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Chapter 1086: Shared Pain
Shadow Slave

There was some rustling inside the tent, and then Kai emerged from it, looking as handsome and dazzling as ever. No... even more so.

Sunny's face became a little dull. His friend had reached borderline criminal levels of attractiveness after becoming a Master, mesmerizing most mundane humans by simply appearing in front of them, but Sunny had thought that a couple of months in the mud and muck of Antarctica would rub some of that glamour off.

However, he had been sorely mistaken.

If anything, Kai only became more captivating. His natural charm had acquired a hint of reserved military valiance, becoming more subdued, but also much more arresting. His green eyes were still as electric as ever, but now, there was a quiet, almost melancholic depth to them that made one deeply desire to comfort and console the young man. Those eyes were nothing short of compelling.

Kai smiled, making all three of them - Sunny, Effie, and Jet - hold their breaths for a moment. "Sunny! Ascended Jet. It is so good to see you."

Even his voice was like a soothing melody.

'That bastard...' Sunny wasn't even angry about how stunning his friend was. What really disheartened him was what Kai was wearing.

The archer was clad in a beautiful suit of ivory armor that seemed to be made out of impregnable scales, with a few insets of burnished bronze blazing between them with reflected sunlight. It was tied at the waist by a sash of burnt umber color, which emphasized the rich auburn splendor of his hair.

The armor was made of dragon scales, and was a Transcendent Memory Kai had received after slaying the Ivory Dragon Sevirax.

Both Effie and Kai had come into possession of a Transcendent Armor in the Second Nightmare.

...Sunny used to have an armor like that, too, which he had gotten for killing Solvane for the first time. But, of course, it had been destroyed by Goliath.

And now he was the only person of the three without one!

'Ah, that really grinds my gears...' Sunny winced, but was then distracted from his resigned self-pity by Jet, who smiled and stretched her hand out for a handshake. "Ascended Nightingale. I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you before.

Indeed, this was the first time the two of them met. Sunny glanced at Soul Reaper bleakly. 'At least she is not a fangirl. Like someone I know...'

Still... Jet had not even tried to shake Effie's hand. What was up with that?

The four of them exchanged a few words and headed for a larger tent that stood nearby, serving as the improvised strategy room for the small army. As they walked, Sunny briefly clasped forearm with Kai. "How are you doing?"

After the... the things he had experienced in Falcon Scott, Sunny held a somewhat different view of the charming archer, and of what his friend had shared with him in the Sanctuary of Noctis.

Back then, he knew that Kai was deeply hurt by what had transpired in the Ivory City, both physically and mentally. He had been a centurion who led soldiers into a war against Solvane's zealots, only to watch his soldiers die and disappear in the flames of the dragon... and then be crippled by those flames himself.

Sunny had thought that the pain of defeat and becoming a cripple was what haunted his friend the most. But after experiencing the burden... and privilege... of being in command, and learning how it felt to watch his people die...

Now, he thought differently.

Kai smiled softly. "I am doing well. Thank you for asking, Sunny... but I really am. I... feel like I'm in the right place."

Sunny nodded, thinking that he understood. Kai had always had these naive notions of what was right and wrong, and what a good person was meant to do with the power all Awakened possessed. For someone like him, coming to Antarctica was, perhaps, a very sincere endeavor.

He glanced at Effie. Come to think of it, the merry huntress had lost people in the Nightmare, too. She watched all the other girls perish under the ruthless training methods of the War Maidens, powerless to save any of them.

Even Cassie had experienced powerlessness and loss, with all the other priestesses and people of the Night Temple - including her cherished mentor, the One in the North - ending up slaughtered by Mordret..

All of them had felt it.

...Did Nephis feel the same? Probably not. But then again, no one knew what she had lived through in the Second Nightmare. Changing Star was strangely reticent about that particular ordeal.

They entered the tent, gathering around a fold-out table that had a small holographic projector placed on it. A topographical map of the area was projected into the air, with their location and the last known whereabouts of the Skull Centipede marked on it in red.

Sunny, however, paid it no attention, still lost in his thoughts. After a while, he shook them off and honed in on the conversation.

Kai was speaking. "...there is simply no other path. The creature will definitely try to cross the river near the ford, and so, that is where we will ambush it."

Jet shook her head. "You are mistaken. It is large enough to ford the river anywhere. Its minions don't breathe, so they can simply walk along the bottom and crawl out of the water on the other side. The current is nowhere near strong enough to be an obstacle for them."

