Chapter 630
Giant Spider in the Old Forest
Chapter 630 Giant Spider in the Old Forest
After several days of travel, Mike and his group left the Shire and passed through Brie, arriving at the dense forest outside the Old Forest.
After several days of travel, Pippin and Merri, these two energetic little guys, finally calmed down.
Having never traveled far from home, they exhausted almost all their strength trying to keep up with Mike.
Of course, this was something Mike did intentionally.
At least the physical exhaustion will stop the children from asking too many questions.
"Frodo, do you need me to carry you?" Surprisingly, after several days of intense travel, Sam still had energy to spare.
Seeing the tired look on Frodo's face, the simple hobbit asked a question.
"No, no need, I can manage." Frodo shook his head, not wanting to trouble his companions.
After all, while Sam was physically stronger, he was carrying the luggage of several people. All things considered, his physical strength was probably not much better than the others.
"Sam, why don't you ask us?"
"Yes, we're tired too, we need someone to carry us..."
"..."
Pippin and Merri exchanged a glance, then looked at Sam at the same time.
It was clearly meant to tease the other person.
"If any of you can help me with the luggage, I can carry the other person on my back." Sam's honest nature led him to give an honest answer.
"Oh, then let's forget about it. We can still manage..." x2
Pippin and Merri looked at the huge package behind Sam and shook their heads in refusal.
In terms of weight, that enormous suitcase was not much lighter than a hobbit child.
Although Pippin and Merri wanted to slack off, neither of them really wanted to take on that arduous task.
"Mr. Mike, how much longer until we reach the old forest you mentioned?" Frodo asked, taking a moment to catch his breath.
If the itinerary is arranged reasonably, everyone should be able to rest in Brie.
Mike just found it too much trouble, so he encouraged everyone to rest together after they reached the old forest.
"See that lush forest ahead? That's the Old Forest. So hang in there, everyone, we'll be able to rest soon," Mike explained with a smile.
This place is only two or three kilometers away from the old forest, or rather, it's already on the outskirts of the old forest.
"Great!!! Merri, can you hear me? We can rest soon~"
"Of course, once we get to the old forest, I'm going to get a good night's sleep..."
"..."
Seeing hope within reach, Pippin and Merri instantly "came back to life".
Using their last bit of strength, the two continued on their way, laughing and joking, which livened up the dull atmosphere.
"Stop for a minute!" After walking about another kilometer, Mike suddenly called out to the group and asked, "Is any of you afraid of spiders?"
“Spiders? Who’s afraid of such little things?” Pippin replied casually.
“I’ve seen spiders the size of a fist in Hobbiton, and they didn’t scare me at all…” Merry chimed in.
Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo also wore expressions of disapproval.
Hobbits love nature, and their dwellings are mostly built on hillsides and under large trees.
In that kind of environment, you inevitably come into contact with small animals, such as spiders and beetles, which are commonplace.
If a hobbit said he was afraid of bugs, he would probably be laughed at.
“Good, get ready!” Mike said to the four hobbit children. “A large group of spiders is approaching us.”
Seeing how serious Mike was, the others initially thought he was joking.
However, as the rustling sounds from the surrounding jungle grew louder, he immediately dropped his indifferent expression.
“Mr. Mike, are you sure it’s spiders and not some pack of wild beasts?” Frodo had already drawn his thorny sword and stood back-to-back with Sam in a defensive stance.
Piping and Meili each picked up a branch from the ground to use for self-defense.
It's no wonder everyone reacted so strongly; the commotion around them was terrifying, as if a massive army was surrounding them.
"They're here!" Mike called out to remind everyone.
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen spiders the size of watermelons suddenly crawled out of the jungle.
"What? It's a bit big, but it still can't scare me~"
"So the spiders outside are this big..."
"..."
Pippin and Merri still looked surprised, but much better than when the spider hadn't shown up.
Perhaps annoyed that they had been frightened by the commotion caused by the spiders, the two mischievous little creatures immediately raised their branches and hurled them at the spiders.
As the spiders were smashed and their juices flowed freely, the two little guys wore smug expressions of satisfaction, as if they had avenged their previous defeat.
Frodo, who had been watching Mike's expression closely, was more cautious and was observing Sam while holding him back.
Just then, the death of more than a dozen small spiders seemed to enrage the "monster" in the forest.
