American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

"Dragon Knight??? It seems like it's not impossible..." Mike watched the dragon's performance with great interest.

He had ridden giant eagles and white deer with great antlers, but it would feel even more majestic to have a dragon as his mount.

Of course, this is on the premise that Smaug is sensible enough.

Then Mike witnessed the sincerity of Smaug the dragon.

The dragon first plunged into the water, then swam to Mike's feet before slowly surfacing.

Then, carrying Mike on his back, he slowly flew into the sky.

After flying smoothly around the lonely mountain, Smaug turned back and asked in a flattering tone, "How was the speed? Actually, I could fly even faster."

I have to say, being a dragon knight is really great.

"This is... that human actually tamed the dragon Smaug..."

"With a vicious dragon guarding Lonely Mountain for him, we really have no chance now..."

"..."

The dwarves on the hillside of Lonely Mountain naturally saw Mike flying overhead on a giant dragon.

The achievement of "Dragon Knight" had never been achieved before, and the group of dwarves stared in astonishment.

"Alright, it's time for us to leave." Thorin was the one who was most upset at this moment. Not wanting to see his opponents continue to "show off their power," he immediately chose to lead the dwarves away.

Just then, Bilbo, who was walking at the back of the group, turned around and saw the first ray of moonlight after sunset shining on a small hole in the stone wall.

“This is… I understand now, the afterglow of the setting sun does not refer to the sunset, but to the first ray of moonlight after sunset…” Bilbo, in a moment of mental turmoil, unexpectedly deciphered the code on the map of the Durin dwarves.

Excitedly, he went to the stone wall and confirmed that the small hole was indeed the keyhole. Then he shouted to the dwarves, "I've solved the puzzle on the map! Maybe from here we can also enter Lonely Mountain..."

This can be described as: "After the darkest hour comes the dawn."

Hearing the hobbits' call, Thorin, still somewhat unwilling, led the dwarves back.

Thorin then picked up the golden key again and went to the stone wall to insert it.

After gently turning the key, accompanied by a dull friction sound, a small stone door on the stone wall opened.

"We succeeded! There really is a small door leading to Lonely Mountain..."

"Well done, Hobbit, you truly are our lucky star..."

"..."

As the stone gate appeared, the dwarves cheered and huddled together.

But soon, Whitebeard Balin poured cold water on their hopes, "Although we've found a way into Lonely Mountain, it's too late now..."

Yes, if you're slow on one step, you'll be slow on every step. After Mike subdued Smaug, Lonely Mountain was clearly already occupied.

Upon hearing this, the dwarves all wilted again.

They had witnessed Mike's power before, twice... It was clearly not a wise move to try and steal the Lonely Mountain treasure from him.

“Cheer up, the treasure in Lonely Mountain rightfully belongs to us, the dwarves of the Forest…” Thorin said with a grim face, “Perhaps we can reclaim some of the wealth that rightfully belongs to us dwarves through this small door without alerting anyone.”

Well, even Thorin, after witnessing Mike's immense strength, had no intention of directly challenging him.

What he's thinking about now is how to quietly extract more benefits from Mike.

"The dragon has been subdued and shouldn't be guarding the gold coins in the warehouse anymore. This is indeed good news for us..."

"I think, just to be on the safe side, we should send someone to scout ahead first..."

"..."

The dwarves respected Mike for subduing the dragon, but that didn't stop them from liking gold coins.

Moreover, dwarves often "steal" things and don't think there's anything wrong with it.

So a group of dwarves who were planning how to steal back the treasure of Lonely Mountain eventually set their sights on Bilbo, the "Flying Thief".

The hobbits' large feet are perfect for scouting missions.

"What...what do you want to do..." Bilbo, who hadn't thought much about it, felt a little guilty under the dwarves' gazes and then said, "If you want treasure, you should talk to Mike. Maybe he'll be willing to share some of your gold coins."

In the Hobbits' minds, Mike was not a stingy person.

“No, I can see that your human friend doesn’t like us dwarves. So if we want the treasure of Lonely Mountain, we should take matters into our own hands…” Thorin looked at the hobbit and said, “Now is the time to prove yourself. You promised us that you would help the dwarves of Durin reclaim their rightful wealth.”

