Got black stains on my above ground pool stairs. Is this black mold? Is it fixable? Or should i uust get new steps
Thanks in advance

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On July 14-15 of 1940, elections to the People's Parliament [Liaudies Seimas] were held in Lithuania. These elections had an unusual content and significance compared to previous elections. Here the false declarations and unrealistic promises of all kinds of benefits to the people, which the bourgeois parties usually made, were put aside and pushed into obscurity by two cardinal issues:
1) On the proclamation of Lithuania as a fellow Soviet Socialist Republic
and
2) On the accession of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic into the Soviet Union as a Union Republic.
The overwhelming majority of the population took part in the elections - 95.51% of voters compared to 38% of voters who actually took part in the last elections. Moreover, 99.19% of voters voted for the candidates of the Union of the Working People of Lithuania. And this is natural, because the question was clear, understandable to everybody and affected every Lithuanian in one way or another. So, by voting for supporters of Lithuania's accession into the Soviet Union, one thereby determined his attitude to this issue. By voting in 1940, the Lithuanian people, perhaps for the first time in their entire history, could freely reveal their will and their aspirations as a whole, as a people, and, taking advantage of this opportunity, demanded the Soviet system of governance for themselves.
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Reactionaries, enemies of the Soviet system of governance, were enraged by this result. Even the liberal democratic circles threw up their hands in surprise. Unable to find, and unwilling to look for the real reason for such a turn by the Lithuanian people, in the specific conditions of their life, they sought to discredit the elections themselves, the voting procedure. But even here these people suffered a fiasco: the genuine democratic nature of the elections did not give any real grounds for defaming them. And, nevertheless, this did not prevent the reactionary press from coming out with hostile articles and bringing forth, as expected from them, facts invented in the editorial offices.
One should not be surprised here. On the contrary, it would be surprising if, say, not the reactionary, but at least the liberal-bourgeois press reacted to these elections positively. In fact, how much work was spent for the political deception of the people, for propaganda and agitation, for school "education", religious influence, administrative pressure, etc.! Mountains of slander were pushed against the USSR, against the Soviet government! It is difficult even to name all the means the Smetona government used to influence the Lithuanian people in order to discourage them from any desire to find out the truth about real life in the Soviet Union, in order to isolate the Lithuanians from even the slightest influence of Soviet culture. For this purpose, it sought maximum isolation of Lithuania from the USSR, not only politically and culturally, but also economically.
It seemed that there were no channels, no ways through which the Lithuanian people's ties with the Soviet Union could develop. However, the actual reality cruelly mocked those who worked so zealously to darken the consciousness of the Lithuanian people, those who tried their best to introduce inertia and indifference into the consciousness of the people. At the first opportunity, the Lithuanian people loudly declared: I want to be a member of the Soviet Union! That's what infuriated the enemies of the Soviet form of governance and still infuriates them to this day. What mean reasons pushed the Lithuanian people on the path to the Soviet system, to its accession into the USSR? There are many very convincing reasons. That they are serious is clear to every Lithuanian, because with his mother's milk he was instilled with the thought that the most valuable thing is the independence of his own country, its greatness. But reasonable people had doubts about the "independence" that Lithuania had, uncertainty about its reality, because the facts contradicted it too much. No sooner had the republic organized itself and the government settled in its capital, Vilnius, than a certain Polish general with his detachment of troops seized Vilnius, expelled the Lithuanian government, and the capital of Lithuania was annexed to Poland, and Lithuania lost its largest and most industrialized city. For the sake of decency, the press made a little noise, and that was the end of it. The suzerain powers did not even lift a finger to restore the violated rights of Lithuania, because the attacker was also patronized by them and probably more valuable as an open enemy of the Soviet Union.
