Cel threw himself sideways - far too hard - his enhanced strength launching him across the small space like he'd been kicked. The creature's claws tore through empty air where his chest had been.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpk1WKQgHPp
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1GkeQLo3c
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuC745fSD6
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IdhLuRxh8
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10z2Ka7LO6
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2cAGnrCPi
It came at him again.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWhqR9la4R
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShM5Zzlj0n
Cel swung.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhXR4ZXJBR
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVovlpUFaTj
Silent Moon cut through ash-thick air in a wild arc - no technique, no control. The blade whistled past the creature's head, and momentum spun him halfway around.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4Gc8yO5Nv
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXL4j2OlCu
Claws raked across his back.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9aJfgcHo1
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jDMnN9Tpe
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZpskK0RVa
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5EVPqWDna
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXeVbHx1VJ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlYiiMEXPw
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2hqIte07f
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfSVUCNGjJ
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeH5qcWg7HL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBiTY9bzK4
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJoYdTvCKF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSj9BkxudW
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGQ7tM8aTF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLeRhgfp6B
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArJGrowRdW
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgPn6R8A5U
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrUEuDJ0yK
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGQ6Vdkske
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgPXAiaeXg
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYegrWnRS2C
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0X2d3hYl5u
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZJH2pCBPL
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIUh3dpbc6
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P4cZZD4Nb
The storm outside howled through gaps in the ancient walls, filling the space with gray curtains of ash and a constant barrage of stone fragments. The creature was a shifting shadow in the swirling dust, but its eyeless head tracked him with perfect accuracy through the chaos.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bMjoVBcFS
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62PXlaG2ty
It charged again.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWif7cOHL3h
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYpqPZrYUM
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFeblZJbKA
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdcf1rd0bU
The blade went where he aimed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlP9EyZcXM
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBElbxOBTi0
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFodtPkQGaK
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqrqydCczd
The creature shrieked - deafening at this distance, that metallic scraping sound drilling directly into his skull. Its claws found his shoulder, sinking deep, using him as leverage to pull itself closer even as Silent Moon's blade remained buried in its chest.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0UvKFYF7a
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsm13FDH5Of
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SAcAplMAI
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2N6XOLCw3S
Cel twisted the blade.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kWypu5uqO
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HLnzkIYyF
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SporIPpAO
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTn3rABOyF
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkk4oM4rgM
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jRRjYhrgC
Six now.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzToXT8pwCZ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNvtU87znz
The resistance disappeared. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiVCYM034d
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmlITX8eHx
Cel wrenched it sideways with all his strength - too much strength. The blade carved through the creature's insides, opening a wound from chest to side that should have been impossible with a straight blade.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tuF9QDNpF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmJPqbUyWi
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpll0iWNasP
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPUXv6arMs
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSzTqqCxFV
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG3rPjXAWw
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPUcyLGVSJ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp3rL29sfF
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepwl43mulG
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU79pwOHy2
Dead weight collapsed against him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQudqDiCAK
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzCvRdGG4v
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSblr560tN
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOiP28rBhp
The storm continued to rage outside, ash swirling through gaps in the ruined walls. Wind howled through the broken stone. But the shrieking had stopped - replaced only by Cel's ragged breathing and the steady drip of blood.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKhTFSQTYC
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdTrvqwHvg
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kKugKhmaY
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMiCSh1IjP
He'd killed it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eHO5mr2tH
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM9RvMe65v
His first real fight since gaining these powers, and he'd won. With no skill. No control. Just raw strength, divine steel, and the stubborn refusal to die.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUkHlonvYQ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxt9EB2vsM
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMssrbuWvg
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkzO6EU43u
His legs gave out.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeGvtCkB8e
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cgyQneJL4
He sat hard on the ash-covered floor, Silent Moon still gripped in his left hand. The blade's six crescents pulsed with steady white light, casting pale reflections across the creature's lifeless form.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0VQmgpaTz
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw33AQZjTA
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgl6KAdP2uC
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz8LNsDNPx
He'd always known this moment would come. Known it the instant he'd decided to survive that cell. Known it when he'd sworn revenge against his father, his family, the cultists. Killing wouldn't be optional - it would be necessary. He'd accepted that truth months ago.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUzyMExLe7
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Lk4rcay31
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT137xB9aVB
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxEj8L0l7u
And he'd found himself... capable.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofJVzSPJFH
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsdAEfekFt
Disturbingly capable.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRLyhT0Rb9
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3g2HjcjEu
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXz3bshK25
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6K4VLQHEb
