Good Advice Can’t Save the Doomed; Let’s Go Big

"Thorin, I actually understand you very well." Aaron tried to persuade him earnestly. "But you’re the king. Think of your people. At a time like this, you absolutely cannot put yourself in danger."

Thorin turned his head, his face expressionless but his eyes holding a trace of resolve. "Precisely because I am the king, I cannot stand by and do nothing.

"Azog has not insulted me alone. He has insulted the House of Durin—the entire Dwarven race."

"Think of the bigger picture!" Aaron said darkly. "Anyone with eyes can see this is a trap, yet you—no, all of you—are still stupidly walking right into it.

"Once Bolg’s Orc army arrives, then…"

"Then we kill that demon before they get here," Thorin said firmly.

"We’ll handle the other Orcs." Dwalin thumped his chest, promising not to let any other Orcs interfere with Thorin. Fili and Kili also drew their weapons in tacit agreement.

Aaron silently took several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart. "The courage of Dwarves has truly opened my eyes, but have you considered what will happen if you fail?

"The king will be beheaded by Orcs, Dwarven morale will collapse, and then you’ll all be slaughtered.

"Thorin, Moria is a lesson from the past. Don’t tell me you intend to repeat the same mistake."

Thorin paused slightly and glanced at Azog, who wore a cold sneer. Then he sighed. "Sometimes, sacrifice carries greater meaning. Dáin and his Ironfoot Army will give everything they have to avenge their king.

"Gaius, I ask one thing of you, as a friend.

"If I die, you must take Fili and Kili away. Fili will be the next Dwarf King."

"Uncle, I…"

"Shut up." Thorin stared sternly at his two nephews. "This is the king’s order. I can die here, but you must return alive."

"Touching." Aaron silently drew his Wand. "Stupefy."

Just as the spell was about to strike Thorin, Dwalin yanked him aside and glared furiously at Aaron. "What are you doing?"

For fuck’s sake!

Aaron was practically in tears. Are you a fucking traitor? Can’t you see I’m trying to save him?

"Um… actually, this is a misunderstanding. I only wanted to knock him out and take him somewhere safe."

"Gaius, thank you for your kindness, but if you still consider me a friend, don’t stop me." Thorin smiled. "This is for the glory of the House of Durin. Even if I die, I will defend it to the end."

Aaron: …

I’m tired. Let it all burn.

Meanwhile, River Valley City.

The Thoughtform, who had been fighting shoulder to shoulder with Gandalf and the others, suddenly received the main body’s memories.

"Motherfucker!"

The Thoughtform felt the main body’s rage and helplessness. Flames blazed in his eyes, while a chilling aura that warned all living things to stay away radiated from his body.

At that moment, a gigantic beast happened to appear before him. Seeing such a ready-made punching bag, the Thoughtform raised his fists and began venting his anger.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Thoughtform’s fists tore through the air, beating the beast until foam poured from its mouth and driving it from one end of the alley to the other.

When it had retreated to the end of the alley and was about to lose its last shred of consciousness, a flame ignited around the Thoughtform’s right fist. "The Dragon’s… Iron Fist."

The enormous figure let out one final scream, rising into the sky amid a burst of flame before crashing heavily back down.

"Gandalf, who exactly is this guy?" Legolas asked in astonishment. "Are you sure he’s a wizard?"

"Are you sure he’s a clone?" Tauriel was equally shocked.

"I didn’t know he could brawl with gigantic beasts either!" Gandalf said awkwardly. In truth, this no longer counted as a brawl. It was blatant slaughter.

The wizards were no weaker than elite warriors, but they were still within the bounds of humanity. Aaron, however, was an absolute anomaly. Both his magic and combat strength were outrageously terrifying. He simply did not seem like someone from this world.

Gandalf suddenly realized something, and a subtle change came over his face. An almost impossible truth surfaced in his mind.

"Um… are you all right?" Bilbo came over and asked with concern.

"No. Something’s wrong. Something very, very wrong." The Thoughtform said angrily, "Thorin intends to stay at Ravenhill and fight Azog to the death."

"What?" Gandalf’s face changed drastically, and he nearly staggered to the ground. "Has he gone mad? Didn’t you tell him about the Gundabad Orc army?"

"What do you think?" The Thoughtform rolled his eyes. "I made it very clear. I even told him what would happen if he failed, but it was useless.

"Azog brought up his grandfather and father, trampling the honor of the Durin royal family and the dignity of the Dwarven race into the dirt. Do you think he could endure that?"

"Didn’t you try knocking him out?" Bilbo asked anxiously.

"Heh." The Thoughtform covered his face with a bitter smile. "That unlucky bastard Dwalin pulled Thorin away at the crucial moment, making him avoid my Sleeping Charm. In that situation, it wasn’t appropriate for me to cast another spell."

"What about the others?" Tauriel asked. "What do the others think?"

