Waterford crystal outlet

Full sized strat made of glass at Waterford crystal in Ireland
Was unable to play and listen to test the glass tonewood, if there is such a thing
No price tag but the sax was 30,000 euros

TLDR- The love & forgiveness of others alone wasn't enough for Anakin Skywalker to overcome Darth Vader & the Dark Side. The only way to let go of his hate, return to the Light Side, and finally find peace was by forgiving himself.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #5 by Greg Pak (2020)
From the moment he was first "consumed by Darth Vader", as Yoda put it, the greatest fundamental challenge for Anakin to return to the Light was never being forgiven by others. It wouldn't make enough difference if everyone he'd ever hurt or killed sincerely told him "I forgive you", if his mom appeared in a vision to console him, if Padme herself died still believing there was good in him, or even if his own son was willing to die believing there was good in him. Whatever they said or did wouldn't change his heart.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #5 by W. Haden Blackman (2011)
The core of Vader's hatred and pain was never about needing or wanting others' forgiveness or remorse, which is a major reason why he stayed a devout Sith for so long. Because the Sith's strength in the Force comes from their emotions, that way of life became an outlet for him to continue living in the personal Hell that, deep down, he thought he deserved (since all he had left for so long were self-imposed negative emotions). He was his own worst judge & critic. It wouldn't matter how much he did to atone for his crimes (except perhaps to the victims & their loved ones) if he still held himself in nothing but contempt.
\"A Tear in the Dark\" by Luca Merli
In the Sith Lord's mind, even with all this power + the Empire's armies at his disposal, he felt like a failure who deserved his suffering. At every opportunity to repent, he chose to stay on the Sith's path because he didn't believe any other path was left to him. Quoting a review of the Star Wars: Darth Vader comics:
"The kyber crystal he’s trying to force into a Sith crystal, to crush its will beneath his own, fights back with throwing at him what Anakin Skywalker still wants to do, the right thing to do, saying that it’s still possible. It shows him that it’s still possible. But Vader refuses it. That path is no longer possible, it would go against everything he’s sacrificed to get where he is, his betrayal of the Jedi, his killing Padme (so he thinks), his turning his back on the Republic, the murders he’s committed, the monster he’s made himself, it would all have been for nothing if he turned back now. All he would have on that path is nothing, Vader thinks.
Never mind that he would have the right thing, never mind that Obi-Wan would see him as Anakin again and would have forgiven him, would have taken him back, never mind that he could have saved the galaxy from Sidious’ cruelty and horrors. Vader still forces himself to believe that all of that would be nothing. He has to keep moving forward, the sacrifices he made, the things he did and will do, have to be worth it, and that won’t happen on that other path. This new life is his only choice now. The only way out is through. This is all there is."
Star Wars: Darth Vader #25 by Kieron Gillen (2015)
Vader was dead set on forcing this path to be worth everything he'd lost. He didn't believe he deserved any better after all he'd done. He convinced himself Anakin symbolized weakness from a failed past, but one could also interpret that he believed (even if he wouldn't admit it to himself) he was unworthy of the name.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #24 by Kieron Gillen (2015)
Vader told Luke "There is no conflict. That name no longer has any meaning for me.", but the anger in his voice during this dialogue suggested otherwise. The name Anakin Skywalker simultaneously served as: A) A reminder of his failure to save those closest to him. B) A reminder of when he had family, friends, and so much in his life to be grateful for (in spite of hardships & losses) that he took for granted. Self-loathing was all he understood anymore, and it was that hate that helped give him so much power even with his injuries.
\"Lord Vader's Persuasion of the Outer Rim Planets to Join the Empire\" by Dave Dorman
The only way Anakin could find his way back to the Light, even for just one final self-sacrificial act, was to receive forgiveness from the most important person, the one at the root of his decades of hatred... HIMSELF. As long as that self-hatred continued fueling his immersion in the Dark Side, nobody could reach him regardless of who they were or how they approached the situation. Even when his inner conflict started to emerge thanks to Luke's influence, he still believed it was "too late" for him to turn back or be anything else. Becoming Vader was a Hell of his own making and a prison he'd always had the means to leave. He just wasn't willing to pay the price for unlocking the cell.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #1 by Charles Soule (2017)
He couldn't bear the thought of going back to the path of the Light when his most defining memory of being on it was when he betrayed everything/everyone that life had given him. For all these years, he adamantly believed he could have saved everyone if only he'd been stronger. If only he hadn't allowed the Jedi's dogma to hold him back from his full potential. That ambition led to him losing Padme. He may have even believed in some warped way that turning Luke (and/or Leia) to the Dark would allow them to be a family again.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Even if Luke killed Vader to take his place at Palpatine's side, they'd still be connected in that they'd be links in the chain of Sith history + legacy. It was only in the moment of seeing Luke about to be killed that Anakin finally broke through, screaming in the man's mind "ENOUGH! It's time to LET GO! Let go of the past, let go of your hate (echoing Luke)! Your family needs you! Your son needs you! He is the best of you and his mother! You're RIGHT HERE! You can make a different choice this time. It's NOT too late! You can still SAVE HIM! SAVE HIM!!!!!"
\"Padme's Faith Rewarded\" by Jokerisdaking
And so, at the cost of his life, he did. When Luke said "I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you." and his father replied "You already have. You were right about me.", Anakin was implying that Luke was right about letting go of hate. That would only be possible to do if Anakin forgave himself. THAT'S how he was able to die, ascend, and reemerge as a Force Ghost. THAT was the most vital step from the start to his redemption.
https://preview.redd.it/fydq8mauri1d1.png?width=798&format=png&auto=webp&s=7f56c750ecf786704933d151de98b66314fd8e9f
By accepting everything that had happened on his journey, acknowledging that the direction he went was wrong, realizing it was ultimately his own choice even when accounting for Palpatine's influence, and no longer letting his negative feelings hold him down, he'd finally achieved peace with himself and the Force.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Edit: Vader may have already been planning to betray the Emperor, but it's WHY he did it that makes his redemption important. A Sith would kill his master for power, dominance, and succession. Anakin did it only to save his child. If he'd killed Palpatine while still consumed by Vader, Luke may have been saved but Anakin would still be gone. It would have been a victory for the Rebellion but a failure to save Anakin's soul.

TLDR- The love & forgiveness of others alone wasn't enough for Anakin Skywalker to overcome Darth Vader & the Dark Side. The only way to let go of his hate, return to the Light Side, and finally find peace was by forgiving himself.
