bookbashuk Chapter 158 The Unquenchable Flame
Chapter 158 The Unquenchable Flame
Chapter 158 The Unquenchable Flame
Dui traded another can of Ente drink with Shuxu, but he didn't drink it right away.
According to Treebeard, the Ent drink is very potent and has a strong aftereffect. Treebeard himself prefers to lie down after drinking the Ent drink to prevent the effects of the drink from rushing to his head.
Drinking too much can put a strain on the body, so it is not recommended that Dui drink it again in a short period of time.
Dui heeded the advice and divided a can of Ent drink into three portions, putting them into three bottles.
I'll save a bottle for later and drink it.
He gave the other two bottles to Gandalf and Alvin respectively.
But Gandalf shook his head and refused: "I've had this drink many times, it's no longer useful to me, and besides, if I wanted to drink it..."
If they can find tree roots to beg for water, they don't need to waste it on me.
The tree tendrils nodded in agreement, indicating that there was plenty.
Seeing this, Dui didn't insist any further: "In that case, Gandalf, I'll leave your share to Bilbo."
Gandalf laughed even harder upon hearing this, and exclaimed, "Then I'm really looking forward to Bilbo becoming the tallest hobbit!"
Alvin had originally intended to refuse the bottle of Ent drink and let Dui drink it himself.
However, Dui did not give her a chance to refuse and stuffed it directly into her hand.
He has no shortage of Ent drinks. Once he returns to Windrise and makes growth potions, he can exchange them for more Ent drinks from Tree Fiend.
After the matter of the Ent beverage was settled, Gandalf then asked Duy why he had come to see him.
Dui did not answer immediately, but instead took out the unconscious Firebird from his spatial bag.
Looking at the large, red bird radiating intense heat before him, Gandalf was both surprised and puzzled: "What kind of bird is this? Why have I never seen one before?"
As the oldest tree-man, Treebeard also indicated that this was the first time he had seen it.
"Its body is like a furnace, capable of spewing flames at any time, somewhat similar to a fire-breathing dragon. Could it be a hybrid of a fire-breathing dragon and a bird?"
Treebeard is very wary of this fire-breathing bird. Although he is not afraid of flames, the trees in the forest are.
Alvin was also seeing this creature for the first time and asked curiously, "Duir, what kind of bird is this? Where did you find it?"
Faced with the three people's questioning and curious gazes, Dui directly explained his magical experiment.
"So, you created this firebird?" Gandalf was very surprised.
Dui shook his head. "It's not quite creation yet. I'm just trying to combine the magic circulation systems of the giant eagle and the dragon."
A magical transformation was performed on the original Orc, unexpectedly creating this fire-breathing firebird.
"That's quite an impressive feat!" Gandalf exclaimed, looking at the Firebird in amazement. "Who would have thought it would be formed from an Orc?"
Alwen, however, had a look of sudden realization: "No wonder when I was in the Valley not long ago, Father received news that the Orc stronghold in the northern Gram Mountains had been destroyed. Did you go there to capture Orcs for experiments?"
Dui smiled and nodded. "Magic transformation is very dangerous. If I want to find test subjects, I have no choice but to cause trouble for these Ocs."
None of them found it inappropriate for Dui to use the Orc to conduct magical experiments.
After all, the Orks are a dark race that is inherently cruel and evil, and neither Gandalf, Treebeard, nor Arwen would have any saintly compassion for them.
"So, Dui, how do you want me to help you?" Gandalf asked curiously.
"I want to use this firebird as a model to create a more powerful and sacred bird that can be reborn from the ashes. When its body begins to decay, it will plunge into the flames and be reborn from the ashes—" Dui explained his understanding of the phoenix and used his wand to depict the image of the phoenix.
Gazing at the lifelike image of the phoenix in mid-air, and listening to Dui's constant talk about the phoenix's abilities, Gandalf's eyes gleamed with countless lights, and wisdom and inspiration surged through his mind.
After Duy finished explaining his vision of the phoenix, Gandalf exclaimed in amazement, "I truly don't know how you came up with such a perfect creature, Duy! If I didn't know that such a wondrous species doesn't exist in this world, I would actually believe it does!"
Treebeard and Alvin nodded in agreement.
Alwen, in particular, looked at the phoenix portrait with amazement, her eyes filled with delight.
The way she looked at Dui again sparkled even more brightly.
"Duir, what's the name of this beautiful creature?"
"A phoenix, or rather, an immortal bird!"
"Phoenix, what a beautiful name!" Alvin exclaimed.
Duy looked hopefully at Gandalf: "Gandalf, the phoenix I envision is a spirit born from fire, able to live on fire without being extinguished, and your understanding of fire is unparalleled, so I would like to seek your help."
"Ah, Duir, I dare not accept your praise. I know little about fire," Gandalf said modestly. "But since you wish to create a creature like the phoenix, I will certainly do my best."
Duy was very happy to hear that Gandalf had agreed to help.
So the two of them began studying the firebird at their home in the Treebeard Forest of Fangon.
Alwen, on the other hand, became friends with Treebeard, often sitting on Treebeard's shoulders and following him on patrols in the forest. She even visited other tree people, receiving a lot of gifts such as fruits, flowers, and beautiful stones.
