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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
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A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)

https://www.synology.com/en-us/releaseNote/DSM?model=
Version: 7.2-64570
(2023-06-08)
Important Note
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After installing this update, you will not be able to downgrade to a previous DSM version.
This update will restart your Synology NAS.
Starting from this version, logs for drives will no longer appear in Storage Manager > HDD and will be available only in Log Center.
Removed the "Automatically create port forwarding rules" option from QuickConnect advanced settings to increase network security.
Users can now create a Btrfs volume of up to 1 PB on specific Synology NAS models. This update automatically converts existing volumes that use the Btrfs (Peta Volume) file system to Btrfs. However, to create a volume larger than 200 TB, a RAID 6 storage pool and at least 64 GB of system memory are still required.Learn more
The maximum single volume size supported by RS2423+​/​RS2423RP+ has been adjusted to 200 TB (with a minimum system memory requirement of 32 GB).
Starting from this version, only Windows Server 2008 R2 and above versions will be supported. After installing this update, the current Windows Server 2008 domain and earlier versions will be unavailable.
This update includes fixes to the below issues mentioned in 7.2-64561:
Fixed an issue where updating to DSM 7.2 might fail if users' Synology NAS weren't connected to the Internet.
Fixed an issue where, when the Encryption Key Vault of encrypted volumes was set on a KMIP server, the system would not be able to auto-unlock these volumes after a restart.
Fixed an issue where, if Web Station was installed on an encrypted volume, resetting the system would cause the volume to crash.
Updated C2 Identity Edge Server to version 1.52.0-0186 to ensure its availability and functionality.
For the models below, you can only download the upgrade patch from Synology Download Center because you won't receive notifications for this update on your DSM.
FS Series: FS3017, FS2017, FS1018
XS Series: RS18016xs+, RS4017xs+, RS3617xs+, RS3617xs, RS3617RPxs, RS18017xs+, DS3617xs, DS3617xsII, DS3018xs
Plus Series: RS2416RP+, RS2416+, DS916+, DS716+II, DS716+, DS216+II, DS216+, DS1817+, DS1517+, RS2818RP+, RS2418RP+, RS2418+, RS818RP+, RS818+, DS1618+, DS918+, DS718+, DS218+, RS1219+
Value Series: DS416, DS416play, DS216, DS216play, DS116, RS816, DS1817, DS1517, RS217, DS418play
J Series: DS416slim, DS416j, DS216j, DS418j, DS218j, DS419slim, DS119j
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What’s New
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Added support for WriteOnce shared folders. This feature is based on the Write Once, Read Many (WORM) technology and can be enabled to prevent files from being modified, deleted, or renamed for a specified period.
Added support for volume encryption. All volume encryption keys are stored in the Encryption Key Vault, which can be set up on a local Synology NAS or via KMIP on a remote Synology NAS.
Added more Synology NAS models to support M.2 NVMe SSD storage pools. Learn more
Added more Synology NAS models to support the M2D18 adapter card: RS822RP+, RS822+, RS1221RP+, and RS1221+.
Added more SSD cache group management options, including changing the RAID type and replacing a drive.
Added support for inline zero-block removal to increase the efficiency of data deduplication.
Adjusted how drive information is presented in Storage Manager. Users can now quickly check the condition of their drives by looking at the "Drive Status" field.
Users can now view the amount of used and free space for each storage pool and volume in Storage Manager.
Added a warning notification for when the available shared folder quota is low.
Supports deleting individual desktop notifications.
Supports sending DSM notifications via additional webhook providers, including LINE and Microsoft Teams.
Supports creating custom notification rules for system events, giving users greater control over what notifications to receive.
Supports exporting a list of users and of groups.
Added support for SAML to integrate DSM with external SSO servers.
Added the option to allow non-admin users to safely eject USB devices.
Users can now manually input the IP addresses or FQDNs of one or more domain controllers in the trusted domain. This allows Synology NAS to sync domain data directly with the specified domain controllers.
Users can now enable Synology's email server to send DSM notifications directly to their Synology Account.
Added support for Auto Block, which restricts SMB login attempts from abnormal IP addresses.
​
Fixed Issues
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Fixed an issue where adding drives to a JBOD storage pool did not expand its capacity.
Updated Mbed-TLS to version 2.28.2 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-36647, CVE-2022-46392, CVE-2022-46393).
Updated Libksba to version 1.6.3 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-3515).
Updated SQLite to version 3.40.0 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-46908).
Updated Certifi to version 2022.12.07 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-23491).
Updated Node.js to version 14.21.1 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-43548).
Updated cURL to version 7.86.0 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-27774, CVE-2022-27775, CVE-2022-27776, CVE-2022-27781, CVE-2022-27782, CVE-2022-32205, CVE-2022-32206, CVE-2022-32207, CV E-2022-32221, CVE-2022-35252, CVE-2022-42915, CVE-2022-42916).
Updated PHP to version 8.1.9 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-11043, CVE-2021-21705, CVE-2022-31625).
Updated Sysstat to version 12.7.1 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-39377).
Updated OpenSSL to version 3.0.7 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-2068, CVE-2022-2097, CVE-2022-2274, CVE-2022-3358, CVE-2022-3602, CVE-2022-3786).
Updated Expat to version 2.5.0 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-43680).
Updated Libtirpc to version 2.87 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2021-46828).
Updated GnuPG to version 2.2.39 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-34903).
Updated OpenVPN to version 2.5.8 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-0547).
Updated libxml2 to version 2.9.14 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2022-23308).
Updated GMP to version 6.2.1 to fix a security vulnerability (CVE-2021-43618).
Updated ImageMagick to version 6.9.12-61 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-25664, CVE-2020-25665, CVE-2020-25666, CVE-2020-25667, CVE-2020-25674, CVE-2020-25675, CVE-2020-25676, CVE-2020-27560, CVE-2020-27750, CVE-2020-27751, CVE-2020-27752, CVE-2020-27753, CVE-2020-27754, CVE-2020-27755, CVE-2020-27756, CVE-2020-27757, CVE-2020-27758, CVE-2020-27759, CVE-2020-27760, CVE-2020-27761, CVE-2020-27762, CVE-2020-27763, CVE-2020-27764, CVE-2020-27765, CVE-2020-27766, CVE-2020-27767, CVE-2020-27768, CVE-2020-27769, CVE-2020-27770, CVE-2020-27771, CVE-2020-27772, CVE-2020-27773, CVE-2020-27774, CVE-2020-27775, CVE-2020-27776, CVE-2020-29599, CVE-2021-20176, CVE-2021-20224, CVE-2021-20241, CVE-2021-20245, CVE-2021-20246, CVE-2021-20309, CVE-2021-3574, CVE-2021-3596, CVE-2021-39212, CVE-2021-4219, CVE-2022-1114, CVE-2022-1115, CVE-2022-28463, CVE-2022-32545, CVE-2022-32546, CVE-2022-32547).
Updated FFmpeg to version 4.1.9 to fix multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-20892, CVE-2020-20902, CVE-2020-21688, CVE-2020-21697, CVE-2021-3566, CVE-2021-38114, CVE-2021-38291).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding Netatalk (CVE-2022-45188).
Fixed multiple security vulnerabilities regarding Python3 (CVE-2020-10735, CVE-2021-28861, CVE-2022-45061).
Fixed multiple security vulnerabilities regarding iproute2 (CVE-2022-3527, CVE-2022-3529, CVE-2022-3530).
Fixed multiple security vulnerabilities regarding D-Bus (CVE-2022-42010, CVE-2022-42011, CVE-2022-42012).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding syslog-ng (CVE-2022-38725).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding inetutils (CVE-2022-39028).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding DNSmasq (CVE-2022-0934).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding BusyBox-udhcp (CVE-2019-5747).
Fixed multiple security vulnerabilities regarding Linux Kernel (CVE-2021-22600, CVE-2021-38209, CVE-2021-4037, CVE-2022-0168, CVE-2022-1016, CVE-2022-1729, CVE-2022-1786, CVE-2022-20141, CVE-2022-20368, CVE-2022-2078, CVE-2022-2639, CVE-2022-2905, CVE-2022-29581, CVE-2022-32250, CVE-2022-3524, CVE-2022-3566, CVE-2022-3567, CVE-2022-36879, CVE-2022-36946, CVE-2022-42703).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding Nginx (CVE-2022-3638).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding ghostscript (CVE-2023-28879).
Fixed a security vulnerability regarding curl (CVE-2023-23916).
​
Limitation
​
S.M.A.R.T. testing for M.2 NVMe SSDs is no longer supported.
Starting from DSM 7.2 Beta, Virtual Machine Manager will no longer support creating clusters with older DSM versions. Please update each host in the cluster to the same DSM version or above versions for the Virtual Machine Manager cluster to operate properly.
​
Notes:
​
This version is released in a staged rollout.
​
​

