VengefulBirch
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Chapter 121-122
🕑 Added 2025-09-24 16:16:18 +0000 UTCChapter 121
A Golem made of Mithril kneels in front of a construct of pure Mana and light. One of the least known things about Rafnov's was that once he achieved complete mastery of ore manipulation, he not only was already the greatest miner to ever exist, but that he had a wide range of interests when it came to crafting.
One of them was golem-making.
"Milord," the Mithril Golem speaks with the kind of intellect one would only expect from an actual human being. "The young Human has passed the thirteenth trial. He's approaching the last room."
"He is," the soul fragment of Rafnov says slowly, pondering. "How long has it been since this Secret Room has been touched by someone?"
"Long, sir. This is the first time someone manages to find it. We might have hidden the portal too well. Many high-level Knights passed right above it."
"How come this child is the only one who noticed, then?"
"The Minor Mineral Sense Skill, milord," the Mithril Golem speaks obsequiously.
"How is it possible that no other Knight ever carried one in this Dungeon?"
The Mithril Golem is aware of some of the minor faults with being a soul fragment attached to a Dungeon. In fact, the Golem itself had more vitality and consciousness in many ways than the soul. The soul, having to consume a large amount of energy to stay active, would only wake up temporarily when someone entered the Secret Room. The Golem, instead, had been awake since time immemorial, since the original Rafnov himself had carved him out of a pure chunk of Mithril.
"Knights in the current era consider mining a job well below their means and station, milord. Your heritage, despite being coveted by many, has not led anyone to learn mining Skills. And since it's only commoners who do, the pool of those who have had mining Skills as Knights and entered this Dungeon has been so far negligible. Even then, they'd have to almost trip on the pond itself for their Skills to pick anything up."
"And the boy has Karma for ages," the soul fragment mutters. "Fascinating coincidence. Tell me, friend, do you think he can actually pass the later trials?"
"Milord, you must already know the answer," the Mithril Golem replies.
"Why don't you humor me?" Rafnov's soul fragment replies.
Mithril is the metal that represented the first Rank of the Mythic Veins, a realm that only the best of the best among Knights would ever enter. Once there, they'd already be able to influence the course of entire kingdoms.
Since the golem is made of such a rare metal, it was only natural for it to possess an otherworldly intellect. Most importantly, it's made by Rafnov, one of the best masters a Golem could ever hope for.
"I would suspect that, given the young age of the helpers, they might not be able to make it. However, I can sense a great deal of Karma surrounding the entire group, milord. Is that why you ask? You already infer that they will make it?"
"I did not say any such thing," the soul fragment replies, yet it carries some mischief in its voice.
What the Golem just said is true and Rafnov knows it very well. Despite having been secluded from the world for long, his real body has lived a long time and knows very well what Karma such as the one surrounding these kids means.
"Their fates are thick and intertwined," the soul fragments says. "If they manage to extract the totality of our reward from this room, my friend, I would like for you to follow the boy."
"Should I become his guardian?" the Golem asks, confused. "Am I supposed to protect him as your apprentice?"
"No," the soul fragments explains. "You shall not interfere with his life. Our own Karma is too great for him to be touched by it like this. It would ruin his perfect Karma. If his fate is to die on the way to his dream, he shall die. What I want you to do is to take note of what he's doing. I want you to watch him from the shadows until he reaches the next heritage of mine--if he ever will. If he dies before, consider yourself freed. You might want to enjoy a different life than one of servitude. You've been faithful long enough."
"Milord, I shall never leave your side," the Mithril Golem replies. And not because it's bound by spells, but because of the loyalty and honor that its own metal infused in him. "I can't see any greater purpose in my life than serving your great mission and avenging you, milord."
"Do what you shall do," the soul fragment says. "But follow him. Look at what he does. When you meet another fragment of me, report. I shall adjust our interference in his life by then. Do you understand?"
"Loud and clear, milord. Now, he's just entered the fourteenth trial. If he passes this one, it's only one more."
"Let's watch, then," Rafnov replies. "And hope that he's humble enough in his heart to be able to do this."
*
I take a look at my updated status. I've fought a few monsters directly while in the Rafnov's trial but I'm more interested in the Skills upgrades and evolutions. I've almost lost count of everything since entering this place.
