ULTRAMagic Chaos - Chapter 9
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Following dinner, the group spent the rest of the night talking with Kleitos. He certainly had a lot to discuss, given his domains as a Discordant God. While the focus of the conversation was Wulfric, they eventually drifted over to talking about this and that. Their lengthy chat made Kleitos think that night. He thought long and hard about where he stood at the moment, so much so that it nearly kept him up all night. There was a lot on his plate as he had to tend to his realm and deal with the threat that the rogue gods aligned with The Eternal Order posed. If they were going to go around spreading lies and fear, then his best option was to counter that with truth and knowledge.
That epiphany caused Kleitos to wake up with a spring in his step the next morning (even though he was still a bit tired). After finishing his first daily routine, he went to see Tusk and the others off. “Everyone? I’d like to make an announcement” he said once he approached the group at the entrance to his castle.
Maxima looked very interested. “Go ahead and speak, Lord Kleitos.”
Percival took a breath to relax his nerves. “I already have an idea…” he muttered with a soft chuckle.
“I shall be officially withdrawing my support of Wulfric’s ambitions!” Klietos looked quite fulfilled over that.
“Yup, I knew it…”
Tusk and Razor high fived. “One down, three to go!” Tusk celebrated.
Kleitos turned to Percival. “Well no one said you can’t go tell the arbiters the good news and see if they need any help. I know I certainly didn’t.”
Percival laughed and straightened out his robes. “As you wish, my lord.”
The conversation was paused when Dragutin landed near everyone. Mayhem hopped off and happily strolled on over to the group. “Happy days, everyone! Percival, Dragutin would be more than happy to take you to Droomopolis and save you the walk.”
“Thank you, Mayhem, Dragutin. That is quite the honor.”
“A good day it is,” Dragutin declared as Percival got up on his back. “My kin will be thrilled to return to your realm, Kleitos. It’s been too long since my family last perused your libraries.”
Kleitos danced around a little, eager to hear that. “Yes, indeed. Percival, let Droomopolis know that they are welcome to explore my realm again, if they feel they can handle my vast wealth of knowledge, that is, haha!”
“Will do, my lord,” Percival replied, followed by Dragutin flapping his wings and taking off.
Mayhem turned to Kleitos. “So what changed your mind, great lord of knowledge?”
“A little reflection and realization. Wulfric doesn’t need a tactician, the Cosmos needs a teacher…”
He nodded. “Ah, so you’re taking up the pen instead of the sword?”
“Precisely, my young devil! Instead of mindlessly pursuing the rogue gods of The Eternal Order, I shall cultivate the intellect of all those who ask me for help. And if everything works out in our favor, we won’t even have to pick up a sword in the first place.” Everyone could feel Kleitos’ presence radiating ambition and optimism.
“Just remember that things rarely go according to plan,” Tusk pointed out.
“Very true, Mr. Willfort. There will certainly be bumps in the road, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there…” One of Kleitos’ librarians appeared and handed Tusk a travel-sized case of books. “Here, for you, Randalph, and Maxima.”
“Oh, thanks, Kleitos,” Tusk replied. “Were you listening in on us the other night?” The god nodded with a smile.
“Thank you very much, Lord Kleitos,” Maxima replied. “Before we leave, you wouldn’t mind if my sisters visited your castle, would you?”
Kleitos shook Maxima’s hand. “Send the whole pantheon my way. I’d love to meet them.”
And with that, the group began their trip back to Droomopolis. Tusk had a fair deal of anxiety before he had left for the Realm of Chaos, similar to what he had felt prior to leaving for the Basalt Monolith Forest. While he was somewhat relieved by how well things went with Kleitos, he knew Wulfric and Delphine would require a bit more convincing. Still, that meeting left him feeling very optimistic.
Mayhem noticed Tusk was a bit lost in thought as they entered the city. “What troubles you, Tusk? Is it the rest of the Discordant Gods?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I’m figuring Driskoll is up next and I am looking forward to it, but after that it’s going to be a wild ride.”
Razor had caught the bit about Driskoll and found it odd. “What was that one part, Tusk? About Driskoll?”
Mayhem answered before anyone could speak. “Even back in the day, Driskoll was never fully on board with Wulfric’s war.”