I (21M) live with my grandparents. Each week my grandmother typically babysits my younger cousins 2-3 days a week.
If I’m not working or have plans I am always help out. I’m happy to entertain the kids if my grandmother needs a break, drive them to the store, drop them back home and take them to the park.
I don’t mind helping out with babysitting as I used to volunteer with a local youth group and have experienced having to look after kids.
The issue came yesterday. My auntie needs my grandmother to babysit on this Friday but as her daughter needs to leave to be picked up for work at 7:30am she is unable to drop them off at my grandmothers house as she typically does.
So my auntie asked me last night if I could come over at 8:30am and pick the kids up as I am off work for the week.
Any other time I would’ve but I explained I had plans on Thursday night. I have a date and she wants me to teach her to play pool so we are going for food and to a bar and as a result I will be drinking most of the night and don’t plan on cutting my date short or postponing due to having a reservation.
I’m not going out with intentions to get drunk but explained that I don’t feel comfortable to drive the next day after drinking especially with kids in the car so I refused.
My auntie asked why I don’t just stay sober to which I refused as my date and I have been planning to have drinks while out together.
Now my auntie has been complaining about how she is going to get my cousins to my grandmothers house as she can’t afford a cab and has my grandmother debating walking to and back from my aunties house to pick them up which isn’t smart due to my grandmother being disabled and walking far leaves her in pain.
So AITAH for refusing to limit how much I drink/not drink or cut my date short to go pick up my younger cousins?

