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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMcMr0eUWq
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQH9Samd2b
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS71NsIPl4M
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The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbo5vG42QV
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY88iEpf8TF
It came at him again.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmqEiHCMXE
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIcob5LhQu
Cel swung.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhvwzLfXMP
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2KDi7X0hF
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSW6oXUrmL8
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHExwjBU9Jz
Claws raked across his back.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRvi6MEiAM
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJw5TXsYYA
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeVveGH9Qr
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSTqnHJF3X
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD8MvLJqTd
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaKz9aomEd
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxdiSPTaS2
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWN3ee5CFGE
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3anGYPQIJ
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRf1KpgNZr
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQOainA9Qo
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNQ858cFr8
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7xlzysvBx
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ebwAn96yD
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLp30hNGoxz
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5SHWxwsaa
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYhZSPcAb4
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqeSYeqmFm
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXG0md0KSm
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lyzbnmF3e
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdE82HIDAP0
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmeslB7S6T
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1MG7AdtrL
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLYXbpOiO2
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtPCmGrunI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7KqJoMn9M
It charged again.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHiX0QjUCI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtAp7YHD42
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY514whwq9
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsoyVQq1oo
The blade went where he aimed.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfD9UAQHARx
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGHKZh6RB7
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvVD2XuoBa
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzYl1i5VZr
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapLzL30gPQ
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStlHJVK50y
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDQ1EHpFU9
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnUY2Y64LN
Cel twisted the blade.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn48ebXb1jR
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvzYStbGVd
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lQYEaUU1W
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPTjLfuufz
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡti9yAy39Hi
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Six now.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1VANJRiaE
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The resistance disappeared. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrVvOXHHTX
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELJI6QSww4
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBZLzpQY5b
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AOfwovkkz
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHnbneqAy3
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt2b96lXFW
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFyCNxDudc
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebd42SzRtO
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJCFD0DCWX
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNht8HopxK
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YMs54PcCl
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw24PRjKwF
Dead weight collapsed against him.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivo1SspWOi
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNWKWnLstN
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZJxTFdySF
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPIUpNEUtt
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7hTXgoRzg
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi5wX1iGgr
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0hqlzSG3j
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvHBW9erPk
He'd killed it.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCZhEHijKV
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQL5NhciJi9
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2q4K3wUol
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonnhTlONqV
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwY4JIPhkF
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtHdJbPfG7
His legs gave out.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3OZa16ESY
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8IsDQoqoa
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p8UrQgdxS
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡna4ZLCg7li
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8chJtKQnu
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ28Ko3OxTx
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29OBmM60oI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ870btIa7tb
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTp1IXFsY6
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And he'd found himself... capable.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZrv1b6L3G
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Disturbingly capable.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwGgpso04d
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhLife12oR
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvhEyDVO0p
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnATcxZWSzY
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EM7igAWOF
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLoOQ3Db5l
But his hands kept shaking.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs4j4TC0Mp
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMyy2D4IfO
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVnpJxsM9e
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2PvcikpUE
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbrS3MJNlp
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYd2Xl7jQz
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Xoy6ucT7h
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ODZSaDhTh
The shaking gradually subsided.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mSEO7uNgn
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPIo3l9bba
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoOMozjnSA
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhALUYVCPe
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2ltzYOHdy
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ff3CfTMKT
Killing.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzdXWD6fAw
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqLJZKqzeD
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQM9Kp2Zzu
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtWQXw1MiD
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYkyJLEV66
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EQHu2Imdf
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzHTwqgqTr
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz597cVxtW3
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bIeMtLA0q
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFbaKcKbmk
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFWJuSxNgI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz63QrE2RSw
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5FNJqw5mw
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiX11tO3iD
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeS6Nh5Xud
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAonop0nNkW
He reached out and picked it up.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7nsApWnov
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5AEAIBhhu
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyUdsSZzCs
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4mnqeMwyS
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFfRddqe53
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJOimcmigg
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7lIzbdWYx
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk2PIIYh4Y
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaRy3Lvelx
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGW8ybD8lN7
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxjOjcMrSd
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dao6UikNy
He could use it to awaken an artifact.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiM2ADffZ6
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEfT8BA03K
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc4eBYKZR2
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXEgDmdNeo
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV2H8ZgtYa
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeYikPwvKx
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws3FoTd2o4
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVnu5tb5ZS
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3FXlJXDfL
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cXGw3z3dP
Cel closed his fist around the coin.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQuyCVgjsJ
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf2G6iKW3y
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb81DgeirvY
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw3ePpsKVO
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZmOyCLhUA
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRaL3oUa6d
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRdGxgGjoq
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOIIDaOQve
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMx5aT9jQxn
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCIaz8RyYz
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBgLwV8xG3
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm0ZNdxIdG
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzj1VwuqoK
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0VVEcuoHf
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0sm8Th4cs
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kgiTVovPQ
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwUR9hssOs
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl47SRG1sxh
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyl7TZIEVI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYUzoNvzZf
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHduGRnToz
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMlYz2wvs6
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc9t2kcI8K
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOetcaJ7GUF
<Name: Celvian>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoUo53Du7N
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaFQGNEQ4d
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5pzQ9gMud
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOzPXalsUq
<Achievements: (2)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSD0n3lQNA
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35vhzpSRco
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztYZ8xWFvo
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3dSZ7KZoQ
Cinderward.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfGBGSnRsK
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4XaAZmSAr
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTE83hGmY1
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqba87jldbg
<Artifact: Cinderward>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1Lo7P7i3X
<Type: Armor>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXC5V0qRheB
<Grace: Blessed>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31P3FcxLur
<Traits: />119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqX8RtiHiJ
<Authorities: />119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjutZt24Pb
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmidVrfwBH3
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZ1SnycwD1
Disappointment struck immediately.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Axvo7EF7D
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JyR27BDsh
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhZZS01Q1J
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡma1PfFB4qs
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ499hWjtehf
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYnCzyWnjn
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y7WTCAgvI
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmGyIP4pPA
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqE0IpQOum3
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnArUDMMXqM
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3mV8wOgT1
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqdZ7QgUeY
The response was immediate.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8quP8t3Uyj
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7BfyBo3nn
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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtkDijD9UP
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWGJJ5lSAm
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnpEe8GVT2
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdDaFkoGFt
The light intensified for a heartbeat—119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDXgTjrgXg
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—then dissipated all at once.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3W5jmVtL0
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Cel looked down at himself.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZv2KtUGhu
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLB9UBxoZQy
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WU0bb9Ucg
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFa1wKGT3p
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXqHO1K2xa
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpbT0hpHHo
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJNhEGRUxN
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6X0e3UuK8n
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg67KLf5EDM
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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." 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYyWcl8rGF
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcDeXqEKi8
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9wxC7rRJL
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD60umzS2sX
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOLENaplpq
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDBmdlvuts
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8to3z0SDuO
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIU6Pgcb4iI
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57pa3k9Dh6
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"The practical choice," he murmured.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6puYXAXzT
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFNrVuaAVy
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMU7fh5AoVH
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8hrKlB8a7
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"How do I—"119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltNAW4I3FK
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The coin dissolved.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUL5bqwD5e
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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.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61ESL68IGl
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The runes shifted. Changed.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyvQRrq5CO
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTXj94UXa1
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New text appeared:119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCub8JaeKRo
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0aqBeQ851
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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 :)
ns216.73.216.75da2
and then Add to home screen.