“e here little piggies.”

  “Don’t run!”

  “Leave the loot behind and we let you go.”

  Liam and his friends couldn’t help but get a the mog shouts ing from behind their backs. But they could only swallow the insults and tinue esg.

  “Expert, do you have a pn? Else I’ll turn around now ahose idiots up!”, said Cye indignantly.

  However, the others naturally dissuaded her.

  “Young dy, don’t stoop to the level of these vilins.”

  “A tense chase is great for my video! Dear viewers, will we make it out? Or will the flood of thieves drown us?”

  “Hold on guys. We’re not far away.”

  Liam reassured his friends as they left the area of lush fields. A hilly zone appeared before them.

  Suddenly a loud shout came from the front.

  “Here, e here! I came to help you!”

  Liam frowned. He stared at the deeking out behind a boulder. The name floating above his head appeared familiar.

  It was Braag the Virtuous, who wao learn from Liam earlier that day.

  No one knew if they could trust this person. But he appeared openly despite occupying the path Liam inteo take in the first pce, a narrow route between two steep slopes.

  fident that a single pyer wouldn’t be able to stop them, Liam decided not to ge dires.

  “Mirage! e!”

  Liam dashed towards the hills. But suddenly he dug his heels into the ground stopping abruptly.

  Just before he wao shout a warning to his party, Braag spoke first:

  “I buried some explosives here! When you pass, I will stop those behind you!”

  Liam gave the dwarf a deep look. He made up his mind instantly.

  [Bleary Mirage: I will go first.]

  The party didn’t show anything outwardly but kept a short distao Liam.

  The tter khat they were running out of time. Without hesitatioepped onto the path, his senses focused on the ground.

  However, nothing happened until he reached Braag. The dwarf looked at the rest of the party members strangely but didn’t feel offended.

  “I uand if you don’t trust me. But we don’t have time now!”

  Silver Bde looked at Liam who safely made it past the prepared area. With a nod from her the other party members followed as well.

  Their hearts were teh every step. But again, no explosio off. With a sigh of relieve they arrived o Liam.

  “Sorry.”

  Braag didn’t take Liam’s apology to heart. He waved his hand impatiently.

  “It’s ok. But you o go now!”

  Excited voices could already be heard ing from the fields. A crowd of pyers appeared surging towards the hilly zone.

  Liam and his party immediately tiheir escape, this time followed by Braag.

  “Dwarf, didn’t you say something about explosions?”, asked Cye fusedly.

  “Sure, sure. Remote trolled!”

  “That’s a thing?”

  “Yes. e a sh*t ton of money.”

  Pain fshed ’s face. Cye was taken aback. From his expression one could think the dwarf lost his wife.

  Fortunately, he quickly calmed his mind, looking over his shoulder.

  The crowd of pyers arrived at the entrance of the path. They looked at Liam’s back eagerly. After the short dey the distance shrunk again.

  At the front of the crowd were teams of guild pyers. They frowned, looking at the strangely uneven soil below their feet. But with other pushing from behind they couldn’t take the time to s more thhly.

  Dozens of pyers streamed into the narrow path, at most six people o each other.

  When the front had advanced for about teers, a few dozen pyers had occupied the path.

  But at this moment…

  Arm bells rang in everyone’s minds. Their senses screamed of danger. But it was already too te.

  Boom!

  With a deafening sound eg between the hills multiple explosio off. The floor and the air shook. Dirt spshed everywhere. Chaotic, frightened shouts were mixed in. Pyers were thrown away by the incredible force, hit by loose boulders, seared by fmes.

  It was a se of age. The few survivors slowly dragged their bodies up, cursing loudly, looking at the battered ground before them with lingering fear.

  A scoff could be heard. A chubby pyer surrounded by others pushed towards the front.

  “Brainless. Hmpf! Bear, you take the lead!”

  The chubby pyer going by the Tiger ridiculed others, but he didn’t dare to probe the path.

  Fighting Bear wao pin but seeing the boss’s stern eyes he swallowed his words. With a relut expressioepped forward.

