Background

Questioner: But, in doing this, there was at the center of the galaxy, the lack of knowledge or the lack of concept of possibility of extending the first distortion, so as to allow for what we have experienced as polarity. Was there any concept of polarity carried through from the previous octave in the sense of service-to-others or service-to-self polarity?
Ra: I am Ra. There was polarity in the sense of the mover and the moved. There was no polarity in the sense of service to self and service to others.

[Following excerpt is Q'uo channeled on September 8, 2021]
In our own inadequate understanding, the Creator’s primal desire to know Itself generates the necessity for this system of octaves in which the beginning of each octave lays a foundation and sets a stage upon which the Creator may indulge in this desire to know Itself and begin a journey of gaining experience to fulfill this desire. Your own octave that we share with you was based upon a foundation of the polarities of the mover and the moved. This basic dynamic was the result of the harvest of what you might see as the previous octave; and it is this dynamic that generates the potential for experience for the Creator.
This dynamic creates what might be seen as a type of tension or friction. This friction, by some perspective or understanding, can also be called awareness or experience or consciousness. But it is this very simple dynamic that helps to create and generate all further experience within the octave. And as the journey of the Creator into the octave progresses, this dynamic is refined and iterated upon in more and more fine and complex ways—first by the Logos, and then by the sub-Logoi, and so on—until this exploration of this simple dynamic has become quite a complicated and intricate system that you now experience as life upon a planetary sphere.

We focus this examination upon your specific planetary sphere. For the question, as it has been worded this evening, and as seekers upon your planet attempt to grasp such mechanisms of the Creator knowing Itself, may be best explored in a specific sense, as it applies to your current experience and those things that may be observed within your own experience. And so, as the Creator begins its exploration upon your own planet in the first density, you see that the basic elements present necessary for further evolution of the densities or sub-octaves. These elements begin a process of learning by interaction of moving and being moved. And this simple dynamic, that is the foundation of your entire octave, is present within every interaction. And such interactions become varied in the sense that, not only is an interaction between mover and moved, but it may also be seen as the attracted and that which attracts.

The basic first-density entities upon your planet learn these simple interactions and gradually become more and more refined until the point at which the second-density energies emerge upon your planetary sphere. And those entities continue this process of moving and being moved, attracting and being attracted. And the entity that is your planet grows and becomes more intelligent in its expression of the love and the light of the Creator, further still, until the emergence of your current third-density experience where now, as the illusion of the veil is draped upon your consciousness, you may look inward and outward and recognize that you may be seen as an individual within this singular entity of your planet that is expressing itself in this complicated dance of moving and attracting.
This basic examination of this dynamic can be seen to yield the understanding that you are a conduit of energy, of intelligent energy. And as you move throughout your life, the nature of your conduit is changed by those interactions—the points at which you are moved and at which you attract to yourself that which moves you. The nature of this conduit can be simplified by examining the energy center system. This energy that you attract to yourself is attracted through this system.
And as each energy center is activated, it contains within it certain distortions that you have adopted through your experiences or through your preincarnational planning that, as this energy flows, meets this friction and generates the most basic polarity in your octave of mover and moved, experience for the Creator. And this experience may be utilized as catalyst to further understand the nature of the self as Creator.
source : https://assets.llresearch.org/transcripts/files/en/2021_0908.pdf

Disclaimer: I do not speak Korean. This is purely translated by machine with a lot of cleanup afterward. With that in mind, I am open to criticism to improve these translations. Enjoy!
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Chapter 425
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Thud!
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White Flames, having lost its mark, skittered across the ground.
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"Ah."
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With a snap of his fingers, the Arch Lich ensnared me, who stood frozen like a statue. Black hands, summoned from the void, clamped tightly around my body.
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He wielded his magic effortlessly, foregoing the incantations usually required for spellcasting.
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Step by step.
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With each stride, the Arch Lich's magic swirled through him like a dense fog.
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His left arm, obliterated earlier by my One Strike, began to regenerate. The shattered bones, now shaded darker, knitted together with eerie robustness.
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As the completion of the Gate approached, his power swelled correspondingly.
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- I wondered why I could smell death on you. That's quite a spectacular reason, isn't it? The friendship between a human and a monster is... quite touching.
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Creak.
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The sound of misaligned bones grated through my frame, yet my gaze drifted over the Arch Lich's shoulder.
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Focused on a sword embedded in the earth, its hilt clutched by a hand that refused to relinquish its grip.
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'Skeleton Warlord.'
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By divine decree, humans and monsters were eternal adversaries.
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Initially, it had been the same between us.
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But now... I realized. At some juncture, the Skeleton Warlord had transcended mere monstrosity in my eyes.
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'If I had still thought of him as just a monster, I would have annihilated him with my own hands.'
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Destroying the Skeleton Warlord could have provided a crucial boost through leveling up.
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Yet I faltered, and ultimately, I abstained.
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Not merely because he had spared my life, but because he had won a place as a friend in my heart.
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A hollow laugh burst from my lips.
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‘Damn it. I should have never gotten attached.’
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At that, the Arch Lich’s eyes narrowed slightly.
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- You're laughing? In this situation?
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“My mother used to say that laughter brings fortune.”
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- You must be out of your mind.
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“Why the fuss if I want to laugh? Are you my date or something?”
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I spat at the Arch Lich’s face. A thick, ambiguous mixture of blood and phlegm trickled down his brow.
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At that moment, a fierce red glow blazed from where his eyes ought to be.
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- I've heard your response well.
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“Fuck you.”
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If I claimed to have no regrets about my life up to this point, I would be lying. Regrets, however, always arrive too late, and I've fought hard enough until now.
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When I finally let go, everything seemed like a fleeting dream. My face, relaxed in a smile, was mirrored in the Arch Lich's sinister red gaze.
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- I've said this before. Your body will be torn to shreds, and your soul will wander the River of Death forever.
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I nodded, accepting this grim fate easily.
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“That sounds about right. Just like that demon bastard you serve.”
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- ...!
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“When I meet him, I’ll send your regards. Give me his address.”
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- ...Let’s see how long you can keep spouting such nonsense.
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With a mere gesture from the Arch Lich, the massive magical hands constricting me tightened their grip and began to tear at my limbs with incredible force.
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Slowly, bit by bit.
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Creak, crunch.
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A small cracking sound from within awoke the sense of pain I had momentarily escaped.
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Though I believed I had no energy left for screams, an involuntary howl tore through my lips.
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“Argh, aaaaargh!”
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- That's it. Much better.
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Blinded by agony, I braced for death as I unleashed the screams I had suppressed.
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But just as the pain began to ebb away, instead of death, a System notification chimed.
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Ding.
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- [Top-grade Potion] used!
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- The amount of potion used is too small. The injury has been slightly healed!
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- Your injuries are too severe. A more potent and higher-quality healing is necessary!
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…What?
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As a refreshing sensation mingled with renewed pain, my eyes met the Arch Lich's, which gleamed mockingly.
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In his hand, he held a glass bottle.
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‘I see.’
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It was one of the potions from Lee Jeong-Ryong’s subspace pocket, previously pilfered by the Arch Lich.
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And now, he wielded the healing potion as an instrument of torment.
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The potion delivered just enough healing to forestall death, yet it intensified my agony to new excruciating heights.
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- Foolish human. Did you really think I would grant you an easy and comfortable death?
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“……!”
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- Continue to wail. Cry like a coward, thrash in pain, and only after you realize your foolishness will you be able to head towards the River of Death.
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The Arch Lich swirled the glass bottle, his tone laced with derision.
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The potion, diminished by barely a tenth, was a clear measure of the enduring pain yet to come.
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That torment seemed destined to stretch into infinity.
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Amidst the minimal relief and overwhelming pain, I gasped for air and managed a forced smile.
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"If I chant 'Long live the Demon King' three times, will you end it quickly?"
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- Well, if you put your heart and soul into it, I might consider.
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“I won’t, you son of a bitch.”
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- That's fine. We have plenty of time anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to think it over slowly…
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Crack!
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The Arch Lich’s glowing eyes flickered wildly, mirroring my own shock.
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It was something neither he nor I had expected.
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- What is this...
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His voice trailed off in suspicion as he glanced down at his chest.
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It was light. A brilliant, overwhelming radiance — bright enough to rival the sun - erupted from his chest.
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'No, it’s not just light.'
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I stared at it with a vacant gaze. It was a sword, emitting a brilliance greater than anything I had ever before.
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I knew the name of that all-too-familiar sword.
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‘Hero’s Soul.’
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Beyond the skeletal chest of the Arch Lich, I could see the steadfast hand that clutched the sword’s hilt.
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“……!”
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Time seemed to halt.
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In this nearly frozen world, I watched as hundreds, then thousands, of bone fragments coalesced.
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They were mere remnants of a skeleton, yet they drew together with magnetic force, beginning to reconstruct.
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Click, clack!
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The symphony of bones assembling.
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First, the limbs took shape, followed swiftly by the torso.
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The bones, once black and lustrous, were bathed in the radiance of the [Hero's Soul]. They soon took on a subtle gold hue, lengthening and hardening in the process.
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'Ah.'
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It was a miraculous transformation.
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The myriad bone fragments merged, reconstructing a body in a manner that seemed to reverse the flow of time. The light emanating from the sword expelled the darkness lodged within the joints, heralding the genesis of a new entity.
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And then, as the skull clicked into place atop the reformed body—
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Flash!
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Golden light exploded from the vacant eye sockets, emitting an aura both deeply familiar and intriguingly foreign.
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In the next moment, the suspended time resumed its course.
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- You asked me why?
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“……!”
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My body jolted as if struck by lightning, recalling a memory from barely an hour earlier.
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​
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'But why? ...Why?'
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​
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That had been my question. Why did you shield me, knowing it spelled your destruction?
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At the time, his response was uncertain, hinting that perhaps the sword had cast a spell over him.
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Now, the answer I had not heard before resonated clearly.
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- You're a cunning, wicked human...but also a pretty good guy.
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A pretty good guy.
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A phrase I had once said to someone else.
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I stared at him, astonished. His enlarged, solid form radiated a soft golden glow. The silver pattern etched on the forehead of his skull resembled a crown.
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No, it was clearly a crown.
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[Lv.160 Skeleton King]
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As the System window hovered above his head, laughter bubbled up from me uncontrollably.
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"My Golgol has grown a lot."
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- I wondered why I've been feeling itchy all this time. [Note: just a quick reminder: the Skeleton Warlord has previously complained, during one of the MC's abusive treatments, that his bones have been itchy and sensitive lately. For more details, look at novel chapter 409.]
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The once small, dark caterpillar had finally emerged from its cocoon, wings unfurled.
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The luminance of the Skeleton Warlord — now the Skeleton King — radiated outward like a crescent moon. Both of us shared a moment of laughter.
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Yet, there was one who could not share in our mirth.
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- Argh! Aaaaargh!
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The Arch Lich.
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This unparalleled Named Monster, commander of legions of the undead and bearer of undying, formidable magical powers, now contorted in torment.
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A sword impaled through the heart of his chest.
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The golden radiance from the [Hero's Soul] began to devour the magic, dissolving his form.
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Perhaps even his soul.
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- Human.
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Prompted by the Skeleton King’s gentle summons, I knew it was time.
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'Let's end this.'
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Ding.
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- [Hero's Soul] bestows upon you the light of healing!
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- All status abnormalities have been removed!
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- All injuries and stats have been restored!
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- The soul of the departed smiles upon you.
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Whoosh!
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A surge of light from the [Hero's Soul] enveloped me, its warmth mending my fractured bones and knitting my flesh back together.
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My organs, once damaged, and blood vessels, previously torn, now regenerated, the heat within them simmering like molten lava.
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'I can do this.'
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This newfound conviction was as solid as steel, surprising even to myself, yet unmistakably true.
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With such power at my command, there was nothing beyond my reach.
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'My turn.'
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Ssssssht! Thump!
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I picked up White Flames, which lay discarded nearby.
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Pop!
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Leaping into the air, I extended my foot.
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My trajectory aimed me straight at the Arch Lich, who, amidst his powerful sorcery, writhed in agony.
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- What in the world! What magic have you used!
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The Arch Lich bellowed in fury.
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His eyes, pulsating red, dilated with each pulse of agony.
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His pain was palpable.
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- Damn you, damn human! Aaaaargh!
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Ignoring his curses, I raised White Flames with deliberate calm.
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I positioned the mystical spear, its blade shimmering, to strike not just the flailing Arch Lich but also the ominous Gate looming behind him.
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Whoosh.
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From the core of my lower dantian, the fire dragon unfurled its wings, ascending as a fiery orb that exploded outward in all directions. The flames, kindled at my fingertips, climbed up the shaft of White Flames, cloaking it in layers of azure fire.
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- You bastard! How dare you!
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The Arch Lich flailed his limbs in a frenzy as his rage boiled over. Yet, the magic he cast fizzled out before it could reach me, snuffed by the searing barrier that cocooned me.
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Despite his faltering strength, the darkness around the Gate churned with renewed vigor.
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Then, it struck me.
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'Now!'
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As I twisted my body, the force of rotation surged from my legs through my waist, amplifying as it reached my shoulders and wrists. This caused White Flames to quiver with intense energy.
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An extraordinary power, harnessed from the depths of my being, ignited a flame more colossal than any before.
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This was the moment.
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Swoosh!
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In an instant, the distance between me and the Arch Lich collapsed, and time seemed to stretch thin.
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Before his lips could complete his incantation, I struck with a force fueled by every ounce of my resolve and strength.
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- Blin...!
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One Strike.
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There would be no second chances. The azure dragon, unleashed from the blade, enveloped both the Arch Lich and the ominous Gate.
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Kaboom!
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Previous Table of Contents Next

