Lonely Mountain Great Hall was a magnificent fortress built by the dwarf ancestors, who hollowed out the entire Lonely Mountain to create it, making the castle a single, integrated structure that was difficult to enter by any means other than the main gate.
"The castle gate is completely sealed. It will probably take a lot of effort to get in and deal with Smaug…" Elf Prince Legolas observed the main gate of the castle and gave his assessment.
Then, Aragorn and Sophia, among others, also stepped forward to inspect the stone gate of Lonely Mountain, shaking their heads in turn.
"There are two ways to enter Lonely Mountain: one is to excavate a side door from the adjacent area, and the other is to dig a tunnel underground…" Aragorn, who had spent several years in the Northern Highlands, had some knowledge and offered two suggestions after some thought.
However, he then warned, "Both of these methods for entering Lonely Mountain will create a significant disturbance, so the greatest possibility is that we will awaken the sleeping evil dragon inside before we even enter Lonely Mountain."
Smaug, the last giant dragon in Middle-earth, was infamous, having destroyed the River Valley Kingdom in a very short period of time.
Therefore, awakening it meant disaster.
"Why don't we rest for the night and make a plan tomorrow…" Sophia suggested, looking at the setting sun.
Mike and his group had been delayed for some time in Long Lake Town, and by then, it was nearing dusk.
"No need for such trouble." Seeing everyone at a loss, Mike walked directly to the stone gate and unleashed his flame power.
Flames imbued with holy and dark power instantly blasted a large hole in the stone gate.
"Is this the ability of The Healer? I finally believe you have the power to eliminate Smaug now." Bard watched the more than five-meter-thick stone slab being effortlessly blasted through, and his gaze towards Mike was once again filled with reverence.
If one were to ask who among the group was most concerned about the situation in Lonely Mountain, it would undoubtedly be Bard.
After all, in his view, if the others couldn't fight Smaug, they could simply choose to leave.
But Bard, as the mayor of Long Lake Town, needed to consider the well-being of all the residents of Long Lake Town.
If circumstances allowed, he did not want to provoke the evil dragon Smaug in Lonely Mountain.
However, after witnessing Mike's strength, Bard gained more confidence in resolving the hidden danger of the evil dragon Smaug.
"So this is your true strength; no wonder you could eliminate the Balrog in Moria…" Aragorn also looked at Mike with burning eyes and said, "Later, could I ask you not to act first and let us face that evil dragon?"
It is well known that the Balrog in Moria Mines was no less powerful or terrifying than the evil dragon in Lonely Mountain.
If the rumors of Mike eliminating the Balrog were not false, then he certainly had the ability to eliminate the evil dragon Smaug in Lonely Mountain.
However, before that, Aragorn still wanted to test Smaug's strength, thereby verifying his own growth over the years.
The Elf Prince and Bard, standing nearby, also had the same thought.
One wanted to prove he was no worse than the dwarves, while the other wanted to seize this opportunity to restore the glory of his grandfather, Gereon.
At the scene, perhaps only Sophia and the ranger team she brought hadn't thought so much.
"Suit yourselves…" Mike looked at the men whose fighting spirit had been ignited and warned, "But please note, you only have one chance."
He could be a "nanny," but Mike also didn't have the habit of always being one.
So, if Aragorn and the others truly couldn't handle it, he would naturally choose to intervene.
At the same time, deep within Lonely Mountain, in a vault filled with gold coins and jewels, Smaug, whose sleep had been disturbed, suddenly opened his eyes.
His enormous vertical pupils were filled with rage and cruelty, as well as the anger of being woken up for no reason.
"There are actually some crawling insects who dare to disturb my sleep here…"
Smaug rose, shaking off the gold coins and jewels clinging to his body, and with a full-blown case of morning grumpiness, he spread his wings and flew towards the Lonely Mountain Great Hall.
On the other side, the group who had entered Lonely Mountain Great Hall was shocked by the sight before them.
The spacious castle followed the dwarves' usual rough aesthetic, and the floor was paved with countless melted gold.
Such a luxurious practice as using gold for flooring astonished even the Elf Prince, who wasn't fond of treasures, by the dwarf ancestors' grand scale.
"No wonder that evil dragon occupied this place; with such wealth in Lonely Mountain, I don't think anyone would be unmoved…" Aragorn sighed, then drew the Ñoldor Elves sword from his waist and said, "Next, where should we look for that evil dragon?"
Clearly, Aragorn's sigh was just that; with his great ambitions, he hadn't been swayed by the wealth before him.
"I heard that the evil dragon Smaug is very fond of gold coins; perhaps we should go to the dwarf's treasure vault and see…" The Elf Prince Legolas, having quickly recovered, also took down the longbow from his back.
He was clearly preparing for the upcoming battle.
Conversely, Bard, whose heart was with the residents of Long Lake Town, was captivated by the wealth before him.
