Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59NYztdss5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2ZZo3YqPq
'He's... coming back?'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcqGsbZrt2
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaQpSCmveV
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?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSQ1bJsuiH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBCn0EMLSa
For him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdoyU2JKEI
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXUjq21lyU
A complete stranger.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXDdJFjsmT
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8YnbJydHM
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EWaauVm4q
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo9pqO8W6a
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZLtZOWbUP
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM5AtP6nE0
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTkNjNjvTS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuFrElaVZI
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaacKUuCXS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97m6jKZw8Q
'Why would he help me?'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BMExw8NCE
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLdlMhefG9
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. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVyy3ByaOq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZedsB1oY3F
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjSKmgAD7u
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7bMwRqOfa
It made no sense.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusIjHg4PWc
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZSVdASVnI
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uPVI2tUCx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYqvy8bK00
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJWH0L8zOk
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAL9ywKiCKT
If he returned.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5y8roINQJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGzct1zwAU
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyhTlGd1fi
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvVWSAOlDC
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2E0Mt4oUO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOIz8yigpC
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMg253z9q4i
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bn1sKTkWy
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2IzcNnWAl
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnslB3UyfC
The response was immediate.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzxn3WeVdA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx35R1xQ118
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8SpxAaqRw
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoWNxUVDyK
A book materialized in the air before him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ub0EkVamG
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjkEjq1mc4
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVedJcY8N0
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8QsDc4DjL
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VfseHZCZP
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlanUL23ZR5
Then gravity remembered itself.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4Qwt7qdfC
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bfFnWKBpp
The Ledger dropped.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytjokKPIzQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEZrE8k9JH
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHt8B6WDri
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH26t13EcKC
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqHMF7Xs1h
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudSGK6PPAA
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1IU9gS2R0
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtAcmhpSg6
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwReqT9Z8AM
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp1VEph8LA
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWsYzt6Pfm
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscSI4eP4ws
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdzOVW45IZ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbvGlwrINd
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2tO48vrYQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeusfm7WWQ
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUzg9vT3TJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m2D7cZbuo
<Realm: Ashlands>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfULuC1k6jQ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpw8p5ztpf
<Blight: Infernal>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCym6LK2W2k
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3vb9vxHbn
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy32NRuOI8D
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdz1kY7mj8R
<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.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTI7EEmfcT
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyqJ9BvyGc
<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.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfRaIrjVU4
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTqkpojPvo
<Legacy: [incomplete]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOgOraArY8
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtuuiRro2z
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mK0GoIDkz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvmrdzmqkO
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHoYe9NBdh
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJv7xIo6WH
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeUVZP6ZJB
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC1sxM8YTX
'Heat signatures.'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A79p0qbaD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPII2bQPk4X
That's how it had found him. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsswms8Qv25
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdEtgCBA9g
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvnJOf7JRR
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjAeXwDFWl
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNf39lQe8cq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4F5T33F8h
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoZpWTcw2C
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZZ6oMhFIN
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK6dIySzro
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNXT5Nnwgp
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfill8094V
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8jWv5LmVv
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBHCgC1xZV
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3k0y9tYXQ
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHiGjoqxOV
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDq7kIz3WCH
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7nXpeEnyM
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrjrDEeWDN
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLMKgK4jJ5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHQIA8rbAH
<Realm: Crystal Maze>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuhkGZ8d4M
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41YkGxXXD7
Cel froze.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAdu5sLRQO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxCZyXp8pD
Crystal Maze.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvHDGQbO17
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEDBrGHRlr
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89aorozKem
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JjzVGDLrB
<Blight: Cursed>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOY1LZucVK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVuiRk4TpH
<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.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmiTETkAep
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmW3dIAgLG
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjbVZUt8gK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1mcRyQ6H3
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupQ4SO9Ala
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL3tKnqqi0
<Legacy: [incomplete]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL5fYeUqZP
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6Ey225urN
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSVopFWp5b
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwmWhgIIf6
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqBOa2Y9qd
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0Njq3CGk7
But that didn't make sense.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOPkQaBhR4
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88oafiVBFK
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxktOh2K1w
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc07jhuwcx
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWPcAKeXQH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRugD7VcENu
His brow furrowed. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGm8cOew0M
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpzbagH62Y
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCh2YnxRuxL
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBtZpUXkGa
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmYPrW8kSC
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1RrpNR2xW
He had no answer.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8bcIECJOh
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxbqzLsVAJ
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD9epPeeHa
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8eYKWyxJE
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyagwNBsYoq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJYqzcBY1p
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDS2UqNsXN
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzt2zUIYPDF
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx96DqerDx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxzvdXO6B0
<Realm: Ashlands>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKFHmRUQ1C
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrglByckVp
<Blight: Defiled>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRvHu0RB6F
