Chapter 612
The Dragon and the Treasure of Lonely Mountain
Chapter 612 The Dragon and the Treasure of Lonely Mountain
"Did you hear that? It sounds like there's a battle going on in Lonely Mountain..."
On the side of Lonely Mountain, Bilbo, who was helping the dwarves search for a hidden entrance, pressed his ear against the rock face.
Actually, he didn't need to do that. The sounds of the fierce battle in Lonely Mountain were audible to anyone who wasn't deaf.
“It seems that Mr. Mike entered Lonely Mountain before us…” White-bearded Balin looked up at the towering stone wall in front of him and said sadly, “Perhaps it is fate that we dwarves will never be able to return to Lonely Mountain.”
Today is the Dwarfs' Dulin Day, and the sun has already sunk below the horizon, but the Dwarfs still haven't found the side gate to the Lonely Mountain.
In addition, it seems that Mike has already entered Lonely Mountain.
With these two situations intertwined, the dwarves could not help but feel despair.
"When the thrush flaps its wings... standing beside the gray rocks... the setting sun, bathed in the afterglow of the Turin day... will shine on the keyhole..."
At this moment, Thorin, looking utterly defeated, took out a map and began reading the runes on it.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the last rays of Dulinri were about to disappear.
Thorin, a descendant of the royal family of the Durin dwarves, felt a sense of urgency and finally, with a dejected expression, threw the map and the golden key to open the side gate of Lonely Mountain to the ground.
Then, in despair, he walked down the mountain.
The other dwarves, having lost all hope of reclaiming Lonely Mountain, dejectedly followed Thorin away.
"I knew the dwarves were unreliable, they've wasted our time..."
"Yeah, who would have thought the dwarves were so useless. We should have followed Sophia and the others; maybe they would have already reached Lonely Mountain and found the treasure..."
"..."
Those rangers who had previously betrayed Sophia to join the dwarven adventure party in hopes of making a fortune began to criticize Thorin and the others after they gave up.
Then, one by one, they angrily pushed past the dwarves and rushed down the mountain.
It seems they want to try and see if they can rejoin Sofia's ranger team and get a share of the profits.
"That...that's Smaug the dragon! They've awakened the dragon!!!"
Just then, among the dwarves who were preparing to descend the mountain, someone spotted Smaug flying out of the main gate of the Lonely Mountain.
Even though they were two or three kilometers apart, the dragon, which was over a hundred meters long and kept spewing flames from its nose, still greatly shocked the dwarves.
"Something seems off. That dragon seems to have been provoked and is heading towards Lake Town. It looks like it wants to destroy human towns again..." Whitebeard Balin analyzed in surprise.
At this moment, Smaug, who was flying and spewing flames, exuded a menacing aura that anyone could feel.
In this state, the dragon is destined for disaster.
"Is there even a question? Mike must have angered the dragon, causing it to vent its anger on the residents of Lake-town." While his own defeat was regrettable, the fact that his opponent had caused such a disaster gave Thorin the urge to gloat. "Isn't that 'Healer' considered humanity's hope? Let's see how he explains himself to the residents of Lake-town this time..."
The dwarves in the adventure party had all heard about the good deeds Mike had done at the Gondor defenses.
However, the more outstanding Mike was, the more unhappy Thorin became.
So, with a puzzled expression, he wasn't in a hurry to go down the mountain. He found a spot with a good view and prepared to watch Mike's "show."
"Thorin, I should try to help the residents of Lake-town. They are all innocent..." As an old man, Balin the Whitebeard had witnessed the tragic scene when the evil dragon destroyed Riverdale, and thus felt compassion.
Moreover, as the "chief steward" of the Durin clan, Balin also believed that if Thorin wanted to succeed Thor, the king of the mountain, he should have the magnanimity of a king.
Instead of standing by and watching disaster happen, and then gloating.
"Why should we help those foolish humans? Have you forgotten the ostracism we suffered in Lake-town?" Thorin said coldly. "They deserved it..."
Seeing the new King of Dulin react this way, Balin sighed and said nothing more.
However, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Clearly, Thorin is now blinded by his own pride and is not a qualified king.
At the same time, the other dwarves' gazes toward Thorin also became more complicated.
One thing at a time, although dwarves may be rude and awful, they should never be the kind of people who stand by and watch others die and gloat over their misfortunes.
Of course, the dwarves' discussion took place in a very short time, and Smaug had only just flown to the sky above Long Lake, a dozen kilometers away.
Then, in the afterglow of the setting sun, the dwarves saw a figure radiating white light, which then flew out from the Lonely Mountain.
“That’s Mike…he’s trying to stop Smaug…”
"I don't know if it's too late..."
"..."
As I said before, dwarves may not have the best personalities, but they are definitely not bad at heart.
They were delighted to see Mike stop the dragon Smaug and save the residents of Lake-town.
Then, amidst the dwarves' gasps, Mike, trailing a white "tail," quickly caught up with the dragon over Long Lake.
Immediately following a series of flashes of white light, the dragon Smaug was struck and tumbled several times in the air.
Finally, amidst screams, it stretched its neck and fell into the long lake below.
