by the White Mountains; they were interdependent, and if something unexpected happened to Gondor, it would certainly not be a good thing for Rohan.
Seeing that King Thengel was determined to leave, Luke did not try to keep him.
However, there was a considerable distance from Isengard to Edoras, the Rohan Royal City; even at a gallop, it would take at least three days.
Not to mention the even greater distance to support Gondor.
So Luke presented King Thengel with a box large enough to hold the Rohan Cavalry.
He had all the Rohan Cavalry enter the box, and then had a Dunlendings warrior ride a Hippogriff, carrying King Thengel and the box, flying eastward at the fastest possible speed.
After King Thengel and the Rohan Cavalry left, Luke did not remain idle.
Aside from herding the remaining living dragons back to the dragon farm, he also had to process the dozens of dragon corpses.
Not only did he need to sort and store precious materials like dragon hearts, dragon brains, and dragon livers.
But also Dragon hides, Ddragon scales, Ddragon teeth, dragon deez nuts and so on, all needed to be processed one by one.
Dragon hide was tough and highly magic-resistant, suitable for making dragonhide coats, gloves, boots, etc.
Dragon scales could be used to make shields, inscribe runes, or create magic items.
Dragon teeth, besides being ground into powder for Potions, could also be used to make weapons.
Luke couldn't manage it alone, so he simply asked the Dunlending warriors for help.
And while Luke was busy here...
Within Gondor,
Gandalf was not having an easy time.
Gandalf not only possessed strong leadership abilities but also wielded Narya, the Ring of Fire, which could inspire courage and hope in people.
He could always make people instinctively drawn to him, infected by his will and emotions, and heed his call.
So, as soon as Gandalf arrived in Gondor, he re-energized the fleeing and fearful Gondor soldiers, reorganizing them to resist Mordor's invasion.
But what Gandalf had not anticipated was that Mordor's invading army into Gondor this time included not only orc armies but also over a dozen flightless frost dragons.
These frost dragons had no wings, and their strength couldn't compare to winged dragons, but their immense size and power meant that ordinary people were no match for them.
Some resembled giant crocodiles, some lizards, and others were like giant pythons, without even limbs, moving by crawling.
The frost dragons, with their enormous bodies and hard scales, broke through the city gates, crushing many Gondor soldiers like ants with their bodies.
The appearance of the frost dragons completely shattered the Gondor soldiers' will to resist, leading to a widespread rout.
Mordor's army, spearheaded by the devastating frost dragons, quickly pressed towards Minas Tirith, the Capital of Gondor.
Regent Ecthelion stood before the withered Holy White Tree, gazing at Mordor's army approaching in the distance outside the city, his face filled with despair.
Minas Tirith, the Capital of Gondor, was built into the White Mountains, with its tiers distributed like steps.
The city was divided into seven levels, each with its own independent wall and entrance. The entrances were not in a straight line; the roads leading into the fortress wound around the hill, designed to slow down enemy attacks.
Minas Tirith was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and had never been breached since its establishment.
It had always been considered Gondor's strongest fortress.
But now, with Mordor's army at its gates and a dozen massive frost dragons, all the soldiers and civilians in the city were filled with terror and despair.
Just then, Gandalf, riding the horse Shadowfax, swiftly arrived from behind Mordor's army.
Shadowfax's speed was like a gale, leaving only an afterimage, giving the orcs no chance to stop him.
Gandalf, riding Shadowfax, moved through Mordor's army as if it were an empty land, quickly weaving through.
He held his staff high in one hand, releasing a dazzling holy light.
The holy light made the orcs, trolls, and others illuminated by it retreat in fear, and even the Uruk-hai and Oglok Trolls, specially bred by Saruman and Sauron to be unafraid of sunlight, dared not approach.
Far behind him was an army of several thousand Gondor soldiers.
These were all Gondor soldiers Gandalf had reorganized along the way.
Their courage and hope rekindled by Gandalf, they brandished their weapons and charged fearlessly towards Mordor's army.
Even though Mordor's army outnumbered them tenfold, they remained unafraid.
Gandalf led the charge, plunging directly into the depths of Mordor's army.
He held his staff in one hand and his sword, Foe-hammer, in the other.
The dazzling holy light blinded the surrounding Mordor soldiers, while his other hand swung his sword, slaying the Mordor soldiers in his path.
Finally, he charged to the side of a huge dragon, leaped from his horse, landed on the dragon's back, and agilely climbed up its spine.
The dragon noticed Gandalf, twisted its head, and lunged to bite him.
Gandalf, however, did not flinch. He released a dazzling holy light to blind the dragon, then used his staff to prop open its jaws. He then thrust his sword fiercely into the dragon's upper jaw, until the blade was almost entirely embedded.
With a powerful twist, the dragon instantly stiffened, then crashed to the ground, completely motionless.
Gandalf pulled out his sword, then withdrew the staff propping open the dragon's jaws. He took a breath, then immediately pulled out a flying broomstick from his spatial pouch, mounted it, and charged towards another dragon that was attacking the city.
As for his mount, Shadowfax, Gandalf had no need to worry.
It was like a gust of wind, swiftly weaving through Mordor's army, giving the enemy no chance to capture it.
Ecthelion upon seeing Gandalf so easily dispatch a dragon, was overjoyed.
He immediately ordered the city's garrison to sally forth and rendezvous with Gandalf and the reinforcements to jointly engage the enemy.
At the same time, Gondor soldiers on the city walls assisted with bows and arrows and catapults.
Gandalf, riding the flying broomstick, quickly moved among the frost dragons, constantly provoking and attracting their attention.
With his agile flying maneuvers, the frost dragons were unable to harm Gandalf.
Then, taking advantage of the frost dragons' lack of vigilance, he released holy light to blind their eyes.
Immediately, the frost dragons, having lost their sight, became agitated and attacked aimlessly.
The surrounding Mordor soldiers suffered the consequences; the frost dragons' tails swung wildly, sending orcs and trolls flying, and trampling many orcs to death.
Facing a dozen frost dragons, Gandalf could not kill them all at once.
So he swiftly flew to Minas Tirith, directly to the royal palace on the seventh level, and found the Steward.
"Your Highness, Steward Ecthelion, please quickly use catapults to douse those frost dragons with flammable oil barrels, and use fire to deal with them."
The Steward/Regent of Gondor did not hesitate and immediately ordered the collection of oil barrels from the city, brought them to the city walls, and launched them at the frost dragons using catapults.
The oil barrels crashed onto the frost dragons, shattering and drenching them in oil.
Seeing this, Gandalf activated the power of the Ring of Fire, causing the swords, arrows, and spearheads of the Gondor soldiers to ignite with flames.
With a command, flaming arrows rained down upon the frost dragons.
Meanwhile, Gondor soldiers wielding flaming swords charged towards the orc army.
Although the flaming arrows could not pierce the frost dragons' tough scales, they ignited the oil on their bodies. The fire rapidly spread and intensified, turning the frost dragons into "fire dragons."
Enveloped in flames, the frost dragons let out painful roars, rampaging wildly through Mordor's army.
They not only trampled many Mordor soldiers but also ignited all flammable objects in their path.
For a time, the Mordor army was engulfed in flames, and its morale was in chaos.
Seeing this situation, the Regent was overjoyed and immediately ordered the Gondor army to launch a full-scale attack.
Although the chaotic Mordor army outnumbered Gondor's by several times, they had no morale and were caught in a pincer attack by the Gondor army, beginning to retreat steadily.
Gandalf, riding his flying broomstick, constantly dodged incoming arrows, searching for the leaders of Mordor's army.