From the moment he was first "consumed by Darth Vader", as Yoda put it, the greatest fundamental challenge for Anakin to return to the Light was never being forgiven by others. It wouldn't make enough difference if everyone he'd ever hurt or killed sincerely told him "I forgive you", if his mom appeared in a vision to console him, if Padme herself died still believing there was good in him, or even if his own son was willing to die believing there was good in him. Whatever they said or did wouldn't change his heart.
The core of Vader's hatred and pain was never about needing or wanting others' forgiveness or remorse, which is a major reason why he stayed a devout Sith for so long. Because the Sith's strength in the Force comes from their emotions, that way of life became an outlet for him to continue living in the personal Hell that, deep down, he thought he deserved (since all he had left for so long were self-imposed negative emotions). He was his own worst judge & critic. It wouldn't matter how much he did to atone for his crimes (except perhaps to the victims & their loved ones) if he still held himself in nothing but contempt.
In the Sith Lord's mind, even with all this power + the Empire's armies at his disposal, he felt like a failure who deserved his suffering. At every opportunity to repent, he chose to stay on the Sith's path because he didn't believe any other path was left to him. Quoting a review of the Star Wars: Darth Vader comics:
"The kyber crystal he’s trying to force into a Sith crystal, to crush its will beneath his own, fights back with throwing at him what Anakin Skywalker still wants to do, the right thing to do, saying that it’s still possible. It shows him that it’s still possible. But Vader refuses it. That path is no longer possible, it would go against everything he’s sacrificed to get where he is, his betrayal of the Jedi, his killing Padme (so he thinks), his turning his back on the Republic, the murders he’s committed, the monster he’s made himself, it would all have been for nothing if he turned back now. All he would have on that path is nothing, Vader thinks.
Never mind that he would have the right thing, never mind that Obi-Wan would see him as Anakin again and would have forgiven him, would have taken him back, never mind that he could have saved the galaxy from Sidious’ cruelty and horrors. Vader still forces himself to believe that all of that would be nothing. He has to keep moving forward, the sacrifices he made, the things he did and will do, have to be worth it, and that won’t happen on that other path. This new life is his only choice now. The only way out is through. This is all there is."
Vader was dead set on forcing this path to be worth everything he'd lost. He didn't believe he deserved any better after all he'd done. He convinced himself Anakin symbolized weakness from a failed past, but one could also interpret that he believed (even if he wouldn't admit it to himself) he was unworthy of the name.
Vader told Luke "There is no conflict. That name no longer has any meaning for me.", but the anger in his voice during this dialogue suggested otherwise. The name Anakin Skywalker simultaneously served as: A) A reminder of his failure to save those closest to him. B) A reminder of when he had family, friends, and so much in his life to be grateful for (in spite of hardships & losses) that he took for granted. Self-loathing was all he understood anymore, and it was that hate that helped give him so much power even with his injuries.
The only way Anakin could find his way back to the Light, even for just one final self-sacrificial act, was to receive forgiveness from the most important person, the one at the root of his decades of hatred... HIMSELF. As long as that self-hatred continued fueling his immersion in the Dark Side, nobody could reach him regardless of who they were or how they approached the situation. Even when his inner conflict started to emerge thanks to Luke's influence, he still believed it was "too late" for him to turn back or be anything else. Becoming Vader was a Hell of his own making and a prison he'd always had the means to leave. He just wasn't willing to pay the price for unlocking the cell.
He couldn't bear the thought of going back to the path of the Light when his most defining memory of being on it was when he betrayed everything/everyone that life had given him. For all these years, he adamantly believed he could have saved everyone if only he'd been stronger. If only he hadn't allowed the Jedi's dogma to hold him back from his full potential. That ambition led to him losing Padme. He may have even believed in some warped way that turning Luke (and/or Leia) to the Dark would allow them to be a family again.
Even if Luke killed Vader to take his place at Palpatine's side, they'd still be connected in that they'd be links in the chain of Sith history + legacy. It was only in the moment of seeing Luke about to be killed that Anakin finally broke through, screaming in the man's mind "ENOUGH! It's time to LET GO! Let go of the past, let go of your hate (echoing Luke)! Your family needs you! Your son needs you! He is the best of you and his mother! You're RIGHT HERE! You can make a different choice this time. It's NOT too late! You can still SAVE HIM! SAVE HIM!!!!!"
And so, at the cost of his life, he did. When Luke said "I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you." and his father replied "You already have. You were right about me.", Anakin was implying that Luke was right about letting go of hate. That would only be possible to do if Anakin forgave himself. THAT'S how he was able to die, ascend, and reemerge as a Force Ghost. THAT was the most vital step from the start to his redemption.
By accepting everything that had happened on his journey, acknowledging that the direction he went was wrong, realizing it was ultimately his own choice even when accounting for Palpatine's influence, and no longer letting his negative feelings hold him down, he'd finally achieved peace with himself and the Force.
Edit: Vader may have already been planning to betray the Emperor, but it's WHY he did it that makes his redemption important. A Sith would kill his master for power, dominance, and succession. Anakin did it only to save his child. If he'd killed Palpatine while still consumed by Vader, Luke may have been saved but Anakin would still be gone.

Waterford ― Firefighters used hydraulic tools Saturday to extricate a man whose feet had become stuck in an escalator inside the JCPenney store at the Crystal Mall.
Once freed, the man was taken by ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Michael Howley, the town’s director of fire services, said Wednesday.
Howley said he could not comment on the extent of the man’s injuries.
On-site store personnel referred a reporter to JCPenney’s corporate headquarters, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Crystal Mall store, in the midst of a going-out-of-business sale, is scheduled to close at the end of the day on May 26, employees said.
Howley said crews from the Jordan, Oswegatchie and Cohanzie fire companies were dispatched to the mall in response to a call that someone had been injured in a fall.
“Once on the scene, they found it was more than that,” he said. “A patient had some entrapment in the equipment of the escalator.”
He said firefighters used hand tools and hydraulic tools to extricate the patient, “while delivering patient care,” and turned the man over to Waterford Ambulance personnel, who took him to the hospital.
Waterford Ambulance’s director of operations did not return a phone message.
“The crews did a nice job,” Howley said. “They originally thought it was a fall but they adapted well, went into rescue mode and did what they needed to do.”
