Chapter 14: The Void Strikes
Surrounded by everyone, Wing Quinn of Demacia said with an expression on his face: "In any case, there are only three situations when you want to kill someone. The first is that there is a conflict of interest, the second is that there is an emotional bond, and the third is that there is no reason to just suffer an unjustified disaster. The relationship between Gavin IV and Gavin III was very good, and the whole of Demacia can testify to this matter. As early as a few years ago, Jiawen III had begun to put Jiawen IV in contact with military power, and although Jiawen IV did not have a real name a long time ago, he already had real power. If it weren't for the disappearance of Jiawen IV, then Jiawen III would not have returned to power, and an unwarranted disaster is possible for others, but killing people for the sake of anger obviously will not have helpers, let alone premeditated. Therefore, the suspicion of Jiawen IV's assassination of Jiawen III can basically be shaken off. I have the ability to track down the murderer, but I don't have the authority, Gavin IV, are you willing to give me the authority to track down the murderer? ”
As soon as Quinn's voice fell, the eyes of the entire Demacia were focused on Jiawen IV, and there was remorse and guilt in the eyes of many warriors, they thought that they should not suspect Jiawen IV, but the matter had come to this, and there was no need to save Zài for any reason, and now all they wanted was whether Jiawen IV wanted to track down the murderer. And Gavin IV did not disappoint these people, and immediately after hearing Quinn's words, he said: "Wing Quinn of Demacia, in the name of Demacia, I hope you can track down the real murderer!" ”
The authorities were obsessed with bystanders, and unlike the powerless warriors in Demacia, the heroes stood around or showed mockery. Or show disdain, more or more shake the head slightly. Anyone who knows the situation can see it, although Quinn speaks according to the rules. But there is indeed a very obvious partiality for Jiawen IV, and now Jiawen IV is completely buying people's hearts when he says such things.
As expected, Quinn nodded lightly at Gavin IV, then leaped into the sky, and immediately turned into a huge goshawk. The goshawk circled around Demacia's wound, and then immediately flew into the distance. Quinn has an extremely keen eye. And following Quinn's body, the two figures also jumped out of Demacia extremely quickly. Disappeared from everyone's sight in an instant.
Although it was just a quick glance, everyone could see that it was Picheng law enforcement officer Wei and Picheng policewoman Zhao Ying who followed Quinn away just now. Zhao Ying was seriously injured during the Xiao Rebellion and became a vegetative person. But after years of cultivation. and Cui Hao's continuous efforts, at the beginning of the establishment of Demacia, Zhao Ying had already woken up. Zhao Ying was a strong player in the dragon group in her early years and received a series of elite training. Whether it's tracking clues or piecing together clues, his intuition is very strong. If there was a murder in Demacia, it was all Zhao Ying's arrest, and there was basically never any mistake. And the only criminal who didn't catch it once was only one criminal, the rampaging Lori Jinx!
And Wei is also an extremely talented woman, after adding Cui Hao's tailor-made gauntlet, uniting with Zhao Ying is completely the attack mode of the Delai brothers, one charging in front, and the other in the rear fire support. It is a murder duo in Demacia. Now that Quinn, Zhao Ying, and Wei are dispatched, not to mention that they have already obtained evidence, Jiawen III was not assassinated by Tyrone. But even if the real Tyrone meets three people, he must avoid them for the time being!
There had just been a riot, and although the situation in Demacia had been stabilized, after all, it was not a good time to ascend the throne with so many people just dead. Because of this, Jiawen IV just stood in the palace and held up the crown symbolizing military power, and then slowly put it on his head. From this moment on, Jiawen IV has become the patriarch of the Jiawen family, and according to the rules, Jiawen IV can now be called Jiawen and bring honor to the entire family.
The streets of Demacia were filled with blood, and when Gavin left, the warriors around him who had no task consciously retreated. It was only a matter of a moment, and Demacia was once again restored to the rules. Everyone has their own work and plans, but in the eyes of these people, there is a different light after all. Some are hopeful, some are confused, a generation of emperors and courtiers, no one knows what the consequences of Jiawen's ascension will be for the whole of Demacia.
