"Did you hear that? It sounds like someone is fighting inside Lonely Mountain…"
On the side of Lonely Mountain, Bilbo, who was helping the Dwarves search for the secret entrance, pressed his ear to the stone wall.
Actually, he didn't need to do that; the intense sounds of battle inside Lonely Mountain were audible to anyone who wasn't deaf.
"It seems Mr. Mike entered Lonely Mountain before us…" Balin, the white-bearded Dwarf, looked up at the towering stone wall before him and said sadly, "Perhaps it is fate's arrangement that we Dwarves are destined to never return to Lonely Mountain."
Today was Durins Day for the Dwarves, and the sun had already set below the horizon, yet the Dwarves still hadn't found the side door to enter Lonely Mountain.
Adding to that, Mike seemed to have already entered Lonely Mountain ahead of them.
With these two situations intertwined, the Dwarves couldn't help but feel despair.
"When the thrush knocks… stand by the grey stone… and the setting sun with the last light of Durins Day… will shine upon the keyhole…"
At this moment, Thorin, with a dejected expression, took out the map and read the runes on it.
Seeing the sun already set and the last light of Durins Day about to vanish, Thorin, this descendant of the Dwarves's royal line, felt a sense of urgency. Finally, with a forlorn expression, he threw the map and the golden key to open the side door of Lonely Mountain onto the ground.
Then, in self-abandonment, he started walking down the mountain.
The other Dwarves also lost hope of reclaiming Lonely Mountain and dejectedly followed Thorin away.
"I knew these Dwarves couldn't be relied upon; they just wasted our time…"
"Exactly, who would have thought the Dwarves were so useless? We should have followed Sophia and her group; perhaps we would have already entered Lonely Mountain and obtained the treasure…"
"…"
Those Rangers who had previously betrayed Sophia and joined the Dwarf Adventure Squad, hoping to get rich, began to criticize Thorin and the others after seeing them give up.
Then, one by one, they angrily pushed past the Dwarves and rushed down the mountain.
It seemed they wanted to see if they could rejoin Sophia's Ranger team and get a share of the spoils.
"Th-that's Smaug, the Evil Dragon! They've awakened the Evil Dragon!!!"
Just then, among the Dwarves preparing to descend the mountain, someone spotted Smaug flying out of Lonely Mountain's main entrance.
Even from two or three kilometers away, the Evil Dragon, over a hundred meters long and continuously spewing flames from its nose, still greatly shocked the Dwarves.
"Something seems wrong. That Evil Dragon appears to be enraged and is heading towards Long Lake Town. It looks like it wants to destroy the human town once again…" The white-bearded Balin analyzed in surprise.
At this moment, Smaug, flying and spewing flames, exuded an aura of malevolence that anyone could feel.
An Evil Dragon in this state would absolutely bring disaster.
"Do you even need to ask? Mike must have angered the Evil Dragon, causing it to vent its rage on the residents of Long Lake Town." While his own failure was regrettable, his opponent causing trouble gave Thorin the idea of watching their misfortune. "Isn't The Healer regarded as humanity's hope? Let's see how he explains this to the residents of Long Lake Town this time…"
The Dwarves in the adventure squad had all heard about the good deeds Mike had done at the Gondor Line of Defense.
However, the more excellent Mike was, the more unhappy Thorin felt.
So, with a strange expression, he was no longer in a hurry to descend the mountain. He found a spot with an open view, ready to enjoy Mike's "show."
"Thorin, we should try to help the residents of Long Lake Town; they are all innocent…" As an elder, the white-bearded Balin had witnessed the tragic scene when the Evil Dragon destroyed Dale, and thus felt compassion.
Moreover, as the "steward" of the Dwarves, Balin also believed that if Thorin wanted to succeed Thror as King Under the Mountain, he should possess the magnanimity of a king.
And not stand by watching disaster unfold, then gloat.
