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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5KE0iPlXb
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWkV8hMgMg
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLQK9vIpRW
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOyjy0K7I9
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZxlbKy5aw
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEEIy5TOpb
It came at him again.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sZZC59w6R
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7suJAApFlW
Cel swung.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67M31WCg1m
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvm8SMkxee6
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp3cDsaDyR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcq45y2P06
Claws raked across his back.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtu6EJL8qhq
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPatRKklm7
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgFzGAg2tD
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPzGUeSNB5
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwtSGXzqZz
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTEI9nhmoR
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUEvgHIlba
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6bAk8DT5d
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYso3IM6Jwu
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VMI8gWITb
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2XeosLOhg
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1OUqTkCy2
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeBoFcG2fR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJvPIrHAma
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPwKM2woM6
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqmDjmGyqH
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NSPAAOnfj
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBA2INrosMW
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvbaYKfcSy
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0B1km93cJ
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fQY7MuAZi
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjZAAAfNHu
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tbRhd37Id
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL6kKUtFcJ
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcMjsKv8py
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPcLVoQ3lE
It charged again.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTlf6qXYsy
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfOjkXaKyW
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0taHeHTvXr
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡst2cIrV4aT
The blade went where he aimed.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hJiBAeqKb
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpFdlffO7u
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDeKjLgcPx
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY1HYD83Ti
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyEvwRGnwr
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9A8tJa1C9F
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQisvt4KB9Q
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr308SOqR26
Cel twisted the blade.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcjop8LmQG
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICAfTU9fBb
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBcGq1cOHa
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb6dPCOhRm
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Yvz0Km6NF
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FrNNlMZET
Six now.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkIIv7Iz0b
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtO3jl7KPHR
The resistance disappeared. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF62twWM2dO
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYZ69PxuEG
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpK5awZyi4
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAYlEEnz2v
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9dqqV0rlc
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghuS2y0rsY
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cnam8zLIF
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWwjvl4gsx
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7gpxEwZrd
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZf7S4YMYW
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Nvtr4xBFa
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HFetuxc9u
Dead weight collapsed against him.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQXEqf4goe
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDtymu2QKN
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG4N8gvtzE
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduQXPZQ7Hd
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUTeAP3QJ6
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfEYoTkphm
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMwWYnuDWR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUM4SiASlH
He'd killed it.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPPLox51oK
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2B6uPHTJU
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJxqxmMvF7
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVmW5kCiKn
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQ9UkWr2Z7
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoWLzw2s2F
His legs gave out.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QL6wtMJJy
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE02C5qRTLJ
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWyIBNjhot
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PBG52Emso
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3CMlTs8MK
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mueOftoVe
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVarvMt5vVe
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ04JIJnBAu
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pppjguO6N
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqsY6dgy8d
And he'd found himself... capable.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4FNTQ8iXR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiRmH7VN3b
Disturbingly capable.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwrbeYKbVg
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JDVNIf4z9
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pvle1nlm6
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKgXZS4zTd
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6YOAyEc2p
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TUIArCbem
But his hands kept shaking.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQoM7YRfzD
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgKL100Gi4
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYQVqv2e0d
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ4zgVN5s1
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaG02CTT4P
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jcbONoywt
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47KAt73ERP
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWtkANZKds
The shaking gradually subsided.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMmoXAn0RF
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD2kPq2g1J
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5mNB0gmKg
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PjfowTvHr
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuWd0Gc1ja
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfl7vBbpor
Killing.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IQqIHnieE
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciu7Cfs0gk
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZp8exw7n0
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQC1zMqSXXu
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODM4r8OTms
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzSv0xESqf
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mZlaj7wxM
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUcal5AnBp
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurzAeRtAfY
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz7eccKqWD
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ7YFzTguc
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxplKTPEG7X
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpsdCj2TF0
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXVlIdKeEy
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tb1ohff2o
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphNZHjlJpT
He reached out and picked it up.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCwWzkfZOR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgVvLul5F2
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXVR43cCVX
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMveEHtQZBo
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBwD2VgrhC
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrZSJ3KWTz
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6HnM6CjLO
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84PaGC6I8P
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLnLJEVnH5
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP6JoiZqr6
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO9MpYAYpq
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYaZ1PRq6r
He could use it to awaken an artifact.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPk6lpVGXt
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2UylNXUW4
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUQgthpm9Y
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Pt0wWc5vi
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo1W1qAX10
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9KHtfQCBE
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICuXyzkNWP
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaddbcKM86
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8JflkObR3
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQDxpDnR0F
Cel closed his fist around the coin.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJfZq0odnM
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aWICcYhgV
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIt5z78wd6
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiiKxlvAX0
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q5WOCVHqy
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8EBqVSIMj
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvPCbDKTNX
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcX4WXDHe01
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOB6OsmKLV
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCzJLiA40P
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq1iYPLheA
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsIGmxkEiR
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡix7fVKgBjE
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4HhT877WG
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg7krPt8oQ
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIO97Lilpv
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlKrFPDTmI
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9afAEwRuJ
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZOSH90X19
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAa8TB6rlX
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsl5sLXHLp
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6LoOhGe0T
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LwJWM7LmR
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm6JTiz1UA
<Name: Celvian>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSUc1yFxog
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkV79mQseh
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvDvm2uJ8d
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzFcK3O2tH
<Achievements: (2)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5RAD1B0aq
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyol4u6Mee
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlEv0c9M0G
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W4lCayqz2
Cinderward.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GXPsnTyPq
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm9JEDR5N7
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8d3GFQjcr
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAxSjzS6kU
<Artifact: Cinderward>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfaiX91A3N
<Type: Armor>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZx5cxnj4Ha
<Grace: Blessed>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKzyLiUgbA
<Traits: />57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8QhWTomNf
<Authorities: />57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXe8dmUN1n
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0STvUC2L0i
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdkMzd7i8q
Disappointment struck immediately.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwH2BbARtb
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31U8YkRfY0
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqMk2HVpCV
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs3Tmx9kI5
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaihOsv4qCj
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡputa12gi7V
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOM29eQh0uN
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARksapdtGR
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsddkMmiLYL
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNb1kiA9Ml4
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE5bGSA88m
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWKt15i8po
The response was immediate.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqv8mhJtVr
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK0NzpO2rs
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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQRYIItKnX
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmBXvfGdib
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWzncBafWH
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRyPxxjbCm
The light intensified for a heartbeat—57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsGMJqIY6g
57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80UBmu9IIY
—then dissipated all at once.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP3P7MON0u
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Cel looked down at himself.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNVqR46OA6
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GRfslTB31
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ19WzBlO5o
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxPdsyylhO
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45t9IqamGU
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnPcWUpqqA
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHydjydewE
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rYDHIrgOG
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSfYJNvqI0
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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." 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KmyYA9b3F
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjM4X7UfgT
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhBiu1BodP
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lfXRp2A3V
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgFz37CJlN
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pwgIlhRSQ
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnDJCLYPYs
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyibtNsJAv
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAwQduxkhn
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"The practical choice," he murmured.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvFeTkOmKp
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc0txCuvEp
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87GBANXhIn
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigutMrOO1A
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"How do I—"57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmf8CSQJIN
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The coin dissolved.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxy3fczaB0u
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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.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFobzgaqKr
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The runes shifted. Changed.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzK02dUFVyC
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHTL2xWZWG
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New text appeared:57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6wa1De1bH
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7NlmjWXnu
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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 :)
ns216.73.216.141da2
and then Add to home screen.