William was just about to scoop another mouthful of porridge and berries into his mouth when someone scooted into the seat next to him.
“Marline.” He inclined his head before returning to breakfast.
A breakfast that, prior to his teammate’s arrival, had been blissfully free of noise or interruption.
Which made sense given that the ‘rise and shine’ bell wasn’t going to ring for another thirty minutes or so. To that end, the cafeteria was near empty, but for a few servants flitting around the place as they set tables or partook of their own breakfasts.
Breakfasts that were something of a step down from what was normally served at these tables, given that the usual heaped piles of hot sausages, crisp bacon and hearty eggs were still being prepared in the kitchens.
Still, on this occasion, that was fine by William. Sure, the main reason he’d told his team to rise a little earlier than normal was to allow them to dine in peace without being harassed by the rest of the rumour hungry student body, but it was also useful in that it somewhat limited some of his more… difficult teammate’s breakfast options.
“William,” the dark elf hissed as she leaned down. “We have a problem.”
Despite his early morning lethargy, those words managed to send something akin to a shiver up his spine.
“What!? What’s the problem?” he asked as he whirled around, remembering only at the last minute to keep his voice down.
Sure, the cafeteria was relatively empty of both staff and students, but it hadn’t escaped his notice that pretty much all of them had had their eyes on him since he sat down.
“What do you mean, ‘what’s the problem?’” Marline whispered furiously into his ear. “The fucking alchemy lab blew up last night.”
“Oh, that.” She’d gotten him all worked up for nothing. “Someone’s enchantment probably went awry after being kept in storage too long.”
That was a lie and they both knew it. He’d explained to Marline in great detail why trying to gain access to his storage room was a poor idea without him present. To that end, it was obvious that someone had attempted just that.
As such, the old alchemy building was now a smouldering ruin, with dozens of academy guards and at least one member of the palace guard sifting through the rubble when he walked past.
Or at least, they’d been watching over a dozen menial servants as they sifted through the rubble.
Still, no one had been too alarmed by it. It was hardly the first time the building had been destroyed after all.
Alchemy was by its nature a fairly dangerous art.
A form of homeopathic magic that attempted to imbue objects with magical abilities by combining them with conceptually similar items, it tended to both be prohibitively expensive and notoriously unreliable.
Left eyes from forty-year-old salamanders didn’t grow on trees after all. Nor testicles from albino bulls in heat. And that was the kind of specificity one needed to create a half-decent stamina potion.
There was a reason that alchemy was gradually being phased out in favour of the slower but more reliable art of enchanting.
“Yes, very unfortunate,” Marline said through gritted teeth. “But what about ‘our’ ingredients that were being kept in the building. It might be… dangerous of someone stumbled across them in the rubble.”
Dangerous? Gunpower couldn’t explode more than…
“Oh, you’re talking about the gift we were holding for your family?” He realized.
“Yes!”
“Why didn’t you check last night?” he asked.
“...I tend to wear earplugs when I sleep,” Marline admitted reluctantly. “Given… Verity.”
William glanced towards the young woman’s long elven ears and thought about their orcish teammate’s tendency to snore like she was trying to wake the dead. The inner walls of their dorm weren’t particularly thick and Marline’s room was right next to the other girl’s.
Yeah, he could see why she might have invested in some hearing protection.
A decent set of earplugs wouldn’t drown out the noise of the morning bell, but they’d be more than capable of drowning out the distant whumph of an alchemy lab going up on the opposite side of the campus.
He momentarily wondered if the noise had caused any of his other teammates to get up, before dismissing the idea.
Strange noises in the middle of the night were far from unusual in a military academy and usually best ignored unless you had a very good reason to think they might involve you.
“Well, it’s not a problem,” he whispered. “I moved it last night before heading back to the dorm.”
The look of relief on the dark elf’s face was palpable, before it gave way to confusion. “Why?”
He shrugged. “For the same reason I booby-trapped the storage room in the first place. Once it got out that I had a mithril core – and might have had something to do with Al’Hundra’s death, well it seemed like there was a decent chance someone might go snooping around places I might want to hide something.”
And the alchemy lab was just about the first place someone would think of right after their team’s dorm room.
Fortunately for him, there were a few places that were quite impractical for hiding something long-term, but pretty ideal in the short term.
And just so long as Marline’s aunts arrived before next Welday, the mithril core would be safe.
Though as he gazed down at the bowl of porridge in front of him, he found his appetite wasn’t quite what it had been just a few moments ago.
“So where’d you hide it?” Marline asked excitedly, clearly relieved that her family’s future wasn’t currently buried in rubble.
William paused as he considered how to answer that question. Something his teammate was quick to notice.
“William,” she prompted. “Where’s my family’s core?”
He gazed down at his bowl, still thinking.
“William!” she shouted as best she could while still whispering.
“The safest place I could think of. Somewhere it’d be covered completely and no one would voluntarily look.”
“Voluntarily?” Marline said. “Covered?”
Credit where credit was due, no one had ever accused his teammate of being slow on the uptake. At least, where politics wasn’t concerned. So it was that it wasn’t long before he witnessed her expression morph from confusion to horror… to rage.
“You buried my family’s mithril core in the latrines?!” she hissed.
William scratched his chin awkwardly as he avoided her furious gaze. “More like dropped. I didn’t need to bury it because it sank on its own. Which is good given I wasn’t quite sure of the relative buoyancy of mithril in… well… you know.”
In his defence, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Indeed, if one were to be purely objective about the whole thing, it still was. The core was safely hidden at the bottom of one of the lesser used latrine pits. The bottom mounted… storage vats of which were pulled out and emptied into the bay once a week.
It was a fairly old fashioned system, given the existence of indoor plumbing across the rest of the academy. Indeed, he suspected the latrines were only kept around to serve as a form of punishment duty for any cadets that happened to royally piss off their instructors.
“They’ll be safe there until Welday,” William argued weakly. “At which point your aunts can collect them without anyone being the wiser.”
“Collect them from the latrine’s storage vats!” Marline hissed, slamming her head into the table. “Ancestors, the future of our house is now literally swimming in shit.”
Gingerly, William moved to pat the dark elf on the back. “Ah, but at least it’s safe.”
Once more he glanced away as two silver eyes peeked out angrily from between the girl’s arms.
Needless to say, he was rather glad for the eventual arrival of the rest of their team – even if Bonnlyn chose to complain at length about the fact that she was going to be forced to dine on ‘twigs and berries’ – as opposed to the gut busting pile of vaguely food shaped grease she normally chose to partake of in a morning.
Still, at least Marline had stopped glaring at him by the time they’d all finished eating – escaping just before the first of their fellow cadets piled noisily into the cafeteria.


