1. We live in a world
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2. so saturated with games,
that it's hard to keep up.
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3. In fact, most are released
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4. with little fanfare
and fade into obscurity.
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5. But there's one that's captured
the imagination of the masses.
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6. A fully immersive VRMMO
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7. that boasts over
30 million players world-wide.
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8. The definitive
triple-A experience,
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9. Shangri-La Frontier!
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10. One such player,
Rakuro Hizutome,
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11. has set aside
his trash-game obsession
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12. to try his hand
at a God-tier title!
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13. With a bug-free game
on his horizon,
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14. who knows what exciting
new adventures await!
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15. - Huh?
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16. Yeah, it was totally
the buggiest piece of crap
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17. I've ever played and you were
forced to only use autosave!
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18. Sounds awful
and great at the same time!
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19. Nope, only awful!
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20. The game's always crashing.
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21. Pure dumpster fire!
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22. You nerd,
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23. why do you keep playin', then?
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24. - Because it's great.
- Lies!
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25. Hizutome
was always smiling.
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26. Hey! Rakuro!
That the newest issue?
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27. - Jeez, dude!
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28. He seemed
to always have a good time.
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29. Before I knew it.
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30. I couldn't stop thinking
about him.
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31. So, after a while,
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32. I started looking for him
after school.
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33. 'Sup, Rakuro?
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34. - Hey.
- There were so many times
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35. we were in the same room.
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36. But, I was too nervous.
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37. If only I could talk to him,
then maybe, I dunno.
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38. I have to try,
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39. even if our first interaction
is in-game.
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40. Damn it!
This triple-A game
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41. just took its story cues
from a dumpster!
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42. I'm gonna make you
cough up that info
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43. whether you like it or not!
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44. [REI [PSYGER-0]]
Severing attack!
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45. Rook-smasher!
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46. Whoa! That was crazy!
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47. Psyger-Zero, huh?
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48. They might not be
with the PK clan,
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49. but I'm guessing
they're after the same info
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50. about my unique scenario.
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51. All right, buddy boy,
it's now or never.
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52. I gotta think of a way
to make a break for it.
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53. You haven't seen my final hand,
think you can block me now?
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54. As long as I've learned
the "Spell Mastery" skill,
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55. and my HP is down
to the single digits,
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56. I'm dead, but I'll be takin'
your lame-ass with me!
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57. I used up
my only Karmic Straw Doll,
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58. now I can't reflect
another curse!
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59. I'll sacrifice myself
to kill you!
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60. Worth it
for an "Insta-Death" debuff!
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61. See you in hell,
fellow traveler!
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62. Well, this sucks.
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63. - What's that?
- Pencilgon, no!
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64. Huh?
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65. Emul. Get a gate ready.
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66. Right now?
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67. [REI [PSYGER-0]]
Huh?
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68. Sorry, friend!
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69. - Hey!
- Damn! There he goes!
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70. Thanks for giving
this bird room to fly, dumb-ass!
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71. We can't let him
reach the city!
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72. The place is crawling
with bounty hunters!
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73. At least I won't have trouble
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74. remembering your name.
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75. Psyger-Zero.
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76. Dude! You're always in our way!
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77. Not cool, Attack Master.
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78. You can't treat Ashura Kai
like this!
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79. Sorry, friend.
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80. Sorry. Sorry, friend.
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81. Sorry.
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82. I can't believe
Hizutome talked to me!
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83. This dude's acting
pretty weird, right?
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84. What's going on?
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85. Your guess is as good as mine,
but he's wide open, guys!
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86. Now's our chance!
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87. If I PK you, I'll rank up fast.
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88. Ashura Kai, for the win!
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89. You know. If you people
hadn't rudely interrupted,
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90. maybe we could have had
an actual conversation!
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91. - Should we run?
- Yep.
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92. [REI [PSYGER-0]] You're gonna
pay for attacking him.
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93. Uh, I mean, for attacking me!
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94. Aw, yes!
We made it out alive!
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95. Eat it, trolls!
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96. Have fun
in your mom's basement!
