Transmutation 2

A group of tents about one day walk from the closest town. 18 classmates from earth have been transported to a new world and given game abilities.

"I wonder where we could get some soap."

"I think you have to be rich to get soap."

"Just transmute some gold coins and be done with it."

"I already said I was not going to transmute money, or things that were intended to be sold for money."

Brutus is arguing with his classmates while thinking of things to make with his second transmutation ability. He could make any single piece of metal or inorganic material, but not complicated things with more than one side to them. He could also change the attributes of materials not limited to metal.

"Can you make me another hair brush?"

On this world, hair was usually cut short for men and tied up for women. To have long flowing hair was a sign of nobility. This was something all the women in Brutus' group had though. He was able to make brushes and combs so that they could fix their hair. He was also able to make shower heads that made cleaning hair easier. Brutus made many things to help everyday life.

"Yeah it won't be hard. Get me a brick."

Creation Transmutation needed an equivalent amount of mass to make the object. It did not need to be the same material though, just enough mass.

His most proud creation though, was the gun. He had perfected the primer solution to make the bullet fire at 1200 feet per second, and it could hold six bullets. Everyone in the group had a gun and could use it.

Using his new creation, Brutus went from being one of the least popular in his group to one of the most. He was still a subordinate to Trad, the alchemist and potion master, but his tools were used every day. Even when Logan's group went to town to sell monster drops, they made sure to bring back things for Brutus to make more of.

Brutus thought it must be strange, for people to be going to town to buy one of something they would normally need dozens of. As Brutus thought of this, a classmate from Logan's group ran out from the treeline.

"Everyone, evacuate!"

Brutus did not know what he was talking about and continued to make the transmutation circle for the brush, but then a spear went through the classmate's chest and blood exploded from the wound.

Some of the people in the camp screamed, and others drew their guns. From the treeline came a group over 30 strong.

"Thanks for showing us your base kid."

There was an old looking man standing behind the classmate who had just died. The old man had grey hair, but a black beard. On his waist were 2 spears, and in his right hand was another. Behind him and to his sides were another 29 people at least.

"They have the death tool too. Kill them all and take the tool!"

"Yeah!!"

The old man yelled first for his men to attack and then the rest drew their weapons and moved forward. Tessa with her group gathered to confront the but where clearly outnumbered.

"We don't know why you are here or why you killed our friend, but now you are going to die!"

Tessa raised her hand and the mages next to her did the same. From their hands came bolts of fire and ice. The bolts fired at the attackers but were blocked with shields.

The attackers then moved forward and attacked the shocked mages who until now had their attacks work on all the monsters in the forest they fought.

Spears found their way into two of the people in Tessa's group, and they fell back.

"What are you all doing, shoot them!"

Tessa yelled at the others in the camp and they took out their guns from their pockets. \*BANG\* \*BANG\* could be heard all over the forest. The bullets flew at the attackers with incredible speed, but it was not enough to stop them.

The gun's ammunition ranged from 22 to 9 mm, but most were 22. The smaller bullets were not able to break through the armor of the men that came to the front after the spear throwers finished.

"See how they rely on these weapons! Leave no one alive!"

The leader yelled this again and the ones in armor ran forward shielding the ones with less armor. Everyone in the camp with guns was scared of what was happening. Logan's group was supposed to be at town buying materials that could not be gotten from transmutation, but now one of them had ran back to the camp and a group of bandits followed him.

"Julie, we need to get out of here. Everyone, run away, don't try to fight back!"

Brutus grabbed Julie's hand and pulled her to the opposite side of the camp from the attackers. Brutus could only save Julie if she fled with him, and because he neither had armor nor a sword with him, he would be useless against the bandits.

"Just you and me?"

Julie had her gun out and looked startled at Brutus. They had been close sense they came to the new world because they both had manufacturing classes, but not close where he would prioritize saving her.

"I know you don't have any combat abilities, so I will protect you until we can get to a safe place."

Brutus and Julie ran through the trees and could hear people dying behind them.

"How long are we going to keep running Brutus?"

Julie was already very tired and they had gone less than 5 miles. When they saw monsters in the trees, Brutus was shooting them with his gun to kill them instantly.

"We can rest for a few minutes and keep going, or I can carry you."

Brutus looked at Julie and she turned a shade of red.

