Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YUYBP6QLH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVkccJmjC0
'He's... coming back?'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPpGFbJQBe
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbNMYqliyF
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?160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMKku0OCSJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOZmUrcXf1
For him.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O3NSLkklD
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLgExVvk68
A complete stranger.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFITuEm1DHS
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUM1kSlhRxy
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXf9RprgaE
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNJGhJ9jMq
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxD9LX4BwMH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRqwKvjto4
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjf3Atapie
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoExwrdycmm
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eQr6meFle
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jUwmCKy2K
'Why would he help me?'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9XxZ7OBuc
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0nCo8kfZc
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. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIdN8R7enR
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDVEsow7PR
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o7geXnP7J
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxIrz7A3Vk
It made no sense.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfIQYyJ164
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiouPkmUKfZ
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRhBJHbVPJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1kKkMZ9sc
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9YKfZonAN
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNr7NfgA0LF
If he returned.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjH01OSt7f
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87efRGgczJ
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtcLFkoCNX
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi4sHqYX5T
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMVljpctqk
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XkMG1ZEMU
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLvKLkJk3i
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMNbNvOvw8
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyxUUmLiLp
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxAOB3Yd89
The response was immediate.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGm4tRwhcW
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55UuCfsuEP
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3L0m8nkt9
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipssBNlEMO
A book materialized in the air before him.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDnoOSWRkE
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeubpEhdCMQ
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OKl4CE44w
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfHHHw7oqg
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo9tqfxBuM
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdwNkZtTQe
Then gravity remembered itself.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zd36yp9Cw
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Fj02zPCuC
The Ledger dropped.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmaq2sFFsh
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNAMCDZiKY
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WVbIR9CZJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtVCSalqLr
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjXbIWEIau
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEfe8Hw0NE
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavsjMM4WFR
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisdui0CKju
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTuoeM3JIT
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql6NS6GKYM
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysNX7Npety
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfm9beOhLs
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb61Hibbqzx
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkatLZIbT1
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCulmflsLfH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyMotM6aEN
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejarMQ88Op
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCLoOkMYYh
<Realm: Ashlands>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTt5sJIw7m
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5AbqzMuTu
<Blight: Infernal>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxsrtRqGw7
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL50UoivXAZ
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMBmR8rcZ8
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf9jk77qgu
<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.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54wZjidwBy
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yeiZec1uG
<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.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQFsabAInk
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHSKhqhmgs
<Legacy: [incomplete]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIAxyNYVgG
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1FeF669lS
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjTcGrH413
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc9rA4DC0K
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjcGivmVIp
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76qQUFgynG
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlntXwvd8u
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvYZLhBA5l
'Heat signatures.'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6Y32hSZK1
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwco7kD1Pc
That's how it had found him. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvNRrLtOIV
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiof1rt3dC9
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuOCyK8XU2
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPS8AyPnTC
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDfIfljScp
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPx81193q0
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW7nk0tinO
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoK2P0uBZRR
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNc32n7blC
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElPio259In
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrqd7KrCE4
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptW3mhzhZz
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLMki2Lhk2
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7VTcRFpPg
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBlnIvkvR0
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SnF2mBJVa
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nWZI3u1Hq
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5L1ZHqCMtp
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRPXu5W5Ib
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIrZ1AJoY7
<Realm: Crystal Maze>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm23VK0lsqV
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡER5y4U72L0
Cel froze.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavxWEA9cEP
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1rRycKOIw
Crystal Maze.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyPFL1Uwf1
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6gWCqNnMK
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrqKuP3wAq
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMaI9NPtmZ
<Blight: Cursed>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuHogqAGeu
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIUJnXTQO5
<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.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3Ba2DGg7v
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeInmW1HSE
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThsK6mp9wn
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0kwCONvSs
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLuUddPdC8
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRUPR7L8O1
<Legacy: [incomplete]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3NZ4yxASA
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKgH1VkbwN
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKCaVLLX4v
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEywnZvweY
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJTpvuHxoq
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjBpdwz2yC
But that didn't make sense.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZI8ja2xPL
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBY1zsCcCy
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmqRk7rk9z
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEMWqqQXW3
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHJc0cQL0X
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaRqr8xnLb
His brow furrowed. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPw2KERu8DT
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgRhS3tpOS
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliX1OVyA8i
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsXa7b3NPd
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBkwdpIcvz
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHMLk6GGAT
He had no answer.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVdG0xLKi0
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcfMpAgiY4
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTARTZpIsq
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hRWwtTgJT
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8Vf6YnTrw
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGH9nVSEZp
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjAyiDzA0X
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYKgskpu83
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8mae5AXs6
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1e8TlGwNY
<Realm: Ashlands>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbJC7G1gVn
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYekNee4k4
<Blight: Defiled>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVLuL6eud1