At this time, among Huang Gonggong, Jiawen had slowly sat on the throne, just because of the riot just now, there was only an empty hall in front of Jiawen, and there were traces of blood in the corners of the palace, and there were people who were carefully sweeping there. Gently stroking the armrest in his hand, Jiawen's eyes were momentarily confused. Zhao Xin stood by Jiawen's side as always, he had stood in this position for many years, and now although he has changed his master, Zhao Xin has never thought that there should be any changes.
Galen, on the other hand, was standing at the door of the palace like a door god, and from the direction of Jiawen, he could only see Galen's back looking out of the door, and he couldn't see Galen's expression at all. Galen was originally a kind and a little worried, but now that so many people have died in this struggle for power, Galen will inevitably be a little sentimental. I will think about the past, and I will think about the future. And by Galen's side, Caterina also looked into the distance like Galen.
Galen sighed softly, and then said to Caterina beside him: "Noxus is your home after all, you were born there, you grew up there, and fought for it for so many years, are you really willing to follow us to destroy Noxus?" ”
Katerina's eyes seemed to have crossed space and returned to Noxus, and her eyes were full of nostalgia. Hearing Galen's question, Caterina shook her head lightly and said, "Noxus, it's just where I live. Without relatives, how can it be called home. ”
In the sunlight, neither Galen nor Caterina communicated much, just looking into the distance. Each has its own agenda, but it seems that they also have the same goal. In the sunlight, Galen and Caterina seem to be a pair of beautiful people, as if they were a pair made in heaven. And only they know. Because Noxus and Demacia have different philosophies, because there are too many companions who have died at each other's hands, even if they really admire each other, there will be no possibility after all.
Gavin looked at Caterina and Galen at the door, a smile unconsciously raised on the corner of his mouth, and then slowly closed his eyes, as if this was the only way to make himself more awake. Zhao Xin, who had been standing aside, changed his face slightly. After a long time, he slowly said to Jiawen: "People can't be resurrected after death, and there are people dying every day in this world, and there are poor people. There are rich people. There are the powerful and the poor. Some of these people will be forgotten in just a few years, and some will be remembered in their hearts forever. You don't live for yourself, Gavin. ”
Jiawen slowly opened his eyes. I can see the tiredness in Jiawen's eyes very clearly. But Jiawen suddenly raised his head and laughed, and grabbed his hands to both sides, as if he was holding the whole world in his hands! In an instant, Jiawen's appearance suddenly became domineering! Jiawen looked at the door of the palace, as if he saw the world, and then suddenly said slowly: "Now, the only way to make me more legendary is to ascend the throne as king!" ”
Gavin ascended the throne as king. Commanded the army of the whole of Demacia, while Caterina was the one who survived. This makes the undercurrent in Noxus more frequent, and every time it gets dark, there are always people sneaking down from the walls of Noxus and quietly defecting to Demacia. Because of this, a long line of defense has been established between Noxus and Demacia, on the one hand, to resist the attack of the other side, and on the other hand, it is natural to end the line of these traitors.
Before the start of the war, both Demacia and Noxus were desperately accumulating strength, and only with more powerful combat power could they take the lead in the next battle, so as to make themselves victorious. As if he felt the undercurrent between Demacia and Noxus, the whole world suddenly became turbulent. The ocean, which had been calm for a long time, suddenly began to surge, but whether it was Tidal Sea Spirit Fiz or Tide Summoning Shark Nami, they were all creatures in the ocean after all, and the battle on land was beyond their capabilities.
And on the continent, the undercurrent is also constantly flowing, among the beasts, the armored dragon turtle Ramos is sorting out the army, as if ready to give a fatal blow to the humans, and the beast spirit Udir has long left Karamanda and returned to the beast clan without anyone noticing, obviously preparing to dominate the overall situation at the first time. But in the dark, there are several pairs of eyes staring at every movement of the beasts, as if they are dangerous poisonous snakes, waiting for their prey to reveal their flaws! Because of Sun Wukong's death, the beast clan has no power to turn the tables, and now the beast clan can only retain the quota, but it no longer has the capital to reign over the world. Because of this, the orcs have moved away from human habitation, but have thrived in the wilderness.
In fact, the biggest reason why human beings can achieve hegemony and become hegemons, in addition to using tools, is that human beings are social animals. Humans live in groups and are not the same as the rest of the creatures, and the distance between humans is very close, and each group is numerous. Among the beasts, the more powerful the animals, the rarer the number of groups becomes. After the baptism of the catastrophe, today's human beings can no longer occupy every corner of the earth as they did before the end of the world, but the beasts are scattered throughout the earth like stars.
