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Chapter 382: Unbridled
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‘Cortana, establish task: consolidate all statistics and create a template based on my player panel then build a folder-type overview of my abilities, non-system skills, and in-game options based on a catalog classification difference. Also include a [Variant] subfolder for the [Omni Forms] of the BMA. Integrate same panels as the main interface and then arrange them as references in separate folders. Temporarily halt all mental tempering activities with [Focus] until I give the order for it to be resumed and then emphasize a real-time cooldown monitoring rule for all skills and abilities in my arsenal starting this instant.’
It was a thought command. Within a second after it was given, Cortana showed him a green semi-transparent player panel that was completely a realm different from before.
One word: “out of this world”.
The game’s player panel options were blue and Cortana’s was a light and healthy yellowish green akin to vibrant grasses in a prairie.
In all of the player-base in Terroa, perhaps Scion —thanks to [Lily]— was the only other person with the same green options panel like Siva.
DING!!
======================================––––STATS
–––EQUIPMENT
–––ABILITIES
–––MAGIC-JUNCTION
–––(Non-System) SKILLS
–––PNF [LVL-3] TASK PALETTE
–––QUESTS and MISSIONS
–––AUXILIARY UNITS DATABASE
–––ASGARD ADMINISTRATION
–––[DOMAIN] MANAGEMENT
–––CHECK LIST
–––INVENTORY
–––LOG OUT
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This was an entirely new view.
A simplified look and easy to follow, direct, and a comprehensive summarization of all his abilities and current status… the new look of his player panel was one at which Cortana played a huge part befitting one of the “supporting tools” for the Trinity Gods-level existences of this universe.
His current status —both basic in-game and the non-system ones— were all also in there.
‘Open the Task Palette.’
BLING!!!
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–––PNF [LVL-3] TASK PALETTE–––
Current Processes:
1) SS-Generator 1000pcs: (2.27%)
2) Dáinsleif: (77.4%)
3) Smasher Tower SS-Generator retrofits: 83%
4) Rewloola (retrofit part number 5 of 23): 6.8%
5) Rewloola (retrofit part number 6 of 23): 5.9%
6) Rewloola (retrofit part number 7 of 23): 4.5%
7) Rewloola (retrofit part number 8 of 23): 3.8%
8) Master Armament “Maximus”: 0.4%
9) ------
10) ------
11) PNF (fourth part) Synchronization: 3%
12) PNF (fourth part) Synchronization: 3%
13) PNF (fourth part) Synchronization: 3%
14) PNF (fourth part) Synchronization: 3%
15) PNF (fourth part) Synchronization: 3%
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With but a thought, he can execute things that he previously wasn’t able to do. And those are parts where Cortana becomes the most useful.
She can just predict his next moves according to his train of thoughts and habits, and also act as a support on things that he wasn’t able to pay attention to, like keeping watch over blind spots, and then mobilize or deploy items that will be of help to controlling the crowd.
One such HUGE advantage in making Cortana manage his player options panel is that he can execute a few nigh-impossible ‘exploitations’ of her and the game system’s available features.
An example is a very basic item-dependent skill technique Siva called the “20 meter Gun”.
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–––(Non-System) SKILLS–––
1) Kamaitachi
2) Black Master Armament “Arts”
3) Martial Arts
>>> 4) The 20m Gun
5) Spear
6……….
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20) [Focus]
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—20 Meter “Stun” Gun————
—Skill Formula—
[Auricle Scan]
+ [Inventory Plus Ultra]’s 20m-range effect
+ Cortana’s lightning-quick panel navigation
+ Siva’s Oscar-nominated acting (optional)
+ Item “E-Stun Grenade” availability (required)
+ point a finger @ targets (optional)
+ [Focus] (optional)
+ the targets themselves .
20m Stun Gun
Smoke screen, fragmentation, even his iconic move… the money-squandering technique that players dubbed as “Lightning Bomb” —were all also part of this skill tree... and even improved!
With only a few small differences in the general formula of the skill, Siva doesn’t have to go through the manual shifting of his inventory as if playing a piano… he could just think about it and Cortana would do the rest.
