Chapter 248: Born Animagus
Bang!
Everyone fled into the house. Just as they were about to close the door, a huge bear head squeezed its way in. The Dwarves blocking the door used all their strength to push it out.
"We're safe," Aaron sighed in relief, then looked at Gandalfand asked, "Is that the Skin-changer?"
"Yes, his name is Beorn, and he is the owner of this house.
Sometimes, he is a big black bear, and sometimes, he is a strong man.
The bear's behavior is unpredictable, but the man is reasonable."
"Isn't that an Animagus?" Aaron's eyes widened in surprise.
An Animagus is an advanced type of magic that allows one to transform into a specific animal while retaining their magical abilities.
However, this magic is very difficult, even requiring several years to learn. The officially registered Animagus can be counted on one hand.
But the Skin-changer seems to be a natural Animagus, which truly made him envious.
"What Animagus?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"In any case, Beorn isn't particularly fond of Dwarves, so you'd best not show any hostility towards him."
"What about humans? He doesn't dislike humans, does he?" Aaron asked.
"That depends on the situation. Humans can be good or bad, can't they?
However, Beorn would never trouble a child."
"That's good."
"He must have been placed under an evil spell," Oin said with certainty.
"Don't be foolish," Gandalf glared at him. "No one can cast a spell on him except himself.
Alright, everyone get some sleep. It will be very safe here tonight."
...The black bear paced outside the house, intimidating the surrounding Orcs.
"Attack now, kill those Dwarves while they sleep."
"No," Azog directly refused his subordinate's suggestion. "There's a monster guarding them. We'll ambush them on the road."
At this moment, an unusual sound suddenly came from the forest. An Orc riding a Warg stopped in front of Azog. "They are gathering in Dol Guldur. The Master summons you."
Hearing this, Azog gritted his teeth.
He could not disobey the Master's command, so he had to temporarily give up the idea of ambushing the Dwarves and rode his white Warg towards Dol Guldur.
Inside the house, snores rose and fell.
Aaron looked at the ceiling and silently opened his personal panel.
Host: Aaron Gaius
magic Power: 8543 (Middle-Level Mage, the end point for most Wizards in their lifetime)
Talent: Rare in a Century (magic Power increases by 3 points daily)
Items: moon drop (can remove any negative magic spell), Resurrection Potion (can resurrect any creature that died within an hour), magic carpet, Unactivated Dragon Slaying Magic Crystal
magic Points: 290
Looking at the value in the last column, Aaron couldn't help but sigh.
He really missed Hogwarts! After nearly three months of travel, his magic Points were still less than three hundred. The rewards from signing in couldn't even compare to the increase in his magic Power.
"System, open the store."
"Okay."
magic Category: @Transfiguration (1000 magic Points, including Animagus); @Levitation (100 magic Points, flight speed depends on personal strength); @Illusion Projection (700 magic Points, creates a phantom of oneself for long-distance projection); @Charm (500 magic Points, but ineffective against those with strong will); @Astral Projection (300 magic Points)
Materials Category: @phoenix feather (30 magic Points); @dragon blood (20 magic Points); @Mandrake (5 magicPoints); @Bezoar (1 magic Point); @Rhinoceros Horn (3 magic Points)
Item Category: @jack sparrow's compass (200 magic Points, points to the owner's most desired item); @magic Crystal (100 magic Points, possesses powerful magic power, can power magic arrays); @Wizard Chess (1 magic Point); @Girani's Emerald (50 magic Points, the one who obtains the gem will be plagued by bad luck); @Wine (2 magicPoints)
During this time, Aaron occasionally refreshed the store, filling in some blanks.
But looking at the few spells in the magic Category, besides Transfiguration, Aaron felt particularly conflicted.
He wanted Illusion Projection but couldn't afford it. Charm wasn't very suitable for a male, and the price was a bit high, so it was temporarily excluded. Astral Projection might be useful later, but it had no meaning now.
As for the last one, Levitation, he was somewhat interested, but he had brought the magic carpet, so there was no need to spend on this spell for now.
The blank slot in the Item Category showed a bottle of wine. Although it was a bit speechless, it was better than nothing.