"Why should we help those foolish humans? Have you forgotten the ostracization we suffered in Long Lake Town before?" Thorin said with a cold face, "This is what they deserve…"
Seeing the new King of Durin react this way, Balin sighed and said no more.
However, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Clearly, the current Thorin was blinded by personal pique and was not a qualified king.
At the same time, the other Dwarves' gazes towards Thorin also became complicated.
One thing at a time, although the Dwarves were rough and crude in character, they should never be people who stood by and watched others die with schadenfreude.
Of course, the Dwarves' discussion happened in a very short time; Smaug had just flown over Long Lake, a dozen kilometers away.
Then, under the afterglow of the setting sun, the Dwarves saw a figure radiating white light fly out from inside Lonely Mountain.
"That's Mike… he wants to stop Smaug…"
"I wonder if it's still in time…"
"…"
Again, while the Dwarves might not have the best personalities, their nature was absolutely not bad.
They were happy to see Mike stop Smaug, the Evil Dragon, and thus save the residents of Long Lake Town.
Then, amidst the Dwarves' exclamations, Mike, trailing a white "exhaust," quickly caught up with the Evil Dragon over Long Lake.
Following several flashes of white light, Smaug, the Evil Dragon, was hit and tumbled several times in the air.
Finally, with a scream, it stretched its neck and fell into the Long Lake below.
The cold lake water at the turn of autumn and winter instantly extinguished the flames of Smaug's rage, creating a large cloud of white mist.
"Yes! Well done!!!"
"He truly is the man who defeated Yama; it's not a disgrace for our Dwarves that he took the Lonely Mountain treasure…"
"…"
Having the fortune to see Mike defeat Smaug, the Dwarves cheered one after another.
Even the matter of the Lonely Mountain treasure being taken was gradually accepted by them.
In this scene, only Thorin, who had been waiting to watch the "show," looked increasingly grim.
Of course, the Dwarves, caught in their excitement, didn't notice this.
Perhaps the white-bearded Balin saw it, but this time, Mr. Steward did not choose to advise the new King of the Dwarves as he had before.
…
"Smaug, what did you just say? That you would destroy human towns to make me regret it??"
On the other side, after Mike knocked down Smaug, he also descended to the lake surface, walking on the shimmering water towards the Evil Dragon.
"No, you misheard. I said that the Lonely Mountain treasure belongs to the virtuous, and naturally, it should belong to you… As for me, I should leave…" Smaug, like a drowned rat, actually squeezed out a fawning expression on its dragon face.
It was clear its intelligence was not low.
Moreover, its previous decision to leave decisively was because it vaguely sensed that the human in front of it was very strong, but it didn't expect him to be this strong.
It had no power to resist at all.
Had it known this was the situation, it certainly wouldn't have uttered those harsh words when it fled earlier.
But it seemed there was still time to back down now; Smaug was not only an Evil Dragon that bullied the weak and feared the strong, but also a "clever dragon" that knew when to yield and when to stand firm.
In fact, with Smaug's strength, there were people in Middle-earth who could deal with it.
However, the fact that it had wreaked havoc in Lonely Mountain for so many years without being eliminated must have its reasons.
It was known that the Evil Dragon had bullied Dwarves, bullied humans, and even bullied the Elves in Black Forest, but it had never actively provoked more powerful beings in Middle-earth.
"How did I hear that you didn't say that before…" Mike's fists once again gathered holy light, preparing to give this "cunning" Evil Dragon a hard blow.
Clearly, this time Smaug had met its match.
"Mercy… If you spare my life, I am willing to serve you as a mount…" Feeling death approaching, Smaug began to beg for mercy, snot and tears streaming down its face.
It was quite difficult for it to make such a human-like expression.
"A Dragon Rider??? It doesn't seem impossible…" Mike looked at the Evil Dragon's performance with interest.
He had ridden Great Eagles and large white stags, but having a giant dragon as a mount would feel even more majestic.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Smaug was sensible enough.
Then Mike witnessed the Evil Dragon Smaug's sincerity.
The Evil Dragon first dove into the lake, then swam to Mike's feet, and only then slowly surfaced.