In the deep forest, the long existence of human beings has been wiped out cleanly, there is no passage of water and soil, there is no unnatural product, there is only calm nature. In the deep forest, insects are toiling hard, they have no time to rest, as if they were born to work. If it's just insects, that's normal, because insects have very low intelligence, they don't know what happiness and happiness are, all they want is to live easily. But if the animals of the whole jungle are so industrious, then it is absolutely not normal.
In the middle of this jungle, all the animals seem to have abandoned their predatory instincts. Wild wolves and sheep live together and do not attack each other. Vipers, on the other hand, crawl on the ground at will, and no creature will feel scared wherever they pass. Even the rats on the ground dared to run past the viper. It's like a perfect world in a fairy tale, without any fighting, without any conflict. All the creatures are extremely friendly.
It's just that it's completely unscientific, because sheep eat grass, but wolves eat meat! Dignity and rules are only entitled to be explored after they have eaten enough, and this kind of peace is obviously extremely abnormal. On the bodies of these creatures, it is as if there is an invisible shackle that restricts every movement of these creatures, restricting their movements. Let these animals that should have been driven by the wild become creatures under the rules, without any beastly breath.
And in the darkness, a pair of eyes were quietly surveying the many creatures in front of them. There was no emotion in these eyes. As if as cold as ice, in front of these eyes, these creatures seemed to be all dead! In the midst of this dim jungle, Rengar stood on the top of a large tree. He was constantly glancing at the ground.
At the time of Xiao Chao's disappearance. Rengar had already left Noxus and, under the clues, tracked down the current hiding place of the orcs. Although the woods look extremely peaceful, they are actually extremely treacherous. There are many orc warriors in this woods, who hide in the woods and become guards, and can secretly transmit all kinds of information. And just below the ground is the underground palace of the beasts, and at this time in the palace, Udir and Ramos should be discussing something.
As a hunter, Rengar is very patient. Because only with patience can you wait for the opportunity you want. I don't know how long it took. At the feet of Rengar, the ground suddenly cracked, and a human dressed in animal skins stepped out from beneath the ground, first cautiously scanning the surroundings before slowly walking into the distance. And at this time, Rengar's body suddenly disappeared, and there was no trace of him again!
Then the ground began to shake slightly, and the deep crack began to slowly close, but it was only a matter of a moment before it was restored. Under the cover of grass and trees, there was no trace of anything on the ground. It's just that no one thought that at this time, there was already an invisible hunter who had dived into the ground, approaching his prey like a ghost.
Udil's body is constantly shuttling through the woods, and Udil, who has been raised by wild beasts since childhood, knows this jungle very well, as if it is his own garden, and every step out is very casual. Moreover, humans have a talent that no other race can catch up, and coupled with the power of the totem, Udil shuttles through the jungle very quickly. But suddenly, Udil's hand, which had been swinging on the trunk of the tree, seemed to grasp an air, and it actually fell from the treetops, but it was only a tumble, and it was already firmly on the ground.
I don't know when the woods began to become extremely pure, even a little weird. I don't know when there was no friction of insects in this area, and even the sound of the wind has fallen silent, I don't know when this area has been completely blocked, and there is no breath leaking out.
Udir is a strong man who has traveled between life and death countless times, and because he was raised by wild beasts since he was a child, he is extremely familiar with the changes in his surroundings and has an extremely sensitive sixth sense. At this time, Udir could feel that around him, there was a pair of eyes staring at him! Feeling the eyes full of murderous intent, Udil's body also tensed slightly, and his body seemed to begin to tremble slightly.
It seems as if Udil is feeling terrified by the attack that will come at any time, but only those who are familiar with Udil can know that Udil is in a state of extreme excitement at this time! Although Udil is a human, he is a beast at heart! As a beast, there is no such thing as a belligerent! But in the past few years, after the death of Sun Wukong, the beast clan has been a little sluggish, and for the sake of the overall situation of the beast clan, Udier can only continue to forbear, and dare not provoke disputes lightly, so naturally he can only keep retreating. But as a beast, Udil couldn't control the desire to fight in his heart for a long time!
