I can't prove this theory. The explanation provided within the story is simpler... but I believe this is the darker truth happening behind the scenes, that won't be revealed until book three.

• Threpe prevents Kvothe from getting a patron, a job at an inn, and tips.
• Threpe stirs up conflict between Kvothe and Ambrose.
• Threpe hires men to try to take Kvothe's blood.
• Threpe has Kvothe dosed with plum bob.
• Threpe tries to buy Kvothe's blood from Devi.
• Threpe sends Kvothe to Severen.
• Threpe reports Kvothe to be dead, allowing him to successfully buy the blood.
• TINFOIL: Threpe wants Kvothe's blood because it can open the Lackless box, because he is a descendant of Iax and of Illien, two bloodlines intentionally kept separate by the Amyr to keep the Lackless door locked.

The timeline...
NOTW 56: Patrons, Maids and Metheglin

• Threpe gives Kvothe seven talents to earn his trust and friendship, allowing Kvothe to pay his tuition and the interest on his loan, keeping Kvothe in school through his third term, Fall.
  • He sorted seven talents out of the mess and pushed them into my surprised hand.
• Wil doesn't trust Threpe.
  • Wilem didn’t seem to know what to make of the man, and watched him with serious eyes.
• Threpe travels, has white hair, and dances... like Master Ash.
  • He dug into a pocket and brought out a handful of coins of at least three different currencies.
  • I saw Count Threpe’s white hair near the rail on the second tier
  • He laughed as if I’d played a joke on the world, and danced a quick jig step.
• Threpe knows Savien even when most talented players don't.
  • But six years with the Amyr means he came back to Aloine on the seventh year.
  • “...there will be at least three women who have earned their talents?”... “then one of those women will know Aloine’s part.”

NOTW 60: Fortune

• Threpe feigns ignorance and fear of the university, despite being a local.
  • He leaned back in his seat and gave me an uncomfortable look. “You’re a warlock?”
  • He plays here all the time, has for years.

NOTW 61: Jackass, Jackass

• Threpe prevents Kvothe from getting a patron and blames it on Ambrose.
  • ...I received some troubling news from Count Threpe. Apparently, Ambrose... had spread rumors, made threats, and generally turned the nobility against me.
• Threpe arguably gets Kvothe drunk.
  • Together we proceeded to drink an unwise amount of wine and grouse about Ambrose Jakis...
• Threpe arguably convinces drunk Kvothe to write a song about Ambrose.
  • From there it was a short step for us to begin composing a song about Ambrose....
• Threpe writes the scandalous lyrics about Ambrose.
  • Threpe was an inveterate gossipmonger with a knack for tasteless innuendo, and I have always had a gift for a catchy tune. It took us under an hour to compose our masterwork, which we lovingly titled “Jackass, Jackass.”
• Threpe arguably convinces drunk Kvothe to play the song publicly.
  • It was late when Threpe and I took the stage
• This song leads to Ambrose trying to kill Kvothe.
  • I’d say this particular piece of insolence was the main reason Ambrose eventually tried to kill me.
• Threpe prevents Kvothe from getting a job as a musician.
  • MISDIRECTION: It was Ambrose. I didn’t know how he’d done it, but I knew it was him. Bribes perhaps, or a rumor that any inn employing a certain red-haired musician would be losing the business of a large number of wealthy noble customers.
  • MISDIRECTION: Ambrose had bought the Horse and Four just to spite me out of a job.

NOTW 69: Sweet Talk

• Threpe hires men to get a sample of Kvothe's blood.
  • I think they were really after blood. That’s what my gut tells me.
  • MISDIRECTION: “They weren’t thieves,” I said. “They were hired to kill me.” Devi gave me a skeptical look. I tugged up the corner of my shirt to show my bandage. “I’m serious. I can show you where one of them cut me before I got away.”
  • MISDIRECTION “He had a knife though. You don’t need a knife to give someone a beating.”

TWMF 6: Love

• Threpe prevents Kvothe from getting tips at the Eolian.
  • I saw Count Threpe’s white hair near the rail on the second tier now. He was speaking earnestly to the well-dressed couple, gesturing in my direction.
  • MISDIRECTION: When I first began playing in the Eolian, I’d received a few such gifts... but Ambrose had been persistent in his campaign against me, and it had been months since I had received anything of the sort.

TWMF 7: Admissions

• Threpe purchases the plumbob formula.
  • Some rich tosh came around. Made a stunningly good offer.
• Threpe hires a woman and tells her to use Ambrose's name to make him look guilty.
  • “Are you the one who broke the arm of that brat Ambrose Jakis?”
• Threpe tells Ambrose about the plumbob to make him look guilty
  • “What’s the matter?” Ambrose asked. “Don’t fancy plum?”
• Because Ambrose is known to be unable to resist rubbing things in Kvothe's face.
  • Do you honestly think Ambrose could go this long without rubbing your nose in it? Not even a little?

TWMF pre-26: Trust

• Threpe attempts to buy Kvothe's blood.
  • I actually had someone come here, looking to buy your blood. Fifty-five talents. I turned him away. I denied even knowing you because you and I had a business relationship. I stick to the bargains I make.

TWMF 22-33: Slipping

• Threpe might be able to perform malfeasance, with the right artificiery.
  • Like a little metal disk with a hole in it. Then, if you put a drop of someone’s blood in it, you could use it to burn them alive.... Once I made that device, anyone could use it. Again and again.
• Threpe is the last person Kvothe speaks to before experiencing definite malfeasance attacks.
  • Threpe seemed to think for a moment, tapping his fingers on the bar. “Tell your friend to be careful and keep her wits about her"...... I was halfway back to the University, with Stonebridge just beginning to loom in the distance, when I began to feel an unpleasant prickling heat run up my arm. But instead of fading, the heat continued to spread up my arm and along the left side of my chest. I began to sweat, as if from a sudden fever.
• Ambrose wouldn't risk it.
  • Wil shook his head. “We’ve already gone through this. Ambrose would never risk it. He—”
  • “It would be reckless of him,” I admitted at last. “And he isn’t the sort to get his hands dirty.”
• Kvothe has no reason to think it, but accuses Ambrose anyway.
  • I knew it had to be Ambrose. I could feel it deep in my gut. In a strange way I almost wanted it to be him. It would make things so much simpler.
• WIl and Sim say it can't be a coincidence... but someone could be framing Ambrose.
  • Wil and Sim agreed that it couldn’t be coincidence. It had to be Ambrose.
• Uninvited, Devi joins the team and takes the role responsible for lighting the mommet on fire, potentially hiding the absence of a mommet.
  • She wanted to help.” “I want a piece of Ambrose,” Devi said.
• Devi's participation possibly ensures Kvothe will have to go inside Ambrose's room
  • Since there had been no result, it meant Ambrose had undoubtedly used my blood to make a clay mommet of me. A simple fire wasn’t going to destroy it.
• Devi does light something on fire inside Ambrose's dresser, but it's something hard, not clay. What could this be?
  • I could hear something hard in the bottom of the drawer rattling against the wood.
• Devi would know enough about Ambrose to know about some of the items in his room.
  • And yes, we have a past. And no, it’s none of your business.

TWMF 50: Chasing the Wind

• Threpe sends Kvothe to the Maer and into danger, and ultimately into the fae and to the Cthaeh.
  • I thought I was going to have to pry you out of your precious University like a penny from a dead shim’s fist! This is a wonderful opportunity, you realize. Once in a lifetime, really.
• Kvothe sees a suspicious pinch-faced man.
  • Our conversation paused as someone came onto the bridge. It was a man with dark hair and a pinched face. He watched us from the corner of his eye without turning his head

TWMF 51: All Wise Men Fear

• Threpe refuses to let Kvothe board despite warnings from the ship.
  • You’d do well to be aboard by then.” He wandered off without waiting for a reply. “Address him as your grace,” Threpe continued as if we hadn’t been interrupted.
• Threpe even grabs Kvothe to stop him from boarding too soon.
  • I snapped the clasps closed, refastening the lid, then stood and gathered up my belongings, ready to board the ship. Threpe gripped my shoulder suddenly.
• Threpe stalls by 'helping' Kvothe, but only gives a handful of folklore advice quotes.
  • ‘It’s like what Teccam wrote, ‘The cost of a loaf is a simple thing, and so a loaf is often sought . . .’
  • And remember: speak least if you would be most often heard.
  • As they say: know a lady by her manner, a man by his cloth.
  • And remember, small thaws make great floods, so be twice wary of a slowly changing season.
  • Remember: There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.
• Threpe finally allows Kvothe to board after the suspicious pinch-faced man boards with a package.
  • I saw someone running down the dock toward us. It was the pinch-faced man who had passed Elodin and me on Stonebridge earlier. He carried a cloth-wrapped package close under one arm.
• The package may have something to do with the bad luck following
  • In brief, there was a storm, piracy, treachery, and shipwreck, although not in that order
• Threpe may be working with or against Ambrose.
  • I was sure he’d done it,” Devi continued. “His father’s barony is called the Pirate Isles.
  • I was half convinced he’d somehow arranged to sink your ship.
• Threpe is never shown returning affection to Kvothe.
  • I gave him a broad smile and gripped his arm. “Thank you, Denn,” I said earnestly. “For everything. I appreciate all of this more than you know.” Threpe waved the comment aside.
  • I gave Threpe a quick embrace and tried to get away before he could give me any more advice.
  • I gave Threpe a reassuring smile and followed close on his heels.

TWMF 142: Home

• Threpe spreads rumors that Kvothe was dead despite being pen pals with the Maer.
  • We’ve been corresponding for some years, exchanging news from our different corners of the world, doing each other a favor or two.
  • It seems Threpe had been keeping closer tabs on my travels than I’d thought. Consequently, when my ship had gone missing, he’d assumed the worst.
  • “The ship was reported as all hands lost,” Sim said. “Word spread around the Eolian and guess who heard the news"... "Ambrose"

TWMF 143: Bloodless

• Devi won't let Kvothe come inside, because Threpe is there.
  • I waited, but she didn’t step out of the doorway.
  • Devi continued to stand in the doorway, pale and staring.
• Devi believed that Kvothe was dead.
  • “You’re a . . .” She trailed off, still staring at me. Her voice was flat and emotionless. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
• Devi returns everything to Kvothe except for his vial of blood.
  • One by one she brought out my copy of Rhetoric and Logic, my talent pipes, my sympathy lamp, and Denna’s ring.
• Devi leaves her door unlocked so that Threpe may leave
  • Afterward we strolled back to her rooms behind the butcher shop, where Devi discovered she’d forgotten to lock her door.

RELATED THEORIES:
THEORY: Amyr keep two bloodlines separate, Lackless and Ruh, because they are needed to open the Lackless Box. Oh, and the entire plot of the Creation War. : KingkillerChronicle (reddit.com)
Devi Sold Kvothe's Blood! Oops : KingkillerChronicle (reddit.com)

TW: possible emotional abuse, mentions of unaliving
Hello all, it’s 3 in the morning here and I can’t sleep because i’m questioning everything and it’s not the first time im questioning so I’ve decided to get your advice. I (24F) have been with my boyfriend (21M) for a little over a year now. When we met, he was so sweet and we barely had any problems. About 3 months into our relationship, he wanted me to move in with him because my lease was about to end and my only other living option was with someone I wasn’t entirely comfortable with, so I decided to take him up on his offer and that’s when the problems started. Im going to list each problem in sections so the post doesn’t get too wordy and scrambled, plus it’s 3 in the morning and im tired and it’d just be easier lol. Also these will be listed in chronological order to the best of my abilities:

1. The first big argument I remember us having is when he got drunk one night and he’s always been insecure about his weight and so I brought up ways to possibly help him fix it and he went off on me saying that i’m calling him fat. He then stormed out to the porch and I followed him trying to explain myself. He just kept getting in my face and telling me to shut the f*ck up, and I felt disrespected so I slapped him. He was shocked and stormed off and I followed him because I was about to give him a piece of my mind. We argued more and he brought up things that he knows would hurt me, my father and I have had a fairly tumultuous relationship in the past and Im still not 100% comfortable about it, and also I had just recently had a pretty bad falling out with my best friend because she was convinced I was trying to flirt with her husband when I wasn’t. He used both of those against me, even calling my best friend’s husband my boy toy, even though when he was sober he was on my side about the whole fall out and KNEW I wasn’t flirting with her husband. After that he’d also grabbed my throat and ever so slightly gripped it while getting in my face. I’d never felt so disrespected and I stormed out to the living room. I spent hours on the couch crying before he came out because he said he didn’t want me to be upset so we talked. He realized he was wrong and he apologized and even admitted I was right to slap him.
   
2. The next incident happened when me, my roommate and him were hanging out, and he wanted to show me the movie Cocaine Bear. I’ll admit I was a bit of a jerk here and should’ve communicated. I was not enjoying the movie in the slightest so I got on my phone (again I realize I should’ve just communicated that I wasn’t enjoying the movie, I just didn’t want to hurt his feelings). We got in a big fight over it and it escalated to me crying while he walked off and ignored me and hung out with our roommate as if nothing was wrong. I was hurt he was just ignoring me so I called him into the bedroom to talk and we resolved that issue. I know he wasn’t drunk here so that doesn’t relate much to the title question but it’s still an issue we had that i’n concerned about.
   
3. This one isn’t a one time issue but he has been cheated on many times in the past and has trust issues in that regard, so there’s been many times of him accusing me of cheating either out of the blue or during arguments. I at first thought this was deflection because he was cheating but I checked his phone and there was nothing there.
   
4. Im gonna be honest, with this next issue I don’t even remember how it started, but I do remember he was drunk and I remember I was crying from whatever we were arguing about and he got so angry that he grabbed a knife and ran to the bathroom and held it to his wrist. I obviously chased after him cause I was worried. For context, he’s in the Navy as a nuclear engineer which is a very high stress job and I asked him if he was gonna unalive himself because of his job or because of me. He looked at me and said both. I was devastated that I was part of his turmoil and he straight up admitted that, so I left and broke down and avoided him for the rest of the night. He came to me in the morning EXTREMELY apologetic for what he’d done and we talked and resolved things but to be honest I’m not 100% over it, it still really hurts.
   
5. The next issue is one of the biggest and most important I feel like, besides the issue I just mentioned above. There was one night he was drunk and we were winding down for bed watching some memes on his phone. I wanted a couple kisses so I asked him for a couple kisses but he ignored me and kept looking at his phone. I asked again and he did the same thing, but he acknowledged me asking by giving me a glance then looking back at his phone. I wasn’t happy so I addressed this with him, and he got angry saying he was just joking. I said I didn’t realize he was joking and things just escalated from there. What should’ve been a simple miscommunication that would’ve been easy to solve turned into something so, so ugly. Things were getting heated so I went to leave the room but he blocked the door. We kept arguing and I asked him why he was getting so angry and he looked at me and goes “This is what getting angry really looks like” and punches and smashes my TV. I was dumbstruck and REALLY angry then. Things kept getting worse and out of nowhere he calls me a btch. I said how dare he call me a btch and he doubled down saying he wouldn’t of called me one if I wasn’t acting like one. At that point I was just defeated but I didn’t want to leave because I was worried he would do something to harm himself. So I slept away from him and he seemed to sober up and realize how bad he messed up. He again was extremely apologetic but I avoided him for most of the day. We talked and he seemed genuinely remorseful for what he had done, so I told him he’d better spend all the time in the world making this up to me. He was ecstatic I was giving him another chance and we made up but this is still one of the issues that lingers in my mind and still makes me occasionally cry out of nowhere.
   
6. Another issue that isn’t a one-time problem is that he doesn’t really take my emotions seriously on my period. He says that my emotions are heightened and therefore aren’t real when im on my period. I just feel like he’s invalidating my emotions and this is the only issue he hasn’t apologized to me for but I feel like that isn’t as bad as the other issues i’ve mentioned but still one i’m concerned about.
   
7. This is the last and most recent issue. He had been on deployment since March but in the beginning of May his boat broke down so he came home for a couple days before he had to ship back out after the boat maintenance was done. We had been hanging with some of his buddies at their house and, par for the course, he had been drinking. As we were about to leave, he realized he had lost his phone and started panicking. I pulled my phone out and started scrolling for his number to call his phone in an effort to find it. In his panic, he snatched my phone out of my hands so he could call his phone. I felt so disrespected and I brought that up but I guess he didn’t hear me because he was so panicked. He ended up finding his phone and on our way home he could tell something was wrong so I brought the issue up again. He was dumbfounded and his excuse was “I was in a panic and you weren’t finding my number fast enough so I took your phone so I could do it myself”. I was fed up and tired so the rest of the car ride home was silent. When we got home we tried to talk it out but he wasn’t listening to me when I told him I felt disrespected because he didn’t understand why I felt disrespected, I kept trying to explain to him why but he just didn’t get it. I ended up having a full mental breakdown where I told him I’m not convinced he loves me or respects me after everything that’s happened and I’m tired of my feelings being invalidated by him. He got so angry he took my phone and slammed it on the bed so hard that it actually bounced off the bed and hit the wall leaving a dent, and shattering the back of my phone (WITH A CASE ON IT) in the process. I was dumbstruck and so angry that we didn’t even calm down or resolve anything that night, I went to sleep in the guest room. He came to me in the morning to apologize and he also told me he didn’t mean to throw my phone that hard and even he was surprised how hard he threw it. After the talk we made up but every time I look at the dent in the wall I get upset.
   

So yeah, that’s about everything I guess, and sorry it’s such a long post. I know many of you in the comments are going to be wondering why in the world i’m still with him, and it’s because 1. When he’s sober, he’s so nice and caring and goofy and he’s everything I could ever ask for, and 2. He seems genuinely apologetic after every incident we’ve had, he also tells his best friend (who is like a brother to him) about most of the fights he’s had to get his advice, I feel like someone who is abusive wouldn’t tell someone else about the issues going on in their relationship. He’s also back on deployment and he’s told me he’s had a lot of time to think about what’s happened between us and in his words “genuinely regrets what he’s done and promises to be a better man when he gets back”. Also every contact i’ve gotten from him while he’s been deployed has been full of sweet sentiments, telling me how much he loves me and how I mean the world to him and that im perfect and the only one for him, the list could go on. I also don’t 100% believe he’s an abuser because he hasn’t isolated me from my family, doesn’t get jealous around my guy friends, apparently speaks my praises to his loved ones (according to his loved ones), and, again, when he’s sober he’s just the best. I love him so much and I feel like my best course of action is to just avoid him when he’s drunk but I need insight. Like I said, he’s in the Navy which is a high stress job and I know many sailors’ main way of coping with it is drinking, so I don’t want to take that away from him but he’s done some terrible things while drunk. So, Reddit, please tell me: is my boyfriend a mean drunk or am I delulu and in an abusive relationship without quite realizing it?

LB280 Equality Act (Amendment) (Extension of Protections) Bill

A
B I L L
T O
Amend the Equality Act 2010 to replace the protected characteristic of marriage and civil partnership with a new protected characteristic of relationship status; to extend excluded discrimination protections to relationship status; to remove certain exceptions to discrimination law; and for connected purposes.
Bᴇ ɪᴛ ᴇɴᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1. Extension of marriage and civil partnership protection to relationship status

(1) The Equality Act 2010 is amended as follows.
(2) For each existing instance of "marriage and civil partnership" substitute "relationship status".
(3) For section 8 substitute—

8. Relationship status

(1) Relationship status includes—

(a) being single;
(b) being in a relationship but not being married or in a civil partnership;
(c) being married;
(d) being in a civil partnership;
(e) being engaged;
(f) proposing to enter into a civil partnership;
(g) formerly being in a marriage that was annulled;
(h) being divorced;
(i) formerly being in a civil partnership that was annulled;
(j) formerly being in a civil partnership that was dissolved;
(k) being legally separated;
(l) being widowed; and
(m) formerly being in a civil partnership that was ended by the death of one of the civil partners.

(2) Relationship status also includes—

(a) the length of time a person has held a particular relationship status; and
(b) whether a relationship is with one other person or with multiple people.

(3) In relation to the protected characteristic of relationship status—

(a) a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a reference to a person with a particular relationship status;
(b) a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic is a reference to persons who have the same relationship status.

(4) A person may have multiple relationship statuses at the same time, and the reference in subsection (3) to having the same relationship status—

(a) is to sharing a particular relationship status; and
(b) does not require the persons to share all relationship statuses.

(4) Omit section 13(4).
(5) Omit Schedule 9 paragraph 1(3)(b).
(6) For Schedule 9 paragraph 2(4)(c) substitute—

a requirement to have or to not have a particular relationship status;

(7) In any Act—

(a) a reference to marriage and civil partnership discrimination in respect of the Equality Act 2010 is to be read as a reference to relationship status discrimination; and
(b) references to being married or in a civil partnership in respect of the Equality Act 2010 are to be read as references to having a particular relationship status.

2. Extension of protections

Schedule 1 contains further amendments to and repeals of the Equality Act 2010.

3. Extent, commencement and short title

(1) This Act extends to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
(2) This Act comes into force in England on the day on which this Act is passed.
(3) This Act comes into force in Wales on the day on which the Senedd passes a motion in the form of—

"That the Senedd agrees that the Equality Act (Amendment) (Extension of Protections) Act 2024 should come into force in Wales."

(4) This Act comes into force in Scotland on the day on which the Scottish Parliament passes a motion in the form of—

"That the Scottish Parliament agrees that the Equality Act (Amendment) (Extension of Protections) Act 2024 should come into force in Scotland."

(5) This Act comes into force in Northern Ireland on the day on which the Northern Ireland Assembly passes a motion in the form of—

"That the Northern Ireland Assembly agrees that the Equality Act (Amendment) (Extension of Protections) Act 2024 should come into force in Northern Ireland."

(6) This Act may be cited as the Equality Act (Amendment) (Extension of Protections) Act 2024.

Schedule 1: Amendments to and repeals of the Equality Act 2010

1. The Equality Act 2010 is amended as follows.

Dual characteristics

2. In section 14(1) omit "relevant".
3. Omit section 14(2).

Harassment

4. In section 26(1) omit "relevant".
5. Omit section 26(5).

Services and public functions

6. Omit section 28(1).
7. Omit section 28(8).

Premises

8. Omit section 32(1).
9. Omit section 33(6).
10. Omit section 34(4).
11. Omit section 35(4).

Discussions about pay

12. In section 77(1) omit "in so far as P makes or seeks to make a relevant pay disclosure".
13. In section 77(2) omit "in so far as P seeks a relevant pay disclosure from the colleague".
14. Omit section 77(3).
15. In section 77(4) omit every instance of "relevant".

Education

16. Omit section 84(b).
17. Omit section 85(10).
18. Omit section 90.
19. Omit section 95.

Associations

20. Omit section 100.
21. Omit section 103(2).

Advancement of equality

22. In section 149 omit every instance of "relevant".
23. Omit section 149(7).

Further and higher education

24. Omit Schedule 12 paragraph 6.
Referenced legislation

• Equality Act 2010

This Bill was written by the Right Honourable Duke of the Fenlands OM GCMG KCT CB MVO, on behalf of the Labour and Co-operative Party.
Opening Speech
My Lords,
The Equality Act 2010 when originally passed protected those who were married or in a civil partnership from discrimination. This was the predominant form of discrimination at the time, so although I do not agree with that limitation, I understand the reasoning at the time.
But times have moved on. Yes, marriage and civil partnership discrimination still happens. But discrimination based on other types of relationship status also happens. Whether or not someone is in a relationship, and the kind of relationship they are in, is not relevant to how well they can work. This no longer reflects our modern world.
Sam Middlemiss wrote for the Law Society of Scotland that there has been a lack of research into the issue, but that the issue should be treated seriously as a result. They give examples of how a single worker might be discriminated against, including being overloaded with work that isn't placed on a colleague who is married or in a civil partnership.
This Bill also extends the protections afforded to relationship status, previously marriage and civil partnership, in Schedule 1, scrapping arbitrary exclusions. For example, it will make it illegal to discriminate against someone who has a particular relationship status in education settings.
In drafting those latter provisions, I discovered further arbitrary exclusions. For example, it is currently lawful under section 85(10) of the Equality Act for the management board of a school to harass a pupil based on their religion, belief, being transgender, or their sexual orientation. It feels like part of section 28's legacy. I hope noble Lords agree with me that this is an unacceptable state of affairs.
Schedule 1 removes these arbitrary exceptions and exclusions, ensuring that there is nowhere to hide for discriminatory employers, schools and services.
My Lords, I hope when the question is put, noble Lords support these modernising changes to our statute book.
Lords may debate and submit amendments until the 1st of June at 10pm BST.

I'm a little worried for my mental health and don't really know where to turn.
I've always been pretty anxious/paranoid, but mostly "normal" so it never really seemed that way. I do pretty well at hiding it when I'm feeling that way, but I think it's starting to get worse.
When I was younger I used to keep a screwdriver under my bed because I had this deep fear of a home invasion happening, even though I had never experienced anything remotely hostile like that, and the thought of having a weapon made me feel more protected. Every once in a while growing up I would just get flashes of general unease and worry. I'd walk around nervous in a crowd thinking my body was aware of something I wasn't and that I needed to be alert. But lately it's been pretty bad. We have a pet gate on our stairs so our dog can't get to the cat's litter box, and I woke up because I heard the gate click. My girlfriend and I were asleep, but my eyes burst awake at the sound. I started to panic inside but just looked at the door. It was just my cat going through the little cat door on the gate. But even worse, we went to a book store the other day, and I noticed a book title that caught my eye. On the way back out I could've sworn the title was different the second time. I began to worry that I was asleep or everything was fake. I pinched my arm to make sure I was awake and tried to hide it while I did it so the other shoppers didn't think I was crazy. But I keep thinking about it. About the immediate panic feeling I had inside when I probably just misread the title or looked at the sequel or something. I can tell I'm being irrational, but in the moment the panic just hits so quick. I think that's how I hide it so well, is I know I must be fine and there's an explanation for things. But the fact that I was worried enough to try to pinch myself awake scares me.
I really don't know what to call it or what to do about it, but I'm just worried that whatever it is is progressing and maybe one day I'll be crazy or something.

Cover Art!
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain.
Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped.
Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing.
If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself.
[The Beginning] [<=Chapter 217] [Chapter Index and Blurb] [Chapter 219 June 11 or see the next chapter now on Patreon]
The Fractured Song Index
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***
Ginger makes an offer to Lakadara. The rest of Telkandra's remaining brood discuss the fate of their allies.
“Not good?” Sara asked as Helias strode into the tent and made his way straight to the bottle of wine.
“Not good,” Helias muttered.
Sara nodded woodenly. “Privacy spell?
The tauroll waved his sheathed Fangroar and after pouring himself and his wife a drink, sat down. “We’re safe. Oh Galena, this is really not good.”
“How dead are we?” Sara asked, her tone light.
“We’re not dead. We’re just in a lot of danger and even if we somehow force the humans to retreat, we’ve lost this war,” said Helias.
“Explain.”
Helias drank deep, noting that Sara was also drinking deep as well. “Thorgoth is going after the humans. That part of the plan is as good as it gets. We’ll be attacking them, and using the dragons, whilst our forces hold off Titania. Our objectives are also well-chosen.” Helias buried his head into his hands and let out a deep groan. “But winning this doesn’t change anything.”
“If we can defeat the humans, why won’t that change anything?” Sara bit her lip. “Unless it renders us unable to beat Titania?”
“Yes. Even on the chance we beat the humans we won’t be able to invade them, we won’t be able to defeat Titania. We’d be at a stalemate and both armies would have to withdraw.” His hands dropping to the table, Helias stared at his wife. “And we don’t have any reserves left. We’re going to lose the war, even if Thorgoth lives.”
“If we defeat the humans—”
The general shook his head. “By defeat, I mean we’ll hurt them but we can’t prevent them from withdrawing. We might kill a few of their leaders, their important mages and Otherworlders, but they will still have soldiers. After coming so close, they won’t surrender. They’ll keep attacking until they kill enough of Thorgoth and Berengaria’s supporters that nobody will help them, or until both of them die.”
“Alright so, what do we do?” Sara asked. Helias looked at his wife, noting how still she sat. Her wings were clamped tight to her back and her lips were drawn tight.
“Sara, I don’t have good answers.”
Sara steepled her trembling fingers as best she could. “They’re going to be better than mine. I don’t know anything about war.”
“Right. Well, you need to surrender to the humans if you are captured. Present yourself as a non-combatant. Cry, scream, anything to declare that you don’t mean any harm,” Helias said.
“Why not Titania?” Sara asked.
“She has every incentive to kill you off and far less compunction about doing so. Killing our family off would allow her to have more land to give away to her loyalists. In contrast, the humans have Erlenberg troops fighting with them along with those of the Lightning Battalion. They’re going to be far more friendly to Alavari civilians,” Helias said.
Soft hands, grabbed onto Helias’s waist with a surprisingly firm grip. “What about you? I can get away, but how are you going to survive this?”
“I don’t know. I—”
“Don’t you dare! Our daughter needs her father and I need my husband!”
The general stared at his wife. “Sara, I can’t surrender to the humans if we win. They want me dead.”
Sara refilled Helias’s glass. “Then you need to help Thorgoth defeat them.”
“Then what? We’re never winning this war. Thorgoth is going to be invaded and—”
Cutting him off with the clink of her goblet against the table, Sara hissed, “And what? Why think that far? We can plan for that after this battle, so long as you are still here and with me.”
Letting out a breath Helias pushed his hair back and allowed himself a sigh. Reaching across the table, he took his wife’s hand.
“Sara, you’re right, but you know you can escape this if Thorgoth is defeated.”
The harorc placed her other hand on top of his. “We’re partners. I need you. We need you. So promise me that you’ll do your damndest to live.”
Helias closed his eyes and nodded. “I promise. First things first, before we turn in we need to talk to the dragons.”
***
Fennokra stalked slowly toward the camp. This wasn’t the collapsed side-passage where she and Yolandra had some privacy. This was the main camp where Thorgoth and their army were preparing for what had to be the final battle.
It was also where her siblings were swallowing the last of what seemed to be a side of salted pork.
“Velkandra, Makentra, we need to talk.”
Their second-eldest sister licked her lips, her neck rising to Fennokra’s level. “I am assuming you mean in private?”
“Of course.” Fennokra could see Velkandra’s haunches tensing to raise herself higher. Her sister was trying to look down on her. Allowing her head to dip, she held her height.
“Alright.” Velkandra flicked her tail and Makentra, licking his lips, followed them.
Since their enemies had set up their siege camp behind them, the Alavari camp had been reduced in size. Still, there was the alcove of the collapsed tunnel. Whilst couriers and soldiers crossed across this natural cavern to the defenses on the other side, they kept a good distance away.
Yolandra was waiting for them, scratching something into the cave wall. Fennokra let out a rumble in her throat and her sister turned from the wall suddenly, shaking her head.
“Velkandra, Mankentra—”
Velkandra puffed a cloud of smoke out. “What’s this all about?” she hissed, lips drawn back to show teeth.
Fennokra took a step away from her sister to take Yolandra’s side, her eyes narrowed. “Are you joking? Do you not think we should at least discuss what is going on?”
“And what would be the point? It is a bit late to be having this discussion. The course of the winds have been chosen,” said Velkandra.
Yolandra rose to her full height on her four legs, but even so she was still shorter than the silent Makendra. “The winds can be fickle, Velkandra, and where we are is proof.”
Velkandra pursed her lips, eyes for the first time, looking toward the ground. “The survival of our family is tied to that of Thorgoth. To abandon him would be death by the hand of the Stormcaller and her allies or by his hand.”
“Besides, if we were to abandon Thorgoth’s cause, that would be dishonorable. We promised to assist him,” said Makendra.
Fennokra blinked at her brother’s tone. It was quiet and yet there was a touch of a deep growl to his voice. His claws were ever so slightly digging into the ground.
“We are dragons. We can think and make decisions for ourselves. We are allowed to consider other options, are we not?” Fennokra asked.
Velkandra’s tail flicked violently side to side as her neck turned to her younger sibling. “Then why does it sound as if you wish to follow in the wingbeats of our elder sister?”
“Who we killed. I was there. I lost a claw striking her down!” Fennokra raised one clawed hand, flexing the remaining digits.
“On that, why did we have to kill Lakadara?”
All golden eyes fixed on Yolandra, who held the gaze of her siblings with a contemptuous scowl.
“Lakadara betrayed us,” said Velkandra, almost growling.
“I’ve been thinking over what happened. Lakadara said nothing about betraying our mother. She merely was questioning if Thorgoth was trustworthy,” Yolandra said.
A scowl flaring his nostrils, Makentra growled. “He fed us, trained us in how the humans and their allies fought. Hid us from their eyes—”
“And now Caldra is dead!” Yolandra exclaimed.
“Which is why we must kill the Stormcaller and her friends! So we can avenge him and our mother!” Velkandra almost completely unfurled her wings. Only the tips slapping the stone forced her to pull them back.
“Then what?” Yolandra asked.
Velkandra frowned. “Then what? We’d have our revenge—”
Yolandra’s tail cracked against the ground. “Then what? You all must have heard of what Thorgoth is capable of. What he’s done to others.”
Makentra rolled his eyes. “Sara’s story is just a story. She might have been just trying to turn you.”
“She was honest and she is not the only tale I’ve heard. You must have heard rumors of what Thorgoth did to his own son, Teutobal,” said Fennokra.
“Propaganda,” Velkandra hissed through her gritted teeth, while smoke wafted through the gaps. “In any case, we have no other option. We fight or we die.”
Fennokra, her claws grinding against the floor, had had enough.
“Velkandra, Makentra, have you ever considered that Thorgoth is perhaps using us for his own goals? We have not even considered what he might do to us after we’ve destroyed the humans and their allies. How do we know the Stormcaller and her allies might treat us better? Besides in the first place, she never intended to kill our mother—”
Fennokra blinked. She was flying backwards, something hard was bearing her into the wall. Dizzy as if struck by one of the Stormcaller’s spells, she realized that the force was the foreclaws of her elder sister. Mad rage lit those golden eyes that were the exact same shade as hers. Horrified, Fennokra tried to throw Velkandra off, but her sister was larger and heavier than her.
“Say that again. I dare you to say that again—ARGH!”
Velkandra rolled off, forced off of Fennokra by the Yolandra shoving into her side. As the elder dragon recovered, the smallest of Telkandra’s brood hissed, “It’s the truth! You are a fool to deny it!”
An ugly sneer on her lips, wings quivering with fury, Velkandra snorted. “The truth? Oh right so we are speaking the truth then. Well here’s the truth. Our kind is doomed!”
Makentra blinked. “Sister?”
“Of course Thorgoth is going to get rid of us or try to after this campaign. He has to, but right now he needs us and that’s what we need to rely on until we gain more strength. Of course, whether he wins or the Stormcaller’s allies win, how can we expect to survive in a world dominated by these lesser species hm? How could they ever not see us as a threat?”
Velkandra stalked toward the wide-eyed Fennokra and Yoandra. Her head turned side to side as she fixed her sisters with wild wide eyes.
“Well? Tell me Fennokra. Speak the truth Yolandra. Or are you both too afraid to admit that our kind are doomed and the only thing is to live as long as we can and hopefully avenge those that hurt us as we do so.”
“You’d have us fly to our deaths?” Makentra asked.
The stammering voice brought Velkandra around. Extending a wing, she touched its tip to her brother’s. “I would at least have us fly together.”
Fennokra shook her head. “We’d knowingly fly with a murderer of children and someone who would want to kill us after we’ve stopped being helpful to him.”
“And we have no other options,” said Makentra. Letting out a breath, he rose to his claws and walked away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sisters.”
Velkandra, without another word, turned for the exit. “You know it’s true, Fennokra, Yolandra.”
Fennokra closed her eyes. Yolandra, though, narrowed hers. “Doesn’t change that Lakadra’s blood is on our claws.”
Velkandra flinched and left. She strode away so quickly she nearly stepped on Helias and Sara as they came to the cave. She gave the pair no acknowledgement other than a growl.
“See you tomorrow, General,” said Makentra, his tone curt. “We will talk to King Thorgoth ourselves for the plan’s details.”
“Of course,” said Helias. He bowed as the pair left before turning to Yolandra and Fennokra. “I believe we missed something important?”
“Be honest, General Helias. Even if we succeed tomorrow, your king has no use for us after we help him kill the Stormcaller, am I correct?” Fennokra asked.
Sara and Helias didn’t say anything. Their slight move to stand closer so they could hold hands was enough.
“I thought so,” said Fennokra. She let out a sigh and glanced at Yolandra, who nodded. “We will be on the battlefield tomorrow. Where are we going?”
“You’re going with me. We’re attacking the forces sallying from Kairon-Aoun. The plan is that you dragons breathe flame over their army to soften them before we attack.
“Understood. Any questions Fennokra?” Yolandra asked.
Fennokra shook her head. What could be asked anyway?”
Yolandra flashed the pair a joyless smile. “For what it is worth, you two have been good caretakers to us. Even if it was to preserve your own lives.”
Helias didn’t bow. Instead he extended a hand. Yolandra stared at him, but Fennokra, recognizing the gesture, extended a single talon.
“May you always be able to see the sun.” At the dragon’s blink, Helias smiled. “It’s an Alavari saying. It may come from when we used to be enslaved by the Goblin Empire. It means good luck.”
Yolandra nodded and Fennokra found herself smiling.
“Our mother taught us a saying as well. May you never fly alone. I wish that for you both,” said Fennokra.
“Thank you,” said Sara in a quiet voice. She curtsied and the two dragons dipped their heads. They watched Helias and Sara leave with placid smiles.
Then, when nobody was looking, they turned from the entrance to hide their bulks as best they could. The gloomy light of the alcove their only curtain of privacy.
***
Frances slowed slightly as they approached Lakadara’s enclosure. However, Ginger did not slow down.
“Hold on, Ginger, what’s the plan?” Frances asked.
Adjusting her new crown mid-stride, Ginger said, “I’ll show you. I’m certain it’ll work, though.”
Frances’ eyebrows rose. “Is that crown getting to your head already?”
The new Queen of Erisdale flashed a slightly nervous grin over her shoulder. “Yes actually, but I think that’s a good thing in some way. Don’t you?”
Frances found herself nodding. It was strange to see her friend even more confident than usual and so comfortable in the regal crown that she wore atop of a standard Lightning Battalion light blue uniform. Yet she rather enjoyed the new gait that Ginger had.
“I do.” Frances smirked. “Your Majesty.”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Fuck you.”
Giggling, Frances stopped herself as they drew even closer to Lakadara. The dragon was drawing herself up, placing her massive foreclaws over each other.
“Lakadara. I am Ginger, the new Queen of Erisdale. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
The dragon coughed, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Greetings Ginger, Queen of Erisdale. I’m sorry for your predecessor’s demise.” Lakadara’s golden eyes narrowed. “Why are you here?”
Ginger dipped her head. “Thank you and as to why I’m here. I have a proposition. If you accept it, I will grant you and your kin, the domain of the Erisdalian mountains marked by the Kwent River Valley, Freeburg and Athelda-Aoun as your home in perpetuity, so long as you do not attack humans unless in self-defense.”
“I am unfamiliar with human geography. From the Stormcaller’s expression, I assume that is a lot.”
Frances swallowed and closed her mouth, but she didn’t question her friend. Ginger, still smiling slyly, nudged her. “It is. Frances, can you lend me a hand here?”
Nodding, Frances closed her eyes and imagined a rough map of Erisdale and its territories. With a wave of Ivy’s Sting she created an image of Erisdale, highlighting in red the expanse of the mountains that bordered Alavaria and Erisdale. The area that Ginger had described sketched a rough red triangle between the three points. It was a fairly sizeable area with a low and Alavari human population.
“My husband is in negotiations with Queen Titania and I’ll have to talk to Frances and Prince Timur, but we are quite certain that Athelda-Aoun will also be included in this area,” Ginger said.
Lakadara’s golden eyes were flickering as she examined the land. Suddenly, she turned, long neck arching toward the Erisdalian Queen. “And what must I do? Fight on your kingdom’s behalf?”
Ginger shook her head. “No.”
“No?”
“Nope. If you would like to do so we can renegotiate the agreement, but my husband and I fully intend to grant you this land.”
The dragon’s tail lifted up as her eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself and the favor you seek. This is far too generous.”
“Let me explain myself first. If what I’m told by my experts is correct, you can lay eggs by yourself without a mate, but it takes time right? A few decades?”
“Yes. Still, that doesn’t explain—”
“Here me out. This war is going to end. We may lose, but if we win, banishing you to the north is making you Queen Titania’s problem and she’ll have more than enough problems to deal with. You might just end up coming south again and we know how that ended. I’d prefer to avoid that so that means we need to make an agreement. You need a new home and I need peace for Erisdale. If the kingdom has to give up some poor agricultural land then I’m all for it.”
The dragon nodded. “I see, but why so much land? Why not just give me a cave? Or request my service as Thorgoth did?”
“And how will you eat? Hunt? Where will your grown children go? I’m making an agreement that will last for decades, not just a few years. As for service? I was tempted, but you wouldn’t agree to that anyway and why should you? We haven’t given you any reason to agree.” Ginger gave Frances a wave to dispel the map. “Maybe in the future we can work something out, especially if the dragon population increases. Your service in return for more food, but again, I want to start us off on the right path, not the left path.”
“Left path?” Lakadara asked.
“Erisdalian expression. It means the wrong path,” Frances said helpfully.
Lakadara nodded slowly. “You still ask for a boon, though.”
Ginger nodded. “Yes. I want you to speak to your siblings. Before the upcoming battle starts, tell them of my deal with you. So long as they choose to accept that deal and defect, then I will have it so our forces will not hurt them. After that, you may leave. I will not request you to fight with us.”
“You want me to show myself to Thorgoth? To the siblings that tried to kill me?” Lakadara asked, mouth agape.
Ginger stepped closer to the dragon, who lifted her head away from the queen. “I want you to save your siblings. I want you to save yourself from becoming the last purple dragon in existence. I would rather you not be alone, stewing in hatred for my kingdom and our allies who brought down your family, even if we had just cause. I want peace. What do you want?”
“How do I know I can trust you?” The dragon suddenly grimaced. “Ah, right, you want a lasting peace. You have every reason to want peace.”
Ginger, arms crossed tapped her foot. Frances could see how stiff her friend was, but the action was also comforting. That her magic-less friend had such control over the situation, despite being faced with the dragon was rather…badass.
Letting out a puff of smoke that slowly drifted into the cavern, the dragon pondered the queen’s proposal. Frances held her breath and yet the dragon remained silent, only her tail moving from side to side.
Ginger waited, still content to wait for the dragon’s answer. Frances couldn’t. The tension coiled in her chest, waiting to explode.
“Lakadara, what do you want for your future?” Frances asked.
The dragon glanced at Frances, golden eyes wide. She turned back to Ginger, who continued to stand tall, awaiting Lakadara’s answer patiently.
“I accept your offer, and your promise for the future,” said Lakadara, dipping her head.
“We are glad that you wish the same as we do,” said Ginger. She extended her hand and Lakadara, took her claw and put the tip of it on the queen’s palm.
*Author’s Note: Queenly Ginger was really neat to write 😀 *

