Alone and Infinite

During the trials of war, the apostles' basic qualities will quickly emerge, and each apostle will clearly recognize their own position.

The strong will receive greater rewards and grow even faster.

They are powerful, fearless, and believe that their strength can solve all problems, so they choose to become lone wolves.

Those at the next level, upon discovering that a powerful group can offer them greater assistance, will accept an invitation to join the guild.

Those who were left behind were either not suited for combat, but had strong support or professional abilities.

These apostles will also be welcomed by the guild.

The rest were the lowest rank among the apostles. They either banded together, were absorbed by smaller, similarly banded guilds, or were unable to integrate and died quietly in some adventure.

Claude's voice gradually lowered, perhaps as he recalled those familiar faces that had gradually disappeared because he couldn't keep up.

"This is the palace, a cruel place, but also the best place."

"Won't those apostles who gain excessive benefits disrupt the balance?"

Li Xia frowned, still vaguely feeling that something was wrong. For example, if he himself were to fully digest the gains from this event, he might even be able to directly break through the ranks of those of the same level.

It wasn't that he thought his peers were trash, but rather that unless there was another apostle like himself, with the Temple of the Dying standing behind him.

If they wanted to, they could even clear the area, which would undoubtedly be against the interests of the temple.

"Yes, your gains this time are indeed a bit exaggerated. The part I saw is several times that of others. If you win the Treasure Chest of Destiny, it will be even more exaggerated."

Claude readily admitted it, but he didn't think much of it. The void was too vast; what kind of extraordinary talents hadn't appeared there?

He thought for a moment, then slowly said:

"As for the balance issue you've thought of, the Hall has more to say than you do. We've talked to you about advancement and dynamic difficulty matching before."

Once your strength far surpasses that of others of the same level, there will only be two outcomes.

Firstly, your mission in the world will be different from others. The temple will give you a mission that matches your difficulty level, and of course, it will also provide rewards that match your difficulty level.

Secondly: Once the Hall determines that your strength has reached the middle level of the next tier, or reached the extreme value of the current tier, it will unlock the tier advancement.

Therefore, powerful apostles grow very quickly. Sometimes, those who entered the world at the same time are still at the second or third rank, but the stronger ones are already at the fifth or sixth rank.

Claude slowly ended the conversation with a single sentence:

"In short, the mysteries of the temple can never be fully explained; you can only experience them for yourself."

By the way, good luck. The survivors in Longlake Town call you King Xia?

I hope that one day in the future you will be able to become a faction leader, just like you did in the trials.

Add the title of king to the end of your own title.

To become a true Prince Xia of the Palace!

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Chapter 59 Arkenstone

Is it a real prince title?

When the Hall of Transcendence helped him smuggle himself out, the merit titles and ranks that were overwritten were still the ones he had chosen, only the level had become the initial level.

It's perfectly normal for Claude to be able to see it.

Coincidentally, the residents of Changhu Town also refer to themselves as the King of Xia.

Li Xia sighed softly, thinking of his Prince Xia. Three years, three years, and then another three years... What if one day I really do become a prince of the Hall of Light?

Should I tell Chaotuo not to contact me, for fear that Guangming will misunderstand?

But that should be a long time from now. Li Xia sat on the hillside, looking at the busy crowd below.

With a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, Claude realized that he would probably have to advance to the second tier upon returning. This combination of dynamic difficulty and dynamic advancement was the challenge that the Hall of Fame presented to the strong.

Second order, huh?

Li Xia let out a long breath and simply lay down on the grassy hillside, stretching out his limbs.

The grass on the slope is thick and soft, the clear sky is as blue as a gemstone, and the warm breeze makes the grass waves ripple.

He suddenly remembered that he had once had a simple conversation with Chaotuo about the future. It was a question he had when he learned that he would be fighting against the other five Hall of Fame representatives in the future.

These agents have been agents for an unknown period of time. Once they become agents, they are basically among the most powerful people and are very difficult to kill.

Li Xia felt that the gap was impossible to bridge, since even the agents could improve.

The detached answer is that accumulation is useless for the agents; they have nowhere else to go but to wait there for an opportunity.

As long as the opportunity doesn't arise, they will remain stagnant, and that is their chance.

"Oh, you're here. Hmm. I mean, it's such a beautiful day, perfect for afternoon tea and smoking a pipe."

A slightly hurried voice rang out from not far away.

Li Xia turned around and saw Bilbo Baggins standing not far away, his large, hairy feet pacing nervously on the lawn.

This is probably why he came to my vicinity without being noticed.

"Good day, Mr. Baggins?"

Li Xia smiled and waved; he had a good impression of this short man who was only 1 meter tall.

After hesitating for a moment, Baggins sat down next to him.

"actually----"

His pointed ears twitched incessantly, and the hesitation on his face grew more and more obvious, but in the end he let out a long breath and became relaxed.

"There is something I want to tell you and the Elf King."

Having made his decision, Baggins didn't hesitate and said directly:

“I heard Thorin plotting how to renege on the money that was owed to you after things were over. I don’t like that. The residents of Laketown helped us in our most dangerous time.”

It was because of me—well, we, Smaug—that Laketown was destroyed.

I believe Longlake deserves compensation, especially since you killed Smaug.

Li Xia was taken aback, but he wasn't surprised that Thorin was planning to renege on his debt. He hadn't recovered from his 'dragon sickness' and his thirst for gold was almost pathological.

Moreover, he didn't care whether Thorin would pay or not. Li Xia's interests came from contribution points, as long as a tripartite alliance was reached and the quartermaster could be shared.

After the trial ends, everything here will be reset, awaiting the next batch of apostles to come for the trial, which may be other missions in Middle-earth, but none of them will concern me.