Tusk nodded. “Less than Kleitos, believe it or not. As for me, I became friends with him after wandering into his realm while I was training under Ealdhelm. Driskoll is a lot more calm than Kleitos, but is just as philosophical, if not moreso.”
“So another chill one?” Razor inquired.
“Absolutely.”
He sighed. “Alright then…”
Mayhem laughed. “Don’t worry, Delphine’s realm should provide the thrills you seek.”
Upon making it back to the monastery, the group was welcomed by Ealdhelm and Cyneberht. The other arbiters were talking to Percival, barring Wynnstan, who was off in his laboratory. Maxima took the books from Kleitos and went to find Randalph. Mizuki went off to read, leaving just Tusk, Razor, and Mayhem.
“I take it you had a good trip to the realm of knowledge, aye, Tusk?” Ealdhelm asked.
“You could say that,” he answered. “Don’t worry about Glitter Robes, he’s being kept busy.”
Ealdhelm sighed. “Disappointing, but I can’t say I had any faith in that one.”
“Ealdhelm, we have an update on the Redmoon Assassins,” said Cyneberht.
“The ones who went to Delphine’s realm? What of them?”
“They’re currently indulging in the ecstasies of her realm.”
Ealdhelm groaned and facepalmed. “Tusk, I’m starting to think we should’ve just called in you and your friends in the first place. The only thing that stopped us was several concerns we had for Blood-Wraith.” Razor laughed at this, but Tusk was a bit nervous. It did not help that Ultimatum was nowhere to be found.
“Well when you call on random people for help, you’re bound to get the rabble at some point,” Mayhem pointed out. “Very few of these recruits would have had the grit to fight in The Rampage Wars that ravaged my universe’s Inferno so long ago.”
“I’ve read about that conflict,” Tusk stated. “The idea of 13th dimensionals entering the Cosmos like that is terrifying. And it’s funny you mention it, given who Wulfric is currently targeting…” He then had a realization. “SHOOT! What day is it!?”
Cyneberht knew what was going on. “It is indeed the day of the knighthood ceremony.”
“DAMN IT!” Tusk cursed. “Ealdhelm, I need a portal to The Iron City, fast!”
He snapped his fingers, summoning a chaotic mass of orange energy the shape of a giant mirror. “Go lad, go! And give Englehart and the others our regards.”
“Will do. Be back later, guys!” Tusk said as he entered the portal, with it closing behind him.
Adelheid stepped into the courtyard a second later. “What unfortunate timing. I wanted to speak with him.”
Ealdhelm chuckled. “He’ll be back. Blood-Wraith is being knighted after all.”
“It’s a shame we can’t go as I would love to see The Iron City in its current state” Cyneberht reminisced. He then noticed something behind one of the trees. “If you’re looking for your uncle, he just left.”
Razor saw who it was and smiled. “Hey, Auda! What are you doing here?”
She walked over to the group with a slight spring in her step. “Hey, Razor. I just came to bop Uncle on the head for nearly missing the ceremony.”
Ealdhelm held out his hand for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Auda. Welcome to the Arbiter Monastery.”
Auda shook his hand. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too, Ealdhelm.” She then darted around, studying anything that caught her interest. “Wow, this place is amazing. No wonder Uncle and Grandpa are so strong…”
“Would you like to be as strong as your family members some day?” Ealdhelm asked.
Auda had picked up a rock, looked at the insects under it, and set it back down. “I don’t know. I’d love to join Mr. Fire’s guild, but I’m not sure if my parents would let me. I kind of pushed it after sneaking off to go to that labyrinth place.”
Cyneberht chuckled. “Goodness, The Magician’s Labyrinth? It would be a shame not to foster that bravery and urge to explore.”
“Agreed,” Eadhelmed concurred. “I’d imagine they’d be fine with Auda training here once the Discordant Gods are all squared away.”
Adelheid clapped with an encouraging laugh. “Perhaps a letter of recommendation is in order to assuage their worries?”
“A good idea, dear. We should wait for the conflict to end, but the headwind Tusk and company just made gives me the confidence that it will be finished in no time. Cyneberht, you have a way with words. Could you write this letter?”