He quickly spotted the orc chieftain commanding from the rear and immediately charged towards him.
The orc chieftain, seeing Gandalf flying towards him, instantly showed fear and frantically called for archers to shoot.
Immediately, a dense rain of arrows shot towards Gandalf.
But this clearly could not stop Gandalf;his sword swung in his hand, a blur, deflecting the concentrated attack.
He swiftly charged towards the orc chieftain, giving him no chance to escape. In the chieftain's terror, he cleanly and decisively beheaded him with a single stroke of his sword.
At the same time, he cut down the banner of Mordor's army.
The leaderless Mordor army immediately collapsed completely, no longer caring about fighting, and fled in disarray towards Mordor.
The army of Gondor pursued them.
Gandalf, however, refocused his attention on the frost dragons.
Although these frost dragons were engulfed in flames, they were still alive and continued to rampage.
The frost dragons had powerful defenses; while the flames could cause them pain, they could not kill them.
Perhaps the rout of Mordor's army gave these frost dragons a direction, reminding them of the Anduin River to the east.
They immediately stampeded wildly towards the east, hoping to extinguish the flames on their bodies with the river water of the Anduin River.
Gandalf naturally did not want to let these frost dragons escape, and he pursued them.
In the chase, Gandalf killed two more frost dragons.
But before he could continue pursuing the frost dragons, Mordor's army, stationed in Osgiliath, which spanned the Anduin River, counterattacked.
These armies stationed here included not only orcs and trolls but also Easterlings from the eastern lands of Rhûn, as well as Haradrim and Black Númenóreans from the south.
There were even a few frost dragons in Osgiliath, using their massive bodies as bridges, allowing Mordor's army to cross the Anduin River freely.
The pursuing Gondor army struggled to retake Osgiliath.
The morale of Gondor immediately plummeted.
If Osgiliath could not be recaptured, then Mordor's army would be able to march directly into the Capital of Gondor and other places in the future, without any natural barriers.
Gandalf naturally could not stand by and watch the army fall. He immediately returned to the army and rekindled their morale.
Meanwhile, the frost dragons, enveloped in flames, finally escaped into the Anduin River, extinguishing the fire on their bodies.
Just as the Gondor and Mordor armies were locked in a tense standoff, a Hippogriff from the north broke the deadlock of the battle.
"King Thengel, what an unexpected surprise!" Gandalf spotted the King of Rohan riding on the back of a Hippogriff. He flew over on his flying broomstick to greet him.
"Does this mean Rohan's crisis has been resolved?"
King Thengel and Gandalf were old acquaintances. He smiled and nodded, expressing gratitude: "It's all thanks to Wizard Luke and the Dunlendings, who repelled Mordor's army attacking Rohan. Afterward, they went to support Isengard, and now they have finally arrived to aid Gondor."
"Support Isengard?" Gandalf's brow furrowed, and he asked in surprise, "Did Saruman attack Isengard?"
King Thengel nodded and then shook his head, speaking with lingering fear:
"It wasn't just Saruman; he also brought a frost dragon at least ten times larger than Smaug, dozens of dragons, and eight Ringwraiths from Mordor!"
Hearing King Thengel's words, Gandalf was also startled.
However, seeing King Thengel here, his worry eased.
"Since you are here, Isengard must have won?"
King Thengel nodded, his face filled with reverence: "Luke is incredibly powerful! He killed that dragon, and all those dragons were slaughtered. Only Saruman escaped."
He then said with a hint of recollection: "And Wizard Luke generously treated us to dragon meat. Now we are all full of strength."
"It's a pity I missed that feast," Gandalf said with a regretful smile.
After understanding each other's situations, the two did not talk much longer and immediately joined the battle.
King Thengel opened the box he was carrying; the box instantly enlarged, revealing an opening wide enough for two horses to walk abreast.
Immediately, a continuous stream of Rohan Cavalry poured out of the box.
King Thengel also mounted his warhorse, bade farewell to the Dunlending warriors and the Hippogriff who had brought him, and then led Rohan's Cavalry to charge into Mordor's army.
With the addition of the Rohan Cavalry, the morale of the Gondor allied forces surged.
Gandalf, meanwhile, flew to the Osgiliath Great Bridge, which spanned both banks of the Anduin River. Wielding his staff and sword, he repelled the enemies on the bridge.
He then struck the bridge deck with his staff, instantly collapsing the wide stone bridge, sending all the Mordor soldiers on it plunging into the river.
Only Gandalf, riding his flying broomstick, remained suspended in mid-air.
He then looked at the frost dragons in the Anduin River. This time, he did not directly attack them but faced the Anduin River and began chanting a spell.
As the incantation echoed continuously in the air, the vast Anduin River suddenly became quiet.
The frost dragons in the water were the first to feel uneasy, attempting to scramble ashore.
But before they could escape to the bank, a towering flood of water rose upstream, carrying a terrifying momentum, and directly engulfed the frost dragons.
Facing the flood, even the massive frost dragons were powerless to struggle or resist.
They were swept away by the flood, all rushing downstream, following the river course, and finally plunging into the sea.
And the sea, as if not welcoming their arrival, strong undercurrents dragged them into the deep sea, where they ultimately vanished without a trace.
The war concluded with the victory of the combined forces of Gondor and Rohan.
The frost dragons were all swept into the sea by the flood summoned by Gandalf.
The bridge spanning the Anduin River was also destroyed by Gandalf.
The Mordor army in Osgiliath's West District was completely cut off, falling into a panic.
They were eventually annihilated by the allied forces that entered the West District, and some Mordor soldiers, desperate to escape, tried to swim across the Anduin River but were ultimately swept away by the current and drowned.
Meanwhile, in Isengard...
Luke also took advantage of the lull to visit Lothlórien and Rivendell via the fireplace, inquiring about the situation.
Lothlórien had no major issues; with Lady Galadriel's magic barrier in place, the orc army sent by Sauron couldn't even enter the Lothlórien forest and could only circle outside.
As for Rivendell, an orc army led by a new orc king had descended from the Misty Mountains.
The Misty Mountains could be considered the orcs' stronghold; orcs were like chives in the mountains, cut one batch and another grew, making it impossible to completely eradicate them.
This time, the orcs, under Mordor's command, crossed the border of Rivendell—the Bruinen River—and aggressively invaded Rivendell.
Elrond personally led the elf cavalry, engaging in fierce battle with the orc army near the Bruinen River.
Among them, the twins Elladan and Elrohir, as well as Arwen, also participated in the battle.
Riding pegasi, they attacked the orc army from the air, one hand wielding a sword and the other a magic wand.
With the magic learned from Luke, the three siblings achieved remarkable feats, effortlessly reaping the lives of the orcs as if cutting wheat; even the orcs' arrow rain failed to affect them.
Finally, under the cover of her elder brothers Elladan and Elrohir, Arwen, like a war goddess, charged on her winged horse to the orc king and eliminated him with a Bone-Shattering Charm.
Without the orc king, the leaderless army's morale plummeted, and they fled in disarray.
As they fled to the Bruinen River, Elrond summoned a flood again, sweeping away half of the retreating orc army, causing countless casualties.
Ultimately, the elf cavalry pursued them all the way to the foot of the Misty Mountains before stopping.
Elrond and the others were somewhat surprised by Luke's arrival, and they couldn't help but be astonished upon learning of the battle in Isengard.
Arwen, in particular, felt lingering fear, feeling both apprehension and relief for Luke.
Luke comforted her for a while, and it took some effort to calm Arwen down.