Disclaimer: I do not speak Korean. This is purely translated by machine with a lot of cleanup afterward. With that in mind, I am open to criticism to improve these translations. Enjoy!
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Chapter 422
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Ding. Ding. Ding.
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- Opportunity arises within crisis. You have gained new enlightenment amidst a life-and-death battle!
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- [Middle Dantian] has been opened!
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- With the opening of the [Middle Dantian], all stats have increased by 20!
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- The effects of [Qi Cultivation] have greatly improved!
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- Your ability to understand and manipulate the flow of Qi has been greatly enhanced!
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- Your internal and external states have been strengthened!
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.
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.
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.
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The relentless System notifications echoed in my ears, their cadence like a persistent hammer.
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A sudden gust of wind swept through, playing with my sweat-drenched hair as a newfound vigor suffused my body.
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A clear, resonant bell chimed, marking the culmination of my transformation.
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Ding.
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- As a reward for your enlightenment, you have gained a large amount of experience points!
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- As a reward for your enlightenment, you have gained 50 bonus points!
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- Level up!
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- As a result of leveling up, all status effects, fatigue, and some injuries are recovered!
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- The status abnormality, [Curse], has been lifted!
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- Temporarily reduced stats have been restored to their original state!
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I wasn't the only one who felt such changes.
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No hand moves unseen by its master. The Arch Lich, sensing the dissolution of his curse, voiced his disbelief in a tone thick with suspicion.
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- How did you...?!
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His words, laden with myriad unspoken queries, met only my nonchalant shrug.
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"Well."
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- Well?
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"Yes, well."
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- Do you think that explains it?
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"Obviously not. But do I really need to explain myself to you?"
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From the flickering light in his eyes, incredulity was unmistakable.
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- You're not a mage, are you?
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"I did want to be a mage. They get paid more, you know. But I just don't have the talent for it. Nor the brains."
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- Even those you call Grand Mages couldn't easily dispel my magic like this.
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"There's nothing to it, really."
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- This makes no sense!
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I conceded silently.
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The Arch Lich's mastery was undeniably beyond mine.
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Even I, having long surpassed the ordinary bounds of a Hunter, struggled against his curses and the perilous illusions crafted from bone spears.
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Without my recent enlightenment, I might not have stood here at all.
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But...
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"So what are you going to do about it?"
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- ...!
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The System was on my side; I had simply utilized the strength and resources it provided to navigate through the crisis.
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If he thinks that's unfair, he can use the System himself.
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"That's just how the world works. It's annoying and frustrating, but you just have to bear with it and move on. It's already happened. Right?"
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The Skeleton Warlord, previously howling in rage until a moment ago, now murmured under his breath.
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- Wow, you really do speak well.
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That's just how I am.
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- You wicked human. It doesn't look like he's going to just let it go and move on.
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The Skeleton Warlord was right.
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Suddenly, a chilling voice cut through the air, followed by a tempest of formidable magical energy.
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- Unleash Sonic Buster.
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Simultaneously.
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Whoosh, boom!
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A blast of densely compressed air erupted.
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Its sheer velocity turned concrete to dust and twisted steel rebars like twigs.
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The shockwave shattered the windows of a nearby skyscraper, sweeping up a storm of glass shards.
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In an instant, before I could even blink, the devastating wind was mere inches from my face.
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- Human!
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The scream of the Skeleton Warlord resounded from my inventory.
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Was it concern for his own fate, or anxiety over mine?
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Regardless, the reason held little weight.
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I was no longer the same person I had been mere moments ago.
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'Ah.'
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A warmth blossomed in my chest. The spot known to martial artists as the Middle Dantian had fully opened.
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Suddenly, I understood everything around me. I felt it on my skin and saw it with acute clarity.
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'So that's how it is.'
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Time seemed to stretch, the world slowing to a crawl around me, rendering everything sharply defined and vivid.
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A colossal orb of wind, launched like a slicing blade, and the intricate flow of magic that propelled it.
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Shhhh!
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Everything has a core, magic included. With the opening of my middle dantian, I could discern that core.
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'Now.'
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In this decelerated reality, I thrust my spear forward. The formidable orb of wind, previously unstoppable, cleaved neatly in two by the blade of White Flames.
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The split fragments of the wind, once a unified force, now dispersed into hundreds, then thousands of smaller currents. Stripped of their magical command, they cascaded to the earth in a chaotic ballet.
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Swoosh, crash!
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The winds whipped around, tousling my clothes and hair. I raised my head to face the Arch Lich, my expression tinged with a slight smile.
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"Come down here. My neck hurts."
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- You...!
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"Fine, I'll come up."
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Crack, boom!
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A single step.
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The ground beneath me shattered, and I propelled myself toward the grey expanse above.
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* * *
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Boom!
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As Jin Tae-Kyung launched into the air, the Arch Lich grasped the gravity of the situation.
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'I can't let this human approach.'
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Avoiding melee combat was a basic rule for any mage, yet it held a new significance for the Arch Lich now.
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'To think this body feels threatened by a mere human.'
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He prided himself on having reached the pinnacle of black magic.
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Despite the considerable drain on his power during his resurrection, the Arch Lich still wielded more magical might than any Grand Mage.
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Yet, the human confronting him now... posed a genuine threat.
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'Yes, just like that one back then.'
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It was a memory he desperately wanted to forget. Gritting his teeth, the Arch Lich summoned his magic.
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- Gravity!
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This time, his command wasn't just a shout but a formidable wave of power, unleashing an invisible, formless force that crushed everything within its vast reach.
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Even an S-rank Hunter like Jin Tae-Kyung could hardly withstand the overwhelming pressure closing in on him.
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Bang!
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A burst of compressed air shot from beneath Jin Tae-Kyung's feet as he executed the Void-Trampling Step, his body darting out of the gravity's lethal embrace.
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His movements, sharp and swift as a hawk's, far surpassed those of any ordinary flyer.
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'What the hell.'
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The Arch Lich's eyes darkened as he watched Jin Tae-Kyung slice through the air, rapidly closing the distance.
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It was clear now; Jin Tae-Kyung had not only accurately determined the range of the gravity spell but evaded it with uncanny skill.
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'It wasn't mere luck that he dispelled the illusion magic. Then...'
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Whoooosh!
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Magic surged from the Arch Lich, vibrating the very air around him.
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- Gravity. Gravity. Gravity.
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He cast the high-level spell repeatedly, a feat beyond even the most adept mages. With this, the Arch Lich believed he would overpower Jin Tae-Kyung this time.
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'Fall, human.'
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Instead of increasing the force, he had expanded the spell's reach, creating a gravitational field vast enough to ensnare any within its grip...
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Screech!
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Doubt flickered in the Arch Lich's gaze.
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Simultaneously, the crushing spell around Jin Tae-Kyung unraveled, its magical link severed as if sliced by an unseen blade.
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Caught off-guard, the Arch Lich watched as Jin Tae-Kyung propelled himself forward, stepping into the void and rocketing upwards like a cannonball.
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Boom! Sssshhhh!
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With a deafening sonic boom, Jin Tae-Kyung soared, not merely in front but rising above the Arch Lich, and he brought down the White Flames with devastating force.
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Whoosh, a streak of blue flames surged towards the Arch Lich.
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Crash!
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In the slowed-down reality, an invisible shield around the Arch Lich shattered like glass.
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In that moment, the flames of Protective Qi, fueled by three gapjas of Scorching Yang Qi, penetrated the multitude of defensive spells cloaking the Arch Lich.
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- Great Bone Wall!
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With a grim command, a barrier of black bones erupted from the void.
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This top-tier defensive magic, materializing merely a meter away, met the spear blade wreathed in flames.
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In the ashen sky, a massive shockwave boomed and thunder roared around the two foes divided by the Bone Wall.
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Whooooah!
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The air burst with intensity, dispersing clouds that had roamed the high skies. Buildings teetering on collapse crumbled, and half-decayed bodies were whisked away by the winds.
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Yet, the two beings responsible for this chaos faced each other across the barrier, their gazes steady.
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"It was a waste, wasn't it?"
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- Yes, indeed. No, wait...
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The Arch Lich paused, his eyes fixated on the mystical spear blade that had penetrated the center of the wall.
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- It was dangerous.
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The length of the spear blade that passed through the Bone Wall was only about the length of a finger, and the burst of Protective Qi had not even grazed his nose.
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It was fortunate for the Arch Lich and regrettable for Jin Tae-Kyung.
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"You're lucky, you."
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- Arrogant human, I must admit.
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"What?"
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Jin Tae-Kyung, taken aback, listened as the Arch Lich spoke more deliberately.
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- You would be worthy of this win, if you truly are the Adversary.
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"...The Adversary?"
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- Yes. The King's Adversary. The eternal rival entangled by the whims of the gods. I cannot be certain yet... but perhaps that's why I was able to rise again from the River of Death.
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Jin Tae-Kyung’s brow furrowed. What does the King's Adversary mean, and what was this talk of the whims of the gods?
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"Are you a second-year middle school student? Clear away these bones and show me your right hand. Let's see if you have a Black Flame Dragon." [Note: this reference is a bit intricate. The "Black Flame Dragon" part originates from the YuYu Hakusho anime/manga, in which one of the characters has a Black Flame Dragon living in his right arm. The "second year middle school" part references a concept called "chuunibyou", which comes from the light novel "Even with Chuunibyou, I Want to Fall in Love!", which heavily references "YuYu Hakusho". The concept of "chuunibyou" describes a particular stage in adolescence where individuals might hold delusional beliefs of grandeur, pretending to have secret knowledge or hidden powers. It's typically characterized by dramatic, over-the-top behavior, which is often a source of embarrassment later in life. This concept was vastly popularized by the anime, "Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions!"]
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The Arch Lich shook his head.
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- This is something neither you nor I can understand. But one thing is certain.
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His eyes, previously dimly glowing red, now blazed with intensity.
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Initially, he had merely thought of him as a powerful, albeit strange, human. Now, his perception had shifted.
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Memories from decades ago flooded back, when he had roamed the planet in service to the King.
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And the face of that human he had encountered on the day he fell into the River of Death.
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'The Adversary.'
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The human who had not only slain him but had also assassinated the King.
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The Arch Lich tried to halt him but failed; he attempted to close the distance but could not bridge it. This human was the only one the Arch Lich had ever truly feared.
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Amidst the tumult of battle with Jin Tae-Kyung, memories of that fearful day surfaced.
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- You... will surely die here.
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His voice, grim yet resolute, reverberated through the air.
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Jin Tae-Kyung’s reply was dismissive and direct.
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"What are you talking about, idiot?"
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Then, in the blink of an eye,
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"Eat this."
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Whoosh. Boom!
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With calm defiance, Jin Tae-Kyung unleashed a fist wreathed in blue flames, obliterating everything before it.
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It met the barrier of black bones head-on.
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Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fist.
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Crack!
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The seemingly impenetrable Bone Wall shattered.
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Through the cloud of bone shards, Jin Tae-Kyung, his face impassive, declared,
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"It's much better this way. No more neck pain."
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- ...!
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"Down, boy."
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Pop!
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Like a streak of lightning, his fist shot forward, connecting squarely with the Arch Lich’s jaw.
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I have been applying to consultant roles like crazy and I'm not making any headway. Can anyone think of ways I can improve what I have below or what other career avenues I should pursue?
EXPERIENCE
Homecare Homebase, LLC, Dallas, TX Implementation Training Consultant, Jan 2022 - Present
Provide quality implementations and ensure the adoption of products within health agencies across the country,
Guide customers and internal training teams through the deployment of the software for multi-site locations across the United States, Lead clients through training of the software and support clients throughout onsite and remote deployment,
Assist in making customizations to clinical content (i.e., visit types, pathways, and assessments) to ensure the environment is ready for testing and training,
Collaborate with internal staff on training preparations for assigned projects, including completing preparation of training database prior to customer deployment,
Communicate effectively and understand the customer's needs, goals, and strategies, as well as communicate those needs to the internal HCHB project team for action and/or resolution,
Independently researching customer inquiries and determining sources of issues. Independently researching data functionality and reporting problems to the customer support team with needed steps for customer resolution,
Maintaining product knowledge as new enhancements and functionality are released in the application,
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, DIVISION OF ADVANCEMENT, Denton, Texas Student Assistant, May 2019 - Aug 2020
Operate office equipment such as fax machines, copiers, and phone systems, and use computers for spreadsheets, word processing, database management, and other applications,
Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals,
Set up and maintain paper and electronic filing systems for records, correspondence, and other material,
Maintained scheduling and event calendars, Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations,
CORELOGIC, Irving, TX Operations Specialist, Jul 2014 - Jul 2018
Conducts research of data, perform factual analyses of loan histories to assess appropriate resolution and compile all corresponding supporting documentation for review,
Leverage all available resources such as existing databases, third-party sources, and/or public information on the internet,
Utilize tools to analyze, query, and manipulate data according to defined business procedures,
Extract and enter appropriate data onto application, other form, or database, Process payments that may require preparing, balancing, and submitting complex wire disbursements for mass manual payments,
Proofread documents for grammatical, mathematical, typographical, and composition errors adhering to standards and guidelines, Perform root cause analyses of all discovered errors in order to identify areas requiring development or enhancement of training, policy, or procedures,
Adhere to all required company and client driven Service Level Agreements, Perform duties such as maintaining all levels of files, searching and investigating information contained in files, processing departmental documents requiring more specific knowledge of functional operations, and entering report results into tracking systems,
Track progress and provide status report to management on achievement of daily and weekly team goals,
Act as Subject Matter Expert on internal and client projects, making recommendations to these processes,
Able to develop and maintain business relationships with individuals representing other departments and/or representing outside organizations,
Maintain detailed and comprehensive records for all complaints, including error findings, during the complaint investigation process and document corrective actions taken,
EDUCATION
University of North Texas Denton, TX
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) History (Apr 2021) GPA: 3.2
University of North Texas Denton, TX
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Digital and Print Journalism (Apr 2021) GPA: 3.2
Relevant Coursework: Strategic Social Media, Principles of Public Relations, Applied Design for Advertising and Public Relations,
ADDITIONAL SKILLS Microsoft Office MSP Fiserve Black Knight HTML Search Engine Optimization Adobe Suite Oracle ERP BlackLine

What is Bhagwa Atheism ?

A hypocritical and privileged form of atheism that is critical against any religion (particularly Islam), but harbours sympathy for his religion in which they were born i.e. Hinduism.

Why is this sympathy?

The answer is simple ...casteism, we shall discuss this later on how this is deeply rooted in caste based privileges that facilitates such thinking. To understand this let me explain from my point of view:

According Marxism, in a feudalist/semi-feudalist/capitalist society there are two types of classes mostly, namely: the Bourgeois (the ruling class who controls the means of production and generates profit from the exploitation of working classes labour power) and The Workers (or Proletariats) (who do not own any means of production and has no power to purchase labour power of others, and they survive solely by selling their own labour power).
These classes emerge only at a certain stage in the development of the productive forces and the social division of labour, when there exists a social surplus of production, which makes it possible for one class to benefit by the expropriation of another. The conflict between classes there begins, founded in the division of the social surplus, and constitutes the fundamental antagonism in all class.

This holds true in case of several capitalist nations such as US, Canada, South Korea, etc. But however in case of India this classification becomes complicated due to yet another form of classification which effectively nullified any form of possible class conflict, 'Casteism'.

What is Casteism in Hinduism ?

Hindu Casteism (from material basis) is a form of hereditary class based on hierarchal order which ensures the flow the capital to the top most caste order and control over modes of production with the help of religious decrees itself.
It's a classification which sets 'permanent classes' based on their 'assigned' modes of production and their position within it's societal superstructures according to their hierarchy set by the 'permanent' ruling classes.
Once you take birth in one of these castes (hereditary classes), you'll be automatically assigned to the forces of production according to the 'order', which you'll do for the rest of your life.
Unlike Class, Casteism severally restricted upward mobility of people belonging to the lower strata of the Caste order, exception being a few handpicked intermediate 'gate keeping' castes loyal to this system. Who were sometimes rewarded by promotion, to become ruling classes itself.

So what changed this ?

Pre-arrival of British colonisation, caste and class were very much indistinguishable. Apart from ruling class there were hand picked bourgeois intermediate classes (vaishya) who were in direct service to the upper caste (sometimes the roles were reversed). The proletarian class (shudra and pariahs) were pretty much same as their european counterparts, lacked capital and hence no control over their means of production, in addition to that they also faced inhumane discrimination because of the caste in which they were born in. Thus were looked down upon as inferior subhumans.
This discriminatory system ensured poverty of the lower caste and prosperity of the top order, despite the lower caste comprising 90% of the population, as well as guaranteed cheap labour and exploitation of the working class 'caste'.
However with the introduction of colonial capitalism by Britishers the modes of production of old feudal order 'fused' with it to become a semi-industrial semi-feudal economy. This is when for the first time the European styled working classes began to take shape in India, parallel to hereditary classes that is casteism. This also introduced new bougeois classes within every community irrespective of their caste, but it's topic for another discussion.
Irrespective of the changes the older hereditary classes still affected this new order, those belonging to upper caste still had access to privileged jobs, better positions and capitals, hence were comparatively in better & prosperous position to that of those belonging to the lower strata of the older caste based order. With the introduction of 'English Education Act 1835' and later 'Macaulay Committee 1854' by Britishers, it further cemented caste order within this new colonial administration, ensuring the hierarchy of the upper caste and exploitation of oppressed castes.