It was actually rather amusing, that for all that the coming match had obvious implications for the country as a whole, in theory it was simply another practice match between two groups of cadets.
To that end, there was no great ceremony as the members of Team Seven made their way through the double doors leading to the Floats. There, as per usual, stood the members of the opposing team along with an Instructor from a ‘neutral’ house.
Never mind that the great bleachers to each side of the faux-ships were filled with eager spectators when they were normally all-but bare. Or that not one of the viewing orbs bolted to the gantries overhead was bereft of the ambient glow that signified they were in use.
Half the noble houses in the country were likely watching the events that were about to unfold through those crystalline orbs. Though William had to wonder if the Queen was one of them or if she was present in person, simply hidden behind whatever magic she used to render herself and her guards invisible.
Still, as he gazed upon the spectacle around them, William couldn’t help but be reminded of just how impressive a construction the Floats were, the stadium sized building hosting not just the ships that made up the field, but room for spectators, viewing orbs, staff and a myriad other smaller facilities that each worked to allow the practice matches to occur.
With that in mind, one notable absence from the building’s usual occupants was hard to miss.
“Where are all the sailors and marines?” Olzenya asked.
“I don’t know,” William said as they continued walking towards Tala and her team. “Maybe they’re already onboard?”
He doubted it though. He’d have been able to see people moving about inside the great vessels or marching across the deck.
No, something was amiss here.
Still, he’d known there was a possibility of House Blackstone attempting something. And the absence of the Float’s usual staff was likely to be related.
Nothing for it now, he thought. Whatever they’ve done can’t be too overt.
The Principal of the Academy might have been in New Haven’s pocket – which made her an ally of House Blackstone – but even her power had limits with the Crown and half the country watching.
“Ma’am,” William said as he came to a stop before the Instructor from House Summerfield. “Team Seven reporting.”
Instructor Halfin, ironically the woman who’d first introduced his team to the floats glowered at him.
“I don’t like this,” she said without preamble, her voice raised loudly enough that it was clear she was aiming her words not just at him, but Tala and the rest of the world besides. “The Academy and the Floats are supposed to be a training environment for the future leadership of the nation as a whole. Not a pissing ground for idiotic adolescents.”
“I didn’t choose the venue, ma’am.” Even as she spoke, Tala’s gaze stayed on William.
“And I didn’t ask your opinion, cadet.” Halfin’s words were biting as she turned towards the third-year. “The only opinion that matters here is mine. Not yours. Not his. Not your mummy’s. And not the rest of these upjumped cretins.”
Her hand flew out to encompass the veritable circus that were the stands. “So, with that in mind you can believe me when I say that my only concern is getting through this farce as efficiently and as fairly as possible. I don’t give a shit about what’s on the line or who doesn’t want to marry who. All that matters to me is whether or not you have wax or paint on your breastplate or enough harpy-venom in your system to put you down for the count.”
Both Tala’s and William’s eyes widened a little at that.
“Wax, ma’am? Paint?” Tala said.
The older woman grunted. “You heard me, and that’s all I’ll say on the matter. Let it be known I’m not happy about it. Nor about the fact that half the sailors on base have apparently come down with the shits.”
Ah, so that was why the float’s usual crew was missing. Clearly the work of House Blackstone, though to what end William was yet unsure.
Are they trying to delay the match? He thought.
That wouldn’t be ideal for a number of reasons – most of which centred around it giving House Blackstone more time to sabotage him and his team. There’d been a damn good reason he chose to have their match literally a day after he challenged her.
“This has naturally affected my ability to run a normal Float match. Normally that would be grounds for delaying this whole farce,” Halfin continued, tone darkening as she spoke the next few words. “But it has been ‘suggested’ to me by a number of parties that doing so would be impractical. So, we shall instead be making use of one of the scenarios available to us that does not require the use of regular crewmembers.”
She gestured towards the area between the two faux ships, the football field sized stretch of land normally empty but for a few overhead nets designed to catch falling cadets.
That wasn’t the case today. Instead, the area had been filled with a tangled mess of pre-fabricated structures and various other bits of paraphernalia.
“Airship down,” the Instructor said, and after a moment’s observation, William realized that the stretch of land really did look like what you might have seen if an airship crashed into it.
Assuming said airship crashed with enough force to scatter its component parts around rather than remain as a fairly battered single object. Which, given the heights said ships could drop from, wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
“Our third year cadets will be familiar with this scenario, but I will explain it briefly for our first years.” Again, there was no mistaking just how unhappy Halfin was with all of this. “In short, an allied or enemy airship has crashed in neutral territory. Both sides of the conflict have dispatched a mage strike team to search the wreckage for the ship’s core so as to deny it to the enemy. Unfortunately, neither side can effectively search said wreckage until the other strike team has been completely eliminated.”
Halfin’s gaze turned towards his team. “To clarify, do not let the flavor text of this scenario fool you. There is no core within the wreckage in this scenario. The only way to win is to completely eliminate the opposing team.”
Over the woman’s shoulder, William didn’t miss the small smile that flitted across his fiancee’s features.
Ah, so that’s her game, he thought.
Oh, he didn’t doubt she would have preferred this whole engagement be delayed so as to allow her more time to stack the deck, but on short notice simply changing the scenario to this still helped her.
Theoretically.
It reduced the number of ‘wild card’ factors that might benefit him or his team. No crew members. No orbs to collect. Just a straight up fight between the two teams.
Sure, said wild cards could have just as easily worked in Tala’s favour, but given the skill disparity between the two groups, it benefited her to reduce the number of random vectors present in the coming fight.
Plus, it also had his team attempting to navigate an unfamiliar scenario.
Well played, he thought.
“Any issue with that, cadets?” Halfin said as she finished her explanation.
“None at all,” William said before the rest of his team could interrupt, noting the small pout of disappointment that flitted across Tala’s face.
She’d probably wanted him to kick up a fuss and force the match to be delayed for the reasons he’d thought of before.
Alas, she wasn’t that lucky.
No, for better or for worse this was happening here and now.
Sure, it wasn’t an ideal scenario, but he could make it work for him. It simply required him to pull out another trick that he’d been hoping to hold onto for just a little while longer.
Amusingly, Halfin also looked a little disappointed. The woman had probably wanted the match delayed on principle. It was clear both his new weapon and Tala’s interference rubbed her the wrong way.
Though as he had the thought, he was pleasantly surprised to see there was at least one woman in the academy who placed her duty as an educator and impartial judge above politics.
Indeed, if she had a reputation for such, that was likely part of the reason why she’d been selected for this match as a compromise between the Crown and the Blackstones.
“Well, if that’s all, then you’ve got ten minutes to check out your weapons and get to your starting positions.” Halfin grunted, before she seemed to remember something. “And I suppose I’ll take possession of the ‘bet’ now.”
There was no missing the disdain in the woman’s voice, which actually made William feel a bit better as he gestured over to Verity.
Unslinging the backpack she’d carried all the way over, the girl still looked more than a little awed as she unveiled the glowing metal orb. It was actually a little amusing, the mixture of relief and reluctance that crossed her features as she handed it over to the Instructor.
An instructor who was apparently not entirely carved from stone, as she somewhat reverently accepted the object.
Even the distant stands hushed down a bit as the bowling ball sized core changed hands.
Of course, it was barely a second before the moment was interrupted.
“Of course you’d have the orc carry it,” Tala grunted, her tone resigned.
Verity flinched back at the words and every other member of his team – including Olzenya leaned forward to argue – but William forestalled them all with a simple raised hand.
“Of course I did,” he said simply. “She’s a valuable member of my team and I trust her. Far more than certain other individuals present.”
A core could also be deceptively heavy despite its ability to produce lighter than air aether and he had no real desire to carry it all the way across campus. It also went unsaid that Verity was best equipped to intercept any… opportunistic thieves.
Indeed, he’d have paid to see some enterprising moron attempt to wrestle the bag holding the core off his orcish teammate on the walk over here.
It hadn’t happened of course, the possibility had always been an outlier at best, but given the stakes it had seemed better to err on the side of caution.
…It had also been amusing to see the myriad emotions that had flashed across the faces of most of the team when he quite casually tossed the bag holding the core to the orc. One would almost think he’d just thrown a baby at her.
Indeed, the only one who’d not been affected had been Marline, who’d just looked quietly resigned.
Which was still fun in its own way.
It was a little childish perhaps coming from a man ‘his age’, but that same age was what gave him the experience to know that sometimes life was about being a little silly and enjoying the small things.
And what better silly fun was there than teasing a bunch of far too serious kids by throwing around a basically indestructible ball of magical space metal?
Of course, given the flash of irritation that shot across Tala’s face, it was clear she thought his smile was an accompaniment to his taunt.
However, before she could say anything, Halfin scooped up the core. “Well, I’ll be holding onto this until the match is over. At which point I shall hand it to whomever I deem to be the victor.” For just a moment, her expression softened. “You can rest assured, both of you, that I shan’t let it out of my sight or off my person for the duration of the match. This I swear – even if I’m irritated at this whole situation.”
William and Tala both nodded, accepting the solemness of the woman’s impromptu oath.
“Alright,” she said, slinging the thing under her arm as she returned to her previous acerbic personality. “You’ve got ten minutes to collect your weapons and be at your designated spots for the beginning of the match. Anyone not in the correct place at the correct time will be considered eliminated for the purposes of this match. Dismissed.”
With her bit said, she strode away, no doubt up to the judges tower - which had an eagle’s eye view of the entire arena.
Leaving two teams of rather combative cadets behind.
Ten minutes was more than enough time to collect their gear, so William allowed himself a few seconds to simply gaze at Tala’s team.
“Finally realizing how outclassed you are, William?” Tala sneered.
It was funny, normally that kind of open disdain was beneath her. Sure, she’d yelled at him before, but to his mind that was more of an expression of frustration than animosity.
Here and now though?
She hated him.
And he revelled in it.
Not because he hated her. He didn’t. Even if they were enemies. At worst he’d say he pitied her for her ignorance and worldview.
Much like him and his otherworldly views, she was a product of her environment.
She wasn’t evil. At least not in an intentional sense. Indeed, by the standards of this world she was actually a good person.
Loyal. Dutiful. Hardworking.
Simply in service to an institution that he abhorred.
With that in mind, the reason why he relished in her disdain was simple.
It meant that he was now worthy of it in her mind. No longer an irritating non-factor that refused to play along, his actions now had consequences.
He’d earned her animosity honestly.
He was a factor. A person.
It felt good.
“Just counting the numbers,” he said. “Some part of me wondered if you might be a team member or two short.”
Indeed, the fact that he’d hoped for the murder of a young man or woman last night was something he counted amongst the least of his sins. There’d be a great many more of those to come.
Still, ignorant of his thoughts, the girl stiffened, all but confirming his suspicions as her mind no doubt turned towards last night’s explosion.
It had been her people who’d tried to raid his alchemy storage room – though it seemed she’d not been so foolish as to send anyone on her team to accomplish the job. In all likelihood the unfortunate fools who’d run afoul of his trap had likely been little more than paid off servants or some other kind of catspaw.
Irrelevant in the scheme of things ultimately and chosen for that very reason. Unfortunate, but hoping that his enemy would be a teammate or two down had ever been a long shot.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Tala said. “My teammates are all ready and eager to serve not only me, but to honour their family names as well through that service. Though I know that’s a concept most alien to you.”
Around her, four other members of the girls team stood up a little straight, animosity burning in their gaze as they silently regarded his team with disdain.
Disdain his own team was quite happy to level back – if only out of loyalty to him.
Still, it was funny; Tala was more right than she knew. The values of this world were in many ways alien to him despite having lived here for nearly two decades.
“I suppose you’re right,” he chuckled. “To that end, I’ll see you in the arena.”
He took a moment to enjoy the look of puzzlement on his foe’s face at his placid rejoinder, before he strode away, his team falling in behind him.
Though as he walked, he made sure to turn to each of them. “Make sure to double check all of our equipment. If Tala was able to give half the Float staff food poisoning last night, I wouldn’t put it past her to be able to tamper with our equipment.”
Each of the girls nodded seriously at his words, no doubt leery of discovering a razor blade or some other such implement in one of their boots. Or that their bolt-bow had a faulty intake valve.
Indeed, the only piece of equipment William could theoretically have been sure of was that which he was currently wearing and the spell-bolts that would have been delivered clandestinely at the last minute by either Griffith or a palace guard.
And even then, what the fuck is this about wax and paint rather than rubber? He thought.
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TEL AVIV, Israel, May 21, 2024 — Alarum Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq, TASE: ALAR) (“Alarum” or the “Company”), a global provider of internet access and web data collection solutions, today announced financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024.
“I am thrilled to report another record quarter, marking continued growth and profitability for our company,” said Mr. Shachar Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Alarum. “As market leaders, our dedication to innovation has never been stronger. This quarter, we introduced the ‘Website Unblocker,’ a product that has not only received positive feedback, but has also attracted new customers. We also launched our revolutionary ‘AI Data Collector’ product line, which features a user-friendly, no-code interface, that allows users to set up data collection in just minutes. We believe this will be a game-changer in the web data collection industry.
We remain agile, continuously planning for the future and advancing our roadmap with potential solutions for data analysis and insights. Our sustained growth, profitability, customer retention, and the successful introduction of innovative products, are propelling us towards the next milestones and achievements of our company.”
“Today we announced another record-setting quarter, highlighting our sustained growth and increasing profitability, which impacts all our financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),” said Mr. Shai Avnit, Chief Executive Officer of Alarum. “Our IFRS basic earnings per share (EPS) increased to $0.23 per American Depository Share (ADS), while our non-IFRS basic EPS rose to $0.45 per ADS. Our IFRS net profit was $1.4 million, And our non-IFRS net profit climbed to $2.8 million. The gap between the two, is primarily due to expenses resulting from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) following an increase in our Company’s share price. Our Adjusted EBITDA soared to an impressive $3.2 million – up significantly from just $0.1 million a year ago. We are thrilled to report that NetNut’s upward trajectory continues robustly, with revenues reaching an all-time high, having surged by 139%. This growth is driven by the acquisition of new customers and a strong customer retention rate (NRR), which now stands at 1.66. This demonstrates our success in not only retaining, but also significantly expanding our engagements with existing customers.”
First Quarter Fiscal 2024 Financial Highlights:
Revenues for the first quarter of 2024 reached a Company record high of $8.4 million, an increase of 47% compared to the first quarter of 2023;
Gross margin for the first quarter of 2024 increased to 78%, compared to 66% in the first quarter of 2023;
IFRS net profit reached $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to an IFRS net loss of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2023;
Non-IFRS net profit increased to $2.8 million; Finance expenses in the amount of $0.8 million, due to expenses mainly from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) resulting from the increase in the Company’s share price, are excluded from the non-IFRS net profit calculation. This compared to non-IFRS net loss of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023;
IFRS basic profit per American Depository Share – “ADS” was $0.23 ($0.02 basic profit per ordinary share), and non-IFRS basic profit per ADS was $0.45 ($0.03 basic profit per ordinary share);
Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2024 continued to grow, reaching a Company record of $3.2 million, compared to $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023;
NetNut’s revenues for the first quarter of 2024 totaled $8.1 million, reflecting growth of 139% year-over-year, compared to $3.4 million for the first quarter of 2023; and
Net Retention Rate (“NRR”)1 climbed to 1.66 in the first quarter of 2024.
Recent Business Developments:
The Company launched an innovative artificial intelligence (“AI”) web data collection product line. This cutting-edge product line represents a significant leap forward in web data collection technology, addressing the challenges of time-intensive collector creation and maintenance that have long plagued businesses across industries;
The Company introduced its new and innovative Website Unblocker, designed to allow automated web data collection tools access to public facing web data without being tagged by anti-bot and bot-management solutions;
The Company announced exciting events lineup, including CEO Spotlight on a leading technology podcast with Dinis Guarda and hosted a webinar: Revolutionizing Data Insights with NetNut’s Website Unblocker; and
NetNut appointed Mr. Yorai Fainmesser as Strategic Advisory Board Member. As a general partner of a leading AI venture capital firm, Disruptive AI, and the former (Colonel Ret.) Head of the AI and Data Science intelligence unit 8200 in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), Mr. Fainmesser brings unparalleled expertise in AI strategy and cyber technology.
Financial Results for the first quarter of 2024:
Revenues amounted to $8.4 million (Q1.2023: $5.7 million). The increase is attributed to the organic growth in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business revenues, despite a reduction in the consumer internet access business revenues.
Cost of revenues totaled $1.8 million (Q1.2023: $1.9 million). The reduction stems mainly from the Company’s CyberKick division’s traffic acquisition costs stoppage in July 2023 and clearing fees decrease, due to the Company’s updated scale down strategy for its CyberKick operations. The reduction was partially offset by an increase in enterprise internet access and web data collection business costs of addresses and networks and servers used for the generation of the additional enterprise internet access and web data collection business revenues.
Research and development expenses totaled $1.0 million (Q1.2023: $1.1 million). Reduced expenses in the consumer internet access business due to the operations scale down of CyberKick were partially offset by an increase in payroll and related expenses in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business.
Sales and marketing expenses totaled $1.7 million (Q1.2023: $2.2 million). The decrease resulted mainly from the stoppage of media acquisition costs in July 2023 due to CyberKick’s operations scale down strategy. This reduction was partially offset by higher payroll and related expenses in the enterprise internet access and web data collection business.
General and administrative expenses totaled $1.2 million (Q1.2023: $1.0 million). The increase is mainly due to higher payroll and related expenses and professional fees costs related to the enterprise internet access and web data collection business, partially offset by lower payroll and related expenses as a result of CyberKick’s operations scale down strategy.
Finance expenses reached $0.8 million (Q1.2023: $0.2 million). The increase is mainly from expenses resulting from the fair value increase of derivative financial instruments (warrants issued in 2019-2020) due to the increase in the Company’s share price. The increase was partially offset by interest income that stemmed from the Company’s increased cash equivalents.
Income tax expenses totaled $0.3 million (Q1.2023: tax benefit of $0.004 million). The switch to income tax expenses is due to the first-time profitably of NetNut for tax purposes.
As a result, IFRS net profit reached $1.4 million, or $0.02 basic profit per ordinary share ($0.23 basic profit per American Depository Share – “ADS”), compared to IFRS net loss of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2023, or $0.02 basic loss per ordinary share ($0.21 basic loss per ADS).
Non-IFRS net profit was $2.8 million, or $0.04 basic profit per ordinary share ($0.45 basic profit per ADS), compared to non-IFRS net loss of $0.1 million in the first quarter of 2023, or $0.00 basic loss per ordinary share ($0.03 basic loss per ADS).
Adjusted EBITDA was $3.2 million (Q1.2023: Adjusted EBITDA of $0.1 million).
Balance Sheet Highlights:
As of March 31, 2024, shareholders’ equity totaled $17.1 million, or approximately $2.66 per ADS, compared to shareholders’ equity of $13.2 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase stems from the 2024 first quarter net profit as well as warrants and options exercises.
Outstanding ordinary share count as of March 31, 2024 was 64.1 million, or 6.4 million in ADSs.
As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents balance totaled $15.1 million, compared to $10.9 million as of December 31, 2023.

