Sylas noticed there was no joy in Gandalf's expression and understood the answer before he spoke.

"So… no success?"

Gandalf nodded, his tone carrying both weariness and sorrow. "The Dunlendings and the Rohirrim have a long history of grievances over land. Now, after being secretly stirred up by that person, the Dunlendings are even more hostile towards Rohan. They've formed an alliance with him and are determined to reclaim their former lands." He paused grimly.

"I tried to persuade their chieftain to set aside old hatred, to go to Rohan and negotiate for a small portion of territory as a homeland. But that man has bewitched them. They no longer want only their ancestral land, they intend to seize the whole of Rohan."

He gave a wry smile. "They even took me for a spy of the Rohirrim and nearly threw me into their dungeons. If it hadn't been for the flying broom you lent me, I doubt I'd have escaped Dunland at all."

Sylas frowned with concern. "Won't the Dunlendings inform that person about this? If he's alerted, something could go wrong."

Gandalf's eyes softened, his voice calm. "No need to worry. I visited Dunland long ago, trying to convince both the Dunlendings and the Rohirrim to set aside their quarrels and unite against the darkness. If word reaches him that I've been there again, he'll likely think it's just the same fruitless errand as before, and perhaps even pity me for wasting my time."

Sylas let out a relieved breath.

Balin, standing quietly nearby, was curious about the "person" they spoke of, but wisely kept his questions to himself.

Once Gandalf's tale was done, Sylas turned to Balin. "Balin, how many dwarves have you gathered this time? And what's your plan?"

Clad in shining armor, Balin patted the iron-bound chest beside him with a look of pride. "A thousand of our finest warriors," he declared. "Every one of them well-equipped, packed into the enchanted storage chest you crafted earlier."

Gandalf added, "We mean to strike Moria from the west gate of the Misty Mountains, then move through to the east gate from behind. Our first aim is to drive out the Orcs quietly, without rousing the Balrog. Only then will we turn to face that creature."

When the chest was opened, the sight within was formidable, ranks of dwarves encased in masterfully forged plate, bristling with weapons: hammers, axes, and blades gleamed in the torchlight. Each warrior stood like a living siege engine, unshaken even by the thought of enemies ten times their number.

Among them, Sylas spotted two familiar faces, Óin and Ori, veterans of the Lonely Mountain's reclaiming. This time, they had sworn to follow Balin into Moria once more.

With all gathered and ready, Sylas wasted no time. He strode to the treasure vault beneath to awake the slumbering dragon Smaug.

Smaug was initially reluctant to wake, but upon hearing that there were treasures in Moria no less valuable than those in the Lonely Mountain, he suddenly became excited. Even after learning that there was a fire demon in Moria, he still felt confident he could take the risk. At worst, if he couldn't defeat them, he could simply retreat, but at least he could claim some gold coins.

Sylas then returned to the secret room and awakened the basilisk Herpo. Even he was surprised by Herpo's size. At this point, Herpo was fifty feet long. In just one year, he had shed several layers of skin and reached the size of an adult basilisk. This growth was due to an endless supply of giant spiders as food. Especially after devouring the spider queen, Herpo underwent a qualitative transformation: the dark magic in his body surged, his deadly eyes became even more dangerous, and his venom grew more lethal.

Sylas placed the basilisk into a space box and took it out with him. Gandalf, seeing the box in Sylas's hand, asked in surprise, "It seems you are well prepared?"

Sylas snapped back. This time he was facing a fire demon, so of course he had to be fully prepared and fight with all his strength.

Then Sylas, Gandalf, and Balin, who carried a chest containing a thousand dwarf warriors, mounted the dragon Smaug and flew straight to the northeast. At the same time, the giant eagle Thorondor accompanied them. Being young, Thorondor was not counted among the main fighting force; instead, he was responsible for aerial patrol, keeping watch over movements outside Moria, and delivering messages to the elves guarding the back gate on the other side of the Misty Mountains.

The dragon carried everyone, flying over Nan Gong, crossing the River Sirannon, and arriving above Eregion.

Eregion, adjacent to Moria (Khazad-dûm), was once an elven kingdom. After the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, a group of surviving Noldor, grieving the destruction of Beleriand, migrated eastward to the foot of the Misty Mountains and founded Eregion. Because of its proximity to Moria, the elven craftsmen of Eregion enjoyed close trade relations with the dwarves there: the dwarves mined mithril, and the elves crafted exquisite works. Relations between the two peoples were excellent.

