To Chu Xuan, these were merely figures on a ledger. In his mind, the group had made an astronomical profit. Even without understanding the context, the "Main God" had declared that both Zheng Zha and Gangnil had slain the Balrog, meaning both had successfully completed the A-rank side plot, netting a massive 8000 reward points. This alone was an exceptional haul, not to mention the Secret Struggle Ingot and two ounces of Aelrog Metal. All of this was exchanged for the mere lives of three individuals, two of whom were just Non-Player Characters (NPCs). Such a transaction was unequivocally a bargain—a purely Chu Xuan-esque calculation.

Everyone else, be it the NPCs or the members of the North Ice Continent team whose comrade had perished, felt nothing but sorrow. How could human life and emotion ever be quantified by profit? The girl with the crossbow who died was said to possess a gentle nature, and another senior male member of their team had been pursuing her.

This man wept inconsolably, his grief shaking the very heavens. The resident characters were equally steeped in sorrow, especially the remaining three Hobbits. They had lost one of their own companions and the Wizard who had always protected them. These three Hobbits began to wail with a force that seemed capable of tearing the world apart, their lamentations even more desolate than the senior team member’s.

The others felt the weight of the loss deeply as well. Everyone stood silently until, after more than an hour, they finally managed to coax the grieving group into a semblance of calm.

Next, Legolas notched an arrow, shooting a rope across to the opposite bank, and then Zheng Zha mounted the Skeletal Warhorse.

Fiku Hand-Typed worked tirelessly, ferrying everyone across. In just a few short tens of minutes, a magnificent stone gate appeared before their eyes. According to Jin Pidi, this was the true main entrance to the Moria Tunnel; the place they had entered earlier was merely a remote side passage used for escape.

Beyond that gate lay an expanse of rocky terrain. From a distance, countless towering peaks and ridgelines could be seen, though the ground here began to slope downward gradually. To venture further out from here would mean leaving the Caranthir Mountains entirely.

As soon as the group emerged from the tunnel, every single person collapsed onto the pure white rock.

Each found a suitable spot to lie down, and for a time, no one had the will to rise. They simply lay there, basking in the sun.

Firstly, the air inside the pit had been foul. Since the Dwarves had been wiped out long ago, the ventilation system of the chasm surely hadn't operated for ages. Moving down there felt like holding one's own nose shut.

This sensation had persisted for several days.

Therefore, upon smelling the fresh air, everyone felt their spirits instantly lift.

Secondly, the continuous, ferocious battles and the string of near-death escapes had utterly exhausted everyone, mentally and physically. Only once they were out of that suffocating tunnel did the exhaustion hit. Once free of the confined space, everyone instantly felt as if their bones had melted away, leaving them boneless and weak, desiring nothing more than to lie flat on the ground and sleep soundly. This was especially true for Zheng Zha and Gangnil.

These two had arguably expended the most energy in the team; at this moment, both could fall asleep the instant they closed their eyes.

"Everyone, get up... We must continue our journey!" Aragorn was the first person among them to stand. He stood, glanced at the sky, and then spoke loudly to everyone.

Boromir immediately objected, "Let everyone rest a bit longer. Didn't you see Fiku Hand-Typed and the others are still grieving?" He gestured toward the three Hobbits as he spoke.

Aragorn sighed deeply, "We have no choice. We currently possess next to no combat ability. We must find a place where we can rest and recover our strength. Furthermore, we are too close to the tunnel; the Orcs will emerge at night to ambush us. We must reach Lothlórien before nightfall... Besides, Zheng Zha and the others are powerless right now. If we truly encounter a large horde of Orcs, we simply cannot defeat those beasts relying only on ourselves!" Boromir knew Aragorn spoke the truth and could not argue further. He reluctantly stood up, pulling a Hobbit along. Several more tense minutes passed before the group slowly began descending the mountain path. Their pace was not fast. It was already mid-afternoon; the sun would set in another five or six hours.

Following the path downward, it wasn't long before they found a small stream fed by melting snow. Everyone drank their fill to their heart's content, and they ate some dry rations while walking. Jin Pi, the Dwarf, even jumped into the stream, soaking his entire body, insisting that only then would he feel truly refreshed.

