Northern Middle-earth had been quite lively for the past two years.
The dragon Smaug was slain, the King under the Mountain returned, orc armies from the Misty Mountains and Moria were defeated, and shadows rose above Dol Guldur and rushed into Mordor.
Shortly after the return of Erebor's king, a new power was established called the Free Cities, encompassing many towns on both sides of the Misty Mountains, where the people within lived in prosperity, peace, happiness, and harmony.
"Though Dale is called the largest and most prosperous city among the free cities, there are rumors that it doesn't seem to be the main city of the Free Cities."
"Oh? The most prosperous and expansive place isn't the main city. Then where could it be?"
In a tavern somewhere in Gondor, Halbarad had splurged for once, ordering two cups of frothy beer that smelled of malt, plus a plate of roasted meat and some vegetables from the barkeeper.
The epitome of balanced nutrition, meat and vegetables combined.
Sitting across from him was another Ranger, a member of Gondor's local strike force.
Recently, pressure from Mordor had mysteriously lessened considerably, allowing these human Rangers who usually lurked on the front lines to have a moment's leisure and some relaxation.
Halbarad passed one cup of beer to the Ranger across from him.
The Ranger took it, drank a sip, and continued: "It's said to be a miraculous city built overnight by a powerful human wizard. That city's name seems to be, uh... Roadside Fort?"
Pfft.
Halbarad choked on his beer.
He laughed and said: "Ha, your information is really quite obscure."
"You're not going to tell me next that person is called Levi, that he also killed the dragon and defeated the orc armies?"
"Eh, you've already heard about it. Why ask me for information then?"
The Ranger shrugged and drank the beer Halbarad had bought him in one gulp, savoring the malt aroma with contentment.
However, Halbarad could no longer laugh.
Huh? No way?
"Wait, don't leave."
He grabbed the Ranger who was about to get up: "I'll buy you another drink. Could you tell me in detail?"
"Alright, there's still time anyway. I'll chat with you a bit more."
The Ranger sat down and asked: "What do you want to hear?"
"Everything."
The Ranger leaned back comfortably.
"That's quite a long story."
"I'd be delighted to hear it."
Halbarad looked at the Ranger quite seriously.
Seeing this Dúnadan from afar so persistent, this local Gondorian Ranger also became interested in chatting. He responded:
"First I should clarify that my information is all hearsay. Some from wandering refugees, some from distant merchant caravans, and some interrogated from orcs coming from the northern mountains. I can't guarantee their accuracy."
"But all their accounts contain traces of that person."
"Refugees call him the Savior of Dale. Merchants call him 'the generous and great lord from whose fingers flow countless riches.'"
"And the orcs, they fear his name, only daring to refer to him as 'Him.'"
As the Ranger's account unfolded, a story pieced together from various rumors gradually emerged. The more Halbarad listened, the more bewildered he became, to the point where he didn't even notice his food getting cold.
Getting distracted while eating was a bad habit.
However, this didn't trouble Levi.
Unlike most people's regular three meals a day or hobbits' seven or eight meals daily, Levi ate when hungry. When he ate depended on when his hunger meter dropped.
Only when he had plenty of free time would he eat foods with complex cooking processes. Most other times, he'd just gnaw on jerky or bread to fill his hunger meter.
After bidding farewell to the dwarves, Levi didn't go anywhere else and immediately returned to Roadside Fort to inventory his gains from this trip.
The main items were really just two.
One was mithril, the other was the mallorn tree seed.
In front of an open area near the castle, Levi vigorously rubbed the dragon's head and pulled the approaching Little Pink aside, making it stay quiet.
Then he walked a bit farther and gently planted the mallorn tree seed.
Then he pulled out bone meal.
Swish, swish, swish.
Green particles lit up one after another, indicating the bone meal was indeed catalyzing this tree seed's growth.
As the bone meal in his hand continuously decreased, that seed finally showed slight changes.
It grew into a small sapling.
"So absorbent?"
Levi broke into a sweat, feeling one stack of bone meal might not be enough.
Truly worthy of being Middle-earth's most vital magical tree species.
Over ten bone meals just to change it from seed to sapling.
To grow into those towering trees like in the Golden Wood, wouldn't that require a whole box of bone meal?
That amount could catalyze so many ordinary trees...
