Comments: Chapter 1000: Gaze | Circle of Inevitability

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Jack_Nat_Mikhail

Jack_Nat_Mikhail 3 Apr 2025, 06:05

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Happy 1,000th chapter milestone!

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EmpressOfMisfortune

EmpressOfMisfortune 11 Jan 2025, 12:59

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It seemed that some dangerous entity had awakened slightly there, instantly filling the entire mirror world with a sense of terror.

So Celestial Worthy knows about what's in the mirror world in reality and it became a trauma? Does it really seal some terrifying entity?

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sleepy▶

sleepy▶ 27 Oct 2024, 16:09

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1,000 chapters behind us... Is the end of the story approaching...?

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lumayag12

lumayag12 2 Oct 2024, 17:32

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Finally, a thousand chapter

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Максим Довбняк

Максим Довбняк 2 Oct 2024, 12:24

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(128) Chapter 1012: A New Round of Hints

Intis Corporation, Administration Department.

Zhou Mingrui, dressed in a black T-shirt, walked in casually and glanced around. He said to Luo Shan: "This year is really hot. It's been hot since the beginning of the year, and there’s no sign of cooling down."

Luo Shan nodded in agreement, also praising the company’s air conditioning system. Zhou Mingrui looked around and asked:

"Luo Fu didn’t come today?"

He had wanted to contact Luo Fu today to ask why she appeared in the underground section of the Mushu hospital last night. But now, almost an hour into the workday, she still hadn’t shown up.

Luo Shan looked around cautiously and whispered, "Luo Fu wants to resign."

"She hasn’t even been working for a month! She hasn’t passed her probation yet, and she already wants to quit?" Zhou Mingrui was a bit surprised, but upon reflection, he found it understandable.

Luo Fu was the kind of mysterious person who likely didn’t come to the company just to earn a salary but had another purpose. Once that purpose was fulfilled or if she felt she couldn’t achieve it—or worse, fell into danger—she would undoubtedly resign without hesitation.

"Yes, she has some personal issues. Otherwise, who would leave such a good job?" Luo Shan spoke sincerely. "Luo Fu has already submitted her resignation, and tomorrow she’ll follow the formal process."

Luo Fu’s resignation made Luo Shan feel that she probably wouldn’t be laid off anytime soon. "She’ll come tomorrow?" Zhou Mingrui nodded thoughtfully.

He could foresee that Luo Fu’s resignation wouldn’t go smoothly. Quitting before completing even one month’s work could reflect poorly on the HR department's performance. Zhou Mingrui, however, continued to ask Luo Shan:

"How is Luo Fu now? Why did she go to Mushu hospital last night?" His tone was one of concern for a colleague.

"She’s fine now, but her emotions haven’t fully recovered." Without receiving direct "instructions," Luo Shan didn’t dare reveal too much.

She directly skipped over the latter part of his question. Seeing this, Zhou Mingrui politely smiled and said, "That’s it for my break. I’ll get back to work."

"Bye-bye," Luo Shan waved habitually.

Zhou Mingrui turned and headed toward the entrance of the administration department.

Luo Fu’s resignation made him feel the undercurrents even more strongly.

This female colleague seemed to have joined the company with him as her target. She barely got familiar with the administrative tasks but had eaten with him twice and hinted at something. Then, while he was investigating Mushu Hospital, she mysteriously appeared in the underground section of the hospital.

"Did last night’s events lead to Luo Fu’s resignation?

"What is hidden in the underground section of Mushu hospital, and why were Luo Fu and Luo Shan there?

"What exactly did Luo Fu encounter?

"Is workplace competition now resorting to supernatural methods?"

Cursing inwardly, Zhou Mingrui became more determined to find Luo Fu and ask her directly. He felt everything around him was becoming increasingly strange!

"Luo Fu and Luo Shan have both shown kindness, giving me effective hints. So why don’t they just tell me the whole truth?

"We all possess supernatural abilities, so why hide anything?