“I’d be more than happy to, Ealdhelm,” Cyneberht agreed, heading off in the direction of his quarters.
With that taken care of, Auda turned her attention to Mayhem. She studied him, pacing around him multiple times. He was such an interesting person. Auda had little exposure to demons, so this one was especially fascinating. And the chaos within him? It got her imagination going and made her want to know more.
Mayhem chuckled with a dash of nervousness in his voice. “Can I help you, Ms. Willfort?”
She giggled. “You’re cool. What’s your name?”
“Highland, Mayhem Highland.” He then popped his head off, with his body morphing into bouncing fireballs. They all jumped around, making Auda laugh. “Be careful not to lose your head” he said as his head landed back on his body. “For I am quite the wild card.” The others clapped.
Auda was nodding enthusiastically, taking it all in. “What kind of magic is that?”
“It is my own, as I came up with it to face the Cosmos head on.”
“Can you teach me?” Auda asked with a gleam in her eyes.
Mayhem thought for a second. “Perhaps. You may need ULTRAMagic, as this is not conventional magic.”
Auda turned away to think, followed by an excited little dance. “I’ll do it, Mayhem!”
He clapped. “There you go, you’ve taken the first step! My magic requires hard work and determination, and you clearly have the latter.”
Ealdhelm laughed, having a dose of nostalgia. “You should start out by talking to your grandfather, Auda. He’ll get you started on the right path.”
“Will do, Ealdhelm!” she replied.
Adelheid could not help but smile. “And the great thing is that you won’t have The Lich bearing down upon you. I’d hate to see that happen again, especially to one as pretty as you, Auda.”
She giggled again. “Thank you. I don’t have to worry about Deimos, as he’ll probably help me out.”
“Very good. If you do go through with this, I could potentially teach you medical magic, if you wish.”
Auda thought about it. “Hum, then I could heal Mr. Fire if he gets hurt…”
“Auda, sweetie?” a familiar voice called out. “I know you’re here, dear…”
She darted behind Ealdhelm, causing him to laugh again. “Uh oh, grandma’s here,” Auda pointed out.
Razor also laughed. “Well don’t hide behind him…”
Thora approached the group. “Auda, we’re going to be late. Also you don’t want to worry your parents again, do you?”
“I know. Sorry, grandma,” Auda admitted as she went to her side.
Thora chuckled. “The little tyke used the chaos gate and everything. Good to see you again, Ealdhelm.”
“It’s been too long, Thora. How are Sigmund and the others doing?”
“Fantastic, especially since Tusk and Blood took care of that foolish Lich. Speaking of Blood, that boy is shaking like a furless cat right now,” Thora said with a laugh.
Adelheid stepped over and shook Thora’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Thora. Tusk has been doing a fantastic job thus far.”
“That’s good to hear. And it’s an honor to meet you, Discordant Blood.” Thora then turned to Razor. “Have any crazy encounters yet, Mainchín?” she asked with a smile.
“Mrs. Willfort, please,” he said with a laugh. “It’s definitely been interesting.”
She gave him a hug. “Stick with Tusk and Ealdhelm and you’ll be fine. Alright, Auda, let’s head back. We don’t want to miss Blood being knighted.”
“Right! Bye, everyone.”
Following a round of goodbyes, Ealdhelm snapped his fingers and opened another portal. Adelheid chuckled after it shut. “The Willforts are certainly a charming bunch. I’ll have to give Tusk my utmost apologies when I see him again.”
“Well when this is all said and done we can invite them to dinner sometime,” Ealdhelm proposed.
Razor nodded. “Definitely. Chief Sigmund makes the best beef-vegetable stews.”
“No surprise there considering Osbeorn taught him how to cook. You could learn from him too if you want, Razor.”
“Thank you, Ealdhelm. That’d be great.”
Mayhem chuckled to himself. “You could learn alongside Wynnstan, of which Osbeorn is trying to discipline.”
Ealdhelm laughed once more. “True, Mayhem. Perhaps having a partner would get the lad to focus, as a rival would encourage him to keep bettering himself.”
A soft explosion went off, causing Razor to sweat a little. “Well hey, can’t be any worse than what we’re doing now. Just have Osbeorn let me know when he’s free.”
