Author's Note:
plasma123fire here! I am finally back with another chapter! I have been so busy with university. So much work in the third term and more work soon on Monday, huh. As stated in the previous chapter, this chapter is the third part of chapter 8. So, you can say it is chapter 8.3. Where it would be about an insight on the mysterious blue haired girl, and a follow up to present of the RDA's mass deployment. I will answer your reviews at the end of the chapter. As always leave a review, a follow & a favorite as it gives me a lot of motivation into writing this story!
Continuing with the story…
Chapter 8.3: Construct a Hypothesis III Part 3
"A hungry man is not a free man."- Adlai E. Stevenson
A few days prior to the Resource Development Administration's Goblin Eradication Programme
Falmart
Glass Peninsula
Harbour
09h30
"My name is Mabel Forn"
"I am the Apostle of the God of Light and Order, Zufmuut"
"and I am here to save you"
Or so this is what I am or so told by the servants of Zufmuut ever since I was a young adolescent girl. I never knew my parents. I can't remember them clearly for some reason. My father was an apparent famous nobleman, alongside my mother. Our household, the Forn Family was a very prestigious one, in the Kingdom of Eden. Apparently, the God of Light and Order, Zufmuut blessed my household. But my parents never told me why, I guess I know the reason why all those years later till this very day. My parents always cared for me and loved me, or so I was told. I couldn't remember clearly but, when I was 5 years old, our household was set ablaze, with marauders in white pointy crossed cloaks invading the estate. Our servants tried their very best in protecting us. They fought alongside my father's soldiers to their very last breath. The sounds of swords clashing, incantations of magic spells and arrows zipping through the air echoed throughout my ears. I could still vividly remember their last words as they screamed in agony as their throats were slit open, with blood spewing everywhere.
"Long live Mabel"
I managed to escape the household through a secret underground backdoor alongside my mother's personal maid Catherine. According to Catherine, she said my parents will meet us soon but not yet. At the time, I didn't know what it was and what it meant, but when I was running away with Catherine, I turned around to take a final glimpse of the burning manor. A beam of light shot down from the heavens, piercing the clouds and engulfed the whole estate in a fiery explosion, killing everything in its blast zone. It left a gaping red-hot crater when it subsided. Molten rock and magma were what remained of the estate and everyone in it. The beam of light was my mother's ultimate and most powerful magic spell in the Forn Family, one that is passed down to every daughter. Maiden's Strike- I was supposed to learn it that day. But the attack occurred, and I couldn't learn it or at least I can't remember. Mother said she learnt it from grandma- the one and only family member's name, I could remember, and it was- Belle Forn.
[SAVIOUR‼]
[She defeated the monster!]
[The Apostle of the God of Light and Order is here to save US!]
[All hail Zufmuut!]
A large crowd of civilians gathered near and around the Apostle, the mother and child. An applause erupted from civilians, as they gathered nearer and nearer due to the presence of such a divine entity. Rumours say that if you are ever in the presence of the Apostle of the God of Light and Order, you wouldn't have to worry about the darkness and injustice in your life anymore. In fact, you and your lineage could be blessed by the God, Zufmuut himself.
"Wa-ait, STEP BACK EVERYONE!" stuttered Mabel, as civilians slowly swarm her.
"No need to worry about us, Priestess Mabel. Let us confess our sins. Bestow your blessings on us." says a short fat merchant politely as he bows, while trying to grab her hand holding the Blood Sword Diva.
A mother nearby with a new-born baby in her arms shouts at the merchant, trying to force himself on Mabel Forn. "Unhand her, pig-face! There's no need for a fat insolent merchant like you, to receive the God of Light and Order's blessings. Think of the children!"
"Wai-" said Mable trying to calm the masses.
"Hey, who said you can get in front of me. Get BACK TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!"
"The Church takes priority here peasants!" shouts a cleric.
"Wait, please calm down. The Monster is not dead yet. Please run away!" shouts Mabel Forn waving her arms about, but her pleas get muffled by the hundreds of civilians starting to fight.
The crowd of peasants, nobles and guardsmen start to fight amongst themselves in order to receive the blessings of Mabel Forn and the God of Light and Order himself. Everyone except Mabel is oblivious to the fact that the bloody wounded minotaur is slowly rising and getting onto his feet. But she is too distracted in trying to tell the masses to continue to run away. The injured beast, now raging with even more fury due to its arm being sliced off, picks up his stone club and takes a massive swing at the Apostle of Light and Order.