"If something is going on, we can discuss it openly. Even if I don’t fully believe them, I wouldn’t ignore it completely. I’d at least remember it and verify each point as events unfold.

"They’re not explaining everything clearly. How am I supposed to help them?

"Is this like a TV drama where a single misunderstanding could last for twenty episodes?

"Is there a reason they’re only hinting and not directly explaining? Is there some force preventing them from revealing the truth? Are others watching me?"

Zhou Mingrui unconsciously lifted his head and glanced around, but he didn’t notice anything unusual.

"Is the surveillance from a supernatural source? Could they eavesdrop even on my conversations with Luo Fu and Luo Shan?

"Luo Fu first started acting strange after Luo Shan hinted that we should speak again in two days. That was after our first meal together. During that meal, Luo Fu hinted at the existence of supernatural powers and the dangers hidden in the Assassin drink...

"Was it because she gave me those hints that things started to go wrong for her?" Zhou Mingrui returned to his workstation, sat down, and began to seriously consider how to determine if he was being watched. If surveillance existed, he needed to find ways to avoid it, stay hidden, and meet with Luo Fu and Luo Shan under safe conditions.

In the administrative department, Luo Shan picked up her phone and sent a message to "True Hidden Blade."

"Zhou Mingrui came to inquire about your situation. He wasn’t without doubts regarding last night's events, but he’s waiting for an opportunity to ask further questions."

At the headquarters of Intis Corporation, beneath the high-tech building, in an open-air parking lot, Franca, with her ponytail, was reading a WeChat message sent by Luo Shan.

Originally, she had planned to take Ludwig to wait around the Hall Film Company, ready to assist in case there were any mistakes from Dream image of Jenna. However, after thinking it over, she decided to stay close to the company instead.

Dream Jenna is a "legitimate" performer, and her acting skills are not much different from the real Jenna. She even signed a memory contract with Hall Film Company, as her dream was to become a good actress. So, as long as there wasn’t another accident like the one last night, she wouldn’t have any problems.

Furthermore, Hall Film Company has a good boss who manages everything very strictly, and the internal culture is quite decent. As long as Jenna didn’t mess with the wrong film crew, it was unlikely that she’d encounter any shady practices.

Of course, even if there were such things, Franca wasn’t worried that Dream Jenna would accept them. What she was more concerned about was Dream Jenna overreacting and being too defensive, possibly getting arrested by the police. This morning, Franca had already probed Jenna's temperament and style and felt that if Dream Jenna encountered something dirty, she would grab whatever she could find on-site and make the other party regret crossing her.

Compared to that, Luo Shan’s side was more dangerous.

The force behind last night’s accident had clearly targeted Luo Shan. If one attempt failed, another would follow. Franca didn’t want her slight negligence to lead to Luo Shan experiencing another “accident,” dying on the spot, or becoming a marionette of the Cerlestial Worthy!

After reading Luo Shan's message and hearing Ludwig munching on something, Franca pondered for a moment before typing out a text:

"You can recommend Zhou Mingrui to watch the ‘Terminator’ movie series."

Luo Shan was momentarily stunned when she received the reply.

She finally understood why Luo Fu's original story felt so familiar to her! Most of it was a metaphor for the movie!

In essence, it really was similar. Luo Shan thought for a few seconds and then opened her chat window with Zhou Mingrui:

"Recently, we've been watching some old movies, the ‘Terminator’ series. It's way better than current Hollywood films. You should revisit it sometime."

Zhou Mingrui fell into deep thought after receiving this cryptic message.

He had long forgotten most of the details of the ‘Terminator’ series, but he still remembered the core of the story.

After a while, he quietly muttered to himself:

"Could they be trying to tell me that I’m the savior?"

Downstairs, in the open-air parking lot.

Franca occasionally glanced at her phone, sometimes observing her surroundings, patiently waiting for the noontime lull.