Next: Chapter 10
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
Following dinner, the group spent the rest of the night talking with Kleitos. He certainly had a lot to discuss, given his domains as a Discordant God. While the focus of the conversation was Wulfric, they eventually drifted over to talking about this and that. Their lengthy chat made Kleitos think that night. He thought long and hard about where he stood at the moment, so much so that it nearly kept him up all night. There was a lot on his plate as he had to tend to his realm and deal with the threat that the rogue gods aligned with The Eternal Order posed. If they were going to go around spreading lies and fear, then his best option was to counter that with truth and knowledge.
That epiphany caused Kleitos to wake up with a spring in his step the next morning (even though he was still a bit tired). After finishing his first daily routine, he went to see Tusk and the others off. “Everyone? I’d like to make an announcement” he said once he approached the group at the entrance to his castle.
Maxima looked very interested. “Go ahead and speak, Lord Kleitos.”
Percival took a breath to relax his nerves. “I already have an idea…” he muttered with a soft chuckle.
“I shall be officially withdrawing my support of Wulfric’s ambitions!” Klietos looked quite fulfilled over that.
“Yup, I knew it…”
Tusk and Razor high fived. “One down, three to go!” Tusk celebrated.
Kleitos turned to Percival. “Well no one said you can’t go tell the arbiters the good news and see if they need any help. I know I certainly didn’t.”
Percival laughed and straightened out his robes. “As you wish, my lord.”
The conversation was paused when Dragutin landed near everyone. Mayhem hopped off and happily strolled on over to the group. “Happy days, everyone! Percival, Dragutin would be more than happy to take you to Droomopolis and save you the walk.”
“Thank you, Mayhem, Dragutin. That is quite the honor.”
“A good day it is,” Dragutin declared as Percival got up on his back. “My kin will be thrilled to return to your realm, Kleitos. It’s been too long since my family last perused your libraries.”
Kleitos danced around a little, eager to hear that. “Yes, indeed. Percival, let Droomopolis know that they are welcome to explore my realm again, if they feel they can handle my vast wealth of knowledge, that is, haha!”
“Will do, my lord,” Percival replied, followed by Dragutin flapping his wings and taking off.
Mayhem turned to Kleitos. “So what changed your mind, great lord of knowledge?”
“A little reflection and realization. Wulfric doesn’t need a tactician, the Cosmos needs a teacher…”
He nodded. “Ah, so you’re taking up the pen instead of the sword?”
“Precisely, my young devil! Instead of mindlessly pursuing the rogue gods of The Eternal Order, I shall cultivate the intellect of all those who ask me for help. And if everything works out in our favor, we won’t even have to pick up a sword in the first place.” Everyone could feel Kleitos’ presence radiating ambition and optimism.
“Just remember that things rarely go according to plan,” Tusk pointed out.
“Very true, Mr. Willfort. There will certainly be bumps in the road, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there…” One of Kleitos’ librarians appeared and handed Tusk a travel-sized case of books. “Here, for you, Randalph, and Maxima.”
“Oh, thanks, Kleitos,” Tusk replied. “Were you listening in on us the other night?” The god nodded with a smile.
“Thank you very much, Lord Kleitos,” Maxima replied. “Before we leave, you wouldn’t mind if my sisters visited your castle, would you?”
Kleitos shook Maxima’s hand. “Send the whole pantheon my way. I’d love to meet them.”
And with that, the group began their trip back to Droomopolis. Tusk had a fair deal of anxiety before he had left for the Realm of Chaos, similar to what he had felt prior to leaving for the Basalt Monolith Forest. While he was somewhat relieved by how well things went with Kleitos, he knew Wulfric and Delphine would require a bit more convincing. Still, that meeting left him feeling very optimistic.
Mayhem noticed Tusk was a bit lost in thought as they entered the city. “What troubles you, Tusk? Is it the rest of the Discordant Gods?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I’m figuring Driskoll is up next and I am looking forward to it, but after that it’s going to be a wild ride.”
Razor had caught the bit about Driskoll and found it odd. “What was that one part, Tusk? About Driskoll?”
Mayhem answered before anyone could speak. “Even back in the day, Driskoll was never fully on board with Wulfric’s war.”