Name: Jacob Cloud
Class: Infernal Architect - Lv. 169 > 172
Core Skills:
Hellbane's Sword - Lv. 60 > 65 (Platinum - Offensive)
Flame Slash - Lv. 78 > 85 (Gold - Offensive)
Flame Shield - Lv. 85 > 89 (Gold - Defensive)
Flame Armor - Lv. 93 > 100 (Gold - Defensive)
Infernal Veins - Lv. 88 > 89 (Platinum - Constitution)
The Grimoire Extraordinaire (Rainbow - Support)
Class Skills:
Furnace Core (Passive) - Lv. 100
Flameform Blueprint (Active) - Lv. 100
Infernal Thread (Passive) - Lv. 100
Ember Keystone (Active) - Lv. 42 > 44
Architect's Insight (Passive) - Lv. 100
Hellspire (Active) - Lv. 100
Ignition Array (Active) - Lv. 52 > 57
Attributes:
Attributes:
Strength (STR): 342 → 345
Dexterity (DEX): 398 → 404
Endurance (END): 242 → 245
Vitality (VIT): 398 → 404
Intelligence (INT): 768 → 780
Spirit (SPI): 768 → 780
Wisdom (WIS): 626 → 635
Charisma (CHA): 18 → 18
Luck (LCK): 10 → 10
Unassigned Points: 245 → 260
Other Skills:
Minor Cookery - Lv. 34 (Iron)
Minor Night Vision (Iron) > Night Vision (Bronze) > Advanced Night Vision (Silver) > Greater Night Vision - Lv. 92 (Gold)
Light - Lv. 67 (Bronze)
Pickaxe Mastery (Bronze) > Advanced Pickaxe Mastery (Silver) > Greater Pickaxe Mastery (Gold) > Expert Pickaxe Mastery - Lv. 91 (Platinum)
Minor Mineral Sense (Bronze) > Mineral Sense (Silver) > Advanced Mineral Sense (Gold) > Greater Mineral Sense Lv. 94 (Platinum)
Mana Well - Lv. 78 > 100 (Gold)
Echolocation (Silver) > Seismic Sense (Gold) > Vibrational Hyperawareness - Lv.100 (Platinum)
Heavenly Intuition - Lv. 62 > 89 (Platinum)
Silver Grip (Silver) > Gold Grip (Gold) > Platinum Grip - Lv. 42 (Platinum)
Advanced Endurance (Silver) > Greater Endurance (Gold) > Expert Endurance - Lv. 87 (Platinum)
Advanced Strength > Expert Strength - Lv. 77 (Platinum)
Infernal Wings of Ash - Lv. 100 (Gold)
Web of Withering - Lv. 100 (Gold)
Diavolo Draw - Lv. 76 > 78 (Gold)
Black Flame Lv. 34 > 35 (Fusion Skill - Platinum)
Blood of the Ancients - Lv. 55 > 58 (Platinum)
Tribulation of the Damned - Lv. 25 > 26 (Platinum)
First Step of Mephistus - Lv. 20 > 22 (Platinum)
Sigil of Baal - Lv. 15 > 16 (Platinum)
??? - Lv. 1
Minor Fire Resistance (Bronze) > Fire Resistance (Silver) > Advanced Fire Resistance (Gold) > Greater Fire Resistance - Lv. 100 (Platinum)
Shard Scatter (Bronze) > Shard Redirection (Silver) > Shard Control (Gold) > Shard Dominion - Lv. 94 (Platinum)
Strike Rhythm (Silver) > Advanced Striking Rhythm (Gold) > Greater Striking Rhythm - Lv. 100 (Platinum)
Stonefoot (Silver) > Quake Balance - Lv. 100 (Gold)
Fault Line Instinct (Silver) > Advanced Fault Line Instinct (Gold) > Greater Fault Line Instinct - Lv. 100 (Platinum)
Flame Armor is the only Core Skill that has already reached level one-hundred since I had to keep it on while passing the trials. Sometimes, not even the other Champions were enough to shield me from all the hits that came my way.
“Let’s go,” I say, and we all step inside the fourteenth room of this place. Calling Rafnov’s trial a mere Secret Room would have been a massive understatement. If anything, this appeared to be an entire different Dungeon—a secondary Dungeon inside the Tomb of Fate.
