Having done all this, Coal Ball leaped back onto Raylo’s shoulder as if looking for praise, nuzzling its small head against his face.

"Sun, tell them that their new home is through this gate."

Raylo said to the Golden Dragon.

Sun let out a low draconic roar, conveying Raylo’s command to the Giants.

The Giants stared at the gate leading to another world, their faces filled with shock and unease.

They put their heads together, murmuring amongst themselves, but not one of them dared to step forward.

To them, everything on the other side of this gate was an unknown.

Raylo did not rush them.

In the end, the same Giant who had been the first to surrender and the first to snatch a piece of meat was the one to set an example again.

He hesitated for a long time, glancing back at Raylo and then at the gate. After a moment of indecision, he finally made up his mind.

He took a deep breath, clutched his pile of junk, and carefully bent over, tentatively stepping one foot into the rift.

There was no danger.

He grew bolder, bent down, and squeezed through.

Once his figure had completely vanished on the other side of the gate, the remaining Giants no longer hesitated.

One by one, they formed a line and awkwardly stooped to enter the Space Gate connecting the two worlds.

Raylo watched as the last Hill Giant vanished into the rift, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

He looked back, taking one last look at the perilous Otherworld, and then gave Baofeng his command.

"We’re going home."

The Storm Griffin King let out a clear cry, took to the sky on powerful wings, and flew into the massive spatial rift, carrying Raylo and Moonlight.

The Golden Dragon Sun followed close behind them.

After everyone was through, Coal Ball flicked its small paw. The forcibly enlarged spatial rift rapidly contracted, finally becoming an inconspicuous speck of light that vanished completely from the stone wall.

The world returned to silence.

The dizzying sensation of spatial travel lasted only an instant.

When Raylo’s vision cleared, he found they had returned to the hidden cave deep within the Black Stone Mountain Range.

Inside the cave, a few Light Crystals cast a soft glow, clearly outlining the surrounding rock walls.

Immediately after, the Hill Giants emerged one by one, squeezing out from the distorted space.

They curiously surveyed the brand-new environment, their enormous eyes filled with bewilderment.

The cave was spacious enough for humans, but to them, it felt like a cramped cage.

Once the last Giant had stumbled out and steadied itself, Coal Ball yawned and flicked its little paw. The massive Space Gate behind them rapidly shrank, vanishing completely with a soft POP.

"Alright, let’s head out."

But the Giants ran into trouble on their way out.

The cave entrance was far too short and narrow; they had to stoop down just to squeeze through.

The first Giant to try—the same one who had surrendered first—bent at the waist with his rear in the air, slowly inching his way out.

The giant animal bones and stones hanging from his body clanked and rattled, periodically snagging on the cave walls with a harsh scraping sound.

Drenched in anxious sweat, he used his hands and feet in a clumsy scramble, finally managing to practically crawl out of the entrance.

As the sunlight hit him, he squinted his enormous eyes, unused to the brightness, then let out a cheer of immense relief.

With the first one’s success as a model, the other Giants followed suit. One by one, they lined up, HUFFING AND PUFFING as they crawled out in a variety of contorted and comical poses.

The scene became utterly chaotic, like a den of Giant Bears relocating.

Raylo stood in the sunlight outside the cave, watching the clumsy behemoths. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache already forming.

Perched on Raylo’s shoulder, Coal Ball watched the spectacle, its glossy black eyes filled with glee. Its little tail flicked back and forth, tapping against Raylo’s neck.

After nearly half an hour of this ordeal, the last Giant finally emerged from the cave, covered in dust.

"Move out. We’re heading back to Black Stone Castle."

Raylo commanded.

The Hill Giants lumbered along, filled with curiosity about their new surroundings. One moment they were touching an oddly shaped rock, the next they were trying to uproot a gnarled ironwood tree. The procession moved in fits and starts, completely devoid of discipline.

Raylo flew above the group on Baofeng’s back, patiently directing them.

