I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 168 Zoro's Temptation

The weapon Tanes was holding was the Greatsword of the Hunting Gods, but even he couldn't help but frown when facing so many enemies.

Comet Azle was blocked by Sauron's own power, leaving Tanes, who had little experience in magical battles, unsure whether other spells would be blocked by the opponent.

The main issue is that Tanes's magic reserves are running low, and he can't afford to waste them on testing the enemy.

He also needs to conserve his magic to use his more proficient combat skills to fight against enemies.

Furthermore, Tanes also learned from Bernal, Millison, and Egon how troublesome the Ringwraiths behind Sauron were.

Don't underestimate these Ringwraiths just because Bernal once fought against many and escaped unscathed. Remember that Bernal is already the most powerful Quasi-King level Faded One in the Borderlands.

Anyone else would not have been able to survive unscathed from being surrounded by so many Ringwraiths while fighting alone.

As Tanes pondered his options for dealing with the enemy, he was unaware that Sauron, standing not far in front of him, was also surprised by this fellow from beyond Middle-earth.

Despite his seemingly relaxed demeanor, Zoro's use of a fire wall to stop Comet Azle from continuing to kill his followers was indeed causing him trouble.

But it's just a hassle.

Zoro has seen even more powerful enemies before. In the First Age, there were countless warriors with destructive power like Tanes. What Zoro is more worried about is how many spells his opponent doesn't know about.

Lack of understanding means that perfect defense is impossible.

Zoro, in particular, felt threatened by the strangely shaped silver greatsword in his opponent's hand. He didn't think that his opponent had just randomly chosen a weapon to confront him.

It must be that this human from outside the Middle-earth thought that the silver greatsword in his hand could harm him, which is why he chose this weapon.

At this stage, the biggest threat Tanes poses to Zoro is all the information about the border region that Tanes doesn't know about.

As a result, the two sides were at a standstill for a short time, and the battlefield, littered with corpses, fell silent.

Both the Orcs, who were usually undisciplined, and the Ringwraiths' mounts, ferocious beasts, knelt on the ground in an almost prostrate manner.

Only the seven Ringwraiths clad in black armor were qualified to stand behind Sauron.

Tanes gripped the greatsword of the hunting gods tightly once more, and Zoro also gripped his warhammer tightly; their eyes met.

Sauron spoke first, slamming his warhammer into the ground to extend his friendliness, while reaching out his other hand to Tanes, offering him an invitation: "Friend from beyond Middle-earth, why not join forces with me?"

Ok?
Tanes never expected that Zoro would say such a thing to him.

Although Tanes' face was covered by the White Wolf War Demon helmet, Zoro could still sense the other's surprise from the moment his body paused.

Then, the ferocious, towering steel giant was engulfed in flames. When the flames quickly dissipated and Sauron reappeared in the same spot, Tanes found that he had transformed into a refined, handsome, and intelligent male elf. His long, silver-white hair was bound with exquisite silver ornaments, draped over his shoulders, and gently rested on his waist. He wore a gold-forged ribbon on his forehead and a magnificent black robe.

He said gently, "You were surprised by my words just now because you thought there was some irreconcilable hatred between us, right?"

Tanes glanced instinctively at the seven Ringwraiths behind Sauron and replied, "Yes, after all, there should have been nine of you standing behind you originally, right?"

Zoro smiled warmly, as if conversing with a close friend, and said, "They're just two rings worn by mortal emperors; they won't affect our friendship. If you like them, I'll give them to you. Besides, you've already made those two rings yours, haven't you?"

Sauron then looked thoughtful, then his eyes lit up, and he said to Tanes happily, "If you want more rings like that, we can forge them together, combining your power from beyond Middle-earth with mine. We're sure to create some amazing rings."

When Tanes heard Sauron's voice, he felt a strange stirring within him.

"What about the Black Hand? The giant spider I just chased away said that your subordinate has an important mission, so you wouldn't mind even if I killed him?" Tanes asked.

Sauron remained as gentle as ever. He shook his head and said, "Blackhand? His mission was merely to help me summon the spirit of an elf into his body. Because this elf had betrayed me, he used the knowledge I had given him to forge a brand new ring. Although it wasn't as powerful as the Ring I had personally forged before, it was still a ring with great energy. However, at the most crucial moment, he stole the ring that we had forged together and even tried to kill me."

Tanes shrugged: "But judging from the fact that you're standing here perfectly fine, the elf failed. However, the ring must have been lost as well, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to summon his soul back."

Zoro sighed, a look of sorrow and regret on his face: "Yes, I truly considered him a friend and imparted knowledge to him. But he betrayed me and hid that ring."

But the next moment, the sorrow and regret on Zoro's face vanished instantly, replaced by friendliness.

He earnestly invited Tanes, saying, “But if you join forces with me, the ring we forge together will surely be more powerful than the one forged by that elf. After that, my only goal is to annihilate those elves, humans, and dwarves; I have no interest in land. If you help me, I will give you all those territories. I know the strength of you, your friends, and your army. If we join forces, no nation in Middle-earth can stop our advance—not humans, not dwarves, and certainly not elves! What are you still hesitating for?”

It seems that what he said makes some sense.

Just as Tanes was pondering the other person's words and subconsciously about to nod in agreement, he suddenly heard Melina's anxious but unusually clear voice calling out in his ear: "Tanes, wake up!"

Then Tanes suddenly felt as if his body had just emerged from the seabed, panting heavily with sweat pouring down his forehead.

But his mind cleared considerably, and Tanes saw that the Ringwraiths and Orcs behind Sauron had somehow surrounded him from all sides.

Without much thought, Tanes' instincts drove him to wield the greatsword of the hunting gods. The blade, burning with black and white flames, slashed out fiercely, catching the Ringwraith riding the ferocious beast at the forefront off guard. The black and white flames instantly coiled around the opponent's body like a python.

The Ringwraith let out a piercing shriek, its armor twisted, and its body was quickly burned away by the flames.

But Zoro merely chuckled, raised his hand towards the Ringwraith, and a wisp of black smoke returned to Zoro's side, then quickly transformed back into the Ringwraith's appearance.

Then Zoro narrowed his eyes, revealing a dangerous look as he looked at Melina behind Tanes: "You've broken free from the influence of my words. Who are you?"

Zoro's Elf form:

(End of this chapter)