Triopals
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Chapter 77
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 08:35:10 +0000 UTCLaurent stood puzzled by the scene before him. His ultimate technique, with destructive power rivaling a Tier 3 cultivator's attack, had been blocked by a mere Tier 1 chef. If he had known his opponent had already withstood continuous attacks from an actual Tier 3, he wouldn't have felt so deflated.
Though Nathan had successfully blocked his opponent's attack, he wasn't in as good shape as he appeared. The beam's destructive power far exceeded anything he'd experienced before. Something hidden lurked within that attack. If he knew Laurent had incorporated remnants from a high-tier cultivator, he wouldn't have felt so inadequate.
Despite the Titan bloodline's miraculous stone continuously collapsing and regenerating to protect him, stray energy particles had penetrated straight to the bone. Currently, they still raged within, even as he tried to contain them. Their resistance was many times stronger than the wind slash he'd taken from the swordsman following Lachlan.
Using 33% Berserker was also taking its toll. This state couldn't be maintained indefinitely. Like after fighting the Vermilion Ape Leader, he needed rest. The recovery he'd gained over the past few days was visibly fading as he encased his arm in black stone. Even more frustrating, he couldn't release the transformation now. He suspected that once he stopped maintaining it, the latent dangers from Laurent's attack would immediately overwhelm him.
"What do you mean?" Zeryn asked, helping his friend out of the large crater that still reeked of burning flesh. He couldn't help noticing the trembling hand his close friend was displaying.
"Remember how I'm pretty good at detecting patterns?"
Recalling the puzzle challenge, both Zahra and Zeryn nodded.
"That's how I figured out how to handle Zhanyu. Especially with data from the fight with Ryusei."
Nathan's teammates remembered the heated discussions on various forums about the Space Aspect user's abilities. There was general consensus that speed was the key, exploiting a vulnerability in something that seemed omnipotent.
"I can't say too much," Nathan tilted his chin toward their opponents, who were all clearly listening to everything he said. The subject of their discussion wore a challenging smile. Zhanyu showed no fear.
"What do you want us to do?" Zeryn asked.
"Speed me up, nonstop!" Nathan said decisively. "Guys, you need to remember one important thing. I can take hits!"
Zahra's eyes brightened, immediately understanding Nathan's intention. She quickly conjured wind spheres and transformed them into threads, attaching them to her teammate. They would become the fuel for the rocket named Nathan.
"Can your sword connect with me without going through you?" Nathan asked Zeryn.
"Just point in the direction you need," Zeryn replied with a smile.
"Support him, Zahra!"
The girl nodded, her excitement visibly increasing. This was the first time since the beginning that they were truly taking action.
As the flames were about to ignite, Nathan glanced at Evelyn. She nodded in response. She couldn't escape Reza's relentless grip, but she would definitely keep him occupied so her teammates could act freely.
Sigrid approached her two teammates, exhausted. The skill she'd unleashed had drained all her energy. This action she'd been proud of had only slightly injured her opponent, not enough for victory. But she was confident she'd shown the arrogant Zeryn Valtaris not to underestimate her.
She took out a mana stone to recover beside Zhanyu.
The rare Space Aspect genius looked around with a smirk. He had successfully awakened these stubborn individuals. Cooperation was the key to victory. Without it, they were only increasing their risk of failure. But one was led by pride, the other by a desire to prove himself. He knew Laurent Nyralith was competitive. He didn't even bother shattering the Artificer's fragile confidence. The energy beam from earlier wasn't enough compared to a Spatial Cut.
"Time for your final move, Zer," Nathan said.
His response was a burst of hearty laughter.
"You're talking like you're 100% sure."
"10%," Nathan's smile spread from ear to ear.
"Good enough," Zeryn patted his friend's shoulder.
"Let's go!"
Nathan lowered his thigh, shifted the transformation to the appropriate part, and then used his explosive strength as he leaned forward.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out as Nathan shot forward, leaving both Zahra and Zeryn wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Even they hadn't expected Nathan to create such a maneuver.
Zhanyu smirked, taking the stage left for him as Laurent still hadn't accepted reality, and Sigrid needed to recover.
Invisible blocks were thrown out to obstruct Nathan's flight path.
