'From Previous Chapter:'
"Guy, even though I may not show it, I still..." I opened my eyes, activating my [Eyes Of Destruction], and continued speaking.
'Continuation'
'Third Person POV:'
As Rimuru opened his eyes, the world stopped. His golden eyes, now adorned with red patterns, emitted a threatening glow, as if challenging the very concept of existence, ready to erase any who dared to move even slightly.
At his mere glance, Rain and Misary collapsed on the ground, while everyone else in the room stood frozen, their movements stopped like statues, while trembling in fear.
Guy, visibly trembling, struggled to maintain composure, on the verge of insanity under Rimuru's mere gaze.
Each individual in the room trembled with terror, their very essence shivering in awe of Rimuru's power. Even space and time itself seemed to stop in reverence to his fraction of power, as if pausing to witness his might.
As Rimuru surveyed the room with his piercing gaze, satisfaction washed over him. Locking eyes with Guy, he gave him a death glare before continuing to speak.
"I am the strongest being in entire existence. I am The Supreme Entity, The One Who Rules Over Everything, The Ruler of All Existence. And this is just a mere clone of my True Body, which barely scratches the surface of my fraction of True Power. Yet, I am the strongest and stand above everything, even above Veldanava in his prime state.
If I bring my True Body here, then the entire existence will be erased just by being in my presence alone. Such is the magnitude of my presence alone, without even using any real power. And I see this all creation as just a tool to cure my boredom, a simple plaything. Existence is nothing more than a mere fleeting thought to me because I can turn the entire existence into nothingness without even thinking, let alone using my power.
So remember these words carefully: I am The Supreme Deity, The One Who Rules Over Everything, The Ruler of All Existence, The Embodiment of Nothingness: The Ruler Of Void: Rimuru Tempest. And everything begins from the Void, and everything ends in the Void.
So don't even think of controlling me or my close friends or their actions, then be it directly or indirectly, as I have no desire to erase your concept of concept, especially since I consider you one of my close friends.
So take word of advice, and from now on, carefully consider your words before speaking, for they can often wield more power than actions!"
Rimuru's words sliced through the air with an icy coldness, chilling even the depths of Velzard's ice.
And as he finished talking, the room fell into a dense silence.
Rimuru, through his words, conveyed an unspoken warning to Guy that is: "Don't go ahead of yourself, and don't cross paths with me. If you do, I'll show no mercy."
Right now, Guy's whole body is violently shaking, and he is on the verge of fainting and going insane. For the first time in his entire life, which has spanned since the dawn of creation, Guy Crimson feels fear.
He is scared of Rimuru to his very core. Just seeing this version of Rimuru has made him lose his sanity.
In this moment, Guy made a vow which is: he will never, ever cross paths with Rimuru, and no matter what, directly or indirectly, he will never go against him or make him angry by any means, even if it means facing death. Because compared to what Rimuru would do, death would feel like a blessing.
While on the other hand, Velzard looks like she could collapse on the ground at any moment just being in the presence of Rimuru. Now she understands what Rimuru truly is and how powerful he is.
Meanwhile, the people in the room are also not faring well. Ramiris is trembling in fear and on the verge of losing her mind to the extent that she didn't hear nearly half of what Rimuru said. Right now, she is stronger than anyone in this room except Veldora and Rimuru. But even this much power is nothing in the presence of a fraction of Rimuru's power.
Milim is just being Milim. She only understands the first part of what Rimuru said: that Rimuru is the strongest being, even stronger than her father. And for her, that is so cool. But still, unconsciously, her body is trembling because of the power radiating from Rimuru's eyes.
Veldora is doing better than the others, but still, he is also shaking because this again reminds him of just how powerful his brother is. Other than that, he doesn't feel much. He starts to read his manga, trying to ignore what is going on, but his body betrays him because no matter what, his body can't stop shaking.
Diablo is faring better than everyone else because, as Rimuru's subordinate, he has Rimuru's blessings(special). And because of that, he is doing better than the others, managing to stand with some effort. But still, he is scared and shaking, just like the others.
But despite everything, he is starting to feel pleasure from this. (A.N. a weird creature.)
But in the worst condition are Rain and Misary, as they are lying on the ground without moving. Yet, they remain conscious, and it is only because Rimuru is allowing them to stay conscious. If he didn't, they would already be dead since Rimuru opened his eyes.