What troubled her the most wasn’t Luo Shan’s problem, nor was it where she might let others down, but that keeping the car's AC running while waiting was not ideal.

Suddenly, someone pulled open the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Franca, having already sensed something, knew it was Lumian.

Lumian had transformed back into his male form, disguising himself enough that people wouldn’t immediately recognize him as the security guard, Li Ming.

"How did you know I was here?" Franca asked, both curious and confused. They hadn’t updated each other’s “mirror” locations yet!

Lumian smiled, raised his right hand, and pointed to his head: "It was a simple deduction."

Franca rolled her eyes: "I was just too lazy to think."

Lumian didn’t continue teasing her and instead summarized the discussion he had with his group and the Major Arcana members, focusing on the main points of Mr. "Fool's" experiences.

"A strange tale indeed..." Franca commented, feeling genuinely intrigued.

Lumian nodded slightly:

"There's one more thing: at the time, I sent Jenna and Luo Shan to ask Zhou Mingrui for help. They went to the underground area of the Mushu Hospital, and on the way, Jenna realized it was late at night. She was worried that directly contacting Zhou Mingrui would lead to more trouble, so she sent Luo Shan alone.

"Zhou Mingrui agreed to help, but after leaving the emergency room, Jenna was kicked out of Dreamscape. However, in reality, she never appeared in front of Zhou Mingrui; he didn’t even know someone like her existed."

Franca understood the implication of Lumian’s words: "Could the Cerlestial Worthy’s surveillance lock onto someone indirectly?"

"If so, when we tell Zhou Mingrui the truth, we should be prepared for someone to be kicked out of Dreamscape..."

"I was the one who sent Luo Shan and Jenna, so I was responsible, but I wasn’t kicked out of Dreamscape," Lumian added.

"Perhaps the indirect surveillance has limitations, or it’s because you had already reached the second basement level of Mushu Hospital, where something could interfere with the Cerlestial Worthy’s gaze?" Franca suggested two possibilities.

Lumian smiled:

"If the underground area of Mushu Hospital can really interfere with the Cerlestial Worthy’s gaze to some extent, we might be able to use that to our advantage at a critical moment."

This was information worth gathering. It might come in handy, or it might not, but without collecting it, they wouldn’t even have a chance to try.

Franca responded with a quiet "Mm" and picked up her phone again:

"I need to inform the Queen Mystic about the relevant details of Mirror Emperor Roselle and remind her to pay attention to Huang’s contradictory behavior."

Opening WeChat to her contact "Bernadette," Franca adjusted her tone and sent a lively message:

"Let's test your knowledge!

"Which seas are included in the Five Seas?"

Since she didn’t know if the person on the other side was the "Queen Mystic" Bernadette or the Emperor’s daughter Huang Bernie, she started with a question only an outsider would know to verify their identity.

After a while, "Bernadette" responded:

"The Sonia Sea, Fog Sea, do I need to continue?"

"Congratulations, you got it right!" Only then did Franca casually bring up the events of last night and the potential role Mirror Emperor Roselle might have played, along with their group's speculation on the cause.

After some time, "Bernadette" replied:

"I think we should discuss this in more detail. Meet me at the Cam Hoa Street No. 15 book warehouse at 2 PM."

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Максим Довбняк

Максим Довбняк 2 Oct 2024, 12:24 ➥ Максим Довбняк

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(128) Chapter 1013: The Queen's Request

Franca showed the "Queen Mystic" respond to Lumian for a moment and asked his opinion, “Should I go?”

Without hesitation, Lumian replied, “I’ll go.”

“Alright,” Franca understood Lumian’s intent.

At the moment, she had to remain completely behind the scenes, providing support. Unless a desperate opportunity arose, she would avoid confronting key figures as much as possible.

At certain times, it was preferable to send Ludwig!

Franca considered briefly before quickly typing on her screen:

“I have something important this afternoon. Can Lumina meet you on my behalf? Is that okay?”

After sending the message, Franca glanced at Lumian and added another comment:

“She knows the situation even better than I do.”