It was here that Sauron, disguised as Annatar the Lord of Gifts, taught the elven craftsmen the art of forging the Rings of Power. He ultimately oversaw the creation of three rings for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, and nine for Men, nineteen in total.

Later, Sauron declared war on the Elves and conquered Eregion. Celebrimbor, the forger of the Three Elven Rings, was slain; the Seven Rings of the Dwarves and the Nine Rings of Men were taken by Sauron, and Eregion was completely destroyed.

Today, Eregion is a wasteland, with only old roads and ruins left; the grandeur of the former elven kingdom is gone.

It is worth noting that Eregion's original founders were Celeborn and Galadriel. However, after Sauron came in disguise, Celebrimbor, under his influence, led the Jewel-smiths in rebellion against Celeborn and Galadriel, seizing control of Eregion.

Galadriel left, traveling through Moria to Lothlórien. Celeborn, distrustful of the Dwarves due to the fall of Doriath, refused to enter Khazad-dûm and remained in Eregion until its fall.

...

After flying over Eregion, the gates of Moria were at last in sight. A great road still led from Eregion to Moria. Under Gandalf's guidance, the dragon followed the road and descended at Durin's Gate, set into the foot of the Misty Mountains.

Before the Gate lay a vast barrier lake. As soon as they dismounted, Balin thumped the chest and called out, "Alright, lads, come out! We're in Moria!"

One by one, dwarf warriors began to climb out of the chest.

When the dwarves emerged, Sylas frowned, his gaze fixed warily on the lake before them. Gandalf noticed his expression and asked, "What's the matter, Sylas? What have you seen?"

Sylas pointed toward the lake, his voice serious. "I think there's something dangerous hidden in there."

The sight triggered a memory, during the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and his companions had been attacked here by a monster called the "Watcher in the Water." After they escaped into Durin's Gate, the creature had sealed the entrance with its tentacles and deliberately collapsed the outside, cutting off their retreat and forcing them deeper into Moria.

At first, Gandalf's attention was fixed on Durin's Gate, and he paid little mind to the lake. But after hearing Sylas's words, his expression turned grave. He stared at the murky water, trying to see through its depths. Then, as if he had spotted something, he suddenly stepped back and shouted to the dwarves, "Don't go near the lake! It's dangerous!"

The dwarves had just clambered out of their transport crates, grumbling about the heat and joking over who had passed gas. Gandalf's sudden warning caught them off guard, and they turned to the lake in confusion.

Balin, knowing Gandalf's abilities, wasted no time. Seeing both Gandalf and Sylas on high alert, he called out, "Guard the lake! Prepare for battle!"

The dwarf warriors instantly dropped their banter. Forming up, they locked their shields together into a solid iron wall facing the water.

A heartbeat later, a massive tentacle burst from the lake, slamming into the shield wall with tremendous force. The impact blew the dwarves backward, shields and all. Another tentacle whipped out, coiling around Oin's legs in an attempt to drag him into the water. His comrade Ori reacted instantly, swinging his axe and severing the tentacle, freeing Oin.

But more tentacles followed, over twenty of them, erupting from the water to snatch up the dwarves.

"Diffindo!" Sylas shouted, casting a spell that sliced through several of the writhing limbs.

Gandalf moved just as swiftly, drawing his sword and cutting at the tentacles to save more of the warriors.

The lake churned violently as the enraged creature rose. An enormous, island-sized octopus-like beast emerged, its dozens of thick, pale-green tentacles lashing out in fury.

"It's the Watcher in the Water!" Gandalf called, dodging as a tentacle slammed into the ground, gouging a deep trench. Sylas swung his wand, slicing another tentacle clean through. The severed limb, several meters long, thrashed on the ground like a giant snake.

But the attack didn't stop. More than a dozen tentacles rushed toward him.

Sylas conjured an invisible barrier just as the tentacles smashed against it, sending up towering waves.

While Gandalf dodged and struck with his sword, the dwarves seized the opportunity. Some fired arrows at the creature to draw its attention, while others charged the tentacles, hacking and hammering with axes, hammers, and swords. But the Watcher's strength was overwhelming, flinging the warriors away like toys.

"Confringo!" Sylas's shout was followed by a blinding red flash. The blast obliterated the tentacles in front of him, scattering millions of fragments into the air.

The creature let out a piercing, ear-splitting scream and withdrew its remaining limbs beneath the surface.

For a moment, it seemed like the fight was over, until the beast's body began to glow faint green. Before their eyes, the severed tentacles started regenerating at an alarming speed.

Everyone froze, horror dawning on their faces. Sylas's eyes went wide in disbelief.

No one had told him the Watcher in the Water could do that.