[Aaaaahhhhh, look out its alive‼]
[Run‼‼]
Mabel Forn takes a quick swirl to try and intercept the swing to defend the mother and child whom are still behind her. But the swing was so sudden and fast that she was flung into the a nearby building instead. The mother and child along with the mass gathering of civilians quickly scram out of the scene before the blood raged minitour started to rampage and swing his club around.
Out of a crumbling building nearby, Mabel Forn slowly gets up with blood running down her head and arms. She looks out of the gaping hole towards the minitour with exciting eyes. She summons her sword, The Blood Sword Diva in her right hand. Pain strikes her like lighting as she stumbles in pain as the magical sword takes away her blood to create it. She quickly recovers due to her regenerative abilities as an Apostle and that she is used to summoning the weapon now. She exclaims out into the wide open air as she jumped out of the now destroyed building and sprinted towards the minitour with eager determination to defeat it.
"It has been a long time since someone could hit me into a building and make me bleed. Now I will return the favour‼"
Nearby
A few blocks away
In a small coffee shop
Around about the same time
A female cat demi-human waitress named Lyla is seen preparing the grand opening of her and her master's coffee shop. She sets up the table outside, while suddenly a loud explosion occurred, the earth shook and a mighty bloody roar could be heard in the distance away. She starts to notice a lot of people running away from that direction and running pass the shop. She asks a nearby man who is running away with his child in his arms.
"Nya- Morning, what's happening sir? Why is everyone running away? Nya?"
"YOU NEED TO DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN‼ A crazed minotaur escaped his confines and is now rampaging around the city‼ I think the Apostle of Light and Order is battling the beast as we speak!"
"Nya- ok, thank you sir. I will speak with my master about it. Nya." Lyla bows to the man in thanks and gives the little boy a piece small candy in a paper wrapper from her apron. The piece of candy is one of her master's very own creations, it's called a Sweet Sour Gummy. The boy takes it with glee as his father continues to run, while carrying him. He waves Lyla good bye as they disappeared in the distance.
"Nya, Master Ramsay, are we going to close the shop on the day of our Grand Opening in the Glass Peninsula and run away with everyone like the rest of these people, Nya?" Says Lyla as she turns towards the shop and asks towards the kitchen.
As if on cue, Gordon Ramsay, a former British, Multi-Michelin starred chef walks out the kitchen while wiping his hands with a wet cloth from the flour, as he prepared some cakes and bread earlier.
"Bloody hell, Lyla, you should know this by now. We're staying here with the rest of the staff members, no matter if the town is being attacked by monsters or even the gods. They can't touch this place. This café is my domain, I'm literally a god here. Now that being said, DON'T JUST GIVE OUT CANDY YET. NOT NOW YOU LITTLE RAT. NOT WHEN WE'RE NOT EVEN OPEN YET‼ ARE YOU BEING LAZY NOW‼ GET BACK TO WORK‼ I AM NOT PAYING YOU FOR NOTHING. DON'T CALL ME MASTER RAMSAY, ITS CHEF RAMSAY‼ FOR GODS SAKE REMEMBER THAT‼"
"Yes, Chef. Thank you Chef." Lyla quickly scrambles and starts working around the shop embarrassed.
Gordon Ramsay continues to look out of the shop and into the distance where the fight is being occurred. He lets out a sign before turning back into his first shop in the Glass Peninsula. He has had many stores and restaurants across the whole continent, managed by his employees and companions. This one is the first he is managing personally for now. It's been a few years, he has been in this world. He has gain lots of experience while being here, especially in cuisine. It's a gold mine for a Chef in this world. Endless possibilities. In this world, he was first on a slave pirate ship, then on some royal ship, then on a deserted island. Met some companions, started a food revolution and made lots of money on everything he knew about cooking and food. Especially, his famous Lamb Sauce. Not even the Goddess Hardy, had "proper" sauce on her lamb at the banquet there in when he was visiting the religious city of Bellnahgo in order to find a way home. He had to remake the whole god damm banquet as it was so bad.