Nathan's body crashed into the first barrier, slowing his speed, while ringing sounds of something shattering echoed in his ears.
One, two, he silently counted.
Then, he extended his stone-covered hand immediately after jumping, despite the persistent pain. Zahra's wind sphere drifted toward his palm.
With a whoosh, he was propelled sideways.
At the spot he'd just passed through, signs of disturbed space appeared. The air and dust there suddenly vanished.
Seeing this, Zhanyu narrowed his eyes, then relaxed his brow, showing intense interest. Many had predicted his patterns, but few had succeeded like this red-clad opponent.
Nathan pointed chaotically in various directions while his body was still airborne, hurtling toward the enemy.
From a distance, Zeryn retrieved his swords from his storage ring, then Zahra created winds to propel them. Argentius, seeing the process too slow, jumped in to help.
The swords flew forward at extreme speed, encased in wind to reduce friction, maintaining a seemingly random formation.
One, two, Nathan counted again.
He pointed toward one sword. Suddenly, his hand was pulled by an invisible thread, yanking him diagonally to the left.
A dull thud sounded as an invisible block fell to the ground right beside him.
Before he could take a relieved breath, he found himself teleported backward. Yet his speed and acceleration momentum remained, and he was still hurtling forward.
Gritting his teeth, he used the second sphere, sending himself back on course.
Zhanyu was delighted. Understanding was one thing, but his opponent clearly wasn't certain. If Space Aspect could be analyzed so easily, it wouldn't have the reputation it currently enjoyed.
Once again hitting a space block, Nathan spread his arms, pointing at two swords. Their pulling force helped him create a straight vector, gambling on his own analysis. His maneuver allowed him to bypass an obstacle and one teleportation, shortening the distance.
When using the next wind sphere, he predicted incorrectly, sending himself backward. But overall, he'd gotten closer to his opponent than before.
Nathan detonated two wind spheres simultaneously, propelling himself at a speed that tore through the air, his right hand raised to punch forward.
The space block shattered under his impact. [Rebound] ensured the reactive force didn't throw him backward but instead sent a shockwave forward. Thanks to this, he avoided being teleported from the point just behind him.
Zhanyu stared in disbelief at what had just happened.
"That doesn't obey the law of anything at all," he muttered. But since he'd learned his opponent could do this, he only needed to predict and prepare accordingly.
What followed was a battle of wits between the two, deception within deception. Sometimes Nathan wouldn't apply [Rebound] to his strikes, causing his opponent to guess wrong. Or occasionally, he'd think the same as his opponent and get caught in a space point and be teleported.
He had used [Improved Pattern Recognition] to understand how Zhanyu's skill worked. Besides the fact that each teleportation and space block creation required a time interval, there were signs indicating space points. He couldn't see them directly, only observe spatial disturbances in air currents or dust to make predictions. The problem was that even when spotted, there were too many to remember. And more importantly, their variability. If space points had coordinates, they all had variance. Thus, despite his efforts, he still miscalculated when executing his actions.
But as he'd told Zeryn, he was only ten percent confident of success. And that percentage was steadily increasing as he forced Zhanyu to use continuous techniques, helping reduce his own risks.
The Thousand Stars Pavilion's genius couldn't help but be astonished by Nathan's performance. He could see that Nathan didn't even show signs of knowing his own mana aspect; every step, every punch or kick came purely from physical attributes and analytical ability. Unable to contain himself, he truly felt his opponent was formidable. Nathan's application and adaptability already matched Ryusei's.
But that wasn't enough. Unlike before, Zhanyu would have teammates to intervene.
Nathan was getting progressively closer, his failure rate visibly decreasing. He glided through the air, relying on wind and Zeryn's swords. They flew in a circuit, returning to their owner, so Zeryn didn't hesitate to support Nathan. Though Zhanyu had shattered a few in frustration using space blocks, Zeryn possessed enough to continue.
Zahra carefully provided wind spheres when Nathan depleted his supply. She had to fine-tune her aim to avoid waste after Nathan's unpredictable movements caused her to miss several times, needlessly draining energy.
Argentius supported by harassing Zhanyu with metal and wind aspects, maintaining a devastating effect on all five defensive layers.
Regardless, Nathan had gotten very close.
He raised his hand, encased in Titan's stone.
He swung forward. Instead of meeting a space block, his fist punched air.