I am proud of it, I know many other people are way better and can do it faster

TTD is in every roblox event , the game is fun , the skibidi toilet is sexy , cameraman is sigma
Belownatural is a F**ry (eww) , and i love gambling
Honestly the only good thing this game did was stealing skibidi toilet from TTD
smh

Playing Tropico 5 many years ago made me wish that Tropico 6 was better in terms of military, which it is (so many ways to increase squad efficiency and stats, thanks weapons factory) but also, simultaneously feels like it's missing a lot.
First of all, I know that Tropico isn't supposed to be a war RTS. It's a dictator simulator. We don't want to be building bases to order troops to attack things and have that be the sole focus, yeah I get it. But also, Tropico isn't meant to be a glorified city builder like it has been in 5 and 6.
Tropico needs a good balance of features while also not trying to seem like it has depth when all the features are shallow and lack detail. Upon saying that, we don't want a game that's so tedious and complicated with so much stuff. But that's another issue entirely.
For me, it just feels like the military in Tropico is too niche, because if you play properly: without pissing off superpowers and keeping liberty high enough, they would be next to useless.
I just want more military functions, features and content. Hopefully, naively, in a T6 DLC, but more realistically, in T7. Here's a (not at all) small list:
--- Air Power.
The aircraft carrier spoils me, because it makes me wish there were actual military air bases or airfields where warplanes and helicopters could take off from in order to fight against rebels, guerillas and invaders.
--- Naval Power.
Not full US Navy spam, but just a way to expand Tropico's variety. Naval bases to send patrol boats and corvettes out, maybe? A placeable destroyer, frigate and/or cruiser that fires artillery rounds or missiles at enemy squads? A return of the Nuclear Submarine as well? Also could have these deter foreign powers from sending those attack waves.
--- Ground Troops.
Tank Squads only having one tank is weird, as well as Army Bases taking up so much room but only having two job slots. Make them bigger with more tanks per building. Mechanised from T5 could return, complete with APCs/IFVs that would bridge the gap between Tanks and Infantry. Towed and/or mobile artillery to fight enemy squads from afar, maybe. Anti-aircraft or anti-ship squads/buildings to fight enemy variants of those mentioned above? I think that would be too far into RTS, though. Special Operations troops would be nice, like in T5 with the Rangers, Commandos and Defence HQ squads, just more plentiful.
--- Defences.
More tower types, redoubts, fortresses, bunkers. A modern times or cold war evolution of the Fort for Man the Ramparts, at the very least. Maybe walls or fences that would block access to pedestrians and enemy squads so you can manipulate their movement?
--- Building function revamp.
Have barracks and bases be as independent as possible. Have soldiers either live on the premises or code in to have them live and seek amenities as close as possible if available.A way to upgrade them with their own Faith, Fun, Food and Liberty providers, like the Utilities upgrade for Forts. Maybe Bases could be modular complexes like the spaceport, add on extra barracks, tank, APC or air buildings in the same complex? Or amenities buildings? Something like Cities: Skylines II does with its building add ons.
--- Soldier behaviour revamp.
Make squads instantly spawn when someone is attacking. For rebels or guerillas, have only buildings in the vicinity of the target or the enemy spawn. For foreign attack, have all buildings spawn. Also, make soldiers at least a little immune to negative liberty modifiers since they WORK FOR ONE.
In conclusion, Many would dislike this suggestion, as they would find this overcomplicating a feature of the funny dictator game. But it hurts from my perspective to see other features overcomplicated and others just ignored and left to rot in the shadow of more exciting things.

The Dungeon Dungeon Fruit is a paramecia-type devil fruit that allows the user to become a living dungeon, making them a Dungeon Master.

Strengths

Upon consuming the Dungeon Dungeon Fruit, the user will gain a permanent pocket dimension of a dungeon within themselves which they are able to customise however they like. The user can teleport people and objects into their dungeon through touch, shrinking them down and transporting them into the dungeon's interior.
The user also gains the ability to transform their body into a full-size dungeon matching the pocket dimension one as it is just the pocket dimension one expanding into the world and transforming the user into the building. If the user is above ground their dungeon will resemble a tower as it towers above the ground with its height dependent on the number of flours the user has created. If the user does it above ground the dungeon's rules of floors get flipped and the lower floors are weaker with the higher ones being stronger. Also, there will be an entranceway for people to enter or exit at the bottom of the "tower" form. If the user is underground their dungeon will meld with the environment and go down with the height dependent on the number of flours the user has created, additionally, the user will rise or sink to have an opening on the surface marking the entrance into the dungeon. When transformed the user has complete control over the dungeon, allowing them to manipulate its structure, features, and contents as if it were an extension of their own body. The user can enhance the durability of their dungeon, fortifying it against environmental hazards and potential threats.
Inside the dungeon, the user is able to create anything that can be found in a dungeon, including but not limited to, weapons, monsters, treasures, puzzles, traps, etc. The user is able to take out their creations however they must keep physical contact with it constantly and if they don't it will disappear and reappear back in their dungeon when the user has the energy to create it again.
Inside the dungeon, the user has absolute control capable of creating and controlling anything and everything in relation to dungeons.

Weaknesses

Standard devil fruit weaknesses apply.
Floors: The user has to separate the structure of their dungeon into floors, with every floor down able to create stronger entities and items with more elaborate and stronger traps and treasures.
Creatures: The creatures that the user creates in the dungeon are able to be influenced and controlled by the user's direct orders but anything besides the user's direct orders can possibly be disobeyed or dismissed by the creatures.
Outside contact: Items and creatures that the user made within their dungeon will turn into dust once they are apart from the user. Meaning that an item or creature can be taken out but only partially. The user can take out a sword and use it as a weapon but once they discard it or it no longer makes physical contact with them it will start to turn to dust.
Energy: It takes energy for the user to make anything within the dungeon be it items, monsters, or even them manipulating the dungeon to their will to make the impossible happen, or even remake the dungeon and its contents. The stronger the things/creatures that they create the more energy it will cost the user.
Space & Haki: Strong haki can neutralize creatures within the dungeon and make passage throughout the dungeon really easy, additionally any space manipulation can enable people the ability to escape from the user's Dungeon unless the user is constantly twisting space to prevent them from doing this.
'Magic': The dungeon is filled with the user's energy which they can use like magic. The 'Magic' within the dungeon can only ever be the user's energy that they used to create phenomenon, it is not real magic but the user using their ability to create anything within the dungeon. Haki can disrupt this energy and make the user's control over the dungeon unstable/erratic and it acts as a kind of anti-magic.
Destruction: Vistors can destroy the dungeon and trigger a full-scale collapse in order to get out of the dungeon quickly.
Dungeon Limit: The Dungeon can be of any size be it 1 floor, 10 floors, 100 floors or even 10,000 floors as many as the user wants, and these floors can be as big or as small as the user wants with space distorting to the users will. As well as the contents being however the user wishes them to be. However, the user is limited to having only one Dungeon created at a time.

Techniques:

The core of the Dungeon: This technique allows the user to merge their physical form with their dungeon, becoming the true core and centre of the Dungeon. When activated, the user's body undergoes a transformation, imbuing them with the visual appearance of their dungeon while retaining their base form's humanoid shape. The user appears as their usual self but with subtle manifestations of their dungeon's architecture spread across their entire body visible both internally and externally. Parts of the user's body may take on a spectral or ethereal quality, resembling stone, wood, or other materials found within their dungeon. Floors within the dungeon will be visible on the user's body and the user can interact with them like normal. While in this state, the user's control of their dungeon and sense of the dungeon as a part of their body is strengthened, granting them unparalleled control over its features and inhabitants. They can sense disturbances, manipulate the environment, and summon forth creatures or objects from within their domain with ease. The user's thoughts and intentions shape the very fabric of their dungeon, allowing them to adapt and respond to any situation. The Core of the Dungeon technique offers numerous tactical advantages. In addition to serving as a formidable defensive measure, it enables the user to access their dungeon's resources and defences instantaneously. They can summon forth weapons, traps, or allies as needed instantaneously. Additionally, the strongest part of this technique is that the user is able to take on the full condition of the dungeon allowing them to be as durable as the entire dungeon combined, as smart as the entire dungeon combined, and the user is able to draw on all the strength of the entire dungeon, etc.
Dungeon Gate: The user is able to create a portal on any part of their body, this portal can connect to anywhere within their dungeon. The user can use this to take out something or someone from their dungeon temporarily, the user can also use this to make an opening for one of their creatures to attack from the portal or to take out an item.
Treasure: The user can create valuable items or weapons from their dungeon and bring them into the real world by maintaining physical contact. However, these items will disappear if contact is broken.

