"This is the Elven city in the Golden Forest... Caras Galadhon," the officer said, gazing at the giant tree with undisguised awe.

Reflecting the lingering embers of the setting sun, the forest truly deserved the name "Golden." Not just the majestic beauty of the central behemoth, but even the surrounding smaller trees appeared as if they had been forged from pure gold. A silent sense of wonder filled the group, though they couldn't help but wonder if the officer had intentionally timed their arrival at dusk to showcase this splendor. Idle talk aside, they soon entered the colossal tree, which they saw was composed of countless smaller trees fused together into a single entity. At the base, numerous stairs, rope bridges, and suspended walkways crisscrossed the area. Small, man-made channels, filled with impossibly clear, flowing water—apparently channeled live water into the tree—ran between the structures. The entire ground level looked refreshingly clean, utterly devoid of any accumulation of fallen leaves.

No sunlight penetrated to the floor beneath this immense tree.

However, one or two faintly glowing orbs hung beside the artificial structures, which the primary storyline characters seemed entirely unconcerned by.

The members of the Reincarnation Squad felt a stir in their hearts upon seeing these orbs. Especially keenly aware was Gangnir, who moved with studied nonchalance toward one of the glowing spheres. After observing it for a few moments, he returned to the group and murmured, "D-Grade Fire Elemental Stones. How incredibly extravagant. There must be thousands here, wouldn't you say?" Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. Thousands of D-Grade stones, even if they were exclusively Fire elemental, suggested that if they possessed this many Fire stones, their reserves of other types must be substantial. If they could somehow acquire a few hundred energy stones from the Elves, even just D-Grade ones, it would represent an unimaginable fortune for the entire squad.

"Don't hastily snatch these energy stones. What is ours will not run away," Zheng Zha stated after a brief, thoughtful pause, then subtly fell into step behind the core storyline characters.

Following the battle in the Dwarven tunnels, Zheng Zha's prestige among the three squads had reached its apex, so his words carried the weight of their alliance leader. Of the other two, Gangnir was the most compatible with Zheng Zha. Furthermore, since Neos owed his life to Zheng Zha, his deference naturally extended to Zheng Zha's pronouncements, causing everyone to settle their minds. They followed the storyline characters with studied indifference.

The mineral wealth gained in the Dwarven tunnels had been divided among the groups: the Central Continent Squad received one-eighth of the Mithril ore, while the North Ice Continent Squad and the South Flame Continent Squad each received a quarter. Of the two ounces of Elven Metal, the Central Continent Squad claimed half. The only regret was the Fire Demon's energy stone; judging by its attributes, it was at least a D-Grade stone—some might even have argued it was Dual-D Grade. Having tasted the sweetness of easy pickings in the Dwarven tunnels, all three teams were now eager to reap similar rewards in the Elven domain, resolved to secure a substantial haul of energy stones at the very least.

Regardless of the Reincarnation Squad members' internal desires, the storyline characters led the way, proceeding to the main trunk of the giant tree. They ascended the spiral staircase winding around the trunk, moving steadily upward under the illumination of countless energy stones. Looking around at the reflected glow of these stones, the scene appeared as beautiful as a mythical paradise.

They continued climbing until they reached the very apex of the tree, discovering an artificially constructed hall. Above the hall, another set of stairs ascended further. Just as the group settled into place, a male and a female Elf descended slowly from above. The soft light emanating from these two was significantly more intense than that of ordinary Elves, immediately drawing everyone’s gaze.

Of the two Elves, the male was undoubtedly handsome, but he paled in comparison to the female. The Elven woman was beautiful beyond easy description. Her long, golden hair cascaded smoothly down her back, and her entire being radiated a soft, golden luminescence. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, people found it difficult to focus clearly on her features; they perceived only an overwhelming, peerless beauty.

As the pair approached, the male Elf spoke first: "The enemy has learned of your presence and of the Ring you carry... Where is Gandalf? Why do I not see him?" While the male spoke, the female Elf meticulously scanned the Reincarnation Squad members. Unburdened by the cautious deference of the others, the squad members struggled to comprehend why they couldn't clearly define her face, staring intently until her gaze met theirs. Even Zheng Zha felt a distinct thrum in his mind, akin to a mental link being established, yet subtly different in a way they couldn't quite articulate.