Gandalf possessed profound wisdom and insight, and his understanding of fire reached an extremely high level.
Under Gandalf's guidance, Dui gradually improved the Firebird's magic circulation system.
Under the power of the Fire Ring, the Firebird evolved once again, truly becoming a "Firebird" engulfed in flames.
Instead of a fire-breathing bird.
However, the two ultimately got stuck on the Nirvana step.
Both of them felt a pang of regret as they watched the firebird turn to ashes before their eyes.
However, they also found the key to the phoenix's rebirth.
That requires two conditions: one is the fire of Nirvana, and the other is magic power.
The Flame of Nirvana, as the Phoenix's innate flame, allows the Phoenix to be reborn from the ashes.
The immense magical power ensured the phoenix's successful rebirth.
Both are indispensable.
The natal fire that condenses the phoenix cannot be an ordinary flame, but a flame with the attribute of immortality.
And in this world, there exists a flame that possesses the attribute of immortality.
One is the fire of Arno, which is the fire of the sun.
But the sun is high in the sky, extremely hot, and ordinary people cannot get close to it, let alone obtain its flames.
The fire that Gandalf can summon in Arnor is essentially just sunlight, not the actual fire of the sun.
Both are the dark fire of the Balrog.
The Balrog is essentially a corrupted Maiar. Its flames, in contrast to the Arno Fire, are a symbol of power and possess immense destructive force. They accompany the Balrog and are an inextinguishable flame.
The three are the flames of Naya, the Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire contains magical power related to fire, a magical fire that is not visible to the naked eye, and is also the source of the Ring of Fire's power.
In addition, there is an even more mysterious flame—the Secret Flame.
The Secret Flame exists in the Void, a power that can give life and matter to things. Ilúvatar uses it to endow creations with free will and real life, and to infuse them with soul.
The Secret Flame is unique to Ilúvatar, and only he can control it. Morgoth was jealous of the Secret Flame and tried to find it in the Void, but never succeeded.
Even Morgoth couldn't find this kind of flame, let alone Dui, so it's not even worth considering.
In addition, there is another kind of ancient flame, similar to the immortal flame of Gubulai, which is in Dui's hands.
However, this flame is essentially formed from Dui's magic. Although it can remain burning forever, it is not truly immortal.
Gandalf told Dui everything about the inextinguishable fire that existed in the world of Arda, without reservation.
He didn't even hide the secret of Naya, the Fire Ring in his possession.
Dui felt overwhelmed after hearing this.
After eliminating the unattainable Secret Fire and Arno Fire, only the Flame Demon Fire and Naya Fire remain.
The Ring of Fire, Naya, was on Gandalf's hand, right in front of him.
But Dui would not stole Naya's flame in order to condense the flame of Nirvana.
The only option then is the fire of the Balrog!
Moreover, he also happened to know the location of a Flame Demon.
But Dui was not happy at all.
After all, that's a Flame Demon!
It was the existence that forced Gandalf to perish together with it.
Dui was almost ready to give up; perhaps he could temporarily put aside the matter of the Phoenix.
We'll consider dealing with the Flame Demon when we're stronger in the future.
Gandalf noticed Dui's hesitation and said with a smile, "Perhaps I can tell you some good news that can resolve your worries."
"What news?" Dui asked, puzzled.
"I recently received word that the dwarves of Lonely Mountain are planning to retake Moria. Perhaps you could cooperate with them again."
"What? They want to reclaim Moria?" Dui was very surprised. "Have they forgotten that Moria has Balrogs?"
5
After all, the dwarves awakened the Balrog, which was slumbering deep within Moria, when they were mining mithril, causing Moria to fall.
After that, Moria was occupied by the orcs, and the Balrogs took up residence deep in the mines, which was an open secret in Middle-earth.
Are the dwarves of Lonely Mountain so confident that they can defeat the Balrog and reclaim Moria?
Gandalf sighed, looking helpless. "Shouldn't you know the dwarves' character? Moria is the birthplace of the Durin people, and it's rich in treasures and mithril mines. They'll never give it up."
"Thorin and his companions once dared to venture to Lonely Mountain, risking the very existence of the dragon Smaug. It's not surprising that they now wish to reclaim Moria."
"When are they planning to go to Moria?" Dui asked.
"They know about the Balrog's situation, so they are still discussing it and haven't made a decision yet," Gandalf said.
"However, with you joining, I think they'll make a decision quickly, after all, the title of Dragon Lord is enough to boost their confidence!"
Upon hearing this, Dui gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Gandalf, you overestimate me. To be honest, I have no confidence in the Balrog at all, and even if I cooperate with the dwarves, I'm afraid we don't have much of a chance of winning!"
The Balrog is a Maia-level being, possessing an immortal soul and powerful magical abilities. It has occupied Moria for thousands of years, and its mere existence is enough to turn the entire region into a forbidden zone.
Even if Dui and the dragon Smaug joined forces, they were no match for each other.
Gandalf chuckled upon hearing this: "Don't be so unsure, Duir. I'll come and help when the time comes."
"We can definitely defeat the Flame Demon!"
Dui's eyes lit up instantly.
"Gandalf, are you going too?"
Gandalf smiled and nodded: "Of course, how could I miss out on such a lively event?"