“Fine.” The "Queen Mystic" quickly responded.

Only then did Franca say to Lumian:

“You should go in a female form to meet the 'Queen Mystic.' Do not reveal your identity as security guard Li Ming. Although she’s our ally, not everything should be disclosed, especially since your identity must remain hidden.”

Last time they worked with the "Queen Mystic" to deal with Zaratulstra, Lumian had also transformed into the Demoness of Despair.

Raising his eyebrows, Lumian clicked his tongue and commented:

“It seems like ever since you almost lost control and faced a fatal situation, your intelligence has skyrocketed.”

Familiar with Lumian’s mockery, Franca retorted with a sneer:

“What does that say? It shows that I’ve always been smart, just too lazy to think sometimes. Besides, you’re not stupid either, so you can handle it.”

From the back seat, after finishing his hamburger, Ludwig raised his head in agreement, “Exactly.”

That left Franca momentarily speechless.

It didn't feel right to be agreed with by Ludwig like that...

“I’ll go buy you lunch, then check the location before meeting the 'Queen Mystic,'” Franca said with a renewed surge of emotion. With that, Lumian pushed the car door open and stepped out.

***

Two o’clock in the afternoon, No. 15 Camellia Street.

Dressed in a feminine blouse and loose trousers, with sunglasses and a mask, Lumian used the "Teleportation" method to bypass the gatekeeper and head straight into the warehouse full of books and magazines—since "Lumina" was still a wanted individual, he couldn’t enter openly.

The warehouse was empty. Lumian surveyed the neatly stacked packages and high shelves, slowly walking forward.

Suddenly, a lush scene of greenery appeared before him, with blooming flowers in a peach grove. A winding stream flowed into a towering mountain range and disappeared into a small cave.

This separated Lumian from the outside world.

Soon after, the "Queen Mystic" Bernadette emerged from the peach grove.

Her brown hair was loosely pinned up, and she wore a simple, wide-fitting white patterned shirt, tied at the waist. She exuded youthful energy, almost like a student, without raising any suspicion of being prematurely mature.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness Bernadette,” Lumian greeted her, taking off his sunglasses and mask. He still admired Emperor Roselle and naturally held great respect for the "Queen Mystic."

Bernadette nodded gently, “Good afternoon.”

She didn’t engage in small talk and instead went straight to the point:

“Tell me everything that happened last night, not just related to the Person in the Mirror.”

Lumian left out his personal transformations and certain details, starting from when Luo Shan used his “Reporter” abilities and overheard Franca and Jenna’s conversation. He discovered that he was just a projection in someone else’s dream world and continued the story, describing their return to the Mushu Hospital and how they saw Peng Deng`s roommate - Grisha through someone else’s short video, and the issue with the parrot from the painting.

The "Queen Mystic" listened in silence without interrupting or asking about details. It wasn’t until Lumian stopped that she asked:

“Is Luo Fu a transmigrator?”

The "Queen Mystic" also knew about transmigrators... Of course, in recent years, transmigrators had made their presence known through several incidents, and they might have even helped her translate the Emperor’s diary. Moreover, she had access to the Dream City of Mr. Fool... Lumian nodded:

“Yes.”

“If Luo Fu saw herself in one of those ‘cocoons’ atop the light gate, does that mean she believes all the entities in the cocoons are transmigrators?”

The "Queen Mystic" asked further.

“No doubt about it, that’s exactly what she thinks,” Lumian answered, now realizing what the "Queen Mystic" truly wanted to ask, but still cooperating with a straightforward reply.

“What about the three empty cocoons? Does she have any theories?”

The "Queen Mystic’s" youthful yet serene face remained calm.

Here it is, the real question... Lumian thought to himself, before honestly responding:

“She suspects they belong to the Ancient Sun God, Emperor Roselle, and Mr. Fool.”