"... carry me."

"Okay."

Brutus lowered himself and allowed Julie to get on his back.

"I won't be able to shoot monsters like this, so you will have to kill them for me."

"But wont it hurt your ears if I shoot from right here?"

Julie was thinking about Brutus, and in her current position, her shooting height would be right next to Brutus' head.

"I guess that is right... Let me make a sword and then we will keep going."

Brutus had already carried Julie a few feet when this good point came up, so he put her down and made a transmutation circle on the ground. He then filled it with rocks and activated it. The sword was not very long, and it was not too special in any noticeable way, but it would work.

"Hold the sword for me and when you see monsters tell me."

"Yes!"

With that Brutus and Julie proceeded through the trees. They went for a few more hours and were still in the sea of trees. It would be dark in a few hours, and Brutus was sure that the bandits would not be able to follow them in such thick forest, especially at night. But because it would be night, even more monsters would be coming out. They would need somewhere to sleep for the night.

"Julie"

"Yes?"

"I think we should think about what we are going to do for sleeping. We are both tired after running so much, so one of us keeping guard will not work."

"Yeah, finding a place to sleep will be a problem..."

"I think I would be able to make a ladder and we could sleep in a tree for the night."

"You mean up in the top of the tree! How are we supposed to keep from falling!"

"I will make some steel chain fence that we can put leaves on to rest on."

"Alright, I will collect some rocks for the mass."

And with that, Julie walked in a 30 foot radius from where they were at gathering rocks. First, Brutus made a hammer and a few dozen nails. Then he made a steel ladder and finally a steel chain fence. The ladder was fasted to the tree trunk with the nails and allowed them to go up about 20 feet. From there, Brutus then placed the chain fence so that Brutus and Julie could sleep like they were in a hammock. Brutus made two of these though, one for himself and one for Julie. These were then fastened to the tree with more nails.

"Do you have anything to eat?"

Julie looked over at Brutus in the other hammock and asked. She did not bring anything with her when they ran out, and she hoped that Brutus would have something with him.

"Nothing, sorry."

"Okay."

"Just try to sleep, I will get something tomorrow morning, promise."

Julie looked at Brutus with wide eyes.

"Really, you promise?"

"Yes, I promise to have something for you to eat tomorrow morning."

Julie sprawled out on the chain fence bed and tried to sleep. During the night they could both hear monsters occasionally passing under them which reassured them that making the beds in the tree was the right choice. Though Julie was kept awake from fear of the monsters, Brutus quickly fell asleep.

In the morning, a single monster was below the tree. It was a wolf with black fur and longer front claws and fangs than normal. It was sniffing around the area as if looking for Brutus and Julie.

Brutus woke up and looked down at the monster wolf and signed. He looked over at his sword and grabbed it. He knew if he was able to get a good drop, he could kill it in one hit. Brutus prepared from the top of the tree, and in a second he fell from the branch.

The short sword sunk into the neck area of the wolf like butter, probably because of the 20 foot fall accelerating it. The wolf had not died yet though, so Brutus took the sword from the neck and brought it down once more in the same place, severing it.

Monsters were edible, but not the tastiest things. Unfortunately for them who were running away from murderous bandits, they did not have other options. Brutus made a small fire starter and a knife and set to work on the monster. Brutus also made a frying pan to cook the meat with and forks to move it.

A few minutes later, maybe from the smell of cooking meat from the fire, Julie woke up. She was clearly not able to get much sleep and called down to Brutus.

"Is that the breakfast?"

"Yes, this morning we will be having sliced monster wolf meat."

"Yuk!"

"I risk going to town alone, so this will have to do for now."

Julie came down from where she was sleeping and watched Brutus cook the meat. The meat sizzled in strips on the pan, then was moved to a plate. It was a wonder how they did not attract more monsters with the smell of cooked meat.

"So, what are we going to do now?"

Julie asked Brutus as she ate the meat looking at Brutus still cooking some more slices.

"I think we should find a place to make a new camp at, then work on finding survivors."

"You think anyone else made it out?"

"Well sure. We weren't even the furthest from the bandits, but we made it away. I'm sure at least a few other are fine."

"But Molly and the others didn't have combat abilities either, so what if they..."

"We just need to stay positive. Lets make it out of this forest first and then worry about the others. They are probably trying the same thing."