With Hitler's rise to power in Germany, the specter of Lithuania's "independence" has diminished even more. In 1939, Hitler seized Klaipeda, and the Lithuanian government, filled with fear for its own existence, was glad that the seizure was limited only to the Klaipeda region and the treaty, which in effect included the entire Lithuanian economy in the German economic master plan. I do not want to accuse the government that existed of not wanting to do anything to defend the country, but only to illustrate the phantom nature of the "independence" of Lithuania during that time. It would be a mistake to think that the Lithuanian people did not strive for real independence. In 1919, after the expulsion of German troops, the Soviet government was established in Lithuania, which signed an alliance with Soviet Belarus. But the real independence of Lithuania was quickly liquidated by the Entente and the German troops called into the fight by it. In the language of the European bourgeois press, this was called the "restoration" of Lithuanian "independence".
The country's politics and economy developed in accordance with external conditions. After the defeat of the Soviet government, a democratic government was organized. (It was impossible to immediately install a fascist regime after crushing the Soviet government). It didn't last long. Apparently, the common path of development of the Baltic countries was manifested here: the suppression of the Soviet government -> democracy (as a transitional form of power) -> fascism. Obviously, for some "champions" of democracy, fascism is more acceptable, because any democracy, even by a tiny bit, at least for appearance's sake, must do something in the interests of the people. Fascism does not even concern itself with such tasks. That is why fascism in small countries is encouraged by the big "guardians of democracy". The establishment of the fascist regime in Lithuania, the Smetona regime, made Lithuania into a cash cow for German capital. The Germans were not content with just subjugating the Lithuanian economy to their plan. They methodically introduced themselves into all the avenues of Lithuanian life, turning Lithuania into a springboard for an attack on the Soviet Union, which, in fact, they did not hide from Smetona, who shared their thoughts. On the contrary, the preparation of Lithuania's territory for military purposes seemed to justify the introduction of Germans into all the pores of Lithuanian life. In this way, the Germans killed two birds with one stone:
1) They prepared a military bridgehead
and
2) Quietly adapted Lithuania into a German Hinterland.
The Smetona government saw the danger that threatened the independent existence of Lithuania, and, in fact, did not resist German aggression, trying to curry favor with Hitler, with whose support it now owed its existence to. The only hope of Smetona and his supporters was that they would remain in power under German fascism in one form or another and would exploit at least some part of the people's labor. The above facts clearly show what was really hidden under the decorum of Lithuanian "independence". Smetona's internal policy naturally corresponded to the external one. It consisted in imitation of German fascism, in adapting it to local conditions.
Now even the blind can see that fascism with its ideology and politics is a terrible social evil generated by the era of imperialism. Anyone who has been to the south has seen with his own eyes how a huge tree - pine, oak, cypress - was wrapped by a parasitic plant with bright green leaves. With its stems, it presses tightly against the tree, and numerous shoots dig into the bark and pull out the juices. It is possible to save a tree from death only by destroying this parasitic plant. Fascism is a parasite of the state tree. And if the people do not destroy it in a timely manner, it will inevitably lead the country to the greatest of disasters. Experience has shown that fascism is equally fatal for both large and small countries alike. Having no desire to awaken the creative forces of the people, on the contrary, deliberately putting them to sleep, so that it would be easier to turn people into an obedient herd, the fascist leaders, for example, in Hungary, Romania, etc., shouted furiously: "Great Hungary!", "Great Romania!". It was laughable. But all the fascist meanness was hidden behind this farce.
As for Smetona, he did not even have this prop. His main desire was to cover up, if possible, his dependence on Hitler, to disguise it in front of the Lithuanian people. The task is difficult and, in fact, impossible, because the Germans climbed and penetrated into all the holes and cracks, seized banks, and through them the industrial enterprises, wholesale trade, flooded the country with their literature, films and generally felt no worse in Lithuania than they would at home. In short: there was, perhaps not quite noticeable to the eyes of an ordinary person, but an inevitable process of germanizing Lithuania [1].
Relations between Germany and Lithuania progressed towards not only the actual but also the formal transformation of Lithuania into a German colony (Smetona's request to Hitler about the entry of German troops into Lithuania). If Smetona, seeing all this danger, even wanted to prevent it, then, having neither material nor military resources, and most importantly, not using the moral support of the Lithuanian people, he would not be able to resist German aggression. Smetona had only one path left, which he followed: no resistance, but harmonizing the life of the whole country with German demands and humble obedience to Hitler. With such a "policy" he decided to prolong the appearance of Lithuania's "independent" existence.