Meanwhile, Sun flew at a lower altitude, acting as both foreman and translator, constantly using draconic roars to scold any Giant who tried to wander off.

They traveled from noon until dusk, and from dusk deep into the night.

By the time the imposing silhouette of Black Stone Castle appeared on the horizon, a waning moon hung in the sky.

On the walls of Black Stone Town, torches blazed, bathing the black stone in a ruddy glow.

"Who goes there!"

The sentries on the wall had spotted the strange procession from afar and shouted a harsh challenge.

When they got a clear look at the dozen or so gigantic humanoids, tense alarm calls immediately erupted along the wall.

"It is I."

Raylo’s voice carried up to the wall.

"Open the gates. There is no cause for alarm."

Hearing it was the voice of their Lord, the commotion on the walls quickly died down.

But as the Giants approached, their immense, oppressive presence still made the city guards’ palms sweat as they clutched their Weapons tightly.

The gates of Black Stone Town swung open slowly, and Raylo entered first, mounted on Baofeng.

Personal Guard Captain Ed, having already heard the news, had rushed to the scene. He stared at the crowd of gawking Giants behind his Lord, his face a mask of shock. But he asked nothing, simply striding forward to greet him.

"My Lord, you have returned."

"Rise, Ed."

Raylo dismounted.

"Go to the kitchens. Have them prepare roasted meat—the more, the better. It needs to be enough for these big fellows to eat their fill."

"Yes, my Lord."

Ed acknowledged and immediately turned to make the arrangements.

Raylo turned his gaze to the Giants crowded at the gate, a mixture of curiosity and fear in their eyes.

"Sun, tell them this is their new home, and tonight, they can eat their fill of meat."

The Golden Dragon’s roar echoed through the castle.

The word "meat" seemed to be a universal language. The Giants’ eyes instantly lit up, and the same simple, good-natured smiles from before spread across their faces.

The Hill Giants strode into Black Stone Town.

The other Giants, seeing this, also poured in.

Soon, a dozen huge bonfires were blazing in the square.

The kitchen staff placed whole, dressed horned deer, wild boars, and even large cuts of meat from a Swamp Giant Lizard on spits over the flames.

Grease dripped into the fire, making a SIZZLING sound. After being sprinkled with salt and various spices, a rich, meaty aroma mixed with the smell of woodsmoke and wafted over the entire square.

The Hill Giants gathered around the bonfires, their eyes fixed on the meat as it turned from red to golden brown. They inhaled an aroma the likes of which they had never smelled before. Drool trickled from the corners of their mouths, dripping onto the ground and leaving small, sticky patches.

When the first batch of roasted meat was served, the Giants erupted in a cheer.

There was no need to fight for it; each of them received a large, fragrant, and sizzling piece of roasted meat.

They tore at the meat clumsily, their mouths glistening with grease. They paid no mind as scalding juices ran down their calloused fingers.

It was a delicacy the likes of which they had never tasted.

The spices bloomed on their tongues, bringing a profound sense of satisfaction and bliss that no words could describe.

"Ed."

Raylo said.

"In the open ground west of the castle, build a set of lean-tos for them. Make sure they’re tall and Solid enough."

"Yes, my Lord."

Ed nodded.

"However, preparing the materials and the construction itself will take time. The earliest it can be done is in a day or two."

"Mm. For the next couple of days, just have them make do in the square."

Raylo glanced at the Giants, who were already starting to burp, their bellies swollen and round.

"Assign men to watch the fires. Don’t let them burn the castle down."

"Understood."

Once they had eaten their fill, drowsiness swept over the simple-minded behemoths.

Too lazy to even move, they made do with their surroundings. Some leaned against statues, others propped themselves up at the base of walls. They lay sprawled haphazardly across the square, and soon, thunderous snores filled the air.

The chorus of snores rose and fell, sounding exceptionally loud in the quiet night.

Raylo shook his head with a resigned sigh and turned back toward his chambers.

’This day has been more exhausting than fighting a pitched battle.’