NOVEL WEB Chapter 27: CHAPTER 27
Meanwhile, on one side of the spectator stands, a group of lecturers were seated, grading students based on the outcomes of their examination Duels.
"No deliberation needed for Misawa-kun. He's definitely in."
"So, he's the final examinee for today, right?"
Just as the group began rising from their seats, a staff member hurried over, clutching two additional files.
"Excuse me! Two more examinees managed to register just before the deadline."
At that, a visible tic formed on Professor Cronos's forehead. He let out a long, exasperated sigh and turned toward the staffer, speaking with his thick Italian accent.
"What are their exam numbers?"
Handing the documents over to Professor Cronos, the staff member replied.
"Examinee Number 12 and 110, Professor Cronos."
Cronos clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Arriving just before the deadline suggests carelessness and lack of drive. Even if Number 12 ranked high in the written exam, such behavior is unacceptable in a prestigious academy like ours!"
He shook his head and waved dismissively.
"And Number 110? A dropout boy! A waste of our time and resources!"
Saying his piece, he expected the area to follow along with his disdain, but he was caught off guard when there were clear disagreements with his statement.
"Well, they did make it in time, so I think he has the right to take the exam, Professor Cronos."
"And it states here that the both of them were late because of the train accident from this morning; their excuses checked out."
"It seems wrong to not let them take it, especially since they've already arrived..."
Each comment chipped away at Cronos's patience, his scowl deepening. Then, just as he was about to protest further, his cellphone buzzed. One look at the caller ID made his lips twist.
After a tense conversation, Cronos slammed the phone shut and shot up from his seat, throwing his arms wide.
"Fine! Non problema! We will continue with the examination, but these are the final two!"
Gritting his teeth, he looked away as he recalled the phone call just moments earlier.
That sly old dog, nothing slips by him, eh? Tsk, the Duel Academy is built for elites, the best of the best, but... Perche? Why does Headmaster Sameshima ally himself with these dropout boys, especially Number 110?
A smirk crept onto Cronos's face as an idea appeared in his mind.
If Number 12 passes... Then he stays; his exceptional score placing him 12th will be deserved then, but for Number 110...
"Kabayama-sensei, please see to Examinee Number 12. As for Number 110... I shall Duel with them personally!"
That sent a wave of shock around the teachers' group. Cronos was going to test the boy out himself?
A student aide quickly stopped him as he rushed over to bring out a briefcase filled with cards.
"Instructor Cronos, please take this exam deck with you."
Looking at the cards, the Professor snorted before walking away.
"I have no need for such a thing! I shall use my own deck. Kabayama-sensei, I order you to use your personal one as well!"
And with that, he swept off toward the arena, his blue Obelisk cape fluttering behind him as he imagined the look of humiliating defeat he would see on the dropout boy's face.
At least they're not downright rejecting their examination.
Looking at the group of instructors that had yet to move from their seats, other than the two who moved down from the bleachers, it was safe to say that they weren't done for the day. Meaning they still had the chance to be examined for Duel Academy.
Ken mentally breathed a sigh of relief at that.
"Ah, that's the Ring of Destruction guy!"
Judai exclaimed as he pointed at Misawa walking up to take the seat in front of them. Sitting down, he took out his Duel Disk from his arm before immediately getting interrupted by Judai, who leaned forward with a grin.
"Hey! You sure are one tough customer; that was a great Duel!"
Looking at the grinning boy, he gave a smile himself.
"Oh, thanks."
"You may be the second or third strongest out of the examinees this year."
That comment caught both Misawa and Shou off guard.
["Examinee Number 12, Yusou Ken-kun... Examinee Number 110, Yuki-Judai-kun..."]
A public announcement system echoed as Ken breathed in. It's time for the test. Patting his deck box strapped to the side of his hip to double-check, his eyes met Judai's eyes that were filled with excitement.
"Alright! We're up next! Don't go losing before we get to Duel, Ken!"