They are the most terrified people in the room.
'Rimuru POV:'
"Whoa... What... are... You... t... trying to say... I ne... never said that I can order you... And you can do wh... whatever you want." Guy stuttered, his voice trembling.
Oops, I think I overdid it a little. But it seems Guy has understood his position.
I see. If that's the case, then there's no need to intimidate him any further.
<
>>Whoa... why are you embarrassing me, Ciel? And what do you mean you've recorded it? It's so embarrassing!!!<<
<
>>Yeah, right! Like hell it is!<<
>>Whatever. I'll just focus on what's going on, and I'll see you tonight.<<
"I see, so I take it that you understand what I was trying to say?" I asked him, this time in a normal voice, while deactivating my eyes . I wanted to make sure that he got the message.
"Yes, I clearly understand," he replied, his voice hurried and relieved.
Well, I guess everyone is on edge because of the little stunt I just pulled.
I should change the atmosphere in the room quickly because it's not good at all.
"So, let's make the four of us official members of the Demon Lord council," Ramiris suggested, trying to change the atmosphere in the room.
That's a good one, Ramiris.
"Yeah, we need a name!!! A cool name!!!" Milim suddenly joined in.
"Well, if it's only about a name, then how about 'The Four Ancient Catastrophies'? I mean, the four of us are more than catastrophic beings. So, I think it will suit us very well," I suggested.
I just want to change the atmosphere in the room.
"Yes, it is a good name. So from now on, we can call ourselves 'The Four Ancient Catastrophies' of the Demon Lord council!" Guy said, finally composing himself.
"It's not fair!!! It's not fair!!!! It's not fair ~noda!!!!" Milim suddenly started shouting things like that and threw a tantrum.
"What's not fair, Milim-chan? Could you please tell us?" Ramiris asked Milim.
"Only besty got a cool title like 'The Ruler Of Void' and I don't have any!!! We are besties for the resties, so we should both have a title, not only him!!!!" She said loudly and started making a cute face again.
"Well, if you want one, then how about Rimuru gives you one? He is your best friend after all," Velz said, giving me a side glare.
I glared back at her, but she didn't back down. It was clear she was trying to push Milim's responsibility over to me.
"Fine! Fine! I'll give you a cool title, okay!" I sighed, resigning to my new task because Velz wasn't backing down, and I didn't want to treat her the same way I treated Guy.
"Hehehe," that sly ice lizard, why did she smirk?
I see what's going on. Don't worry, Velz, I have a good revenge plan for you.
Let's see... She's Velda's daughter, so that makes her The Daughter Of God. And she also destroyed quite a lot of areas, so Destroyer also sounds good. I get it now.
"How about this: 'The Daughter Of God: The Destroyer' or in short, 'The Destroyer'?" I suggested to them.
"Yeah, that sounds cool!" Milim exclaimed happily.
"Hey, what about us? Give us titles too!" Guy interjected.
Jeez, how much pride do you have to compose yourself this fast just to show that you're not scared.
"Fine, I'll give you both titles," I replied.
Guy is a primordial demon, so 'The Lord Of Darkness' would suit him. And as for Ramiris, she is a Spirit Queen.
>>Hey, Ciel, do you know what is Ramiris's main ability?<<
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I see. Then how about 'The Spirit Of The Labyrinth'? Yeah, that will be good.
"I will give you both titles, but don't complain if you don't like them. So, Guy, for you, how about 'The Lord Of Darkness,' and for Ramiris, 'The Spirit Of The Labyrinth.' How does that sound?" I asked them.
"'The Lord Of Darkness,' huh... Yeah, it sounds good and evil. I like it," Guy remarked.
How does it sound good and evil at the same time???
"'The Spirit Of The Labyrinth,' huh... It does sound good, but how did you know about my main ability? Well, considering who you are, it would be pointless to ask you. Well, I like it anyway," Ramiris also expressed her approval.
"Okay then, from now on, Milim will be known as 'The Daughter Of God: The Destroyer,' and Guy will be known as 'The Lord Of Darkness,' and Ramiris will be known as 'The Spirit Of The Labyrinth'!!!" I majestically declared.
'Third Person POV:'
Just as Rimuru declared, the three of them heard a voice, and that voice belonged to The Voice Of The World.
