(POV - 3RD)

Today was the start of another weekend, lessons proceeded as usual except girls who used to openly scrutinize Y/N are now reduced to whispering bystanders, his treatment of Williams back in the arena were still fresh in the mind of the students who saw it.

Rumours and gossips spread around the academy while some were interested, some were indifferent or apathetic, but everyone can agree that Y/N had changed. 

It was currently morning in Soukai City and Y/N was in the Blue Butterfly as a patron and proclaimed partner to the bartender who also contacted him to meet up with him. Though the former was slightly annoyed that he was phoned at the break of dawn.

"Here you go."

The bartender of Blue Butterfly said as he placed a small briefcase onto the counter in front of Y/N who was sipping quietly on a cup of milk tea concocted by the former. The latter then eyed the case before looking at Alexander who went back to wiping the glasses.

"What's this?" Y/N asked.

"It's the payment for the one coin you've handed to me. And as the contract said, I have given you the compensation for it." Replied Alexander.

"Oh? How much?"

"Approximately $5,000." Stated the bartender, causing Y/N to almost choke on his drink.

"F-five thousand..?!" He exclaimed while Alexander glanced at him.

"What did you expect? Gold these days are quite valued since they can be used as durable conduits inside advancing technologies against the Honkai."

"And with the continuous needs for new weapons and tech, gold is also required."

"...How did one tiny gold coin managed to get that much value?' Y/N inquired as the bartender smiled at him.

"The Underworld has quite a few unique individuals willing to gain a step above others including obtaining any pieces of gold for their projects."

"Against the Honkai or something else?" Y/N asked.

"Both." Stated Alexander.

"Well, that does not sound very promising." The time traveller remarked dully.

"Incorrect nor correct, I am just a lowly bartender in the Underworld so I don't know much details." Alexander restated again.

"Lowly bartender? Like hell you are..." Y/N thought to himself as he sipped his drink.

"Also, I heard that you've broke your weapon." Said Alexander.

"...How the hell do you know that?" The time traveller demanded.

"I didn't, but thank you for the confirmation." Retorted the bartender with a smile whereas Y/N just realized the trick question.

"...If it weren't for your drinks, I'd say you're insufferable." He remarked while taking another sip which he grudgingly admit, was quite delectable. 

"What can I say? I'm a prodigy compared to other bartenders." Alexander proclaimed proudly.

"Well, you certainly didn't intend to just make an idle conversation regarding my weapon, which I like to point out, I am working on it." Y/N replied.

"If that's the case then it would be beneficial for a back-up weapon, no?" Said Alexander as Y/N raised a brow.

"WHY... are you helping me now? This is the second time we've meet up face-to-face." He asked, slightly frowning at the bartender.

"Oh, if you want to know me, I also happened to be bored! Peace and quiet is nice but even that would get boring sometimes!" He answered back with a smirk.

"Get to the point, please." Y/N stated with flat gaze.

"Right, right, so I auctioned the gold coin in front of rather infamous and dangerous sorts of people, and everything went into chaos... haha, even remembering it cracks me up."

"So, I guess the auction went well for us but not for them?" Y/N assumed.

"Quite right, it was entertaining to watch several grown men in exquisite suits beat each other up for a piece of gold." Alexander recalled with mirth.

"Verbal abusive words thrown everywhere, roasting each other and throwing money down the drain like no tomorrow."

"Hahaha, anyway, the whole of this is me expressing my gratitude for giving me a front row seat to the carnage that happened in the Underworld." Alexander stated while taking out a case.

"What's this now?" Y/N questioned.

"My said gratitude, do open it for yourself." Said the bartender.

Y/N could only stare at the man in front of him with slight wariness before he complied and snapped open the long briefcase and then raising the lid to see an object encased within the black foam that was made to secure any contents inside.

The mentioned object within was a long blade whose size appeared to be a cross between a sword and a greatsword itself, but what made it more interesting to Y/N was the fact that the blade is segmented into small sections while the handle is made with a better grip.

"A whip-sword? Haven't seen one in a while, especially one with high conditions..." Y/N thought as he continued gazing at the weapon with mixed opinions.

Mixed opinions due to the fact that whip-swords generally became popular because of its deadly efficiency in culling the numbers of Honkai zombies, the efficiency itself also depended on the materials used to make up the blade.

