LOTR: Bringing an MC System to Middle-Earth

[Achievement Unlocked: Next Generation]

Once it was certain that Smaug was truly dead, a fiery red egg suddenly materialized in Eric's inventory.

[Fire Dragon Egg]

"Hatch near lava for best results."

With a sharp pull, Eric withdrew the sword that had been embedded beneath the dragon's lower jaw. He exhaled slowly, the tension finally draining from his shoulders.

The blade shimmered even more brilliantly than before, its brilliance untouched by blood despite having slain a dragon.

From the mouth of the cavern, Bard stepped out and stared blankly at the immense corpse lying before him.

"The legends were true," Thorin said as he emerged from another tunnel, addressing the archer solemnly. "Your ancestor was indeed a remarkable warrior. From this day on, your line shall be honored. Bard the Bowman, your name will be remembered."

Moments later, a chorus of cheers echoed down the passage as the dwarves came pouring out of the hidden tunnel, their faces flushed with excitement.

"HAHAA!"

"It's dead! The beast is dead!"

The dwarves gathered in a ring around the fallen dragon. Kíli, unable to contain himself, ran up and gave the dragon's lifeless side a defiant kick. The result? Nothing happened to the dragon, but Kíli ended up hopping in place, grimacing in pain for a good few seconds.

"You alright?" Fíli asked, catching up to him. "You're shaking, did your wound open again?"

"I'm fine. Just… thrilled," Kíli muttered, blinking away tears of both joy and mild regret.

Thorin stepped up and raised his voice.

"The dragon is dead. Our vengeance is fulfilled!"

"From this day forward, Erebor belongs once again to the House of Durin!"

The celebration carried on until the dwarves finally settled into planning mode.

"Our top priority is to locate the Arkenstone," said Thorin, regaining his serious tone. "Then we'll need to rally reinforcements."

"The only one close enough to help quickly is Dáin," Balin noted.

"How many orcs did you say were coming, Eric?" Thorin asked, turning.

"Over twenty thousand. That's not even counting the wargs," Eric replied, frowning. "Some of them are trolls - sun-resistant ones, likely Olog-hai bred for warfare."

The weight of his words fell like a stone in the room. The cheer drained from the dwarves' faces.

"Wait, what?! Twenty thousand what now?"

"What in Durin's name are you talking about?"

Bard looked around, utterly confused.

"Orcs? Wargs? Since when are those a problem?!"

"He means there's an army, tens of thousands of orcs - marching toward Erebor," Thorin explained. "They're coming from Dol Guldur and the mines of Moria. If their pace holds, they'll reach us in a matter of days."

Bard mentally mapped the route in his head. His face paled.

"Then they'll pass through Lake-town..."

He froze, eyes wide. His home was directly in their path. Lake-town had no real army. Just town guards trained to deal with petty theft and the occasional stray goblin. Against an orc horde, they wouldn't last an hour.

"I have to go back. Now."

Bard turned and made to leave without another word.

To him, treasure, thrones, promises of kingship - they meant nothing in the face of what truly mattered. Lake-town was his home, and his children were waiting there.

"If you need it," Thorin called after him, "Erebor will offer sanctuary."

Bard paused, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'll remember that," he said quietly.

Then, without hesitation, he climbed over the dragon's body and vanished from sight.

"Let's not waste time," Thorin said, turning to the others. "We're finding the Arkenstone. Now."

He brushed his hand over Smaug's still form, then looked over at Eric, who hadn't moved.

"You alright?" Thorin asked. "You've been staring at the dragon like it owes you money."

"There are materials here I can use," Eric said, eyes gleaming with something between curiosity and admiration.

"Then take whatever you need. You've earned it," Thorin said without hesitation. "And don't worry, it won't be counted in your one-fifteenth share."

With a final nod of respect, Thorin joined the others on their way to the treasure vaults.

Now only Eric and Bilbo remained.

Bilbo, who understood nothing of orc armies or crafting recipes, was staring up at the dead dragon with a mixture of awe and discomfort.

After a long silence, he finally piped up.

"Eric? I… was wondering. Do you think I could maybe, uh, take one of its scales? Just one. As a memento?"

"Of course. There are plenty to go around," Eric said, smiling.

"Thanks. You see, I plan to write about this. And a dragon scale would make a perfect… well, paperweight or specimen. I used to collect leaves and flowers, dry them in books, plant them in my garden back home, this just feels like the next logical step, really."

He pocketed the scale with care, chatted with Eric a bit longer, and then trotted off to catch up with Thorin and the others.

Eric turned his attention back to the task at hand: harvesting.

Dragon blood. Dragon bone. Dragon meat. Fire dragon scales. A fire dragon heart…

Smaug's sheer size made the spoils overwhelming. Eric had to craft a chest just to store the haul.

When the last piece was stashed away, his crafting interface blinked. New blueprints had been unlocked.

[New Recipes Unlocked: Dragon-Scale Armor, Dragon Tools, Forging Method: Dragonflame Steel]

Dragonflame Steel… just reading the stats made Eric raise his eyebrows. Armor stronger than Netherite. Weapons sharper than his ancient elven blade. There was just one problem.

The material required an active fire dragon's breath to forge.

And the only one left, Smaug - had just expired.

Fortunately, that mysterious egg from earlier was still tucked away in his bag. Someday, it would hatch. Then they could revisit this project.

As Eric sorted the final bits, he noticed something unusual.

[Item Acquired: Wing Membrane]

New Recipe Unlocked: Elytra

"Wait, what?"

Back in vanilla Minecraft, Elytra couldn't be crafted - they only spawned inside End Ships floating in the void. But apparently, Smaug had graciously resolved that oversight.

[Achievement Unlocked: The Sky Is No Limit]

Takeoff time.

Eric strapped on the freshly-crafted Elytra and gave them a whirl in the spacious chamber. He launched forward, gliding smoothly through the air.

It was perfect.

Now all he needed were fireworks for thrust, and fortunately, Erebor's stockpile of gunpowder would keep him supplied for years. He could fly whenever he wanted, crash into mountains at leisure, and never worry about splattering on the ground.

"Time to check in on Thorin."

Packing the last of his loot, Eric followed the tunnel, winding his way toward the forges.

"If I remember right… past this gate and down the ramp..."

As he passed one of the massive dwarf-built furnaces, a new notification flickered into view.

[New Structure Set Unlocked: Erebor (Lonely Mountain) Crafting Line]

[Added: Erebor Multi-block Industrial Structures]

High-temperature steel smelters, giant bellows, mineral conveyors, forging anvils, molten metal pipelines…

A fully integrated dwarven industrial complex had just been added to his crafting repertoire.

Eric stared at the list, eyes wide.