Naturally, such a government could not satisfy the people. It could not and did not want to serve the interests of the Lithuanian people. The narrow egoistic interests of this government were closely linked with German interests, and its spiritual demands were related to Hitlerism. It means that the entire state policy of Smetona's government rested on the enrichment of a small handful of people, on the systemic robbery of the people, on the strangulation and all-round emasculation of their national culture.
Perhaps there is no country - both in Europe and in the Americas - where Lithuanian migrants who fled from their native country not only from political repression, but even more simply from hunger, would not be found. The Lithuanian intelligentsia, especially the progressive intelligentsia, was not in the best position either. The opportunity to live and breathe was only in leaving, because they had no work in their native country, and fascism stifled every free thought. The fascist octopus tightly wrapped itself around the Lithuanian people and led them to their imminent death.
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These are the reasons that prompted the Lithuanian people to vote for Lithuania's entry into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Of course, when voting, the Lithuanian people not only desired to get rid of the unbearable conditions in which their life took place, but they fully took into account the benefits and advantages that the Soviet system brings them. One of the serious factors is that the Lithuanian people, having joined the USSR, acquired real independence. The enemies persistently insist that Lithuania is dependent, since it is one of the sixteen republics in the Union. But these are all enemy fairy tales. Why are entrepreneurs organized into government trusts, syndicates and enterprises? They will say that there is a naked calculation of increased profits from the monopoly. Yes, that's right. True, some of the propertied classes hypocritically condemn them for this from a "moral" point of view. But only the workers' organizations are really fighting them. And trusts, syndicates and enterprises are developing and growing stronger. At the same time, it does not occur to any entrepreneur that he is losing his industrial independence.
I will give other examples. Now everywhere workers and employees unite in trade unions. Who can say that they lose their personal freedom and independence at the same time? Moreover, the trade unions of workers and employees of any state strive to be members of an international professional organization. And this is quite natural, because each of them understands that this is the only way the one can defend personal freedom and independence.
Furthermore, a peasant, protecting his well-being, enters a cooperative, and the coop association formed in the country links up with cooperative organizations of other countries, and there is already an international cooperative association - the alliance. Only moneylenders, predatory traders and speculators can shed crocodile tears over the fact that peasants that are united in cooperatives cease to be independent landowners.
Every association is an organization that restricts an individual to one degree or another. For example, the same peasant, who is a member of a cooperative, undertakes to hand over all or part of his marketable products to the coop. This restricts the peasant in his freedom to dispose of his products in a way. But in reality, the coop protects him from a predatory buyer.
The USSR has sixteen Union republics with a well-known, but equal limitation of their sovereignty. They form a single union state with a different national way of life, with a diverse national form of culture and historical past. Only the Soviet system and Lenin's national policy ensure and guarantee them unbreakable unity and genuine friendship, real freedom and independence. Protecting the whole, the Soviet system and Lenin's national policy give full opportunity for the unlimited development of each republic, every nationality…
The enormous work by our party to create and strengthen the multinational state has been a complete success. Comrade Stalin said the following:
"The absence of the exploiter classes, which are the main masterminds behind the international conflict; the absence of exploitation, with its mutual distrust and brewing nationalist passions; the presence of power of the working class, which is the enemy of all enslavement and a faithful bearer of the ideas of internationalism; the actual implementation of mutual assistance of peoples in all areas of economic and social life; finally, the flourishing of the national culture of the peoples of the USSR, national in form, socialist in content - all these and similar factors have led to the following: the appearance of the peoples of the USSR has radically changed, the feeling of mutual distrust has disappeared in them, a sense of mutual friendship has developed in them and, thus, real fraternal cooperation of peoples has been established in the system of a single union state.