Bernadette’s expression changed slightly, but she didn’t show any shock. She told Lumian:

“The Ancient Sun God likely didn’t emerge from one of those cocoons. He has a different origin.”

“Ah...” Lumian was stunned.

If the Ancient Sun God wasn’t in one of the cocoons, then who was?

Bernadette offered no further explanation, merely hinting at it.

She sighed softly:

“No wonder Mr. Fool’s dream world contains all the fairy tales and legends I’ve ever heard. No wonder those stories hold mysterious and recurring forces...”

Lumian remained silent, unsure how to respond.

Ever since joining the “Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society,” he had known how Emperor Roselle came up with his inventions, deeds, and famous quotes. After entering the Dream City, he had confirmed this.

Still, he greatly admired Roselle, believing that the emperor’s journey from mortal to divine status was an extraordinary life that few could match. Roselle had transformed the tides of the era, influenced the world, and even now, his legacy still benefited countless people. His contributions continued to change lives.

Bernadette turned slightly, gazing at the vibrant peach blossoms glowing like the rosy sky at sunset, and muttered:

"In truth, he rarely spoke to me, and those fairy tales and legends were stories he himself wrote, ones he came up with on his own.

"He mostly said, 'I took the fairy tales I heard as a child and rearranged them. I’m telling you the stories your grandmother once told me, stories that belong to us alone. These are stories from my dreams, ones that once brought me many fantasies. I hope they can make your childhood as beautiful and dreamy.'

"When he said those things, it was as if he was looking through me, reminiscing about his own childhood." Lumian suddenly smiled, lowered his head slightly, and said:

"My sister also told me some fairy tales. Whenever she told them, I had a similar feeling."

At that moment, he felt a deep connection with the "Queen Mystic."

One had a father who was a time traveler, and the other a sister who was also a time traveler. Though they were now both deceased, they still held onto a certain hope of resurrection.

The "Queen Mystic" Bernadettete glanced at Lumian and gently nodded:

"It wasn't until I entered this Dream City and lived here for a short while that I truly understood him."

"Same for me," Lumian responded with a self-deprecating smile.

The "Queen Mystic" quickly snapped out of her reflective state and said to Lumian: "I want to ask you all for help with something."

"Help for what?" Lumian was delighted. The "Queen Mystic" was silent for a few seconds before saying:

"No matter whether she is currently cooperating with the Aurora Order or jumping back to the Celestial Worthy's faction, or wavering in between, her ultimate goal is not something I wish to see or accept.

"I hesitated for a while, but today, I've finally made up my mind. We need to expel her from the Dream City as soon as possible, so she can't continue to gain any more benefits from this real Dream City. As a result, I won't be able to enter this city anymore."

"Are you thinking of acting soon, using Mirror Emperor Roselle?" Lumian suddenly understood.

He noticed that the "Queen Mystic" referred to Mirror Emperor Roselle as "she," not the typical masculine "he" used for divine figures.

"Yes," the "Queen Mystic" gave a barely noticeable nod, "I cannot expel her from the Dream City on my own, even with a sealed artifact, so I need your help."

"No problem, you provided us significant assistance with the Zaratulstra issue," Lumian immediately agreed.

Given Emperor Roselle’s uncertain stance, Lumian didn’t want to gamble on the Emperor siding with Mr. Fool and preferred to eliminate the hidden threat early.

The "Queen Mystic" added:

"I'll also reward you for your help."

There’s no need for such formality; we didn't ask for payment when dealing with Zaratulstra... Lumian was about to respond when he heard the "Queen Mystic" mention the specific amount:

"300,000."

How much? Lumian instinctively doubted his own hearing.

He suddenly realized the "Queen Mystic" was using this as an opportunity to give them money, breaking the previous limit of three thousand gold coins.

Does this mean the "Queen Mystic" has truly made up her mind to prepare for being expelled from the Dream City for the third time? Lumian probed:

"When do you plan to act?"

"As soon as possible," Bernadette replied tersely. Lumian thought for a moment and said:

"Let's do it tomorrow afternoon between three and four."