"Yeah, sure."

Brutus made another transmutation circle and drew a pipe in the center.

"What is that?"

Julie was finishing eating and pointed at the circle.

"I am making a silencer for you to put on the gun so you can shoot it from my back without attracting too much attention."

"Okay."

Brutus made the silencer and then made a place for it to screw into on the gun. With the silencer applied, Brutus checked the bullets. About 30 remaining. Brutus took down the steel chain and pulled the ladder from the tree to make into compressed balls of mass. This would be useful for not having to gather large amounts of rocks or dirt.

Brutus and Julie walked through the forest for a long time with Julie holding a gun an Brutus holding the sword that he made a little longer. They kept going for 3 more days and reached the edge of the forest.

"Finally we are out of that damn forest!"

Julie sighed and collapsed in the grass growing in the field that was yet to be taken over by trees. Brutus was following her and carrying a few monster furs along with his sword and a backpack filled with heavy mass stones.

"Well, chose a place an I still start making the camp."

"Really, I can chose anywhere?"

"Yep, I will clear the grass once you fine a place you like."

Julie walked through the grass for a while and finally stopped at a small stream. It was mostly rock and it was very unlikely to have any fish in it. Julie sat down on a stone at looked at the stream.

"Here will be fine."

"Alright, I will start clearing the grass around here and prepare for long term settlement."

Brutus drew a transmutation circle on the ground to make a scythe blade, and then the handle after that. Brutus assembled the scythe and started cutting grass for were he would make the building. After that, Brutus gathered the cut grass and put it in a pile by the stream.

"Julie, can you collect rocks from the stream with me so I can make a strong fence around here?"

Brutus made a transmutation circle for a shovel and made two, then he asked Julie this.

"Yeah, I can. Where do you want them?"

"Just pile them up right here."

Brutus pointed at a spot in the center of where he had cleared and then went to getting rocks himself. It took about 15 minutes for a decent pile to be made. With the rocks, Brutus made a fence and some poles to attach it to. The poles were 9 feet long and went 2 feet into the ground to keep them stable. The fence was then placed through these and went around the entire clearing. Tonight, Brutus and Julie would be sleeping on the ground for the first time in a while.

"I know it isn't much, but I will make a real building tomorrow."

"And then we will go back and look for the others?"

"Right."

"Alright then, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Brutus and Julie slept just a few feet from each other that night. In the silence of the night though, some rattling could be heard in the grass. When they awoke, nothing was out of the ordinary and the fence looked fine.

"Julie, i'm going to get some wood to make a house with. Stay here and keep the gun with you at all times."

"Okay I will, and I'll get more rocks for the pile."

Brutus made a saw with a transmutation circle and made his way back to the forest. It took about 5 minutes to get back to it and 10 minutes to cut down a tree. 5 minutes to cut off the branches and then 10 more minutes to get back to the clearing. 30 minutes in total to being back one tree.

"I'm going to get more stone with you. Looks like bring back the fallen trees is going to be harder than expected."

"How did you even carry that back here Brutus?"

"I used all my stat points on strength because I don't have magical capabilities I don't need wisdom or intelligence."

Brutus carried the larger stones back to the clearing and made a four wheeled cart that he could take the trees back with. It was the end of the second day outside the forest by the time he had it made though, so getting the rest of the trees would have to wait till the next day.

To eat, Brutus and Julie had meat from monsters killed in the forest. The fire crackled as Brutus and Julie sat down next to each other looking at the forest. The monster meat smelled horrendous, but they were both used to it after 5 days away from the camp and any real food.

"So Brutus, I was thinking... If you can make a gun and that cart, would you be able to make a car?"

"Hmm. I really haven't thought about that, but I don't think so."

Oh, that's too bad."

"For one, it would be too large and take too many parts."

"That's true."

"And secondly I don't know as much about how a car works. There are just too many moving parts."

"Maybe you could make a bicycle?"

"Hmm. I think I could, but the house will come first."

"Sure, right."

"Okay I have to get some sleep because all day tomorrow I will be bring back trees to make the walls of the house with. It will be even safer than this fence we have currently."

And then Brutus and Julie put out the fire and rolled out their furs and slept. Once again, there were sounds in the grass on and off throughout the night, but it did not wake them up. The fence would wake them if something hit it, but nothing did.

