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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ufd3SI4rp
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoT49Uok9N
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHb1YndArA9
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gxkMtTkut
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9XBmp9gci
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspmAXlhjp0
It came at him again.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo46mvTuIbr
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLII5ZyeHZU
Cel swung.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjlF1HHCMy
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuX1vBx7Gmc
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgkFsRORQV
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiySY2INNq
Claws raked across his back.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKRpTr47Xq
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZAA7KERuH
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrazFWWL92
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zJiXvySvY
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46uwrqzfIX
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZiBnnf8wg
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9ABdHYFGQ
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O4GKhTycl
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU99rgNw3mw
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqRxatEnSs
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfLjDapcqt
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWngfSl97h
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61uS8cnH2c
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XAiBpr8bC
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAMOWXRhH2
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5MVO6vGD7
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXSPDaLBww
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXuZGTTsJO
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sRaAZun6E
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6R3flsRbIs
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoQqec5sHP
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsFNyt4rVI
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3wSCal7vT
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz7TnWsAnM
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tWpuigYPp
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbi4slbD7d4
It charged again.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKzXpUruuf
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvwxWRzBS9
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Mp2P2cKc1
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQon204z0l
The blade went where he aimed.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEf0QqKsByI
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxmyKjQton
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KaiCUGXfD
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0cCU5ktIo
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4jDFNHTP2
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLIoCqDRtg
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3kWjlmWsn
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc8VbQnoOA
Cel twisted the blade.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vQNu9ghl3
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPJPPBE2pI
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUUWHQtVnq
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9qiFhKPYC
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8ahEAWuJI
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hu4t7ph4E
Six now.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OVoBJkyh7
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxiCS2eist
The resistance disappeared. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWmPEeH5KC
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJg6v2SOgN
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLO18IyAoHl
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtU4JqzPQMG
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLmMXw8auo
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw25RdrnhTA
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4G7cnHRUWf
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6loE6Hy6H
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqGSBXo5tW
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvuOz0BIYn
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkAtbq7Xp3
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteK2uOFTAR
Dead weight collapsed against him.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HQrjWun9x
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkC2YQqXWlz
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDeGBMpNkj
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZawQISgUn
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL1IHol1mW
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTdXrOcE27
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcQBa77yBF
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdl3iLWPax
He'd killed it.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpcCIbjqld
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oB2w7Sf2y
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDYuUXMj6Q
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0tqR9dvWu
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhP8mfVMui
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevAsTsba9Z
His legs gave out.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiz2wJuYGet
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDeyO6jqIB
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqFpwOfRSU
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMpPCi4jN6
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NDTIMYn0g
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10ksckdV00
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbpqLrcytb
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt1bm4tbly
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dOrTHwXn1
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMVGIziiGF
And he'd found himself... capable.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdhEotJOFm
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAwDW5TeSG
Disturbingly capable.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZX1HXQbz4
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZk8IAKhIov
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLtDUuLJQt
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y5X3q4Krk
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK4ydqh0Ti
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV9tBjVVJ6
But his hands kept shaking.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfEWihAT8x
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfm600EPEo1
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKy2vbUdf4
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeUd5sNoyC
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfefeq1W7ww
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev0Tv7gLyp
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ2cQn3KEU
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhN7x9m13K
The shaking gradually subsided.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPZo5KOqBW
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBqAplbNjc
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgiAZnxxkQ
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljs3KU3aou
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWbomy4SiX
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1spfHZ7zeP
Killing.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYLB47mWZj
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PmJM17p2L
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6s5nX1f8lv
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweZ0EvoqAR
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr7koIGq8b
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunIxEw71Pq
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRf5JpMo68
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtFqqDbDQW
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4OA8wgiHT
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oMXBIgCu2
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYABnOyfei
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULhQs2yu9g
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1adwBLtKp7
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gHXV4IbBg
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssvt5GjVAF
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM44mdgoTL
He reached out and picked it up.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqu4rFxT0y
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup5zxcZESF
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7t3uaEnIx
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ix2UsI5PS
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mbZH1Cziz
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr3KnZIkLQ
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA639irCyDs
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrNig2ANNT
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmABcOA3VWM
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoNhTQGoeL
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYJtvvzfDY
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4kKRXL6FX
He could use it to awaken an artifact.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKaT8iIguP
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNuBAo2sEz
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLg8gwDLZYk
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIt4apYPx2
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbm6yrW9FR
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTlo8YNEDm
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34zNAp9B5P
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDOOnvaUur
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukaCQk2syO
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zJit0RQhg
Cel closed his fist around the coin.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWiYPd4m2M
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQy4bhDBcdY
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogYX3V9I86
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR5moj5j6u
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK189VM7elp
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6c89kq7qtH
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLqbKOmGlQ
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbStUvHrTUn
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGWcvL3eGf
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoso5c2uXvL
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjE3jfM0Wgb
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFmUQGjAf6
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0U3qYnLF5
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKBfYi2kSl
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfjF9jIX31
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsPJRjD3G8
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlFQn2c7gC
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUPHQWEiLs
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwy0ch55jNL
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6f0BPT5pR
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZF123Hq7V
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xmld8f9XU
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHW8osL6e8
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYuB1oQATo
<Name: Celvian>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vUNnq6nK4
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyjqRkUdJ8
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9cztt29lm
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHXFw6ywze
<Achievements: (2)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsozSSBuJOb
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9H0AAM5RQm
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYab2ocw3Pu
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdznlIqOH0M
Cinderward.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBQ4jDl2v4
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4vfm3iRTn
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sW5cRRcvu
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiKnJwjtOn
<Artifact: Cinderward>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYyuwhN2Ob
<Type: Armor>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6A0MG3JR6M
<Grace: Blessed>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKveDOPekK7
<Traits: />141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxefnM2jgx
<Authorities: />141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDutkv8w5Gj
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4wO5pfXUu
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB4P8TRkSL
Disappointment struck immediately.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehRgK9QlPu
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX8SfYN4dx
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh5fGch80l
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKlegEwPBP
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmuF0LZ3RQ
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBwhFIETPg
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetLNXxsd9J
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8pcTyqvBm
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVYcG3iF3M
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDd2ObCfCP
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczBvTooEH5
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZcNCnWGef
The response was immediate.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGG21MuYFO7
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOINZytnAlh
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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFnceE1NBz
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWT9vLEOPd
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawtl1VYjhW
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F5vmY2fNw
The light intensified for a heartbeat—141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh6lrACQJg
141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPyFXC6SXU
—then dissipated all at once.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fiO7dgFxP
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Cel looked down at himself.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5Vh1eyFFl
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8zqTdLFs0
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmkIMoHicG
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2ILvLrDas
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK2eQRNgPD
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aga3P39fW
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2JuwKkiL4
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3zBADUbT7
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bvLkdjFnc
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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." 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3epA92oE8g
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wFuHTfZ9N
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSAFGHsWMV
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9KkESJCB1
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3OoveRLrC
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr96JQunQNW
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCB7c1aWxr
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCKgwrsalV
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2Y7fBFBkW
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"The practical choice," he murmured.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBEmr5LaJV
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTeZ1RZ8NU
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VKDZeY5Ht
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4vkLet0bv
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"How do I—"141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfr7FIu78W
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The coin dissolved.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP88oJ593Ec
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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.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmWXahf48z
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The runes shifted. Changed.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnov8hVIpWo
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhkin2jVUZ
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New text appeared:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5mqWA8IpS
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67TM3LfLdP
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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 :)
ns216.73.216.179da2
and then Add to home screen.