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Chapter 1546: Raised by Wolves

Although Effie had gone into labor prematurely, both she and her infant son were alright. The worst fear of the cohort had not come true, either. Perhaps because the child had been conceived in the waking world, or perhaps because he was born in the black void outside the currents of the Great River, at the very heart of Ariel's Tomb, he was not Riverborn. At least that was what they surmised after cautiously setting the Chain Breaker in motion and observing no change in the appearance of the baby. It was an immense relief. Even Sunny, who always expected the worst and was usually prepared to receive painful blows from fortune, felt like an incredible burden had been lifted from his heart. The immediate danger had passed. Of course, the future was still uncertain. They still had to fight Torment and destroy the First Seeker. The child's life still hung in a fragile balance, because it was unknown what would happen to his soul after the end of the Nightmare. But, somehow, Sunny felt hopeful. After everything had been said and done, the Chain Breaker continued sailing through the dark abyss. The members of the cohort took turns spending time with Effie and her newborn, full of contradictory emotions. The huntress herself had been exhausted by the prolonged labor, but was regaining her vigor and vitality at an incredible rate. She still looked tired and drained, though, when Sunny came to see her. Effie was in her cabin, sitting in a comfortable chair. She was wrapped in a blanket, and holding a sizable bundle in her arms, looking at it tenderly. Sunny was actually startled by that gaze, unaccustomed to seeing his friend so… openly vulnerable. And strangely content. Hearing him enter, Effie looked up and smiled tiredly. "Ah… Uncle Doofus. Welcome, welcome."

He approached and looked at the bundle, finally laying his eyes on the newborn. Effie's child… looked pretty much like all infants did, with the exception of the fact that he was entirely too large to have been born mere hours ago, at least twice the size of a normal baby.

'That poor woman…'

Sunny looked at the huntress with pity. Effie had always been unreasonably tall, and her son would grow up to be a real giant, from the looks of it. Internally, Sunny sighed.

'Another beanpole. Gods. That brat is going to be taller than me in no time, won't he? Well... he might just grow up to be taller than anyone. That's a relief.'

Effie's smile grew wider. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

Sunny stared at her in confusion.

She… had really chosen the wrong person to ask that question. "What are you talking about? He's absolutely ugly. All infants are. And don't give me that look… you know I can't lie!"

The huntress stared at him for a couple moments, then laughed and gently stroked the sleeping infant's soft head. "Well, I think he's beautiful. Almost as much as his mom is, eh?"

Sunny shook his head, wondering if all parents were a little sick in the head. Well, they had to be. Otherwise, what would make them care for the poor infants? A bit of unreasonable affection went a long way...

He hesitated for a while, thinking about the little life in front of him. The infant… actually, it was not very convenient to keep calling him the infant. Glancing at Effie, he asked:

"What are you going to name him?"

She remained silent for a bit, smiling. Letting out a quiet sigh, Effie shrugged. "I can't just go and name him right away. I need to consult his dad first."

There was a moment of somber silence, with both of them refusing to mention the fact that the baby's father was most likely long dead. Effie looked back at her son and smiled again. "Ah! But… look at him. He looks like a little dumpling, doesn't he?"

Sunny's eyes widened a little. 'I knew it!'

He shook his head energetically. "No… bad Effie, bad! You can't name your son Dumpling! That's a very bad idea!

She giggled. "He-he. Well… I'll just call him Little Dumpling for now. We'll come up with a proper name after getting out of the Nightmare."

Sunny just stared at her for a while, then shook his head again, this time slowly. "Whatever… do what you want. Don't come complaining to me later, though."

Effie gave him a mischievous look. "Sunny… you, of all people, should know better. I mean, did you mom not name you Sunless? And look at you! You turned out… well…"

Her voice gradually turned doubtful. Then, she grinned. "Actually, never mind. I think you might be right."

Hearing her laugh, he hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:

"How are you feeling?"