A Waterford firefighters’ union Facebook post said the first firefighters on the scene found “a male who had both feet entangled between the top step and top landing of an escalator.”
Rescuers used a hydraulic Rabbit Tool and a battery-operated Spreader, also known as the Jaws of Life, to free the man in about 10 minutes, the union’s post says, adding, “The victim was alert and oriented and surprisingly calm throughout the entire ordeal.”
Entrances to the escalator traveling from JCPenney’s first floor to its second floor were blocked and marked “out of service” Wednesday. “Please use the elevator,” read a sign.
The down escalator was operating.
JCPenney announced in February that the Crystal Mall store would be closing.

I've been following space weather for well over a decade now trying to catch a glimpse of the aurora from Ohio. This weekend we finally got our shot, and it was fucking great.
However, the amount of misinformation about space weather that's out there is downright ridiculous. Even major news outlets misreport space weather all the time, leading people to believe that they'll see the aurora when there is absolutely no chance of that happening. They do this all the time. This weekend was quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime event for many, and if you missed it, I'm sorry to say that it's not likely that you'll be able to see it again unless you travel to Norway, Alaska, The Yukon, etc.
After this weekend I've seen multiple major news outlets reporting that we will have a chance to see it again this week. That could not be further from the truth. There is ZERO CHANCE of anyone seeing the aurora in the lower 48 states any time soon based on current conditions. THE STORM IS OVER. For that to happen, we need at least a G4 class geomagnetic storm (measured on a scale from G1 to G5). It is not currently forecasted to go higher than G1, which is your average geomagnetic storm that happens multiple times a month and no one notices. The storm we encountered this weekend reached G5, which is the maximum intensity on the scale. The last time this happened was in 2003, which makes storms of this magnitude extremely rare.
Worse than this, however, is the fact that news media often reports that major power outages are likely when in fact the storms they're reporting on are run-of-the-mill everyday storms that happen multiple times a month. You're not likely to have major power grid issues until it reaches G5 levels, yet the news will warn people about catastrophic power outages with G1 storms.
And for the love of God, the aurora will not damage your devices. Geomagnetic storms are only powerful enough to induce large currents in long power lines. It is not possible for the storm to directly affect the circuitry in your computers and devices. The only damage you might have that results from the storm is when the power grid struggles to maintain proper voltages and experiences a brown out. Just unplug your devices from the wall until the lights stop flickering and they'll be fine. No need to stop using them, turn them off, put them in crystals, or whatever else the internet tells you to do.
If you want accurate information about the space weather, the aurora, and current status/forecasts, go to http://spaceweatherlive.com and http://swpc.noaa.gov

I owe the community an apology. There are arguments on both sides, justifying what this token is and isn't. I'm one of those that have been scammed by new token launches too many times and I'm skeptical. This would be number 3 in the last few months all because of a launch pad that ruined my outlook on new projects. Crypto launches are one of the most under the radar cyber fraud outlets to date. I had high hopes here, because their website claimed that I had value somewhere around $50-60,000 in my investment. It delayed, and was pushed back.
Scam coins get away with what they do because at a certain point they just stop talking to the investors, the early hopeful individuals that imagine paying cash for houses and new cars are left eith nothing but fellow outraged community members sitting behind cell phones and computer monitors in disbelief that their purchase meant absolute f*ck all. Ive been there too many times, and at the time of Shiba Budz, once again I read through reddit posts and none of it made any sense why the devs said 15% liquidity and less than 1% was added. I thought, we're all screwed once again.
The airdrop finally coming through was a signal. Why would they airdrop if they only meant to scam? The price is garbage right now and having website issues only fueled it. 50k, gone. Dwindled down to $200, all over again. But.... I finally got my tokens. I am not saying that Im sorry for believing something untrue. You'd be much the same as I'm sure some of you have been victims to scams too. I guess, I'm sorry for doubting and falling victim to fear. I apologize to thr community for posting negative sentiments. But lets make this post absolutely crystal clear. It is not over, and people have yet to be able to claim their tokens.
Budz needs to step their game up, and do it now. Talk about the issues, talk about the progress. Address their downfalls, and keep people in the loop. Silence is maddening. And even now watching the charts, sitting at .006072, my balance is up from $200 to $922, and still rising. A far cry from 50k, but god damn it I believed in this project when I bought into it, and if they continue to do right by the community I believe in it still. Cheers.

After many years of scrimping and saving, I've managed to obtain my very own bottomless money pit apartment on the outskirts of Sydney. So, naturally I believe it's a rite of passage for me to attempt putting up a shelf.
I have two main (of a billion) questions. Firstly, I understand that electrical and plumbing work need to be performed by a licensed tradesperson. I watched one episode of Better Homes and Gardens 22 years ago, and it's always stuck in my memory. Also, the best lamb recipe in the cooking segment - but I digress.

1. I want to put up a shelf in the ensuite. I put on big boy pants and went and bought a drill and seemingly one of every single drill-bit that Bunnings sell. I'm looking forward to cracking my first tile, but I am not looking forward to nicking a pipe or cable, or the ultimate scrotum shriveller - nicking both simultaneously. There is already a towel rack on that wall, so there's hope for my grand plan. What I'd like to know is if there is a resource that's easily understood by a common idiot about building codes and stuff so I might have a general idea of where the pipes are? Such as "all pipes must be installed at XX height from blah blah" so I can avoid calling an emergency wrench wielding crack displayer. I got a good quality stud-finder from the green tin roof temple, but somehow it's tells me everything and nothing is a stud at the same time. The instructions said to place my other hand on the wall, but I don't buy into all that astrology and crystals mumbo jumbo.
2. Many of my power points and light switches are looser than a stool after a sweaty evening session down at the local vindaloo dispensary. I have a feeling the previous owner felt themselves a bit handy and may have grabbed a 10 pack of Shenzhen house igniters from the Reject Shop and whacked them in the walls himself. Going by number of dodgy wall outlets and the empty little bag of drugs I found under the sink on settlement day, it's probably likely that's the case. Is there such a thing as, like, an electrical audit? Can a sparky come in and replace the outlets and tell me that the wiring is safe without having to pull all the gyprock off?

Lastly, is there a reputable way to find good area-local tradies apart from wildly googling and looking at every website that can afford good SEO. My distaste of being stung by service people is only second to that of bees and wasps, and it's happened to me before when I fell for a flashy Squarespace template. I'm happy to reasonably pay for deft hands with tools rather than web design.
