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"No need for all that. I am only bringing a laptop this time, I need it for writing." Jimmy interrupted Yinsen before he could continue.
"All right. Do you want me to drive you there then?" He paused, then sighed with a wry smile. "Never mind, I already know the answer, Having a kid like you is every guardian's quiet headache."
Yinsen shook his head helplessly.
…
Jimmy carried a large hiking pack.
Inside were basic supplies like food and water, along with two official documents Tony had arranged for him.
One was a hunting permit.
The other identified him as a certified wildlife observer.
With these credentials, many potential complications would never arise.
…
The Rocky Mountains.
Jimmy had already been on the move for two days.
On the first day, he ran at full speed, pushing deep into the mountain range without stopping.
On the second day, he encountered an unlucky brown bear.
After a brief but decisive exchange of fists, the bear became his unwilling mount, carrying Jimmy through the wilderness like an oversized pack animal.
"It is time."
"Move out."
"Final draw, Select instance world."
"Let's go."
…
"AHHHHHH!!!!"
A deafening roar split the air.
A massive wild boar charged straight toward Jimmy.
This thing was enormous.
Over five meters tall and nearly eight meters long.
Four massive tusks framed a gaping maw that could easily swallow a grown man whole.
Jimmy had no doubt that a single bite would end him.
He glanced back briefly.
Behind him, a group of children was retreating in panic, waving crude farm tools like wooden pitchforks and sickles as they fled.
The boar had burst out of a pit trap, clearly unharmed.
The ambush had failed.
The creature had fallen in, but not even a scratch marked its hide.
"Shhk."
Jimmy drew the blade Tony had forged for him and kicked off the ground.
"Cut."
The boar lunged, snapping its jaws at the figure rushing toward it.
Its eyesight was poor, but its sense of smell was razor sharp, locked firmly onto Jimmy's position.
Jimmy veered right, then suddenly cut left, slipping past the massive head and slashing across one of the boar's front legs.
Tony's craftsmanship proved its worth.
The hardened hide, layered with resin and embedded with grit like natural armor, failed to slow the blade even slightly.
The leg flew free.
The boar collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Jimmy slid beneath its belly, carving a long, brutal gash as he passed.
He sprang upward, ran along its massive body, and brought the blade down hard onto the spine.
The impact echoed.
The boar's corpse skidded across the ground under its own momentum.
As expected.
Anything with a spine could be killed this way.
No matter how big it was, it was still a vertebrate.
Jimmy sheathed the blade, flicked the blood from the steel, tossed the scabbard upward, and caught it cleanly as it slid back into place.
He rested the sword on his shoulder and walked toward the boar's head.
Blood poured freely from the wound.
…
"The monster is dead."
"It was killed by that warrior."
"Look, it is not moving anymore."
"If it were alive, it would have charged again."
"Should we get closer?"
"He is carrying a huge sword. What if he is dangerous?"
"Rasha, what are you talking about, Anyone who slays a beast like that cannot be a bad man."
…
After some time, the villagers cautiously gathered around him.
"Excuse me, brave warrior. Where do you come from?"
"Me."
"From beyond the forest," Jimmy answered with a raised eyebrow, "What place is this? And who are you?"
"This is Bywater, in the Shire. I am Buck, one of the villagers. Thank you for saving us from that monster."
"Oh, it was nothing."
Bywater felt strangely familiar to Jimmy.
"Brave warrior, after crossing such a vast forest, you must need a place to rest and enjoy a proper meal."
"And that beast you killed was enormous. There is enough meat there to fill your pockets with gold."
"But it must be handled quickly, or its value will drop fast."
"Then could I trouble you to help process it?" Jimmy asked.
"We would be honored."
…
They worked from morning until night.
By the time the sun set, the massive boar had been butchered, portioned, and sold throughout Bywater.
As Jimmy observed the villagers more closely, he realized something unusual.
They were not children.
They were simply that short.
"Like dwarves."
"No! No!" The villagers waved their hands in protest. "We are nothing like dwarves. Dwarves wear great beards. We do not. They are short-tempered and obsessed with forging weapons. We prefer good food and peaceful lives."
"Halflings."
"I would rather you call us the people of Bree, or Hobbits."
"That is what folk beyond our lands call us."
"Hobbits."
Jimmy nodded.
He opened his system panel.
[Quest Triggered: Join the Dragon-Slaying Expedition.]
[Reward: Martial Skill, Silat.]
[Note: This combat art suits your aggressive fighting style and can be adapted into bladed techniques.]
[Skill Description.]
[Silat emphasizes close-range combat, explosive movement, joint destruction, and weapon integration.]
Hobbits.
Dragon slaying.
The Shire.
So this was how it was going to be.
Fine.
If the world wanted to throw him straight into a Lord of the Rings scenario, then he would play along.
"Is Hobbiton far from here?"
"Two roads leave the Green Dragon Inn. One leads to the farms, the other goes straight to Hobbiton."
"It is only about a mile and a half away."
"Are you planning to go there, warrior?"
"Maybe."
Depending on how far events had progressed, he wanted to see it for himself.
To see whether the Hobbit from Bag End had already stepped onto the road.
…
That night, a great feast was held in Bywater.
The guest of honor was Jimmy.
It was a celebration for the slaying of the massive boar that had destroyed their crops.
The boar's enormous head was mounted high on a wooden frame.
Though every scrap of meat had been stripped away, the skull alone was taller than a grown man and still awe-inspiring.
"We even found a wizard who can put on fireworks, Now the feast will truly be perfect."
The Hobbits parted as an old man approached, wearing a pointed hat and a gray cloak, a staff resting in his hand.
"Greetings, young warrior."
"I am Gandalf."
"Pleasure to meet you, As you can see, I am a mercenary, Jimmy Halstead."
"A mercenary does not usually wear armor of such quality and those patterns are elegant," Gandalf said with a strange tone.
"Are they markings of your people?"
Jimmy laughed softly, "Just some extra work, Is there something you need?"
"I am putting together an adventure."
"I am in" Jimmy answered without hesitation.
Gandalf blinked in surprise.
"I am always on an adventure, no matter which direction the road takes," Jimmy said
Gandalf smiled, "Then you have a brave heart and wings meant for wandering. We intend to aid Thorin Oakenshield in reclaiming the Lonely Mountain. It has fallen under the control of the dragon Smaug."
"According to Thorin's oath, you would be entitled to one-fourteenth of the treasure," Gandalf said calmly.
Gold alone did not excite Jimmy, Bringing it back would raise more questions than it was worth.
But the creatures of this world.
The magic.
The legends.
Those were worth his time.
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