Effie looked at her son again, her smile turning slightly solemn. Eventually, she shrugged:

"Like I've been run over by a pack of Nightmare Creatures. But don't worry. Nephis healed me up pretty well. I'll be good as new, soon."

She caressed the infant's soft cheek and added, her voice hiding a somber undertone:

"Maybe… maybe it's for the best. At least this way, I'll be able to participate in the final battle. I've been drowning in self-loathing because of being so useless, you know. Now… either we survive Verge, or not. In any case, we'll be together until the very end."

Sunny frowned, studying her face. Her eyes were sunken, and her gaze was dark… but, at the same time, fierce. It would be of great help to have the fearsome Raised by Wolves fight side by side with them, of course.

But…

"Are you sure? What about your son?"

Effie hesitated for a moment. "...If we fail, he will die. So, I'll hide him in the Black Beast Locket. And do everything I can to make sure that we both get to live."

She remained silent for a while, looking at the sleeping baby. Then, Effie turned to Sunny and suddenly looked him in the eyes.

"You know, Sunny… I once told you that the world we live in is dying. And I still believe that — no, I believe it even more, after experiencing the last few years."

A light smile slowly appeared on her face, and something fearsome suddenly ignited deep in her sunken, tired eyes. "But, you know… now, I find myself in the mood to go and turn the entire world upside-down. Maybe even tear it down completely and rebuild it from scratch, if need be."

She took a measured breath.

"Just to make sure that there's enough space in that world for this little guy to live a life that is worth living."

Effie looked at Sunny for a few moments, and then laughed. "Someone has to, after all. And if we won't… then who the hell will?"

Comments 83

  1. Offline
    + 320 -
    Imagine the child’s birth certificate

    What’s your birthplace? “The third nightmare”
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    1. Offline
      + 211 -
      "It says her you were born in.....a daemons tomb? And it was during the third nightmare?"

      "Yes. Saint Sunless and his cohort was there"

      "........."

      "....."

      "...Makes sense"
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      1. Offline
        + 00 -
        Ah yes Saint Sunless, makes a lot more sense now
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  2. Offline
    + 30 -
    That name... want
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  3. Offline
    + 120 -
    "You know, Sunny… I once told you that the world we live in is dying. And I still believe that — no, I believe it even more, after experiencing the last few years."

    This reminds me that sunny once mentioned that even space is not safe which means that the gates are opening in the space too? What kind of abominations would be able to survive and travel through the vast expanse of cosmos? Just thinking about it gives me chills 5
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    1. Offline
      + 00 -
      much like the butterfiles clinged at the wall of ariel, isn't that place more harrowing there space and time works differently maybe even doesn't exist...
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  4. Online Offline
    + 311 -
    What are you talking about? He's absolutely ugly. All infants are. And don't give me that look… you know I can't lie!


    FamilyGuy047
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  5. Offline
    + 200 -
    May be even that was aizens plan
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    1. Offline
      + 01 -
      More like Cassia's plan oru2x oru2x
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  6. Offline
    + 40 -
    ...
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  7. Offline
    + 241 -
    1553. Shadow and Seer


    After asking the question, Sunny sat down on a bench across from Cassie.

    There they were, alone in a boat, just the two of them… or rather, the four of them.

    The Sin of Solace landed on the bench next to Sunny, a sinister smile twisting his lips. His face was hateful, just like always… of course, it was also the exact same face as Sunny's.

    Cassie was sittingon the helman's bench a few meters away from them, holding the steering oar. The Echo of the dead sybil was there, too, side by side with her. Since both were wearing flowing garments of vibrant red fabric, traditional for the priestesses of Fallen Grace, they looked quite similar too. The most visible difference between them was that Cassie's exquisite face was bare, while the monstrous Echo was wearing a veil.

    Cassie's beautiful blue eyes were full of life, as well, even though she was blind. The sybils's eyes, though, were eerily empty and devoid of life. Her hollow stare made shivers run down Sunny's spine — he felt that way every time he saw an Echo of a human. Granted, this one was made in the image of a human who had succumbed to the Defilement.

