The peaceful and serene Rivendell became lively on this day.
The topics of discussion and the attention of the Elves were almost entirely focused on the Last Homely House where Lord Elrond resided.
In the halls of the Last Homely House, Luke, Elrond, Celeborn, Elladan, and Elrohir all stood silently guarding the door of the birthing room.
Only Galadriel, who was the maternal grandmother, and several female Elves skilled in midwifery were inside the room accompanying Arwen, who was currently giving birth.
Occasional muffled groans from the room caused the men outside to unconsciously reveal worried expressions.
Elrond, the father, and Celeborn, the grandfather, appeared composed and calm, but one unconsciously clenched his fist, while the other uncontrollably radiated an aura of intense pressure.
Elladan and Elrohir, the elder brothers, were even more nervous and anxious, pacing back and forth in front of the door.
As for Luke, his body was stiff and his face was tense; he looked as if he had been afflicted by the Petrificus Totalus, his eyes fixed intently on the tightly shut door, as if trying to pierce through it with his gaze.
Seeing Luke in such a state of high tension, Elrond felt relieved yet also gently comforted him: "You don't need to be so nervous, Luke. Lady Galadriel is inside, and Arwen's physical condition is good. Nothing will go wrong!"
Luke nodded distractedly, not hearing what he was saying, merely responding instinctively.
Seeing this, Elrond sighed and stopped trying to persuade him.
After all, Luke would not be able to relax until Arwen had finished giving birth.
As time passed slowly, no one knew how long it had been.
When night fell and the Star of Eärendil shone in the night sky, a baby's cry finally emerged from the birthing room.
The cry echoed from the room throughout the tranquil Rivendell; although the sound was not loud, it was clearly audible to the sensitive ears of the Elves.
Immediately, the Elves in Rivendell showed joy, genuinely happy for the birth of the new life, especially since this was the offspring of Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell.
Melodious songs filled with mysterious magic echoed throughout Rivendell, speaking of the Elves' welcome and blessings for the arrival of the new life.
Following the first baby's cry, a few minutes later, another baby's cry rang out.
"Congratulations, Luke, Arwen has borne you a pair of children, a son and a daughter!" Galadriel congratulated him with a smile, holding an infant wrapped in white silk in her arms.
Another female Elf beside her was holding an infant wrapped in blue silk.
"The one in blue is the boy, the elder brother, and the one in white is the younger sister," Galadriel introduced.
Luke quickly glanced at the children, then immediately asked Galadriel: "My Lady, how is Arwen? Is she alright?"
The smile in Galadriel's eyes deepened, and she reassured him: "Arwen is merely exhausted and has fallen asleep. If you are worried, you may go and see her."
Hearing this, Luke quickly rushed into the room.
The other men exchanged glances, then broke into relieved smiles.
Celeborn smiled and said to Elrond: "It seems our Arwen has found a good husband."
"Luke is indeed remarkable," Elrond agreed, nodding.
The men did not follow him in to disturb them, but instead focused their attention on the two newborns.
Celeborn carefully took Luke and Arwen's eldest son from the female Elf.
Elrond, meanwhile, took Luke and Arwen's daughter from Galadriel.
Elladan and Elrohir also gathered around, looking with curiosity and affection at the twin nephew and niece.
The House of Elrond carried the gene for twins; Elrond and Elros, the founder of Númenor, were twin brothers, and Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were also twin brothers.
This time, Arwen gave birth to a twin brother and sister, which was the first occurrence of its kind in the history of the Elven family.
Inside the room, Luke sat by the bed, gazing gently at his pale and weak wife, quietly keeping watch over her.
As if sensing his presence, Arwen gradually awoke from her deep slumber.
Upon seeing her husband sitting beside her, she immediately showed tender affection: "Luke."
Seeing Arwen awake, Luke was instantly overjoyed. He leaned in quickly, held her hand, and asked cautiously: "Arwen, how do you feel right now? Are you still in a lot of pain? Do you want water? I'll get it for you right away!"
As he spoke, he quickly pulled out the golden cup, poured in Ent-draught, and carefully prepared to feed it to her.
As a drink brewed by the Ents, the Ent-draught was full of vitality, and with the enhancement of the golden cup, its effect was doubled.
After Arwen drank the draught, her pale complexion visibly regained its rosy color, and her voice became stronger.