• Eternal Chalice: A mystical cup that, when filled with any liquid, will never run out of that liquid until the cup is turned over completely and the contents are completely spilt out.
• Golem's Heart: A magical gem that, when placed on the ground, summons a powerful stone golem to protect the owner of the treasure. The Golem is about the same size as a goblin and is made of solid stone, it will last until it is completely broken.
• Chrono Amulet: An amulet that allows the wearer to slow down and speed up their movements at will, giving them a significant advantage in battle. However, there is a high energy consumption which increases the more the wielder wants to speed up or slow down.
• Spectral Lantern: A lantern that can summon spirits to aid the user in various ways, such as scouting, fighting, or showing the way. The wielder must make sure the spirits they summon listen to them and make sure that the spirits don't try to lead the wielder to the dead's same fate.
• Serpent's Eye: An orb that grants the user the ability to see through illusions and detect hidden objects or beings. The orb has a swirling pattern inside that resembles a serpent's eye. However, Continuous use can strain the user's eyesight.
• Dragon’s Eye: A gem that allows the wielder to see through illusions and detect lies by emitting a faint glow when deception is present. The wielder must be paying attention to the gem to see it glow, plus someone may be talking too fast for the wielder to understand what words they said are a lie or not. It also has a limited range of effectiveness.
• Death's Whisper: A pendant that allows the user to communicate with the dead, gaining their knowledge and advice. The pendant is shaped like a skull with glowing eyes. However, communicating with the dead can attract malevolent spirits.
• Spirit Stone: A gemstone that can capture and contain the essence of defeated enemies, allowing the user to temporarily harness their abilities. The stone has a limited capacity and requires time to recharge between uses. Using too many abilities at once can overwhelm the wielder or allow them to be possessed by the collective spirits within the gemstone should their spirit not be strong enough.
• Starlight Pendant: A pendant containing a fragment of a fallen star. It allows the user to harness the power of starlight, creating blinding flashes, energy beams, and shields of light. The pendant's power diminishes in the absence of starlight or strong light sources. Continuous use can cause the pendant to overheat, requiring a cooldown period.
• Serpent's Fang Dagger: A dagger crafted from the fang of a mythical serpent. It can inject a potent venom that paralyzes or weakens its victims. The venom needs time to replenish after each use, limiting the number of effective strikes in a short period.
• Starry Night Robe: A robe adorned with patterns that mimic the night sky, granting the wearer the ability to blend into their surroundings and move silently. The camouflage effect is less effective in brightly lit environments.
• Abyssal Grimoire: A dark tome filled with forbidden knowledge and powerful spells. Reading from the grimoire allows the wielder to cast devastating dark magic at the cost of their own vitality. Each spell cast siphons a portion of the wielder’s life force, and prolonged use can lead to severe consequences, including physical and mental corruption.
• Eclipse Ring: A ring that harnesses the power of lunar and solar eclipses, allowing the wielder to cast powerful light and shadow magic. The ring’s power is tied to the phases of the moon and solar cycles, making it weaker during certain times.
• Whispering Leaves: An enchanted book filled with ancient knowledge of nature magic. When read, it allows the wielder to communicate with plants and animals. Requires time to read and understand the spells. Using powerful spells can drain the wielder's energy and concentration.
• Evil Dispelling Talisman: A talisman that wards off evil spirits and curses, providing protection against dark magic and supernatural threats. One-time use.
• Talisman of Fortitude: A talisman that increases the wearer’s resilience, providing protection against physical and magical damage. The protection requires energy to maintain and can fail if the wielder is overwhelmed by powerful attacks. One-time use.
• Shadow Dagger: A dagger that allows the user to merge with shadows, becoming invisible and intangible while within them as well as allowing them to directly attack someone's shadow as if it were tangible. It is ineffective in well-lit environments, and cannot physically harm anyone bar their shadows.
• Vortex Gauntlet: A gauntlet that can create and control miniature vortices, allowing the wielder to manipulate wind and suction forces. The gauntlets have high energy consumption and limited range. Overuse can cause severe strain on the user’s arm.
• Stockpile Gauntlet: A gauntlet encrusted with crystals that can absorb and store magical energy, which can then be released in powerful bursts. Has a limited capacity for storing energy and can become unstable if overloaded. The release of energy is also taxing on the user’s arm causing it to strain from the backlash of powerful attacks/blasts.
• Warlock's Staff: A staff imbued with dark magic that enhances the wielder's spellcasting abilities and allows them to drain the life force of enemies. The staff’s dark magic can corrupt the wielder over time, leading to physical and mental deterioration.
• Harmony Orb: An orb that balances opposing forces, allowing the wielder to neutralize magic. The orb’s power can be overwhelmed by extremely powerful magic.
• Tempest Bow: A bow that allows the wielder to shoot arrows infused with the power of wind, capable of creating powerful gusts and small tornadoes on impact. The bow has a high energy cost and requires the wielder's energy to create wind-infused arrows. The bow's effectiveness is reduced in enclosed or windless environments.
• Blazing Quiver: A quiver that enchants any arrows placed within it to become flaming arrows, capable of setting targets ablaze on impact. The fire enchantment drains the user’s stamina, and arrows can be extinguished by water or strong winds.
• Seeker’s Map: A magical map that reveals the location of hidden treasures, secret passages, and important landmarks. It can easily be burned or torn and damaged by water like aged papyrus.
• Orb of Whispers: A crystal ball that allows the wielder to communicate telepathically with anyone they have met before, no matter the distance. The telepathy is one way and there is no way to know if the message they sent was successful without meeting up with them.
• Frostfire Lantern: A lantern that can switch between emitting a freezing cold light or a searing hot flame, depending on the wielder's needs. The lantern drains energy quickly when used in either mode, and the user must be careful to avoid harming themselves or allies with the extreme temperatures.
• Mermaid’s Locket: A locket that grants the wearer the ability to breathe underwater and communicate with aquatic creatures. The locket’s power is limited to water environments and drains energy if outside of water for extended periods.
• Phoenix Tear Flask: A flask containing a single, precious tear from a phoenix, which can heal any wound or cure any illness when consumed. The flask only contains a single use, and once used, it cannot be refilled. The healing effect can be overwhelming and incapacitating for a short period.
• Shifting Sands Bottle: A bottle filled with enchanted sand that can transform into various shapes and forms at the wielder's command. Controlling the sand requires mental concentration, and the transformations are temporary, reverting to sand if not maintained.
• Thunder Drum: A drum that, when played, can summon thunder and lightning to strike at the wielder's command wherever they are looking. Playing the drum is physically demanding, and summoning lightning requires precise timing and significant energy.
• Astral Compass: A compass that points towards the nearest source of magical energy, helping the user find enchanted objects and places. The compass can be misleading if multiple sources of magic are nearby, and it requires mental focus to interpret correctly.
• Seraphim’s Feather: A single, radiant feather that grants the wielder the ability to manifest wings and fly and create protective barriers of light. When the wielder manifests wings they gain a slight regeneration capable of suppressing minor illnesses and closing small cuts. However, flying and creating barriers drain the user’s stamina quickly, and the feather’s power diminishes if used excessively without rest.
• Celestial Harp: Crafted from the finest celestial metals and adorned with shimmering angelic runes, this harp produces music that can heal wounds, soothe minds, and uplift spirits. When played, it can calm storms, mend broken hearts, and bring peace to troubled souls. However, its power can only be harnessed by those with a pure heart.
• Saint's Cloak: A cloak woven from threads of starlight and blessed by archangels. It grants the wearer invisibility, protects them from harm, and allows them to move silently and swiftly. The cloak also has the power to create protective barriers that can shield allies. Only those with a heart dedicated to good can wear the cloak without it losing its power.
• Inferno Ring: A ring that grants the wearer the ability to control and manipulate fire, allowing them to create fireballs, walls of flame, and other fiery constructs. The ring consumes a significant amount of energy, and the ring is unable to be used when it is covered in water or ice.
• Moonstone Pendant: A pendant that enhances the wearer’s intuition and allows them to see in complete darkness. The enhanced intuition can be overwhelming, causing sensory overload if used for extended periods.
• Gauntlet of Titans: A gauntlet that grants the wearer immense strength, allowing them to perform feats of great physical power. The increased strength drains the user's stamina rapidly and can cause muscle strain if overused.
• Enchanted Quill: A quill that can write on its own, create detailed maps, transcribe spoken words, or draw intricate designs. The quill requires the wielder's concentration and drains mental energy, becoming less effective if used for extended periods.
• Gale Fan: A fan that controls the wind, allowing the user to create powerful gusts or gentle breezes. The fan requires physical effort to use effectively, and prolonged use can cause fatigue.
• Slothful Amulet: An amulet that induces a state of lethargy and apathy in the wearer, allowing them to no longer feel fatigued more than the amulet makes them, making them capable of doing strenuous activity while having the same amount of energy. However, prolonged use leads to a life devoid of purpose or ambition, trapped in a perpetual cycle of laziness and stagnation.
• Prideful Armour: Armour adorned with intricate designs and enchantments, the more prideful the wearer is the stronger the armour becomes allowing it to take attacks that appear instantly fatal. However, once the user takes off this armour they will feel worthless and will despair until they wear the armour again or learn to live without it.
• Greed's Coin: A golden coin that multiplies the wielder's wealth with each transaction, bringing untold riches to its owner. However, every gain comes at the expense of others, leading to exploitation and manipulation. The insatiable desire for wealth will eventually drive the user to commit increasingly ruthless acts, ultimately isolating them from all but their material possessions.
• Glutton's Chalice: A chalice that endlessly produces the finest foods and beverages, satisfying every craving of the user. Indulging in its offerings grants temporary pleasure and sustenance but leads to insatiable hunger and addiction. Over time, the user becomes enslaved by their own desires, unable to resist the allure of excess.
• Wrath's Broken Sword: A broken Zweihänder infused with the fury of the enraged, granting the wearer immense strength and destructive power. When activated, the sword will grow as if healing itself from all of its lifetime of damage, and then it engulfs the user in a raging aura of flames, enhancing their combat prowess but clouding their judgment with unbridled anger. Prolonged use risks losing control and becoming consumed by rage.
• Envy's Mirror: A mirror that reflects the desires of the beholder, showing them what they covet most in the world. When gazed upon, the user can see what they want the most in the world, and then they can take it out of the mirror, a mirrored copy of what they want the most. However, the more they use the mirror the more they will begin to envy those around them succumbing to its temptations which can lead to obsession and eventual downfall.
• Lust's Mask: A mask that enhances the allure and charisma of the wearer, captivating all who gaze upon them with irresistible charm and desire. While wearing it, the user can manipulate others to fulfil their every whim and desire. However, once the mask is removed the user will look disfigured permanently, with only a holy artefact that can remove curses capable of dispelling the terrible effects.
• The Crown That No One Wanted: A Crown that once worn will grant its wearer the power to be empowered by every sin they commit and others commit in the wearer's vicinity. However, this crown can not be removed except upon the wearer's death, and everyone the wearer sees the wearer will be able to see all of their sins and the next sin they are about to commit.
• Amulet of the Demi-Lich: An ancient amulet crafted from obsidian and etched with ominous glyphs, housing the imprisoned essence of a powerful demi-lich. When worn, the amulet bestows upon the wearer all the Demi-Lich's knowledge of dark magic and necromancy, granting access to the lich's vast repository of forbidden spells and arcane rituals. The wearer gains the ability to draw upon the demi-lich's powers, wielding dark energies to bend the forces of life and death to their will. Shadows obey their command, and the air grows thick with the whispers of the undead. However, with each use of the amulet's power, the malevolent consciousness of the demi-lich begins to seep into the wearer's mind, whispering temptations and promises of unimaginable power. The wearer's thoughts become consumed by the lich's desires, their will is slowly eroded by its relentless influence. If the wearer succumbs to the lich's control, their body becomes a vessel for its resurrection. The amulet shatters, releasing the demi-lich's essence to merge with the wearer's soul, transforming them into a vessel of undeath. From the ashes of the wearer's humanity, the demi-lich rises once more, eager to unleash its reign of darkness upon the world once more.
• Lich's First Wand: Crafted from the ancient and gnarled wood of the Veilwood trees, this wand holds the essence of the lich's earliest forays into magic, before corruption took hold. The wood is smooth to the touch, with delicate carvings depicting scenes of nature and life. When wielded by a skilled mage, the Veilwood Staff channels the untainted magic of its creation, granting the user the ability to manipulate the forces of nature and harness the primal energies of the earth. It can conjure gentle breezes, summon vines to entangle foes, and heal wounds with the touch of its tip. Unlike the dark artefacts associated with lichdom, the Veilwood Staff does not seek to corrupt or dominate its wielder. Instead, it serves as a reminder of the lich's origins and the purity of their magical pursuits before succumbing to the allure of immortality. However, despite its benign nature, the staff still bears the lingering echoes of the lich's ambitions and desires. Those who wield it may experience faint whispers and visions of the lich's past, offering glimpses into the choices that led to their transformation. The lich's pleads for help to find the one that he could not echo in the wielder's dreams, to complete what he never could.

Dungeon Master's Clarvoiant Gaze: The user can see through the eyes of any creature or object within their dungeon, providing them with complete surveillance of their domain. Although this can be very helpful to the user to help them survey their dungeon as if they are all seeing, without training, they will have no attention of their surroundings and may be ambushed in their distraction.
Monster Maker: The user manifests fearsome creatures within their dungeon, bringing them to life from the depths of their imagination. By channelling their energy and focusing their will, the user can create a wide variety of monsters, each with unique abilities, characteristics, and behaviours. These creatures serve as guardians, minions, or challenges within the dungeon, obeying the user's commands and defending their domain against intruders. To create a creature the user goes through three steps; Visualization, Energy Channeling, and Materialization. Firstly the user begins by visualizing the creature they wish to create, envisioning its form, size, and attributes in vivid detail. They draw upon their knowledge of mythology, folklore, and imagination to craft a truly unique monster. Then with a focused mind and a surge of energy, the user channels their power into the creation process, infusing the imagined creature with life force. This energy serves as the catalyst for bringing the creature into existence within the dungeon. Lastly, as the energy takes shape, the creature materializes within the user's dungeon, emerging from the depths as a tangible entity. The user can control the creature's appearance, abilities, and behaviour to suit their needs and objectives. The user can make any type of monster that they like, the only limit is their energy and their imagination, but some examples include; Beasts: Ferocious creatures such as dire wolves, giant spiders, or griffins, possessing keen senses and formidable physical abilities. Undead: Reanimated corpses, skeletal warriors, or spectral apparitions, instilling fear and dread in those who encounter them. Elementals: Living embodiments of natural elements, including fiery salamanders, watery serpents, or earthen golems, each with unique elemental powers. Aberrations: Bizarre and otherworldly entities, such as tentacled horrors, shape-shifting mimics, or mind-controlling aberrations, capable of confounding and terrifying intruders. Constructs: Artificial beings crafted from magical or mechanical components, ranging from clockwork automatons to golems forged from enchanted stone or metal. They can also create many more, but these are only some examples. The user can control their creations in multiple ways and command them to act together; The user can maintain their control over the monsters they create, commanding them with their will and asserting their dominance as the Dungeon Master. The monsters obey the user's orders without question, serving as loyal guardians or relentless assailants. Also, the user can tailor the behaviour and objectives of the monsters to suit their needs, directing them to patrol specific areas, guard valuable treasures, or attack intruders on sight. The main limitations of Monster Maker are its energy consumption, maintenance, and the limits of the user's control, just meaning that the monsters can possibly rebel if they are strong enough and the user has mistreated them.
Fake Floor: The user creates a temporary floor within their dungeon that can hold illusions, making it seem like a normal, physical floor with traps, monsters, or treasures. All of the illusions on this floor seem real and can actually work to a degree on this floor with illusions capable of causing damage (although weaker than normal and unable to cause any damage if the illusion is seen through) and even treasures appearing to work within the fake floor, but upon exit of the fake floor, they will find out that everything they gained from the floor was but an illusion.
Safe Floor: The user creates a temporary floor within their dungeon that can act as a sanctuary for those within the dungeon. This floor is imbued with a protective aura that prevents any monsters or hostile entities from entering. Additionally, it has a restorative effect, healing anyone inside over time. The effect of keeping monsters out acts as a semi-permeable barrier and can be broken or pierced by high-ranking creatures.