The same goes with the rest of the non-system skills and techniques that Cortana downloaded from the Net as per Siva’s instructions.
‘I should be happy after getting my items from the Humans last night but these darned demons are snoozing down my mood. And to make things worse, they’ve even swarmed for an entire 24hrs now… dammit.’
Right now, all of the production resources that the [Level-3 Portable Nano-Furnace] had were all dedicated on its current processes with one vacant slot for emergency production purposes.
Checking on them now and then glancing over the direction of Maki where he received three sets of reference materials… Siva imagined the final form of the defense line he imagined Asgard will have once he’s finished.
‘But this isn’t enough. I thought the effect that I envisioned will be achieved once I get the third level of the PNF… but now….. perhaps only at the tenth level I could achieve the outside-the-inventory-production ability I’ve envisioned.’
Perhaps it began when Siva regained all of his [memories]? All this time, he always thought that with three PNFs, he can achieve this result but ever since he did, bitterly, recalled everything that had happened in the past, the PNF that should have given him this ability remained as dormant and restraint inside his inventory as it had been before.
The only difference now is that the production speed had increased up to ten times for a slot.
Of course, along with that was the increase of the requirements of producing items.
‘At least, the scope of [Inventions] I can create had become wider and even broader. I can also now upgrade items using Elemental Materials.’
Before, Elemental Materials were just limited to players and NPC to be bought and given to their respective “Builders” to be used for their item designs… now…… he himself was permitted to use them to upgrade Inventions.
‘I still can’t use them as raw materials but with the help of the complete [Record] that Pistareen gave me, the complicatedness, obscurity, and the intricate harmony to all magical materials that my future Inventions will have can even be granted magical affinities once upgraded with Elemental Materials…’
Siva’s current path was ways off and even over a hundred times more challenging than the path of pure slaughter and warfare that he walked on in his past life in this same universe.
In fact… it was a rather simple and more direct path to power than the current path he had.
Back then, he had ‘subjugated’ the talented men and women that he needed for his survival.
When he didn’t know how to use magic, he had persuaded a Great Sorcerer to make him items and equipments that was enchanted with magic.
When he needed a weapon, he convinced the greatest Dwarf Smith of that era to create him a weapon that he carried until Ragnarok.
And even when he needed a means to travel the stars at the fastest speed possible, he even managed to buy a Golden Cloud from a God…
…of course, though many, cough, all, cough, of those kindhearted clients open-secretly cursed him after their transactions, the fact remains that he used his overwhelming charisma back then to get what he wanted.
Back then, in fact, he was an unstoppable force that bulldozed all those standing in his way until there were none who dared to do so.
In short………
Siva… had never experienced to actually ‘make’ the things he needed himself so he lacked the experience of planning, and even working hard for materials he needed.
‘I may have gotten the means to create them but my inexperience doesn’t fit in to that sudden gift of a supposed skill… am I a variant of what they called a “nouveau-riche” person?’
Siva can only privately sigh at this.
Right now, he was doing his best to use all that he can extend his hands to, using whatever kind of momentum he could muster from his old self to enforce his will and demands… all for the very sake of having enough to support his needs when the time comes.
Looking at the [Dáinsleif] at 77.4% completion at this moment, Siva realized that this weapon of absolute destruction actually needs more time to be finished.
‘It’s already 24hrs and it’s only 3/4 of the way…’
In short, he still needed 8 more hours to finish this “weapon” that can fight the demons from a very safe distance.
‘But perhaps… as soon as I use this, the entire Terran Civilization would gang up on me just so they could either destroy or lock this weapon for good… even wanting to obtain it.’
[Dáinsleif] is a long-ranged artillery weapon that can deal absolute wreckage to its target from an impossibly undetectable range.
Thinking about it, even with the now 10x faster production speed than the original, it still needed this amount of time to be completed. One can just imagine just how much time this weapon will really need if Siva hadn’t acquired more than one Portable Nano-Furnace.
—that was how it was designed.
———and it was designed not to be used by a warship but an actual person.
‘Logically speaking, the greater the weapon, the longer and more intricately complex its overall production time will be. I expect that this will be my second SS-ranked weapon. This will be our greatest weapon against the Demon Armada, as well as the entire current civilization’s personally made monster.’