Therefore, whip-swords were often used to whittle down the numbers of undead and other weaker variations of Honkai beasts, but what made up its speed and accuracy lacked the required strength to cut down the larger variations of beasts. 

Though he specializes more in polearms, spears and lances, he also trained himself to adapt to any other weapons he could get his hands on in case his main arsenal were unavailable. He only ever gotten his hands on a whip-sword twice or thrice but still managed to wield it effectively.

However, most of them weren't in great qualities so they either get stuck or chipped very easily when he went culling the zombies. Though he still has the same scepticism from before, yet the blade in front of him felt different, somehow. 

"What do you think?" Alexander asked.

"...How did you procure something like this?" Y/N asked, still gazing at the blade.

"That, I'm afraid is trade secret but I'll let you know that the Underworld has many, much backers of weapons. Is there a problem?" Replied the bartender.

"Though I'm versed with polearms, it's experience that I'm more concerned about." Y/N admitted as he decided to lift up the sword.

To his surprise, while most whip-swords are designed to be light, this one in his hand with the size of a greatsword also weighed like a regular blade. 

"Is it to your liking?" Alexander inquired.

"It's lighter than I expected, what's it made out of?" Y/N replied as Alexander answered him.

"The base foundation is mostly comprised of titanium and steel, the wires that connects the blades to each other are made out of tungsten and graphene, that's all I know."

"I see... is there a place you know where I can test this out?" Y/N questioned as he did a few experimental swings.

"Testing grounds? If that's what you need then follow me." Alexander said as he wiped his hands before walking out from the counter.

"Where are we going?" Y/N asked as he got up too.

"To my little secret room." Alexander answered.

"...Definitely not creepy, especially with that old face." Was all the time traveller thought as the two entered the alcoholic storage of the Blue Butterfly.

Y/N and Alexander both walked through the many wine and beer racks that lined up in the room, there they stopped at one particular point of the area for Y/N to see the bartender reach behind another wine rack before pressing something.

To the former's immense surprise, a section of the brick wall was moved outwards before slowly slid to the side, revealing a metal door whereas Alexander took a key out from somewhere and unlocked the door and then swung in with Y/N following.

"What..." Was all he could exclaim as he looked around the spacious hall.

There were targets and training dummies installed everywhere while some portion of the walls sported dark explosion marks and cracks, the entire floor was covered in a marble floor that also shown some cracks with some empty bullet cases.

"Surprised, are you?" Alexander said, smirking as he walked around the area.

"What is this place suppose to be?" Y/N questioned.

"If it's not obvious, this is a training slash testing room for all my little secret merchandises." Stated the bartender as he lifted up a lone dummy.

"Now, do give that blade a good swing or two." Alexander requested, tapping the dummy.

Y/N glanced at the bartender before looking back at the dummy and then walked up to it and within a split second, he swung the sword down onto his target and instantaneously bisected the dummy into two pieces.

"Huh... it's like cutting jelly..." Y/N remarked.

"Except the jelly is made to mimic the composition of a human body." Alexander interjected.

"I think it's obvious... considering the fact that whip-swords like these are made to cull undead humans." Y/N replied before looking around the handle.

"Where's the toggle for the disconnection of the blades?" He asked.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot. This whip-sword was specifically made to unchain itself with the grip strength of the wielder being the trigger." Alexander explained.

"Grip strength as the trigger?" Y/N repeated again before peering at the handle closely.

Once he found a proper grip on a leverage he never seen before, Y/N gripped the weapon tightly with one hand before he motioned Alexander to prop up another dummy which the latter complied and afterwards, Y/N finally swung the whip-sword to its full capabilities.

The sight was almost phenomenal to look at as the weapon's length extended by metres, easily decapitating and bisecting the dummies positioned in front of him several feet away from him. With a fluid motion, the blades reconnected back to each other without any flaws.

Y/N then swung the blade again, allowing the segmented blades to disconnect from each other again and target the next set of dummies thrown at him. Y/N immediately slashed the elongated blade across the air, severing the heads of the dummies as well.

As pieces of the dummies tumbled to the ground, Y/N retracted the whip-blade once more before examining the weapon closely for any issues, where there was none.

"So? What's your opinion now?" Alexander asked.