According to the Regional Research Reports, the global ?selfrising flour market size is estimated to grow from USD a million in 2022 to reach USD multi- million by 2033 at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2023 to 2033. The growth is primarily driven by several variables about which Regional Research Reports provides comprehensive insights and estimation in the global ?selfrising flour market research.
The Regional Research Reports published the report on “global ?selfrising flour market Report 2023 – Future Growth Opportunities, Latest Technological Trends, In-depth Analysis, and Forecast To 2033” provides the futuristic vision of the global ?selfrising flour market along with the market size (Revenue – US$ Million) and estimates for the duration 2023 to 2033. The aforementioned research study examines various market segments in terms of source, nature, end-use, distribution channel, and regional. The competitive profiles of the top vendors of ?selfrising flour products and their most recent developments are also included in the report.
Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report@ https://www.regionalresearchreports.com/request-sample/self-rising-flour-market/FB-1385
Global ?Selfrising Flour Market Analysis
This report includes market size and forecast analysis for each segment - by source, nature, end-use, distribution channel, and geography. Additionally, for the years 2023 to 2033, compound annual growth rates for all segments have been provided. In addition to highlighting recent market trends for ?selfrising flour, the study also provides information on upcoming trends that will affect demand. The global ?selfrising flour market report also includes annual growth rates for each segment. Additionally, the report analyses the market from the standpoint of production and provides cost overviews for the ?selfrising flour market as well as analyses of labor, raw material, and technology costs.
The market has been segmented by region: North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Under North America, the report covers the United States, Canada, and Mexico; whereas Asia Pacific includes China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. The key countries covered under Europe include Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and the Rest of Europe, whereas the Middle East and Africa is comprised of the Middle East, Africa, and GCC countries. The report also includes market sizes for all regions and sub-regions as of 2022 and through 2033.
This report includes information about the major players, such as overview, revenue, interview record, gross profit, business distribution, etc. These details give the consumer a better understanding of the rivals. Additionally, it details the market's competitive landscape for all significant players identified in the global ?selfrising flour market. Other crucial factors include the plant's location, the source of the technology, the downstream industry, and the contact details.

Top Key Players Profiled in this report are-

• General Mills
• The White Lily Foods Company
• Reily Foods Company
• Martha White Foods Inc.
• Ardent Mills
• Adm Company
• King Arthur Flour Company Inc.
• Renwood Mills
• The Kroger Co.
• Shawnee Milling Company

Report Details:

Make an Enquire before Purchase @ https://www.regionalresearchreports.com/buy-now/self-rising-flour-market/FB-1385?opt=2950
Report Attribute
Details
Market Size in 2022
USD a million
Market Size in 2033
USD multi- million
CAGR (2023-2033)
5.7%
Base Year for Estimation
2022
Historic Year
2018-2021
Forecast Period
2023-2033
Study Period
2018-2033
Quantitative Units
Revenue in USD Million and CAGR from 2023-2033
Market Factor Analysis

• Future Estimation and Forecast for the market
• PESTEL and Porter's
• SWOT Analysis
• Covid-19 Impact
• Upcoming Opportunity
• Market Attractive Index for each segment and region
• Investment pocket opportunities in the market

Regions Covered

• North America
• South America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Countries Profiled

• US
• Canada
• Mexico
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Vietnam
• Singapore
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Germany
• the UK
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Russia
• Brazil
• Argentina
• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Israel
• Turkey

Customization Scope
Free 20% report customization with the purchase within a specific period.
Access full Report Description, TOC, Table of Figure, Chart, etc: https://www.regionalresearchreports.com/table-of-content/self-rising-flour-market/FB-1385
The report provides extensive information about various factors that have been studied as contributing to the market's growth trajectory. The report also outlines the challenges facing the global ?selfrising flour market. Moreover, it evaluates the bargaining power of suppliers and customers, the threat posed by new competitors and the threat of substitutes, and the level of market competition. The report also thoroughly examines the impact of the most recent government regulations. It summarizes the development of the ?selfrising flour market over the forecast periods.