This is the instance created by the Hall of Fame, which grants absolute control over it.

Now then.

Li Xia suddenly realized, a side quest?

Sure enough, the hall's notification popped up the next second:

[Battlefield Side Quest: The Thief's Guilt]

[Task objective: Ensure the successful completion of the tripartite alliance]

[Quest Reward: Bilbo Baggins's Little Gift]

The task is simple, because in the original story, a guilty Bilbo Baggins also stepped forward, wanting to stop the war and get money from Thorin, even willing to give up his rightful 1/14th of the treasure.

Therefore, the reward should be quite ordinary.

But it's still a task, and there's still some time before it starts, so it's something to do!

“I knew it,” the Elf King said coldly. “Just as Orcs can’t learn manners, the Lonely Mountain Dwarves can’t cure the ‘Dragon Disease’!”

“That’s why I’m here.” Bilbo pursed his lips. “So I have a suggestion—”

He pulled out something wrapped in a tattered cloth, nervously looked around, and then simply lowered the tent flap.

Then he threw away the rag, and instantly the whole room lit up, with dreamlike moonlight emanating from a gemstone.

The gem seemed to contain the stars of the universe; it was like a sphere filled with moonlight, encased in a net woven from the light of cold stars, hanging before them.

Thranduil had seen countless wondrous and beautiful treasures throughout his long life, but he swore that this was absolutely the most beautiful gem he had ever seen.

Li Xia also gazed at the gem, but showed no interest, for it clearly displayed the inscription: "[Arkenbrooch (Royal Treasure): A beautiful gem, nothing more]".

Apostle Formula: Powerful attributes = breathtaking beauty = key to becoming stronger; beauty = no attributes = trash.

“This is the Arkenstone of Thalein,” Bilbo said. “The Heart of the Mountain, which is Thorin’s most prized possession. He values ​​it more than a river of gold. I’m giving it to you; it will give you an advantage in the negotiations.”

As he spoke, Bilbo handed the beautiful gem to Li Xia, whose body trembled slightly and whose eyes involuntarily cast a longing glance.

Li Xia pursed his lips and directly handed the Arkenstone to the Elf King, telling him to admire it properly.

Bilbo Baggins had never seen anyone so easily resist the allure of Arkenbrooch, and he felt increasingly certain that he had done the right thing.

Thranduil took the gem in his hands, staring at it blankly, and murmured, "How could it be your turn to give it to us?"

“Oh, this—” the hobbit said uneasily, “it can’t be considered mine, but I’m willing to use it to offset my due reward.”

I might be considered a thief—at least that's what they say. I'm going back now, and the dwarves can do whatever they want with me. I hope you'll make good use of it.

Thranduil looked away from the gem and stared at Bilbo in astonishment, as if he were seeing a hobbit for the first time.

He thought for a moment and said solemnly, "You have impressed me, Mr. Bilbo. I know more about dwarves than you do. I suggest you stay. You will be respected and welcomed here."

"If you go back, that dwarf with 'dragon disease' will probably kill you!"

“Thank you very much for your kindness—” Bilbo bowed deeply and said, “but I think I shouldn’t leave my friend like this, after all, we have been through thick and thin together.”

“Well done, Mr. Baggins!” The tent flap was suddenly lifted, and a wizard in a gray robe with a snow-white beard strode in.

His clear eyes first gave Bilbo an approving look.

Then he walked up to Li Xia and bowed slightly:

"When I learned that someone had assassinated the wicked tyrant Smaug, I was deeply shocked. It was not until I saw you that I learned that another 'Maia' (a lesser god) had descended upon Middle-earth from Valinor."

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Chapter 60 The Battle of the Five Armies!

Valinor is the abode of the gods of Middle-earth, while the Maiar are the lower gods who assist the Valar (chief gods) in managing the world.

In the movie, the main villain Sauron, Gandalf, and several other wizards are actually 'Maia', and are of the same rank.

They were sent down by the gods of Valinor to fight against Sauron, taking on physical forms, and some of their power was also sealed.

Now Gandalf also sees himself as one of their own kind, namely, the "Maia".

After a moment's thought, Li Xia realized that the Temple of Light was the true creator of this world, and in a sense, he, as an apostle, could indeed be considered the 'Maia' of the Temple of Light.

This must be the identity the Temple of Light bestows upon the Apostles. I wonder if Gandalf would have a mental breakdown if he knew there were about a hundred Maiar like him.

However, it's also possible that as the leader of the human faction, he caught Gandalf's attention, which led to him being given the identity of 'Maia'.

As a high elf, Thranduil, the Elvenking, didn't care whether Xia was human or Maiar; at this moment, he was more interested in admiring the gem in his hand.

“I am Gandalf the Grey, and I have come here to bring news of the Ork invasion.”

Gandalf, holding his staff, nodded to Li Xia and the Elven King, saying:

"I am delighted to see the elves, dwarves, and humans standing together once again in the face of the invasion of the dark forces."

If you want to be prepared, you must hurry, because Oak will arrive very soon, approximately…

Gandalf looked at the sky outside the tent: "Ork will be here when the sun moves to the distant mountain peaks."

"Oh my god, I have to get back quickly!" Bilbo jumped up, even though he felt he had been quite brave after such a long adventure.

But the battlefield was still too terrifying for a hobbit; he wasn't even as tall as the mace in the hobbit's hand!

Li Xia glanced at the countdown on the panel; there were still four hours left, and time was indeed running out.

"Thranduil, let's ask Thorin to come over and finalize things as soon as possible before we begin the battle."

Thranduil glanced at the gem in his hand with some reluctance, but finally looked away and nodded.

"I don't understand why you sent me here at such a critical moment."