    The four of them sat opposite each other, surrounded by invisible tension.

    Despite Sunny's sudden appearance, though, Cassie remained calm. She deactivated the enchantment of her wooden staff and lowered it, then said in an even voice:.

    "I thought you were asleep."

    A faint smile appeared on Sunny's lips.

    "Did you?"

    He had been reasonably sure that his small act had fooled the blind seer, but now that he saw her lack of reaction, a worm of doubt entered his mind. Had she known he was pretending all along?

    The Sin of Solace chuckled, staring at Cassie with hate and disdain in his gaze.

    "It seems that you've been played like a fiddle, pitiful worm. Even after all my warnings… gods, how frustrating! You should have struck this traitor down long ago. Just look at her… she must despise you just as much as I do!"

    The corner of Sunny's mouth twitched, but he suppressed the desire to rebuke the sword wraith. That, however, only gave the apparition the opportunity to press his mocking tirade:

    "You truly are a revolting creature, are you not? A lowly, despicable slave… and look, here is the woman who made you into a slave. She betrayed you once, and yet, you allowed the snake to warm her way back into your good graces. You have forgotten her sins, and as gratitude, the blind traitor is about to stab you in the back once again!"

    At that point, Cassie took a deep breath.

    ...Then, she turned her head slightly, facing the Sin of Solace, and spoke, her voice trembling with long-suppressed anger:

    "Can you shut your foul mouth, wretch? Who asked you to talk? Be quiet for once!"

    Sunny was taken a little aback by that show of emotions.'

    The Sin of Solace stared at her vindictively, but did fall silent. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

    Sunny smiled, too.

    "So… you can perceive him, after all."

    Cassie's mask of composure had finally cracked, revealing an ocean of emotion raging below. However, she regained that composure in a moment and scoffed, throwing a contemptuous glance at the sword wraith.

    "So what if I can?"

    Sunny shrugged.

    "You lied to me, though, on Aletheia's Island. When you said that you couldn't."

    Cassie met his gaze without flinching. Her voice was even:

    "...So what if I lied? Yes, I can perceive that insufferable wraith through you. I can also perceive your shadows, and what they see. What about it?"

    He sighed.

    'Damnation.'

    So, he was wrong all along. Sunny had assumed that Cassie's Ascended Ability did not affect his shadows, since they were separate beings from him, and she did not have shadow sense. She had also never shown or acted upon the ability to mark his shadows.

    So, Sunny had been fooled.

    Played like a fool even.

    He was still smiling, but that smile did not reach his eyes.

    "So you were aware that I had been watching you for the past few months."

    She shrugged.

    "Sure."

    If Cassie was aware that Sunny was suspicious of her… then the situation was completely different from how he imagined it to be. Not only would she have been able to hide her secrets from him, but even the things she had shown him had been shown of purpose.

    Like the chamber with the well and the countless journals stored in a runic chest.

    Knowing that his shadows were watching her, Cassie would only be able to act freely if she was outside the range of Shadow Control. That was why she wanted to stay behind while Sunny joined the scouting teams…

    His pupils widened slightly.

    'No…'

    If Cassie had known that he was suspicious of her… she would have known that he would refuse to leave her alone on the Chain Breaker, as well. They were too familiar with each other for her to fail predicting that action of his.

    Which meant that the blind seer's true purpose was not to remain alone on the flying ship…

    Instead, it was for the two of them to remain there together, away from the other members of the cohort.

    And he had done exactly what she wanted him to do.

    Suddenly, a hint of a strange and cold emotion settled in Sunny's heart. Was it… fear?

    Yes, it was. It was the fear of fighting a battle of schemes against a powerful oracle. Cassie might not have been the strongest of them in a direct confrontation, but being caught in a net of schemes and manipulation that someone who could see the future had created…

    Was, honestly, nothing short of terrifying.

    Sunny deemed himself a master of deceit and manipulation. There was only one person he had met who could truly be considered a fearsome adversary in that field — Mordret.

