The Dwarf King Bewitched by Gold

Dawn had barely broken when the fleeing residents of Long Lake Town struggled their way to shore.

Cries of anguish echoed everywhere. Last night’s battle had made the already impoverished residents’ lives even worse, and some families had even been destroyed.

After the dragon arrived last night, the entire town had turned into a sea of flames. Those with boats escaped by boat, while those without spent the night swimming through the freezing lake before helping one another ashore.

"What a horrific sight!" Aaron sighed, then looked at Bard’s family. "What are you planning to do next?"

Bard forced a faint smile. "I can’t abandon them."

Aaron nodded slightly. "I believe you’ll lead these refugees to rebuild. But before that, you need to get through this immediate crisis. You can seek Thorin for wealth, but you’ll have to find food and shelter yourselves."

"Aaron, Kili, we should go," Bofur called. He and Bifur pushed a wooden boat into the river, preparing to set off for Erebor.

Aaron patted Bard on the shoulder, then handed a Black Arrow to Bain. "I have to go. Keep this. It can be a family heirloom."

Kili walked toward the shore, but suddenly stopped. He turned back and went to Tauriel. "Come with me! I know what my heart wants. I’m not afraid. I can’t be without you. Tauriel, I love you."

The heartfelt confession caught Tauriel, an elf who had lived for hundreds of years, completely off guard. She did have some feelings for Kili, but they still fell short of love.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I think you do." Kili smiled.

Tauriel was about to say something when she noticed a pair of eyes watching her from behind. "Prince Legolas."

"Leave that dwarf. You have your own mission."

Tauriel fell silent for a moment, then slowly turned around.

Kili, meanwhile, glared at Legolas in anger.

He had worked so hard to build up the atmosphere. Why did Legolas have to come and ruin it?

Still, he did not stop Tauriel. Elves had their missions, and dwarves had their goals.

But after taking only a few steps, Kili turned back and gave Tauriel the black stone his mother had given him as a token.

---

It was not until the afternoon that they arrived at Erebor.

Bilbo received the four of them at the City Gate, then asked anxiously, "Where’s Gandalf?"

"Heh." Aaron chuckled. "I already told you Gandalf wasn’t the one fighting the dragon. Why don’t you believe me?"

"Then we have a problem." Bilbo said wearily. "Thorin has changed. Do you remember what Smaug said? You really shouldn’t have given him the Arkenstone."

"What do you mean?" Kili asked in confusion. "The Arkenstone belonged to the dwarves in the first place. Thorin is Thrain’s son, the most legitimate heir. Why shouldn’t he have it?"

"Because that thing is too sinister." Bilbo helplessly pointed toward the entrance to the great hall. "He’s been down there all day, without eating or drinking."

Aaron frowned slightly. "Let’s go take a look first."

When they entered the great hall, a dazzling golden glow filled their eyes. The three newly arrived dwarves were stunned by the immense wealth.

"Gold. Countless gold. No more sorrow, no more suffering." Thorin murmured as he descended from the throne embedded with the Arkenstone. He looked at them with a hint of madness in his eyes. "Behold, Thrór’s vast treasure. Welcome, my nephew, my friends, my kin, to Erebor."

"You see it now." Bilbo spread his hands helplessly. "I feel like gold is all that remains in his world."

Aaron’s eye twitched. There really was something wrong with Thorin now.

"Give him some time. He’ll recover."

"Is this something time can solve?" Bilbo said speechlessly. "We need to find a way to get him out of here. Otherwise, I’m really worried he’ll become as Smaug said—someone who looks down on everything."

Aaron let out a long sigh and turned to Thorin. "The Dwarf King’s duty is to rebuild Erebor, not sit here admiring this so-called wealth."

"Give me some time, Gaius. I’ve waited decades for this day. It’s time I tasted the fruits of victory."

Aaron pursed his lips and silently left the great hall.

Bilbo led them to the room where the others were resting. When the two groups of dwarves saw that their companions were all alive and well, they cheered excitedly.

"We have to find Gandalf and bring him back. Only he can guide Thorin back onto the right path." Bilbo pulled Aaron aside and lowered his voice. "And Smaug also said the Necromancer would send troops to attack Lonely Mountain. We aren’t safe."

"It’s more than that." Aaron thought for a moment. "Smaug is dead, and word will spread soon enough. A massive treasure attracts everyone. This Dwarf Kingdom is more dangerous now than it has ever been."

"Then what do we do?"

"Find me a room first."

"Huh?" Bilbo blinked and looked at Aaron blankly. "What did you say?"

