Chapter 648 649: The Tide Turns

"Éowyn??? What are you doing here…?"

Éomer, carrying the gravely wounded and unconscious King Théoden, was preparing to retreat when he unexpectedly saw his sister, who had removed her helmet.

After his initial surprise, Éomer entrusted the King to his sister, saying, "Forget it, this isn't the time to assign blame. It's better that you're here…"

"Quickly, take His Majesty and retreat. I'll cover your escape."

The Rohan reinforcements were too few this time. Under the encirclement of the Orc army and Ringwraiths, only a dozen or so were still desperately holding on.

Especially the formless and intangible Ringwraiths, they were a dimensionality reduction strike against the Rohan warriors.

"I'm not leaving. I've discovered the Ringwraiths' weakness. Only I can deal with them…" After being discovered by her brother, Éowyn stubbornly shook her head.

With her faith, it was impossible for her to abandon her brother in such a hopeless situation.

"And then? How many Ringwraiths can you deal with? Or can you defeat the Orc army?…" Éomer said with a serious expression, "I've never asked anything of you. Consider this me owing you one. For Rohan, King Théoden and I cannot both die here."

It was foreseeable that if both the King and the heir to the throne died, Rohan would inevitably follow in Gondor's footsteps in the near future, being overrun by the Orc army.

Moreover, Éomer was right; individual strength was limited. Even if Éowyn discovered the Ringwraiths' weakness, she might not be able to kill them all.

To put it more bluntly, even without the Ringwraiths, there were still tens of thousands of Orcs.

The demise of Gondor seemed inevitable.

Éowyn was not a fool and quickly realized this. Then, she thought powerlessly: If that person were here, he would surely find a way to save everyone.

"Promise me, no matter what, you must survive." After collecting her thoughts, Éowyn, who had recognized the reality of the situation, immediately bid farewell to her brother.

Then, she helped the unconscious King Théoden onto a horse, preparing to withdraw from the battlefield.

At the same time, over at the Gondor palace, the modified Troll and Mammoth battle teams had already breached the defensive wall. Countless Orcs surged onto the wall and into the palace.

Watching the Orc army's fierce assault, not only Aragorn but also Gandalf and Legolas, among others, felt despair.

It was then that a spatial gate, radiating holy light, suddenly appeared high in the sky.

Mike, holding the Sword of Kings, then stepped out from the void.

After assessing the battlefield situation, he immediately swung his sword twice.

Following this, countless white holy traits, like fireflies, enveloped the sky above the Gondor palace and the Rohan reinforcements outside the city.

"I knew it! Heroes always appear when people need them most!!!…", After the Orc army surrounding him was swept away by the "fireflies," Gimli, the Dwarf, looked at the god-like figure high in the sky and let out a hearty laugh.

Nearby, Gandalf and others, who had also gotten a chance to breathe, looked at the arriving Mike, their faces showing smiles of relief.

Meanwhile, outside the city, Éowyn, who had been about to leave, suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky in surprise.

"It's time to prove your worth!"

Under everyone's gaze, Mike, who had saved the Gondor soldiers and Rohan reinforcements with his sword, turned to look at the spatial gate behind him.

Then, guided by the Sword of Kings, countless green-glowing ghost armies poured out from the spatial gate.

Upon reaching the ground, these intangible ghost armies, impervious to physical damage, charged towards the Orc army like a swarm of locusts.

Amidst dull wails, Orcs were one after another corroded into skeletons.

Even the more powerful modified Trolls and Mammoth battle teams were dragged down by the ghost army's charge, turning into piles of broken bones on the ground.

"Th-this is too… too…", On the dilapidated defensive wall, Pippin looked at the scene below, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he said, "I don't know how to describe it."

"Yes, terrifying," Merry, standing beside him, offered a fitting description.

The annihilation of the Orc army in swathes should have been a cause for joy for everyone, but the terrifying scenes of the ghosts in battle gave everyone a chilling feeling.

Even Aragorn and Legolas, among others, had indescribable expressions on their faces.

Wizard Gandalf, on his part, unconsciously furrowed his brow.

Although the ghost army below was not very large, only about two to three thousand, their inability to die and fearlessness of pain made them undoubtedly the most terrifying army in Middle-earth.

This inevitably made the Wizard suspicious of whether Mike, who had command of such a battle team, would become the next "Dark Lord."