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97. They can't follow me
to Rabituza!
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98. Not gonna lie,
you scared me back there.
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99. Never expected
to hear the words
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100. "I'm out of MP!"
come out of that little mouth!
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101. I used it all when I swapped
into human form!
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102. If we hadn't
made it out of Thirdrema,
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103. we'd've been in
some serious trouble.
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104. This potion is scrumtrelescent!
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105. Glad I decided
to buy some mana potions
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106. before we left Secondale.
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107. Whew! What's done is done,
mission accomplished, I say!
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108. Huh?
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109. Yeesh, Pencil Knight
is such a sore loser.
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110. Oh, my bad, "Pencilgon."
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111. Gross.
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112. FYI, my death was my own fault,
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113. so I don't consider this
losing to you.
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114. Can't believe the Attack Master
came to bail you out.
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115. They a friend of yours,
or something?
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116. Who's the "Attack Master?"
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117. She talkin' about that
Psyger-Zero person?
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118. Anyway, I'm not gonna
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119. dwell on the past
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120. I really
do want to talk to you,
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121. so call Katzo for a meeting
in Unite The Rounds.
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122. We'll talk scheduling later.
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123. Oh,
she wants to "talk," does she?
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124. The fact that she doesn't
wanna do it in SLF
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125. is kinda sus.
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126. What's she up to?
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127. Huh? Hey! Speak of the devil.
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128. Sunraku!
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129. Hope you're sitting down
for this one.
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130. I just got a total
"evil mastermind"
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131. invite from the Pencil.
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132. What'd you do, man?
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133. This is shadier
than a willow tree,
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134. but I'd be lying if I said
I wasn't a little curious.
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135. Wha'dya think?
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136. Can't say I'm not intrigued,
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137. so I figure we might as well
see what she wants.
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138. You're not gonna back out, right?
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139. Of course I won't, Kat-man,
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140. especially now
that you're roped in.
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141. But right now,
I've got bigger bunnies to fry.
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142. What a delectable treat!
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143. Sorry for the wait, Emul.
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144. It's high-time we kick off
this unique scenario for real!
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145. Oh, happy day!
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146. Hurrah, hurrah, and hurrah!
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147. So?
What am I lookin' for, here?
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148. That Vash guy. I mean,
your bunny boss, as you say,
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149. mentioned something about
"getting me up to snuff."
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150. If you're really ready,
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151. then we shall make our way
to the arena,
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152. where we do our most
serious battle training
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153. in all of Rabituza!
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154. The arena?
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155. Welcome
to the Vorpal Colosseum!
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156. Whoa! Lots of room
for murder in here!
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157. My dad...
Oh, excuse me,
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158. the boss,
wants you to test your might
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159. by fighting ten opponents here
in the Vorpal Colosseum!
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160. Okay! So like,
a knockout tournament,
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161. boss-rush kinda thing?
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162. Yes!
And you are strictly limited
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163. to the use of Vorpal Weapons
within these walls!
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164. Great! Now then.
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165. Let the gauntlet begin!
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166. I'm gonna grind this arena
until I level up enough
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167. to wipe that stupid grin off
Pencilgon's smug kisser.
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168. Ready as ever.
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169. All right, gimme the first one!
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170. Righty-O!
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171. Okay. Let's start the show!
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172. I'm not expecting
to breeze through
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173. ten in a row on my first try.
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174. It'll be trial and error.
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175. I'll learn
their attack patterns,
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176. their move-sets and then,
slowly but surely.
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177. Practical training,
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178. opponent one.
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179. Packhound. Always spawns
in groups of five or more.
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180. Average level, 65.
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181. They don't exactly look easy.
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182. Hang the freak on!
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183. You're making me fight
a pack of enemies
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184. over level 65?
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185. Well, of course,
what did you expect?
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186. That's how the first opponent
always goes in the arena!
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187. Huh? "Opponent?"
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188. Could you at least call it
the "first fight" instead?
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189. I can't believe
I actually talked to Hizutome!
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190. Sorry, friend.
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191. Yeah.
Next time I bump into him...