(A.N. Ah...shit, here we go again!)
It was akin to when Rimuru heard the voice when Veldanava bestowed upon him a title. And that voice said,
{Milim Nava, The True Demon Lord, has been given a title by The Supreme Deity, The Embodiment of Nothingness: The Ruler Of Void; which is 'The Daughter Of God: The Destroyer'}
That's what Milim heard.
{Guy Crimson, The Primordial Red, The True Demon Lord, has been given a title by The Supreme Deity, The Embodiment of Nothingness: The Ruler Of Void; which is 'The Lord Of Darkness'}
That's what Guy heard.
{Ramiris, The Spirit Queen, has been given a title by The Supreme Deity, The Embodiment of Nothingness: The Ruler Of Void; which is 'The Spirit Of The Labyrinth'}
That's what Ramiris heard.
And just like Rimuru, their new titles also became one with them and engraved on their souls, just like their names.
But all of this was also heard by two other people: Rimuru and Ciel. They were able to hear because they were above the Voice Of The World.
After that, Guy silently ordered Misary, instructing her to announce them with their titles as the official start of the Demon Lord council.
Understanding her silent command from Guy, Misary stepped forward and announced,
"Allow me to formally introduce the Demon Lord council, also known as 'The Four Ancient Catastrophies':
The first seat; Demon/True Dragon
The Great Demon Lord, The Embodiment of Nothingness; The Ruler Of Void: Rimuru Tempest-sama.
The second seat; Demon
The Lord Of Darkness: Guy Crimson-sama.
The third seat; Dragonide
The Daughter Of God; The Destroyer: Milim Nava-sama.
The fourth seat; Spirit Queen
The Spirit Of The Labyrinth: Ramiris-sama." She announced.
(No known species name of Ramiris in her True Form/State in LN)
'Rimuru POV:'
Well, that went smoothly.
"Hey Guy, do you plan to organize meetings like this every time we welcome a new member or whenever someone has something to share with the group?" I inquired.
I'm asking because if he intends to arrange pointless gatherings in the future, I won't waste my time attending. Instead, I'd rather relax at home with my friends and have Ciel by my side.
"Yes, that's a possibility. Is there a problem with that?" He responded.
"Well, personally, I don't mind. But I'll only join meetings that I deem important. Are you okay with that?" I told him.
Now that I think back to our previous discussion, I doubt he'll oppose my decision. Well, having more power than necessary also has its perks.
"I'm fine with it, but if there's something important to discuss, then you'll need to attend," Guy asserted.
"Works for me," I agreed.
Attending occasional meetings won't bother me. It could be a good way to pass the time.
'It's fine if he doesn't attend every meeting and only shows up for the important ones. Just having him as part of our group is sufficient for me. Hehehe, now there's no chance of winning for you, Rudra.' These were Guy's thoughts.
"If all this boring stuff is over, then please Rimuru, make some delicious food, ~noda! You promised me, ~noda!" Milim started with her antics again.
Well, I did make her a promise about cooking for her. Might as well keep it.
"Alright, alright! I'll make something tasty for you. Hey, Rain..." I nodded in agreement, ready to ask Rain about the kitchen, when suddenly I sensed Grynd approaching to us.
"Milim, I'll cook for you, but not right this moment. I promise I'll whip something up for you once we're done with our guest," I assured her.
Veldora also seemed to have noticed Grynd's arrival.
"Hey, bro, looks like we've got company. I can sense that sister is on her way here with someone," he remarked, nonchalantly flipping through his manga.
Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if giving him that [Entertainer] skill was a bit of a mistake.
"Sister? Who's sister?" Ramiris asked.
"You will know soon. And Velz, it seems that Grynd is on his way here. Doesn't that make it like a family reunion? So, why don't you help me in the kitchen? If I remember correctly, you like to make something for your siblings, right?" I said to Velz.
Actually, I don't know if she likes cooking or not, but if I recall, she's decent at it. This will surely put her to work.
Take that, you icy woman. It's my revenge for before.
"Huh... Why would I like that? And no, I won't help you. You have to do this by yourself," she said in an irritated voice.
I think I've fulfilled my life's mission.
Hehe, but don't worry, Velz, I still have a card up my sleeve.
"I see, but if I remember correctly, aren't you decent at cooking, right?" I asked her, knowing it would provoke her a little.