Afterward, to celebrate Rivendell's great victory, Luke took out a dragon from his spatial pocket as the main course for the feast.
Seeing such a massive dragon, the elves of Rivendell were also full of wonder and anticipation.
After all, although elves lived long lives, they had never eaten dragon meat before.
Elrond also showed surprise; though he knew Luke raised a group of dragons, he never expected to eat dragon meat one day.
He did not refuse the kind offer from Luke, his son-in-law, and immediately waved his hand, instructing the elf chefs to prepare the dragon to reward and celebrate this victory.
Even Glorfindel who was usually reclusive in Rivendell, was attracted by the dragon meat feast and joined the banquet.
The only ones troubled were the elf chefs, who, faced with the enormous body of the dragon, were at a loss as to how to begin.
But the elf chefs, worthy of having studied cuisine for hundreds and thousands of years, truly opened Luke's eyes with their preparation of the dragon meat at the banquet.
Besides grilled dragon meat, there were dragon steaks, stewed dragon meat, dragon meatballs, dragon patties, dragon stew and so on, a dazzling array, almost a full dragon meat banquet.
The energy contained in Dragon meat was equally effective for the elves.
For a time, the elves abandoned their reserve, eagerly enjoying the Dragon meat, their faces flushed from the nourishment.
After the banquet, Luke and Arwen had a date in Rivendell, finally parting with reluctance.
Leaving Rivendell, Luke did not return to Isengard but instead went back to Weathertop.
After the battle in Isengard, there should be a period of peace before Sauron and Saruman have overwhelming power to invade again.
So Luke did not need to be there constantly.
Weathertop, this time, was not affected, and Hogsmeade at the foot of the mountain remained as peaceful and serene as ever.
Many residents didn't even know that their lord had another territory in Isengard, thousands of miles away.
Before returning to Weathertop, Luke made a special trip to Hildórien in the far east.
Hildórien was hidden by Luke using the Fidelius Charm, and it was also protected by the divine power of Ilúvatar, making it an extremely secluded place.
Not even a palantír could glimpse the sights within.
Especially after Luke patched up the loopholes with magic, even Sauron would never find Hildórien.
That's why Luke had previously teleported the Philosopher's Stone to Hildórien via a Portkey, to prevent Sauron from stealing it.
Returning to Weathertop with the Philosopher's Stone, Luke first settled the hibernating Herpo, then went directly to the Potion room.
He spent some time specifically creating another spacious room to serve as a Potion ingredients storage room.
Then he placed all the collected barrels of dragon blood, dragon liver, dragon brains, and so on, into this storage room.
The battle of Isengard this time was a close call, a brush with death.
But the outcome also brought Luke immense gains.
Not only did he successfully kill Gram, but dozens of dragons bred by Saruman also remained in Isengard.
Although two dragons were used to entertain the Dunlending warriors and the Rohan Cavalry, and another dragon was brought out in Rivendell.
These were just a fraction; Luke now had so many dragon materials that he couldn't store them all.
The only thing he needed to consider was how to preserve them, to prevent the dragon from spoiling and rotting.
For this, Luke drew runic symbols with mithril on the surrounding walls and floor of the storage room, turning it into a giant 'refrigerator' space, and then stored all the dragon carcasses there.
After completing these tasks, Luke eagerly began preparing to make the Elixir of Life.
First, he prepared a pure gold cauldron.
This cauldron was transmuted by Luke using the Philosopher's Stone, making it incredibly pure, completely free of any impurities.
This was fundamental for making the Elixir of Life; the purity of the pure gold cauldron determined the quality of the Potion, whereas ordinary gold cauldrons, even the so-called 99.9% pure gold, still contained impurities.
Therefore, only a cauldron transformed by the Philosopher's Stone could convert all the cauldron's metal, including impurities, into pure gold.
With the pure gold cauldron ready, Luke went to the herb garden again and caught a Mandrake.
The Mandrake, silenced by Luke's Tongue-Tying Curse, opened its mouth and let out silent cries.
Luke ignored the little creature's wails, took out a syringe, and extracted a tube of green liquid from the Mandrake.
The Mandrake, having had its 'blood' drawn, immediately withered, its ugly little face twitching and whimpering.
Luke threw it back onto the ground, and the Mandrake immediately burrowed into the earth and fled quickly, terrified of falling into Luke's clutches again.
With the Mandrake's juice, Luke returned to the Potion room.
Placing the pure gold cauldron over the fire, Luke first poured in the dew collected from the leaves of the White Tree.
According to the original recipe, it should have been dew collected from evening primrose.
But there were no evening primroses in Middle-earth, though a substitute was found, and an even better one: dew from the White Tree.
Evening primrose is a relatively precious Potion ingredient in the magic world, found only on spring full moon nights; it's a magical plant that blooms in the evening and withers by dawn, blooming only for the moon.
The dew of the evening primrose carries the properties of moonlight and is different from other dews.
The White Tree, on the other hand, was created by Yavanna, the Goddess of Plants, in imitation of Telperion, one of the Two Trees of Valinor; except for its inability to glow, it was identical to Telperion.
When Telperion, one of the Two Trees, withered after being destroyed by Morgoth in league with the evil spirit Ungoliant, Yavanna used the last bit of Telperion's energy to bring forth a silver flower.
This silver flower is the moon of the current world of Arda.
Therefore, the White Tree can be called the Tree of the Moon, and the dew condensed on its leaves possesses more moon properties than the evening primrose dew of the magic world.
After heating the dew, Luke poured the Mandrake juice into it and boiled it over high heat.
Once the water boiled, Luke added the Philosopher's Stone to the cauldron to boil with it, stirring seven times counterclockwise with a pure gold stirring rod.
Then he reduced the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 24 hours.
During this simmering period, Luke didn't need to constantly watch it.
He cast a protective charm around the cauldron to prevent disturbance, then left the Potion room.
Luke first went to check on Smaug in the cellar vault.
Smaug had returned to Weathertop ahead of him, bringing the Sulond, whose wings were injured and couldn't fly.
Luke entered the vault and saw Smaug, who was deep in slumber.
According to usual custom, if he came to the vault, the greedy Smaug would become wary, complaining about poverty while subtly pulling treasures under himself.
This kind of deep, unconscious sleep was a first.
And at this moment, Smaug looked even more like a frost dragon; not only did his entire body emit a chill, but the air he exhaled with each breath was also cold.
The temperature of the entire vault had dropped significantly, and the gold coins and gems nearby were covered with a thin layer of frost.
Luke knew this was due to the dragon crystal Smaug had swallowed.
That dragon crystal was incredibly cold; an ordinary person would be frozen stiff if they touched it, but Smaug had swallowed it directly.
Fortunately, Smaug was a dragon, and the quality of his internal dragon flame was not much lower than the cold air of Gram, which was why he wasn't frozen to death by the dragon crystal; he was merely temporarily suppressed in power, losing his ability to breathe fire.
Speaking of which, Smaug's origins were extraordinary.
His bloodline came from the most powerful ancient Dragon—Ancalagon, who was killed by Eärendil and whose fall crushed the Thangorodrim mountains.
Ancalagon was also the largest dragon in Middle-earth; legend says his wings could block out the sun, and his flames were hotter than those of other dragons, even capable of destroying other rings of power besides the one ring.
And Smaug was the last existing descendant of Ancalagon; although still very young, he was the strongest and most promising dragon among those in the Third Age.
Luke looked at the sleeping Smaug and did not disturb him.