The boy's genuine excitement for the test seemed to have infected him as he nodded back with a smile.
"You too."
With that, the two began descending the stairs toward the arena. But before they could get far, Misawa stopped him.
"Excuse me, but I have to ask... why did you say I'm only the second or third strongest?"
Judai turned back and, without hesitation, answered with a confident thumbs-up.
"Because I'm Number 1."
He then tilted his head toward Ken.
"And as for the second strongest, I've never seen Ken Duel before, so he might take that spot."
As they continued on their way down, he couldn't help but ask Judai.
"You're that confident?"
"Totally. I believe in myself and my deck. We'll be Number 1, just you see!"
After a few turns down the corridor, they were met by staff and led in different directions. Before parting, the two exchanged a quick nod as they separated.
Following the staff member, Ken soon reached a quiet corridor that slowly opened up into a chamber beneath the main arena.
Getting the OK from the staff, he stepped into the center of the chamber, and a second later, the platform beneath him started to elevate upwards, with the ceiling above opening to reveal overhead lights.
Rising into the field for the examination duel, he whistled at the large space and equipment around the space. This place sure was high-tech for a hall that was specifically made to play Duel Monsters.
Kaiba is a crazy but rich guy, huh?
His eyes then landed on a man standing opposite him, wearing a yellow coat with a Duel Disk in hand.
"Examinee Yusou Ken, good day."
Ken straightened up his posture and gave a short bow of the head as a form of respect.
"I am Instructor Kabayama; whenever you're ready, link up your Duel Disk with mine to begin the examination."
Doing as told, Ken raised his Duel Disk to eye-level and pointed it in the instructor's direction. Hearing the familiar beep, the Duel Disk started to shift into its Duel Mode as the blades of the device expanded outwards, ready to be used.
Taking his deck out of its box, he was told to hand it over to the student aide at the side, who was responsible for shuffling the deck.
Once that was done, he inserted it into the deck slot before nodding to the instructor.
""DUEL!""
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Yusou Ken: 4000 LP
Instructor Kabayama: 4000 LP
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"This will serve as a key evaluation for the judging panel in determining your placement within Duel Academy. We expect you to give it your all and Duel to the best of your ability."
Drawing their five starting cards, the instructor gave him the first turn.
"I'll draw for the turn."
Looking at his hand, he frowned. He didn't get any usable cards to defend; this complicates things, but thankfully he had an engine with draw power in mind to get the cards that he needed.
"I'll start by normal summoning Spellbook Magician of Prophecy from my hand in face-up Defense Position."
As he placed the card onto the Monster Zone on his Duel Disk, a bright blue magic circle flared in front of him before revealing a man dressed in blue magician garbs, holding onto a white book in his hand.
Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (LVL 4 / 500 / 400 [DEF Position])
Above the arena in the stands, two students in blue attire watched the Duel with interest. Leaning on the railing in front of her, Tenjoin Asuka muttered.
"Spellbook? I don't think I've heard of the card before."
The Kaiser Ryo, Marufuji Ryo, stood beside her with crossed arms and a stern expression.
"The archetype doesn't see much use and is considered too lacking on its own to function. Most people don't understand how the cards work, professionals included. But there's only one person who used it as intended..."
Summoning him into the field, Ken licked his lips as he started the Spellbook engine's main purpose.
"His effect activates. When summoned onto the field, Spellbook Magician can search for a "Spellbook" spell card from the deck and add it into my hand."
Taking his deck out, he fanned the cards out and eyed a specific card, taking it from the group of cards and flipping it to show the instructor.
"I choose to take the spell, Spellbook of Secrets."
Adding it into his hand, he shuffled the deck for a quick second before placing it back.
"Continuing the search, I activate the Spellbook of Secrets. This card allows me to search and add another "Spellbook" card from my deck to my hand. I add Spellbook of Knowledge and use it straight away."
It was tedious, but he went through the motions of grabbing the card from the deck, shuffling it once more, before placing it into a spell/trap slot of his Duel Disk to use the card.