And at this moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind Udil, and two sharp blades pierced Udil's neck! From the time this body appeared to the time it burst into attack, there was no precursor. It was only at the moment of the attack that the flaws were revealed! Moreover, the sharp blade that attacked the back of Udil's neck turned out to be a jagged tentacle like a praying mantis, and the one who attacked Udil secretly turned out to be an animal!
At the moment when the blade was about to attack Udir's neck. Udir's body suddenly emitted a green glow. Behind Udil, a huge turtle emerged! The shadow of the turtle lay on Udil's body, and the sharp blade smashed right on the turtle's shell! In an instant, the phantom of the spirit turtle suddenly shattered, and an extremely mixed aura spread out in all directions, with Udil as the center, and the grass on the ground was rolled up in an instant!
In this moment. The phantom behind Udir changed suddenly, and a fire phoenix with wings spread and soaring unexpectedly appeared behind Udir! Then Udil waved his hands, and there was a flash of fire in his palms. In an instant, all the weeds floating in the air were set on fire! It's like a barrier of flames, encompassing all sides of Udil, spreading out in all directions!
Udil's fighting instincts were extremely strong, but it was only a brief contact. Immediately, it was already judged that the other party had the ability to conceal his tracks. It's just that Udil has been able to live in the dangerous jungle for so many years. Naturally, it has its own means, but in an instant, I immediately thought of a way to crack it. Although the other party can hide his body, the so-called stealth does not disappear out of thin air, it is just to deceive his eyes and hide all his breath, so that he cannot be locked and detected. And even if you are a person who is invisible, it is absolutely impossible for your body to ignore any collision!
Sure enough, it was in the midst of Udil's swift counter-offensive. Suddenly a piece dissipated in the barrier of flames, and a vague body immediately appeared in the void! And in this moment. The phantom behind Udil changed again, and a raging giant bear instantly appeared behind Udil, as if an ancient god of war had descended, and an absolute domineering aura immediately swept the entire area!
At the moment when the giant bear possessed him, Udil's body had already swooped out, and all his absolute strength was concentrated on his feet, and under the action of the huge force, the ground was kicked out of a big hole! And with the power of this shock, Udil's body also rushed in front of the enemy in an instant, and his palm slapped down against the phantom in the air! And with Udil's movements, the huge brown bear behind Udil also swung out his palm and smashed into the void at once.
There was a loud bang, and a blue figure flew like lightning, and smashed into the ground with a single touch! Udir's power exploded, and when the figure hit the ground, the whole place seemed to shake violently! One can imagine what a horrific attack the creature that was smashed to the ground! Under the action of great force, the ground has been smashed out of a huge deep pit, countless smoke and dust emitted from the pit, and a phantom figure slowly stood up from the hole. It was only at this time that Udil could see clearly the face of this enemy who dared to attack him.
It's a praying mantis-like creature, but it's much, much bigger than a normal praying mantis. The height of one meter and a little bit makes its body look a little weak. It's just that in the front of this creature's arms, there are a pair of extremely sharp short blades, and there are dark red blood stains on the sharp blades, which should be the traces left by the creatures that were once hunted! On the body of this creature, there is a blue shell, which covers the body of this creature like a drop of water, and its body is perfectly defended.
Although Udier's blow just now was extremely terrifying, but because he didn't know the true strength of the enemy, he finally left three points of strength to guard against variables, in the final analysis, Udir only had the strength of the eighth-order peak, although he was considered a top powerhouse among many heroes, but after all, he did not set foot on the stage of finding his own path. Although the attack force is extremely strong this time, for the strong, there are many ways to dodge the past in the face of power. For example, to turn around in the air, for example, to unload power on the ground and the rest of the objects. Although Udil's attack this time is relatively strong, it is not enough to see after all.
The praying mantis half-squatted on the ground, a pair of eyes looked at Udil without emotion, the two tentacles trembled extremely sensitively, and suddenly opened his mouth and said to Udil: "Beast leader Udil, your life." I Kazik took it. If there is a soul after death, then you should report the name of my Void Marauder. The power that lurks within you, I'm Kazik. Took the ....... ”
Void! Just two words, but Udil's eyes suddenly contracted! If human beings have established a defense line to defend against the beasts and other races, then all the creatures on the earth should actually be regarded as creatures in the same front, they are all creatures on the earth, and the void is an invader from outside the earth! No one knew what the many creatures in the void were capable of, but everyone knew. The creatures of the Void must have great ambitions for Earth!