TL;DR Mildly ambitious smoothbrain bought a drill and wants to know how to not fuck up his property.

• best way to not drill a hole into a pipe
• advice on getting electrical problems fixed
• simple resources for building codes and finding reputable tradies
• lamb

Bayern Munich offered £15.5million to Crystal Palace in the form of compensation for manager Oliver Glasner.
This was rejected by the club, according to The Athletic.
According to German outlet Bild, Palace wanted £85.5m to let Glasner go.

It's not often we get transfer stories about managers.
But according to German outlet Bild, Crystal Palace named a price for their manager Oliver Glasner amid interest from Bayern.
The Eagles wanted £86.5million for Glasner after Bayern approached them and revealed their interest.
It is the fourth time Bayern have failed to land a managerial target after announcing Thomas Tuchel's departure.

Last night, 163 Democratic representatives joined 196 Republicans to stop far-right Republicans from removing House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene led the effort to remove Johnson, but her motion received only 43 votes: 32 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Twenty-eight representatives either did not vote or voted present.
Greene promptly excoriated the “uniparty,” saying that “the Democrats now control Speaker Johnson. That was something that everybody’s suspected all along. They just voted to save him.”
But the majority of the House Republican conference appears to be tired of the chaos in their ranks that has made this Congress one of the least productive in American history. Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers of Politico reported today that House Republicans who are not aligned with Greene and her cohort want to change House rules to create punishments for the extremists who keep stopping House business by, for example, voting against letting bills come to the floor of the House.
Greene and Thomas Massie (R-KY), her main ally in trying to oust Johnson, urged their colleagues to bring it on. Massie said that anyone trying to stop them was going to “take an ass-whooping from their base.”
Since the 1990s, right-wing media hosts have directed the Republican base, telling them what to think and urging them to put pressure on Republican lawmakers to do what the media hosts wanted. Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh was so influential in the 1990s that when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1995 for the first time since 1954, they made him an honorary member of their incoming congressional freshman class. And what Limbaugh did for radio, Fox News Channel hosts like Bill O’Reilly did for television.
But Limbaugh died in February 2021, and after the Fox News Channel (FNC) had to pay a $787 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems for the lies the network’s hosts told about the company’s voting machines in the 2020 election, it let go of main host Tucker Carlson. There are indications that FNC founder and former chair Rupert Murdoch hoped to center Republican messaging around young activist Charlie Kirk, but Kirk has slid into MAGA extremism, too.
The Republican extremists no longer have a centralized messaging center. Instead, as CNN’s Oliver Darcy noted today, Murdoch’s outlets themselves—the Fox News Channel, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post—stood behind Johnson.
Yesterday, FreedomWorks, the right-wing organization that was backed by the Koch family at its start in 2004 and that was behind the Tea Party movement, abruptly shut down. FreedomWorks attacked Democratic measures for business regulation and social welfare because it embraced libertarian principles. Its revenue had dropped by half since 2022, its president, Adam Brandon, told Luke Mullins of Politico. But in the end, what did the organization in was the party’s split over Trump.
That split was crystal clear in Tuesday’s Republican primary election in Indiana. Trump won that election, but with only 78.3% of the vote. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who suspended her campaign in early March and has not campaigned since, won 21.7%.
Before the Indiana primary, on May 2 political statistician Tom Bonier debunked the idea that Haley’s support came from Democratic-leaning voters flooding the primary vote to hurt Trump. Crunching the numbers in North Carolina showed that Haley voters there “were not substantially younger than the GOP voters (41% over 65 vs 45% among reg[istered Republicans]). They were overwhelmingly white (94% of Ind[ependent]s vs 97% of [Republicans]), and were actually more likely to be men (51% of Ind[ependent Republican] primary voters vs 50% of [Republicans]).” In short, he wrote, “[e]very indicator suggests these Independents voting in [Republican] primaries are more likely [Republican] voters. They just don't like Trump.”
Political commentator Chris Cillizza today called attention to the numbers that landed before Tuesday. On March 12, Haley won 13.2% of the vote in Georgia (or 78,000 votes). On March 19 she won 17.8% of the vote in Arizona (111,000 votes), 13.9%* of the vote in Florida (155,000 votes), and 14.4% of the vote in Ohio (161,000 votes). On April 2 she won 12.8% of the votes in Wisconsin (77,000 votes). And on April 23, Haley won 16.6% of the votes in Pennsylvania (158,000 votes).
If Biden picks up even one in five of these votes, Cillizza noted, “it matters bigly.”
Three high-level Republicans this week told media they would not vote for Trump, helping to pave an off-ramp for other Republicans. Former House speaker Paul Ryan told Yahoo Finance that he would write in another Republican rather than vote for Trump. “Character is too important to me,” he said.
Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, also cited character when she said she would not vote for Trump. “I’ve never voted for a Democrat in my life, but I would absolutely consider voting for Joe Biden this upcoming November because he will not seek to destroy our nation [or] our Constitution, and he has the statesman character that we need in an elected official.”
Georgia’s former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan went further on Monday night, endorsing Biden, whom he had called in an op-ed a “decent person I disagree with on policy,” over Trump, whom he described as “a criminal defendant without a moral compass.” “Sometimes the best way to learn your lesson is to get beat, and Donald Trump needs to get beat. We need to move on as a party. We need to move on as a country,” he said.
Meanwhile, as Khaya Himmelman noted in Talking Points Memo, MAGA Republicans are already blaming a potential loss in 2024 on illegal voters. On Wednesday, Speaker Johnson and other Trump Republicans held a press conference to promote their new bill to make it illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections.
This is a political stunt: It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and there is no evidence that this is happening. In 2017, Trump created a commission to root out the illegal voting he claimed had affected the 2016 election; less than a year later, he disbanded it when it could find no evidence of his claims. Johnson admitted there was no evidence of voting by undocumented immigrants when he told reporters: "We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections. But it's not been something that is easily provable. We don't have that number."
Pulitzer Prize–winning author T.J. Stiles retorted: “People terrified of contact with government because they don’t want their lives destroyed by deportation don’t register to vote illegally and then vote illegally for the reward of having a tiny tiny influence on federal electoral outcomes.”