He turned his head to the side, startled by the appearance of The Resonating Blade. It was vibrating, creating a layer almost invisible to the naked eye.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.
For the first time, Nathan felt what it was like to be on the receiving end of [Rebound]. The wall created from Resonance Aspect combined with The Resonating Blade sent him flying backward, interrupting his advance. His eyes darted around, mentally mapping out the space points.
He thrust his hand forward, forcefully pushing himself backward, evading another teleportation.
A whooshing sound passed by him. Looking back, he couldn't help but shudder.
A massive sword with a hazy appearance had thrust directly toward The Resonating Blade vibrating in midair. The air crackled with sounds that made his skin tingle.
The resonance wall vibrated intensely, becoming visible. After a moment of friction between the two, The Resonating Blade was flung backward. Zeryn's attack had gained the upper hand.
A chill enveloped Nathan. Evelyn, though constantly occupied with Zhanyu, always kept an eye on this battle. Her hand raised, summoning an ice wall right behind her teammate.
Having exposed a weakness, Reza used his sword hilt to strike Evelyn's shoulder wound, making her groan in pain. Far from showing sympathy, Reza smiled with pleasure.
Nathan gritted his teeth, vowing to punch that bastard. But before he could, he had to defend against a dangerous slash from Reza's dual blades. He felt the cut reach bone, only stopped when stone regrew on his hand. Water splashed across the battle floor as individuals had to block Reza's techniques.
Nathan felt a momentary fear. Reza wasn't even tired. Unlike Laurent or Sigrid, who were breathless after using their ultimate skills, or even the visibly diminished model NL-07.
He still has some tricks up his sleeve, Nathan concluded.
His teammates must have realized this too. The greatest threats on the field remained Zhanyu and Reza. That's why Evelyn had to continue engaging him. Presumably, she wasn't sure what Reza was still hiding. The Nightmare Weaver incident had prevented her from gaining more information about her opponent.
Sigrid coughed blood as she tried to defend. The Resonating Blade flew toward her, still vibrating.
It's afraid, she thought in wonder.
Making the soul fragment of an Honored Sword reach this state—she thought she knew something about Zeryn Valtaris, but now she wasn't so sure.
Nathan landed on the ice wall behind him, his hand recovered. He took a few seconds to shift power from his arms to his legs, roaring.
"Zahra, Argy, let's go!"
Argentius ignored being called that, letting out a proud cry, its whiskers fluttering as it soared through space advancing forward.
Zahra laughed loudly, having only waited for this moment.
With a mental command, he ordered Argentius to make contact with him.
The tiger monster rushed forward at extreme speed, entering his range. He spread his body, trying to grab the monster's limbs as it curled up. Then, the two spun as if performing a somersault.
"Now!" Nathan shouted through a distorted mouth.
A wind concussion launched him forward, combined with the centrifugal force from the somersault propelling him like his initial jump.
Wind scraped against his face. Behind came Zahra's laughter. She found it truly exciting to be alongside Nathan. He always had the craziest ideas possible. And she wanted to be part of them.
After being teleported by Zhanyu and blocked repeatedly, she successfully got close to Nathan, performing her own somersault. She whooped with each exhilarating moment as their hands intertwined. She used extra force, even more than Argentius, to throw Nathan forward.
The participation of all three distracted Zhanyu, preventing him from focusing on a specific target. He exposed gaps that allowed Nathan to get increasingly closer. Only now did he realize his opponent hadn't launched a full-scale attack initially because he wasn't confident. By obligingly triggering teleportations and space blocks, he had given his opponent more information.
Confidence was clearly visible on Nathan's face. For Zhanyu, it was anticipation.
Three figures moved at maximum speed, flickering in and out of sight in midair. Nathan in particular maintained his battle of wits with Zhanyu, with movement methods and space point predictions. He had reduced his failure rate through teamwork.
I can do it, he silently encouraged himself.
After several more rebounds, he finally got close to Zhanyu.
The final challenge awaited him. Layers of spatial shields.
He had timed this movement to coincide with the most vulnerable moment—the beginning of Zhanyu's skill cooldown. He would have a brief window to break through the defense.
He raised his fist high, punching forward. Behind him came Zahra's high-pitched cheers and Argentius's low growl.