The charming archer sighed, then nodded. "That is correct. Which was why I said near the ford, not directly using the ford... the landscape is going to push the Tyrant into this general area, but we have no way of knowing where exactly it will enter the river."

Sunny frowned, already sensing where this was going. "So... what is the plan, then?"

Effie chuckled. "Well, what else? Since we don't know where it's going, we'll just have to make sure that it comes to where we want it to come."

Sunny let out a resigned sigh. "...So, who is going to be the bait?"

Effie awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I mean... you don't have to, if you don't want to..."

He remained silent for a moment, then scoffed.

Kai smiled a little. "Honestly, it can be any of us. Oh... I'm sorry, Master Jet, I'm afraid I'm not entirely familiar with your capabilities. What I meant to say was that Effie, Sunny, and I all have ways of making sure that we survive leading the creature to the ambush. So, any of us three can go."

Sunny slowly shook his head. "No... I'll go. I have to contribute at an earlier stage of the battle. Because I might not be of much use at the later stage."

It was true. With how close Sunny was to forming the fifth core, chances were that he would pass the threshold right in the middle of a furious melee. If that happened, he would have to struggle to simply stay alive... as for being useful, he was not sure if he'd be able to do anything at all.

Shadow Slave

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mmorpg771

mmorpg771 17 Aug 2023, 04:50

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can someone tell me where to find the privilege chapters for free

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Xtro_1

Xtro_1 16 Aug 2023, 21:37

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1087
The pallid centipede was slithering across a desolate landscape, followed by an army of abominable bone creatures. Its massive body tore forward, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The ground was pierced and upturned by its thousand sharp legs, the ancient boulders shattered, the brooks of clear water spoiled with and turned into streams of poison.

Soon, a wide river appeared in the distance. The ghastly tyrant did not slow down, continuing its ruinous advance. Then, however...

The monstrous centipede slowed down.

Its appalling head swiveled, rising into the air. Its harrowing maw opened. The branches of the dead trees that served as the creature's horns swayed lightly in the wind.

The wind had brought with it a strange sound.

The distant weeping of a flute.

The centipede lingered for a few moments, then suddenly changed direction, lunging toward the source of the discordant sound. It did not have eyes, but the black eye sockets of the countless skulls forming its carapace seemed to radiate dark, ineffable malice.

The Corrupted Tyrant pursued the source of the simple melody. However, the flute player remained elusive like a ghost. Sometimes, the creature seemed to draw near the player, but he always managed to slip away at the last moment. All it found were empty shadows.

However, at some point, the pursuit came to an end.

The hideous centipede had almost reached the river by that point. In front of it was a natural ford formed by a line of enormous boulders, with only their tops emerging from the water. On the opposite side of the river, a lone human was sitting cross-legged on a stone, playing a strange emerald flute.

It was a young man with pale skin and dark hair, wearing a tunic of black silk.

Sunny did not pay any attention to the harrowing centipede and continued to play the flute. His fingers moved nimbly, but the melody he created was... pretty rough, to say the least.

He sighed.

'I thought I improved... but maybe not...'

On the other shore, the Tyrant froze for a second, then rushed forward. The creature dove into the river, raising a towering wave, and its soldiers followed. Some of the bone abominations jumped heavily across the boulders, most simply dove into the cold water after their ruler.

Sunny waited for a moment, then dismissed the Bone Singer and looked at the sky. The sun was still visible, but since it was close to the horizon, its light was dim.

As he watched, several things happened at the same time.

First, a series of explosions thundered, demolishing the boulders of the ford. Giant fountains of water rose into the air. Second, hundreds of human figures rose from the trenches dug higher up the slope. Third, a barrage of artillery shells and tungsten rounds descended upon the bone abominations from beyond the hills.

The creatures shuddered, but resisted the mundane implements of war. Their progress, however, was slowed.

That was when the Awakened attacked.

Numerous enchanted arrows and magical projectiles rained on the soldiers of the Skull Centipede's army. This time, the damage was apparent.

A hulking creature that had just fallen into the river exploded into hundreds of bone fragments. Another lost a limb. Yet another one was suddenly covered by a layer of sizzling amber liquid that corroded the bones, eating through them like acid... and more, much more.

But that was just the start. Even though that initial salvo destroyed dozens of dreadful abominations, there were many hundreds of them left. 𝑛𝗈𝑣𝑒𝓁𝐍𝐞xt.𝒸𝔬𝗆

There was the Tyrant itself, as well.