Amidst the overwhelming force, countless tree branches snapped, and then hundreds of giant spiders, each the size of a water buffalo, appeared before the crowd in a frenzy.
Its eight compound eyes are arranged in two rows like countless tiny lamps, and its fangs are as sharp as sickles.
"My God!!! Is that still a spider???"
Pippin and Merri were startled by the sight before them. After dodging the first wave of attacks from the giant spider, they quickly came up behind Mike.
"Are you a dragon slayer or an ogre killer? You should be able to handle these spiders, right?" Pippin asked, his voice trembling.
It was as if they were clinging to Mike as their last lifeline.
"Of course, these spiders aren't actually that scary, except for their larger size. You can kill them by piercing their heads or the heart in their chest armor..." Mike erected a protective barrier of holy light, preventing the giant spiders from advancing, and continued, "Your journey to Mount Doom will be even more dangerous, so you can practice your courage here first..."
"Go for it, I'll protect you from behind."
Mike will need to return to Lonely Hill to lead the Lonely Hill Allied Forces, so he can't stay with the four little ones as a babysitter forever.
Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate their courage.
"I really can't get in..." Once Pippin realized he was safe inside the barrier, he immediately stepped forward and barked at the giant spider outside, "Big guy, come bite me!!!"
Amidst his smug laughter, he even patted his buttocks in a provocative manner.
On the other side, Merri followed her friends forward and tentatively stretched out a branch to tap a giant spider on the head.
"Interesting, these big guys can't do anything to us!!!" Merry, who had just completed the feat of attacking the giant spider, then showed a happy expression.
So, around the edge of the barrier, the two lively hobbit children began repeatedly leaping and attacking the giant spider swarm.
They had a blast playing for a while...
"Is that what you want us to do?" Frodo, at the center of the barrier, seemed to have seen through Mike's intention to train everyone.
“Yes, now that you’ve chosen to embark on the journey to Mount Doom, you’ll encounter many dangers along the way. These giant spiders are just the beginning; the journey ahead will only be more difficult,” Mike kindly explained.
The dark forces of Middle-earth are dependent on Sauron, and Frodo's desire to destroy the One Ring, which is tied to Sauron's fate, at Mount Doom will certainly face numerous obstacles from these forces.
This is more like a war between the forces of darkness and the forces of light.
Frodo, wielding the One Ring, was at the center of this storm. "I understand," Frodo understood what Mike meant, and then raised his thorny sword and walked towards the edge of the barrier.
Sam, standing nearby, found a wooden stake and followed behind Frodo to protect him.
After getting used to the giant spiders' attacks, Frodo led Sam out of the barrier.
An eagle cannot fly out of a birdcage, and a flower cannot grow in a greenhouse.
Frodo understood that only by facing real danger could he truly learn from it.
This way, Mike's "arrangement" wouldn't be in vain.
Before long, Frodo chose a lone giant spider, and with Sam's support, he finally managed to plunge his thorny sword into the spider's chest.
'This doesn't seem difficult~'
Frodo, having secured the first kill, was greatly encouraged.
In the short time he was distracted, several giant spiders surrounded him.
"Frodo, you must go quickly, I'll cover your retreat!" Seeing the two of them in dire straits, Sam swung a tree stump and stood in front of Frodo.
They had already disregarded life and death.
"No, we'll go together!!!" After the initial panic, Frodo raised his thorn sword again and walked alongside Sam, severing several giant spider legs in succession.
However, compared to the ever-growing swarm of giant spiders around him, Frodo's destructive power was clearly far inferior.
"Frodo, Sam, watch out, we're coming to help you..." x2
Seeing their companions struggling, Pippin and Merry immediately broke free of the barrier and rushed towards Frodo and Sam's location.
However, as mentioned before, the four hobbit children's strength was quite limited in the face of giant spiders covering the entire mountainside.
Amidst constant danger, there is always the possibility of being killed by a giant spider.
On Mike's side, seeing that the four little ones had almost exhausted their strength, he gathered his faith power and with a wave of his hand, blasted away the giant spider swarm around them.
Then, using divine power, he lifted the four little ones back into the barrier.
“Very good, you have proven your courage. But Frodo, I still have to remind you, don’t let your guard down until you are completely out of danger.” Mike affirmed the four hobbit children, while also pointing out Frodo’s shortcomings.
Of course, for someone to perform like this on their first encounter with danger of this magnitude, Frodo has actually done a very good job.
