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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRCbzGQiKO
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3m25R0X6vC
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67VXbUvCXs
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpplgGwHNh
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNRyIDq1mC
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvETtCkiJ5
It came at him again.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNMPmrRQF7
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXLl4b3zKC
Cel swung.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWzfEkYx5A
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DuavjB5M5
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNH9if4eFW
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMAqMhwsZj
Claws raked across his back.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dQVGVnAJO
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkKBVNshcz
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08jPXQBIuQ
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPIoHs9ITv
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jjdjzPWn3
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pbxfAmld9
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfWkhF15Jj
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dRqBlcHNy
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiG54AHeBK
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFdQsFufA3
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlbdcny6H1
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzMAhb10ZK
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYpB8dPtfC
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYfBuaCZE6
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvSZ15jK1N
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktogZzBsCk
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBA2s0W9xtL
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAtWniVrzO
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI5CBB6LWC
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uwYLvqyC1
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NAlgGTtRY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHyIjnuu0I
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLGSNdTsOB
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfiEuDod00
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgS9reJ6O2D
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPPxwniuCC
It charged again.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG84GL8GFWS
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFX8yFm7KA
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMKlRssMJV
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyupwJBRcj
The blade went where he aimed.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWSTeKbuDG
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHUFAcxc1K
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rrdP3PU1z
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRlAjWkZIX
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbPidpVkw9
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrLMaCfqbn
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFxCcvfWTU
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jULFErjX5
Cel twisted the blade.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqw0vvIMi4y
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthlT0BQkY7
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5cPCnVfps
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopwINyXnnN
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpUqc6vhAD
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOhFKTHsGd
Six now.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfz8UIDQSV
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUOyh5EYi8
The resistance disappeared. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqxc4w8xS2
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5zsL5w0p3
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs4J06z5uq
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROi0zLLvth
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrO51bMK2qm
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugCtAQjGMW
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3FPIlzDyg
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxekGo5wKFO
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVms5h71iU
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbv7RRKC4X
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2unCrMm1sI
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ARunsZDuy
Dead weight collapsed against him.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FRZe6EZV3
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58DWUCnLdY
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClSkzCRcUA
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwmP94WK5n
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SDBOBtAs1
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnxCRCchs7
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTizOtGgURH
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclflIvMqKq
He'd killed it.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATdgc1Ld1K
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxY1wO43jbM
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJee3Ee5LTu
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy72jEluTGc
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4zkdYpgzr
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TnOzosJcZ
His legs gave out.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GunsZjlG6
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYafFCi9E4
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN7SCvfRJR
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrz6pJQIsR
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3xzhGG6ax
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcxEyMoJ7r
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV5zmZnSmU
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9xaFdAZJD
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCKtqBmSjO
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbW2cmWSKa6
And he'd found himself... capable.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT0USWPzbs
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJA3EoTcTl
Disturbingly capable.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rLcf4eUxP
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOj5nGAhNml
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnbGxlGIct
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctg9aKr46H
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0tQ3vybNl
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCqegFOWDF
But his hands kept shaking.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiYynKnN0h
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DzfLP1nDe
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ710soo9pH3
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRObjy5qso6
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o6pAh5C7c
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubhrP4Xq8F
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0HaPL5Ime
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7axEI0SkSi
The shaking gradually subsided.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxKosTCh6J
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf20P4PYPLf
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqoZvbjn4I
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwci5puKVS
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48DeSijokb
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWq8Hyrel2
Killing.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORbSxT7hn9
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntktu74UJZ
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5qUsKlxUY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz0jQuFsvo
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzIIDJIaAO
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4g7AsYREb
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTU2nbqL8cx
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VCmzRiJl6
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOuVTi6fuS
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmh7m2rfyY
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnN3O359A9
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD4gwVAJ1R
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKCMJLSnoy
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeWKAYPmWI
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcAb3xB5KF
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwweVI6kavr
He reached out and picked it up.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUzC2mqG39
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcD3LsIOX73
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy47C6w4p3X
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiURyHmdjT
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gUgFgz4k2
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O46QOKytW
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFu8W1eOHY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ677S1lOcrQ