A beautiful figure that seemed to be cast of steel appeared on the slope in front of the trenches, wielding a spear and a large round shield. Her voice boomed across the battlefield, filling the hearts of the soldiers with maddened fervor:

"Wolves! Prepare! For war!"

Sunny turned his head and glanced at Effie, feeling his blood boil from her battle cry. As he did, a strange thing happened... he suddenly felt exhilarating power rush into his body. It was as though he was suddenly as mighty as a ferocious beast, as resilient as a granite wall, and as sharp as a steel sword.

And that was not just a feeling. His strength, speed, endurance, and resilience did indeed undergo a striking improvement. It was as though his body had received a comprehensive overhaul, becoming so much more suited for battle.

'Incredible...'

Every time he was exposed to Effie's Ascended Ability, Sunny couldn't help but feel awed. For him, who had already enjoyed the augmentation of the shadows, the physical boost was not that pronounced. But for the Awakened soldiers, and especially mundane humans... it must have been a true blessing.

The most frightening part, however, was that this Ability had no limit to how many people could be empowered by it. Anyone who saw Effie and was deemed an ally by her would receive its benefit. Their number did not even affect the rate with which she consumed essence.

The only detriment, albeit a small one, was that the soldiers had to maintain a line of sight with their commander to enjoy the boon of her power. However, considering that Effie almost always preferred to fight on the frontline, that was usually not a problem.

Just as he had expected, the eyes of the soldiers ignited with burning resolve at the sound of her voice. The soldiers of her company suddenly raised their heads and let out boisterous howls, acting like an army of actual wolves.

And then, another voice joined them... this one sonorous and clear, easily drowning out all the rest.

Kai's voice.

When Sunny heard it, his heart suddenly shook. Instantly, all the unnecessary thoughts were erased from his head, leaving only the pure, flaming, indomitable desire to do battle.

Even though this change was not physical, it might have been even more profound than the empowerment of Effie's Aspect... because it affected the heart. Even Sunny, for whom the effect was somewhat muted because of how guarded his mind and soul were, felt incredibly inspired. The clarity bestowed by Kai's call would do wonders for the soldiers in this battle.

Sunny shook his head slightly.

'Scary...'

Kai's Ability was just too terrifying. An Ascended would most likely be able to resist it to some degree, but mere Awakened had no choice but to be compelled. As for mundane humans? If the handsome enchanter chose to misuse his powers, they would do anything he told them to. They would happily end their lives if he asked.

Luckily, Kai would never do that. Instead, he used his power to inspire the soldiers and make them stronger.

With Sunny serving as a perfect scout, Effie strengthening the bodies of the soldiers, and Kai inspiring their hearts, the threat of the Corrupted Tyrant suddenly did not seem overwhelming.

As the head of the Skull Centipede emerged from the water, it was met with a furious onslaught of attacks.

Strengthened by their two leaders, the small army was burning with the desire... and ability... to win this battle.

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  Xtro_1
  
  Xtro_1 16 Aug 2023, 21:48 ➥ Xtro_1
  
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  1088
  
  Before, the future seemed grim for the expedition force of the Evacuation Army. Even though they numbered more than two thousand soldiers, with two hundred Awakened and four Masters ready to fight at the front, the enemy was just too domineering.
  
  The Corrupted Tyrant itself was tremendously dangerous. The army of bone monstrosities was no less threatening. However, both Effie and Kai were incredible sources of strength, acting as force multipliers for the whole regiment. With their help, the power of the soldiers soared, almost balancing the scale.
  
  Sunny's and Jet's efforts were no less important. Thanks to them, the two companies had been able to choose the battlefield and prepare an ambush. Terrain advantage was extremely valuable, and so was the foreknowledge of what the enemy was capable of.
  
  That last part was, perhaps, the most precious. The two scouts had not only gathered intelligence about the location of the enemy and the number of minions under its rule. They had also provided the analysts and diviners of the army with an opportunity to study the Tyrant.
  
  Thanks to that, the human force did not have to go into the battle blind. Even though they did not know every detail of what the Skull Centipede was capable of, they did know the most important parts.
  
  For example, they knew that the confluence of the power that the giant abomination possessed was, surprisingly, hidden in the two dead skeletal trees that grew from its head, serving as the Tyrant's crown and horns.
  
  In fact, Army Command had gone as far as to suggest that the true abomination was not the centipede itself, but the network of tree roots that permeated its monstrous skull, growing through the creature's brain matter.
  