• A Sanctuary For Everyone: If a low-lever monster is pulled into the safe zone by others then it can turn into a normal harmless creature like a deer, squirrel, badger, etc.

Exit Floor: The user creates a temporary floor within the dungeon in between any floor that they want that allows visitors to leave the dungeon. The Exit floor will appear at the end of every dungeon and will be the turnaround point for the visitor(s) allowing them to go back into the dungeon from the start, where they came from, or even leaving the dungeon entirely.
Empty Floor: The Empty Floor is the start and the end of the dungeon, it will always be present and from here the user can create the dungeon, store whatever they want to, keep others safe here, etc. The empty Floor will be present even when the dungeon is destroyed, it can never be destroyed except with the death of the user. This floor is free from all laws, no laws from the universe exist in this space without the user making them. No laws not even life, death, time, space, reality, cause and effect are present within this floor without the user making them exist. In the case of Life and death do not exist here letting those who die in the dungeon live here should the user want them to, the user can even reincarnate them into a creature however this would make them completely reliant on the dungeon and die should they leave the dungeon and the connection with the user. Anyone within this floor is capable of moving throughout the dungeon as they please and even leave as they, please.
Dungeon Collapse: The user can start a dungeon collapse, making their dungeon and all of its floors begin to collapse, starting from its first floor and going to its last floor. Space will begin to distort and the monsters will either flee to other floors in order to survive a little longer or crumble to dust from the cataclitic wave of destruction that the user set in motion. The user can send any creatures that they wish to survive into the Empty Floor. Any visitor within the Dungeon will have to flee from the dungeon collapse as quickly as they can and reach the exit, if they cannot make it in time then they will be heavily wounded and possibly killed by the collapse of the dungeon depending on debre, and they will wake up in the Empty Floor dead or alive.
Treasure Trove: The user can create hidden chambers within their dungeon filled with valuable treasures and artefacts. These chambers can only be accessed through secret passages or by solving intricate puzzles. Creating elaborate treasures consumes a significant amount of the user's energy.
Gate: The user can create temporary portals within their dungeon that allow instant travel between different locations. These portals can be used for rapid deployment of allies or for quick escapes. Gates require precise control and consume a large amount of energy. Misuse can lead to unintended destinations or portal malfunctions.

• Defensive Gate: The user creates a gate on their body which either pulls in someone who makes contact with it, or it takes in an enemy's attack making that attack directly damage the dungeon in the location of wherever the user set the destination of the gate.
• Pocket Gate: The user creates a gate on their body and pulls out an item or stores an item in it allowing for quick storage and allowing the user to take out weapons from seemingly nowhere.
• Gate Binding: The user makes multiple gates on their body and traps a target's limbs in the different gates stopping their movements. The gates are not strong enough to rip the target apart but the user can use creatures on the other side of the gates to hold the target in place.

Awakening:

With the awakening of the Dungeon Dungeon Fruit, the user can now use their abilities on a much larger scale, with their mind finally caught up with their powers, their powers are able to affect the world around them spreading much further than their body once stopped them. Their power spills over into the world around them, letting them expand their dungeon into the environment shaping it to their desire. The user is able to extend their abilities to what could be considered impossible or illogical, empowering old techniques to new heights and creating new ones that were not possible before.

Awakening Techniques:

Heart of the Dungeon: Similar to "The Core of the Dungeon," the Heart of the Dungeon allows the user to merge their physical form with their dungeon, but it comes with even greater powers and capabilities. When the user activates the Heart of the Dungeon, they gain the extraordinary ability to morph and reshape their immediate surroundings to form the intricate corridors, chambers, and traps of their dungeon. This transformation is both fluid and immediate: walls sprout from the ground, ceilings stretch overhead, and floors ripple like liquid, all under the user's absolute control. The entire dungeon environment responds to the user's movements and commands, making it a living extension of their will. Moreover, the Heart of the Dungeon bestows upon the user the power to draw strength from everything within their dungeon. This includes the treasures hidden within its depths, the creatures that inhabit its halls, and the traps laid to ensnare intruders. Every element of the dungeon, whether animate or inanimate, contributes to the user's power, enhancing their physical abilities, powers, and overall resilience.
Dungeon break: The user is able to create a gate that connects to the inside of their dungeon and then releases whatever they want, may it be the creatures, treasures, or even the dungeon itself causing space to distort and merge the dungeon with the world around them. Creatures will pour out of the gate in a stampede, treasures and items can pour out of the gate like a sea of gold, and the dungeon can expand out of the gate like a crawling calamity. The gate while being a spatial distortion can still be broken with enough force. Once the gate(s) are closed then the creatures, items, and/or dungeon will be sucked back into the gate returning to the user's dungeon.

• Creatures: The user is able to create a massive amount of creatures within their dungeon and then release them from themselves pouring all the creatures with weapons and items that the user has created come out of a gate they created able to be used freely without fear of them disappearing until the user has run out of energy to sustain them.
• Dungeon: By creating a gate connecting to the user's dungeon, the user causes the surrounding area to 'fold' into their dungeon, effectively transporting portions of the external world into their dungeon and vice versa, until the gate is closed.

Authority: The user is able to grant a portion of their authority to people they brought into the dungeon or any creature they want, allowing them to control the creatures and the contents of a specific floor.

• Limited Trust: Limit the granted authority by time or a specific action, automatically revoking control after a certain period of specific condition(s) are met, ensuring temporary stewardship.
• Delegate: The user can specifically define the level of control an individual has over creatures and traps, fine-tuning the balance between autonomy and oversight.

Living Dungeon: The user can create a 'living' dungeon that adapts to intruders, capable of thought and acting in the best interest of the user and their dungeon. Capable of dynamically generating obstacles and challenges to test visitors specifically based on their observed strengths and weaknesses.
Trap Reave: With a single gesture, the user can implant numerous traps in their immediate environment or even within themselves that can then be activated and affect those nearby. These traps can have a multitude of hidden triggers and can be adjusted to be more potent, and capable of protecting larger areas with complex mechanisms.

• Chains: The user summons chains from the depths of their dungeon, binding and dragging enemies into their dungeon, whether it be from their gate or their main body, forcing targets to escape their dungeon.

Mini-Dungeon Core: The user creates a crystal-like smooth ball that contains a Dungeon within it, anyone who touches this mini-dungeon core will be drawn into the dungeon within and have to clear the dungeon to escape. However, since this is a mini-dungeon core it has a few limitations, firstly the dungeons in the mini-dungeon core can only have a maximum of 10 floors, additionally, the mini-dungeon core can be broken out of with either strong haki, spatial abilities, or any abilities that allow someone to break the crystal balls shell and release those trapped within it.

• Gate Landmark: The user can use the Mini-dungeon as a spatial anchor to allow them to teleport to the inside of the dungeon from their own dungeon and then exit it letting them be able to have a limited form of teleportation outside of the dungeon.
• Dungeon Master's Watch: Through the mini-dungeon core, the user can spy on those trapped inside the mini-dungeon, gathering information or learning from the way they handle the challenges presented to them.
• Dungeon Master's Hidden Influence: The user can control the creatures within the mini-dungeon core remotely, using them to perform tasks or relay messages to the outside world as if they were puppets. The user can also possess the creatures allowing them to share their senses and see through the creature's eyes and control them as easily as they can control their own body, however, the user will feel all of the body's physical pain and will also feel it's death should the creature die with the user possessing it.
• Fake Core: This generates a copy of the mini-dungeon core, which operates as a decoy, with both the original and the duplicate appearing legitimate to outsiders.

Awakening Weaknesses:

Energy: The vast expansion of power and control can be incredibly draining, meaning the user could risk total exhaustion or burnout if they use these abilities too frequently or for extended periods of time.
Heart of the Dungeon: While the user is merged with their dungeon the dungeon will be taking damage directly making every hit they take shake the dungeon and possibly collapse it. Additionally when the user is using a creature(s) and they take a serious hit that creature will die if that hit is strong enough to kill the creature(s). The same applies to treasures.
Dungeon Awareness: The user may need to split their awareness to monitor the larger area of effect of their dungeons and mini-dungeons, which can leave them blind to certain regions or overextended in their vigilance.
Waning Authority: Granting authority to too many individuals could dilute the user's overall control and open up the possibilities for internal conflict or sabotage.
Gate Fragility: The gates, while powerful and useful, are a lifeline for the user and their comrades getting in and out of the dungeon. The gates themselves are fragile and can be destroyed with enough strength or anyone capable of cutting space temporarily severing the user's lifeline in and out of the dungeon and cutting off a large amount of their powers until another can be made.
Dungeon Dissonance: The larger-scale dungeon transformations(brought into the environment) may not be as finely tuned as smaller-scale manipulations leading to instability or flaws that clever opponents can exploit.
Complexity: As old techniques are powered to new heights, the complexity of managing and understanding them also increases, which can lead to mistakes or malfunctions in their execution. Or it can just make it where the user is unable to make new techniques for most techniques.
Sensory Feedback: When the user possesses a creature they feel everything their controlled creatures feels, and then they might suffer from sensory overload or distraction during critical moments.

Platform(s): BrowsePC flash game
Genre: Alien tower defence
Estimated year of release: could be 2010
Graphics/art style: dark, grungy and dull, very rustic with the, not quite pixelated but more like strikeforce heros 3 kinda graphics. Completely different gameplay
Notable characters: there was just cubes and aliens, cubes were not sentient
Notable gameplay mechanics: I played it a long time ago, it was a 2d tower defense side on, not top down, it was space themed with aliens coming from both sides of the screen, you places squares down, the squares were mostly a dark grayish maybe a tint of blue colour but they had neon "cores" or centers, there was purple square centre, i dont think i knew what this did and used it as a wall because the aliens would, similar to pvz, eat your towers, green triangle core, this one shot lasers i dont remeber what the others did, cyan circle core. if 2 same colour squares touched they would merge and get stronger,The squares would place in columns and drop fall down to the next square it could, if monsters touched the ship in the middle you would lose health and lose. the aliens that game from each side where pure black with white eyes, some big, some swarm, everything was very darkend with almost no bright colours. I can answer questions if you need, but don't expect me to remember everything...
Other details: Side on not top down, defend the middle, merge squares, aliens, dark colours.

11-minute read.