It was the mental specialists of the three teams who first sensed the imbalance. Almost simultaneously, they deployed their respective psychic shields, enveloping their team members. A flicker of surprise crossed the female Elf's face, but she merely smiled faintly before turning her attention back to the storyline characters.

"Gandalf did not enter the Golden Forest; he fell into the deep darkness..." the Elven woman murmured to herself, before turning to the newcomers with evident shock.

Legolas sighed deeply. "Yes, he was consumed by fire and shadow... the Balrog, an ancient demon slumbering in the Mines of Moria. We managed to slay it, but Gandalf perished with it to prevent its rebirth. Now, Moria and the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm within are occupied by Orcs."

Gimli the Dwarf let out a heavy sigh, his expression shadowed as he lowered his head. The female Elf suddenly spoke, "Do not let the destruction of Khazad-dûm diminish your spirit, Gimli. Gloin’s son, this world is rife with danger, and every path is fraught with difficulty. Though sorrow fills your hearts now, do not forget your courage, nor the resolve to fight on for the sake of that valor."

Her voice was gentle and serene, causing Gimli and the others to drift momentarily under its spell. Suddenly, Lan transmitted through the mental link to the team: "She is a mental controller, and a very powerful one. She was using her power just now to influence Gimli and the others."

As Lan spoke, the male Elf also addressed the group. "What now for the Fellowship of the Ring? With Gandalf gone, your hope of reaching Mordor is dashed... Frankly, without a wizard guiding you, I don't believe you have a chance to reach the depths of Mordor. Even if you got there, you would likely be captured by the Dark Lord’s forces."

Aragorn tried to speak, but after much deliberation, no words emerged. It was the female Elf who continued, "Though the road ahead is perilous, I trust that with your courage and wisdom, you will overcome every obstacle—provided, however, that you remain united... Rest now in Caras Galadhon. Cast off the fatigue of battling the Balrog, soothe the grief of losing your companion. Rest, Warriors." As she spoke, the female Elf looked directly at Frodo, and even as she and the male Elf turned to depart up the stairs, her eyes lingered on Frodo several times more before she followed him upward.

Thus, the visitors finally secured a place to rest. The officer arranged suitable quarters for them, after which the veterans from the three Reincarnation Squads gathered to discuss their next course of action.

"Based on the original plotline, we won't stay in this city for more than three days—and that estimate includes the time I factored in for the changes we’ve already made," Chu Xuan stated calmly, seated on a wooden chair.

"I understand what you are implying—that we should try to acquire a large quantity of energy stones from the Elves during this period. My answer is... impossible."

Chu Xuan stated definitively to the others. "While there are vast numbers of energy stones here, we have no legitimate grounds to acquire them. Furthermore, you may have overlooked some critical factors: we currently lack the strength to guarantee our own safety. Compared to the gains from these material objects, I believe you've forgotten the threat posed by the other two squads. Even though they appeared randomly in this Middle-earth world, they are still within the same realm. Given the rule that the 'Main God' never wastes effort, the probability of us encountering the other two squads prematurely exceeds fifty percent. Do you truly believe our three teams can genuinely threaten the East Continent Squad and the Celestial God Squad? That is childish..." A man from the North American Continent Squad asked curiously, "But what does that have to do with us getting energy stones here? Will taking the stones provoke those two teams into attacking us? Will not taking them prevent an attack?" "No, while it won't stop them outright, it can secure us something far more useful than energy stones—namely, influence!"

"We need to rely on the established powers within this world, using their strength as our anchor against the other two teams. The Elven power structure before us is one such crucial faction. Therefore, we cannot jeopardize our potential influence for the sake of a few energy stones. Doing so would also cause the storyline characters who have risked their lives with us, like Aragorn, to develop ill feelings toward us... The influence we stand to gain by investing in them is a hundred times more precious than those stones!"