Zhanyu on the other side smirked, inviting his eager visitor to come.
The first impact of his one-inch punch broke through the first wall. His hand stalled, but the wind sphere behind him exploded, helping him continue. His punch shattered the second barrier. He had fine-tuned all his passive skills.
Just after the wall broke, [Rebound] activated. The force equivalent to breaking the wall shattered the third barrier.
The three layers, based on information from Ryusei's fight, had been dealt with.
But Nathan didn't smile in victory, as his hand encountered a fourth wall. He hadn't bet on there being only three. The reactive force was recognized as an opponent's attack. Though he couldn't bite his lip to trigger [Rebound], he still had enough presence of mind to use skills in his arsenal.
Triggered [Counter Strike]. One credit given.
His hand moved oddly, seeming to vibrate in place. Force traveled through his arm in an uncontrolled manner. A punch advanced.
At this moment, he opened his hand, releasing what he'd been holding all along. The joint attack with Zeryn. Sharp Aspect had been constantly damaging his stone armor from the beginning. When uncovered, his hand had to endure its damage.
Now, tiny needle-like objects were released, shooting chaotically around like a storm.
A crisp sound rang out. The fifth wall had been penetrated.
Nathan's body finally moved forward with momentum, passing through the defensive line toward Zhanyu.
If there truly was a sixth wall, he would genuinely give up. That would be too powerful, too unreasonable.
Zhanyu laughed loudly, watching his enemy rushing toward him faster than a bullet. He hadn't expected his opponent to hide so many tricks to penetrate his spatial walls. Ryusei had managed only through the Formation Lightning Crown. And just like before, Zhanyu could deceive Nathan with illusions, leaving Spatial Cuts. But he couldn't do that now. Because even though Space Aspect was powerful, it required balance. He had erected the fourth and fifth walls, continuously harassing his opponent. A dimensional displacement skill followed by Spatial Cuts required preparation.
Glancing to one side, Zhanyu smiled. He needed to restore his teammates' confidence.
The massive black fist of his opponent drew ever closer.
Zhanyu raised his hand, saying coldly.
"Vector Alteration!"
A strange sensation washed over Nathan. Spatial disorientation made his brain unable to register the change in laws. He was clearly still moving forward, with the same momentum, still maintaining his target. But his body's trajectory was bending into a curve, extrapolating to a predetermined direction.
The target was now Laurent Nyralith.
The armor deployed its protection mode immediately, fire tubes forming to help its owner avoid a dangerous attack.
Dust billowed between the two. Nathan didn't miss a moment, rushing to attack Laurent.
As if he'd been aiming for this all along.
It was all just a ruse.
Thinking he could defeat Zhanyu was an arrogance Nathan would never conclude after meeting Adrian. Though one side didn't possess supreme inheritances like Fire Seed or Divine Flame, their ability certainly wouldn't be far behind.
His real target was eliminating one of Zhanyu's teammates, implementing a gradual attrition strategy. Furthermore, he had been analyzing this Artificer all along. NL-07 didn't operate automatically but through control. That's why Laurent sometimes neglected to pay attention to Nathan. Not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
If Laurent truly focused on the battle, giving it his full attention, that brain would break Nathan's team's cohesion. Therefore, eliminating either Laurent or Sigrid was valuable.
Nathan smiled, delighted that his misdirection had been successfully implemented. But just a second later, his opponent jerked his head to one side, evading his punch. A punch that he had calibrated with strength, speed, and the highest precision. Wind swirled violently as he stopped, his hand hovering over Laurent's shoulder.
The Artificer genius stared at him with wide eyes, pupils seemingly emitting light. Laurent didn't even bother wearing a protective helmet. For him now, there was only Nathan. The one who had blocked the energy beam he proudly researched and created. The one who had proposed attacking one of the strongest youths. The one who dared think eliminating him would be easy.
In a moment of surprise, Nathan was struck in the chest by his opponent's quick movement, retreating. He raised his head, his entire body feeling uneasy at his opponent's transformation. Gone was the sleepiness and exhaustion. Gone was the boredom and stagnation. Gone was the lifelessness, replaced by intense focus.
For the first time, Laurent was the one who charged.