The satisfaction that followed was immediate and uncomfortably pure. Not joy. Not triumph. Just the cold recognition that he'd won and the thing that tried to kill him hadn't.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs64JlGVBEh
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8tZhiMLZI
But his hands kept shaking.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pBUNU4L3D
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lqVysJvCs
Not from fear of what he'd done. From the realization of how easy it had been. How natural the violence had felt once he'd committed to it. Like something that had always been there, just waiting for permission.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7a4xhT12BY
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8gAVWmK7a
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQrqGXm8Qu
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOzCov9ouP
He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to breathe. Slow. Steady. The way Selina had breathed when she'd held him - measured, patient, real.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c0L33Rzza
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06uydfjwaH
The shaking gradually subsided.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq03MYtynZ
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnhpYPhrGK
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLKoisS9yj
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4uoQ9RA2S
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdADyT2806
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99Qw8VdY0H
Killing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFmuAkBfDc
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rU1Ewb0vL
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpPRBsZuNu
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaKWG071SY
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVX79EGbp4
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWxHDOgFyv
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJmrzbGQ7G
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4fV8IqIRH
The storm's roar began to fade. Not suddenly, but gradually - like a beast growing tired of its rampage. The howling wind dropped to a moan, then to whispers. Ash settled in lazy spirals instead of blinding walls.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJqXN4GxY7
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkC6L2c4fV9
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrhenR3ybq
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rq6sRKLuS
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9FeCRdQAL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9q4IKCW9R
His gaze swept the ash-covered floor until something caught his eye - a silver gleam right beside him. Silver light played across its surface, emanating from within.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUBHkOlufv
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wgyxwGExW
He reached out and picked it up.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXiSyQGTQn
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiuRNpdHZm
The coin was perhaps the width of two fingers across, lighter than it looked. One side bore the mark of the Moon Goddess - the one that was once on his back too before his father ripped it off. The other side showed a crescent moon cradling what might have been stars, or perhaps souls.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96oBoWp93V
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGRFQgMFmV
It thrummed with power against his palm - not the violent energy of the crystal maze or the seductive warmth of the sphere, but something steady. Patient. Eternal as the moon itself.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagIo5gjdfL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYR9aVoye5P
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9XcDmeI20
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoQxA6YiZh
His education among the Sun Clan had covered divine coins thoroughly, though he'd never expected to hold one himself. Each deity minted their own design, and the coins served specific purposes. Tokens of acknowledgment from the gods.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwelIPTkm6
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYK8D0yEIP
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdvudVTLjn
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzWvmJHukh
He could use it to awaken an artifact.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsQCfP3GpD
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoew1jYRyGW
The word itself carried weight among the Chosen. Awakening an artifact meant unlocking its full potential - watching it evolve into something greater. Most Chosen described it as getting to know their artifact, though what that truly meant varied. Some even claimed their weapons gained a will of their own. Others spoke of discovering hidden depths they'd never imagined existed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JGA9CoAfL
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFWuX4ABKH
But the tangible benefits were undeniable. The artifact would rise one full rank in Grace - Blessed becoming Sacred, Sacred becoming Heavenly, Heavenly becoming Holy. And often, new traits or authorities would manifest. Powers that hadn't existed before, born from the bond between Chosen and artifact.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGJ7Rfkp1r
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLdBwfn4d2
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJjTzDmxvY
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDubXMhcac
A book that held knowledge about the rift-creatures of the Hollow Realms, accessible whenever he encountered them. Information that could mean the difference between recognizing a threat and walking blindly into death.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTLAkCzqPE
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Tg5OEewc7
Cel closed his fist around the coin.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbyQkSYTHK
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4BZbSr4ko
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZlRjhFZbB
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCMz3QYV2o
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19pq5S46aB
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneCTWQDDJL
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuAqCwXPtF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAGqi0iiCK
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt4Uow5l3W
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJJH7Ougln
Her white robes caught the moonlight streaming from above. Below the silver mask that covered the upper half of her face, her lips curved in a genuine smile.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhqbWRjJ5e
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpP6ICsQKV
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV78ZgzBtc8
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MgRlt4G0e
The greeting settled over him like a blanket. No pain here - the wounds inflicted in the physical world didn't exist in this space. His right hand worked perfectly, fingers flexing without the numbness of frostbite.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jJHRL6NrD
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxczBWNFXai
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjPEN7x41b
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡua7T26ub9r
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZttZvVxVt
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBnILVSgAs
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf9gk7h6wq
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn74ggey4zB
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDM4nUwd4P
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ911UZ1YXv
<Name: Celvian>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkzbATARGh
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXbjeju8FV
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88ws2a6tTE
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyOc86i7Vv
<Achievements: (2)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MNH7SVz0h
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlosNWrkG4
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUO9rrDMSj
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlRvF3t1VU