    But now, he was quickly reconsidering that statement.

    Actually, there was another contender among them.

    And that newcomer was perhaps the most fearsome of the three.

    Looking at the blind, who remained calm and composed, Sunny leaned back and asked, his tone relaxed:

    "So, why did you want to see me alone, Cassie?"

    He lingered for a moment and then added, his voice remaining even:

    "...Or should I call you Torment?"
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    1. Offline
      + 200 -
      1554. Familiar Face


      The words had been said, echoing in the beautiful darkness of the glowing night. Devoid of the wind, the sails of the ketch fell down. The boat slowly came to a stop, drifting in the current.

      Cassie remained silent for a few moments, as motionless as the Echo of the Defiled sybil sitting by her side. Then, she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement:

      "Should I call you the Mad Prince, then?"

      As Sunny's expression changed, she chuckled lightly.

      "Gods… come now. I know that you only asked that question to probe me for a reaction, but how does it make sense? I'm not Torment."

      Sunny frowned, disappointed at the fact that he had not been able to get more out of Cassie. He was considering his next question silently when she turned to face her Echo and said, throwing his thoughts into disarray:

      "She is.".

      He froze, stunned by those words.

      Then, Sunny slowly moved his gaze to the silent Echo.

      The red garment, the empty gaze, the veil hiding her face…

      'How?'

      Back when they met in Fallen Grace, Cassie said that she come to possess this Echo after slaying the sybil who had succumbed to the Defilement on the day of her entering the Nightmare. The two looked alike, true… but both Sunny and Nephis simply assumed that it was because both the slain woman and Dusk had been sybils ruling the same city.

      The Echo was too eerie and revolting, making Sunny unwilling to learn what was hiding behind the red veil. Therefore, he had never tried to look at the creature's face.

      The most he had done was glance at its weave, but even then, most of his attention had been focused on the artificial Echo created by the enchanters of Clan Valor — the long destroyed blade mannequin.

      Now, however…

      Cassie raised her hand and pulled on the Echo's veil, removing it.

      Underneath it, an exquisitely beautiful face was revealed… one identical to her own, but devoid of life. The Echo of the sybil… of Torment… was hollow and expressionless, like all Echoes were.

      There was a subtle expression on Cassie's face, though. A strange mix of revulsion, sorrow, and even a hint of tenderness.

      It was not every day that one chanced to look upon a soulless copy of their own dead self, after all.

      Gears were spinning in Sunny's head at impossible speed, trying to digest the stunning revelation of the eerie Echo's true nature.

      'Torment… is dead.'

      She had been dead all along.

      Of course, he had suspected that something like that was the case.

      That suspicion was a recent one, and had only entered his mind after they landed near Verge. Sunny could not accept that the fearsome oracle of the Defilement was not aware of their approach. It would have been fine if it was just Mordret and him, wearing Weaver's Mask — both of them could hide themselves from divination.

      But the other members of the cohort had no defense against those who were attuned to fate, which made any attempts at hiding useless.

      Nevertheless, the Chain Breaker had not been ambushed as it left the black void. The forces of the Defilement had not descended upon them once they reached the vast island of ice, either.

      It was as though Torment had somehow been prevented them from acting against them… or was not in Verge at all. Which was strange, considering that she had successfully gotten rid of the Dread Lord and was supposed to be the new tyrant of Defiled City.

      He contemplated the thought that the Mad Prince had schemed against the Last Plague, as well.

      But the truth was much more stunning.

      Cassie had never received an Echo for slaying the Defiled sybil. There was no Echo of a sybil…

      Instead, she had received this Echo for slaying Torment herself. Cassie had killed her Defiled copy long before Sunny and Nephis even arrived at Fallen Grace.

      He shivered.

      Why keep it a secret, then?

      Cassie studied the Echo's face for a while, then sighed and turned away. After a short pause, she said in a slightly stifled tone:

      "I… suggest you don't look her in the eyes for too long. It's rather unpleasant."

