The Last Black Arrow

Seeing Aaron's confidence, Bard lowered his head and remained silent for a moment. "In that case, I can help you."

"Forget it, how are you going to help me?"

That's a dragon capable of destroying the world. You only have one life, so you'd better protect yourself and your family...

Aaron abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his gaze drawn to a jet-black arrow the size of a javelin held in Bard's hand.

The Black Arrow, a legendary arrow that can pierce through dragon armor.

Although he had never met him, Aaron was quite certain of his guess.

This arrow is made of a special material, extremely hard and sharp. It is not a divine weapon, but it can be called a weapon.

"You've kept it well hidden! Your Girian, actually left you such a treasure." Aaron's lips curled into a slight smile. "Bard, perhaps your archery skills were preserved for this."

"This is the last Black Arrow left," Bard said with a sigh. "In other words, we only have one chance, and it must be a fatal blow."

"No." Aaron shook his head mysteriously. "I am Warlock. I can give you a second, third, or even fourth chance."

"The original team had a 50% chance of winning. With the addition of a skilled archer, a Wind Crossbow, and a Black Arrow, we have a 70% chance. The remaining 30% is up to luck!"

"What are you planning to do?" Bard asked.

Aaron looked at the arrow tower outside and thought for a long time before saying, "I plan to... go find your mayor first."

"Why are you looking for him?" Bard frowned deeply. "He will absolutely not help us, and may even hinder us."

This is not an exaggeration; if he wants to maintain his position, he will never allow a beloved hero to emerge in the town.

"I guessed so." Aaron curled his lip in disdain, then tossed the money bag full of gold coins. "I don't think someone as greedy as him would refuse gold."

I approached him as a member of the expedition team, not asking for his help, but also because we absolutely couldn't let him cause us trouble at this time; after all, all we needed was time.

Bard was speechless; at this point, it was indeed necessary to avoid an accident.

"And then what?"

"We'll talk about it later, otherwise he definitely won't care about me after Thorin and the others leave," Aaron said. "Don't leave the house before I come."

As Aaron stepped out of the room, he grinned, unable to contain his joy.

Originally, he planned to fight Smaug to the death at Smaug Lonely Mountain, but the chances of winning were slim. He was confident he could protect himself and could wait for an opportunity.

Now he can wait for the dragon to come to him as Prophecy, make ample preparations in advance, and has an excellent teammate. Slaying the dragon is a sure thing.

Arriving at the mayor's residence, Alfred was invited inside after being announced by the guards.

Alfred looked at Aaron with curiosity, not understanding why a young boy would join the dwarfs' group, but thinking of the gold and silver treasures in Lonely Mountain, he decided to be polite to the boy.

"This..."

"My name is Gaius, Alfred Sr." Aaron gave a harmless smile. "I have something to discuss with the mayor."

"The mayor is resting right now. You can just tell me if there's anything you need."

"Are you sure you can make that decision?" Aaron looked at him with some doubt. "This matter is related to Bard."

"Bard?" A hint of anger appeared on Alfred's pale face as he sneered, "It must be his performance tonight that angered the King of Yamashita."

"I can make that decision. I'll have the guards arrest him and throw him in jail immediately."

"No, no, no," Aaron hurriedly waved his hands and said, "I don't want to arrest him. I need his help with something."

Alfred was stunned; he didn't want to give Bard the chance to speak up.

"Excuse me, what kind of help do you need from him?"

"We have a wounded soldier in our team, and I need Bard's house to use as a makeshift hospital; it's relatively clean there."

"No problem, there's absolutely no problem."

I'll have them evicted right away; their house has been requisitioned.

Aaron:...

This isn't just a lackey, he's a complete scoundrel!

"Um... I still need him and his family to provide me with temporary care."

Alfred was somewhat disappointed; even cramming two more people into Bard's house would only annoy him more.

"Wait a minute, I don't think we need to talk to the mayor about this specifically, do we?"

"That's not what I wanted to say," Aaron said meaningfully. "I'm interested in the clock tower in Long Lake Town and want to study the Wind Crossbow on it."

Since Bard is a descendant of Girian, he might be able to offer me some advice, so I'd like to discuss hiring him for a few days with the mayor.

"Oh, this..."

Alfred was immediately in a dilemma, as the mayor was planning to make a move against Bard these past two days!

"Don't worry, I know the rules." Aaron reached into Alfred's pocket and tossed in ten gold coins.

Splash!

Feeling the weight of the gold, Alfred's pupils widened slightly, and his gaze towards Aaron became incredibly kind. He immediately patted his chest and assured the mayor that he would definitely agree to the matter.

After dealing with Alfred, Aaron simply found a room to rest.

The rooms the town mayor arranged for them were very basic, with only the most rudimentary furniture, but most residents of Long Lake Town couldn't afford them.