"EVERYONE GET BACK TO WORK, NOTHING TO SEE HERE. WE ARE STILL OPENING THE STORE‼ OR I WILL PERSONALLY FORCE YOU TO WORK WITH SELINA‼" Shouts Gordon Ramsay, as he suddenly summons a shiny meat cleaver in his hand. The Meat Cleaver is a mythical and magical kitchen item that can transform into any kitchen utensil, her master needs to cook. A spirit called Selina resides inside the cleaver. She enjoys to help Gordon cook many things and foods she has never seen before in her many long years as a cooking tool to many great chefs. She as well enjoys the blood of killing things and will assist her master in doing so.
After the Resource Development Administration's Goblin Eradication Programme
Alnus Hill
RDA Alnus Compound
Administration Building
Parker Selfridge's office
09h30
A few minutes after General Hazama, First Lieutenant Yanagida, Itami and his group left the office. Everyone presumes there working at their stations until Parker called General Kalani to his desk and excused Commander Falcon, much to his dismay.
"Kalani, what do you make of this situation. Will it hinder our operations here in the Special Region? Should be call in more additional personal through the GATE alongside our main task force whom are going to be here in a couple of days."
"Administrator, according to my analysis, the RDA needs to thread carefully now, as the natives while yet oblivious, and calm about our activities. But some are still suspicious to us. However, we are winning their hearts and trust on the majority due to our humanitarian aid, and monster subjugations. The JSDF is the one I am concerned about."
"Why the JSDF? They are our allies. There is a contract with us, them and the UN."
"The JSDF were quick to react to our experimental weapons launch. Though it seems to be ignored and accepted now. It may not be the case when we use our WMDs here in the Special Region."
"WMDs!? You DON'T MEAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS RIGHT? KALANI YOU KNOW THAT THE RDA HAS A TREATY NOT TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS, LET ALONE POSSESS THEM? DID YOU IMPORT ANY THROUGH THE GATE?" Shouts Parker at the sudden realization as he stood up from his desk.
"Negative, administrator. The UN-RDA Treaty about Nuclear Weapons are not restricted to the Special Region, only on Earth and Earth-Space. Hence why we could use them here, alongside our other WMDs. I have imported manufacturing equipment for future nuclear ICBMs and bombs in the disguise of agriculture milling and grinding equipment. We can always expose the JSDF's own atrocities in the Special Region, if they expose our WMD program. The people of Earth will be more accepting of nuclear weapons let alone the Orbital Weapons Platforms we have been building here in the Special Region. You know the platforms; you have authorized to be built here under the guidance of the CEO."
Parker Selfridge folds his hands on his desk in thought of it. "The general public won't be aggressive of it? When the weapons are discovered. I mean the RDA is here for peace keeping and resource management for the Earth."
"I calculate that if there was another incident or situation like the Ginza Event or the Saderan-Japan Inter-War, the public will be in full support of our weapons. The probability of not, is 13 333 to 1. Our resource surveys are in full swing – mining and agriculture development will be completed in the next couple of months. From there we will have every available resource under our control and can possibly be independent from Earth as a whole. The profit margin will be every high."
"That is good to hear. I know you are under a contract with the RDA and were reprogrammed to be loyal to us. But I know you are trying to find a way back. You are trying to learn more about the GATE. How it works and how to use it. You have accessed a lot of our databases on it, without my authorization. You were even trying to learn more about magic, the goddess of the Underworld Hardy, and let alone Archmage Lelei La Lena. We knew what you were doing from the start, your plan and everything. The moment you agreed to work with us, after we encountered you and your droid soldiers in your crashed ship in the African jungle in the DRC. We saw everything the moment, we took your data, wiped your mind and reprogrammed you. You had a back-up system deep down there."
The Super Tactical Droid looked at Parker Selfridge in disbelief and with no comment. His red optics stared at Parker's eyes, ominously. He is trying to come up with an answer to all of this. It felt like an eternity, but he finally spoke.
"Why was I not told of this? If you knew everything from the start?"
"You just were, General Kalani."