"Sigh! Purchase jack sparrow's compass." Aaron made a difficult decision, but watching his three-digit magic Points turn into two digits, he couldn't help but feel a little lost.
Aaron opened the compass and looked at the steady needle, a forced smile on his lips.
With this treasure, his confidence in completing the contract could increase by at least 30%.
After completing the system task, his magic Points would become four digits, and then he wouldn't have to be so stingy when spending.
Putting away the compass, Aaron adjusted to a comfortable position, ready to sleep.
But as he turned over, he happened to see Bilbo toying with a golden ring.
"What's that?"
Bilbo was startled and immediately clutched the ring in his hand.
"Nothing."
"I saw it, a golden ring."
"I said nothing," Bilbo's tone became a little heavier. Realizing his reaction, he looked at Aaron apologetically, "Sorry, I... this..."
Aaron frowned, "Can I see it?"
Bilbo's expression changed slightly. After much hesitation, he took out the ring.
However, when he handed it to Aaron, he was extremely reluctant, as if he was giving up half his life.
Aaron took the ring, and a sudden urge to possess it welled up in his mind, but this desire was quickly suppressed.
"A magic ring?"
"Thanks to it, I escaped from the Orc city," Bilbo said excitedly. "It can make me invisible."
Aaron shook his head and returned the ring to Bilbo.
"An invisible burglar is definitely a top-tier burglar.
However, the function of this ring is definitely not just invisibility. It possesses incredibly powerful magic, and even I feel a hint of suppression.
As a friend, I'll give you a piece of advice: if you want to keep this ring, don't let anyone else know you possess it."
"What does that mean?"
Aaron snorted lightly, "This ring has the power to corrupt minds. Ordinary people, upon seeing it, will subconsciously desire to possess it, even at any cost."
"It can't be that bad!" Bilbo said in astonishment. "Didn't you give the ring back to me, and I was willing to show it to you?"
"That's because my mind has special protection; the magicon the ring has almost negligible influence on me.
And you are not an ordinary person. Bilbo Baggins' mind is much purer than most, which allows him to resist its temptation.
But if you can avoid using this ring, then do so. Otherwise, you will sooner or later become a slave to the ring, or even suffer from mental derangement and personality splits."
Bilbo swallowed, thinking of Gollum, the ring's previous owner, who was always rambling, talking to himself, and his moods fluctuating. He believed Aaron's words by 90%.
"Perhaps I should tell Gandalf!"
"That's your decision; I won't interfere," Aaron said meaningfully. "But if even the Grey Wizard cannot resist the ring's temptation, then I suggest you keep it yourself, or... destroy it directly."
...The next morning.
The members of the expedition woke up one after another.
Beorn, the owner of the house, had transformed into his human form, a hairy middle-aged man who looked somewhat like a bear.
He was not angry that they had trespassed into his home; instead, he prepared a hearty breakfast for them.
"You are Thorin Oakenshield. Tell me why Azog the Defileris hunting you."
"Because of an arm," Aaron took a large gulp of milk. "Thorin cut off Azog's left arm in a brutal war."
"Is that so?" Beorn mused. "You should have cut off his head."
"I thought so too, but he ran too fast at the time," Thorin said angrily, then looked at Beorn. "How do you know about Azog?"
"My people were the first to live in the mountains until the Orcs attacked from the north. Azog killed most of my family, and some became his slaves.
Not to work for him, you understand? But for entertainment.
It's a pleasure for him to imprison and torture Skin-changers."
"Villains are usually this twisted. If he treated you well, it would seem abnormal," Aaron pouted. "Logically, your people shouldn't be weak. Why could the Orcs..."
"They are numerous and skilled in schemes, otherwise, I wouldn't be the only Skin-changer left."
"Understood. Villains often stop at nothing to achieve their goals."
"You must reach Erebor before the end of autumn. Time is running out now."
"So we must pass through Mirkwood," Gandalf said. "That's the fastest way."
"Darkness covers that forest, and decay spreads beneath the trees.