Lying on the bed, Aaron stretched out his limbs comfortably in a starfish position.

Good heavens, he hasn't slept in a bed for more than half a year.

Since joining the expedition, they have been living a life of hardship, sleeping in bedding rolls almost every day. Later on, they even ran out of bedding rolls to sleep in. The only reason they have been able to persevere until now is their willpower.

"System, Sign-in."

"The host Sign-in at Long Lake Town and received two Magic Points."

Are there only two?

Aaron raised an eyebrow. He currently had ninety-eight Magic Points, and with these two, he would have a total of one hundred.

"System, open the store."

[Magic Category: Transfiguration (1000 Magic Points, including Animagus); @Flying (100 Magic Points, flight speed depends on individual skill); @Illusion Projection (700 Magic Points, creates an illusion of oneself for long-range projection); @Charm (500 Magic Points, literally what it sounds like, but ineffective against those with strong will); @Astral Out-of-Body Experience (300 Magic Points)]

[Material Category: @Phoenix Feather (30 Magic Points); @Dragon Blood (20 Magic Points); Mandrake (5 Magic Points); Bezoar (1 Magic Points); @Rhinoceros Rhino Horn (3 Magic Points)]

[Item Category: Blank; @Magic Crystal (100 Magic Points, possesses powerful magic, can power Magic Array); @ Wizard Chess (1 Magic Points); @ Ghilani's Emerald (50 Magic Points, the person who obtains the gem will be plagued by misfortune); Blank]

Aaron stared at the fully displayed Shop Panel, his gaze shifting between the Magic Category" flying" skill and the Item Category"Magic Crystal."

It's true that you only realize how little money you have when you need it, and you can only afford to buy one thing.

His next task is to slay the dragon, and his flying ability can provide him with some assistance.

But Magic Crystal are also something he desperately needs. Continuously operating the Magic Array will consume his Magical Energy, but Magic Crystal can solve this problem.

After hesitating for a while, Aaron finally placed an order with Magic Crystal.

His Magic Points were instantly wiped out, and his entire fortune was exchanged for a palm-sized blue crystal.

Aaron sighed and decided to use the Magic Crystal on the clock tower, hoping it might help him withstand Smaug's attacks for a few more rounds.

He then used half of his Magical Energy to create a clone of his Thought Form and gave Magic Crystal to him.

"Long Lake Town is now in your hands. I will fulfill the contract with Erebor," Aaron said.

"Could we switch? Isn't it a bit inappropriate to put me on the main battlefield?" the Thought Form said worriedly. His Magical Energy would disappear once it was depleted, making him unsuitable for intense battles.

"I will be back in time when it matters most."

The next morning, the expedition members put on their new armor, took their sharp weapons, and headed to the nearest dock.

"We're missing a few men!" Bilbo asked. "Where are Kili, Bofur, and Bifur?"

"Kili is injured, and they will stay here to take care of him," Thorin said.

"We must," Balin said. "We can't afford to delay if we want to find the gate before dusk."

"Gaius," Fili looked at Aaron with suspicion, "Shouldn't you be giving Kili the antidote? Why did you come with us?"

"Don't worry, everything's arranged. There's a way to control his poison," Aaron assured him confidently, having absolute faith in the Thought Form.

Everyone in Long Lake Town gathered at the dock to warmly send off Thorin and his companions as they boarded the ship.

When Alfred saw Aaron, he looked completely bewildered. "Didn't you say..."

"Damn! I forgot about this bastard." Aaron realized his mistake, but immediately put on a smiling face and secretly slipped him a few gold coins. "I think it's alright for me to see them off!"

"No problem at all." Alfred smiled gently. This was only natural, and besides, he wouldn't turn down money.

As farewell music played, the expedition team boarded small boats and rowed off the river, carrying the blessings and expectations of the residents of Long Lake Town.

Meanwhile, Bofur, who was snoring under the table, woke up.

"Oh my god, time's up," Bofur muttered, but the next moment he realized he had missed the deadline and immediately sat up, his head hitting the table.

Bofur rubbed his head and was about to rush out, but a hand grabbed him from behind.

"Don't chase after it, the boat has already rowed away, you can't catch up." The Thought Form teased Yu, "I really don't understand how you could miss such an important moment."

Bofur looked miserable, completely devastated.

"You didn't make it either?"

"No, Kili was poisoned, and Thorin arranged for Bifur to stay and take care of him."

Seeing that you were still sleeping, I decided to keep you here too. "Thought Form said seriously.

"Kili was poisoned? When?" Bofur asked anxiously, realizing what had happened.

"While we were fleeing from the orcs, he was shot in the leg by an arrow from Bolg. It was poisoned, but I have temporarily suppressed it with medicine. Bifur is trying to concoct an antidote."

Where are they now?

" At Bard's house."