Smaug now needed to digest and absorb the energy of the dragon crystal as quickly as possible through slumber.
Once he absorbed the dragon crystal's energy, Smaug would bypass thousands of years of growth and accumulation, becoming the strongest existing dragon in the true sense.
He might even one day reach the power of his ancestor, Ancalagon.
Leaving the treasury, Luke went to the garden.
Luke's garden was filled with various exotic flowers and plants.
King's Grass grew in abundance, and its ability to heal wounds made it a life-saving medicine for the people of Amon Sul below the mountain.
Whenever someone fell ill, they would come up the mountain to request King's Grass.
Luke never refused, and even tried to transplant King's Grass down the mountain so that the people could pick and plant it themselves.
But apparently, this magical herb had extremely strict growing conditions.
It could only survive in a natural environment rich in magic energy and with suitable temperatures.
On Weathertop, not only did the Castle itself possess magic, with runic symbols carved into every brick and stone, but also magical creatures like dragons, giant eagles, basilisks, and acromantulas lived there, forming various magic fields.
More importantly, there were also the two divine trees, the White Tree and the Mallorn tree.
Especially the White Tree, being a descendant of Ninloth, the third-generation White Tree, possessed extraordinary magic, making the environment of Weathertop vibrant.
Therefore, whether it was King's Grass or other exotic flowers and plants with extremely strict growing conditions, they could all thrive on Weathertop.
In Luke's garden, in addition to the ubiquitous King's Grass, there was also the never-fading Elanor, a small golden star-shaped flower; and the white Evermind, growing in a circle and blooming eight-colored Ent-wives' Flowers... various floral scents intertwined, wafting through the entire Castle with the breeze.
Making everyone who smelled it feel refreshed and involuntarily intoxicated.
Most of the time, Arwen was in charge of maintaining the garden's current beauty, even specially scooping water from Galadriel's garden fountain to water the White Tree, the mao long tree, and the flowers and plants in the garden.
This made the garden vibrant and lush, possessing a beauty no less than Galadriel's garden.
Luke walked through the garden and came to the Mallorn tree.
The Mallorn tree was very tall, more than one and a half times taller than the White Tree next to it, reaching hundreds of meters in height.
Its thick trunk had a diameter of over ten meters, requiring twenty to thirty adults to embrace it.
It was the tallest thing on Weathertop, besides the Amon Sûl Tower.
A spiral staircase wound up the trunk, leading directly to a platform on the tree.
Each extending branch of the Mallorn tree had a platform paved with white marble, and each platform had pavilions and towers built on it.
Luke followed the spiral staircase to the platform on the tree, where the golden-yellow leaves shimmered under the breeze and sunlight, dyeing the entire Weathertop golden.
Even the low clouds in the sky were tinged with color, making Weathertop appear sacred and golden.
Luke's palace was also built on the Mallorn tree, and in his leisure time, Luke would come here to rest, listening to the rustling of leaves, feeling the breeze, and then overlooking the mountain below and further distances.
However, Luke was not here to rest this time; he went directly to the highest point of the tree.
There was a largest platform there, and a huge bird's nest was placed on it.
And Sulond lived in this bird's nest.
This bird's nest was originally the nest of the former King of Eagles, but as Sulond Solonor Thorondor the Third's size surpassed that of the Eagle King, he could no longer fit in the nest.
So Sulond later expanded the nest himself, turning it into a larger, giant bird's nest.
At this moment, he was nestled in the bird's nest; with one wing frostbitten, he was temporarily unable to fly, and Smaug had helped him get into the nest.
Seeing Luke's arrival, the eagle let out an affectionate cry, flapping his huge wings, attempting to stand up.
"Alright, stop moving. You're injured right now. I've brought you food." Luke stopped the fellow from moving, then poured a dragon corpse out of his spatial box.
Sulond was the most severely injured in this Battle of Isengard, so Luke simply rewarded him with dragon meat.
Anyway, he had plenty of dragon meat, more than he could store.
It was perfect for Sulond to recuperate.
Sulond's eyes lit up when he saw the dragon corpse, and he immediately tore open the dragon's body with his sharp beak, feasting heartily.
Luke looked at the eagle with gentle eyes; among all his pets, he valued Smaug and him the most.
He valued Smaug more for his powerful strength, which could enhance his own foundation.
As for Sulond, it was because he had nurtured him from a small, abandoned, dying chick into the Giant Eagle that now dominated the sky.
And in terms of loyalty, Sulond was also the most loyal.
He was even the only one among all his pets not bound by a magic contract.
Because Luke believed he would never betray him.
Just like this time facing Gram, Sulond, seeing the fake Luke eaten by Gram, mistakenly believed he was dead, and immediately attacked Gram recklessly, which led to one of his wings being frostbitten.
However, with Smaug swallowing the dragon crystal this time, his strength would become even greater in the future.
The power gap between Sulond and Smaug would become even more pronounced.
Luke didn't care about his strength; he could afford to keep Sulond, and didn't expect him to become incredibly powerful.
But the eagle clearly didn't think so; after being injured, he became dejected, even feeling that he was a burden to his master, becoming anxious and worried that his master would abandon him because of this.
After all, in this battle, Smaug helped the most, Herpo also performed brilliantly, and Cerberus and Aslan, although not prominent in strength, were also very much favored by their master.
Even those not-so-smart dragons also contributed a lot in the battle, killing many enemy dragons.
Only he himself performed mediocrely, and even got injured in the end, losing his only outstanding ability to fly.
Sulonds's thoughts naturally didn't escape Luke.
Luke, hearing Sulond's inner voice, felt both amused and pained.
He felt that a family drama was unfolding in his pet's mind:
Smaug was the outstanding eldest, the Basilisk was the brilliant third, and the Three-Headed Wolf and the Griffin were the lively youngest.
Only the unremarkable second child, Aulond, was ignored and feeling sorry for himself.
And he, the master, was the head of the family who couldn't treat everyone equally.
Luke was amused by his imagination.
However, looking at Sulond's dejected appearance, Luke also seriously considered his future.
Besides possessing intelligence, the Giant Eagle race was just an enlarged version of an eagle, unlike dragons that could breathe fire or Basilisks that had a deadly gaze, which possessed magical talents.
And their massive size gave them a physical advantage against humans, orcs, and even elves, capable of causing some damage.
But if they faced dragons, or even dragons, the advantage of size would be gone.
So, considering that during previous magic transformations, he had successfully transformed into magical creatures like firebirds and giant bears, as well as the plan for Animagus to evolve into a Phoenix.
He thought that perhaps he could use magic transformation to help Sulond advance further, becoming a more powerful magical creature.
And as he pondered how to transform and evolve, the image of a Thunderbird automatically popped into his mind.
In the magic world, Thunderbirds are rare and powerful magical creatures, no less than Phoenixes.
Thunderbirds resemble Giant Eagles, can sense supernatural dangers, create powerful storms, and release lightning attacks.
Magizoologist Newt Scamander once rescued a male Thunderbird named Frank from illegal traffickers in Egypt and intended to return him to his natural habitat in Arizona.
However, later, because of the Obscurial Credence, a serious magical incident occurred in New York City, leading to the exposure of the magic world to ordinary people.
To make the ordinary people of New York forget about the magical incident, Newt released the Thunderbird, which created a city-wide downpour, and the rainwater was mixed with the venom of the Swooping Evil, successfully erasing the memories of ordinary people.
If it was about what would be most suitable for Sulond to transform into, Luke felt that the Thunderbird was the undisputed choice.