"Did you really like to poke me like that? And no, I am good at cooking, not just decent," she retorted, with a voice filled with irritation.
Hehe, it seems like the ice is finally starting to melt.
"If that's the case, then why don't you help me and show me that you're good at cooking, not just decent?" I said to her.
I'm sure that will do the job.
"I see, so that's what you're up to. In that case, I will help you," she said, giving in.
And that's my victory.
<
>>Hey, it's not like that. It's just that there are only a few people that I can talk to like this. We're close friends, and friends act like this. So, there's nothing childish about it!!!<<
<
>>I am not upset!!!<<
<
>>Just you wait, I'll see you tonight.<<
"Hey guys, you can continue your lovers' quarrel later. So, please tell me, who is this 'Grynd' exactly?" Ramiris interrupted with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"We are not lovers!" We retorted in perfect sync, denying any hint of romantic involvement.
"See, you two even talk in perfect sync. I think you're destined to be together," Ramiris teased, enjoying the banter.
"That's enough, Ramiris. It seems our guest has arrived," I interjected, wanting to shift the focus away from our supposed romantic connection, at least for now.
And why are Velz's cheeks suddenly turning pink?
Just as I mentioned Grynd's presence, she drew nearer. It seems that someone is also with her. I wonder who it is?
With a resounding boom, Grynd stormed into the room, and here she comes, the hot-headed haughty that I know as Velgrynd.
"It's been a while, Grynd!" I greeted her as she entered the room without a care in the world.
"Rimuru! I never thought I'd find you here. But then again, with Veldora's presence, it's hardly a surprise," she remarked, barely acknowledging my greeting.
"How cold of you, Grynd! You didn't even greet me! How could you change so much and forget about me, your dear friend? I am hurt!" I said in a faux disheartened tone, teasing her.
Grynd's cheeks flushed slightly at my playful jab, a reaction I found intriguing.
"I haven't changed a bit. If anything, it's you who hasn't bothered to visit me! Hmph! Anyway, how are you? And how's my idiot brother faring?" she replied, her cheeks tinted with an unexpected flush.
"Well, I'm doing fine. As for your 'idiot brother,' you can see..." I began, but before I could finish, an unexpected visitor interrupted our conversation.
"Guy, where's Milim? I've come to take her!" the newcomer exclaimed, bursting into the room with a voice filled with urgency and arrogance.
(A.N. In my story, Rudra is not a heartless person who just uses others as his pawns. Here, he is a good person at heart but with too much arrogance and pride.)
Huh... Who the hell is he? Is he some kind of idiot or something?
"Hey Grynd, do you know this blondie?" I asked Grynd, seeking clarification.
"Y-yeah... he is Rudra, my partner. Hahaha, he is the emperor of the Eastern Empire," she replied, visibly embarrassed.
"Don't be embarrassed, Grynd. If my partner did something like this, I'd be embarrassed too. So, don't worry," I reassured her.
"Guy, it seems your friend has come here to chat with you. Why don't you two go and talk somewhere else, alone?" I suggested to Guy, not interested in conversing with the newcomer.
"Well, he is my friend, but I don't think he's here to talk with me," Guy replied calmly.
"And who are you? You must be at least as strong as me to talk to Guy like this. So, Guy, could you tell me who this person is?" Blondie inquired, his tone dripping with arrogance.
He seemed pretty arrogant, even more so than Guy.
"Don't compare me with you, blondie!" I retorted, feeling irritated by his attitude.
"Ho... ho... you sure have guts to speak to me like that!" Rudra responded arrogantly.
'Idiot', thought Velgrynd, Guy, Velzard, and Ramiris simultaneously.
"There's no need to do that, Diablo," I intervened, seeing Diablo positioning himself behind Rudra with his scissors at the ready.
"You need not worry, Rimuru-sama. I shall dispose this insect for you," Diablo assured me, his gaze filled with lethal killing intent towards blondie.
"Ho...ho.., if I'm right, then you must be Noir the Primordial Black. So, Diablo is your name, huh? You seem pretty confident about beating me if you're calling me an insect," Rudra remarked, exuding confidence.
Now that I look closely, he is in possession of [Micheal]. So, is he the brother of Velda's wife? Doesn't that make him Velda's brother-in-law?