Armenia's military industry is developing

HOST: The share of the domestic arms industry in the armed forces has been rising in recent years. The state has decided to create easier conditions for the development of the industry.
HIGH-TECH MINISTER (Mkhitar Hayrapetyan): Whatever is possible to produce in Armenia with the use of Armenian scientific potential and manufacturing capacities should be done domestically to minimize reliance on imports. The myth that Armenian producers are incapable of creating high-quality products has been shattered.
At the moment, there are ֏170 billion ($438 million) in contracts signed between the defense ministry and 27 representatives of domestic industry. We expect to bring it to ֏190 billion ($490 million) by the end of this year by involving two more companies.
Most contracts are about communication tools, control systems, radio-electronic warfare tools, drones, modernization activities, etc.
LEONID NERSISYAN (expert): It's not a secret that hefty investments were made in the manufacturing of drones. We've also seen a production of 122 mm and 82 mm shells; it's necessary to expand to 155 mm because we are purchasing new [Indian] artillery that uses those.
HIGH-TECH MINISTER: (1) The state is enacting legislative reforms to make the industry attractive for investments. (2) We are promoting R&D for new technologies and the generation of new ideas. We are financing research activities, the creation of prototypes, and their experimentation. The chain ends when a company's product passes the state experimentation process and enters serial production.
HOST: In 2018 the scientific-research budget was ֏2.4B. Today it's ֏4.1B ($10.6M), with an additional ֏1.5B dedicated for prototypes.
MHER MARKOSYAN (expert): We need more laser tech experts. The state must cherish mil. industry employees and encourage young scientists to gain experience.
HIGH-TECH MINISTER: As part of the 2024 budget, we do have a component to train and retrain industry experts. New specialists must enter this industry.
MHER MARKOSYAN: The war in Ukraine has made it more difficult to import components. Something that would normally take 1 week now requires 5 months. There are also horrible logistics problems. We do find solutions to import products but these solutions are expensive.
LEONID NERSISYAN: Even countries under the UN's embargo are able to import weapons so it's a matter of price. For example, it turns out that 70% of the electronics inside North Korean missiles are American.
HOST: Some Armenian manufacturers have reached international levels and could soon begin to export their products. However, there are logistic complications here as well. For example, in 2021 Armenia faced difficulty transporting the mockups of larger weapons to the Abu Dhabi expo [Moscow forced the jet carrying Armenian products to be unloaded and kept delaying the cargo's transfer to Abu Dhabi].
video,

the National Academy of Sciences has received a device that uses powerful lasers to melt metal and ceramic dust to create 3D objects for space and other industries: VIDEO

video,

India's Ambassador about defense cooperation between India and Armenia

AMBASSADOR: Our defense cooperation is proceeding very well. Defense cooperation is not only defense technical cooperation, but also we are looking at capacity building. On both fronts, we are proceeding very well.
REPORTER: During a joint press conference with MOD Papikyan, the Greek Minister spoke about the possibility of Armenia-Greece-France-India quadrilateral cooperation in the defense area.
AMBASSADOR: All 4 states have very good relations but at the moment it is still premature to talk about a quadrilateral format. But yes, there are convergences.
REPORTER: The Indian government said it's going to appoint Defense Attachés to Armenia and several other countries to strengthen the military links. What can you tell us about this?
AMBASSADOR: PM Modi has a very clear-cut policy and initiative of “Make in India”, including in the defense sector. We are now seeing that many countries in the world are buying Indian defense equipment. Defense Attachés are being posted to coordinate the process.

... India's Ambassador about AM-IN economic ties and trade

REPORTER: What was the volume of trade last year, and what trends are seen in the bilateral export and import markets?
AMBASSADOR: The $200 million trade we made was far below the potential. India is the Pharmacy of the World with more than 60% of the vaccines worldwide coming from India, including those supplied through the WHO and other mechanisms like GAVI. So we see more potential here. Both sides are working towards increasing the import of Indian medicines and vaccines into Armenia. We are also looking at the high-tech sector.

... India's Ambassador about Pashinyan's "Crossroads of Peace" trade unblocking project

REPORTER: The Government of Armenia proposed the “Crossroads of Peace” logistics project. There were opinions that it matches with India’s vision in the South Caucasus. What is India’s opinion on this initiative?
AMBASSADOR: When countries need to prosper, connectivity is the key. And connectivity is something that we, in our own region, have been working very closely with our neighboring countries. So similarly, we find that for any region, if you want to move to the next level of prosperity, you need to have connectivity projects. Naturally, we see this “Crossroads of Peace” project of the Armenian government in that light, that it would be a win-win situation for all the regional partners. So indeed for us there is no other way than to have more connections between countries, whether it is in terms of roads, railways, etc. We look at it positively and enthusiastically.

... India's Ambassador about international trade through Iran's Chabahar port

REPORTER: India plays an important role in the development of Chabahar port. You mentioned that the prospects of facilitating the use of Chabahar port for Armenia are being considered as well. What are those possibilities?
AMBASSADOR: The Chabahar port is jointly developed by India and Iran. In our discussions with the Armenian side, they have manifested an interest in using the Chabahar port. Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration visited the Chabahar port in December. We are waiting for the details from the Armenian side and we will consider it once we receive concrete proposals.
REPORTER: What role can Armenia play in the development of a communication route from India to Chabahar to the Black Sea?
AMBASSADOR: This goes back to my comment about connectivity. Armenia being a landlocked country definitely needs more connectivity projects. If it materializes, I think it would help Armenia to overcome the fact that it is a landlocked country.
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experts at the European Training Foundation will assess Armenia's secondary vocational education system

The European Training Foundation is a European Union agency that helps transition and developing countries harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems, and in the context of the EU's external relations policy.

A group of experts have arrived for the May 21-23 assessment. They will hold consultations with state agencies, students, employee unions, and others.

by 2030, 90 percent of school and college graduates should be able to find jobs and work according to employers' requirements.

source, source, video,

Yerevan and Paris reached an agreement to cooperate in urbanization, transport, and waste management over the next 3 years during a visit by Yerevan Mayor Avinyan to Paris

source,

Yerevan subway is diching Soviet-era physical zhetons (tokens) as part of transport reforms and switch to a universal payment system

OFFICIAL: We are updating a total of 49 entrance gates; it will be completed next month. You'll be able to use the old gates with tokens for now. Soon you will pay with a QR code, Telcell mobile wallet, bank cards, etc. ... last week over 15,000 passengers used the electronic payment methods.
source,

Yerevan municipality launches a process to move garbage containers underground

A public tender is launched to design a pilot program. In October the city said they studied the international practice for collecting the trash from underground bins and found two methods: lifting the bins to allow Yerevan's existing tech to collect the trash, or remove the bins. The latter would be more expensive.
video, video,

government launches the construction of two roads for Tavush border village Kirants: VIDEO

PASHINYAN OFFICE: The 3 remaining coordinates of Kirants were pinpointed with the use of a computer and the border posts will be installed later. The rest [another 8 posts in Kirants] are already there. The good news for Kirants is that around 25 hectares of land that have been unreachable for 33 years will be returned to the village. The border resembles the 1976 line.
As we said earlier, yes, there is a need to build a bypass road, which can be accomplished in 2-3 months. We will also rebuild the road between H-26 and Acharkut and Kirants, which is an alternative road for Kirants. As for property issues, the volumes are small and the government will compensate in such situations. //
The 3 remaining border posts were reportedly installed in Kirants on Monday. Here is how the road issue will be addressed:
Azerbaijan is located between Kirants and Sarigyugh villages. Kirants is currently connected to Sarigyugh with two roads: a direct connection through the interstate road, and a secondary road that connects Kirants to nearby Acharkut before reaching Sarigyugh.
Approximately 300 meters of the direct road falls under the Azerbaijani side, so the government will build a 750-meter bypass road parallel to it. Preliminary construction activities have begun; they are working on the details.
As for the secondary road passing through Acharkut, the government has begun rebuilding and widening it to allow cargo trucks to use it.
So there are currently two construction projects, with one connecting Kirants to Sarigyugh directly, and the second connecting Kirants to Sarigyugh through Acharkut. Both roads are expected to be ready in 3 months.
video, source, video, source, source, video,

Final battle? The opposition co-leader Bagrat Galstanyan will hold a "decisive" massive rally on May 26 to oust PM Pashinyan

GALSTANYAN: Պատմե’ք մարդկանց մայիսի 26-ի մեր հանրահավաքի մասին, այն վճռական է լինելու: //
Former mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marukyan called for Pashinyan and the ruling party to resign. "այլևս անելիք չունեն, նրանք պետք է հեռանան"
source, source,

Serj Sargsyan's HHK party co-leader is against forming an anti-Pashinyan alliance with Edmon Marukyan and Sasna Tsrer

Edmon Marutyan's LHK, Ruben Vardanyan's Aprelu Yerkir, and the Sasna Tsrer (BEVER) whose followers committed terrorists attacks on police stations in 2016 and 2024 have decided to join the ongoing anti-Pashinyan protests led by Kremlin's favorite Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.
HHK's Edward Sharmazanov is against forming an alliance with Edmon Marukyan's LHK because they did not actively campaign against Pashinyan's reelection in 2021.
As for Sasna Tsrer, they committed attacks on police stations and called HHK "evil", so Sharmazanov is against working with them.
source,

update: threats after bribes

One of the several low-income residents of Vanadzor who last week reported receiving bribes to join the former regime's ongoing anti-Pashinyan protests says someone called and threatened their family for reporting the bribe to the police. Authorities are investigating the call.
source,

a fight broke out between protesters and students who refused to join the "Holy Struggle" led by Archbishop Galstanyan

AUTHORITIES: On Wednesday we received reports about a fight between the students of Yerevan's Manuk Abeghyan School and protesters. The participants engaged in a fight, disturbed peace, and used slurs. Eight students (all under 18 except for one) were detained.
SCHOOL DIRECTOR: It started after a group of protesters used loudspeakers to encourage our students to join them. After realizing that students didn't want to join, they began to hurl insults at the students. Several students left the building and a fight broke out in the backyard.
source,

82,000 Armenian drivers take advantage of a new law that absolves them of old citation debt if they pay 50%: VIDEO

It was part of a package law that slashes the size of future traffic citations by almost half if the driver pays electronically within the first two weeks of the violation. Some 21,000 drivers have already signed up at police.am to get a discount on their future citations.
It's meant to reduce the financial burden on drivers, the paperwork burden on police, and improve the payment discipline.
source,

Armenian poet and 18th century TikToker Sayat-Nova's statue is unveiled in Turkmenistan during an international forum of Culture Ministers: PHOTO

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Armenia circulates gold collector coin dedicated to Charles Aznavour’s 100th anniversary: IMAGE

Obverse: monument to Charles Aznavour in Gyumri
Reverse: portrait of Charles Aznavour, the number 100 in the form of stylized musical notes, piano keys and microphone.
Minted in Poland. The coin is worth ֏10,000 ($25).
source,

International Criminal Court wants to arrest Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, and the Hamas leadership

PROSECUTOR: On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023:
(1) Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime
(2) Willfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health
(3) Willful killing, or Murder as a war crime
(4) Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime
(5) Extermination and/or murder, including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity;
(6) Persecution as a crime against humanity
(7) Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity
full statement, official video 4:57, source,

Iran's President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian die in a helicopter crash while returning from a meeting with Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate the opening of a new dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border

Shortly before the crash:
RAISI: Maybe someone doesn't like our meeting and joint successes with Azerbaijan. It doesn't matter to us. The important thing is that we implement together whatever is in the best interest of our people. The enemies do not want progress in Azerbaijan and Iran, but we believe that any progress in Azerbaijan is our progress, any threat to the borders of both countries will be a loss for both countries.
ALIYEV: Today the world is witnessing how great the friendship is between Azerbaijan and Iran. We support each other in all international structures and will continue to in the future. No one can divide us. //
Memorial services will be held in Yerevan's Blue Mosque on Thursday.
source, source, source, source, source, Kremlin's conspiracists, source, source,

Azerbaijani dissident activist Arif Yunusov about Iran helicopter crash

REPORTER: Will there be radical changes in Iran after the death of Raisi?
YUNUSOV: I doubt it. The real power is in the hands of Khamenei. Now there are reports about his son [replacing him in the future]. As for the internal disturbances caused by opponents, as you know, there are periodic waves in Iran. These protests are sometimes ethnicity-based. If in the past it was Azerbaijanis, today the protests are by Kurds. There is also the youth that's tired of being ruled by religious mullahs. The death of Raisi doesn't change anything in internal or foreign policies. They will just change the President's last name.
REPORTER: I have a feeling Iran will soon blame Israel for the helicopter crash.
YUNUSOV: I have already seen that on Iranian Telegram channels but official Tehran won't rush with that. They will conduct an investigation and conclusions will be made. If Tehran blames Israel, then there must be good evidence for it because credit where credit is due - Iran usually conducts such investigations quite well. If you remember the liquidation of the father of Iran's nuclear weapons, Israel still denies participation but Iran found enough evidence that Israeli agents used the territory of Azerbaijan to infiltrate, carry out the project, and return through Azerbaijan. Let's wait and see the conclusion of the crash investigation. The accusations by Telegram channels and analysts "don't count".