If his eagle could possess the Thunderbird's ability to create storms and release lightning, his strength would inevitably undergo earth-shattering changes.
The only problem was that Luke only had a basic concept of Thunderbirds and did not know the Thunderbird's magic circulation system.
Finding the Thunderbird's magic circulation system was as likely as winning the lottery.
"Alas, if only I had a Thunderbird sample! Even a diagram would be fine!" Luke sighed and said.
However, although the hope was slim, Luke did not intend to give up.
So he told Thorondor this idea, to see if he was willing.
And Sulond, hearing Luke's idea, regained his vitality, eager to become stronger, wishing he could immediately transform into the Thunderbird Luke spoke of, thereby summoning wind and rain, releasing lightning, and becoming the true King of the Sky.
Alright, seeing that Thorondor didn't hesitate at all, Luke could only include this matter in his future plans.
He thought about asking Gandalf for help later.
After all, they had previously worked together to design the Phoenix's magic circulation system, which made his Animagus evolution feasible.
This time, to design the Thunderbird's magic circulation system, he could once again involve Gandalf, and also consult Elrond.
However, this matter was still a bit far off and not urgent for now.
So Luke put it in his memory memo and refocused his attention on his Elixir of Life.
In the Potion room,
After 24 hours of simmering over low heat, the liquid in the pot turned into a dark red, almost black liquid.
Luke took out three pink pearls, ground them into powder in a mortar.
Then added them to the cauldron and stirred clockwise four times.
These pearls were not ordinary pearls, but were formed from the tears of the Merfolk—Oarni—of this world.
These pearls were a gift from Cirdan the Shipwright; he was acquainted with the Oarni living in the sea, and thus was able to obtain pearls formed from their tears.
Originally, the Potion ingredient for this step was the scales of Selkie Merfolk, but Luke happened to find a substitute, which was these pearls formed from the tears of Middle-earth Merfolk.
After adding the pearl powder, Luke then added dragon blood to it, chanted a spell, stirred clockwise seven times, and then continued to simmer over low heat for another 24 hours.
Another day passed, and Luke fished the Philosopher's Stone out of the pot.
The Philosopher's Stone showed no change and didn't even feel hot to the touch.
He put away the Philosopher's Stone, then removed the cauldron from the fire to cool.
At this point, the liquid in the cauldron had turned bright red.
During this time, Luke continuously stirred to prevent the Potion from separating, until it was completely cooled, then poured it into a separatory funnel and let it stand for an hour.
Then he extracted the lower liquid and poured it back into a pure gold cauldron.
Then he added dragon marrow, reheated it, and stirred constantly until it boiled.
Then he immediately extinguished the fire and cooled it.
The Potion in the pot turned a jewel-red color, looking very beautiful.
At this point, the Elixir of Life was complete.
Luke was filled with anticipation as he looked at the prepared Elixir of Life.
This pot of Elixir of Life could extend one's lifespan by thirty years. After Luke carefully portioned it out, there was just enough for three small Potion bottles.
Each bottle contained only a single mouthful, but it could extend life by ten years.
Luke eagerly drank one of the bottles immediately.
The next second, he felt his body become light and airy, a surging life force pouring into his limbs and bones, enhancing his life potential.
Instantly, he gained ten years of lifespan!
Moreover, during these ten years, his body seemed to be frozen in time, not aging.
Luke was overjoyed and eagerly drank the remaining two bottles of Elixir of Life in two gulps.
In an instant, Luke increased his lifespan by a full thirty years.
With such a gain, Luke naturally couldn't stop.
He once again began preparing to make the Elixir of Life, intending to stockpile a batch of it for any eventuality.
More than a month passed in the blink of an eye.
In Luke's Potion room, three more pots of Elixir of Life had been made, totaling nine small bottles.
This could extend his life by ninety years in total.
Adding the pot of Elixir of Life he had drunk earlier, Luke could now extend his life by one hundred and twenty years, and he wouldn't have to worry about aging for over a century.
It wasn't that Luke didn't want to continue making more Elixir of Life, but he had run out of magic pearls.
These magic pearls were formed from Merfolk tears, and only Teleri elves who were close to merpeople could collect such pearls.
So Luke thought that he would go to Grey Havens again sometime to find Cirdan or other Teleri elves to collect some magic pearls.
Besides, collecting dew was also a time-consuming and tedious task.
Making each pot of Elixir of Life required collecting a pint of Holy White Tree dew, which is equivalent to the volume of a regular mineral water bottle.
Moreover, this dew needed to be collected on moonlit nights, and it could not be exposed to sunlight.
Facing the nine bottles of Elixir of Life, Luke wanted to drink them all but was unable to.
Consuming the Elixir of Life was like eating; it required regular, measured doses. One couldn't get fat in one bite.
Luke had already reached his body's maximum limit by drinking three bottles in a row earlier.
This was also because his physical fitness had long surpassed that of Wizards in the magic world.
Otherwise, according to the normal dosage, one should drink one bottle of Elixir of Life at a time, extending life by ten years.
Then, when nearing the end of the ten years, consume another bottle of Elixir of Life, taking it regularly to achieve immortality.
So Luke glanced at the bottled Elixir of Life with a hint of reluctance, then carefully placed them into the Potion cabinet and locked them away.
After ten years, he could take another bottle of Elixir of Life.
Each time he took it, he would have an extra twenty years of leeway, so he wouldn't have to worry about any accidents during medication, such as aging due to not taking the Potion on time.
And with these Elixirs of Life, the gloom that had long hung over Luke's heart finally dissipated.
Now he could finally live forever, enduring in this world for a very long time.
In a very good mood, Luke walked out of the Potion room, feeling relaxed for the first time, unlike before when it felt like something was chasing him, always in a hurry.
Walking through the Castle corridor, Luke cheerfully greeted the portraits on the wall.
After years of accumulation, there were quite a few magic portraits in the Castle.
The portraits included not only Luke and Arwen, but also Smaug, Sulond, Kraken, Herpo,Cerberus, Aslan, and even many elves and dwarves.
There were even portraits of residents from Hogsmeade City down the mountain, as well as acromantula, orcs, and trolls.
For Smaug, there were several portraits of him, either resting amidst endless mountains of gold and silver or soaring above mountain peaks.
Sulond also had paintings of him in his mao long tree nest or soaring in the sky;
Kraken, the great octopus, even had an entire ocean dedicated to him, where he could swim freely.
And Herpo was constantly chasing those unlucky Acromantula, devouring them one by one... Some of the figures in the portraits were very lively and intelligent, no different from real people.
But others were quite stiff.
Luke's intelligent portrait was no different from his real self, as he regularly injected his memories into the portrait, allowing it to gradually form a complete personality.
However, some figures in the portraits were merely virtual personalities formed from a segment of memory, appearing very dull.
For example, the orcs and trolls were based only on a segment of Luke's memory about them, so they were very silly.
In a portrait with trolls as the main theme, three trolls were continuously having their ankles cut by swords or their feet smashed by hammers by thirteen dwarves, making the trolls scream in pain while clutching their feet, appearing very comical and amusing.
There was also a figure of Bilbo in the painting, but he was currently soaking in a large iron pot, with an innocent and content expression.
Another painting depicted the scene when the expedition team encountered trolls in the Troll Forest during the journey to the Lonely Mountain.
The person who painted this was Balin, one of the dwarves from the expedition team, and it was a gift from the current Lord of Moria.
Not all the portraits in the Castle were painted by Luke or Arwen; a large portion of them were painted by elven artists from Rivendell and Lothlórien, and some were painted by artists Luke specifically hired.