If he is Velda's brother-in-law, then he must have traded his previous skill with Velda for [Micheal].
I wonder what that skill is.
<
>>Hmm.... If I remember correctly, then [Uriel] is stronger than [Micheal], right? And [Raphael] is stronger than [Uriel].<<
<
>>Continue.<<
<
>>How so? Both are [Uriel]'s, then how come his skill is stronger than our previous [Uriel]?<<
<
>>Continue!<<
<
>>But I don't understand how that happened. I mean, how did his skill have those sub-skills while ours didn't?<<
< But in Rudra's case, he didn't forcefully evolve his skill. He acquired his skill through sheer willpower alone, resulting in the acquisition of the original skill and not the degraded version like us.>> >>Well, his willpower is incredible. He is able to become as strong as Guy and Velz in such a short amount of time, just becoming a True Hero. Truly a remarkable feat. And his willpower and ego are even stronger than the willpower and ego of True Dragons, excluding us and Velda, of course. Nevertheless, it's remarkable because the will and ego of True Dragons are the strongest, only below us and Velda, and to have stronger willpower and ego than them is a huge feat. For that, he has earned my respect for sure. However, he is still an idiot to give up [Uriel] for [Micheal]. Well, it's not like my problem anyway.<< "That's enough, Diablo! Let him go!" I ordered Diablo, and he backed away. "Hoho, now you're backing down, huh?" he taunted again. I think he's purposefully trying to provoke us and get himself killed in the process. "That's enough, Rudra. Even if you gave it your all, you won't be able to defeat Diablo because he is as strong as me," Guy remarked, seemingly unaware of the situation. "So what, are you saying that you are stronger than me? I am as strong as you. Did you forget we were never able to defeat each other and almost always ended in a draw? And if you've forgotten that, why don't we find out about it?" Blondy challenged Guy. I am already impressed by him; he truly embodies the essence of a True Hero. Truly, he is the True Hero in mind, body, and soul. A worthy person to hold the title of 'The Hero of Beginning'. To reach the strength of a True Dragon just by being a high human who has evolved into a True Hero in such a short amount of time is an achievement in itself. I can see why Velda chose him as his student. Now it makes sense why Guy respects him and considers him as his friend, but sadly, his ego, pride, and arrogance are too much. And from the way he is talking, it seems like he thinks that [Micheal] is stronger than [Uriel], despite him being a former user of [Uriel]. < >>I see. While I'm not certain of his exact goal, I prefer not to know about it either. However, it seems that his prolonged use of [Micheal], combined with his arrogance, has led him to mistakenly believe that [Micheal] is superior to [Uriel]. I suppose I'll have to humble him a bit. Sigh* what kind of problem childrens are around me?<< "Hey, blondie, why do you think your skill is the strongest?" I asked, curious to gauge his level of arrogance and idiocy."My skill has an unbreakable barrier that no one, not even True Dragons, can penetrate," he boasted. "Kuhahahahaha haahhaahhahah!!!" Out of nowhere, Veldora started to laugh. "Hey, old man, what happened? Why are you laughing so suddenly?" I asked him, puzzled by his sudden outburst. "Yeah, Veldora, what happened?" Velz also inquired. "It's nothing, sister Velzard. It's just that there's a character in this manga I'm reading who's similar to this human. He thinks he's the strongest, but when he meets stronger people, he tries to show off and ends up getting humiliated instead. The resemblance is uncanny," Veldora explained, still chuckling. "So, while we're having this serious conversation, you're reading some books?" Velz said to Veldora in a sweet voice. "You never learn, you otaku dragon. Now deal with her," I said to him, noticing Velz looking at him with predatory eyes. I ignored Veldora's cries for help and again focused on the blondie. Even though Veldora is the strongest among them, and their relationship has improved to the point where we can say that they act like normal siblings, but still his sisters still boss him around and assert their superiority over him. It's a typical big sister-little brother relationship. "So if I'm right, then you currently have [Justice King: Micheal], right?" I asked him. "Y...yes, and how did you know that?" He replied. "Don't bother asking him, Rudra. This kind of thing is normal for him," Grynd interjected. "Well, that aside, it seems you traded your previous second strongest ultimate skill in the Virtue series, [Covenant King: Uriel], with Velda for the third strongest