Then, after carrying Mike, Smaug slowly flew into the sky.
After circling smoothly above the Lonely Mountain, Smaug turned back and asked ingratiatingly, "How is it? Is this speed alright? I can actually fly a bit faster."
It must be said, being a Dragon Rider truly felt great.
"This is… that human actually tamed Smaug, the Dark Lord…"
"With a wicked dragon helping him guard the Lonely Mountain, we truly have no chance now…"
"…"
The Dwarves on the mountainside of the Lonely Mountain naturally saw Mike flying overhead on the giant dragon.
The achievement of being a Dragon Rider had never been reached by anyone before, and the group of Dwarves widened their eyes in shock.
"Alright, it's time for us to leave." At this moment, Thorin was the most uncomfortable. Not wanting to see his opponent continue to "flaunt his power," he immediately chose to lead the Dwarves away.
It was at this moment that Bilbo, walking at the very end of the group, inadvertently looked back and saw the first ray of moonlight after sunset shining on a small hole in the stone wall.
"This is… I understand! The last gleam of sunset doesn't refer to the setting sun, but the first ray of moonlight after the sun sets…" Bilbo, in a brainstorm, unexpectedly deciphered the secret code on the Dwarves's map.
He excitedly went to the stone wall and confirmed that the small hole was indeed a keyhole, then shouted to the Dwarves, "I've solved the riddle on the map! Perhaps from here, we can also enter the Lonely Mountain…"
This could be described as: a new village appearing from the shadows of willows and brightness of flowers.
Hearing the Hobbit' call, Thorin, still with a trace of unwillingness, also led the Dwarves back.
Then, Thorin, picking up the golden key again, went to the stone wall and inserted the key.
After a gentle twist of the key, accompanied by a dull grinding sound, a small stone door in the stone wall opened in response.
"We succeeded! There really is a small door here to enter the Lonely Mountain…"
"Well done, Hobbit! You truly are our lucky star…"
"…"
As the stone door appeared, the Dwarves cheered and hugged each other.
However, very quickly, Balin, the white-bearded, poured cold water on everyone: "Although we also found a way to enter the Lonely Mountain, it's too late now…"
Yes, one step slow means every step slow. After Mike tamed Smaug, the Dark Lord, the Lonely Mountain had clearly become occupied.
Upon hearing this, the Dwarves all wilted.
They had witnessed Mike's power twice… competing with him for the Lonely Mountain treasure was clearly not a wise move.
"Cheer up! The treasure in the Lonely Mountain originally belongs to us, the Dwarves…" Thorin said with a grim face, "Perhaps we can, without alarming anyone, take back a portion of the wealth that rightfully belongs to us Dwarves through this small door."
Well, even Thorin, after witnessing Mike's powerful strength, had no intention of challenging him directly.
What he was considering now was how to quietly gain more benefits from Mike.
"The wicked dragon has been tamed, so it shouldn't continue to stay in the vault guarding the gold coins. This is indeed good news for us…"
"I think, just to be safe, someone should go scout ahead first…"
"…"
Although the Dwarves respected Mike for taming the wicked dragon, it didn't stop them from loving gold coins.
Moreover, "stealing" things was something the Dwarves often did and didn't feel there was anything wrong with it.
So, a group of Dwarves planning how to steal back the Lonely Mountain treasure eventually turned their gaze to Mr. Bilbo, the thief.
The Hobbit' big feet were very suitable for the task of scouting.
"What… what do you want to do…" Bilbo, who hadn't thought that much, felt a bit guilty under the Dwarves' gaze, and immediately said, "If you want treasure, you should talk to Mr. Mike properly. Perhaps he will be willing to give you some gold coins."
In the Hobbit' impression, Mike was not a stingy person.
"No, I can tell that your human friend doesn't like us Dwarves. So, to get the Lonely Mountain treasure, we should do it ourselves…" Thorin looked at the Hobbit and said, "Now is the time to prove yourself. You once promised us that you would help the Dwarves reclaim their wealth."
