"It feels a little too quiet."
Garrett took out a torch and began walking up the staircase step by step.
"Saruman, are you there? If you don't come out, I'll just burn this tower to the ground!" he called out, but after waiting for a while, there was still no response.
That confirmed it. Saruman really wasn't here. Otherwise, the old man would've already stormed out, staff in hand, ready to curse him out.
Tap.
The sound of footsteps echoed sharply in the silent, dark tower. Garrett walked upward, carefully observing his surroundings. He kept going until he reached the very top.
Whoosh.
The torch ignited the lamp pillars, filling the room once again with a warm yellow glow.
No one was there.
He looked around, only some scattered notes, a messy desk, and a bit of the balcony floor that was scorched, as if struck by lightning.
"It must've been karma."
Garrett shook his head.
It seemed the battle had been even fiercer than he imagined. Judging from the traces left behind, that lightning was powerful enough to seriously injure even him, never mind Gandalf or Saruman.
"Huh?"
Just as he finished searching the top floor and was about to check elsewhere, a faint silver light flickered in an inconspicuous corner of the floor, catching his eye.
He crouched down and picked up the glimmering object.
"A ring? A nether star?!"
That really startled him.
"Could it be made by Saruman?"
Who else could it be?
He grabbed a few scattered notes from the floor, rummaged through Saruman's old manuscripts, and finally found a name.
"The Ring of Stars."
It was a Ring of Power infused with the energy of a nether star, granting the wearer considerable enhancements.
"Its power is slightly above that of the Three Rings, but far inferior to the One Ring."
He could sense a trace of bitterness in Saruman's writing.
The White Wizard, or as he liked to call himself, "Saruman of Many Colors," was still obsessively fixated on the One Ring, thinking about it all the time.
Hmm... but a Ring of Power, huh.
He studied the Ring of Stars resting in his palm, thinking.
Every Ring of Power possessed its own unique, almost law-like authority and bestowed distinct enhancements. So what could this one, fused with a nether star, actually do?
Driven by curiosity, he slipped the ring onto his finger.
Far away, in a dark, spike-covered iron cage, a tattered Saruman suddenly opened his eyes.
A smug smile crept onto his lips.
"Interesting."
The moment Garrett put on the ring, he felt the change.
Power surged from the Ring of Stars and spread throughout his entire body.
The first and most obvious effect, his health. It immediately increased by half, rising to thirty points. Simply wearing the ring gave him a permanent health boost buff.
Then came a strange sensation: his mind felt clearer, his vision sharper, his senses keener, his reactions faster...
And now, for the first time, he could vaguely perceive the existence of magic itself, something usually reserved for Elves or a few gifted beings.
Finally, the Ring of Stars granted a unique enhancement to his strength, not the "Strength" value shown on the status screen, but a deeper, intrinsic power.
In simpler terms, it directly amplified his attack power by a certain percentage, roughly by 20%. These effects weren't shown in any attribute or buff panel, but Garrett could clearly feel them.
"So this is what a Ring of Power is like... No wonder so many covet them, willing to risk their souls just to possess one."
Even on Garrett, who was technically just human, the ring provided all these buffs. For a wizard of greater innate power, the enhancements would be even more dramatic.
In a sense, the ring's effects scaled proportionally with the wearer's own power.
Wait.
As he pondered the mysteries of the Ring of Stars, he suddenly felt a new intuition, a premonition tied to the ring's magical sensitivity.
"Oh... there's another feature I overlooked."
It could also act as a beacon.
After some thought, he decided to choose resistance enhancement.
After all, that function alone could grant 20% damage reduction at level one, a very useful perk indeed.
With Dragonflame Steel Armor, a runic shield, and a permanent resistance buff on top of that... he was now tougher than ever.
"Not bad at all."
Although its effect was one tier weaker than the maximum power of a beacon, only allowing him to pick a level-one buff, the Ring of Stars was, after all, a ring. It was far more convenient, gave bonuses only to the wearer, and didn't benefit any enemies.
Saruman had really forged something remarkable.
It was a pity the man himself was nowhere to be found. Otherwise, Garrett would have seriously considered paying some price to trade for this thing permanently.
His motivation to find Saruman grew even stronger.
But where on earth was that guy?
Garrett scratched his head in confusion.
The Ring of Stars seemed to offer some kind of mysterious guidance, but to Garrett, it felt like hearing a language he'd never learned before, only confusion in his mind.
He couldn't make sense of it.
Far away, somewhere unknown, the faint smile on a certain someone's lips slowly faded.
"Never mind. There are others more skilled in this sort of thing."
After carefully searching the Isengard valley one more time and confirming there were no other useful clues, he mounted his horse and started the ride back.
There was a Gandalf conveniently waiting at Wayfort. He could just ask him. And if he didn't understand, there was still Elrond. If that didn't work, he could always go to Lothlórien and consult Galadriel. Someone among them was bound to figure it out.
"Wait for me, Saruman."
---
"Boromir! Boromir!!"
In the eastern city of Osgiliath, Gondorian soldiers shouted the name of the man standing atop the highest ruins with passionate voices.
Boromir re-planted Gondor's banner on the rubble. Raising the iron sword in his hand, its edge glimmering faintly with an almost imperceptible light, he cried out, "This city was once the treasure of our kingdom, its brilliance, its beauty, its music all gathered here! And now, it shall shine once more!"
"Yeah!!"
His rousing words drew thunderous cheers from the soldiers.
"Let the armies of Mordor remember this, lands where our people dwell shall never again fall into enemy hands!"
"Osgiliath is reclaimed, for Gondor!"
"For Gondor!"
"For Gondor!!" The whole city roared in triumph.
Just a month ago, a Nazgûl had suddenly returned from who-knows-where, leading a full-scale invasion. Nearly every orc along the border had poured forth from Mordor.
That Nazgûl, mounted on his monstrous fell beast, was terrifying beyond words. The creature's screeches shook the heart, while the Nazgûl himself glowed like a sickly green sun in the air, radiating dread and malice.
Even with tall and sturdy walls, Osgiliath could not withstand such power. To ordinary Men, a Nazgûl was an overwhelming force. Without a way to counter it, they would be crushed utterly. Fortunately, no one knew how, the news came in advance, just before the Nazgûl's army arrived.
The two commanders stationed in the city then, Boromir and Faramir, held council. After much discussion, and under Faramir's firm insistence, they decided to withdraw for the time being.
The two of them were not afraid of the Nazgûl and were willing to face them head-on, but their soldiers were terrified. Once that aura of dread spread, their army would be useless. It was the right choice. They avoided needless losses.
Gondor's army crossed the great bridge, abandoning the eastern city of Osgiliath and defending the western side for many days. Then, after the Nazgûl suddenly received some new order and withdrew, Boromir led a counterattack, driving the orcs away with minimal casualties and reclaiming the east once more.
When Boromir descended from the ruins, Faramir immediately came forward. The moment they met, the two brothers laughed and embraced tightly.
Their brotherly bond needed no words.
"Nice speech, short and sharp," Faramir remarked approvingly.
"Gotta save time for a good drink!" Boromir grinned.
That was his reason for brevity.
"Hahahahaha!"
The brothers laughed together, celebrating their victory.
Until another person arrived.