Tusk nodded. “Less than Kleitos, believe it or not. As for me, I became friends with him after wandering into his realm while I was training under Ealdhelm. Driskoll is a lot more calm than Kleitos, but is just as philosophical, if not moreso.”
“So another chill one?” Razor inquired.
“Absolutely.”
He sighed. “Alright then…”
Mayhem laughed. “Don’t worry, Delphine’s realm should provide the thrills you seek.”
Upon making it back to the monastery, the group was welcomed by Ealdhelm and Cyneberht. The other arbiters were talking to Percival, barring Wynnstan, who was off in his laboratory. Maxima took the books from Kleitos and went to find Randalph. Mizuki went off to read, leaving just Tusk, Razor, and Mayhem.
“I take it you had a good trip to the realm of knowledge, aye, Tusk?” Ealdhelm asked.
“You could say that,” he answered. “Don’t worry about Glitter Robes, he’s being kept busy.”
Ealdhelm sighed. “Disappointing, but I can’t say I had any faith in that one.”
“Ealdhelm, we have an update on the Redmoon Assassins,” said Cyneberht.
“The ones who went to Delphine’s realm? What of them?”
“They’re currently indulging in the ecstasies of her realm.”
Ealdhelm groaned and facepalmed. “Tusk, I’m starting to think we should’ve just called in you and your friends in the first place. The only thing that stopped us was several concerns we had for Blood-Wraith.” Razor laughed at this, but Tusk was a bit nervous. It did not help that Ultimatum was nowhere to be found.
“Well when you call on random people for help, you’re bound to get the rabble at some point,” Mayhem pointed out. “Very few of these recruits would have had the grit to fight in The Rampage Wars that ravaged my universe’s Inferno so long ago.”
“I’ve read about that conflict,” Tusk stated. “The idea of 13th dimensionals entering the Cosmos like that is terrifying. And it’s funny you mention it, given who Wulfric is currently targeting…” He then had a realization. “SHOOT! What day is it!?”
Cyneberht knew what was going on. “It is indeed the day of the knighthood ceremony.”
“DAMN IT!” Tusk cursed. “Ealdhelm, I need a portal to The Iron City, fast!”
He snapped his fingers, summoning a chaotic mass of orange energy the shape of a giant mirror. “Go lad, go! And give Englehart and the others our regards.”
“Will do. Be back later, guys!” Tusk said as he entered the portal, with it closing behind him.
Adelheid stepped into the courtyard a second later. “What unfortunate timing. I wanted to speak with him.”
Ealdhelm chuckled. “He’ll be back. Blood-Wraith is being knighted after all.”
“It’s a shame we can’t go as I would love to see The Iron City in its current state” Cyneberht reminisced. He then noticed something behind one of the trees. “If you’re looking for your uncle, he just left.”
Razor saw who it was and smiled. “Hey, Auda! What are you doing here?”
She walked over to the group with a slight spring in her step. “Hey, Razor. I just came to bop Uncle on the head for nearly missing the ceremony.”
Ealdhelm held out his hand for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Auda. Welcome to the Arbiter Monastery.”
Auda shook his hand. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too, Ealdhelm.” She then darted around, studying anything that caught her interest. “Wow, this place is amazing. No wonder Uncle and Grandpa are so strong…”
“Would you like to be as strong as your family members some day?” Ealdhelm asked.
Auda had picked up a rock, looked at the insects under it, and set it back down. “I don’t know. I’d love to join Mr. Fire’s guild, but I’m not sure if my parents would let me. I kind of pushed it after sneaking off to go to that labyrinth place.”
Cyneberht chuckled. “Goodness, The Magician’s Labyrinth? It would be a shame not to foster that bravery and urge to explore.”
“Agreed,” Eadhelmed concurred. “I’d imagine they’d be fine with Auda training here once the Discordant Gods are all squared away.”
Adelheid clapped with an encouraging laugh. “Perhaps a letter of recommendation is in order to assuage their worries?”
“A good idea, dear. We should wait for the conflict to end, but the headwind Tusk and company just made gives me the confidence that it will be finished in no time. Cyneberht, you have a way with words. Could you write this letter?”