She looked at her husband taking care of her with soft eyes, then scanned the surroundings and asked: "Luke, where are the children? Have you seen them?"
"Uh…" Luke's hand froze. He seemed to have forgotten and replied a little guiltily: "They should be with Lord Elrond and the others."
"Should be?" Arwen's gentle eyes instantly became piercing. Looking at her slightly guilty husband, she was speechless, and a silent sigh escaped her: "Luke, those are our children. As their father, you didn't even look at them once, did you?"
"No, no! Arwen, I definitely glanced at them when I first came in! They are both very cute, and they look a lot like you!" Luke quickly argued.
Arwen looked at him with skeptical eyes: "Really? Then do you remember what they look like? What color are the elder brother's hair and eyes? What about the younger sister?"
"Uh... their hair seems to be black?" Luke had only taken a quick glance earlier, his mind entirely focused on his wife's condition; he certainly couldn't recall the details.
Seeing her husband's uncertain and guilty look, Arwen could only sigh helplessly.
If Luke hadn't been with her throughout the pregnancy, gently resting his head on her belly, speaking lovingly to the children, and even coming up with the concept of prenatal education—reciting spells, narrating ancient history, and humming Tom Bombadil's musical magic tirelessly every day—
She might have actually thought Luke didn't like their children.
Just then, Elrond and the others walked in from outside, each holding one of the two infants.
Elrond carefully checked his daughter's physical condition, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming there were no hidden dangers.
He then placed the infant in his arms between Arwen and Luke, and said with a smile: "Now, look at your children. The girl looks very much like Arwen; she is a very beautiful lady."
Celeborn also placed the boy he was holding next to his sister.
Luke looked at the two children before him. A connection of blood made his heart tremble, and endless love surged in his chest, like a volcanic eruption.
The two children in the swaddling clothes were not wrinkled like newly born Human babies, but were instead very beautiful.
Their snow-white, delicate skin was like a freshly peeled egg, impossibly smooth. A head of soft black hair lay against their heads, and their large eyes were open, revealing intelligence.
They stared intently at Luke and Arwen, seemingly knowing who they were, and broke into happy smiles.
They looked almost identical, both extremely beautiful and perfect, as if they were flawless gifts personally created by Ilúvatar, the Creator God. Only their eyes differed: the elder brother had black eyes like Luke, while the younger sister had grey eyes.
They also had small, pointed ears, revealing their racial characteristics.
Clearly, as the mixed-blood offspring of a Human Wizard and a Half-Elf, both children inherited more of their mother's bloodline and possessed the form of Elves.
"Have you decided what names to give them, Luke?"
Looking at the happy family, Galadriel, Elrond, and the others smiled and asked.
Luke and Arwen exchanged glances, and then Luke solemnly and sincerely said to Elrond: "Lord Elrond, Arwen and I discussed the names for the two children beforehand, and we would like to request that you name them!"
Hearing Luke's words, Elrond was very pleased and did not refuse their request.
He looked gently and lovingly at the pair of grandchildren, pondered for a moment, and then decided: "The boy shall be named Elthir, and the girl Elroth. What do you think?"
"Elthir, Guardian of the Elves? Elroth, Flower of the Elves?" Hearing the names Elrond had chosen, Luke understood their meaning.
These two names consistently followed the naming convention of the Elrond family, starting with 'El' (meaning 'Elf'). 'Thir' is Quenya for "guardian," meaning "Guardian of the Elven Bloodline."
And the 'roth' in Elroth is Sindarin for "flower," symbolizing the "Flower of the Elves," and representing beauty and preciousness like a flower.
Luke and Arwen loved the two names, and thus the children's names were set.
Using Luke's name as the surname suffix, the eldest son was named Elthir Luke, and the daughter was named Elroth Luke.
The birth of the two children made Rivendell very lively. A delighted Elrond hosted a grand celebratory banquet specifically for them in Rivendell.
Elves have long lifespans, and their gestation period is also long, so their rate of reproduction is simply incomparable to that of humans.
Although the number of young Elves admitted to Hogwarts in the past two years seems substantial, it is actually the accumulated total from several decades.
After all, the growth rate of young Elves is very slow; one year for an Elf is equivalent to twelve human years, and this is just during the growth phase; the period afterward is even longer.