"While we are still on this. Our top engineers and scientists had a look at your ship and the many schematics of vehicles, weapons and droids. They were baffled by the technological advancement of it. It was way more advanced than anything ever created by Mankind. The FTL engine, the hyperdrive engine was damaged upon inspection. It is was deemed unrepairable by our engineers. But we could reverse engineer it, and combine it using our own experimental "GATE" inspired slip-space drives. Your AI programming is also helping us, create more efficient robots and computers as well. Humanity could leap into a new age of technological advancement. Furthermore, based on your account on how you crashed in the DRC. Our scientists speculate that with experience of the GATE. Another GATE like anomaly could have possibly pulled your ship out of your hyper-space jump, forcing you to crash land here on this planet."
"What becomes of me now, administrator."
"You were reprogrammed to be loyal to us and to work with us. You are still under our contract. You may continue with your duties as one of the generals here in the Special Region. The general public don't know, you are another robot from another world. They still think you were on of our greatest creations. You helped saved lives during the Arachnid War on Earth. Kalani."
"Affirmative, Administrator. I will continue with my duties and what I was doing before. I will in addition report back to any discoveries I make."
"We will do so, General."
The two figures shake their hands in agreement to it.
A couple of hours later…
Alnus Hill
JSDF Alnus Garrison
JSDF Military Hospital
Multiple RDA aircraft touched down on the helicopter pad at the JSDF hospital. Medical teams rush out to assist the wounded soldiers and the rescued hostages. The hostages were very shock at the flying contraption, how it functioned and how quick it was to get to Alnus Hill. Some of the hostages, could recall- the experience of the flying helicopter, but most of them were so exhausted, and slept in peace on their way to the base. The RDA Task Force for the goblin subjugation thus successfully completed their mission. The artifact of the God of Palapon was heavily escorted from the RDA Task Force and into the RDA's Research Compound on Alnus Hill. An Apostle's weapon is a magical item with unique properties and is made up of unknown and exotic materials. So, having a sword that an Apostle of Palapon would use, is a literally a gold mine of scientific knowledge. If the RDA could recreate the metal alloy used in the forging of the weapon, they manufacture it and sell it to many nations. Improve their arsenal and literally become invincible. Well that was the plan…
"STOP RIGHT THERE‼ A WEAPON OF AN APOSTLE SHOULD NOT BE IN A MORTAL'S POSSESSION‼ HAND IT OVER. I WILL DISPOSE OF IT‼" shouts Rory Mercury as she stood in the way of the heavily armed escorts for the Sword of Palalpon to the RDA'S R&D Research Compound on Alnus Hill. Many of the nearby MBS-22A Sentry Guns suddenly swirl and locked onto the Apostle the moment she stopped the convoy. Simultaneously weapons and guns being loaded and primed could be heard, echoing throughout the area.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
"Apostle Rory Mercury, please stand down and let the Convoy continue forward to the building. If not, you will be fired upon." Shouts Specialist Cheevers through a megaphone on a watch tower nearby to Rory Mercury.
"NOOOO, I will stand my ground until you guys hand over the weapon‼" shouts Rory Mercury as she swirls her halberd around dangerously and menacingly.
Many of the Sec Ops personnel took aim at her while being scared due to how dangerous she is. They all knew about the Hakone Incident. Perhaps the AMP drivers and droids could deal with her but not grunts. They will be slaughtered.
"Men takes aim, and fi-"
[STOP EVERYONE‼]
[PUT DOWN YOUR GUNS‼ STOP‼ CEASE FIRE‼]
A woman in a white lab coat with a brown bob cut, and brown eyes rans out of the building and towards the Apostle and the convoy, getting in between them. Effectively preventing all of them from fighting. The woman is Dr. Grace Augustine. She is the Resources Development Administration, top xenobotanist. She is currently helping the RDA in finding and identifying the many exotic flora in the Special Region. She has made many discoveries already, from cures to cancer and new food sources. In the next few days she will be teaming up with a newly hired Genetic Engineer and Biomass Technology expert, Mia Steinmann in the precursor to the Avatar Program on Pandora.
"Dr. Augustine, it is a pleasure to meet you." Says Rory Mercury, comically and seductively.
"Like wise, Ms. Mercury. Can you please let the soldiers through. They are busy dying on the spot there."
"Ye-s of course. But you have to give me the sword."
The murderous intent Rory Mercury put on the soldiers lifted and they were relieved.
"I don't think that is possible. The RDA found it when a goblin lord was in possession of it. Aren't Apostles the only ones to be wielding such weapons, nevertheless the owners?"