Luke had animated all these paintings, making them vivid.
So even though Hogwarts Castle had few people, it was still very lively.
Especially the dwarves in the portraits, they were a noisy bunch, with loud voices and a love for making noise, and at night they would stay up celebrating and singing.
This bothered the other surrounding portraits, especially the quiet elven portraits, who all complained to Luke.
Luke also had a headache and somewhat regretted painting these dwarves. There was nothing he could do but move the dwarf portraits to places with fewer paintings, to prevent them from disturbing others.
The attendants and servants responsible for cleaning the Castle were initially startled by these living portraits, but gradually got used to them.
By now, they could even chat with the people in the portraits while cleaning them.
Especially Mayor Larry and Lacey of Amon Sul and Bree, they would report their work to Luke's portrait when Luke himself was not present.
And Luke's portrait would give accurate advice accordingly.
Both mayors, although long accustomed to the magic of the portraits, would involuntarily feel awe every time they saw them.
Luke also promised the two mayors a grand vision, saying that if they did well, he would also paint their portraits, allowing their images to remain in the Castle forever, becoming a part of it.
This matter made the two mayors as excited as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline, and they worked even harder to build their cities.
The rumors of the Castle's portraits also spread to the outside world, attracting countless people's curiosity and longing, all wanting to witness the magical talking portraits.
Luke came before his own portrait, pressed his wand against his temple, and drew a wisp of silver thread into the portrait.
The Luke in the portrait gained the memories from the recent period, his eyes became more lively, and his personality more complete.
He smiled and congratulated Luke: "Congratulations, my original self, you have now achieved immortality!"
Luke's lips couldn't help but curl upwards, but he still shook his head soberly and said: "It's just relying on external objects, and it's not foolproof. If the Philosopher's Stone had an accident, or if there was a problem with the Potion ingredients, it would all be back to square one, let alone immortality."
"In terms of cultivation, it's a heterodox path. One must transform oneself and possess the ability to live forever."
"So the plan to evolve Animagus into a Phoenix must also be completed next. Only with the Phoenix's immortal power can it barely be considered a foundation for immortality."
Hearing Luke's words, the Luke in the portrait immediately remembered and said: "I remember that the heart of balrog, which was purified in Lothlórien, should be almost purified by now. When do you plan to proceed?"
Luke shook his head: "It is indeed almost purified, but I can't rush it for now. Evolving Animagus into a Phoenix is, after all, just a hypothesis, and there are no successful cases.
Once an accident occurs, it's an irreversible risk! I must be fully prepared and cannot take any risks."
In the magic world, there has never been a successful case of an Animagus transforming into a magical animal.
Once Luke proceeds, during the process of transforming into a Phoenix, he might encounter a serious magic accident; in minor cases, he could turn into a monster, like the Five-Legged Beast in the magic world, and in severe cases, his magic could go awry, ultimately leading to an explosion and death.
Even if he successfully transforms into a Phoenix, he might not be able to transform back into human form.
In the history of the magic world, it wasn't that no one had tried to transform into a magical creature, but in the end, they were unable to transform back into humans, gradually becoming animalistic, losing their human minds, and finally completely turning into a magical creature.
Therefore, when Luke transforms into a Phoenix, he must first ensure that no accidents occur during the transformation process, and secondly, after a successful transformation, he must ensure that he can successfully transform back into human form.
Before that, Luke needs to make full preparations to ensure the highest probability of success before finally proceeding.
To ensure the highest success rate, Luke decided to make Felix Felicis.
Felix Felicis is a very advanced Potion among Potions, also known as the luck Potion. It can make a person "get what they wish for" for a period after consumption, gaining excellent luck, avoiding disaster, and seizing opportunities.
Luke thought that if he made Felix Felicis and drank it before transforming his Animagus into a Phoenix, he would have a high chance of completing the transformation.
However, when Luke took out Professor Snape's Potions notes and looked at the production process and ingredients of Felix Felicis, he couldn't help but frown.
Felix Felicis is arguably one of the most difficult Potions to brew.
The brewing process requires strict adherence to steps; even a slight error will result in failure and endanger the brewer's life.
Moreover, the brewing time is very long, approximately half a year.
Therefore, even the most skilled Potion Masters are reluctant to attempt brewing Felix Felicis.
Although Luke had Professor Snape's Potion notes as guidance, his own Potion-making skills had not yet reached the level of a Potion Master.
The only thing that could bridge the gap between them was Luke's crown of wisdom.
But besides that, what made Luke frown even more was that some of the Potion ingredients were only found in the magical world, not in Middle-earth.
The ingredients needed to brew Felix Felicis are 2 pints of Mandrake extract, 1 pint of lemon juice, 10 Ashwinder eggshells, 7 drops of undiluted Acromantula venom, 6 Fire Salamander eggs, 23 fresh amaranth petals, 1 inch of Unicorn horn, and 1 drop of blood willingly given by a Unicorn.
Among these ingredients, Mandrake, lemon juice, and amaranth were available.
Ashwinder eggshells and Fire Salamander eggs could also be replaced by fire snake eggs and Fire Salamanders cultivated with Balrog blood.
Acromantula venom could also be replaced by Acromantula venom.
However, he could not find any substitutes for Unicorn horn and Unicorn blood.
There were no Unicorns in Middle-earth; he didn't know how to find a substitute for a Unicorn?
Was he supposed to conjure a Unicorn out of thin air?
Luke waved his magic wand, transforming a horse from the Castle stables into the likeness of a Unicorn.
The horse was pure white all over, with a long, spiral horn on its head.
But this transformed "Unicorn" was only superficial; it was still essentially an ordinary horse.
Looking at the restless "Unicorn" due to its change in appearance, Luke waved his magic wand, changed it back to its original form, and then turned to leave the stables.
Luke reopened Professor Snape's Potion notes to review the contents on Felix Felicis.
As a Potion Master, Snape had naturally brewed Felix Felicis before, especially before Harry Potter was marked by Lord Voldemort. Snape had secretly brewed Felix Felicis and given it to Lily Potter, hoping she could use it to escape Lord Voldemort's pursuit.
But Lily Potter, believing herself protected by the Fidelius Charm and that Lord Voldemort could not find them, passed the Felix Felicis to other members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Ultimately, due to the betrayal of the Secret-Keeper, Lord Voldemort found them.
Lily Potter sacrificed herself to protect Harry Potter, and when Lord Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter, Lily Potter's love magic rebounded the Killing Curse, ultimately earning Harry Potter the title of "Savior."
From then on, Snape stopped brewing Felix Felicis and scoffed at it.
However, in his Potion notes, Snape meticulously recorded his process and understanding of brewing Felix Felicis, even improving the brewing process to enhance its quality.
He also recorded his thoughts on each ingredient.
According to Snape's view, Felix Felicis uses Unicorn horn to enhance the Potion's stability and neutralize toxicity.
The Unicorn's willingly given blood primarily serves to enhance the Potion's magic purity, preventing impurities from causing side effects.
But Luke didn't know what in Middle-earth could have the same effects as Unicorn horn and Unicorn blood? He was troubled for a while.
When in doubt, find the future father-in-law. Unable to help himself, Luke simply went to Elrond, the wise man of Middle-earth and the most excellent alchemist, for advice.
Hearing that Luke wanted to brew a luck Potion, Elrond was surprised but also accustomed to it.
After all, the surprises Luke had shown him were countless.
However, when he heard that Luke was looking for an ingredient that could enhance Potion stability and neutralize toxicity, and an ingredient to enhance the Potion's magic purity.