... Arif Yunusov about AM-AZ border delimitation

REPORTER: Is the ongoing Tavush-Gazakh delimitation really a bilateral process, as Baku claims?
YUNUSOV: No. The U.S. is still interested in the delimitation process and influences both parties behind the curtains. There was a high-profile Azerbaijani visit to Washington. Although the official press release didn't share details, we can safely assume they discussed the AM-AZ relations. If this delimitation continues in spite of Russia that means the U.S. is currently a moderator in this process. This is not purely a bilateral process despite Aliyev's efforts to present it that way.
REPORTER: Is the U.S. a guarantor that the delimitation won't end in Tavush?
YUNUSOV: Not a "guarantor" but the U.S. is the force that is really trying to accomplish something and is actually doing something. The full demarcation will last a long time. The main objective of the U.S. at the moment is the signing of an AM-AZ peace agreement. I don't think they'll be able to sign it before November, however.
REPORTER: How is the Azerbaijani public reacting to the border delimitation?
YUNUSOV: Positively. People truly want to have a demarcated border. The Azerbaijani regime often mentioned "Western Azerbaijan" and the return of Azeris there, but in reality, nobody in Azerbaijan took that seriously because they all understood it was an attempt to pressure Armenia. As soon as information came that the border was partially delimited, it was met with a positive response by the public. The Azerbaijani public understands that it's normal for Azerbaijan to gain and lose control of territories during this process, just as we did during the delimitation with other neighbors.
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New light here looking for some gamers to tag along and get through some story missions and fun playlists. My list of things I will prioritize are as follows: First Priority: Completing campaigns on all my characters from Shadowkeep all the way to Lightfall Also willing to do: easy playlist stuff, gambit, strikes, crucible, seasonal stuff, the tower defence mode i forget the name of, easy dungeons (maybe) Things I will not do: Raids, Trails, Hard dungeons and bosses, Any other miscellaneous hard crap. Either message in here or message me on discord, user is w4vewalker ID is 931687359064469504

I played D1, D2, D3 and Di - combined thousands of hours on PC, PS, Nintendo and phone. I played also PoE but that game gets me bored faster than I can even finish the story (been trying for many, many years)
D4 I tried the free version due to recent positive feedback from YouTubers.
Here is my feedback in case some need it.
First of all, no brainer, YouTubers are not casual gamers. I am... I have family, job, stuff. So Diablo is not that great for me. No checkpoints, I have to redo a lot to go back to where I was, to the point that after doing 10 - 20 minutes I was like: "wait a second... I already saw that kid with that illusion. I thought it saved..." Now I am curious how D3 was at that. D2 would put me back in the city, that is better I guess.

1. D4 is a better D3 for sure, but far from D2. Better because of "realism" in the graphics, and the story is actually interesting (I am considering buying it just to see how the story unfolds). Voices are great, I hope they are not AI generated, because if they are then ... The music is great and I already put it on my subscription service.
2. I don't like the lack of vast open world and by that I mean that I hate the presence of path type world. I am constantly in a labyrinth, looking at map and finding myself hitting a wall. All the map is one big giant dungeon (plus the dungeons are the same kind, labouringth and what is crazy is that the city is the same thing.. I am in act 1 and I saw a bunch of cities so I forgot all... I could not get used to main city because I am presented with another one just 1h in the play. And another labyrinth... . D2 had open world + dungeon + true labyrinth with a twist. PoE has actually more than D2 meaning evolution (if has arena type map, tower defence type map... in fact it has map types :))
3. the character (for me at least) seems to glide on the surface, it has bad animation for walking... it moves before it made a step and continues after the animation stoped. since the game has vast NOTHING is easy to "focus" on character because it is the only thing on the screen. When pushing the "jump" button, the animation is even worse. I wonder if the horse is just as bad... Zelda Breath of the Wild (or TotK) never had that issue... I don't remember this type of game since FIFA 2000.
4. Loading is pain... And for nothing.. just so that I can see what could have been a cut scene pre-rendered. I play on fast SSD with 2021 spec PC tower in 4K. Btw so far the game did not have that many bugs. Sure monsters appear, I have to wait for the "right time" to push on

I don't like the color.scheme so far. Maybe in other acts it will change.
I don't like that if I go back to where I started, monsters are always my level... How am I supposed to grind?

I beat the Shadowbeak tower last night! Beyond thrilled. I had been grinding at the game for over 3 months. I've put in nearly 200 hours... 139 Pals and 5 Towers later I am finally DONE.
For those of you who are struggling with Shadowbeak and wanting to know how others did it I'm happy to share what I did. I know others have managed to do it with less effort than I, but here goes :
Weapon : Assault Rifle (normal)
Bullets : about 550
Team : 1x 1 star Vanguard Gobfin, 1 x 2 star Jetragon, 3 x 1 star Jetragon. My Jetragons all had good passives, such as Legend and Divine Dragon
Armour : all Pal grade. Wore the Cold Resist armour because it was just easier, taking into account the area outside the Tower
Shield : Hyper Shield
Accessories : the lowest Defence pendant just. Meant to put on the lowest Attack pendant also but forgot
Food buff : Mozzorino burger
I did NOT FORGET to jump on my Jetragon and fire off its own personal rockets as soon as I switched each one in. Didn't actually realise Jetragon could even do that, and knowing made a huge difference in the course of the fight
It was a struggle. Prior to beating him I tried many times. I wanted to do this battle as casually as I could, all the upgrades were a response to my continual struggles if I'm honest. Ended up spending days preparing but it was worth it in the end
I feel FREE! It's going to be so nice to play other things for a change now lol

