Sorry for the late post. I was finishing writing the chapter for day 23 and hadn't translated this one yet.
Well, it's still day 21 for me, so I'm right at the time limit. If you live further << on the planet, it might already be past midnight — so my apologies for posting a day late.
I won't take much of your time here. The next chapter will be released on day 23.
If you'd like to read ahead — specifically 3/7/13 chapters in advance — or simply support me, that's possible on my (P)(A)(T). If not, I still want to sincerely thank you for reading my story. Thank you very much!
(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori.
[...]---[...]
POV: Jinn
"All this… just to kill a single rotten, dead eye."
A chill ran down my spine when I heard Devas say those words.
I'd seen firsthand what he had to do to kill that single rotten, dead eye. It hadn't been a small thing.
He'd split his own mind in two, created a sun, a nuclear explosion—while being nuclear himself. Not to mention, I was sure there were details only Devas knew about that fight…
And then there was that sword he made.
Rin had explained what Excalibur meant to her. She said the sword Devas created was strange, disturbingly familiar. In her own words:
"The strongest and most beautiful illusion—so much so that calling it 'beautiful' would only stain what the sword represents. It is something sacred, something pure, the purest crystallized form of the prayer called 'glory.'"
"And engraved within the hearts of those who are scattered by the sword's radiance lies the nostalgic, sorrowful, sacred dream of those thrown into the blood-soaked hell called the battlefield—of all warriors past, present, and future, laid bare before the fear of death and despair—and who still cling to a single wish: 'to be exalted.'"
"It is victory, for when your name is called, the possibility of defeat no longer exists."
"That is what Excalibur represents."
After typing all that in chat as a reply to my question, Rin admitted she had no idea where those words—or that knowledge—came from. It was as if the moment she saw the sword Devas had forged to fight The Eye, that knowledge simply appeared in her mind.
…But that was the description of the sword from Rin's world.
The sword Devas made was different. Clearly based on Rin's version, if I had to guess, but fundamentally different. I could tell just from reading Rin's own description.
There was no glory in the sword Devas used to kill The Eye. It wasn't pure; it was entirely stained. It wasn't something that anyone longing for exaltation could even bring themselves to touch.
It was tainted—and it carried fear.
"Excalibur Asura…" I murmured, the name slipping from my lips before I could stop it.
The memory of the final moments of that battle made my chest tighten painfully. I didn't like what that could mean… or rather, what I knew it meant.
It wasn't victory; hope had been erased, leaving only cold determination.
Desperate survival…
"Jinn, are you alright?" The bedridden man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I blinked, refocused my eyes, and lifted my head to meet Devas's gaze. He was watching me with concern.
"…I'm fine. Just thinking." I forced a smile. It wasn't the right time to ask what I wanted to ask—not in public, and definitely not while the stream was live.
I noticed his eyes narrow slightly. I felt like an open book under that gaze. But Devas didn't press and turned his attention elsewhere—probably to the chat.
Funny… was that how everyone in Remnant felt when they talked to me? Devas might not know everything about the past and present like I did back there, but he could read a person's emotions as if they were his own.
But as he looked at me, I noticed something. I scooted across the bed until I was right beside him, grabbed his face with both hands, and turned it toward me.
Devas raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. I stared into his eye—more precisely, his left one. I leaned in until our noses almost touched.
"There are eyes inside your eye…" I said. That hadn't been there before—or had it? His left pupil had stayed "closed" until he woke up. "They're like tiny balloons floating inside a bigger one."
The moment I spoke, all the little eyes inside Devas's left eye turned to look at me.
They stared, unblinking, for a full second—then looked away, drifting around again with unfocused pupils.
"It's kinda cute," I murmured, letting go of his face and leaning back a few inches.
Devas shot me a look of disbelief. He didn't say a word, just grabbed at the air. A message from the stream materialized where he'd grabbed it, and he turned it toward me.
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]
Woman, that's one of the most eldritch things I've ever seen in my life, and we just got out of a Blood Moon with that creepy fucking Eye in the sky!!! And you call it cute?! Have you lost your mind?! ヽ(｀Д´)ノ
I flicked the message. To my surprise, it burst into tiny white panties that fell like snowflakes.
