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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpd3kuLvPx
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg970IZJiZS
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHinH2giOE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnOS1DD0ls
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeq7ddVarE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZtpO2C6d1
It came at him again.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR0vmluFFG
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAlbD6QzZj
Cel swung.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvpU3xydJ9
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoboNV6jio
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PgdzMVtQT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6UNtzkMfI
Claws raked across his back.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoU2rqTJcT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTu1kNcOHS
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUR79I1QhK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqpTAazxaR
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38ywi7Ashu
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmId9NAYP9o
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdkh3jgLll
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNFpdT38CR
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaYPU4M7SR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqONnI56PXd
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZyCVI32Hv
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtONJg07EL
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzNNmwqgSu
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6xCGBrD5H
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSwhj6BR2w
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97e4pxmIC1
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatrDvtgk07
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡux2wQFeCJp
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQw48uPqmLA
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoGRt6ORZp
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPkKJzvDRo
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSasyEBbvm
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgyWjgAN4V
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCb04ChFME
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TKfErOfXe
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejmCvWOk1k
It charged again.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlz1MR0tNzB
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtp56q8f8s
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTFqSPE98R
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQd2rAQjIe
The blade went where he aimed.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2At9ym9TQ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKxKewjHzI
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLGLzdtDe8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fBfv4pkyc
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrddjyQdRZK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7yePpUdJU
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOpI1ibgjw
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliTXlp7xLJ
Cel twisted the blade.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlpxWJu8UJ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bmNt4Ff1y
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1x8HkxKKd
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RudV16c24
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChjnknmPO3
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6l4v5YVoQ
Six now.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuC0XcrM0W
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsIQclKiSm
The resistance disappeared. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLNY6AHZaA
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYp8l9Xj34
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UuMPHpVId
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHArJlLdDF
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgQ6yAqj4I
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcHPT5Y4JD
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloVr8DK5fV
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6io2rCxpA0
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHNmAyZRwT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoC7Mmjzny
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkomxDMvWeT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wdJnMUlpe
Dead weight collapsed against him.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs3YbjWp7S
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhwxRtkGa2
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55qpq0Dv6Q
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2UsmDzWp5
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetySeoHMWg
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLnBMMdoU2
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzoWx7pkjM
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXvQqU22Bi
He'd killed it.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAovxGyXc2I
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM2JEN73GI
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV0NIZ66AD
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxU4WwwUrn
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRoNaubMHY
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDL0rm3s7V
His legs gave out.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJuXrOYha0
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRJDmRalP3
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSrzMXtn6k
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLq2rTucorI
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38tSKxL0KX
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu2wViM2iB
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QN7a1eUE5
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3GbGdRRwR
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuc3A7BQhLj
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxcAc04hZd
And he'd found himself... capable.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVliIpo2kLX
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpsSt8NMVU
Disturbingly capable.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCDZG7koCa
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJgZUXgUy5
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjMY9h6W7n
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnIvGN0b8O
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLITJiyqWd7
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYhG90h6vy
But his hands kept shaking.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKLSXzPjko
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPamAdlH2G
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrRgWy0kFH
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm7UE48S9m
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUHzxxdx7Y
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipy029jX17
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Ai7eoUFv
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyEovOlGD9
The shaking gradually subsided.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zWUW9z6M9
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNRYxphs05
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wUxq5MZF1
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIEde1nXNF
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkThwflDkzH
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zTXgEMukP
Killing.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9Z0EzIrtS
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwqhoLZMng
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4paeej5co
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOQgKr6P9A
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCvf4fgpbR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUe56vDb7W
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofXhXhfLAZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdjXHwXSCk
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdE5B7PIqx
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqysAT2tnTb
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtHAbF12zu
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30hqRyzRE3
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLl8f7PYbu
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYymuuGU5Z
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2K8L2K9NFx
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmiTQ82IWs
He reached out and picked it up.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHflAbxfzi
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9M35hDVwTI
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuLM3BRASG
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cB9B0b3Ik
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn7CkKG0e8
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLZurKEINJ
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRMOnA95lx
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqUBJgH2Yt
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIhBFlyIUt
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuWuNfde9R
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJcrT43hck
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLHq3W05Dt
He could use it to awaken an artifact.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iwO1CPLNz
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l7kQgmLnI
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR04usSWCYp
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9teAd5WQ1
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6VN7jx4HZ
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7CiuWFBUo
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5aWDyW56n
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhU6dhZxjE3
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWW34MH8sY
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6FAOzFu2T
Cel closed his fist around the coin.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ71aOeseh6
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lcbqIa7Xw
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyj9OGcfMK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfin4dyXlKk
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfafMZvAhXS
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdOFG3muA4
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz6KKaFI6P
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41nJzANYd3
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL2QUSjTME
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIekRkwjHk
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OAYpywciE
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkJwIHhxA6
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTy5kOnaVNK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlIrStkCgP
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefDnWt9Fyc
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb9ucZB9iN
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoKHNuBaUy
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0J5hS3DTBr
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHdyEDyNbR
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8y8m8mBmx
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGI5uuxsJb
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rxtrcBTcE
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXUvfTp82H
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99yNSGrHBN
<Name: Celvian>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQ47iCijFN
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwT4zP75Q9
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa929gcsfE
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tX6ZbccgN
<Achievements: (2)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LuBNr0ZR4
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPuN69J8wo
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80Ia0yFORT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAk3LRxuvD
Cinderward.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNcQ3nKrH1
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAJmj7zbaX
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhdnx12MTU
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3VX6P50sT
<Artifact: Cinderward>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqZMiJyjRx
<Type: Armor>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI9rCOZq4f
<Grace: Blessed>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyxb6OKu3X
<Traits: />120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8E1v5WbTf
<Authorities: />120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TYeRGIU3h
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXrVSRiygL
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCLTrS1I9M
Disappointment struck immediately.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WjTAjKnyC
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM506gRTyua
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmajS8vqg1Y
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfoDMu2zUv
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAovjeHfD5u
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFfgUDuvPm
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXl8Tz7T0Y
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBz4icLuoV
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZCOh3yr96
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSNfwPy6As
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqVw4Tt8ML
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24Mu2fE1JB
The response was immediate.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVlPSzDaVT
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJPb3GUYZl
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aIgccK2zK
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJbal7XUZj
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0OqOVNda4
120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiK3qkrlPF
The light intensified for a heartbeat—120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5sOGF6L3A
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—then dissipated all at once.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoaEqHgijB
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Cel looked down at himself.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iTvVD7Mmn
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhtzTAYiT1
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4klqYA9DE
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWkBws5ctW
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUAQlielNW
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMQ90a2yiE
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mA4UxHZHe
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcDBgc8JFL
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhi1Vbt1mK
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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." 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSNr1yVs9t
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv8t5CDFMo
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPbiIzgPTI
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNf42igXJJ
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUVKaqCVf2
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFJPizztpo
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjx0SM50TV
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2owb3dx3q
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1JZJ89v9D
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"The practical choice," he murmured.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbPtUM2y7B
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5eBTUU7YX
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAfVYMyXcf
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i9A0E0WXv
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"How do I—"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgI7xHjwjD
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The coin dissolved.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy42MKpO9rf
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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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4Q7PZyTUk
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The runes shifted. Changed.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFOluEhwWI
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6M7BsrzfC
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New text appeared:120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKo7vD3ZBD
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtUuKlZRN8
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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.