As a result, we now have a fully developed multinational socialist state that has withstood all the tests of time, the strength of which could be envied by any nation-state in any part of the world" [2]
During the Great Patriotic War, the strength of the cohesion of the peoples of the Soviet Union, based on Lenin's national policy, withstood enormous trials. The war with fascist Germany and its satellite states clearly showed how valuable the Soviet Union is for every Union Republic. The enemy occupied all of Lithuania and went far beyond its borders to the east. It seemed that the country had perished under the Nazi boot. But far from the Lithuanian borders, near Orel, a Lithuanian division fought in the All-Union Red Army. And in the capital of the Soviet Union, Moscow, there was a Lithuanian government that called upon and organized, as much as possible, the forces capable of fighting inside Lithuania.
No matter how loud the German military drums thundered, no matter how much fascist propaganda tried to distort the actual situation on the fronts and in the rear of the Soviet armies, no matter how cruelly the Gestapo tortured Soviet patriots, the Lithuanian people heard and saw that a fierce struggle for their liberation was going on. This undoubtedly inspired him with great confidence in victory, inspired the partisans in their difficult and daring struggle in the distant rear of the enemy, and their heroic actions, in turn, raised the spirit and morale of the people. The names of Marytė Melnikaitė, Urbanavičius (Kurmelis), Apyvala, Vladas Baronas, Jacinavičius, Motieka and others have earned glory not only by themselves, but also because they embody the best traditions of the Lithuanian people, their heroism and boundless devotion to their Homeland.
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Bronius Urbanavičius
Next, let's take the work efficiency of the people as a whole. Statesmen, industrialists, journalists of capitalist countries continuously call for increased labor productivity as the basis of the country's well-being. The fascist Lithuanian government was not far behind in this. But with the policy pursued by this government, with Lithuania's economic dependence on Germany, the limits of increasing labor efficiency were very limited, and this increase was mainly directed at greater exploitation of the workers. Lithuania's economic development also had purely objective limitations: the small territory of the country, the absence of the main elements necessary for production - coal, iron and generally valuable ores, its predominantly agrarian nature. All this, as it were, naturally predetermined the backwardness of Lithuanian industry and, what is most tragic, the lack of prospects in the future.
By joining the Soviet Union, the Lithuanian people radically transformed the economic situation of their country. From an appendage of Germany, from the backwater of Europe, Lithuania received unlimited opportunities to turn into an advanced and highly developed national republic, as a full member of the great Union. Now her household will be built in a new way. The structure of the industry will change, it will acquire a character corresponding to modern advanced state of technology. It is now provided with a powerful raw material base and an unlimited market for the sale of its products. There are no objective obstacles to specialization, and hence to increase in the efficiency of labor, as the basis of welfare of the people.
In fact, what can now prevent the construction of any factory specialized in the production of any type of goods? Nothing but a shortage of skilled workers, engineers and technical personnel among Lithuanians. I will illustrate my point with an example. In Lithuania, for example, a machine tooling or machine-building plant is being erected. The Union as a whole needs thousands of machines, the plant also produces thousands of machines, but the Republic of Lithuania can use only hundreds or dozens of machines - such is its need for the kind of machines that this plant produces. Wouldn't it be better for the plant to produce machines only for this republic? Of course, technically it is possible, but economically it will be irrational, unprofitable, production will become artisanal and, most importantly, the quality of products will be worse, productivity is much lower. In this way, not only will we not get closer to the American technological level, but we will move away from it, even if the plant had first-class equipment. But the socialist economy strives for a higher productivity of labor than that which capitalism is able to create in its most advanced countries.
Thus, in order to have high labor productivity and its efficiency, it is not enough to have a wish and even a desire to have it, but we also need the appropriate economic and social conditions that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics gives to all constituent republics. With these arguments, I do not want to belittle or downplay the importance of local or Republican industry, which mainly fulfills local needs. But local industry can also work productively only if it is abundantly supplied with good machines. This is well understood by the leaders of the Republics, who also bear responsibility for the enterprises of all-Union significance.
