Chapter 350: Sauron's Assault

Chapter 350: Sauron's Assault

"Lucien, my daughter, be sure to protect yourself well out there. If there's any danger, return to Doriath immediately."

At the borders of Doriath, Thingol and his wife Melian were reluctantly giving their parting words to their daughter Lucien.

It had been seven days since George arrived in the Grey Elf Kingdom. After a rigorous selection process, the team heading to Dorthonion was finally chosen and ready to depart.

"Don't worry. I may not like fighting, but that doesn't mean I'm weak.

I promise you both, I'll return every three to five years."

Lucien embraced Thingol and Melian, then leapt onto the back of her stag and signaled to Galadriel beside her.

In the elves' perception of time, three to five years were about the same as three to five days for humans.

Galadriel, clad in elven armor, drew the long sword from her waist and, full of spirit, commanded the elite force of over two hundred Grey Elves:

"March! To the Elven City of Dorthonion!"

And so, the convoy, mounted on great-horned stags, began moving in the direction of what was once the Valley of Death.

Elves typically rode great-horned stags, with only a few choosing horses. Humans mostly used horses, while dwarves, due to their height, seldom rode horses and instead mostly rode pigs or goats.

As for the orcs, they rarely rode mounts. Only a few elite orcs had dire wolves as their steeds.

Dire wolves were the offspring of demon wolves and hyenas. Their size rivaled or even surpassed that of horses, and they were incredibly vicious, with extraordinary combat power.

"I actually have magic that could instantly take you all to Dorthonion. There's no need to spend days on the road."

George buried a portal key he had crafted beneath an ancient tree at the edge of the protective barrier. Seeing that Lucien and her group were ready to depart, he mounted his steed and caught up.

The protective barrier blocked spatial abilities, so his Apparition and portal key couldn't be used inside.

But once outside the barrier, there was no issue.

So, if Lucien and the others were willing, he could immediately place the entire group of Grey Elves and their belongings into a spatial box and teleport them straight into the Elven City of Dorthonion.

"I think they would rather walk this road themselves. Just like me, it's their first time leaving Doriath, their first time seeing the outside world."

Lucien shook her head with a smile, pointing to the members of the convoy who were filled with curiosity about the world beyond the forest.

The Grey Elf Kingdom was protected by Melian's barrier. Though peaceful and secure, it also trapped the Grey Elves within.

Most of them, like Lucien, had never left the kingdom nor seen the outside world, living their lives within the primeval forest, seeing nothing but sky and trees.

So, when they stepped beyond the barrier, they were overwhelmed with emotion, filled with curiosity about everything beyond the forest.

"That's fine too. At our current pace, we'll reach there in no more than five days."

George nodded without insisting.

To him, it made little difference. Whether in Dorthonion or on the road, he could still discuss magic with Lucien and Galadriel. The journey didn't hinder his magical studies.

A mere march couldn't interrupt his research.

"It's a pity you purified the Valley of Death. Otherwise, the journey might have been more entertaining."

Galadriel gazed at the now-transformed valley, her tone filled with regret.

Had the valley remained as it was, there would have been many dark creatures, and she could have stretched her limbs with a few good fights.

"I think it's better this way—peaceful and safe. We can enjoy various beautiful sceneries without worrying about danger!"

Lucien, riding atop her great-horned stag, reached out and gently stroked the branches swaying above her head. Instantly, they turned green, sprouted new buds, and bloomed into beautiful flowers.

"George, is that the legendary Gorgoroth Mountains?"

Two days later, when the Grey Elf convoy reached the heart of what had once been a terrifying valley, Lucien excitedly tugged on George's sleeve, pointing toward a looming mountain range ahead.

It was the first time she had seen such a majestic range with her own eyes.

"Yes, once we cross that mountain range, we'll arrive at Dorthonion."

George smiled and nodded.

Lucien showed a trace of surprise:

"Cross it? Shouldn't we go around it?"

She had heard from Galadriel that the Gorgoroth Mountains, also known as the Dread Mountains, were home to countless venomous giant spiders. The entire range was covered with their webs.

Even Morgoth's orc armies had to go around them in the past, and the elves were no different.

"Going around is a waste of time. Besides, I need a clear route between Dorthonion and Doriath for future exchanges."

George's meaning was simple. He intended to take this opportunity to eliminate all the giant spiders in the Dread Mountains.

The ancestors of these spiders were Ungoliant, a dark deity in spider form. She once used her webs to shroud Morgoth, helping him evade the gods' detection and infiltrate the Two Trees of Valinor.

After Morgoth struck down the Two Trees, Ungoliant drained their sap and even drank from Varda's Wells, greatly increasing her power.

When she returned to Middle-earth, she tried to entrap Morgoth in her webs and kill him to take the three Silmarils for herself, but was driven away by the Balrog army Morgoth summoned.

So these giant spiders were extremely powerful—ordinary elves were no match for them.

But to George, they were nothing.

These spiders, like their ancestor, feared fire—and George was highly skilled in flame magic, especially large-scale fire magic.

"Looks like this trip won't be so boring after all!"

Galadriel instantly raised both hands in approval upon hearing George's plan.

Yet, just as the group continued their journey, laughing and talking, George suddenly frowned:

"Quick, alert everyone to stop. We have enemies."

He sensed a familiar dark power swiftly approaching.

Galadriel and Lucien also seemed to have sensed it and simultaneously shouted:

"Stop! Defensive formation!"

The Grey Elves, who moments ago were like carefree tourists, froze at the command, then quickly formed a defensive formation.

But it was clear they hadn't seen battle in a long time—their formation was full of flaws, enough to make George, who knew little of such tactics, roll his eyes.

Just then, a red cloud flew in from the distance and landed neatly before the convoy.

It was none other than Sauron, who had received Morgoth's orders and led his vampire guard across the Dread Mountains, searching the Valley of Death for days without finding any clues.

(End of Chapter)