  As such, the small army's first goal was to destroy one, or better yet both of these trees. Without them, the Tyrant would most likely lose the ability to control its bone soldiers, as well as access to its most terrifying powers.
  
  But... it was more easily said than done.
  
  And Sunny currently had other things to worry about, because the centipede was going directly for him.
  
  Ignoring the squall of bullets and the rain of arrow, it rose from the river like a mountain of skulls and lunged straight at him, the giant maw opening like an abyssal gate.
  
  Sunny blinked.
  
  'Are my flute skills really that atrocious? Listen... there's really no need to be that angry...'
  
  A moment before the dreadful Tyrant crashed into the boulder he was sitting on, Sunny leaned back and dissipated into the shadows. The centipede plunged down, shattering the ancient stone and turning it to dust. Stone shards and a great deal of dirt flew into the air, rising like a cloud.
  
  Sunny finished a backward roll much further up the slope, appearing behind the trenches and the mass of soldiers. He rose, flicked a few pieces of dust off his tunic, and glanced in the direction of the giant abomination.
  
  The Skull Centipede turned its head in the direction of the firing soldiers, its jaw still hanging open. Then, its enormous body tensed, ready to shoot forward.
  
  Before it could, however, something flashed through the air and impacted against the Tyrant's head... the mysterious projectile was none other than Effie, who had used her own body as a siege ram. After rushing through the battlefield like a hurricane, she jumped and made her body into a ball, hiding it behind the round shield.
  
  When the Dusk Shard struck the Tyrant, numerous skulls were instantly pulverized into bone dust. However, even more were revealed, becoming visible through the crack in the morbid carapace.
  
  The force of the impact was so tremendous that it not only slowed the centipede down, it actually threw the abomination back, pushing it back into the river.
  
  Effie herself was tossed to the ground and landed in a roll, jumping back to her feet a moment later. Her sculpted steel body did not look damaged at all. If anything, the huntress looked as exuberant and robust as ever.
  
  As her war cry resounded across the battlefield, the first wave of the hulking bone abominations clashed against the line of Awakened.
  
  A ferocious melee exploded into a cacophony of ear-piercing noise. The tide of Nightmare Creatures seemed unstoppable, as if it would easily wash the human fighters away in a wave of desperation and blood... but it didn't.
  
  The first reason for that was Jet, who threw herself into the flood of abominations a few moments before the clash and broke the enemy's momentum. Her naginata easily passed through the layers of bone, destroying the rotten souls of the Tyrant's minions.
  
  Both the bone puppets and Soul Reaper herself could be considered living dead... however, even among the dead, she was an exalted existence.
  
  The second reason was the Awakened themselves. Even though most of the ghastly abominations were Fallen, it barely looked as if there was a gap of power between them and the human fighters. Empowered by Raised by Wolves and emboldened by Nightingale, the soldiers fought with might and ferocity that was far beyond what they should have been capable of.
  
  It was really quite astonishing to see.
  
  Sunny shifted a little.
  
  'Time for me to enter the fray as well, I guess.'
  
  He had to act restrained in this battle... however, that did not mean that he couldn't do anything.
  
  More and more bone fiends were crawling out of the river, and the Skull Centipede itself had already recovered from Effie's devastating blow. It was lunging forward once again, this time aiming for the ironclad huntress.
  
  Sunny opened a leather satchel that hung on the silk cord tied around his waist, and took out a small, intricately engraved stone lantern. Then, he tossed it across the battlefield, aiming for the line where the shore met the cold water. 𝑛𝚘𝐯𝑬𝒍𝓷𝞮xt.𝑐𝚘𝑚
  
  As soon as the Shadow Lantern landed, it was as though all light was devoured from the wide area around it. Many bone abominations entered the sphere of darkness... however, none of them emerged again, as if swallowed by the shadows.
  
  Well, of course they didn't. After all, out there in the darkness, unseen, Saint was already waiting for them with the Sin of Solace in her hand.
  
  After unleashing her on the battlefield, Sunny concentrated on using Shadow Manifestation to reduce pressure on the soldiers. He tried not to destroy any of the bone abominations himself, maiming and suppressing them instead.
  
  Despite his efforts, however, a generous stream of shadow fragments poured into his soul, threatening to render him defenseless too soon.
  
  Sunny frowned, then looked in the direction where Effie was trying to distract the Skull Centipede and prevent it from reaching the trenches. She was holding the Tyrant at bay, barely... for now...
  
  A dark grimace appeared on his face.
  