The Soviet government invested a lot of money and labor in the development of agriculture, which became the largest and most mechanized agriculture in the world. It has become productive, of which the best proof is the satisfaction of its military needs. Lithuanian agriculture is considered productive, it produced significant products for export. But we cannot close our eyes and ignore the fact that this productivity was based on the enormous exertion of the peasantry, on the hard work of the middle peasant on his farm and the farmhand in a larger farm. Physical labor took up their entire lives, leaving no time to satisfy their spiritual needs.
Under the Soviet system of governance, the Lithuanian peasant will not agree to such a life. His public interests are rapidly expanding, cultural demands are growing, which require time to satisfy themselves. The Soviet government highly values labor, celebrating labor feats with awards. But at the same time, it spares no expense to increase cultural and political education of the village. All this imperiously requires mechanization, the introduction of modern agricultural machines adapted to Lithuanian conditions.
These are the ways and means by which the Soviet government increases labor productivity both in industry and in agriculture. Undoubtedly, the Lithuanian people are using these opportunities to their fullest. Of course, it is not easy to move forward the economy and culture of the entire country, especially if it has a lot to catching up to do. But the life of the people, their well-being, demand this first and foremost. The creative forces of the people are inexhaustible, you just need to be able to awaken them.
The questions that I have asked casually and slightly indicate the enormous and complex nature of the tasks facing the Lithuanian people and its intelligentsia.
Fulfilling the program set by the Communist Party, the Union Government not only protects, but also ensures the flourishing of national culture of each Union republic, the established customs and, in particular, the native language of its peoples. It creates all the necessary conditions for the fruitful work of the intelligentsia in its field. Therefore, the Lithuanian intelligentsia bears full responsibility to its people for the cultural prosperity of the republic.
The national school is the first step in human development, the most important stage in the process of forming an active citizen and a patriot of his Homeland - therefore, it must be at the Homeland's top priority. During the implementation of this program, the Homeland should instill in the younger generations a love for their native language, folk songs, native landscape and at the same time expand the horizon of students as future citizens of the Soviet Union, and collectively instill in them a love for the great and multinational Motherland – the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. From this we see that the understanding of all-Union Soviet patriotism is not opposed to the local one. It is from local patriotism, as a popular source, that patriotism grows towards the Soviet system of governance, towards the USSR as a whole.
I think the Lithuanian government helps a lot and in the future will allocate even more of its resources towards the development of literature in the Lithuanian language, especially original fiction, drawing its plots from Lithuanian folk life and contributing to the awakening of new creative forces in the people.
Without a doubt, Lithuania will take an honorable place among the Union republics in the development of all kinds of art and sports, and its folk choirs will be an inexhaustible source for the development of national music and theater.
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The war is over. The shackles that bound the creative forces of the Lithuanian people have been removed forever. I sincerely wish the Lithuanian people success in building their Soviet state, in the development of industry, agriculture and culture, national in form and socialist in its content.
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"Soviet Lithuania" No. 289,
December 28, 1945
Printed according to the text of the newspaper
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Notes:
[1] As it turned out from the documents presented by the American prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials, the Germans planned to completely destroy the Baltic States and resettles their peoples, in particular Lithuanians, to Belarus. The essence of Rosenberg's instructions on this issue was reduced in practice to the destruction of the Lithuanian people. "The solution to the colonial problem," he wrote, "is not the Baltic question per se, but a question that concerns greater Germany and it must be resolved accordingly."
[2] Josef Stalin. Problems of Leninism, 2nd Ed., Gospolitizdat, 1953, pp. 551-552.-582. (in Russian)
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Source: Калинин М.И. Статьи и речи (1941-1946 гг.). ЛИТОВСКИЙ НАРОД НА НОВОМ ПУТИ (292-296).

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The Primeval Apocalypse by Alex Raizman and Robert Keene
Start here (Prologue) Previous
***
Author's note:
Some days I just sit here and stare at the Author's Note section, unsure of what to write. I've already been editing for the past few hours, and so my brain is shot. Caffeine, please work harder.
***
It had only been a handful of days since Noaich and I had hit the Mandrill town, but a surprising amount of the damage done had been repaired. Most of the buildings towards the edges of town had been fixed up or rebuilt.