i'm working on a novel and would like to know if anyone could tell me any improvements i could make to the first chapter and prologue
Prologue
The day had started the same way it had for the past two years. The only difference was that I was going home. The hallway was crowded with people walking to and from their classes. Everyone was crowded next to each other so the halls were making the area feel claustrophobic. All the people talking mixed with the summer heat made me feel like I was locked in a sauna. I walked with Preston to the last class we would ever have together and as usual he was smiling. I never got why he always smiled even in situations where people should be sad he still smiled. He knew what today meant for me and he tried to keep light of the situation. I kept my head down away from what was ahead of me. My mind was too clouded about returning to see my family to notice anything in front of me. I walked into another student. It felt like I had walked into a wall. I knew immediately I had walked into tree. I stumble onto the ground and the commotion around me slows down to make room for us. He turned his bulky body around and apologized profusely without saying a word even though I had walked into him. He helped me off of the ground before hurrying down the hall.
“Alexandria, are you doing okay?” Preston said he had tilted his body downward so I had to look down to look him in his eyes. The way he was standing made him look like an idiot but he didn't seem to care. The way he acted made me laugh, which caused his smile to widen.
“I'm doing fine, just got lost in my head.”
“Thinking about how you’ll leave soon,” he said
“Was it that obvious?” He was the only person I told about me being an exchange student. I came to spend high school in Newkinawa and he was the only person I ever hung out with.
“I see what you mean,” he said “Newkinawa is a beautiful place with beautiful people to live in it…myself included”
“You wish,” I say with a smile we continue walking through the hallway “I'm just not excited to go back yet”
After I say that his smile grows wider “So you will miss me after all”
“I wouldn't say that much” I responded whilst smiling.
We had made it to our last class only to see it closed with a sign labeled “Uma incident” Uma was a student known for messing with the chemistry lab and destroying school property in the process. I've never actually met her but Preston says “She's a little weird but still nice”
“Guess class is canceled for today,” Preston remarked with a smile “Wanna go out to the court till the bell rings.”
“Sure let's go” I respond
The place we ate every day was outside. It used to be a tennis court before I moved in. Now they put trees and flowers all over the place. Preston really liked the blue color of the flowers but it just never clicked for me. I look over at Preston and he's staring up at the sky. There are a number of clouds in almost enough to block the sun but it still pokes its rays through and lands on Preston's face. The clouds swim in front of the sun till they block out the sun's light. Preston faces towards me.
“I'm gonna miss you Alexandria” he says
“You know you can just call me Alex,” I replied. I start to smile again. “I'll miss you too!" He smiles toward me again as we get up to leave as the clouds start to clump together and rain slowly falls. As we're walking back to the school there's a loud tearing sound followed by screams as the ground shakes.
The ground tears itself apart as the dirt and stone erupt from the ground. The sky blackens and a pale blue light escapes the earth. Then creatures erupt from the ground in a violent ejection from the earth creating a white pillar diffusing as they reach higher in the air. Some are clawing their way out of the cracks like maggots out of a corpse. People are swept into the updraft screaming for their lives.
The creatures descend like a tidal wave and tear apart any people caught in their path. They storm out of the crack in hundreds as more cracks in the earth form. Me and Preston started running away as people were screaming behind us. A girl running next to us has her legs slashed by a creature. The monster begins to tear open her chest as she chokes on her own blood. The monster shovels her lungs and innards into its decrepit mouth. Me and Preston keep running until we're met at the entrance of the school and we catch the attention of a monster as it begins to savagely rush toward us. The monster resembles ghosts my father told me about. But this one looks monstrously horrific. It floats in the air and opens its mouth so wide it nearly replaces its entire torso; its jaws hold savage teeth each the same old gray color of its body. Its eyes glow a rotten yellow color through the dark. It stretches out its arms showing its giant hands and claws like fingers. It swipes at us leaving a giant claw mark on the door behind us but Preston ducks my body down to avoid the attack. We run around it as the monster swaps its focus to another bystander. Screaming past us. Me and Preston run into the parking lot as people scream around us. We hide next to a car.
“What the hell is happening!?” I yell to Preston. More of the creatures fly over us and swoop down to people like vultures on roadkill devouring the fleeing people.
Preston starts to breathe heavily ”we need to get out of here and someplace safer”. As we were talking one of the monster phases through the car we were hiding next to forcing us to run into the street.
“Lets go to your house till things cool down” i say to Preston through panted breaths
“Wait couldn't we head to your house instead” Preston says.
“Why would that matter your house is closer anyways” i respond
“But-” Preston is interrupted by two creatures swooping above us to grab another person. The two monsters begin to pull the person apart while he writhes in pain before having his flesh be torn in half and having his organs be devoured.
“Come on lets go!!” I say as I grab his hand and run even faster.
By the time we reach Preston's house any living person is gone. On the street are just corpses laying torn and mutilated on the roads and sidewalk. The air in the neighborhood feels cold despite the season being summer. When I walk down the street I can still hear the occasional horrific wail the monsters give off. We move closer to Preston's house and I can see him sweating. He looked more worried than before when the creatures were chasing us and he kept darting his eyes away from his home.
“Preston, are you feeling okay?” he doesn't respond to my question and keeps darting his eyes. He walks slowly behind me and as I reach for the door handle and when I touch it it feels nearly freezing. I wrap my hoodie around my hand and slowly open the door. The house is quiet so me and Preston creep further into his house. The inside is cold and damp as if we were locked in a freezer. The further we move into the house the louder a subtle chewing sound is heard.
“It sounds like rats are eating a dead cow over there” I whisper. Preston continues to stay silent behind me. We slowly walk closer towards the kitchen and the sound gets louder and louder and louder until we reach the room.
We're met with a rancid smell of vomit and blood. My blood starts to run cold and every instinct in my body is telling me to run. I can feel Preston breathing get heavier as we get closer. We turn the corner and see Preston's mom lying on the ground dead with one of the creatures hunched over slurping her intestines. The sight causes me to vomit alerting the monster to our presence. The creature turns around and its mouth turns into a mortifying grin as it flies into Preston's moms body. The corpse begins to rise and spur splashing blood over the kitchen. When the corpse stops spasming it picks itself up from the ground and with glazed over eyes it holds its intestines in its hand and gives us the same grin it did when it was outside her body. The possessed corpse lunges at me and starts to chase me around the kitchen. The body is running into the walls and cabinets spraying its blood and other loose organs around the area as I'm avoiding its assault. The corpse leans over and ejects one of its loose intestines towards me, wrapping me in it. It pulls me towards it so fast I'm flung towards the ground. The corpse limbers over to me and raises its free hand aiming for my head. The creature's deranged smile causes the corpse’s cheeks to tear apart. It places both of its bloodied and demented hands on my face and starts to press my skull into the ground. I struggle to breathe. The room starts to get dark and blood escapes my head.
Until Preston jumps on top of his mothers corpse with a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabs it in the head. The possessed body tries to shake him off but he keeps stabbing, blood gets in on his face and tears start to escape his eyes. The creature violently ejects from the corpse's mouth causing her head to nearly explode and Preston stops stabbing the body. The body falls over in a splash of blood and organs. The monster leaves phasing through the roof leaving Preston crying over his mother's body. As the blood mixes with the tears he collapses to his knees crying. I walk over and hug him as the air around us turns bitter and the chill of death leaves the room and us with it.
Chapter 1 Eclipse
It's been 2 months since the apocalypse started. We've kept ourselves alive by looting grocery stores and houses, we hide from the creatures as we have no way to fight back against them. Preston came up with the idea to call them glanter’s. He’s looking better since we left his family home but I can tell something is wrong with him that he's not telling me. Everytime I ask him about it he tells me it's no big deal. I asked him earlier today and he just told me
“don't worry about it, I'm over it” without even looking at me. Now we're walking through the street and I'm walking behind Preston, I can barely see his head past the giant bag we're both carrying on our backs we use to carry supplies. I look up at the sky and it's still pitch black except for the moon giving us any amount of light. Preston turns around to face me.
“Let's check out that house, it might have some cool stuff in it” he points to a white house to our right. The house is a two story building with steps leading to the front door. There's a generator poking out from the backyard. The driveway is empty save for a couple of dried blood stains and tire marks. It's similar to the other houses in the neighborhood except for a couple broken windows.
“Sure why not” We head over to the house and I see something shining on the side of the house in the corner of my eye. I turn my head to look at it closer but it quickly disappears before I can see it clearly.
“Probably squirrel or something” I mumble to myself. Preston walks up the stairs to the house and I walk up the steps behind him as a breeze blows past my face. Preston tries to turn the door knob but the door is locked. I start to pull out a lockpick I grabbed at the store earlier. I motion towards Preston to move out of the way as I kneel down to pick the lock. It takes me a couple of minutes to unlock the door so I walk inside the house and Preston follows behind me while closing and locking the door. The doorway of the house leads to a dark room so I take a flashlight out of my bag to illuminate the area. Were put into the living room and bookshelves are on the walls and a large TV sat in front of a large black couch with smaller chairs surrounding it. Dust is covering every surface of the room and spiderwebs litter the corners of the walls. The area smells like moth balls and there's a lack of blood anywhere nearby.
“Guess the owners got out before the Glanter’s got in, '' I say to Preston. When he doesn't respond I turn around and he's already looking further into the house. When I find him he's managed to find a flight of stairs that lead to a lower portion of the house.
“I'll check on him later,” I think to myself as I headed towards the kitchen to see if we could restock on food. I walk past a bedroom and remark on how childish it looked. The walls were painted with blue and green stripes and a bunk bed sat on the right wall. There's a chest at the foot of the bed so I walk over and lift the top off of it. The box is layered with children's toys, a multitude of dolls, bears, and figures all jut out of the box. I notice a small robot toy and inspect it in my hands.
The cold metal makes my hand shiver and the sharp body shape makes the robot bigger than my hand. There's red lining around the robot's buttons surrounded by the cold gray of the robot's “skin”. It reminds me of a toy my little brother had. My heart feels heavy as I worry about what happened to my family. If they're alive, dead, or worse…possessed. The thoughts send a chill down my spine but I push them aside for now. I put the toy in my bag and exit the bedroom.
I can see the kitchen is down the hallway so I walk down the hall and enter. The kitchen is pretty clean except for a couple of dishes in the sink and the dust. There's a table seated for 3 people in the center of the room. I start opening the cabinets in search for any food or water. There's boxes of cereal leftover on top of shelves and a mix of chip bags and cookies in neat boxes stationed in the cabinets.
“Score,” I say to myself as I begin to put the snacks into my bag. When the cabinets are empty I look inside the fridge. The inside of the fridge ran out of power so most of the food inside is rotted. There are a couple of bottles of water in the front so I shove those in my bag. There's also a bag of oranges that still seem to be healthy in the back. I grab them and toss them on the table. There's rotten sandwich meat hidden in the drawer of the fridge.it smells like a dumpster outside of a butcher shop. I wrinkle my nose at the smell. I look around the kitchen for any bread with no luck.
I continue to look through the fridge until I hear Preston scream from another room. Immediately I bolt out of the kitchen leaving my bag behind and run towards the lower part of the house. I run down the stairs and nearly trip on the steps. The stairs lead to a big room. There are posters to tv shows and movies I don't recognize. The walls are painted black and there's a bear skin rug on the floor. I notice Preston standing next to a really big TV hyperventilating. I walk over to him and ask him.
“Are you ok? What happened?”
He talks through deep breaths “I… saw a… spider.”
“What?!” I respond in confusion.
“It was really big and I had jumped at my face”
“Sure it was.” I say while laughing “Let's go upstairs there's some food in the fridge we can eat”
“Wait, I think you should check this out.” He says while pointing towards one of the walls. I grab Preston's flashlight off the floor and face it towards the wall. Hanging halfway off the wall is a large map labeled Newkiwana scavenger hunt of 76.
“I think we should take it,” Preston says “You can read a map right?”
“A little but I'm not the best at it,” I say to him “can you read a map?”
“it shouldn’t be too hard it’s mainly pictures any way I'm sure I can figure it out”
I walk over to the wall where the map is hung there are trophies covering tables and shelved in their own personal cases one of them reads “1st place 100-meter swimming competition for 1986 Zack Hemmingway” and another one reads “2nd place 100-meter swimming competition for 1989 Zack Hemmingway”
“Guess this guy really liked swimming,” Preston remarks while staring at a wall of newspaper clippings. All of them are about the same person in swimming competitions. All labeled different things like “a new record for Zack “the dolphin” Hemmingway”,
‘Zach Hemmingway our star plans for the future” all the newspapers are about this kind he has paler skin and a bulky enough build to swim pretty well. Most of the pictures have him coming out of the water in a pool, his long black hair soaked and sitting at his shoulders. Another one has him sitting at a desk over a pile of books and his hair in a knot , “vicious wipeout ends the Dolphins career”, and “ex-swim champ Zack Hemmingway found in a drunken stupor outside strip club.
“Everyone has their own hobbies I guess,” I say as I take the map off of the wall and fold it up. “Sucks what happened to Zack though” I walked over to Preston’s bag and put the rolled map in one of the pockets. I walk back up the stairs and Preston grabs his bag and follows behind me.
We make our way towards the kitchen and Preston starts looking through the fridge for anything to eat. I grab an orange from the table and throw it at his head. The fruit bounces off his head and rolls on the floor. He turns around and grabs the fruit from the floor
“Why did you throw an orange at me?”
“It's the only food we have unless you plan on eating spoiled a sandwich“ He starts to peel it while walking towards the table. We both take a seat and start to eat the oranges from the bag. He plants his feet on top of the table and bites into the fully peeled orange. I grab a water bottle from a bag and start to drink from it as Preston says.
“I saw a dvd player in that man cave downstairs we could watch a movie if it still has power”
“Sure it could be fun.” Me and Preston spend the rest of our time eating until the bag of oranges is emptied and we head back downstairs. Preston grabs the DVD player from under the table and blows the dust off the top of it; he plugs it into the wall as I plop myself onto the couch. He plugs the DVD player into the TV and sits on the recliner next to me. He presses a few buttons on the remote and the TV lights up. I squint my eyes at how bright it is. It's the most amount of light I've seen that didn't come from a flashlight. I notice there's a box filled with DVDs. I pull the box over towards me. I ruffle through the box and see movies like Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2, and Home alone.
“Dude some of these came out just before the world turned inside out” I say to him.
“Really? Let's play one.” He responds. I toss him Terminator 2 and he puts it into the DVD player.
We spend the next couple hours watching movies and laughing together. It's some of our only moments of peace we’ve had since the end of the world and to me it's the most fun I've had yet. We're putting in the next DVD when there's a loud crash outside and the TV shuts off. Preston goes behind it to see if it's still plugged in.
“I think the generator outside is busted” i say
“It seems that way” Preston replies while backing away from the tv” i'm gonna go check it out”
“Don't worry I got it” I say as I hop out of my chair. Preston waves goodbye as I head up the stairs. I make my way back through the hallway leading to the living room and front door. I reach the door and start to turn the knob. I open the door wide as a car speeds down the street. I step out of the door to see what had happened when I hear the screech of a glanter. It cuts through the sky like an unholy opera singer. A group of them fly by and chase the car as I rush back inside the house. I slam the door shut and look through the window as I see a couple of smaller glanters grab and shake the car violently looking for the driver. They tear at it, ripping off doors and breaking the windows. The driver screams as the seats cover with blood and he's ripped out of the car as multiple smaller glanters tear and bite off parts of his body like piranha's until his body is completely devoured. I run back to the man cave to warn Preston about what had happened. I spot him laying in his chair spinning a DVD disc on his finger.
“It's not safe outside right now”
“Why not?
“There's glanter's outside, they just ate a dude in his car”
“Did they see you come inside?”
“I don't think so , they flew off before I went inside.”
“well we're not dead so I'm gonna say they didn't see you. But let's stay here for a couple more hours just to be safe”
“Sounds good i'm gonna go find the master bedroom.” I start to walk back up the stairs to the house
“ Hold on why do you get the master bedroom” Preston says while walking after me.
“Because I'm gonna find it first” I say as I start to run to find the bedroom. He chases after me in pursuit of the bedroom. Me and Preston run around the house looking for the master bedroom. We look through room after room finding closets, the garage, a bathroom and a door leading to a balcony in the back of the house. I manage to run into the bedroom and yell out to Preston.``Found it!!”
He comes walking into the room breathing heavily from the running. We both check out the room. The walls are painted a cream yellow and the bed takes up most of the room's center. The bed has burgundy sheets poking out from its bottom and a quilt with multi-colored floral designs lay sprawled out on top of it. There's a wardrobe built into the wall and a black leather couch sits comfortably on the left wall.
“Dibs on the bed” I say as I jump on top of it. I stretch out on top of the quilt and search for a comfortable part to sleep in.
“Where am I supposed to sleep then?” Preston complains
“You can sleep on the couch it looks soft enough” I respond while pointing towards the couch “I saw some spare blankets in one of the closets”
“Alright i’ll be right back” he mumbles to himself “why do i always get the couch”
“ I'll be right here if you need me,” i call after him. I sit up on the bed and start to look around the room more. I notice the entrance to the wardrobe is cracked open slightly. I hop out of the bed and grab a flashlight from my bag as I walk into the wardrobe. I turn on my flashlight and stare in awe at how many clothes are in there. The room is only half as big as the bedroom but it's still bigger than any closet I've ever had. The wardrobe is full of shirts, dresses, pants, and shoes for men and women. I immediately start to look through the shoes to see if any fit my size. I throw a pair of black high heels behind me as Preston finds me in the wardrobe. He looks around before asking me.
“What are you doing?”
“Finding a new pair of clothes to wear cause I've been wearing the same pair of jeans for waaaaay too long”
“Fair enough. Is there any guy stuff in there?”
“Yeah right there” I hook my thumb behind me to point to the other end of the closet.
“I'm sure they won't mind if we take a couple of things…they're probably dead by now anyways,” Preston says with a slight grin on his face. The way he said made me spin my head to look at him but he was already on the opposite end of the wardrobe looking at suits.
I shake away the thought and continue looking for any pair of sneakers in my size. 40 minutes pass before I walk out of the wardrobe holding a new pair of jeans and a black guns-N-roses t-shirt. I toss the clothes on top of the bed and check to see if the shower in the bathroom still works. I turn the dial and wait for a moment. The shower head chokes a little before water comes pouring out. I reach my hand under the showerhead to feel the water. The water is cold, it causes my hand to shiver when I take it out. I shake the water off and say to myself.
“Good enough” as I start to take off my old clothes and get in the shower. The cold water bounces off my skin, it sends shivers down my spine but I still get the old dirt from the last few months off of me. I step out and see a couple of dry towels hanging off of the door. I grab one and dry my body off and grab another to wrap around my head and dry my hair. I step out of the bathroom and Preston is still inside the wardrobe. I put on my new clothes while his back is turned and walk over towards him when I'm finished.
“Still haven't found anything,” I ask him
He turns around “Nothing yet, the only thing interesting was this coat.” He holds a leather coat up to me. The coat is made of black leather and has a skull covered with blue flames on the back. There's a black shirt inside the coat with a skeleton hand making a thumbs-up embroidered on the front.
“ That's pretty cool, it's better than what you're wearing right now at least” he's outfitted in a blue hoodie with holes on the chest and tears at the sleeves. He also has a shirt with a faded picture of a blue flower printed on it.
“I guess you're right” he gets up from the floor and exits the wardrobe. He lays the clothes on the couch along next to the blanket and pillow he brought into the room.
“The shower works so you can get yourself clean In there,” I say to him
“You know, a shower sounds really good right now.” He gets up from the floor and grabs a pair of pajama pants that were laying next to him. He leaves the wardrobe and enters the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After a moment the water turns on and I hop on the bed to get ready to sleep. I squirm myself into the quilt and rest my head against one of the pillows. I shut my eyes and fall asleep listening to the passive sound of the shower like rain on a car.
I'm in a void. It feels like I'm standing in a puddle of water that reaches to my knees. I wade my way forward looking around for anything in the darkness. In the distance I can see 3 figures l. I moved closer to them and their silhouettes get clearer. I realize they are my dad and brothers. I start to run towards them kicking up water behind me until something grabs my leg. It pulls down violently forcing me under the water without a breath of air. I kick at the thing grabbing me until something grabs my other leg. I look down and see two glanter's each with a monstrous smile on their faces. They stare back at me and one of them tugs my leg harder than before and tears it off of my body. The water around me turns red as the glanter laugh's. The other smiles wider as it starts to fling me around the water forcing any air left in my lungs to be forced out as I scream in pain. The glanter throws me away and I can see my family slowly fade into the distance as I'm flown away.
I struggle to swim back to where I was, one of my legs is missing and the other is broken. The glanter's find me again and I try to get to the surface to escape them. I'm flapping my arms in any attempt to escape as one of the glanter's flies in front of me and grabs my arm. I look at the monster with tears in my eyes as it bites my arm and tears my body away from it. It flings my body away and with my remaining arm I clutch the wound as the water floods into my body leaving me in the void I started in. I look around and the glanter's seem to have left. I turn behind me and see my family again, this time I'm closer than before.
I grit my teeth and drag my body towards them slowly as I leave a trail of blood and tears behind me. I finally reach my family and grab one of my father's shoes. I stare up and he looks at me. His stare causes me to feel cold as a grotesque smile grows on his face. I stare in shock as my brothers each have the same look as my father.
I shoot up from my sleep panting heavily in a cold sweat.
“It was just a dream..just a dream…just a dream” I look at my hands as tears fall into them. I look around the room and see Preston sleeping peacefully on the couch. The room feels frozen in place as a chill runs down my spine. I get out of the bed and walk out of the bedroom. I make my way through the dark hallway and find the entrance to the balcony I saw earlier. I creak open the screen door and head outside. The Balcony is pretty large, about the size of the kitchen in the house. There are some chairs knocked over next to a table and I pick one up to sit on it. I look out into the expanse of the neighborhood, houses lined up next to each other, dozens broken apart by roads, and dead bodies scattered across the roads.
I look up in the sky and sit back in the chair. The sky looks empty except for the moon giving this world its only source of light. Without the moon, we’d be left in darkness. It hangs in the sky alone, no stars, no clouds, nothing but itself, and the void of the sky. I think back about the dream I had. My dad and my brother's all dead and possessed and then they kill me. I start to tear up thinking about it. I try to wipe away the tears but it’s no use. I'm too scared for my family. I don't know where they are if they're alive if they're worried about me I don't know anything! I start to quietly cry into my hands. I don't know how long I'm sitting there until I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn my head to face it and I see Preston. He was smiling and looking at me. I turn away to wipe my tears and he walks next to me.
“I heard you sneaking out of the bedroom so I followed you to see where you were going.” he says “but that's not my question.” he pauses and looks at me “my question is what’s got you feeling so down?” he leans over the railing of the balcony
“It's nothing, I just came out here to clear my head.” I say as more tears escape from my eyes in big slow drops that ride down the sides of my face.
“if you don't feel like telling me you don't have to but i'll be here if you ever change your mind”. He looks up at the moon before turning to face me and his smile widens “I'll always be here with you…trust me I'm not going anywhere”
I stare up at him and wipe away my tears as a smile grows on my face to match his. I get up and stare over the balcony with him. “So where are we heading next?” I say to him, Preston pulls the map we got from the man cave downstairs out from his pocket.
“After I got out of the shower I decided to take a look at the map for anything interesting we could see.”
“Ok did you find anything?” i ask
“I did,” he points at a spot on the right of the map. “We should head to the museum”
“I didn't want to go to a museum before the apocalypse why would i want to go now?'' I ask him.
“Well the best part of museums is the cool stuff right”
“Yeah what about it”
“The only problem is that you could only look at the fossils and armor but you could never take them.”
“So you want to rob a museum?” Prestons eyes light up at the question
“Exactly they might have a really cool sword I could use, or I could sharpen a dinosaur tooth and use that as a weapon, there might be a cursed shield that can summon the dead to fight for you. This opportunity is too good to pass up. We need to go!”
“That does seem pretty cool but wouldn't carrying that stuff weigh us down. What if a glanter is chasing us and we can't run fast enough because of the stuff we took from the museum.”
“We’ll only take things that are light. Even then I could just block the glanter with my newly acquired 2000 year old shield.”
“Fair enough we can go in a couple hours” I yawn and stretch out my arms. “Cause I'm feeling way too tired to walk all the way over there right now.”
“Alright i'm heading back to my couch and THEN we’ll head out to the museum” he leaves the balcony and heads back to the master bedroom leaving me alone on the balcony.
“Thanks Preston I'm not leaving either” I say into the sky. I turn around and walk back inside the house, closing the balcony door behind me. I walk back into the bedroom and Preston is hunched over and holding a flashlight looking at the map. He’s drawing lines through roads and marking X’s in different areas.
“What are the X’s for?” i ask him
“They’re places that glanter’s usually stay around. I'm marking them off so we remember not to go through them, or at least be more cautious.”
“Cool. Did you find where we are right now?” He points to an area where the lines all converge out of.
“Right around here is where the neighborhood ends. So if we follow this path we can make it to the museum in one piece” I pat him on the back and take the map from his hands.
“Get some sleep Preston, we have a full day tomorrow” he grins to himself before laying down on the couch. I put the map back into my bag and hop on the bed to get to sleep. I cover my body in the quilt and roll over facing away from Preston as he falls asleep. I nestle myself into the bed and slowly fall asleep to get ready for the next day.
I'm awoken by Preston shaking the bed I'm sleeping on. My eyes open and the room is foggy, I wipe away the sleep from my eyes and focus my attention towards Preston. He's practically jumping out of his skin with excitement, he's already fully dressed for the trip and shaking the bed with a wide smile on his face.
“Ok ok i'm up the air feels heavy as a groggy feeling fills my body. I wipe my eyes and the room starts to clear up. I turn to face Preston. He's still shaking my bed to wake me up, he’s already fully dressed and nearly jumping out of his skin in excitement.
“Ok ok, i'm up you can stop shaking the bed” i say
“Then get up we’ve got a long walk ahead of us” he says as he stops shaking the mattress. He grabs the map from my bag and points to one of the red lines.
“We're gonna follow this way to the museum. We’ll move past the hotel around the ice skating rink and around the park. We’ll mainly stick to walking through the streets, we might have to go rooftop hopping to avoid any glanter’s if we see them but i'm sure we won’t reach that point.” he explains
“Wait, wait, wait, why are avoiding the skating rink and the park” i ask
“ everytime we go near the park there's weird noises and light coming out of it”
“And why can't we go to the ice skating rink?”
“I didn't think it would be important”
“It couldn't hurt to check it out at least”
“Fine we could make a detour”
“Ok and how do you plan on getting on top of roofs?”
“I'm sure we'll figure it out when we get to it”
“Ok man as long as you’re sure '' I yawn and step out of the bed. Preston starts to put the map in his bag. I walk into the bathroom with my clothes and change out of my pajamas. Minutes later I walk out and see Preston sitting on the couch twiddling his thumbs.
“Finally you're out” he smiles at me before handing me my bag and slinging it over his shoulder. We took a last look inside the kitchen to see if we missed anything. Afterwards we leave for the outside. The cold air bites at my face but Preston walks down the stairs, his face buried in the map. I jog to catch up to him as we both head into the street.
“Hey Preston, could I see the map?”
“Sure” he hands over the map and continues walking. I look at the map and the numerous lines drawn on roads. I look at the corner of the map and notice a small map key with numerous symbols for different areas like a library, school, hospital, and more. There's even a way to tell how far away each location is. The text reads “1 inch=5 miles” I quickly count how far we are from the museum.
“Dude this museum is like 100 miles away.”
“Yep it'll be a long walk, it'll take us a while to get there”
“Did you plan on us walking there the whole time?”
“We might find bikes or something.” he pauses “well i did think we would walk the whole way”
“This is gonna take us weeks to get there!”
“Did you have anything else planned?”
“Well…i guess not but we should still try to find some bikes or something”
“Ok if we see any way to travel faster we’ll take it”
“Alright cool” I hand him the map back and he folds it back up and puts it in his bag. We walk further until we leave the gated neighborhood we started in. Preston takes the map back out and looks at it before he turns right and continues walking. I follow him staring forward at the expanse of the road. The outside of the neighborhood is surrounded by roads all leading to different parts of Newkinawa. We walk past a sign that reads “Coretown 20 miles ahead” I nudge Preston towards the sign and he checks the map again.
“Yep, the museum’s in Coretown. Would you believe the residents were pretty proud of it. Should be a fun place to explore” he says
“Yeah but it’ll take us a million years to get there.” i complain
“Lighten up, I'm sure it will be worth it”. We continue walking down the road slowly making our way to Coretown.