"By discarding either a Spellcaster from the field or another "Spellbook" spell with a different name than Knowledge to the GY, I can draw two cards. The Spellbook of Power in my hand goes to the GY."
In the student's area of the stands, Misawa cupped his chin as he hummed.
"I see! This is an interesting strategy."
"What is it? I don't get it; he's just doing the same thing over and over again."
Shou murmured, with Misawa answering his question.
"While the Spellbook archetype is weak, it is by no means useless. Draw power in Duel Monsters is important; that's why Pot of Greed is a staple card amongst decks."
Hearing this, Shou nodded.
"Yeah, I even have a full set in my deck right now."
Leaning forward, Misawa glanced at Ken with interest.
"Now, there can only be three copies of a card in a deck as a restriction. That means one deck can only use three Pot of Greeds per Duel. Drawing a single Pot of Greed in a deck of 40 cards is hard to hit; that's why..."
Across the stands...
"Using this strategy not only guarantees draw power similar to a Pot of Greed, but it also reduces the cards in the deck, thus giving him a higher chance to draw the cards he needs!"
Asuka's eyes lit up in understanding as Ryo grunted, his eyes frowning.
"... But he is forsaking his deck, running an archetype along his main deck as a mere workaround. Such disrespect to the cards will never make him a true Duelist."
She simply sighed as she continued to watch the boy duel. As much as she trusted Ryo's judgment... She had a small feeling that he was wrong on this one.
Drawing his two cards, his eyes lit up. Nice, just the cards he needed. He just had to hold on for another turn.
"I set two cards face down and end my turn."
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TURN 1
Yusou Ken: 4000LP
Hand: 4
GY: Spellbook of Secrets, Spellbook of Knowledge, Spellbook of Power
Field: Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (Monster LVL 2 / 500 / 400 [DEF Position]), ?(Set), ?(Set)
Banish: —
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Instructor Kabayama: 4000 LP
Hand: 5
GY: —
Field: —
Banish: —
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"It seems that it's my turn; I draw."
The timid-voiced instructor met his eyes after looking at his cards.
"A great Turn 1 start. Now, prepare yourself."
As if a switch flipped, the pressure from the instructor thickened as his gaze sharpened abruptly.
"From my hand, I activate Graceful Charity. I am able to draw 3 cards before discarding two."
He did so, drawing three and discarding two before continuing his turn.
"And now, I activate my continuous spell card, Curry Pot!"
... Say what now? Before he realized what the instructor said, an actual pot of curry the size of a van manifested before Ken's eyes.
"My pot of curry takes ingredients to enhance its flavor, so every card that is and will go into the Graveyard will now be removed from the game!"
What in the—Dimension Shifter, is that you?!
A holographic glow from his discard pile shone before flying into the pot, the same as the instructors, causing the pot to rumble slightly. Following the rules, he took the cards out of his GY zone and removed them from the Duel Disk.
"I'm not done yet! I now use the spell card in my hand, Mix Spice Garam Masala! This card allows me to add three spell cards with "Spice" in their names from my deck to the hand. My pot desires more caraway and coriander!"
Sending the spell into the banish zone, another three cards were added into his hand.
"I shall use the two Spell Spice Caraways that I've just added; each spice deals 200 Life Points to you while granting me an additional 200 Life Points."
Two spice shakers appeared above the arena before heavily drenching the field with caraway spices, causing Ken to start sneezing from the powder...
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Yusou Ken: 4000 -› 3600 LP
Instructor Kabayama: 4000 -› 4400 LP
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How did the sneezing even happen anyways? These are all holograms!
"My curry is almost ready to rise! I use the final ingredient, the spell card Foolish Burial! I can send one card from my deck to the Graveyard, and I send Potatoman!"
The instructor suddenly gave out a cackle as he rubbed his palms together.