In the morning when Brutus woke up, he got his saw, cart, his sword, and then went to the forest. He left the gun with Julie and closed the fence back up while she slept. Brutus took 7 minutes to get to the forest with the cart and 10 minutes to cut down the tree, then 5 minutes to shape it and 7 minutes to get back. A 30 minute process to bring back a tree but it was much easier on Brutus. Brutus took back a second tree for the day and greeted Julie who woke up.

"Good morning Julie. I'm going to spent today getting trees from the forest and will make the house tomorrow."

"Alright, I will get more stones for you to use."

Brutus continued getting trees from the forest and then had lunch with Julie for a little over 30 minutes before getting back to the trees. At nightfall, Brutus had gotten 27 trees and piled them outside the clearing, but not close enough that something could climb them and get over the fence. Brutus then took back the cleared branches and used the smaller ones for firewood.

"Julie, move the furs to the side and make the fire over there. I'm going to get started on the floor for the house."

"Alright, what kind of floor will it be?"

"Stone tile."

Brutus made a few transmutation circles to make a cement replica to make the base to put the tiles in. Brutus used the mass of dirt he dug from where the base of the house would be to make the cement, and then poured it in to make a 4 inch deep base. Then Brutus made stone tiles with his transmutation and arranged them to cover the entire floor and make it flat.

"There will be a door facing the forest and a door facing the stream, okay?"

"Yeah that sounds fine."

"Then I think we can place the beds on opposite sides here and there, and kitchen supplies on this wall, storage on the other."

"That's alright."

"You don't want to make it any different?"

"Well it is only this big right now, so I don't want to make any problems."

"Right, I can add more space later on."

Brutus and Julie at monster meat once again and slept on the side of the fence while the cement dried with the tiles in it. In the night, rattling could be heard, but this time it woke up Julie.

"Ah!"

Julie screamed and woke up Brutus who was sleeping a few feet away.

"What is it?"

"Brutus, look!"

Julie pointed outside the fence at the assembly of bones sticking it's fingers through the fence. It was a partial skeleton, and was missing most of the left side an it's right leg. Brutus crawled over to Julie and held her.

"It's alright, the fence has lasted this long and look how slow it is. We are safe."

"But it's so scary!"

Honestly the slow moving skeleton was hardly someone to be scared of. The wolves in the forest were much more dangerous than this undead.

"Will this make you feel better?"

Brutus picked up the gun with the silencer and shot the skeleton in the skull with it. The skull blasted into many pieces and fell on the ground.

"... That's a little better, but what if there are more?"

"Then i guess you are going to have to stay up all night and be scared, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Goodnight."

Brutus went back to his furs and pulled them over him, but Julie moved back to his side and grabbed his arm.

"No, you have to keep guard with me. I won't be able to do anything if they see their dead comrade and attack!"

"How about you sleep on this side of me and if something comes it will get me first?"

"...fine."

Julie pulled up her furs and laid them next to Brutus. The tiles took up most of the clearing, so they were now only laying a foot or so from each other. Julie laid next to Brutus and looked him in the eyes.

"You aren't going to try anything funny right?"

"Ha."

Brutus laughed a little and turned around to face the outside of the fence and tried to sleep. Julie looked at Brutus' back and eventually went to sleep. There were no other sounds that night, but the bones from the skeleton slowly rolled into the grass and disappeared from sight.

In the morning when Brutus woke up, he had to snake his way out of Julie's arm that had for some reason found it's way around him. Brutus checked the tile and it would need a little longer to set. Brutus looked over to where the skeleton was supposed to be, but it was gone. Brutus then woke up Julie.

"Hey scaredy cat, wake up."

"Uh, what is, hey who are you calling scaredy cat!"

"You who woke me up in the middle of the night for no reason are a scaredy cat, now I just wanted to tell you not to step on the tiles because they are not ready yet. I'm going to clear some more space and make a bath."

"Alright, i'm going back to sleep."

"Sure you are."

They did not have anymore monster meat left, so Brutus made his way to the forest and killed a wolf and brought it back. Julie was now awake an sitting on the furs that she moved away from Brutus'. They at the wolf meat in silence.

"The cement might not be ready for a while longer, so just to be safe lets wait one more day and I will start cutting the trees to size."

"Can I help with anything?"