{ "DTVO_C036": {

"195_Dialogue": "10 seconds left.", "199_Dialogue": "A disgusting display awaits us.", "111_Dialogue": "A machine and raw chaos can be such a potent combination.", "181_Dialogue": "ACME can't save you now.", "1_Dialogue": "Ah. I've been waiting for you.", "189_Dialogue": "All that strength. So little intelligence.", "127_Dialogue": "All these pathetic faces in their little boxes.", "138_Dialogue": "Am I supposed to dance for you?", "98_Dialogue": "And here I hoped you would move the needle. Disappointing.", "15_Dialogue": "And so Destiny leads me here.", "35_Dialogue": "And so the age of the machine begins.", "108_Dialogue": "And the merry melodies grind to an ignominious halt.", "19_Dialogue": "And this is all they send? Pathetic.", "96_Dialogue": "And this is the best humanity can manage.", "133_Dialogue": "And what pathetic foe am I fighting today?", "8_Dialogue": "And who would you have me crush?", "139_Dialogue": "Another battery, burning the minutes til its depletion.", "190_Dialogue": "Another pathetic flying man.", "60_Dialogue": "Brainiac was right about you.", "80_Dialogue": "Bugs in my system don't last long.", "25_Dialogue": "Bugs. Bunny. We meet again.", "7_Dialogue": "Call the shots while you can, human.", "198_Dialogue": "Choose your character.", "67_Dialogue": "Come on now. Where's the challenge?", "71_Dialogue": "Control your anger now.", "179_Dialogue": "Die, rabbit.", "65_Dialogue": "Do I detect your palms sweating? Pulse quickening?", "23_Dialogue": "Do I detect... bugs in the system?", "162_Dialogue": "Do you celebrate these Holidays? If so... I hope they're adequate.", "13_Dialogue": "Do you hear the wheels of fate beginning to turn?", "34_Dialogue": "Don't be scared. Jason will end it quickly.", "66_Dialogue": "Don't give up yet.", "126_Dialogue": "Don't waste my time.", "152_Dialogue": "Early, for a human.", "14_Dialogue": "Ever feel like you're in a simulation..?", "49_Dialogue": "Far greater than you have tried.", 

"187_Dialogue": "First time destroying a Kryptonian.",

"119_Dialogue": "Flesh and blood, crushed by superior machines.", "129_Dialogue": "Get that cursor out of my face.", "157_Dialogue": "Getting in some afternoon matches, are we?", "147_Dialogue": "Give a human the right incentive and they'll walk barefoot through hell.", "166_Dialogue": "Happy birthday. May you have many more before you die.", "188_Dialogue": "Hardly the best I've fought.", "155_Dialogue": "Has your day been productive so far?", "167_Dialogue": "Hold still.", "68_Dialogue": "Hope you're not holding back on my account.", "145_Dialogue": "How organics think they could ever stand against the Nothing is beyond my understanding.", "69_Dialogue": "Humanity and its little games...", "134_Dialogue": "Humanity has fallen so far they need REINDOG to save them. Feh.", "118_Dialogue": "Humanity never stood a chance.", "191_Dialogue": "Humans and their plumage. Pathetic.", "100_Dialogue": "Humans. All the same.", "86_Dialogue": "I admire a silent human.", "28_Dialogue": "I always appreciate a good chaos factor.", "39_Dialogue": "I am inevitable.", "47_Dialogue": "I am not so easily deleted.", "64_Dialogue": "I am the cliffs of your demise.", "173_Dialogue": "I can predict your every move.", "137_Dialogue": "I don't understand Superman. So superior, yet chooses to live among disgusting humans.", "79_Dialogue": "I have plenty of history killing bugs.", "160_Dialogue": "I love watching the way humans behave in the evening. The way they scurry to the light, desperate not to be alone.", "101_Dialogue": "I never had a doubt in my mind.", "184_Dialogue": "I see right through you, Batman.", "172_Dialogue": "I see right through you.", "97_Dialogue": "I should've known this would be no challenge.", "192_Dialogue": "I suppose that looks nice. For a human.", "175_Dialogue": "I will crush you.", "51_Dialogue": "I'll bury you in that hole, rabbit.", "185_Dialogue": "I'll finish what the Joker never could.", "103_Dialogue": "I'll give you this, that was almost fun.", "109_Dialogue": "I'll leave some carrots on your grave.", "169_Dialogue": "I'll make this quick.", "58_Dialogue": "I'll peel back that bat suit and reveal you for the slime you are.", "182_Dialogue": "I'll rip those ears right off you.", 

"48_Dialogue": "I'll stand on your grave before this is through.",

"41_Dialogue": "I'm afraid that's not my ending yet.", "16_Dialogue": "I'm afraid this is the end for you.", "20_Dialogue": "I've been preparing for this.", "10_Dialogue": "I've been waiting to cut loose.", "3_Dialogue": "I've got all the time in the world.", "135_Dialogue": "If Joker asks, you didn't see me.", "142_Dialogue": "If it isn't our... fearless leader.", "5_Dialogue": "If you think you can handle it.", "83_Dialogue": "Impressive body count. For a human.", "154_Dialogue": "Is this what you humans call a Good Morning?", "22_Dialogue": "It all starts all over again.", "165_Dialogue": "It seems it's your birthday yet again. Human lives go so quickly.", "18_Dialogue": "It seems the whole Multiverse reeks of humanity.", "27_Dialogue": "It seems we're allies for now, clown.", "205_Dialogue": "It seems you managed to win. Incredible.", "197_Dialogue": "It starts in one minute.", "99_Dialogue": "It's my own fault for thinking you'd be different.", "131_Dialogue": "Just another simulation.", "6_Dialogue": "Just as it was foretold.", "4_Dialogue": "Just call me Smith.", "112_Dialogue": "Just remember who's really in charge, Joker.", "81_Dialogue": "Keep those ears to the ground so I can nail them there.", "59_Dialogue": "Kryptonians... just humanity in a fancier cape.", "33_Dialogue": "Let's see what that blade can do.", "37_Dialogue": "Let's show these meatsacks the future.", "164_Dialogue": "Look at that. Another anniversary of your birth in your short, tiny, life.", "158_Dialogue": "Luckily, nighttime is no different to me than daytime.", "124_Dialogue": "Make it fast.", "36_Dialogue": "March on, my mechanical friend.", "201_Dialogue": "Match point, Blue.", "202_Dialogue": "Match point, Red.", "136_Dialogue": "My next chapter is only beginning.", "30_Dialogue": "Never saw myself teamed up with a clown.", "94_Dialogue": "Never send a man to do a machine's job.", "194_Dialogue": "No go on. Spend more. Spend it all. Can't take it with you.", "150_Dialogue": "No, absolutely keep clicking. I'm not getting annoyed or impatient or anything.", "115_Dialogue": "Not bad for a brute in a hockey mask.", "43_Dialogue": "Now I'm just getting... angry.", "50_Dialogue": "Now that WAS foolish.", "149_Dialogue": "Oh I see you're not dead yet. Always hard to tell how close a human is to death unless you're the one holding their throat.", "11_Dialogue": "Oh I think I'm going to enjoy this.", "196_Dialogue": "Only 30 seconds to go.", "203_Dialogue": "Only one minute left.", "121_Dialogue": "Organics will never beat the machines. We. Are. Inevitable.", "110_Dialogue": "Our alliance continues, for now...", "168_Dialogue": "Pathetic.", "146_Dialogue": "Poking and prodding, desperate for your dopamine. Tell me... is it working?", "144_Dialogue": "Reindog is tampering with forces his fuzzy head cannot hope to comprehend. You can tell him I said so.", "151_Dialogue": "Reindog's little plan can't save you. It's only delaying the inevitable.", "70_Dialogue": "Seems like someone needs to touch grass.", "106_Dialogue": "Should have never left your burrow.", "92_Dialogue": "Show these humans the true power of machines.", "113_Dialogue": "Side by side with a clown. Isn't life strange.", "17_Dialogue": "So it begins.", "123_Dialogue": "Speak quickly.", "120_Dialogue": "Stick with me, Giant. I've got big, big plans for you...", "105_Dialogue": "Still just a human. Shame.", "170_Dialogue": "Still nothing but an organic.", "84_Dialogue": "Stop that laughing before I rethink our alliance.", "73_Dialogue": "Such a pathetic response to music.", "114_Dialogue": "Such brutal efficiency. Shame about the human thing.", "141_Dialogue": "Sure. Let's do some small talk.", "186_Dialogue": "THIS is who the Joker was talking about?", "159_Dialogue": "Tell me... Did you finish everything you wanted to do today?", "143_Dialogue": "That Iron Giant might be stupid, but if I can keep him on my side he could be a valuable ally yet...", "2_Dialogue": "That is an interesting choice.", "45_Dialogue": "That will only end in pain for you.", "102_Dialogue": "That's all? Pity.", "161_Dialogue": "The Holiday Season is on us again. Disgusting.", "88_Dialogue": "The hockey mask is a nice touch.", "180_Dialogue": "The rabbit is mine.", "24_Dialogue": "The rabbit must be eliminated.", "148_Dialogue": "The third number of your IP address is a 7, isn't it..?", "156_Dialogue": "There is still much time left in the day. Time left to work.", "116_Dialogue": "They were warned... and they were doomed.", "178_Dialogue": "This ends... Now.", "128_Dialogue": "This had better be good.", "130_Dialogue": "This prison won't hold me for long.", "177_Dialogue": "This time... stay down.", "40_Dialogue": "This was only my beginning.", "176_Dialogue": "This won't end well for you.", "42_Dialogue": "Thought you'd finished with me?", "46_Dialogue": "Time to change strategies.", "26_Dialogue": "Time to die, Mr. Bunny.", "53_Dialogue": "Time to squash some Bugs.", "63_Dialogue": "We all play the hand we're dealt. Mine is just better.", "9_Dialogue": "We'll see who is controlling who.", "44_Dialogue": "What a terrible path you've chosen for yourself.", "91_Dialogue": "Where I'm from you would be worshipped like a vengeful angel.", "183_Dialogue": "Where are your Gadgets now?", "90_Dialogue": "Why do you hide your most beautiful, destructive form?", "174_Dialogue": "Why keep trying?", "193_Dialogue": "Yes, enjoy the dopamine hits where you can.", "54_Dialogue": "You and your toys are due for a reckoning.", "93_Dialogue": "You are a beautiful machine.", "95_Dialogue": "You aren't even a footnote in my history.", "61_Dialogue": "You could have been anything, and you settled for human.", "29_Dialogue": "You don't control me, Joker.", "132_Dialogue": "You have my attention. Don't squander it.", "38_Dialogue": "You have my permission - my urging - to open fire.", "204_Dialogue": "You lost. Pathetic.", "104_Dialogue": "You put up a better fight than most. Barely.", "56_Dialogue": "You think your money will protect you from me?", "171_Dialogue": "You won't see this coming.", "85_Dialogue": "You'll find I'm a bit lacking in the humor department.", "52_Dialogue": "You'll pay for that mistake, you long-eared freak.", "153_Dialogue": "You're awake rather early.", "82_Dialogue": "You're only calling the shots because I will it, Joker.", "55_Dialogue": "Your arrogance will be your undoing, Mr. Wayne.", "87_Dialogue": "Your lack of humanity places you above them.", "200_Dialogue": "Your time is through.", "78_Dialogue": "[disgust] So you're who's keeping ACME in business.", "77_Dialogue": "[insane laugh]", "76_Dialogue": "[mocking laugh]", "75_Dialogue": "[quiet chuckle]", "125_Dialogue": "[sarcastic] No, no, I've got all the time in the world.", "122_Dialogue": "[sniff] Yes, I smelled you coming.", "12_Dialogue": "[sniffs] Disgusting.", "62_Dialogue": "[threat] Are the Kents as strong as you, Kryptonian?" 

} }

{ "DTVO_C036": {

"195_Dialogue": "10 seconds left.", "199_Dialogue": "A disgusting display awaits us.", "111_Dialogue": "A machine and raw chaos can be such a potent combination.", "181_Dialogue": "ACME can't save you now.", "1_Dialogue": "Ah. I've been waiting for you.", "189_Dialogue": "All that strength. So little intelligence.", "127_Dialogue": "All these pathetic faces in their little boxes.", "138_Dialogue": "Am I supposed to dance for you?", "98_Dialogue": "And here I hoped you would move the needle. Disappointing.", "15_Dialogue": "And so Destiny leads me here.", "35_Dialogue": "And so the age of the machine begins.", "108_Dialogue": "And the merry melodies grind to an ignominious halt.", "19_Dialogue": "And this is all they send? Pathetic.", "96_Dialogue": "And this is the best humanity can manage.", "133_Dialogue": "And what pathetic foe am I fighting today?", "8_Dialogue": "And who would you have me crush?", "139_Dialogue": "Another battery, burning the minutes til its depletion.", "190_Dialogue": "Another pathetic flying man.", "60_Dialogue": "Brainiac was right about you.", "80_Dialogue": "Bugs in my system don't last long.", "25_Dialogue": "Bugs. Bunny. We meet again.", "7_Dialogue": "Call the shots while you can, human.", "198_Dialogue": "Choose your character.", "67_Dialogue": "Come on now. Where's the challenge?", "71_Dialogue": "Control your anger now.", "179_Dialogue": "Die, rabbit.", "65_Dialogue": "Do I detect your palms sweating? Pulse quickening?", "23_Dialogue": "Do I detect... bugs in the system?", "162_Dialogue": "Do you celebrate these Holidays? If so... I hope they're adequate.", "13_Dialogue": "Do you hear the wheels of fate beginning to turn?", "34_Dialogue": "Don't be scared. Jason will end it quickly.", "66_Dialogue": "Don't give up yet.", "126_Dialogue": "Don't waste my time.", "152_Dialogue": "Early, for a human.", "14_Dialogue": "Ever feel like you're in a simulation..?", "49_Dialogue": "Far greater than you have tried.", 

"187_Dialogue": "First time destroying a Kryptonian.",

"119_Dialogue": "Flesh and blood, crushed by superior machines.", "129_Dialogue": "Get that cursor out of my face.", "157_Dialogue": "Getting in some afternoon matches, are we?", "147_Dialogue": "Give a human the right incentive and they'll walk barefoot through hell.", "166_Dialogue": "Happy birthday. May you have many more before you die.", "188_Dialogue": "Hardly the best I've fought.", "155_Dialogue": "Has your day been productive so far?", "167_Dialogue": "Hold still.", "68_Dialogue": "Hope you're not holding back on my account.", "145_Dialogue": "How organics think they could ever stand against the Nothing is beyond my understanding.", "69_Dialogue": "Humanity and its little games...", "134_Dialogue": "Humanity has fallen so far they need REINDOG to save them. Feh.", "118_Dialogue": "Humanity never stood a chance.", "191_Dialogue": "Humans and their plumage. Pathetic.", "100_Dialogue": "Humans. All the same.", "86_Dialogue": "I admire a silent human.", "28_Dialogue": "I always appreciate a good chaos factor.", "39_Dialogue": "I am inevitable.", "47_Dialogue": "I am not so easily deleted.", "64_Dialogue": "I am the cliffs of your demise.", "173_Dialogue": "I can predict your every move.", "137_Dialogue": "I don't understand Superman. So superior, yet chooses to live among disgusting humans.", "79_Dialogue": "I have plenty of history killing bugs.", "160_Dialogue": "I love watching the way humans behave in the evening. The way they scurry to the light, desperate not to be alone.", "101_Dialogue": "I never had a doubt in my mind.", "184_Dialogue": "I see right through you, Batman.", "172_Dialogue": "I see right through you.", "97_Dialogue": "I should've known this would be no challenge.", "192_Dialogue": "I suppose that looks nice. For a human.", "175_Dialogue": "I will crush you.", "51_Dialogue": "I'll bury you in that hole, rabbit.", "185_Dialogue": "I'll finish what the Joker never could.", "103_Dialogue": "I'll give you this, that was almost fun.", "109_Dialogue": "I'll leave some carrots on your grave.", "169_Dialogue": "I'll make this quick.", "58_Dialogue": "I'll peel back that bat suit and reveal you for the slime you are.", "182_Dialogue": "I'll rip those ears right off you.", 

"48_Dialogue": "I'll stand on your grave before this is through.",

"41_Dialogue": "I'm afraid that's not my ending yet.", "16_Dialogue": "I'm afraid this is the end for you.", "20_Dialogue": "I've been preparing for this.", "10_Dialogue": "I've been waiting to cut loose.", "3_Dialogue": "I've got all the time in the world.", "135_Dialogue": "If Joker asks, you didn't see me.", "142_Dialogue": "If it isn't our... fearless leader.", "5_Dialogue": "If you think you can handle it.", "83_Dialogue": "Impressive body count. For a human.", "154_Dialogue": "Is this what you humans call a Good Morning?", "22_Dialogue": "It all starts all over again.", "165_Dialogue": "It seems it's your birthday yet again. Human lives go so quickly.", "18_Dialogue": "It seems the whole Multiverse reeks of humanity.", "27_Dialogue": "It seems we're allies for now, clown.", "205_Dialogue": "It seems you managed to win. Incredible.", "197_Dialogue": "It starts in one minute.", "99_Dialogue": "It's my own fault for thinking you'd be different.", "131_Dialogue": "Just another simulation.", "6_Dialogue": "Just as it was foretold.", "4_Dialogue": "Just call me Smith.", "112_Dialogue": "Just remember who's really in charge, Joker.", "81_Dialogue": "Keep those ears to the ground so I can nail them there.", "59_Dialogue": "Kryptonians... just humanity in a fancier cape.", "33_Dialogue": "Let's see what that blade can do.", "37_Dialogue": "Let's show these meatsacks the future.", "164_Dialogue": "Look at that. Another anniversary of your birth in your short, tiny, life.", "158_Dialogue": "Luckily, nighttime is no different to me than daytime.", "124_Dialogue": "Make it fast.", "36_Dialogue": "March on, my mechanical friend.", "201_Dialogue": "Match point, Blue.", "202_Dialogue": "Match point, Red.", "136_Dialogue": "My next chapter is only beginning.", "30_Dialogue": "Never saw myself teamed up with a clown.", "94_Dialogue": "Never send a man to do a machine's job.", "194_Dialogue": "No go on. Spend more. Spend it all. Can't take it with you.", "150_Dialogue": "No, absolutely keep clicking. I'm not getting annoyed or impatient or anything.", "115_Dialogue": "Not bad for a brute in a hockey mask.", "43_Dialogue": "Now I'm just getting... angry.", "50_Dialogue": "Now that WAS foolish.", "149_Dialogue": "Oh I see you're not dead yet. Always hard to tell how close a human is to death unless you're the one holding their throat.", "11_Dialogue": "Oh I think I'm going to enjoy this.", "196_Dialogue": "Only 30 seconds to go.", "203_Dialogue": "Only one minute left.", "121_Dialogue": "Organics will never beat the machines. We. Are. Inevitable.", "110_Dialogue": "Our alliance continues, for now...", "168_Dialogue": "Pathetic.", "146_Dialogue": "Poking and prodding, desperate for your dopamine. Tell me... is it working?", "144_Dialogue": "Reindog is tampering with forces his fuzzy head cannot hope to comprehend. You can tell him I said so.", "151_Dialogue": "Reindog's little plan can't save you. It's only delaying the inevitable.", "70_Dialogue": "Seems like someone needs to touch grass.", "106_Dialogue": "Should have never left your burrow.", "92_Dialogue": "Show these humans the true power of machines.", "113_Dialogue": "Side by side with a clown. Isn't life strange.", "17_Dialogue": "So it begins.", "123_Dialogue": "Speak quickly.", "120_Dialogue": "Stick with me, Giant. I've got big, big plans for you...", "105_Dialogue": "Still just a human. Shame.", "170_Dialogue": "Still nothing but an organic.", "84_Dialogue": "Stop that laughing before I rethink our alliance.", "73_Dialogue": "Such a pathetic response to music.", "114_Dialogue": "Such brutal efficiency. Shame about the human thing.", "141_Dialogue": "Sure. Let's do some small talk.", "186_Dialogue": "THIS is who the Joker was talking about?", "159_Dialogue": "Tell me... Did you finish everything you wanted to do today?", "143_Dialogue": "That Iron Giant might be stupid, but if I can keep him on my side he could be a valuable ally yet...", "2_Dialogue": "That is an interesting choice.", "45_Dialogue": "That will only end in pain for you.", "102_Dialogue": "That's all? Pity.", "161_Dialogue": "The Holiday Season is on us again. Disgusting.", "88_Dialogue": "The hockey mask is a nice touch.", "180_Dialogue": "The rabbit is mine.", "24_Dialogue": "The rabbit must be eliminated.", "148_Dialogue": "The third number of your IP address is a 7, isn't it..?", "156_Dialogue": "There is still much time left in the day. Time left to work.", "116_Dialogue": "They were warned... and they were doomed.", "178_Dialogue": "This ends... Now.", "128_Dialogue": "This had better be good.", "130_Dialogue": "This prison won't hold me for long.", "177_Dialogue": "This time... stay down.", "40_Dialogue": "This was only my beginning.", "176_Dialogue": "This won't end well for you.", "42_Dialogue": "Thought you'd finished with me?", "46_Dialogue": "Time to change strategies.", "26_Dialogue": "Time to die, Mr. Bunny.", "53_Dialogue": "Time to squash some Bugs.", "63_Dialogue": "We all play the hand we're dealt. Mine is just better.", "9_Dialogue": "We'll see who is controlling who.", "44_Dialogue": "What a terrible path you've chosen for yourself.", "91_Dialogue": "Where I'm from you would be worshipped like a vengeful angel.", "183_Dialogue": "Where are your Gadgets now?", "90_Dialogue": "Why do you hide your most beautiful, destructive form?", "174_Dialogue": "Why keep trying?", "193_Dialogue": "Yes, enjoy the dopamine hits where you can.", "54_Dialogue": "You and your toys are due for a reckoning.", "93_Dialogue": "You are a beautiful machine.", "95_Dialogue": "You aren't even a footnote in my history.", "61_Dialogue": "You could have been anything, and you settled for human.", "29_Dialogue": "You don't control me, Joker.", "132_Dialogue": "You have my attention. Don't squander it.", "38_Dialogue": "You have my permission - my urging - to open fire.", "204_Dialogue": "You lost. Pathetic.", "104_Dialogue": "You put up a better fight than most. Barely.", "56_Dialogue": "You think your money will protect you from me?", "171_Dialogue": "You won't see this coming.", "85_Dialogue": "You'll find I'm a bit lacking in the humor department.", "52_Dialogue": "You'll pay for that mistake, you long-eared freak.", "153_Dialogue": "You're awake rather early.", "82_Dialogue": "You're only calling the shots because I will it, Joker.", "55_Dialogue": "Your arrogance will be your undoing, Mr. Wayne.", "87_Dialogue": "Your lack of humanity places you above them.", "200_Dialogue": "Your time is through.", "78_Dialogue": "[disgust] So you're who's keeping ACME in business.", "77_Dialogue": "[insane laugh]", "76_Dialogue": "[mocking laugh]", "75_Dialogue": "[quiet chuckle]", "125_Dialogue": "[sarcastic] No, no, I've got all the time in the world.", "122_Dialogue": "[sniff] Yes, I smelled you coming.", "12_Dialogue": "[sniffs] Disgusting.", "62_Dialogue": "[threat] Are the Kents as strong as you, Kryptonian?" 

} }

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Memory Transcript: Kinet, Venlil Surveyor Captain [Standardized Human Time July 5th, 2114]:
We had arrived in-system [four days] ago, and while I was expecting to see a world ravaged by nuclear exchange, the damage to the planet was beyond what I could have ever imagined. The surface was scorched, and the air filled with ash and soot from massive continent spanning fires that must have been burning for cycles. Despite all the destruction, our scans showed some signs of life trying to take hold on the surface, but not nearly as much as there should have been.
The humans had wiped themselves out over [150 years ] in the past; it shouldn’t look like it only happened only a herd of claws ago.
Fiir was of no use. When the first glimpses of the planet came in on the viewscreen, the scruffy researcher just stared with his jaw hanging loose before stammering about something being wrong. He stormed off to his quarters, and I haven’t seen him since then.
I sighed and walked onto the bridge with my waking claw cup of tea but was immediately assaulted by the chittering of an excited sivkit, our primary communications officer.
“Captain, captain, captain!”
“Hephy, yes, I’m right here. What is it?” I looked down towards her. She barely came up to my waist in her typical quadrupedal stance, and even doing her best to stand up, she wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye. Despite her stature, her excitement demanded attention as her eyes flicked between myself and whatever data she had scrolling across her display visor.
“Right Right. Anyway, Captain, I have to show you something, it’s big.” Most people don’t pay sivkits much mind, but Hephy was a prodigy. The excitable woman could look at a waterfall plot and pick out every signal present, and even read some of them without any computer assistance. I motioned for her to follow me to the ready room and started off toward it while sipping my tea. She trotted behind me on all fours, as sivkits are wont to do, and when I sat in my chair, she hopped side to side in excitement. “The signals, when we arrived from the jump, I saw something fascinating!” “Hephy, stop bouncing and sit.” I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. She looked at me for a moment as if I had grown a set of ears at the end of my snout. After a moment, her trance broke, and she hopped into the chair. She sat on her haunches and pulled out her tablet.
“Ok so, when we jumped in, we got a ping of the area, right? Send a signal out, listen for the reply, and we see what’s out there that our eyes can’t. Standard stuff, sure, but look.” She tapped at her tablet and expanded a multidimensional spectrum plot. “The bright spots are reports, and it’s all around. Debris right? That’s what I thought but look closer!” I leaned in and looked at the impressionistic splotches of color shown on the holographic display. The blues, yellows, and oranges spattered amongst the dark gray and black of night and other known objects was appealing to the eye, but ultimately gave me little idea what Hephy was trying to communicate with me. She must have picked up on my lack of insight, because she sighed and tapped the display again. “Normally, you see the pulse pattern return and that’s pretty distinct, but this is different. Odd. I thought it was just micro-debris but if you spread it out over time there’s a pattern to it, a structure in the phase relationships that doesn’t match reflections or our interrogation pulses.” “Hephy, you know I rarely ever understand you at this level.” “Right sorry right. Captain, this isn’t the return pulse, they’re data transmissions. Multiple data transmissions all at once.”
My ears perked up, and I tilted my head to the side a bit. “How can you be sure? What would even be out there to send them?”
“I wasn’t sure myself until I looked later on in the data buffers. Almost a claw later there was another longer burst. The automated systems ignored it due to interpreting it as just more micro-debris, but it had that structure-but-not-structure, perfectly shaped noise. I also had nav and sensors run another few active pings at different frequencies, trying to rule out silly patterns seeking brain nonsense. Nothing returned. The debris cloud doesn’t exist!”
“So what does this mean for us?”
“I don’t know, but it's fascinating! They must be satellites of some kind, either too small to reflect much or made to absorb radio waves.”
“That’s worrisome. There’s only one reason you’d build something like that.”
“Weaponry?” She chirped with surprising insight I had not expected to come from her. She had never been in the space force like I, and many others, had.
“Defense platforms, yes.” I took a sip of my rapidly cooling tea to try and soothe the anxious pit growing in my stomach.
“That’s…concerning.” Her excitement waned for a moment but quickly slipped back.
“Very, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Hephy.”
“As if I could keep quiet about something like this!” She snorted with a chittering laugh. “Oh! Wait there’s one more thing. There was another signal in a higher band that sounded off around the same time as the other burst, this time from a different orbit, way further out. I traced it to an artificial satellite.”
Suddenly, a thought hit me. These things were actively communicating with something. Was there something still left on the surface?
“Hephy, do you know where those signals were going?”
“Normally the antenna is too directional for anyone but the recipient to see it or it’s hard to get a read on directionality, but I know where everything is communicating to. The middle of the smaller main ocean.”
“Hephy, that’s an incredibly important bit of information!”
“It is? Oh yeah right, that makes sense!” She wiggles her tail in an amused flicking motion.
I stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “Get us close to that artificial satellite and see what it is. I’d like to get a better idea of what we’ve just stumbled into. Report back when you have some answers and we will go from there.”
Hephy bobbed her ears and hopped off the seat. “On it, sir. Where are you going?” “I’m going to talk to Fiir. This is beyond the original mission, and he needs to know.” “Ay captain. Good luck. Guy’s a weirdo.” I simply grunted and strolled down to the auxiliary quarters where I knew the researcher to be.
>Advance record: [10 Minutes]:
Fiir had brought an entire team of researchers with him. I was told they’re all colleagues of his from the research academy that are interested in this personal project of his. This many people on board with his project did explain how he was able to offer the exorbitant sum of credits to hire me and my crew. They had been allocated a section of the ship near the front, just past the shuttle bay and under the bridge area. This let them have their privacy and set up whatever gear they brought with them.
It also meant that there was a door between them and the rest of the ship. A door that they did not hesitate to keep closed after pre-launch inspections had concluded. The researchers didn’t have anything I didn’t expect from the manifest, but I still found it rather suspicious. Were they hiding something? Perhaps it had to do with that odd power hungry computer they insisted upon. Mara had her ears tied in a knot trying to accommodate it, and still they were coy about why exactly they needed it. It didn’t do me any good to speculate, though. What mattered most was the problem of the satellites.
I finally reached the door and, being the polite man I am, I scratched at the sounding plate before grabbing the handle and trying to open it. To my surprise, it didn’t budge. I could understand locking doors to the personal quarters, but this was a main corridor in my own ship! Just as I reached over to key in the unlock code, the door made a thunk as the latch disengaged and slid open part of the way. A familiar gray fringed brown muzzle stuck out from the gap. “This is a restrict- Oh. Captain.” Fiir opened the door a little more and stood up facing me. “What is it?”
I blinked at his rather blunt question. “I just came to inform you that we’ve discovered some worrying details about the nature of the-” “The artificial satellites are not of any concern to us.” He cut me off before I could finish.
“We think they might be-”
He glanced back behind the door for a moment, his tail thrashed in agitation. “It doesn’t matter. Have you prepared the landing party yet?” My jaw tightened as my frustration with his rudeness grew. I couldn’t get much of a word in, but I needed any answers. “They’re set to depart in two claws, but with those unknown satellites, I can’t be sure of their safety! I saw you on the bridge when we arrived, you were expecting something different. As the captain of this ship, I need to know if there’s a threat to-”
“Captain.” Fiir’s gaze grew intense as he leaned in. I may have had almost a head of height on the wizened farsul, but in that moment, he felt as if he was towering over me. “I suggest you stick to the responsibilities I hired you for, Captain Kinet. There are things that you are not privy to, nor will you be made privy to in the foreseeable future. Continue with the survey as per our agreement, and you’ll get your credits. Do not bother me until the away team is en route. Good paw, Captain.” He closed and locked the door without even waiting for my response.
I just stood at the door for a long while, a feeling of anger and indignation boiling in my chest. I had only ever had cordial contact with the researcher up until now; this abrupt shift in his demeanor was unsettling, to say the least. How dare he talk down to me like that on my own ship! I sighed and took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out. Slow and controlled. Letting the tension and anger flow out with my breath.
Inhale. Hold. Release.
Inhale. Hold. Release.
After a few cycles, the burning anger was reduced to a smoldering cinder. As much as I had wanted to headbutt Fiir, it wasn’t worth risking the contract for. I turned and walked back to the bridge to prepare for the away mission. Without Fiir’s info, I needed to make sure contingencies were in place for any possible threat to the away team. The lives of my crew are paramount, even if the contract was very, very lucrative. All that aside, the planning would keep my mind away from thoughts of my rude client.
>Advance record: [Standardized Human Time July 6th, 2114]:
I woke up after my rest paw feeling groggy and unrested. The confrontation with Fiir kept playing in my mind all night, despite the claws of planning for the away mission. To say his standoffish behavior left knots in my wool would be an understatement. I wiped my snout with my paws, flicking the crust from my eyes before getting up out of bed.
I grabbed my favorite mug and fixed myself my morning cup of tea. Pulling the dried leaves and stems from the canister, I could feel my mouth water in anticipation. I had been told by many who possessed the strange appendage called a nose that the tea leaves had a strong earthy and floral scent. I often wondered what that meant. Venlil didn’t have noses, but we did have a sense of taste, which is apparently quite similar. I often wondered what it might be like to smell. Do we really miss out on so much without being able to smell?
We had to soak our foods and tea in water before we could taste it with our tongues, and even then, it’s not nearly as sensitive, which is probably why other species consider venlil cuisine to be overseasoned and overpowering.
Another reason why the stereotype of venlil being weak is nonsense, in my opinion. How strong can you be if you can’t handle a little spice?
The timer went off, chirping to tell me my tea was ready. I sifted out the leaves and brought the invigorating elixir to my lips. The hot fluid warmed me to my core and burned away the waking lyasi silk from my groggy mind.
I needed to catch up with Hephy and Mara; they should have brought in that satellite-
My thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of my pad. I picked it up and answered the call to see Hephy’s face almost filling the screen, with Mara looking over her shoulder.
“Oh good you’re awake! Captain, you must see this! It’s amazing! The satellite, it’s full of brains!”
END TRANSCRIPTION
Been a hot minute, I hadn't forgotten about this. As always, comments are coveted and appreciated. What do you all think about Fiir's behavior? What do y'all think of Hephy?
Thanks to for creating this setting and fostering such a delightfully passionate community! Thanks again to , Novalux, and the Foxmates for editing and helping me get this done!
Soma belongs to Frictional Games.