"They’re staying to defend the dignity of the Dwarves alongside their king." The Thoughtform was grief-stricken and furious. Though his mind was in turmoil, a desolate smile hung on his face. "Fourteen years of living life like a game—aside from the time when I was six and got beaten up by the Klein Family’s older sister, I’ve never lost.

"But today, I lost. I lost to the Dwarves’ stupidity. I lost completely, utterly, without a shred of dignity left."

"Uh…" Gandalf looked at Aaron with some sympathy. "I know you must be feeling terrible right now, but think of the bigger picture."

"Don’t talk to me about the bigger picture." The Thoughtform cut him off. "I’ve had enough. I’ve really had enough. You should go talk to those damned Dwarves about the bigger picture."

"But we can’t just leave him at Ravenhill, can we?" Bilbo said. "Bolg’s Orc army will be here any moment."

"That’s why Thorin has already made arrangements for after his death. Fili will be the next Dwarf King." The Thoughtform waved his hand helplessly. "With that determination to face death without fear, even heaven would have to give way. What can I do?"

Hearing this, Bilbo fell silent for a moment before saying, "I still think we should support him. We may not be able to help much, but at least we can buy Thorin more time."

"I’m going too." Tauriel immediately stated her position. Kili was also at Ravenhill, and she truly could not rest easy.

"It’s too late," Legolas said. "There will be many obstacles along the way. By the time we get there, they’ll already be done fighting."

"Normally, yes. But we have an abnormal wizard." Gandalf gave the Thoughtform a meaningful look as he spoke.

The Thoughtform chuckled and turned his face away, unwilling to acknowledge him.

A few Dwarves were already enough to exhaust him. Did they think he was not tired enough and wanted to add a few more?

Besides, although Thorin’s attitude had infuriated him and given him the feeling that good advice could not save someone determined to die, they were friends after all. If it truly came down to it, the main body could still lead them out of the encirclement.

"Can you really take us there?" Tauriel asked the Thoughtform, her gaze eager.

"No."

"You definitely can." Legolas said with certainty. "Since you’ve decided to stay and fight, it means you don’t want to lose this war.

"Take us there now. Help Thorin Oakenshield kill Azog, and we’ll have won half the war."

The Thoughtform fell silent.

He had to admit, he was tempted.

The current situation was still impossible to predict, and once reinforcements from both sides arrived, it would become even more complicated.

In this situation, Ravenhill was the key to the battle. For the massive reward of two thousand Magic Points to be safely secured, Azog had to die. Bolg and the Gundabad Orcs under his command could not be allowed to live either.

"Fine. I’ll take you there."

"Great!" Bilbo immediately walked up to Aaron. "Let’s go. I’m ready."

"Wait a moment." A glint flashed in the Thoughtform’s eyes. "Since we’re going, let’s go big."

"What do you mean?"

The Thoughtform did not answer. Instead, he jumped to the very top of the tower, looked at the flames of every size scattered throughout River Valley City, and waved his Wand.

The next instant, every flame in River Valley City transformed into crimson streams of light and converged on the tower, all of them swallowed by the Thoughtform.

The others stared at the scene in stunned silence. They were utterly shocked, yet could not find a single word to describe it.

The Thoughtform burped and casually commented, "Tastes pretty good. A little burnt, though."

"You… ate the flames?" Bilbo stammered incoherently.

"Calm down. I’m a wizard. This is just a standard way of restoring stamina."

At that, the three of them turned to look at Gandalf in unison, as if asking: Is that true?

Gandalf: …

"Utter nonsense. Other than a Balrog, no one can devour flames."

"Well, now you’ve seen one."

"Who exactly are you?"

"I believe I already gave you the answer to that question." The Thoughtform said calmly. "Do you need me to repeat it?"

Gandalf’s eye twitched. Thinking of Aaron’s earlier self-introduction, he had a curse on the tip of his tongue but did not know whether to say it.

"Enough with that. Hurry up and take us there."

"Sure!"

The Thoughtform swiftly took out the Magic Carpet. Bilbo could not help frowning as he asked worriedly, "There are so many of us. Can the Magic Carpet carry us all?"

"What are you thinking? This is for you." The Thoughtform solemnly placed the Magic Carpet in Bilbo’s hands. "If I run out of strength later, you’ll be responsible for carrying me while we escape."

Though Bilbo was confused, he still nodded.

The Thoughtform then had them grab hold of his arms and Apparated to Ravenhill.

"That’s incredible. We’re already at Ravenhill?" Tauriel was deeply shaken. This method of instantaneous travel had completely overturned everything she knew.

Legolas was also uncertain. Elves knew some magic as well, but they had never seen magic like this.

"Where are Thorin and the others?" Gandalf asked.

The Thoughtform pointed at the frozen lake behind them. Thorin was fighting Azog fiercely atop the ice. Perhaps because his rage had erupted, he was evenly matched with Azog and even held a slight advantage. As for the others, they were holding back the remaining Orcs for him. Their division of labor was quite clear.