Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL6bU9yRRn
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaytHuvUEp2
'He's... coming back?'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FnJu1FZvp
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0UoaPkiT6
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?117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB35MsmEtDf
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XFETG7N4w
For him.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzcASiqcSQ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1328PPLtx
A complete stranger.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzfGmLhcwu
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTx5xHxxmy
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dSCMc5RW6
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkZm7Dt5cR
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xzoOcrIAs
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODcfCVEWUx
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZxfU4yh04
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzF2lcMNty
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtjgd0HpGR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv9KhlwRQZ
'Why would he help me?'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDlTs2Yd6o
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnDY7qP1dy
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. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeoerFoMk2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GcvVvVXtP
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1kv2XeYiu
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ey9UAexFv
It made no sense.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrba4fU2VlR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSYyZZkJNY
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVkn1TbdcR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqXs7a18sX
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lIW3Tumoz
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc4PwukqWr
If he returned.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI8i4LUQcT
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrIavoqCbc
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpkGoprAJO
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHYyOLerOY
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRp908ceM5
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6Ft1zC7mq
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLEss0d2xI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWBEolgVHG
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Rug1xUV2u
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUZJY7bcXQ
The response was immediate.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CZbVtr9OR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZgKPjHLXc
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx29G4BVrjw
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEhJN8lsxp
A book materialized in the air before him.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41FE9oj031
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9GVgnZocJ
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjT5hRKNkt
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BYmX4ASbT
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB804n4Gnfi
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPeCbPSJVH
Then gravity remembered itself.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0D6P3nnvZ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNARKoHQ3GL
The Ledger dropped.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OEkPj9q3p
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmfhrAC4s9
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ec9PzOISB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1btLZRuFOg
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbEp3GaMfl
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASXsYeAb4D
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PVojrlblx
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNRR08fz2f
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIi2yPsaD4
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDmPRIbeto
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2frWZOUmUu
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWL0NsotU4
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQCJOGqgpW
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvmZHQxENb
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDr15jR8FA
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqon7oziC1V
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrETzHvm5Oq
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLHpnjsLM8
<Realm: Ashlands>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCuEK9MxW9
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT998BXJue4
<Blight: Infernal>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXevGOWcKDZ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlBmfowWWT
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBn34iPeVEO
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJVvP8Xe2w
<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.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx239mJPr5L
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVwbUbEozg
<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.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYOarFbqsU
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHmxQW6ylI
<Legacy: [incomplete]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTrqZrIjzw
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzRFVWFn6o
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MQY8OeozX
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOntIHzs8Ns
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzebjFf4o8N
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqftimDHi2A
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlJYr4O2lV
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6vSXV8vYL
'Heat signatures.'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre3EU4aapf
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Urdy1rp7E
That's how it had found him. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDcv5UcR8u
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi3Ao4F33u
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV6cHdVkTX
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrX6LyDcmS
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi9oEi4Zmt
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMlfGEvm99
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7Q1O6r50S
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaKKfEfo50
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1YrkjzzyN
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxDf3MVLO4
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkLSBzqg0H
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfTS93EbYk
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLus0Hct4K
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMmPyZPSID
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVioeHZJhk
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLrUBoeWKw
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtbePsWXYW
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1gJ52SY0D
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwct6UQV5xP
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tm1KwnWRu
<Realm: Crystal Maze>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZTOHYS3TM
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcTjTZ3nZ6
Cel froze.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb3Dm4sAbK
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Pyqipajb9
Crystal Maze.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9L6q7kom2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtsfHmx71K
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVtrc0pkWe
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbODNs3qOi
<Blight: Cursed>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLfDJgkpRt
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03KhzRduZQ
<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.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3tDyjCiB4
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nEkaKEKfR
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinmTlklUx2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3GjREMpit
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b8nLP1eYv
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtXN09EbQG
<Legacy: [incomplete]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtduWsr3TZi
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡON3tGAp7OK
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyHyjspDlU
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEGh3owwZU
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM8QkqTxZG
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2KktRV66A
But that didn't make sense.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0NS36xKZA
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nuHjVyOb5
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5yqRdBmFY
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFfR0GQ3ey
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqEtaNtFja
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgijBbPtiic
His brow furrowed. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmG5NlX6W9
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUICMvWl4m
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2im089Oj5
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVM09NXIuD
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLA8JtFOHn
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFD4551kPuM
He had no answer.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHPSieSWjI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvWu759LEt
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6avpRI7IT
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyPDVRCUu4
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G7VBWEQNK
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWqbyXGtwo
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJaPBysjO2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6MP0WFDZf
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZdDe3F8DA
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIJGf3Qway
<Realm: Ashlands>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0gztf02Ws
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56CcdbLeGo
<Blight: Defiled>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqyoxCfjB1
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH00Dza6tvR