Update: Bloons TD 6 v43.0 - Update Notes!
Available now for most platforms please restart your storefront or be patient if it does not appear for you, these updates can take some time to be rolled out to every region due to how the storefronts are set up.
Update Video: https://youtu.be/97SrSDiSNfk

Key New Features

• New Event, Boss Rush!
  • We are so psyched to release this event! We have heard the many requests for more Team activities, and after testing some functionality in Quests, we are so happy to release a very different way to play as a Team. Thank you for your feedback and patience, and we truly hope you enjoy!
  • Band together with allies to defend against the powerful Boss Rush threatening your Team. With multiple Boss threats looming on the horizon, you and your Team must work together to defend nearby islands from a variety of invaders!
  • To assist in pushing back the threat players are outfitted with Relic Knowledge to leverage and a number of Revive Shields that will recover you from 0 lives! But be careful, Revives are limited and each time one is triggered the Boss will rush closer to the exit.
  • These Bosses cannot be destroyed alone, so when defending any island your goal is to deal as much damage as you possibly can before they make it past. When your Team reaches enough combined total damage the island is successfully defended and you can progress to the next island, with a new Boss to defend against!
  • Between islands some monkey types must stay behind to defend, but additional Relic Knowledge will be acquired to assist in the next challenge.
  • Defend 5 islands, each with a fast paced Boss challenge against different Bosses out of the initial 3 available: Bloonarius, Dreadbloon & Phayze. (Vortex & Lych to be coming at a later date!).
  • Immediately after defending an island, all Team members can claim the island rewards!
  • For launch we are releasing with a pure Team focus without competitive leaderboards. This allows us to review balance and get feedback from players before making changes in future updates. Boss Rush has evolved to be much bigger than the minigame-like concept it was initially planned to be and we look forward to seeing all of your Teams defend their islands together!
  • The Event Timer shows when the next Boss Rush will start - less than a day after launch.
• New Code Redemption System
  • This new system will allow us to create gift packs that can be redeemed by anyone with the code for free in-game rewards, so keep an eye out for any codes we may share (or hide…) in future!
  • Due to privacy requirements, certain platforms cannot enter the codes directly in the game. Instead, you can log in to your LiNK account and follow the instructions at: https://ninja.kiwi/giftcode

New Awesome

• New Hero Rosalia! (responds to Lia for short!)
  • Jetpack Monkey joins the team! Try out Rosalia right away in her new trial quest! Rosalia is built to be a strong ‘set and forget’ hero who also happens to work well with a techbot. The ability to swap weapon to handle her own weaknesses exists for people who wish to play her as their sole DPS, but the power of both her weapons is balanced to scale up together at a fair rate so there's no reason not to pick a preferred weapon forever, and build the rest of your towers to cover any weakness left.
  • Rosalia freely jumps around her large workshop area, attacking faster the more Bloons are nearby while swapping between a powerful single target laser & bouncing cluster grenades to deal with different threats!
  • Enhanced special attacks for the 10th shot fired on either weapon, showering Bloons in a fog of explosions, or Shocking and pushing them back with powerful Plasma blasts
  • Reduce all upgrade costs for Monkey Ace & Heli Pilot, plus one other friend!
  • Lv3 Scatter Missile ability, to clean up Bloons with a barrage of powerful stuns
  • Lv7 Hover ANYWHERE and gain the Flight Boost ability to temporarily pursue Bloons everywhere around the track and temporarily boost the flight speed of Aces & Helis
  • Lv10 Kinetic Charge ability, which sticks MOAB-class Bloons with a charge that explodes after a short duration and amplifies this explosion based on the amount of damage that hits the target before the charge explodes. Focus fire!
  • You could try this code: ROSALIAROCKS
• New Beginner Map Tinkerton
  • Explore Rosalia’s workshop and help defend it against Bloon incursion! Who knew orange juice had so many uses?
• New Quests
  • Tinkerer’s Tutorial: discover Rosalia’s strengths and weaknesses
  • A Strange Bloonomaly: Dr. Monkey wants your help investigating some unusual Bloons
• New Trophy Store Items
  • Heroes: Obyn Wolf Dance placement animation for Standard Obyn
  • Monkeys: Boomer ‘Roo pet for the Boomerang Monkey
  • Bloons: BAD Scarab skin
  • Game & UI: Boomer and ‘Roo profile banner, Distinguished Gentlemonkey avatar
• Limited Time Trophy Store Item
  • Druid of the Rainbow avatar
• New CT Team Store items
  • Icons: Battle Monkey Icon
  • Frames: Boss Rush Clouds Frame

Game Changes / Additions

• Map Editor Beach items
  • It may be getting colder in New Zealand, but we know it’s getting back to beach weather for most of you!
  • Beach water path x1
  • Areas x2
  • Stamps x3
  • Props x22
• Map Editor ‘full path’ settings to modify how entire paths work
  • Set paths to be alternating, sequential, or a specific pattern
• Map Editor ‘path node’ settings to modify small sections within a path
  • Invulnerable MOABs: MOABs will not be targetable until the next node
  • Invulnerable Bloons: Bloons will not be targetable until the next node
  • All Bloon Speed: Speed modified by a set multiplier until the next node
  • Scale Bloon: Bloons will increase in visual size until the next node
  • Scale MOAB: MOABs will increase in visual size until the next node
• FPS is no longer capped by default, instead a 60 FPS limit can be enabled from the screen resolution menu

Bug Fixes & General Changes

• Endurance Roundset used in the Phayze One quest has been extended from 100 to 205 rounds, and now has naturally spawning Camo Bloons added
• David Vs Goliath achievement now works in Boss Challenge
• Resolved a crash that could occur when logging out
• Resolved a crash that could occur when exiting out of the received accolades menu too quickly after entering
• Resolved a case in which ‘login required’ could incorrectly display on arcade builds
• Unlocking a new hero should always select that new hero
• Resolved some UI overlap issues within Map Editor
• Resolved some minor visual issues with quests forcing hero level ups
• Map Editor vfx should no longer sometimes become locked to the player’s selection and block interaction / clicking on other items
• Resolved an issue that could sometimes fail to load the ‘My Teams’ button
• Resolved an issue where tower outlines would incorrectly misalign from the tower
• Improved resolution of the default App icon
• Restarting a game in the Content Browser should no longer render that run invalid for the ‘first winner’ slot
• The ‘messages’ page is now loaded by default when interacting with the My Team button
• Income modifiers used in challenge rules should correctly apply to all sources of income

Event bug fixes

• Team island props should once again animate when interacted with
• Game should no longer crash when in the Odyssey scene as the event ends

Map Specific Fixes

• Protect the Yacht quest map’s Boss Spawn Point art has been corrected
• Protect the Yacht quest map should no longer use the #ouch odyssey statue

Tower Specific Fixes

Tack Shooter

• 5xx Inferno Ring’s fire aura is now visually disabled when VFX slider is set to 0%

Ice Monkey

• x3x Arctic Wind ice aura is now visually disabled when VFX slider is set to 0%

Glue Gunner

• x4x Glue Gunner can no longer debuff Dreadbloon in Primary Immune phase

Monkey Sub

• x5x Pre-Emptive Strike now works on Castle’s Revenge
• Resolved a crash that could occur when building a sub paragon as Vortex spawns.
• 3xx+ Monkey Sub aura no longer shrinks with the VFX slider, but is disabled at 0%

Monkey Buccaneer

• 4xx Aircraft Carrier planes now have camo restored when Polyphemus Eye is opened
• xx4 Favored Trades no longer increases the sell value of towers in CHIMPS above $0

Heli Pilot

• Swapping to Lock in Place while moving should no longer visually jam the rotation

Super Monkey

• Resolved a hypersonic automatic blink teleport attacks issue that never happened in a live build but is kinda fun to talk about, and honestly less hype than i’m making it out to sound anyway.

Hero Specific Fixes

Gwendolin

• Lv4 Gwendolin's Heat It Up buff no longer fails to apply if the attack runs out of pierce
• Resolved a buggy visual that could occur when Heat It Up attacks too fast

Etienne

• Etienne should no longer consume the ‘Box of Monkey’ Relic Knowledge

Geraldo

• Resolved a rare crash that could occur when using hotkeys
• Resolved an issue where Geraldo’s skin displayed the wrong portrait when viewing the full upgrades page

Corvus

• Resolved a crash that could occur when sold at Lv2

Platform Specific fixes

• [Vision Pro] Gentlemonkey Geraldo skin should now show on the Monkey Tray

Balance Changes

Tower Balance

The combination of towers you are able to pass round 1 with can change quite a lot in any overall strategy, especially for more restrictive game modes, so for this update we have made an effort to open up new starter combinations with improvements to a number of initial placement towers.
Dart Monkey
While we have been working to increase this niche with many new maps, Juggernaut’s functions sub-optimally for the majority of current maps in the game as the knockback doesn’t scale well without good rebound opportunities; to help with this we’re increasing their knockback force slightly with even more emphasis on the less-favored crosspath. We are slightly reducing the cost of Super Monkey Fan Club to overall improve the value of taking multiple to maintain higher uptime

• 4xx Juggernaut Knockback duration increased 0.1s > 0.15
• 402 Juggernaut Knockback to heavy targets 1.5 > 2.25
• 402 Juggernaut Knockback to light targets 3 > 4.5
• x4x Super Monkey Fan Club price reduced $8000 > 7500

Boomerang Monkey
Boomerang base price is being slightly reduced, already a decent start in many cases though this seemed enough to make slight game start changes and price it differently to other towers. The main attack for MOAB Domination has been scaled up as overall it is a good upgrade but the pierce on this main attack was previously unchanged from the T3. Glaive Lord’s main thrown attacks will now be able to bounce back again and hit the same target multiple times, this can be a very powerful effect so there is a cooldown on how frequently any single Bloon can be re-targeted.

• Boomerang Monkey price reduced $325 > 315
• xx5 Moab Domination Main projectile pierce increased 18 > 54
• 205 Moab Domination Main projectile pierce increased 27 > 81
• 5xx Glaive Lord main attack can bounce back to the same target: cooldown 0.6s

Bomb Shooter
Bloon Crush does its job locking down all movement in an area, but we feel it could see more damage to reduce the stall time without the balance really changing much. Bomb Blitz was recently refitted to a cheaper price range while proportionally keeping a similar power level for the cost, however seeing it now in this spot we feel keeping higher damage will give it the edge it needs to feel more impactful than spamming Recursives.

• 5xx Bloon Crush damage increased 12 > 24
• 502 Bloon Crush Frags damage increased 12 > 24
• 502 Bloon Crush Frags bonus damage to ceramic 12 > 0
• xx5 Bomb Blitz damage increased 3 > 5

Tack Shooter
Tack is a very powerful base tower technically, but it is unable to achieve high uptime of that potential power in many early rounds, so some base cost is moving into the cheaper xx1 and xx2 upgrades to make it easier for other towers to start alongside the tack. Additionally, while we’ve held out on this change as there are strong use cases in prior upgrades, Blade Maelstrom lacks the single target punch to last late in Modern Bloons. While it is designed as a high pierce cleanup of low tier Bloons we want to try shifting some pierce to single target damage to feel good for longer.

• Tack shooter price reduced $280 > 260
• xx1 More Tacks price increased $100 > 110
• xx2 Even More Tacks price increased $100 > 110
• x4x Blade Maelstrom damage increased 1 > 2
• x4x Blade Maelstrom pierce reduced from 200 > 100
• x5x Super Maelstrom damage unchanged
• x5x Super Maelstrom pierce reduced 500 > 300

Glue Gunner
Increased duration has limited use on upgrades that completely destroy targets anyway, so a better crosspath benefit is being added onto 401 glue puddles. Bloon Solver’s pierce is being reduced as it is over-overkill for how many Bloons you realistically see at once, but this reduction should not be noticed for most players. Glue Splatter stands out as weirdly expensive for T2, and is rarely even needed so we’re significantly cutting its price to bring it down to a more affordable range with less pierce, we hope this should make it more worth considering for splatter coverage over piercing. Now that Glue Storm is extremely good for damage type & debuff support we’re removing the bonus speed reduction that should otherwise require xx2 crosspath and lowering the duration of the Glue Storm. New Relentless Glue finally offers something quite powerful so cost is slightly increasing.

• 401 Stickier Glue allows track puddles to last +1 round
• 5xx The Bloon Solver pierce reduced 5 > 4
• x2x Glue Splatter price reduced $1450 > 970
• x2x Glue Splatter pierce buff reduced 3 > 2
• x5x Glue Storm ability ‘storm’ duration reduced 20s > 15
• x5x Glue Storm ability glue slow 75% > 50%
• 052 Glue Storm ability glue slow 90% > 75%
• xx4 Relentless Glue price increased 3000 > 3400

Sniper Monkey
Lower tier Shrapnel crosspathing balance doesn’t feel great currently, so the damage crosspath benefits at T1 & T2 are improving. Even with the high damage per shot, Cripple MOAB still has low value outside of debuff capability, we feel that these shots pack enough of a punch now that they should do a little collateral damage - so lets do it! (we’ve also increased shrapnel pierce at this tier to not tip crosspath balance too far to one side).

• 120 Shrapnel Shot damage increased from 1 > 2
• 220 Shrapnel Shot damage increased from 2 > 3
• 320 Shrapnel Shot damage unchanged (4)
• 520 Cripple MOAB’s Shrapnel Shot pierce increased from 2 > 3
• 5xx Cripple MOAB now damages Bloons around the main target
  • Radius 8
  • Pierce 10
  • Damage 28

Monkey Sub
Bloontonium Reactor’s unsubmerged damage is increasing to encourage unsubmerged possibilities. The bonus to Lead on Reactor currently doesn't apply to T5, so this bonus is being carried up and improved along with a small price reduction to Energizer as strategies using it have fallen somewhat in viability. Nautic Siege Core’s hero buff is being improved as currently this is an under-utilized part of the tower.

• 4xx Bloontonium Reactor dart & airburst damage 1 > 2
• 520 Energizer gains bonus damage to Lead +5 when submerged
• 502 Energizer price reduced $32,000 > 31,000
• Paragon Hero attack cooldown increase reduced 1.5x > 1.3
• Paragon Hero damage multiplier increased 4x > 5x

Monkey Buccaneer
While buccaneer is technically already a very good starter tower for maps that happen to have ideal spots allowing it to attack in both directions we feel this situation isn’t common enough that the tower should be priced around that expectation - this reduced cost is added back to top and bottom T3 upgrades as they do not need the buff. As the paragon has exceptionally powerful scaling mechanics as well as being a paragon that continues to produce cash the XP Unlock requirement is increasing, this increase will not affect players who have already unlocked it.

• Buccaneer price reduced $500 > 400
• 300 Destroyer price increased 2950 > 3050
• 003 Merchantman price increased 2300 > 2400
• Navarch unlock XP increased 500,000 > 750,000

Monkey Ace
Minor catchup changes to some parts have fallen out of line slightly due to balance changes for other parts of the Ace.

• x1x Exploding Pineapple attack cooldown reduced 1.7s > 1.6s
• xx5 Flying Fortress radial dart damage increased from 3 > 6

Ace - Goliath Doomship
A lot of stats shuffled around here; this should keep the power level roughly similar overall but with proportionally more of that power coming from the seeking attacks, and less from micro aiming the faster firing frontal gun.

• Seeking Radials projectile count increased 4 > 8
• Seeking Radials damage increased 200 > 300
• Seeking Radials boss bonus increased 200 > 300
• Non-seeking Radials projectile count reduced 16 > 12
• Non-seeking Radials damage increased 200 > 300
• Non-seeking Radials boss bonus increased 200 > 300
• Frontal Gun damage reduced 300 > 150
• Frontal Gun boss bonus reduced 300 > 150

Heli Pilot
Overall Comanche cleanup and stats shuffle; with the goal of improving baseline non-buffed performance and making it less demanding of Geraldo’s Pickle for high damage.

• x5x Special Poperations Marine can now be sold in CHIMPS
• xx4 Comanche Defense mini's attack rate 0.151848 > 0.228
• xx5 Comanche Commander mini heli dart damage increased 2 > 3
• xx4 Comanche Defense mini's missile damage 1 > 4
• xx4 Comanche Defense mini's missile pierce 80 > 60
• xx4 Comanche Defense mini's missile ceramic bonus increased 1 > 2
• xx4 Comanche Defense mini's missile moab bonus removed 2 > 0
• xx5 Comanche Commander mini's missile ceramic bonus increased 1 > 10
• xx5 Comanche Commander mini's missile moab bonus removed 8 > 0

Mortar Monkey
Artillery Battery use has really exploded (!) and over the past few updates it has been sitting fairly steady in a great spot, the current power level feels good but we don’t want to create too big of a gap from the T3 yet so only a very slight cost increase. Blooncineration’s 025 crosspath currently works so much better with external buffs so we're tweaking the 205 crosspath to feel better in some situations.

• x4x Artillery Battery price increased $5500 > 5900
• 105 Blooncineration walls of fire pierce increased 25 > 36
• 205 Blooncineration walls of fire damage increased 2 > 3

Wizard Monkey
Wizard has a weaker base tower so the base cost is going down in exchange for a small price increase to the cost to value ratio for the effective Arcane Mastery. As Fireball becomes very forgotten at higher tiers and is hard to even see at Dragon’s Breath, we’re improving the crosspath and adding even more projectiles at T3 for wider explosive coverage. As Shimmer is the slowest de-camo in the game it is important that it not miss when it does trigger, so pierce is greatly increased. Wizard Lord Phoenix’s Wall of Fire hasn’t had any meaningful upgrade progression, so its damage is being increased. Magus is one of the more in-depth Paragons to use effectively so having it as one of the cheapest to unlock didn't feel right, the unlock XP requirements for this and Ninja are being swapped around.

• Wizard price reduced $375 > 325
• 3xx Arcane Mastery price increased $1300 > 1400
• xx3 Shimmer pierce increased 200 > 500
• 210 Fireball crosspathed damage increased 1 > 2
• x3x Dragon's Breath fireball projectile count increased 1 > 3
• x3x Dragon's Breath fireball damage reduced 9 > 3
• x3x Dragon's Breath pierce reduced 4 > 3
• x5x Wizard Lord Phoenix wall of fire attack damage 3 > 5
• x5x Dragon's Breath fireball damage reduced from 27 > 9
• Wizard Paragon unlock cost increased from 500,000 > 1,000,000

Super Monkey
Super Monkey projectiles already travel most the map length so that total distance is being reduced and adding back via the range-focused middle crosspath. The recent Robo/Tech Terror nerfs had a larger impact on the Anti-Bloon, so it is seeing a larger compensatory price reduction. Legend of the Night’s special passive ability is being failsafe limited to 2 activations per round, per tower.

• Supermonkey projectile speed reduced 280 > 200
• x2x Epic Range projectile speed bonus 25% > 75% (remains 350)
• x5x The Anti-Bloon upgrade cost reduced from $80,000 > 70,000
• xx5 Legend of the Night ability max uses per round: 2

Ninja Monkey
While a great early game option, Ninja generally struggles with dominant crosspathing choices and also has relatively poor base tower value. Without going into every single change, T3s onward remain relatively unchanged with a lot of prices below T3 being moved around from less favorable crosspaths into bettehigher tier upgrades. Ninja Paragon is very simple to use so unlock XP requirements for this and Wizard Paragon are swapping around so Ninja is the faster unlock. This increase will not affect players who have already unlocked it.

• Ninja Monkey price reduced $500 > 400
• Ninja Monkey attack cooldown reduced from 0.7 > 0.62
• 1xx Ninja Monkey attack cooldown reduced 38% > 30 (all attacks)
• xx2 Caltrops attack cooldown reduced 4.4 > 3.9
• xx4 Sticky Bomb attack cooldown reduced 5 > 4.5
• 1xx Ninja Discipline price increased $300 > 350
• 3xx Double Shot price increased $850 > 900
• x1x Distraction price reduced $350 > 250
• x2x Counter Espionage price reduced $500 > 400
• x3x Shinobi Tactics price increased $900 > 1200
• xx1 Seeking Shuriken price increased $250 > 300
• xx2 Caltrops price increased $400 > 450
• Ninja Paragon unlock cost reduced 1,000,000 > 500,000

Druid
Passive life generation is being removed in favor of the active ability being the only source of life generation, this allows druid-focus strategies to no longer ‘accidentally’ heal their Vengeance buffs away. Heart of Vengeance itself has been allowed to remain overpowered for a long time since life loss is not always an option in different challenges/modes, but with newer competitive modes being added over time that do allow for this mechanic to be, overindulged, shall we say, it feels due for substantial rebalance.

• x4x Jungle's Bounty now generates 1 life per ability cast
• x4x Jungle's Bounty no longer passively generates 1 life per round
• x5x Spirit of the Forest no longer passively generates lives per round
• xx2 Heart of Vengeance lost lives maximum rate bonus reduced 100% > 50

Banana Farm
Monkey Wall Street’s cost is being increased, but in return its special bonuses have been improved with more life generation and much more range for Banana collection.

• xx5 Monkey Wall Street price increased $60,000 > 70,000
• xx5 Monkey Wall Street range increased 60 > 75
• xx5 Monkey Wall Street lives per round increased 10 > 15

Spike Factory
Spike Storm is now exceptionally strong so the ability cooldown is increasing a small amount along with the T5 cost. This comes along with a crosspath rebalance granting more 042 lifespan. Long Life Spikes can start creating a nice buildup of spikes in advance but most of the time feels fairly meh as a stepping stone into Deadly Spikes, a little price here is being shifted up to improve standalone upgrade value.

• x4x Spike Storm cooldown increased 45s > 50
• x4x Spike Storm ability spikes minimum duration reduced 10s > 9
• x4x Spike Storm ability spikes maximum duration reduced 13s > 11
• 041 Spike Storm duration bonus for ability spikes increased 50% > 100%
• x5x Spike Storm ability spikes duration remains at 18-22s
• x5x Carpet of Spikes price increased $40,000 > 42,000
• xx3 Long Life Spikes price reduced $1400 > 1300
• xx4 Deadly Spikes price increased $3500 > 3600

Monkey Village
Primary Expertise’s own attack is unreliable due partly to low bounce distance, so this is being increased. Base level Monkeyopolis continues to over perform, so the baseline cash generation is reducing.

• 5xx Primary Expertise bounce distance increased 50 > 90
• xx5 Monkeyopolis base cash amount reduced $1250 > 1000

Engineer
While better than many options, base Engineer still takes a lot of available starting cash so the cost is reduced slightly and being moved back up into Cleansing Foam & Bloontrap; also with a reduction to Double Gun’s price to reflect the lower value of the base tower. Sentry placements are slightly changing to improve their reliability, and will now spawn closer to the track depending on how much range the sentry has. Sentry Champion, while strong with them, is lacking without high buff support so we’re trying out an increase to the sentry damage on it.

• Engineer price reduced $400 > 350
• 1xx Sentries now spawn within 20% of their range to the track
• 5xx Sentry Champagne damage increased from 2 > 3
• x3x Cleansing Foam price increased $850 > 900
• x4x Overclock foam pierce 10 > 15
• xx3 Double Gun price reduced $500 > 450
• xx4 Bloontrap price increased $3500 > 3600

Beast Handler
In going over our large list of price changes for Beast Handler’s lower tiers in 42 this change was received very positively, however we did not realize that in making this change we killed off all chance of dual-beast handlers being used as a round 1 starting option for under $650 in hard modes – So we gotta do that math all over again and convert it for difficulty, painful 😀 All T1 beast prices changed to allow 110 & 101 beast handler combos to be placed for under $650 in hard mode, all T2 & T3 prices shifted around to keep these same cost ratios.

• 1xx Piranha price reduced 170 > 160
• 2xx Barracutie price reduced 850 > 810
• 3xx Great White price reduced 2075 > 2010
• x1x Microraptor price reduced 195 > 175
• x2x Adasaurus price reduced 890 > 830
• x3x Velociraptor price reduced 2170 > 2065
• xx1 Gyrfalcon price reduced 210 > 190
• xx2 Horned Owl price reduced 940 > 860
• xx3 Golden Eagle price reduced 3150 > 2120

Orca is very strong currently but Great White doesn’t do so much outside of max merge MOAB Takedowns, so damage is increasing to improve these non-maxed situations.

• 3xx Great White damage increased from 8 > 12
• 3xx Great White damage range increased from 16 > 24

Similar to Sentries, Beast spawn placement will now scale closer to the track based on how much range the beast has.

• 1xx Piranha now spawn within 20% of their range to the track
• x1x Microraptor now spawn within 30% of their range to the track

Golden Eagle has stood out more than Condor against MOABs which has felt very wrong, last update it was nerfed against MOABs and now we are playing with the pierce & penalties to improve Golden Eagle further against non-MOAB-Class targets and for Condor more help with lower MOABs.

• xx3 Golden Eagle pierce increased from 15 > 30
• xx3 Golden Eagle pierce range increased from 30 > 60
• xx3 Golden Eagle MOAB pierce penalty increased from 44 > 1089
• xx3 Golden Eagle attack cooldown range from 0.28679625 > 0.28
• xx4 Condor Unchanged by any above changes
• xx4 Giant Condor ceramic penalty reduced from 1 > 0
• xx4 Giant Condor BFB penalty reduced from 44 > 29

We’re slightly reducing beast reposition cooldown as the tiny range leaves movement very tight, which is especially painful for Microraptor path given the low range.

• Beast Handler move cooldown reduced from 3s > 2

Hero Balance

Quincy
Quincy’s Rapid Shot starts with an extremely short duration that slowly increases over levels, the difference between min and max is huge but it doesn’t feel too impactfully increased at any point through the leveling up process, so we are increasing the base duration and instead moving the buff up to max duration all into his Lv13 which currently doesn’t do much.

• Quincy no longer gains 0.5s Rapid Shot duration per level
• Lv3 Rapid Shot duration increased 3.5s > 8
• Lv13 now also increases Rapid Shot duration 8.5s > 12

Gwendolin
Gwendolin’s Heat it Up was recently reworked to allow for much more frequent triggering from attacks, however the 4.5s internal cooldown still limits it from being scaled up far so that internal cooldown is now also being reduced. Additionally, Heat it Up’s bonus buff to damage against Lead targets has been improved slightly so we can get more out of that niche.

• Lv4 Heat it Up minimum delay reduced from 4.5s > 1.5s
• Lv17 Heat it Up buff to Lead type increased from +1 > 2

Obyn Greenfoot
Obyn isn’t necessarily the best support for every type of Druid to reach its highest DPS, but with his more easy reliable design it feels appropriate for him to solve Druid’s biggest weaknesses in a more laid back approach with:

• Lv8 ‘Nature’s Wrath’ additionally grants camo detection to Druids in radius

Benjamin
Benjamin’s Cyber Security and Skimming levels have been swapped around so that the early game skimming cash snowball doesn’t come quite so soon, and Cyber Security can come in earlier where it will make a bigger impact proportionally to the lives being lost.

• Swap the levels for Lv6 Cyber Security and Lv4 skimming

Admiral Brickell
We’ll probably regret this, but the nerf made people very sad, and that is not a life goal 😢

• Lv18 Mega Mine cooldown 45s > 40

Etienne
Etienne's drones are prone to missing due to very low projectile speed, this speed is increasing a fair amount to help with this as drones already have an inability to directionally aim well.

• Lv1 Faster projectile speed for all drones 150 > 250

Psi
Purple Popping is underwhelming with how late it comes online, so this is swapping around with level 11’s slightly faster pop speed.

• Lv11 (Faster Popping) & Lv13 (Purple Popping) swapped

Geraldo
Geraldo has been far too powerful for a while and all-round nerfs are coming to many outstanding aspects, however in return a little quality of life is coming with some more forgiving stock capacities and much more flexible Fertilizer; with the % benefit being reduced in return for improved replenish rate, maximum stock and the ability to now work on all Banana Farm types.

• Lv2 Action Figure price reduced $700 > 650
• Lv6 Worn Cape restock rate reduced 5 > 7
• Lv6 Worn Cape cape max stock increased 2 > 3
• Lv7 Blade Trap max stock increased 3 > 4
• Lv9 Fertilizer cash bonus reduced 25% > 20
• Lv9 Fertilizer max stock increased 2 > 4
• Lv9 Fertilizer rounds to replenish reduced 5 > 3
• Lv9 Fertilizer will now work on all Banana Farms
• Lv13 Shooty Turret v2 damage reduced 7 > 6
• Lv8 Gerry’s Fire duration reduced 10r > 5
• Lv16 Gerry’s Fire v2 duration remains 10r
• Lv11 Jar of Pickles bonus to fortified removed 1 > 0
• Lv16 Jar of Pickles bonus to fortified reduced 2 > 1

Corvus
As Corvus’s power is still considerably top-heavy the mid game performance is being improved with buffs to underused spells, but also top-end power of his 2 most powerful level 20 spells is being reduced to lessen the pressure to ‘need’ to get this far.

• Lv1 Spear pierce increased from 3 > 4
• Lv3 Soul harvest cooldown 35s > 40s
• Lv5 Aggression initial mana cost 80 > 50
• Lv7 Malevolence tick rate 0.5s > 0.3s
• Lv14 Malevolence damage 3 > 5
• Lv20 Might damage 400 > 300
• Lv20 Overload damage 4000 > 3000

Relics
Minor tweaks to Heartless which feels it has no competitive edge over most other Relics & Monkey Boost which overperforms on all available tiles.

• Heartless now ‘disables’ Regrow Bloons: Regrow rate increased 150% > 10,050%
• Monkey Boost granted uses of the Monkey Boost power reduced 3 > 2

Some Relics required more functional changes. As more range is situational and sometimes detrimental Going the Distance has been merged with Durable Shots to also grant increased Lifespan, Durable Shots now instead increases the pierce of all towers. As ‘Popping White Bloons’ is also far too situational Deep Heat now also grants Frozen Bloon popping and improves the duration of Freezes.

• Going the Distance now also provides Lifespan +30%
• Durable Shots no longer grants increased lifespan
• Durable Shots now grants towers increased pierce +25%
• Deep Heat now also allows all attacks to pop 'Frozen'
• Deep Heat now also grants Freezes longer duration +10%
• Deep Heat now also allows Freezes to last extra layers +1

Boss Bloons
Bloonarius
This is really just for fun, bringing increased variety of Bleed Bloons from higher tier Bloonarius

• Elite Tier 4: Bleed Bloons from 12 MOABs > 8 MOABs + 2 BFBs
• Elite Tier 5: Bleed Bloons from 8 DDTs > 6 DDTs + 2 fort ZOMGs

Dreadbloon
Rock Bloons in the higher tiers of Normal Dreadbloon are very outscaled, and so their health values are being increased.

• Normal Tier 4: Rock Bloon HP increased 5000 > 9000
• Normal Tier 5: Rock Bloon HP increased 12000 > 22500

Phayze
In Elite mode Phayze’s speed bonus while shielded is being reduced by 5% across the board as it felt just a little too quick.

• Elite Tier 1 shielded speed bonus reduced from 50% > 45%
• Elite Tier 2 shielded speed bonus reduced from 55% > 50%
• Elite Tier 3 shielded speed bonus reduced from 60% > 55%
• Elite Tier 4 shielded speed bonus reduced from 65% > 60%
• Elite Tier 5 shielded speed bonus reduced from 70% > 65%