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmXE0NHZGX
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGEAbMsa6w
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3gyV2v240
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmrkZicoVv
He could use it to awaken an artifact.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6770fMMkt
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHxn7bhXkN
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOo8RreEbh
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP9FkBdGRH
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt3FgLdc0h
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsI6vE6NxB
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZasPoLesk1
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMjPcP4Np5
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZ7toRG4zj
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUerpMVdtK
Cel closed his fist around the coin.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniMfVNDvYR
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKSzrj2seM
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v52rBkdsw
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgATODHNC6
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg2OUoJAnc
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2BWtMkWyO
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pjJoFNpXZ
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9i4Yo2SPSW
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ520d4ePbmK
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZt15hRWey
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3EDczABli
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8xoDw36XF
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwqy7hiZE3
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYeiQu8hZE
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK2wBNDyLX
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu2XbrUYWn
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoe3Sdgqrc
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGqlkIm73a
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ewXU80fci
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyJO9G5Tna
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IUDIvCtYs
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaKWFI5ole
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosvVUFRLru
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DNp6j9vSR
<Name: Celvian>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7R6f1jIwk
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMV41dOfzo
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GNOFkQY4i
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkN78sbLr9
<Achievements: (2)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWzjrN7Xsf
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSkLuROWDL
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczoMih8Ngy
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxTQljVpJP
Cinderward.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyrYIPGhvK
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0geiuDakI9
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g94KIEB7p
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5jqO2v3Fn
<Artifact: Cinderward>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHes1z7QdwF
<Type: Armor>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0pXgm9N2H
<Grace: Blessed>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6Vf8HkCVI
<Traits: />9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53KjTpxbox
<Authorities: />9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ckLQ2SxIR
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtB3GNpI8Dr
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPAEes6GUk
Disappointment struck immediately.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g5N9l1guC
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSzmmCuC2t
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlHiYgSLAu
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcxkHQD1A3
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCFhmCTSWX
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72ub9SC1HD
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsbv5su3BY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUmENannYZ
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeCVRCRv9Z
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qZtrVRhzb
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoTMXwztnf
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2W1xhsB8D
The response was immediate.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6Vnnd6xqk
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHnsmuINAP
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQRZhEp6uD
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfKaoVcy7J
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlf528ihnF1
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoibN3z6ESo
The light intensified for a heartbeat—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO1FOcm3TU
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni7AfoMuer
—then dissipated all at once.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlQo5WIUQY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnih2AT945D
Cel looked down at himself.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSLxFMMGpf
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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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJf0ZFtvmDT
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHb23mALCBK
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EbFpAFw1R
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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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJK85Itx5aY
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWvcThm52x
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjgDjz3FWr
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriBvkdquIF
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyYLVL9tMH
"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMFCgnVqOZ
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXawKKOdq7z
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZGpfKjpLO
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EIeZwdkC4
"Blessed grade," he muttered.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcqn92szkK
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiiMsmSM3i
"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." 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwOkVrLoHf
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVFBKbBw6g
Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtU8erHlY0
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPqmSVhYFx
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYsQLPHc0m
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZL7z90PN0
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn71agM3EV
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPFNOVniY5
"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlDeunoqHr
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmGXF3enWW
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif3RZK5dbZ
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR4eYTYwp1
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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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKKvk6PFq3
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9j5ETya4C
"The practical choice," he murmured.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7YEbxO1S2
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMhS2bygrD
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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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToqVdWsz1b
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhP3Qz53UB
He approached the monolith and focused on the locked Insight notation. The coin in his hand grew warm, responding to his intent.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxDwg3OjuI
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64JMyLSswR
"How do I—"9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmLDRzcAJJ
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The coin dissolved.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfq9D1FDPN6
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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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KpJCGRhKD
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmY1GRp33aB
The runes shifted. Changed.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO0vB5hOAa
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeBV4JsYoC
<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRQhnu6MME
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAYiJwK1aP
New text appeared:9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uyqRAqV9H
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cQttiypwf
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAQNoWTRii
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyyW2r8TPT
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 :)
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.