Privileged classes and Caste blind class struggle

In words of Thomas Babington Macaulay:

"We (Britishers) should try to create a class of people, who would work as translators between the people who we are ruling and us, even though they may look like Indians by color; but their likes and dislikes, morals and thinking will be like an Englishman"

As, we can see the British were ok with the casteism as long as it ensured their hold and smooth management of their empire. Sure they helped abolishing the gut wrenching misogynistic practices such as 'Sati' but made almost zero effort to abolish caste system and untouchability (as this would mean they'll loose insubordination of intermediate 'gate keeping' classes that were in service to the British crown.
This new Intermediate urban classes had privileges to several rights within colonial administration in comparison to ordinary classes, however as we have mentioned earlier that with the introduction of colonial capitalism majority of castes further split into binary classes, economically forward and backward classes (note : this was only in case of upper and intermediate castes, majority of oppressed castes were still under poverty). The economically forward classes were infact the privileged classes and the economically backward classes began to fall in the borderline category between Upper-intermediate castes and Lower castes.
And this where 'caste blind' atheism, secularism, and socialism originates from. Who saw capitalism as well as colonialism as cruel system/occupation with respect to their material conditions but failed to emancipate and recognise inhumane treatment faced by those below their classes.
But does this mean that they were barred same as oppressed communities in upward mobility within this colonial capitalism?
No, They still had access to capitalist progress and upward mobility within the society. Simply put,

Casteism filtered oppressed castes from upward mobility within this new capitalist order while capitalism ensured that there will be limited progressiveness within the upper caste friendly circles.

So, whenever an economically backward class member transitioned into economically forward class they carried out his former progressive social ideas to their new found social position within society, while simultaneously giving up their resistance to capitalism. This new default ideology was known liberalism.
British colonial administration in India had many parallels with Apartheid system, but that is debate for another topic.

Consequences of Caste blindness in other '–isms'

With important positions still in access to powerful 'caste blind' and 'casteist' members of the society, they began to clash for power struggle. But they all had one commonality, they didn't gave up their caste identity.
During independence this power struggle began to materialise in two types of ideologies basically – 'caste blind' Leftism and 'meritocracy' based liberalism/conservativism but non of them were seriously against at each others throat as they were getting equal opportunities for their personal betterment.
But, what did the oppressed caste proletariats gain from this? Nothing.
They only got a chance at betterment when Dr. Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitri Bai Phule,etc began to make efforts at upliftment of them. However their efforts lacked anti-capitalist approach which emphasized less on capitalist oppression more on caste based emancipation. Which later proved detrimental in their efforts.

Modern day India and caste based wealth inequality

After the ( ½) implementation of Mandal Commission and Naxal Uprising, it began to perturb this harmonic 'clash' between conservatives and progressive left-liberal dynamics as it began to inject more and more political conciousness within the oppressed communities for reservations and political participation.
This is where the concept of savarna meritocracy, comes forth.

Illusion of Meritocracy

Meritocracy is a belief that affirmative actions results in positive results and vise versa in reality is a capitalist hypothesis, a fallacy which fuels the illusion that we are in a merit-based system.

Meritocracies tend to stratify over time. Successful people will pass on their wealth and privileges to their children and can perpetuate a widening inequality of opportunities. It can lead to the misplaced belief that only their talents and hard work account for their success, neglecting the support they have received. — Chan Chun Sing, Min. of Education, Singapore

This meritocratic illusion began to impose predetermined conditions which were biased and opaque on underprivileged candidates, missing to match their criterion in fixed amount of time means ruining of candidate's dreams. In other words it was an underhand tactics to filter out 'representation based/unfavourable candidates' and simply stereotyping them as 'unworthy', disregarding the unequal support the competing candidates got due to their material conditions and pretends that they 'reward the best of the best,' also overlooking the possibility of discrimination faced by oppressed caste students at hands of Upper caste dominant faculties.

After 1960 more and more population of the United States spent more than one-fourth of their entire lifetime in schools, from ages two to twenty-two. As on so many other levels and ways of mass democracy, inflation had set in, diminishing drastically the content and the quality of learning: more and more young people, after twenty years in schools, could not read or write without difficulty. Schools are overcrowded, including colleges and universities. In this increasingly bureaucratized world little more than the possession of various diplomas mattered. Since admission to certain schools-rather than the consequently almost automatic acquisition of degrees-depended on increasingly competitive examinations, the word “ meritocracy“ was coined, meaning that the rising positions to be acquired in society depended on the category of the degree and on the category of the college or university where from one graduate. In reality the term “meritocracy“ was misleading. As in so many of these spheres of life, the rules that govern the practices and functions of schools and universities were bureaucratic rather than meritocratic. It is bureaucracy, not meritocracy, the categorizes the employment of people by their academic degrees. The number and the variation of degrees awarded by higher institutions grew to a fantastic, and nonsensical, extent. Besides being custodial, the purpose of institutional education was now the granting of degrees to provide instant employment. – John Lukacs (At the End of an Age)

Final Conclusion

Provided all factors what we can conclude that Bhagwa Atheism, is form of Hindu upper caste exceptionalism (Agonistic Atheism) which believes in:
•the illusionary meritocracy that their material conditions is due to the (upper) caste in which they were born in.
•hating all religious dogma belonging to all faiths (including hinduism) but still hold dear to their caste based identity, hence the sympathy for hinduism.
•merit based order, refuses to acknowledge caste discrimination and caste wealth gap, sees it as inherited inability.
•convenient switching between Atheism and minimal Hinduism.
•convenient switching between liberalism and conservativism.
Thus, it's a type of agonistic atheism which does more & more damage to gnostic atheist beliefs and their critical thinking potential, making them more and more susceptible towards theism. In case of ex-hindus it's hinduism.

TL;DR Chapter preface.
1 Team spirit and perseverance to overcome injuries and the collective effort to win
2 Carlo’s coaching what’s best for the club and not his style adapting against the opponent
3 How ancelotti built the team around the regista - Toni kroos
4 Dortmund’s run to the final and tactics
5 Real Madrid don’t play finals they win them. The unique decades long tradition that will make Madrid win the champions league.
1.
I wanted to take a moment before the final to write about our season. I have written about our previous two knockout ties against city and Bayern but now we have finally arrived to the summit of our season and the summit of a Real Madrid team which we won’t see in the same way without our maestro and conductor - Toni Kroos.
I’m sure a lot of our fans would agree that if you would had to tell me at the start of the season after losing our starting GK and 2 CBs to ACLs (unprecedented in its own regard) and lose the likes of Vini, Tchou and Camavinga for long stretches that we would win the league dominantly with 95 points by over performing our expected XG and reach the champions league final - I would ask you to put down the crack.
But yet here we are almost 9 months later ready to compete to win our 15th what a privilege for our fans to witness this moment. In an interview recently after eliminating Bayern, Carlo said that this was the best group of players he has ever managed. The fact that he said that having coached the likes of legends in Madrid and Milan of the past speaks volumes of the perseverance and team spirit we have shown this season. The team like he said “never complained” and worked hard to overcome all the obstacles thrown at us. We only lost once in the league against atletico and that loss opened our eyes on what we had to fix defensively when we realised we we weren’t defending well from our right side having conceded from crosses. The tweaks made whether it was getting Fede to be more of a defensive workhouse, getting Vini to play centrally, asking Jude to play the free 10 role or making rodrygo and Vini interchange from the left. These are not easy things to do and players need time to adapt but this team has done a momentous job shifting from a 4-3-3 and adapting to a diamond 4-3-1-2 or rather a 4-4-2, and playing for the needs of the team.

1. This is where I would like to talk about Ancelotti and his ability to manage based on what the club needs rather than his own personal style. The reason why Madrid are historically successful is because they don’t have a “style” they adapt and have the clutch factor to win when it matters and achieve the unprecedented.

Managers like pep are positionist and rely heavily on rehearsed plays that hinder the expression of freedom from players. Real and Carlo as of late have always been relationist allowing for a flow or mixture and adaptation. Against city we had to play a mid block in the first leg and stop their build up before they can push into our box to force them wide. In the second leg after scoring we had to play a low block for 60 mins to stop them from scoring. These are examples of a team and manager synchronised in the approach that they must do whatever to win. Carlo spoke about when they played De Zerbi’s shakhtar and not pressing them allowed them to get the ball and beat them 5-0. It our ability to adapt in the moment that allows us to overcome our opponent even if the chips are down.

1. Carlo spoke of his regret when he coached Parma and had the opportunity to sign baggio who was a 10 and one on the best players in the world then, but Carlo refused to sign him because he was adamant to play with 2 strikers. When he coached juventus he realised the importance of incorporating a certain Zinedine Zidane as the central figure of the team.

Those who remember his Milan team played a similar diamond with CFs and a roaming cam in the likes of Kaka who was the main man scoring goals at a ridiculous rate, very similar to Jude this season a lot of people would say that he was the focal point of that team but in reality it was the “regista” in Pirlo who conducted that Milan team and everything was built around how Pirlo dictated the play. And that is why I would like to highlight that our team is built around the irreplaceable Toni Kroos, our regista who conducts and orchestrates the play. It is why we have been successful not just with the system this year but the past decade. Kroos is a unicorn who is capable of escaping pressure and finding the right passes without being over indulgent to a fault like Barca or pep. Kroos’ impact in the final will be monumental and it is only fitting for a legend like him to bow out with a champions league trophy.

1. I think we can all agree that when you look at our side of the bracket in our run of the champions league, every team in our bracket would mop the floor with the teams in dortmund’s side of the bracket. I’m not saying Dortmund don’t deserve to be in the final they have earned to be there playing a defensive approach that sees the entire team defend when they need to. They have fast paced dribblers in sancho and adeyemi and a physical box presence in fullcrug. Their centre backs rank the highest in long ball passes in Europe and they play in quick transitions like a German team. They’ve shown resilience to overcome their opponents but let’s not forget they did top the group of death and that is no coincidence. Upon watching their games I think the one that impressed me the most was their win against atletico at home. They have qualities to cause us problem so we should be vary of how we approach them.

What troubled us against leipzig was when they played to clog us centrally and cause us issues in turnovers. Against Bayern in the first leg we didn’t acclimatise to the width their wingers found to score. My only worry remains our aerial and set pieces defence with the likes of a physical target man like fullcrug supplied by pace around him we need to be careful but I’m sure Carlo and co are well prepared and I trust the team handles this Dortmund side and take them to task.

1. I want to talk about the aura of Madrid in finals and how “Real Madrid don’t play finals, they win them”. Some of you may be supporting them for the first time in a final while for some they may have lost track. Personally this will be the sixth time I will be watching them play the champions league final and in my heart I know we will win it. Real humility lies in accepting that your opponent can beat you even if you are the favourite but Real perseverance lies in knowing that we will never give up no matter what. That is forever ingrained in me from 10 years ago when Sergio Ramos equalised in 92:48 to make us destroy atletico 4-1. I have since watched us win from going behind early on, winning in penalties and brutally destroying our opponents. Just like Carlo says I cannot explain what it is but there is something special about this club, it’s the winning dna, the spirit of juanito the comeback mentality, the myth and legend of this club and shirt that allows us to transcend and excel.

If you believe that there is something special about this club then you will know that we will win tonight. A year ago I’ll never forget how low I felt as a fan when we lost 4-0 to city. We have come a long way since then and a long way in this tournament getting revenge against city and beating Bayern Munich. We have come a long way to this final to lose against a side like Dortmund. And I will back my statement by pointing out a unique tradition that sees us always winning the champions league whenever we eliminate the reigning champions.
We have ALWAYS eliminated the title holders in the UCL era whenever we have faced them in the knockout rounds. And guess what ? Each time that happens we go on to win the champions league!
1998 - Dortmund in SF agg (2-0) we Win the UCL
2000 - Manchester United in QF agg (3-2) we Win the UCL
2002- Bayern Munich in QF agg (3-2) we Win the UCL
2014- PEP’S Bayern Munich in SF agg (5-0) we Win the UCL
2022- Chelsea in QF agg (5-4) we Win the UCL
2024 - Man City in QF … ⏳
So Madridistas I would like to end this reflection by saying that no matter what I am super proud of what we have achieved this season it is the culmination and the complete rebuild of Madrid that will never stop winning.
HASTA EL FINAL, VAMOS REAL!