ultimate skill, [Micheal]. What an idiotic thing to do," I continued. "Yes, and you're wrong. [Micheal] is the strongest ultimate skill," he replied confidently. "If that's the case, then you know about both skills, right?" I asked him. "Yes, I know about them. And if you're saying that [Micheal] is the third strongest skill and [Uriel] is the second strongest skill, then which skill is the strongest?" He inquired. It seems he has some brains after all. "You don't need to know about that. Let me explain why [Uriel] is stronger than [Micheal]. You see, Micheal's essence is the loyalty of his/her subjects towards the user, while on the other hand, Uriel's essence is the belief/faith of his/her subjects towards the user. At first glance, they may seem similar, but when we look closer, the difference becomes clear. While [Micheal] focuses on defense, [Uriel] balances offense and defense. Now, imagine two opponents fighting each other, each backed by their army of 1 million loyal/faithful followers. Seems evenly matched, right? Well, not quite. While Micheal's defensive prowess is commendable, it falls short when faced with Uriel's dual capabilities. Uriel's offensive edge, coupled with the unwavering faith of its followers, can penetrate even the strongest defenses, such as Micheal's famed [Castle Guard]. But that's not all. Uriel boasts additional skills like [Law Domination] and [Space-Time Manipulation], adding layers of complexity to its power. It's this versatility and strength that make [Uriel] stronger than [Micheal] because if the [Castle Guard] is penetrated, then there is nothing the user of [Micheal] can do. Now, you might argue that [Micheal] also possesses other useful sub-skills and is not solely a defensive type of skill. It's true that [Micheal] is not solely a defensive type of skill, and it has additional techniques like [Alternative], as well as sub-skills such as [Ultimate Dominion], [Regalia Dominion], and [Armageddon]. However, in practical combat scenarios, the individual wielding [Uriel] is likely to emerge victorious. This is because [Uriel] demonstrates greater strength and potential compared to [Micheal]." I concluded my explanation. Looking around the room, I could see everyone listening intently to what I was saying, especially Guy, Rudra, Diablo, Velz, and Grynd. "Well, that was quite useful information you gave us, Rimuru," Guy said to me, he seems pleased to learn about [Micheal]'s weaknesses. "How... how did you know all about this?" Blondie asked me, shocked. "There are many things I know, but you don't need to know all of them. Anyway, I heard you came here to take Milim. Unfortunately, Milim has decided to stay with me, so she can't go with you. Isn't that right, Milim?" I said to Blondie. "Yeah ~noda! I'm going to stay with Rimuru ~noda!!" Milim affirmed. "No, you're mistaken. I only came to check on Milim's well-being. Now that I see she's fine, I think it's time to head back. Velgrynd, let's go," Blondie said, preparing to leave. "You can go, Rudra. I'll come later," Grynd replied to Blondie. "Fine. I'll see you later," he said before departing. "Now that everything is finished, Misary, could you please show me where the kitchen is exactly? And Velz, please come help me~~" I asked Misary, teasing Velz a little. "Yes, yes, I am coming!!" Velz said. "Yes, this way, Rimuru-sama," Misary replied, leading the way. "Hold it right there! Aren't we all Primordials equal? Then why are you calling me '-sama'?" I stopped Misary and asked her. I don't understand why she's calling me that now, because before, they didn't address me like this. "Yes, you are right, Rimuru-sama, but as a Demon Lord, you are equal in rank with Guy-sama, so as his maid, it's only right thing to call you '-sama'," she replied to me. "Cut that crap. It doesn't matter if I am a Demon Lord or not. We are all equals, so you will address me like you used to before, and not only you, but Rain too. And if you are fearing about Guy, then don't worry; I'll talk to him," I asserted. "Guy, is it okay with you if they address me like they used to before?" I asked or rather told him, while giving him a quick glare. "Y-yes, I don't mind. Do what you want," he said, trying to relaxe in his chair. "See, now even Guy doesn't mind," I pointed out to them. Misary seemed about to say something, but Rain beat her to it. "Okay, Rimuru, here's the way to the kitchen. Could you teach me some of your recipes?" Rain chimed in. "Of course, why not?" I replied, and we started walking towards the kitchen. ______________________________________ And that's end that's all for this chapter. Tell me how is the chapter in comments. It is really motivates me to write new chapters. Word Count =5.2k