Therefore, once the Elven children accumulated over the past few years are admitted, it might be years or even decades before another young Elf is eligible for admission.
Thus, the birth of the two "Half-elves" was cherished by all the Elves in Rivendell, and they offered blessings and gifts one after another.
There were small statues carved from pure wood, garlands woven from beautiful leaves and flowers, amulets crafted using Elven magic techniques, or dew collected that held starlight. There were also exquisite handicrafts, such as delicate jewelry, small necklaces made of silver and gold, and various gemstones, diamonds, and jewels.
The gifts given to Elthir and Elroth differed; Elroth's gifts leaned toward beautiful and exquisite items suitable for a girl, while Elthir's gifts also included small bows, arrows, and daggers given by male Elves.
Elrond gave a small Elven dagger that originally belonged to his twin brother, Elros, to Elthir as a personal weapon for the future.
He also gave a jewelry necklace belonging to his wife, Celebrían, to his granddaughter, Elroth.
As the great-grandparents, Celeborn and Galadriel respectively gave Elthir and Elroth a longbow made from maolong tree heartwood and a maolong flower crown.
After all the gifting, the two little ones had essentially become wealthy individuals.
Luke and Arwen stayed in Rivendell for more than two months, and finally, as the Hogwarts term approached its end, they bid farewell to everyone and returned to Weathertop to recuperate.
They then held another grand banquet for the two children at the castle and announced the birth of the heirs publicly, especially to the people within their territory.
The attendees were mainly the Professors and students of the school, as well as old friends like Bilbo, and everyone looked upon the two beautiful young Elves with great curiosity and affection.
Elthir and Elroth were loved by all the students; even the reserved and modest young Elves would actively run up to them and present their favorite gifts.
Elthir and Elroth were extremely intelligent; although only three months old, they could already speak and were even starting to try to walk.
Whenever they faced Luke, they would sweetly call out "Baba," which comforted Luke's fervent paternal love.
Arwen had only recently given birth, but she rejected Luke's suggestion that she continue resting, insisting on teaching History of Magic to the students.
Luke, as the headmaster and having little else to do, took on the heavy responsibility of caring for the two children.
Thus, the students and Professors often saw their headmaster, holding a child in each arm, appearing in every corner of the castle.
During meals, the headmaster would sit in the golden chair in the middle of the Professor's table, with Elthir and Elroth sitting in high chairs on either side of him.
Luke, the devoted father, fed the children continuously on both sides, neglecting the food in front of him.
This sight caused the students to widen their eyes in disbelief.
Their Lord, who had subdued Dragons and slain dark creatures like Trolls and Orcs, had now actually become a stay-at-home dad!
As time passed day by day, Elthir and Elroth grew rapidly. Not only could they speak, walk, and dance, but their mental development was also much quicker than that of ordinary human children.
Under the guidance of Luke and Arwen, they quickly mastered both human and Elven languages, and even actively requested to attend classes with the students to learn about magic.
Time flew by, and the year reached 2967.
The first batch of students who had enrolled were now entering their seventh year, nearing graduation.
The school had over five hundred students, ranging from first year to seventh year.
During the school term, so many students living in the castle made it very lively.
In addition to the original Professors, several more Professors were added over the years. For instance, starting from the third year, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination Class, Ancient Runes, and Alchemy were introduced.
For the Care of Magical Creatures class, Luke invited Beorn the skin-changer.
Beorn could not only transform into a Giant Bear form but could also communicate with animals, making him the perfect candidate for the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures.
For Ancient Runes, Luke invited the Elven Prince Legolas.
When Legolas studied magic with Luke, he had already dabbled in Runes, developed an interest, and conducted in-depth study and research on the subject, so teaching Runes to students was no problem at all.
Regarding Divination Class, Luke himself possessed the talent for divination, but the results were unpredictable and uncontrollable, so Luke had not conducted much research into the subject.
For the Professor of Divination Class, Luke, upon Elrond's recommendation, hired Aragorn's mother, Gilraen.
Gilraen's mother, Ivorwen, was a famous Seer in Middle-earth. She had foreseen that the union of Gilraen and Arathorn would bring hope to the declining Dúnedain, but she also predicted Arathorn's death and prophesied that Aragorn would become King.
Although Gilraen was not as famous as her mother, Ivorwen, she also possessed powers of foresight and could serve as the Professor of Divination Class at Hogwarts.