A close-quarters battle erupted between the two. Punches and kicks were executed at extreme speed, with startling precision. Not a single attack failed to target vulnerable spots. Not once did either show mercy. A battle between martial arts masters.
Nathan secretly feared Laurent's ability. He truly couldn't have anticipated his opponent could reach this level. [Martial Arts Mastery] combined with passive skills [Better Vision], [Quick Feet], [Improved Balance], [Counter Strike], and he was only fighting evenly with this Artificer. He wondered if all Artificers were monsters.
As for Laurent, he equally respected his opponent. Laurent's Mana Aspect was Cognition. When used, it enhanced comprehension of everything, boosting both body and mind. However, a Tier 2's body wasn't sufficient for an enhanced mind to operate at full capacity. Thus, armors were created. The NL-07 model's integration helped Laurent execute high-intensity offensives with power and precision when infused with mana.
Laurent was amazed by his opponent's capabilities. No exaggeration, this was the strongest Tier 1 he'd ever encountered. As an Artificer specializing in research, he understood how the body's limitations hindered technique deployment, skills, and ultimate moves. Yet Nathan didn't need mechanical assistance, didn't need catalysts—no food had been provided from the beginning, and no one supported him. Everything came from within.
He'll be unmatched once he reaches Tier 2, Laurent concluded.
Those watching the battlefield when they saw the two madmen attacking with just hands and feet but with astonishing elegance all swallowed hard.
Zahra, who preferred using gloves, couldn't accept the reality of her weakness. She reminded herself to train harder after returning from The Shifting Trials.
Sigrid and Zhanyu both displayed admiring gazes. The most dangerous chef in history perhaps originated today.
Then, Zhanyu suddenly frowned. He couldn't close the gap.
Argentius had charged in to block the walls, surrounded by wind carrying metallic properties, maintaining a devastating effect on all five defensive layers.
Nathan had used their private channel to transmit orders. He believed that upon seeing Argentius this way, his teammate would know what to do.
In the distance, Zeryn smiled. The gathering time was complete. Not just Nathan, he understood that when the four opponents combined, it would lead to immediate defeat. The disparity between the two sides was too great. Even with more confidence, he wouldn't deceive himself into thinking he could simultaneously defeat both Zhanyu and Sigrid. Therefore, eliminating Laurent was the best option currently. But that had failed.
Given that, he wouldn't hold back anymore.
Zeryn pointed skyward, his body slowly floating upward. The air around him twisted and distorted, steam rising. His entire face was drenched in sweat. Gradually, everyone heard ringing sounds spreading throughout the battle floor. This sound grew louder as hazy images appeared beside Zeryn.
Sigrid, hiding behind a space wall, suddenly broke out in goosebumps, her head quickly turning to look at the one who had shown her inadequacy.
"No way..." she muttered.
"What is it?" Zhanyu asked.
"Stop him! Now!" Sigrid shouted.
Reza was the first to act, but Evelyn intervened. She increased her mana consumption, forming a space of snow showers. Any water used was frozen solid, unable to escape. Grunting, Reza swung his sword in opposition. But his eyes still glanced toward the battlefield as if searching for something.
Zahra's entire body rose, transforming herself into a wind drill, thrusting directly toward the gap to replace Argentius.
The tiger monster charged into enemy territory, supporting Nathan. Its fur stood on end, razor-sharp. Its speed forced Zhanyu to respond. Nathan used his psychic link with the beast to guide it regarding space points. Because of this, the results were no less impressive.
Zhanyu's inability to move the dome clearly showed that defensive skills also had limitations and weaknesses. He would need to change his approach to solve this problem.
But Zeryn had finished his preparation. The initial gathering time was long, but once formed, it didn't require much more waiting.
His hand pointed forward. The swords he summoned, difficult to see with the naked eye, began rotating, aimed directly at the enemy.
The night they gathered when he demonstrated for Nathan, struggling to control one sword that shattered, was when he hadn't yet mastered the next level of Sword Intent. The first level, summoning an invisible sword for support, perfecting it through variation and dynamic use. The second level, becoming the sword, needing no blade yet remaining sharp, capable of cutting anything. The third level, everything is a sword. This level was considered the most difficult and time-consuming to master.
Zeryn had touched it after training at Verdant Spire, and only truly reached minor completion after the challenge in The Shifting Trials. Now was the time to display the fruits of a period spent eating and sleeping only with swords.
