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 He spoke too soon.
 Contrary to expectation, it took a month of late nights, pretending not to see the incredulous looks from Jori, dodging Zee's worried stalking, and ignoring Marai's narrowed eyes before he could even create his Redlands avatar.
 It went better than he thought it would.
 Mostly.
 He succeeded, in any case. At the end of October, he had enough money to buy a full gaming rig and make a good enough start in Redlands.
 The process went like this:
 Zee of the future taught Eli of the future how to upgrade a MarkVIII headset to better performance by replacing its processor cube.
 Eli's first thought when remembering that was, of course, trickery and illegal shenanigans.
 The MarkVIII and the MarkVIII Premium didn't have that large a difference in performance. But the MarkVIII Premium headset was nearly twice the price of the regular MarkVIII.
 In the virtual world, even the smallest hardware advantage could mean sacrificing or overcoming the thin line of difference between win and loss in a game. Skill and talent were important, of course, but there was a reason that VRMMORPGs were called games for the rich.
 Eli only needed the best synthprinter possible and enough cash for raw materials, and he'd be able to sell an upgraded MarkVIII as a MarkVIII Premium.
 And with the MarkIX just coming out, the prices for a MarkVIII were dropping low enough for Eli to turn a good profit.
 That planned, the first step on that first day was to go to a loanshark.
 Eli was still surprised it was so easy to get himself into that much debt. Massive, massive debt. The devil's office was even only a few streets away from his apartment.
 When he'd entered the loan office, he was only greeted with a face full of smoke and a question: "How much?"
 He decided to be as brief. "One hundred thousand. In ecru."
 The white-haired man paused, and he looked up from the unnervingly neat desk that only contained a single tablet computer with a thin smile. "Planning a space vacation?"
 Eli stretched his lips in answer, an empty expression. "Does it matter?"
 "It does, in fact, matter." The smile tipped sharply, like a knife balanced on the edge.
 "No."
 The man snorted. Took a card-reader from a cabinet and programmed it with graceful artistic fingers. "Touch your ID to this. It better be real. We'll wipe your data after you pay us back, of course."
 Eli dug into his pocket for his census registry card, something he'd never even took out of its holder since the government mailed it to him after he turned twenty-one and eligible to vote.
 The pale-haired man, whose name might be Chenser or Clomsen – he couldn't really see the certificate hanging on the wall, puffed a smoke ring and nudged the card-reader toward him.
 Eli pressed his ID card on the opaque panel of the small machine. He didn't think he'd be rejected. He had no debts, no criminal record, and no blots on his financial history.
 He was the perfect patsy.
 He was also unemployed, but Eli didn't think that was important to the guy entering information into the loan office database like he was stabbing someone.
 Somehow, when you tell your customers outright that you'd wipe their records from your systems that casually, people know there are things about you that they can count on.
 Shady, shady things.
 Like ignoring employment status just to have another concussed fish to possibly dangle on the end of your line.
 Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Eli walked out with enough money in his account to buy his whole building and a man that looked like a serial killer knowing his address.
 He walked away, trying not to look back, and reminded himself that he'd only regret this if he defaulted on the payments.
 That only meant, he must not fail.
 His phone pinged as he turned the corner.
 He brought up the display.
 His search for high-grade synthprinters in the area, rent or sale, came up with two suitable candidates, but only one had an appraiser's rating.
 He closed out the one without the rating.
 The one left was a sale of 10,000 ecru, portable industrial class, with a 4-star rating from the appraiser. He hesitated, then took a breath and sent a message to the seller:
 &gt;&gt;Hi, I'm interested in the machine. Pickup today, cash?&lt;&lt;
 An industrial synthprinter was cheap at that price. And the appraiser's mark was recent. He didn't want to miss it.
 He started back to the apartment, walking slowly. The buildings around him were comfortingly enclosing – not a bit like the wide-open spaces of Zushkenar. Eli had been born in Greatcentral City, had grown up here. His parents and their parents had grown up here. He walked slowly, engraving the city back into his bones.