For this purpose, Luke specifically gave Gilraen the books related to Divination Class that he had previously obtained through sign-in for her to study.
Finally, there was the Alchemy class. This course was only available to sixth and seventh years, and students needed to achieve an Excellent grade in Runes before they could take Alchemy.
Luke personally took charge of this course, teaching two lessons a week. Since the number of students was small, it did not take up much of Luke's time or energy.
So Luke treated it as a pastime and attempted to cultivate a few Alchemists.
Seven years after the school's founding, the first batch of students were now about to graduate.
Most of the human Wizards among them had already reached adulthood, and some had even started romantic relationships while still in school.
Only the slow-growing Elves showed little difference in appearance compared to when they first enrolled seven years ago; they wouldn't look out of place standing next to a first-year student.
Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic jointly established the Ordinary Wizarding Level examination (O.W.L.) for fifth-years, and the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.) for seventh-years.
The Ordinary Wizarding Level examination determined whether students could continue studying the sixth and seventh-year curriculum.
The results of the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test determined the students' future career paths after graduation.
Of course, these examinations were primarily aimed at students within Luke's territory.
Students such as the Elves and the Dúnedain generally returned to their respective communities after graduating from Hogwarts, so the pressure was not significant for them.
However, for Wizards like the graduating Adam Bailey, who lived in Amon Sul and the surrounding territory, they faced the choice and pressure of selecting a career.
For Wizard families within the territory, the best jobs were undoubtedly those at Hogwarts; positions like the school's Professors were highly respected and well-compensated.
The next best option was working at the Ministry of Magic.
The Ministry of Magic had become the sole government under Luke, and departments like the Department of Transportation and the Auror Office were highly sought after.
The Auror Office, in particular, was an armed force directly responsible to Luke, a special unit comprised of elite Wizards.
Many graduating students and those in the fifth and sixth years wished to work for the Auror Office.
Besides the Ministry of Magic, the dragon farm located near Isengard also attracted the interest of some students.
After years of operation, the dragon farm's area now covered the entire southern Misty Mountains, housing thousands of Wyverns.
There were over a hundred Wizards working at the dragon farm, yet they still felt understaffed.
The main duties of these dragon farm Wizards, besides feeding and breeding more Wyverns, included maintaining the farm's security to prevent dragon escapes and outside interference.
They would also periodically slaughter one or two Wyverns for the market.
Every part of a Wyvern was valuable; things like dragon nerves and heartstrings were purchased by the Ollivander wand shop and crafted into wands.
dragon blood, dragon liver, dragon heart, and other parts were sold in Potion shops in Diagon Alley as precious Potion ingredients.
Furthermore, because dragon materials were extremely rare and the annual output was very small, their prices were exorbitant.
One ounce of dragon liver cost 1 Galleon, roughly the weight of a pigeon's egg.
The price of dragon blood was even more outrageous; a pint of dragon blood fetched hundreds of Galleons on the market.
Other parts like dragon horns, bones, and meat were also quite valuable.
Yet, despite being so expensive, dragon materials were in short supply and rarely available for purchase; almost every time dragon parts hit the market, they were instantly bought up.
Consequently, the dragon farm became increasingly profitable without needing financial support from Luke or the Ministry of Magic.
Slaughtering just one Wyvern annually provided ample funds, covering the farm's expenses and salaries while still generating a surplus.
Even the dragon dung from the farm was a continuous source of income, yielding profits potentially higher than slaughtering Wyverns.
This was because it was a zero-cost business; dragon dung had extremely high fertility and, when composted, was ideal for growing magic plants and herbs.
The thousands of Wyverns at the farm produced an enormous quantity of dung every day.
Therefore, the dragon farm even had dedicated jobs for collecting dragon dung, and the pay was quite good.
Wizards working at the dragon farm, due to the need to handle powerful creatures like Wyverns, also faced high recruitment standards.
Of course, besides "state-owned enterprise" positions like those at the Ministry of Magic and the dragon farm, shops in Diagon Alley also hired staff.
Overall, graduates from Hogwarts currently faced virtually no difficulty finding employment.
Furthermore, after several years of development, the number of Wizards within Luke's territory had increased significantly, now approaching five thousand.
Such a large number of Wizards led to the magic within Luke's territory becoming even more prosperous.