There were still a few damaged or flattened buildings farther in, though many had been crudely patched with cloth curtains. My senses easily detected which ones had been abandoned during repairs, and which ones were still intact enough to house their occupants, even if the damage was still present from some monster blasting through the walls.
This late into the afternoon, many of the Mandrills were in their homes, but there was a group still working in the middle of town. Of all the damage I’d done, no building had been so obliterated as the stable. And with everyone’s living arrangements sorted, it was the most important building to get back up and secure. The pen outside of it would only contain what few drug-addled mounts and livestock they had left for so long. About eight or nine Mandrills were working feverishly to get the building back up before nightfall.
I tried not to freak out when I saw the alpha near at hand, ferrying cut lumber from the crafters to the work site. Despite the above-it-all behavior he’d shown last time, he wasn’t so proud as to neglect helping, even if the task that was needed was just a strong back to haul materials. It was almost respectable behavior for a leader, if it wasn’t terrifying to think that he was going to be at the center of this fight once it began.
I conveyed all that to Rachel from our final staging spot just outside the ring of farms around the town. She looked at the others and pointed at two members in particular.
“Peter, Yara,” she said, pointing to the mage and the woman with the iron-banded club, “get ready.”
The two split off, Peter moving with the scout Emma to the left side of the group—where her stealth aura could still cover the raid crew, but where the pair of them could duck away quickly when combat broke out. Yara moved to the back, giving Liz a protective pat on the back to try and calm the anxious archer.
At the same time, Rachel moved to the front. The rest of the group formed around her the same way they had when we were making our approach on the cerebtyrannus.
“In position,” Rachel said.
With a firm gesture, the group headed straight for the town.
The cover of Emma’s cloak couldn’t hold forever. But like my Hide In Plain Sight ability, it got us pretty far. We swarmed past the front line of guards stationed around the town by approaching in a blind spot, and got halfway to the stable before encountering a guard patrol. There were only three Mandrills, and so when one of them managed to check against someone’s stealth and win, they didn’t try and fight.
Instead, they howled in alarm, their voices shrill and panicked.
“Now!” Rachel snapped. “Move!”
Peter and Emma broke off from the group. The mage was a bit clumsy, but Emma caught his first stumble and turned it into a springing sprint, getting the pair of them clear of us before putting her cloak back up over the pair of them. Everyone else charged forward as one, though Yara and Liz fell back, trailing behind even Big Sam who still covered the rear.
We burst out into the clearing around the stable. The workers were already scrambling to get away. I could sense every guard in town converging on the stables now, moving in response to the increasingly noisy hoots of alarm. The only fighting force ready and waiting to oppose us were a half-dozen anxious guards, with the Alpha approaching from behind their shaky line.
“We can take him,” Rachel said quietly. I could tell that she was hungry for the win. She might never have another chance to engage with the alpha as cleanly as she could right now. And even now he wasn’t such an imposing figure. Clearly the oldest Mandrill in the camp, with a slight limp to his gait, and unarmed, too.
“It’s not part of the plan,” I said quickly. “We have to stick together.”
“If we get spread out, it’s all for nothing,” she said, pressing her lips together in a tight line, remembering my warning back in town. “And getting baited to run forward is spreading us out.”
“Until we see The Big One, the plan is everything,” I confirmed.
“Together, then,” Rachel ordered, and the group advanced at a more measured pace than the breakneck charge she no doubt wanted.
The Mandrill line seemed about to break before our numbers, but the alpha stepped up beside them. His presence visibly bolstered their resolve. And as the remaining guards grew closer, they seemed more willing to fight. I could even sense this town’s queen approaching from the west, leading a large enough group of guards to be a threat to us.
Rachel adjusted her position to meet the alpha head-on. Right before the fight began she let loose with her two shout buffs, and then added a third yipping war cry that instead applied a debuff to the Mandrills, slightly shaking their confidence. I wasn’t sure what the effect was, but there wasn’t time to stop and ask.