      The Sin of Solace hurriedly looked away.

      Sunny slowly gathered his thoughts, still reeling from the shock. He was struggling to grasp the new information… it was too staggering, changing everything he had known about the Nightmare.

      Eventually, he asked, his voice even:

      "...When?"

      Cassie shrugged.

      "It was… about six months after I became Dusk, I think? Of course, that was not the first time we met, just the last."

      Sunny remembered the chamber hidden under the Temple of Dusk, with a breach in its floor leading to the depths of the Great River. Was that how Torment had entered Fallen Grace and come into contact with Cassie? Was that where they had fought, and where the Defiled oracle died?

      But how could it be possible? How could Cassie have defeated a harrowing Plague alone, despite all the time Torment should have had to accumulate power and information to prepare for their eventual clash?

      Staring at two identical, beautiful faces — one familiar and full of life, the other alien and empty — he suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

      "Can you… put that veil back on?"

      He hated human Echoes, and he hated to see the Echo of one of his closest friends even more. Looking at the soulless copy of Torment was like looking at Cassie's corpse, which made him feel disgusted.

      The blind girl hesitated for a moment, then put the veil back on, hiding the Echo's face behind it. Torment's empty eyes, however, remained visible, staring at Sunny without any emotion.

      Cassie sighed.

      "At least… she is at peace now. That is a mercy."

      Sunny shifted his gaze, studied her for a few moments, and then asked his next question:

      "How?"

      The blind girl smiled.

      "How else? Of course, it was arranged by the Mad Prince."

      She fell silent for a second, and then added, her voice wistful:

      "...By the Mad Prince and Torment herself, to be precise. The two of them, you see, were behind all of this together."
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      1. Offline
        + 100 -
        Omfg all theories where useless god d*mn all was a plan of the plan of the plan of the actually already planned plan of cassie ? God d*mn yeah Cassie is one of my fav characters she did whats correct no matter if she get hate of the one guy you dont want to be hate it haha dang
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      2. Offline
        + 30 -
        Gracias
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      3. Offline
        + 100 -
        Hell yeah I knew there was more to it than I thought!!! This is great but now I’m even more worried why leave the ship at all if they wanted to talk why not do it there. Something is still fishy and it’s concerning, hell of a cliffhanger :)
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        1. Offline
          + 30 -
          Думаю 6 мучений это цветочки, так как изначально в 1 прохождении без вмешательства 6 монстров они проиграли. Ах да, ведь санни был первым осквернен и потом он осквернил других и убил нефиса. И возможно поэтому кэсси отвлекла санни чтоб он не был осквернен, мои догадки
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          1. Offline
            + 20 -
            That is a good point, I must admit, since if Cassie just out right said it to Sunny that he’s in danger than he wouldn’t believe her. Cassie is still a mastermind at manipulating Sunny, I love it :)
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      4. Offline
        + 100 -
        I'm starting to believe that Cassie is going to betray Sunny again because you know... Sin of Solace is suspiciously accurate in this nightmare
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      5. Offline
        + 51 -
        So everything from the end of this Nightmare to the beginning was a plan made by their future selves Cassie role was to make sure everyone acted as they should during the Nightmare they used her as a watcher since he wouldn't be able to remember anything.

