Preparing for Battle

"It's unbelievable." Bifur looked at the wound on Kili's leg and was very surprised. "This is Mogul poison, and you actually managed to suppress it with these herbs."

Aaron ( in his Thought Form) casually shrugged, "My ancestors..."

"Please be honest, Mr. Gaius."

"Okay! I have one, no, to be precise, two teachers."

One is a master of Potions, the other a master of botany; as their apprentice, the effects of opioid poison are nothing to me.

"Who are they?" Bifur asked excitedly. "If possible, please introduce them to me."

Thought Form:...

If nothing unexpected happens, you won't see them again in this life, and it's unlikely you'll see them in the next either.

"Ahem! They left the Middle-earth- earth, and I don't know where they went."

"What a pity!" Bifur pounded his chest and stamped his feet, regretting that he could not meet the two masters.

"However, there are only so many medicinal herbs in this town. It took me several hours to find a way to suppress the toxicity. I still need to study for a few more days to completely detoxify it."

"That's remarkable," Bifur exclaimed. "King's Leaf Grass can detoxify. If word gets out that you can use these common medicines instead of King's Leaf Grass, it will make many doctors feel ashamed."

"King's Leaf Grass?" Sigrid stared in astonishment. "Isn't that a weed? We use it to feed the pigs."

Bifur:...

That's awkward.

Suppressing a laugh, Thought Form patted Kili on the shoulder, "Wait here, buddy, I'll find you this magical herb right away."

"Me too." Bofur immediately raised his hand.

After the two stepped out of the room, they looked at each other and laughed without thinking.

Bofur found the pigpen and snatched a blade of grass from a pig's mouth. "To be honest, I really saw utter despair in Kili's eyes just now. I bet he never imagined that the stuff he was feeding the pigs could save his life."

"I didn't expect that either." The Thought Form was speechless, then picked up an identical weed from the pig trough and wrapped it up with disgust.

After obtaining the King's Leaf Grass, Bifur quickly cleaned it and boiled it using a special method.

"After you've prepared the medicine, drink this bowl of medicine, and the toxins in Kili's body will be completely eliminated within a few hours."

At this moment, Bard walked over and looked at Aaron seriously. "Time is running out. Thorin and the others will arrive at Lonely Mountain after dark. We must prepare for battle before nightfall."

The Thought Form looked at Bofur and Bifur, "I'll leave the Kili to you two. I need to do some preparations so that we have a way to deal with Smaug comes."

After saying that, the Thought Form followed Bard down the stairs. To his surprise, Bain, Sigrid, and Tilda were all waiting on a small boat.

Tilda smiled innocently, "Gaius, we all really want to see your magic."

The corner of Thought Form's mouth twitched slightly. He felt like a street performer, but he really couldn't refuse a little girl's smiling face.

"Alright! But you don't need to get on the ship."

The Thought Form placed its hand on the cold lake surface, and an icy blue Magic Array appeared before them.

White, chilling air emanated from the Magic Array, and the lake below the house, which was halfway frozen, slowly turned into a thick layer of ice.

"How amazing!" Bain murmured, and Sigrid and Tilda's eyes also shone with an unusual light.

Seeing this, Bard breathed a sigh of relief. With Aaron's magical abilities, even if Smaug came, he should be able to protect his three children.

"I will inscribe a high-level Defense Magic Array on the ice layer, which can withstand one Dragon Fire."

"Smaug arrives, you all lie within the Magic Array and play dead. Row out again only after everything has settled."

"Then why not add a Defense Magic Array to the whole town?" Tilda asked, puzzled.

The Thought Form rolled her eyes and rubbed the little girl's head.

"My magic is also limited; it can't cover the entire town."

Even if it could be covered up, it shouldn't be done like this. Smaug came to destroy Long Lake Town, but while the town was destroyed, few people died. He'll definitely discover the problem eventually.

Tilda lowered her head, seemingly understanding but not quite. This method could save lives, but not many.

"Is there anything I can do?" Bard asked. "Regarding the materials..."

"No need." The Thought Form interrupted Yu. "Only beginners need materials. I can use magic to draw Magic Array, and the effect won't be much different."

As the words fell, a white inner magic ring and the basic incantation slowly formed on the ice surface, followed by a triangular star and an outer magic ring...

The circular Magic Array was completed within half a minute and merged seamlessly with the ice surface.

"Not bad." The Thought Form pinched its nose. "Although it took a little longer, there wasn't a single flaw."

"Bain," Bard said, looking at his son, "Smaug comes, you and your two sisters hide under the house. You must protect them."

Bain nodded solemnly. "I understand, Father."

"Let's go, let's check the Bell Tower. That's our only stronghold." The Thought Form said with a solemn expression. "I hope that Wind Crossbow is okay, otherwise I'll have to go through all the trouble of repairing it."