 It had been years since these streets were lost to him.
 They were exactly the same.
 Noisy, full of people, full of moving advertisements, lots of sharp blinking lights even in daytime. It was about noon, and everything was a frantic hurrying pace around him. He'd garnered not a few glares for his ambling walk on a business street full of people doing lunch or lunch meetings.
 "Eli!"
 Across the street, Zee waved from the door of a bistro, motioning him over. The few faces pressed against a window behind him were vaguely familiar. Oh hey, that was the Hazelnutsward bistro, wasn't it?
 Well, it was noon. He should eat.
 Eli turned, making the person who was behind him curse and sidestep, and retread his path to the marked crossing before jogging to the other side. There was a difference between a slow walk on a pedestrian lane and a slow walk on a intersection that was already lit green.
 Zee did his familiar half-smile greeting. "I saw you trying to annoy the business lunchers, and decided to save you from their retribution."
 "Their eyes looked like they were getting to the fire and brimstone level," Eli agreed.
 He followed Zee to the table by the window.
 The bistro was self-serve, an airy yet comfortable ambiance. He took one long look around, discreetly wistful. His mom liked the burgers here, but couldn't eat a whole one, so every time they came Eli was stuffed with one and a half of their Gigantiers.
 There were two people he didn't know or remember mixed in with others he did. "Hey all. Celebrating?"
 He noted Marai wasn't present, but the unforgettable genial gentlemanly stoneface of her boyfriend Tal sat nearest the window. Who kept up a smile all the time like that guy? Creepers, that's who.
 That other techhead guy that was part of Eli's recollection of Zee's friend group wasn't there. Good. That guy was a jerk.
 "On Jori's left is Sian Lange, and on his right is Rashid Li." Zee chivvied Eli into a seat and dropped an unopened Gigantier burger in front of him.
 Jori glanced at him, but only nodded.
 Eli decided to go with his lead. "Thanks. New colleagues?"
 "They are."
 "Congratulations. I'm Elias Crewan. You can just call me Eli."
 A Gigantier was a massive tower of meat and sauces, pickled vegetables and cheese, between toasty buttered bread. It was their regular burger offering.
 He started cutting his into manageable slices, glancing around briefly.
 Both of Zee's new friends were seriously pretty. What the hell.
 Sian Lange had dark brown hair and sharp blue eyes. Even dressed in a casual summer dress and cardigan, she had an air about her that said 'cross me at your peril'.
 Did someone upset her? Jori, who was beside her, didn't look uncomfortable, so maybe that was her default.
 Eli was a little surprised at the name. Zee of the original timeline mentioned he'd just been engaged to a Sian that last time they met before the Quake.
 Was this her then?
 He didn't think they were friends this early. But then, with Eli's reaction to the HI results in the last timeline, it was reasonable that he'd never met Zee's work friends.
 She had a Tyrannitar before her, which was a burger larger than the Gigantier, and with extra-spicy sauce besides.
 Respect. Eli gave her a silent thumbs up.
 Rashid Li was sitting beside Jori, who was pale-haired, pale-skinned, and pale-eyed, and the contrast between them was eye-catching. He had one half of a Gigantier before him, plus two massive servings of fries drenched half to sogginess by a mess of sauces.
 Half of the fries were likely from his female colleague's plate.
 Rashid's soulful brown eyes and Jori's cool grey gaze fixed on him, the first curious and the second calculating.
 Aha, Jori was suspicious of Eli looking for a quiet basement, and probably his evening stroll in the slums. There was a slight distance hidden under the sharp eyes. Aha, so those memories weren't wrong.
 Eli was unlikable to all Zee's friends, it seemed. It was only that Marai wanted to change Eli, that she had so much contact with him.
 "Hi." Eli nodded at them simply and took a bite of burger.
 Apart from Jori and Tal from Zee's friend group, there was Cenree, who Eli didn't know that well. She was part of Zee's techhead group, who Eli had never had much contact with.
 She leaned over Zee, who was between them, to squint at Eli.
 "You look like a vampire," she said.