Not finished yet but nearly done just need to know if it's decent.
Spider-Man VS The Punisher
A man walking his footsteps sounds like mini explosions as a row of computers with people typing on them. The man stops upon a window looking down to a glass cage with yellow electricity emerging from it.
“He's here, he's taking us all out. We need back up. Noooo.” The man looks at one of the scientists saying “wait for him to get here.” The man cleans up his suit and tightens his tie.
“Ohhh you're getting dressed up just for me. I shoulda brought flowers.” The man looks up where he sees a man in a red and blue webbed suit. “I should have killed you years ago. Well after today you will be.” “We both know that's not going to happen Willy. I'll arrest you and you'll escape, Rinse and repeat, it's always been like that.” The man grinds his teeth and grips his hands. “Unleash him.” the scientist looks at him and then at the computer pressing a button.
“Unleash him Fisk are you cheating on me with another hero.” as he says this a bolt of lightning strikes through the glass levitating in front of him. “You must be Spiderman. I'm electro, the man that's been tasked to kill you.” Spider-Man whispers to himself. “This guy's making my spider sense go crazy. I don't think this will go well.” he coughs then says. “Shouldn't you be at the circus.” Electro looks at Fisk and says “Leave Mister Fisk now.” Fisk and the scientists walk out into an elevator. “Don't disappoint me Max.” The elevator goes up with Spider-Man and Electro looking at each other “So electricity man are we gonna start.” He looks down to his hands where they start to glow brighter with electricity shooting out. BANG electricity shoots out his hand Spider-Man just dodging it. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG Spider-Man narrowly dodges the bolts. He creates a continuous line of lightning towards Spider-Man. Cracking Peter tries to dodge it but fails on the ground Peter feels his muscles shut down. Electro walks over to him, shocking him again. “Ahhhhhhh.” He stops Spider-Man trying to crawl away BANG “AHHHHHH.” An alarm goes off as sprinklers also go off hitting Electro causing him to grunt.
Spider-Man using this crawls up a wall into a vent leaving the building Spider-Man takes off his mask feeling the rain hit his face. He hears Fisk talking to Electro below. “Is the job done.” “No, he escaped. The sprinklers set off burning my skin.” “You let him escape. I gave you one job and failed me." Electro looks at him sternly saying “Mister Fisk you gave me these powers and you want me to kill Peter I will. You know where he lives, I can go over there and kill him and his family.” “You will do no such thing. He will not try to kill us if we just go after him he won't understand.” Electro nods and walks away with an umbrella.
Spider-Man looks at his web shooters. “Great, they're gonna have to get the train. May's gonna kill me when I get back.”
Brooklyn, New York, 21:32
“PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DO IT. I HAVE A FAMILY LOOK. PLEASE I'LL DO ANYTHING. WHAT DO YOU WANT MONEY, POWER.” A man shouts breaking down in fear of whoever is trying to kill him. “I want to know why you do it. Why commit crime when there's hundreds of heroes. I think I know why though. They won't kill, they won't just take the godam leap and end you scumbags. So I chose to do it myself.” The man says in a deep voice wrapping a cord around his neck. He picks him up, showing him a fifteen floor drop. “No, no, please don't do this.” He starts to cry as looks at him blankly, throwing off the building with him screaming for about three seconds till the man hears a snap. “Good Riddens.”
Queen's, New York, 9:29 pm
Walking into a house a teenager walks in “Peter where have y- My god what happened to you?” Peter looks at his aunt and says “Some people tried to rob me, it's alright May.” “Did they take anything? Did you call the police.?” “No and no May I'm fine May.” He looks at May. “I'll call the police.” “DON'T. I never saw what they really looked like, you'll just waste their time.” She looks at him saying “From now on you'll be back before it gets dark.” Peter nods “Now Peter time for your cake Happy Eighteenth Peter.” Peter looks at a cake with candles on it. He blows them out “Thanks May I'm just gonna go to my room I've had a ruff day.” May looks at him. “Are you sure you don't want some cake I've made? It's your favourite.” “I'll have some tomorrow really.” Peter walks up to his room turning on the TV playing the daily bugle. “Today Spider-Man failed to capture this so-called Lizard. I think he's just too lazy to put in any work. When the police lose a suspect their back on the streets trying to find him but Spider-Man swip swap swoops his way down and destroys peoples properties.” Peter looks at it in a rage “People would have died if i wasn't there yet I don't get thanked but hated. Why do I do this?” He looks at the picture next to his bed of him and uncle Ben. The time when he didn't worry if Aunt May would see him tomorrow. If she'll be targeted by villains. “Ben would call me stupid for doing something like this. Even more stupid I was responsible for his death. I couldn't just tell him where I was, I just had to storm out. He goes looking for me and ends up getting shot. I'm sorry Ben.”
Manhattan, New York, 06:34
“What will it be?” “Coffee, milk and two sugars.” She turns around and the man looks at his watch as he checks the time. “06:36 still have seven.” “It's ready. Have an amazing day.” he hands her a ten and leaves. He walks to an old burned building. Walking in he goes up five floors and goes towards a sniper pointing out a window. He takes a sip of his coffee checking his watch. “06:42 one minute.” A minute later a limousine drives up to a small building. A man dressed in a white and gold suit walks. “Gotcha.” BANG, a single bullet from the sniper shoots the man in the head obliterating the back of his head. He walks away with screams of people running and people shouting. “It's him, Punisher, he's here.” Pointing their pistols in the air looking where the shot came from.
Queen's, New York, 7:45 am
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BE-. Bang Peter hits his alarm destroying it. “Uhh, great way to start the day.” Peter goes to the bathroom brushing his teeth. He leaves the bathroom getting changed into his new clothes then goes to check on his web shooters. “Thank god for the science lab.” Checking his costume he sees it burnt and destroyed. He messages MJ to ask her to bring his spare costume she's working on. He gets his bag and web shooters going downstairs. “Hey Aunt May I'm off to school.” “Not so fast, I've got some cake for you to take.” Petter goes up to May and takes it. “Thanks May love ya bye.” Peter walks out to the school bus.
On the bus he sits next to his girlfriend Mary Jane. “My god Pete what happened to you. Also you suits in my bag.” Peter looks at her saying “New villain in town calls himself Electro.” “You've got to stop doing this Peter really you're going to kill yourself. How many villains do you have?” Peter looks down and says “Well Theirs the lizard, Shocker, Electro, Fisk, Otto Octavius and sin eater. Don't forget about the small time.” She looks at him saying “God why do I put up with you.” “Because I'm irresistible.” She smirks.
A couple hours later Peter only had two lessons left. Peter in the back of his English class looked at his web shooters making sure they still aren't broken and that he fixed them during science. Peter looks at his phone where he sees a notification from the daily bugle saying that sandman is robbing a bank. “Can I go to the bathroom?” Peter shouts. “Sure Mister Parker uh just take the pass.” Peter takes it and leaves. He goes to the janitor's closet putting on his Spidey suit and web shooters jumping out of the window. He looks at his phone while swinging. “Sometimes I wish I had a GPS in my suit instead of needing to use Oscorpe maps.” He swings wondering why sandman is robbing a bank. “He's stupid but not this stupid to rob a bank, especially during the day.” He swings across Queensboro into Manhattan.
When he arrives the swat team surrounds the area with Captain Stacey on standby. Spider-Man drops down in front of him. “Hey.” Looking up Captain Stacey talks to Spider-Man. “Spider-Man good thing you're here we need your help. Sandman has taken over the bank and he has three hostages.” Spider-Man looks at him saying. “Guess you can say things are getting out of sand.” “Sure just when you go in don't destroy much will you.” “I won't captain you know me, just get your officer's to sand back.” Spider-Man does finger guns at Captain Stacey swinging in. “Everyone shut up. I'm gonna pay it off with this score.” Spider-Man slowly swings down “It's ironic that you're named Flint. You know because flint and steel create fire and fire turns you into glass.” “WHAT.” Spider-Man sighs as he launches a kick towards him. He kicks him with Spider-Man going straight through him as this happens he webs his feet and pulls causing him to fall. He goes to punch sandman but punches him through the glass into a police car. CRASH, the police start firing at him but they do nothing. “SPIDER-MAN GET UP.” Captain Stacey shouts at spider-man. Spider-man jumps in slingshotting himself into sandman. He goes straight through him knocking sandman back as well. “Stop this Flint, think of all the good you've done.” He jumps onto the wall looking at a fire hydrant. “Like you've no that won't cut it. Ok you haven't done anything good but that doesn't mean I have to kick your ass again.” Sandman gets up. “You think you can kick my ass again. Not happening.” Spider-Man sighs. “Ok.” Spider-Man jumps down and grabs the fire hydrant and pulls. CRACK, the fire hydrant breaks splashing water all over sandman. “I told you Flint, I always win.” Flint starts to turn into a pile of wet sand. Spider-Man webs the hydrant to stop the water then walks over to Flint. Barely able to keep your normal form. “Screw you.” Spider-Man looks over at the captain. “He's all your captain enjoy.” Spider-Man jumps onto the side of a swat van. “Where do you go when you finish?” “School, besides I'm only missing one class.” Peter says this jumping and swinging away. “About ten minutes getting there. HEY I'M SWINGING HERE. Five minutes there and ten back is enough to miss english.”
Last lesson goes pretty boring for Peter. He's thinking about the lizard and how he escaped yesterday.
Bronx, New York, 15:45
“Nah he'll be here soon. The boss says after today's shipment the police are going to leave the Bronx alone.” An unknown man, clearly a gangster in a suit, is talking to another man in a suit. “Yeah, isn't he worried, though I mean what happened yesterday? You know Freddy.” One of them says “Nah, his new guy almost killed Spider-Man yesterday. He was talking about how he was crawling to escape only got away because of the sprinklers.”
BANG, BANG, The Punisher walks into a restaurant with seven men in suits in it. “HEY WHO LET THIS GUY IN.” The Punisher grabs his M4 and start to spray into a crowd killing three of them. Two of them pull out micro uzi's shooting at him. The Punisher grabs a grenade and throws it at the bar. BANG, The grenade goes and kills the two of them. The other two put their hands up and surrendered. Frank drops his AR. BANG, BANG, He shoots them with his pistol. He walks upstairs where five line a wall of AK's. The Punisher pulls out a stun grenade throwing it at them. BANG, they all drop their guns blind and staggering The Punisher walks in picking up one of their guns firing on them all. He walks to a door with the dead piled up next to it. He kicks it open to see a man in a suit. “I wondered how long it would take for you to find me, Frank. Now I have some you want and in return you'll let me go, unde-.” BANG, “No deal.” Frank starts to pack a duffel bag with money. Once he's done he lights the office on fire and leaves.
He walks to a van getting into the driver's seat. He drives for about thirty minutes to a small house. Walking in he puts the money in the pantree where about fifteen of the same bags are. He puts on the TV playing the news and works on making bullets. “Spider-Man today was responsible for the destruction of one bank. One I go to, when i wanted to go there today I realised I COULDN'T BECAUSE SPIDER-MAN HELPED SANDMAN DESTROY IT AND WHEN THE COPS SHOWED UP HE THREW HIM UNDER AND PRETENDED TO BE THE HERO. Now why do I have to pay for it? Why doesn't he? We know who Captain America is and he destroys a bank because he's civilised and not a maniac.” Frank looks at the TV turning it off and continues working.
Manhattan, New York, 4:21
“PARKER, PARKER, these photos are blurry I'll give you fifty.” Peter looks at him “Mister Jamerson I need a hundred and twenty.” “I need better pictures.” A man walks in “We need pictures Jonah.” He looks at Peter. “Ok one twenty.” He sighs a check giving it to Peter.
Peter leaves and goes to the woman working at the desk in front. “Hey Betty.” Peter gives Betty the check to Betty who gives him the money. “Thanks.” Peter leaves the daily bugle checking phone. He sees that he's missed a call from Captain Stacey. He calls him. “ you at the station up town.” “Ok but which one?” He runs into the alley next to the bugle changing into his costume swinging away. “So which one.” “You won't miss it kid really.” The call ends. “Ok, quite weird but he didn't even say why he needed me.” It takes him about thirty seconds to realise what he's about. In the distance he sees a giant ball of electricity. “Oh no.”
“Where is it?” CRACK, BANG, Electro kills three police officers. Captain Stacey tells all the police officer's to get into the building. “YOU CAN'T HIDE.” Spider-Man swings down checking the pulse of one of the dead police officers. “no. SURRENDER NOW.” Electro flies in front of him. “Or what. At least I'll get to kill you now. Peter.” Peter feels nervous looking around and Captain Stacey shouts for him to get in. “STAY INSIDE CAPTAIN.” The captain goes to one of his men. “Is it ready?” “yeah” Electro shoots electricity at spider-man. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG. Spider-Man webs a man hole throwing it at him. Electro catches it, Spider-Man using this moment slingshots himself punching Electro multiple times. “I'M DONE PLAYING. YOU KILLED COPS I'M NOT GOING EASY.” Electro smirks at Peter creating an emp knocking Peter down. Electro drops to the ground, shocking him. “AHHHHHHH. BANG, AHHHHHHHH. BANG, AHHHHHHHH.” Electro walks up to Spider-Man who is crawling away. “Poor little Peter Parker. Once I'm done with you I'll deal with the ones you love. Rest in piece Peter Parker.” Electro charges his hands then. BANG.
Manhattan, New York, 16:23
Punisher loads his sniper talking to himself. “Really, they would kill me immediately. At least I'll kill this freak.” He toggles with the scope. “SURRENDER NOW.” “He won't do that kid” he waits for a clear shot. “YOU KILLED COPS I'M NOT GOING EASY.” he waits for his moment. Bang “AHHHHHHH.” Electros hands start to charge he lifts them. “bang.” BANG. A single bullet goes through the chest of Electro. Frank picks up his sniper and walks downstairs.
Walking down he sees Electro holding his chest on the ground and Spider-Man next to him barely alive. The Punisher walks up to Electro with a knife. “No please d-dont do this.” He gets close to Electro as tries to crawl away. The Punisher grabs him and turns him around. Fear in Electros eye's “Once I'm done with you I'll deal with your loved one's.” “No please.” The Punisher stabs him in the throat, killing him. “You know kid stay away from fisk for the next couple of days you understand. Deal with that giant lizard terrorising the city. Got me Parker.” Peter just looks as he starts to lose consciousness. “Good.” Gorge Stacey and his men leave the building telling The Punisher to surrender. He walks away as no one dares goes to arrest him. Gorge gets his men to help Peter.
Manhattan, New York, 7:32 pm
“You've got to take it easy kid. The doctors said you could have died.” Peter listens to Captain Stacey saying. “I know but with this guy out there, bloods gonna spill in the streets.” The Captain sighs. “So what are you going to do.” Peter coughs “I'm going to try and find the lizard first.” “Stay safe kid.” Peter jumps of the empire state building swinging through the city calling MJ to tell May he's staying at hers tonight.
Thirty minutes Later Peter hears on the police radio that a giant lizard is destroying Oscorpe. Swinging over he feels the stitches in him starting to rip.
When he arrives he sees a fire and a chunk of the side of the building gone. He swings in where fire and dead security guards are. “W-who is he?.” He hears a continuous clicking sound. “There aren't any alien space hunters down there, ha ha.” He laughs nervously. Suddenly a human sized lizard runs towards him trying to eat him. He dodges jumping on a wall “Hey I'm from the zoo, they said a lizard needed to be put down. That doesn't make sense. I don't kill. Hey no bitey.” He sees on the lab coat he's wearing it says Dr Connors. Still dodging “Connor's wait Curt Connors how did you. AHHH.” The Lizard scratches Spider-Man across the chest leaving a claw mark. Spider-Man looks up and sees him jumping to bite him. Spider-Man cartwheels backwards into a jump webbing his head and face planting him. “If you chill out I'll give you a box of insects to eat.” The Lizard gets up. “AHHHHHHHH.” Spider-Man looks at him. “Uh I don't know what to say to that. Raw maybe." As Spider-Man gets ready to attack, the Lizard's left arm starts to turn grey. It looks at it and runs away. Spider-Man swings after him through the streets of Manhattan “YOU MIGHT UGLY BUT I'M FINE WITH IT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN.” As he swings the lizard throws a hotdog stand at him. He webs it to a wall and keeps swinging. “SERIOUSLY A HOTDOG STAND IF YOU DON'T STOP I'LL TURN YOU INTO A LIZARD DOG. WELL I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.” The lizard goes into an alley into a sewer. Spider-Man follows him slingshotting himself in shouting. “YEAAAAH.”
Inside of the sewers Peter looks around and sees only one way forwards. He crawls ol the walls seeIng the destruction Connor's did. “UH MISTER CONNOR'S, CURT, LIZARD, ANYONE. AM I JUST TALKING TO MYSELF, YES, why did I shout that.” He keeps crawling till he hears shouting. “PLEASE I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.”
Manhattan, Sewers, New York, 19:28
“Where is this freak? This vermin to society.” The Punisher walks through the sewers trying to find the rat killing innocent people. “HISSSS.” He hears a hiss and feels something watching him. “SHOW YOURSELF YOU FREAK OF NATURE.” A black figure crawls out from the shadow. “Tries to hurt me, hurt Edward. AHHHH.” He hisses and screams at him. He goes to attack him but The Punisher unloads bullets from his M4. Vermin shouts in pain “AHHHHHHHH.” Frank slowly followed him. “YOU CAN'T RUN VERMIN. I'LL KILL YOU MATTER WHAT. I'LL DO WHATEVER, YOU'RE COWARD THAT PREY ON THE WEAK.” “Vermin doesn't prey on the weak. I DON'T HAVE CONTROL, AHHHH. Vermin needs to eat, Edward needs to live.” he scurries away. After a minute of walking he arrived in a circular area where Vermin threw him in. “AHHHHH. Vermin will kill you now.” Frank picks his M4 up again, shooting him. He screams crawling up the wall. The Punisher pulls the trigger when vermin is above it and doesn't do anything. He checks the mag to see it's empty. Vermin drops down Scratching Frank across the face. He pulls out his pistol shooting him in the eye. “AHHHHHH, AHHHHH.” Frank goes up and shoots him on the head, killing him.
He hears a scream further down. Going down the tunnel he sees lab equipment and a lizard transforming into a person. “The Lizard, perfect timing.” Limping, he goes over to The Lizard waiting for him to transform. “AHHHHH, AHHHHHHHHH, HELP PLEASE, AHHHHHHH.” Frank just stands there till he transforms. He pulls his pistol out and points it at Connor's. “You're the lizard. What's your name? WHAT YOUR NAME?” “Connor's. Dr Curtis Connors.” Frank starts to pull the triggers. “PLEASE I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.”
Peter drops down in front of him webbing his pistol. “We don't kill people, understand.” The Punisher grits his teeth “Back off kid really.” “So you can kill him. Like you did Electro. You told me you were going against Fisk, why are you going for The Lizard.” The Punisher smirks at Peter, making nervous. “I wasn't here for him. It's just a coincidence.” Peter stands there wondering what's next. The Punisher runs towards him Peter jumps over him kicking him in the back. The Punisher hits his head knocking him to the ground Peter uses this to web him up.
“Ok we need to get outta here understand.” Connor's nods and starts to pack his stuff. “I won't kill you kid.” Peter looks at him. “Good because neither will I.” “I'm ready Spider-Man.” Curt says to Peter “Alright let's get outta here.” Peter swings Curt Connors out of the sewers
Manhattan, New York, 8:53 pm
“Ok you need a cure. Uhh, I've got it. I'll take you to the Baxter building. Reed can help you.” Connors thinks. “What if he finds me?” Peter sighs. “It's probably got more security than the raft and it's got four of the best heroes in the world in there.” Connors agrees and Peter swings him there.
When he gets there they walk in. Peter shouts. “REED YOU HERE. REED RICHARDS.” “Peter.” They turn around to see Sue. “Hey Miss Richard's I need your help.” She looks at Peter then at Connor's “What's wrong Peter are you in trouble.” Peter looks at her then Connors. “Not me. Have you ever heard of The Punisher?” She looks confused. “Uhh no why.” “He's trying to kill him. He needs a secure place to stay. And he needs a cure to stop him from turning into a lizard.” She looks. “What about you? Will he kill you?” He sighs “No he won't. He just wants to kill villains.” She looks at Connors saying “Reed is out but he'll be back soon he can make you a cure. Be safe Peter this stuff doesn't end well.” Connor's looks at Peter “Thanks Parker I would never expect you to be a superhero. Miss Richards, can you get my family?”
Peter leaves, going to the top of the Baxter building for some peace. “I'm too tired. I just want to go home but I need to find Fisk.” He checks the wound Connor's left. “I'm losing too much blood. My costume is destroyed and I helped the guy escape death. How am I going to explain this to May my wounds? I can't believe it. First day as an adult and I might not live to see the second. Uncle Ben must think I'm stupid.” He shakes his head. “I've got to go to Fisk tower and warn him.” Peter swings to Fisk tower.
Manhattan, New York, 9:01pm
Spider-Man arrives feeling light headed. He swings up to the office where Fisk and his men are sitting. He opens the door, his men immediately pointing their guns at him. “DROP YOU WEAPONS.” Fisk tells his men. Reluctantly they do Peter Limping towards him. “I need to warn you. A guy, a guy is uh is uh going to kill you.” His voice started to slur and he was barely able to keep his eyes open.” Fisk walks towards him. “You two get the medics now.” Peter falls unconscious.
Waking up Peter wonder's where he is looking around and he sees medical equipment. He gets up and walks through a pair of doors into a room full of men and Fisk working at a desk. “You're awake. You've been out for nine hours.” Peter realises that his face is exposed and Fisk notices this. “We all know who you are, Parker.” Peter walks up to him. “Why did you save me? You're goon tried to kill me yesterday.” Fisk calmly got up saying. “Yesterday you came to warn me. I knew why because of the Punisher. When you came here you were close to death. I saved you because. I need you to defeat the Punisher. I've asked every mercenary in this city and it's the same answer. No before Punisher was a myth but now after the men he's killed. The only one who can defeat him is you.” Peter looks at him. “Who's to say I'll stop him.” “Because yesterday you came here to warn me. The only one who wants me dead that can do anything is him.” Peter looks at him. “Where's my stuff.” Fisk clicks his Fingers and one of his men comes over to Peter giving him his phone, suit and web shooters. Putting them on Peter goes to the window telling Fisk. “Thanks Fisk. You really should leave the city.” Peter swings away.
Queen's New York, 6:09 pm
Peter swings through Queens arriving at his girlfriend's house. He goes to her window knocking on it. She wakes up opening it. When Peter enters he takes off his mask. “I can't do it anymore Peter last night you never showed up. I thought you were dead. This Electro almost killed you and the lizard. Peter I ju- AHH.” She screams seeing Peter's face covered in stitches. “I'm not that ugly.” Peter jokes but MJ says. “What happened yesterday.” Peter sits down “It's a long story.”
Manhattan, New York, Sewers, Time Unknown
“DOWN HERE, THERE'S A LAB.” Two police officers walk down the sewers seeing a lab. They both walk into Connor's lab looking around. “What the hey Chris, what is this place? Chris.” Click the police officer feels a gun to the back of his head. “I'm going to take your gun and handcuffs. And Chris is alright just incapacitated.” Frank takes the cop's gun and handcuffs him to a metal pole.
Leaving the sewers Frank feels the cold air on his face. Checking his watch he realises it is broken. He goes to his van and drives off to his house.
When he gets inside he goes to the kitchen checking the clock. “Wasn't down there for long.” He puts on the TV while he makes shotgun shells. “Breaking news this morning we have word that Spider-Man and the Lizard destroyed Oscorpe hours ago, fleeing in the sewers. They also found the cannibal serial killer known as Vermin dead. They say it's a man dressed in black wearing a white skull on his chest. Now I don't condone murder but I want to personally thank this heroe for dealing with someone Spider-Man probably thinks isn't worth his time.” Punisher looks at the TV and at his shotgun loading. “That's all for now J, Jonah, Jamerson signing off.”
Frank goes into his pantree grabbing a bag of cash. He looks in it seeing about hundred and fifty grand. He takes it to his van with him driving off.
Manhattan, New York, 04:41
Frank walks into a small café and enters. “Mister Castle, quite a busy night was it.” Frank walks up giving him the bag of money. “Do you have the thing?” the man clears his throat. “Yes, your coffee is ready. Hot, two sugars and no milk. That'll be one dollar fifty cents.” Frank looks at the bag and at the device he's buying. He picks it up and leaves. “Keep the change.”

Chapter 122 Sir Janus burst into the pavilion. He had ditched his elegant black Imperial Knight suit for his old grease-stained beige fencing uniform. His beard, previously neatly trimmed, now resembled its usual bird-nest unkempt style, hiding the gruesome scar on his neck. The tournament aides tried to intercept him, but Sir Janus bulldozed through them like a buffalo charging across a cornfield.
“Move aside. I’m a damn Imperial Knight,” Janus grunted as another pair of aides moved to cut him out. He, indeed, didn’t look like an Imperial Knight. In fact, he seemed pretty much intoxicated.
Sir Janus effortlessly knocked over an empty bench as he stumbled through the pavilion. Even the Master of Ceremonies lost track of his words and turned around to see what was causing the commotion. I assumed Sir Janus was searching for Captain Kiln, but to my surprise, he approached me. Meanwhile, the Master of Ceremonies called the final fight—Firana versus Belya Nara, the daughter of Lord Nara.
Firana sprung to her feet and walked to the weapons rack.
“We need to talk, Scholar,” Sir Janus mumbled, putting his heavy hand over my shoulder before I could follow Firana. He was totally intoxicated.
Considering Firana’s confidence was through the roof and the fact we had already secured a victory in the bracket regardless of the outcome, I guessed she wouldn’t miss the last-minute pep-talk.
“I have a moment,” I replied, then asked Ilya to check on Firana in my place. With a nod, Ilya approached the weapons rack, but Firana signaled her to return to the bench. Despite Firana’s gesture, Ilya wrapped her arm around Firana’s neck and whispered a few words in her ear.
I wondered if it was a threat or advice. I hoped it was the latter.
“Come with me,” Janus slurred, guiding me outside the pavilion under the noble teams' glances.
We walked around the Great Hall, passing through a dim corridor into a small cobbled yard where the guardsmen exercised away from prying eyes. Janus looked around, making sure we were alone. Suddenly, any signs of intoxication vanished from his face. I couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t brought Captain Kiln along with us. If this impromptu meeting was due to the last attack on the orphanage, I expected her to be present.
“What’s the matter? I should be in the arena overseeing my team,” I said.
“Did you know Darius Holst has a Silence Hex?” Sir Janus whispered.
The question caught me off guard. The only people who knew about the Hex were Elincia, Captain Kiln, and me. I hadn’t expected Holst to be flaunting the mark around. I examined our surroundings. We were alone, and even the roaring sound of the crowd had vanished.
“I saw the hex engraved in his flesh,” I replied, but before I could ask any questions in return, Janus continued with his interrogation.
“Did you tell Izabeka about it?” Sir Janus’ tone became more urgent by the second.
“Of course I did. Don’t you find it alarming? There is someone out there who wants me dead. Captain Kiln might be the orphanage’s only real lifeline,” I replied.
Sir Janus stroked his beard as he walked from side to side in the corridor.
“Do you trust high-borns, Robert?”
For a moment, I was unsure what to answer. I trusted nobles just enough to take their word at face value. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have negotiated our place in the tournament with the Marquis and Prince Adrien.
“Captain Kiln wouldn’t betray us,” I cautiously replied. I couldn’t say the same of the Prince or the Marquis with complete certainty.
Sir Janus nodded as if he vaguely agreed. His questions, however, were starting to make me nervous.
“Izabeka might be one of the few nobles with a little bit of honor left, but she is loyal to the marquisate,” Janus said in a hushed voice. He glanced around once more before continuing. “I need your help, Robert. I think you and I might be standing on a snare.”
I shook my head, puzzled by Janus’ words. The orphanage enjoyed the royal family's support, and the Marquis had even offered me a title if I won the tournament. We even had Risha and Astrid back at the manor protecting the kids. The orphanage couldn’t be in a better position.
Did all this have to do with the last attack on the orphanage? At first glance, the operation didn’t seem orchestrated by someone closely connected to the high ranks of the nobility; the attackers were too weak and too sloppy. Even the Marquis had access to several level 40 warriors within the Guard and the Sentinels, and he was a low-ranking noble in the grand scheme of the kingdom.
“What does Holst’s Silence Hex have to do with anything?” I asked, trying to unravel Janus’ words.
He shook his head, disappointed.
“Come on, Scholar, use your brain. Silence Hex is a high-level spell. Historically, nobles have used it after ordering their subordinates to commit unlawful acts, to clean their tracks,” Janus explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I think the Marquis put the Silence Hex on Holst. Izabeka isn’t stupid; she will connect the dots and realize that whatever Holst did, the Marquis ordered it.”
An indirect order. The Marquis couldn’t tell Captain Kiln that he had ordered Holst to attack the orphanage, but she could deduce it via the Silence Hex. For better or worse, loyalty was Captain Kiln's most important trait, and her allegiance to the marquisate went further back than her friendship with the orphanage. The Kiln, Holst, and Abei families had roots in Farcrest since its foundation. It wasn’t just blood that bound the families; it was history itself.
“Why are you telling me this now? Do you think Captain Kiln is going to betray us?” I asked.
“I don’t think Captain Kiln would betray us. I think we are stepping on a trap, and if she realized it, she might be too loyal to warn us,” Janus said.
His words weighed on my shoulders.
“Listen, Scholar. We are in the eye of the storm, but no matter what happens with the Farlands campaign or the new trade routes, nobles will still have to deal with each other. We, the lowly commoners, are expendable.”
A tale as old as history.
Suddenly, Janus surrounded himself with black mana and disappeared. Shadow Step. I looked around, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I’m good at sneaking into places, hearing things. It has helped me navigate nobility affairs since I got my Advanced Class,” Janus said, standing a few meters behind me. “I believe Kellaren Odrac-Aias has been working with the Marquis all this time. The Aias family has been a vassal to the Marquis of Farcrest for three generations, and I don’t see Tauron letting that bond disappear. Too much wasted military power. If Kellaren proves to be a better investment than we are, our position in Farcrest hangs by a thread.”
“But Kellaren is working with Lord Osgiria,” I pointed out.
“And what makes you think the Marquis isn’t playing both sides?” Janus interrupted me. “If the Farlands campaign succeeds and a path into the Kingdom of Tagabiria opens, new commercial routes will appear. Farcrest will be the most important city in the kingdom, but it can be more. The Marquis could be happy and benefit from tariffs… or he could assemble his own routes. And who is the most capable person to establish those routes?”
“Lord Osgiria,” I muttered. The man had the knowledge, the contacts, and the supplies to establish and monopolize the new trade routes. The Osgirians had already done that once by controlling the southern frontier.
Janus’ suspicions made sense. Even Captain Kiln admitted that a Silence Hex was a high-level spell, but at the same time, its mere presence was a powerful indicator that someone wanted to keep a secret. Captain Kiln’s assurance that the Marquis wasn’t a tyrant but a pragmatic person seemed weaker now. I had been inclined to believe Kellaren was behind all the incidents the orphanage had suffered, but Captain Kiln might not have been aware of his relationship with the Marquis.
“I’m still not sure the Marquis is working with the Osgirians. That would be high treason against the royalist faction,” I said.
Other than a vague plausibility, Janus’ theory had many holes.
“The last attack on the orphanage didn’t make sense,” I added. The Marquis was gaining popularity with the royalist faction because of me and the orphanage. Even now, we are beating Team Nara into the ground. So far, Prince Adrien seemed satisfied with my performance, which reflects well on the Marquis. Why would the Marquis risk all he had already accomplished with the royal faction?
Janus nodded. “It didn’t make sense until I found the missing link. Firana,” he said, lowering his voice.
A shiver ran down my spine.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked.
Far away, the crowd roared. The fight had started.
“Kellaren needs Firana to rebuild the Aias Mercenaries and bring them back to their old numbers, and you are the only one anchoring her to the orphanage,” Janus said. “The Marquis tried to sabotage the orphanage for fodder for the royal army before. Now, he might be the one trying to kill you. He needs to sever the bond between Firana and the orphanage. If Firana takes charge of the Aias Mercenaries, the Marquis will have enough loyal and experienced manpower to escort huge caravans at a very low price before anyone else.”
It made sense. Early investors always get the best returns. The Marquis controlled the Farlands with the Sentinels and defended the city with the Guard, but he lacked an armed wing to operate outside the frontiers of Farcrest. The new path between Ebros and the Kingdom of Tagabiria would change the inner politics of the kingdom forever, and I didn’t doubt everyone wanted to take their part. The Marquis had been preparing the ground for the big moment for years, and he could turn his back on the royal faction if that benefited Farcrest the most.
There was only one piece missing in Janus' story.
“How does this affect you?” I asked.
“Before the old Marquis picked me up, I was a street rat when Farcrest was a hellhole where criminals were sent to die, Robert. A bunch of newcomers will not want what I have built for myself,” Janus grunted. “We can’t touch the Marquis, but if we break the link between him and the Osgirian dogs, we will put him in a position that favors us.”
Whether Janus was right in his assessment of the political situation or not, getting Kellaren out of the picture sounded like a win-win situation. Despite Kellaren being closely related to a series of crimes against royal troops, Captain Kiln’s investigation wasn’t going anywhere. Janus seemed like the kind of man who didn’t care about working outside the law.
“Do you have anything we can use against Kellaren?” I asked.
“Just fragments of conversations and circumstantial evidence, I’m not going to lie. But I believe Kellaren holds receipts of all the shady business he had conducted since the death of the Aias leadership,” Janus smiled. “If we find those ledgers and letters, we could sever the tie between the Marquis and the Osgirians and strengthen the alliance between him and the royal faction.”
So far, our survival strategy has been preparing our defenses and hoping for the best, but that will not work forever. It would only take one word from a powerful lord to wipe the orphanage out of existence. It might be time to take the offensive.
The crowd roared again.
“I need proof,” I said.
“I only have my word. It’s not like I can record conversations,” Sir Janus replied, looking around and lowering his voice until it was a little more than a whisper. “I’m not asking you to believe me; frankly, I might be wrong. I hope I’m wrong. But if my suspicion is right, we are in big trouble. Look, Robert, I’m not asking you to betray the Marquis. I’m just asking for your help to expose Kerallen.”
I nodded. It seemed fair enough.
“I assume we are infiltrating the Odrac-Aias stronghold?” I said.
“Yes, we are infiltrating Kellaren’s manor in the Southern District. The tournament is the perfect distraction. We should wait for further rounds when the stakes are higher, and the matches are more exciting. I will let you know,” Sir Janus said, turning around and walking towards the Great Hall. I did the same but in the opposite direction.
Before I could turn the corner, Sir Janus stopped me.
“And tell the Aias kid not to show off. The better she performs the juicier the target she will be for Kellaren,” he said.
That would be difficult.
The situation remained almost the same. As long as I was useful for the royalist faction, the orphanage would be safe. However, I didn’t expect the Marquis to be flirting with the opposite side, considering how close he was to the Prince. What worried me was Firana. Whether she liked it or not, she was an essential political piece on the board.
I hoped Janus’ was wrong, but at the same time, I knew it was a vain hope.
I returned to the pavilion just to find the crowd going wild.
A sandstone spike emerged from the ground, but Firana jumped out of the way, putting on an acrobatic show and falling light as a feather. Dozens of sandstone spikes and columns emerged from the ground. Stone debris was scattered around the arena as if a giant had decided to topple part of the Great Hall.
Belya Nara kicked the ground, sending a two-meter solid sandstone wave toward Firana. The ground undulated under Firana’s feet, but with the help of [Windrider], she jumped over the stone wave and used the sandstone spikes to propel herself toward Belya.
The crowd roared.
Belya raised her mace and blocked Firana’s shortsword before unleashing a whirlwind of sand. Firana retreated to avoid the sand and waited until the spell lost power to lunge again. A slab of stone stood where Belya was a moment earlier. Firana stopped in her tracks, but the stone slab crumbled, revealing Belya’s mace. The surprise attack almost got Firana, but the girl contorted in a seemingly impossible movement and cartwheeled out of reach.
“What’s the score?” I asked as I sat on the bench between Elincia and Wolf. Ilya was standing on the edge of the arena, yelling instructions. She reminded me of the soccer coaches from the big European leagues.
Elincia instinctively searched for my hand; her’s was sweaty.
“Five barriers down each. Belya Nara is surprisingly talented. She hasn’t stopped casting skills since the start of the combat,” Zaon replied, his eyes glued to the combat.
“Don’t let Ilya and Firana know you compliment other girls,” Wolf joked.
Zaon shuddered and focused back on the combat.
Firana circled Belya, looking for an opening, but the Nara girl was comfortable controlling the center of the arena where the sandstone spikes were sparser. Firana was forced to slither between the sandstone spikes, one eye on Belya and the other on her surroundings. Then, she disappeared. Belya Nara looked around, but Firana wasn’t behind the sandstone spikes anymore.
The nobles in the VIP box stood against the rail guard, burying Ginz in a sea of taller and more muscular bodies.
Belya Nara looked up and summoned her defensive sand in a whirlwind, but Firana used Aerokinesis to disturb the spell before it could gather enough force. Firana landed feet first on Belya’s shoulders, sending her to the ground. The barriers around her body protected her from the impact, but Firana seized the moment to slash one of her barriers. Belya cushioned her fall, turning the ground into fluid sand, and swung her rock-covered mace, but Firana effortlessly pushed off her back and repositioned.
“Blind her! Stick her with the pointy end!” Ilya yelled from the sideline.
“You got it, boss!” Firana yelled back as she cast Aerokinesis with her foot and kicked a substantial amount of sand at Belya’s face.
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Chapter 169 – A moment of truth. A moment to lie.
Shida exhaled slowly as she flew in a parallel line along the massive, slowly rotating hull of the Sun. The near true-black surface of the enormous ship loomed ominously next to her, tricking her brain into the impression that it was somehow trying to pull her tiny little hunter into it like a black hole or some shadowy portal. Though obviously, that was just a literal trick of the light.
Activating her frontal thrusters yet again to slow the momentum of her flight, she just barely noticed the movement on the hull next to her as something adjusted to the now slowing movement of her cargo. A moment later, a harpoon much like the one she herself had fired into the lump of molten material that had solidified around the still dutifully pinging black box shot against the precious debris, latching onto it and connecting it to the larger ship.
With the press of a button, Shida's own harpoon then automatically shot off its tip before her hunter reeled in the connecting cable as well as the remaining rod. Almost as soon as she was detached, the Sun's harpoon already began to reel the black box lump in as well.
It admittedly took a bit of time and finesse, but this process was still much easier than trying to somehow land with the barely controllable lump of hull-slag still attached to her ship.
Rubbing a hand over one of her hears, Shida released a mild huff before then firing her engines up again as she adjusted her course to fly around the ship and find her way into the dock.
Once the slightly precarious maneuver of flying through the relatively narrow, rotating tunnel that was her entrance was overcome, the feline turned her hunter onto 'life support' mode as she sat back, since she would have to wait for the atmosphere in the dock to be reinstated before she could even think about getting out.
Suddenly, a comm came in for her, making her ears twitch as she listened up.
“Please move your ship to the corner of the dock and stand by, Lieutenant-Commander,” the voice from her radio informed her briefly. “The dock will be needed for the landing of an urgent shuttle. Atmosphere cannot be reinstated before it has landed.”
Blinking slightly, Shida stared at her console for a moment. Shuttle? Why was there shuttle flying around in a situation like this?
Luckily, it didn't even take a full second before her brain fired up again and she quickly reached for the button to activate her own microphone.
“Copy that,” she said before quickly starting her ship up again, just enough so that she could slowly roll it into the dock's corner. Once there, she activated her microphone again. “Standing by,” she announced before leaning back once again.
She released a long exhale as she stared at the wall that was now right in front of her. And as she sat there with nothing to do but to think while she was surrounded by an airless room, she slowly began to feel that something was wrong.
Not with the situation, no. Even if she still wondered why the hell a shuttle was dicking around out there just after an active combat situation, that wasn't what was irking her. Though, admittedly, she also didn't really know what was. Was it something about herself? Not really. She felt fine.
Though, after a few more moments of being alone with her thoughts, it slowly began to hit her. Why did she feel so fine?
Not that she had expected to be totally broken up by a combat situation, even if it was sudden. She was trained for that much, she sure would hope that she wouldn't let it get to her too much. However, while not being too stressed out was one thing...why wasn't she angrier?
The last few times she had so much as heard about an attack, she had been absolutely livid. Blood-boilingly so. And that didn't even come close to how she had felt when she saw the victims of the attack on the detention center...
But now? She was calm. They had just been attacked out of nowhere. She had been dragged into a sudden battle. So many people, both foe and friend, had died today. And she was sad about that. She felt the remorse about the people who had been killed here. She even felt the aftereffects of pulling the trigger herself down in her stomach. But apart from that? Nothing.
What was different now? Where was that fire? And more importantly...was it good or bad that it was so suddenly gone?
Prooobably something to bring up with Dr. Nasution once she got an opportunity to attend her next session, which would probably be quite soon given current circumstances. It had been a while with everything that was going on, but she figured there was at least a good chance that their 'pleasure cruise' would not be continuing after everything that had occurred.
It seemed that the coreworlds were even more hostile ground than they had imagined.
About a quarter of an hour later, the announced shuttle had finally settled down and all hatches were sealed shut while air was slowly funneled back into the room. It took maybe a minute or two more before a specialized sensor in her ship informed her with a glowing light on her console that the surroundings were once again breathable, meaning she could safely open her hatch.
Pressing the corresponding button, the hatch of her ship sprang open, releasing a slight hiss as the seal was broken and air-exchange with the outside took place for the first time since she had closed it.
Once it was open, Shida could already hear some commotion as a large group of people came immediately flooding into the room as soon as it was safe to do so, and once she had climbed out onto the wing of her ship, she could see that they had come bearing large bags as they hurried towards the shuttle, which was currently in the process of lowering its ramp.
Resisting her urge to stand and stare to see what was going on, Shida climbed off the wing in order to go and properly announce her return.
However, almost as soon as her feet made contact with the dock's floor, she suddenly felt how she was almost taken off her feet by another body crashing into hers, startling her so much that her claws were already coming out as her arms raised to meet her sudden tackler – though a combination of a familiar scent and breathing luckily soothed her nerves long before her aware mind could catch up to who had run into her there.
Instead of sinking their claws in, her hand laid flatly down on James' broad back as her arms wrapped around him to return his sudden hug. As she held him, she could feel that he was quite unsteady on his feet, and she subtly supported him to not loose his footing as they embraced for a long moment.
A bit of a purr started up in her chest as she leaned her head against his. She didn't say anything, worrying that it may come off as mockery if she did, but she could feel that he had been worried about her. And although she obviously didn't like making him worry – especially since she knew how much that stung after having to worry about him way too often recently - she still couldn't deny that she always appreciated getting to feel just how much he cared about her so directly, and a warm feeling spread throughout her as her purr intensified.
Though admittedly, she could've done without the firm kiss he pressed onto her cheek after a moment. Still, she knew that it was an important expression of his care to him, and so she simply closed her eye on the kissed side and endured it for a moment before he finally pulled away.
Looking at his reddened face, she could read right off it that he wanted to say something like 'Don't ever do that again' or anything in that vein, but obviously he also knew that she was just doing her duty, and so he held his tongue.
His mouth opened a bit, presumably to say something else, however the chaotic and from this distance slightly incoherent shouting of the group that had rushed in earlier now meeting with the crew of the shuttle interrupted him, catching both of their attentions as they looked over.
As they did, Shida's eyes widened slightly once she realized what the chaotic scene she was looking at there really was. A stretcher carrying Admiral Krieger was wheeled down the shuttle's ramp, surrounded by medics and doctors working on her on all sides.
Her skin was a ghostly white, far more so than even her usual pale complexion, and fully on display as the remains of her uniform were under her in tattered, cut-open rags, leaving her almost entirely exposed except for her most private area and her right leg, which had been covered with a white sheet. Every other inch of her skin seemingly had to remain free as the medical personnel worked on it from all angles; sticking her with needles or attaching cables, tubes and electrodes to her as she was rolled along. Two blood bags were already dripping fresh life into her at that point, and by the look of things, a third one was soon to follow.
Still, the almost body-horror-esque sight of the doctors trying to preserve her life was by far not the most gruesome one the scene offered. That honor belonged to her uncovered left leg. Or at least...what was left of it...
Shida's ear twitched as her concentration on the scene was briefly interrupted by a soft voice speaking right next to her.
“Mama...” James mumbled aghast, causing Shida's eyes to widen slightly.
It was one of the few words from his native language that the feline actually knew. “Mom”. And hearing it out of James' mouth was an almost bizarre experience. James never called his mother mom or any similar term of endearment. In fact he made it a point not to.
Granted, in this case, it was unlikely that he had consciously made the choice to do it in this case, however the sheer fact that it would slip out of him like this spoke volumes of just how deeply the shock of seeing her in that state reached.
Not that Shida didn't understand, of course. Familial bonds or not, the Admiral was...well, of course they both knew that she wasn't untouchable by any measure. Far from it. She was just a person like anybody else in the end.
However, knowing that she could get hurt and actually seeing it were two very different things, apparently.
In the corner of her vision, she noticed how James suddenly began to move in the direction of the ongoing rescue, and she quickly jolted forwards to stop him, wrapping her arm around him firmly as she held him back from getting in the way of anything.
Luckily, apart from a brief push that only lasted for as long as it took him to realize that he had been stopped, he didn't resist her as she restrained him from approaching any further, and so the both of them just watched as the stretcher was rolled along and ultimately out of the dock.
“That was meant for me...” James mumbled, clearly thinking aloud as he kept staring at the door even after it had closed again.
Immediately, Shida pulled him in firmer, side-hugging him as she pressed her body up to his.
“She wouldn't have traded places with you if you tried to force her,” she assured him while pushing her face against his shoulder. She knew that the relationship of those two was rocky to say the least, however she still knew that much to be true. Whether she was the motherly type or not, if anything, the Admiral was just as stubborn as James was, especially when it came to duty.
James stood frozen for a bit, seemingly not exactly knowing what to do with his feelings in his current state. Shida could only imagine how much ethanol was still flowing through his veins at that time, mixed with a cocktail of all kinds of different hormones and endorphins. With all of this added back-and-forth stress, she couldn't blame him for struggling to hold onto a single thought at that time.
“Oh, James!” a new voice suddenly joined the fray, whipping both of their attentions around yet again as even more bodies emerged from the shuttle, having presumably stood back to make room while the rescue efforts were ongoing.
But now that the coast was clear, so to speak, two familiar large forms came lumbering down the shuttle's ramp.
Moar and Congloarch looked...rattled...to say the least. With Moar, it was understandable. She probably didn't have all too much experience of standing right next to a dying person as every thinkable thing was done to them to keep them alive, so Shida wouldn't have thought twice about it had it just been her.
However, the tonamstrosite was a...different story. His four eyes didn't scan the room or focus on different things at all. All four of them were pointed straight ahead with only very loose seeming focus on the people he was approaching as he walked.
His mouth hung slightly open, and he seemed to push his tongue out just a little bit while the fleshy muscle twitched up in place before settling down again, over and over, making it appear almost as if he was subtly retching.
James' stormy mind seemed to immediately latch onto the the possibility to focus on anything and went right along with a wave of his usual compassion as his eyes fell onto the to giants. This time, Shida didn't hold him back as he hurried in their direction.
“What in chaos' name happened?” he asked once he was just a few steps away from them, though even in his now focused and concerned state you could clearly tell from his gait that he wasn't quite all there.
“Oh James...” Moar repeated, struggling to speak as she shuddered in place where she stood, both of her clawed hands firmly hooked into her long fur as if clinging on for dear life.
Releasing a deep groan, Congloarch shook himself so heavily that a grinding sound came from some of the plates along his body.
“There was an attack,” the large reptile then said the quite obvious before shaking again. “There was...an invasion-” he kept describing before pausing abruptly, turning his head away as his tongue pushed itself up again, causing him to clearly struggle to suppress whatever urge overcame him at that moment.
Shida's ears and tail sank deeply as she watched those two. She could only imagine what could've occurred to have even Congloarch so broken up. And she could see it on James' face that his heart sank just as much, even if less outwards signs clearly showed it.
Slowly, Shida began to walk up to Moar at an even pace. As she did so, she gently nudged James in the direction of the other giant while passing him, knowing that he had the better relationship to the tonamstrosite out of the two of them.
Taking the hint without issue, James walked up to the enormous reptile and placed his hand on the highest part of the man he could reach while Shida leaned up against Moar's plushy leg comfortingly.
“It's alright,” James then said softly, patting his hand against Congloarch's armored skin gently while also leaning his face against the side of the giant's body. “You don't have to talk about it right now. You can take some time.”
The reactions of the two giants were very different, but at the same time equally appreciative of the soothing contact.
Moar leaned down as one of her hands unclenched from her fur to reach for Shida, reciprocating the gentle touch through an innate social drive. Seemingly on instinct, her hand went right for Shida's hair, seemingly seeking the contact with fur since that is what another rafulite would provide, and so the old lady simply petted through Shida's hair in gentle strokes while the feline pressed up against her.
Meanwhile, Congloarch seemed to simply relax in place as James leaned against him, making no effort to initiate any form of contact himself as his eyes slowly closed.
It even went so far that it seemed like he needed to put in a conscious effort to not lay down right then and there, which would've probably been inappropriate in the middle of a dock. In fact, all of this was probably inappropriate for this place, but sometimes what had to be done had to be done.
Still, with James being only somewhat in-commission right now, Shida eventually felt it to be her duty to coax everyone out of the dock once she felt that things had calmed down enough to move so they could continue this at a calmer, more private location, where the two giants could truly focus on processing everything that had happened.
–
A gentle humming filled the air, stirring her awake as light uncomfortably shone through her twitching lids while she struggled back and forth between a conscious and unconscious state.
Though once she finally pushed herself far enough into awareness to gain control over the motion and slowly forced her eyes fully open, even if she still had to squint heavily against the light from above, she glanced around through her blurry vision, instinctively searching for the source of the increasingly familiar sound of the hummed song.
She recognized the melody. It was the 'Ode to strange suns', a very old and very famous song that first emerged back in the early days of Earth's interstellar travel, when traversing light-years to reach another star-system was still a daunting endeavor. It was often sung by those in the primitive ships, often called 'tubes', to give them hope during their bleak journey. A melancholic song about giving up your life just to see what's out there – and one day push your people so far beyond what they had once been.
So far, they hadn't quite reached the lofty goal that the song set for humanity, since it spoke of mapping every star and finding eternity too short and infinity too small for their ambitions. According to the song, the day would come when 'no more strange suns rise'. What an idea that was...
Still, even more so than the song itself, she recognized the soft voice that was humming it, and her heart lifted at the implications of hearing it. She felt soft sheets rustling underneath her head as she slowly turned her face towards the sound, and the corners of her lips slowly lifted into a smile as her eyes, which were gently tearing from the harsh light biting into them so suddenly, fell onto the scene before her.
Nia sat slightly leaned against the headrest of her bed with her eyes closed, the room's white light gently playing over her dark yet soft features as she turned her face in the Admiral's direction while softly swaying her head to the rhythm of her humming, not moving it more than a centimeter with each tilt so her gentle dance wouldn't interfere too much with the work of James' hands. He sat behind her with both hands behind her back, gently holding her hair as he weaved it into long braids with practiced motions. There was a clear 'weakness' to Nia's movements, and the way she sat strongly indicated that she likely lacked the strength to completely hold herself up on her own.
And yet despite that, her humming was cheerful and content as she had her hair braided by her brother. She seemed...at peace.
After simply observing the scene for a few long moments, feeling like she could get lost in the sight if she wasn't careful, Admiral Krieger then tried to push herself up a bit, however the attempt was short-lived as a searing pain shot through her right shoulder as soon as she put any pressure onto that side of her body, forcing her to flop back down almost immediately. And as soon as she did, the pain quickly dissipated into a mellow numbness that was all too familiar to her.
She was on some strong painkillers, she could tell. Therefore, if it still hurt like that when she attempted to move, moving was probably a bad idea. Not that she couldn't have borne the pain if it was necessary, however the sight of her children like that told her that it very clearly wasn't. Whatever other challenges and battles the future may have had in store for them, this was a moment of peace, and she should use it for her recovery while she still could.
Meanwhile, her movement and brief hiss of pain had naturally not gone unnoticed. Once her eyes were no longer closed from the brief jolt of pain, she saw that Nia's eyes had now also opened. Her humming had stopped as the sweet girl's face lit up upon noticing that the Admiral was truly awake and had not just shifted around in her sleep.
“James!” she exclaimed, trying to move so suddenly that she accidentally pulled on her own hair that was still firmly in her brother's grasp, before he could react and adjust to her movements. Uncaring about the brief discomfort that surely caused, Nia excitedly lifted her hand to point at the Admiral, however James already had a knowing look on his face.
“I saw,” he replied, clearly far less focused on the braiding process than his demeanor would indicate from the outside. He quickly finished up the in-process braid between his fingers and fixated it with a small, golden, tube-shaped clasp before letting go of Nia's hair, thus allowing her to freely move her head around again.
Nia then looked over at her while James slowly stood up and moved to the corner of the room.
“How are you feeling, Sophia?” Nia asked in a gentle tone that did nothing to hide her happiness, her eyes gleaming slightly in the light as tears began to well up within them.
The Admiral released a long exhale as she settled into the sheets, though her eyes never left Nia's face – apart from a very brief moment of them following James to see where he was going. Nia looked slightly messy with her hair half-braided and the light-blue gown she wore all crumpled up, however just like her earlier humming, that messiness had a certain peace to it that allowed the Admiral to relax.
“Just how I look, I suspect,” she replied, the smile on her face returning. “I'm glad to see you awake again.”
“Hey, that's my line!” Nia jokingly complained with a mild chuckle that audibly got very close to shifting into a soft sob at one point.
At this point, James had returned from the corner of the room, walking up to the side of Nia's bed opposite to the one he had been sitting at previously. And with him, he had brought a large wheelchair.
Briefly, he turned his head towards his mother, the look on his face rather unreadable. For a moment, his mouth twitched, and it seemed like he wanted to say something. However ultimately, he pulled his gaze away again before anything was said.
Without complaint, Nia allowed her brother to lift her out of the bed and into the wheelchair, before he slowly pushed her over to the side of the Admiral's bed.
Almost immediately once she was within reach, Nia's hand found hers, holding it gently while James was once again on the move, this time towards a bedside-drawer that stood in between both of their beds.
Opening it, he briefly rummaged through it before pulling out an arrangement of small items, with which he then sat down next to the Admiral as well.
Leaning down, he gently reached for her face in a gesture that could've been mistaken for tenderness, had his fingers not reached to pull her lids open a bit with gentle force right before he shone a bright light directly into her eyes. Despite the uncomfortable nature of the action, Admiral Krieger didn't resist it in any way, physically or otherwise.
After he had ensured her pupils worked properly, James then gently grabbed her by her chin and moved her face around so that she looked straight 'ahead', which in this case meant right up to the ceiling while he got up a bit to loom over her.
“Aaaaaah,” he then ordered while holding a clear, plastic tongue-suppressor close to her mouth.
Following the order without hesitation, the Admiral opened her mouth widely, though she forewent the actual saying of 'aaah' in the process. Soon enough, her tongue was uncomfortably pushed down by the plastic item while she could see some light leaking out of her mouth in the corner of her vision.
After a brief moment of inspection, the pressure was already relieved and she could close her mouth again as James moved away from her, checking some of the monitors of devices that were attached to his mother in various ways.
The Admiral couldn't help but gently chuckle at the professionalism he clearly very deliberately employed as he dealt with her waking up. It was a nice act, however, she was smart enough to know that, since he didn't call anyone in to do it, he likely had asked to conduct these precautionary examinations himself instead of calling a doctor in for it, likely promising to call in someone more professional than himself should he find anything actually worrying.
But, based on his reactions, it seemed like everything was in working order. At least the vitals she could see on the monitors herself certainly were. Not exactly 'healthy', of course, but also not directly concerning for someone who had just gone through the wringer like she had.
Or, well...she didn't quite know how 'just' it had been. She was admittedly a bit too groggy to fully remember the exact date and time during which the attack leaving her injured had taken place, which meant even the clock on the wall was of very little help with determining just how long she had been out for.
“Do you feel anything strange?” James asked her, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Any pain? Nausea? Discomfort?”
Krieger shook her head.
“Nothing, apart from being high as a kite,” she replied before briefly glancing down at herself. Her body was almost completely covered by a white sheet, so she couldn't exactly see anything. However, she knew what was underneath. “Though I'm sure my leg would be in a lot of pain if I could actually feel it.”
In the corner of her vision, she both saw and felt Nia flinch as she was still holding her hand, her face darkening a little.
James' expression also seemed to turn more serious after her jokingly said words, betraying his usually not horrible pokerface.
Slowly, she released a long breath.
“It's gone, isn't it?” she suspected immediately. Not surprising after the state her leg had been in when she last saw it.
Nia's face just turned even more glum at that, however James sighed and nodded.
“Most of it, yes,” he replied honestly, knowing her well enough to cut any sort of bullshit. “Though you will be glad to hear that your usual 'precautions' worked without a hitch. Your body accepted the prosthesis and you should be able to walk again almost immediately.”
She smiled.
“I always told you, it pays to be prepared,” she said, lifting her unoccupied arm with a finger playfully raised in lecture. Though then, she moved her gaze over to Nia, reaching her already raised arm over to Nia's head and pulling her in a bit closer before gently caressing her cheek. “Come on, why the frown?” she asked, giving a gentle smile. “You heard what he said, I'll be good as new.”
A returning smile fought itself through Nia's tears at the caress, and she nodded meekly – before then suddenly throwing herself forwards, out of the wheelchair and onto the Admiral in a brazen embrace.
A sharp pain once again shot through the Admiral's shoulder as another body suddenly pressed down onto hers, however this time she did not care a single bit as she moved her arms around her daughter and gently petted along her back while Nia clearly did her absolute best to suppress the quiet sobs leaving her. Meanwhile James stood next to it all with a stoic expression, only his eyes betraying the obvious compassion he felt for his sister's happiness.
Once the embrace was enjoyed and a few soft words were exchanged, he aided Nia in getting back into the wheelchair wordlessly.
And the Admiral didn't need him to say anything. The mere fact that he had decided to be here told her more than enough – even if he would likely say that he was here to visit Nia when he would be asked about it.
A few moments later, the door to the room opened, with two new people entering in a visible hurry. Though, despite their haste, both Tuya and Shida froze when they fully processed the scene they had barged into, with neither of them seemingly knowing if they wanted to proceed or not.
Taking the decision off them, the Admiral lifted her hand and waved them closer.
“Come in,” she said invitingly, not at all opposed to their presence here. Not for nothing, she was more than happy with the partners that her children had found for themselves. She could hardly have wished for better ones.
Still seeming a bit hesitant, the First-Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Commander then continued their motion, even if much slower now.
James and Nia both had pretty unreadable expressions on their faces at this point as they watched their respective partners approach. They all exchanged a long gaze with each other, which clearly told her children something that she wasn't quite privy to yet.
James was finally the one to break the silence.
“What brilliant timing,” he sighed a bit as he turned around, quickly grabbing a remote from a nearby nightstand. With it, he turned up the volume of a running but up until now muted screen that the Admiral had only been tangentially aware of so far.
Though now that everyone's attention seemed to be pulled towards it, she didn't need to be a genius to realize that something important was being broadcast there. And so she got quiet and listened, her professional seriousness returning as he fought through her slightly hazy state to not miss a detail, especially so as she saw just who the cameras were pointed towards.
Leaving her enormous head to hang slightly, Apojinorana Audoxya Tua, High-Matriarch of the zodiatos and current Acting-Leader-Supreme of the G.C.S. had taken the stage behind what had to be a house-sized podium, even if it didn't appear like it on screen.
The Admiral suppressed any feelings she had towards that vile woman as she concentrated on listening to her words.
They had seemingly missed the beginning of the conference they were not tuning into, so hopefully they hadn't missed anything important.
“...firm the attack. One of the current Nahfmir-Durrehefren, previously known as Melvolhorron, used his command over several of our ships and the loyalty of crews that had been radicalized by the ongoing galactic tensions -both zodiatos and coluyvoree- to mount the attack. No outside influence on his actions from any third-party outside of the zodiatos territories has been indicated during the investigations. The black box that was discovered by the human forces and handed over to galactic investigations in full accordance to communal law and without any resistance brought some additional light to his motivations. Among the usual logs and data you would expect to find, it also contained a seemingly deliberately saved...letter of devotion to...none other than my own person. It seems that this...tragic event turned heinous crime was something that he saw as his best chance to advance his position to that of the true Durrehefren. He seemed to believe that my devotion and favor could be gained through a decisive strike against the humans, whom he believed I hated deeply – along with all other deathworlders, it appears. It also appears that he believed this hate would go far enough that I would approve of any methods to achieve this strike against them – even an attack on not only another coreworld, but one of our oldest and most loyal allies. It's-” she cut of briefly, releasing a distressed trumpeting sound before reaching her trunk up to run its ends over her many dark eyes. “It is, of course, hard for me. Not only to have such a crime committed ostensibly in my name, but also that this seems to be an image that I have imprinted onto my people. An image of hate and discord that has radicalized them to the point that they would stoop to such levels simply to see the 'opposition' suffer. And while it is no secret that the humans have been at odds with me, I would never approve of such a heinous attack, not only because...friends of mine...were lost in it, too. And I am not free of blame. I see now that I was so focused on sternly defending us from the accusations posed against us, that I entirely forgot to also show the compassion that is so necessary at a time like this. And I want to apologize for this. Deeply. Even as the attack was committed by a blinded individual, the zodiatos will take full responsibility for it. We are willing to pay any required reparations to each of the injured parties involved, and we deeply wish that our ties we have to those harmed can be mended, be they old or new, strong or tattered. We will gladly welcome any diplomatic outreach from the injured parties as well as all others who are concerned in hopes to not only aid in the recovery of our alliances, but also in the healing of our very own souls as we will take any effort we can to move away from the hate that has caused this tragedy. Our people will not become one of violence and terror, that I swear by all three of my names. And I hope that all others follow that example, so that this tragic event may become a part of our history that will never be repeated. Now more than ever, we need to remind ourselves of the values that this galaxy was built upon. I thank each and every one of you for your attention. Success to you. Prosperity for all. Unity in the community.”

