Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMYFAjTHjs
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevGYaXMfVw
'He's... coming back?'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBV2S6SMvn
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKfPd4AHBc
The stranger who'd appeared out of nowhere, who'd survived a whole year in this hellscape alone, had just left to get… what? Help? Supplies?56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMinGLAEpM
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADFOPvunhc
For him.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3Nv14xsD2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjsVmkHdsW
A complete stranger.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZiN3fIIo0
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rnEkmJp0p
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54sWYi6i6U
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSJ4qnkKnR
Cel's gaze dropped to Silent Moon, still gripped in his left hand. Four crescents pulsed along the blade's length with steady white light. He dismissed it with a thought, watching the weapon dissolve into moonlight threads that unraveled and vanished.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXQgX6yKxn
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvc70OkfLu
His wounds throbbed in rhythm with his heartbeat. Blood had soaked through Cinderward's fabric in several places, the divine armor unable to deflect damage already inflicted. His right arm remained dead weight, fingers refusing to respond no matter how hard he tried to move them.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrdfM8w6ar
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6tOvdDmrX
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WWIgUEG6U
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKZp4k1OEz
'Why would he help me?'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVm3XFKmMk
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqyErxuHWE
The question circled his mind without answer. Raven had been alone for a year. Had survived in a place where everything could get you killed. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Vz52naokU
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE9t7FeK0p
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalhkEpqz8B
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGiAq9Vzhc
It made no sense.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAmvTuyAaU
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHdtYMeNzt
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESLlHC0s7n
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjFPj7chs8
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERZuxU61Oa
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3DFe5HyrR
If he returned.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83IfkCXe7d
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvR1miIYI0h
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs2qenzMQ4
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaoD5Vdxzi
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3sKSSW5US
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfm26H0M0A
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡterX2jwDmX
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmry4Zy4YD
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXetNHe0T8
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y3g2TpRKg
The response was immediate.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnNCjKrwJC
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCOpEtVnRe
Moonlight bloomed before him - softer than Silent Moon's manifestation, gentler than Cinderward's wrapping radiance. The light wove itself into solid form, building from nothing with methodical grace.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F1c8PJDWH
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8EHE3DhWY
A book materialized in the air before him.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsrLSme2jw
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IybqL6onK
Leather-bound. Moderate size - large enough to be substantial, small enough to hold comfortably. The cover was worn black leather, unmarked except for faint silver filigree along the edges that caught the dim light filtering through the ruins.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE3KqH72Fh
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6O2GcWHbZ1
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkSysAdQNX
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56XVjrZ4sr
Then gravity remembered itself.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLdxqLMCrK
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyIb9qVkbo
The Ledger dropped.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMOar4sEGc
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDUa8hhLCG
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cN13rUqeh
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMHtxw2NHm
He settled the book across his lap, his right arm remaining dead weight at his side. The leather was cool against his palm as he steadied it, worn smooth by what felt like centuries of handling.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTxSN3jebQ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw88zzrGttP
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbEu9fYeGs
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3EKOQ1tlg
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzqOIw3kYI
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeNoegkFKJ
He turned to the next page. Text filled the left side in black ink stark against yellowed paper. On the right, a sketch rendered in the same dark ink - simple lines, but detailed enough to be immediately recognizable.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejhIQwMCAg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3g4GrkhBL
The hunched posture, the elongated limbs ending in wicked claws, the angular head. This was the creature that had killed him when he first entered the Hollow Realms.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvbomHTaSk
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCweQdrnimy
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwFpan90iJ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fGOuk3L4r
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2PrrE1Wcg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFr9yVrmBrK
<Realm: Ashlands>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3SshQQ2ji
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhRbeZJP8o
<Blight: Infernal>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDF06QpC2P
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBMCLs10aH
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y7ox6tXbf
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSeSyaM7w8
<Hunting Pattern: Detects prey through heat signatures. Employs ambush tactics from elevated positions. Targets major blood vessels and load-bearing joints. Prefers wounding over immediate kills, exhausting prey through blood loss and fatigue before finishing the hunt.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAwlsFWkH6
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDkFgXGiNz
<Territorial Marks: Claw gouges in stone surfaces at elevated locations. Dried blood trails leading to feeding sites. Bones scattered in characteristic patterns around den entrances.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUmigHPwzD
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug6ytqQc54
<Legacy: [incomplete]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAYBWJahiE
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rX8osQ99x
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqF2h1lzrbk
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHZ0dxdCVm
The creature had struck from above. Had torn through his back with surgical precision. Had let him bleed, let him crawl, let him suffer before delivering the final blow.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1tLFrMolB
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMsQCx9pXG
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ueg6txOfH
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7oKEyddu4
'Heat signatures.'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHn9sPfVPI
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFctLtj3m3
That's how it had found him. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKonnWtOJm
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvqEk2Yh2p
Cel's jaw tightened. The information here could have saved his life. Could have warned him that the creature hunted by heat, that it preferred to wound rather than kill outright.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKeHN0Aryt
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1zJQWtDPY
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3HZvAaSeu
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs6fUfJebt
His eyes caught on the Blight classification. Infernal. The word carried weight - a measure of corruption that ran opposite to Grace, the ranking system for divine artifacts. Where Grace measured how close something stood to the gods, Blight measured how far it had fallen from them.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfKJzPRGsD
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0DrRmbubK
Infernal sat in third place of the ten tiers. Not the weakest corruption, but far from the worst. Cel's instructors had drilled the hierarchy into him years ago - Cursed at the bottom, then Profaned, Infernal, Defiled, and upward through increasingly nightmarish classifications until reaching Abyssal at the peak.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4TShdfah9
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuLcWt9j9E
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEvM4ZNllz
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK2YD8TrpC
An Infernal-class creature could kill him. Had killed him, in fact. But even now, even with divine gifts, facing an Infernal-tier creature would end the same way.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEYzjMSZ3G
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzkgOTvad2
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0stCx2D0G
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0lXMc5U1w
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtzvc1cN9f
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8QDrAPAsg
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIAfAugNvp
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIwktZHgQ1
<Realm: Crystal Maze>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs87dbf8qI
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj1SsJnYve
Cel froze.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbUwUx9vHa
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Nh6FV01f4
Crystal Maze.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGr1rPJ4H3
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyIb9hCY7i
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YGqXABZi2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL2Rs70WPY
<Blight: Cursed>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqZib8nvvN
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEUUKp9PdG
<Behavior: Operates in loose packs with others of its kind. No intelligence remains. Driven by hunger and the compulsion to spread its affliction. Movement is mechanical and persistent. Does not rest. Does not tire. Does not stop.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nojqXIUFe
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzpWi9W7PD
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVl4K32bN3
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzSs4FUj92
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7OR97BN52
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuAFDThr1I
<Legacy: [incomplete]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3w4NkGRxAm
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOf8fwSGFBR
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSDiguqhr2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqm3fFtk9h
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OZZb4IftC
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNy8NKnOuZ
But that didn't make sense.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqC58x4Zxb
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J8wWuMM7K
The trial had been an illusion. A test created by the Moon Goddess within his soul. Nothing there had been real - not the four suns, not the crystal formations, not the creatures that stalked him.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTbGoRe65V
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaqARD4svD
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W1758CoWj
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucr4Iip8wM
His brow furrowed. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkw2sCHAYZJ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh9zNOzGKR
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyixrpBxjyc
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ251VgGY1fb
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bfHJO6C4d
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNxy6zKQRc
He had no answer.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yvn55boE0
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLE4eA8XkBt
Cel's grip on the book tightened as he stared at the entry. The uncertainty gnawed at him, but dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWaujNPU2C
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgXMDrMBKz
He turned the page, then another, skipping past more entries from the Crystal Maze. Whatever mysteries they held could wait. Right now, he needed to understand the threats in this realm - the Ashlands where he was actually trapped.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpphoXJUZkd
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSq58eXEAd
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvn4Y6jvK79
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZj4ubI71m
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ09wd6Iy86
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5h7LM1qIBt
<Realm: Ashlands>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvs1zE7TfRt
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9Amh52vzY
<Blight: Defiled>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3U4eV4rqFw
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup5picaPFr
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1MKV0UZYR
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTpdozZMQ2
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x0adGD0GC
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRYCWy1k5D
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnL7p1E9bi
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsZpl0YURS
<Legacy: [incomplete]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOxvN5nxvP
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdHuYkhoog
The right page was completely black. Not redacted like entry four - just solid black ink, as if someone had poured it across the paper and let it dry.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGovmDUL6cu
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkBlpfoGYz
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekWoek1sGS
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MCqi5UCve
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXb4hNvtmL
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6lxIHA7wt
Then memory struck.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0PNlCPPO5
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5L2MMMqjl
The tendrils. The black mist that had erupted from the crack in the ravine floor when he'd first returned from his soul. The thing that had chased him through those narrow passages, forcing him to flee toward daylight.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGU2c9AQR4
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5ff5RKrFr
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpeUYgF9i8
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIqzZc3dhD
'Insufficient encounter.'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFe8Rg7Pnr
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv26ANVgo7
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXKrrxeevj
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpWNXWbOyJ
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQ4QSyTX5N
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtJsw1duNw
His throat tightened. He'd fled from something far more dangerous than he'd realized. If that smoke thing had caught him in those narrow passages…56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LRXpNQ5eG
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWZokDotn7
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZosWkRRTYn
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6VqfJtWnZ
<Anathema: Ashlurker>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmCkFkDsa4
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvqbsjGlLx
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6KakDXUQx
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyIoNoegRu
Recognition struck immediately.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYXSAW3BTf
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27yrCYPIHh
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b8TvWGQ8f
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf4BJjkEJk
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoAlQ3YpR1
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6s1VQBnDTV
His gaze snapped back to the text.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GCzGVl2hf
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv1Ql4iq0i
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6Mj6AuHuH
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjIbhVy5I5
<Realm: Ashlands>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y5N7SrWAk
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgghf55wRvP
<Blight: Profaned>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcz9NBuCytL
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPXtFpfBoS
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICRLDhBrQT
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShLLlQHVvL
No wonder he'd managed to survive the fight despite his injuries and lack of skill. The Ashlurker had been weaker than what he'd already faced. Dangerous, yes - but within his ability to overcome with enough desperation and luck.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUNjNyoKq7
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer5s7BN0HH
<Behavior: Possesses poor threat assessment capabilities. Flees from bigger creatures. Functions on pure instinct without higher cognitive processing. Injury triggers permanent fixation on the source, overriding all survival instincts.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5eJOLU7Wg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0Mki4nVVQ
"Poor threat assessment." The phrase almost made him laugh - bitter and sharp. The thing had followed him into a storm that could have killed them both. Had pursued him with single-minded fury while death approached from behind.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXMmj4MJVd
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ52uIUKuGD
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PMjr4WmQ2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbf2X4DJiy
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdhbMEz0Z0
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ck5EvVHME
Ground vibrations.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXO1CmYHKN
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkljSV5H3qD
The memory clicked into place. That eyeless head hadn't been a weakness - it was an adaptation. The thing didn't need eyes when it could feel every footstep, every shift of weight through the earth.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiVsX2PF2c
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViCmVPtqcn
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUkcLmwEKq
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ8OayN6tu
<Legacy: [incomplete]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq8Y4ljTpP
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrFAjvaiju
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUqxoFHYbE
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKSmVCXgNm
Cel turned the page.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOQaZVLtvM
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9c1dRxecJ
<Anathema: Tremorborne>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIYLD7BZn6
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMluZeytvFh
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0U3h44GEC9
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xQZri5pjE
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUhL1cIgZq
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4cibN94gE
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5lvDpJtXv
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GN0DV5LLe
<Realm: Ashlands>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QxncxrY01
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3405wHpYr
<Blight: Defiled>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWqbpT13GV
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS9IL1SNTe
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZMcG3Mgc2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK12q2CL0wI
His hands tightened on the Ledger's edges. He'd survived being swallowed by a Defiled-class creature. Had carved his way through its mouth while trapped in its gullet. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWtgxvOqyq
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6RNUGmDgt
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qN2UBOjmg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJrMEt14pS
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs00VjCSUi
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGIh4Wbxj2
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPFidmucyg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECVTEdDFYG
'Tactical deception.'56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5V0VwlEpJ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEdFSGhtqV
The words settled in his chest like ice. It hadn't been ignoring him after devouring that first creature. It had been pretending to ignore him. Lulling him into believing he was safe while it waited for the perfect moment to strike.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUElOTwIsZ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgsV5mqNab
<Hunting Pattern: Remains buried beneath ash and earth for extended durations. Detects prey through ground vibrations. Erupts from below with precise timing to engulf prey whole. Extreme internal heat and corrosive digestive fluids prevent survival of consumed prey.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9kjmGSz1k
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1TOQ6Mvw9
Cel's throat tightened. 56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGEgjutwBZ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImicBxeWrk
The molten breath. He'd survived only because he'd carved out those teeth. Created a space to hide. Used another creature as a shield.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIof4FqNYN
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckZr5PPHWF
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7vK9kpeNX
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSaz4PQmpL
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieX3dMKZf8
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPDY8lXo16
<Legacy: [incomplete]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzKQj23Rqx
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlr1vH3Xeg
Cel's chest tightened as he stared at the sketch again - at that impossibly large form that showed just how close he'd come to being nothing more than a meal.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJVtswQLtd
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGzTzrf67f
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaAW5Q4rCy
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQr3AYdMhC5
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71BqQmDWi2
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhTCq9DFxv
Since the trial.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUndF9px9a
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxC0v23nyN
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaqKeFaUt3
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAPR1COboQ
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JS8Gz0LaY
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRM1KknJO9Y
The sketch showed a bird-like creature. Body proportions wrong - too long, legs too thin, neck bent at angles that shouldn't exist. A beak lined with serrated teeth.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vDt3eHIqg
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVMncDHRhs
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7aJcMpadl
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHxhERh6us
<Race: Creature>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46TNDDvwbF
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LCrHQATEE
<Realm: Ashlands>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyk7gkmsqi
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6RhhHkWO1
<Blight: Cursed>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQAAABux0D
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZimuHe0SU
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Q9p78qdlG
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxAZeDbcqS
The text swam in his vision. He tried to focus, tried to read the rest of the entry, but the words kept sliding away from him like water through his fingers.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpkbBItZm3
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaSgjPY6V1
His head drooped forward.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIEGLEqqbZ
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfvkmLCIpx
The book began to slip from his grip.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXJmLuExCd
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6Wrid2heu
He should dismiss it. Should stay alert. That stranger - Raven - could return at any moment. The bird could decide he looked more appetizing than the corpse. Another predator could wander into the ruins.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGaUOM5HWX
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNJ5GpLHIh
But his body had reached its limit.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLvOMcN6Nx
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRKajNh4WR
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZal8fwgGf
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfEVaVLZaN
His head tilted back against the stone wall.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tkc0vAihm
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2hHqoFMJ5
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7cZanO42M
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFS0MuxkqB
His eyes drifted closed.56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNDy3tXsnI
56Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjq8cVjRsOF
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection52ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6knKWeiNqm 尼

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