 Eli met her gaze, then chomped down on his burger, letting the sauces ooze on all sides, not looking away.
 Her grin was like lightning, a flash of white teeth against dark skin. "Baby, buy me dinner first."
 "Cenree," Zee sighed as he dropped his face into his hands. His ears were red.
 Cenree laughed, poked at the red tinged cheeks between Zee's fingers.
 Eli just shrugged and continued to eat.
 He could see though, that he'd interrupted the flow of conversation from before.
 Zee's friends knew him but were used to him keeping quiet so their conversations mostly bypassed him.
 The two new people didn't know him, but they picked up on the air of the others when they tried to talk to him.
 Zee was keeping the conversation afloat, but despite how many friends he had Zee wasn't really the kind of person who was comfortable with casual social interaction.
 The tech-brained nerd.
 Eli sighed inwardly, then caught Rashid's eye. "Is that a craftmaster badge?"
 He'd seen the little pin fastened to the buttonhole of the man's shirt, under his jacket. It was familiar because he'd once earned one in Zushkenar just months before he time-traveled.
 Rashid looked at him, some excitement sparking in his eyes. "Do you play Craftmasters?"
 "I don't, no." Eli picked his words carefully, suddenly remembering that the recent expansion to the game had polarized opinion in the gaming world. "I might join Redlands though."
 Rashid looked resigned and irritated. But not at Eli. "The game is too different now."
 "The forums had a lot of speculation, but I can't think that someone who loves Craftmasters as much as Orven Norge reportedly does would abandon crafting."
 Rashid looked curious now. "Do you then believe he was forced to sell?"
 "I think he wanted the game to survive." Eli thought about the vague impressions he got in the future, and the flame wars in the forums at present. "Given the choice on whether to allow the game to grow or keep it static for years more, he chose evolution."
 The olive-skinned craftmaster smiled. "If that is so, then why the current emphasis on battle mechanics?"
 Eli shrugged. "Ran out of time? It's been two years since RSI bought Redlands, after all. There might be a rollout of upgrades in the coming months."
 "You think there'll be a crafting resurgence in the future. Possibly a similar expansion." The other's brows lifted. "You have bold theories, considering you haven't played the game yet."
 "You don't think it's logical, considering Norge is still part of the development team?"
 Eli closed his mouth, glanced at Zee, who had offered that question before Eli could say anything.
 "RSI's contribution to the project is too confident," said Tal said, his smile not changing in the slightest. "Some might say it weighs too much on the company's side. Norge is only an employee."
 Zee's eyes lit up, and a lively debate started on the future of Redlands.
 It was still too tame for Zee's usual group though, so Eli interjected earnestly into a debate, "It could be aliens."
 Cenree slapped one hand on the table, pointed at Eli with the other. "Don't talk aliens into this!"
 It was Sian, unexpectedly, who flamed the blaze. "Yes. Giant automatons are more likely."
 Now Eli knew why she and Zee got engaged in the future.
 Cenree choked in outrage. "What did you say?! You and me, come on!"
 The bistro was used to them causing a ruckus every now and then, so all the other tables ignored them. It was likely only because the owner was a relative of Jori that they didn't get banned.
 Eli believed the Hazelnutsward bistro had a reputation in this time's local social media: if you can't handle the nuts, don't bother entering.
 As the debate grew heated, Eli continued eating quietly, drowning in nostalgia and satisfied.
 Only Jori winked at him, before continuing his inflammatory part in the debate. Eli ignored him.
 Then he realized that around him were a craftmaster, two former beta-testers, and the others seemed equally interested in Redlands.
 Opportunity, as they say, knocked.
 "Do you all play?" he interjected into a lull in the ruckus.
 Zee was already playing, as were Rashid, Jori, and Cenree. Sian's brother had gifted her a headset, but she hadn't registered an account yet. Tal was borrowing his cousin's gear, and had an account but was waiting for Marai before building his avatar character.
 Eli smiled at them. "What race and class are you thinking of choosing?"
 Sian looked thoughtful. "A Battlemage, possibly."