But he quickly cleared his head and once again gripped the Black Arrow in his hand.
Just as the group entered the Lonely Mountain Great Hall and prepared to go deeper, Mike stopped them and warned, "No need to go any further; the enemy is already close at hand."
And just as everyone was puzzled, a scorching gust of air blew from above the great hall.
"I wondered who was so bold; it turns out to be a team composed of elves, half-elves, and humans. What, have all the dwarves of Middle-earth died out?"
Smaug, whose body exceeded a hundred meters in length, resembling a giant lizard clinging to a massive pillar above, was looking down at the group below with a mocking gaze.
As he spoke, sparks continuously spewed from his mouth.
"Smaug!!!"
Everyone was first startled by the evil dragon's appearance, and then the rangers brought by Sophia threw their grappling hook-like weapons at the evil dragon.
It was evident that rangers daring to venture into Lonely Mountain not only had strong mental fortitude but also considerable skill.
On the other side, the Elf Prince's speed was even faster than the rangers'; he leaped several times, stepping on the pillars, and reached the upper part of the great hall.
At the same time, his Elven longbow fired a volley of arrows.
"Useless… useless… you ants cannot harm the great Smaug…"
The evil dragon, covered in thick scales, effortlessly repelled all the grappling hooks thrown by the rangers without doing anything, and then, in the blink of an eye, used its eyelids to deflect the arrows the Elf Prince shot towards its eyes.
Next, Smaug spread his enormous wings, stirring up gusts of strong winds with each beat, blowing the ranger team below off balance.
"Hahaha… look at your ridiculous appearance, truly weak! How dare you, in such a state, provoke the great Lord of Lonely Mountain, Smaug…"
Perhaps it had been too long since he encountered humans; Smaug was amused by the comical performance of the ranger team below, even developing a playful mood.
"Good opportunity!"
Taking advantage of the evil dragon's carelessness, Aragorn, wielding his Elven sword, climbed up onto Smaug's back from the side, and then, along with the Elf Prince who leaped down from a higher position, they simultaneously reached Smaug's head.
After exchanging glances, they both, with great tacit agreement, simultaneously plunged their swords and arrows into the evil dragon's eyes.
"Thud… thud…"
With two muffled thuds, Aragorn's blade and the arrow in the Elf Prince's hand seemed to strike hard leather, unable to penetrate further.
At the crucial moment, Smaug had again closed his eyes, using his eyelids to block Aragorn's and the Elf Prince's surprise attack.
"Damned elves and humans, you will pay for your actions!"
Although his eyes were not injured, Smaug's eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears when he opened them again, indicating that Aragorn's and the Elf Prince's sneak attack was not entirely without effect.
At the very least, it hurt the evil dragon.
Then, they were both flung from Smaug's head in a furious rage, and immediately after, the evil dragon leaped down from the stone pillar, its two thick hind claws striking at both of them.
Fortunately, Aragorn and the Elf Prince were not ordinary people; relying on their agile movements, they both dodged the evil dragon's stomps.
The Elf Prince, in particular, propped himself on the ground with one hand, performing a dolphin backflip to create distance from the evil dragon, while simultaneously drawing his bow and arrow again, launching a surprise attack at Smaug's eyes.
"Awoo—!!!! Despicable elves!!!"
The evil dragon, whose eyes had been severely injured once, could only roar in anger while twisting its head away.
This also gave the rangers an opportunity; regrouping, they pulled their grappling hooks around the evil dragon, coiling the hooked chains around its thick hind legs.
Aragorn, seizing this opening, again rushed to Smaug's front, his Elven sword continuously hacking at the evil dragon.
"I told you, you cannot possibly harm me…"
Smaug, completely unharmed due to its tough scales, first swatted away Aragorn in front of him after the Elf Prince emptied his quiver, then flew low in two circles, successively shaking off the rangers pulling the chains.
Amidst cries of alarm and agony, many rangers were severely injured in this struggle. Aragorn, who was swatted away first, was now lying on the ground, unable to get up.
Mike, who was responsible for providing support, seeing the situation, quickly gathered his divine power and pulled the injured people behind him, then threw a ball of healing energy at each person.
"What are you waiting for?" Seeing Mike about to act, the Elf Prince went to Bard, who was holding the Black Arrow but had been preparing all this time.
As for the half-elf Sophia, knowing her limits well, she had stayed by Mike's side from the beginning, with no intention of participating in the battle.
It could be said that, apart from Mike and the half-elf, everyone's hope now rested on Bard.
"Do you see it? That reverse scale on the dragon's belly…" Bard, in a state of focused calm, finally began to draw his bow and arrow, speaking as if to himself, yet also communicating with the Elf Prince.
"Reverse scale? Smaug's belly does seem to have a missing scale…" After being reminded, Elf Prince Legolas quickly discovered a palm-sized gap on the evil dragon Smaug's belly, near its heart.