Just as Mike was about to casually deal with the large number of giant spiders in front of him, Tom suddenly rushed out of the old forest.
"Damn spiders, I warned you not to come to the Old Forest!!!"
As Tom spoke angrily, the surrounding trees seemed to come alive.
The tangled branches and vines formed a large web, enveloping countless giant spiders.
Immediately afterwards, as the web contracted, countless giant spiders screamed as they were strangled to death.
A pale green liquid dripped all over the ground...
"How dare you harm my children! You deserve to die!!!"
Amidst a horrifying roar, a giant spider queen with a human head and long, dark green hair swept towards Tom.
The seemingly soft long hair was like a steel wire, cutting down all the trees along the way.
"Oh no!"
Tom was exhausted and had not yet gained new strength. Faced with Shiro's trump card, he could only temporarily control a few vines around him to resist.
The tree trunks along the way couldn't stop the long hair, and the makeshift vines were even less likely to do so.
It was quickly shredded by Shiro's dark green hair.
"Boom~"
Just then, a pure white flame flew out from Mike's hand, instantly igniting Shiro's long hair.
And following the hair, it burned towards Shira.
"Are you alright, Tom?" Mike went to Tom's side and asked with concern.
"I'm fine. That spider is far from being able to hurt me." Tom smiled and shook his head in response to the concern.
The situation just now seemed dangerous, but it did not actually threaten Tom's life.
After all, his energy is connected to the entire old forest behind him, and as long as the old forest is not completely destroyed, he can recover quickly.
Even if it's a war of attrition, it can exhaust Shiro to death.
Then there's Shiro, who is the mother of the giant spiders and had been leading her children to harass the northern highlands for Sauron.
However, he encountered some tough guys like Gandalf, Aragorn, and Legolas, and was subsequently driven out of the Northern Highlands.
Of course, the fact that Shira could survive for sixty years without being destroyed means that Shira must have some ability.
Now, under Mike's sacred flame, although he looks miserable, he won't die anytime soon.
"It's not your fault that you're ugly and have a terrible voice, but it's unacceptable for you to come out and disgust people~" Mike made a move, condensing a huge fist of light, and smashed the still struggling Shiro into a meat patty with one punch, so dead that he couldn't be any deader.
This Shira had a human face with a mouth full of fangs, but its body was spider-like, which was indeed an eyesore.
"Is this the power of a dragon slayer?"
"I never imagined that the terrifying swarm of giant spiders would be dealt with so easily..."
"..."
From Tom's arrival to Mike's intervention, only a minute or two had passed.
After witnessing Mike's abilities firsthand, the four hobbit children's eyes shone with even greater admiration.
On the contrary, Tom, who had also eliminated a large number of giant spiders, became a foil to the "Dragon Slayer".
"By the way, Mike. What brings you to the Old Forest? And you even ran into a swarm of giant spiders." Tom, being an optimist, reverted to his playful old man persona after the giant spider trouble was resolved.
“It’s a long story. I was invited by Gandalf to escort these four little ones to Rivendell…” Mike began to explain.
“Stop, how can a story be complete without fine wine?” Tom invited. “Let’s go to the old forest and tell our story slowly. I happen to have a batch of fruit wine that has just been brewed.”
The old forest is spring-like all year round, so there is no shortage of fruit for making fruit wine.
Tom was also quite interested in news about Gandalf.
……
"So, Gandalf found the One Ring, and you're planning to have that little guy over there send it to Mount Doom to be destroyed?" Tom looked surprised in front of the treehouse in the old forest.
The old forest's current appearance is naturally inseparable from the spiritual energy within the Middle-earth continent.
As the master of this place, Tom has the right to know that the One Ring is going to be destroyed.
“Yes, Gandalf believed this was the only way to prevent the dark forces from making a comeback.” Mike nodded and then reminded him, “As the One Ring is destroyed, the spiritual energy in Middle-earth will slowly disappear. You should prepare in advance.”
"Thank you for your concern~" Tom felt Mike's kindness and then smiled and said, "But don't worry too much, an old forest is still an old forest even without spiritual energy, it doesn't affect me much."
Yes, Tom has become one with the old forest, and the trees in the old forest will not die even without the spirit.
At most, we simply follow nature, sprouting in spring and shedding leaves in winter.
Tom's strength will be affected by the seasons, but his fundamental power will not change.
The fruit trees here will still bear fruit in the autumn.
(End of this chapter)