 There was a short silence as everyone imagined the petite librarian type as a Battlemage, a frontline heavy-battleclass.
 Then Cenree cackled. "I like it! I'm a ReForged armorer but Battlemage or Berserker aren't bad either."
 Eli thought about Cenree, who was even more manic than Zee, as a Berserker and clamped down on a shudder at the image. Nope.
 Jori threw his arm over Sian's shoulders, a distinctly flirty grin on his face. "I'm a Swordbearer. Us weapon users should stick together don't you think?"
 He was all joking, but Sian didn't know him enough to see that. She leaned away.
 Jori only grinned wider, and his mouth opened to say something likely even more offensive.
 "How about you, Tal?" Zee quickly cut into the conversation, his face still a little red. "Don't you like the Swordbearers as well? Or were you set on Apothecary?"
 Eli was surprised the other would think about taking a crafting class. And an Apothecary? His creepy smile would be even more creepy surrounded by jars of weird glowy stuff, sacks of mysteriously steaming powders, and bundles of strange vegetation hanging on the walls.
 "I do like them both. But I've tried out my cousin's Beastrider build," said the smiling man. "It was amazing."
 Zee lit up. "It is! It's a class that does well at any combat range. And have you checked out the amount of choices there are for a mount?"
 That started an in-depth discussion on the pros and cons of various aspects of Redlands.
 Ah, success.
 Eli discreetly started recording.. This was all good information.
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 He was weak, he was depressed, he was a loser.
 He wasn't even Lvl 10 in the game when Earth was destroyed in the Quake and the players of Redlands were transmigrated to the fantastic world of Zushkenar.
 But he lived, learned, and died again.
 Now, he was back on Earth, one year and three months before the Quake.
 Deciding to rejoin the game earlier and with greater focus, what changes would he bring with his actions?
 What life would he live?
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 She, the “godly doctor” of an assassin organization in 21st century, transmigrated into the body of Yun Family’s abandoned, good-for-nothing Ninth Miss. Good-for-nothing? Then she’ll let the world see what a real good-for-nothing looks like. Summoners are legendary? Nothing is impossible in this world! She’ll become the first Magical Summoner.
 He, the third prince in Long Xu Kingdom and the mysterious, behind-the-scenes owner of Zhou Dynasty’s monopolized business, seemingly handsome and uninhibited, is actually brutal and merciless.
 The world knows her as a sickly good-for-nothing and her standing is as low as a servant’s, yet she solely dominates his heart. Trickery, schemes, overbearing, seducing… an exhaustion of methods, all to capture her heart. The scheming couple supports each other, producing stories about enmity, love and win-win cooperation.
 Read to see how they stand side-by-side at the peak of this extraordinary world.
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 Senior Brother said, “Immortal cultivation is a very long and painful process… Huh? How comes it only took you three months to form a golden core?!
 My answer, “Because I have mastered all skills, I thought of trying some cultivation shortcuts and cheats.”
 The Demon King said, “After consuming you, I will collect your yin to replenish my yang… Hey! What are you doing? What are you grabbing? How can you grab my thing like that?!
 My answer, “Because my in-game character’s race was a demon. Your collecting yin techniques better make me come!”
 The Devil King said, “If humanity was to possess paramount power, it’s bound to become ugly from greed… Hey! Did you hear what I say? To possess so many mystical beasts with no rim or rhymes, having the whole world inside your palm won’t be a problem. But how can you do nothing and just sleep all day?
 My answer, “Because my dream is to attain the peak of the realm of full-time sponger.”
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 Tony’s armor 
 Captain America’s shield 
 Thor’s hammer 
 Panther’s suit 
 Black Widow sister… sorry, you forgot to pick your metal ring! 
 Hello, purple sweet potato monster (Thanos), are your gloves also made of metal? 
 Metal control, metal strengthening, metal permanent, fine control, metal body… 
 Sorry, as long as there is metal, I am a god! !