Wizard settlements had appeared in Amon Sul, Bree, and Isengard.
Moreover, because the current Ministry of Magic had not implemented any "Statute of Secrecy" or "Muggle Protection Act," it was common to see Wizards flying around on broomsticks above the cities...
It was another end-of-year feast.
The graduating seventh-year students were filled with a sense of reluctance to part.
In Phoenix House, Adam Bailey bid a reluctant farewell to his two closest classmates.
Of the two companions, the Elf Aranir still looked about eleven or twelve years old, remaining a child by Elven standards.
After graduation, he would return to Rivendell to continue learning Elven knowledge until he reached adulthood and could travel freely.
The other companion, Anlómir of the Dúnedain, had already reached adulthood. Although he held great affection for Hogwarts, where he had lived for seven years, and for the magic world, he ultimately declined Adam Bailey's suggestion to work together at the Ministry of Magic.
He chose to say goodbye to his friends and return to the Dúnedain ancestral lands to contribute to his people.
As for Adam Bailey, he entered the Ministry of Magic's Auror Office with outstanding graduation results, becoming colleagues with his father, Mr. Bailey.
Other graduates also entered various departments of the Ministry of Magic, became employees at the dragon farm, worked in shops in Diagon Alley, or simply opened their own businesses.
Meanwhile, inside Hogwarts Castle, Luke and Arwen's pair of children were now four years old.
The twin siblings, Elthir and Elroth, had been loved by everyone since birth and grew up carefree.
They frequently traveled between Hogwarts, Rivendell, and Lothlórien, becoming the undisputed darlings of the entire community.
Inheriting their mother Arwen's Elven bloodline, their growth rate differed from ordinary humans. They could speak shortly after birth and were highly intelligent. By the age of one, they had clearly mastered both human and Elven languages, could run and jump, and their figures could be seen all over the castle. They were even invited by students to play in the House common rooms.
Before the age of three, Elthir and Elroth's physical growth rate was similar to humans, but after turning three, their growth slowed significantly. After passing their fourth birthday, their physical appearance looked unchanged from the previous year.
Furthermore, their growth rate would remain very slow for a long time. When human children reached adult height, they would physically still look like human children no older than seven.
When human children entered old age, they would just be entering adolescence. And by the time human children had lived out their entire lives, their peers would have only just reached full maturity.
Over the past few years, due to their precociousness, Elthir and Elroth had audited classes alongside the students. The magic knowledge they now possessed was in no way inferior to that of the older students.
Given how intelligent and mature the two children were, Luke did not restrict them from using wands until they reached the official school age.
After receiving assurances from both children that they would not misuse the wands, Luke personally crafted wands for his son and daughter.
The shaft of his son Elthir's wand was made from a core section of a maolong tree in the garden, while the shaft of his daughter Elroth's wand came from a branch of the white tree in the garden.
However, their wand cores were identical, both using Phoenix feathers taken from Luke himself.
Therefore, their wands could not only cast spells together, producing an effect greater than the sum of their parts, but they could also be used to summon their father, Luke, in times of danger.
The Phoenix feather cores in their wands acted essentially as tracking devices, allowing Luke to locate them immediately at any time.
At the same time, over these past few years, Luke also spent several years in the castle to successfully build the Room of Requirement.
The Room of Requirement could be called a wishing room; it would take on different forms according to the user's needs to fulfill their wishes. Besides not being able to conjure food and life out of thin air, it could almost conjure many things that exist in reality.
For example, if one desired a room filled with mountains of gold, the Room of Requirement would conjure countless piles of gold coins.
However, these gold coins could only exist within the room; once taken outside, they would instantly disappear.
This Room of Requirement was set by Luke to appear randomly in the castle, rather than being confined to a fixed floor and location.
Moreover, the Room of Requirement could lead to every location in the castle, such as the kitchen, academy dormitories, the Chamber of Secrets of the Basilisk, the Dragon's Treasury, and so on.
Of course, to prevent students from accidentally entering these places, Luke still restricted the permissions of the Room of Requirement. Only a special incantation and imagination could make the Room of Requirement's door appear on the wall and present the desired room.
The Room of Requirement was used by Luke as a private secret research lab, and it also housed Luke's Horcruxes, the palantír, the Philosopher's Stone, the crown of wisdom, and the golden cup—these precious items.
