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The battlefield finally fell silent.
Under the combined assault of every surviving force, the last of the orcs were hunted down and wiped out.
Victory came at a terrible cost.
Of the two thousand elven warriors led by Legolas, fewer than four hundred remained standing.
The Dwarves of the Iron Hills had been reduced to just over seventy survivors.
Bard's men fared no better, with barely a hundred scattered soldiers left alive.
The price of survival had been paid in blood.
One small mercy stood out amid the devastation.
Thorin had suffered a grievous injury to one leg, but all thirteen of the Company had survived intact.
As for Jimmy, he had originally intended to reap the remaining enemies himself and claim the experience alone.
Instead, his charge had ignited a full-scale advance.
What should have been his harvest turned into a collective assault. Good intentions had turned into accidental killing and stealing.
---
[Name: Jimmy Halstead]
[Level: 13 (99.02%)]
[Age: 1]
[X-Gene: 1 (+)]
[Abilities: Accelerated Healing, Feral Senses, Enhanced Smell, Advanced Hand to Hand Combat, Bladed Weapon and Claw Mastery]
[Equipment: Memory Adamantium Alloy]
[Strength: 60]
[Agility: 60]
[Mental: 40]
[Available Points: 0]
[Skill Points: 1]
[System Note: One skill point granted every ten levels. Skill points may be used to evolve X-Gene traits or unlock latent mutations.]
[Techniques: Silat]
---
Jimmy stared at the experience bar.
Less than a fraction remained before the next level.
Close enough to taste it.
Far enough to hurt.
For a moment, he genuinely considered headbutting a wall.
He let out a slow breath.
At least you're something, A consolation prize, if nothing else., Reaching into the Horadric Cube, Jimmy withdrew the Great Eagle's egg.
The interface displayed two options.
Contract.
Fusion.
That caught his attention.
Weapons, armor, even Smaug himself had been stored inside the Cube without any reaction.
But the moment the Great Eagle's egg entered, fusion became available.
That was new.
After several tests, Jimmy finally understood the rule.
Fusion was selective.
The egg could accept Smaug's bones, scales, and even the so-called "brain stone."
Other artifacts were incompatible.
The Arkenstone, for example, could also be fused But choosing it would lock out all of Smaug's components.
Mutual exclusion.
Some kind of internal conflict.
Jimmy considered the implications.
If the Eagle absorbed Smaug's essence, it would likely develop a fire-aligned nature.
If it absorbed the Arkenstone instead, it would lean toward earth.
A flying creature infused with fire made sense.
A flying creature infused with earth felt… wrong.
There was another issue.
The Arkenstone was the spiritual symbol of the Lonely Mountain's kings. Claiming it for himself crossed a line.
He loaded half of Smaug's dragon bones, both claws, and all of the scales.
That was the limit.
Taking a deep breath, Jimmy selected Fusion.
"Ding! Hiss~"
That was it.
He stared at the result.
The egg was now wrapped in dragon scales, glowing a deep crimson.
And that was all.
No dramatic visuals.
No cinematic fanfare.
Just a cheap sound effect, like something out of a budget game.
Jimmy stood there in disbelief.
That's it?
I fed you a dragon's worth of materials and this is what I get?
You could at least pretend to care.
---
At the same time, Legolas stood before Thranduil.
"Father, I—"
"So many of our people lie buried beneath the Lonely Mountain because of your choices." Thranduil's expression was cold and unyielding. "What words could possibly justify that?"
Legolas fell silent.
The cost of leadership weighed heavier than any blade.
"Father, I do not regret my decision."
Legolas' voice was steady.
"The elves honored an oath once given. We no longer carry the shame of broken promises. The orcs were not only enemies of the Lonely Mountain. They were enemies of our people as well."
Thranduil studied his son in silence before speaking.
"You have grown," he said at last. "Growth is never gentle. It is shaped by blood, sacrifice, and difficult truths. You were always destined to face this. Go."
"Father. I do not think I can return home."
Legolas remained where he stood.
"Where would you go?" the Elvenking asked.
"I do not know."
For the first time, uncertainty showed in Legolas' eyes.
"Then travel north," Thranduil said. "Seek out the Dúnedain. There is a young ranger among them you should meet. His father was Arathorn, a hero of his age. The son will be no different."
"What is his name?"
"That is for you to discover," Thranduil replied. "And remember this. Your mother loved you beyond all things. Even beyond herself."
Something unspoken passed between father and son. Their bond felt closer than it ever had before.
---
At the gates of the mountain, Bilbo stood with a small pack slung over his shoulders.
Balin walked beside him.
"You are leaving already," Balin said. "Thorin's feast is in full preparation. Without you, it will be chaos."
Bilbo smiled faintly.
"I think they will manage," he said. "Besides, I travel light."
Balin glanced at the modest chest Bilbo carried and frowned.
"The agreement was one-fourteenth of the treasure," he said carefully. "You are taking far less."
Jimmy had already taken only two chests of gold and a single pink diamond before refusing anything else. The rest he had left in Erebor's care.
Bilbo had clearly followed his example.
"You should at least say goodbye properly," Jimmy said as he approached, Thorin and the other dwarves following behind.
They watched Bilbo with warm smiles.
Bilbo's voice trembled as he spoke.
"If any of you ever pass through the Shire, afternoon tea is served every day at four. You will always be welcome. No need to knock. There will be more than enough food."
He sniffed once, turned, and mounted the horse waiting for him.
"I will escort our burglar part of the way," Gandalf said calmly. "A wizard's company tends to bring good fortune."
As they rode off, Jimmy turned to Thorin.
Thorin groaned.
"Oh no," he said. "Jimmy, I have said enough farewells for one lifetime. Do not tell me you are leaving too."
Jimmy laughed.
"You already knew," he said. "We will meet again."
He mounted a white horse, offered Thorin a respectful nod, and rode off at full speed.
---
Jimmy traveled north for a full day before opening the system interface.
[Quest Log]
[Middle-earth Journey has concluded.]
[Submit mission results.]
[Yes]
[No]
He selected Yes.
[Instance Mission Submission in Progress.]
[Mission One: Join the dragon-slaying company. Status: Completed! Rewards distributed!]
[Mission Two: Slay Smaug alone and become a Dragon Slayer. Status: Completed! Reward: One lottery draw.]
[Mission Three: Ensure survival of the thirteen dwarves. Reward: Lonely Mountain Anchor x1.]
[Anchor Function: Allows instant return to the Lonely Mountain at energy cost.]
[Mission Four: Ensure Thorin's survival. Reward: Random Instance Activation Scroll x1.]
[Mission Five: Slay Azog. Reward: None.]
[Mission Settlement Complete.]
[Return to Prime Reality.]
[Yes]
[No]
Jimmy stared at the screen.
No reward.
So that was how little the system thought of Azog.
Then again, Azog's only real talent had been running away. Compared to Smaug, he barely qualified as a challenge.
With a shrug, Jimmy released the reins, tapped Yes, and vanished in a flash of light.
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