Udir crouched slightly, making a defensive gesture in the face of an unknown enemy. Even Udil could not afford to be cautious. For example, what humans fear most in the civilized world is not the guns that can kill people, but the ghosts that are invisible and untouchable, but like ghosts that exist in every corner. Because only the unknown. to be able to bring fear to life.
Look at Udir's heavily guarded appearance. The corners of Kazik's mouth suddenly curled, and then he slowly straightened up, and said to Udil with an extremely contemptuous gesture: "This is not a duel, but a war, otherwise why don't I rush directly into the orcs and fight you alone." Udil, you're really, too stupid ....... ”
Udir's pupils contracted suddenly, what is war. War wants results! No matter how unscrupulous the process is, no matter how despicable the process is. But as long as you can win, then every qiē is worth it! In the face of victory, a qiē means are only a necessary step to obtain the fruits of victory, and victory is written by which victors! As soon as he thought of this, Udil's body suddenly shook!
But before Udil could make any movements, the ground suddenly shook violently, and before Udil could react, the ground in this area had sunk into the ground. Udil's eyes were pitch black, and he suddenly remembered a powerful being that had been a flash in the pan among the beasts, the Void Retreat Beast Lexai! Rexey has a powerful body and a strong ability to run rampant under the ground, and for a moment, Udir knew that he was careless.
Lexai had been in the orcs for a while, and although he hadn't had many direct contacts, as a hero, Udir still knew a little about Lexel. For example, Rexey can escape into the ground, has a hard body, and can move aggressively under the ground, even when attacking enemies under the ground. It's just that Udir didn't expect that the Void had already descended into the world.
Maybe it was in the annihilation of the hundred races that they had already infiltrated the earth among the many fragments of time and space, or maybe it was earlier, those void creatures had already integrated into the world and quietly entered the interior of the earth, just like Lexai entered the beast race, could these void creatures also enter the human world? Udil didn't know what the Void represented, but he knew that the Void was a faction, and this Kazik was definitely not acting alone!
Before Udil could figure it out, he suddenly felt like his body had fallen to the ground. Turning over sensitively, Udir immediately stood up, and then looked around carefully. It's a hole that has been excavated, but it's not improvised. The walls are extremely smooth, and there are many passages, like a person's home, as if it were a corridor.
Raising his head and looking overhead, Udir's heart immediately sank. This tunnel is extremely far from the ground, and when you look vertically into the sky, the tunnel that you have fallen into is only the size of a small bottle cap, which is enough to show that this tunnel is really deep. Looking at the walls around him, Udil no longer had the desire to struggle, but kept thinking about how to pass on the news he knew.
The Void is not a fragment of space, but the name of an alliance! Some of this alliance are mutated insects, some are powerful creatures, and most likely there will be human beings! They have already entered the human world, but they have been waiting for the opportunity, but they have not felt their edge! What the Void wants to do, how powerful it is, Udil doesn't know, but Udir knows. Since there is this corridor under the ground, it means that the Void must have left countless traces in this world! It's like a person who hides it has his own traces! No one noticed it before, but if you can pass it on. Then maybe people will be able to know the existence of the void!
The Void is not invincible, they are only brought together by some kind of interest! They are also creatures, not saints, and even some of them are not very powerful! How can this news be delivered, and do you really have a chance to pass on such an important message? Udir's heart was extremely anxious, because Udir knew. Now the existence of the void is like a leaf that cannot see Mount Tai, and the direction that everyone is tracking is biased, as long as they find the right direction. Then it is possible to find clues, or even find out the entire void!
As soon as he thought of this, Udil immediately felt that he was surrounded. In the darkness, there seemed to be several pairs of eyes, constantly scanning their bodies. It feels like it from the eyes. It's as if the other person is looking at which part of their body is more delicious. In just a few seconds, three figures walked out of the darkness from three directions, firmly locking Udir in the center.
Needless to say, Kazik, the Void Marauder who is like a praying mantis, and the Void Retreat Beast Lexai, who has already met for a long time but doesn't know the identity of the other party, is also there. And in addition to these two creatures, in this small tunnel, there is actually a very strange-looking guy.