Elrond furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
Without making Luke wait long, his eyes refocused, and he said to Luke, "Such things are indeed hard to find, but I know of an ingredient that might be what you need..."
"The Araw Cattle of the Rhûn region, descendants of Oromë, the God of the Hunt's cattle, their white horns possess excellent magic stability and can neutralize toxicity. You can try using them to brew your Potion."
Hearing this, Luke was immediately surprised.
Araw Cattle? He had seen them before; the Blue Wizard Rómestámo's mount was an Araw Cattle.
He didn't expect that the horns of Araw Cattle could replace Unicorn horns?
This was indeed good news!
Thinking of this, he quickly took out the horn of victory from his spatial pouch.
"Lord Elrond, is this horn of victory also an Araw Cattle horn?"
Elrond took the horn of victory, his eyes lit up, and he praised with a smile, "This is not just an Araw Cattle, but the horn of the closest descendant of Oromë's cattle. It is now extinct in Middle-earth, and likely only found in the Blessed Realm in the West."
"If you intend to use it as an ingredient for Felix Felicis, I do not recommend it. It would be overkill; an ordinary Araw Cattle horn would suffice."
Luke naturally wouldn't do that.
After all, this artifact had played a significant role in the Battle of Isengard, proving to be the best auxiliary tool in combat.
He couldn't destroy such a treasure just to brew Felix Felicis.
So he put the horn of victory back.
"As for an ingredient with purifying power that can enhance the Potion's purity..." Elrond thought for a moment, somewhat hesitant, but still said to Luke, "You may not know, but elf blood can enhance magic purity."
"Elf blood?" Luke was astonished.
Elrond nodded, recalling with a complex expression:
"Elves, as Ilúvatar's Firstborn, possess eternal life, which aroused the jealousy of some of the Secondborn.
So some humans were once tempted by evil and raised their swords against the elves. They tried to uncover the secret of elven immortality, even drinking elf blood in an attempt to gain eternal life."
"But such efforts were ultimately futile, and those who dabbled in elf blood were cursed, tormented by pain and regret for the rest of their lives, and could never be freed."
Luke was even more surprised, never expecting such a secret history.
Elrond continued, "But not all elf blood has such purity. Only Light Elves who have bathed in the light of the Two Trees possess the purest and most sacred blood.
So if you want to find blood that can enhance the Potion's magic purity, you must obtain the consent of the Light Elves and receive blood willingly given by them."
Listening to Elrond's narration, Luke also understood why Elrond had hesitated earlier.
Elves who had bathed in the glory of the Two Trees were few and far between in Middle-earth.
One was Lady Galadriel;
The other was Glorfindel, the Lord of the Golden Flower, who resided in Rivendell.
And Elf blood was equally precious to Elves; no one would bleed unless forced.
Moreover, if the blood fell into the wrong hands and was unfortunately used by others, if through evil magic curses, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So it would not be easy for Luke to request elf blood.
In fact, Luke knew that if he asked Galadriel for help, given her character, she would certainly agree.
But Galadriel had already helped him a lot, and she was also Arwen's grandmother, so Luke didn't want to be insatiable.
Therefore, Luke chose to ask Glorfindel, the less familiar Lord of the Golden Flower, for blood.
Glorfindel usually kept to himself in Rivendell, spending most of his time in the library.
When Luke arrived at the vast library, he saw Glorfindel reading.
Glorfindel had long, bright golden hair, radiating the unique glow of a Light Elf, making the entire library bright because of him.
"Are you looking for me? Wizard Luke." Glorfindel put down his book, his bright, deep eyes looking at Luke.
Luke bowed to him and then nodded, saying, "Forgive my intrusion, Lord Glorfindel."
Immediately, Luke directly stated his purpose.
Hearing that Luke requested a drop of his blood, the Lord of the Golden Flower remained calm and unchanged.
Just as Luke felt uneasy, thinking he would be refused,
Glorfindel unexpectedly nodded and agreed.
"Yes."
"What?" Luke was stunned for a moment, not reacting.
"I agree, and I'm also curious what this luck-bestowing Potion will be like? When you brew it, remember to give me some." Glorfindel said with a smile.
Luke reacted, immediately showing joy, and quickly nodded.
"Thank you, Lord Glorfindel, rest assured, once Felix Felicis is brewed, I will definitely bring it to you!"
Then Luke took out a small bottle of ruby-red Potion from his pocket and placed it in front of Glorfindel.
"Lord Glorfindel, this is the Elixir of Life I brewed. Besides prolonging life, it can also restore vitality. Even a dying person, as long as they still have a breath, can be revived.
I have no other good things, so I can only offer this as a token of my gratitude. Please do not refuse."
Hearing Luke's words, Glorfindel also curiously picked up the Elixir of Life and exclaimed, "Is this the Elixir of Life you brewed from the philosopher's stone before?"
"I sensed immortal substance within it, truly extraordinary!" Glorfindel praised after examining it, "Such a good thing, Iwill accept it."
"Alright, bring the bottle."
Luke quickly took out a small crystal Potion bottle and placed it in front of him.
Glorfindel drew an exquisite and ornate dagger from his waist, cut his index finger, and placed it over the crystal Potion bottle.
Pale red blood quickly dripped from his fingertip, one drop, two drops, three drops... "Enough, enough! Lord Glorfindel, one drop is enough!" Luke quickly said.
Glorfindel's movements were swift and clean, not giving Luke a chance to stop him, and he only stopped after ten drops of fresh blood had fallen.
At the same time, the cut wound on his finger quickly repaired and healed.
Glorfindel handed the small crystal Potion bottle containing the blood to Luke and said with a smile, "Tell me if it's not enough."
Facing such a generous Lord of the Golden Flower, Luke could only express his gratitude.
Afterward, bidding farewell to Glorfindel, Luke was about to leave Rivendell and head to the Far East to obtain the Araw Cattle horns.
Arwen, however, gave him a surprise.
"Luke dear, your Invisibility Cloak is woven," Arwen said gently to Luke, holding a black cloth bundle.
Luke took the cloth bundle from Arwen's hand and opened it.
Inside was a deep black cloak, like the night sky. Light falling upon it seemed to be absorbed, unable to reflect at all.
And on this fragment, seemingly torn from the night, there were countless tadpole-sized runes, densely embroidered with Mithril thread. They were like a sky full of silver stars, distributed in a regular pattern, forming mysterious patterns resembling magic circles.
The cloak was woven entirely from the silk of Shelob the Acromantula, adorned with Mithril threads, and Arwen even wove her own beautiful hair into it to enhance its magic stability and neutralize the dark properties of the spider silk.
This Invisibility Cloak took nearly a year to weave.
Under Arwen's exquisite weaving and embroidery skills, the overall piece was incredibly magnificent and mysterious. Each of the countless star-like Runic runes possessed a mysterious magic, making the entire Invisibility Cloak appear extraordinary.
The Invisibility Cloak was extremely light, feeling as if it had no weight at all when held.
Luke held it, a joyous expression on his face.
He looked at Arwen with tenderness and gratitude, "Thank you, my love. If not for you, this Invisibility Cloak could not have been created!" Nor could it have been woven so quickly.
The Invisibility Cloak required each inch of the cloak to be woven with Runic runes, with no room for error. If even a single thread was woven incorrectly, the entire piece would have to be scrapped and redone.
A skilled weaver would need at least a day to weave a single Runic rune.
The entire Invisibility Cloak required at least ten thousand Runic runes. At a normal pace, working non-stop every day and without any errors, it would still take at least three years.