I just recently finished a perfect deathless nuzlocke run of Vanilla Emerald (in my runs, a "perfect run" is battling every single trainer and getting all of the possible encounters), and I wanted to provide some tips for those wondering what to do for fights or encounter routing for dupes clause. Before I begin, here is my ruleset:
-Standard deathless hardcore nuzlocke rules (1st encounter only, gym leader level caps, set mode, no items except for held items, 1 death = reset).
-Shiny Clause: I can freely catch a shiny, but I have to use it on the E4 team (for the Champion Picture).
-Rare Candies are hacked in to avoid grinding and time poorly wasted.
-Battling wild encounters for the sake of grinding EVs is banned (This makes the game MUCH harder as you can only grind EVs off of the limited number of trainer battles).
-Rematching trainers is banned (Limited EV investments and limited money).
-Level Edging is banned. Once the Pokemon has reached the level cap, they are boxed until the gym fight.
-Legendaries are permitted if they are under level cap. In other words, Rayquaza is unusable, but the Regi Trio is fair game.
-Wallace is the end game.
Roxanne Split:
I prefer getting the following encounters, in ideally the following order:
-Mudkip on Route 101. He is undisputedly the best starter. Reset for a better nature/IVs than mine. I had Bold with bad IVs.
-Poochyena (Explicitly for Dupes Clause and Tate & Liza)
-Zigzagoon (HM Mule + Pickup. Reset if Zig is not the encounter on routes 102 or 103.)
-Wurmple (Reset game to roll Dustox)
-Taillow (Repel manip @ Level 8 on Route 116 for a 91% chance at rolling Taillow, after nabbing Poochyena. Reset if the game rolls Skitty. I also don't play with Shedinja, so no Nincada, not to mention Nincada is heavily inconsistent to encounter.)
-Whismur (Rusturf, useful for almost all of the repel manip strats)
-Shroomish (come back after getting Wurmple and Taillow for a 75% chance at getting Shroomish. Reset if Slakoth is rolled.)
Yes, I reset for ideal early game encounters. This set of encounters makes the game so much smoother. There is lots of coverage in this team and there are almost no chances for deaths if you play around crits and Bide Seedots. Use documentation in case you do not know what you are facing next.

• All of these particular encounters are about a 1 in 6 to get if done correctly.
• Taillow is great once it gets Wing Attack at Level 13.
• Zig should be Level 11 or higher for a small chance at picking up King's Rock.
• Whismur and Poochyena should not be past levels 13 and 14 respectively (for the next repel manip).
• I reset if Wingull appears, as you can catch one on the water routes after you obtain Surf.

Roxanne Fight: Use Mudkip for Roxanne's Geodudes and Shroomish for the Nosepass. Leech Seed until you win.
Brawly Split: Magikarp, Tentacool, and Repel manip @ Level 10 for a guaranteed Makuhita.

• Aron is not reliable besides boom fodder from Exploding Koffing
• Sableye is unnecessary if you have Dustox/Beautifly to fight Brawly with (plus you get one in Cave of Origin after catching Zubat in Seafloor Cavern).

Brawly Fight: Solo with Dustox/Beautifly or poisoned Taillow. Unpoisoned Taillow gets killed by Makuhita nearly every time.
Wattson Split: Roll your Route 117 encounter before rolling your Route 110 encounter. Remember your repel manip Poochyena and Whismur? Use these now. You want Level 14 Oddish on Route 117 and any of the other Level 13 encounters (repel manip to avoid Wingulls) on Route 110. Any encounter will do fine. If you roll Electrike here, you will need to roll the tedious 1% Kecleon on Route 118 (I typically go for Sharpedo on Route 122 for anyone trying to point out Carvanha).
Wattson Fight: This is a tough one. I make sure that Marshtomp, Breloom, Hariyama, and Gloom (if I rolled an Oddish) is all on my team. I hate that the AI is really stupid, so I typically do not bring Gyarados for that reason, unless I am intentionally switching between Gyarados and Marshtomp (Gyarados is great for pivoting in Rom Hacks where the AI is smarter). Equip a bunch of Cheri Berries onto everything, and maybe a Persim Berry on Marshtomp if you received one from the flower shop on Route 104.
Flannery Split: There are a lot of potential encounters here. Here are some highlights:

• Bring a Level 16 Pokemon with you for two different repel manips (Fiery Path and Route 113) and then once more at level 18 on Route 114 for Lombre. Repel manipping at Level 16 in Fiery Path eliminates the Slugma and Grimer encounters which are both pretty bad. If you want to increase your chances at Skarmory on Route 113 (explained in detail a few lines down), you can try your luck for Slugma here. Lombre sucks but Ludicolo will carry in the E4 when you give it Fake Out, Giga Drain, Surf, and Ice Beam.
• Repel past the Rock Smash rocks on Route 111 to avoid Geodude. If you do NOT roll Torkoal in Fiery path, get the Geodude so that you can guarantee Torkoal in Magma Hideout after Winona. Graveler is decent for Maxie, Flannery, Norman, and Winona. Garbage afterward. Geodude and Graveler are also harder to obtain in Magma Hideout because they will then have acquired Self-Destruct (Acquired at Level 21).
• I actually go for Skarmory here now. Waiting to roll Electrode in Aqua Hideout, then 50% chance for Magnet Pull Magnemite in New Mauville, then 55% chance for Skarmory on Route 113 is so tedious, and Skarmory does not have much use after Aqua Hideout anyways. It comes out to about a 26% chance to get Skarmory by doing all of this dancing around. But by repel manipping at Level 16, Level 14 and 15 Spindas and Slugmas do not appear, making Skarmory's chance of appearing significantly better because he is ONLY found at Level 16. It is approximately a 14% chance from the original 5% chance for Skarmory to appear. If you roll Slugma in Fiery Path, those odds are increased to approximately 19% Perma-box the encounter if you do not roll Skarmory.
• Save Meteor Falls for the 50/50 Bagon.

Nothing else major to note. Numel is nice to have for Winona (Evolves into Camerupt right at level cap). Spoink is guaranteed if you roll Numel and Machop. I've heard of useful strats out of Grumpig, but have never utilized those strats myself.
Maxie fight: Gyarados and Hariyama do well here. Graveler is notable. Marshtomp is ok. Bubblebeam Azumarill is great, especially if you have Thick Fat.
Flannery Fight: Oh boy, our first real run-killer if playing deathless like me. Everything can be washed away with Bubblebeam Azumarill or Tentacool except for Torkoal. Don't let her set up Sunny Day and don't get crit. Sometimes stealing her White Herb can help but it can also waste a turn for Sunny Day set up. Double Team is useful, but set it up on Slugma (Tentacool is ideal, just watch out for Body Slam crits from Torkoal, as those WILL kill without EV investment). Thick Fat Azumarill is actually ideal for this fight. Graveler Magnitude 10 will one-shot Torkoal. Dragon Rage Gyarados is great even though Intimidate does not work because of White Smoke. Try to avoid using Marshtomp, aa he does not do enough damage. Wobbuffet can be useful, but it is a guessing game on what move Torkoal will use.
Norman Split:

• 50/50 for Trapinch. Good luck. If Sandshrew is rolled, give it the Dig TM for Norman and caves. He is otherwise the best candidate for Dig. If you do roll Trapinch, wait to evolve into Vibrava until Level 41 so that it gets Dig.
• Also, the fossil is open for fair game. I typically pick up Lileep for fishing, since the Suction Cups ability increases the chance of encounters appearing vis the rods. But Protect Battle Armor Anorith is a nice option for Norman.
• Watch out for the trainer with a Slakoth in the gym, as it knows Counter and will one-shot your Breloom or Hariyama if you are not careful.

Norman Fight: Here's my strategy. Persim Berry Hariyama will kill the first three mons on Norman's team. Do NOT use Fake Out on Spinda, as it knows Encore. Just click Vital Throw three times. Make sure Vigoroth does not crit, otherwise you might need a backup mon, like Breloom.
When Slaking comes out, send in your Torkoal, Anorith, or Dustox (or Pelipper if you don't reset for early game encounters like me and you do catch Wingull early). Equip a Leppa Berry on your Protect mon and slowly whittle away the brute. Sandslash is also okay if you know whether you are faster or slower, as Dig can be handy if you have good defensive investments. Remember that if Slaking is intended to attack on the turns Norman heals, Slaking will NOT attack next turn. If he heals on loaf turns, Slaking WILL attack the following turn.
Winona Split: Here's a list of the encounters you should roll, in the following order:
-Wingull on Route 109
-Electrike/Manectric/Kecleon on Route 118 (Repel manip @ Level 26 if you are going for Electrike/Manectric.)
-Wailmer w/ Good Rod on Route 108 (you can also get this on the eastern water routes, I tend to forget about him if I catch him later though).
-Feebas on Route 119. Yes, get the Feebas. This is the ONLY reason I choose the Root Fossil (Lileep) in my runs, is that Suction Cups increases the likelihood of rod mons to appear, including Feebas. Fish 2-3 times per tile and move on. You only get the lower section to work with (since the upper section is unlocked after obtaining Castform, which would be your encounter for the route). I've gotten Feebas as early as the 2nd and 4th tiles on two separate save files. Use Kelpsy Berries to evolve into Milotic. Surf, Ice Beam, Toxic, Recover. Boom, you have a lethal weapon on your team.
-Wait for the Route 115 encounter until after rolling the repel manipped Level 39 Altaria at Sky Pillar.
-Anything except Kecleon on Route 120. Absol can ruin your day with Swords Dance/Quick Attack/Razor Wind.
-Notice how Route 105 was not mentioned. This is just in case you roll the 5% Underwater Relicanth so that you can bring Regice to the E4.
Notes: Trainers begin to get tougher now, with halfway decent strats and cores to ruin your day. Read the docs to know what you're facing. Make good use of the Exp Share, Amulet Coin, and Macho Brace in all of your battles. If you are Exp grinding, make use of the day care, just make sure your useless moves are in the top slots so that you don't lose a good move you can't get back. Remember also that the day care does not EV train your Pokemon.
Winona Fight: Use Bolt Beam Gyarados and sweep. That's it. Alternatively, Camerupt and Manectric are good choices.
Tate & Liza Split:
-Shuppet on Route 121
-Duskull on the upper levels of Mt. Pyre
-Safari Zone Encounter (Psyduck, Girafarig, Pikachu, Doduo, Rhyhorn, Natu, etc.): Go for the easy-to-catch encounters if you are playing hard Safari Zone rules (1st encounter only, no 2nd attempts for run-away mons). I like rolling Psyduck because they are guaranteed and are easy to catch.
-Kecleon on Route 123 if he is not already caught
-Magma Hideout encounter (Torkoal or Geodude/Graveler)
-Electrode in Aqua Hideout (Use the Master Ball sitting next to the Electrode, as you will not need the Master Ball more anywhere else more than on an Exploding Electrode. Your only other option is Damp Psyduck from the Safari Zone, whose ability is a 50/50 roll. and nearly dies to Spark Crit anyways.)
-Magnemite in New Mauville (Magnet Pull is preferred if you still have not rolled Route 113.
-Skarmory on Route 113 if you don't take my advice and roll for him in the late game. Just make sure Magnet Pull Magnemite is your first member in the party.
Get the Super Rod and use it for the following encounters (just be careful of over-leveled trainers) in no particular order:
-Staryu in Lilycove City (Can be used in E4)
-Luvdisc in Evergrande (Useless)
-Corsola on Route 128 (Mostly useless, this can be swapped with Luvdisc)
-Horsea on Routes 132, 133, or 134 (Useless without trades, with the exception of being a useful HM Water Mule)
-Corphish in Petalburg City (Useful for Tate & Liza)
-Sharpedo on Route 122 (Useful for Tate & Liza)
Once again, watch out for tricky strategies.

• Don't hesitate to battle trainers in single battles rather than double battles (Looking at you Rain Thunder Manectric & Weather Ball Castform combo on Route 120).
• There are a few Wobbuffets at this point who will ruin your day. One sitting at the top floor of Mt. Pyre and one in the purple room of the Mossdeep Gym. Use your Milotic or Dustox with Toxic, Will-o-Wisp mons, or Leech Seed Breloom to handle the Wobbuffets.
• Slaking double battle on Route 121 can be deadly.
• Magnet Pull Magneton can ruin your day on Route 123.
• Bring Gyarados or Pelipper to Maxie 2 as well as Hariyama and Manectric. They are also both useful in warding off wild encounters with their respective abilities (both Intimidate and Keen Eye reduce the likelihood of wild encounters appearing).
• Aqua Hideout is a cakewalk compared to Magma Hideout.

Tate & Liza Fight: Get ready to kill them quickly or be killed. My strat is as follows: Poisoned Swellow uses Facade on Xatu to OHKO it. Wailord uses Protect on the incoming EQ from Claydol or Water Spout if it is faster. Swellow either Facades again on Claydol, Protects, or switches out to a Water or Dark Type. Wailord blasts Claydol again or switches to something else. Some notable switches:

• Cloud Nine Golduck does well for the Sunny Day Solrock
• Mightyena gets Taunt right at Level 42
• Gyarados is immune to EQ and gets Surf
• Sharpedo and Crawdaunt do well with Surf/Protect if their Natures and IVs are not terrible

Make sure to have 2 dark types at minimum for this fight and leave Lunatone to be the last one on the field. Even though it has Calm Mind, the only attacking move it has is Psychic.
Juan Split:
-Underwater Encounter. Yes, the location description is "Underwater," not "Route 124." You want Chinchou, regardless of whether it has Volt Absorb or not (VA is a plus). Manectric and Electrode both have a 50/50 chance of having the Static ability, which boosts the chance of electric types appearing when the beholder is first in the party. It does not make Chinchou guaranteed, but much more likely to appear than the less-than-fortunate 30% chance. This is why Pikachu is an option in the Safari Zone since it is guaranteed to have Static. Just make sure you feed the PokeBlock feeder the color that Pikachu likes (never used this method myself but there are articles about it online) to have a good chance to catch it. Relicanth is nice for Regice. Clamperl would be good if you could obtain it early game but you can't. Even with the DeepSeaTooth and Shell Armor it simply cannot do that much.
-Seafloor Cavern: Get the Luxury Ball first in the Abandoned Ship and then catch Zubat here. Bring Vileplume/Bellossom with Sleep Powder and then whittle it down with other moves to have the best chance for capture with the one Luxury Ball you are guven in the entire game.
-Shoal Cave: You do Seafloor Cavern first to guarantee Spheal here. Spheal is better than Snorunt. Trust me.
-Cave of Origin: Sableye (Useless)
-Sky Pillar: Repel manip @ Level 39 on the 2nd to top floor for a guaranteed Altaria. It does not have Perish Song. That is much safer than playing with an Exploding Claydol.
-Route 115: NOW you may get your useless Jigglypuff.
Get the Blue Shards and Water Stones. These are useful for Lombre and Staryu. Everything else is mostly useless except for a Leaf Stone if you are evolving Gloom into Vileplume (do it after level 35 for Moonlight).
Besides Archie (Use Hariyama, Manectric/Electrode/Magneton, Gyarados, etc.), this is a fairly easy split and you can obtain a LOT of money from the trainers underneath Juan's gym with the Amulet Coin. This is useful for all the TMs in the Game Corner.
Juan Fight: Use your electric type on everything except for Whiscash and Kingdra. Whiscash is defeated with a grass type, just kill it before it sets up Amnesias and PP stalls you out of your grass type moves. Alternately use a powerful physical attacker who doesn't die easily. Kingdra can be PP stalled with a recovering water type, and that is usually your best option. Once again Milotic shines here. Starmie is also rather good here, given you made sure to teach it Recover before evolving it. Otherwise, you can use a mon with Shock Wave/Faint Attack/Aerial Ace/Magical Leaf and some sort of recovery, and wish for a crit.
Elite 4 Split:
-Bagon in Meteor Falls. Watch out for Fire Spin trapping Solrock, as I had to reset once here this late in the game because of it.
-Aron/Lairon in Victory Road. Cradily, Exploud, and Soundproof Electrode are your three options for catching this because all three are immune to Roar. This is why you go for Makuhita in Granite Cave because only Cradily is immune to Whirlwind Hariyama in Victory Road and it dies to Hariyama's Belly Drum + SmellingSalt. Hariyama is also so much more useful during the story than Aron/Lairon will ever be. Alternatively, you can roll for Mawile which is miles worse.
Victory Road trainers are tough. Make sure you battle the last two trainers one at a time because their strategies are top tier (Skill Swap on Slakings + Coverage). No Wobbuffets fortunately but plenty of other stuff to mess you up. Look at docs before battling each and every trainer. Having a Dig mon (Flygon/Sandslash) is nice to escape easily. Take Linoone to HM blast your way through the maze. Unlike what other sources say, you do NOT need Waterfall to get through Victory Road.
E4 Fight: I finished the E4 deathless with a mono water team consisting of Gyarados, Milotic, Starmie, Swampert, Ludicolo, and VA Lanturn. In my run, Starmie was almost never used, despite having some impressive coverage options and Recover. Milotic saved my run against Wallace. Gyarados can pivot into anything. Lanturn was the electric type for my team, though Gyarados also possessed T-bolt for Wallace.
Some other notable options include:

• Hariyama for Sidney (Bring another Persim Berry) and Glacia's Glalies.
• Manectric/Electrode for Glacia and Wallace if you miss out on Lanturn. Magneton is nice but gets shredded due to its poor Speed and Special Defense.
• Other bulky water types for Wallace. Make sure they have Aspear Berries in the last fight, as Wallace loves to freeze your team.
• Ice Beam mon for Drake. Doesn't matter, just make sure it is tanky.
• Something that doesn't die to Phoebe's coverage options. The Banettes are easy to handle but have coverage options like Thunderbolt. The Dusclops will quickly rid you of your PP. The Ace Dusclops has coverage beyond belief (Ice Beam, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Shadow Ball). Sableye is just there to cause trouble and frustration with Double Team.
• Wallace is the real threat that you need to set your team around. Everything else in the E4 can be covered with the tools that you bring. I opt for a mono water team often because it is so good at countering Wallace. You need OHKO answers for Wailord and Gyarados. You need to PP Stall his Milotic if you are not blasting it to the moon (Meaning you need either a Poison/Steel type or Rest to counter Toxic). You need an answer for Hyper Beams that Wallace will be launching at you. Use the Sludge Bomb or Aerial Ace TMs for the Ludicolo or stall it with a grass type. Nonetheless, this is the one battle you are truly prepping for. Everything else comes second.

If you have read this far, congrats and thank you. I enjoy completing nuzlockes in my spare time and wanted to share some information I could not obtain myself on the internet for others to read. If I missed or overlooked something, please let me know all about it.