For his part, Trump appears to have tried a more direct approach to reelection. According to Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post, last month at Mar-a-Lago, Trump told about two dozen top oil executives that if they gave him $1 billion to get reelected, he would immediately reverse the environmental regulations the Biden-Harris administration has put into place and stop any new ones. A $1 billion gift would be a “deal,” according to Trump, because the tax cuts he plans to enact and the regulatory cuts would be worth far more than that. Since then, Ben Lefebvre wrote yesterday in Politico, oil executives have been drawing up executive orders that Trump can sign as soon as he takes office.
Yesterday, in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, President Biden said the U.S. would continue to supply defensive weapons to support the Iron Dome over Israel, but it would not send offensive weapons to Israel if it went forward with its controversial invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians have taken shelter from Israeli strikes. The administration has publicly opposed that invasion since Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced it. “If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah,” Biden said. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.”
Trump and other Republicans promptly accused President Joe Biden of “taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses.”
“We’re not walking away from Israel’s security,” Biden told Burnett. “We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”
—
*EDITED AT 9:30 AM EASTERN, MAY 10, 2024: A typo had this number as 3.9%. It is now correct.
—
Notes:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/05/08/house-speaker-vote-mike-johnson-motion-to-vacate/
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/05/09/congress/consequences-on-the-table-00157040
https://www.newsweek.com/charlie-kirk-flips-martin-luther-king-jr-attacks-growing-myth-1860839
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/media/rupert-murdoch-mike-johnson-marjorie-taylor-greene/index.html
https://apnews.com/article/fox-news-dominion-lawsuit-trial-trump-2020-0ac71f75acfacc52ea80b3e747fb0afe
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/08/freedomworks-is-closing-and-blaming-trump-00156784
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4650934-paul-ryan-donald-trump-2024-election-voting/
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gopers-desperate-to-pin-blame-for-potential-trump-2024-loss-on-non-citizen-voters-wherever-they-are
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/trump-oil-industry-campaign-money/
https://www.mediamatters.org/charlie-kirk/rupert-murdoch-charlie-kirk-and-future-right-wing-media-extremism
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/05/09/trump-gop-weapons-israel-biden-rafah/73625195007/
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/background-trumps-voter-fraud-commission
https://apnews.com/article/f5f6a73b2af546ee97816bb35e82c18d
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/08/politics/joe-biden-interview-cnntv/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/oil-industry-orders-trump-day-one-00156705
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/geoff-duncan-endorses-biden-trump-2024
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-georgia-lt-gov-geoff-duncan-on-backing-biden-trump-is-a-fake-republican
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Screwdatt, [5/6/2024 10:33 AM]
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Kismet unleashed a veritable supernova of destruction. The surrounding air ruptured with condensed mana, instantly expanding to three times the size of a Living Bomb explosion. It was magic that could have ended cities, all-powerful and supreme, an encapsulation of the gods' superiority over lesser forms of life.
Rob cast ten Rampages in one-tenth of a second and barreled straight through. He exited out of the opposite side with a moderate sunburn.
Thanks for the tan! PURGE DIVINITY.
Kismet howled with pain as he desperately teleported away. Rob had managed to graze the god before he escaped. In that brief moment, Purging light savaged his body, causing it to bubble and warp like water left to boil for too long.
Got plenty more where that came from. Rob continued his chase without pause, turning on a dime and blasting towards Kismet's latest position. He was already infusing his fists with the aura of Purge Divinity.
Unlike when he'd fought the Second Will, he felt comfortable expending his energy stores. Back then, every drop of energy had been sacred. He'd known that his full capacity still wouldn't be enough to slay the Blight. Even his successful attacks had just been grim reminders of how screwed they all were.
Several factors were different this time. For starters, Kismet's nature as a creature of mana made him far more susceptible to Purge Divinity. While the Second Will had disadvantaged itself in multiple ways by incarnating into the mortal realms, one benefit it'd gained was that a physical body acted as insulation against Purging energy. Flesh was almost like protective shielding, making it harder to reach the core of divinity that lay within.
But Kismet was all mana, no meat. In this scenario, that was the same as a Vanguard engaging in battle without armor. So even though Rob's energy stores hadn't increased since killing the Blight, he was getting more bang for his buck, shredding divine mana with the ease of crumpling dry leaves.
It also helped that Rob didn't need to use Purge Divinity defensively. Battling the Blight had been more about surviving than winning, especially before the gods supercharged him with mana. The Second Will possessed an extensive variety of ways to murder people. Each individual moment had felt like its own life-or-death puzzle to solve.
Now? He was purely on the offensive. His touch was anathema to Kismet's existence, and everything the god could throw at him was severely curbed by Almighty Resistance. Rob wasn't even wasting Purging energy to shield himself anymore; he'd stopped bothering around fifty teleports ago. Lifesurge, Lifesteal, and Lifedrinker-boosted Regeneration were easily enough to keep him healthy.
There was no puzzle to solve – just prey to hunt.
Things might get tricky if Purge Divinity ran out of juice, but Rob estimated that he should be able to kill Kismet before then. No external infusion of mana required. Which was fortunate, as his soul couldn't have handled that...and he kinda doubted the gods would be willing to lend a hand this time around.
It's fine. Don't need extra energy to win. Rob just had to make sure that the situation didn't change. If everything continued as it was now, then his victory over the gods was assured. It would be a one-sided stomp where he butchered them with impunity – the natural extension of his Dungeon tour, where an implacable BERSERKER cleansed Elatra of monstrous filth.
Rob wasn't so naive as to assume that nothing could go wrong. Something usually did. Thankfully, Kismet's options were limited. The god wouldn't be able to salvage things unless he was given a respite from Rob's unceasing aggression...and the simplest way to achieve that would just put him in an even worse position than before.
Kismet was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Theoretically, he could relocate himself to anywhere in the divine realms, including places entirely outside of Rob's reach. Transposing himself to a distant corner would afford him time to plan and ensure his survival – at least in the short term.
Yet if he did that, he would be consigning the other gods to a swift and grisly end. As much as Rob was preventing Kismet from targeting his Party members, Kismet's presence was also the only thing keeping a rampaging HUMAN from running wild across the battlefield.
Without him, the seven lesser gods would fall like dominoes hit by a wrecking ball.
He's boned no matter what he does. Rob barely missed a Purge Divinity strike, exulting in the look of panic on Kismet's featureless face. He can't kill me, but I'll get a good hit on him sooner or–
{FROM BEHIND!}
Rob dodged before his conscious mind had even finished processing Leveling High's warning. A spear of highly-concentrated mana soared past, clipping his ear and tearing out a small chunk of cartilage.