Something was seriously wrong with Kazuma…
"Why are there eyes inside your left eye?" Ozma asked the very question I'd been about to. I turned to see the old man leaning on his cane at the foot of the bed.
"My second right eye," Devas corrected. "And the eyes help contain the 'void.'"
"…How?" I asked, half-disbelieving. "We tried everything to contain that thing… how do eyes help? Is it related to The Eye?"
Devas shook his head.
"Nothing that complicated. It's actually pretty simple." Then he said:
"Existence only exists when observed."
"I looked into the nothing—and then, something existed. If it existed, it wasn't nothing."
I blinked slowly. Twice.
…Now that I thought about it, wasn't that habit something I'd picked up from Devas?
"There's nothing simple about that," I pointed out. "It doesn't even make sense. How?"
Without turning, I knew Ozma was nodding in agreement. I could see Alalia doing the same in the corner of my eye. I didn't even need to check chat to know they all agreed with me.
He just shrugged.
"Explaining why would take too long and involve some very boring theoretical stuff about concepts and things I don't fully understand myself."
"You could just say you don't know why it works, you know?"
"I don't know how it works," he admitted.
I let out an amused huff.
But I could tell he wasn't being completely honest. Or rather, he was omitting something. Still, I didn't push—it wasn't the time. If he didn't want to say, he had his reasons. I'd ask later.
"You said I was doing internalized nuclear fusion, right? Well, here's the reason. Or part of it."
Before anyone could ask or comment, Devas waved his hand, pulling up another part of his status screen in front of me and Ozma.
Reluctantly, I conjured an illusion with my magic so Alalia could read it too.
-//-
[Sun Breathing (Devas Style)]
Ranking: A- >> EX[Rank Up!] [Fully Adapted!]
Description (1): (+)
Description (2): (+)
Description (3) [New!]:
It is no longer a mere imitation, but the closest a human can become to a true star.
After countless refinements, failures, and adaptations, simply through breathing, this breathing style abandoned its incomplete form, evolving to transform its user into the closest possible form of the "Sun."
When mastered, the user's body becomes the axis of a stellar cycle, fusing Mana, Spiritual Energy, Vitality, and the very essence of the world into something akin to the nuclear fusion found in the core of a star.
The user's inhalation initiates the process of internalized fusion. The exhalation begins a new cycle.
In the end, all that remains is an orange mist.
Important note!: The ability cannot be used by anyone other than "Devas Asura."
Important note!: Air is no longer required for the use of [Sun Breathing (Devas Style)].
[..]
Function:
Greatly >> Extremely enhances all physical >> physical and spiritual parameters of the user.
Greatly >> Extremely increases damage dealt to all beings with the attributes:
"Blood Moon" [New!]
"Undead" [New!]
"Moon," "Lunar," "Oni," "Demon," "Devil," "Malevolent," "Malicious," or "Foreign."
Greatly >> Extremely reduces regeneration of all beings with the attributes:
"Blood Moon" [New!]
"Undead" [New!]
"Moon," "Lunar," "Oni," "Demon," "Devil," "Malevolent," "Malicious," or "Foreign."
Moderately >> Considerably increases damage dealt to all divine beings.
Greatly >> Extremely increases damage dealt to divine beings with the attributes:
"Blood Moon" [New!]
"Undead" [New!]
"Moon," "Lunar," or "Foreign."
Moderately >> Considerably decreases damage received from all divine beings.
Greatly >> Extremely decreases damage received from divine beings with the attributes:
"Blood Moon" [New!]
"Undead" [New!]
"Moon," "Lunar," or "Foreign."
Moderately increases hostility of deities with the attributes:
"Blood Moon" [New!]
"Undead" [New!]
"Moon," "Lunar," or "Foreign."
Considerably increases fear of all beings with the attributes [New!]:
"Blood Moon," "Oni," "Demon," "Devil," "Undead," "Moon," "Lunar," or "Foreign."
Greatly >> Extremely increases favor of divine beings >> all beings with the attributes:
"Night" [New!]
"World" [New!]
"Planet" [New!]
"Dryad" [New!]
"Forest" [New!]
"Sun," "Solar," or "Fox."
[..]
[Fusion Mode (Real)] [New!]