"Not bad, it's more adequate than I thought, there was no hitch or misplacement in the blades reconnecting and the weight is adaptable." Y/N commented.

"However, I stated earlier that my experience in handling whip-swords were not very great, so getting used to this would take a while." He added.

"Hmm... that is understandable, then should the time come, shall I sell you weapons that you are more well versed in?" Alexander questioned.

"No, this is fine. I need to learn more anyway... speaking of which, do you happen to have any materials suitable for combat?" Y/N requested.

"Materials..?"

=====================================

"So, how did everything go today, Himeko?" Said a voice, belonging to that of a young girl dressed in a nun outfit.

"The same norm, some disruptive girls and a quiet kid in an ordinary lesson." Answered the said major, chugging away with a can of beer.

Theresa Apocalypse slightly frowned at the sight, but she wasn't surprised at all since Himeko drank all the time, day or night, she was drinking all the while whining about either a failed date or something else that irked her.

Well, at least she did her job right but she should seriously consider drinking less.

"...And how's the boy doing?" Theresa asked.

It was pretty much common knowledge for everyone who attended St. Freya to hear about the lone boy who displayed an adequate ability to resistance and fend of the Honkai. So Theresa, being the very principal of her academy who accepted him would obviously know.

However, with her being the principal, her role was also to supervise the students when other teachers could not and it was no shock to her that the majority of the girls here would ostracize the only boy here. After all, the idea of a male Valkyrie fighting is considered quite... ridiculous.

Despite what many others thought of as "foolish", Theresa was quite happy with Y/N's addition to her academy, call it silly but she does have a knack for good intuition. She just felt he would be able to contribute much to the fighting against the Honkai.

His academic records only solidified her opinions despite Y/N's low rankings in physical combat, but fighting the Honkai doesn't always require swords and guns and brute force. Sometimes, even using one's head is enough.

Unfortunately, not many in St. Freya would appreciate the ingenuity of the mind, not especially if said ingenuity came from the sole male student of the academy.

She knew what the boy had been going through and even if she wanted to step in herself, the best she could do was to order the teachers and Himeko to keep an eye out for any form of bullying and have them warn the girls off with detentions or extra homework.

Sadly, as the principal, she cannot show any sort of favouritism towards a student.

"Actually, now that you mention it, he's doing better than I thought... although I think he's doing a bit TOO good..." Himeko answered.

"What do you mean?" Theresa asked.

"Well, you know the boy's smart but weak physically?" The major began as her friend nodded.

"Few previous lessons says otherwise, but you can just see a recording for yourself, wind it back to a day or two." Himeko stated.

"Are you saying Y/N managed to win a fight..?" Theresa questioned incredulously.

"See for yourself." Was all Himeko said as the principal started rewinding the footages of the camera recordings in the various classrooms.

Surprise would be an understatement to describe her reaction.

=====================================

When battling the Honkai, everyone knows that a Valkyrie's greatest asset is their weapons with their allies coming in second, which is the academy would also have a department and facility specifically built for the trainees to personally create their own weapons that suits their taste.

Most students in there can rent out a workshop of their own and work on to upgrade or create their equipment, heck, there was even a large blacksmithing forge for everyone to share and to further customize their items.

As long as the budget is not too outrageous and there is sufficient materials for said weapon, the Valkyries are allowed to create whatever they please to help them. Finished products can even be kept by the maker themselves or be recycled to create a new equipment.

So it wasn't uncommon to see a few girls or more walking in and out of the building. Unlike the others, seeing Y/N himself walk into the weapon department was a surprising sight since he was more commonly seen browsing and studying in the library instead of training. 

However, with Y/N entering the room, even the receptionist lady was surprised.

"I wish to rent out a workshop." Y/N bluntly requested as the lady blinked before composing herself professionally.

"Then please present your ID card here." She said, sliding up a scanner.

"If the rules are correct, I can use the workshops here as long as I like but not do anything too harmful or destructive?" Y/N inquired as the receptionist nodded.

"Yes, as long as the creation of your equipment will not disrupt or bring harm to others, you are free to use the workshop as long as you please." 

"That is good to know, and I also believe that I have a package waiting for me?" Y/N asked.

"You are correct, sir, your shipment of raw materials has been retrieved and stored in this facility's warehouse. Your designation number is ZH-01." Answered the lady.