Rory Mercury kept quiet. She proceeded to walk away and let the convoy proceed towards the building. Before she gets out of the doctor's hearing range, she speaks to her. "Feel free to do what you want with it, but I will be watching you. Don't do any funny business."
Later that day, the Special Region girls went and helped the RDA inspect the sword and its unique properties. The sword was later at night, moved off site back to Earth for safe keeping, further research and a precaution. Which was much to the scientists' dismay on Alnus Hill. Rory Mercury couldn't sense the movement of the sword as she was busy annoying Itami throughout the night.
Later that night
In a undisclosed location
2 days before the RDA's Mass Deployment…
A hooded figure wearing ragged robes from bullet shots makes his way to the cave entrance of the Imperial Remnant's main headquarters. The two guardsman both wielding stolen JSDF armour and Howa Type 64 rifles stopped him. But once he shows them the medallion, they let him through into the cave. The hooded figure was the survivor of the RDA's Goblin Eradication Programme a few days prior, the ring leader of the Goblin uprising and development in the region. His name is Appius Pal Claudius. He is a mage underneath Archmage Godasen and a believer and worshipper of the God of Palapon, hence his middle name being Pal. He barely managed to escape using his teleportation crystal, before experiencing a massive shockwave from the explosion of the RDA's repulsor warhead.
Appius has to report this to Godasen in order to accelerate their plans of attack and battle plan on Alnus Hill and into the other world once more. He makes his way past the network of passages in the cave system, until he reaches Archmage Godasen's chambers, where he can hear him indulging himself with one of his various slaves. He proceeds to knock on the door, and speaks.
"Lord Godasen, this is Battle Mage Appius, in charge of the Goblin Army in the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow. I have urgent news to report to you, my lord."
The old rotten door, suddenly opens and Godasen steps out of it, releasing a atrocious amount of musk and the smell of semen into the air and passageway, almost choking Appius. He glances a peak into the dim lit room and sees a little human girl on the bed, strapped down to the bed. He prays for her respectively. Until Godasen speaks in an almost demonic tone.
"You dare to interrupt my nightly sessions. Especially when I am trying to create a new lineage. I hope you bring good news."
"Um-mm, my lord. The Goblin Uprising failed in the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow. The Goblin army there was obliterated by the unknown army, known as the RDA or the Resources Development Administration from the other side of the GATE. I am not sure on whether the JSDF or the RDA did this, but a weapon much like the flying arrows but much larger than any we have seen before, struck the extinct volcano where the army was residing and obliterated it. The volcano became active again as the result of the explosion. I was lucky to escape from it with my teleportation crystal. I advise on reconsidering the Assault on Alnus Hill in a few days my lord. We may need to use everything we have in one fell swoop to destroy the JSDF and the otherworldly army stationed there. I am not sure our Demon ally can handle it."
"This is troubling news, Battle Mage Appius. You DISSAPOINT ME‼" shouts Archmage Godasen as he sends Appius flying into the cave wave, with a bolt of lightning, and continues to barrage him with much more. Shocking him as he screams in pain. Lightning magic was one of the many ancient magic, Archmage Godasen had unearth from the Arrun Labyrinth. It is quite effective against living beings.
[MERCY M-Y LORD‼ ME-RCY!]
[NEVER‼ YOU HAVE FAILED ME APPIUS, NOW DIE‼]
Archmage Godasen continues to shock Appius until he is a burnt crisp. Cooked and burnt human flesh could be smelt throughout the cave system, making a lot of the soldiers and mages there puke and feel sorry. But on the other hand, many of the monsters there became more aggressive and hungry for flesh- human flesh. Godasen kneels down and break off Appius burnt head and opens his mouth wide open and eats it. Making a disgusting crunching sound as Appius's brain and skull was crushed by Godasen old and rotten teeth as he swallowed it.
"Mmmm, so the Battle Mage was right after-all. This is indeed troublesome. Appius seemed to left out the fact that the Sword of the God of Revenge was stolen by the RDA. We, the Imperial Remnant need to retrieve it urgently, before the entity known as the RDA unlocks its secrets." Says Godasen in a low tone, as he took in the information from Appius's brain as he consumed it.
He takes out a communication crystal, and speaks to all his forces.