The Orcs of Moria and the Magisters of Dol Guldur have formed an alliance. Unless absolutely necessary, I would not take that risk."
"We'll take the Elven road; that path is still safe."
"Safe?" Beorn expressed doubt about these two words. "The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin; they are less wise but more dangerous."
Hearing this, Aaron looked at Thorin, "The Elves he's talking about wouldn't be..."
"They are the ones who stood by and watched the disaster befall the Dwarves," Thorin said coldly.
"Hehe!" Aaron's mouth twitched. He looked at Gandalf with an awkward smile, "May I be so bold as to ask if we can take a detour?
I don't mean anything else; I just want to avoid unnecessary conflict."
"Gaius, what do you mean by that?" Thorin said unhappily.
"You know what I mean.
You didn't show much respect to Elrond, and if you meet those Elves in the forest, who knows if you'll start a fight with them."
"I won't," Thorin gritted his teeth. "I can still distinguish between what's important and what's not."
Aaron rolled his eyes speechlessly. Throughout their journey, he had witnessed Thorin's stubbornness; once he got stuck on an idea, he couldn't let go. The credibility of his words didn't even reach 50%.
"Personally, I still recommend taking a detour."
"If I could, I would!" Gandalf said helplessly. "But a detour would mean traveling at least two hundred kilometers further north, or twice that distance south."
Hearing this, Aaron was also speechless, "So there's no other choice."
"You could say that."
"Even without a detour, it's meaningless. This area is full of Orcs; their numbers are growing, and if you only walk, you will never reach that forest alive," Beorn said, standing up. "I don't like Dwarves; they are greedy, blind, and always disregard those they consider inferior to themselves.
However, I hate Orcs more. What do you need?"
Everyone looked at each other, and at the same time thought of the dozen horses outside.
Walking couldn't get them to that forest, but riding horses surely would!
Beorn did not refuse this request; he generously lent them the horses and even voluntarily transformed into a black bear to escort them all the way to Mirkwood.
After riding several hundred kilometers, they finally reached Mirkwood before dark.
"The Elven Gate," Gandalf said. "This is the way through Mirkwood."
"There are no Orcs nearby; we are quite lucky," Dwalin said.
"It's not that we're lucky; someone is protecting us," Aaronlooked at the black bear on the distant mountain peak. "If it weren't for Beorn, our journey would have been much more difficult."
"Release the ponies! Let them return to their master."
Gandalf walked into Mirkwood, pushed aside some vines, and saw a red mark.
"To the High Fells of Rhudaur?" Gandalf murmured, then rushed out of the forest, "Leave my horse; I still have use for it."
"You're not leaving us, are you?" Bilbo asked with some concern.
"I wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary.
You have changed, Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf said, looking at him with satisfaction. "You are no longer the Hobbit who left the Shire."
"I must tell you, I found something in the Orc tunnel," Bilbosaid, reaching into his pocket to take out the ring, but thinking of the potential dangers ahead, he ultimately decided to keep the ring for now.
"What did you find?"
"My courage."
"Excellent," Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "You will need it."
"Aaron, are you interested in going with me to the tomb of the Witch-King of Angmar?"
Aaron's heart skipped a beat. Remembering the grave expressions of Elrond and the others when they saw the Witch-King of Angmar's sword in Rivendell, he immediately refused: "You can kill Baggins, but I won't go."
"Kill Baggins? I knew you'd say that," Gandalf said helplessly. "Then I beg you to protect them well."
"I'll do my best."
"Not just your best. There are not only Elves in this forest, but other things as well.
I don't know why you keep hiding your magic, but we are nearing Erebor and will soon face the Dragon. You won't be able to hide it forever.
If it truly comes to it, I hope you..."
"I will act," Aaron mused. "But I can only guarantee it within my capabilities."
"Thank you," Gandalf breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Thorin. "I will wait for you at the watchtower of Ereborahead. Be careful to guard the map and the key. Do not enter Erebor without me.
Furthermore, this is not just a green forest. The air in the forest is foul and causes illusions; it will invade your mindand lead you astray.
You must follow the path and not take any detours. If you go the wrong way, you will never find your way back."