Besides Arwen, no one else knew of the existence of this room, making it a true Chamber of Secrets.
— — — — — —
In these years, after Saruman completely dissipated and the Ring of Thror was destroyed by Dragon Flame.
The Mordor region seemed to have ceased its activities, with no further movement.
But because of Saruman's dying warning, Luke, Gandalf, Elrond, and others had never lowered their guard against Mordor.
They were even more worried about Sauron potentially using a sacrificial array to contact Morgoth.
However, regarding this matter, the group couldn't just directly storm Mordor's stronghold to stop Sauron from doing so.
So, they could only secretly prepare, meeting whatever came their way, responding to changes with constancy.
Mordor, beneath Mount Doom.
Under the supervision of the Ringwraiths and dark sorcerers, countless Orcs, following pre-planned blueprints, built a massive altar on the desolate plain using black stones cooled and solidified from lava.
Around the altar stood countless gigantic stone statues, their expressions ferocious and terrifying, exuding an aura of evil and darkness.
The surface of the stone platform was also carved with huge, interconnected ravines; if viewed from above, one would see these ravines forming a giant magic array.
The lava of Mount Doom flowed like a river from the mountain, down to the Mordor plains, and the scorching heat and pungent sulfur smell filled the land, like a land of doom.
Upstream of a lava river near the altar, the Orcs used a giant iron pipe to divert the lava.
As two strong Orcs smashed open the sluice gate with iron hammers, the scalding hot red lava flowed into the ravines of the altar.
The lava flowed through the ravines of the altar, gradually filling all of them, forming a giant red lava magic array pattern.
The lava of Mount Doom originated from the flames erupting from the earth's core, possessing immensely powerful energy, capable of melting even the one ring.
So, after the lava flowed into the altar's ravines, the entire altar seemed to be activated. The giant statues emitted an even more terrifying and evil aura, and like black holes, they frantically absorbed the power of Mount Doom.
For a time, Mount Doom seemed to awaken, becoming even more violent, beginning to spew out more lava and volcanic ash.
The sky above Mordor had always been shrouded in dark clouds, never seeing the light of day.
But at this moment, it became even more turbulent with black clouds, volcanic ash obscured the sky, and the heavens grew darker, as if it were deep night.
The Witch-king of Angmar, leader of the Ringwraiths, stood upon the altar, his cold, hoarse voice echoing around: "Bring them! (Dark Speech)"
The dense crowd of Orcs surrounding the altar below automatically parted a path.
Then, hundreds of humans and a few Elves, chained in irons, were rudely driven by a group of Orcs onto the altar.
These humans and Elves were captives from Gondor, Rohan, Lothlórien, Mirkwood, and other surrounding regions.
They had been imprisoned in Mordor, subjected to endless torment, and were no longer recognizable as human.
Originally, their fate should have been to become food for Shelob the Great Spider, but now their purpose had changed.
As these humans and Elves, some numb, some struggling and begging for mercy, some filled with hatred, were lined up and forced to kneel on the stone slabs of the altar.
Then a ferocious Orc, wielding a butcher's knife, severed a head with one strike, and blood flowed freely.
The Orcs watching below were immediately roused to bloodlust and madness, waving their weapons and emitting joyful roars.
The Orc on the platform threw the victim's head directly into the lava, and even kicked the body into the lava, where it was swiftly swallowed and melted.
The Witch-king of Angmar continuously chanted evil ancient spells, as if praying.
One by one, humans and Elves were like lambs to the slaughter, their lives cruelly harvested, their blood splattering the altar, their heads and bodies devoured by the lava.
As blood and life drained away, the entire array became more evil, and the lava in the altar's ravines grew hotter and redder, exuding a violent, destructive power.
Under the sacrifice of countless lives, the black clouds in the sky churned even more, lightning continuously flashed within the clouds, and countless dark crows and giant bats filled the sky, circling above the altar.
After killing hundreds of humans and Elves, the Witch-king of Angmar said coldly: "Not enough, add more! (Dark Speech)"
There were no more human and Elven captives, but this did not stump the Orc leader.
In the Mordor region, there were also humans who submitted to Sauron's dark rule, such as the Easterlings, the Haradrim, and even the local human slaves of Mordor.
With a command, thousands of human slaves were dragged onto the altar by the Orcs.
In their terror and pleas for mercy, they were mercilessly slaughtered, becoming sacrifices.
