Chapter 037 Sightseeing

After entering the Golden Forest, the Fellowship of the Ring encountered the elves living there.

However, the elves did not harbor much malice toward the Fellowship, because Rivendell had already sent word here through special means before the Fellowship entered the Golden Forest.

Thus, the elves living here were well aware of why the Fellowship had arrived.

They approached the members of the Fellowship with a moderately warm attitude, providing them with food and drink, as well as cloaks and clothes to ward off the cold.

Interestingly, the players did not receive such treatment.

In the eyes of these elves, the players seemed to be outsiders; they only gave the players food and drink, but did not prepare cloaks or clothes for them.

Of course, the official excuse was that they had not expected the Fellowship to have so many members, so they had not prepared enough cloaks and clothes, and could only prioritize providing them to Aragorn and the other NPCs.

Fortunately, the players did not protest or argue over this.

Everyone tacitly accepted it.

After resting for one night in the Golden Forest, they set out again before dawn the next day.

Undoubtedly, the Fellowship of the Ring was a very time-consuming quest, but the rewards after its completion were bound to be generous, so the players could complain while still pressing on.

After Gandalf's loss, Aragorn temporarily became the leader of the Fellowship.

The players had considered vying for this position.

In fact, last night the players had held an impromptu meeting, attempting to seize the role of Fellowship leader, and for this purpose they had specifically sought out Wang Bo and his group.

Wang Bo's answer at the time was: "Not interested."

Lady Gremory's reply was: "Do as you please."

Seeing that Lady Gremory was unwilling to join them, the players were quite pleased, especially since Lady Gremory had displayed formidable combat power in the battle of Moria.

After annihilating all the orcs with a single strike, Lady Gremory's level instantly became the highest among all players, close to level fifty, far surpassing Wang Bo.

That was why the players cared so much about Lady Gremory's attitude.

Seeing that Lady Gremory was unwilling to lead, they were naturally delighted, and so they eagerly approached Aragorn and the others.

Wang Bo did not pay attention to the outcome of their negotiations, as it had nothing to do with him.

However, from the fact that Aragorn was still the leader when they set out this morning, it was clear that the players had not taken his position; Aragorn remained the head of the group.

Guided by the elves, the group finally arrived at Caras Galadhon!

This was the elven city within the Golden Forest, the most beautiful place in Middle-earth.

It was a city like a fairyland, composed of mallorn trees, tier upon tier of platforms called "telain," and gardens, meadows, and fountains on the ground.

Upon arriving in this city, the members of the Fellowship naturally met its rulers.

Galadriel and Celeborn.

They stood up to greet the guests according to elven custom, welcoming the Fellowship with the ceremony due to kings. They were very tall, the Lady no less so than the Lord; they were grave and beautiful beyond measure.

Both were clad in white; the Lady's hair was deep gold, and Celeborn's hair was silver, long and bright. Yet there were no signs of age on their faces, for elves are a long-lived race.

Asuna naturally walked at the back, her gaze sweeping over Galadriel before she couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "What is the real Galadriel like?"

Although Wang Bo had never been to this city, he had seen Galadriel, after all, he was considered a member of the White Council.

"Even more beautiful than what you see, and more captivating in presence." Wang Bo thought for a moment and replied: "If I had to make an analogy, it's like the difference between a school beauty and a movie star."

The Galadriel in the game was naturally extremely beautiful, but compared to the real Galadriel, she fell short by more than a notch.

Whether in face, presence, or figure, they were not on the same level.

Asuna felt a longing for it.

Galadriel and Celeborn received the Fellowship in a spacious hall, greeting Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, the Hobbits, and others in turn, then invited the players to be seated.

The elves served fine wine and fruit.

Then Galadriel noticed that Gandalf was not among the company, found it strange, and could not help but ask about him.

Although many players speculated that Galadriel's concern for Gandalf stemmed from an improper relationship between them.

In reality, it did not.

Galadriel's husband was Celeborn; the two had loved each other since long ago and had a child together. Her relationship with Gandalf was nothing of the sort.

Her concern for Gandalf was likely born of comradery, as their friendship had lasted for over a thousand years.

Hearing Galadriel mention Gandalf, Aragorn said with a heavy heart: "Gandalf the Grey fell to the Balrog; he did not escape Moria."

At this news, all the elves in the hall were greatly shocked and agitated.

After all, since Gandalf had arrived in Middle-earth, he had performed many wonders, and many elves held him in high esteem. No one had expected that Gandalf would die.

Galadriel asked for the details, and Aragorn told her everything.

During this time, the players could hardly get a word in.

However, most of the players were frantically taking screenshots, for Galadriel's beauty was unmatched, rendered exquisitely in the game.

Naturally, everyone wanted to capture the moment.

But Wang Bo was not interested. Although the Galadriel in the game was crafted to be otherworldly and peerlessly beautiful, she was still far inferior to the real Galadriel.

Without having seen Galadriel's beauty, it was hard to imagine just how beautiful she truly was.

Because of Gandalf's sacrifice, the reception was very somber. Galadriel soon ended the audience, allowing the members of the Fellowship to rest there for the night.

The players were arranged by the elves into pre-prepared houses.

But since there was still some time before nightfall, the players were free to move about. Of course, certain important areas were off-limits to players, but aside from those, most places were accessible.

Asuna, Yui Ikari, and Dr. Brave Stone invited Wang Bo and his group to tour the city before nightfall.

Wang Bo gladly agreed.