        However, will I trust a plan made by corrupted monsters what price should I pay? and who should pay it
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      6. Offline
        + 00 -
        Did Cassie pretend to be affected by the time loops?
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    2. Offline
      + 81 -
      I've said before that Sunless was manipulated, I think Sunless was smarter when he was on his own, I don't know if the author is doing it intentionally or accidentally.
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      1. Offline
        + 81 -
        I think about it that way: Sin of Solace is a part of Sunny's mind and he is the most logical part of his mind, and after SoS(Sin of Solace) became somehow indepentent from Sunny, Sunny became more dumb.
        Also he is manipulated by Cassie she literaly know future, the only way Sunny can defeat her is Weavers Mask(The funny thing is that Sunny still loses because Cassie has better manipulating, deceving, and acting skills) or in 1v1 physical combat.
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        1. Offline
          + 91 -
          Agree.
          I don't know if you've noticed, but sunless had a cold logic before he got together with nephis or the team, then they start working together and he turns into a contrived idiot.he can't think of the simplest thing and then boom catches the delightfully simple point and utters a simple thought sunless gets surprised like it's unbelievable.
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          1. Offline
            + 21 -
            yep that is true ok I can't argue that, I agree
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          2. Offline
            + 61 -
            Most likely it's because Sunny himself didn't care if he was dead or alive, he didn't He had a reason for that, but the more of that reason he gained, the more emotion he had and he became more and more hesitant to throw himself into trouble. Look, if it was him from the first chapter and Nephis said let's kill the people of Rio Sunny he would probably say 'ok' more Not nowadays, he thinks his life is too precious to be as bold as he was at the beginning, he doesn't bet as much as he used to.
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        2. Offline
          + 00 -
          I don't quite agree with all that but we will see. Cus I could say torment(Cassie) manipulated sunny both his corrupted version and the normal him but I would say his sword wraith is the real manipulator if there is manipulation. We still don't know what's the opposite of the sword effects but if it affected also torment than she didn't manipulate sunny but rather both came with a plan. While sunny(mad prince) was the one carrying out the duties, Cassie(torment) was the one looking into the future and telling what to avoid and how to approach. Also u should know if Cassie decides to betray the cohort, sunny would be the last she would be able to defeat easily cus his mask is literally created to counter the gods. Sunny is becoming a bit dumb tbh since he got emotions but that is also realistic. Now sunny in survival mode is a whole another sunny. Also I forgot to mention, but don't forget mad prince was the one who showed ananke the dream of where to meet sunny and nephis and he got that ability from nightmare i believe. So the is a lot of layers we are yet to uncover but one thing is clear, that mad prince wasn't the only one affecting this nightmare but torment as well.
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  8. Offline
    + 70 -
    perhaps the tormentor drove the mad priince to madness through all these "unassuming" thoughts
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  9. Offline
    + 221 -
    Damn....this child is gonna learn so many life lessons from them ethsky
    Sunny : how to be "honest"
    Effie : how to be carefree
    Nephis : determination
    Cassie : Not let your weakness get in your way
    Kai : how to be caring to loved ones
    Jet : how to protect yourself by being distant(ice cold) when necessary
    And last but not least , Still can't believe I'm adding him
    Mordret : how to exploit your enemies
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    1. Offline
      + 20 -
      That's gonna be one hell of a kid when he grows up

      Also don't forget rain.
      Rain: Work hard and be diligent
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  10. Offline
    + 170 -
    Raised by Wolves

    Now this True Name is going to be more fitting to this child than Effie, with this lineup of "Uncles" and "Aunts"
    ...and considering his birthplace
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    1. Offline
      + 180 -
      There's the Fire Aunty, the Blind Aunty, the Singer Uncle, the Reaper Aunty, the Lucky Uncle, and even a Monster Uncle~!
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      1. Offline
        + 180 -
        If Lucky Uncle is Sunny then you need to rethink what you said.
        He is Most Honest Uncle in two Worlds
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        1. Offline
          + 101 -
          No-no, just think... who was the one that always get the EASIEST foes in the most HELPFUL situations ever? Obviously, Sunny must be the Lucky Uncle... *shh, friend, call him lucky or the lad will kill himself soon XD*
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          1. Offline
            + 00 -
            True XD
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          2. Offline
            + 50 -
            Bruh has even got a walking luck magnet with him(fiend) ,how lucky is that swim he's definitely the luckiest in 2 worlds😂😂
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            1. Offline
              + 00 -
              But he is the unluckiest of two worlds as well lol. Literally how many times he came back from the jaws of death and how many f*cked up situations he came out of. I would say they go hand in hand.
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              1. Offline
                + 30 -
                yeah thats the joke
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