As everyone harbored different thoughts, the ghost army had already pierced through tens of thousands of Orcs like a hot knife through butter.

After completing the battlefield dissection, the ghost leader once again led his subordinates to systematically eliminate the Orc formations.

Orderly… clean… efficient…

Besides terror, this was the deepest impression the ghost army left on everyone.

More than half an hour later, when the last Orc on the battlefield fell, the ghost army, led by its leader, returned to Mike's feet.

"Human King, we have fulfilled our mission, and we ask you to fulfill your promise!"

The ghost leader knelt on the ground, looking up at the figure high in the sky.

His eyes held anticipation, uneasiness, and hope.

Immediately after, the ghost army behind him also knelt down in a vast expanse.

"Human King? That title suits him well…" Gandalf seemed to have realized something, his expression suddenly relaxed, and then he said, "Let's go, we should also meet His Excellency, the Human King."

No matter what, the arrival of Mike and the ghost legion he led had saved Gondor.

Looking at the god-like figure high in the sky, countless rescued Gondor soldiers and citizens gradually showed expressions of gratitude and adoration.

Then, they spontaneously followed Aragorn and the others to pay their respects.

At the same time, outside the city, the Éomer siblings, along with a dozen surviving Rohan reinforcements, also hurried towards Mike's direction.

"In recognition of your bravery and faithfulness to your promise, I, in the name of the Human King, grant you release…" High in the sky, Mike looked down at the ghost army and said, "You're free—!"

"Fr-free… We are finally free…"

"A thousand years, for this moment we have waited a thousand years…"

The re-freed ghost armies wept with joy.

"Long live the Human King!!!" xN

"Long live the Human King…"

Following this, led by their chieftain, the ghosts all cheered, thanking the new Human King for his generosity.

After a round of cheers, having completed their mission, they then transformed into specks of green light and dissipated into the world.

"I know him, he is the Lord of Lonely Mountain… The title of Human King is well-deserved…"

"I remember him too, His Excellency, the 'Healer,' who saved Gondor more than once…"

After recognizing Mike's face, many Gondor soldiers and citizens began to discuss.

The event of the "Healer" saving Gondor sixty years ago was slowly recalled by everyone.

"Long live the Human King!!! Long live the Healer!!!…"

Cheers slowly rose from the crowd, quickly merging into a single roar. The immense shouts were no less powerful than the commotion caused by the ghost army earlier.

Among them, Aragorn and Éowyn, among others, then joined the ranks of the cheering.

And with the cheers, Mike, high in the sky, once again reaped a large amount of Power Of Faith.

Seeing the total energy bar move a significant distance forward, a smile couldn't help but appear on his face. Then, the Power of Healing in his hand scattered, "The war is over. Your next task is to rebuild your homes…"

As the Power of Healing drifted down, soldiers and citizens who had been injured in the previous battle were surprised to find their pain slowly fading away.

This was followed by another round of heartfelt thanks.

…

"How is it? How does it feel to be the Human King?"

When the crowd dispersed, Gandalf, with a smile on his face, chuckled and teased Mike as he descended from the void.

"Very good, I've never felt so good." Mike, who had gained a large amount of Power Of Faith before and after, gave an honest answer.

Moreover, his title of [Human King] had been solidified, and he would continue to receive more Power Of Faith from various races in Middle-earth for some time to come.

"Um, Your Excellency, Human King, could you please help save my elder brother?"

As Mike chatted with the Wizard, Faramir, who had witnessed his healing ability, quickly went to the back and carried his gravely wounded and unconscious brother over.

Boromir, who had nearly been burned to death earlier, was still as black as charcoal, clearly not yet out of danger.

"He's severely injured, but thankfully his will to live is strong…" After observing Boromir's injuries, Mike immediately condensed a large ball of Power of Healing in his hand.

As the healing trait merged with him, large burns on Boromir's body slowly grew new flesh. As the scabs fell off, he gained a new life.

"What happened to me… Fire… Father…"

Boromir, who suddenly opened his eyes, seemed to still be in a state of confusion, struggling to get up.

"Everything is over. His Excellency, the Human King, saved us…" Faramir quickly stepped forward to comfort his elder brother, while also telling him what had happened after he lost consciousness.