The room is similar to the other ones. Yet, unlike the rest, this one has a swapped layout. Before, rooms had the focus of the trial at the center, either on a pedestal or a pit, and enemies coming from the walls. This one is the opposite. There’s a pool of magma right in the middle of the room and protruding walls all around.
“For this trial, your task is to extract all the ore from the walls before you are swarmed by the Lava Golems.”
“That’s pretty straightforward,” I hear Boomgar say.
Then, thirty Lava Golems appear from the center of the room.
[Lava Golem - Level 400]
“Damn it,” I mutter, looking at the levels. These are Peak Platinum Rank monsters. I can’t believe how many there are here. It’s too many already since—
“Oi, lad, that’s still not too bad. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on the mining and we’ll take care of the rest,” Boomgar says, taking out a very small bomb from his Interspatial Ring. He can’t really use the big ones or everything might collapse on top of our heads.
I groan when I hear what the Dwarf just said. “Boomgar, shut up. It’s—”
Before I can even finish the sentence, the very large chamber swells with heat and sixty more Lava Golems appear from the center of the pool.
“Just a few more,” I hear Boomgar say, but I can see his narrowed eyes and serious expression on his face. “Just get the ore, lad. I want the money at the end of this damned Dungeon. I’ve lost count of how many days we’ve spent here.”
I nod back and clutch the pickaxe tightly in my hands.
Boomgar is right, we’ve spent a long time here already. The first tests have been very easy and I have managed to max out the Silver and Gold Skills in a matter of hours. However, the tests have started giving me Platinum Skills. And those, even with Heavenly Intuition and the Grimoire, take longer to master. If I had to guess, we’ve been here for about three weeks now.
There are few things I’d rather have done, though. Three weeks of training here are eye‑opening when it comes to training experiences. Spending time learning the right Skills, evolving them, and maxing them out has been the absolute best for my personal growth. Plus, with all the Lava Golems the Champions have been fighting, even they—and their bad Karma—have started encroaching on Platinum Rank.
I activate the Grimoire, Architect’s Insight, and Heavenly Intuition. That has been my go‑to trinity so far when it comes to mining. By using the Grimoire, I can immediately scout the parts of the rock that I can carve out more easily. See, now that I’m starting to get challenged with Platinum‑Ranked ore, the problem is summoning enough strength to break through the stone.
I’ve been told by Rafnov during a previous trial that once ore starts getting charged with Mana, the surrounding rock becomes much harder to split. It takes genuine Platinum‑Ranked strength to get through this stone. And, if it weren’t for my new Skills and for the Grimoire, I wouldn’t be able to make any significant progress here.
This, by the way, also explains why high‑level miners are so rare. Mining would require one to fully dedicate themselves to the profession of splitting rocks, making tunnels, and so on and so forth. The problem is that when compared to the position of a Knight, a miner’s job is infinitely more humble and humbling.
I feel my muscles swell with the power of Expert Strength and, relying on Greater Mineral Sense, I pinpoint where the ore is. When I start hacking away at the stone in measured blows, I also lean on my Vibrational Hyperawareness since the blows create vibrations that travel through the wall and allow me to better learn where there’s ore and where there’s just hard stone instead.
I can hear the sounds of battle as the Champions make short work of the Lava Golems. I turn briefly to see Zibrek, with an arm fully covered in a metal contraption, swatting the Lava Golems to pieces as if they were flies, and then I turn back to the wall.
I extract some Platinum ore and then I move on to the next.
It takes me less than an hour to fully extract all the ore in the chamber.
If my Skills hadn’t been maxed out or close to it, a trial like this might very well have taken as long as a couple of days.
Now, as the magma pool cools down and stops spitting out Lava Golems, we hear Rafnov’s voice once again.
“Congratulations for a display of superior Skills! You’ve only got one more trial in front of you! You should all rest before and heed my warning.”
I raise an eyebrow. This is the first time that Rafnov gives out a warning.
“The last trial involves only the miner. While most times you won’t be alone, you still might find yourself surrounded by monsters and on your own whether you planned it or not. To receive my inheritance, you’ll have to prove yourself in the same way I had to prove myself every time monsters didn’t want me to burrow through their home. You’ll face an opponent that is much stronger than what you’ve seen so far. If you triumph, you will be inheriting the first part of my legacy. If you don’t, however, you will die. Choose wisely.”