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrQlPbfkZZ
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78NefMQM1R
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbkdIvq5yp
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI377NHmy6v
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOXPZAGoS1
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKzQPaF4ut
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dQltDqzUQ
<Legacy: [incomplete]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qBe4naYMI
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdX4VPmg5T
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw5gW6Ae3h
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGN4DeEolC5
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0lC1utWdo
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W2v6ofJha
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunfMC5O4bB
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3G9PnRew6
Then memory struck.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSR2s3T66a
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIn3KmBl5k
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b02c4dJCu
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpiSvCiKve
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhvTOkzmhW
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMj7JD4GUm
'Insufficient encounter.'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3iUBUvIq4
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIcuJ3dpbs
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUy0s2Mo5h
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKyDpnfjak
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7wQjIlWQv
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCU1cv2gbT
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…160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjnaynRHMJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6O98I4PmL
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0Y2X6VC7V
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxypkhCA6BP
<Anathema: Ashlurker>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nNoGBYlv0
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPLjXOisWK
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mbWKZYHbD
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72xIa0XFPQ
Recognition struck immediately.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP50hKCjORv
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ4JTcDrNE
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvroUIya5G
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Tn2fYvbmi
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpqSCpL9FU
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72Ky2tsB4b
His gaze snapped back to the text.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPVjhpIPtI
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqUtZVZGLI
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnhoXoSJUH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw77hToKIZ9
<Realm: Ashlands>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDne9dzg8iB
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNdLY9JzxD
<Blight: Profaned>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRmU7QGxYR
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttS6vCe2ZY
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmffh4xQgH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55B1GhEeFg
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59XyYDDBOT
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKzZmWpChD
<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.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4aNwSrgqX
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o4pB3KKu9
"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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JWZlUXxWK
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDeMN1n10G
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK5lei6uiy
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LmIlSESR6
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6SvCVTX7B
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg73MNGqbLt
Ground vibrations.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxesloOrAC
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBH2YySIeA
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGIVZgOrme
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvZV1Yot4w
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQLbe4zbiJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4hiz33dBv
<Legacy: [incomplete]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg84GmAtJY
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTv32w3BpO
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eFBz4cJmQ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3zx1R23vV
Cel turned the page.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnzQljwu3z
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTGOpDVOKL
<Anathema: Tremorborne>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddobmfYVIg
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl872LllyGH
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbgAXlGY3g
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSITwCUgP9
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EWK4nc8K3
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiTIWG4q4R
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqz4gfuN8A
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyYsP8teHT
<Realm: Ashlands>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoBNsObQ0p
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPDjfdUPud
<Blight: Defiled>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6Tvrvzr0s
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7JgeotFpG
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0KrbZYfP2
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeELcaFekJ
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. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbpsPw1pxy
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE1S6MqtQM
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZreVrMVcm
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ202uKHRT7D
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWSwxVJ9kx
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZjkZN4wQM
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwP1MSzRWr
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhGUONIElv
'Tactical deception.'160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0UdSPN1fH
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkX6ueRLjh6
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwrO6hG773
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPw9KajLhXa
<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.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUs6gW4ixV
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mi5G3cKzQ
Cel's throat tightened. 160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BrXhuhaJW
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCoECIBJ19
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12fCJ4j10z
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCm1iPAcCZ
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlJ3efxJWI
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcu1Ip9ZFMA
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePl9ynbhDU
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjTY7ONG8O
<Legacy: [incomplete]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkHS78AMcu
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFa6QgY5qN
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJH3eivjht
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXkcini5gq
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDoZ7uH7gl
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxXYw03xL5
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYZtO1XWaV
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdf6gfvlVY
Since the trial.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzV6HJS0QA
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkwBsOYlQD
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvktNBwmIk
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYjKK4EQY8
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNoxdWm0ym
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPd6TmUXaW
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVh7sqpAnt
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPHe10rziR
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSLP2ZjTtk
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5EbdPVZuD
<Race: Creature>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W9FbZ0OMV
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPUz5lS5cl
<Realm: Ashlands>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8UsO01nLJ
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzHy34WFgU
<Blight: Cursed>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKk02UrIYU
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vsgZoYFpL
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh58Td422Zl
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3H4K1aHPQ
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGDF7QJMH2
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwOEFwHqMU
His head drooped forward.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2W81HTq6a
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSPqTuy1fk
The book began to slip from his grip.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKh2ZdIek8
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgvju7Fy1W
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw7Yj7DK7d
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYVN55UOL1
But his body had reached its limit.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bM7DV21DB
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmcK2msk44
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMoyrkujvR
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XgffDzxf6
His head tilted back against the stone wall.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC15vnFxWrt
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUoTG5Ns94
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg1upx2fkg
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISZVZWWRCk
His eyes drifted closed.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU95ICesJp
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUn0SzZFJp
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection156ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GbxQmkOPL 尼

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