Shonen Jump will be going through an interesting time soon, with jjk and mha ending, and the competitive landscape of manga constantly shifting. Its two biggest rivals Weekly shonen magazine and weekly shonen sunday also find themselves in times of transition for different reasons, and so comparing them may help give us some insights into the industry as a whole.
Since the last of these posts generated some interest, I thought id do more comparing Jump to some other magazines, just so that we could broaden the discussion a little.
So lets go over some sales, and then a general overview of each of the magazines, where they stand, and how the competitive landscape between the three is evolving.
(Sales taken from oricon and shoseki. Circulation numbers are from last known numbers. Compilation sales for Sunday and magazine come from mangahelpers forum member Haozz.)

Weekly Shonen Magazine monthly circulation 370,083

1. Blue Lock 28 — 270,085 copies
2. Shangri-La Frontier 17 — 111,553
3. Hajime no Ippo 140 — 68,849
4. Four Knights of the Apocalypse 16 — 51,863
5. Seitokai ni mo Ana ha Aru! 6 — 46,895
6. Rent a Girlfriend 36 — 46,352
7. Goddess Cafe Terrace 14 — 39,498
8. A Couple of Cuckoos 22 — 35,334
9. Amagami-san 14 — 26,569
10. Kuroiwa Medaka 13 — 24,232
11. Gachiakuta 10 — 22,404
12. To Your Eternity 21 — 19,057
13. Edens Zero 31 — 17,929
14. Ranger Reject 13 — 11,456
15. Kanan-sama 6 — 10,475
16. Mayonaka Heart Tune 3 — 9,366
17. Yowayowa Sensei 6 — 8,538
18. Akabane Honeko 8 — 7,567
19. Ao no Miburo 13 — 7,369
20. Orion's Board 1 — 7,094
21. Katana Beast 2 — 3,960

Total volume sales for first month 846,445
The state of weekly shonen magazine.
Blue lock was the biggest selling manga of last year, bigger than jjk and one piece. People will say it’s a product of the world cup in conjunction with the anime etc, but regardless that’s no small feat. Its absolutely a pillar of the magazine, in sales and renown. However, it is also slowly declining in sales after its initial boost as well, but there is a new season of the anime coming up as well.
Beyond that, shonen magazine has gained some notoriety for being “weekly romcom magazine”, and not without good reason. Obviously it spawned the mega hit quintessential quintuplets a few years back, but beyond that there are literally 8 romcom/harem/ecchi titles in the magazine right now. Everything from 6-10 in sales is one of these and then 2 ecchi series kanan and yowayowa, and harem newcomer mayonaka heart tune.
Its interesting, because the biggest sellers in the magazine are still stuff like blue lock, hajime no ippo and now Shangri la frontier. Sports and battle series. Like Sunday, they have a long term staple like hajime, and a new pillar to hold the magazine afloat, but other than a stable of solid mid- tier romcoms, they also have been struggling to find new series.
Also jump poached Ken wakui from them somehow, who had their biggest recent hit in tokyo revengers. This is a huge blow but well wait and see how astro royale does before gauging how big this is.
Some will say this romcom strategy is hurting the magazine and making it hard to find new battle hits, others will say it gives it a marketing edge. Regardless, like Sunday, they haven’t produced many hits in the last year despite having pillars to lean on.
They do have some exciting new series coming up, and what seems like a renewed focus on more diversity, which is where I think the strength of the magazine lies.
Any new series recommendations to get into the magazine?
Other than the big series its known for, and ranger reject( which has criminally low sales) there are three relative newcomers that are worth paying attention to. First the biggest hit recently is Seitokai ni mo Ana ha Aru! , which is a 4 koma gag manga. If you are into that kind of thing its actually really fun and even won a few awards in the first year of its serialization.
Other than that, I can recommend Mayonaka Heart Tune and Gachiakuta
Mayonaka heart tune may seem like another harem, but it has a really competent and interesting male lead, cute girls obviously… but also a performing arts aspect where all the girls are pursuing different creative vocations the guy is helping them with, but they still have agency in pursuing. Theres also a quints like mystery at the center of it, and the character writing and humour is well executed. Its very good for its genre.
Gachiakuta is something fans of a series like Kagurabachi will probably like….but also fans of battle fantasy series. On the surface an edgy manga about revenge, but it has a heart and interesting characters and something to say. It has a fascinating fantasy world that revolves around junk, but it blends its themes, power system and character writing with this conceit in really interesting ways. It also just has really cool art and character designs.
-
Weekly Shonen Sunday Monthly circulation 160,417

1. Sousou no Frieren 13 — 541,359
2. Conan 105 — 391,420
3. Major 2nd 27 — 63,859
4. Komi-san 33 — 57,860
5. Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 27 — 32,041
6. Kiyo in Kyoto 25 — 31,796
7. MAO 19 — 29,035
8. Tonikaku Kawaii 27 — 25,905
9. Mikadono Sanshimai 9 — 21,239
10. Ogami Tsumiki 1 — 7,221
11. Aozakura 32 — 6,198
12. Ryuu to Ichigo 15 —5,947
13. Shibuya Near Family 3 — 3,595
14. Red Blue 9 — 1,820
15. Tokachi Alone Plantation 14 — 1,735

Total Volume sales for first month 1,221,030
The state of shonen Sunday.
Sunday is in a really interesting place. It obviously is known for long running series like Conan, but what has really spiked interest in the magazine of late is obviously the runaway success of Frieren, and in my opinion deservedly so , with some of the most thematically rich character driven writing in shonen and fantasy. It is also a mega hit now, with the incredible anime adaptation by madhouse, pushing it past 500k in volume sales in a month, well beyond the circulation numbers of the magazine itself.
So they have a new pillar of incredible esteem and repute to build their magazine around…whats the issue you ask? Beyond Frieren, and long standing successes like conan, komi san, tonikaku kawaii, mao etc, they have lost quite a few series recently that did really well, like call of the night that was a 100k + seller, (it ended organically) ….and have not really found any big hits at all in the last couple of years.
They operate different to jump, axe way less and introduce way less series….. and they are currently introducing some new series, a couple of which show potential….but other than that they are struggling to find new hits.
Any new series recommendation to get into the magazine?
Other than frieren, which you should all be either watching or reading(yes it really is that good) the one hit they found last year, ogami tsumiki, is actually really cute. To sell it to the jump audience, its basically ruridragon with some light romance. The FMC is a werewolf instead of a dragon, but is more extroverted than ruri, and the lead male character is more quiet and introspective…and also just a normal human. It shows their daily life in a world where monsters live freely amongst humans. Its very cute and has those intangible slice of life vibes im sure many will enjoy.
Overall, sunday is in an interesting place. Having something like frieren to build your magazine around is huge, but building a stable of new series around pillars is important as well. That’s when the magazine has thrived in the past. Hopefully they find a way to capitalize on the position they find themselves in now.

Weekly Shonen Jump Monthly circulation 1,176,667

1. One Piece 108 - 1,290,703
2. Jujutsu kaisen 26 - 1,097,061
3. My hero academia 40 - 510,677
4. Sakamoto days 16 - 116,712
5. Blue Box #14 - 115,428
6. Kagurabachi 2 - 69,266
7. Akane-banashi 11 - 45,305
8. Witch Watch 16 - 42,934
9. The Elusive Samurai 15 - 41,655
10. Mission: Yozakura Family 23 - 32,562
11. Undead Unluck 21- 30,945
12. Nue's Exorcist 4 -28,528
13. Kill Blue 4 - 25,058
14. Me and roboco - 20,000

Total volume sales for first month 3,466,834
Just for fun.....
Total volume sales without jjk and mha 1,859,096
The State of Shonen Jump and Overall thoughts
Of course, the discourse around jump revolves around how jjk and mha are ending soon, taking with them 1.5 million in volume sales, and creating parity between the three magazines. Doomers will say this is the end of jumps dominance, optimists will say that they will find something to replace them as they always do. Lets examine this though
Sakamoto and blue box are primed to be the next hits with an anime boost, but we don’t know what the impact will be. Sakamoto needs a great adaptation imo, and blue box is a romance. How well these can do people will debate, but they do have series that have potential to blow up
Next in terms of newcomers in the last year, jump has done pretty well. Between kagurabachi, kill blue and nues exorcist they at least found 3 series, each very different in their tone and who they appeal to. (chojos toc has also started great and its pre orders are decent, but lets wait for sales) When you compare the sales of jumps newcomers to the other magazines newcomers, there is no competition. Of course you have to consider circulation and how the bigger platform affords more exposure, but still, id say jump is doing about as well when compared to other magazines.
-Still it would be foolish not to acknowledge the hole jjk and mha leave in their wake, which also provides opportunities for new series, as well as other magazines. I think a more competitive manga industry will be more interesting. I care about manga in general than just being a fan of any given magazine….which brings us to the next point
-Sales are down across the industry. Not just in physical volume sales, but circulation for magazines as well. Of course, there is a massive shift to digital both in readership and volume sales, but we have no data on digital volume sales, and this leaves a gap for people to speculate and create their own narratives. Until we get more transparency about digital, we can't fully assess the industry shift and dynamics. We can say there is a change in the zeitgeist, and its worth keeping this in mind.
It is interesting though. Without jjk and mha, jump is relying on a single “pillar” one piece, which should still be around for a few more years. This brings it in line with the other two magazines, which also have one clear pillar each…or maybe 2 in the case of sunday(the gap between their top performer and the others is smaller) I think the way people think about “pillar” may also change. Instead of 3 big series, jump may have 1 big one, and a bunch of series that all do decently well. Between sakamoto, blue box and kagurabachi, you have potential for very solid selling series, even if they don’t approach the million mark. Lots of other series are also awaiting animes, like witch watch, akane, elusive samurai……and even though they probably wont get a massive boost, they can do decently well.
Overall I remain optimistic, and hope the period of increased parity between the three creates more of what I hope all of us want. Really good manga.

Region is NA.

If you have my wishlist games, Chat with me anytime. Only accept games from your own collection.

My REPs: 200+ successful trades, stopped tracking after 202.

​

Wishlist is in the end of this post

My steam games for trade (Can make gift links if possible):

Added recently:

​
Hell let loose
Blade of Darkness
Amanda the Adventurer
Bravery and Greed
King Of The Castle
Loddlenaut
Mediterranea Inferno
Steelrising
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Coromon
Fashion Police Squad
HUMANKIND™ Definitive Edition
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
Terraformers
The Callisto Protocol
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow
Victoria 3
Littlewood
One Hand Clapping
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Mad Max
MORTAL KOMBAT XL
Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition
Injustice 2 Legendary Edition
Gotham Knights
Back 4 Blood
Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition
Batman™: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition
Batman™: Arkham City GOTY Edition
Batman™: Arkham Origins
.hack//G.U. Last Recode
CODE VEIN
GOD EATER 3
Katamari Damacy REROLL
PAC-MAN MUSEUM+
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
TEKKEN 7
Dragon Knight (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
Hell Girls (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
Super Star (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
​

Steam games:

9 Years of Shadows
A Juggler's Tale
A Plague Tale: Innocence
ABZU
Aces and Adventures
Ad Infinitum
Afterimage
Agent in Depth
Alchemist's Castle
Alchemy Garden
Aliens vs. Predator Collection ( includes Aliens vs. Predator + Aliens vs Predator Swarm Map Pack + Aliens vs Predator: Bug Hunt Pack)
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
AMID EVIL
Amnesia: The Bunker
Among Us
Anuchard
Aragami 2
Arcade Paradise
Arise: A Simple Story
Armello
Army Men RTS
Assault Suit Leynos
Astronarch
Autonauts vs Piratebots
Battlecruisers
Beacon Pines
Big Pharma
BIOMUTANT
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Black Paradox
Black Skylands
Blade Assault
Blade of Darkness
Blood And Zombies
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition
Boundless
BPM: Bullets Per Minute
Brawlout
Castle on the Coast
Cats in Time
Caveblazers
Chicka Wars Chicken Meat (delisted)
Children of Silentown
CHIVALRY 2 - EPIC EDITION
Citizen Sleeper
CivCity: Rome
Click and Slay
Colt Canyon
Conan Chop Chop
Concept Destruction
Construction Simulator (2015) Deluxe Edition
Cookie Cutter
Corridor Z
Cosmonautica
Crayon Physics Deluxe
CROSSBOW: Bloodnight
Cultist Simulator
Curse of the Dead Gods
Dagon - The Eldritch Box DLC
Dark Deity
Dead Age
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Death Squared
Deceive Inc.
Demonologist
Depraved
Descenders
Desperados III
Destiny 2: Beyond Light DLC
Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter
Detached: Non-VR Edition
DEVOUR
Dicey Dungeons
Disciples: Liberation
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Dishonored Definitive Edition
Distant Worlds Universe
Doctor Strange Defenders Skin
Double Cross
Doughlings: Arcade
Doughlings: Invasion
Dragon Knight (delisted, 18+)
Draw Slasher
Drawful 2
Due Process
Dungeons 2 - Complete Edition
Dusk
EDGE OF ETERNITY
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
El Hijo
Emily is Away <3
Encased
Endless Space 2
Epic Chef
ETERNAL THREADS
Exorder
Expeditions: Rome
F1 2018
Farming Simulator 17
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fling to the Finish
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
Foretales
FOREWARNED
Forged Battalion
Fortissimo FA INTL Ver
Founders' Fortune
Friends vs Friends
From Space
Full Metal Furies
Fun with Ragdolls: The Game
GameGuru Classic
Garfield Kart - Furious Racing
Generation Zero
Geometric Sniper
Ghost 1.0
Gloria Victis
Go Home Dinosaurs!
Going Under
Golf Gang
Good knight
GRID Ultimate Edition
GRIME
Grow: Song of the Evertree
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guns & Fishes
Guts and Glory
Hack 'n' Slash bundle (including Hack 'n' Slash + Hack 'n' Slash Soundtrack + Spacebase GIFT)
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Heart Fragment - Book Two: Belief Fragments (Shannon & Lana)
Hedon Bloodrite
Hell Girls (delisted, 18+)
Hell Pie
Hellbound
HERO'S HOUR
Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fire
Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack
Hokko Life
Hollow Knight
Honey, I Joined a Cult
Hot Brass
Hotshot Racing
How to Sing to Open Your Heart
Hyper Gunsport
I’m not a Monster
Internet Cafe Simulator
Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition
Intravenous
Intruders: Hide and Seek
Iron Danger
Iron Harvest
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
Joggernauts
Joggernauts
JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION 2
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition
Just Cause 4 Complete Edition
JYDGE
Kerbal Space Program
Killsquad
King's Bounty II
Kraken Academy!!
Labirinto 2
Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
Last Oasis
Late Shift
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Legend of Keepers
Legion TD 2 - Multiplayer Tower Defense
Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Don't Dry
Let Them Come
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season (incl. Mascot Bundle DLC)
Little Misfortune
Little Orpheus
Lords and Villeins
Lost Planet 3 Complete Pack
Lost Ruins
Lust for Darkness
Lust from Beyond: M Edition
MageQuit
Maid of Sker
Mainlining
MEEPLE STATION
Meow Express
Merchant of the Skies
Metal: Hellsinger
Metro Exodus
Midnight Fight Express
Midnight Ghost Hunt
Mini Metro
Mini motor Racing EVO (delisted)
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
Monster Sanctuary
Monster Train
Monster Train: The Last Divinity DLC
Moon Hunters
Moonlighter
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021
Moving Out - Movers in Paradise DLC
Mr. Prepper
Murder by Numbers
My Friendly Neighborhood
My Time At Portia
Mythic Ocean
Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder
Necromunda Hired Gun
NecroWorm
NeuroVoider
Neverinth
Neverout
New Super Luckys Tale
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl
Nobody Saves the World
Non-Stop Raiders
Northgard
Oaken
Obduction
Of Orcs And Men
Offworld Trading Company
OLLIOLLI WORLD - RAD EDITION
One Hand Clapping
Orbital Racer
Othercide
Out of Reach: Treasure Royale
Outward Definitive Edition
Outward The Soroboreans DLC + soundtrack (DLC only)
Override
Overture
Ozymandias
Paint the Town Red
Partial Control
Patch Quest
Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanced Plus Edition (NA only) + Royal Ascension DLC + The Wildcards DLC
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition
Pathfinders: Memories
Pathway
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Per Asperatrar
Pilgrims
Pill Baby
Pixplode
Planet TD
Port Royale 3 Gold
PowerBeatsVR
Prodeus
Project CARS (delisted)
Project Chemistry
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition
Project Wingman
Propagation VR - Co-op
Propnight
Proteus
Proteus
PULSAR: The Lost Colony
Pumped BMX +
Quadrata
Quantum Break
Radio Commander
Ragnarock
Railroad Corporation
Railroad Tycoon 3
Rebel Inc: Escalation
Re-Legion
Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition
Remnants of Naezith
Resident Evil Revelations
Resident Evil Revelations 2
Reventure
Revita
RIOT - Civil Unrest
Road 96
Roarr! Jurassic Edition
ROGUE LORDS
Roguebook
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack
RPG Maker VX
Rubber Bandits
RUINER
Rym 9000
Saints Row
Sakura Succubus, 18+
Sakura Succubus 2, 18+
Sakura Succubus 3, 18+
Sakura Succubus 4, 18+
Sakura Succubus 5, 18+
Sakura Succubus 6, 18+
Sakura Swim Club, 18+
Sam & Max: Devil's Playhouse
Scorn
SCP : Secret Files
Secret Neighbor: Hello Neighbor Multiplayer
SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell
Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice
Shady Part of Me
Shing!
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
Sid Meier's Railroads!
Siege Survival: Gloria Victis
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Slinger VR
Smile For Me
Sniper Elite 3
Sniper Elite 4
Snowtopia
Sorcerer King: Rivals
Soul Searching
Soulblight
Souldiers
Soulstice
Spellcaster University
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark
Spirit of the Island
Stacking
Starbound
Starpoint Gemini Warlords
Stirring Abyss
Strider
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
SuchArt!
Sunlight
Super Chicken Catchers
Super Magbot
Super Star (delisted)
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
Surviving the Aftermath
Sword Legacy Omen
SYMMETRYro
Tails Noir
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Telefrag VR
TEMTEM
The Amazing American Circus
The Ascent
The Beast Inside
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
The Deed II
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR
The Gunk
The Legend of Tianding
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Long Dark
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition
The Pale Beyond
The Quarry
The Red Lantern
The Serpent Rogue
The USB Stick Found in the Grass
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (steam inventory gift)
The Witness
The Wolf Among Us
There Is No Light
Ticket to Ride
Tin Can
Titan Souls
TOEM
Tools Up!
Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt
Traffic Jams
Train Station Renovation
Treasure Hunter Simulator
Trek to Yomi
Tribes of Midgard
Twilight Struggle
Twin Mirror
Two Point Campus
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Underland: The Climb
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign
UnMetal
Vanishing Realms
War for the Overworld
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Drenn Redblade
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Exceptional Card Pack
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Saga of the Great Awakening
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Wrath of the Damned
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
WARSAW
We Happy Few Season Pass
We Were Here Too
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
White Noise 2
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?
Wobbledogs
Worms Rumble
WRC 7
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
XCOM 2
X-COM: Complete Pack (including X-COM: UFO Defense + X-COM: Apocalypse + X-COM: Enforcer + X-COM: Interceptor + X-COM: Terror from the Deep)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Edition
XEL
X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack (including X-Morph: Defense + X-Morph: Defense - European Assault + X-Morph: Defense - Survival Of The Fittest + X-Morph: Defense - Last Bastion)
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Zoeti
​
Other platforms:
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (ORIGINkey)
Liberated (GOG key)
STAR WARS: Squadrons (Origin)
Wanderlust Travel Stories (GOG key)
​
#########################################################

My Wishlist: (prefer gift links for bolded games)

​
Hi-Fi RUSH
DIABLO 4 PC
Street Fighter 6
Rocket League
Poker night
poker night 2
Game of Thrones - A Telltale Games Series
NBA 2k16, 2k17
WWE 2K16, 2K17, 2K18, 2K19, 2K20, 2k23
The Last Remnant
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games
Hell let loose
Crusader kings 3
Spiderman remaster
F1 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2011
ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON Enhanced Edition
DARK SOULS
DARK SOULS II
DARK SOULS III
Pistol Whip
CLANNAD
Automobilista 2
Gears 5
monster hunter rise
Tiny tina's wonderlands chaotic great edition
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
DIRT 5
Fable Anniversary
Nioh 2 COMPLETE
Victoria 3
HUMANKIND
A Hat in Time
VTOL VR
rFactor 2
ZERO Sievert
Barotrauma
monster hunter world
Life Is Strange Complete Season
phoenix wright
LOOT RIVER
satisfactory
Gotham Knights
Rivals of Aether
Vrising
DOOM Eternal
Deep Rock Galactic
Dead by Daylight
quantum break
slay the spire
Yakuza kiwami 2
Stardew Valley
stray blade
clash: Artifacts of chaos
Wizard of Legend
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Rain World: Downpour
Resident Evil Village
Battletoads
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans
River City Girls Zero
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans 2
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Loot River
Cosmo's Quickstop
Witchtastic
Fly Punch Boom!
The Knight Witch
Cookie Cutter
Ghost Song
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Guardians of Holme
Cathedral
One Hand Clapping
Blasphemous 2
Astebreed: Definitive Edition
Apotheon
Floppy Knights
Mahokenshi - The Samurai Deckbuilder
Zoeti
Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles
Book of Hours
Dungeon Drafters
Nobody Saves the World
Roguelands
Dead Estate

other humble choice title games

#########################################################
​

Note: for some games from humble I might ask for gift links. There is a rumor 3 years ago that humble bans users due to making gift links only. I make gift links every week, never have any issues. I have no idea why humble would ever ban its customers for using a feature it provides to its custimers.

Here is a guide how to make gift links from support.Humblebundle.com: https://support.humblebundle.com/hc/en-us/articles/202712460-Purchasing-and-Sending-Gifts

I do not believe humble teaches you how to make gift links, so it can ban you, lol

Region is NA.

If you have my wishlist games, Chat with me anytime. Only accept games from your own collection.

My REPs: 200+ successful trades, stopped tracking after 202.

​

Wishlist is in the end of this post

My steam games for trade (Can make gift links if possible):

Added recently:

​
Hell let loose
Blade of Darkness
Amanda the Adventurer
Bravery and Greed
King Of The Castle
Loddlenaut
Mediterranea Inferno
Steelrising
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Coromon
Fashion Police Squad
HUMANKIND™ Definitive Edition
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
Terraformers
The Callisto Protocol
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow
Victoria 3
Littlewood
One Hand Clapping
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Mad Max
MORTAL KOMBAT XL
Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition
Injustice 2 Legendary Edition
Gotham Knights
Back 4 Blood
Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition
Batman™: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition
Batman™: Arkham City GOTY Edition
Batman™: Arkham Origins
.hack//G.U. Last Recode
CODE VEIN
GOD EATER 3
Katamari Damacy REROLL
PAC-MAN MUSEUM+
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
TEKKEN 7
Dragon Knight (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
Hell Girls (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
Super Star (delisted, 18+, PM for price)
​

Steam games:

9 Years of Shadows
A Juggler's Tale
A Plague Tale: Innocence
ABZU
Aces and Adventures
Ad Infinitum
Afterimage
Agent in Depth
Alchemist's Castle
Alchemy Garden
Aliens vs. Predator Collection ( includes Aliens vs. Predator + Aliens vs Predator Swarm Map Pack + Aliens vs Predator: Bug Hunt Pack)
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
AMID EVIL
Amnesia: The Bunker
Among Us
Anuchard
Aragami 2
Arcade Paradise
Arise: A Simple Story
Armello
Army Men RTS
Assault Suit Leynos
Astronarch
Autonauts vs Piratebots
Battlecruisers
Beacon Pines
Big Pharma
BIOMUTANT
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Black Paradox
Black Skylands
Blade Assault
Blade of Darkness
Blood And Zombies
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition
Boundless
BPM: Bullets Per Minute
Brawlout
Castle on the Coast
Cats in Time
Caveblazers
Chicka Wars Chicken Meat (delisted)
Children of Silentown
CHIVALRY 2 - EPIC EDITION
Citizen Sleeper
CivCity: Rome
Click and Slay
Colt Canyon
Conan Chop Chop
Concept Destruction
Construction Simulator (2015) Deluxe Edition
Cookie Cutter
Corridor Z
Cosmonautica
Crayon Physics Deluxe
CROSSBOW: Bloodnight
Cultist Simulator
Curse of the Dead Gods
Dagon - The Eldritch Box DLC
Dark Deity
Dead Age
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Death Squared
Deceive Inc.
Demonologist
Depraved
Descenders
Desperados III
Destiny 2: Beyond Light DLC
Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter
Detached: Non-VR Edition
DEVOUR
Dicey Dungeons
Disciples: Liberation
Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
Dishonored Definitive Edition
Distant Worlds Universe
Doctor Strange Defenders Skin
Double Cross
Doughlings: Arcade
Doughlings: Invasion
Dragon Knight (delisted, 18+)
Draw Slasher
Drawful 2
Due Process
Dungeons 2 - Complete Edition
Dusk
EDGE OF ETERNITY
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
El Hijo
Emily is Away <3
Encased
Endless Space 2
Epic Chef
ETERNAL THREADS
Exorder
Expeditions: Rome
F1 2018
Farming Simulator 17
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue
First Class Trouble
Five Dates
Fling to the Finish
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel
Foretales
FOREWARNED
Forged Battalion
Fortissimo FA INTL Ver
Founders' Fortune
Friends vs Friends
From Space
Full Metal Furies
Fun with Ragdolls: The Game
GameGuru Classic
Garfield Kart - Furious Racing
Generation Zero
Geometric Sniper
Ghost 1.0
Gloria Victis
Go Home Dinosaurs!
Going Under
Golf Gang
Good knight
GRID Ultimate Edition
GRIME
Grow: Song of the Evertree
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guns & Fishes
Guts and Glory
Hack 'n' Slash bundle (including Hack 'n' Slash + Hack 'n' Slash Soundtrack + Spacebase GIFT)
Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Heart Fragment - Book Two: Belief Fragments (Shannon & Lana)
Hedon Bloodrite
Hell Girls (delisted, 18+)
Hell Pie
Hellbound
HERO'S HOUR
Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fire
Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack
Hokko Life
Hollow Knight
Honey, I Joined a Cult
Hot Brass
Hotshot Racing
How to Sing to Open Your Heart
Hyper Gunsport
I’m not a Monster
Internet Cafe Simulator
Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition
Intravenous
Intruders: Hide and Seek
Iron Danger
Iron Harvest
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
Joggernauts
Joggernauts
JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION 2
Just Cause 3 XXL Edition
Just Cause 4 Complete Edition
JYDGE
Kerbal Space Program
Killsquad
King's Bounty II
Kraken Academy!!
Labirinto 2
Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
Last Oasis
Late Shift
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Legend of Keepers
Legion TD 2 - Multiplayer Tower Defense
Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Don't Dry
Let Them Come
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season (incl. Mascot Bundle DLC)
Little Misfortune
Little Orpheus
Lords and Villeins
Lost Planet 3 Complete Pack
Lost Ruins
Lust for Darkness
Lust from Beyond: M Edition
MageQuit
Maid of Sker
Mainlining
MEEPLE STATION
Meow Express
Merchant of the Skies
Metal: Hellsinger
Metro Exodus
Midnight Fight Express
Midnight Ghost Hunt
Mini Metro
Mini motor Racing EVO (delisted)
MirrorMoon EP
Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
Monster Sanctuary
Monster Train
Monster Train: The Last Divinity DLC
Moon Hunters
Moonlighter
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021
Moving Out - Movers in Paradise DLC
Mr. Prepper
Murder by Numbers
My Friendly Neighborhood
My Time At Portia
Mythic Ocean
Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder
Necromunda Hired Gun
NecroWorm
NeuroVoider
Neverinth
Neverout
New Super Luckys Tale
Nickelodeon All Star Brawl
Nobody Saves the World
Non-Stop Raiders
Northgard
Oaken
Obduction
Of Orcs And Men
Offworld Trading Company
OLLIOLLI WORLD - RAD EDITION
One Hand Clapping
Orbital Racer
Othercide
Out of Reach: Treasure Royale
Outward Definitive Edition
Outward The Soroboreans DLC + soundtrack (DLC only)
Override
Overture
Ozymandias
Paint the Town Red
Partial Control
Patch Quest
Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanced Plus Edition (NA only) + Royal Ascension DLC + The Wildcards DLC
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition
Pathfinders: Memories
Pathway
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind
Per Asperatrar
Pilgrims
Pill Baby
Pixplode
Planet TD
Port Royale 3 Gold
PowerBeatsVR
Prodeus
Project CARS (delisted)
Project Chemistry
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition
Project Wingman
Propagation VR - Co-op
Propnight
Proteus
Proteus
PULSAR: The Lost Colony
Pumped BMX +
Quadrata
Quantum Break
Radio Commander
Ragnarock
Railroad Corporation
Railroad Tycoon 3
Rebel Inc: Escalation
Re-Legion
Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition
Remnants of Naezith
Resident Evil Revelations
Resident Evil Revelations 2
Reventure
Revita
RIOT - Civil Unrest
Road 96
Roarr! Jurassic Edition
ROGUE LORDS
Roguebook
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack
RPG Maker VX
Rubber Bandits
RUINER
Rym 9000
Saints Row
Sakura Succubus, 18+
Sakura Succubus 2, 18+
Sakura Succubus 3, 18+
Sakura Succubus 4, 18+
Sakura Succubus 5, 18+
Sakura Succubus 6, 18+
Sakura Swim Club, 18+
Sam & Max: Devil's Playhouse
Scorn
SCP : Secret Files
Secret Neighbor: Hello Neighbor Multiplayer
SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell
Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice
Shady Part of Me
Shing!
Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate
Sid Meier's Railroads!
Siege Survival: Gloria Victis
Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Slinger VR
Smile For Me
Sniper Elite 3
Sniper Elite 4
Snowtopia
Sorcerer King: Rivals
Soul Searching
Soulblight
Souldiers
Soulstice
Spellcaster University
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark
Spirit of the Island
Stacking
Starbound
Starpoint Gemini Warlords
Stirring Abyss
Strider
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
SuchArt!
Sunlight
Super Chicken Catchers
Super Magbot
Super Star (delisted)
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE
Surviving the Aftermath
Sword Legacy Omen
SYMMETRYro
Tails Noir
Tainted Grail: Conquest
Telefrag VR
TEMTEM
The Amazing American Circus
The Ascent
The Beast Inside
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
The Deed II
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR
The Gunk
The Legend of Tianding
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
The Long Dark
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition
The Pale Beyond
The Quarry
The Red Lantern
The Serpent Rogue
The USB Stick Found in the Grass
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (steam inventory gift)
The Witness
The Wolf Among Us
There Is No Light
Ticket to Ride
Tin Can
Titan Souls
TOEM
Tools Up!
Townsmen - A Kingdom Rebuilt
Traffic Jams
Train Station Renovation
Treasure Hunter Simulator
Trek to Yomi
Tribes of Midgard
Twilight Struggle
Twin Mirror
Two Point Campus
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Underland: The Climb
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign
UnMetal
Vanishing Realms
War for the Overworld
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Drenn Redblade
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Exceptional Card Pack
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Saga of the Great Awakening
Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf - Wrath of the Damned
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
WARSAW
We Happy Few Season Pass
We Were Here Too
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
White Noise 2
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?
Wobbledogs
Worms Rumble
WRC 7
WWE 2K BATTLEGROUNDS
XCOM 2
X-COM: Complete Pack (including X-COM: UFO Defense + X-COM: Apocalypse + X-COM: Enforcer + X-COM: Interceptor + X-COM: Terror from the Deep)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Edition
XEL
X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack (including X-Morph: Defense + X-Morph: Defense - European Assault + X-Morph: Defense - Survival Of The Fittest + X-Morph: Defense - Last Bastion)
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Zoeti
​
Other platforms:
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection (ORIGINkey)
Liberated (GOG key)
STAR WARS: Squadrons (Origin)
Wanderlust Travel Stories (GOG key)
​
#########################################################

My Wishlist: (prefer gift links for bolded games)

​
Hi-Fi RUSH
DIABLO 4 PC
Street Fighter 6
Rocket League
Poker night
poker night 2
Game of Thrones - A Telltale Games Series
NBA 2k16, 2k17
WWE 2K16, 2K17, 2K18, 2K19, 2K20, 2k23
The Last Remnant
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games
Hell let loose
Crusader kings 3
Spiderman remaster
F1 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2011
ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON Enhanced Edition
DARK SOULS
DARK SOULS II
DARK SOULS III
Pistol Whip
CLANNAD
Automobilista 2
Gears 5
monster hunter rise
Tiny tina's wonderlands chaotic great edition
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
DIRT 5
Fable Anniversary
Nioh 2 COMPLETE
Victoria 3
HUMANKIND
A Hat in Time
VTOL VR
rFactor 2
ZERO Sievert
Barotrauma
monster hunter world
Life Is Strange Complete Season
phoenix wright
LOOT RIVER
satisfactory
Gotham Knights
Rivals of Aether
Vrising
DOOM Eternal
Deep Rock Galactic
Dead by Daylight
quantum break
slay the spire
Yakuza kiwami 2
Stardew Valley
stray blade
clash: Artifacts of chaos
Wizard of Legend
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Rain World: Downpour
Resident Evil Village
Battletoads
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans
River City Girls Zero
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps And Beans 2
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Loot River
Cosmo's Quickstop
Witchtastic
Fly Punch Boom!
The Knight Witch
Cookie Cutter
Ghost Song
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Guardians of Holme
Cathedral
One Hand Clapping
Blasphemous 2
Astebreed: Definitive Edition
Apotheon
Floppy Knights
Mahokenshi - The Samurai Deckbuilder
Zoeti
Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles
Book of Hours
Dungeon Drafters
Nobody Saves the World
Roguelands
Dead Estate

other humble choice title games

#########################################################
​

Note: for some games from humble I might ask for gift links. There is a rumor 3 years ago that humble bans users due to making gift links only. I make gift links every week, never have any issues. I have no idea why humble would ever ban its customers for using a feature it provides to its custimers.