Continuing downward, grassland slowly appeared in their sight, followed by the complete end of the mountainous terrain. The group moved from the uneven ground into a plain. By this time, it was three or four o'clock. Aragorn, anxious, had to urge the others repeatedly. Their speed shifted from leisurely to hurried, then to a light jog, and finally, just before dusk, they entered a dense forest stretching out before them.

The golden remnants of the sunset slanted down, piercing through the gaps in the forest canopy and illuminating the tranquil woods with an even greater sense of mystery. As they walked through the forest, a rare sense of peace settled over them. Only the Dwarf, Jin Pi, kept up a continuous stream of chatter.

"I hear a terrible Sorceress lives here! They say she’s an Elf, and any mortal who merely looks at her will be instantly captivated and vanish forever... I really didn't want to come here. And it’s Elven territory, too! I doubt I've ever been to so many Elven domains in my entire life as I have this time..." Hearing this, the others shared amused smiles, especially the NPC characters who, being natives of this world, were certainly aware of the Dwarf’s perpetual disdain for the Elves.

"But she definitely can't fool this Dwarf! I have the eyes of an eagle and the ears of a fox..." Jin Pi continued muttering, but before he could finish his sentence, a longbow—no, not just one, but four or five longbows—suddenly sprang forward from the undergrowth, aimed directly at his head. Looking behind him, every member of the company found several longbows trained on them as well. Hidden in the trees, behind bushes, and behind trunks, Elven archers were concealed everywhere.

"This Dwarf is too noisy... Elves can take him down even with their eyes closed."

An officer-like figure stepped out from behind the archers. He smiled calmly at the group, then waved his hand toward the bowmen. The archers immediately lowered their weapons, their hostility receding. The bowmen then parted to create a wide avenue. The officer smiled and said, "Welcome to Lothlórien, Warriors of the Fellowship of the Ring..." With that, he turned and walked into the depths of the forest without looking back.

The companions exchanged glances. They had no choice but to follow the officer deeper into the woods. After all, this was Elven territory. Though the initial surprise had been jarring, it seemed they were likely safe here.

The forest was crisscrossed with a dense network of waterways. The Elves, skilled and ingenious, had constructed many beautifully decorated small boats to traverse the rivers, yet the journey caused the company no discomfort whatsoever. In this manner, they crossed several rivers via water routes and finally reached a soldiers' encampment just as night fell. The officer clearly intended to rest there for the night.

Once all the company had arrived at the camp, the officer placed a hand over his chest and spoke to Legolas in the Elvish tongue, "Welcome, Legolas, son of Thranduil, the Woodland Prince."

Legolas nodded slightly and quickly replied, "We require your aid. The Fellowship of the Ring needs your assistance."

The officer did not answer immediately but instead turned to Aragorn and spoke in Elvish as well, "This must be Aragorn, the Dúnadan? We have long heard your name."

Aragorn understood the language and returned a respectful bow, but Jin Pi took exception to the situation. He boomed loudly, "Hey! Aren't you Elves supposed to be the most polite race? How about speaking a language we can understand?" The officer glanced dismissively at Jin Pi. "Since the Age of Darkness, our people have had no dealings with the Dwarves. Do you expect me to speak the Dwarf tongue to you?" Jin Pi grew somewhat indignant. "Do you know how we Dwarves speak in the Dwarf language?" With that, he unleashed a torrent of rapid, clicking speech in Khuzdul.

Everyone let out resigned laughter. Aragorn patted Jin Pi’s shoulder. "That was rather impolite, considering we are guests here." The officer ignored the Dwarf and turned his attention to the three Hobbits and the members of the Reincarnation Squad. He first eyed the strange attire of the squad members with confusion, then turned to the Hobbits. After observing them for a long while, he suddenly declared, "You carry a great evil power within you! You cannot proceed further!" Before the group could interject, Aragorn began earnestly trying to persuade the officer to let them continue, while the officer insisted they return or remain put. Thus began a stalemate. Since everyone was utterly worn out, they simply found spots to sit down and rest, waiting for Aragorn to secure permission for them to move forward.

After a significant pause, the officer finally relented. He approached the group and sighed, "Rest here for the night. Tomorrow, I will guide you to the Empress Galadriel. Her will shall determine whether you may proceed... Tomorrow, we travel to the Elven kingdom within this forest, Caras Galadhon!"