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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWcv9tZlBk
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHjgYVM8Z3
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZF4MBW4D25
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEkGWRrmn4
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdlx7CiF4x
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RQbbtRdOe
It came at him again.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUihcHpxwkA
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5NfVdAsjY
Cel swung.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R6mV94L9y
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGpf4AXqzZ
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHgX3tqYdh
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cRMN88aOH
Claws raked across his back.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QbFf7TWhx
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgZZZAgH3z
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefPz3ZHu4D
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2JnHBiO2h
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTlG97XRqD
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWXKj9DyPM
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRueaS3HBy
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6irxG4bDu
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKJipQBTbo
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLMH3FSEbV
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvowBVCWMXM
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpNExHtCmD
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5FHESAZs9
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlftZeHxZvi
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEp4WzLC0c
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7khrgNeqjo
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrhT5BeWt1
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWa12Kx0qS
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEA7XF7wKZK
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcEoytMDvk
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QrsWgvU0V
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf3jF3NWv7
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC94xE8zeU
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQMi9QdoAH
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQD1bYH9dfH
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEbNUUqLRK
It charged again.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IpJwV7uhF
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOj7JqDfnA
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsG7ZdwdJ3
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYI4Rs0Pdu
The blade went where he aimed.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHFyykce8i
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYfZFewOSy
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47iFoPgTfz
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmJQ2nYlRw
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpSIanb2Bh
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJVErstkmv
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrdeXstK7p
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs8SkD3pvN
Cel twisted the blade.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD6xAwEsgu
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVbqqboE9e
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5C2G9A6Jk
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSzkq6N987
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmj8UAfTKv
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySsB84oF8S
Six now.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrjAiRhI3C
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79MWwOgP3a
The resistance disappeared. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfqtLA4OIj
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCKoenP0lV
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf7bEUBF6l
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXiizys2u2
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zg16OCTW8
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZB8q8tFru
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUQyDJqXhY
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE25ZnXraFl
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW8CYu3Tdh
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIsn2PtyG5
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZDaa0Be8t
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ58GfQf1y
Dead weight collapsed against him.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpFA6kH7R4
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqCxrvlCYh
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO1qPloXy1
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKJZGiemKD
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOMltcbScD
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAhnfCfzRZ
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONyXe8KbOw
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzShHslBBs
He'd killed it.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHV7vGGiSS
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3hGdVn7Ma
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIt8uuuPt4
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1I6wApKuL
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV73m73VN1o
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61CjNVrQEM
His legs gave out.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq47H9dkoe
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxs9Ophu8Q
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdmugEIMAj
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC41XczHgV
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96S0t5Xxle
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6XjNAAfxJ
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H9U4nHKqP
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQRcHxZ8J0
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC2X9flSkE
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPyQmNwJkR
And he'd found himself... capable.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgunUlEg6Ss
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgZtFVgprI
Disturbingly capable.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnvaKWV4VY
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfTZHYdfb6
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVNd9tpjk4
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF72wTY602X
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7dgJ5cYFd
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJq6LiK0fz
But his hands kept shaking.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctUq3Z0nkO
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSuV8Wh2yv
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfVs3ixxci
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1Blwrx0QH
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKRQPVZCM2
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hHREd7kNt
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibqsVKAHqN
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJwYQ0CUiS
The shaking gradually subsided.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJjRsJeQAP
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7T2KtkIQPY
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspb72nBEVt
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIv46VutK2w
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNvSNB8rPb
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNxuYy7fJt
Killing.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApWVloPemx
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTiHUV54Bf
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNZtK0CA8v
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRZsZBq2YT
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2nyPgtGZ6
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC3Otq6JMI
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcwJyySILt
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cg5bLSPf6
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7epRd8Axu1
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQxV8SzkpS
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0hVc2WxXt
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7pk0VDFXi
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kmNdIadwG
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFANyzF8hS
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboycR9sJAV
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EPH2yMw3I
He reached out and picked it up.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wyAMrXbaL
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ757iHtIidj
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZm7ObOEqj6
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwUj5jZam4
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTtmOJH86o
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KVsAS0oQe
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ863KwH6ofj
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypdbDNtJKF
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeparTONMVH
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cxxRxsuam
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7iR0Fc1Vb
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi1THkc6AP
He could use it to awaken an artifact.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7P9RxN6vI
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmMFMKT7hQ
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrianEOAXdO
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQXZjoDq1C
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOa4qYpX8nh
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6sppbCRa0
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ6ULf2loT
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIg5fyYRfU
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNxEVKS31F
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V5X2XRQZD
Cel closed his fist around the coin.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaThVS9q4l
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gAAcANvHL
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7i3MKXlHCf
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWLOZ8TFqD
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0lCwjhNcJ
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPSjvYkaJ2
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfAYGoAvBn
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWIWjYV4mD
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTcJUfGS1a
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriu2d49cX6
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEX09GVFGrs
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhI66pIaoEv
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE6bvq6yat
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cO5UtldeZ
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJCP27d4OY
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eLjqPcjEI
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlxwMAagTp
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26ySG5BB7N
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBtwZIYVg4
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyA728I6p5p
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2pMyKbzg8
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4UarVG9V0
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpchRSbKM4
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJROt06xRJ
<Name: Celvian>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yn5BqvOzk
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkGjXr2gOU
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefwc3tDVYm
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWyexdgZVw
<Achievements: (2)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg8CDNonfb
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAazXCbUVYd
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsJltOmNwe
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFcFzxozWi
Cinderward.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUNNvESMVG
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNxV24nIKV
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzKF62Olwl
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkrds3M6OT
<Artifact: Cinderward>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmS9rvycZX
<Type: Armor>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBPFv4QJWr
<Grace: Blessed>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmb0dWlCgC
<Traits: />155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduDUzhvAIO
<Authorities: />155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhzh3506Mh
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcb9ynVuMx
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHi3jb0Tsm
Disappointment struck immediately.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPubkNftXJ
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg7Rb1fRJb
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4URqjvF5F3
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNM5huURrX
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhw4nP6jUp
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIqe46E2D6
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVPYyol8J2
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlAVy9sQEI
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykixesd1Hk
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEGcooH4Fu
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhGKumPUWs
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJHrS9XdMk
The response was immediate.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERXow2bBEg
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡov7i5raioO
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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyHP3IdQYZ
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUygTnzqn3
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDjcp5RV0e
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcetncEriE
The light intensified for a heartbeat—155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TecV7fyBC
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReGDyfQtgR
—then dissipated all at once.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinlkAFame5
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Cel looked down at himself.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fmZHT9suT
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnFAc7jl3x
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmxq7Rg0mN
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0fM4Cw7xC
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f9Kxusj3Y
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsfiAxmVkc
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBK1DIaZhq
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFv91Fimhb
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar1cYqzbV8
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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." 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7WTRU2T1J
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLfOegEqQL
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡac0BGYyBAu
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2go7c42jo
155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9you391PU
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvQIbNnn0h
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2dExAXBkc
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9ABVN2p3c
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5mOmMtVeD
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzS5D2N7eh
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"The practical choice," he murmured.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7BTPV4W5S
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwGITmqI2K
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlxcUkBulT
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirBhLbFEgP
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"How do I—"155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaHif9FS78
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The coin dissolved.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gxov2Di4C
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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.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1nOdbiMmv
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The runes shifted. Changed.155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3hz2CrxAx
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5x96Sdi04
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New text appeared:155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQglleqcWR
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------155Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDzPGUIV8m
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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 :)
ns216.73.216.176da2
and then Add to home screen.