Yet, Arwen spent less than a year to weave the Invisibility Cloak for Luke, which was incredibly fast.
Moreover, her technical skill was extraordinarily high, a level that even the most accomplished human weavers could not achieve.
In response to Luke's thanks, Arwen gently shook her head, her eyes sparkling with starlight and a smile.
"There's no need for thanks between us. I am content just to be able to help you!"
Hearing Arwen's words, a warm emotion surged in his heart. Luke embraced her tightly, burying his head in her hair, and mumbled complainingly, "I don't know when Gandalf will return. I can't wait to marry you!"
Arwen was a little flustered, but upon hearing his words, her body instantly softened, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her beautiful face, her whole being radiating a gentle glow.
She gently stroked Luke's broad back, comforting him, "I have always belonged to you, Luke. We have a long life together ahead of us; there's no need to rush."
After spending some time together, the two reluctantly parted.
Luke, carrying the Invisibility Cloak woven by Arwen, returned to Isengard first.
On the platform at the top of the Orthanc tower, Luke drew a seven-pointed star array on the platform floor with dragon blood, then placed the Invisibility Cloak in the center of the magic array.
Although the Invisibility Cloak had been woven, it still needed to be activated and infused with magic to "charge" it, thereby activating its invisibility effect.
Activating the Invisibility Cloak and ensuring it never fades or loses its effect requires a very large amount of magic.
However, this step did not stump Luke. Not only did he possess the Philosopher's Stone, the highest achievement of alchemy, but he also had other items with immense magic.
Luke took out the Gram's enormous heart and placed it within the array.
As the heart of a Gram, it contained an immense amount of magic, enough to serve as a "power bank" for the magic array.
As Luke activated the magic array, the Gram's heart continuously had its vast magic drawn out. This highly unstable magic, after being filtered and refined by the Philosopher's Stone, was continuously infused into the Invisibility Cloak.
At the same time, the magic array was not just drawing from the Gram's heart; under the amplification and blessing of Orthanc, it also continuously drew natural magic from its surroundings.
As magic was continuously infused, each tadpole-shaped Runic rune on the Invisibility Cloak lit up one by one, becoming dazzlingly bright, truly looking like individual stars.
As the days passed, by the seventh day, when the last Runic rune was illuminated, the dark cloak was covered with countless stars, shining brilliantly.
The immense heart of the Gram, completely drained of its magic, withered away and turned to dust with a gust of wind.
The Invisibility Cloak, now fully charged with magic, had each of its Runic runes and woven threads forming a complete magic circulation route. It would continuously and actively absorb external magic, remaining as new and never fading even after a thousand years.
It could be said that the cloak itself was "alive," and even if damaged, it could repair itself automatically.
When the light of the Runic runes on the cloak receded, the Invisibility Cloak was successfully completed.
Luke used a Scourgify Charm to clean the dragon blood from the ground, then approached the Invisibility Cloak, bending down to pick it up.
The Invisibility Cloak instantly unfurled and floated in mid-air as if weightless.
One side of the Invisibility Cloak was covered with densely packed Runic runes, forming various mysterious patterns, like a night sky adorned with countless stars, incredibly magnificent and dazzling.
The other side, however, was completely invisible. Even if light was shone on that side of the cloak, the light would pass directly through it to what was behind, as if it didn't exist at all.
Luke immediately and eagerly put it on, showing the invisible side to the outside.
Luke's entire body, except for his head, disappeared. Even when Luke looked down, he saw only emptiness.
Not only was he completely invisible, but even his heartbeat, magic fluctuations, and scent were all blocked.
Luke took out a palantír to look at himself within it, but the crystal also failed to show his figure, as if he no longer existed.
At this, Luke finally felt relieved.
This Invisibility Cloak truly deserved its reputation as one of the deathly hallows, said to be something even Death itself could not find.
A palantír can ignore obstacles such as space, mountains, and walls to find the figure of the person it seeks.
Luke had previously worried that the Invisibility Cloak would not be able to block the palantír's detection and tracking.
The current result, indeed, lived up to its name as a deathly hallows.
With this Invisibility Cloak, Luke would no longer fear Sauron's detection.
He even thought that if he wore the Invisibility Cloak and secretly infiltrated Mordor, then threw the one ring into Mount Doom, he could directly eliminate Sauron, saving so much trouble.
However, Luke merely thought about it. Apart from Tom Bombadil, who could ignore the one ring, only a hobbit could resist it to some extent.
He was willing to lend the Invisibility Cloak, but there was currently no suitable person to take the one ring to Mount Doom for destruction.
Bilbo was now living a retired life, and Luke was unwilling for his old friend to embark on another adventure.
As for the future protagonist, Frodo, he had not yet been born.
As for finding other hobbits, that was even more difficult.
Most hobbits lived peaceful, contented lives and disliked venturing out.
And even if it were a hobbit, it was not entirely safe.
Not all hobbits were pure-hearted. For instance, the distant relatives and neighbors who coveted Bilbo's inheritance, if they encountered the one ring, would likely not resist for long before being completely corrupted.
Gollum, the one ring's previous owner, was originally a hobbit.
After he and his companion found the one ring, he killed his companion to possess it exclusively, then hid in the Misty Mountains, eventually becoming a corrupted monster.
Even Frodo, the future protagonist, was swayed by the one ring at the very end when he reached Mount Doom, wanting to keep it for himself.
Fortunately, during his struggle with Gollum for the one ring, it accidentally fell into the lava of Mount Doom, thus successfully destroying the one ring and completely eliminating Sauron.
The closer the one ring was to Sauron, the stronger its power and the deeper its corrupting influence.
No one could guarantee resistance to the ring's influence, and even a slight exposure could mean actively returning the one ring to Sauron.
That would be a disaster.
As it was now, with the one ring in Tom Bombadil's hands, and protected by the Fidelius Charm, it was much safer. There was no need to worry that Sauron could obtain the one ring and regain his power.
This was also why Gandalf, Elrond, and others were not in a hurry to destroy the one ring.
Gathering his scattered thoughts, Luke looked at the Invisibility Cloak, which had made his body invisible, and then flipped it over to wear it on the other side.
The black cloak, dotted with countless stars, made Luke appear even more mysterious.
Even more miraculously, the cloak carried Luke directly into the air, with the collar and back seam clinging to his body, and the wide hem fanning out like bat wings, allowing him to fly through the air.
This was an ability Luke added to the Invisibility Cloak, drawing inspiration from Doctor Stephen Strange's Cloak of Levitation in Marvel movies and combining it with the craftsmanship of a flying broomstick.
The Invisibility Cloak didn't drag Luke through the air, but rather made him feel light as if under a Levitation Charm, then rapidly moved him through the air under the cloak's guidance.
The Invisibility Cloak's flight speed was incredibly fast, capable of accelerating from a standstill to 150 miles per hour in ten seconds, reaching the speed of a Firebolt in the magic world.
It also freed up Luke's hands, allowing him to use both hands to fully engage enemies while flying at extreme speeds.
Luke, like a child with a new toy, continuously flew through the skies of Isengard, adapting to this new method of flight.
He even attracted Griffin Aslan to follow, and they chased and raced each other in the sky.
For such a multi-functional cloak that combined invisibility and flight, Luke simply named it the magic Cloak.
He would wear it at all times, ready for use when traveling or needing to be concealed.
With the magic Cloak, Luke no longer lingered. He activated a Portkey to the Far East region of Rhûn.
He intended to visit the Blue Wizard Rómestámo and also obtain the horns of the Araw Cattle.