—time! I need more time…!!
Siva always knew that he was pushed for time but the current situation had once again reminded him of that bitter reality.
He even bitterly knew by now that the reason all his enemies are too strong for his current real strength to oppose is because of the fact that his rise to power was also too fast.
‘It took me merely two months’ time to rise from a beginner to an S-Ranked Player while the rest of the world had to play the game for six in-game years non-stop to be able to rise to the level I am currently standing.’
Perhaps it was his subconscious self that pushed Siva to rise to power this fast…
……that subconscious [Siva] who had tasted the bitter-sweet flavor of blood, of war, of murder, of good and evil, of slaughter…
………that [Siva] who, once provoked, will stop at nothing until he vents his wrath on everything…
His parents’ death triggered [Siva], Augustus’ plot to use him worsened this condition… what more, now that he learned that there was a bigger ‘plot’ than the one he saw in the surface; one that had sacrificing his family being a part of it and that he, as [Siva], being the goal, had been uncovered, a murderous desire to the one who instigated all of this rose on Siva’s heart.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
And this also fueled his desire to rise to power, once again, to be able to fight all that’s planning to use even his brother to their own agendas.
*****
Unknowingly, this train of thoughts is making Siva emit a dense murderous intent that even Scion felt so alarmed she had to hold his hand tightly.
Siva was startled when he realized this and he gave her a nod, “I’m sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts.”
“You’re anxious.” Scion shook her head as she beamed a warm smile, “I can totally understand how you feel.”
Siva couldn’t say a reply.
It has been 24hrs since the imminent attack and its corresponding report, and that every bit and tiny change in the size of this scourge puts more pressure and greater threat to Baron’s safety.
That’s also the reason why he’s being worked up with The Alliance’s and Jeremiah’s attitudes.
‘Cortana, if we focus all production resources to build the Dáinsleif, how long are we expecting it to be completed?’
[Estimated completion time will be 3hrs and 45minutes, sir.]
—that’s still too long but shorter!!
‘Do it.’
—although there’s not much difference, it’s still better to hasten Dáinsleif and make it in time than to finish it too late…
A prompt appeared and the production of the weapon became the priority in the Task Palette on his new player options panel. Everything else was paused at the moment.
Having done this, Siva glanced over at Maki and then to the quiet Galatea, before looking at the thermal scans of the skies beyond the blue of Terroa’s atmosphere.
At that moment…
“They’re moving.” Maki’s voice prompted and it made Siva’s heart skip a beat.
Maki became busy, setting up things and moving panel after panels of prompts and instructions to their defense line.
“Alarm the Council of Elders!” Siva said loudly. It wasn’t a yell but it carried the tone of an anxious individual. “Mandy, I need you to stay with Alice down below.”
Scion bit her lips, reluctant to leave, “Don’t let yourself lose again.”
He knew that she wasn’t talking about his loss in the hands of Sefirah.
“I will not let myself fall. I promise.”
“You promised.”
Siva gave Galatea a nod and one of her clones appeared from the door that led towards the inner sanctuary of the Human Colony which led Scion to the company of the other girls below.
Their job was to protect her.
He himself looked over at Maki who gave him a shook in the head.
Siva gritted his teeth.
“Those bastards!”
Apparently, that nod was a confirmation of what the two of them had been fuming over for since yesterday. Despite the alarm having already rung, the Terrans are still lax and their reactions to the prompts slow as if there was no emergency.
BAM!!!
Siva slammed the table and stood up toppling the chair he was sitting on.
“Where are you going?”
“Making a scene!”
With heavy stumps, Siva walked out of the room.
*****
The alarm erupts, halting the festivities.
Heads turned toward the direction of the castle, a look of worry to the citizens’ eyes. But contrary to what should be seen, the knights and all of the guardians from the Knight Factions are beaming; their confidence radiating like fires on their very shoulders that calmed the crowd.
A siren meant that there was an emergency but the knights of the city were all given orders:
[Stand by. Let the Light Towers do their jobs.]
Thus, they manned their stations. But aside from the stiffness on their postures, there was nary a whit of alertness on the majority of their ranks.
