The Stone Giant that had been struck had a large section of its "skull" shattered. Countless stones, ranging in size from millstones to houses, scattered in all directions like a volcanic eruption. Its massive body staggered backward and crashed into a small hill.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble..." The mountain beneath the expedition's feet, and even the cliff they clung to, began to tremble and shake.
"Hold tight! Don't let go!" Gandalf pressed his staff firmly against the protruding rock, straining to maintain his balance as his body swayed. Everyone staggered and felt dizzy, but they barely managed to keep from falling.
But before they could catch their breath, an even more astonishing sight presented itself. The relatively "intact" section of the path where Kili, Fili, and the others stood suddenly began to move. As if a tremendous force had "broken" it, it separated from the main body, gradually tearing away from the cliff where Thorin and the others were, drifting into the distance.
"Kili!" Thorin's eyes widened in horror, and he reached out to grab him. In the night sky, lightning flashed again, instantly illuminating everything around. The path beneath their feet was not a natural mountain trail at all. It was the lower leg of an even larger Stone Giant lying on the ground, its body almost merging with the mountain. The impact and tremor had startled the giant, and its legs began to move.
"Oh my god..." Ori collapsed onto the moving "stone platform," his face deathly pale. The divided "platform" carrying the stunned Kili and the others slowly drifted away. Meanwhile, the battle between the two giants continued unabated. The giant that had been knocked down struggled to rise, its arms, made of countless boulders, braced against the ground. Its "knee" pressed heavily against the still-moving "platform" where Kili and the others stood.
"Jump!" Fili roared, and it was the most piercing howl he had ever made. Kili, Fili, and the others watched as the giant's knee pressed down toward the ground. Gathering all their strength, they leaped across the narrow gap to the other side, where a relatively wide passage lay.
"BOOM!!!" The Stone Giant's knees struck the "platform" they had just left with tremendous force. In an instant, the earth shook with incredible power, and countless stones shattered under the terrifying pressure. The "platform" that had supported them crumbled like a biscuit beneath the giant's knees, sending clouds of dust and rain into the air.
Thorin watched from the opposite cliff, his heart nearly stopping. Overcome with grief and disbelief, he let out a heart-wrenching cry. "No! No!!! Kili! Fili!!"
Disregarding his own safety, he took two more steps forward and, risking leaning out, tried to see. Then he stared wide-eyed toward the area where the air was filled with smoke and dust, and gravel was tumbling down. Several people, equally shocked and dishevelled, lay huddled together on the edge of another steep precipice. At the last moment, Kili and Fili had been saved and reached safety.
Thorin let out a long, trembling sigh of relief, his back drenched with rain and cold sweat. He exchanged glances with his companions, still in a state of shock, on the opposite cliff. They all saw lingering fear and relief in each other's eyes. He turned around and quickly counted the people around him: Balin, Dwalin, Gloin, Gandalf... Where was Bilbo?
"Where is the hobbit? Where has he gone?!" Thorin's voice suddenly rose. Balin and the others quickly turned around and frantically scanned the narrow, slippery, dimly lit edge of the cliff. Then Dwalin, with his sharp gaze, spotted a pair of hands gripping the edge of the cliff below, knuckles white with strain.
"He's there!" Dwalin shouted, and Balin and Dwalin immediately rushed to the edge. They leaned out and, sure enough, saw Bilbo, his face contorted with terror. The downpour lashed his face, and he was so frightened that he couldn't even call for help; he just clung desperately to the slippery edge of the cliff.
"Bilbo! Grab hold! Don't let go!" Balin shouted, reaching out with Dwalin to grab Bilbo's wrist. However, they were all carrying heavy luggage and weapons, making it difficult for them to use all their strength on the slippery edge. Both men's forehead veins bulged as they strained to hold Bilbo and keep him from slipping.
But they couldn't lift him, and the situation reached a stalemate. Bilbo's body swayed slightly in the wind and rain, and beneath his feet was fathomless darkness. Seeing this, Thorin's gaze sharpened; he quickly unbuckled his backpack and battle axe from his back and threw them to the ground. He spotted a protruding rock below, just large enough to stand on, and without hesitation, he jumped down, landing on it.
He grabbed a crevice in the rock above with one hand to keep from falling, and with the other hand, he grabbed hold of Bilbo's back, where his clothes were already soaked and sticking to his skin.
"Pull!" Thorin shouted to Balin and Dwalin above, while simultaneously pushing Bilbo upward with all his might. With force from below, the pull from above finally worked, and Bilbo was gradually lifted up. Just as most of his body was over the edge, and Balin and Dwalin were preparing for the final heave, a sharp crack sounded from beneath Thorin's feet.
The rock he had been standing on, which had already been bearing his weight and part of Bilbo's, finally gave way and shattered. Thorin's feet slipped, and he plunged downward.
"Thorin!" Gandalf, who had been watching closely, reacted extremely quickly. He suddenly leaned forward, extending his staff as far as possible in the direction of Thorin's fall. Thorin, falling, desperately grabbed the end of Gandalf's staff with both hands and held on tightly.
"Help me, pull!" Gandalf grunted, regaining his balance. Balin and Dwalin had just brought Bilbo to safety. Seeing this, they immediately turned around and, together with Gandalf, tried to pull Thorin up from the edge of the cliff.
Thorin, covered in mud and water, rolled onto the rock, breathing heavily, the fear of the narrow escape still on his face. He looked at Bilbo, who was sitting hunched over, equally shocked and pale. Dwalin, breathing heavily, glanced at Bilbo and said in a low voice: "I thought we'd lost the burglar."
Thorin, breathing heavily, pushed himself up and, casting a cold glance at Bilbo, said harshly: "He was lost the moment he left home. He shouldn't have come. Look at him! Look at us now. He doesn't belong with us. Homeland? Mission? He has no idea what any of this means!"
Bilbo looked up and met Thorin's cold gaze, his breath quickening. He seemed to want to say something; his lips moved several times, but in the end, he made no sound. He slowly lowered his head, raindrops streaming down his curly hair. He was filled with feelings of grievance, shame, fear, and the bitterness of rejection.
Gandalf walked over to Bilbo, his tall frame shielding him from the wind and rain.