"Well... I'll give it a try." Bilbo, who had made a pact with the dwarves, finally relented.

Moreover, the dwarves do need some wealth to rebuild their homes.

So, under the expectant gazes of the dwarves, Bilbo, with a mix of trepidation and excitement, entered the Lonely Mountain through a side door.

Meanwhile, Mike, having had his fill of being a dragon rider, returned to the Great Hall from the front of Lonely Mountain aboard Smaug.

"You actually managed to subdue Smaug; it seems my understanding of you was still incomplete..."

"That's the evil dragon Smaug! I never thought someone could actually conquer it..."

"..."

Upon Mike's return, the rangers Sophia brought along also praised him with pride.

Aragorn and the Elf Prince also offered their "blessings" on the side.

Only Bard, a Vale remnant who harbored a deep hatred for the dragon Smaug, ultimately chose to remain silent after glancing at the enormous dragon behind Mike.

On the other hand, if Smaug stopped harming humanity from then on, Bard, as the mayor of Lake-town, could barely accept it.

As for Smaug the dragon, after being "tamed" by Michael, he has always maintained the appearance of a "good boy".

But it was, after all, a dragon, and one that loved to show off and was very vain, so naturally it was unwilling to remain subservient to humans forever.

Looking at Mike, who was completely unguarded with his back to it, a sudden surge of malice arose in its heart, and its eyes instantly turned into dangerous vertical pupils.

Anger arises from the heart, evil comes from the courage.

The dragon, its ferocity rekindled, suddenly opened its blood-red maw and, to everyone's astonishment, bit down on Mike.

"I knew you weren't being honest all along~" As the deep voice rang out, the active protection function of Mike's Light Armor was activated.

A thin, transparent shield shattered Smaug's mouthful of fangs.

Next to greet Smaug was Mike, who had raised the flaming sword.

"Rare..."

Ignoring the dragon's attempt to repeat its old tricks, Mike, having already enjoyed the novelty of being a dragon rider, leaped forward and beheaded Smaug.

It ended the other person's sinful life.

"Today we'll also try some dragon meat..." Mike said casually to the group after putting away the Flame Holy Sword.

It was as if they had just killed not a dragon, but a wild animal that could be eaten.

Actually, Mike, who has the ability to read minds, knew long ago that this evil dragon was not honest, and now he is just taking advantage of the situation to eliminate a potential threat.

"Dragon meat is delicious! I have to try it!" Aragorn, whose understanding had been refreshed once again, laughed and agreed.

The others naturally had no objections, but they were more surprised by Mike's power than by eating dragon meat.

After all, the process of Mike subduing Smaug was more than ten kilometers away from Lonely Mountain, and no one saw it very clearly. It was nothing compared to the shock of this bloody scene before them.

"Alright, leave a few people to clean up the scene, and send another group to check the warehouse. It seems like a few rats have gotten into Lonely Mountain..." Mike, with his keen senses, heard the dwarves entering Lonely Mountain through the side door, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

He then said to Aragorn, “Take two men and hang Smaug’s head outside the Lonely Mountain to intimidate those restless Orcs to the southeast.”

Now that they've taken Lonely Mountain, Mike will likely be living there long-term, so naturally, they need to consider its security.

Now, the dark forces of Middle-earth, since Sauron, the Dark Lord, was banished to the Void by the Elven Queen, have been gradually driven back to Mordor in the southeast corner.

With so many orcs, dire wolves, trolls, and other dark creatures gathered in such a small place as Mordor, it was only a matter of time before problems arose.

Mike can't worry about other places for the time being, but in Lonely Mountain, he'll kill any dark creature that dares to come.

The head of the dragon Smaug represents his attitude.

Chapter 613 Preparing for the Dark Army

Bilbo entered Lonely Mountain through a side door and quickly found the warehouse where his dwarven ancestors had stored gold coins and gems.

Finding no danger there, he returned and brought the dwarves of Dulin with him.

The gold coins, piled up like grains of sand, stretched as far as the eye could see, like small mountains, and were interspersed with various precious gemstones.