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 *UPDATE: Read the sequel to this novel here: Super Floating City
 He doesn’t know why his mind has been transferred into that of a petty thief named Soran within the VRMMO . The new ‘Soran’ though possesses both the body’s previous occupant’s memories and his own. Using his experience as a Legendary Rogue who had reached the apex known as the Realm of Legends, he will now have to survive in this world which had once been a game to him.
 Soran will have to grow stronger while avoiding the upcoming dangers and protect his younger sister, Vivian, from the chaotic times which will soon devastate the world. He shall eliminate everything and everyone that threatens them, but perhaps Vivian might not need his protection?
 When the demons of the Abyss rise and the gods fall, a massacre will take place across the world.
 Divinity has fallen, and evil is surging from beneath.
 The Time of Troubles has begun.
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 A full dive VR game has been released, A New World. While it is not the only VR game in the world, this one has one advantage over others:
 Being able to play it even while sleeping.
 Like one would think, many people jumped to try and claim the first headsets. Mostly gamers, but some other types of people too. Our MC, Eldrian, is naturally a gamer who could not wait but to try it.
 Quickly he and everyone else who bought the headsets found themselves in a world, not just a game. While realism is nice and all, the amount they were given was just too much…
 Players started taking emotional tolls from playing the game, and when the company made a shocking announcement. This was amplified.
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 In the age of the dynasty, martial arts were magnificent. Lin Yan awakened his past life memories and struggled to survive with his half-sister. 
 Fortunately, with the awakening golden finger, as long as the skill proficiency reaches 100%, the skill can be fully sublimated and produce strange special effects. 
 Swallowing - [Transforming poison]: Invulnerable to all poisons, swallowing poison can transform Qi and blood to feed oneself. 
 Wu Qin Hand - [Rejuvenation]: Consume Qi and blood to recover injuries. 
 Dragon-shaped fist - [Yun Conglong]: Riding the wind and swimming as a dragon, the speed doubles instantly. 
 Mountain-breaking Fist - [Wind Conghu]: The white tiger breaks the army, and the explosion is doubled in an instant. 
 Attack - [Ape God Strike]: All the strength of the whole body is concentrated at one point. 
 Defense——[Shadowless]: Evenly distribute the attacks received to all parts of the body 
 … 
 A secret realm wrapped in poisonous miasma, where anyone who touches it will die, and no one can enter? 
 I have [Swallow·Convert Poison], and I can enter and leave the secret realm at will; 
 Martial arts training hurts the body, must I use secret medicine to offset the injury? 
 I have [Five Animal Hands·Rejuvenation], so I’m not afraid to practice at will; 
 Every special effect is a golden finger. 
 Demons are in troubled times, people's hearts are like ghosts, ancient times are resurrected, and the world will be in chaos. 
 With only the thought of invincibility, we can open a broad road and overlook the true nature of the country.
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 She was a secret agent that had transmigrated from the 21st century, the “Living Queen of Hell” Zisu. She could defeat her scheming bit*h of a stepmother, pretend to be a pitiful white lotus, and play around with playboys. It was just that her personality was slightly cold and overbearing!
 She was played by fate, after her engagement was called off, she was forced to marry the “War Ghost” by an imperial order?
 Rumors say that the “War Ghost” was a man who was in control of the military force and had such a high status that even the emperor feared him. However, he was a cold-blooded, bloodthirsty and cruel person who was ruthless in killing others. He was almost 20 years old but not a family dared to marry their daughters to him!
 Never would they have imagined that… even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman. When the War Ghost meets the Living King of Hell, he becomes wrapped around her little finger, willingly being henpecked by her!
 Rumors say that the Seventh Prince adored his wife dearly, as long as the Seventh Prince Consort wishes to obtain this world, he would dominate this world without hesitation and present it to her with both hands! As long as the Seventh Prince Consort was happy, he was willing to do anything…
 “Are you really willing to do anything?” Yu Zisu smiled playfully.
 “Of course, Su’er, don’t play with fire.” Ye Xiuming replied in a deep hoarse voice.
 “I want that man I saw… Mmm… Ye Xiuming, you bast*rd…”
 “That isn’t included!”