Description (1): (+)
Description (2) [New!]:
By colliding Mana and Spiritual Energy at impossible speeds inside the body, The Streamer triggers reactions resembling internalized nuclear fusion. Each inhalation compresses and heats energy particles; each exhalation forces them to collide and fuse, releasing heat and power on an astronomical scale.
Normally, any body would be instantly reduced to ashes by such a reaction.
However, the "Demon Slayer Mark (?)" and The Streamer's adaptation function as a "living stellar furnace": reinforced energy channels replace the role of solar gravity, confining and stabilizing the energy in an aggressive, constant cycle.
Thus, the insanity becomes real — a human heart capable of burning like the core of a star.
The excess of this reaction escapes as radiation: with each exhalation, a dense orange mist is released, spreading like a "foreign body" that infects, rewrites, and consumes the World's mana, transforming it into the mana of the Nameless Foreign World.
Important note!: The [Fusion Mode (Real)] can only be used in conjunction with the Demon Slayer Mark.
Important note!: Without the "Demon Slayer Mark (?)", the [Fusion Mode (Real)] reverts to [Fusion Mode (Fake)].
Function:
Continuously consumes Mana, Spiritual Energy, hydrogen fractions from the air, auxiliary sources, and even The Streamer's own vitality.
Grants immense amplification of all physical and spiritual parameters.
Exponentially increases The Streamer's internal body heat.
The longer this mode is sustained, the greater the risk of total body collapse — leaving behind only ashes, or perhaps a new dawn for those watching from a safe distance.
[..]
In the end, all that remains is the hope for a brighter dawn.
The Sun is something that has accompanied humanity since the beginning and will continue to accompany until the end, whatever it may be.
What were stars?…
-//-
It didn't take me more than a second or two to read everything on the screen. But I must've stayed silent for at least ten, trying to process and make sense of what I'd just read.
Could this even still be called a breathing technique? The simple act of breathing shouldn't inspire fear in anything—especially not in things like "Devils" or "Demons."
And it clearly said "all beings." Meaning that even divine entities with such attributes weren't exempt from the fear that Devas's mere act of breathing in their presence imposed on them.
Honestly… this guy…
Finally, I said, "I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to react to this."
The room went silent for a moment before another voice followed mine.
"Neither am I…" Ozma said, sounding half incredulous. "How did you not explode? Actually—how did no one die from radiation?"
"I adapted." That was the answer.
Ozma let out a long, exasperated sigh. The sound seemed to amuse Devas completely.
"As for why no one ended up with magic-induced cancer, I'm not entirely sure," Devas went on. "But if I had to guess, it's probably because the 'orange mist' is still my energy…"
"And instinctively, you wouldn't harm an ally," I finished. It was something I'd already considered.
Something similar always happened whenever Devas's Nightmare Energy seeped into the surroundings. It was meant to cause unrestrained madness, hallucinations, and insanity in everyone within range—but except for enemies, everyone else was fine.
"At least… that's what I like to think," he sighed. Then I asked:
"I'm guessing the Demon Slayer Mark is that tattoo on your forehead?" My eyes drifted toward the sun symbol etched there. "Kazuma gave a really brief explanation of what it was but said he didn't know how it worked—only that it made whoever had it stronger. What does it actually do? And what's that '(?)' next to its name?"
Of course, I wasn't the only one asking for more info. Others in chat were too, but Kazuma said he didn't know much either.
In his own words: 'I died right after watching the slutty oni chick and her AIDS-ridden brother fight the flashy ninja with three hot wives, so I don't have much info to hand out.'
The situation he described was bizarre, but considering everything I knew—and had learned—since meeting Devas, it didn't surprise me anymore.
Devas raised a hand to his forehead, touching the tattoo—more precisely, the scar at its center. It looked a lot like the ones on the palms of both his hands.
He stayed quiet for a moment, as if deep in thought.
"The mark is a disease…" He began. "To be more specific: it's a fusion of a hereditary and contagious disease. Maybe calling it a curse would be more accurate. It's also something that's become a racial trait of mine—or rather, a spiritual one."
"As for the '(?)', I honestly have no idea. Here, take a look."
Without another word, he grabbed another section of his status screen and tossed it toward us—and toward the stream.
-//-
[Demon Slayer Mark (?)]
