Gandalf finally left, and everyone was sad, but they had no choice but to regain their spirits and walk towards the dark jungle.
Gollum led the way, and the crowd followed. Gollum seemed to be familiar with every place, every dark corner. It was hard to imagine how long he had lived here.
The hobbit seemed to have really changed his mind, his usual cruel face now showing allegiance. Of course, for Gollum, after losing the Lord of the Rings and experiencing life and death, although he did not claim to be enlightened, he found a new sustenance and goal.
Carl rescued him from chaos, redeemed his soul, and left him feeling grateful to Dade. To this end, he was willing to follow Carl's will.
After walking for half a day, Gollum suddenly stopped.
"Master, there is a death stream ahead, and there is a poisonous mist. We need to cover our mouths and noses to cross," Gollum looked at the terrain, then turned to Carl to convey the message.
"Very good, did you all hear that?" Carl nodded, turning around to address everyone.
Upon hearing the instructions, everyone immediately covered their faces with wet cloth.
Ever since Gollum helped them escape from the Orc pursuers, he had always done his best, gradually changing everyone's opinion of him.
Seeing that Carl trusted him so much, Gollum felt a little happy and satisfied, leading everyone over another obstacle.
Above the death stream, a turbid mist lingered, surrounded by strange vines. It was silent, with no wind or sound, everything seeming dead and eerie.
"Everyone passing by this stream gets trapped by the mist," Gollum explained, "and then something comes and cleans up their bodies."
"Those are very large spiders. They gather together under the tree shadows, weaving webs, entangling any passing creatures."
Upon hearing this, everyone became vigilant.
"How do we get across without encountering the spiders? Is there a shortcut?" Carl asked.
Upon hearing this, Gollum's face fell a little, and he replied, "Sorry, master, this is the only way to go. Going elsewhere will be even more dangerous."
He apologized for not being able to offer a safer route.
"Okay, Gollum, then let's burn those spiders down together," Carl said with a laugh.
Gollum's performance was indeed commendable, and Carl didn't mind being a little kinder to him.
Upon hearing this, Gollum's face lit up with excitement, and he smiled cruelly, "Well, let's burn them clean. That's a great idea, master. You're truly brilliant."
For Gollum's flattery, Carl smiled slightly. The influence of the Lord of the Rings is truly remarkable if it has led Gollum to behave this way. I just hope that Gollum can truly find his place.
Everyone stepped forward again, crossed the death stream along the vines, and walked for another half a day. The forest scenery in front of them changed once again.
Strange white cobwebs hung among various trees, densely packed, connecting the sky and the ground, with no clear path.
"Alright, everyone, come here. I'm going to teach you how to use something!" Carl took out the Molotov cocktails.
The bottles were all made of ceramic, with a yellowish hue, not looking particularly refined. Of course, they weren't meant to be decorative, so Carl didn't pay much attention to the craftsmanship.
The contents of the bottles were the black oil he extracted. Similar to gasoline, once ignited, they would not be easily extinguished unless completely burned out.
Everyone held several bottles, looking at each other, not understanding what Carl was planning.
Before long, they became proficient again.
Carl lit the fuse with a tinder and threw it at the hanging spider webs, causing the bottles to explode.
"Peng!" Huge fireworks erupted from the small bottles, scattering around and igniting the webs, spreading thick smoke.
The dwarves watched in awe, exclaiming, "Oh~"
...
Having learned the technique, Sorin and the others became interested in the new tool in their hands, eagerly lighting fires and throwing them out.
"Bang bang bang!" The incendiary bottles exploded one after another, the flames growing larger.
As the fire spread,
"S~S~S~" In the firelight, countless huge figures emerged from behind the spider webs.
Covered in flames, they climbed incessantly, mouths screaming, filling the air with burnt odors.
Thorin, Bilbo, and the dwarves saw a swarm of giant spiders, their scalps tingling with fear.
Luckily, they followed Gollum's advice and had Carl's tools to help. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for them to pass through without being detected.
"Crackling, crackling!" The fire continued to spread, burning through all the cobwebs before gradually dying down.
The trees of this forest seemed to be protected by a magical power, resisting ordinary flames and leaving only scorched trunks.
However, the spiders were not as fortunate. Countless giant spiders, unable to escape in time, were roasted into carbon, their bodies no longer moving.