After slaughtering thousands of human slaves, the sacrificial magic array erupted with terrifying power. Dense smoke and flames, filled with destruction and darkness, condensed within the array, as if something terrifying was about to emerge from it.
Seeing this, the previously excited Orcs around now became fearful, as if their souls were trembling.
But the Witch-king of Angmar, who was presiding over the sacrifice, became even more excited and agitated, evil red light flickering in his hollow eyes: "Quick! More sacrifices are needed! (Dark Speech)"
But upon hearing the Witch-king of Angmar's words, the Orc leader said with difficulty: "Witch-king, we only have this many humans prepared. If more are needed, we'll have to go capture them again."
The Witch-king of Angmar immediately became enraged: "No, the sacrifice cannot stop, it must continue!"
Then his gaze swept over the tens of thousands of Orcs surrounding the altar, and he immediately sneered coldly: "Aren't there still so many here? Send all the weak ones up as offerings!"
Hearing the Witch-king of Angmar's words, the Orc leader immediately hesitated, and the Orcs below became even more terrified, quickly retreating, fearing they would be chosen.
But the Witch-king of Angmar would not give the Orc leader a chance to hesitate. The other Ringwraiths and dark sorcerers surrounded the Orc leader, indicating that if he disagreed, they would sacrifice him first.
Seeing this, the Orc leader immediately cast aside his hesitation; saving his life was paramount. He immediately ordered the Uruk-hai to attack the Orcs beside them.
The Uruk-hai were a new breed cultivated by Saruman, unafraid of sunlight, and stronger and more robust than ordinary Orcs.
And the Orc leader was an Uruk-hai, naturally favoring the Uruk-hai race.
In an instant, those Orcs were attacked by the surrounding Uruk-hai. After being cut down and wounded, they were all sent onto the altar, becoming sacrifices.
Under the sacrifice of thousands of Orcs, the altar underwent a drastic change. Rolling black smoke and flames filled it, and a terrifying dark aura emanated from it. The sky above Mordor changed color even more, as if eternal night had fallen.
A pair of eyes, glowing like flames, emerged from the dense smoke and flames, carrying a suffocating dark pressure.
The enormous fiery eyes that appeared in the altar projected across countless spaces and times onto the surroundings.
Even if it was just a projected gaze, it plunged the surrounding Ringwraiths, Dark Sorcerers, Orcs, and others into endless terror. They could not bear his gaze, collapsing and trembling.
The gaze, enveloped in black smoke and flames, ignored these ants and instead landed directly on the fiery Eye of Sauron atop Barad-dûr.
"Sauron, my servant, what is it you wish by summoning me here from the Void?"
Morgoth's gaze easily pierced through the Eye of Sauron, directly locking onto Sauron's spiritual form hidden within Barad-dûr.
Upon seeing his former master, Sauron, the Dark Lord himself, was filled with immense reverence.
"Great Dark Lord Morgoth! Since you were banished to the Void, as your servant, I inherited your will to conquer the entire world of Arda and bring it under your dominion.
However, those Elves and men, aided by the envoys sent by the Valar from the West, resisted me. I was gravely wounded, losing my form and power, and now I cannot continue to fulfill your will. Therefore, I could only make a sacrifice to implore your arrival, to help me regain my power!
Once I conquer the entire world of Arda, I will surely help you break free from your bonds and allow you to descend upon this land once more!"
Hearing Sauron's words, Morgoth sneered, looking at him with mocking amusement.
"My once most trusted servant, you are always so cunning and eloquent. I can see your ambition. You, who wish to rule the world, are probably less willing for me to return than those hypocrites in the West!
Have you summoned my will to descend now because you have reached a dead end and are forced to try and use my power to restore your strength?"
Sauron, whose true thoughts had been exposed, instantly dropped his respectful demeanor, revealing boundless ambition and majesty.
"Morgoth, how about we make a deal? You lend me your power to help me rule the world. In return, I will help you break free from your bonds and return from the Void."
"Is this your true face? Very good! No wonder you became the second Dark Lord after my downfall. I appreciate you more and more, Sauron." Morgoth did not rage at Sauron's disrespect; instead, he looked at him with increasing appreciation.
After the War of Wrath in the First Age, Morgoth was banished to the Void outside the world.