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 Zhao Ming came to Douluo with the sign-in and clock-in system, awakening the puppet martial spirit Flame Ling Ji, Yun Yun, Medusa… 
 When Zhao Ming brought the ten puppets across the continent, the entire continent became Zhao Ming’s private land. 
 Awaken the world power, drunk lying on the knees of beauty. 
 Men should be so. 
 He abused Tang San, killed the master, destroyed the Haotian School, unified the mainland and became the first emperor of the Douluo Continent.
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 Li Wensheng transmigrated to an era where all energies were returning and every citizen practiced martial arts.
 Here, champions focus on martial arts mastery, becoming physically peerless as they honed their spirit. They would also seek superior weapons, including unbreakable war axes, or keen blades that could cut a giant tree with a single swing.
 Even so, Li Wensheng learned Immortal Arts from the very start! Though his scrawny form was exceedingly inconspicuous at first, he wielded Immortal Arts to smash long blades with his bare hands and crush giant hammers!
 Li Wensheng was flying everywhere on his sword while others were busy trying to surpass the limits of human speed. He could kill with a leaf or flower he plucked while others requested blacksmiths to hone their weapons. He cooked medicinal pellets with his cauldron, brewing Yuan Pellets that ascend cultivation while others trained their bodies to strengthen themselves.
 Martial arts champions: “Why aren’t you using any weapons?”
 Li Wensheng smiled, two of his fingers casting an immortal technique: Ten Thousand Swords Retrogression!
 At his words, every sword behind everyone’s back took to the skies without hope of control, gathering behind Li Wensheng into a rain of swords that covered the skies!
 This is a world where I alone cultivate immortality while everyone else trains in martial arts!
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 Crossing into the world of Naruto, and acquiring the One Piece system, with all the powers of the world of One Piece, swordsmanship, devil fruit, domineering.
 -Do you think that your fire is very powerful? I have the burning fruit.
 -Do you think that your thunder is very powerful? I have a thundering fruit.
 -Do you think that your otter is very powerful? I have the frozen fruit.
 -Did you said you want to die? Don’t worry, I also have a nickname: Death Doctor.
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 Gilgamesh: What? Are you Ultraman!? Fuck Tiamat for us?
 Sakura Kinomoto: Dad, do I have a sister?
 Dagu: Why did you borrow my power to transform in person?
 Emiya Shirou: Why do you look so much like me?
 Kagome Madoka: Thank you, Magician Oni-chan with a ring.
 Yagami Hayate: So I have a big brother named Yagami-an?
 Zhou Jing: That’s right, these people they are talking about are me →_→ Remember to keep it secret
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 Part 1:
 On April 3rd, 2019, there was a virus outbreak and the cities were besieged with zombies.
 A month later, on the national road outside H City, Shen Shian carried a heavy sword and walked around the vehicles abandoned everywhere.
 “Don’t make trouble,” he said while turning back. “Keep up, the sky is becoming dark.”
 “Hey!” A child who looked to be only four or five years old answered. He slashed the sword in his hand and cut the head of a zombie. Then he reached in and pulled out a marble-sized transparent crystal.
 After rubbing it a few times on his clothes, he carried a Tang Sword that was half the height of an adult human and ran to Shen Shian.
 “An An, I’ll give it to you!”
 Part 2:
 Shen Shian picked up a miserable puppy with dirty and knotty fur and a terrible smell.
 The first time he brought the dog into the spirit spring, the dog turned into a child.
 The second time the child was brought into the spirit spring, he turned into a man.
 On the edge of the misty spring, Shen Shian looked at the man swimming and asked with a frown, “Can you change back?”
 “Why?”
 Shen Shian pursed his lips. “…You will eat too much.”
 The man wrapped himself in a bath towel and emerged from the space with the Tang sword. After a short while, he inserted the sword into the grass and handed Shen Shian a handful of sparkling crystals.
 “I might eat more but I am also more capable!”
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The Hunter's Guide to Monsters

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The Hunter's Guide to Monsters

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