With his exchange done, Y/N gave his thanks to the receptionist lady and made his way towards the said storage room, he was then greeted with the sight of hundred of crates filled with materials for the taking though specifically shipped crates are privately owned.

Even though Y/N was given his shipment number, it didn't help that he cannot see where his materials were placed at in this warehouse so searching for it is going to take some time.

"ZH-01... crates should be arranged in alphabetical order, right?" Y/N said to himself as he browsed the rows and columns of boxes.

Turns out, he was right.

Y/N is then seen walking back out of the warehouse while pushing a crate on top of a cart and towards a vacant workshop, the said crate is filled with materials given to him by Alexander after the former paid again in three more pure gold coins that he made again.

Though the process was tiring and mentally draining for him, it was quite worthwhile since the bartender intended to sell them again but this time at a higher price. No doubt beneficial for him and Y/N while also possibly entertaining as well.

Now with all the materials and tools set on the workbench, Y/N took off his uniform and tied an apron around his body and pulled on a pair of thick gloves before he took out a schematic out from his bag that he had sketched and sorted out a few days prior.

Ever since Y/N started wielding his broken polearm like baton and sword instead of a spear, he decided to try out a new style for himself which includes incorporating and utilizing the polearm in a different method, specifically only using the bladed tip. 

Like a sword yet fought using it like a spear at the same time, it would be very versatile should he encounter some enemies that relied on close-ranged combat which his polearm cannot. It could also prove to be a weapon useful for initiating surprise attacks.

Since firearms are the stuff of trends for nowadays Valkyries, maybe he should also assimilate a gun to the said sword/spear and then the combination would be a polearm. Though the schematics are complicated, there's one thing Y/N has that will help.

His mind which has also travelled to the past with him.

So analysing and making and testing out the weapons is nothing but a trivial task for him, at least for him alone since most Valkyries from the future relied on the manufacturers to directly forge their weapons instead of making it themselves.

However, time was of the essence back then so it made sense for the said Valkyries to spend more time training instead of trying to learn how to make weapons, most of them considered it a hassle rather than a skill.

Not for him.

With everything set and ready, Y/N made sure to secure his gloves on tightly before he grab a large tong and took a metal ingot out of the large crate and then set it down in the flaming confines of the lit furnace.

While the ingot was heating up and burning, Y/N left the room to go the section of the facility where failed prototypical weapons were stored and left free for the taking. 

There he saw many handguns and revolvers lying in boxes gathering dust, Y/N then rummaged through the heaps before he finally found a suitable pistol with a long handle and barrel enough to work as a grip for a bigger weapon.

By the time Y/N got back to his workshop, the metal ingot within the furnace has already become a burning shining hot block so he took it out with the tong and then set it down underneath a power hammer which he turned on.

The room is soon filled with the repetitive sound of metal hammering against metal as Y/N made sure to watch the process and not dent the metal too much, he would occasionally take out the metal and let it burn in the furnace again before repeating the process.

Time would pass by without Y/N's notice while he worked on his new weapon, by the time he moulded out the shape and edge of the blade sections, it has already reached mid afternoon and yet, he wasn't even halfway done.

The handgun itself needs a remodelling and reconfiguration, the barrel needs to be readjusted and the handle needs a replacement since it was rusting on the inside, leaving it unable to properly reload the magazine.

Once more will Y/N be busy hammering and moulding away at the given materials for who knows how long, he certainly doesn't know but he'll know once he's finished.

Back to smelting it is then.

=====================================

To Y/N's unsurprise, by the time he finally created the prototypical model of his new weapon, the sun is already nearing the horizon and the stars and moon were beginning to show up.

Speaking of the said weapon, his newest creation was a hybrid of a polearm, fused with a tonfa, short sword and a pistol, the bladed section can be separated and used as a singular weapon while the staff of the spear would detach and allow the handgun to show itself.

The extended handle is hard enough to be used as a baton to deal blunt force damage on his opponents should his ammunition run out for the gun, and he could just reconnect the two once again by holding a switch and fusing it back together.

Y/N had already tested it around and so far, the results were good, not exceedingly impressive but just above the minimum requirement so it's an adequate performance all the way. 

Pretty nice for something he personally created for the first time.

The only problem right is to test it out on a live target, preferably a Honkai beast and a weak one but he is feeling famished right now so maybe testing out his creation would have to wait for tomorrow or when he's given an opportunity to spar against someone.