Global ?Selfrising Flour Market Segmentation:

Market Segmentation: By Source

• Wheat
• Corn

Market Segmentation: By Nature

• Organic
• Conventional

Market Segmentation: By End-Use

• Bakery And Confectionery
• Noodle And Pasta

Market Segmentation: By Distribution Channel

• Direct
• Indirect
• Wholesale
• Online Retailer
• Supermarket/Hypermarket
• Specialty Stores

Regions Covered in the Global ?Selfrising Flour Market Report 2022:

• North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of South America)
• Europe (Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain, and Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia & New Zealand, and Rest of Asia Pacific)
• The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Rest of MEA)

The cost analysis of the global ?selfrising flour market was carried out, considering the cost of raw materials, labor, and manufacturing, as well as the market concentration rate, suppliers, and price trends. Other factors, such as the sourcing strategy, supply chain, and downstream buyers, have been evaluated to provide a comprehensive and in-depth view of the market. The study on market positioning will also be displayed to report clients, providing target market, brand strategy, and pricing strategy into account.
Request For Report Description @ https://www.regionalresearchreports.com/industry-reports/self-rising-flour-market/FB-1385

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration: Detailed study on the product portfolios of the top key players in the ?selfrising flour market.
Product Development/Innovation: Comprehensive insights on the upcoming innovative technologies, R&D activities, and product developments in the market.
Competitive Assessment: In-depth evaluation of the market strategies and regional and business segments of the leading players in the market.
Market Development: Detailed information on emerging markets. This study examines the market for various segments across geographies.
Market Diversification: comprehensive data on new products, untapped regions, recent investments, and developments in the ?selfrising flour market.

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• The report offers a thorough analysis of market dynamics and trends for ?selfrising flour, both current and future.
• Market estimations for significant market segments between 2022 and 2033 are prepared in order to conduct a thorough analysis of the ?selfrising flour market.
• A thorough analysis of the ?selfrising flour market is conducted by closely monitoring top competitors within the market framework and adhering to key product positioning.
• A detailed assessment of every region is given to identify the current market opportunities for ?selfrising flour.
• The report includes a forecast and analysis of the global market for the ?selfrising flour from 2022 to 2033.
• The report profiles and thoroughly analyze the strategies of the key players in the market to comprehend the competitive outlook of the ?selfrising flour market.

The key questions answered in this report –

• What will be the Market Size and Growth Rate in 2033?
• What are the major Key Factors driving ?Selfrising Flour Market?
• What are the limitations and Constraints in front of the market?
• Who are the Key Players in ?Selfrising Flour Market?
• What are the Technological Trending Factors fostering the market shares?
• What are the Key Potentials of Porter’s five forces model?
• What are the Opportunities for Growth in Expanding the Global ?Selfrising Flour Market?

There are only 9 days passed from this post, which its idea was slaughtered at birth without either recognizing the problem statement or providing a practical and concrete alternative solution, and since then Algorand has slid down from position #41 to #48 with about ~25% reduction in its market cap.
Of course we are in a bear market and of course every day all sorts of bad news arrive, including serial SEC actions and the associated uncertainty, however none of them explains significantly worse performance of Algorand during the past few months. Algorand has a different problem, a self-inflected one: it fails to attract the new capital. Why? The past has not been that glorious in terms of preserving (not growing) the capital. 100% of buyers are at a loss. Every bit of big positive news turned out to not be what was expected (the FIFA one still badly hurts) and new investors money were constantly used as exit liquidity. More importantly, there is not that much more promising future ahead. 2.75B Algos is a lot of supply which is gonna hit the already exhausted market. There is no scarcity and there is no store of value property, which is fundamental to why cryptocurrencies are attractive for most people. How someone could sleep well with Algorand as his/her collateral in a Defi lending platform, presumably one of the most important use cases, that allows people to slowly build wealth using crypto.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not worried about the value of my bag at this moment, tomorrow or next year, but I'm genuinely worried that the lack of attractiveness of Algorand to investors, in this competitive and noisy market, leads to drying up the liquidity and slowing down the project's growth because the community doesn't grow fast enough. Look at this foundation address. These Algos were supposed to be sold in the market for the last 14 days but there hasn't been any chance. There are not enough buyers even at 40% lower price. And you know what, there might not be enough buyers even at 40% lower. It is not about the price but the fact that it is obviously stupid to buy something that most likely won't even preserve its value as new Algos constantly sold in the market.
Algorand is an extraordinary project, with great teams and communities, with a real potential of becoming a global L1 solution. It would be a shame that ignoring this problem for too long leads to the project failure and eventual death!
Forum
Original post on Algorand Foundation subreddit