"If you could dig the area to make a bath in, it would be a big help."

Brutus made a smaller saw with a transmutation circle and went to cutting the trees to size to make a log cabin. 24 trees were needed to make the whole cabin, including the roof. 4 more trees remained. A whole for a bath was made outside the clearing and near the stream, and a big pile of dirt was placed in the grass.

Brutus and Julie sat down inside the fence at night and at home wolf meat. They were both tired and took baths one after the other in the water Brutus heated with a fire because they did not have fire magic or water magic.

"Tomorrow is the day we start making the house."

"Yep, then we wont have to worry about anything breaking through the fence. It will be all safe from here on."

"That's good. Maybe you could go into town and get supplies."

"But it is a 4 day walk from here to the town, and either we would both have to come and leave everything behind, or you would be left alone."

"What about if you made a bike?"

"A bike wouldn't help us get through the forest."

"Yeah, then when are we going to leave here?"

"How about one week after the house is built we both go back to the camp and then to the town."

"Okay that will work. It's only about 8 days then."

"Right."

After that talk both Brutus and Julie fell asleep. It was a cool night and no skeleton's were making sounds. The next day, they ate and worked on the house. Brutus positioned the logs that were already cut to size and packed the seams with dirt. The roof was a little difficult, but it was make either way. Brutus made nails and hinges with transmutation circles and placed door on both ends of the cabin. The result was an about 11 by 23 foot log cabin. Two fur beds were placed on the far end and their tools were placed in the corner of the other.

"So it's our first night inside the new home."

"Isn't this just the best, after those city guards kicked us out of the inn, I haven't slept inside a real building!"

"Non of us have, except the city team."

"Yeah the city team..."

It was the city team that had gone into town and brought back a group of bandits. Brutus and Julie did not know for what reason the bandits started killing their classmates, but from what they said as they attacked, Brutus thought it might have something to do with the guns.

"Let's just get a good nights rest for once and prepare for the trip."

"Right... wait, can you hear that?"

What Julie was talking about was the sound of bones clinking in the night. From the sounds of things, there must have been more than a dozen of them.

"Don't worry Julie, the fence is strong and even if it doesn't hold, the house is even stronger and look, I can bar the door shut so we are fine."

Brutus took a wooden plank and placed it behind the door. The doors opened inwards so this would stop it from opening. Brutus also did this to the rear door.

"They must be swarming because we killed their comrade the other night. Just sleep."

Brutus was laid down on his bed and tried to sleep, but was stopped from sleeping by Julie.

"Brutus, why didn't you make any windows?"

"I guess I just overlooked that."

"Can you make one so I can see out?"

"Sure, hand me the smaller saw."

Julie hands Brutus the smaller saw and he starts working on making a window. It took a while, but he was able to break through and make a whole.

"Oh my god..."

On the inside of the cabin, both Brutus and Julie were stunned. The fence outside the cabin was surrounded by skeletons. Not dozens, but hundreds of them. Fortunately for Brutus and Julie though, the skeletons seemed to be unable to get past the fence.

"It's alright, they can't get past the fence, we will be fine."

"No we won't if they start to pile on top of each other then they will get over the fence."

"But even then they can't get inside the house."

"What if a fire starts?"

"Julie, take the gun, take the ammo, and lay in your bed. I will stay awake and make sure nothing happens tonight."

"And if something does happen you will wake me up quickly right?"

"Right. Just go to sleep and in the morning I will tell you how pointless it was to worry."

"Alright i'm going to sleep. wake me up if they get in the fence."

"Right."

Julie went to sleep with the gun and all the bullets next to her and Brutus awake holding his sword. The skeletons swarmed all night, but they did not make it past the fence. In the morning, Brutus looked out the hole in the wall and saw a thick fog.

"Julie, it's foggy out."

"It has never been foggy before."

"I know, that's why I told you."

"I'm scared. Let's just stay in for today."

"Well we didn't have anything to do today, so sure."

For that day, Julie and Brutus stayed in the house. The fog did not let up all day and probably had the skeletons hiding from the light of day in it. It was a classic move.

They both slept that night to the sounds of even more skeletons around them. If the hundreds that came the other night could not get through, the hundreds more that came this time would not be able to get through.

The next day, the fog was gone and the pair was able to do their daily task, including throwing out the waste bin they were using and kept outside the cabin.