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192. I'll suck it up
and try to find the courage
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193. to send him a friend request
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194. Oh, geez.
I wonder if he'd accept.
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195. A friend request?
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196. From you?
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197. Of course, I'll accept!
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198. Psyger-Zero.
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199. Thanks for saving me
from that clan.
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200. You're just the best.
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201. Let's walk to school together, okay?
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202. Silly girl!
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203. And then, after I PK'd
the clan that was hunting him,
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204. I went to follow him
into Thirdrema.
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205. I looked,
but I couldn't find him.
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206. He probably logged out, huh?
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207. Oh, well.
Wonder what he's up to?
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208. To these guys,
I'm not a normal opponent.
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209. Pretty sure they see me
as fast food!
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210. Okay, now.
This is your seventh attempt!
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211. Maybe this time, you should try
a little harder and win!
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212. Thank the bunny Gods,
there's no penalty for dying
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213. in the Vorpal Colosseum.
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214. Now you see,
the trouble with these guys
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215. isn't their strength
in numbers, or their level.
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216. It's their powerful
synchronized team attacks!
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217. Repel Counter!
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218. They're able to coordinate
their strikes
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219. because they have a pack-leader
calling the shots!
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220. Slide Move!
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221. I've fought 'em enough
to figure it out.
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222. I've seen it.
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223. There's one that keeps
howling from a distance,
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224. but the thing is,
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225. he's the one
that never attacks!
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226. You're the pack-leader,
aren't ya, boy?
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227. Spiral Edge!
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228. Looks like this bird-brain
was right!
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229. Your attacks
are all outta whack!
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230. And now that I know,
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231. I can ignore these mobs
until the end!
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232. I'll focus on taking down
the leader
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233. before he can bark out
more orders!
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234. Get over here!
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235. You're mine, now!
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236. As impressive as ever, Sunraku!
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237. Monsters in a pack
without a leader?
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238. They're just a buncha
aimless lone-wolves.
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239. They're not scary at all!
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240. Just a bunch of mangy dogs
with a ton of HP.
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241. You're brilliant! Bravo, I say!
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242. Practical training,
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243. opponent one.
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244. Packhound, complete.
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245. Excellent work
as always, my feathery friend!
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246. Number two's an "opponent,"
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247. not a "team battle," right?
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248. Oh, yes, it's definitely
a single combatant!
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249. Man, I freakin' hope so.
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250. Practical training,
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251. opponent two.
Parasite Tentacle.
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252. This dude
has like a million heads!
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253. Huh?
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254. As the name implied,
the real monster
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255. was the tentacles,
not the bear itself.
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256. Using a hit-and-run tactic,
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257. I managed to lop off
each tentacle, one by one,
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258. when they were all severed,
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259. the bear stopped moving
and I was victorious!
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260. "A roided-out goblin."
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261. That's about the only way
to describe this thing.
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262. Buff or not,
he's still just a goblin,
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263. so he didn't hold a candle
to the boss-wolves
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264. or parasitic tentacles.
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265. Eff this pig. As soon
as the snout touches you,
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266. it triggers an explosion.
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267. But the worst part is,
he has stamina for days.
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268. Never judge a book
by its bluhbluhbluh, right?
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269. I even timed it.
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270. On a single charge,
this freight train on legs
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271. lasts 20 seconds!
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272. If it weren't
for my rodeo skills,
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273. I'd still be fighting
this over-cooked bacon!
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274. Calm down,
they're in-game rodeo skills.
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275. I swear, if one more creature
poops on me.
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276. No, Sunraku!
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277. Compared to the last fight,
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278. this was a cakewalk!
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279. That damn bird dropped
its shitzkrieg from so high up,
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280. I couldn't land a hit!
But not this worm!
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281. You're grounded, buddy,
no wings for you!
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282. Fast and strong,
but easier than you'd think,
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283. he's a one-trick pussycat.
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284. Once you figure out
that its whole strategy
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285. is to get outside
of your field of view
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286. and backstab you, the fight
becomes way too easy.
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287. Meh. Not great. Not terrible.