Latest edition released by AMA on Global Mobile Wallet Technologies Market to regulate the balance of demand and supply. This intelligence report on Mobile Wallet Technologies includes Investigation of past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. Data True to market on the products, strategies and market share of leading companies of this particular market are mentioned. It’s a 360-degree overview of the global market’s competitive landscape. The report further predicts the size and valuation of the global market during the forecast period.
Some of the key players profiled in the study are
Alipay.com Co.,Ltd (China)
AMAZON.COM INC. (United States)
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (United States)
APPLE INC. (United States)
AT&T INC. (United States)
GOOGLE LLC (United States)
MASTERCARD (United States)
PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC. (United States)
Jio Money (India)
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. (South Korea)
VISA INC. (United States)
Freecharge (India)
Mobikwik (India)
Vibes (United States)
MoneyGram (United States)
Airtel Money (India)
FIS (United States)
A mobile wallet is a type of virtual wallet which stores credit card, debit card, and loyalty card information. It is accessed via an app on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Customers use mobile wallets to make in-store payments because it is more convenient than paying with cash or carrying physical credit cards. Mobile wallets are accepted as a form of payment in stores that have been approved by mobile service providers. Wallets are built into mobile devices, or users can download the app from app stores. When a customer installs a mobile wallet on their device, they must provide their credit card information, reward cards, and coupons. The data is then linked to a recognized form of personal identification, such as a key or a QR code that can be scanned.
Market Trends: Increasing Use Of Mobile Wallet Among The Youth Generation
The Growing Trend Of Using Digital Payment Applications With The Advent Of Digital Money
Opportunities: Growing Usage Of E-Commerce In The Developing Regions
Rising Promotional Events And Activities Regarding Cashless Payments
Market Drivers: Increase In The Use Of Smartphones With A High-Speed Network Connectivity And Various Digital Payment Platforms
Challenges: The Necessity To The Access To The Internet
Lack Of Knowledge About Mobile Wallet In The Rural Areas
Presented By
AMA Research & Media LLP