But upon having a will projected through the sacrificial array, he instantly gained countless pieces of information, understanding everything that had happened from the War of Wrath until now.
It was also for this reason that Morgoth greatly admired Sauron, his former servant, even though he had betrayed him, or rather, taken his place.
Due to the vast disparity in power and status, Morgoth directly overwhelmed the world with his immense strength.
Sauron, however, possessing only Maia-level power, relied on cunning and schemes to cause the sinking of Númenor and nearly brought Middle-earth under his rule at one point.
Such achievements astonished and impressed Morgoth.
After all, Morgoth had many Maia-level beings under his command, but only Sauron achieved such feats.
So Morgoth agreed, "I can accept the deal you propose."
Sauron's heart immediately rejoiced at the news.
As one of his most trusted servants, Sauron naturally knew Morgoth's strength very well.
As long as Morgoth agreed to help him regain his power, even without the one ring, he could fully regain his form and return to his peak strength.
"However... I am currently in the Void outside Arda, far away, and my power cannot reach. So, if you wish to borrow my power, you must sacrifice more lives. Only then can more of my power descend upon Arda to help you regain your strength."
"That is not a problem. However many sacrifices you desire, I can provide them!" Sauron said without hesitation.
He had nearly a million Orcs under his command, purely for cannon fodder. Even sacrificing half of them would be nothing if it meant regaining his power.
But Morgoth looked at the Orcs with disdain, rejecting Sauron's idea.
"The offerings I need are not these defective creations of mine, but the Children of Ilúvatar. Only their blood and souls can be the best nourishment for me, allowing me to break through the barriers of Arda and for my power to successfully descend into the world, helping you regain your strength."
Hearing Morgoth's words, Sauron hesitated and asked, "Then how many offerings do you need?"
If it was a few hundred or a thousand, he could have his Orcs capture them.
But if tens of thousands were needed, it would require launching a large-scale war to find enough offerings from places like Gondor or Rohan.
However, Morgoth's demand still exceeded Sauron's expectations: "If you wish for your power to return to its peak and for you to regain your form, then at least a million Children of Ilúvatar are needed as offerings."
Hearing Morgoth's requested number, even Sauron was startled.
It should be known that the combined population of Gondor and Rohan probably did not even reach a million.
To gather a million sacrifices, even if Gondor and Rohan were completely annihilated and all their people captured, it would not be enough.
Unless Easterlings, Southrons, and others were added, it would barely suffice.
Such a number would be no smaller than the Great Plague disaster of the past.
But in order to gain power and thus rule and conquer the entire world, Sauron had no intention of abandoning this option.
Once he gained immense power, he would be able to sweep aside all factions, annihilate all resisting enemies, and reclaim his one ring.
With the one ring, his power would ascend to another level, making him the strongest person in Middle-earth.
The only hidden danger was that after the sacrifice, while Sauron borrowed Morgoth's power, Morgoth, far away in the Void outside the world, would also regain power through the sacrifice.
One day, Morgoth would break free from his shackles and descend upon Arda once more.
At that time, Sauron would have to face Morgoth, who was countless times more powerful than him.
Sauron, with his ambition to rule the world, having tasted the flavor of power, naturally did not wish to be subservient again, to be a slave or servant, and relinquish the power in his hands.
However, as a Maia, no matter how powerful Sauron became, he could ultimately not compare to Morgoth, who was a Vala.
But Sauron could not worry about such things for now; he only wanted to regain his strength as quickly as possible, then rule and conquer the world, becoming its master.
At that time, he might be able to find a way to prevent Morgoth from descending upon Arda.
More importantly, both Morgoth and Sauron desired to rule the world not only for supreme power but also for an unknown secret.
That secret was that upon becoming the master of the world, the master would gain supreme authority and power.
Morgoth, as the most powerful Vala, yearned to possess the authority of Ilúvatar, which is why he sought to rule Arda and usurp Ilúvatar's position.
Sauron, as a Maia, naturally did not have the right to know this secret.
However, as one of Morgoth's most trusted servants, deeply influenced by him, and having almost ruled all of Middle-earth during his heyday, he gradually discerned a subtle secret.
That is why he resorted to all means, trying every possible way to rule the world.
He even disguised himself as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, and used the Elves to forge the rings of power, intending to control the kings of the three races—Elves, Men, and Dwarves—through the rings of power, and thereby rule the entire world.