"This… then I'll try." Bilbo, who had signed a contract with the Dwarves, finally softened.
And the Dwarves indeed needed some wealth to rebuild their homeland.
So, under the expectant gaze of the Dwarves, Bilbo, with a nervous heart, entered the Lonely Mountain through the side door.
On the other side, Mike, having had his fill of being a Dragon Rider, also returned to the Great Hall from the front of the Lonely Mountain, riding Smaug.
"You actually tamed Smaug, the Dark Lord! Indeed, my understanding of you was still not complete…"
"That's Smaug, the Dark Lord! I never thought anyone could conquer him…"
"…"
Seeing Mike return, the Rangers brought by Sophia also praised him with a sense of shared honor.
Beside them, Aragorn and the Elf Prince also offered their "blessings."
Only Bard, a survivor of Dale with a deep hatred for Smaug, the Dark Lord, after glancing at the huge wicked dragon behind Mike, ultimately chose silence.
Then again, if Smaug, the Dark Lord, no longer harmed humans from now on, Bard, as the mayor of Long Lake Town, could grudgingly accept it.
As for Smaug, the Dark Lord, after being "tamed" by Mike, he had maintained a "good baby" demeanor.
But he was, after all, a wicked dragon, and also a vain and very proud wicked dragon, naturally unwilling to remain subservient.
Looking at Mike, who was standing with his back to him, completely unguarded, a surge of malevolence suddenly arose in Smaug's heart, and his eyes instantly turned into dangerous vertical pupils.
Anger rose from his heart, evil sprang from his guts.
The wicked dragon, whose ferocity had been reawakened, suddenly opened its gaping maw and, to everyone's astonished gaze, lunged at Mike.
"I knew you weren't honest!" As a low voice sounded, the active protection function of Mike's Armor of Light activated.
A thin, transparent shield broke Smaug's fangs.
And what awaited Smaug next was Mike, who had raised the Flame Holy Sword.
"Spare…"
Ignoring the wicked dragon, who still wanted to try the same trick again, Mike, who had already lost the novelty of being a Dragon Rider, flew forward and cut off Smaug's head with a single sword stroke.
Ending the opponent's wicked life.
"Today, we'll also try the taste of dragon meat…" After putting away the Flame Holy Sword, Mike said lightly to everyone.
As if he had just killed not a wicked dragon, but an edible wild game.
In fact, Mike, with his "Mind Reading" ability, had known for a long time that this wicked dragon was not honest, and now he was merely taking the opportunity to resolve a hidden danger.
"Dragon meat is good, dragon meat must be tasted!" Aragorn, whose perception had been refreshed again, said with a smile, echoing him.
The others naturally had no objections, but compared to eating dragon meat, they were more surprised by Mike's power.
After all, the process of Mike taming Smaug earlier was dozens of kilometers from the Lonely Mountain, and everyone hadn't seen it clearly. How could it compare to the shocking, bloody scene before them?
"Alright, leave a few people to clean up the area, and then send another group to the vault to check. It seems a few mice have entered the Lonely Mountain…" Mike, with his keen five senses, heard the commotion of the Dwarves entering the Lonely Mountain through the side door, but he didn't pay too much attention.
Then he said to Aragorn, "You take two people and hang Smaug's head outside the Lonely Mountain to deter the unruly Orcs to the southeast."
Now that he had taken the Lonely Mountain, Mike would likely reside there for a long time in the future, so he naturally needed to consider the safety of the place.
Currently, the dark forces in Middle-earth, ever since Sauron, was banished to the Void by the Elf Queen, had gradually been driven back to Mordor in the southeastern corner.
With so many Orc, Warg, and Troll and other dark creatures gathered in such a small place as Mordor, it was only a matter of time before problems arose.
Mike couldn't control other places for now, but as for the Lonely Mountain, if dark creatures dared to come, he would kill every single one that did.
The head of Smaug, the Dark Lord, represented his attitude.