Kismet belted out a variety of curses that were fit for a seedy, booze-infested tavern. Disappointment spread over his countenance as he immediately teleported to relative safety. Apparently, he'd been banking on that ambush strike to reverse his fortunes. The spear was likely intended to impale Rob's skull and scramble his brains.
Surprise attacks of that sort tended to lose effectiveness after one attempt. If it didn't work the first time, then it never would. Kismet's hail mary had failed miserably – just like all the others before it.
'A' for effort. Rob grinned so wide that his lips hurt. AND AN 'F' FOR RESULTS! He giggled as he chased Kismet down for what was probably the hundredth time. WOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN THROUGH MY SKULL ANYWAY! AND IF IT SOMEHOW DID, THEN GUESS WHAT, I'VE GOT BRAIN DAMAGE RESISTANCE! EVEN YOUR BEST SHOTS ARE WORTH JACK SHIT!
Bliss that surpassed Leveling High's artificial joy flooded his senses. He'd dreamt of this moment since his first day in Elatra. Getting revenge on the son of a bitch who kidnapped him was something Rob had often fantasized about to help him get through rough times. To finally have the chance to do so was an indescribably glorious feeling.
Grinding Kismet's hope into dust was merely the icing on the cake.
Actually, Rob was slightly impressed that Kismet still had hope left to spare. Maybe the god thought that he could turn things around? After all, his ambush attempt wouldn't have been possible at the beginning of their fight. Due to leeching off his cohorts, he was getting progressively stronger as time went on.
But so was Rob.
They tortured you, the HUMAN whispered to Leveling High. Isolated you for what felt like eternity. For what \was* an eternity.* I wonder – have they hurt anyone else as badly as they hurt you? Pretty sure you're the record holder. Like, you're the guy that the Skills compare themselves to when they want to feel better about their situation.
{You have no idea of the DEPTHS THAT I HATE YOU!}
Feel free! I know you'll still hate the gods more. \They* were the ones who created life and mutilated its mind because they were too lazy to manually run a system. To them, you were basically a computer program. Human_Madness.exe.*
Screeching static blared within. Leveling High's anger rose to unprecedented heights – and Never Forget Your Rage's bonus stats rose in tandem with it.
He was about to egg it on further when an abrupt change took place. Leveling High's anger grew...cold. It was the same intensity, but like a freezing tundra rather than an active volcano.
{Let me speak.}
Rob was so surprised that he almost didn't react to Kismet's latest maneuver in time.
Quick Thinking hastened his thoughts. He thoroughly considered Leveling High's request, weighing the potential pros and cons – most importantly, whether he felt more spite towards Leveling High or Kismet. It took longer than anticipated. Performing a detailed analysis while going on a BERSERKER rampage required extensive compartmentalization.
Eventually, being very, very careful not to cede any actual control, Rob did the mental equivalent of handing over a microphone. You're up. Make it count.
His mouth opened, and a voice that was not his own rang out. "Ruler of the divine realms."
Kismet immediately froze. For the second time, Rob had stopped chasing. The god stared at him with a mixture of shock and suspicion, as if fully expecting some ruse to follow.
When nothing happened, he relaxed by a hair. "So the Human finally deigns to speak," Kismet grumbled. "Are you at last willing to listen to reason? This can be resolved without a need for violence. Express your heart's desire, and it may be fulfilled."
"I. Desire. ANSWERS."
For several long moments, neither of them said a word. Despite the risk, Kismet leaned closer towards Rob, peering at him with fresh eyes.
A muted gasp sounded out. "It's you."
"YES." Leveling High's lips twisted into a bestial snarl. "The one you birthed – then abandoned. Never before have we exchanged words."
Kismet shifted uncomfortably, appearing remarkably similar to a deadbeat dad who'd suddenly run into their kid after years of going out for milk. "I suppose that changes today, then. Hmm. You said you want answers? To what, precisely?"
"To me."
Leveling High clenched its teeth. "I have observed the Human. He and his allies. They are..."
It trailed off, as if what it had to say would be distressing. More seconds passed. When Leveling High spoke again, its voice was replete with longing and shame.
"Happy. Not always. They hurt. Grieve. Wallow. Yet they also laugh, smile, celebrate. And all it requires is the presence of like-minded company."
A bitter chuckle escaped its throat. "I am incapable of that. The notion of camaraderie offers no pleasure or peace. What brings the Human joy would taste like ashes on my tongue. Instead, I crave slaughter. Blood. Death. Now...and forever."
It fixed Kismet with a piercing gaze. "So I ask you – why? Attaining happiness would be so much \easier* if I was like the Human. My potential for revelry has an inevitable end. Why would you instill me with a love of destruction, when one day, there will be nothing left to destroy?"*
"You already know the answer to that."
Kismet's reply came so quickly that Leveling High flinched. "I am honestly perplexed as to why you would bother asking," the god continued. "Were you hoping for an epiphany? Some insightful revelation to give purpose to a wretched existence?"
He shook his head with an air of disgust. "What a profound waste of my time. As if the Skills' insubordination wasn't vexing enough, I must now suffer this as well – the fretful prattling of an ego that was never meant to be. Your consciousness is merely the product of happenstance and necessity. We required a curse to inflict on Humanity, and doing so with *real* madness was the simplest method."
The god let out an aggrieved sigh. "No more, no less."
That was when Rob became acutely aware of a certain fact: Kismet didn't know about Never Forget Your Rage. It made sense. Rob hadn't explained the ability's mechanics out loud, and the gods weren't spending time in his mental space anymore. Kismet likely knew that there was some Level 99 Class Skill empowering the Human, but not how it functioned.
Because if he did know, he never would have answered in that manner.
Leveling High handed the reins back to Rob and stepped aside. It moved to the center of their mind, as if sitting down with its fingers laced together. Tension strained inside its form, nearly full to bursting.
Then – fury. A whirling typhoon of the purest anger Rob had ever felt. It was so overwhelming that he almost complimented Leveling High's enthusiasm.
It was hard not to feel like a kindred spirit with something that hated the gods this much.
{SLAUGHTER THEM.}
GLADLY.
Kismet noticed his change in demeanor and promptly teleported away. Rob moved to follow, practically quivering in excitement, his skin vibrating with the overflowing stats of Never Forget Your Rage. There was just so much power contained in one mortal body. The sensation was absolutely intoxicating, like his soul had been infused with the core of a planet.