"What should I cook..?" Y/N mused quietly, idly twirling his new weapon as he walked back.

The remaining materials in his workshop were stored back into the crate and warehouse so he wouldn't need to worry about any accidental trash disposals. However, now he should be worried if he still has any ingredients left in the fridge otherwise he's eating nothing tonight.

Although he's getting hungry, one thing about Y/N is that he always enjoy watching the stars and moon shine through the sky just at the crack of dusk. In the far future and past, the celestial body was the only thing that soothed his ever present fatigue of battling the Honkai.

Now, it was no different, just more... peaceful instead of sitting down on a post battlefield riddled with bodies and wreckage, the stars seemingly shone brighter than the ones he's seen back when he was older.

It was definitely a nice change of pace.

However, that brief tranquillity of his would soon be broken as Y/N heard a faint scuffling sound from behind the gymnasium, the sound of kicking and struggling as something or someone was grabbing another person roughly or with ill intent.

Y/N narrowed his eyes as he began walking towards the building, fully intent on investigating whatever was happening in the area. The closer he got, the louder the sound of a girl crying out and the muffled shouts of men got.

"An attempted assault? Or abduction?" The time traveller thought before he remembered he was holding onto a weapon.

Perfect, time to test out his newest creation.

Y/N then opened the doors to see no one in the building, but there was the sports equipment storage room and it was the place were the sounds were coming from. He then detached the blade from the handle and then switched the handgun on.

In a swift and forceful move, Y/N kicked the doors open to see three burly men roughly holding down a female student of small stature whose clothing were also forcibly ripped open, exposing her underwear. Y/N only narrowed his eyes at this sight.

"Bruises clearly defined on her cheek and jaws, possible concussion and marks on her neck indicate a threat of strangulation..." Y/N quickly observed before he drew the first move.

"Who the fuck are yo-?!" Any words the men were about be said are cut off as Y/N fired.

He raised the gun held in his hand and immediately shot the three men with precise accuracy, two in the legs and one in the arms holding down the girl. Y/N then ran forward before landing a kick into one of the men's face and then onto the other one.

Using the butt of his handgun, Y/N whipped his hand across the last man still standing, sending him tumbling into the assortment of sports equipment.

"YOU FUCKER!" Roared one of the men who recovered from Y/N's kick before rushing at him with a bat grabbed from the side.

However, Y/N swiped the bladed half of his polearm hybrid across the air, effortlessly cutting the bat into two bits before kicking the man again in the chest. There was an audible crack in the air as the attacker was sent crashing into the wall before slumping over, not moving at all.

The second man who just recovered from Y/N's kick also got up before he took out a small switchblade out from his pocket, fuming as he ran at the time traveller despite the obvious difference with weapons in their hands.

A tiny knife with a tonfa/sword hybrid? Not even close to a match.

"DIE!" The man shouted as he lunged forward when he got closer.

Then, as easy as breathing, Y/N leaned to the side before stretching his leg out and allowing the man to trip over like a cartoon idiot and dropping the switchblade. As the man tried to get and up retrieve his blade, Y/N swiftly plunged his weapon into the man's hand, pinning him down.

"AAAAH-" The man screamed in pain but Y/N simply knocked him out with a kick to the jaws and then ripped his blade out from the man's hand.

However, he turned and raised his gun but only to see the said man grabbing onto the young girl's neck with a sawed-off shotgun aimed right at her head, Y/N scowled at the cowardly yet cliché act as he was now facing a dilemma. 

A very high risk dilemma.

"Drop that gun or this girl dies!" Shouted the man, finger trembling near the trigger.

"..." Y/N said nothing but only scowl silently as he began lowering his weapons, to ensure the girl's survival, he needs to comply with the demands.

So he slowly lowered his arms before dropping the weapons to the floor and then began raising his hands up into the air to attempt and lower the man's guard and raise his confidence in order to catch him off guard.

"Hah... hah, y'think you're a hero don't you? To be the only guy attending in this place must be a paradise for a bastard like you." The man began sneering out.

"On the contrary, it's the opposite-" Y/N carefully replied back.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any damn excuses!" The man interrupted, spittle began flying as he started to rant on and on.

"You didn't even let me finish... but that's fine, keep talking..." Y/N thought.