  Fat Tiger followed at a safe distaaking the lead among the remaining pyers. He squinted his eyes as he urged Fighting Bear:

  “Hurry up! I barely see them now! Don’t lose Hotpot!”

  Meanwhile Liam turned his head back towards the front.

  “hat a great se! This will be the highlight of this video!”, excimed Fortune happily.

  Braag squeezed out an ugly smile:

  “At least I didn’t waste so much money for nothing.”

  Fortune fell back a few steps while talking:

  “Definitely not!

  Dear viewers. No one of us expected such timely help. Who is this heroic stranger ing to our aid? Will it be enough to escape? Stay tuned!”

  Silent Acacia rolled his eyes.

  “Guys, we are not in safety yet!”

  “No, we are almost there.”

  The others looked at Liam in surprise. They were still following a lonely path between vast hills. Where was the safety?

  Taking o turn the party arrived at a somewhat rge, grassy square. A few sparce, dark green trees grew towards the sky.

  In the ter of the pin an inspicuous statue could be found. It was only about the height of a human. It depicted a fierce lizard-like creature with broad wings behind its back. Standing on a promi rock its vivid gaze seemed to look down on the world.

  Balm drew a sharp breath.

  “Is this…”

  “A dragon!”

  Everyone was startled by the loud shout, looking at the speaker in bewilderment. Watchful Eye didn’t care, approag the statue with awe in his gaze. He reached out with his hand.

  Suddenly he stiffened, recalling the current situation. The usually taciturn man turned around with an awkward smile:

  “Apologies, young dy.”

  “No, it’s… ok.”

  Even Silver Bde was fused, having never seen such a side from her loyal bodyguard.

  However, now was not the time for deep talk. Silent Acacia averted his gaze from Watchful Eye, addressing Liam:

  “What now? Is there some secret here?”

  “Somehow I feel this pce is a bit spooky.”, said Balm, subsciously approag Radiant Shield.

  “It’s because of the ck of sound. No is, no wind. Nothing.”, cluded Silver Bde.

  Meanwhile, Liam didn’t waste any time. He approached the dragon statue, staring into its eyes.

  “Silver, invite Braag into the party.”

  The dwarf’s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing this sentence from Liam. An invite popped up before his face.

  He accepted quickly as if afraid that it would disappear if he was even a beat too te. Just as he wao speak up and thank Liam, the tter spoke towards the statue.

  “Si owl ear or h thig ogar eyal.”

  [Knowledge +5]

  The other party members looked at Liam in fusion, uo uand his words.

  “Are you ok, expert?”

  But Cye’s question was left unanswered as the dragon statue’s eyes lit up in a deep, majestic, blue.

  “There they are!”

  “Haha, it’s a dead end!”

  Mog shouts could be heard from behind the party. Fat Tiger wore a victorious grin, swaggering towards the party.

  “Haha, when you ihers to attack uild st time, did you ever think such a day would e?”

  But a momehe chubby man frowned perceiving the ges ooatue. A strange anxiousness suddenly crept into his mind.

  His thoughts moved as he shouted loudly towards the pyers behind him:

  “There seems to be some secret here! Quick, grab them!”

  “Could it be…?”

  “Hurry up! Catch them!”

  “Hotpot, tell us what’s going on here and we might let you live!”

  Pyers swarmed towards Liam’s party. Some were greedy for loot, others were only in for the fun. Meanwhile Fat Tiger watched while quietly increasing the distahe horror of the earlier explosion was still vivid in his mind.

  However, his caution proved unfounded a moment ter as Liam and his friends were embraced by a blue light, disappearing into thin air.

  Only a group of baffled pyers were left behind.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There is indeed a secret here!”

  “It got to be that statue!”

  The pyers discussed animatedly, quickly turning the pin upside down before fog on the dragon statue.

  Fat Tiger also pushed through the crowd. He cursed inwardly, his sharp gaze trained on the inspicuous dragon.

  “Boss, what should we do now?”

  Fat Tiger g Fighting Bear, s out his thoughts.

  “Two things.

  One, find out how this statue works. Activate it if possible.

  If we ’t, we will wait here. I don’t believe they won’t have to e back!”