"Bilbo, I didn't expect to see you here too!"
That day, Mike, who was strolling with Elf Princess in Rivendell, unexpectedly saw Bilbo outside the library.
The Hobbit, who was already one hundred and eleven years old, was leaning back in a lounge chair outside the Elves library, leisurely sunbathing and smoking pipe-weed from the Shire.
Several books were scattered beside him…
He looked very much at ease.
It must be said that Rivendell, with its beautiful environment, was indeed very suitable for retirement.
"Oh, Mr. Mike, it's so good to see you!" Bilbo stood up and gave Mike a hug, then continued, "You're as radiant as ever…"
At the same time, the Hobbit also saw the Elf Princess accompanying Mike.
His eyes held an indescribable envy.
The average lifespan of a Hobbit was around one hundred years, and Bilbo, having lived one hundred and eleven years, had already experienced a sufficiently eventful life.
However, there were many regrets in his life, such as not having met his other half.
"You look much older, and your spirit seems unusually weary…" Mike observed Bilbo and then said, "Let me help you."
Although Bilbo currently looked like he was enjoying life, there was a sense of decrepitude about him, as if he was waiting for death to arrive.
In short, it was quite contradictory…
Under the baptism of Mike's [Guardian Power], Bilbo felt as if he was soaking in a hot spring, his mind and body both relaxing.
Especially his spirit, the traces of erosion by the One Ring were fading little by little.
"I feel full of strength, like I'm sixty years younger. Thank you, Mike!" After the healing, Bilbo was pleasantly surprised to find his aging body regaining vitality.
This feeling was indeed cause for joy for an old man.
"Your body was already good; I just helped you treat some hidden injuries." Mike said with a smile, "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you can live at least another fifty or sixty years."
If side effects were not considered, the One Ring originally had the ability to grant its holder longevity.
For example, the previous ring holder, Gollum, had lived for over five hundred years and was still active in Middle-earth.
While Bilbo couldn't compare to Gollum, he had also possessed the One Ring for a full sixty years.
Ignoring the ring's erosion of the mind, Bilbo should have lived sixty years longer than an average Hobbit.
Mike had now helped him remove the negative hidden dangers of the One Ring, allowing Bilbo to enjoy the benefits he was originally supposed to.
"I'll take your word for it." Bilbo, who clearly felt much better, said with a smile, "Fifty or sixty years is too long; I dare not hope for it. I only need another ten or twenty years; after all, there are still many places in Middle-earth waiting for me to explore."
In recent years, Bilbo had actually been traveling in the Shire, Rivendell, and Erebor, among other places. He had never been to places like the Northern Highlands and the southern country of Gondor.
Moreover, from Bilbo's expression, although his words were humble, out of trust in Mike, he already believed that he still had half a lifetime to live.
One hundred and eleven years plus sixty years, wasn't that half a lifetime?
Of course, this realization was also a good thing for Bilbo.
The mind affecting the body was not an empty phrase.
"Come, try the fruit wine I brought from the Old Forest." Mike, seeing through it but not saying anything, generously took out the colorful fruit wine to celebrate.
And Bilbo, having shed his "shackles," enthusiastically contributed the high-quality pipe-weed he brought from the Shire, sharing it with Mike.
"By the way, I heard you came to Rivendell with Frodo and the others this time. What happened?" After tasting the magical fruit wine, Bilbo shifted the topic to his nephew.
It seemed that although the Hobbit had been staying in the library, he hadn't cut off contact with the outside world.
"It's about that ring. Gandalf wants to destroy that One Ring through Frodo." Mike revealed a bit of information about the One Ring.
"Indeed, Frodo has also embarked on his journey. I had long guessed that this day would come…" Bilbo thought for a moment and did not mention the strange ring again, then continued, "With you and Gandalf watching over Frodo, I am very relieved."
Bilbo had a deep understanding of the One Ring's strangeness, so even though he was in Rivendell with Frodo, he had no intention of seeing his nephew.
"What are your plans next?" Mike, sensing something, also stopped mentioning the One Ring.
"I plan to go to the Northern Highlands in a couple of days to explore and leave no regrets in my life…" As expected, Bilbo no longer wanted to be associated with that ring.
To avoid suspicion, he had even decided to leave Rivendell, a place of trouble.
"Then I wish you a smooth journey and a pleasant trip!!!" Mike said with a smile, "Come, drink—!"
The hidden dangers in the Northern Highlands had largely been resolved by Gandalf, Aragorn, and Legolas. Frodo going there now was a good timing.
"Come, drink. Thank you for taking care of me all these years…" Bilbo, being able to travel in Middle-earth for so many years without incident, was clearly a smart person.
