chsdbacks Chapter 160 The Agreement
Chapter 160 The Agreement
Chapter 160 The Agreement
Kellerborn felt a pang of sadness looking at the unwavering stance of his only daughter, whom he and his wife had raised with their own hands.
"But have you considered that there's not only a racial barrier between you and him, but also a barrier of time? Do you really want to give up immortality for him and become a mortal to live a short life?"
Upon hearing this, Alvin shook her head. The curve of her lips held a smile warmer than the sunlight, and the tenderness in her eyes almost overflowed.
"Grandfather, you don't need to worry about me. Duir rejected my idea of choosing a mortal fate. He wants to spend more time with me rather than die with me."
On Dui's side, Galadriel didn't speak, but chose to communicate telepathically.
She looked at Du Yi with a deep smile, her gaze seemingly able to penetrate his body and see into the deepest thoughts in his heart.
"Lady Galadriel, don't you object to me and Alvin?" Dui asked, somewhat surprised.
Galadriel shook her head, but what she said shocked Dui.
"I often use a water mirror in the garden to examine the past, present, and future. The illusions of the future are constantly changing, and every person and every event can lead to a different future, so they are not necessarily true."
"In Alvin, I see two different lines of fate. One is that she chose the fate of a mortal, gained everything briefly, lost it all, and finally walked alone into the forest, buried in an unknown place, and was gradually forgotten."
As Galadriel spoke of this, a look of sadness flashed in her eyes, as if she could already see that scene.
But the sadness vanished immediately, replaced by a look of surprise as she stared at him.
"And the other one is that she met you."
"The evening star has become the evening star, and its light has become even more dazzling, shining as brightly as the stars."
Galadriel smiled brightly.
"So why should I object?"
Upon hearing this, Dui understood Galadriel's thoughts.
Galadriel's statement about Alwen choosing the path of mortal destiny likely refers to the path of destiny without him.
As her granddaughter whom she raised herself, Galadriel naturally did not want Alvin to give up immortality and ultimately be separated from them by death.
Dui's appearance shattered fate, preventing Alvin from choosing to become human.
Galadriel would naturally prefer Alvin and Dui to be together.
Thinking this, Dui suddenly remembered that when Galadriel first met him in the Valley of the Dead, she generously gave him the Elesar Emerald, which was originally intended as part of Aragorn's dowry, to make a staff.
Did they already foresee today's outcome back then?
Dui was shocked and couldn't help but look at Galadriel.
They met each other's knowing, smiling eyes.
Well, he was right after all.
Dui was awestruck by Galadriel's precognitive abilities.
Compared to the other party's abilities, his prophetic talent, which he gained from signing in, was utterly worthless and incomparable.
Galadriel didn't object, and even though Celeborn was unwilling and felt that the cabbage she had carefully cultivated at home had been eaten by a pig, she could only respect Alvin's opinion.
After all, elves are extremely loyal to their feelings; once they've made up their minds, they'll never change.
However, he was still unhappy with Dui.
To allow the two to travel to the Valley, they first need the consent of their father, Elrond.
So, with trepidation, Dui and Alvin once again entered the valley through the fireplace.
Elrond was both surprised and delighted by the arrival of his daughter and Dui.
But soon, he realized the secret connection between the two.
His brows furrowed immediately, and his joy vanished in an instant.
"Arwen, are you really sure?" Elrond asked with a heavy expression.
Alvin nodded, his eyes firm and resolute: "Yes, Father, never to change!"
"But Father, rest assured, I will not choose the fate of a mortal. Duir also refused to let me do so. He wants to be with me forever, not just to live out my life in a short time."
Alvin changed the subject, her eyes softening with happiness as she spoke.
He then relayed everything Dui had said to Elrond.
After hearing this, Elrond looked at Dui with some skepticism, his eyes piercingly penetrating.
"Duir, it's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult, but immortality is no easy thing. The only special exception throughout history is my human grandfather, Tull, who received guidance from the Valar, sailed west to Valinor, received the grace of the Father of All Beings, and was reinstated as an Elf, thus gaining eternal life."
"And all others who sought immortality, without exception, went astray. The Númenóreans, for example, were ultimately destroyed by their own greed and depravity. The Nine Ringwraiths were once powerful kings among men, but in their pursuit of immortality, they were seduced and corrupted by Sauron's power, becoming his minions."
In response to Ellund's concerns and doubts, Dui explained his vision of the Phoenix.
Elrond was also full of surprise upon hearing about the phoenix.
He never expected that Dui could design such a perfect and gorgeous species, and that he was only one crucial step away from success.
His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
Since this phoenix was able to gain Gandalf's approval and participate in the project.
Elrond was much relieved.
But Dui, fearing that Elrond was still not at ease, took out another piece of parchment and handed it to him.
Looking at the mysterious patterns and runes drawn on the parchment, Elrond was captivated by its contents.
"What is this?" Elrond asked curiously.
"This is how the Philosopher's Stone is made," Dui explained. "The Philosopher's Stone, also known as the Magic Stone, is a magical substance that can turn lead into gold and create elixirs of immortality."
"The Philosopher's Stone? It can be used to make elixirs of immortality?" Elrond was very surprised when he heard this.
As an immortal elf, Elrond naturally had no need for the elixir of immortality, but he was surprised by the significance of the Philosopher's Stone.