Chapter 122
This is the first trial that is specified to have death as one of two outcomes. Either succeed or die.
“If whatever you’re facing is stronger than the Lava Golems,” Iskara says, “you shouldn’t do this. If it’s a Peak Platinum‑Rank Boss, you’re dead.”
“I agree,” Asterion says, sighing. “I wish I could see what’s part of Rafnov’s inheritance, Jacob, but this is too risky. You’re not strong enough.”
“Shut up, you two,” I hear Vyrrak say. He has a half‑crazed look in his eyes. “Think of the riches we could get if he were to succeed! Do you two even realize who Rafnov is?!”
“There’s no riches for anybody if Jacob dies,” Zibrek comments laconically and then turns toward me. “You shouldn’t let anyone influence you in making this choice. This is dangerous. Don’t risk your life for no reason. You might be an idiot, but you’re still a Champion. Your life matters beyond your personal aims—you have a great destiny in front of you.”
Surprisingly, the next person who supports me pulling out is Sabrina Margrave.
“You’re useless,” Sabrina says, “but if you avoid dying today, you might be less useless in the future. Rafnov is trying to entice you after giving us a series of easy trials. Just pull out now. There’s no shame in knowing when to retreat.”
In a way, I have to agree with Sabrina. There’s no shame in pulling out of the trials if I think I can’t take the last trial that Rafnov is about to put me through. It makes sense, right? Like, why would I risk my life uselessly for some money and an inheritance if I’m certain I’d die?
And let me tell you, I would pull out if I were the same person who entered this trial. If my power were still where it was when I first grabbed Rafnov’s Pickaxe, it’d only make sense for me to call it quits.
But here’s the thing, I don’t think that any of the present Champions really understands what I’ve done here. I know that they’ve seen me get all these Skills, but they have no idea I’ve actually maxed them out.
“I’ve made my decision.”
*
There are protests, shouting, and Iskara even tries to restrain me physically before Asterion has to intervene in order for her to respect my choice. I have to praise the Highblood’s code of conduct: he cares about me but he also respects me enough to make my own choice.
“Jacob, I’ll ask one last time,” Asterion says as we all wait on the threshold of the last room of this trial, “are you sure?”
“I am,” I say resolutely. “I’ve never been more sure in my entire life.”
When I turn to look at Iskara, she turns her head away. Her beautiful reddish features twist in a scowl that, at least in my eyes, makes her even more beautiful.
“Don’t worry, Princess, I’ve got this. There’ll be no death to mourn.”
“I don’t mourn the death of idiots,” Iskara quips back.
“Good,” I say with a smile, and I step through the threshold together with everybody else.
The last room is enormous and is fully empty.
I activate Greater Mineral Sense and I can feel the walls of the place brimming with Mana‑infused ore.
“There’s a lot of ore in those walls,” I tell everybody.
“Do you think that’s the trial?” Zibrek asks.
Before I can reply, all the Champions stiffen up and then look at their feet.
“I’ve restrained the helpers of Jacob Cloud in order for him to face the trial alone. Your Mana will be temporarily disabled and you’ll be moved away from the main stage.”
I look down and I see that clumps of metal have formed on the feet of the Champions. Suddenly, they start moving against their will and get to the far end of the chamber. Once they’re there, I wait for the voice to say anything else but it doesn’t. Instead, a figure falls from the top of the ceiling, from a hidden spot. It lands in the very middle of the chamber, cratering the ground below its feet.
[Platinum Golem - Level 400 (Boss)]
*
“He’s dead,” Iskara growls. “Can you feel the Mana density in that construct? That’s not a normal golem.”
“That’s Rafnov’s creation,” Vyrrak says, sobering up from his own greed. “That is a Golem created by the Divine Miner himself.”
“How do you know?” Asterion asks, turning toward the Dragonkin.
“It’s a lesser‑known fact about Rafnov, but he was a masterful golem‑maker. That golem is Peak Platinum‑Rank, but the aura it’s emitting is much closer to Diamond Rank. For a Platinum‑made construct to exceed the potential of its own ore, it’d take the greatest golem makers to collaborate all together, and I’m not even sure they could manage something like that. A construct made only of Platinum? I have no idea what kind of spells must be powering it… but one thing is for sure, that’s one powerful Boss. I wouldn’t take it lightly if I was facing it myself, Asterion.”