Naturally, he could also perceive the effect of the [Guardian Power] Mike had given him sixty years ago.
Plus this treatment…
It made Bilbo feel that he owed Mike a lot.
Unable to express his gratitude, everything was in the wine…
Then, as expected, Bilbo, whose emotions fluctuated greatly, got drunk shortly after.
…
After settling Bilbo, Mike and Elven Princess Arwen walked back side by side.
"You seem exceptionally friendly towards that Hobbit." Arwen suddenly spoke.
Her tone even carried a hint of "jealousy."
When Mike was drinking and chatting with the Hobbit, Elf Princess had quietly stayed by his side, like a virtuous wife.
However, no matter how much she observed, she couldn't find anything special about that Hobbit that would warrant Mike's preferential treatment.
"People always choose to be friends with good people, and Bilbo is undoubtedly a good person." Mike patiently explained.
Compared to Gollum, Bilbo was the only one who had possessed the One Ring for so long without losing his mind.
In some ways, Bilbo was even "superior" to his nephew Frodo.
He was a good person to whom one could entrust their back.
Although Mike didn't "need" him, he didn't mind having such a friend.
"Can you tell me his story? If I remember correctly, sixty years ago he seemed to be a member of that Dwarf Adventure Squad that went to Erebor." Elven Princess Arwen asked with interest.
It was also a way to have more topics and spend more time with Mike.
The Elves's view of emotions was like this: all emotions were written on their faces, direct and passionate.
Arwen didn't know why, but after sixty years, she suddenly felt an indescribable attachment to this human in front of her.
Perhaps there was a "kingly" aura about him, or perhaps he just happened to fit her aesthetic perfectly.
'Perhaps this is what the Elves call love/'
Arwen, walking behind Mike towards the resting area, secretly glanced at Mike's perfect profile, and a sweet feeling brewed in her heart.
…
The next day, Mike didn't wait for Gandalf and the others, but he did see Bilbo with his packed bags.
It seemed that the Hobbit, reinvigorated with new life, really needed a spontaneous trip.
After agreeing to visit Erebor later, Bilbo headed towards the Northern Highlands with his bags.
Three more days passed, and as Mike and Elf Princess were growing closer, Gandalf arrived in Rivendell with Aragorn and Legolas.
This also signaled that the Holy White Council was about to begin.
"First, I'll state the situation: the One Ring has been found. Now, what we need to discuss is how to deal with it…"
After resting for a night, White Wizard Gandalf gathered everyone the next morning and opened the council in the Great Hall of Rivendell.
Among them, besides Mike, Queen Galadriel and Celeborn, Gimli the Dwarf, and Boromir, the Great Prince of Gondor, Frodo and his three companions, and another White Wizard, Saruman, were also present.
Yes, White Wizard Saruman had also arrived; he had only come to Rivendell half a day before Gandalf and the other two.
Compared to his previous high profile, Saruman, who was now like a ghost in the corner, seemed to be deliberately lowering his presence.
"Frodo, bring it out—" As the leader of this council, Gandalf looked around at everyone present, then fixed his gaze on Frodo.
"Y-Yes," Frodo, who became the center of attention, stepped forward with a hint of nervousness, pulled out the envelope containing the One Ring, and then poured the ring onto the stone table in front of him.
Immediately, everyone's eyes were drawn to the unadorned golden ring.
Some had longing in their eyes, others had complex expressions.
"The danger of the One Ring needs no further explanation from me. I personally propose sending it to Mount Doom to be destroyed…" Seeing everyone staring at the ring without speaking, Gandalf was the first to voice his thoughts.
"I agree with Mithrandir's proposal to destroy the One Ring." After a long silence, Queen Galadriel, with a sorrowful expression, stated her intention.
This also meant that the Elven Queen was prepared to lead her people away from Middle-earth.
And as Queen Galadriel expressed her stance, Celeborn of the Ñoldor Elves and Elrond, the Elven King of the Sindar Elves, also nodded in succession.
At this point, two of the three Elves had agreed to destroy the One Ring.
"I believe that for the peace of Middle-earth, my father Thranduil will also agree to destroy the One Ring." Following this, Elf Prince Legolas also expressed the stance of the Grey Elves.
The resolution of the problem with the three Elves, which was the biggest obstacle to destroying the ring as expected, made Gandalf breathe a sigh of relief.
"Aren't you making too much of a fuss? It's just destroying a ring. Watch me smash it now…"
Gimli's fiery temper made him unable to stand the solemn atmosphere.
So, to everyone's surprised gazes, Gimli stepped forward, raised his battle-axe, and struck the One Ring heavily.
With a "ding," the axe blade chipped.