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Hi, I've been gaming on Linux with my RTX 4070 Ti for about half a year and I have been very happy with the results and about my transition from Windows. However, there is one issue that keeps popping up and I don't seem to be able to either fix or even understand the origins of this issue: occasional tearing. It's a problem that has been discussed a lot on the internet. But it's been discussed for so long over the last 5-15 years that you can find so many different proposed "solutions" and contradictory statements and unrelated sub-discussions that it gets even harder to understand what is even the cause of the problem.
And this is basically my intent here: I would like to understand the technical cause of the problem in the Linux gaming-component stack and am therefore looking for answers from people who understand some of the technical background. I would like to ask you not to divert the discussion by statements like "use Wayland" or "use AMD" or "use another distro" or something like that, because it doesn't really help in understanding the root of the problem and the nature of the proposed solutions. Thank you! In order to facilitate the discussion, I will try to be as detailed as possible in my descriptions, so sorry if this post is too long for your taste. :)
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The problem
First off, a short description of the problem. I have a dual-monitor setup with a primary monitor running at 120 Hz and the secondary running at 60 Hz. I'm using GNOME with X11 via a somewhat modified version of Ubuntu 22.04. VRR is disabled. (I am currently using the 550.67 driver but 535 looks the same.)
I play many games on this machine and most of them run perfectly fine. For instance, I just played MotoGP 24, a very recent game running on the Unreal engine, and I can run it at 120 fps without any problems whatsoever. The framerate is perfectly smooth and there is no tearing. Then there are other games - the latest example I tried is Shadow of Mordor - where I can also run the game very well at 120 fps (after unlocking the framerate in the config files) but at sudden random times, bad tearing pops up, stays for about 20 seconds and then vanishes again. This is obviously very distracting.
A somewhat related problem happens with games that are internally capped to 60 fps. Most of these run perfectly fine as they should since I am running at 120 Hz. However, some of them sometimes also get these random tearing episodes or produce frame-time inconsistencies which then also leads to tearing or small stutters, which should not be the case because I have more than enough headroom to run these games at 60 fps.
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The interpretation
So, given my ~30 years of PC gaming experience, this of course sounds like a synchronization problem. Under Windows - before the advent of VRR - the solution was simply to "enable V-sync in the Nvidia Control Panel". With that setting you wouldn't get any tearing anywhere because apparently the Nvidia driver could easily control the flow of frames from the frame buffers to the display. It seems that on my Linux machine, this is not the case. There is some cross-talk going on between various components or processes and I end up with parts of frames that should not be on the screen.
Now this of course immediately brings the "explicit sync" question to my mind, but my impression was that this was a Wayland topic and that X11 handles things different anyway. So maybe X11 is the ultimate root of the problem, but I don't have the technical expertise on this topic to come to that conclusion and I would still know the root cause of the effect.
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The stack
In order to try and identify what is involved in this process, I am now listing everything that is involved with creating a frame and then displaying it. First off, we have the game engine. It uses APIs to create calls to draw the images and also handles some of the synchronization settings on its own with in-game V-sync settings or framecaps. Then comes DXVK or VKD3D or WineD3D and perhaps some other components of Wine/Proton that translate these draw calls to Vulkan or OpenGL. The Vulkan calls are then interpreted by the Nvidia driver which then sends the results to X11. Somewhere in between we may have the Nvidia "Composition Pipeline" that can be enabled in the display settings of the nvidia-settings application. X11, running under GNOME, then gets the frames and talks to the OS to send the images to the display. I hope this is at least a reasonably close description of what is going on.
Somewhere in the middle of that chain - at least on my machine - sits MangoHud and potentially caps frames or forces V-sync once again. And then there is also gamemode which also changes some settings for the system. We could also use Gamescope to sit in between the game and X11/Wayland - but I rarely use it and haven't found that it improves things with tearing-prone games. And then there is the SteamOverlay sitting somewhere on top as well.
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The fixes
So somewhere in that setup above is where tearing is happening. To fix it, the internet gives us tons of different advice. We can "Force Composition Pipeline" or "Force Full Composition Pipeline" in the nvidia-settings. We can set "Sync to V-blank" in the OpenGL settings of the Nvidia driver. We can even enable TripleBuffering in the driver settings in the xorg config or do some even more arcane things like setting "UseNvKmsCompositionPipeline" to "false (which helps a ton with stuttering in my case) and set environment variables like __GL_SYNC_DISPLAY_DEVICE.
Then we can also enable V-sync at the DXVK or VKD3D level by modifying their configs or by using the corresponding MangoHud settings. We can also disable the system-wide compositor. We can do so many things ... and some of those things indeed make it better or worse, but I haven't found settings that can get rid of even just occasional tearing once and for all.
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The confusion
This is where I am getting confused. How is it that there is no setting that simply makes it so the GPU handles V-sync? And why is it that all these fixes proposed above often contradict each other? Some people advocate for "Force Composition Pipeline", some people say the exact opposite. Some people say TripleBuffering is the solution, some people say it doesn't work. And none of it really helped.
I am also confused by which settings would override one another. For instance: would "Sync on V-blank" only affect OpenGL applications but not DXVK? Does forcing V-sync in DXVK just override the setting for V-sync in the Nvidia driver or is it something on top that handles synchronisation, and how would that interact with the "Composition Pipeline" that the Nvidia driver is using? Do V-sync settings in-game cause problems with the "Composition Pipeline" or the DXVK V-sync setting or TripleBuffering? And for that matter: what even is the "Composition Pipeline" of the Nvidia driver and how would it get rid of the tearing if the driver is then forwarding the image to X11 anyway and X11 handles the synchronization with the display?
So I guess my ultimate question is this: where exactly does the tearing come from and why would the different solutions above prevent that from happening? Ultimately, tearing is a simple thing. GPU frames are not synchronized with the display refresh rate. But why can't the Nvidia driver simply prepare a consistent image for X11 to fetch every time it asks - at least not for all games at all times? Or to put it differently, why do some settings that are supposed to facilitate this fail in some games some of the time?
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The plea
As you can see, I am very confused. I tried so many different combinations of everything mentioned above and none of it has gotten rid of tearing completely. But only in some of the games. Others run perfectly fine. And as someone with a scientific/technical approach to most things, this is making me crazy. If there currently is no way of getting rid of tearing ... fine. But I would simply like to know why it works most of the time but not all of the time or where I am misunderstanding things.
So, if you understand how the graphics pipeline works on our dear Linux with X11 and Nvidia and you can explain where the tearing comes from (or how one even may get rid of it) I would be so greatful because then I could finally enjoy Shadow of Mordor without trying to get research funding from the EU or the National Science Foundation. :)
​

Note is a system(library) for deep learning and reinforcement learning. Note makes the building and training of neural networks easy and flexible. Note.nn.layer package contains many layer modules, you can use them to build neural networks. Note’s layer modules are implemented based on TensorFlow, which means they are compatible with TensorFlow’s API. The layer modules allow you to build neural networks in the style of PyTorch or Keras. You can not only use the layer modules to build neural networks trained on Note but also use them to build neural networks trained with TensorFlow. https://github.com/NoteDance/Note

As somebody who lives with an incurable lymphoma (and has now for 8 years, having gone through 3 failed treatments already, the fourth now, a clinical trial with a median effective rate of 18 months, where I am now), my life has been so tremendously affected by lymphoma but it seems like nobody gets it.
Add COVID into things and how so many of our lives were impacted by that, and now the aftermath of pretending like there’s this pulmonary/cardiovascular disease out there that doesn’t exist, and I’m just tired.
I’m a dad, husband, son and brother. The sole breadwinner in my family in a high pressure job that now, and for the last four years, works from home. When I’m around crowds of people, I usually get sick, so I pick and choose moments when I’ll do that.
Thanksgiving gave me a “cold” for a month. My niece’s birthday in January, sick for another month. I then got something in March (tested COVID negative but had major body pain, particularly the lower back) and was sick for weeks. Took the kids to Disney in April so they could experience some normalcy (BTW- they’re 9 and 11 and don’t know that I have “cancer” because that equals dying to them) and then had a “cold” for weeks thereafter and now have shingles for the last 3 weeks. My parents are boomer Trumpers. My siblings “don’t want to make their lives more difficult” so avoid being emotionally honest with them about anything, effectively making me their emotional scapegoat for my living with cancer and being a detriment to all.
It’s such a f-ing drain emotionally. My condition, Waldenstrom’s, is one that’s “highly treatable” but typically affects people 65 and older. I’m now 48 and this has been the most mentally and physically taxing experience of my life, but the biggest part of it is that nobody (except for my wonderful wife) truly understands.
I feel like I constantly have to explain why I WFH, why I need people to be honest about whether they have “colds” or “allergies” and would prefer not to be around people who don’t know/don’t care. Why my focus is on ME and MY family and not my parents, siblings, anybody else.
I don’t trust anybody more than I trust myself any more but am tired of having to battle everybody and everything. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel… to me, it’s a black cloud in the distance that inevitably ends in sadness and heartbreak for me, my wife and my kids.
My biggest breakdown came when my doctor wrote “Stage IV lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma” in my chart after two failed years of chemo and as I was sobbing said to me “but that’s what this is.” My response “but you never spelled it out like that.” Seeing those words changed something in me.
I’ve had therapists/seen psychiatrists. At one time I was diagnosed with depression secondary to anxiety (delayed onset as the result of the diagnosis they called it) because when asked the question “do you see this coming to an end,” I answered “no. There is no end to this.”
Beyond a cure, I KNOW I am not wrong. I’m also not particularly hopeless in the sense that I see the world as terrible. I don’t. The world can be wonderful. I love my wife and kids. But…
What am I missing about my reality that everybody seems to think I’m getting things wrong and I feel the need to constantly defend myself?
I feel like I’m being gaslit to the ultimate degree about how I SHOULD feel. About my dysfunctional family dynamics. About the end game for my health.
Treatment options ARE running out. Chemo DOES f-ck me up. My immune system DOES function poorly.
I’d have to be the eternal Pollyanna optimist to think this is all going to end well for me and, I know I’m not that.
Just venting. Nobody gets it. Nobody beyond my wife. But, I also don’t want her to have to be on this train until it crashes into the ground, which it will eventually. Sooner? Later? Who knows. Just sucks to feel like a lemon. I thought life would get better in my 40s. But at 48, living with this black cloud truly blows.

Numerous individuals have shared their experiences of heightened energy, firmer erections, and enhanced overall sexual performance. These positive effects not only bolster their self-assurance but also rejuvenate their relationships.
In conclusion, the Growth Matrix stands as a male enhancement program that genuinely lives up to its esteemed reputation. With its potent formula, favorable feedback, and dedication to excellence, it serves as a trustworthy choice for men seeking to improve their sexual encounters.
It incorporates techniques that have undergone clinical testing. These guides are supported by scientific research aimed at enhancing male organ size.
It's conveniently accessible in a user-friendly digital format.
Components:
The ‘Immediate Inches’ Quickstart Guide
The Platinum Video Series
The 6 Minutes Exercise Guide
The Digital Growth Tracking System
​
Benefits:
Makes you stronger and bigger
Boosts performance
Enhances sexual health
Provides better sexual care
Improves blood flow
Supports high energy levels
Increases your girth
Promotes overall health
Side Effects?
No Side Effects All Natural Way, there have been no mentions of adverse effects in the online Growth Matrix reviews ( https://growthmatrix.co/mdm ).
Has The Growth Matrix Program Received Media Coverage on Any Platforms?
The New York Times – Newspaper
Fox News – News Channel
The Dr. Oz Show – Reality TV
Sirius XM – Radio
Join to our community: https://www.reddit.com/growthmatrix/

At Magtech, we are committed to delivering top-tier security solutions that meet the diverse needs of our clients. Our latest innovation, the Magtech Tripod Turnstile, is designed to provide robust and efficient access control for a variety of environments. This waist-high access control system, equipped with three mechanical revolving arms, is the epitome of security and reliability.
Key Features of the Magtech Tripod Turnstile

1. Upgraded Security:

Tripod Turnstile ensures that only authorized personnel can gain entry, effectively preventing unauthorized entrants and prohibited substances from accessing secured premises. This makes it an ideal choice for environments where security is paramount.

1. Controlled Access:

One of the standout features of our tripod turnstile is its ability to allow only one person to pass through at a time. The rotating tripod barrier arms are designed to control the flow of people efficiently, ensuring orderly and secure access.

1. Durable and Reliable:

Built with high-quality materials, our tripod turnstile is designed to withstand heavy usage in high-traffic areas. Whether it’s for office buildings, stadiums, airports, or other public spaces, the Tripod Turnstile offers unmatched durability and longevity.

1. Seamless Integration:

Our turnstile can easily integrate with existing access control systems, providing a comprehensive security management solution. This makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of applications, from corporate environments to public facilities.

1. Smooth and Quiet Operation:

User experience is a top priority at Magtech. Our tripod turnstile operates smoothly and quietly, ensuring a pleasant experience for all users. The mechanical arms rotate effortlessly, providing quick and easy access without compromising on security.
Why Choose the Magtech Tripod Turnstile?
Ideal Choice:
Traditionally, tripod turnstiles have been the most ideal choice for access control systems due to their effectiveness and reliability. The Tripod Turnstile continues this tradition by offering enhanced features and improved performance.
Prevent Unauthorized Access:
Our turnstile system is specifically designed to prevent unauthorized entrants and prohibited substances from entering secured premises. This is crucial for maintaining the safety and security of your facility.
Versatile Application:
The Magtech Tripod Turnstile is suitable for a wide range of applications. Whether you need to secure an office building, a sports stadium, an airport, or any other high-traffic area, our turnstile provides the perfect solution.

In an era marked by unprecedented technological advancements and globalization, fostering innovation has become paramount for economic growth and societal progress. At the heart of this pursuit lies the protection and promotion of intellectual property rights (IPRs). Intellectual property (IP) serves as the cornerstone of innovation, providing creators and inventors with the necessary incentives and protections to invest in groundbreaking ideas and creations. In this article, we delve into the significance of intellectual property rights in fostering global innovation and explore the challenges and opportunities associated with their protection on a global scale.
At its core, intellectual property encompasses a wide range of intangible assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. These rights serve to safeguard the fruits of human creativity and innovation, incentivizing individuals and organizations to invest time, resources, and expertise into developing new technologies, products, and services. Without adequate protection of intellectual property rights, innovators would be hesitant to disclose their ideas or bring their inventions to market, fearing exploitation or unauthorized use by competitors.
In the context of fostering global innovation, the role of intellectual property rights cannot be overstated. By providing creators and innovators with exclusive rights to their inventions and creations, IPRs incentivize investment in research and development, driving technological progress and economic growth. Moreover, robust intellectual property protections facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge across borders, fostering collaboration and innovation on a global scale.
One of the primary mechanisms for protecting intellectual property rights internationally is through the use of patents. Patents grant inventors exclusive rights to their inventions for a limited period, enabling them to recoup their investment and profit from their innovations. However, the patent system is not without its challenges, particularly in the context of global innovation. Disparities in patent laws and enforcement mechanisms across different countries can create barriers to market entry and inhibit the free flow of ideas and technologies.
Another critical aspect of intellectual property rights is the protection of trademarks and copyrights. Trademarks enable businesses to distinguish their goods and services from those of competitors, fostering brand loyalty and consumer trust. Similarly, copyrights protect original works of authorship, such as books, music, and software, incentivizing creativity and cultural expression. However, the digital age has presented new challenges for copyright enforcement, as online piracy and infringement have become widespread, undermining the incentives for creators to produce new content.
In recent years, the emergence of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and biotechnology has raised novel issues regarding the protection of intellectual property rights. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize industries and drive innovation, but they also pose unique challenges in terms of ownership, attribution, and enforcement. As such, policymakers and stakeholders must adapt intellectual property laws and regulations to address these evolving challenges and ensure that innovators can continue to benefit from their creations.
Moreover, fostering global innovation requires a collaborative approach among governments, businesses, and civil society organizations. International agreements and treaties, such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS), play a crucial role in harmonizing intellectual property laws and standards across different jurisdictions. Additionally, initiatives such as open innovation and technology transfer can facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas, driving innovation and economic development in both developed and developing countries.
In conclusion, intellectual property rights are essential for fostering global innovation and driving economic growth in the 21st century. By providing creators and innovators with the necessary incentives and protections, IPRs stimulate investment in research and development, promote technological progress, and facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge across borders. However, addressing the challenges associated with the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights requires a coordinated and multi-stakeholder approach. Only by working together can we ensure that innovation continues to thrive in the global economy.