Though the consumption was great, Roadside Fort never lacked bone meal.
They had to thank the orcs and wargs. They were still contributing their remaining value.
Pulling back the curious Little Pink trying to get closer, Levi continued catalyzing.
As stacks of bone meal in his backpack decreased, the mallorn sapling grew visibly taller at a rate visible to the naked eye, sprouting white branches and golden tender buds.
When it grew to human height, the grass color on the surrounding soil gradually changed, becoming more vivid than other places, shifting from deep green to tender green, looking full of vitality.
On this day, residents chatting in the square turned to look and suddenly found a dazzling golden hue in their sight.
A tree.
A massive tree had appeared out of nowhere near the lord's castle.
Its bark surface was smooth and silver-gray, its leaves golden and dazzling, with golden flowers blooming among the branches.
"So beautiful..."
More and more residents gathered by the grassland affected by the mallorn tree's vitality, quietly looking up at this never-before-seen scenery.
Rustle.
Leaves somewhere in the canopy shook slightly. Levi broke off several crowded branches to use as magical materials.
This tree was really too beautiful. He couldn't bear to cut it down.
Even if cut, it could be replanted.
But since the need was just this little, might as well keep it. Just like he'd always required residents to do, take what you need, take as much as you use, and don't make unnecessary reserves.
"Roar!"
While climbing in the tree, suddenly a tender roar came from below. Levi looked down to find Little Pink frolicking under the tree.
It was clawing at the trunk with its paws and stubby legs, clearly wanting to come up.
Looking at its excited state, it probably wouldn't leave today without getting up.
Helplessly, Levi had to build a ladder and personally go down to carry it up.
Once up, the little fellow became extremely excited, sniffing here and nuzzling there. After running around for a while, it seemed tired and directly found a relatively wide branch to lie on. Eyes closed, it was about to fall asleep.
"Get up."
Levi picked it up, interrupting its sleep and forcing it awake.
"If you fall asleep here now, let's see how you get down later."
Little Pink clung to Levi, hugging his leg and looking at him with those big pleading eyes.
It wanted to make this tree its nest...
"Sigh, fine, fine."
Levi put Little Pink down, letting it nap in the tree.
He himself went to the warehouse to fetch some materials.
Moments later, a spiral staircase identical to those in the Golden Wood was completed, allowing direct access from the tree base to the canopy.
Now Little Pink could go up by itself.
After finishing the stairs, Levi also casually modified the canopy, building several small platforms.
Perfect.
Having done all this, Levi put his hands on his hips and nodded with satisfaction.
One could only say the elves of the Golden Wood had good reason for choosing to build homes in trees. Mallorn tree canopies were much larger than ordinary trees and quite sturdy with super strong load-bearing capacity.
This was a natural foundation, absolutely perfect for building houses.
Of course, Levi didn't plan to live here.
Since Little Pink liked it, let it serve as its den.
After settling Little Pink, Levi descended from the canopy, showed his face to the residents, and then headed straight for the tower's Infusion Altar.
Mallorn branches were placed in the center of the altar. On pedestals to the side were the six basic elemental shards plus a balance shard fused from the six elements, surrounded by bottles and jars filled with basic aspects.
The recipe and aspects were the same. Only the main material changed from silverwood to mallorn.
Pop!
The runic matrix sparked a thin, weak, deep purple flame, startling Levi.
What's wrong? Was it going to fail?
Hum.
The matrix started normally, beginning to absorb vis for the infusion process.
Phew.
Levi patted his chest.
Good, good.
As long as the infusion program could run, it could be treated as bug-free.
If it runs, don't touch it.
Whether there were problems or not, as long as it didn't crash, treat it as fine.
As vis and aspects were gradually infused into the mallorn branches, those branches also gradually changed, becoming smooth and regular while gleaming with silver light throughout.
Moments later, the aspect infusion ceremony was completed.
Levi picked up the branch from the center. Oh no, it should now be called a wand core.
When this new object was taken by Levi, an unprecedented new research appeared in the Thaumonomicon.
[Mallorn Wand Core]
"Made from special materials brought back from the Golden Wood by thaumaturge Levi Stonecraft. More attuned to magic than silverwood and containing more purifying power, it can serve as a superior substitute for silverwood."
"When the core flickers, life's light bursts forth from within."