I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Xia Lin entered "Stone Hammer and Spirits" at the time agreed upon with Tagan.

This is the tavern where the dwarves of Elwynn Town love to gather, and regulars are more used to calling it "the Dwarf Tavern with Sauce".

Pushing open the door, a wave of sweltering heat, mixed with the aroma of roasted malt, stewed meat, and the rough, pungent smell of dwarf liquor, hits you.

The dwarven tavern was brightly lit, with heavy, sturdy wooden tables and chairs, and worn shields and stag heads hanging on the walls.

Targon, the elf Lya, and the halfling Ezio were already seated at a long table at the back, with oak goblets and several plates piled high with roasted meat in front of them.

"Xia Lin, over here!" Taggan raised his arm to signal, his face slightly flushed, clearly having already had a round of drinks.

Xia Lin squeezed past several dwarves who were loudly arguing and drinking, and sat down in an empty seat at the long table.

Leah sipped her fruit wine gracefully, while Ezio ordered a dark beer.

"You're late, you'll be punished with a drink!" A booming voice rang out from behind the counter.

A dwarf man wearing a greasy leather apron held an oak cup bigger than Xia Lin's head and slammed it down in front of him with a "thud," causing the wine to slosh and spill a few drops.

It was the tavern owner, "Sauce Explosion," though few people remembered his real name.

Xia Lin looked at Tagen with a wry smile.

Targen shrugged: "It's Sauce's rule that newcomers have to drink a 'dwarf welcome ceremony' first."

The dwarf patrons at the surrounding tables began rhythmically banging on their tables and making a ruckus.

Xia Lin took a breath, picked up the ridiculously large oak cup with both hands, closed his eyes, and drank it down.

The dwarf's liquor rolled down his throat like a fuse, then flared up in his stomach, choking him and causing him to cough several times, his vision blurring with stars.

"Haha! Not bad, you didn't collapse immediately!"

Jiangbao slapped Xia Lin hard on the back, almost making him cough up his wine.

Then Jiangbao plopped down next to Tagan, grabbed a piece of grilled rib without any hesitation, and started chewing it, his beard glistening with oil.

Emboldened by the alcohol and the lively atmosphere, Ezio asked curiously, "Boss of Sauce Stir-fry, everyone says that even the king's chef can't steal your secret sauce. Is that true?"

Jiang Bao paused in his chewing motion, his eyes sweeping over the people around the table before finally settling on Tagen's face.

He grabbed Targen's shoulder tightly, causing Targen to stumble.

Sauce Explosion grinned widely, his laughter so loud it shook the cup: "Tagen, you're a captain after all; your mouth is as tight as the Queen's belt!"

"I might as well tell you! Back in the day, I was carrying an axe and digging into burrows with Targen and two other short-lived guys, killing orcs! Later, I got fed up with sleeping in the wet mud, so I decided to retire."

Jiang Bao took a big gulp of strong liquor, wiped his mouth, and said, "The capital to open this shop was borrowed from three old friends back then, so they were considered as shareholders."

That guy Tagan is a quarter of the owners of this tavern!

Otherwise, where do you think he got so many exclusive discounts?

Lia and Ezio both looked at Targon in surprise, clearly hearing this for the first time.

Captain Targen simply shook his head helplessly, picked up his glass, took a sip of wine, and tacitly agreed.

"As for the secret sauce?" The man with the smug mustache twitched smugly.

"That's something I figured out with years of adventurer's experience! Want to know?" He looked around at the group provocatively.

"Drink me under the table first! The dwarfs' secret sauce is only given to brave warriors who can drink!"

Targen kindly advised, "Don't fall for it. Sauce's alcohol tolerance is among the top three of all the dwarves I've ever met. He's just trying to boost spending at the tavern."

"Scared?" Sauce Explosion laughed loudly, his voice like muffled thunder.

"The three of you can come at me together! A battle of attrition! Whoever drinks me out first gets the secret sauce recipe, and everyone's drinks are on the house tonight! If you all pass out..."

He narrowed his eyes to slits. "For the next month, your team will have to pay double for drinks when you come here!"

The surrounding patrons instantly erupted in cheers, slamming their fists on the table, stamping their feet, and shouting so loudly it seemed they could lift the roof off.

This is clearly someone who enjoys watching the drama unfold.

Ezio was the first to jump up: "I'll go! For the free wine and the secret recipe!"

The ending was a foregone conclusion.

After downing three cups of dwarven liquor, the halfling scurried under the table and began muttering to himself as he bargained with the floor.

Next up is the elf Lia.

She made it to her fourth cup, her cheeks flushed, her eyes began to glaze over, and finally, gracefully... she touched the table with her forehead and stopped moving.

It was Xia Lin's turn.

Looking at the row of wooden cups filled with dwarf spirits in front of him, he felt really uncertain.

But the clamor of the dwarves around him, the expectant gazes that were perhaps just for fun, and Sauce Explosion's provocative, half-smiling expression left him in a difficult position.

Perhaps, we could try that?

He picked up the first glass, and the pungent smell of alcohol filled his nostrils.

I forced myself to drink it down, and the familiar burning sensation swept over me again.

But this time, in the instant when discomfort arose, he vaguely felt a slight warmth in his abdomen, as if the fierce power of the alcohol had been buffered and dispersed by some invisible force.

Healthy Gut

One cup after another.

Jiang Bao's face grew increasingly red, and the noise around him seemed to be separated by a layer of water.

But Xia Lin across from him was still drinking, mechanically raising his glass and gulping it down.

The dwarf initially appeared relaxed, even playful, but as more and more empty cups appeared in front of Xia Lin, the surprise in the dwarf's eyes gradually increased.

I misjudged him! This human kid is actually a heavy drinker!

The shouts in the tavern reached their peak as all the patrons gathered around, pounding their chests and stomping their feet as they counted.

"The tenth cup! Breaking the boss's previous record!"

"The twelfth cup! That kid's still standing!"

"Fifteenth cup! The owner of the stir-fried sauce shop is slow!"

Jiang Bao's rugged face was now flushed purple, sweat beaded on his nose, and for the first time, his hand holding the cup trembled noticeably.

He glared at Xia Lin, who was still standing upright opposite him, muttering "Damn it," and tilted his head back to gulp down the sixteenth glass of dwarf liquor in front of him.

The liquid slid down his throat. The dwarf held up the empty cup, seemingly wanting to say something, but his lips moved twice, and his eyes suddenly widened.

Then, under everyone's breathless gaze, his rock-solid body swayed, and with a "thud," his forehead slammed heavily onto the wooden table, followed by thunderous snoring.

"All drinks tonight are on the bill from the owner of Jiangbao!"

After a brief silence, cheers and whistles nearly lifted the rafters of the tavern.

Xia Lin looked around.

Targen gave him a thumbs-up in disbelief, Ezio let out a muffled cheer from under the table, and Leah barely managed to lift her head, repeatedly making sure she wasn't seeing things.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Anvil and Fire" Blacksmith Shop

On the day agreed upon with Xinda, Xia Lin arrived at the blacksmith shop.

But strangely, the rhythmic clanging of metal that could be heard from across the street in the past had disappeared today.

The shop was deserted, with only a few wisps of smoke drifting from the chimney, making it unusually quiet.

"Did the dwarf blacksmith slack off today?"

Xia Lin muttered to himself as he walked into the blacksmith's shop.