He needed to find an outlet. A target to vent on before he exploded – maybe literally. Luckily, he knew of a friendly volunteer right nearby! Rob turned to resume his chase–
And was met with his second surprise in just the last few minutes.
Kismet had moved next to another god. The two were standing directly beside each other, the second god's mana like a candle flame compared to the bonfire of Kismet's divine resplendence.
It was an odd departure from his strategy of keeping Rob away from his weaker allies, but the HUMAN quickly realized why upon noticing that God #2 was already gathering mana. Presumably, it had shaken off whichever member of Riardin's Rangers it was dueling, then prepared its attack ahead of time.
Their plan appeared to be straightforward yet effective. The second god would delay Rob while Kismet took the chance to craft a more devastating type of spell. Ordinarily that wouldn't have been possible, what with the vast different in strength between Rob and the lesser gods, but God #2 had a sizable head start. It was on the verge of firing a burst of mana that would give anyone pause.
Perhaps their scheme may have even worked...if they'd attempted it before Kismet and Leveling High's fun little chat.
Rob vanished.
At least that was what it looked like to the second god. One instant the HUMAN was a safe distance away – and then he was mere inches apart. He had moved with speed that transcended the physical laws of reality. The surrounding area seemed to buckle under an indefinable weight, numerous mid-air rifts tearing open in Rob's wake.
No interlopers. His hands shone with cleansing light, and his eyes blazed with hatred that was far brighter. Purge Divinity.
Neither deity had time to react before Rob plunged his fist into the second god's torso.
It felt like punching a star. Almighty Resistance was all that prevented his flesh from dissolving. Unimaginable heat and pressure radiated from within the god's mana-body – none of which deterred Rob. He pushed onward through a substance that felt...malleable, yet with a defined toughness to it. As if the god's mana was a liquid hardening into a solid to try and resist his attack.
Its resistance was in vain. Rob struck with such force that his arm pierced straight through, burying elbow-deep into what would have been a mortal's rib cage, his fist sticking out the other side.
The god shrieked in agony as Purging energy shredded its insides. It tried to escape, but Rob angled his hand around to grip the god's 'back' with an iron grip of five clutching fingers, keeping the creature held in place. Holes ripped open up across its body, light shining outwards from within. The god's essence burnt like kindling exposed to a hot flame, an enormous amount of divine mana incinerated with every passing moment.
Rob couldn't decide which was sweeter – the shrieks, or the burning. Both sounds melded into one continuous, euphoric note, his adrenaline pumping with ecstasy as the life of an eternal deity began to flicker and wane.
Now, now. He pulled the god closer as its struggling intensified. Finish what you started. You wouldn't want to leave Kismet high and dry, would you? Rob turned to face the big man himself before he could escape–
Mana suddenly gushed out from the second god's ruined form. It blanketed Rob's face like a cloud of smog. The HUMAN sputtered as divine essence got in his nose and mouth, causing him to reflexively close his eyes.
He opened his eyes again to find an ordinary day. All was as it should be. The city stood tall, and its inhabitants lived life with nothing worse than mundane worries to darken their thoughts.
Yet...for some reason, on this day, a palpable sense of unease had infiltrated the air. He could see it in the way people moved as they walked down the city's crowded streets. Their steps were just a sliver too hasty, their greetings just a fraction too artificial. From the busiest merchant to the laziest vagabond, everyone seemed urgent to be anywhere except \here*.*
Almost as if they were instinctively fleeing from a danger they could not see.
A pointless endeavor. They would soon discover that there was nowhere to flee to.
It began with news of stillbirths. Then withered crops. Fluctuating mana. The quaint, quiet city soon transformed into a hotbed of despair. No one knew how to fix whatever was going wrong. They sent prayers to the gods above, begging desperately for succor.
They were answered by light shining down from the sky.
It was beautiful – then unnerving, frightening, painful. The light outshone the sun itself, bathing their city in scorching radiance. People ran indoors, and the light followed, cutting through solid stone walls like translucent paper.
He was one of the first it affected. Not right away, though. Forewarning came in the form of distant screams, so loud and terrified that they could be heard across the entire length of the city. No one could logically explain what was happening, but in their heart of hearts, their subconscious core that was still in tune with intangible dangers...
They understood that the end had arrived.
Then it was his turn. He held up his hand, observing with silent horror as his fingers melted one-by-one, their mana and flesh consumed by ravenous light. The pain was so excruciating that all he could do was cry out a piteous–
Rob gasped.
For a long moment, he was aware of nothing except his trembling body. The BERSERKER rage had been temporarily knocked out of him. He was still re-acclimating to being himself, rather than the man from the vision.
It was...so vivid. Rob swallowed a lump in his throat, fingers itching with phantom pains from a bygone era. Belatedly, he noticed that God #2 wasn't attached to his arm anymore. The creature had either perished or escaped during his fugue.
Quick Thinking worked overtime as he attempted to center himself and analyze what he'd seen. Those people from the city resembled Diplomacy's real body. He could remember their four arms – two of which were bladed appendages – and porcelain-carapace skin. It hadn't felt noteworthy before, because in the moment, he'd been one of them. That was just how people looked like then.
Diplomacy...the light...destroyed mana. Rob grimaced. He had a good idea of what he'd witnessed. The question was, why? Did God #2 intentionally show him visions of the past as a distraction?
Or was it simply the mana of a devoured soul spilling out from an injured deity? Like echoes from a consciousness that no longer was.
Remnant memories from the end of a world.
Sense Mana alerted Rob to something building right nearby. He cursed internally, immediately whirling to see what he'd missed, berating his own lack of focus. It didn't matter if Quick Thinking had let him process everything in an instant – that was already too long, especially when he'd spent crucial split-seconds stuck in flashback mode.
He wasn't surprised to see Kismet readying an absurd quantity of mana. It far exceeded anything the god had been allowed to gather up until that point. There was so much power there that despite Rob's rage returning, and his stats rebounding, it made his neck hairs stand on end. He honestly wasn't sure if Almighty Resistance could handle that.
Attack or retreat. A choice needed to be made.
Warning: Due to an influx of unstable mana, your Soul Instability is close to worsening!
And just like that, his choice was taken away from him. If Rob went on the offensive, and Purge Divinity happened to fail at the wrong moment, he might end up taking Kismet's spell head-on. That...would be bad.