The icy lake water at the turn of autumn and winter instantly extinguished the flames of anger on Smaug's body, and a large cloud of white mist rose up.
"Yes~ Well done!!!"
"As expected of the man who slew Yama, the fact that he took the treasure of Lonely Mountain means our Lin clan isn't ashamed at all..."
"..."
The dwarves cheered when they witnessed Mike defeat Smaug.
They even gradually came to terms with the fact that the treasure of Lonely Mountain had been taken away.
In this situation, only Thorin, who had been waiting to see the "good show," looked increasingly grim.
Of course, none of the dwarves, who were in the midst of their emotional outburst, noticed this.
Perhaps Whitebeard Balin saw it, but this time, the steward did not choose to persuade the new Dulin Dwarf King as he had done before.
……
"Smaug, what did you just say? You said you'd go and destroy human towns and make me regret it??"
On the other side, after shooting down Smaug, Mike also landed on the lake and walked towards him across the shimmering water.
“No, you misheard me. I meant that the treasure of Lonely Mountain belongs to the virtuous, and naturally it should belong to you… As for me, I should leave…” Smaug, who looked like a drowned rat, actually managed to squeeze out a fawning expression on his dragon face.
It is clear that it is quite intelligent.
Moreover, its decision to leave decisively was based on a vague feeling that the human in front of it was very strong, but it never expected him to be this strong.
It rendered it completely powerless to resist.
If it had known this would happen, it certainly wouldn't have said those harsh words when it ran away.
However, it seems there is still time to back down. Smaug is not only a cowardly dragon who bullies the weak, but also a clever dragon who can bend and stretch.
In fact, given Smaug's strength, Middle-earth is not without people who can deal with him.
However, there must be a reason why it has been able to wreak havoc on Gushan for so many years and has not been eliminated.
It is known that the dragon has bullied dwarves, humans, and even the elves in the Black Forest, but it has never actively provoked any of the stronger beings in Middle-earth.
"How come I heard you say something different before..." Mike's fists once again gathered holy light, preparing to give this "cunning" evil dragon a hard blow.
Clearly, Smaug has met his match this time.
"Spare me... If you spare my life, I'm willing to submit to you and become your mount..." Sensing that death was imminent, Smaug began to beg for mercy, tears streaming down his face.
It's quite remarkable that it can make such a human-like expression.
"Dragon Knight??? It seems like it's not impossible..." Mike watched the dragon's performance with great interest.
He had ridden giant eagles and white deer with great antlers, but it would feel even more majestic to have a dragon as his mount.
Of course, this was all predicated on Smaug being perceptive enough. And then Michael witnessed the sincerity of the dragon Smaug.
The dragon first plunged into the water, then swam to Mike's feet before slowly surfacing.
Then, carrying Mike on his back, he slowly flew into the sky.
After flying smoothly around the lonely mountain, Smaug turned back and asked in a flattering tone, "How was the speed? Actually, I could fly even faster."
I have to say, being a dragon knight is really great.
"This is... that human actually tamed the dragon Smaug..."
"With a vicious dragon guarding Lonely Mountain for him, we really have no chance now..."
"..."
The dwarves on the hillside of Lonely Mountain naturally saw Mike flying overhead on a giant dragon.
The achievement of "Dragon Knight" had never been achieved before, and the group of dwarves stared in astonishment.
"Alright, it's time for us to leave." Thorin was the one who was most upset at this moment. Not wanting to see his opponents continue to "show off their power," he immediately chose to lead the dwarves away.
Just then, Bilbo, who was walking at the back of the group, turned around and saw the first ray of moonlight after sunset shining on a small hole in the stone wall.
“This is… I understand now, the afterglow of the setting sun does not refer to the sunset, but to the first ray of moonlight after sunset…” Bilbo, in a moment of mental turmoil, unexpectedly deciphered the code on the map of the Durin dwarves.
Excitedly, he went to the stone wall and confirmed that the small hole was indeed the keyhole. Then he shouted to the dwarves, "I've solved the puzzle on the map! Maybe from here we can also enter Lonely Mountain..."
This can be described as: "After the darkest hour comes the dawn."
Hearing the hobbits' call, Thorin, still somewhat unwilling, led the dwarves back.
Thorin then picked up the golden key again and went to the stone wall to insert it.
After gently turning the key, accompanied by a dull friction sound, a small stone door on the stone wall opened.
"We succeeded! There really is a small door leading to Lonely Mountain..."
"Well done, Hobbit, you truly are our lucky star..."
"..."
As the stone gate appeared, the dwarves cheered and huddled together.
But soon, Whitebeard Balin poured cold water on their hopes, "Although we've found a way into Lonely Mountain, it's too late now..."
Yes, if you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step. After Mike subdued Smaug, Lonely Mountain was clearly already occupied.
Upon hearing this, the dwarves all wilted again.
They had witnessed Mike's power before, twice... It was clearly not a wise move to try and steal the Lonely Mountain treasure from him.