 ---- Minecraft Crash Report ---- // You should try our sister game, Minceraft! Time: 2024-06-01 06:30:21 Description: mouseClicked event handler java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: 'net.minecraft.class_339 net.minecraft.class_442.method_25411(net.minecraft.class_339)' at net.minecraft.class_442.handler$dom000$gbfabrictools$addConfigScreen(class_442.java:1530) at net.minecraft.class_442.method_25426(class_442.java:156) at net.minecraft.class_437.method_25423(class_437.java:297) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1507(class_310.java:1080) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_49296(class_8032.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_25419(class_8032.java:90) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_48639(class_8032.java:74) at net.minecraft.class_4185.method_25306(class_4185.java:94) at net.minecraft.class_4264.method_25348(class_4264.java:56) at net.minecraft.class_339.method_25402(class_339.java:189) at net.minecraft.class_4069.method_25402(class_4069.java:38) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_1611(class_312.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_437.method_25412(class_437.java:409) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_1601(class_312.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22686(class_312.java:169) at net.minecraft.class_1255.execute(class_1255.java:102) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22684(class_312.java:169) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.callback(GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.java:43) at org.lwjgl.system.JNI.invokeV(Native Method) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFW.glfwPollEvents(GLFW.java:3403) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.pollEvents(RenderSystem.java:201) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.flipFrame(RenderSystem.java:219) at net.minecraft.class_1041.method_15998(class_1041.java:288) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1523(class_310.java:1241) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1514(class_310.java:802) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:250) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.MinecraftGameProvider.launch(MinecraftGameProvider.java:470) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.Knot.launch(Knot.java:74) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClient.main(KnotClient.java:23) A detailed walkthrough of the error, its code path and all known details is as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Head -- Thread: Render thread Stacktrace: at net.minecraft.class_442.handler$dom000$gbfabrictools$addConfigScreen(class_442.java:1530) at net.minecraft.class_442.method_25426(class_442.java:156) at net.minecraft.class_437.method_25423(class_437.java:297) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1507(class_310.java:1080) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_49296(class_8032.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_25419(class_8032.java:90) at net.minecraft.class_8032.method_48639(class_8032.java:74) at net.minecraft.class_4185.method_25306(class_4185.java:94) at net.minecraft.class_4264.method_25348(class_4264.java:56) at net.minecraft.class_339.method_25402(class_339.java:189) at net.minecraft.class_4069.method_25402(class_4069.java:38) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_1611(class_312.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_437.method_25412(class_437.java:409) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_1601(class_312.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22686(class_312.java:169) at net.minecraft.class_1255.execute(class_1255.java:102) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22684(class_312.java:169) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.callback(GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.java:43) at org.lwjgl.system.JNI.invokeV(Native Method) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFW.glfwPollEvents(GLFW.java:3403) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.pollEvents(RenderSystem.java:201) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.flipFrame(RenderSystem.java:219) -- Affected screen -- Details: Screen name: net.minecraft.class_8032 Stacktrace: at net.minecraft.class_437.method_25412(class_437.java:409) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_1601(class_312.java:98) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22686(class_312.java:169) at net.minecraft.class_1255.execute(class_1255.java:102) at net.minecraft.class_312.method_22684(class_312.java:169) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.callback(GLFWMouseButtonCallbackI.java:43) at org.lwjgl.system.JNI.invokeV(Native Method) at org.lwjgl.glfw.GLFW.glfwPollEvents(GLFW.java:3403) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.pollEvents(RenderSystem.java:201) at com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem.flipFrame(RenderSystem.java:219) at net.minecraft.class_1041.method_15998(class_1041.java:288) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1523(class_310.java:1241) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1514(class_310.java:802) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:250) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.MinecraftGameProvider.launch(MinecraftGameProvider.java:470) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.Knot.launch(Knot.java:74) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClient.main(KnotClient.java:23) -- Last reload -- Details: Reload number: 1 Reload reason: initial Finished: Yes Packs: vanilla, fabric, Moonlight Mods Dynamic Assets, Essential Assets, essential Stacktrace: at net.minecraft.class_6360.method_36565(class_6360.java:49) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1587(class_310.java:2413) at net.minecraft.class_310.method_1514(class_310.java:821) at net.minecraft.client.main.Main.main(Main.java:250) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.game.minecraft.MinecraftGameProvider.launch(MinecraftGameProvider.java:470) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.Knot.launch(Knot.java:74) at net.fabricmc.loader.impl.launch.knot.KnotClient.main(KnotClient.java:23) -- System Details -- Details: Minecraft Version: 1.20.1 Minecraft Version ID: 1.20.1 Operating System: Windows 11 (amd64) version 10.0 Java Version: 17.0.8, Microsoft Java VM Version: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (mixed mode), Microsoft Memory: 16734346176 bytes (15959 MiB) / 24092082176 bytes (22976 MiB) up to 40869298176 bytes (38976 MiB) CPUs: 16 Processor Vendor: AuthenticAMD Processor Name: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core Processor Identifier: AuthenticAMD Family 25 Model 33 Stepping 2 Microarchitecture: Zen 3 Frequency (GHz): 4.20 Number of physical packages: 1 Number of physical CPUs: 8 Number of logical CPUs: 16 Graphics card #0 name: Virtual Desktop Monitor Graphics card #0 vendor: Virtual Desktop, Inc. Graphics card #0 VRAM (MB): 0.00 Graphics card #0 deviceId: unknown Graphics card #0 versionInfo: DriverVersion=10.54.50.446 Graphics card #1 name: Parsec Virtual Display Adapter Graphics card #1 vendor: Parsec Cloud, Inc. Graphics card #1 VRAM (MB): 0.00 Graphics card #1 deviceId: unknown Graphics card #1 versionInfo: DriverVersion=0.45.0.0 Graphics card #2 name: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics card #2 vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de) Graphics card #2 VRAM (MB): 24095.00 Graphics card #2 deviceId: 0x2684 Graphics card #2 versionInfo: DriverVersion=32.0.15.5585 Memory slot #0 capacity (MB): 16384.00 Memory slot #0 clockSpeed (GHz): 3.60 Memory slot #0 type: DDR4 Memory slot #1 capacity (MB): 16384.00 Memory slot #1 clockSpeed (GHz): 3.60 Memory slot #1 type: DDR4 Memory slot #2 capacity (MB): 16384.00 Memory slot #2 clockSpeed (GHz): 3.60 Memory slot #2 type: DDR4 Memory slot #3 capacity (MB): 16384.00 Memory slot #3 clockSpeed (GHz): 3.60 Memory slot #3 type: DDR4 Virtual memory max (MB): 85532.29 Virtual memory used (MB): 51955.71 Swap memory total (MB): 20096.00 Swap memory used (MB): 74.20 JVM Flags: 4 total; -XX:HeapDumpPath=MojangTricksIntelDriversForPerformance_javaw.exe_minecraft.exe.heapdump -Xss1M -Xmx38976m -Xms256m Fabric Mods: ad_astra: Ad Astra 1.15.5 ad_astra_giselle_addon: Ad Astra: Giselle Addon 5.6 additionallanterns: Additional Lanterns 1.1.1a advancednetherite: Advanced Netherite 2.1.0-1.20.1 adventurez: AdventureZ 1.4.20 alloy_forgery: Alloy Forgery 2.1.2+1.20 another_furniture: Another Furniture 1.20.1-3.0.1 appleskin: AppleSkin 2.5.1+mc1.20 archers: Archers (RPG Series) 1.2.1+1.20.1 com_github_zsoltmolnarrr_tinyconfig: TinyConfig 2.3.2 structure_pool_api: Structure Pool API 1.0+1.20.1 architectury: Architectury 9.2.14 archon: Archon 0.6.2 cardinal-components-base: Cardinal Components API (base) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-entity: Cardinal Components API (entities) 5.2.2 saflib: SafLib 1.1.0 artifacts: Artifacts 9.5.7 expandability: ExpandAbility 9.0.4 step-height-entity-attribute: Step Height Entity Attribute 1.2.0 attributefix: AttributeFix 21.0.4 azurelibarmor: AzureLib Armor 2.0.3 backpacked: Backpacked 3.0.0-beta.2 mm: Manningham Mills 2.3 bcc: BetterCompatibilityChecker 4.0.8 bclib: BCLib 3.0.14 wunderlib: WunderLib 1.1.5 beaconoverhaul: Beacon Overhaul 1.8.4+1.20 reach-entity-attributes: Reach Entity Attributes 2.4.0 betterdeserttemples: YUNG's Better Desert Temples 1.20-Fabric-3.0.3 org_reflections_reflections: reflections 0.10.2 betterdungeons: YUNG's Better Dungeons 1.20-Fabric-4.0.4 betterend: Better End 4.0.11 betterendisland: YUNG's Better End Island 1.20-Fabric-2.0.6 betterfortresses: YUNG's Better Nether Fortresses 1.20-Fabric-2.0.6 bettermineshafts: YUNG's Better Mineshafts 1.20-Fabric-4.0.4 betternether: Better Nether 9.0.10 betteroceanmonuments: YUNG's Better Ocean Monuments 1.20-Fabric-3.0.4 betterstrongholds: YUNG's Better Strongholds 1.20-Fabric-4.0.3 betterthirdperson: Better Third Person 1.9.0 betterwitchhuts: YUNG's Better Witch Huts 1.20-Fabric-3.0.3 biomemusic: Biome Music Mod 1.20.1-2.3 blur: Blur (Fabric) 3.1.0 midnightlib: MidnightLib 1.4.1 satin: Satin 1.13.0 bookshelf: Bookshelf 20.1.10 bosses_of_mass_destruction: Bosses of Mass Destruction (Beta) 1.7.5-1.20.1 maelstrom_library: Maelstrom Library 1.6.1-1.20 multipart_entities: MultipartEntities 1.5-1.20 botanypots: BotanyPots 13.0.33 botanytrees: BotanyTrees 9.0.11 botarium: Botarium 2.3.3 team_reborn_energy: Energy 3.0.0 bountiful: Bountiful 6.0.3+1.20.1 cardinal-components: Cardinal Components API 5.2.2 cardinal-components-block: Cardinal Components API (blocks) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-chunk: Cardinal Components API (chunks) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-item: Cardinal Components API (items) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-level: Cardinal Components API (world saves) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-scoreboard: Cardinal Components API (scoreboard) 5.2.2 cardinal-components-world: Cardinal Components API (worlds) 5.2.2 charmofundying: Charm of Undying 6.5.0+1.20.1 spectrelib: SpectreLib 0.13.15+1.20.1 chefsdelight: Chefs Delight 1.0.3-fabric-1.20.1 chimes: Chimes 2.0.1 cloth-config: Cloth Config v11 11.1.118 cloth-basic-math: cloth-basic-math 0.6.1 clumps: Clumps 12.0.0.4 collective: Collective 7.61 combatroll: Combat Roll 1.3.2+1.20.1 comforts: Comforts 6.3.5+1.20.1 continuity: Continuity 3.0.0-beta.5+1.20.1 coroutil: CoroUtil 1.20.1-1.3.7 cristellib: Cristel Lib 1.1.5 blue_endless_jankson: jankson 1.2.3 croptopia: Croptopia 3.0.3 ctov: ChoiceTheorem's Overhauled Village 3.4.3 culinaryconstruct: Culinary Construct 5.2.1+1.20.1 cupboard: cupboard 1.20.1-2.6 darkpaintings: DarkPaintings 17.0.4 darkutils: DarkUtilities 17.0.3 decorative_blocks: Decorative Blocks 4.1.3 deeperdarker: Deeper and Darker 1.2.6 customportalapi: Custom Portal Api 0.0.1-beta64-1.20 dimdoors: DimensionalDoors 5.3.5 com_flowpowered_flow-math: flow-math 1.0.3 com_github_dimensionaldevelopment_poly2tri_java: poly2tri.java 0.1.1 org_jgrapht_jgrapht-core: jgrapht-core 1.1.0 distanthorizons: Distant Horizons 2.0.4-a-dev doubledoors: Double Doors 5.7 dragonfight: Dragonfight Mod 1.20.1-4.5 dummmmmmy: MmmMmmMmmMmm 1.20-1.8.17b dungeonnowloading: Dungeon Now Loading 1.5 dungeons_arise: When Dungeons Arise 2.1.58 dungeons_arise_seven_seas: When Dungeons Arise: Seven Seas 1.0.2 durabilitytooltip: Durability Tooltip 1.1.5 dynamictrim: DynamicTrim 1.4.1 mixinsquared: MixinSquared 0.1.1 easymagic: Easy Magic 8.0.1 ecologics: Ecologics 2.2.0 elementa: Elementa 647 elytraslot: Elytra Slot 6.3.0+1.20.1 enchantedlib: Enchanted Lib 0.3.1 enchdesc: EnchantmentDescriptions 17.0.15 endrem: End Remastered 5.2.4 ends_delight: End's Delight refabricated-1.20.1-alpha-1.0 epherolib: EpheroLib 1.2.0 essential: Essential 1.3.2.5+ge4fdbcd438 essential-container: essential-container 1.0.0 essential-loader: essential-loader 1.2.3 everycomp: Every Compat 1.20-2.6.56 porting_lib_tags: Porting Lib Tags 3.0 expandeddelight: Expanded Delight 0.3.1 omega-config: OmegaConfig 1.4.0+1.20.1 explorify: Explorify v1.4.0 fabric-api: Fabric API 0.92.0+1.20.1 fabric-api-base: Fabric API Base 0.4.31+1802ada577 fabric-api-lookup-api-v1: Fabric API Lookup API (v1) 1.6.36+1802ada577 fabric-biome-api-v1: Fabric Biome API (v1) 13.0.13+1802ada577 fabric-block-api-v1: Fabric Block API (v1) 1.0.11+1802ada577 fabric-block-view-api-v2: Fabric BlockView API (v2) 1.0.1+1802ada577 fabric-blockrenderlayer-v1: Fabric BlockRenderLayer Registration (v1) 1.1.41+1802ada577 fabric-client-tags-api-v1: Fabric Client Tags 1.1.2+1802ada577 fabric-command-api-v1: Fabric Command API (v1) 1.2.34+f71b366f77 fabric-command-api-v2: Fabric Command API (v2) 2.2.13+1802ada577 fabric-commands-v0: Fabric Commands (v0) 0.2.51+df3654b377 fabric-containers-v0: Fabric Containers (v0) 0.1.64+df3654b377 fabric-content-registries-v0: Fabric Content Registries (v0) 4.0.11+1802ada577 fabric-convention-tags-v1: Fabric Convention Tags 1.5.5+1802ada577 fabric-crash-report-info-v1: Fabric Crash Report Info (v1) 0.2.19+1802ada577 fabric-data-attachment-api-v1: Fabric Data Attachment API (v1) 1.0.0+de0fd6d177 fabric-data-generation-api-v1: Fabric Data Generation API (v1) 12.3.4+1802ada577 fabric-dimensions-v1: Fabric Dimensions API (v1) 2.1.54+1802ada577 fabric-entity-events-v1: Fabric Entity Events (v1) 1.6.0+1c78457f77 fabric-events-interaction-v0: Fabric Events Interaction (v0) 0.6.2+1802ada577 fabric-events-lifecycle-v0: Fabric Events Lifecycle (v0) 0.2.63+df3654b377 fabric-game-rule-api-v1: Fabric Game Rule API (v1) 1.0.40+1802ada577 fabric-item-api-v1: Fabric Item API (v1) 2.1.28+1802ada577 fabric-item-group-api-v1: Fabric Item Group API (v1) 4.0.12+1802ada577 fabric-key-binding-api-v1: Fabric Key Binding API (v1) 1.0.37+1802ada577 fabric-keybindings-v0: Fabric Key Bindings (v0) 0.2.35+df3654b377 fabric-lifecycle-events-v1: Fabric Lifecycle Events (v1) 2.2.22+1802ada577 fabric-loot-api-v2: Fabric Loot API (v2) 1.2.1+1802ada577 fabric-loot-tables-v1: Fabric Loot Tables (v1) 1.1.45+9e7660c677 fabric-message-api-v1: Fabric Message API (v1) 5.1.9+1802ada577 fabric-mining-level-api-v1: Fabric Mining Level API (v1) 2.1.50+1802ada577 fabric-model-loading-api-v1: Fabric Model Loading API (v1) 1.0.3+1802ada577 fabric-models-v0: Fabric Models (v0) 0.4.2+9386d8a777 fabric-networking-api-v1: Fabric Networking API (v1) 1.3.11+1802ada577 fabric-networking-v0: Fabric Networking (v0) 0.3.51+df3654b377 fabric-object-builder-api-v1: Fabric Object Builder API (v1) 11.1.3+1802ada577 fabric-particles-v1: Fabric Particles (v1) 1.1.2+1802ada577 fabric-recipe-api-v1: Fabric Recipe API (v1) 1.0.21+1802ada577 fabric-registry-sync-v0: Fabric Registry Sync (v0) 2.3.3+1802ada577 fabric-renderer-api-v1: Fabric Renderer API (v1) 3.2.1+1802ada577 fabric-renderer-indigo: Fabric Renderer - Indigo 1.5.1+1802ada577 fabric-renderer-registries-v1: Fabric Renderer Registries (v1) 3.2.46+df3654b377 fabric-rendering-data-attachment-v1: Fabric Rendering Data Attachment (v1) 0.3.37+92a0d36777 fabric-rendering-fluids-v1: Fabric Rendering Fluids (v1) 3.0.28+1802ada577 fabric-rendering-v0: Fabric Rendering (v0) 1.1.49+df3654b377 fabric-rendering-v1: Fabric Rendering (v1) 3.0.8+1802ada577 fabric-resource-conditions-api-v1: Fabric Resource Conditions API (v1) 2.3.8+1802ada577 fabric-resource-loader-v0: Fabric Resource Loader (v0) 0.11.10+1802ada577 fabric-screen-api-v1: Fabric Screen API (v1) 2.0.8+1802ada577 fabric-screen-handler-api-v1: Fabric Screen Handler API (v1) 1.3.30+1802ada577 fabric-sound-api-v1: Fabric Sound API (v1) 1.0.13+1802ada577 fabric-transfer-api-v1: Fabric Transfer API (v1) 3.3.4+1802ada577 fabric-transitive-access-wideners-v1: Fabric Transitive Access Wideners (v1) 4.3.1+1802ada577 fabric-language-kotlin: Fabric Language Kotlin 1.11.0+kotlin.2.0.0 org_jetbrains_kotlin_kotlin-reflect: kotlin-reflect 2.0.0 org_jetbrains_kotlin_kotlin-stdlib: kotlin-stdlib 2.0.0 org_jetbrains_kotlin_kotlin-stdlib-jdk7: kotlin-stdlib-jdk7 2.0.0 org_jetbrains_kotlin_kotlin-stdlib-jdk8: kotlin-stdlib-jdk8 2.0.0 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_atomicfu-jvm: atomicfu-jvm 0.24.0 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-coroutines-core-jvm: kotlinx-coroutines-core-jvm 1.8.1 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-coroutines-jdk8: kotlinx-coroutines-jdk8 1.8.1 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-datetime-jvm: kotlinx-datetime-jvm 0.6.0 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-serialization-cbor-jvm: kotlinx-serialization-cbor-jvm 1.6.3 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-serialization-core-jvm: kotlinx-serialization-core-jvm 1.6.3 org_jetbrains_kotlinx_kotlinx-serialization-json-jvm: kotlinx-serialization-json-jvm 1.6.3 fabricloader: Fabric Loader 0.15.11 mixinextras: MixinExtras 0.3.5 fallingleaves: Falling Leaves 1.15.6 fallingtree: FallingTree 4.3.4 farmersdelight: Farmer's Delight 1.20.1-2.1.1+refabricated porting_lib_accessors: Porting Lib Accessors 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_base: Porting Lib Base 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_attributes: Porting Lib Attributes 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_common: Porting Lib Common 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_entity: Porting Lib Entity 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_fluids: Porting Lib Fluids 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_mixin_extensions: Porting Lib Mixin Extensions 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_transfer: Porting Lib Transfer 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_utility: Porting Lib Utility 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_client_events: Porting Lib Client Events 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_config: Porting Lib Config 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_extensions: Porting Lib Extensions 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_lazy_registration: Porting Lib Lazy Register 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_loot: Porting Lib Loot 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_networking: Porting Lib Networking 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_recipe_book_categories: Porting Lib Recipe Book Categories 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_registries: Porting Lib Registries 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_tool_actions: Porting Lib Tool Actions 2.3.4+1.20.1 porting_lib_core: Porting Lib Core 2.3.4+1.20.1 forgeconfigapiport: Forge Config API Port 8.0.0 framework: Framework 0.7.6 com_electronwill_night-config_core: core 3.6.6 com_electronwill_night-config_toml: toml 3.6.6 org_javassist_javassist: javassist 3.29.2-GA friendsandfoes: Friends&Foes 2.0.10 geckolib: GeckoLib 4 4.4.2 com_eliotlash_mclib_mclib: mclib 20 geophilic: Geophilic v2.2.0-mc1.20u1.20.2 goblintraders: Goblin Traders 1.9.3 graveyard: The Graveyard 3.0 guardvillagers: GuardVillagers 2.0.9-1.20.1 handcrafted: Handcrafted 3.0.6 hybrid-aquatic: Hybrid Aquatic 1.3.2 iceberg: Iceberg 1.1.18 illagerinvasion: Illager Invasion 8.0.5 extensibleenums: Extensible Enums 7.0.1 immediatelyfast: ImmediatelyFast 1.2.16+1.20.4 net_lenni0451_reflect: Reflect 1.3.3 immersive_aircraft: Immersive Aircraft 1.0.1+1.20.1 org_mariuszgromada_math_mathparser_org-mxparser: MathParser.org-mXparser 5.2.1 immersive_armors: Immersive Armors 1.6.1+1.20.1 incendium: Incendium 5.3.5 indium: Indium 1.0.30+mc1.20.4 inventorysorter: Inventory Sorter 1.9.0-1.20 kyrptconfig: Kyrpt Config 1.5.6-1.20 iris: Iris 1.7.0+mc1.20.1 io_github_douira_glsl-transformer: glsl-transformer 2.0.0-pre13 org_anarres_jcpp: jcpp 1.4.14 org_antlr_antlr4-runtime: antlr4-runtime 4.11.1 itemborders: Item Borders 1.2.2 jade: Jade 11.8.0 jamlib: JamLib 0.6.1+1.20.x java: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 17 jei: Just Enough Items 15.3.0.4 justenoughbreeding: Just Enough Breeding 1.2.1 justenoughprofessions: Just Enough Professions (JEP) 3.0.1 kambrik: Kambrik 6.1.1+1.20.1 kotori316_version_checker: ForgeLikeVersionChecker 2.4.0 kotori_scala: Scalable Cat's Force Fabric 2.2.0 org_scala-lang_scala-library: scala-library 2.13.12 org_scala-lang_scala3-library_3: scala3-library_3 3.3.1 org_typelevel_cats-core_3: cats-core_3 2.10.0-kotori org_typelevel_cats-free_3: cats-free_3 2.10.0-kotori org_typelevel_cats-kernel_3: cats-kernel_3 2.10.0-kotori lavender: Lavender 0.1.9+1.20 lavender-md: lavender-md 0.1.1+1.20 lavender-md-owo-ui: lavender-md-owo-ui 0.1.1+1.20 leavesbegone: Leaves Be Gone 8.0.0 lootintegrations: Loot integration Mod 1.20.1-3.7 lootr: Lootr 0.7.33.81 magistuarmory: Epic Knights Mod 9.8 magnumtorch: Magnum Torch 8.0.2 majruszlibrary: Majrusz Library 7.0.8 majruszsaccessories: Majrusz's Accessories 1.5.3 majruszsdifficulty: Majrusz's Progressive Difficulty 1.9.10 mcdar: MC Dungeons Artifacts 4.0.3 mcdw: MC Dungeons Weapons 9.0.4 mcwfences: Macaw's Fences and Walls 1.1.1 mcwfurnitures: Macaw's Furniture 3.2.2 mcwlights: Macaw's Lights and Lamps 1.0.6 mcwpaintings: Macaw's Paintings 1.0.5 mcwpaths: Macaw's Paths and Pavings 1.0.5 mcwroofs: Macaw's Roofs 2.3.0 mcwtrpdoors: Macaw's Trapdoors 1.1.3 mcwwindows: Macaw's Windows 2.2.1 mes: Moog's End Structures 1.3.1-1.20-fabric minecraft: Minecraft 1.20.1 mobsunscreen: Mob Sunscreen 3.1.0 modelfix: Model Gap Fix 1.15 moonlight: Moonlight 1.20-2.11.30 more_armor_trims: More Armor Trims 1.2.0 moremobvariants: More Mob Variants 1.3.0.1 moretotems: More Totems 2.16.0 mousetweaks: Mouse Tweaks 2.26 mr_dungeons_andtaverns: Dungeons and Taverns 3.0.3.f mutantmonsters: Mutant Monsters 8.0.7 mvs: Moog's Voyager Structures 4.1.2-1.20-fabric naturalist: Naturalist 4.0.3 netherdepthsupgrade: Nether Depths Upgrade fabric-3.1.6-1.20 nyfsspiders: Nyf's Spiders 2.1.1 oceansdelight: Ocean's Delight fdrf-fabric-1.0.2-1.20 org_jetbrains_annotations: annotations 23.0.0 overloadedarmorbar: Overloaded Armor Bar 1.20.1-2 gbfabrictools: GBfabrictools 1.2.2+1.16 owo: oωo 0.11.2+1.20 paraglider: Paragliders 20.1.3 patchouli: Patchouli 1.20.1-84-FABRIC fiber: fiber 0.23.0-2 phantasm: End's Phantasm 0.3 philipsruins: Philip`s Ruins 1.20.1 pigpen: PigPen 15.0.2 player-animator: Player Animator 1.0.2-rc1+1.20 polymorph: Polymorph 0.49.5+1.20.1 prism: Prism 1.0.5 projectile_damage: Projectile Damage Attribute 3.2.3+1.20.1 puzzleslib: Puzzles Lib 8.1.20 puzzlesaccessapi: Puzzles Access Api 8.0.7 quarryplus: QuarryPlus 20.1.1159 ranged_weapon_api: RangedWeaponAPI 1.1.1+1.20.1 rare-ice: Rare Ice 0.6.0 resourcefulconfig: Resourcefulconfig 2.1.2 resourcefullib: Resourceful Lib 2.1.25 com_teamresourceful_bytecodecs: bytecodecs 1.0.2 com_teamresourceful_yabn: yabn 1.0.3 rightclickharvest: Right Click Harvest 3.2.3+1.19.x-1.20.1-fabric runelic: Runelic 18.0.2 runes: Runes 0.9.11+1.20.1 sawmill: Universal Sawmill 1.20-1.4.1 sdrp: Simple Discord Rich Presence 4.0.3-build.40+mc1.20.1 com_github_jagrosh_discordipc: DiscordIPC a8d6631cc9 com_kohlschutter_junixsocket_junixsocket-common: junixsocket-common 2.6.2 com_kohlschutter_junixsocket_junixsocket-native-common: junixsocket-native-common 2.6.2 org_json_json: json 20210307 simplylight: Simply Light 1.20.1-1.4.5 simplyswords: Simply Swords 1.55.0-1.20.1 spruceui: SpruceUI 5.0.0+1.20 skinlayers3d: 3d-Skin-Layers 1.6.5 smallships: Small Ships 2.0.0-b1.2 smarterfarmers: Smarter Farmers 1.20-1.8.2 sodium: Sodium 0.5.8+mc1.20.1 somanyenchantments: So Many Enchantments Mod 0.4.1 soulsweapons: Marium's Soulslike Weaponry 1.1.3-1.20-fabric sound_physics_remastered: Sound Physics Remastered 1.20.1-1.4.2 spell_engine: Spell Engine 0.14.3+1.20.1 spell_power: Spell Power Attribute 0.10.2+1.20.1 starterkit: Starter Kit 6.7 stoneworks: Stoneworks 8.0.0 structory: Structory 1.3.5 structory_towers: Structory: Towers 1.0.7 structureessentials: Structure Essentials Mod 1.20.1-3.3 supermartijn642configlib: SuperMartijn642's Config Lib 1.1.8+a supermartijn642corelib: SuperMartijn642's Core Lib 1.1.17 supplementaries: Supplementaries 1.20-2.8.11 suppsquared: Supplementaries Squared 1.20-1.1.14 t_and_t: Towns and Towers 1.12 terralith: Terralith 2.5.1 things: Things 0.3.3+1.20 totw_additions: Towers of the Wild: Additions 1.3 totw_modded: Towers Of The Wild: Modded fabric-1.20.1-1.0.5 trashcans: Trash Cans 1.0.18 travelersbackpack: Traveler's Backpack fabric-1.20.1-9.1.13 travelerstitles: Traveler's Titles 1.20-Fabric-4.0.2 treeharvester: Tree Harvester 8.7 trimeffects: Trim Effects 1.1.1-fabric trinkets: Trinkets 3.7.2 twigs: Twigs 3.1.0 universalcraft: UniversalCraft 337 veinmining: Vein Mining 1.4.1+1.20.1 vigilance: Vigilance 297 villagernames: Villager Names 7.3 villagersplus: Villagers Plus 3.1 villagesandpillages: Villages&Pillages 1.0.0 villagespawnpoint: Village Spawn Point 4.2 visuality: Visuality 0.7.1+1.20 visualworkbench: Visual Workbench 8.0.0 watut: What Are They Up To 1.20.1-1.1.1 weaponmaster: YDM's Weapon Master 3.0.5 wirelesschargers: Wireless Chargers 1.0.9+a wizards: Wizards (RPG Series) 1.2.0+1.20.1 yeetusexperimentus: Yeetus Experimentus 2.3.1-build.6+mc1.20.1 yet_another_config_lib_v3: YetAnotherConfigLib 3.4.4+1.20.1-fabric com_twelvemonkeys_common_common-image: common-image 3.10.0 com_twelvemonkeys_common_common-io: common-io 3.10.0 com_twelvemonkeys_common_common-lang: common-lang 3.10.0 com_twelvemonkeys_imageio_imageio-core: imageio-core 3.10.0 com_twelvemonkeys_imageio_imageio-metadata: imageio-metadata 3.10.0 com_twelvemonkeys_imageio_imageio-webp: imageio-webp 3.10.0 org_quiltmc_parsers_gson: gson 0.2.1 org_quiltmc_parsers_json: json 0.2.1 yigd: You're in Grave Danger 2.0.0-beta.13 fabric-permissions-api-v0: fabric-permissions-api 0.2-SNAPSHOT libgui: LibGui 8.1.1+1.20.1 jankson: Jankson 6.0.0+j1.2.3 libninepatch: LibNinePatch 1.2.0 yungsapi: YUNG's API 1.20-Fabric-4.0.5 yungsbridges: YUNG's Bridges 1.20-Fabric-4.0.3 yungsextras: YUNG's Extras 1.20-Fabric-4.0.3 Loaded Shaderpack: (off) Launched Version: fabric-loader-0.15.11-1.20.1 Backend library: LWJGL version 3.3.1 SNAPSHOT Backend API: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090/PCIe/SSE2 GL version 3.2.0 NVIDIA 555.85, NVIDIA Corporation Window size: 1024x768 GL Caps: Using framebuffer using OpenGL 3.2 GL debug messages: Using VBOs: Yes Is Modded: Definitely; Client brand changed to 'fabric' Type: Client (map_client.txt) Graphics mode: fancy Resource Packs: fabric Current Language: en_us CPU: 16x AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core Processor 

