A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"Then why not add a defensive magic circle to the entire town?" Tilda asked, puzzled.

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

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

"And even if we could cover it up, we shouldn't do it like that. Smaug came to destroy Lake-town, but while the town was destroyed, very 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 for you?" Bard asked. "Regarding the materials..."

“No need,” the thought interrupted. “Only beginners need materials. I can use magic to draw a magic circle, and the effect won’t be much different.”

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

The circular magic circle was completed in half a minute and merged with the ice surface.

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

“Barn,” Bard said, looking at his son, “when Smaug comes, you and your two sisters hide under the house. You must protect them.”

Barn nodded solemnly. "I understand, Father."

"Let's go check out the clock tower. That's our only stronghold," the Memory Body said solemnly. "Hopefully, the crossbow is okay, otherwise I'll have to go through all the trouble of repairing it."

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

"Don't mistake me for an ordinary wizard." The Thought Entity smiled meaningfully. He had also learned the Repair Charm, so he could fix anything, not just a wind crossbow, but even a dilapidated house.

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

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

“This is the most conspicuous spot in the whole town; Smaug will definitely notice it,” Bard said.

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

"I will do my best to strengthen the defenses of this clock tower." The Thought Entity 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 circle, the magical energy within his body continuously outputs into the circle.

Ten minutes later, the huge magic circle disappeared into the air, but Bard and the others could all feel a great sense of security contained within it.

"It's finished, a masterpiece of my life." The Thoughts Body breathed a sigh of relief. "This is a perfect ultimate defensive magic circle, capable of withstanding even Smaug's dragonfire once."

"Only once?"

"What else do you want?" the thought said unhappily. "If it were an ordinary dragon, I could withstand its dragonfire several times without any problem, 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 circle could withstand even one full-force breath of its dragon breath.

"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 longing body glanced at him speechlessly. "One shouldn't be too greedy."

"I see."

"However, this matter is of great importance, and when it involves lives, no amount of caution is excessive."

Luckily, I was prepared. The Thought-to-Be-A-Magic-Crystal proudly pulled out its 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 shiny things, but this little piece is nothing compared to the treasure of Lonely Mountain.”

Thoughts in words: ......

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

"This is a magic crystal, containing powerful magic that can power magic arrays."

The magic circle can continue to operate until its magic power is completely drained.

Upon hearing this, Bard looked at Sapphire with excitement, "How many times can it withstand the dragon's flames?"

"Hmm... this is an ultimate magic circle. I'm not sure, but it should be fine for three to five times." The thought entity said thoughtfully, then released the magic crystal towards the clock tower.

The blue crystal slowly rose, stopped at the top of the clock tower, and merged into the core of the magic circle.

"Is it done?" Barn asked.

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

I also need weapons: spears and bows and arrows.

"I have bows and arrows, but as for spears... I only have spear hooks made from old harpoons."

The thought immediately came to mind when he thought of Bard's collection of top-tier weapons, and several clear black lines appeared on his face.

"Well, we'll just have to make do with what we have, 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 Longlake Town as soon as possible.

“I can help you,” Barn volunteered. “Is it to make it easier to fight the dragon?”

The boy, who was two or three years older than him, looked at him intently for a moment, then nodded.

Bard, the archer, will be the main attacker in this battle; he can simply stand on the clock tower and shoot arrows.

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

We can't always use Phantom Teleport to escape, can we? We don't have much mana to begin with, and we can't afford to consume that much.

Bud returned to his house with his two daughters, first taking out the weapon pouch from under the boat, and then carefully examining the bow and arrows.

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

As he listened and took notes, a simple three-dimensional diagram emerged in his mind over time.

"Alright, I've almost memorized it."

"you sure?"

“I’m absolutely certain.” The thought pointed to its head. “My memory is beyond your imagination.”

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

"The boat, stay here. You, go back." The Memory Entity 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 a few more preparations."

Chapter 262 The Keyhole Revealed in the Moonlight

At dusk, Aaron (in his thought form) returned to Bard's house, and he almost stumbled and fell to the ground as soon as he entered.

Seeing this, Sigrid quickly helped him to a chair.

"Why do you look so pale?" Bov asked.

"My magic power is severely depleted," the thought entity explained weakly. He had been continuously outputting magic power for over ten hours, almost causing himself to disappear.

"What did you do?" Barn asked, puzzled. "You were perfectly fine when I left."

"Keep it a secret." The thought waved its hand. "Please prepare some food and warm water for me now. I'm extremely weak right now."

Barn nodded and quickly took a plate of black bread and cheese sauce from his pantry.

The corner of the mouth of the person who was thinking about it twitched, and a few black lines even appeared on their forehead.

Don't you have any common sense? You're feeding me this? What if I don't recover by tonight?

However, considering the Bard family's financial situation, they could only make do.

"Where's your father?"

“He went to the clock tower.” Tilda looked at Aaron anxiously. “My dad will be alright, won’t he?”

"Yes, he will." The thought-form smiled confidently. "Your father will kill the dragon tonight and become the hero of the town. I guarantee it."

The three dwarves looked at each other in bewilderment. If the prophecy was true and the dragon would come to Lake-town, it meant that Thorin and his companions had failed to resolve the battle at Lonely Mountain.

"Thorin..." Bovary hesitated, "The expedition will succeed, won't it?"

"Of course, Gaius values ​​contracts very much."

I will help Thorin find the Arkenstone, and I will ensure the safety of everyone else.

"But you're not even on Lonely Mountain, how can you guarantee anything?" Qi Li asked weakly.

"Don't underestimate the power of wizards," the thought entity said with an unfathomable smile. "I've arranged everything."

By the way, haven't you been cured of the poison yet?

"It will probably be evening before it's ready." Bifo looked at the casserole. "The king leaf grass needs to be simmered for a long time to get the purest medicinal liquid."

......

On the other side, the expedition team traveled for a day and finally arrived at Wangcheng.

Bilbo looked down at the ruins of the town and asked incredulously, "Where is this?"

“It used to be the site of the ancient city of River, but now it’s just ruins,” Balin said. “It was the disaster brought by Smaug.”

"This is the power of dragons!" Aaron exclaimed, his desire to activate the Dragon Slayer Crystal growing stronger.

Once he learns the Dragon Slayer Magic, he will be able to control this cataclysmic destructive power within three years.

"We must find the secret entrance to the mountain before the sun goes down," Thorin said, and started to walk forward.

“Wait!” Bilbo hurriedly stopped him. “This is the place where the city is overlooked. Gandalf said we should meet here. Don’t go into the Lonely Mountain alone.”

"Have you seen him?" Thorin asked back. "We don't have time to wait for the wizard."

We have to rely on ourselves now, let's go!

“Let’s go!” Aaron patted Bilbo on the shoulder. “Gandalf has probably already been to the Witch-king’s tomb in Angmar, but he’ll be tied up with something more dangerous afterward, otherwise he wouldn’t be so late.”

"You know?" Bilbo looked at Aaron in surprise.

"Hmm..." Aaron pondered for a moment and then shook his head. "I don't know, but I can guess roughly."

In Rivendell, Gandalf, the White Wizard, and two Elvenkings engaged in a discussion concerning an enemy from several centuries ago—an evil necromancer.

All I can tell you is that this is a very dangerous situation, and if small fry like us get involved, we could easily drown.

"Then...then will he be in danger?" Bilbo asked worriedly.