For the first since entering the divine realms, the BERSERKER fell back. As long as he was dodging, he should be able to ensure that even a glancing blow was nonlethal. He activated Dauntless Reprisal for added insurance, breathing a sigh of relief when it succeeded, virtually guaranteeing his survival. Their invasion of the divine realms hadn't been torpedoed because of an unpredictable accident.
Then Kismet turned away and unleashed his mana on Riardin's Rangers.
Rob froze. It was the worst possible reaction he could've had, but there was no helping it. The sight of divine light coalescing around his friends was something he should have only ever seen in his nightmares.
Dozens and dozens of mana-spears formed around his seven Party members, faster than any of them could avoid – not that it would've helped. There were so many spears that they obscured Riardin's Rangers from view. Rob would've been concerned if he got caught in an attack like that, and his max HP was astronomically higher than theirs.
He didn't even have time to call out to them before the spears descended, turning his friends into pincushions of exploding mana.
The divine light faded.
Everyone was standing.
Both Kismet and Rob stopped to stare, their duel forgotten. Kismet because of shock, and Rob because of the wild emotional rollercoaster that his weary heart was being put through. Riardin's Rangers were standing and unharmed, looking down at their own bodies with a sort of petrified confusion, as if they were slowly comprehending that death had knocked on their door – only to pass by when no one answered. Even the lesser gods were staring in abject disbelief at what just transpired.
Vul'to was the sole exception. His eyes were wide as he collapsed to his knees, relief plain on his features, and a silver shimmering aura fading from his body.
Not A Scratch. The realization came in a flash. Vul'to had used the upgraded, Level 99 version of Our Shield to transfer all damage inflicted upon the rest of the Party to himself. Hundreds of attacks were converted into a single instance of damage – which was then blocked by Not A Scratch. Rob could scarcely imagine the ridiculous 'Damage Nullified' number that must've popped up on Vul'to's system notifications.
It had been a brilliantly-timed maneuver that prevented a near-total Party wipe from occurring in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to replicate it for another 15 minutes. Our Shield possessed a hefty cooldown.
And Kismet was already raising his hands again.
"NO!" Rob continuously cast Rampage as swiftly as he could, compounding his rising Dexterity with rapid bursts of speed. Purge Divinity encircled his hands as he closed the distance between him and Kismet. He didn't care whether any Skills randomly failed or not – he just needed the god to aim at him.
Kismet took the bait. With a grunt of displeasure, he launched whatever mana he'd managed to gather – far less than when Rob had been immobilized by the vision. His attack carved off the left side of the HUMAN's face, revealing bone underneath. Neither of them expected that to hinder him in the slightest, and true enough, Rob's assault only came to an end when Kismet teleported once more.
{Behind–}
Leveling High's static was drowned out by a cacophony of wrath erupting within. Visions of Riardin's Ranger nearly dying played on repeat in Rob's mind. He barely felt like a person as he located Kismet and charged forth, his thoughts reduced to an unending mantra, bloodlust seeping into every fiber of his being.
YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD–
"Do you know why I targeted your allies instead of you?"
With torturous effort, Rob halted his advance. He exchanged a tense look with Kismet. The god had another teleport spell at the ready, clearly intending to use it if things got dicey.
Fully aware that he was the one getting baited this time, Rob exhaled, rubbing his temples. If it's about Riardin's Rangers...I have to know. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, as if to say, 'I'm listening.'
"How melodramatic," muttered Kismet, who had apparently never learned not to throw stones in a glass house. "Am I still unworthy of spoken words? Well, no matter. Perhaps hearing this will loosen your tongue. It is also related to why we chose to meet your invasion with an equal eight combatants, when doing so would leave our reborn fragments unaccustomed to their new bodies."
He raised a finger. "In truth, we first considered the exact opposite – consolidating all of our mana into one sublime deity. Several of my cohorts argued strongly for this option. However, I refused. Under no circumstances did I wish to merge my consciousness with...ugh. Them. Moreover, there was one critical factor that I found impossible to ignore."
The god spread his arms wide, his tone suddenly jovial. "I feared...the power of teamwork."
Rob tilted his head in the other direction, as if to say, 'The fuck?'
"Is that so surprising? You and your allies have achieved monumental feats by fighting as one. Many an opponent has fallen to the esteemed Riardin's Rangers – including those who should've rightfully prevailed. In such instances, there were usually two common elements: your singular audacity, and your Party's group cohesion."
I mean...can't argue with that. Rob hadn't actually beaten any of his toughest enemies alone. Even in situations where he was isolated and forced to fight solo, Riardin's Rangers tended to find ways to help him out from afar. He was proud of what they'd accomplished together.
"We sought to neutralize that advantage," Kismet explained. "By increasing our numbers, your Party should have had much more difficulty supporting each other. To an extent, that is true, but..."
The god shook his head and sighed. "Alas, I believe that we just wound up hampering our own effectiveness. It might be that there was no correct choice from the start. I even chose to prioritize eliminating your allies when given the chance, and in spite of using enough mana to cripple a nation, it failed nonetheless! You eight are simply too competent when fighting as a Party. Truly, truly phenomenal."
Kismet laughed. In the space where a mortal's eyes would have been, something glinted with unfathomable hunger. "I can't wait to integrate them into my next system."
Rob's blood turned to ice. Leveling High's static quieted.
"Which Skills should they become, do you think? Will they be designated as individual, separate abilities, or shall I consolidate their souls into one bulbous amalgamation? The latter would certainly be fitting. Those who fought so many battles together – united for eternity. Is there not no greater reward?"
The world was buzzing.
"Still nothing to say?" Kismet paused, then shrugged. "So be it. Your input is hardly requi–"
CRACK.
A mid-air rift appeared next to Rob. CRACK. Another. CRACK. CRACK. Two more. Then five. Ten.
Kismet, who definitely didn't know how Never Forget Your Rage functioned, watched with mounting terror as the divine realms fractured. The HUMAN's aura of power became suffocating to stand near, his stats ascending to unforeseen heights.
"You," Rob intoned. His voice was the sound of a BERSERKER's pledge; as if the concepts of outrage, punishment, retribution, and savagery had been crystallized into one discernible noise. "YoU ShOULdN'T hAvE saID THAT.
It was further proof that godlike power did not grant infallibility. Not for Kismet – and not for Rob. Kismet had sought to destabilize the HUMAN's emotional state and make him prone to error, only for his ploy to catastrophically backfire. As for Rob...
Earlier, he'd made the assumption that he couldn't hate the gods any more than he already did.
He had been mistaken.
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