Asterion feels a pang of nervousness biting at his stomach. If what Vyrrak has just said is true, then Jacob has no hope whatsoever of winning a confrontation with such a thing.
Rafnov is a legend among legends. Even his people speak of his name with the same deference they use for their own heroes.
For Jacob, someone who has become a Champion on a technicality, someone who still has to be carried across fights, to meet such an opponent…
“Lad, give up! Say you’re pulling out of the competition!”
They hear Boomgar trying to convince Jacob to give up the battle.
Jacob ignores him.
The Platinum Golem rises from the crater, its body glowing faintly with inner veins of molten Platinum that pulse like a heartbeat. Each step shakes the cavern floor, and the walls hum with the reflected Mana waves coming from the creature.
At this very moment, not one of the nine Champions watching this scene unfold believes that Jacob has the slightest chance of winning, but that is also because they have not understood the qualitative change that the young man has undergone in the past three weeks. They have forgotten that Rafnov isn’t just a miner, a forger, a golem maker and many types of artisan—they seem to have completely forgotten the fact that Rafnov has single‑handedly slain several Gods.
*
I plant my feet and let the weight of the pickaxe settle into my grip. The Platinum Golem straightens fully, its eyes burning like twin furnaces.
I’ve spent three weeks cutting through stone harder than steel, pulling ore out of walls that should have been unbreakable, fighting the stubborn will of the earth itself. This isn’t different. It’s just stone with a soul.
I look at the pickaxe for a moment and then smile as I gently place it on the ground.
I could use it as a weapon, but I choose not to. I understand that Rafnov means for the pickaxe to be part of the heritage, but I already have a master who bestowed his knowledge onto me and this knowledge runs deep through my Class and veins.
I activate Infernal Veins and several black veins pop from below the skin, swelling and pulsating with Mana. A pair of translucent horns appears on my head and then two large webbed wings appear on my back as I activate Infernal Wings of Ash. I cover my body in Flame Armor and summon the Hellbane’s Sword and the Dark Blade. Without waiting for the Platinum Golem to make a move, I instantly fuse the two into a crackling new blade that erupts with black flames all around.
Grimoire. Analysis.
Recommendation: Strike the Mana lattice nodes in the chest and the crown. Estimated durability of lattice: equivalent to Low Diamond Rank barrier. Success requires precision and overload of ore‑devouring resonance.
I feel through the ground as the Platinum Golem leans forward and, with speed belying its monstrous size, sprints toward me. But thanks to Vibrational Hyperawareness, I read the move and I’m already moving out of its trajectory using First Step of Mephistus.
But I don’t move too far from the Boss. I just dodge enough to find myself on its side, at which point I use Diavolo Draw to score a deep cut on its leg. The Platinum doesn’t give, but the impact rocks the monster.
I jump mid‑air immediately, dodging a massive arm barreling toward my head, and then I look right at the molten eyes of the creature.
“Sorry,” I say, “I don’t really have the patience to drag this on too long.”
My muscles swell with all the power accumulated during the trial. I use Sigil of Baal and Web of Withering to momentarily lock the monster in place. It looks at me and as it moves it’s already tearing free from my restrictions, but my Greater Mineral Sense, combined with Architect’s Insight and the Grimoire, has already told me where the weak points are to the millimeter.
With all the might of Expert Strength behind it, I shout at the top of my lungs as I spear the Platinum Golem through its head, with the Black Flame shearing through the solid Platinum like a hot knife through butter. The attack disrupts all the Mana flow in the monster, but the Grimoire now flashes the second weak point. I dodge a wild swing and lower myself to chest level.
Here the Mana, despite being disrupted from the headshot, is much thicker since this is where the true core is. I have no chance of making my way through its chest in a simple thrust. But I don’t need to.
Greater Striking Rhythm.
I unleash a flurry of blows with the Black Flame, my Fusion Skill, rocking the Platinum Golem. The monster roars and strikes back, but, with all the damage I’m trying to deliver, I don’t have the luxury of dodging. Yet, there’s a second Skill that I’ve learned during this trial that comes to my rescue.
Shard Dominion.
Shard Dominion allows my strikes to parry the much stronger and heavier arms of the monster, redirecting them away from me while I slowly carve out its chest.