Ranking: A [Partially awake]
Description: The mark manifests as a radiant sigil in the center of the user's forehead, in the form of an orange circle with twelve triangles around it — evenly spaced, not touching the center, like solar rays. On each side, two wavy lines extend to the edges of the forehead.
The mark reacts not only to the user's physical state but also to their will to survive and mental condition. It awakens when the user faces a life-or-death situation against something considered a "predator."
The instant it awakens, every cell in the body begins to operate at its maximum potential, energizing to enhance the user's total physical and spiritual capacity, consuming vitality to remain active as long as necessary to eliminate the threat.
Heartbeats, lungs, blood circulation, organs, muscles, bones, skin — everything becomes more efficient, better.
When activated, the mark partially disables the user's physical and mental limiters, a response to the "predator" in front of them.
The "Demon Slayer Mark (?)" is an anomaly created in response to a great abnormal threat that should not exist: a fusion of a spiritual mutation and an energy pathogen transmitted both through breathing and spiritually.
Any user of a breathing style sharing the same air as the mark bearer gains the "potential" to develop the same condition, although in different forms, sizes, locations, and efficiency.
Originally, the mark bearer would not live past 25 years of age. However, in the case of "The Streamer," this limitation was nullified by the combination of immense vitality, regenerative capacity, and physical-spiritual adaptation — making the degenerative effect practically nonexistent.
Important note!: The mark cannot be transferred, copied, or removed by any known means.
Important note!: The mark has a high chance of being inherited by "The Streamer's" descendants.
Important note!: If another breathing user possesses a different Demon Slayer Mark, there is a high chance the mark will begin to 'corrupt' it.
[..]
Function:
Allows activation of [Fusion Mode (Real)].
Immensely amplifies all physical and spiritual attributes of the user.
Extremely temporarily disables physical, mental, and spiritual limiters.
Considerably enhances sensory perception, granting the user access to the [Transparent World] while the mark is active. (Fully negated by: [Echo Humanitatis]).
Considerably increases accelerated cellular regeneration while the mark is active.
Extremely intensifies affinity with beings or energies of "Sun," "Solar," "World," or "Life" attributes.
Immensely increases damage against all beings with the "Foreigner," attribute.
Massively consumes vitality and spiritual reserves.
Considerably accelerates wear of organs and tissues after prolonged use.
Exponentially raises body temperature as the mark is energized.
Immensely causes emotional instability and aggressiveness. (Fully negated by: [The Streamer] and Shadow Puppet.)
Immensely reduces the natural lifespan of the bearer. (Fully negated by: extreme vitality, regeneration, and adaptation of The Streamer.)
[..]
The Mark of the Nameless Foreign World.
-//-
As soon as I finished reading, my eyes flicked instantly to Devas's forehead.
The Demon Slayer Mark—if I should even call it that—was still there.
While he'd been asleep, the tattoo had looked completely faded, like an old one. But now, if I paid close enough attention, it had a faint glow—so soft it almost got lost in the sunlight streaming through the window to the right of the bed.
I slowly raised my hand, brushing the edge of the orange circle with my fingertips.
A faint tingling ran through my fingers at the touch. I felt the palm-mark with the orange eye on my thigh heat up slightly, pulsing abnormally. But before anything else could happen, Devas lifted his hand and caught my fingers.
"I'm sure you'd be the kind of kid who'd lick cesium just because it glows." He sighed, his tone scolding—as if he were actually talking to a child.
I just stuck my tongue out and pulled my hand free. Devas didn't stop me.
"You haven't taught anyone any breathing techniques in Terraria, have you?" Ozma asked, tapping his cane lightly against the floor.
"Other than you? No. And I don't think I intend to, not after awakening this thing." Devas replied. "If a mark like this shows up on you, let me know. It's both spiritual and physical, so it could appear on your soul in the Spirit Realm."
The old man's only response was a thoughtful hum.
Like Ozma, I said nothing about the Transparent World, which was briefly mentioned in the mark's description. There had to be a reason Devas hadn't shown it to us—whatever that reason was. Something to ask later, in private, like so many other questions I had.
For a moment, I feared Alalia might ask, since the dryad had no sense of tact and the social skills of a fern. I was ready to cut her off if needed, but she only stayed quiet, wearing the same sad expression she'd had since Devas collapsed three days ago.