"I fought all day and traveled all day." Aaron rolled his eyes. "I need rest, or I might drop dead from exhaustion. Don’t let anyone disturb me."

"But what about Thorin?"

"Leave him alone for now." Aaron waved a hand. "You know how stubborn he is. Before he calms down, no one will be able to persuade him. As for the enemy, there’s no need to worry too much. Even if they plan to attack Erebor, it will take time."

Bilbo nodded as if he half understood, then asked Balin to arrange a quiet room for Aaron.

"Scouring Charm."

Aaron locked the door and used the Cleaning Charm to clean the room, which had gathered dust for decades.

"System, sign in."

"The host has signed in at the Dwarf Kingdom and received 5 Magic Points."

"Open my personal panel."

"Okay."

Host: Aaron Gaius

Magical Energy: 8564 (Mid-level Archmage, the lifelong limit of most wizards)

Talent: Once in a Century (Magical Energy increases by 3 points per day)

Items: Moon Drop (can remove any negative curse), Resurrection Potion (can resurrect any creature that died within one hour), Magic Carpet, Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal

Magic Points: 1010

Looking at the final number, Aaron was filled with emotion.

It had been more than half a year. His Magic Points had finally reached four digits. It really had not been easy!

Taking a deep breath, Aaron suppressed his excitement and claimed the reward for killing Smaug. His Magic Points instantly tripled.

"I haven’t been this rich in a long time." Aaron grinned, delighted from the bottom of his heart. His efforts during this period had not been in vain.

"System, open the shop. Time to spend."

"Okay, host."

The system’s voice rang out in Aaron’s mind. Immediately afterward, three categories containing a total of fifteen item slots appeared before him.

Magic Category: @Transfiguration (1000 Magic Points, includes Animagus); @Flight (100 Magic Points, flying speed depends on individual strength); @Illusion Projection (700 Magic Points, creates an illusion of oneself that can be projected over long distances); @Charm (500 Magic Points, exactly what it sounds like, but ineffective against those with strong willpower); @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 Point); @Rhino Horn (3 Magic Points)

Item Category: Blank; Blank; @Wizard Chess (1 Magic Point); @Gerrani's Emerald (50 Magic Points, whoever obtains the emerald will be plagued by bad luck); Blank

He had coveted Transfiguration for a long time. Especially after last night’s battle, he had developed a powerful desire for Animagus. He decisively spent one thousand Magic Points to obtain it.

As a vast amount of knowledge about Transfiguration flooded into his mind, Aaron felt his head grow heavy. But after recovering for a while, his face filled with wild delight.

He could not wait to try it. He picked up his Wand and lightly tapped a cup. In the blink of an eye, the ordinary cup transformed into a Black Arrow.

Aaron carefully weighed it and found that neither its weight nor its material differed in any way from the original.

But he knew this Black Arrow was merely a flawless imitation. It would be fine for shooting other things, but if he used it to slay a dragon, it probably would not even pierce the dragon’s armor.

That was one of Transfiguration’s limitations. It could turn one object into another, but it could never make a perfect, one-hundred-percent transformation.

He could turn a stone into an exquisite gold ornament, but such an ornament could only serve as decoration and would not bring the human body the slightest benefit.

Then again, that made sense. If matter could truly be altered at will, the Magic World would have descended into chaos long ago.

Aaron shrugged and turned the Black Arrow into a turtle. He watched it crawl around the table with great interest for a while before turning it back into a cup.

After marveling at the wonders of Transfiguration, Aaron began experimenting with Animagus.

He tapped his arm with his Wand, and his body rapidly began transforming into a raven.

A moment later, Aaron flapped his black wings and experienced the sensation of flight around the room before changing himself back.

As for his second Animagus form, he did not try it. This room could not fit a giant dragon. Though he could transform into a Dragon Cub less than half a meter long, there was no need.

I’m a master of Transfiguration now. Forget Professor McGonagall—even Dumbledore might not surpass me in this field. Aaron thought smugly, then turned his attention to Illusion Projection and readily spent seven hundred Magic Points to purchase it.

It was an advanced form of Illusion Magic. Though it had little offensive power, it was more cost-effective than even powerful spells.

Aaron snapped his fingers, and the room instantly turned into his own bedroom. Then Abei flew out as well, happily darting around the ceiling.

But an illusion was still an illusion. Aside from deceiving the eye, it possessed no trace of reality.

"I wonder when I’ll be able to go back. But it shouldn’t be far off." Aaron muttered to himself, then added one thousand Magic Points to his Magical Energy, raising his strength from Mid-level Archmage to High-level Archmage.

He saved the remaining Magic Points to refresh the shop or raise Abei’s strength after returning.