"With that, all ingredients and preparations are in place! Since Curry Pot is still active, Potatoman is removed from play instead. This activates its second effect. When Potatoman, Carrotman, and Onionman are all removed from play, I can special summon Curry Fiend Roo as a quick-effect from my deck or hand onto the field on either player's turn!"
Placing the monster onto the field zone of his Duel Disk, a man armored with kitchen equipment and ingredients appeared on the field, wielding a rice cooker in one hand and a comically large spoon in another.
Curry Fiend Roo (LVL 8 / 0 / 0 [ATK Position])
"My curry monster is special; it gains 200 ATK for each "Spice" spell and 300 ATK per monster that's been removed from play! I have removed 3 "Spice" spells and three monsters so far; that means my monster gains a total of 1500 ATK Points!"
Curry Fiend Roo (0 + 1500 = 1500* ATK)
Not on his watch.
"I flip my reverse card! The trap, Floodgate Trap Hole, activates! When you've summoned a monster, this trap card changes that monster to face down Defense Position. You can't change its position afterwards, too."
"Unfortunate! My coriander has a say in this! Quick-play spell, Spell Spice Coriander, activates from my hand! I can target one "Curry" monster that I control on the field; that monster is now unaffected by trap cards for the duration of this turn!"
An unsuspected hole appeared beneath the Curry Fiend Roo, but just as he was about to fall into the trap, the monster inhaled a pinch of coriander powder, giving him the strength to swing his body and pull himself out of the hole.
... Referee, that man clearly is inhaling some strength-enhancing substance.
The chain resolves, and the trap card is negated.
"My Curry Fiend Roo gains another 200 ATK from the Spell Spice Coriander! Curry power, rise!"
Curry Fiend Roo (1500* + 200 = 1700* ATK)
"Battle! Go, my curry warrior, attack that magician! Montezuma's Revenge!"
Hopping into the air, the monster jumps and lands on the side of the large curry pot. Scooping a generous amount of curry, Curry Fiend Roo (1900*) throws the hot curry onto Spellbook Magician (400), seemingly melting the poor magician into fragments of light.
"I set a card face down and end my turn. Ah, and my Curry Fiend Roo gains 300 ATK from your monster being removed from play!"
Curry Fiend Roo (1700* + 300 = 2000* ATK)
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TURN 2
Yusou Ken: 3600 LP
Hand: 4
GY: —
Field: ?(Set)
Banish: Spellbook of Secrets, Spellbook of Knowledge, Spellbook of Power, Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, Floodgate Trap Hole
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Instructor Kabayama: 4400 LP
Hand: 0
GY: —
Field: Curry Fiend Roo (Monster LVL 8 / 2000* / 0 [ATK Position]), Curry Pot (Continuous Spell), ? (Set)
Banish: Carrotman, Onionman, Mix Spice Garam Masala, Spell Spice Caraway x2, Foolish Burial, Graceful Charity, Potatoman, Spell Spice Coriander
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"I hope to see you recover from my assault, Examinee Yusou-kun."
Again, the sudden change in attitude was surprising, but at this point Ken had seen a lot of weird people playing this game, so he ignored it and focused up.
"My turn, I draw."
Drawing his card, he grinned. Perfect. He had everything.
"Oh, I see you've drawn something."
The soft-spoken instructor remarked. Ken nodded as he fished out a card from his hand. Time to bring out the big guns!
"First, I'll normal summon Summoner Monk in Attack Position."
An old monk in black temple clothing flickered onto the field, posturing in a resting position on the ground as he started silently chanting.
Summoner Monk (LVL 4 / 800 / 1600 [ATK Position])
"And then I'll activate his effect. By flipping him into face-up Defense Position, I can discard one spell card from my hand to special summon 1 Level 4 monster from my deck, but that monster cannot attack this turn."
Discarding the Spellbook Organization in hand and fanning his deck out, his eyes gravitated to the only card that can win this Duel in this singular turn. Taking the card out, he shuffled the deck before playing it instantly.
"I special summon Silent Magician LV4 onto the field in Attack Position!"