A silent buzz rung low on their ears as the hiss of the machinery below the towers pushed them off their heights and towered upon the city.
Even the castle’s pylons started to glow white as the large chunks of Light Rock Ores on their tips reflected and absorbed the bright afternoon sol.
Everyone was waiting.
Everyone was looking up.
The world of Terroa fell into a silent stupor. Of all the in-game years the game operated, this was a first in its history where a global alarm rung at the same time.
Unknowing [Players] were shocked while those in-the-know had mixed expressions; some were happy and excited, some were nervous… some were even bold enough to plan to use this once-in-a-blue-moon chance to power up; just like how some of them did when True Dragon “Labrador” attacked Alexandria.
60% of the players —those whose after Siva for the Grand Quest he carried— had utilized many pathways in the network, and many minds who think alike, to get the latest rumour and connect the dots that led them to Jeremiah.
A White Knight with a graceful woman as partner is in Jeremiah? Even a stupid cow who’s been on his tail all this time could tell that it was Siva.
Ever since the events in Dragona, Siva is always followed by events that toppled one global chart-standard feat after another feat. And since they are talking about “global chart-standard” now, this global invasion of the Demon Armada is another of such ‘feat’, so why wouldn’t they go here?
As such, as soon as the alarm had rung, those who were still skeptic were finally convinced:
To where there is a big event… is where Siva will be appearing.
For the Grand Quest!
—they shout.
For fame and glory!
—they swore.
As such, while the siren was wailing, a massive influx of players arrived at Jeremiah… to stop, or to steal, or to ride along Siva’s quest; it was sure an imperative to get as close to Siva as possible if they wanted to be in his game.
*****
PSSSS—BAM!!!
The sliding door to the conference room banged with a loud noise, startling the already surprised Global War Council of Terroa.
“How dare you barge in on this meeting!” yelled the Real@D hologram of Pontifex Romano, the representative of the Divine Crown Theocracy.
As he was one of the most opposite of the door, he and the rest of the people on his side were the first to notice the opening of the door that resounded with a hiss before being forced open by an armoured hand.
Eyes darted towards Siva’s direction, hostility on their gazes, with some even standing in rage like how the quick-reacting Pontifex Romano did.
“Who are you?!!”
“State your name and your business.”
“Demon! He might be a Demon Commander!”
Many noises rung from the Real@D images of the [Seats] of the Alliance War Council; majority of which were inquisitive instead of a raging fit.
Perhaps because they were so relaxed in regard to this attack that the tense atmosphere they should have been having didn’t raise their blood pressure which should have made them startled upon Siva’s sudden entry,
As he wasn’t floating now, the sound of his steps ladened with its weight against the metallic floor beneath the carpet echoed dully on everyone.
He surveyed the people’s faces, recording their location through the connection Cortana had.
[I’m done, sir.]
Only with Maki’s approval would Cortana’s access will be unhindered. And since Maki was also in a fit of anger because of the stance the Global War Council was making, this ‘hacking’ incident could then be excused as an act of a Wizard.
The Humans provided the “Network” through the [Unbreakable Vow] that they will ensure the firm security of this connection, with a pretense that the ‘connection’ will be safe against all kinds of hacking that had malicious intent towards all the locations that the signal was coming from.
As they are bound by this promise, there should not be any reason why Cortana could access the location of these dignitaries.
But Siva’s aim for coming here was to ‘convince’ them to take this matter seriously. The enemies are already moving and as such, he wasn’t their enemy and so the Humans aren’t implicated by the vow.
Siva smiled behind his mask then he spoke to the War Council as he slowly made his way towards the [Top Seats] side: “Is this the top seats?”
He pointed the question to an image of a regally-dressed man with a crown made up of silk-woven threads of gold. Leaves were sprouting from his head which his hair even making up a lush green bunch of grass. At one look at his complexion and his attire, it was easy to know that this was a Primordial Gods’ descendant… a so called “Ent” that favoured place rich in “Nature Element” just like the Elves.
The reason why Siva chose to ask him a question is because of the look of arrogance engraved on his visage like a mask.