“I’d be more than happy to, Ealdhelm,” Cyneberht agreed, heading off in the direction of his quarters.
With that taken care of, Auda turned her attention to Mayhem. She studied him, pacing around him multiple times. He was such an interesting person. Auda had little exposure to demons, so this one was especially fascinating. And the chaos within him? It got her imagination going and made her want to know more.
Mayhem chuckled with a dash of nervousness in his voice. “Can I help you, Ms. Willfort?”
She giggled. “You’re cool. What’s your name?”
“Highland, Mayhem Highland.” He then popped his head off, with his body morphing into bouncing fireballs. They all jumped around, making Auda laugh. “Be careful not to lose your head” he said as his head landed back on his body. “For I am quite the wild card.” The others clapped.
Auda was nodding enthusiastically, taking it all in. “What kind of magic is that?”
“It is my own, as I came up with it to face the Cosmos head on.”
“Can you teach me?” Auda asked with a gleam in her eyes.
Mayhem thought for a second. “Perhaps. You may need ULTRAMagic, as this is not conventional magic.”
Auda turned away to think, followed by an excited little dance. “I’ll do it, Mayhem!”
He clapped. “There you go, you’ve taken the first step! My magic requires hard work and determination, and you clearly have the latter.”
Ealdhelm laughed, having a dose of nostalgia. “You should start out by talking to your grandfather, Auda. He’ll get you started on the right path.”
“Will do, Ealdhelm!” she replied.
Adelheid could not help but smile. “And the great thing is that you won’t have The Lich bearing down upon you. I’d hate to see that happen again, especially to one as pretty as you, Auda.”
She giggled again. “Thank you. I don’t have to worry about Deimos, as he’ll probably help me out.”
“Very good. If you do go through with this, I could potentially teach you medical magic, if you wish.”
Auda thought about it. “Hum, then I could heal Mr. Fire if he gets hurt…”
“Auda, sweetie?” a familiar voice called out. “I know you’re here, dear…”
She darted behind Ealdhelm, causing him to laugh again. “Uh oh, grandma’s here,” Auda pointed out.
Razor also laughed. “Well don’t hide behind him…”
Thora approached the group. “Auda, we’re going to be late. Also you don’t want to worry your parents again, do you?”
“I know. Sorry, grandma,” Auda admitted as she went to her side.
Thora chuckled. “The little tyke used the chaos gate and everything. Good to see you again, Ealdhelm.”
“It’s been too long, Thora. How are Sigmund and the others doing?”
“Fantastic, especially since Tusk and Blood took care of that foolish Lich. Speaking of Blood, that boy is shaking like a furless cat right now,” Thora said with a laugh.
Adelheid stepped over and shook Thora’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Thora. Tusk has been doing a fantastic job thus far.”
“That’s good to hear. And it’s an honor to meet you, Discordant Blood.” Thora then turned to Razor. “Have any crazy encounters yet, Mainchín?” she asked with a smile.
“Mrs. Willfort, please,” he said with a laugh. “It’s definitely been interesting.”
She gave him a hug. “Stick with Tusk and Ealdhelm and you’ll be fine. Alright, Auda, let’s head back. We don’t want to miss Blood being knighted.”
“Right! Bye, everyone.”
Following a round of goodbyes, Ealdhelm snapped his fingers and opened another portal. Adelheid chuckled after it shut. “The Willforts are certainly a charming bunch. I’ll have to give Tusk my utmost apologies when I see him again.”
“Well when this is all said and done we can invite them to dinner sometime,” Ealdhelm proposed.
Razor nodded. “Definitely. Chief Sigmund makes the best beef-vegetable stews.”
“No surprise there considering Osbeorn taught him how to cook. You could learn from him too if you want, Razor.”
“Thank you, Ealdhelm. That’d be great.”
Mayhem chuckled to himself. “You could learn alongside Wynnstan, of which Osbeorn is trying to discipline.”
Ealdhelm laughed once more. “True, Mayhem. Perhaps having a partner would get the lad to focus, as a rival would encourage him to keep bettering himself.”
A soft explosion went off, causing Razor to sweat a little. “Well hey, can’t be any worse than what we’re doing now. Just have Osbeorn let me know when he’s free.”
Next: Chapter 10
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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