In a bright white flash, standing in front of him was a meek little girl sporting white magician garbs, clutching a short white wand in her hand.
Silent Magician LV4 (LVL 4 / 1000 / 1000 [ATK Position])
Seeing the Curry Fiend Roo opposite her, she shuffled backwards as she tried to put up a brave front. The Summoner Monk looked at her before gently ushering her to stand behind him.
"I now play the spell card, Level Up!, from my hand! By discarding a LV monster to the GY, I can bypass its LV mechanic and instantly special summon its final form from my deck! Come forth, Silent Magician LV8, in Attack Position!"
A brilliant gold aura surrounded Silent Magician LV4, brimming her with energy as she transformed. Growing in size, the little magician was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an older and more mature woman. Opening her eyes, she stood confidently as she stared down Curry Fiend Roo, who flinched under her gaze.
Silent Magician LV8 (LVL 8 / 3500 / 1000 [ATK Position])
Ken tuned out the surprised murmurs from the stands as he continued his turn with another special summon.
"Now, I activate a monster card's effect from my hand! By tributing a Spellcaster monster, I can special summon this monster onto the field. Appear, Silent Magician, in Attack Position!"
Bending slightly, the Summoner Monk shatters into fragments, swirling in midair before forming a familiar silhouette. A bright burst of light flared, illuminating the field before fading, revealing another Silent Magician who stood by her doppelganger's side.
Silent Magician (LVL 4 / 1000 / 1000 [ATK Position])
"Silent Magician gains 500 Attack Points for every card in my hand."
Silent Magician (1000 + 500 = 1500* ATK)
"I flip over my reverse card, the normal spell card, Spellbook of Secrets, activates! I can search the deck for a "Spellbook" card and add it into my hand. I choose Spellbook of Wisdom."
Silent Magician (1500* + 500 = 2000* ATK)
"But don't forget! My Curry Fiend Roo also gains 300 ATK for every monster removed from play; your Summoner Monk and Silent Magician LV4 are added into the mix."
Curry Fiend Roo (2000* + 600 = 2600* ATK)
"Battle! Silent Magician LV8 (3500) attacks your Curry Fiend Roo (2600*)!"
Floating into the air, Silent Magician LV8 points her wand at Curry Fiend Roo before blasting a devastating white beam of magic towards it.
"My Curry Fiend Roo has more spices than you think! The trap, Counter Spice Saffron, activates! When my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can target it and negate its attack for this turn!"
Nice! Just exactly what he needed!
"I'm taking a page out of your book, instructor! I chain your trap card activation with my own! Quick-play spell Spellbook of Wisdom!"
Activating the quick-play spell in his Duel Disk, Ken looked at the instructor as he explained the chain.
"If it resolves, the quick-play spell Spellbook of Wisdom activates first. I can target 1 Spellcaster on the field, and depending on my choice, the monster is unaffected by spells or traps. I choose the latter. Then, your trap Counter Spice Saffron activates, which will be negated since my Silent Magician LV8 is now unaffected by traps!"
Red powders of saffron tried to protect Curry Fiend Foo, but Silent Magician LV8's magic beam shreds through it like butter as it engulfed the monster, disintegrating it into specks of light as the area explodes from the impact.
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Instructor Kabayama: 4400 -› 3500 LP
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Covering his eyes to shield them from the dust and debris, Instructor Kabayama looked over at Silent Magician.
"Your Silent Magician only has 1500 Attack Points after you used the quick-play spell from your hand. I still have 3500 Life Points; I can still live to fight another turn."
Silent Magician (2000* - 500 = 1500* ATK)
"You may be right, but I don't think so. Go, Silent Magician attacks you directly!"
Silent Magician (1500*) glided from her spot towards the instructor, her wand pointing towards him as a ball of energy charged from the tip of her wand.
"This is the final card of the Duel! From my hand, I activate the quick-play spell, Silent Burning! During the Battle Phase, if I control a "Silent Magician" monster and have more cards than you before activation, each player can draw up to six cards, boosting my Silent Magician by another 3000 ATK."