Here is a guide how to make gift links from support.Humblebundle.com: https://support.humblebundle.com/hc/en-us/articles/202712460-Purchasing-and-Sending-Gifts

I do not believe humble teaches you how to make gift links, so it can ban you, lol

On Lee’s way back to the living quarters, he watched as the people surrounding him were all engaged in whispered discussions. The gossip was circulating like a ferris wheel, around and around with more people climbing on by each turn. He couldn’t particularly blame them. There was talk of Prescott, of Clementine, of the Garcías: what’s more was that everything bled into each other. You couldn’t discuss one without delving into the next. Celebrities weren’t so much a thing in the apocalypse anymore, but he felt that New Richmond was developing a system not dissimilar.
With AJ collected by Clementine, he spent the night alone with none besides his own thoughts. They followed him even when he had drifted off into a slumber for a short period. Lee wasn’t aware he was dreaming at first. He’d found himself alone in a room that looked like the quarantine zone the Prescott group was held in, though it was now significantly larger. Multiple hallways spanned across differing directions, of which a multitude of voices resided in each. To the North-East he heard cries of baby AJ and hushes from Clementine. Moving down by the South-East were many voices overlapping at once: the GarcÍa family, talking and debating. On the opposite side at the North-West was a faint woman’s laughter, conceited and conniving. Finally in the South-West was somebody whispering his name. Lee listened more intently and tried to identify it under the other conflicting sounds. He recognised it as his wife’s voice, one he hadn’t heard in a dream for so many months, and jumped violently in shock. This brought him to a lucid state as he could at least realise he was trapped inside of a dream.
Dreams hadn’t been present since AJ was cured. It was something he hadn’t missed, how cryptic they were which always left him unsettled upon waking up.
The recognition of the state he was in did nothing to alleviate the panic that had crept into his senses. All around him the voices were pulsing louder and then quieter like a beating heart. It seemed the room had started to shrink. The directions of the voices flipped and switched around until he was totally disoriented at which hallway was talking to him. There was nothing to do besides wait out the scene when his awakening would interrupt it. Lee fell to his knees in the room and raised his arm over his head until everything went quiet.
He woke up to a day of rain. It hadn’t felt like Spring anyhow but the backdrop of falling rain and cloudy skies did everything to remind him of Winter, where instead of rain it was snow but present through both was a dead air.
During his discussion with Lee, David had mentioned that Clint had said it was good for the new garden, but that was the last thing on everybody’s minds. All they could focus on was the annoyance it brought them. New Richmond would not waste a day, whether it was raining or not. So everybody continued outside, working and training begrudgingly. Lee and David strolled down the streets of Richmond, watching all of this before their conversation truly begun.
“I know what you want to talk to me about,” David said. He was looking straight ahead and his face showed no signs of emotion.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. When I was told about Max and Badger, leading the raid…” David let out a sharp exhale. “Those fucking morons. I expected this off of Badger, and Logan will do anything he says, but Max?.”
Lee asked if he had talked to any of them since.
“No, not yet. I’ve been talking to Javi a lot, and trying to see Kate, but she’s resting.” David fell into a silence. “It’s a lot for her to handle, I think. Anyway,” he said, clearing his throat, “There’ll be a chance to talk to them today. There’s going to be a council meeting.”
“Who’s going?”
David explained that there was to be an interview for Javi as a representative of his group. It all didn’t sit exactly right with Lee, like there was something he wasn’t being told.
“What about Clementine?” Lee asked, hushing his voice. He didn’t know why he was doing so: it wasn’t like she was hiding. Clementine could walk around New Richmond all she wanted. Joan was going to find out soon if she hadn’t already, and the thought of that unsettled Lee greatly. Things felt dangerous but he couldn’t place exactly what was setting him off.
“If Joan knows anything, she hasn’t said,” responded David. “But then again, that’s Joan in a nutshell.” It sounded like this was a joke but he wasn’t smiling.
Lee wanted to ask what he would do about the Badger and Max situation though stopped himself.
“I’ll let you get back to Kate before the meeting, then,” Lee said with a weak attempt at a smile.
“Thank you.”
…
He was assigned to inventory in the weapons unit. In a way, he was grateful for the distraction. It required him to be attentive as he counted rounds of ammo and ensure each weapon is in its correct place. He’d slipped up a few times and had to restart, making the effort a tedious repetition on top of so many hours of work that had him occupied through the afternoon. Yet he couldn’t get frustrated.
Lee was at peace with working at his own pace. He was required to, as he could only do his task with his one hand: he trailed his arm down the bullets, counting in his head as he went along, and then moved to his paper to write down the numbers. Ava worked at a totally different speed. She was faster and more chaotic, dismantling boxes on the floor to count and then re-pack them again. Perhaps they should’ve quarrelled over their different styles but they did not.
“Look at us lucky ones,” Lee started, “working indoors while the rain goes on.” It had been a while since he could actually small-talk with someone. As stereotypical it was to talk about the weather, it was a refreshing reminder of some normality.
“You’re not wrong there. I would hate to be on watch right now,” she responded.
They worked in silence for another stretch of minutes.
“Ava,” Lee began again, more seriously this time. “When I spoke to you about Joan…”
She turned around to face him with a curious expression, slowing in her movements. “Yeah?”
“I think something might be wrong.” He lowered his voice while he spoke.
Ava finished the box she was working on, sealing it shut and then looked down at it for a moment. “David told me about Prescott,” she said finally.
He didn’t respond. Some inner part of him felt like they were being watched, under some surveillance. He did not want to speak anything damning. There were no cameras anymore or no juries, yet he still bit his lip: he imagined Joan on the other side of the door, listening and ready to walk in to remove him from New Richmond.
The silence lengthened for some more time while they worked side-by-side. He thought it were funny how there was so much to be said they it could only remain unspeakable. Lee forced himself to remain focused on his task. Though he did not regret bringing up Joan again, he could not shake all the thoughts he managed to avoid during the beginning of their workload. As he worked himself all the way to the final box, Lee could only wonder about the presence of foul forces around them.
“All done,” Ava announced. She dusted off her hands while Lee began packing up his belongings.
Just before he went for the door, she looked Lee directly in the eye and nodded at him. “If you ever need my help, I’ll be there.”
“Thanks,” he said gratefully.
They headed to the door, which swung open and revealed only an empty hallway on the other side. Lee sighed with relief. Realistically, Joan wouldn’t be there, nor would anyone, yet he still held his breath before confirming nothing awaited them besides the building.
…
Himself, Clementine and AJ were together inside the living quarters. AJ was scribbling a doodle with some coloured crayons Lingard had given him. Lee and Clementine watched over him as they both finished their rations.
“That was nice of Ava,” Clementine said mildly.
He nodded at her. Outside on the windows, the rain was still falling against the glass. It dropped in a comforting rhythm that you could forget was there if you weren’t paying attention to it.
“Why don’t you show us what you’ve got there, little man?” Lee smiled down at AJ, who had thrown down his paper. It was a tornado of colours, blue and red and green, flying around the page. Lee looked upon it proudly and turned it to Clementine, who grinned.
“Wow, goofball, that looks great,” she giggled.
The discussion passed around them all like a warm blanket. Time spent with them both was something Lee always looked forward to. Usually it wasn't interrupted, but today proved different.
A voice called their attention. They both looked to see who was walking over to them.
“Max,” Lee said, getting up to his feet. He didn’t feel particularly threatened by Max - if anything he was mostly confused at trying to guess his intentions behind things - and looked upon him with a discerning gaze.
“We thought you had a council meeting?” Clementine asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’m on my way over now,” he responded. Max shuffled on his feet. “Joan sent me here to ask for ‘ya. Both of ‘ya.”
Lee and Clementine shared a look.
“Did she say anything else?” Lee fought against his raised breath and spoke as naturally as he could.
After a pause, Max responded, “No. Just that she needed to see Clementine, and to bring Lee with her.”

Essence Of The Magus. (Nasuverse) • It's a beautiful multicolored liquid that, despite everything, keeps changing to new and innovative colors never seen before, it's very mysterious. • You have a natural body, this means that you are the pinnacle of what the human body has to offer in all its shapes and sizes, you are beautiful and as time goes by those traits will only improve, whether you want the strong beauty of muscles or the very delicacy and fragility of a lily, this will be inclined to your desires and requests, so you will undoubtedly be beautiful to your own preferences and desires, even affect the color of your hair or how your eyes will be, and all this without lowering the capabilities of the human body, with reflexes and senses superior to anyone else, your body is the pinnacle and is always improving to reach new heights, this will always be naturally so no one will suspect anything, everything is decided if you want to stay as you are or become the summit of the body of the human being. • You will always be seen in full elegance, maintaining unparalleled grace and balance, you could be associated with a machine before such a detailed display of pinpoint accuracy, you are graceful and gifted with an overwhelming presence and unmatched charisma, expect to have many admirers unless you voluntarily turn it off or mitigate it, and if you consciously use it to its full force don't expect there will be anyone with enough willpower to resist you, you are nobility in every concept of the word, maybe you will get some title like Lorelei Barthomeloi and her title of 'The Queen Of The Clock Tower' or 'The Queen' for short. • Furthermore, you have what would poetically be called 'The Will To Shatter The Stars'. There is no difficulty, no degree of opposition and no level of pain or suffering that can intimidate your intentions, once you make up your mind about something. You can do this all day long and never stop doing it, except by your own conscious choice. Forget mere 'maximum human' willpower, you are absolutely unbreakable. While remaining mentally flexible enough to not be a stubborn idiot, of course. • Your body can not be infected by any being, supernatural or not, you can not be controlled or damaged by both mental and spiritual means, your body is an immovable fortress, your mind to a library masterfully ordered and maintained, your soul is a perpetual sanctuary you can repeat as many times the change of body as Roa or do something with worms as Zouken and your soul will remain the same, you could say that it is a perfect soul for sorcery, beware, the third magic will be and will remain better by far, your soul is something that will remain the same in the face of the most extreme things, but it is not the true immortality that is the third magic, unless you dedicate your research skills to change that. • Mentally, you are able to modify and alter your mind, you can program your mind to react to whatever you want however you want, leaving mental triggers to move before they react is possible, molding it to create a disguise of some different personality is possible, you can even affect their feelings achieving a masterful mask, creating a state with a completely different personality and state of mind is easy, in case you are not sure how to mold your mind without changing you can leave safety countermeasures to go back to any previous state, if a certain thought or situation happens, you are a magician and as such, your masks to fool others are the best, if you use them wisely you could be in your best state to fight or go into a disguise that even Sherlock himself could not discover, this will not affect your will, and you cannot end up as a brain-dead fool by accident, unless that is your disguise. • A little advice, stay away from the eyes of Atlas, those alchemists will see the holy grail or the root itself, if they get to know what kind of body type you have, you will be a very wet dream for any of their researchers, they even have a motto that fits. “It's easy to get into Atlas, but impossible to get out.” • If I were you, I'd be careful with the gods, a body like yours would have them drooling or hating you, it's funny how you don't know which one is worse, it all depends on which gods notice you, god forbid, the Greeks, although they might not even come close because they're admiring you. • The reason for a mind like you have, is to hide the default personality you have as a magus, a cold being, without morals or ethics, who can do anything, this part of you will make the machines see you as the typical sentimental people, it doesn't take much to scare people in that state, people will wonder what the hell you are, what kind of being is hiding under that disguise of flesh you call skin, you can always change it if you want, although you can always hide it, your mind can never be taken advantage of by anyone other than you. • You can choose to have the potential to have true magic, you decide if you only want one or all five in total, you can decide if you want to reach them through research, that being the case you can get creative about how you carry out your research to play true magic, and, it can help you later, this is more of an option than anything else, if you want, you can appear as a user of the five true magics, although it is not said that there will be no questions of how the hell did that happen, you have a complete control of the true magics, and you know both its maximum capabilities and the smallest details about its operation. • The first magic “Denial Of Nothingness”: The first true magic, known as “The Denial Of Nothingness”, is related to the generation of an ether clusters, this includes the creation of matter and energy from nothing and the total destruction of matter and energy in nothing, the clusters of ether are conductors of magical energy. • The second magic “Kaleidoscope”: The second true magic, known as the ”Kaleidoscope” or the “Parallel Worlds Operation”, this includes traveling to alternate worlds, time travel, space-time manipulation and the ability to decide whether timelines are 'canon' or not, you can be creative how you use this, it's not too far-fetched to overlay different dimensions to play with the environment or use unlimited energy from all your universe versions to make a giant energy cannon, the only thing that What stops you is the creativity of how you could use it, you will have to be attentive because interacting with the dimensions and being able to observe everything that the multiverse can be, it can be a bit maddening, you will be protected in any way, but do not expect it to be a very happy, the dimensions have some that can make any person quite crazy, just look how his previous bearer was with the magical girls. • The third magic “Heaven's Feel”: The Third True Magic, known as the “Touch Of Heaven” or the “Manifestation Of The Soul”. This stops the inevitable dispersal of the soul once it no longer has an anchor in the world, and essentially causes it to transcend into a higher form of existence. It is a magic that realizes true immortality by turning the soul into a flat, high-dimensional being capable of interacting with the material world as a mental body without having to return to Akasha. The Sorcerer will acquire an unlimited source of magical energy because his soul becomes analogous to a perpetual motion machine, just like the previous ones, creativity will help you a lot, although with this who needs creativity when you are truly immortal, enjoy ~. • As a certain person said, I wish I had finished in the third, too bad it didn't happen • The fourth magic “White Ink”: The Fourth True Magic, known as the “White Ink”, in another universe the fourth magic is unknown, but how would you go about selecting a magic without knowing all your options? The fourth is based on the manifestation, manipulation, and alteration of concepts, you could alter the concept of water so that it burns instead of splashing (He, he, he) or you can very well create your own urban legend and add the concept 'real' to it, despite the tremendous power that you can still have to be careful, every being is sensitive, even reality itself, so press hard and don't expect to come out very well, you are powerful, but not invincible, keep that in mind, an example would be the previous user of the fourth magic that in an attempt to erase the concept of the fourth magic ended up being erased, it failed to eliminate the fourth magic, but the world ended up forgetting its capabilities due to certain parts that were erased. (Credit goes to AcausalTrillby at fanfiction.net for the inspiration with his story called White Ink) • The fifth magic “Blue Magic”: The Fifth True Magic, known as the “Blue Magic” allows free manipulation of energy/heat without worrying about the order imposed by the arrow of time of thermodynamics (represented by the Second Law), and, thus leading in particular to time manipulation, as opposed to relativistic time travel, Aoko Aosaki managed to affect space-time with this magic, and you can too if you put your mind to it, just be careful you don't want to extinguish life on earth, right? • “The Sixth True Magic”: Currently non-existent, a path to the Root will be granted. You can get close to him, but you must not touch him. By doing so, you will gain access to a new True Magic. It is speculated that the Sixth True Magic might be a magic that can bring happiness to everyone. This may or may not be the case. The magic has to be something unattainable by mundane or thaumaturgical means, as long as those criteria are met you can create the sixth magic, since you are creating something new and not reusing the five magics, this will be the one with which you connect the most, don't get me wrong, if you choose any of the other five, you will have no limits or problems when handling it, in fact you could take it to heights never seen before, only this being your creation, you will be more connected and you, and only you will be the person capable of using it, you are the creator of the sixth magic be proud. • Note something, the first, and fifth are similar in that a path to the root, an Akasha gate, originated and magic was obtained upon its arrival, while the second, third, and fourth were produced as a half to get to that place, however insignificant it may sound to some, this has its own weight in how your magic interacts with you, you may be able to touch or see the path to the Root, or you may try to recreate the means to reach the Root, be careful with that, people smarter than you tried, and they didn't end very well. • It can be said that magicians have become the adversaries of the planet, and by having magic, as redundant as it sounds, you have become a magician, something that the human mind would not normally be able to carry as a burden. Carrying such a power is the recklessness of changing the world, as such, from the moment you obtain true magic, you are destined to go through great things or most likely to affect the entire world, whether the change is good or bad, it will depend on what you decide. • Becoming a magician is something that must be thought carefully, it is a mantle, and it is raw power that will undoubtedly affect how you see the world or how the world sees you, you are entering forbidden territory for human hands, it is the land of gods, so unless you want to fight against gods or planets, think about it a bit before making your choice, and of course, you have some duties with humanity, it's not mandatory, but you can at least look at them once or twice, so they don't get killed or end up committing suicide. • You can grant one magic per person by creating five or six wizards who will be loyal to you until death, you can remove that magic whenever you want and however you want, although at least tell them what you are giving them, you do not want extradimensional accidents or extinction of life on earth, you can always decide to ignore this advice and have fun with the results. • You are by far the most talented and predisposed being to magic, your talent, ingenuity, and creativity have no comparison, your sense, and intuition regarding magecraft is undoubtedly superior, your mind has a library with all the magical knowledge of the entire verse from TYPE-MOON, whatever reality it is, it can be a bit overwhelming, but you get used to it, god forbid you can follow in the footsteps of Lorelei and focus on basic magecraft or some specific theme and develop it so much that you become the Bruce Lee of magic with 'Repeat a kick a thousand times', of course with your talent that can reach true magic levels very quickly, with any magic. • You can connect and adapt to any existing thaumaturgical foundation, yes, that includes the church, this would allow you to use any existing spell as long as you are connected to the foundation of that respective spell, be it sorcery, from Chinese philosophy magecraft, traditional Japanese magecraft and of course the one practiced by the clock tower, there is no foundation that you do not know and to which you cannot connect, if you do not like any, you can create your own thaumaturgical foundation with the rules and implications that you want and although technically it would be impossible, your own willpower is enough to maintain that foundation, if you decide to make that foundation your primary method of practicing magic, with your willpower involved, believe me, there will be no end to how strong you can become, and that applies to every foundation you connect to, you can revive a foundation on the verge of death to its best moment and take it to something much better. • Established and long-standing foundations will be more likely to connect and improve, they may not be as versatile, focusing only on their field as the church that is dedicated to something more spiritual, so be aware that you would spend a lot of time and resources originating a new foundation that connecting and empowering an existing one, each one has its cons and its pluses. • As a great magus you don't always have to depend on a large mound of magic circuits for everything, you can use the quantifiable energy of the Soul; the pseudo-spiritrons to design organisms or stronger objects, as the alchemists of Atlas do, you can also be like hackers and enter the network practicing their code-cast method, whenever you cannot or do not want to use your magic circuits you will find another way to practice sorcery, very well you can practice some method of “Walk and Breathe” to try to become a Xian, whatever method you choose you can take it to unimaginable heights without relying on your magic circuits, and with your talent you can do wonders. • It is true that you can work without magic circuits, you could very well become the best spell caster without even using them even once in your life, but it is better to use every resource you have and magic circuits are part of those resources, your circuits are special, unique in its kind, you will start with fifty magic circuits “Blue Bloods: Noble Magic Circuits”, being the best of the best, what differentiates it from the others is that your magic circuits are improved and shaped the more you use them, these circuits they will grow, improve and multiply, the very environment where you are will affect them and will affect their growth, they may become a “Magic Nucleus” or for some strange reason a “Magic Reactor”, there is also the possibility of becoming “Regression to the Age of Gods”. Allowing you to reproduce the existing mysteries before the age of man, it is certain that they will become what you want and that they will continually improve, in case they are damaged, or you do not have magic circuits they will begin to sprout or self-repair always looking for a way to advance, they may even be influenced by your origin. • As you have undoubtedly noticed, your magic circuits are not natural, this will not affect your form of sorcery in any negative way, who knows, you may reach some level higher than “Blue Bloods: Noble Magic Circuits” magic circuits are used to connect to the thaumaturgical foundation, you will see a rapid adaptation and improvement, the more you use them with a specific foundation, maybe even adopt some characteristics of said foundation. • You can create magic circuits through research and development and implant them in a host, but such a thing would be for someone else, because yours are already on their way to the best of the best. • This also affects how much magical energy you use, to make a comparison, the average mage has 20 units of magical energy, Ciel had 5000 units, you have 10000, and it will always improve according to your magic circuits, as a respected magus you must have enough energy to sustain any research or spell you want. • You can change your origin, it is true that the origin is the starting point that defines one's existence and directs one's actions throughout life. It is the driving force that comes from within the Root, which has managed to sprout from the Source and take material form, but you can change it, unlike other people you can trace your origin to the Root and exchange it for something that is more convenient, ok to see changes, so you will have to be careful, but at least you can change it for anything you want, be it creature, emotion or concept, you can even keep several at the same time, although you would have to be careful, the origin may end waking up if you swap it too much or if you have several, and they manage to sync up, you're a never-before-seen case, so crazy things can happen. • If a person ends up awakening their Origin, it becomes nearly impossible to deviate from their Origin, if even possible in the first place. It becomes an impulsive behavior that one would follow as if it were an absolute order, it has to be taken into account that if you achieved such a thing you would gain superhuman abilities according to your origin, the defense mechanism that you have will save you at some point after awakening your origin, the defense mechanism returns your origin to its state before waking up, you can program it so that it takes days or months to put your origin to sleep again, keep that in mind, the origin has to be treated with care. • Element, the elements are somewhat easier to deal with and without as much danger as the origins, by default you are an average with the five elements, fire, water, earth, air, and ether and just as before you can exchange and modify them to your liking it is better not to overlap an exaggerated number of elements, but at least you are not in as much danger as with the origins, the element is the type of magic with which you are more predisposed and which one you are better at, it should be noted that different cultures handle in different ways the elements, so there is a variety of elements with the same name, you will have to be more specific when changing the element. • The elements are not so rigid when it comes to making magecraft, if we put as an example that you have water as an element and that you want to learn spells more inclined with fire, you can, but it will cost more, although that is not your case, it should also be remembered that the elements are more than the name of said element itself, water is the fluidity and control of liquids, the other elements are something similar, only with their own peculiarities, there are elements as unique as sword or hollow, so who knows What things can you achieve if you start being creative. • Origins and elements are connected, so if you have the same origin and the same element, you will notice that your magic will have a boost on anything bordering on that field, although you run the risk of over-specializing, an example would be demon origin and demon element, you will find that you could do spectacular things with demonology, although you won't be able to do much with any kind of sorcery not associated with demons. • You are an artist when it comes to creating things, you would fit very well with Atlas, just like them, you are able to create things that could bring about the destruction of the world seven times, there is no limit in what you are able to build, from mystical supergiant codes like the “Foundation of Philosophy” up to the seven weapons of Atlas, it would be possible within your capabilities to start theorizing how to create Noble Phantasms or recreate them, very well you can do like the hikikomori of Caubac and create your own holy scriptures, or you can be like Zelretch troll and create items about magical girls or whatever you prefer, you can create the philosophical keys or magical crests or create something new based on it. • Theoretically, you are able to build anything shown in TYPE-MOON that is supernatural, and this includes everything from a simple pistol to the MOON CELL itself, and always with the ability to innovate, improve, or create something entirely new. • The “Philosophy Foundation” generated by the Xian in the land of China is essentially a simulation of an artificial Root. The Xians worked together as a group to build it. Instead of connecting to the Root using the gods as a relay, as civilizations in the Age of Gods did, the Xian produced their system of magic by building a Supergiant Mystic Code that merges with the planet. That is the Philosophy Foundation. • You are able to break down any magic you see or theorize into its most basic components, you may very well be called the second coming of Waver, for what you can do, with your talents it would not be difficult to dissect any magic you see down to its most basic concepts, being able to recreate it if you decide to do such a thing, you can always see ways to improve or modify it, but there is no magic that you don't see that you don't understand. • It has been said that anything magecraft can do technology can do and vice versa, you understand that principle well, you are capable of achieving anything science achieves through magecraft, any technology you see will only give you new and innovative ideas to achieve it through magecraft. • An example would be Apollo 11, you can imitate such a thing with magecraft, a space teleportation to reach the moon or some strange chimera that can take you, to know if you can do something else with astrology, true magic may end up dying, but magecraft it will be maintained and will continue to advance as long as you exist and science exists. • A magus is a scholar above all else, as a magus your main skill will be the investigation of sorcery in order to get to the root, you are a born investigator knowing every detail of the book by heart, a slight passing glance is enough to remember it whenever you want without need at a second glance, and not only that, you understand them to their very core, anything you don't know, you only need to investigate it to learn, as a researcher your handwriting will be relentless, your notes will be the finer details, and you can always do a thesis about a thousand and one ways to get to the root, you know for shit and giggles. • You unconsciously organize your work space, you will not be the typical researcher with your head in the clouds and with a workshop more messy than your room, no, your workshop is a perfect example of order, organized to the millimeter without you realizing it, this is also gone to all your jobs, no leaving dangerous things lying around unprotected or having all your tools dirty and messy, you know what they say, a tidy space is a safe space, and you have exemplary security. • You are a good teacher, you see the talent of people, their potential, and you can show that by bringing out all that talent, just like Waver you are an exceptional teacher when it comes to teaching, even the dumbest and most talentless person can become even a Lord, a person with real talent and a good head on his shoulders can very well get to Marshall just like Zelretch and Lorelei, of course as long as he listens to your lessons. • In addition to research you can focus your skills to develop many elements in any field you choose, on top of that you will never see any unwanted side effects or stalling your research, you see possibilities in mistakes, small delays in full stalls of a sorcery, potential in drawbacks, every mistake, bump, or snag in your eyes will become a possibility that may very well take your research to new heights. • Example: you can focus on martial arts, create something like the Nanaya killing arts, even recreate the Nanaya arts themselves, use pre-existing martial arts to give them mystical effects, it's very viable, you can create your own mystical martial arts. Assessing an enemy in the middle of a fight is easy for you, developing countermeasures against him or finding weaknesses you can exploit (If you have “The Mystic Eyes Of Death Perception” or something similar, you can find new lines of death or develop them in your enemy yourself) there is no field in which you cannot apply your talents. • Optionally, you can create a workshop, a workshop is a place where the magus carry out their research, it is a sacred place that any self-respecting magus will never let anyone enter, yours is impenetrable and untouchable, unless you allow it, at first you can design it inside as you like either as some ancient place of study or as a modern laboratory, your workshop is a subspace between dimensions, impossible for any being to find, no matter where you go you can access to your workshop from anywhere, be it places as remote as the bottom of the ocean, some forest, or desert forgotten by the hand of God or space itself, you just have to call it the way you want, a door will open where you can enter, you can modify this entrance as you want, needing a key or only access from a certain door when you want, and always having the flexibility so that you can modify it to your g you. • Your workshop has books on every possible sorcery and various ways to implement it, even notes for a beginner to practice little by little and build slowly, along with manuals and various articles for learning, it also has information on magus policy or data from the world both known and not, there is a lot of knowledge that will serve you, and not all of it is necessarily sorcery, at your option, all of TYPE-MOON's knowledge can be here in book formats or any other form you want, the workshop It will have any material or tool you require, and just like before it ranges from the most exotic never thinkable to the most normal, after spending that material it will recharge regularly, so you never have to worry about running out of resources. • In case you want something different, you can create your own workshop in the way you want, building both its defenses and places where you will store your knowledge and carry out your research, when you finish, the construction will gain the same benefits as if you had it. Given, these are undetectable and impenetrable. • Your workshop is a place for any outside creature not to enter and for anything inside not to leave, the workshop is something that you can change to your liking both in appearance, space and time, you can even change concepts within your own workshop, convert your ceiling a gateway to space, so you can admire any star from near or far, you can't be harmed inside your own workshop so the vacuum of space or the sun's rays would do little or nothing to you. • A magician walks with death, you among the many magus out there, you are sensitive to danger, you know very well when something can go wrong, you detect it like a bloodhound, whether it is a migraine, a slight smell or daring visions of the mirrors of what could go wrong, whatever method you choose, you know something will go wrong, and you know what will cause it, there is no longer any danger of experiments or ambushes, your sense of danger will alert you whenever death is near you, there will be no moments either late or too early, this gives you the right time, and also something of how to go out, there is nothing impossible to avoid death here. • You can leave marks on people so that they also notify you if they are in danger, you decide if the same person is aware of the danger or not. • You can say if you want to be like Akiha Tohno and I will become a half-breed with the blood of some mythical or supernatural beast, this will give you certain unique abilities depending on the blood you decide, it will also give you a stronger connection to the mystery, your instincts will be controllable and will not cause any problem, although they can always be useful, it is always curious to know what those senses perceive that is not detectable by humans. • Optionally, you can decide if you want to do some research to fully become that creature, an example being becoming a dead apostle like Gransurg Blackmore did. • You can give people mythical blood if you want to do something with it, you can always control them and take that power away from them if they rebel. • Despite the fact that many magus dislikes it, politics is present within their society, you are the one who governs that, words are an art that you master, you are the best, it is simple to deceive or convince people, you know how people think. People, you know what they want, you know how to guide their thoughts or group a group of people with certain ideas, you know by heart every law, every line, every letter of every word and every political loophole that you can take advantage of with all that, move in the world politician, it's not very difficult, you control it well, you can be considered a control demon for how well you handle everything. • If you don't want to touch politics, that's fine, you know enough to move in society, it's simple to fake smiles or emotions, deceiving people is second nature, making them believe that you are like them, without any problem and with a normal life it's surprisingly easy, if you don't want to fool anyone that's fine, just with the security you show you would eventually have some group of trustworthy friends. • Sometimes it is difficult to know if a decision is good, until after seeing what happens, not for you, the decisions you make, are made under detailed scrutiny, your decisions will no longer have the doubt of whether you did it right, and even if for some strange reason some bad decision goes through your detailed study, you will have a sixth sense that will constantly warn you not to choose it, it will be your decision after that. • If ever it is not enough to stick to the laws, you know how to do everything in a more criminal way, blackmail, extortion, threaten, etc. you know every dirty trick in the book, in fact you wrote the book, you know it backwards and forwards, the underworld has its own laws, and you know them like the back of your hand, your very well can create your own mafia and promote it by the underworld, and when it's not enough to talk, well, it's an easier way to just permanently eliminate every person or group that opposes, not that anyone finds out if you want. • You know people's minds, you know how they think, you know what they want, and you can notice very clearly when some thought of betrayal passes through their pretty little head now condemned, you can tell if they have a plan or if they are trying to influence you, not because of some strange ability but because you simply know how the human being works, there is no person that you cannot understand, just one look and the personality of any person remains in your eyes, abnormal cases like Shirou Emiya is simply looking at them from a slightly different perspective, it is easy to You play with those thoughts, moving some person from one place to another like a puppet is quite a fun hobby, turning the most cowardly person into something much worse than Shirou with his sense of heroism and his lack of self-preservation is simple, the most calm and good-hearted person under your hands can be left as Kirei Kotomine with no moral limit as to how much evil is enough, h woe to whoever makes you angry, you know enough about the human being to create a real hell with simple words, people tend to think that words cannot cause so much damage, after all, words are not as effective as a sword According to them, it is sometimes easy to forget that a few simple words caused the fall of Camelot. • Trade is not so attached to the magus, but it is better to have money and be like Luvia using money from one side to the other, not be like Rin and wonder if you can last until the end of the month paying attention to each expense you make, the world of commerce opens its huge golden doors to you, you know money, you know how money is managed, you know where there are opportunities or how to create them yourself, you know where definitely not to be around to keep the money you have and avoid losses. • You have what can be said, a golden luck, the lottery, prizes, or just finding a dollar on the street, money comes to you passively, you can control how much comes to you, from a simple five dollars to millions, someone can suspect, but you will still be rich, so there will not be so many problems. • You know every dollar, every coin by heart, down to the tiniest penny, you keep it in mind when you do the math, which makes you very good with numbers, but pluses aside, you keep every bit of your money in mind, so that if any bills or coins go missing you'll notice quickly, so it's easy to spot if some fool is having a funny idea about your money. • Furthermore, you are the best at handling money, you can very well copy the Harweys and get 60% of the planet or more, there will be opposition, but if you use this, plus your political skills, you can very well do it without anyone noticing. • Mystery is what allows magecraft, the crystallization of belief, so it is undeniable to say that without mystery there is no magecraft or magic, as time passes and technology advances, the mystery gradually evaporates from this world, a risk for the magus, because their job lies in the very existence of the mystery, that is a danger that does not apply to you, your mere existence revives the mystery, you are like a plant only instead of expelling air, you expel mystery, this is something you can control, such as applying it only to your actions or that it spreads throughout the world or only to an area in general, you decide. • Be careful not to spread it around the world, the revival of the mystery can revive some troublesome things, most likely you can irreparably affect the world itself, the planet itself will be affected by such an action. • If you decide to enclose the mystery in an area, in that small area the mystery will begin to accumulate, affecting everything that is inside, each plant, each animal, each insect, even the smallest being can be affected. • Since the mystery comes from you, every creature that is impacted by the mystery you produce will feel a feeling of loyalty towards you, the probability that they will not be loyal to you is close to zero, they may see you as a divine being, which is god to humans, at worst they will be of no use to you, but they will still refuse to harm you. • You have more security against Gaia and Alaya, they will be softer when it comes to judging whether to eliminate you, you can be much more reckless than the rest of the magicians and unless you do something extreme like endangering the entire planet or humanity itself, none attack, they will stay away and not bother you, they will watch you it is true, but they will never interfere with anything you do as long as you do not go too far, this includes that Alaya cannot prune the timeline where you are, you are an immutable being when it comes to damaging the timeline, the incineration of humanity or the Lostbelt will do nothing to you, you are protected from that by sending you to another time and space, you will be displaced through time to the point of origin where that timeline was damaged, the singularities, very well you can solve it or just observe while you continue with your investigation while you wait to be sent to another space-time, in case it is solved you will return to where you were before all this happened, and in case that timeline is doomed you will be sent to another timeline that is not in danger. • Your powers cannot be stolen, deleted, copied or anything like that, you will have constant protection against negative effects, in case something unexpected happens, you will be randomly teleported, your powers will return, eventually, they always return. • Without perfection, nothing you build is ever perfect, it never will be, nor are you perfect, perfection is a limiting factor, when perfection arrives there is nothing else, that is why you can break perfection being able to grow unlimitedly, there is no limit in terms of you can grow or improve pre-existing things because in principle there is no end for you, and although some may say that there must be an end, a point at which you will eventually reach perfection by not being able to improve anymore, they are wrong, as simple beings, his imagination, his head can only come to that conclusion, that there is a limit, but not you, the limits seen in mortal eyes do not apply, you see an infinite path, the root itself is infinite and constantly growing, because you cannot be equal to her and have no limits in your growth, without perfection, without limits, a perpetual growth.

good chance of onion ninjas
I found the chest when I was seven, playing in the house while my mother tended the family garden. My father had left before sunrise, as he did one day every year. I never thought to ask where he went on that day, school had just let out and summer was on its way in, the adventures with my friends were more important to me. Summer was short and school would return before we knew it.
Plastic sword in hand, prepared to defend my ship, I walked through the house looking for stowaways and found the treasure in my parents closet. Gold coins attached to ribbons placed neatly in a wooden box with a silver necklace carrying an angel, and another necklace bore my Father's name on two plates, between them a casing, battered and dull. My Father's treasures were so great why hide them?
Resting underneath the wooden box was a green jacket, folded neatly and proud, a patch on the sleeve ringed in bright red and a thin border of white in the shape of the plates that bore my Father's name. There was an odd knife in the center, the blade held high from two snow capped mountains, eight stars at the top, three on one side of the knife, five on the other. Below was an eagle on a green shield. Shinny brass buttons held the coat closed, each had an eagle with stars above its head, the talons held arrows in one claw, a branch in the other, and a banner in its beak. Pins on the lapels read "support" on a blue banner, silver hands held an eight pointed red star. On the right were little rainbow ribbons pinned above the pocket, bronze leaves on a few, stars on some more, a knotted cord on crimson and white, an "M" on cream and light blue, a "4" on blue yellow and red. What did these mean?
The right side had our last name below a red arrow that held a ships wheel and a shield with a winged wheel. "Spearhead of Logistics" scrolled beneath. On that sleeve, a black tab, "Airborne" stitched in gold and a bald eagle screaming on a black shield.
I put on my Father's coat and found another underneath. The shoulders bore white diamonds, ivy leaves at the corners. The ribbons were as bright, but different in pattern. Green and yellow with three red stripes, green and white with a silver scroll read "69 -" something that had not ended? Another coat rested beneath that one, and another further still, all smartly packed away, but ready to be donned again. I put them all back the way I had found them, my Father's treasures were vast, but were hidden for a purpose.
At dinner that night the colors and symbols still danced in my mind.
"Dad, what does 'Airborne' mean?"
That was the first time I saw my father cry. My mother's eyes went wide, but my father just shed tears, his dinner forgotten.
"You were in the closet weren't you?" He asked.
How did he know? Mom had not seen me and he'd been gone all day. I placed everything back where I had found it to the best of my knowledge.
"I'll tell you tomorrow." He said, and picked up his plate before walking to the kitchen.
I couldn't sleep that night. Was I in trouble? What would he say? The minutes ticked by like hours, the silent darkness passed uninterrupted until the first light of day peaked through my window. He knocked softly at my door, no time was left for worry and fear. The door opened and my father looked down at me, still tucked into bed. The coat I discovered hung proudly from his shoulders as he sat on my bed.
"Get up and get ready," he spoke softly, "today you will walk with me."
I pulled on my pants and threw my shirt over my head before picking up my shoes and entering the living room. My grandfather was there wearing the second coat I found. A tear in his eye as he looked down on me.
"Kind of soon for him isn't it?" My grandfather asked.
"He has to know sooner or later." My father replied.
We walked across town my father on my right, his father on my left, laughing and talking about when my father was young. People stopped to watch this little parade, silent and knowing the truth I was about to learn. On the edge of the town was the graveyard, grey markers on a field of green, but a flag flew proudly in front of a few. This is where my father went once a year just before June.
"This is my father," my grandfather said in front of a stone polished and carved with our family name.
My father handed me a gold dollar like the one in his hand. My grandfather place a gold dollar on the stone and stepped back to salute. My father followed him, every action the same, and I knew what to do. On the way home we stopped at a diner for breakfast. People would pass to say 'thank you' between bites of pancakes and eggs. My father only nodded and my grandfather smiled. I knew nothing needed to be said in reply, and my Fathers treasures took on more meaning than gold and silver ever would.
The thunder of artillery rolls across this new world, far from the star that I knew as a child. My grandfather rests next to his father now, in that green field of stones so far away. My father still walks across town to lay a coin on their markers, and when I get home from this world I will join him. My faith is in my rifle, and the armor I wear. The man and the woman beside me are more precious than money or power. The adventures of my youth are replaced by the realities in front of me as we fight for a treasure more valuable than gold and silver, a future for our own sons and daughters, a legacy we will give them like my fathers before me.