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Speaking of this, Kael hesitated somewhat. For the material to make a staff shaft, he did have a large section of willow heartwood that could be used, but willow heartwood was only the most compatible magical wood he had encountered so far—it wasn't the best choice for a staff shaft.

Now that he had such a precious magical gem as the Elessar, he naturally wanted to find the most magically powerful wood to forge a mighty staff. In that case, willow heartwood seemed rather ordinary.

"Gandalf, you're well-traveled and knowledgeable. Do you have any recommendations for staff materials?"

Gandalf pondered for a moment, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "As far as I know, when it comes to the most magically powerful trees in Middle-earth, the Ent race would be among them. They are the Shepherds of the Trees created by Yavanna, the Vala of growing things. Even the Huorns in the Old Forest are under the Ents' dominion."

"Radagast has good relations with the Ents of Fangorn Forest. Perhaps we could ask him to help obtain a branch from an Ent to make a staff."

"Next would be the mallorn trees of Lothlórien. These are divine trees that grow in the blessed realm of Valinor in the West. They are descendants of the divine trees created by Yavanna in imitation of Laurelin, one of the Two Trees of old, and contain powerful magic."

"Lady Galadriel brought mallorn seeds to Lórien and planted them, which is why it's called the Golden Wood. If you want to use mallorn wood to make a staff, you'd need to go to Lórien and obtain Lady Galadriel's permission."

"There's another tree that's even harder to find—the White Tree. It's a descendant of Telperion, one of the Two Trees, and is the symbol of the Númenóreans and Gondor. There's a White Tree planted in Minas Tirith, the holy city of southern Gondor, but it has withered."

Hearing Gandalf's words, Kael pondered as well. Aside from the White Tree, which was too difficult to find and should be ruled out, the other two could be considered.

However, in comparison, the mallorn trees of Lórien seemed easier to obtain. After all, Galadriel had already invited him to visit Lórien, and he had promised to make a wand for Arwen.

As for Fangorn Forest, he'd heard the Ents there weren't very good-tempered, especially since he'd had conflicts with their relatives—the Huorns of the Old Forest. He wondered if that would affect things.

Well, he'd consider it later! Kael decided to think about this matter after the journey to the Lonely Mountain was over.

But speaking of staves, Kael had also promised to make a wand for Gandalf. The wand's shaft had long been completed—only the core was missing.

Lady Galadriel had given him five strands of hair. These strands contained magic and the light of the Two Trees, possessing incredible power—the best material for making wand cores.

Three strands belonged to the siblings Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen. Of the remaining two, one was originally intended as a test for Gandalf's wand core, but it turned out to be incompatible with him.

Just like the Elven Rings they each wore, Gandalf belonged to fire while Galadriel was water—their magics didn't blend.

So Kael could only smile regretfully and pocket the remaining two strands.

Galadriel's hair carried her blessing, containing the power to resist darkness and protect the mind. The most terrifying thing about Sauron wasn't his destructive power, but his ability to corrupt minds and make people fall. The Nine Nazgûl were originally human kings, but Sauron corrupted their minds through the Nine Rings, ultimately making them his most loyal servants.

Even Gandalf, a Maia, dared not touch the One Ring.

With Kael's current strength and willpower, if he faced Sauron directly, he couldn't resist the mental erosion of dark power. But with Galadriel's hair, he wouldn't have to worry about his mind being corrupted and twisted.

Kael and Gandalf, guided by the Palantír, headed toward the High Pass in the Misty Mountains. Halfway there, they encountered a thunderstorm.

"Impervius!" Kael cast a spell on both himself and Gandalf. Even in the downpour, they remained dry without a single drop of rain touching them.

"Thank goodness for your magic," Gandalf said with a laugh. "But Thorin and the others are in for it—they're probably soaked to the bone by now."

But looking at the mountain thunderstorm and the tremendous rumbling sounds, he gazed worriedly toward the High Pass.

"They say Stone Giants roam these parts. I just hope they don't encounter them, or there'll be landslides and their lives will be in danger!"

"Gandalf, are you sure you don't have prophetic abilities?" Kael looked at him with an indescribable expression, then handed him the Palantír, indicating he should look inside.

Gandalf sensed something ominous and quickly peered into the crystal ball. He saw several Stone Giants as tall as mountains, throwing massive rocks at each other in play, creating a scene of landslides and earth-splitting.

Meanwhile, Thorin and the others, like ants, were hiding in rock crevices, trembling as they dodged the various boulders raining down. In such circumstances, it was lucky they had protagonist's luck—amazingly, none of them had been crushed to death so far.

Seeing this situation, Gandalf couldn't sit still. Stone Giants spent most of their time sleeping, and even if people passed by, they'd just be mistaken for mountains. But now they'd unluckily encountered them while awake.

"Kael, let's go quickly! We need to get there before they're crushed to death!"

Kael didn't delay, casting magic on both his and Gandalf's legs, moving swiftly toward the High Pass in a floating manner. With Gandalf's Ring of Fire eliminating fatigue, the two barely stopped to rest, moving at full speed the entire way.

Finally, after running continuously for several hours, they reached the High Pass. Seeing the Stone Giants up close brought an even more shocking impact. The Stone Giants were over a thousand feet tall, taller and larger than the tower at Weathertop, with their upper bodies disappearing into the clouds.

It was these Stone Giants stirring the clouds that created the thunderstorm weather. Fortunately, these Stone Giants preferred to stay in the mountains and loved to sleep, slumbering for hundreds or thousands of years at a time. They were also neutral, not participating in Middle-earth's conflicts. Otherwise, they would be a disaster for any side.

"Protego!"

Countless huge rock fragments came crashing toward Kael and Gandalf, blocked by the magical barrier. Facing the rain of debris, Kael and Gandalf struggled forward.

Watching the Stone Giants still throwing rocks with great enthusiasm, Gandalf said angrily, "These mischievous fellows don't care at all whether there's life beneath their feet—they just play by themselves!"

With that, he raised his staff and struck it hard, bursting forth with dazzling light, his voice like thunder: "Quiet down, you troublemakers! Stop your games!"

The Stone Giants were attracted by the brilliant light and stopped their actions, curiously lowering their heads to look at Gandalf.

"No more rock-throwing games! Look what a mess you've made of this place!" Gandalf scolded sternly, like a stern headmaster.

Kael looked up at the Stone Giants above, then at Gandalf, who was full of authority. Kael was indeed intimidated by Gandalf's presence, but looking at the motionless Stone Giants above, he felt something was wrong and asked quietly, "Uh, Gandalf, are you sure this actually works?"

"I don't know, I'm just trying," Gandalf said quietly while maintaining his upright posture and unchanged expression.

What? Kael stared at him in disbelief.

The next second, the Stone Giants above moved. They picked up the massive rocks in their hands and hurled them straight at Kael and the others.

(End of Chapter)

***

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