Silent Magician (1500* - 500 + (6x500) = 4000* ATK)
"T-This much Attack Points?!"
The ball of energy quintupled in size, gusts of wind generating from the magic. Struggling to hold onto her wizard hat, Silent Magician's eyes glinted before she fired the magic spell from her wand, zooming towards Instructor Kabayama, who raised his arms up in a guard before exploding in a radiant glow of white.
BOOOOOOM!
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Instructor Kabayama: 3500 -› 0 LP
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TURN 3
Yusou Ken: 3600 LP
Hand: 6
GY: —
Field: Silent Magician LV8 (Monster LVL 8 / 3500 / 1000 [ATK Position]), Silent Magician (Monster LVL 4 / 4000* / 1000 [ATK Position])
Banish: Spellbook of Secrets x2, Spellbook of Knowledge, Spellbook of Power, Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, Floodgate Trap Hole, Summoner Monk, Silent Magician LV4, Level Up!, Spellbook of Wisdom, Silent Burning
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Instructor Kabayama: 0 LP
Hand: 6
GY: —
Field: Curry Pot (Continuous Spell)
Banish: Carrotman, Onionman, Mix Spice Garam Masala, Spell Spice Caraway x2, Foolish Burial, Graceful Charity, Potatoman, Spell Spice Coriander, Curry Fiend Roo, Counter Spice Saffron
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YUSOU KEN WIN!
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As the holograms faded, Ken breathed out a sigh of relief as he carefully placed his deck back into its deck box. Looking forward, Instructor Kabayama gave a satisfied nod.
"Well done, Examinee Yusou-kun. I've no doubt that you've more than proven your place in the eyes of the instructors. Expect the Duel Academy email to arrive in a few business days."
"Thank you very much."
Bowing his head, he turned his Duel Disk off before his eyes drifted to the active examination that was happening in the far corner of the hall, with tall buildings and skyscrapers surrounding the Duelists in the Duel.
"That's... the field spell, Skycraper."
So Judai uses a HERO deck, huh?
The Elemental HERO Flame Wingman charged towards the large Ancient Gear Golem, its ATK Points rising from the effects of the Skyscraper by 1000, just barely enough to break through.
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman (LVL 6 / 3100* / 2400 [ATK Position])
Ancient Gear Golem (LVL 8 / 3000 / 3000 [ATK Position])
Covering itself in flames, the Elemental HERO Flame Wingman rose into the air before darting towards the Ancient Gear Golem, striking true as the HERO slammed its fist through the machine monster, causing an eruption to occur.
And then... Elemental HERO Flame Wingman's effect activates as the Ancient Gear Golem starts to crumble onto the ground, crashing into the instructor Duelist. It inflicts damage equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster.
As the instructor's Life Points dropped to zero, the murmurs loudened as he caught the cheerful voice of Judai who pointed a two-finger wave at his examiner.
"Gotcha! That was a fun Duel, sensei!"
Asuka hummed with interest as her eyes flickered between the two examinees below, Judai celebrating his win with Ken who was struggling to escape the neck lock.
"The two are pretty interesting, huh?"
But her only reply was Ryo walking out of the hall. She sighed before smiling.
Knowing Ryo, the display of skill from the two must have lit his Duelist spirit aflame. He would need a partner to Duel with, so she followed closely behind him.
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A/N:
OK, I think I actually cooked for Instructor Kabayama, making him summon his signature monster in his first turn. If you look him up in the wiki, he uses a cool Spice-based Deck.
I actually made up some new cards for the man too that reflect his love for curry:
Spell Spice Coriander (Quick-play spell) — Target a "Curry" Monster on the field, the card will be unaffected by trap effects.
Counter Spice Saffron (Normal trap) — When an opponent's monster attacks a "Curry" Monster on the field, target the attacking monster and negate its attack for this turn.
As for how Ken got his grubby hands on Silent Magician... Well, that's for another chapter!
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