Humanity's fate is determined by Ilúvatar, and its essence is death. This is a "gift" given to humanity by Ilúvatar, so even the Valar do not have the power to change this fate of humanity.
The only exception is the human Thur, who is Elrond's grandfather and the half-elf Eyarendil's father.
He gained immortality, not through the power of the Valar, but through a special grace bestowed upon him by Ilúvatar himself. He was included among the Elven race, becoming a "unique exception."
If the Philosopher's Stone that Dui spoke of could truly grant immortality, it would be a miracle no less remarkable than Fëanor's creation of the Silmarillion.
At that time, it will not only be a treasure coveted by all non-immortal races, but even the Vera will likely set their sights on it.
Dui shook his head and explained when Elrond expressed his surprise.
"The Philosopher's Stone has a flaw: while it grants immortality, it cannot stop the aging process, so the longer one lives, the weaker one's body becomes."
This is why he still tried to evolve Animagus into a phoenix.
After all, the Philosopher's Stone has obvious drawbacks. Someone like Nicolas Flamel, who has lived for over six hundred years, is already as old as a dead person. If he lived any longer, he probably wouldn't even be able to move anymore.
In such circumstances, who would want to continue living like a living dead? This is probably why Nicolas Flamel ultimately gave up on the Philosopher's Stone.
Therefore, Dui showed Elrond the blueprints for the creation of the Philosopher's Stone for two reasons: firstly, to give Elrond assurance, and secondly, to use the wisdom of Elrond and others to see if they could improve the Philosopher's Stone and make up for its shortcomings.
Elrond, the most renowned elven sage in Middle-earth, was so wise and knowledgeable that even Gandalf admired him.
Dui himself lacked confidence in perfecting the Philosopher's Stone, but he could seek outside help and ask for assistance from Elrond, his future "father-in-law."
Moreover, he didn't need to worry about leaks, since the most important function of the Philosopher's Stone—immortality—was of no appeal to elves, and its only function—turning stone into gold—was even less significant.
Hearing Dui's words, Elrond nodded.
"It is a drawback, but even so, the Philosopher's Stone is a great invention worthy of being recorded in history."
He stared in amazement at the young wizard before him.
"On the day the Philosopher's Stone is born, your name will be synonymous with the Philosopher's Stone, just as Fëanor is with the Silmarillion!"
With the Phoenix and the Philosopher's Stone as double guarantees, Elrond's disapproval of Dui and Alwen's affair lessened somewhat.
However, he still made a pact with Dui that he and Alvin could not truly be together until he achieved immortality.
Dui agreed to this.
Even so, Elrond did not stop Dui and Alwen from meeting.
He simply wanted to avoid seeing it and instead studied the runic dictionary that Dui had given him in the Hall of Flames, hoping to decipher the secret of how the Philosopher's Stone was made on that parchment.
Dui also failed to meet Alwen and was dragged off to martial arts training by his two "brothers-in-law," Elohir and Elladan.
In their words, he's now almost two meters tall and needs to train hard to become stronger.
Otherwise, without their wands and staffs, they'd be just like ordinary people, and how would they protect their sister?
And so began Dui's days of hardship.
In the morning, I practiced sword fighting with Elohir, and in the afternoon, I sparred with Elladan using spears.
It was supposed to be practice and sparring, but in reality, Dui was completely outmatched throughout.
Every day, I would return to Hogwarts Castle covered in bruises, exhausted, and grimacing. Only after applying a layer of white essence would I dare to lie down.
Then the next day they returned to the valley and were again attacked by the two brothers.
Elohir and Elladan discovered that Dui was full of energy again after applying the white essence.
He immediately released his grip and attacked even more fiercely.
However, the two brothers were highly skilled in martial arts, and their weapons never managed to harm Dui.
Dui could only passively defend himself with the Flaming Sword and the Divine Spear Egolos.
These two weapons, which had been gathering dust in Dui's spatial bag, have been used more frequently than ever before.
On this day, exhausted, Dui took off his outer robe and, grimacing, smeared the white essence on his bruised skin.
Just as he was trying to apply some to his back, a delicate hand gently applied the white essence to his back instead.
Alvin looked at him with heartache and gently complained:
"You know, if you just admit defeat to my brother and the others, they'll stop bullying you. Why are you so stubborn, insisting on challenging them every day?"
Dui took a cold breath, but shook his head firmly:
"No way! If I give up, they won't let me see you again! Besides, how can a man give up!"
Ever since they learned that Dui had kidnapped their beloved sister, the two brothers' attitudes have completely changed. Every day, they try every means to ruin Dui and Alvin's time alone, and then constantly challenge Dui to a duel, ostensibly so that they can protect Alvin in the future.
If Dui dared to refuse, it would be a sarcastic remark that he was unwilling to suffer for Alvin.
People fight for their pride, and Dui was naturally unwilling to admit defeat.
More importantly, with the martial arts masters Elohir and Elladan, who have lived for thousands of years, as his sparring partners, Dui's swordsmanship and spear skills are improving rapidly.
Even the residual medicinal effects of the Ent beverage he drank in the Fangon Forest were being rapidly absorbed and amplified by his body.
His body became stronger and more agile, and he was able to put up some resistance in his fight against the two men.
(End of this chapter)