"And at 2:30 PM tomorrow, I’ll go to the Star Dream Provisions Store to rent an item that may prove useful after the expulsion of Mirror Emperor Roselle's in Dream City and dealing with the potential changes brought by Zhou Sasa entering the city.

"Zhou Sasa will arrive at Yang Du City by high-speed rail the day after tomorrow at noon."

Lumian hoped to rent an item that could be used twice, both for expelling Mirror Emperor Roselle’s from the Dream City and for dealing with Zhou Sasa's potential influence.

"Agreed."

The "Queen Mystic" didn’t linger on the matter. After thinking for a moment, she added:

"If Father and the others have already become Celestial Worthy marionettes and Lu Yong'an has discovered your Child of God status, then you must be on guard against them suddenly taking action against Li Keji, cutting off the last hope of healing An Xiaotian."

Upon hearing this, Lumian suddenly became highly alert. Right!

After what happened last night, whether the Celestial Worthy intended to eliminate the hidden threat or the 'Great Mother' wanted to maintain balance, Li Keji was likely to become a major target!

Lumian originally planned to visit Li Keji tonight when everything was quiet, to see if the mushroom met the requirements.

But now, it seemed he had to go immediately!

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  TempestUknow
  
  TempestUknow 2 Oct 2024, 13:50 ➥ Максим Довбняк
  
  + 10 ⋅ 0 -
  
  small nitpicks but roselle's reflection could be written as mirror roselle and bernadette gave the offer of 300,000 coins
  
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  WebnovelSlave
  
  WebnovelSlave 2 Oct 2024, 14:00 ➥ Максим Довбняк
  
  + 15 ⋅ 0 -
  
  while all this is happening, a certain monocle man is delivering people to their destinations and that worries me, what else is that guy up to...
  
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    Broker
    
    Broker 2 Oct 2024, 14:18 ➥ WebnovelSlave
    
    + 3 ⋅ 0 -
    
    they definitely overlooked Amon, eventhough Lumian conclude their was someone who mediated with mirror Roselle behind the scenes he failed to connect it to Amon, he saw Amon interacting with mirror Roselle by the end of vol 5 or am I seeing the wrong picture hmm 🤔
    
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      Error404
      
      Error404 2 Oct 2024, 14:22 ➥ Broker
      
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      
      Lumian know that Mirror Roselle is connected to Adam and Amon was working for Adam.
      
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        Broker
        
        Broker 2 Oct 2024, 14:53 ➥ Error404
        
        + 3 ⋅ 0 -
        
        but he never said the name of Amon directly, maybe he has the name in back of mind...
        
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  Broker
  
  Broker 2 Oct 2024, 14:14 ➥ Максим Довбняк
  
  + 6 ⋅ 0 -
  
  Ludwig is the smartest one
  
  will queen mistic decision affect zhou somehow, let's see...
  
  Lumian overlooked Frank lee here, scary.
  
  thanks for the chapters
  
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astront1553

astront1553 2 Oct 2024, 14:39 ➥ Максим Довбняк

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Zhou Mingrui fell into deep thought after receiving this cryptic message.

He had long forgotten most of the details of the ‘Terminator’ series, but he still remembered the core of the story.

After a while, he quietly muttered to himself:

"Could they be trying to tell me that I’m the savior?"

Damn, he really catched that hint fast!

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  Lacye
  
  Lacye 4 Oct 2024, 14:10 ➥ astront1553
  
  + 3 ⋅ 0 -
  
  as expected from our klein. Always so clever.
  
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Livario

Livario 2 Oct 2024, 16:11 ➥ Максим Довбняк

+ 2 ⋅ 0 -

Many "persons" said that Klein must be on Hunter pathway. At Seq 9-8 it similar with Demoness pathway, so I think we can see what happened if Klein was on Hunter pathway and he so insightful, that I can compere him Medici, but without "His" knowledges

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