"Respected Human King, please forgive my offense at Rivendell earlier. You saved Gondor and me. From now on, my life is yours. Whatever you command, if I so much as frown, I am no man." After accepting the fact of his father's death, Boromir stood up and knelt before Mike.

It was clear that although Boromir had flaws in his character, he was still a man of integrity.

Mike looked at the bald, simple-minded giant before him, smiled, and waved his hand, indicating that the other party shouldn't worry too much.

"Mr. Mike, may I ask if you could also help heal my uncle?" It was then that Éowyn, supporting King Théoden, stepped forward.

The aged King Théoden, after two consecutive fierce battles, had been wounded to his very essence.

Although he had recently bathed in the healing light, his condition still did not look very good.

"Éowyn, Mr. Mike has already exerted himself greatly. Don't trouble him anymore…" King Théoden reprimanded his niece, seemingly very reluctant to bother Mike.

After all, from a normal person's perspective, Mike's previous actions of summoning a ghost army and healing a large number of wounded must have consumed a lot of energy.

"It's alright, healing one more person doesn't take much effort." Mike comforted King Théoden, then once again condensed a ball of Power of Healing and threw it onto him.

The wool comes from the sheep; only Mike knew that healing everyone didn't consume much of his Power Of Faith. In fact, he gained a surplus from the exchange.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency, Human King." After being healed, King Théoden, feeling much better, immediately expressed his gratitude.

His healing not only cured his physical weakness but also restored some of his life essence.

Compared to before, he could live at least three to five years longer.

In summary, Mike deserved his thanks.

"By the way, Aragorn and King Théoden, what are your plans next?" After the minor matters were concluded, Mike looked at the two human kings.

The Orc army had suffered a crushing defeat, and Mordor was empty. Now was a good opportunity to counterattack Sauron.

Mike naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

The reason he wanted to involve Gondor and Rohan was to expand his influence and prepare for his future harvesting of Power Of Faith.

"Whatever plan you have, just command it. Rohan will definitely give its full support." The older and more experienced King Théoden seemed to have sensed something.

Moreover, having the Human King lead the counterattack against Mordor was exactly what he wanted to see.

"You're the new Human King, and Gondor is also willing to support your decision." Aragorn, who had also discerned something, then looked back at Mike with burning eyes.

No matter when or under what circumstances, achieving the feat of counterattacking Mordor was something to be proud of.

Although Aragorn lacked the ability to be the initiator, as a descendant of Isildur, he didn't mind becoming a follower of the new Human King.

"Attacking Mordor, are you interested?" With the situation at this point, Mike naturally had no need to play coy.

"As expected!" x2

Aragorn and King Théoden, the two human kings, exchanged glances, their faces simultaneously showing understanding.

"The Gondor warriors are ready for your call at any time." Aragorn stated again.

Gondor had just suffered destruction from the Orc army. Attacking Mordor now would be a good way to vent the anger of the suffering Gondor citizens and soldiers.

"I can also immediately return to Rohan to gather an army and prepare for the attack on Mordor." King Théoden then expressed his stance.

"No need for such trouble. There shouldn't be many Orcs left in Mordor right now. If nothing unexpected happens, the Gondor warriors can handle it…" Mike said, "As for Sauron, leave him to me!"

Among the dark forces, Sauron, was the most difficult to deal with.

And after witnessing Mike's methods, no one doubted whether Mike had the ability to deal with the Dark Lord.

With this, the biggest hidden danger was eliminated.

Coupled with the fact that the dark forces had just suffered heavy losses, Mike's proposal was no longer an empty boast.

"I will immediately prepare the army. This time, we will definitely flatten Mordor." After understanding the key, Aragorn immediately erupted with powerful fighting spirit.

"I still have a dozen Rohan Riders who can participate in the battle." King Théoden, beside him, was equally unwilling to show weakness.

"And me!" Princess Éowyn, who had been listening for a long time, then spoke.

"How can I miss the battle!! The Dwarf applies to fight!"

"And me, the Elves also apply to fight!"

"Don't forget, there are also Hobbits here…"

As voices successively rang out, Gimli the Dwarf, Elf Prince Legolas, Hobbits Pippin and Merry, among others, all stepped forward.

Further beside them, Wizard Gandalf, the Boromir brothers, and Éomer, also took a step forward, expressing their stance through action.

Thus, the great undertaking of conquering Mordor was now inevitable.