I normally play on Forge, but I gave Fabric a try and ended up getting back handed with this lmao

Spacepak ESP2430J High Efficient Horizontal 2-2.5 Ton Air Handler
Tosot TU36-24ADU Universal Inverter Ducted Split System
I’ll try to make an almost unbelievably long story, short. In early April I got a few quotes from the most highly rated companies in my area. Chose a company, said company offered me an upgrade to a Tosot Inverter Heat pump, and they had just ran out the Goodman two ton, two stage in the warehouse. I agreed to sign on the conditions my air handler was inspected and found to be in fully working order (4 years old).
April 19th install was done, kid set the inverter for 3 ton instead of 2, forgot to switch O/B on air handler. Easy fixes. Since then they have been to my house 6 times due to it not properly cooling. It cools, but it never gets to temp.
First visit, charge increased from 9.4 to 14. Second visit, testing and charge reduced to 6. Third visit, more testing, charge increased to 7. Over the phone with no testing at all I am told my Txv valve is bad and I am instructed to order a replacement. Fourth visit, Txv is installed. Fifth visit, charge increased to 9.4.
During all of this time I have been on the phone with tech service for both units, various other local companies, I’m checking all the boxes of my end for air flow, cleanliness etc.
I have yet to hear from my contractor. The last call was to find out what I really wanted in all of this. I simply don’t believe, based on several companies telling me, they completely screwed up installing the inverter heat pump with a high velocity system.
Any advice, maybe even a success story from a technician, or a similar story from a home owner, would be appreciated. Thank you.