"You can even repair Wind Crossbow?" Bard looked at Aaron in surprise.

"Don't mistake me for an ordinary Warlock." The Thought Form smiled meaningfully. He had also learned the Repair Charm. Let alone a Wind Crossbow, he could even repair a dilapidated house.

The clock tower is located in the center of Long Lake Town and is the tallest building in the town.

The only Wind Crossbow was placed on the platform above the clock, which could only accommodate a few people standing.

"This is the most conspicuous place in the whole town; Smaug will definitely notice it," Bard said.

"Then it's up to you, sharpshooter."

"I will do my utmost to strengthen the defenses of this clock tower." The Thought Form said, slowly raising its right hand and using its fingers as a brush to inscribe runes beneath the clock tower.

Using the entire tower as the core of the Magic Array, the Magical Energy within his body continuously outputs into the circle.

Ten minutes later, the huge Magic Array disappeared into the air, but Bard and the others could all feel the immense sense of security contained within it.

"It's finished, a masterpiece of human craftsmanship." The Thought Form breathed a sigh of relief. "This is a perfect ultimate Defense Magic Array, capable of withstanding even Smaug's Dragon Fire once."

"Only once?"

"What else do you want?" the Thought Form said unhappily. "If it were an ordinary dragon, it wouldn't be a problem to withstand its Dragon Fire several times, but Smaug is a dragon king."

Its body is much taller than this clock tower; a single sneeze could reduce it to ashes. It's already quite an achievement that my Magic Array could withstand even one full-force Dragon Breath from it.

"No, I'm not dissatisfied," Bard explained with an awkward laugh. "It's just that if we defend more often, we'll have a better chance of winning."

"Tch!" The Thought Form glanced at him speechlessly. "One shouldn't be too greedy."

"I see."

"However, this matter is of utmost importance, and it concerns lives; no amount of caution is too much."

"Luckily, I was prepared." The Thought Form -A smugly pulled out Magic Crystal. "Ta-da! Isn't it beautiful!"

"Beautiful." Sigrid and Tilda nodded repeatedly, their eyes fixed on the blue crystal.

"Is this a sapphire?" Bard asked tentatively. "I admit it's precious, but gems are no help. Dragons may like Winky things, but this little piece is nothing compared to the treasure of Lonely Mountain."

Thought Form:...

What kind of taste do they have?! Am I really that vulgar?

"This is Magic Crystal, containing powerful magic that can power Magic Array."

The Magic Array can continue to operate until its Magic Array power is completely drained.

Upon hearing this, Bard looked at the sapphire with excitement, "How many times can it withstand the Dragon Fire?"

"Hmm... this is the ultimate Magic Array. I'm not sure, but it should be able to do it three times without any problem." The Thought Form pondered and said, then released the Magic Crystal towards the clock tower.

The blue crystal slowly rose and stopped at the top of the clock tower, merging into the core of the Magic Array.

"Are you sick?" Bain asked.

"Of course not, this is just the most basic configuration."

I also need weapons: spears and arrows.

"I have arrows, but as for spears... I only have Spear Hook made from old harpoons."

The Thought Form the rare weapons that Bard had collected immediately crossed the face, and several clear black lines appeared on its face.

"Forget it, we'll just have to make do with it, but the more the better."

Besides these, I also need a small boat and a guide.

I need to familiarize myself with all the houses, streets, and waterways in Long Lake Town as soon as possible.

"I can help you," Bain volunteered. "Is it to make it easier to fight the dragon?"

The Thought Form looked deeply at the boy who was two or three years older than her, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

If nothing unexpected happens Bard, the archer, will be the one to attack in this battle; he can simply stand on the clock tower and shoot arrows.

As a magician, he had to work harder, not only as an accomplice but also to attract Smaug's attention. If he couldn't even recognize the way, he might accidentally walk into a dead end.

We can't always use Apparition to escape, can we? We don't have much Magical Energy to begin with, and we can't afford to consume that much.

Bard returned to his house with his two daughters, first taking out the weapon pack from under the boat, and then carefully inspecting the arrows.

As for the Thought Form, he sat on a small boat and admired the not-so-beautiful scenery of Long Lake Town. Bain patiently told him about the length of the streets, where they led, and how many forks there were.

Thought Form listened and took notes, a simple three-dimensional diagram gradually appeared in his mind.

"Alright, I've almost memorized it."

Are you sure?

"I'm absolutely certain." The Thought Form pointed to its head. "My memory is beyond your imagination."

A hint of envy flashed in Bain's eyes, and he said, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Is there anything else I can do to help you?"

"The ship is here, you go back." The Thought Form smiled meaningfully. "I need to circle this town a few more times. After all, the opponent is a dragon, and it's necessary to make several preparations."