Brutus was in the forest once again hunting wolves. There were other things in the forest used for alchemy, but Brutus did not know how to use them. While hunting, Brutus came to the edge of the forest and saw a nightmare, a thick fog.

"Julie!"

Brutus yelled into the fog and started running into it. He had his sword and knew Julie had the gun, but it only had 30 or so bullets and she might not be able to find her way back to the cabin in the fog.

"Brutus, i'm over here! Ah!"

Julie yelled out and then screamed, and Brutus ran faster. There were dozens of skeletons in his path, and most likely hundreds more in front of him. Brutus slashed his way towards Julie's voice and soon had a dull blade.

"I'm coming Julie, where are you?"

"I'm... over... here..."

Brutus could just hear Julie speak over the clattering of bones as he destroyed the skeletons. The skeletons did not have weapons, but when they hit with their rock hard fist, it was like they were using a club.

"Julie, are you alright?"

Brutus had made it to Julie, but she had used all the bullets and was badly injured by the skeleton's fist.

"No Brutus, i'm..."

Julie coughed up blood and laid on the grass. It would be impossible to move her to the cabin in her condition, so this is where Brutus would have to make a stand.

"Alright you undead bastards, come at me. Ah!"

Brutus moved around the spot Julie was laying on the ground as he killed several skeletons at a time. The ground piled with the bones of the skeletons and his sword had a few noticeable dents in it, but just hitting the skeleton hard enough was able to destroy it. After a while though, Brutus saw that the bones started to roll back into the fog and disappear from sight.

"You seem to be in quite the pinch!"

Someone yelled out in the fog, and it was neither Brutus nor Julie. It was a man, and from the sound of his voice was in his 30's.

"I need help over here!"

Brutus yelled back at them as he cut down more skeletons.

"I can hear you are using a sword to kill them, but you need to use holy magic to stop them from reforming."

"Just do something!"

"I won't do it for free."

"I'll pay you with whatever I have."

Brutus was getting tired from fighting and from listening to the man try to barter while his and Julie's life was in danger.

"Alright then, blessings from god bring your holy light into this dark abyss of undead minions. Smite!"

White light shone from the sky and the fog disappeared and the skeletons exploded. Dozens of skeletons exploded every second and the rest fled into the fog as it retreated like it was consciously afraid of the light.

"Well then, that that I have saved you, what will you repay me with?"

"I don't have anything right now, but I will pay you back as soon as I have something to give you, please though, if you have healing magic please save my friend."

Brutus knelt down and picked up Julie a small bit. She was badly hurt and likely had internal injuries.

"I don't know healing magic, but I have a few expensive healing potions with me, but if you don't have anything with you we will just have to make a trade."

"A trade, just hurry and give her the potion and you can have anything."

Brutus held Julie closer and tears ran down his face. If she died, he would be alone in this world if he could not find the others. It would not be his first time being alone in a foreign world, but that did not make it any better.

"Alright, Claudius, bring me the Max Revive from the chest."

"But sir, that is a 50,000 coin potion!"

"This man obviously cares very deeply for this women, so bring it at once."

"Yes sir."

An armored knight that was on the carriage the other man was sitting on went into the back and pulled out a huge red flask.

"Have her drink this."

"Thank you!"

Brutus took the potion and made Julie drink it. At first he could not get it to go down, so he had to make her drink it by pouring it into his mouth and forcing it into her's. After a few mouthfuls, Julie started to breath again and was able to drink the potion on her own. A few minutes later and she drank the full flask of potion and was stable.

"Now for what I want from you."

"Like I said, anything you want I will give it to you."

"Excellent, I want to to become a servant for me at my manor."

"What..."

"It is clear that you don't know much to the adventurer lifestyle, and yet you take a young woman with you into the undead plains and fight the undead without holy magic. I will give you and your woman a place to stay while you serve me and my family at the manor."

"Become a servant..."

"You already said anything I wanted, and at the manor we have people with the healer class who will be able to heal your woman better. If you try and escape, Claudius will have his way with you."

Brutus was dead tired and Julie was not in well shape, so leaving the gun behind he agreed and went with the man on the carriage. Julie was carried aboard by him and the guard and they sat in the back on top of some chest. It took a few hours and they were at a large manor in the center of a large field. This was the Pender Manor.