Graphic design is incredibly versatile and finds applications across various fields. Here are some common uses:

1. Branding: Creating logos, brand identities, and style guides to establish a visual identity for companies and organizations.
2. Marketing and Advertising: Designing promotional materials such as posters, flyers, brochures, banners, and digital ads to attract customers and communicate messages effectively.
3. Web Design: Designing user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) for websites and mobile apps, ensuring usability, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal.
4. Print Design: Designing layouts for newspapers, magazines, books, and other printed materials to enhance readability and visual appeal.
5. Packaging Design: Designing packaging for products, considering both functional and aesthetic aspects to attract consumers and communicate brand values.
6. Typography: Creating custom fonts and designing text layouts to improve readability and convey messages effectively.
7. Illustration: Creating visual representations of concepts, ideas, or narratives using various techniques such as digital illustration, hand-drawing, or vector graphics.
8. Motion Graphics: Designing animated graphics and visual effects for videos, presentations, and multimedia projects to enhance engagement and storytelling.
9. Environmental Design: Designing signage, wayfinding systems, and environmental graphics for physical spaces such as retail stores, museums, and exhibitions.
10. User Interface (UI) Design: Designing interfaces for software applications, including desktop, web, and mobile applications, to optimize user interaction and experience.
11. Information Design: Visualizing complex data and information using charts, graphs, and infographics to make it easier for audiences to understand and interpret.
12. Event Design: Creating visual elements for events such as conferences, exhibitions, and festivals to enhance the overall experience and reinforce branding.
13. Art and Creative Expression: Using graphic design as a medium for artistic expression, exploring visual concepts, and pushing creative boundaries.

These are just a few examples, and the applications of graphic design continue to evolve as technology advances and new design trends emerge.

Hi all,
I am just beginning my power bi journey. I am an above average excel user, and have some Python/pandas experience. I am also decent with power automate.
I work at a small private credit company, and handle the asset management function. I have maybe 150 loans in my portfolio, so you understand how small we are. I cannot justify the cost of a true data analyst right now, so it’s up to me to learn and implement solutions.
We are on 365 enterprise.
Right now our loan management system is a large excel workbook. Arcaic, but I have it on the 2 year development plan to have it rebuilt into a true software platform.
In the mean time, I am learning power query and power in order to connect all my data together (10+ different sources of data) and to model and visualize our data for decision making and risk management.
As I’m learning more and more, I would love to find a way to get the data refreshed daily into a true database. The actual updates would still be done in the excel workbook for now. We have an Amazon RDS that our client portal is using, which is ideally what it would update to. I’m also not opposed to using one of the azure solutions.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to implement daily excel refreshes into either RDS or azure SQL? It will also need some hefty data transformations and cleansing in the flow, which I’m currently doing in power query when it goes into power bi

Hey all!
Fairly Seasoned GM (across a wide range of systems both light and crunchy) with fairly seasoned players (mainly various DnD3.5/4/5).
Our main group is currently transitioning to 2e after running a couple of the Free one shots and currently working through the beginners box.
Being fairly seasoned players they’re already exploring the edges of the system. We’ve run a few Avoid Notice scenarios now and found the RAW no stealth roll til an encounter and then stealth initiative vs. passive perception. And we’ve found it a little clumsy compared to how nicely the other exploration activities have been going. Some reading on the topic suggests this isn’t a unique experience.
It’s worth noting here that both I and the players enjoy the mechanical density and structure of the game, and are also very narratively and character driven and enjoy failure, we’re not war gamers and we’re not rules-light RPers.
What we’re really loving at the moment is how well 2e’s rules enable interesting role play and bring structure to it in an interesting way.
In particular the table is really avoiding hidden rolls, I even quickly modelled and 3d printed a small dice tower so players can roll their own but only I can see the result. Using it for Recall Knowledge and Grappling Hooks in the beginners box dungeon has been a hit.
Also in both DnD and other systems I’ve always a big proponent of smoother transitions into (and out of) encounters and exploration. I don’t like a clean break from roll play/narrative land into combat encounter land, and try to keep narrative and dramatic tension through encounters. I feel like 2e has really enabled and elevated that one almost every from but this one. My least favourite thing is encounter as a failure state with combat assumed from the outset.
We’re trying to stick to RAW as much as we can before breaking things or reinventing the wheel so I’m here to ask for opinions on potential pitfalls. But this mechanic is cropping up fairly frequently and I trust from reading other people’s qualms that this isn’t just a new-to-the-system issue.
As such I’m considering the following approach to Avoid Notice, trying to keep as true to possible with RAW/RAI but trying to bring the dramatic tension and “rules cinematicness” as I’ve been calling it to the table, and looking for opinions/advice/pitfalls we may not see because of our inexperience with the system.
Worth mentioning this isn’t a recommendation for every table. It’s a little dense but should be intuitive after running it a couple times. I trust it’s within the capacity of our group. Certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

• Characters Avoid Notice
• Everyone Rolls a Hidden Stealth Check
• I note the results
• I begin narrating the sneaking and the characters are free to continue reacting/taking other actions while avoiding notice
• Should a potential encounter arise I compare their rolls to the passive perception of the potential adversaries/noticers
• If they succeed I make the executive decision whether it is more interesting to enter encounter mode or narrate the close encounter.
• If we enter encounter mode, I make it clear to the players that they still have not been noticed but we are entering initiative order using their stealth rolls (they still do not know the order) at this point I roll perception initiative for the other NPCs/creatures per usual. These are also hidden.
• The encounter begins. Each participant (player or GM pawns) has their turns announced immediately after the turn prior ends. Each player remains Unnoticed to any npc/creature they beat the passive of, and remain so so long as they don’t deliberately reveal themselves, they do not have to roll for sneak/hide these unless they become noticed.
• GM pawns who have not noticed any players continue acting as they otherwise would, doing nothing to break a character’s concealment (but able to do other things like recall knowledge, ready, seek, aid, etc.). GM pawns who have noticed players are free to act however makes sense, intelligent creatures who are unequipped may attempt to subtlety equip themselves before revealing to the players that they have been noticed using stealth/thievery or subtly seek to try to spot any characters they may have missed, an unintelligent creature might just attack as soon as its turn is reached (or even as soon as a reaction might be triggered).

Optional additions: - any player who critically failed Vs a gm-pawn Perception DC might spectacularly fail revealing themselves on their first action, losing their first action. - players using Follow the Expert may only take stealth and hide actions otherwise they must begin rolling sneak/hide with their own modifiers per usual. - the first turn after a GM pawn whose Notice was Avoided detects any player they lose an action.
Perks: - fully stealth turn based encounters getting some mileage out of non-combat encounter mechanics mechanics and avoiding the “everything ends in combat” encounter mode. - tasty dramatic tension with the turn reveals and starting an encounter uncertain if you’ve been spotted and creatures taking turns while players are concealed plus the potential for counter-sneaking NPCs - reward players who role high stealth (they remain undetected even while other players may become detected, even if they use their whole first turn before they know someone has been spotted they start their next turn still undetected. - giving the “surprise round” style mechanic a lot of players appreciate and expect form systems as enemies remain off-guard to undetected players - makes the transition into encounter more dramatically/narratively satisfying - Mostly preserves the design ethos (I think) with all checks vs. DCs and hidden stealth roles. - No awkward everyone rolling their initiative but maybe not needing it vs perception DCs then rolling perception for initiative for creature. All of it is hidden from the player and they get a more or less seemless narrative transition staying in the land of uncertainty and tension until the moment combat breaks (if it does)
Cons: - Complicated. I reckon the current group will get it after a single encounter but it’s going to need onboarding if we bring in other players, especially ones with less experience - Will really weigh favour to PCs based on their (very buffable) Avoid Notice rolls. And if they adapt to the system and game it by playing over-cautious and readying actions vs off-guard enemies it could unbalance things. Could be offset with some kind of extra complication like each turn subtracting 1 or 2 from their stealth roll so they’re pressured to get out of the encounter quickly and not be over-cautious. but that’s another layer of complexity.
That’s only 2 cons, and only one of them is a potential dealbreaker for us, but I don’t know what else I might be missing. I’m not too averse to even heavily skewing a combat in the party’s favour (especially as bypassing encounters entirely grants the experience anyway). And if it starts to get gamed I can adapt.
I like that it eases the transition from exploration to stealth encounters without breaking flow to roll initiative and that choices and narrative moments about trying to steal something or gain an advantage can happen in encounter, making the encounter a progressive narrative device rather than a failure state.
I also know that a huge part of the reason the rules as written has been unsatisfying is because the rest of the rules (for which other systems don’t codify) have been so refreshingly satisfying and it feels like an awkward fad for a common (for our group) mechanic. And that 5e stealth rules are just as bad if not worse and have also never been satisfying, but it’s the least of our worries over there.
We’re going to test it next session regardless. But just wanted to field it here for thoughts.

[INDEX]
I banked the fire and stared into the golden eyes of Beatale before I crept into my makeshift tent.
I still had my auric vision running and couldn’t help but notice the thin silver cord that ran from me to Horse. Firming up my aura, I reached out with my hand and grabbed it. I could feel the nearly imperceptible vibration between my fingers as I used my mind to probe at the thread. I could feel a bright spark of intellect, a light at the end of a tunnel. Pushing with my mind, I slid down the thread until the spark grew larger and eventually filled my inner vision with a hazy white light. Horsey thoughts nudged at me curiously.
I slid into the haze and immediately lost all sense of direction. If it wasn’t for the silver thread, I’d have no idea how to exit this shifting white fog. Horsey thoughts got stronger as I followed the thread while the haze thinned and cleared to reveal an endless prairie of green grass. I found myself standing before a naked man wearing a horse mask and I stared in shock. It was obviously me wearing a cheap costume horse mask — there was no mistaking my tattoos.
“What did you expect?” Horse neighed at me. “I am you and you are me and we are all together. Goo goo ga joob.”
Horse made a shooing motion with his hands and I accelerated backwards through the white haze and slammed into my own body with a gasp. I stared at the tarp overhead for a long minute, processing this new revelation. Horse was a part of me, a piece of my spirit. Whatever psychic stuff I did with that silver cord lead me into a house of mirrors where I got to look at myself pretending to be a horse. I can’t even deal with that right now.
Rolling into my blankets, I dropped off to sleep.
*Ding*
-=- - Welcome to the Dreamworld - Included in the Psychic Skills pack, the Inner Sanctum is your psychic domain. It is the mental fortress that you must secure and maintain to defend against psychic and spiritual assaults. All of your neurosis and fears are symbolised in this realm and must be defeated or subjugated before you can become master of the domain. Good luck. -=-
I banished the pop-up and looked around. I knew I was asleep, but everything was just as real as when I was awake. I was breathing, I could feel the floor under my feet, and if it weren’t for the pop-up, I would have sworn I had been teleported. The room I was in resembled an oversized luxury prison cell, maybe a thirty foot cube. No windows. Rough stone walls with thick mortar. Large brass wall sconces were set directly into the stone and suffused the room with a warm, golden light provided by glowing rocks. The stone floor had colourful Persian rugs tastefully placed. A high plaster ceiling was painted with a rendition of Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’, depicting me as both Adam and God.
There was a comfy sofa in front of a large screen television that hung from one wall and an ornate grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner. It was currently 10:08 PM. Another wall was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, stuffed with books of varying sizes. The third wall was covered with pictures and I could see at a glance that they were images from my life. The fourth wall had a thick riveted steel door on the right side, a full sized mirror on the left, and a computer workstation in the middle.
The picture wall was my first target. A few were quite large, nearly life sized, while others were tiny prints no larger than the palm of my hand. Scenes of my life were displayed in each one. The largest was me riding Horse with a shit-scared expression, shooting at a pack of wolves. Others were smaller, each with different frames. Some ornate gold or silver, others plain wood, a few wrapped in briars or barbed wire. Nanny Ramsey holding me as a young child. My dog Jean with a red ball in his mouth. My parents, screaming at me. I turned my attention to the books. Books are safe. Books don’t judge you.
The sweet, musty scent of a used book store filled my nostrils as I drew close to the honey coloured shelves. Hundreds of volumes filled the wall from floor to ceiling, with a ladder that could be rolled along a rail to access the top. I smiled at the sight. I had always wanted a library like this. I pulled a book at random and read the title, “Confused Fantasies about Joseph Harris, part XXIV of the Middle School Years”.
I slid the book back onto the shelf. Let’s see what’s on TV.
The remote was a slim, futuristic looking affair with a minimum of buttons. I pointed it at the television and moments later the huge screen came to life and presented me with a simple menu for movies, divided into six categories: Happy, Surprised, Afraid, Disgusted, Angry, and Sad. I scrolled through the offerings for a minute, reading the titles and reviews about the movies of my life. It really bothered me that there were so few selections in the Happy section.
The number of Sad movies increased by one.
I walked over to the mirror and noticed there was a small sticky note pasted to it. “Astral Realm. Experienced users only.” I shoved the note in my pocket and stared at my image. Sturdy black boots, black denim jeans and shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, deep brown gun belt slung at my hip, red bandanna and black felt hat. All I needed was a pencil moustache and I would look like the stereotypical villain in any spaghetti western. At that very moment I decided to grow out a goatee. I’d rather be mistaken for a bad guy than a victim.
So how does this astral realm thing work?
The mirror appeared to be nothing more than a mirror. It was cold, smooth glass surrounded by a wrought iron frame, and reflected my image. I didn’t necessarily want to go walking into danger, but I wanted to know how it worked. I pushed and prodded the glass in frustration until I noticed my image grinning at me. I jumped back in surprise and it doubled over in silent laughter.
“Hilarious, dude. You got me,” I huffed. “So how do I get in?”
My mirror-self tipped his hat and stepped to side.
I reached up to the mirror again and my hand passed through, vanishing as if cut off. Okay, just a quick peek and we’ll explore the rest of the room. I stepped through and the world shifted around me. I was standing back at the campsite. My body was insubstantial as a ghost and the tarp was a wisp of substance running straight through me. Non living things don’t seem to have much presence in this realm. Glancing down, I saw my sleeping body rolled up in the blankets, a thin silver thread running from it to me, and another thread running to Horse.
Looking around, I surveyed the campsite. My astral vision seemed to be on and had an unlimited range. I could see the life all around me, the distant forest was a sea of greenish-gold, grasses and brush nearby glowed with spectral light. Tiny ghost insects scurried while ghost mice nibbled at whatever ghost mice nibble on. Ghost seeds and ghost insects, I suppose. I turned my attention overhead and gaped at the sight of a monstrous serpentine spirit flying through the inky void. I dropped back through the tent and rolled inside my body. That was plenty enough for now.
I rolled through the mirror and landed flat on my back, staring at the fresco on the ceiling. Vinnie-God winked at me and Vinnie-Adam grinned. Climbing to my knees, I brushed non-existent dust from my trousers and watched mirror-me doubled over in soundless laughter.
“Hey, laughing-boy!” I yelled at him. “You’re like the guardian or something, right? You got it covered?”
Mirror-me stood and saluted with a smile, then gave me two thumbs up. A moment later, his face took on a serious expression and he wriggled his right hand in the ‘maybe’ motion. Then he pointed at me, tapped his wrist, and then a finger to his head.
It all depends on how fast I learn stuff, I guess.
Two thumbs up and a winning smile reflected back to me.
A large cork board was mounted to the wall over the computer and a small note was pinned to it. “Note to self: Don’t fuck with the Elvish womens.”
The computer screen featured a screensaver of me as Vitruvian Man doing callisthenics over the words ‘HumanOS’. I tapped the spacebar and was rewarded with the sound of powerful fans kicking to life as the computer emerged from sleep mode and prompted me for a password. Should I assume it’s the same as the password on the computer I pawned in my previous life?
Password: *******esi
I was rewarded with a sweet R&M desktop and a couple of icons. System, NeuralNet, My-Tunes, My-Movies, My-Office.
System was just what I expected, lots of .dna files and other confusing scariness that allowed me to tweak my physical body and mental state. My-Tunes was a collection of every song I’d ever heard and My-Movies was a collection of every movie I’d ever seen. Not that I’m complaining, but it would have been nice to have “My-Games” so I could play RDR. My-Office was a clone of the popular software by a similar name. I have no idea what I’ll ever need a spreadsheet for in this world.
NuralNet opened up a search engine called Me-Seeks, featuring a familiar blue guy.
I typed in “beer” and several thousand results were displayed, anything I’d ever read, heard, or watched about beer, including how to make it. This right here made the price of admission totally worth it, access to an exact copy of everything I’d ever read, and I was a voracious reader. Sadly, most of the stuff I read was futurology — solar panels, electronics, biotech advancements, quantum computing. The material for steam engines, blacksmithing, farming and the like, were slim pickings. That’s okay though, I could still reproduce the Gutenberg press, the cotton gin, simple internal combustion engines, and basic batteries along with some sketchy knowledge of metal alloys, acids, bases, and other things I had read over the years. All that wasted time watching “How Things Work” was finally going to pay off. I copied a few likely money makers to My-Office, saved the file, and exported to my Notes, just in case they didn’t exist on Aerth.
A popup covered the screen.
📱 [New Upgrade Available!] 📱
🎉 Enhance Your Experience with the Latest HumanOS Features! 🎉
🌟 Features Include:

• 🧠 Memory Booster: Increase your Memory for smoother multitasking and improved performance.
• 🔋 Energy Optimizer: Extend your battery life with advanced power-saving techniques.
• 🛠️ Utility Upgrades: Access new apps and utilities to enhance your daily life and adventures.
• 🗺️ Advanced Mapping: Never get lost again with enhanced GPS and location tracking.

🔥 Special Offer: Only 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0! 🔥
[Upgrade Now ✅] [Remind Me Later ❌]
Apparently I could upgrade myself, which reduced the cost of using my Utilities while providing other minor benefits. My Utilities would level up as I used them, which would increase their battery cost, so if I didn’t keep pace with an update to the OS they could become prohibitively expensive to operate.
Stupid pay-to-win world.
So, do I pay 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0?
I selected version 3.0 and klicked [Install]. After watching it download the update, it popped up another screen that asked if I wanted to update now, or wait until Midnight for the mandatory update.
I selected [No] just as the grandfather clock chimed 10:30 PM. I wondered if time ran slower in here, because it seemed like I had spent a lot more time on the computer than 15 minutes. Walking over to the imposing steel door, I noticed a bronze key with a thin chain in the lock. There was another sticky note on the door. “Subconscious. Please keep the key with you at all times.”
That’s not scary at all, is it?
I unlocked the door with a loud clunk and pulled it open to reveal a bedroom straight out of some royal castle. I could tell immediately that it had seen better days. The tapestries on the wall were frayed and fading. The canopy over the bed had a few holes in it. A thin layer of dust covered the mantle of a small fireplace set into the wall. There was a window letting in bright sunlight and I moved over to look outside.
I was on the third floor of a keep surrounded by the walls and turrets of a modest castle. A castle that had fallen into serious disrepair. Did this represent the state of my inner mind? One tower was shattered and the curtain wall under it damaged. The lower bailey was full of litter. I could see a few soldiers walking around the allure, keeping watch.
I have people in my subconscious?
Someone behind me cleared their throat.
Whirling, I discovered a familiar old man standing in the door of the bedroom. What was left of his hair formed a white halo around his head, his face was unshaven and covered with several days of growth. He was dressed like a poor and tattered manservant, but carried himself with a dignified air.
“Woodhouse?”
“It’s nice to see the master at home,” He said with a proper English accent. “There are many matters that require the master’s attention.”
“Uh, sure,” I said, hanging the key around my neck and tucking it in my shirt. “And who are you again?”
“Your personal manservant, of course” he said with a slight bow. Walking over to the steel door, he pulled it closed and it locked with a solid thunk. “Master should always keep his inner sanctum closed. One never knows if something nasty will creep in.”
“Thank you, uh, Woodhouse. I’ll remember that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “So what needs tending and how do things work around here?”
He smiled and beckoned me with a white gloved hand. “If master would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll introduce him to the staff and explain the duties and obligations of his domain.”
I’m 99.9% certain that everyone here is just me wearing a mask, so I shrugged and followed Woodhouse out of the bedroom and into the rest of my subconscious.
Five minutes later I was on the ground floor and seated on a shabby throne with the cast of a popular —and probably very copyright protected— animation in front of me. Woodhouse was the head butler and my personal manservant. Pam was the cook and demanded that I start importing sugar and alcohol before she was shushed by Woodhouse. Carol was a maid. Krieger was chancellor and Cyril was the steward. Archer and Lana were in charge of security. Ray was the marshal in charge of everything from the stables to the blacksmith.
I stared in disbelief at the motley crew kneeling in front of me. No wonder my inner mind was in such shambles. I was overcome with an irrational sense of anger at myself.
“Arright, listen up,” I barked, my voice echoing around the room. “I swear to God that I will fire every single one of you and hire circus clowns to replace you if you keep fucking things up. No joke. Circus clowns, got it?”
I ran a hand over my face as Ray pissed himself. “The only reason I’m not putting a boot in your asses right now is because I realise that you’re aspects of me, and the people you represent are pretty damn good at their jobs when they give enough of a shit to actually do them. As a team, you’re dysfunctionally fantastic and always seem to come out ahead no matter the odds.”
Heaving a sigh, I continued. “Things have changed and I need to get my shit together. I’m going to need every one of you to pull your weight and help me help you. Get back to your duties, I’ll meet you one on one later.”
My subconscious caretakers scurried out of the room.
“I’ll have one of the maids tend to the piss,” Woodhouse assured me.
“Never mind that,” I snapped. “I honestly had no idea my mind was such a shit show. I’m very disappointed in myself.” I pictured the Angry, Sad, and Disgusted counters on my personal movies clicking up. “Show me what needs to be done and let’s get started.”
During Woodhouse’s walking tour, everything clicked into place. This was some altered version of Bodiam castle, a location that was on my bucket list of places to visit. The royal council room, located behind the throne room, contained a “living” tapestry on the wall that showed the castle and surrounding land in real time. The castle was located in the middle of a small lake, and a single wood bridge led to the mainland. A small town surrounded the lake and a wall encircled the town. Outside the wall, the land was an irregular patchwork of forest and field, with a stinking swamp to the south. The entire “kingdom” was maybe ten miles across, surrounded by impassable mountains with innumerable creeks that fed the lake which drained into the southern swamp.
“Zombies are the problem, sir.” Woodhouse said, as I surveyed the living tapestry of my mental domain.
“Zombies?” I prompted.
“Yes sir, Zombies” Woodhouse continued. “Nasty bitey things that come in from the mountains and harass the peasants. They’ve gotten especially worse over the last few months. The soldiers do what they can, but they seem to have lost all motivation. Probably because they haven’t been paid.”
“And who pays them?”
“Typically chancellor Krieger is in charge of financial matters, although Steward Figgis has taken over the duty, sir.”
“Then let’s make Figgis our first stop.”
“Very good, sir.”
The office of the steward was run by Cyril Figgis, who managed the kingdom in my absence. It was overflowing with paperwork and charts, books and scrolls piled high on every flat surface. Cyril was desperately attempting to tidy things when Woodhouse and I walked in.
“Yo..you..your majesty,” Cyril stuttered, bowing low. Scrolls fell from his overloaded arms, spilling across the floor. He dropped to his knees and scrambled to gather them up. “I didn’t expect you to visit so soon. Please forgive the mess, housekeeping has been slacking…”
This was the guy who ran things while I was conscious.
“Shut up, Cyril” I said. “You’re responsible for everything in this office. That includes keeping it organised and tidy.”
“Y..yes milord.”
“It’s my understanding that you’re in charge of making sure everyone gets paid. So why aren’t we paying people?” I asked.
“We’re nearly out of Fuks, your majesty. I’ve been saving them for emergencies.”
“Fucks?”
“Fuks,” Cyril explained, pushing a pile of books off a large chest and opening it. Reaching inside he pulled out two small bags and emptied them on top of his cluttered desk. “Gold and Silver Fuks, the currency of the kingdom. I can’t maintain the kingdom when I have no Fuks to give.”
Behold the subconscious kingdom of Vincent J. Carter, it runs on Fuks.
“So how do I get more fuks?” I asked, examining one of the coins. It had an image of me on one side and symbol on the other that could be interpreted as “peace among worlds”.
“You kill the zombies, your majesty.”
Of course I do.
Woodhouse and I left Cyril’s office and headed towards the office of the chancellor where Krieger worked. It seemed that Cyril took over financial matters when Krieger became erratic and proposed luring all the zombies into the city and setting it on fire. Not sure how that corresponds to my own self-destructive behaviour, but I’ve had some dark thoughts over the last couple of months and I’m sure they’re reflected here.
Krieger’s office was much neater in comparison to Cyril’s, but it wasn’t by much. Shelves lined the walls and were filled with an array of questionable items, including a still snapping zombie head in a jar. While the office of the chancellor was supposed to be in charge of financial matters, it looked more like a dodgy rummage sale.
Krieger was launching sword blades at a pig carcass when we walked in.
“What exactly are you doing?” I asked, standing in the doorway.
“Hm? Oh, your majesty!” he said, turning around and bowing deeply. “I’m testing a new invention. It’s a spring loaded hilt that shoots sword blades. Very useful for our soldiers.”
“Stupidest idea ever,” I snapped. “I hate everything about it.”
“Okay,” Krieger said, tossing the hilt into a nearby pile of junk. “But don’t blame me when you need to shoot a sword at a zombie and don’t have one.”
“So why aren’t you managing the financial affairs? Collecting taxes, paying people, stuff like that?”
“Because the population has declined so much none of that matters?”
“What do you mean?”
“Wellll, the population represents things you care about,” Krieger said, going into lecture mode. “And the zombies and other monsters are real or imagined problems in your way. Since you don’t care about too many things the population has shrunk to just what’s needed to keep everything running on the bare minimum of fuks. And since you don’t seem to have any long or short term goals, there’s no need to kill off the zombies and get more fuks. Everything is fine just the way it is.”
“No, it’s not Krieger” I said, grinding my teeth. “My mind is in a shambles. It’s a joke. I want it fixed. No, I want it better than fixed. I want it improved.”
“Oh! I’ve got just the thing for that!” He said, digging around in his pockets, “It’s a spring-loaded hilt that shoots swords!”
Pam and Cheryl were hanging out a gallery window jeering at Archer and Lana sparring in the inner courtyard.
“What the hell are you doing!” I snapped
They whirled in surprise and then dropped into deep curtseys.
“Your majesty!”
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my centre. “Get to work cleaning this place up. Find a room, clean it, and move on to the next. Start with my bedroom, then the throne room and the council chamber, then everything else.”
Cheryl spoke up. “Can’t do it. We got no fuks to clean with.”
“You need fuks to clean?”
“Gotta buy stuff,” Pam said. “Cleaning supplies, food. You wanna eat, you’re gonna have to spend some fuks.”
“Talk to Cyril,” I ordered. “Tell him I said to get you supplied.”
They ran off in the direction of the stewards office.
I watched Archer and Lana bashing each other enthusiastically through the window.
Several minutes later the sparring couple stopped and bowed when Woodhouse and I stepped into the inner courtyard.
“Your majesty”
“My liege”
“Enough,” I said. “If you have enough energy to smash each other, you have enough energy to smash zombies. Tell me what I need to know so I can start gathering fuks.”
Archer shrugged and spoke first. “You just kill the zombies and other monsters. They drop fuks.”
“Anything special about the zombies?” I asked. “Are they fast? Do people get turned into zombies when bitten?”
“Nope,” Lana said, resting her wooden sword on her shoulder. “Most of them are slow shamblers and just need a good wack to the head to kill them.”
“Some are special,” Archer interjected. “Occasionally you’ll have some fast ones, or those that need holy water to kill. They’re just bad memories, figments of your personality that need to be eliminated. Some are worse than others.”
“The zombies are bad memories?” I asked, imagining all the bad memories that I had.
“Memories, thoughts, insecurities, metaphysical mumbo-jumbo,” Woodhouse supplied. “They are endless, but constant vigilance can keep them under control.”
“So let’s get started,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Lana and Archer lead me up to the parapet over the front gate where I looked over at the dozens of zombies milling about aimlessly in front of the entrance to my mind. Pulling out my gun, I began to pick them off, easy as shooting fish in a barrel. The crack of my spell pistol attracted more zombies and I dispatched them with ease until no more were left around the gate. As I fired each shot I could feel some sort of existential energy flowing from me, draining some hidden reserve.
“Gather up the Fuks,” I commanded. “And Lana?”
“Mi’lord?”
“There’s no excuse for this. From now on, I expect the walls to be clear of all zombies.”
“Yes mi’lord,” she said, giving me a small bow.
Turning to Archer, I shook my head. “You’re obviously my personal narcissism, so just try to stay out of Lana’s way, or better yet - try to kill more zombies than her. If you think you can.”
Archer scoffed. “No contest. I took top marks in sharpshooting.”
“That means I should expect to see results by tomorrow. I look forward to it.”
Archer looked panicked for a moment then smiled. “Sure, I can give you results.”
Turning back to Woodhouse I said “Show me what else need attending.”
Woodhouse led me through the town that represented my mind, pointing out each business that had fallen into disrepair, suggested others that needed improvements, and additions that would benefit me. In the distance, I could hear Lana and Archer shooting at the crowd of zombies and with each echoing shot I felt a tiny bit better about everything.
[INDEX]