As the man continued on and on much to the girl's fright and the time traveller's growing annoyance, it wasn't long before the opening began to show itself.

Perfect for him.

"So you think you've got the advantage here?" Y/N stated, cutting off the man's nonsensical rambling as the latter glared at him.

"Think? THINK? I have this bitch in my arm and a gun in my hand, I could kill you anytime if I want to!" The man shouted.

"If that's so then you should be worried about my friend coming in from the window right behind you." Y/N bluffed confidently.

Just as he hoped, the man spun around in a panic to take aim at the said window but only to find a solid wall greeting him instead and with no one behind him.

"What..? You piece of shi-!" The man then bellowed as he turned around to shoot Y/N but only for the time traveller to dash forward.

With one step and one push of his foot, Y/N instantly closed the distance between them with his fist clenched tightly on his side and with his expression hard and sharp. 

In a flash of seconds, Y/N shot his fist forward and right into the man's solar plexus, twisting and pushing his hand further into the body before allowing the entirety of the force expel through the punch alone, causing the man to fly into the wall.

Blood was spat out as the man crashed into the wall violently before slumping over onto the ground in a mess, Y/N then glanced at the other two men who were still pathetically unconscious from his attacks and weren't able to assist their leader.

Seeing the threats are neutralized, Y/N quickly walked towards the girl whose eyes were still teary from the earlier experience and attempted assault. As much as he wants to comfort her, there was also the chance of her being instinctively fearful of the opposite gender.

So Y/N stood back, not too close before he took out his phone and dialled St. Freya's emergency number, calling specifically for security guards whose roles were akin to a Valkyrie.

"Ma'am, there's three intruders in the academy, I've caught them attempting to sexually assault a student, location is the gymnasium storage room, please come quickly." Y/N stated.

He then looked around again to find whatever item can be used to subdue the men before his eyes fell onto a bundle of jump ropes, though it wasn't as durable as an actual rope, it's enough to tie up the intruders.

Which he did, securing their legs and hands as tightly as he can.

Afterwards, Y/N then looked at his handiwork before taking his chances and walking back to the girl who stood a few feet away from the tied up intruders, still slightly shaking.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the infirmary and talk to the teachers." Y/N said as he gently held the girl's shoulders in his hands.

Though to his surprise, the girl was more willing to comply than he thought but at least there weren't be anymore trouble now that the men are subjugated.

A click of something from behind Y/N was heard and the boy turned to see the leader of the intruders somehow ripping off the ropes and grab the shotgun and taking aim.

Y/N quickly pushed the girl out of the way as the sound of a gunshot tore through the air.

If it was an act of revenge or just plain coincidence, the shotgun pellets rocketed straight into his own solar plexus, effectively drawing up pain and blood to his mouth as he spat it out.

However, Y/N quickly raised his own handgun before firing his bullet into the man's hand, forcing him to drop the shotgun and grasp his hand in pain. The former then charged forward and lunged before kneeling the man in his face, sending him smashing into the wall again.

This time, the man slumped over again unmoving, this time completely unconscious.

With the adrenaline running out, Y/N began to feel the blood and pain ooze out of the wound in his chest, he clutched it as he hissed quietly in pain before standing up shakily and looking at the girl who stood there in shock.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Y-you're hurt..!" The girl stuttered out.

"Yes, I believe I am clear enough to know that." Y/N stated as he suddenly collapsed onto the floor, trying to stem his wound.

"P-please hold on! I-I can hear the guards and teachers coming!" The girl said as she quickly ran forward and ripped a portion of her uniform off to staunch the blood.

"Hah... well this is new, a girl who is actually trying to help me..." Was all Y/N thought as he felt his consciousness fade in and out.

With his blackening sight, Y/N last saw the figure of the principal and professor Murata storm into the room with several security guards following close, voices began to muffle as Himeko began ordering the men to be bounded and apprehended.

One last thing Y/N saw was the worried face of Theresa Apocalypse crouching down near him as she inspected her bleeding wound before calling for immediate medical treatment.

Y/N's sight soon fell into darkness as he fainted.

=====================================

I've got no excuses for why this chapter took a while, and I sure hope none of you are put off by the lack of story progression since I wanted to do some "character development". Next chapter may also take a while since I'm dealing with something called L I F E.