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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7B9pJN8RAB
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjpD7aM381
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfcJ8fND2Y
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIUsof1Thu
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXbLbU9uc7
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMYh0rdZSi
It came at him again.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDNPNKiHX0
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMHptLJzTs
Cel swung.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PNuWzUneU
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tXJVod7P2
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2U9N4NRX0O
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrLAwh3INO
Claws raked across his back.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVQDrR0AtD
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWboc7j0BSo
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiRVXeP4PB
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo2bbjRaIc
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtB6Cy7ZcVp
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JJMaw5Por
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudRlDEKr3H
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eoUbtoF7c
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPhrGHTXSS
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf7F7RSai4
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktPn43jBDe
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqG4dsahQw
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WlybsgRCB
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAqLdHfRzg
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7AWiqGeum
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj2GFAM3zh
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBQRd39Q8q
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C16Tqg5Oe
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FYvcEz26y
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhbOOVodst
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc3IYjr12o
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPj1z4zgIF
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6XainF7yD
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR1HvYjO6N
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zCyHZxAof
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a57AcD57C
It charged again.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qAdnDVyMu
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK16PeGcuys
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFiXeDZjRI
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xGFYaobVg
The blade went where he aimed.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYhbUusYHy
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY8dl9Tnfr
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRV74fWkZf
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8GxNtOI4c
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI44jcmSNb8
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxhejX9NVm
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHlF4pMc2G
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkbU32FKM1
Cel twisted the blade.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFKsnAUMOa
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO32SP1OC1
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXMDD2cmHm
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsVxYTue6I
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKrBmY2ZQb
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Czu1xTUkL
Six now.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEEtfwbLF9
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYS8vibbmAE
The resistance disappeared. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZnwSlVvmv
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5SJHEgvKs
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSjAvRoF3P
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRQHb39HU6
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL04xk6Srq
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk4c339Vuq
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIU69XaPDH
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo36L3WA2j7
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJFiaXDIHl
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqoNmfOZLY
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANGTKVB1FA
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3m7mdEyVzn
Dead weight collapsed against him.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nJ8iyNpSn
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBpqyo7RO2
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFv8vujkTc
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxOF70KGaw
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGC6VdmaJZI
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqNvg74bLU
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawkFrGI9j9
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wthKNL62Y
He'd killed it.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj67J7xKzaL
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7RryP8CBP
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1umz4YYQ45
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2G1r8dFAOn
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIju92unnBj
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUlPk55D0o
His legs gave out.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuFo4bg3Dq
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdMKDaZRPC
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPp4i0wZ5M
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDi4Mj2ywq
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQwHT2fRpW
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEa3rl2x6A
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid0UNdL7sD
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQiytAqgy3
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnH0nZWWqk
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzl3SHvcwCh
And he'd found himself... capable.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvUBs4Wqky
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk25YOfkY1r
Disturbingly capable.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWj1ysoMh8L
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrR5pn4PmZ
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡommV3KZWRK
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83bjI25BrQ
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6Ql4OCiCQ
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTrZhEg6ty
But his hands kept shaking.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIwsvDojzn
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTVWS1OcWi
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HCWITzSJw
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2Uzyjiu7d
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJdjJmTiOg
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqFZISyfQ9
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTITqwEikvH
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GeFcxsW4R
The shaking gradually subsided.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKdU4Z5uj7
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMjsJs7FIn
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhazg9MwNtE
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9H2ffMcQT
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbRtvcBREc
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3pdwyxNyn
Killing.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQj3wlw1xa
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmql3WkSZY9
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBn16OYj7R
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcZsRTg7l3
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK9ZT9PmLw
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKcSwSI92L
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMaO2wAZK5
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0zaAo2kJt
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3vT281FtV
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVBTjuBSuI
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiUkybjIUO
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkNuQdYdhB
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFtFa2P5b3
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwEP85RGMZ
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDonZZYw7c9
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rYuOXgvkb
He reached out and picked it up.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ63UAZSPd6
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhGW9WN7lL
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUfqVwZxsM
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu3BLUrKPq
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd268d6hRRX
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPg8dNHbfU
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCLKfIP5LG
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThNuQelc4P
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7oTt72p4H
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYIQOfRkIb
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5UteXPZfs
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDDlbz9iuO
He could use it to awaken an artifact.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1glpqxs3Ie
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJ1a0xj95L
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGk7REcQBj
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwteMKEcDO
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIkTqdf8YX
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeZh81fXd4
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUIeIRUmVA
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBo10M2Pz5
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8NWpceSQP
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCA2U3hGEl
Cel closed his fist around the coin.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkVkuPd19i
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4Eus5mVBl
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo3ZlD6T3o
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7VE08IraY
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnWdWWh5G4
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5EZKTFnlj
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29qd3KQFde
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AYSl0D63R
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QBc3oTtry
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qhSuExuHa
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8WydHevRO
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tdz6jFOUQ
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9oWl9eFGd
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZmm0ptnLb
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEDyzm0Cjm
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo4fjuEFjF
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RH4vR5t4D
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeKs81EQtH
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1j6wzFcSlH
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLmAUUFzks
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXayzZRRfuN
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEeFR5jI9b
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8l64w71Wt
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7vI4eDFvF
<Name: Celvian>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XMffKVUoY
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchpO2bdvsR
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxmdzoR6ZM
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ571c2fFFk9
<Achievements: (2)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbwKa312Cd
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2b4XYBAHr
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpUQHm03I7
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡns9k7Rxz2j
Cinderward.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpdKCMzCbY
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s2ZoI3REg
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDc9821hoB
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMslSvMDQN
<Artifact: Cinderward>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaFnrvjwrU
<Type: Armor>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3owjrx2Vs
<Grace: Blessed>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrtka543nH
<Traits: />261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtOfupQarC
<Authorities: />261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7ppGSo72m
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWeHMa3bX1
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ii4AJ3Xny
Disappointment struck immediately.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpUjQB4BMI
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpuTUcm6Y3
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjJoe04dNm
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbpvXmroyX
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbC5obcuUN
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamv5rQN9E1
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQNqZWimWh
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fnIsap02C
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlzfaPxxWG
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs70FnMp2iJ
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBSqILM7WM
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYV2Ohbuvk
The response was immediate.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIN2nEnF6J
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7odP9UMVgk
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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicgPJXWvcy
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfwVeceLHV
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5H1MyfmPM7
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cC6Pu4WVg
The light intensified for a heartbeat—261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyzxpIIYqW
261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvDyXWVfph
—then dissipated all at once.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh04tmhBc9W
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Cel looked down at himself.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpcL4aVwnJ
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3ilvrtQll
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xjVZAVkot
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0llL8Ek3m
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYhYtr8Any
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroL2KvKof0
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNO1uQQi7zz
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvQ5K45Lqc
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAJ3pkDWux
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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." 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFokYFvsVP
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfY5bxbO8Y
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eAQmPeav4
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDC2vjHSaB
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡph9qbSJVqP
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSWqe2Lnfl
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6lbc1YeQr
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMH0O8TZba
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGQaBzX566
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"The practical choice," he murmured.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZH1n23WfY5
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaegsnI0Wo
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDCDDJ70Rj
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuzdBavXWW
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"How do I—"261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXp5JKmoKA
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The coin dissolved.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkICaKz2ziw
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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.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YrzlP4uAc
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The runes shifted. Changed.261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39AgD8RZmG
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuRsXhWAi1
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New text appeared:261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ378olOUqD4
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr5w3bLr7D
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261Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDa2qnhEWX
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 :)
ns216.73.216.136da2
and then Add to home screen.