  'It's all up to Kai, then.'
  
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    IzuChukwu
    
    IzuChukwu 16 Aug 2023, 22:45 ➥ Xtro_1
    
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    Thanks man.
    
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IzuChukwu

IzuChukwu 16 Aug 2023, 18:37

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Another website already has four chapters ahead of this one, but they won't let me read it because of LK.

Can anyone paste it here, anyone.

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  Guru
  
  Guru 16 Aug 2023, 18:44 ➥ IzuChukwu
  
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  Pandasnovel yeah. Know this f#ckers
  
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The_Imm۞rtal

The_Imm۞rtal 14 Aug 2023, 23:27

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Can't wait for the upgrade, finally

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Guru

Guru 14 Aug 2023, 23:12

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I bet that next shadow would be a pedo shadow 😭😭😭

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  orangutan
  
  orangutan 14 Aug 2023, 23:45 ➥ Guru
  
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  What😭
  
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  trigger2391
  
  trigger2391 15 Aug 2023, 00:59 ➥ Guru
  
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  How about simply lecherous.
  
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  Uchia-Madara-Pathway
  
  Uchia-Madara-Pathway 15 Aug 2023, 02:35 ➥ Guru
  
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  What if it's a perverted one who enjoys seeing others struggle?
  
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  give me six digits
  
  give me six digits 15 Aug 2023, 13:16 ➥ Guru
  
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  Or a devious one that's always scheming?
  
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  IzuChukwu
  
  IzuChukwu 15 Aug 2023, 18:26 ➥ Guru
  
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  His new "Shadow" is like the amalgamation of his current frame of mind.
  
  So, why do you think it would be a "Pedo" Shadow...?
  
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    Guru
    
    Guru 15 Aug 2023, 22:59 ➥ IzuChukwu
    
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    I don’t recall him being ever so happy that his amalgamation frame of mind decided to produce happy shadow
    
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      IzuChukwu
      
      IzuChukwu 16 Aug 2023, 00:39 ➥ Guru
      
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      You didn't know...? The "happy" Shadow is not happy, it's "Crazy."
      
      I don't know why he named it Happy Shadow. He got that one from his time spent in the Dark Cathedral of the Forgotten Shore.
      
      GLOOMY from his life on the outskirts before he became a Sleeper.
      
      CRAZY (HAPPY) from Forgetten Shore when he lost all hope of going back to the waking world.
      
      CREEPY after he came back as an Awakened.
      
      HAUGHTY during the 3rd Nightmare, the Noctis Arc.
      
      Correct me if 'm wrong.
      
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        Wheat
        
        Wheat 16 Aug 2023, 01:11 ➥ IzuChukwu
        
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        The next one will probably be indifferent
        
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        Leonardo
        
        Leonardo 16 Aug 2023, 03:54 ➥ Wheat
        
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        (sorry for the English, it was done using the translator) , I think it would actually be something like depression or something like that, The death of your team left you very bad
        
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        IzuChukwu
        
        IzuChukwu 16 Aug 2023, 09:37 ➥ Wheat
        
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        Remember he came to Antarctica in search of "conviction" and now he is angry at the Supremes and their cold War (Clash of Clan), and their indifference to suffering of the people in the waking world.
        All they care about is "Domain Expansion."
        
        I think this line of thought will be part of the "amalgamation" of the new Shadow. 'm guessing though.
        
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        Guru
        
        Guru 16 Aug 2023, 04:45 ➥ IzuChukwu
        
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        Wiki says it’s happy shadow not crazy so dunno who’s to believe, but I still like your theory 🫡
        
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        Caioquinn1
        
        Caioquinn1 24 Jun 2024, 20:14 ➥ IzuChukwu
        
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        Happy shadow seems more like a booticker or pleaser.
        
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  Wheat
  
  Wheat 16 Aug 2023, 01:08 ➥ Guru
  
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  My friend... Nvm, it's good to see that you're still reading
  
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    Guru
    
    Guru 16 Aug 2023, 04:47 ➥ Wheat
    
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    and why u thought I stopped?
    
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      Wheat
      
      Wheat 16 Aug 2023, 05:45 ➥ Guru
      
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      I haven't seen your comments
      
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        Guru
        
        Guru 16 Aug 2023, 07:51 ➥ Wheat
        
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        Gotcha,
        not going anywhere
        Good to see u too 🙃
        
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Chapter 1086: Shared Pain | Shadow Slave

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Chapter 1086: Shared Pain
Shadow Slave