[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/131t1q9/first_contacts_part_1/)
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
“Welcome to the Endeavour 2.”
Nathan had already chosen to name the frigate after his experimental warp ship, I wondered if that meant he intended to keep hold of it but the limited number of Doradul crew was my largest concern.
“Only 20 Orvangians?”
Nathan’s smile dropped away and he rose from his seat, “I am sorry Jin, the Axarli shot and killed several on the planet’s surface, these were the only prisoners they recovered.”
Halor the Doradul’s Secondary Ops Officer made the Orvangian Gesture of Greif from loss before taking the pilot’s seat that Nathan slid out of.
“I am glad to see you and Doc got to the shuttle safely, but you should probably get some rest, that’s what I am going to do now.” Nathan gestured back to the elevator.
Once we were aboard the elevator, he thumbed the button for Deck 9 where the shuttle was stored.
“What course are we on?”
“Halor plotted a course to a Federation System called Polivor, we will be there in about a day.”
Once we reached the shuttle Nathan and I gathered our things and headed for Deck 4 officer’s quarters. Nathan claimed the Captains Quarters and offered me the First Officers, it was nowhere near as comfortable as the Doradul, in that respect it was much more like the Endeavour, it was a single chamber with a bed, chair, desk, and storage compartments, no more than 6 square metres of floor and barely 3 metres high.
All I had in the way of possessions was a Laser Rifle, a Space Suit, and the pack of seeds from the Doradul, Purple Valuri Seeds my mother had given me when I left for the Doradul. The Chamber didn’t have enough lighting for flowers to grow, the gloom better suited to the needs of the Sovereigns or Euterians.
I Stowed my things and extracted myself from the space suit, it looked ugly now, not the smooth bluish appearance it had once possessed, there were dozens of scratches on its hard segments and the Separatist sealant was brown leaving a couple of dozen irregular dirty-looking smudges where I had sealed it.
My uniform was no better, torn and tattered I had been wearing it for hours when I was sent to recover Nathan from the Endeavour 1, it smelled dirty and pink staining surrounded the tears.
Entirely disrobed I lay on the bed and dimmed the lights, the last sleep I had managed was back in the escape pod, it felt like that was days ago. Despite my exhaustion, it wasn’t easy to fall asleep, perhaps it was the stinging of wounds or the death of so many Orvangians that I knew, sleep took over an hour to reach.
I dreamt of the first year I served aboard the Doradul, we were surveying systems in the Tilbas Sector, looking for worlds that would be suitable for Orvangian settlement, they were peaceful days wandering the stars in search of beauty and quiet, I had built many friendships with members of the crew, among them was Wula, she served as a Geological specialist, surveying planetary crusts for stability. I had gathered her family seal from her body when I was on the Doradul, hers and two others, Palos wasn’t exactly my friend, a support Engineer, he was after my job but I did not wish to see him dead and Worgan, I didn’t know him well.
I woke after a few hours, my bedding stained with lymph from a wound on my side, it had opened again as I had slept. The only thing I had to wear was my torn and stained uniform so I donned it again and headed for the medical bay on deck 3.
Doctor Hule and the Tilik Nathan called Doc were here, treating plasma burns on Sub Officer Florn, she had been a ground officer during surface surveying for the Doradul.
Doc moved over to the second bed and patted it with a tentacle so I hopped up and gestured to my reopened would “It started weeping again”.
“Not to worry, I can go over them all with more care now that there are no enemies at the door.”
Doc began to treat my wounds taking time to seal and patch each one, it took over an hour of work for him to finish and I did feel considerably better.
“Thanks, Doc” I slid off the bed and turned to leave.
“I suggest you also visit the quartermasters on deck 7, they can sort you out something clean to wear.”
Clean clothes and a shower sounded great so I headed straight to Deck 7, the Doradul’s own Quartermaster was here and she soon had the ship fabricate two new uniforms for me, both now showing the embroidery pattern for the Doradul as a Memoriam pattern, though she had not included an Endeavour 2 pattern.
The deck where my quarters were had a shower block, suited to the use of four so that all the senior officers of the frigate could use it at once. I was the only one there though so I took my time cleaning, ensuring that the grime of recent events was gone.
Finally clean I donned a new uniform and stowed the other in my quarters before heading to the bridge.
Halor was still in command, using the Pilots chair as a sort of captain’s seat as he reviewed the ship’s systems and supplies, not that the information was necessary, we would be arriving at Polivor in less than 20 hours now and he would most certainly be disembarking, we all would. This ship was evidence of the Separatists’ rearming against the treaty they had signed when they lost the war.
“Jin! I thought you would be resting after all that excitement.”
“Sleep is difficult, I was hoping we had a crew roster.”
“We do” he indicated an auxiliary console “But I am sad to say that neither of the Doradul’s Therapeutic officers are with us.”
I sat on the padded bar that counted as an auxiliary station seat and brought up the roster, Nathan and Doc were both listed as well as the 21 survivors of the Doradul, 84 had died in the attack on the ship, those whose seals had been recovered were also listed, so I added the three I had collected and quietly wept for a few moments at the losses we had taken.
Less than 40 seals of dead crewmembers had been recovered and were currently being displayed in the galley on deck 3 so that was my next destination, the elevator was in use so I took the ramps.
The Galley was busy, 10 of my crewmates from the Doradul were here some at a wall where 35 seals hung in memoriam of the lost, and others were sitting at tables with the separatist equivalent of ration packs.
I approached the memorial wall and hung the three seals I had recovered, Jola and Nero gave me sympathetic hugs in response. Jola had worked with Wula as part of the survey teams so she offered to make the bond and share memories of our friend and colleague.
We sat and shared our memories through the Bond, the experiences we had each gathered of Wula being integrated, the social evenings I had shared with her, and the work humour Jola had experienced, each memory we shared built a greater picture of our lost friend in our minds and helped us to become closer friends as a result.
After the bond was over, we sat together and ate, the Separatist ration packs were simple, a grain and nut disc with a side of dried berries all held in a small plastic pouch. It wasn’t as good as the fake chicken that Nathan had shared but it was enough to sate my appetite.
Others in the Galley were sharing memories and meals, we may have lost the therapists but our shared experiences were helping us to cope with the losses.
I was about to depart the Galley when Nathan arrived with Doc, Nathan’s arms were loaded with ration packs of his own kind, far more than he could reasonably eat, and Doc was carrying a couple of bottles of medication.
Nathan selected a table next to mine and began laying out and snapping tabs on containers, a total of eight each with the same markings as the fried chicken I had tasted. Doc opened the bottles and dumped the pills into a bowl.