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzITQ9iBbvl
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBKbv84X4e
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKwvQnerG2
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ktAHh7kYf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IEjr5NkxQ
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJIOn2AzyK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTGdyDoscM
<Legacy: [incomplete]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQaOhqP6X5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyxPadtA5Q
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEtBiASgsU
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoGMfBXIUy
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVk39F5DRR
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5vltyMx5v
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoitCFMgAK
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTqpyu4Mtk
Then memory struck.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndX8LH1SvP
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJyiYE7gMz
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHivv51PsIf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDPC6mrDqM
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigWmUmDAd6
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6BuSubK4C
'Insufficient encounter.'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj3TC8zd2v
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7ObQwMckx
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshwdS1Wjhy
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1whBX1zux
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7p3fbYov6Z
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k4AHOLEAK
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…8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2wlOb77VU
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2frTcV3oZ
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZKQ9jdTj6
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOgDC4c0OM
<Anathema: Ashlurker>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeKePC9PSk
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fzizAHHzJ
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwZzbJhexo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJLZal2ep6
Recognition struck immediately.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynLmJ37kCf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YRNA4MOOX
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPupspEwgf
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0pCeFKVoi
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0S1kjtu59
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9US4yLiodK
His gaze snapped back to the text.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh1kGcfZZz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3An2Klgng
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdzbL8XSaM
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7QuNSQ6l1
<Realm: Ashlands>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKPVgnIaBa
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZj9tm4mxZ
<Blight: Profaned>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJYLJu5IGl
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbH4PNGCiJ
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jwCJwG7MJ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlScwaQmTO
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0M44IsDjFs
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE4uop2sMt
<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.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfaKOGfJh3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwe3eaDjvF
"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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfCLbJH3vG
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8K0rHZdu6
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLsFnAS3Cd
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJhDl4AZm9
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXBBclUbyS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmZWrE605v
Ground vibrations.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLw0cK9hgZ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcYnK3iXs8
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RfE8jmJIa
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNf48CzVSEu
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpy62QLTo1h
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdRDnL6yNl
<Legacy: [incomplete]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH97TMpsD6
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGswe8b5Bbo
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOgqy9WJhO
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFF1qrmdS6
Cel turned the page.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0dc7MYcRz
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjoZYCfGUT
<Anathema: Tremorborne>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjQvEBaKGH
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbsnsy21Zf
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm40KSjvS0
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUJ3oe7R8x
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEijr5Sz9O5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutES7zvlNs
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNbGhFdR0Q
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBUQQ1dRJz
<Realm: Ashlands>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02jUpFd6Qw
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WIQEERf9z
<Blight: Defiled>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweBGOH05rA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgXpxq7Pnd
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFqhsLbhv2
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJTlfHxLXr
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. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAJc7uSv8q
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2QFhCnZcB
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsUS4Bzo2l
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGBoV84ETO
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXZOSVlEth
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSQR07qq5e
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2z3bOfvc5e
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlNUlBRsiz
'Tactical deception.'8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2bP13QvTX
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9oJpwa8SW
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsVidKKR4h
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JwIbfLubq
<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.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIplgxCxQxi
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGiX0rPuea
Cel's throat tightened. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQIC6H2hcF
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv6Ulct2JO
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtpqHM46e4
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuj5Kc8ojf
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7wvONhG5E
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsX6IPl1EKq
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyoeHiiJB3
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIor2jqITr
<Legacy: [incomplete]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeWVcToBaD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKCehCx7S4
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FCVkTfNHx
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVnKnepqnL
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RCuC3GU2k
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgy2sSsR7OY
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPOvDviDad
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiBiW1O3ZL
Since the trial.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcg2oj94Jb
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgZK8vfDYB
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTCCoeIS3k
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7iUMla28R
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uq9Mp2O9o
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesEc90Xgeh
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLg4GvnCNq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwn0YdLgy8
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIafU2D2n2p
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAqLgytmhw
<Race: Creature>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTCHrYgvLA
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M2tHzgP8m
<Realm: Ashlands>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcabWEXTGy0
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NO5n9XDNf
<Blight: Cursed>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUubM1XV3xq
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnKK4UX1Xe
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiWERRzwEW
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9ujABhnZ0
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYliq4KLnj
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpaxeGtgNa
His head drooped forward.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xTtFl8pCk
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIaRP7jL6e
The book began to slip from his grip.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DXXGBtrIo
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKXxC9xpEL
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.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1nH2I24x1
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOZle5m0D9
But his body had reached its limit.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz1ZWdRUb5
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDuc6CPNJj
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oIGz9kOvS
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkYukszdgg
His head tilted back against the stone wall.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZ1n2UDkap
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCIx6TfpaG
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEsSY4yLuU
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29lgdttC1E
His eyes drifted closed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMVDgAs2T6
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfThQVgh7q0
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection4ＰＥＮＡＮＡirqXUvTItc 尼

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