The creature, first seen, was oddly looking, with only two small short legs beneath its maggot-like body, and it had no face. The entire area that could be called a face is covered by a large mouthpiece. In its mouth there are countless teeth, which are circled one after the other. All the way down to its body, it seems that the meaning of its storage is completely to eat and save zài. And just as Udir thought, this strange-looking creature is called Kagemo, known as the Abyssal Mouth.
Surrounded by three hero-level powerhouses, there was no escape route around, and the only exit they knew was high up, which was already a desperate situation for Udir, who couldn't fly. It's just that Udir didn't give up, but suddenly roared when all three of them appeared, and then the projection of the beast appeared behind his body again, and then rushed towards the three unknown creatures.
At this moment, Udir remembered his past, and his heart was thinking of his parents, whom he had never met. In fact, as a human being, although Udir has never admitted it, he still thinks about humans in his heart. It's just that because of love and hatred, love is deep and responsible. Udir hated, hated why humans didn't have the ability to protect themselves, hated why his parents didn't have the ability to protect themselves, so that he could only fall by the side of the beast, and then be raised by the beast.
Udir is actually very envious, envious that the children in Noxus and Demacia can have a safe home from birth, have parents who love them, and have a qiē. Udir remembers that when he was young, he had nothing, only struggles, and desperate thoughts to live. Udir can't forget the suffering he has suffered, so he doesn't have any love for human beings.
Udir wants friends, he wants relatives, but alas, he doesn't have anything, so Udir wants everyone in this world to be like him. There is no care, no one cares, and when it is hurt, it can only hide in the corner and lick its wounds like a wild beast. Udir wants to destroy Noxus and Demacia and let the orcs stand on the top, so that all humans will be born like themselves.
It was only at the end of his life that Udir remembered a scene he had once seen. It was one of Udil's battles as an adult, tasked with strangleling a human colony. Udir remembered how the couple risked their lives to protect their children when he led countless orcs into the human village. No matter how much she was hurt, no matter how severe she was injured, the mother still stubbornly held the child and used her body to protect the baby in her arms.
Maybe they protected themselves like this before their parents were disappointed. It's just that he doesn't have the strength, just because he doesn't have the strength, so he can only use his body to resist the damage in vain. Udir still remembers that he was raised by the orcs, but if it weren't for the desperate protection of his parents, would he have become one of the countless dead humans and then disappeared into this world? I'm sorry Mom and Dad, instead of being a hero of humanity, I became an enemy of humanity. But it doesn't matter anymore, I'm here with you, and then we'll never be separated again, okay.......
Udir didn't know when he summoned the bear totem, and then frantically attacked the three enemies around him. The Void Trio, on the other hand, is like a cat and mouse, constantly leaving various wounds on Udil's body, but after all, there has never been a killer. Instead, he watched as the wounds on Udil's body continued to increase, and then his body became weaker and weaker. In the tunnel, a thud spread out in all directions, all of which were Udil's struggles before he died.
As the last of his strength disappeared from his body, Udil was thrown to the ground by Kazik. Udir could feel the other party's mouthparts biting at his body, and he could feel the pain of his flesh being privately sucked. It's just that I really don't have the strength anymore, and I really can't make any struggles. Udir's body was pressed to the ground, twitching nervously as the three creatures fed, and ...... and again.
Unbeknownst to the Void Trio, while they were eating Udil's flesh, there was a person lying quietly on the ground in the distant jungle. He pressed his ears to the ground, and listened to the vibrations of the earth, without constantly wrinkling. A figure stepped out of the darkness and reached the man in an instant, but the man did not get up, but quietly made a silent gesture.
After a full few minutes, the man sighed and slowly stood up, and said to the figure in front of him, "How is it, is things going smoothly?" ”
Rengar nodded faintly, and then threw the head in his hand towards the person in front of him and said, "Udil's secret room is extremely hidden, and no flaws have been found in the past few years, so the security inside is not very tight. A hero is like an ordinary person when he is not prepared, and a single blow can take his life, and now there is only one Udil left among the beasts. ”
The man glanced at the head of Ramos in his hand, then threw it lightly, slowly shook his head and said, "There are no heroes among the beasts anymore, and Udir has been killed by the creatures of the void just now. However, Udir's death was not worthless, and he let me know important information about the Void! I really didn't expect that Udil would even know the Morse code...... (To be continued......)