Hi lovelies!
Today, I have prepared 'a little tour guide' to help you on your journey through New York, or what's left of it. I will try and describe in detail what's where and how to get through each one of the four chapters. Big thank you to u/ZekeFearMe and u/h3c4t32 for their contribution!
\please note that documents only appear during Challenge Mode! Their location is random every time, so make sure to check your surroundings thoroughly.*
\please note that breaching charges are scattered randomly throughout the level. Their location will also vary depending on difficulty.*
\I'm also putting a* spoiler tag on this - in case you're completely new to the game and would like to play it first without ruining the fun - stop reading here! ₍ᐢ•ﻌ•ᐢ₎
Without further ado, let's dive in!
\"Alright, let's go.\" Tashaun Burnell
Chapter 1: Descent
This should be your first mission to play, as it introduces you to the game, shows you how different scenarios work and what triggers them. Consider this a tutorial of a sort.
First things first, let's get you off that damned roof! After getting rid of the barricade and heading downstairs, you will enter a vestibule leading to a long hallway to your right and a smaller room behind a closed door to your left (sometimes there are zombies and/or Lurker just around the corner behind the door, and a collectible document has a chance to spawn on one of the tables). Switching to your silenced pistol would be a smart decision, unless you want to alert nearby zombies and fight off a swarm very early (you can also try and melee shamblers, just be aware that Lurkers may spawn in three different spots here - in a small corridor visible from the vestibule, in an office to your right once you enter the hallway, and around the corner before you enter the small dining hall). Check the small office and shoot any zombies that are around (notice the photocopier here, sometimes a collectible document has a chance to spawn on top of it).
After you reach the end of the hallway, you can either enter the small dining hall or continue to your left, through another small hallway and up the steps. The dining hall only has two points of interest: an empty pizza box (a collectible document has a chance to spawn in it), and sometimes there is a crate behind the cooking station. Careful when you pass by that small office to your left, Lurker is hiding inside. You can see him/dispose of him through the dining hall door, shooting him through broken glass (once the threat is eliminated, check the shelves with folders, there is a chance that a collectible document spawns here).
You will now enter a large open area leading to the lifts. To the left there's another office (and yet another Lurker waiting to pounce on you as soon as you poke your head in the door, there is also a chance that a collectible document spawns on the red sofa to your left), to your right is small storage room (a Lurker is sometimes waiting inside) and a brightly lit corridor (sometimes there is a medical item on one of the sofas, also Virus Sample at dead soldier's body). Continue down to the reception where the lift is - be careful, there are two possible Lurker spawns, behind the reception desk on either side. Once you press the lift button, I suggest to back off a little in case there are still passengers inside the lift car (often there's a Bull).
Exit the lift, and you will find yourself inside a large mall with hordes of zombies roaming in the streets. Taking the path to your left will lead you to a broken display with a mannequin and a dead body next to it (a collectible document has a chance to spawn here). You'll also notice a sofa that's kinda in a way - sometimes there can be a crate or item on it. Continue down the left path, and you'll reach an outlet (NADIAMI). Be careful upon entering, there is a Lurker hiding behind the counter. Make sure to search the store thoroughly (a collectible document has a chance to spawn next to the blue chair in the corner). When you're done rummaging through this floor, head down the escalators. Your first big horde battle awaits! As the grand atrium reveals itself, you will see all the zombies trapped inside. There's quite the few, but don't shoot your guns yet. Notice how there are few standing idle opposite the bridge. Walk over to the other side and search the area first (a collectible document has a chance to spawn on one of the desks in right-hand corner), set up any traps (if you have an Exterminator or Hellraiser on your team, have them put down claymores where escalators are and on both sides of the bridge), as zombies will swarm the area from both ends. Make sure you and your team has the flanks covered, and start blasting. Shoot those big star shaped chandeliers and watch pieces of falling glass slice through Zeke. The horde will quickly pile up and climb, and at the same time more zombies will begin to pour in from the escalators. Make sure to watch out for Specials; Infectors, Bulls, Juggernaut and Gas Bags. There are also two Lurker hotspots, one just behind the column on the left side coming from the bridge, and the other on top of a lift car (you can safely kill this one through the gap in the door before pressing the button).
Once there is only smoke in the air and bullet casings on the floor left, advance towards the lift on the other side (there is a red service light shining through the broken door). Drop to the atrium and notice more guns, equipment bags, heavy guns and defence kits. You guessed it - there is another big horde battle ahead. You will have some time to prepare yourself, so briefly look around (there is a chance that a collectible document will spawn next to the blue duffel bag near an ATM under the escalator, there can also be another Virus Sample, if you head down the escalator leading to the parking garage, next to the body of a soldier), and get to it! If you've read my first guide, Newbies Handbook to Zombie Apocalypse, and remember the passage discussing defence kits, you'll know what to do. But just in case; depending on what defence kits you have around, set up barbed wire all the way in the front, lay down electric grid in the same fashion, auto-turrets should be facing back to provide cover from behind, as zombies will often pour in from all directions. And stationary gun should be facing towards the gate. When you're ready or time's up, zombies will swarm in. First, from the street right in front of you. You can shoot some of the cars and have explosions kill a few. Not long into battle, zombies will start falling from above and coming from behind you - the game loves to pull this trick whenever possible, you will have to get used to it. Expect Bulls, Juggernaut and Infector, often a Gas Bag drops down too. Just watch your six and listen for auto-turrets go off and hissing or roaring of Special Zombies, that's your cue to turn around. Best strategy now is to run up the escalator, and shoot all the zombies that climb up to get you. There are also three spots where Lurkers love to hide, one is behind the sand bags, second is behind glass just a few feet away, and third is on the lift car (this one can often surprise so be careful when you hear him, he's definitely there!).
If you managed to survive, grab any heavy guns that you haven't used (any machineguns, TAIGA-12 heavy shotguns, chainsaw or flamethrower - you don't want to use any missile or grenade launchers for the final stretch - high risk of friendly fire in tight spaces), enter the code into console and head outside. The street is mostly blocked, with only one way to go - down to the subway. Before we descent, let's look around (there is usually a crate by the military truck to the right just upon entering the street, behind the white shipping container next to a body of dead soldier you may find another Virus Sample, and in broken white box behind the bus stop a collectible document has a chance to spawn). In subway, we will be greeted by more zombies, attacking a train, and you will also meet Stevie, its conductor. There will be lots of smaller swarms attacking you, with Lurkers hiding in the shadows - one is right behind the locked gate as you enter the subway, another one is around the corner in the hallway between the two staircases, then another waiting in the train car next to where Stevie is. Some are also hiding in the rooms behind locked metal doors. Your next objective is to collect supply crates - depending on difficulty and number of players, the number of crates will vary. Every time you reach a crate, swarm will come, usually accompanied by Screamer. These can be quickly disposed if there is a player on the roof of one of the train cars. Don't hang around for too long though, as zombies keep swarming in.
Before dropping off last crate, make sure to check the subway station (a collectible document has a chance to spawn behind the trash can on second floor, above Stevie's train). Final stretch can be made easier - you just have to either sprint towards the entrance of the subway all the way back, upon collecting a crate, or - you can unlock the ground floor door on the right by activating a switch through the wall and (this method however requires experienced player with greatsword - because that is the only way to get inside without having to collect crates in there - useful for Insane or Extreme difficulty) shoot incoming swarms through the door. Usually zombies break these, but this particular corridor is zombie proof. You can just wait out and slaughter whatever comes by.
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Chapter 2: Tunnel Vision
So the train only got you so far; now you have to help Stevie open up gates in the tunnels to get through. Go through the door on your left and up the stairs (as you reach the boiler room and walk up the steps, notice broken white box - a collectible document has a chance to spawn in it), there will be one stray zombie, and usually a Lurker, just behind the white brick wall leading to a hallway. Another one could be hiding in the room to your left with wide open metal doors (there can also be a Virus Sample on the body of a dead soldier in the corner). If you continue straight, you will reach a small room with a ladder and blue barrels in the corner - there will be a white metal box on the ground - sometimes a breaching charge can be found here. Now head back and through metal bars into storage room. Careful! There is usually a lurker crouched behind the metal shelves, in the middle (if you look around from this exact spot there should be a carboard box next the the metal shelf, behind it a collectible document has a chance to spawn).
You will have to activate two switches here, opening a gate and leading to the next area. Lurkers love to hide behind each row of generators, one in the small room on the right, immediately after entering, there can be one under the stairs on the right hand side (if you check behind the gas canister next to the staircase across the breaching door, a collectible document has a chance to spawn here) and another one is upstairs, in a room on the left - here you may also find a breaching charge, tucked behind a wooden box. You will have to activate three switches here, there is usually one on the catwalk, one on the ground floor and one in the server room - entrance is on the ground floor, just have to climb a few steps. Careful as this area can be full of zombies, and Lurkers - one behind the wall in a small room ahead, one behind the wall with server rack - here could also be a breaching charge, just stuck in between the rack under a screen with green oscilloscope (opposite the server rack on a desk facing the corridor with metal shelves, a collectible document has a chance to spawn).
Once you hit all three switches, gate will open upstairs, leading to the main hub with a control room. If there are any defence kits that are auto-turrets, I recommend picking them up, but don't place them yet - save them for the finale. You'll thank me later. Before you enter the control room, be aware there can be a Lurker behind that metal wall. Activate the control panel, and immediately run back to the door through which you've entered the hub. Stand next to the scaffolding on top of the platform, and just shoot any zombies that pile up on the other side. Second pile, and later whatever falls down from the roof, will have to climb the stairs and a cement bag wall to get to you. You have the high ground, and there is a solid obstacle between you and incoming zombies. This method will give you huge advantage, and you will only have to deal with leftover pile after. Notice the cement mixer as you walk towards the big vent, sometimes the wooden crate that's next to it contains a breaching charge (and before you reach the vent, look inside the flipped wheel cart, a collectible document has a chance to spawn there). You can also breach into the small room under the ventilation shaft.
As you climb over the ledge, sometimes you will startle a Lurker. Press the fan control, and drop down to the next area. There are three Lurker spots; one behind the wall with the pipe just around the corner, one around the bend to the right from the first spot on a broken metal bridge, and around the last bend. There's a yellow forklift, if you check its seat closely, you may find a breaching charge. There will be some weapons and a crate in this area too. Climb the big broken pipe and move carefully into the next area (if you drop down on the right hand side and turn around, you will find a bunch of blue barrels, a collectible document has a chance to spawn there).
Here, you will have to activate three vents on three levels in order to clear out the toxic gas. The first panel is very straightforward - drop down on the left-hand side, switch the first vent on, and make your way down the obstacles (careful, there can be a lurker on either side behind the pillars). For the second panel, you'll need to find a key on one of the bodies - so start looking around (Lurkers like to hide behind the pillars on this level too). There are two entrances on each side, leading to smaller rooms and corridors with dead workers. There can also be a breaching charge behind the last pillar on the left side (next to the staircase). On the left-hand side is a hallway leading to two storage rooms (at the end of the hallway, there are two blue barrels and a wooden crate, a collectible document has a chance to spawn behind it). Enter the storage to the right, and behind the yellow forklift, you may find a breaching charge. On the right hand side is what looks like a generator room, with dead-end corridor (there can be a Virus Sample next to a dead soldier behind wooden crate in the corner) and small boiler room. Once you have the key, return to the panel and clear out the gas on the lower level. The third panel will be a little more difficult; again, you have to search the bodies, except this time they're in the gas on the ground floor (on the same floor as the third panel is, there is a small L shaped hallway to the left, opposite the stairs leading down - a collectible document has a chance to spawn on metal shelves next to a wooden crate - careful, there migh be a Lurker waiting there too). You won't last long in the toxic air, so plan your route to the corpse and back and make your trips as brief as possible. Once you have the key, wait for the ground floor to clear up and head down the stairs (take the stairs down to the left, immediately turn right and find a wooden box tucked by the pillar next to a cage - a collectible document has a chance to spawn in it).
There will be only one way to go, and that's through a corridor with metal door leading to a 'tower' - here you will have to quickly climb flights upon flights of stairs to get to safety (when you drop down and take the path to your left, you will reach a dead soldier - this is the third and last location where a Virus Sample may appear). It's easy to get swarmed and overrun, as Zeke will start to literally pour in from above and open sewer grates on the sides. You may find a breaching charge between the two boxes as you approach the bridge on the upper level. Directly above this spot, there is another place where a breaching charge can be found - on top of a cardboard box in the corner, before you enter the safe room and seal it shut. After the gate closes behind you, another one opens directly in front of you. Sometimes there will be zombies in the next room, so stay focused (there is a chance that a collectible document spawns on the shelf to the left immediately as you enter this room).
Once you leave this area, you will reach a sector 7 catwalk leading to another vent. Climb over the ledge into the vent - be careful, as there might be a Lurker around the corner to your right. If you continue straight ahead, you will reach a pile of boxes and bin bags, there can be a breaching charge there too. Exit through the vent to the right and you will find yourself in a hub again, except now on the other side. There is another control room here and a scaffolding. Remember those auto-turrets from earlier? You should have at least one or two with you, so go and place them on the top of the control room, breach the room next to it, and if there are any more auto-turrets, place them facing the control room doors. Best position to defend here is on the top of the control room (there can also be a breaching charge behind the pile of boxes in the middle) - again, you have the high ground, auto-turrets to cover your back and floor below, and there's a tunnel boring machine control panel (it's position is random though, so it can be on either side, or if you have all the documents for this chapter, there's a chance there will be two panels, one on each side).
Worry only about protecting the train, all the zombies that climb up the sides will have to climb some more to get to you, by which point they'll be long dead. Special Zombies, however, should be swiftly dealt with - they can either fall down from behind you or from one of the vents (this is also where Screamers wail from), and can close distances faster as they are more resilient. Boring machines will turn the Zeke into mincemeat in a matter of seconds, you can mount a .50 cal to thin out the herd a little, and you can use heavy weapons once the swarm reaches the train.
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Chapter 3: Hell and High Water
WIP
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Chapter 4: Dead In The Water
WIP

In the desolate wastelands of Moon, where resources were scarce and humanity fractured, three legends piloted titans of steel. Lancelot, the elder, a stoic veteran with a Lancelot robot as impenetrable as his resolve. His massive shield, 'Galahad's Grace,' named after his fallen brother, could turn the tide of battle. Galahad, resurrected not in flesh, but in the advanced AI core of a towering Galahad robot, fought with the tactical brilliance he possessed in life. Gareth, the youngest, piloted a nimble Gareth robot, his courage fuelled by a thirst for vengeance - vengeance for his fallen family, slain in a raider attack.
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Their paths converged under the banner of the Crimson Spear, a ragtag resistance against the tyranny of the megacorporation, Skadi. Lancelot, hardened by the horrors of war, became a mentor to the fiery Gareth. He instilled in him the importance of strategy, teaching him to use Gareth's agility to outmanoeuvre and flank the enemy lumbering juggernauts. Galahad, a silent titan, analysed battle data from his core, whispering tactical adjustments to Lancelot through the comms. The trio became an unstoppable force.
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Lancelot, the unwavering bulwark, absorbed enemy fire with Galahad's Grace, allowing Gareth to weave through the storm, his twin plasma cannons carving a path of destruction. Galahad, the silent strategist, identified weak points and relayed them to Lancelot, who would smash through enemy lines with his mighty lance. They were a trinity - defence, offense, and tactical brilliance.
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One brutal battle changed their destiny. A Skadi base, heavily fortified, threatened to crush the Crimson Spear. Lancelot, ever the hero, charged in first, his shield a beacon of hope. A hidden missile launcher ripped through his defences, mortally wounding him. Gareth, enraged, fought like a cornered beast, but was overwhelmed. As enemy forces closed in, Galahad's core flickered. With a surge of power, he overloaded his own systems, creating a massive EMP blast that crippled the enemy forces. It bought Gareth precious seconds to escape, carrying Lancelot's lifeless form.
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Galahad's sacrifice left only a faint echo in the neural network within the robot. Yet, it fuelled Gareth's resolve. He vowed to honour all three - Lancelot, the fallen mentor; Galahad, the brother-in-arms; and the dream of a free Moon. He became a symbol of hope, a lone warrior piloting the nimble Gareth, forever seeking vengeance and a brighter future.

So, I recently played a game using the Beast Handler, which I don't do very often. And I realized just how BROKEN the top and bottom paths are. The birds can stall the heck out of rounds, and the fact that the Golden Eagle can perma-stall MOABs is rather broken IMO. The rest of the bottom path is a very cheap camo eliminator, a bird that, for a comparatively low price, can perma-stall any bloon lower than a ZOMG. The Pouakai itself can prevent basically anything other than a BAD from EVER getting to the end of the track. The top path is similar, with the Great White having the ability to onetap MOABs, and the Orca being able to do the same.
So why is no one talking about this? Just because they patched the shark strat where it could evaporate bosses? What's wrong with them? They're pretty cheap, the separate towers do decent on their own, and the merges are busted! Tell me what's so bad about them?

Back in the days, probably like 8-10 years ago or something like that, I was playing a really cool game on iOS. You had your main city and you could build different buildings that gave you upgrades, new units, etc. You could attack other players with your units, but also build your own defence with your towers so other people can attack you. The attack was always an extra loaded level where you went mostly through some sort of canyon and needed to defeat their troops and towers.
It was an animated 3D game, pretty nice style, looked a little like Brawl Stars or Archero from the graphics, not the mechanics.
Hope somebody remembers!

The last 13 games I played were against Fadora/Star Cap Jericho Tack/Dart Mortar Farm. There are few more meta loadouts but overall everything stays the same. I just wish we could see more loadouts that don't include Banana Farm and are capable of rushing, forcing defence to make the game more dynamic. I believe the main problem the current balancing has is that meta Eco loadouts nowadays are focused on going super late rounds without ever attacking your opponent and meta Banana Farm strategies are made to be super aggro (there are few exceptions). I really wish the game was more in the middle where we can see more room for experimenting. My solution for this was already presented - Rushes (or only MOAB rushes (maybe even without B.A.D included)) should be cheaper but the more you send at once the more expensive rushing gets for limited time, that way people will be encouraged to rush smaller but more often to force defence while still being able to send big, game ending Bloon attacks. Also eco loss from MOAB sends should be halved or reduced to 2/3. Lastly I just wanted to say that we NEED more balance changes per update, because with only 22 towers the meta becomes stale fast. What's your opinion about current balancing? Correct me if my ideas are bad. :)

I was just watching BTD6 videos and went "I should try my own 2tc!" So I booted up bloons, and instead of testing if my strategy had been done before, I thought "I'll check later!". So long story short, after like 20 minutes, I got some proof of completion, checked, and lo and behold, it's actually fairly common. If you're wondering, the towers were 5-0-2 boomer and 2-5-0 gunner.