Once the circles turned red Nathan tore lids off packs and released the delicious smell of chicken “Ok everyone, feel free to try some Southern Fried Chicken, Be aware that the coating is a little toxic to Orvangians, so please take an Anti-Toxin pill from Doc here before you eat!” he spoke loud and clear so that everyone turned their attention to him and the smell.
I moved swiftly to the table and dry swallowed a pill before selecting a piece of chicken and biting down. My first taste of this had been without the coating so I had not been able to experience the full delights of its flavours, the coating was quite spicy though the anti-toxin was doing a good job of keeping it from being painful.
Soon others were trying the food for themselves and Nathan found himself explaining that it was not meat once again, though most were satisfied with no explanation. The atmosphere soon became more jovial and Nathan asked Buddy to play some music by another Buddy, this time a musician called Buddy Holly.
The Chicken was soon gone but the uplifted spirits would not fade so quickly, Nathan chatted with everyone, sharing jokes and stories from his people. For a few hours, the galley was a happy place.
Eventually, Nathan and I headed to the bridge to relieve Halor and monitor systems during our journey. I had never served aboard a ship built by another species before, the console layouts and bridge plan here were designed for a mixed species crew with effort made to offer interface and seating flexibility for all the races of the Separatist movement.
Someone had already modified screen layouts to better suit the Orvangian standard and seats were largely configured for our lean forms, the pilot’s chair being the only exception.
“Nathan, you understand that the Federation is likely to want this ship for study.”
“Halor told me. It’s fine though just leaves room for an Endeavour 3.” Nathan followed the statement with a Grin, something the other Orvangians on the bridge were still not used to, but I found myself grinning back causing a surprised reaction from the rest of the bridge crew.
There wasn’t much to do at warp so much of our time was just familiarising ourselves with the ship and its many systems, the Endeavour 2 was originally just referred to as the TX210-B, a combat support Frigate with an arsenal of ship-to-ship weaponry, it was designed to fight, having no other purpose.
After a few hours we were relieved of duty ourselves, Florn being the next most senior officer, he had no experience commanding a ship, but his rank was just below mine and he did command ground survey teams so he would manage for a few hours of Warp travel.
Nathan and I departed the Bridge together “You hungry?” Nathan nudged me as he spoke.
“I haven’t eaten much the last couple of days.”
“Let’s head to my quarters and grab some food then.” We used the ramps to reach deck 4, Nathan’s Fabricator was set up on the desk in his quarters and six ration packs were stacked inside it.
“Your fabricator can make food?”
“Yes, I fed it some of the separatist ration packs and it can make a half dozen different food options from them.” He took a pack from the machine and held it out to me.
He cleared the machine and started it on the next load, then he gathered the stack he had built beside it, almost two entire batches worth and headed back up to the Galley. Once we arrived, he deposited all but one of the packs onto a table at the end of the room and selected a seat at another table.
As I sat with the pack he had given me I noticed that the writing on the pack that had been in Nathan’s language when we had shared chicken on the shuttle, was now all in Orvangian, indicating the instructions to cook the meal and describing itself as a ‘Closed Spicy Meat Sandwich with vegetables and Fruit Sauce’ once the circle turned red I tore open the top to reveal a pair of shell-shaped things, they didn’t look like sandwiches really, they smelled of cooked meat and spices.
“I had Buddy modify the ingredients to eliminate toxic properties so enjoy.” Nathan bit into the crunchy exterior and juices dripped from his chin as he ate.
It was delicious, though I still preferred the chicken he had provided before. Several crew in the galley helped themselves to a pack and soon the whole galley smelled of the spices and meats of this Human food.
Two of these sandwiches were a little much for an Orvangian so most of the crew were sharing packs. After I finished one sandwich Nathan asked “You going to eat that?”
“No.” with that Nathan demolished his third and seemed sated.
“Captain Nathan. Could Buddy play some more music?” the query came from Asor a junior engineer by rank.
“Sure! Buddy, can we get some Dolly?”
“Playing Dolly Parton.” Buddy began with a song about working long hours and soon the galley was full of Orvangians badly singing along.
Eventually, the poor sleep I had gotten over the last couple of days was too much for me and I departed the music and joviality of the galley and returned to my chambers, the small size and lack of a garden hit me again as I entered the metal box military officers call spacious quarters.
Exhaustion made sleep much easier this time and I managed a good six hours of rest, my dreams largely of my childhood and memories I had gained from my bond with Jola. When I awoke it was to the voice of Nathan “All crew, we shall be arriving at the Polivor system in one hour, All crew to stations.”
I climbed out of bed and donned a fresh uniform, depositing both my dirty and tattered one into the laundry chute before heading for the bridge.
Nathan was in the Pilots chair and Halor was standing at an auxiliary station, I took a position at the first officer’s console and examined the navigation data, we were now just 35 minutes from our destination.
That time soon vanished as we prepared the ship for arrival, we would look like a separatist ship so Halor had modified our transponder data to indicate that we were the Endeavour 2 under the Galactic Federations Flag, still, we would need to prove we were not hostile so I set the weapons to safe mode and prepared a transmission of my security code and a message to indicate our allegiance. Nathan prepared to take control of the ship’s course moments before the Warp drive shut down.
We dropped out of warp at 2.2 million kilometres from the Military Outpost in the outer system.
Two Separatist Cruisers were waiting for us, barely a thousand kilometres from our arrival point they immediately opened fire, particle beams lancing out at us with their crimson fury.
Nathan’s reactions were on par as usual, jerking the controls to starboard and hitting full thrust the moment he saw the ships. He managed to evade the worst of it but a blast cut a streak across the port side of the ship, two turrets were hit and auxiliary communications were burned off the ship.
“Jin, Arm Weapons, focus fire on the sunward side ship! Halor, get me data on the state of the system.” Nathan yelled orders as he twisted the Endeavour 2 among the beams.
I had set the weapons to safety thinking we would need to look non-threatening, it was going to take two minutes to get weapons back “Captain, two minutes for weapons!”
Halor set secondary displays to show the devastated Outpost and the distant flashes of conflict over Polivor 3 “Captain, there are 5 Separatist Battleships in orbit of Polivor 3 and the Military Outpost has been destroyed.”
He paused for a moment as though he could barely believe his next statement, “We are at war.”
​
[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/131t1q9/first_contacts_part_1/)
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
(I hope everyone is still enjoying this story, Let me know if you are. As you may have noticed there is no Species Data Drop in the comments this week they will resume once another species makes an appearance.)