This discovery greatly boosted the Elf Prince's spirits, but he soon realized that his quiver was already empty of arrows.
So he could only watch helplessly as Bard, who only carried one Black Arrow, aimed it at the proudly returning Smaug.
"My grandfather Gereon did not lie; he indeed shot the evil dragon Smaug back then, and was only one arrow away from killing it…" As the evil dragon approached, Bard's expression grew increasingly serious.
Clearly, after so many years, he dearly wanted to help his grandfather fire that crucial final arrow to restore the honor of the River Valley Kingdom.
"Humble humans, you have witnessed the power of the great Smaug! Fear! Tremble!!!…"
On the other side, after teaching the annoying ranger team and Aragorn a lesson, Smaug seemed to be in a very good mood, spreading his wings in a show of force while preparing to enjoy the amusing expressions of human cowardice and fear.
It was at this moment that a Black Arrow, whistling through the air, accurately struck the gap in the evil dragon's belly scales before it could react.
"Roar—"
Amidst a colossal wail, the evil dragon Smaug crashed to the ground, then rolled several times in pain.
The massive commotion caused the entire great hall to tremble.
"Bard, you did it!!! You truly are Long Lake Town's master archer!"
"This evil dragon that has plagued Middle-earth for so many years is finally going to die…"
"…"
Watching the evil dragon Smaug writhe in agony, Elf Prince Legolas and Aragorn, among others, offered their praise to Bard.
"No, something's not right…" Bard, who had fired the Black Arrow, had an increasingly solemn expression.
Logically, an evil dragon whose heart had been pierced should die instantly, not struggle and gasp on the ground as it was now.
So there was only one answer: although the Black Arrow hit the evil dragon's reverse scale, it did not pierce its heart.
"Humans… you have truly angered me this time…"
Smaug's subsequent actions also proved Bard's conjecture.
Although trembling all over from the pain, the evil dragon, after enduring the initial intense agony, used its front claws to pull out the Black Arrow, which had penetrated nearly halfway into its body.
After throwing the Black Arrow, which had almost taken its life, to the ground, Smaug raised its head again, its eyes now blood red.
"Face Smaug's wrath!!! I will send you to hell with fire!!!"
Having had a near-death experience, Smaug no longer had any playful intentions. Taking it seriously, its entire body ignited with orange-red flames.
Finally, these flames gathered at its throat, ready to be spewed out at any moment.
"Indeed, without the wind-bow's cooperation, the Black Arrow's power is much weaker…"
Bard, who had only brought a hard bow temporarily, realized the mistake he had made.
Engulfed in deep remorse, he even forgot to dodge Smaug's attack.
"Now is not the time to be dazed… quickly, get out of the way…"
The Elf Prince and Aragorn, realizing the situation was dire, simultaneously lunged at Bard, preparing to pull him aside to dodge.
However, the evil dragon Smaug had terrorized Middle-earth for many years precisely because of its innate fire ability.
Moreover, this time it attacked in a fit of rage; the flames, compressed to the extreme, instantly spread throughout the entire great hall once they were spewed out.
The Elf Prince and Aragorn, who had ducked to the ground and narrowly escaped, even felt that the mere aftershocks of the flames were about to ignite their hair and clothes.
But the current situation wasn't much better; if these flames continued to burn for a little longer, they would eventually be roasted into jerky.
It was at this moment that Mike, who was responsible for finishing the job, flew up and, utilizing his fire affinity, caught the flames spewed by the evil dragon Smaug in his hands.
Ultimately, the sky-filling flames were re-condensed and compressed into a glowing red sphere in his hands.
"You like playing with fire, do you? Here, have it back!"
With a taunt, Mike, in a throwing posture, hurled the fireball back into Smaug's mouth, which hadn't yet had time to close.
"Ugh… ugh…"
Amidst a suffocated groan, the fireball finally exploded inside Smaug's belly.
Then, with a series of coughs, the evil dragon Smaug spat out a large amount of black smoke, along with some blood fragments.
It seemed that this evil dragon's own fire resistance was not very high; after being burned by its own fire ability, it suffered a significant internal injury.
"Very well, you all just wait for me… If I can't deal with you, I can deal with other humans!"
Smaug, having been defeated again, furiously grabbed several stone pillars and hurled them at Bard and the others, and after delaying Mike, it swiftly flew out of the palace.
Clearly, Smaug, who had plagued Middle-earth for many years, was actually an evil dragon that bullied the weak and feared the strong.
After suffering a great loss at the hands of Mike and the others, it wanted to take its anger out on the common people of Middle-earth.
"No, it can't leave!"
Bard, who had been rescued by Mike again, had clearly heard Smaug's words before it left.
He quickly realized that Long Lake Town, only a dozen kilometers away, would probably become the evil dragon's perfect punching bag.
"Don't worry, it won't get away."
After comforting Bard, Mike immediately flew out of the great hall as well.