“Cheer up, the treasure in Lonely Mountain rightfully belongs to us, the dwarves of the Forest…” Thorin said with a grim face, “Perhaps we can reclaim some of the wealth that rightfully belongs to us dwarves through this small door without alerting anyone.”
Well, even Thorin, after witnessing Mike's immense strength, had no intention of directly challenging him.
What he's thinking about now is how to quietly extract more benefits from Mike.
"The dragon has been subdued and shouldn't be guarding the gold coins in the warehouse anymore. This is indeed good news for us..."
"I think, just to be on the safe side, we should send someone to scout ahead first..."
"..."
The dwarves respected Mike for subduing the dragon, but that didn't stop them from liking gold coins.
Moreover, dwarves often "steal" things and don't think there's anything wrong with it.
So a group of dwarves who were planning how to steal back the treasure of Lonely Mountain eventually set their sights on Bilbo, the "Flying Thief".
The hobbits' large feet are perfect for scouting missions.
"What...what do you want to do..." Bilbo, who hadn't thought much about it, felt a little guilty under the dwarves' gazes and then said, "If you want treasure, you should talk to Mike. Maybe he'll be willing to share some of your gold coins."
In the Hobbits' minds, Mike was not a stingy person.
“No, I can see that your human friend doesn’t like us dwarves. So if we want the treasure of Lonely Mountain, we should take matters into our own hands…” Thorin looked at the hobbit and said, “Now is the time to prove yourself. You promised us that you would help the dwarves of Durin reclaim their rightful wealth.”
"Well... I'll give it a try." Bilbo, who had made a pact with the dwarves, finally relented.
Moreover, the dwarves do need some wealth to rebuild their homes.
So, under the expectant gazes of the dwarves, Bilbo, with a mix of trepidation and excitement, entered the Lonely Mountain through a side door.
Meanwhile, Mike, having had his fill of being a dragon rider, returned to the Great Hall from the front of Lonely Mountain aboard Smaug.
"You actually managed to subdue Smaug; it seems my understanding of you was still incomplete..."
"That's the evil dragon Smaug! I never thought someone could actually conquer it..."
"..."
Upon Mike's return, the rangers Sophia brought along also praised him with pride.
Aragorn and the Elf Prince also offered their "blessings" on the side.
Only Bard, a Vale remnant who harbored a deep hatred for the dragon Smaug, ultimately chose to remain silent after glancing at the enormous dragon behind Mike.
On the other hand, if Smaug stopped harming humanity from then on, Bard, as the mayor of Lake-town, could barely accept it.
As for Smaug the dragon, after being "tamed" by Michael, he has always maintained the appearance of a "good boy".
But it was, after all, a dragon, and one that loved to show off and was very vain, so naturally it was unwilling to remain subservient to humans forever.
Looking at Mike, who was completely unguarded with his back to it, a sudden surge of malice arose in its heart, and its eyes instantly turned into dangerous vertical pupils.
Anger arises from the heart, evil comes from the courage.
The dragon, its ferocity rekindled, suddenly opened its blood-red maw and, to everyone's astonishment, bit down on Mike.
"I knew you weren't being honest all along~" As the deep voice rang out, the active protection function of Mike's Light Armor was activated.
A thin, transparent shield shattered Smaug's mouthful of fangs.
Next to greet Smaug was Mike, who had raised the flaming sword.
"Rare..."
Ignoring the dragon's attempt to repeat its old tricks, Mike, having already enjoyed the novelty of being a dragon rider, leaped forward and beheaded Smaug.
It ended the other person's sinful life.
"Today we'll also try some dragon meat..." Mike said casually to the group after putting away the Flame Holy Sword.
It was as if they had just killed not a dragon, but a wild animal that could be eaten.
Actually, Mike, who has the ability to read minds, knew long ago that this evil dragon was not honest, and now he is just taking advantage of the situation to eliminate a potential threat.
"Dragon meat is delicious! I have to try it!" Aragorn, whose understanding had been refreshed once again, laughed and agreed.
The others naturally had no objections, but they were more surprised by Mike's power than by eating dragon meat.
After all, the process of Mike subduing Smaug was more than ten kilometers away from Lonely Mountain, and no one saw it very clearly. It was nothing compared to the shock of this bloody scene before them.
"Alright, leave a few people to clean up the scene, and send another group to check the warehouse. It seems like a few rats have gotten into Lonely Mountain..." Mike, with his keen senses, heard the dwarves entering Lonely Mountain through the side door, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
He then said to Aragorn, “Take two men and hang Smaug’s head outside the Lonely Mountain to intimidate those restless Orcs to the southeast.”
Now that they've taken Lonely Mountain, Mike will likely be living there long-term, so naturally, they need to consider its security.
Now, the dark forces of Middle-earth, since Sauron, the Dark Lord, was banished to the Void by the Elven Queen, have been gradually driven back to Mordor in the southeast corner.
With so many orcs, dire wolves, trolls, and other dark creatures gathered in such a small place as Mordor, it was only a matter of time before problems arose.
Mike can't worry about other places for the time being, but in Lonely Mountain, he'll kill any dark creature that dares to come.
The head of the dragon Smaug represents his attitude.
(End of this chapter)