​
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-E-commerce trends are strengthening.
-A change in strategy has Shopify refocused on its most profitable business.
-The online retail star's free cash flow is set to soar.
This growth stock's rally is just getting started.
Shopify ($SHOP) is once again in investors' good graces. The e-commerce leader's stock price is already up more than 70% so far in 2023, as the market has begun to appreciate its exceptional long-term growth potential.
Yet fortune-building gains could still be ahead for investors who buy shares today. Here are three reasons Shopify's stock is still a great buy.
1. The online retail growth story is far from over
E-commerce sales exploded during the early stages of the pandemic when COVID-related restrictions forced many retailers to shutter their stores. Online retail sales then slowed once those safety measures were lifted and people returned to their traditional shopping locations. But investors shouldn't make the mistake of projecting the recent downturn in e-commerce growth too far into the future.
Retail trends are beginning to normalize. After experiencing some respite in recent years, brick-and-mortar retailers are once again being forced to close stores. Over 2,000 closures have already been announced in the U.S. alone so far in 2023. That figure could rise to more than 50,000 locations by the end of 2027, according to investment bank UBS.
At the same time, online sales are expected to surge. Global retail e-commerce sales will top $8 trillion by 2026, up from $6.3 trillion in 2023, according to Statista.
These trends should help to fuel Shopify's growth. More merchants will be compelled to invest in their online operations, which could drive sales of Shopify's best-in-class e-commerce software sharply higher in the coming years.
2. A wise divestiture reduces the risks for investors
Better still, Shopify should emerge as a more focused enterprise following the sale of its logistics business to supply chain specialist Flexport. The move marked an about-face for Shopify, which had until recently listed the buildout of its fulfillment network as a key part of its expansion strategy.
Shopify purchased 6 River Systems for $450 million in 2019 and Deliverr for $2.1 billion in 2022. The warehouse solutions provider and last-mile delivery platform, respectively, were to form the foundation of Shopify's budding logistics network.
But the company announced on May 4 that some of those assets would be transferred to Flexport. In exchange, Shopify would receive a 13% stake in the fast-growing supply chain company. Combined with its existing holdings, Shopify will own a "high-teens percentage" of Flexport, according to chief financial officer Jeff Hoffmeister.
The deal will allow the two companies to focus on what they do best. It will strengthen Flexport's logistics network, which will provide air and ocean freight services to Shopify's merchant customers.
Shopify, in turn, will no longer need to spend billions of dollars to build out its fulfillment network -- a high-risk endeavor with an uncertain payoff, particularly since it put Shopify in more direct competition with e-commerce titan Amazon. With these risks now reduced, investors are likely to value the newly streamlined and more profitable Shopify much more highly.
3. Cost cuts could turbocharge free cash flow growth
Shopify also cut about 20% of its workforce as part of the divestiture of its logistics operations and other cost-reduction efforts. Although painful in the short term, these cuts should further bolster Shopify's profit margins and cash flow.
Shopify's revenue jumped 25% year over year to $1.5 billion in the first quarter, driven by price hikes and an increase in sales made by merchants on its e-commerce platform. Shopify also produced $86 million in free cash flow (FCF), a significant improvement from the negative $41 million it generated in the prior-year period. Looking ahead, management expects the company to produce positive FCF for the rest of the year.
In the company's earnings release, president Harley Finkelstein said, "Shopify's strong first quarter results demonstrate once again that we're the go-to solution powering businesses of all sizes, on every surface where they sell."
With its improved cost structure and refocused strategy, the leading provider of e-commerce software solutions is in a good position to generate rapidly growing FCF for its investors in the years ahead.