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288. Reasonably tough?
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289. That's it.
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290. Okay, it's time for Golem Class
with Professor Rakuro.
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291. We'll call attacks
from its right arm "A,"
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292. and ones from its left arm "B."
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293. When it chains from "A" to "A,"
there's no gap between hits.
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294. But when it goes from
"A" to "B," or vice versa,
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295. the core in its chest
lights up,
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296. signaling an incoming attack.
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297. So, I had a theory.
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298. Given the height difference
between me and Rock Daddy,
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299. anytime he swung his
boulder-fists, I could predict
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300. his attacks based on
the flashing of his core,
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301. and then use the hit-box
toward the end of the swing
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302. to climb up on its arm
and get its core
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303. within reach
of my Vorpal Weapons!
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304. But when I actually put that
theory in action,
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305. I ended up getting knocked back
by an invisible energy field
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306. which shaved off
70 percent of my HP,
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307. so I was forced
to change my strategy.
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308. That's the scientific method
in action, kids!
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309. Anyway, my new tactic involved
peeling off bits of its armor
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310. to expose weak points,
and then...
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311. Bottom line is, I dodged,
I sundered, I hit, I won!
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312. Hell, yeah!
Just one more bogey to go!
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313. Opponent Nine.
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314. Beta Unit Golem. Complete.
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315. Do my eyes deceive me?
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316. After countless fights
and gallons of sky-poop,
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317. I only gained
two measly levels?
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318. No doubt, I have this
Vorpal Soul Collar to thank,
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319. since it generously
cuts my XP in half.
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320. Hey! Sunraku!
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321. You're tired,
I'd rest up a bit!
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322. Your eyes are scaring me,
please!
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323. Whatchu mean, hopp-o?
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324. I'm at the top of my game!
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325. Never felt better in my life!
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326. Now do it!
Bring out number ten!
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327. Hurry, hurry!
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328. - Well, hello there!
- Huh?
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329. - Huh?
- I'm impressed
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330. you already beat
the ninth one, boy!
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331. That's what I call
"perfect timing."
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332. Vash?
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333. Dad, what are you...
Uh, 'sup boss!
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334. "Perfect timing," huh?
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335. I bet as soon as I beat
the ninth opponent,
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336. I triggered an event.
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337. Yo, Don Vysache!
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338. Was that last monster
some sort of test, or...
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339. The tenth and final round
is special,
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340. so I thought I'd challenge you
to fight this guy
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341. I caught myself.
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342. It took a lotta searchin'
to find him!
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343. Is it human?
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344. Yeah, I don't think so.
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345. Is it a sorcerer type?
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346. This is one
of those dumb bastards
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347. who wanted to live forever,
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348. so a long time ago,
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349. he tried mergin' with a tree
to gain everlasting life.
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350. The state you're in,
I don't expect you
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351. to come close
to beating the poor sap.
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352. So I'll bend
the rules a little,
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353. for my consigliere.
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354. Oh, really?
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355. Survive for five minutes.
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356. Unique Scenario.
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357. "Invitation From Rabituza."
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358. Practical training,
opponent ten.
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359. Aberrant Woodmage.
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360. Clear condition update,
survive for five minutes
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361. A good ol' endurance battle.
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362. Stay alive for five minutes,
that's it?
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363. I'll just run a few laps, and—
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364. Oh?
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365. Did he telegraph
a warning sign or anything?
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366. Nothin' wrong
with a little bravado, kid.
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367. But now I'd like to see you
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368. back up your words
with actions.
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369. Now we're cookin'!
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370. This'll be a long five minutes!
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371. Out of
over 30 million SLF players,
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372. not only is Sunraku the first
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373. to encounter
this unique scenario,
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374. but he's the first
to fight this mob.
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375. Unfortunately, for our
trash connoisseur,
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376. he would come to learn this
the hard way.
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377. SLF Theater!
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378. Mini!
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379. Since he's high in the sky,
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380. I can't reach him
from the ground!
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381. In that case.
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382. I'm comin' up!
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383. My virtual eyes.
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384. No, Sunraku!
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