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LOTR: TMCP Ch. 69
🕑 Added 2025-07-14 02:21:00 +0000 UTCA translucent, shadowy figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"Nazgûl," Gandalf spoke a single word.
"Screeeeeeee!"
The Nazgûl let out a terrifying shriek, as if from the depths of Morgoth's pits, and charged at them. Gandalf quickly ducked to evade, and Garrett swiftly activated an evasive maneuver, his body moving like smoke to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Boom!
Gandalf raised his staff, and a burst of white light flared from its tip, driving the Nazgûl back. Garrett didn't waste the opportunity, he drew his longsword and slashed forward, instantly setting the wraith ablaze.
Fire, the very thing the Nazgûl feared most.
That strike caused the creature to scream in agony, staggering backward several paces before fleeing into the shadows to hide.
"Fortunately, the blades we carry are both blessed by the Eldar. Ordinary weapons are useless against these Nazgûl."
"Watch out!"
Ahhhh...
A sigh suddenly echoed behind Garrett's ear. Along with it came a poisonous aura like black mist, sending chills down his spine, as if he were falling into an endless abyss.
[Fear: 5s]
[Wither: 5s]
[Poison: 5s]
"Take heart!"
Zzraa.
A flash of white light swept over him, cleansing all the negative effects. Garrett shuddered, immediately clear-headed, and swung his sword backward in a powerful slash.
But the wraith had already vanished into the darkness.
The Ring of Fire on Gandalf's hand shimmered with radiant light.
Under its warm glow, Garrett felt comforted, filled with boundless courage.
"What was that?" The two stood back to back in high alert, he still feeling shaken.
"Black Breath, a foul sorcery of the Nazgûl. Anyone touched by it will fall grievously ill. And if struck by a Morgul-blade while so afflicted, without immediate healing, they risk being dragged into the wraith-world and becoming a shade themselves. Perhaps even the barrow-wights owe their existence to such dark magic," Gandalf explained rapidly.
After two ambushes, they were now fully alert, scanning every corner that could potentially conceal an attack.
But the more tense of the two was Garrett. Ever since donning his enhanced netherite armor, he hadn't felt truly threatened in long time. Now he realized, no matter how thick the protection, it only guarded against physical harm. Against magical damage or spiritual attacks, he remained vulnerable. However, every challenge had its counter, now was the time for the wizard to demonstrate his true power.
"Ready yourself, Garrett!"
"What?"
"Prepare to strike!"
With that warning, Gandalf suddenly drove his staff against the stone and began chanting in the ancient tongue: "Let all darkness be revealed!"
As the words fell, a massive aura of light, denser and stronger than any detection spell, burst from his form, sweeping across a large area of nearby structures.
After casting the spell, his face visibly paled, not from the spell's cost, but because he now clearly saw their surroundings.
Nine translucent figures were expelled from the shadow-realm. Already forewarned, Garrett acted instantly, charging forward and landing two rapid sword strikes on one of the Nazgûl, splitting its mail and setting its robes ablaze.
The attack succeeded, under his swift combination, the Nazgûl lost its physical form and dissipated into the air.
But it was only temporary.
Nazgûl do not die; only their forms can be destroyed. Given time, they can reshape themselves and walk Middle-earth again.
As Garrett's attack landed, Gandalf followed with a force blast, compelling another Nazgûl to retreat, though he didn't destroy its form, it merely fled into the wraith-world to avoid further harm.
At that moment, the remaining seven Nazgûl reacted. Three of them lunged at Gandalf, and four charged at Garrett.
Thanks to the power of Narya on Gandalf's hand, the Nazgûl's Black Breath lost much of its potency. No matter how they tried, the four wraiths could no longer instill overwhelming fear or poison into Garrett.
These Nazgûl were once kings, mighty rulers of Men in ages past. Though they had long lost their will and become servants of the Shadow, their combat instincts and knowledge remained. Even facing just one of them without the element of surprise would be more than enough trouble for Garrett, let alone four.
Thanks to the heightened focus granted by Basic Sword Technique, he barely managed to fend off several moves in the middle of the assault of these former monarchs.
However, Nazgûl were still Nazgûl, they possessed other means of attack.
Just as he swung his sword again, one particularly menacing wraith in jagged armor suddenly let out a piercing shriek that sent a shock through his mind, momentarily stunning him.
Clang!
Already overwhelmed by multiple foes, and now suffering from a mental assault, an opening appeared. A Morgul-blade seized the opportunity to slash down hard on Garrett's armor with a sharp, ringing impact.
Just as Garrett was feeling relieved that his armor had held, the blade suddenly shimmered, and with a sickening sound, it pierced through, cutting into his flesh and leaving a bloody gash.
[-3]
[Wither: 5s]
[Morgul Poison: ∞]
The armor had failed to block the curse. Only its protective enchantments remained effective, absorbing much of the blade's physical force and reducing the damage. But while it could dull the impact, it couldn't resist the curse of the Morgul-blade. A sliver of broken metal lodged in his flesh, sending a strange chill through his chest as his vision blurred.
"What... what is this?!"
"Garrett!"
In the nick of time, Gandalf repelled the three Nazgûl around him and rushed over, blasting away the one that had struck Garrett.
Swoosh.
Garrett quickly turned and followed up with a sword strike, setting the Nazgûl ablaze and forcing it back into the shadows.
"Run!"
Gandalf shouted. Garrett didn't hesitate, he turned and sprinted alongside Gandalf. As they ran, he quickly consumed a bucket of milk.
Fortunately, it was still that miraculous milk, his status effects cleared instantly, and the strange chill in his chest vanished.
"Where do you think you're fleeing, man-flesh!"
Boom!
A massive war-mace suddenly slammed down. A pale figure emerged, followed closely by a swarm of orcs, who poured in with wild cries and raised weapons. Even facing Garrett, they showed no fear.
Sauron's presence was like the endless fires of Mount Doom, consuming their minds, subduing their thoughts, and uniting them in one will. With that force behind them, they charged any foe, unless the terror they felt surpassed their fear of the Dark Lord himself.
"Azog... so, your wounds have healed, and your ego's grown with it?"
Garrett taunted, and it worked, Azog's chest heaved with rage.
"You will die here today!"
His war-mace swung toward Garrett, who dodged swiftly and exchanged several more blows with him.
Just a few strikes, and Azog immediately sensed the difference, this human... had become stronger!
"Attack! Kill them both!"
He quickly retreated several steps, pushing his underlings forward and issuing the order to swarm.
The arrogant pale orc had finally grown cunning, why fight personally when his minions could overwhelm the enemy?
Armored orcs poured in from all directions, encircling the two tightly. Nazgûl emerged from the shadows, some standing among the orcs, others perched atop crumbling walls, watching the battle unfold like a sinister spectacle.
"We fight our way out."
Garrett silently consumed a golden apple and drank several potions in quick succession. He couldn't afford to hold anything back now.
As the potions took effect, his status bar filled with buffs: Speed II, Strength II, Regeneration II.
To face the current threat, every potion was at least Tier 2, brief duration, but incredibly potent. At this moment, he felt like he could send several orcs flying without even drawing his sword.
"Garrett, come quickly!"
Just as Garrett prepared to unleash his full power, Gandalf suddenly called out, grasping him by the cloak.
Boom!
With a flash of brilliant light, the two of them vanished from the battlefield.