Three days… and I was still angry at her. She could have helped more, done more…
…I could have done more.
A light pain in my forehead snapped me out of my thoughts. I went cross-eyed, looking up at the spot where Devas's hand had just retreated after flicking me.
"Don't frown like that, you'll get wrinkles." He teased.
"It's impossible for me to get wrinkles."
"If you say so…"
"Are you calling me old, by any chance?" I puffed out my cheeks slightly, pouting. "For your information, I've looked the same since I was twenty!"
Devas's answer was a laugh.
I knew exactly what he was doing—it was obvious. But I ended up playing along anyway. I'd already spent these three days thinking about everything that had happened while Devas slept; I'd already come to a conclusion.
Devas had pulled me out of my "cage" without asking for anything in return.
So the least I could do was become someone he could trust to watch his back.
Time to start refining the spells I'd been working on…
[…]
POV: Devas Asura
Jinn thought too much.
I could feel the guilt she carried for not having helped more—and her desire to improve. The same went for Ozma and Dylan outside the room.
Everyone around me tended to be very clever and think too much, for some reason. That was both good and bad.
It was bad because it led to misunderstandings and absurd theories, as had happened to me plenty of times. They underestimated themselves far too much and overestimated me just as badly.
The good part was that most of them picked up on easy cues. Just like Jinn and Ozma had now: even though the Transparent World was mentioned, neither of them asked about it since I hadn't taken the initiative to show it myself.
There were some things I chose to keep secret — for one reason or another. I knew not everyone watching the stream was good, and that many of those who would come later wouldn't be either. So, it was better to keep a few tricks up my sleeve, just in case.
Tyrian was one of those tricks — a small one, actually. The Transparent World would be another. Of course, the people who had used Reality 4D during the fight against 'The Eye' would have a vague idea of what that ability was, since I'd used it. But everything had been so chaotic, and there was so much going on, that I doubted many had truly noticed what the Transparent World really was.
Not to mention, they were probably "seeing" a nerfed version of it anyway, since I doubted more than five or seven viewers could even handle half of what the Transparent World actually did.
Anyway, I'd already disabled the Transparent World from Reality 4D.
But, of course, if there were smart people — those who could catch on easily — there were also people who were… not so bright, let's say. Or who were simply driven by their most basic instincts.
Like some of the people in the (CHAT):
[MoonPrincess]
This princess isn't wrong to dislike that mark on your forehead. Besides being ugly and in terrible taste, it's a disease. My recommendation, out of concern, is to see a doctor or a priest. (人◕ω◕)
[MagicalGirlSera-Tan]
I would like to politely ask you to stop becoming radioactive to my species! This is literally becoming a thing now, and I'm starting to worry about how I'm supposed to seduce you if I can't even touch you without starting to melt!
(人･∀･) (人･∀･) (人･∀･) (Worried magical girl emote)
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]
I'm pretty sure the mark Tangerine awakened against that slutty oni chick didn't do these absurd things… And my radar for extremely useful abilities with totally respectable societal purposes is going off. Show what Transparent World does real quick…
┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬
[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]
I thought I was numb already. Months watching the DS screw with physics and reality—basic stuff. The last few days have surprised me a lot.
And I'm clearly not offended at all that you generate more energy just by breathing than my ARC reactor does. Not at all, trust me.
(ノ｀Д´)ノ~~~~~⌒━━┻━━┻━━
[BestToadSannin]
If Transparent World involves any act of seeing through objects, I'll trade you any jutsu you want if you teach me how to use it. It'd be extremely useful for missions, of course. I won't use it for anything else.
(Saintly toad emote)
The most striking thing about these messages was that the devil was the only one who wasn't lying or being sarcastic. She didn't even bother hiding what she wanted anymore.
And I was starting to suspect that Kaguya's connection to the Moon—including the fact she was a Lunarian—was making her passive-aggressive toward me… I just didn't have proof yet.
What a huge damn table Stark had turned into…
…Tangerine?
Shoving the random thoughts to the back of my head—right next to schizophrenia and the pounding headache—I turned my eyes back to my status.
I knew changes had been made in several places. After all, the changes were in me.
