Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzyWyB3RcG
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuF3H0hHTs
'He's... coming back?'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeegXvKlno
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUsPxuD05g
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?142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOrSVS8iTV
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjTnW94kCe
For him.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3uMZDQw8T
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBooPbRP7Kk
A complete stranger.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6QMTKbE8g
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ8D2e3DBx
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtWWZlXfsB
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyKSXMBBNm
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxV2kR8uNzX
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquVPVi8BYR
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTl7hT8dYF
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX5IclnrTH
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzQ2isbk8d
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikBvale9fU
'Why would he help me?'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZOrXRvCKE
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6JUwzK8vO
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. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKODyCUiLF
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj324WycSBL
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudL7Hc38um
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqQwB3VpP2
It made no sense.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbZUMx3TyW
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoAaII35IS
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGMLaqoL0K
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OAl9sOeWL
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNQhSDbOlk
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwe9dmwA11n
If he returned.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHdQJwuEI7
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCczSP2vIN
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROqGtnTltG
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcan1gBkzdO
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOs7gZqGvS
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFN7lkVpUR
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4bhkKgA3C
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIy5Moubbc
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpxMAT6xhI
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KiicOOOBR
The response was immediate.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLn6yVeuEi
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT0rCzDpi9
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnTwH7hhcQ
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOPrVosZH9
A book materialized in the air before him.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyJOcvng3q
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76Rw519BqC
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjQeLdRkZ1
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKsZiyDk50
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ari8qcKJy
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgxgIo5yA2
Then gravity remembered itself.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dkQ3vJzAu
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCg4nbeW5e1
The Ledger dropped.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdPP8zR4Yl
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3xZQbvQ8I
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cjvxquH1D
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2CKOSOONa
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURW2ulmXVg
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQWJXMXCiN
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMwc6uuwFg
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99EPl2fCSo
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13tgSMgjth
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamDBLLIExP
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgY67dFinN
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O5fs0ksrE
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCz6SwVB08t
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UnlQ10lBL
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1wABLMr8q
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nDCNpgvnd
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYhkKnyK5i
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8D16DZDP3Q
<Realm: Ashlands>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPLKwjXYRn
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tqO0RUnbO
<Blight: Infernal>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdEXTUG5Ol
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbc8FbkvvM
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5irBj80J3
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfwydhjJaA
<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.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ekR2djble
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr3qOs3clP
<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.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tEWLrTsdA
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLh87vak7z
<Legacy: [incomplete]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrostgLUq0
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiaRHyIZkI
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpxPUIsrMj
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrab8iV6XA
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJIYNbcsXX
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyR4EuoclWV
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5KNPjfZ9a
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjiwlGCyll
'Heat signatures.'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfdbcEO9UZ
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyLy8hlovj
That's how it had found him. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvp0EBJJ0T
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSS2CNytnt
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9YrOoarWh
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1obksUkr6
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyePSaygwyG
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ep3KK9qXn
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0aJXENMO4
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIVWYSGIQC
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWChmTIYx8
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5R2GB3lcK
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0WNE51fr2
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2r8sbS3ef
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiypLGH7g3L
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeawRSjLEe
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SS6HD7QN4
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKOaF2Hr7o
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PWxlNpn3e
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxLNGGk7XV
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4MsisS1IF
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZ89WsNIan
<Realm: Crystal Maze>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsJmS4z68v
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiM435yFxwi
Cel froze.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRolEWlOJ9q
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbyOBanfIH
Crystal Maze.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7undr3H2q
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzEln0bnFd
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueqXxLz1NC
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1PuLHtVDn
<Blight: Cursed>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudz8qcc4RY
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRwXN7zkYr
<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.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlngmLqsEx
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25xcgruaFj
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP8guya2vO
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt3LpRgwSc
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmReE2pM9u
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeg83VxFfs
<Legacy: [incomplete]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdDbavE3wa
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7xtC4t63W
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrL0LJW9sk
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFAqudUh9r
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOgpmNBBS5
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7VpiHJAdy
But that didn't make sense.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x4BHsvwg5
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jX2qmVE19
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpl4K8JoXt
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfyMjyqoil
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyPl7VjhxY
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TaCs0Bdfk
His brow furrowed. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqt0oNST8o
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJQyosKCVE
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z7cbz7SOV
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OR95ZIAhA
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KuzVUxfRY
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jk9OWHSSl
He had no answer.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfY8IqEH11
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9t7e7YmNFM
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8GyftdaqO
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZIWxCCIGl
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWmA4VKWcR
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9MZOtTXZQ
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsMfvTSykg
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnNepPM2Dk
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2IqyzpPV5
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIxpA7wTcB
<Realm: Ashlands>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlzzA3bEKH
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJPctAuqQd
<Blight: Defiled>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEKOLZYhKD
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXQCFggGDQ
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeLRKXdxje
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuGeePJyEN
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPvjUiNMyB
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJQjXq3y0u
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0Kfzsw2Ju
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiLd22x8Eh
<Legacy: [incomplete]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FyEA4Bsve
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9UBh6Eqlc
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOU5MsdS32
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85sMSarosp
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqT5IuqV3Yp
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fUyJnpF4K
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAtkdsYbzv
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBkLINEDLL
Then memory struck.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQS3OmeNYt
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1zoVtR7F7
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLR1OtHAWE
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKBWIgmcgA
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakIiM2HaYP
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzNHP3i021
'Insufficient encounter.'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAGosPVmFV
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhN8yI5g1c
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD5PaDtthg
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70s3LPcHCe
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbP1sZl7KS
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HAajWLDrL
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…142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSLQm02HBi
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuGcVAm1Dt
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFHV2UxRdl
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOqhHNb6Uh
<Anathema: Ashlurker>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0DRIDLbNB
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwc0nutU9w
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qZDQ8rPBq
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPZL46Brgv
Recognition struck immediately.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW6WbzWIHX
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0s3kyWZlB
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVCSvW9F3C
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnMTmCJAo2
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzPYJDzjlY
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifUMTes3AA
His gaze snapped back to the text.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwm8BI5jR5f
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjYfjuG3CQ
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXdyGB1LZD
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTipaPTyFO
<Realm: Ashlands>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0jIiijkZ5
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNseEq496sZ
<Blight: Profaned>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C6WNOqTqp
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG1w9AHSHF
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIVZZigeaA
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAiWQ585fs
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXaFZyubJI
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyLgN4bQtf
<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.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvYMrpQC2t
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qRIiuvWjm
"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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn2qhidu1c
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseIrOuSNkC
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7wSLJZkYh
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57Y9MdN315
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCoOBWCb8i
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMi8cTAnxi
Ground vibrations.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUWdVs6cOl
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlu6CrXGzQo
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEtTxH7MRt
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKD8Rk9sIPK
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjE0C2Bccf
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1t8lMN1td
<Legacy: [incomplete]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRwftAgApW
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sRIWuz44F
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHiZAIW8mR
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4qubixNGH
Cel turned the page.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cED65wVSw
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejxANdmow9
<Anathema: Tremorborne>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuoRnz44Tr
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd9sVJtISR
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NwNUTkzZF
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzejtAifFVF
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuDeqinIdj
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7Bbl8YgpA
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQOgB0vi36
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWXbnS6bos
<Realm: Ashlands>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFS4RDXVXs
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIH8lbHuDW
<Blight: Defiled>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxcaAUuA7N
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMLZM05OqN
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmP5GGEIMV
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn0z16IpmG
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. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhNs7WZvrz
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq0LscqOL9
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf4rpFkyn6
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBAOYtKftn
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWfOwOZoe4
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI1VxU9fcw
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE40k4iloLB
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TkszeBsEK
'Tactical deception.'142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYGpH3KG5M
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTE9z0VMk8
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ILamDSvCi
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7rs8cGDrN
<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.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmqrkBVbL6
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsWAaUTuRD
Cel's throat tightened. 142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhRzsVa83N
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17X2LPK58E
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaollaByoT
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VXaPh3AGh
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ScuR7G6Ju
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekBLMuszdM
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWLSjs7CNe
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1J2vHNkCx
<Legacy: [incomplete]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5WZCHuaCP
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmBIp8e1bQ
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzIYJ2x40s
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrksujRrob
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZxcDCRysx
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbVhD8tzm0
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DYyWceROu
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8I2HyhG2H
Since the trial.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooroc3EYb9
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZ5BeHEEpE
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhbs0diFk9
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBBWrIZ9l9
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9khcrJdkd
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKoEdpzXhU
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOS9nOqbPC
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo10YlbkYfr
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTbUvRxiWG
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RW2tjg03U
<Race: Creature>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gdZ3NBoho
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqcJops5NJ
<Realm: Ashlands>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PLSCL5dDR
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRm9ppH6Gs
<Blight: Cursed>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5855Ks7Rc
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXCh7lgoS2
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQXATq7E7b
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTsKYfWell
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpenchgQDhp
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvs92y8hzRA
His head drooped forward.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVzcnAF3r2
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEaXUnVOSm
The book began to slip from his grip.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AwiF63VxY
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8zwb41C0N
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6Q9bLX276
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9V7YF5zCg
But his body had reached its limit.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwnj6QpWKx
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN9p96YsPZ
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHX3GgQ3pxj
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedf7AKu73W
His head tilted back against the stone wall.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9f2QQnfN87
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnfQuNV0cK
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPs6vx6UY8
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj7S4m9Bka
His eyes drifted closed.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pX7vmZSvg
142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnfUXVSrA4
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection138ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwIYLdrWdp 尼

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