The ringing of swords and whooshing through air chilled Sigrid's heart. She raised The Resonating Blade, planning to defend. Yet, the sword in her hand strangely displayed emotion.
It was not fear, it was cowardice.
The feeling wasn't from the powerful Sword Intent, but a fear from the soul. An echo from the past making it tremble.
Sigrid looked again at the approaching attack, nearly a hundred swords launched, only visible thanks to her own Sword Intent. This number was excessive for a Tier 2. The potency far exceeded peers. This wasn't just the accomplishment of Sword Intent, but based on an ultimate skill.
Her gaze dissolved, looking skyward in despair. She spoke simultaneously with Zeryn as the sharp swords approached.
"Sword Brigade: Blade Dance."
Zhanyu appeared annoyed rather than concerned, but curious.
"Your teammate is still in here. Aren't you concerned for him?"
"Oh, him?" Zeryn tiredly chuckled. "He can take some hits and feel happy to do so."
Nathan hadn't even opened his mouth to curse Zeryn for embellishing when the sounds created by the swords overlapped, deafening him.
Everything became chaotic before his eyes. He saw the battle floor beneath his feet cut to ribbons, the small blades from Sharp Aspect tearing through Zhanyu's protective space membrane.
The swords, seemingly with minds of their own, surged toward Laurent Nyralith like a tsunami. The armor covered by NL-07 flashed blue lights repeatedly as the Artificer was blown backward. Defensive measures activated as rockets and energy beams were fired. But it wasn't enough. Laurent had consumed too much energy, fighting Nathan without rest, so now he was like a kite in the wind, subjected to devastation.
Sigrid on the other side forced the weak-willed sword in her hand to act. The sword waves she cut out shattered instantly. Not only was Zeryn's Sword Intent superior, but even his Aspect carried an insoluble difficulty. The sounds like falling needles in space marked each time Sigrid's defense was affected.
Zhanyu looked around, shaking his head in resignation. He had blocked most of the destruction from Zeryn's ultimate skill with his defensive layer. But that damn gap was still an entrance. And now, he faced the parade of the sword army.
Without hesitation after judging his teammates as lost causes, he contracted the large protective dome, focusing it around himself to survive this sword storm.
Argentius and Zahra, seeing what was happening, fled in another direction to avoid it, not even daring to rescue Nathan.
The one who had boldly claimed he could take hits was suffering indescribably. He tumbled through the sword rain Zeryn created. The slashes and misdirected explosions caused him endless pain. Even with the protective stone from Titan, his entire body ached. His skin, thanks to using Berserker 33%, was significantly tougher. Nevertheless, Zeryn's swords were not ordinary ones—just a graze was enough to draw blood.
Gritting his teeth to endure, he curled up like a child, waiting for the disaster to pass.
The rampage of 'Sword Brigade: Blade Dance' terrified all who experienced it. If this skill developed to a day when Zeryn didn't need preparation time, no one knew how they would defend against it alone.
The ringing sounds gradually subsided, dust settled and dispersed. Sword Brigade had concluded.
When the air cleared, only Zhanyu remained floating through his Space Aspect. Laurent and Sigrid were nowhere to be seen.
They had been eliminated.
BOOM!
Before anyone could celebrate, all eyes turned to Evelyn. She had just used a massive icebolt to pierce straight toward Reza.
But what was pierced wasn't his body, but only water bubbles that dissipated into white curves.
A water clone.
"Nathan, be careful!" Evelyn shouted hoarsely.
In one area, dust was blown away, revealing a blue-glowing sword tip under the artificial light.
Looking down a bit further was the chest of someone who had just been run through.
Nathan coughed blood, eyes disbelievingly staring at the sword before him. [Tingling Sense] hadn't been able to distinguish direction amid the barrage of Zeryn's attack.
A hand squeeze made Nathan arch backward, feeling everything going dark.
Behind him, Reza leaned in to whisper, his voice contemptible.
"Tell me. How did you make her use that seductive voice?"
Reza had finally used his ultimate skill. Water Displacement.
Comments
GhostlyVulture
I’m not sure what’s gonna happen now, but oddly enough I think it was a bad move stabbing the titan. Amazing chapter Thanks