Exquisite jewelry made of gold was scattered everywhere like trash.

This spectacular sight astonished the dwarves who arrived at the warehouse, their eyes wide with surprise.

For those who already loved treasure, this was like paradise.

"Don't just stand there, let's get moving. Mike might send someone soon." Bilbo, who had scouted the area once before, roused the dwarves with his voice.

This act of helping the dwarves steal was dishonorable, so the hobbits are now very afraid of encountering Mike.

“Mr. Bilbo is right, everyone let’s get moving. If we take just a portion of the wealth here, it will be enough to rebuild the kingdom at the foot of the mountain beside Lonely Mountain…” Whitebeard Balin began to plan the future for the dwarves.

Then, the dwarves happily rushed towards the "gold mountain," took out every bag they could fit, and began harvesting gold coins and gems.

Just as the dwarves were so engrossed in "grabbing" money that several arrows grazed their cheeks and disappeared into the sea of ​​gold coins.

The whistling of arrows "awakened" the dwarves.

Looking behind, the hobbit on guard duty had already been bound by chains in the hands of the ranger.

Beside them, Sophia commanded a squad of elves armed with bows and arrows to surround the dwarves.

……

Before long, the dwarf and Bilbo, bound hand and foot, were escorted to the Great Hall of the Lonely Mountain.

At this moment, some of the people who remained in the hall were digging out dragon flesh from the dead dragon.

Blood was everywhere, and there hadn't been time to clean it up.

Amidst the heavy stench of blood, even the dwarves were taken aback by Smaug's gruesome death.

Then, those rough-handed rangers who were digging into the dragon's flesh and destroying many intact dragon scales were left with a sore liver.

Waste is shameful...

Without a doubt, in the eyes of the dwarves who were skilled at crafting weapons and armor, Smaug's tough scales were the best material for making armor.

The actions of those wandering knights were tantamount to "crime".

"When we went to the warehouse, these dwarves were stealing your treasure..." After bringing the Durin dwarves and hobbits to Mike, Sophia first described the situation in the warehouse, then asked, "What do you plan to do with these people?"

Only then did the dwarves realize that they had become prisoners, and they were all too ashamed to look Mike in the eye.

Only Thorin remained, glaring angrily at the human who had taken the throne in the Lonely Mountain Palace.

“Mike, I know our actions this time were wrong, so I am willing to exchange the most precious gem for the dwarves’ freedom…” Seeing the atmosphere in the hall gradually becoming tense, Bilbo had no choice but to step forward and plead for the dwarves.

Then, at Mike's signal, the hobbit went to his side.

Then, the hobbit pulled a dazzling gem, bigger than a fist, from his pocket.

"【Heart of Lonely Mountain】...Your luck is indeed quite good..." Mike took the gem in surprise, admired it for a moment, and then casually set it into the slot at the top of the throne behind him.

Instantly, the most precious gem in the Central Plains shone brightly, illuminating the entire hall with a crystalline glow.

And Mike, backlit by the light, appears even more noble thanks to this gem.

"Robbers...bandits...those things belong to us dwarves..."

The dwarves, who had been captivated by the dazzling Arkenstone, gradually came to their senses.

Thorin glared at the hobbit with even more hatred, cursing, "You despicable thief, you betrayed us! The dwarves will never forgive you..."

【Heart of Lonely Mountain】Also known as: Arken Gem.

This most beautiful gem in Middle-earth is also the royal symbol of the dwarves. Whoever holds it can command all the dwarves of the seven races of Middle-earth.

If Mike hadn't interfered, the dwarves' original plan for this trip to Lonely Mountain was to let the hobbits enter through the small door and help them steal back the Arkenstone.

Then, Thorin, wielding the Arkenstone, a symbol of the power of the dwarven king, summoned the warriors of the seven races of dwarves in Middle-earth to fight the dragon Smaug and ultimately reclaim Erebor.

But plans can't keep up with changes, and the dwarves always seemed to be a step behind Mike.

Even the hobbits, who were not highly regarded by them, seemed to have broken their pact with the dwarves.