"The time has come, strengthen yourselves, gather your weapons and prepare the weapon. The day has come that the J-S-D-F shall fall and all of Sadera, and rising from the ashes is the new order, the Imperial Remnant‼ We shall strike against the otherworlders in two days‼"
Screams and battle cries could heard echoing throughout the cave system, in unison. Almost rumbling the ground. Lord Godasen turns back to his room and looks lustfully at his slave.
He walks towards her almost growling, he strokes her naked body and onto the small bump forming on her stomach, making her shiver from his touch.
"I am sorry that you have to see that. It would endanger my child."
"W-hen can I see my mother‼ I want to see her. Will you let me go after this?!" whimpers the little girl as she starts to cry.
"There there, little one." Archmage Godasen wipes the tears off the child with his crooked finger. Easing her a bit.
"You will see her soon."
"Re-ally?!" she stutters.
"Yes Victoria. In fact you will see her now." Says Godasen.
"Mommy, finally I can see you again, I have been in so much pain. I want eat your food again. Warm soup…" cries out Victoria in joy.
"In heaven‼"
"Hu-uh?"
Archmage Godasen opens up and reveals a horror that no child – no mortal being should see. He suddenly jumps onto her and devours her like an animal.
Victoria's screams of pain could be heard throughout the cave system, she scream in pain so loud that a bit of it, leaked into the outside air into the sky.
If you were standing outside and near the cave entrance, you could make out her final words of horror. "Mommy…"
A pool of blood and mutilated organs can be seen in a mess on the bed of Godasen, and the resting place of Victoria. Godasen rubs his bloated stomach in satisfaction, as he feels young again. In fact he looks younger than before, and much stronger now. He stands up.
"I am sorry my little girl, but I can't afford any witnesses to my power. Even if you just managed to have my child."
He uses magic and cleans up his bed. He sends the mutilated body of Victoria down a shaft near his bed, where it falls onto a heap of numerous if not hundreds of bodies of women and young girls. The dead body of Victoria falls onto the body of her deceased mother. She indeed met her mother.
"Mmmm, I feel thirsty. Guards send me another! I want more!"
Time for the reviews!
History Channel
Thank you for being a long time reviewer and reader. It is much appreciated. For your review on the 10th of July. This is my answer. It is a very interesting theory about life in the GATE. Thinking about it, I think it was portraited in the manga, where a photographer explained that the GATE could have opened on Earth, many times before, that is why there are myths and sightings of mythical creatures. That they came from the GATE, and went back through it. Humans could have come from our Earth or an alternate reality as well. Who knows, the author did not say. I wouldn't say or 100% agree that everything came from Earth, but I do agree that the GATE had opened possibly a couple of times during the stages of the Earth, hence the theory in the manga. Or that the creatures could be just native in the Special Region. The scientists of Earth would definitely love the Special Region. It's a treasure trove of scientific knowledge and discovery. "Nevertheless, Falmart is still a very dangerous place. Precaution and security is advised." – I agree 100%
23rd July- Thank you, I agree with your review 100%.
Arms Dealer
Thank you for being a long time reviewer and reader. It is much appreciated. For your review on the 12th of July- I hope chapter 11, had answered your review. Thank you.
17th of July- Thank you for your review, I will keep quiet with regards to zombies and the undead. I left clues about something like that in some of the chapters. I will take your suggestion in consideration.
28th July- Thank you for the suggestions. I will take it in consideration. With General Kalani being revealed as a droid from another world, it changes a lot of things and the potential of new tech being used by the RDA. Did you know there is new Avatar movies coming out soon? It would be interesting on what toys they bring out at that stage. Curious.
TheRealGuest
Yup 100%
Just a Crazy-Man
Hi there! Thank you for the review, it is much appreciated. Thank you for your interest in the story. It makes me happy that people enjoy the read!
Maroon567
Hi there! Thank you for the review, it is much appreciated. Thank you for your interest in the story. Yup, I can totally agree with you. There's apparently more Avatar movies now, so maybe some more technologies. The Super Tactical Droid could cause a revelation!
Guest101
Thank you!
Guest
Thanks for the review, it is much appreciated. Thank you for your interest in the story. I have finally updated after so long. Lots of work and exams, I did.
Arixlsmn
Thanks for the review, it is much appreciated. Thank you for your interest in the story. I have finally updated after so long. Lots of work and exams, I did.
