Hill Dwarves (Bonus Chapter)

The sun's radiance gradually faded amid the brilliant evening clouds. Night descended, and the moon began to cast its gentle, clear glow.

After a full day of trekking, the party finally entered the Blackrock Mountain region. The fat man plopped down on the ground. The priest had trained his body back when he was still an apprentice, but after years of living in comfort, how could he endure such hardship?

"I can't go on. I can't walk another step. Let's make camp and rest here."

Ina surveyed the surroundings and frowned. "No! Not here! We need to keep moving."

"I really can't walk anymore. We have to rest here. Nothing you say can change my mind!" The fat man panted heavily, heedless of the dirt as he flopped onto his back. His bulging belly rose and fell dramatically, reminding Chen Rui of a certain amphibian from Earth.

Ina shook her head, ignoring the fat man's complaints as she led the party onward. After they had gone some distance, she tossed back a sentence from afar: "With this terrain and the cover of night, the enemy only needs to send rocks crashing down from the mountain to turn us into meat patties in our sleep."

The fat man's panting abruptly stopped. Thinking of the falling-rock ambush they had encountered before fleeing into that terrifying forest, he shuddered. Somehow finding the strength, he clambered back to his feet and tried to catch up. After only a few steps, he tripped over a rock. If not for the arm that caught him in time, he would have gone face-first into the dirt.

The fat man nodded at Chen Rui, who had steadied him, and said between gasps, "Thank you, Richard."

Chen Rui handed him a bottle of potion. "Drink this. It should help