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLnO2Ck4sf
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASaMEsp18H
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQV0WwpPnR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlwGAPQiHu
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhiUhBa2iT
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgwrgvVfKe
<Legacy: [incomplete]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSjSOjZo0L
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQF9wRHc6H
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBrUpfvfZ2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE6CyuzXc2
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EcZUlW84L
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDL9CKbgn3
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTUYvPJQMN
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9VZpKq6hD
Then memory struck.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXtqWOOMTw
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIQQfJntJ3
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdcEd5qBP6
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQngyMwGR1
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjpKdXodmc
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ31AnSzv2f
'Insufficient encounter.'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMx0bNapkB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2m4Khxa7w
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8VjKXZX3s
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xh6Jo9LDa
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEfjy1eso1
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ533yedwMpN
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…117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheBIL5aiyi
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnArA043ZY
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrAN8yOh9G
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2MvX6xv5u
<Anathema: Ashlurker>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP6MfCpqXn
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSBEVlwmJC
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1sEpHsKZs
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJiAiVJ6jj
Recognition struck immediately.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFNxpH5fJI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaXocsBUb3
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiUnK2mJKk
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf16octP8tR
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwBTuUlmmm
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIaXwAOl9O
His gaze snapped back to the text.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITZOtDyw8l
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlfnCaTICJ
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrCR4S6ev1
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSngFWNYa7
<Realm: Ashlands>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2Bq6zQ5NC
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbvCLkjqvi
<Blight: Profaned>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywJoZWOg6t
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyvLWIDH5n
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53bsL5us5q
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnxMj6uO5R
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMWlKYhJS6
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlClR7g9At
<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.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFfQAE0CYi
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq83FyvVhz
"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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4mHw0lX3a
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43D4xtt7s6
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4MUrIRIud
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKWTH5SWu4
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOLT7aHEUz
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0GGRxuBx2
Ground vibrations.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLb8hnMyWg
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ30Joy8ID
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePbZxUk1sG
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSgpXRk5BU
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqo0UeLiNz
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1MUTFzKAA
<Legacy: [incomplete]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrd7BlTJ3OM
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwu85N1jlF
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7W55ymwCJ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAOqovOedM
Cel turned the page.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkKgVXVCMj
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LXGr7qQ7s
<Anathema: Tremorborne>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBiS1OYfbB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0orboeYMo
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvpMdmovXL
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡth0nU0b0PC
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNJoYy4t8k
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhVOxREuFq
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDc33P9SkA
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglrLyqsehc
<Realm: Ashlands>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTbjiLiSmI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23ieMBv7lH
<Blight: Defiled>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y0E5ulkcY
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbp84T2Tpyn
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGb8pS5Pnf
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2bDelxjL8
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. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFhgLjlpF9
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2zohNwZAu
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG4NqzRvAj
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIBN1N0XMv
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocB8WWjO6T
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxaLI5tvh4
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeltwflkhFw
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb2AQSGmRv
'Tactical deception.'117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH40Go4snW6
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pUJINq1Zc
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZsNTvY6nU
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20MsdlqIs1
<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.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj0leCfxM1
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrleqs0Xizy
Cel's throat tightened. 117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCylx54yVmV
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgAM2JNKHr
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyU4UvX1Qn
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e4XGwPgFV
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSV1mszNNZ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMLQOfdR6O
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFBsu9qDef
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhInmjPOQP2
<Legacy: [incomplete]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxKEkqTaE2
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVLOOOe1fP
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ228cEleyxx
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoHCXli7yQ
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC5Aovp8gN
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5gtpEteSF
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDcB6kANru
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBNK3BscuR
Since the trial.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOKnbj6VmZ
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6dKMvwrE7
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOXGhppBTI
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoIyCNEXoO
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurV83M066j
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZKxUOi1EA
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrmzyBTWC6
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJmWsMGrjp
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj37r2XPABx
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuqB0cLNx0
<Race: Creature>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmjbtkTgbk
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LhT7joxRc
<Realm: Ashlands>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJrOpoMBvd
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36pf8uHdsc
<Blight: Cursed>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXec4WjAFy
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy6KODG9Yw
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbTDoG1BAW
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cU0tg9zJj
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreERqJpkS5
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbFAtbfXs9
His head drooped forward.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qaQJswxjH
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihDR3t5205
The book began to slip from his grip.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVqPzXEYwR
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHeimhkZRG
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.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1GmTwhsDG
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHK5KomuRU
But his body had reached its limit.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SSGR9uoiE
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo0Kb1qHEU
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsriGvJ52dC
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEOuLkTdIu
His head tilted back against the stone wall.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgYHtQxk3y
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfWmj2QLy4
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CirC9fWwP
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SUDPQTl6V
His eyes drifted closed.117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41Smo8059D
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq4zZyPlTc
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection113ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mo82QYbzy 尼

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