On the side, Higginson Bollard secretly received a message from Maki, celebrating on his seat. On the other hand, Gaia was clueless and is utterly surprised by Siva’s intrusion; her face flushed in an awkward look of apology to the crowd.
She was neutral: not on the Humans’ desperate situation while also not favouring this relaxed air to the supposed “Global War Council Meeting”.
Heck, even the Head of the Council of Elders of Jeremiah felt his scalp numbing. He had a dark premonition that this isn’t going to end good.
Upon being pointed by his chin, the man with the long leaves of grasses as hair stood up in rage, pointing a finger at Siva.
“Who do you think you are to talk to me?!! And why are you barging in on this meeting? Where is the security! Humans! Why aren’t you arresting this bastard this instant?”
His rage and the points of the cry of wrath were all the same thoughts majority of the crowd also had against him.
Because the location of the meeting was on the Humans’ Colony, they immediately knew where the issue of security is coming from.
And yet, as some of them waited for the “vow” to take Higginson’s life, the moments ticked by that nothing happened. It made these people wonder what the man’s goal for barging in like this was.
“I guess it is.” Siva indifferently waved his hand at the man as space fluctuated and he summoned the BMA to form his own chair… with a higher position than the slightly elevated [Top Seats].
This time, however, it was a clear provocation of Siva as he ‘looked down’ at the dignitaries.
“I will only say this once, so you people all better listen to me: I already warned the Council of Old Bones from Jeremiah so now, I will give you all the same warning… if…… even just once city is attacked because of your lax reaction, you can be assured that I will personally come visit you in your houses and destroy you myself.”
His main concern was the safety of the Humans as part of his oath as well as the safety of all the Walled Cities..… until he found Baron’s location.
Of course, because of his unbridled declaration of sovereignty over these people, going as much as ordering them to move their asses in defense of this upcoming attack where they should be yet aren’t, their ire and wrath peaked out at this time.
“How dare you!”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“Show us your face and we’ll let you know what it means to feel fear for your safety!”
“You’re obviously not part of this council… state your name, intruder!”
Naturally, following his warning was a flurry of flying sparks made up of threatening words from these ‘infracted’ individuals. They are the kings of their territories, heads of their organizations, the monarch of their dominions… they are used to lord over their demesne, not being lorded at.
—especially not by someone who wears a white mask that doesn’t even have a face!
“Why are we even listening to him? By my right as a Top Member of this council, I call upon my authority to convict this intruder as international criminal and sentence him to death immediately!”
When Pontifex Romano spoke, the rest of them followed suit.
“I second this motion!”
“I second the second motion!”
“I third the motion!”
“I concur!”
“What are you still dilly dallying there for, Humans from Jeremiah, arrest this trespasser and hang him upside down right this instant!”
Eyes turned to face the Human delegate.
Higginson felt the pressure but he chose not to say a word and only looked at Siva. Then, he bid a puff of air and declared, “By my right as a Top Member of this council, I evoke the order of merits and use my [Seat] as payment to order this council to move in post-haste, deploy all defense assets into defensive formations immediately and intercept the attacking forces of the Demons!”
As soon as his words were made, the power that bound this Global War Council from their ‘vow’ is activated and with the price of being ejected as a member of the Terran-Human Alliance… a copy of the [contract] appeared in front of everyone.
“Th-This…”
“You!”
“Despicable!”
“So you waited all this time to use this council as your personal pawn at the very last moment!”
“Just because you’ve finally fled out the clutches of The Teacher’s [Instructions], you will act as if you are not part of this society!”
“Do not forget that you are nothing more than but refugees, Humans! How dare you order us like a superior!”
Higginson didn’t want to use his seat and evoke the “Right of the Order of Merits” and command the entire council to act on a deed that’s not out of the jurisdiction of their sworn roles when they built this “alliance”.
In fact, the Terrans had only made that pact for the sake of The Teacher’s [Instructions] that held the Humans in high regard.
The [Items Production] was delegated to the Humans with an unclear definite limit to when it’ll be finished. Now that they have fulfilled the last letter of their [Instructions], the [Item Production] method, including the [Artifact] is now been given to the Humans as compensation.
All of them envied the Humans because with that [Artifact] alone, they could use it as leverage to order around the Terrans.