The frontline of Rachel’s fighters smashed into the Mandrills. As soon as they did, I instructed Noaich to Howl, spreading the buff to the whole party.
I wanted to pop Enrage as well, but I held myself back. If this fight was going to drag on, we were going to need to stagger our buffs. One overwhelming blow wasn’t going to be what won this battle.
Not yet, anyway.
With the stacked buffs, our frontline put the Mandrill line on the back foot immediately. The two shield-bearing tanks at the front were near-indomitable, their boosted dodge, block, and parry skills keeping them ahead of the Mandrill’s attacks. The attacks from those behind them were fast and furious as well, defeating their defenses thanks to Rachel’s shout, and dishing out tremendous damage thanks to Noaich’s Howl. The Mandrill line almost crumbled.
But it held.
Because the alpha held.
Rachel’s giant cleaver swept in with tremendous speed, the increased skill making the weapon blur even to my heightened senses. For a brief instant, it looked like she was going to cleave the alpha in half at the waist before he even knew he was in a fight.
But his bare hands came up with speed that was outright blinding. One moment his hands were at his sides, and the next, one palm was planted on the side of Rachel’s blade, guiding it up and around his body. The other hand reached out and smashed into the center of her chest, the impact loudly rattling her armor and sending her staggering back.
As the alpha held his position, he snarled and I could see the wounds on the other Mandrills closing as fast as our fighters could open them. The pain of being struck again and again was a blow to their morale, but physically, they stayed upright. They held, stopping our advance.
I stepped up into the breach when Rachel fell back. I felt a magical force bolster me as one of the mages in our backline focused his efforts on me, giving me a buff to my DEX and AGI stats. Combined with Rachel’s buffs, it let me send my weapons flying in a fearsome web of blades.
The unarmed alpha’s hands moved just as fast as mine. He swatted away my blades as fast as I could swing them, but unlike Rachel, I had two blades, and it occupied both of his hands. He couldn’t just swat me away with a spare moment, not unless he wanted to take a deep cut in exchange. He had to hold the line.
“Come on,” I said, grinning in his face. “You’ve gotta be able to do better than this, can’t you?”
The alpha was shocked at my ability to communicate.
That momentary hesitation was all the opening I needed to cut across his forearm with the blade of my new axe, leaving a deep and bloody cut. My foe recovered quickly, slapping my next attack away, but that one strike was all I needed. My attack speed was increased by the blow, and so my next attack was much faster.
I left a smaller cut across his palm when he tried to block me again. And then another cut on his shoulder.
“You send a team to hit us when you’re not prepared for a team to hit you?” I admonished, grinning all the wider. “Seems irresponsible. A failure of leadership, I’d say.”
I gained a step of ground. The elder Mandrill took a step back under the fury of my assault and the insults I flung at his face, and when he fell back, the line beside him started to panic. Even as he was healing their wounds, his own were weakening him. If things didn’t change I was going to take him out with a thousand cuts.
The alpha took a desperate gamble to try and turn the fight, planting one foot firmly and rearing back to kick me away without dropping his guard.
He didn’t even realize the opening he was handing me.
Noaich surged forward, slipping under my wide stance to clamp his jaws down on the alpha’s planted back leg.
“Have a nice trip,” I remarked, offering a mock salute.
I jumped back to let Noaich hurl himself into a roll. Against every Mandrill we’d come against so far, the attack was a guaranteed kill. I assumed it would take my companion out of the fight for a while to be busy blending the alpha until liquefied, but I had no reason to expect what happened next.
The alpha did get slammed into the ground on his face with bone-crushing force. But as he flipped, rotating around Noaich’s center of gravity, his hands and free leg caught himself on the next spin. His muscles tensed, and in a brief show of force, he turned Noaich’s momentum against himself, kicking up and over himself.
My companion lost his grip on the alpha’s leg and was sent flying through the air, slamming noisily through the wooden wall of a nearby building.