Cinderward.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPKMc2wybC
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPbw7x9xOO
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4gcb5GnUR
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHmQxOSN2L
<Artifact: Cinderward>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty1m2rr9k5
<Type: Armor>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYecdmlvo7H
<Grace: Blessed>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNYHSQmUCn
<Traits: />87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByYLHb7wKe
<Authorities: />87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKiCWxHgtl
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QPATPE88t
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MwLldIR24
Disappointment struck immediately.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBChNhQp49
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8l1O9kpNt
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9Czro7Woq
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFeOgRAmLx
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlvPOBBeBb
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgvQr8UDTa
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQOZj5is9Q
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilsHWeVWq0
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPPUoKnqf6
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYjAZjRhB1
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyEK7C568T
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVLSkPB3ZH
The response was immediate.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk60hK3T15
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcxO7r3ewD
Moonlight bloomed around him - harsh and bright, just like Silent Moon's summoning. The radiance wrapped his body directly, threading through silver streams that wove themselves into a single brilliant cocoon.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88yhX4iRmY
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJ6IO4IZ8j
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Hqi7z0Zxt
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnqYJkQXG1
The light intensified for a heartbeat—87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAqsEFBNfr
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB08b654Esn
—then dissipated all at once.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzzFLGCerb
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Cel looked down at himself.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjgWwEBwfa
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The threads had formed not metal plates or chainmail, but layered cloth. He ran his hands down his torso, feeling a fitted greyish tunic as the base layer. Over it, a mantle draped across his chest and shoulders, flowing down his back.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI0uvR7cJC
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3AODrlr9D
His fingers traced the pale shoulder plates that crowned each shoulder. They held the weight of a long cloak that extended to his knees. He turned slightly, feeling the cloak shift behind him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP77w5GwDs
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He lifted his arms. Dark bracers encased his forearms from wrist to elbow. He flexed his hands, testing their movement. The bracers allowed full range of motion, their protective weight hardly restrictive.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTWBG5hNUG
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy17cZhpCh
Dark trousers covered his legs. Cel lifted one foot, testing the weight of the armored boots that rose from ankle to knee - actual steel this time, dark and solid. They moved with him as if they'd been worn for years.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZWD6mmw20
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JgwuAHkGf
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivaAtGSu9Z
"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50zDP4pEnN
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Cel ran his fingers along the fabric of his shirt. The texture surprised him - substantial yet flexible. Nothing like the rough materials he'd worn his entire life, or the blood-soaked rags that had barely covered him moments ago.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUcxBEZC9m
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yiyc6glMw
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"Even the simplest gift from the gods surpasses mortal craft." Selina's voice held quiet certainty. "The worth of an artifacts is not always measured in how much power it holds, but in how long it allows you to endure." 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaAxqr0kKg
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9V907LwTW
Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLGuVdFyQZ
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw5cp6rwcs
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv8u4Wqmd3
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwIhQTXmmA
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4J6PIfiH1
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSTdw3QlpX
"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhCeum17AW
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Cel studied the monolith, weighing his choices mentally. He could awaken Cinderward - raise it from Blessed to Sacred, give it a chance at developing useful traits or authorities. Or spare it to awaken Silent Moon later on, push an already formidable weapon toward new heights.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E2Mr3npuk
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYXtT58VnZ
But his instructors had emphasized the value of that knowledge. Walking blind into encounters with unknown creatures was how Chosen died, regardless of how powerful their artifacts became. No artifact, no matter how powerful, could compensate for ignorance.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWQeyN9isH
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"The practical choice," he murmured.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfsZU7YCNW
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBVZSz2HtE
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Cel nodded slowly. The Insight first. Learn what he was facing. Save the other coins for when he better understood which artifacts needed strengthening most.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1O6fFwZa5
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He approached the monolith and focused on the locked Insight notation. The coin in his hand grew warm, responding to his intent.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcvS1z0Xlt
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"How do I—"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyqJ0q9ku4
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The coin dissolved.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEl6oxgTTK
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Silver light poured from between his fingers - not violently, but like water through a sieve. The radiance flowed upward, drawn toward the monolith as if pulled by invisible threads.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPWFQt2ivC
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The runes shifted. Changed.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvSq6I0tNz
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hk5nhcjBj
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New text appeared:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakR5DzAfjC
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoakGDDhj6P
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87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboFqvfNvju
Hello, Author here^^
How did you like the first real fight in the story?
I have a small announcement to make: You probably all know that Christmas is approaching. And for that occasion, I have some short special Chapters prepared for you. So, you can look forward to the next few days in which they get published.
And of course, they won’t get published here as regular Chapters. So better hop on our discord server (https://discord.gg/Uduxc48wfm) or stay updated on my socials (https://linktr.ee/Lunar_Legacy).
That’s all. See you guys :)
ns216.73.216.98da2
and then Add to home screen.