Would these ‘kings’ allow the Humans, these so called ‘refugees’ from another planet, to lord over them on their own turf?
No!
That’s why they were ‘secretly’ making it hard for them to recover, denying them their ability to buy crop-producing grains and only giving them the very basics of [food] and not even allowing them to produce it and become self-sufficient.
It’s because they all knew that if the Humans are allowed to become self-sufficient, the Terrans will lose the ability to haggle with the trade of the [Items] which had now become a top commodity.
As such, even disregarding the secret glance at Siva that Higginson made before declaring his right to evoke the “Order of Merits”, just the fact alone that Higginson ‘waited’ for Siva to come in barging on this meeting before bringing up his right to call that order was enough for them to get extremely angry.
And yet, an “Order of Merits” can only be offset and cancelled by another “Order of Merits” —or any “protocol” of the same caliber that has all the right reasons to be considered by the contract in the [Vow] they all swore (half-heartedly) at the time of the founding of The Alliance.
But Higginson’s reason to call the “Order” was a reason enough that no amount of ‘cancellation’ is valid enough to neutralize its legitimacy.
Higginson even used his own [Seat] as a price to enable this “Order”… despite the actual price it will cause the Humans.
It was the reason why, even though these [Seats] can just throw their own ‘counter punch’ to not let their troops march in on the front lines, none of them actually dared because the contract in their fronts stated the facts: the Humans’ stance was a legitimate clause in the agreement in the [Vow].
Siva knew that Higginson’s words were two ways effective… both as part of their stance to stand on his side, as well as a self-preservation method now that pushing have become shoving.
“Madness!” Pontifex Romano exclaimed, pointing an enraged finger at Siva. “Y-Y-You… not only did you barged in on your meeting, you are also colluding with the Humans for the benefit of the [Item Production Method]… who are you?! I will personally see to it that your country is excluded in all dealings of this Alliance. You will forever be exiled by the rest of the planet… you and your people will face extinction by exile!”
“That’s right!”
“You’ve colluded with the Humans!”
“You greedy bastard! You want to monopolize the [Items] with the Humans!”
“From this day forth, the Humans will never get a single grain nor any deal from the members of The Alliance!”
“I will never sell you food ever again!”
“You must give up the [Item Producing Machines] in your keeping!”
“Right! Those are Terran heritage treasures!”
“Give us back those [Items]!”
“The Humans must surrender all of the [Items] in their storage! If not, then they will be considered thieves!”
“Thieves!”
It escalated faster than one can breathe. From a mere act of righteous reasons to whole heartedly defend the cities from the upcoming attack, until it became a self-centered condemnation of an entire race… these Terrans never let go of their ‘righteous post’ as the one with the reasons.
Hearing them spout nonsense made Siva rage in his heart and yet, before he could even cry out in anger, the change in the formation of the Demon Armada caught everyone’s attention.
Earlier, they looked like a raincloud about to pour its water to the planet. Now, however, it looked as if they were falling with a sudden downpour.
The little warships around the large mothership in their midst all dived down towards the planet like a tidal wave. The sight of it was astonishing and it induced a sense of dread to the Terrans.
Maki’s voice then sounded in the room, [High energy signature detected in the pacific ocean!]
The dark room lighted up with an alternating red and yellow —the entire talk about selfish desires and such vanishing in a flurry of alarming reports.
[Detected high energy signature converging in the Western Atlantic Ocean…]
[Eighteen Warships detected from the Southern Seas…!!]
[Mount Gigawatt just exploded! A large swarm of demons are approaching Saida Walled City!]
[Xargoal-2 is in danger! A fleet of Warships had just broken off from the formation and is heading there right now!]
Communications Officers encharged of the eyes in Terroa reported one by one and the people all these reports were addressed to, the [Seats] in this Global War Council, became startled.
It was a sudden development.
“What are you still being flustered for? Deploy all combat units! Prepare to defend Terroa!”
Siva’s anger rose to the limits and as he yelled in all his volume, the startled [Seats] went silent just before they glared at him and vanished…
The cities’ defense has begun.
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Who’s leading the demons’ invasion?
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Next Chapter: the mothership descends…
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