The monster’s molten Platinum veins roar to life as a terrifying heat is unleashed from its body. However, with my Greater Fire Resistance at level one‑hundred and Platinum Rank, I can barely feel anything.
Thanks to Vibrational Hyperawareness, I manage to dodge many blows; thanks to Shard Dominion I parry the ones I can’t dodge. With a mix of the Grimoire, Greater Mineral Sense, and Architect’s Insight I know where to strike. Expert Strength, Platinum Grip, and Black Flame give me the kind of strength I need to deliver real damage.
However, I can feel the monster starting to accumulate more and more Mana inside its core.
It’s about to do something nasty, I frown.
*
“How’s the lad so strong?” Boomgar is speechless when looking at Jacob fighting the Platinum Rank Golem in close quarters. “Aside from the stronger Champions, few of them could actually take that thing head‑on like this.”
“Those are the Skills that he learned during the trial,” Asterion says, stunned. “He’s using mining Skills in battle!”
“He’s a lucky bastard,” Sabrina Margrave says, unable to hide her admiration.
“The Boss is accumulating an awful amount of Mana, though,” Orrivane says, frowning. “It’s about to unleash a devastating attack. If Jacob doesn’t dodge, he’s toast.”
The Platinum Golem plants both feet into the ground and spreads its arms wide. A loud hum fills the chamber as glowing cracks spread across its chest and head like veins of lightning. The heat becomes so intense that even the Champions at the far end of the room feel their skin burn.
“Pathetic,” Iskara hisses. “He’ll be dead before the second heartbeat. That bastard doesn’t know what he’s up against.”
Asterion shakes his head, gripping his spear with unease, wishing he could do anything to help.
“This is madness,” Kaelric the swordsman says. “A man at his level cannot stand against such a creation. It goes against reason itself.”
Vyrrak narrows his reptilian eyes, voice thick with scorn. “If he survives this, I’ll carve my own scales off.”
Zibrek tilts her head, her goggles catching the glow of the Golem’s veins. “The Mana readings are off the charts. There’s a Diamond‑Rank attack incoming. He can’t match that. The numbers don’t lie—he’s finished.”
*
I grit my teeth.
That’s the core overflowing with Mana, getting ready for a beam attack. It’s charging everything at once. If it hits me with it, it will vaporize me.
Jacob Cloud, do you have any plan or are you about to die?
For the first time since I enter the Boss’s chamber, I hear King Baalrek’s voice in my soul. To be fair, if my plan had been to just continue attacking on my way to the core, then King Baalrek’s worries would have been more than justified. The thing is, however, that’s never been my plan.
If the attack goes off, the whole chamber will turn into molten ruin. There won’t be any dodging. Either I do something now or I die.
As the moment becomes more and more desperate, I actually pop a smile.
“Greater Fault Line Instinct.”
My next attack is not directed toward the monster but at its feet. Black Flame slashes deep into the stone thrice, making both me and the Platinum Golem now rest on uneven ground. The next three slashes I direct at the ceiling and giant rocks fall toward us. I not only dodge the debris easily, but the uneven ground doesn’t bother me in the least thanks to Quake Balance.
And, as a giant rock disrupts the casting of the Boss, I inject as much Mana as I physically can into Black Flame, until my own body is fully enveloped in black fire.
Then, I thrust.
Having weakened the chest of the monster, Black Flame finally goes straight through its body and destroys its core. There’s no fancy flash, no explosion, nothing.
The Platinum Golem staggers back, looks at its own chest, and then at me.
I can see it giving me a small nod before collapsing onto the ground.
A few moments later, I hear Rafnov’s voice again.
“Congratulations, Jacob Cloud. You’ve completed the last trial. You and your friends will now receive your prize.”
Comments
Caiban
What are the lvl for the tiers again? Like if you reach lvl xyz you are considered silver/gold/whatever tier
JW Saxby
That was so freaking cool 😂 I’m dying to see the rest of the team’s reaction to this now and to see how all their opinions of him drastically change from when they first went on this mission 😁👍🏼 especially Sabrina who absolutely despised him before and Iskara who has definitely started to show some level affection and care for him despite her very strong core beliefs about mere humans 😂 Tyftc! 👍🏼😁👍🏼 So damned keen for more that it’s legit frustrating having to wait lmao 🤣 🍻