As the alpha returned to his feet, his earlier limp was a little more pronounced. And along with all the damage I’d added to him, he was looking a little rough. Even though he’d shaken off Noaich’s attack, there was still an opening and I surged forward. As long as I had my attack speed boost from my new axe I could—
Rachel grabbed my shoulder and yanked, pulling me off-balance. I couldn’t catch myself and slammed into her. I was about to protest when the purpose of her interruption became crystal clear.
A huge lump of fur, muscle, and claw slammed into the ground between me and the alpha like a meteor. If not for Rachel’s interference, I would have been flattened.
There was a deep growl of rage at being denied its target.
The Big One.
The beast raised its head and glared at me with its strangely human-like eyes, baring its big square teeth at me in a mad rictus. It was an uncomfortable reminder of what had happened to me the last time I’d been unable to keep those teeth from chomping down on me.
I didn’t have time to think. I had to move.
The monster lunged, mouth open and slavering for another bite of me.

​
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Building a swimming pool is a dream for many homeowners. It provides a place to relax, exercise, and create lasting memories with family and friends. When it comes to pool construction, two popular methods often come into play: concrete pools and gunite pools. Both options have their own unique features and benefits, but which one is the right choice for you? Let's dive into the ultimate showdown between concrete pools and gunite pools to help you make an informed decision.

Construction Process:

Concrete Pools: Concrete pools are constructed by pouring a mixture of concrete, water, and aggregate into excavated forms. The concrete is then allowed to cure and harden, creating a solid and durable structure. This method provides flexibility in terms of design and shape customization.
Gunite Pools: Gunite pools, on the other hand, involve a more intricate process. They are built by spraying a mixture of sand, cement, and water onto a framework of steel reinforcing bars. This technique allows for more creativity and freedom when it comes to creating unique pool shapes and features.

Durability and Strength:

• Concrete Pools: Concrete pools are known for their exceptional durability and strength. The solid construction ensures longevity, with a lifespan that can exceed several decades. Concrete pools can withstand harsh weather conditions, ground movements, and are less prone to surface damage.
• Gunite Pools: Gunite pools also offer remarkable strength and durability. The application of the gunite mixture creates a monolithic structure that is resistant to cracks and leaks. The flexibility of gunite allows it to adapt to the soil conditions, making it a suitable choice for areas with expansive soils.

Customization Options:

Concrete Pools: One of the key advantages of concrete pools is their versatility in design. With concrete, you have the freedom to create a pool that perfectly complements your outdoor space and personal preferences. Whether you desire a unique shape, custom features like waterfalls or integrated spas, or intricate tile work, concrete pools can turn your vision into reality.
Gunite Pools: Gunite pools excel in offering limitless design possibilities. The ability to spray the gunite mixture enables the creation of freeform shapes, curves, and intricate detailing. Gunite pools allow for customization options such as beach entries, tanning ledges, and built-in seating areas, giving you the opportunity to craft a one-of-a-kind pool that suits your lifestyle.

Maintenance and Cost:

Concrete Pools: When it comes to maintenance, concrete pools require more attention. The porous nature of the concrete surface can lead to algae growth, requiring regular cleaning and chemical treatments. Additionally, over time, the concrete may require resurfacing to maintain its aesthetic appeal. Concrete pools typically have higher upfront costs due to the labor-intensive construction process and customization options.
Gunite Pools: Gunite pools are generally easier to maintain due to their smoother finish. The gunite surface is less prone to algae growth and can be easily cleaned. However, like concrete pools, gunite pools may require occasional resurfacing. In terms of cost, gunite pools are comparable to concrete pools, with factors such as size, shape, and additional features influencing the overall price.

Conclusion

In the ultimate showdown between concrete pools and gunite pools, there is no clear winner. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Consider factors such as desired design, long-term durability, maintenance requirements, and financial feasibility when making your decision. Consulting with pool construction professionals can also provide valuable insights and guidance. They can assess your unique situation, discuss your goals, and recommend the best option that aligns with your vision and budget. Remember, whether you opt for a concrete pool or a gunite pool, the end result will be a stunning addition to your home, creating a space for relaxation, entertainment, and countless enjoyable moments for years to come.