The Dwarf was also flung back by a powerful rebound force. Thankfully, someone reached out to steady him, preventing Gimli from making a fool of himself.
"Tha…" Before Gimli could finish his thanks, he saw that the person who caught him was Elf Prince Legolas, so he said haughtily, "Even if I fell, I wouldn't be hurt, so don't think I'll thank you."
Gimli's generation of Dwarves grew up under Thorin's influence, and Thorin at that time was still hostile towards the Elves.
Although Thorin had now made peace with the Elves, habits were hard to change.
Especially habits formed during the development of one's worldview.
"Suit yourself—" Legolas had already learned the reason from his father sixty years ago, so he didn't pay much attention to Gimli's reaction.
It was evident that the Elf Prince, having trained in the Northern Highlands for sixty years, had matured greatly compared to before.
"Hmph!" Gimli, whose punch landed on cotton, feigned dissatisfaction with a cold snort, then clutched his battle-axe with a pained expression.
The pea-sized chip on the axe blade also proved that the One Ring was very hard and difficult to destroy by force.
"The best way to destroy the One Ring is to take it to Mount Doom, where it was forged, and melt it in the lava…" Gandalf stepped forward at the opportune moment and said, "And Frodo, who can resist the temptation of the One Ring, is the best person to accomplish this task."
At the same time, the Wizard also introduced Frodo and his three companions to everyone.
Pippin and Merry had been running wild in beautiful Rivendell for several days and were completely uninhibited, now waving heartily to everyone.
They seemed quite pleased to be the center of attention.
As for honest Sam, he quietly stood behind Mr. Frodo, his expression tinged with apprehension.
As for Frodo, after the initial nervousness, he had now calmed down.
At least from his expression, he gave off a "reliable" feeling.
This made many who were quietly observing him nod in approval.
"Look, what an excellent young man. To be able to resist the temptation of the ring at such an age, please allow me to express my respect…"
It was at this moment that Boromir, the Great Prince of Gondor, spoke as if possessed, praising Frodo, and at the same time quickly walked to the stone table, staring at the One Ring, "This is truly beautiful… I mean, truly evil…"
However, while everyone was confused, Boromir suddenly reached out and grabbed the One Ring.
It happened so suddenly that no one expected Boromir, the Great Prince of Gondor, to covet the power of the ring.
Of course, these people did not include Mike.
"You want it?" Mike picked up the One Ring first and turned to look at the exasperated Great Prince.
"I knew it, the power of the One Ring is not irresistible. As long as one can resist the temptation, one can use this power…" Boromir's face gradually turned ferocious, and he roared, "Give it to me! I will use this power to lead Gondor to defeat Mordor—"
It was clear that Gondor, as the first line of defense against the forces of Mordor, had not been easy in recent years.
Boromir, the Great Prince of Gondor, had clearly had his inner obsession stirred by the One Ring.
"You think you can resist the temptation?" Mike said with interest, "Then try it."
With that, Mike threw the ring to Boromir.
If he didn't let the other party feel the "power" of the One Ring, the other party would certainly not be content.
Mike assured himself that he was absolutely not deliberately making Boromir "make a fool of himself" because he disliked him.
"No—"
Gandalf, who hadn't had time to be surprised that Mike could resist the danger of the ring, then saw him throw the ring to the Great Prince of Gondor, who was clearly tempted.
"Hahaha, is this what it feels like to have power!!! Everyone should bow to me, what wizards, Elves, and damn Lords of Erebor, in front of me you will be nothing…"
Perhaps he had been suppressed for too long, but the moment Boromir obtained the One Ring, he was instantly controlled by its power.
With a black aura shrouding his face, even his voice became deep.
He looked exactly like a villainous big boss.
"It seems you can't resist the temptation, not even for a second." Mike looked at Boromir, whose eyes were gradually turning bloodshot, and with a stretch of his hand, he took the ring off the other party's finger.
Although the power of the One Ring was strong, if the holder was not capable, the power that could be exerted would be very limited.
How to describe Boromir? Although he craved power, as the Great Prince of Gondor, he actually had his own bottom line.
A person who wanted to control the power of the ring, and a ring that wanted to control its holder.
Clearly, the compatibility between the two was not good.
"How about it, do you still want to possess it now?" Mike, having retrieved the One Ring, looked at Boromir again.
"No, please take it away. Such a dangerous thing should be destroyed…" The previously ignorant and fearless Boromir paid a small price for his actions.
Even though he only touched the One Ring for a few seconds, all his vitality had been drained by the ring.
At this moment, his gaze towards the ring was once again filled with dread.
That look of rejection was somewhat similar to Bilbo when he discarded the ring.