I knew there was something different about the Sun Breathing; I had felt and understood, to some extent, the awakening of the Demon Slayer Mark, the Transparent World, and the smaller shifts that had occurred within my Semblance, the Shadow Flame, the Echo Humanitatis, and the Divine Anathema.
But some of the alterations genuinely caught me off guard — especially those in the Sun Breathing and the Mark, mainly what the Sun Breathing had become.
Even in my current state, I felt, for a brief moment, almost invincible — bursting with power. Which, frankly, was ridiculous and false.
That feeling of invincibility was so hollow it almost disgusted me.
It must have lasted half a second in my brain before my body spat that insanity out, and the sensation vanished as if it had fallen into the "void" consuming my right arm, shoulder, and eye.
As invincible as I felt, I also remembered how the mere presence of "The Eye" had been enough to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark and make me tear my own mind apart from the inside — in such a way that I ended up creating the Shadow Puppet.
Funny… I was just as invincible now as I'd been the very second I first fell into Terraria.
The difference was so small I could barely tell it existed…
But if there was one thing — among everything that changed that bloodstained night — that truly surprised me, it was the new "sight" I'd gained.
Focusing, I looked toward the part of my status I hadn't shown Jinn and Ozma.
-//-
[Transparent World (Aletheia)]
Ranking: EX [Corrupted by: "Echo Humanitatis."]
Description: A state in which the boundaries between form, flow, and existence become almost irrelevant.
Through the awakening of the "Demon Slayer Mark (?)", the user's senses transcend their human nature — not by expanding them, but by removing the veil that distorts what is.
In this state, the world is no longer perceived as shapes or colors, but as pulsations of life, heat, intent, movement, and "truth". The distinction between past, present, and future becomes more vague.
The user perceives the rhythm of every being: the beating of hearts, the tremor of breath, the vibrations of mana and energy, the hesitation before a thought becomes real action, and even part of that being's "history."
All motion slows. All concealment disappears.
The movement of everything around becomes painfully clear and predictable.
Important note!: 'Seeing' the 'history' and 'truth' of a non-human being is immensely more difficult, almost impossible.
Important note!: Access to the [Transparent World] requires the "Demon Slayer Mark (?)" to be active. (Fully negated by: [Echo Humanitatis])
[..]
Function:
Allows 360º perception.
Allows seeing through objects.
Allows 'seeing' the 'history' and 'truth' of a being.
Massively increases sensory perception, enabling observation of internal energy and vitality flow of all living beings around.
Considerably enhances reaction time and combat precision, allowing the user to anticipate movements before they occur.
Considerably expands the ability to read intentions and emotions of all living beings around.
Massively expands the ability to read intentions and emotions of all [Human] beings around.
Immensely reduces the effectiveness of illusions.
Considerably increases resistance against mental, psychic, and spiritual attacks.
Massively allows perception of hidden structures of the world: mana flows, spiritual circuits, and ley lines.
Considerably increases the risk of irreversible mental collapse or sensory fusion when using the [Transparent World] for prolonged periods. (Fully negated by: [The Streamer], Shadow Puppet, [Echo Humanitatis])
[..]
"I see your truth…"
-//-
In a way, Kazuma and Jiraiya had been right — the Transparent World could be used for the perverted purposes they had in mind.
But they couldn't have been further from the truth…
EX Rank… the same as the Sun Breathing. With those two, I now had three things of that rank: two abilities and my title.
I didn't know the Transparent World, nor could I say for sure whether it was something native to Demon Slayer or not. But the simple fact that it was EX Rank — and that it had come from the side literally corrupted by the Echo Humanitatis — already said a lot about how abnormal it was.
Whether it was native to Demon Slayer or not, I was certain this was nowhere near what it was originally meant to be.
Aletheia…
I wasn't quite sure what to think about that.
[...]---[...]
For better understanding, the "tiers" I use to categorize Devas's abilities, racial traits, debuffs, and buffs are:
Minimal > Slightly > Moderately > Considerably > Massively > Greatly > Extremely > Immensely.
I'm reworking the way I write some item/ability statuses and the stream screens in general. I'm standardizing things a bit more across the board, which is why you'll notice some changes.
Anyway, these post-battle chapters will focus on Devas getting everything back in order — explaining things, checking what changed in his status, going over the rewards for killing "The Eye," and the stream updates.
Well, as always, have a good night and enjoy the read!