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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTxZCIcIp4
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgbTSYVQtp
His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzQDfg0GkP
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNpEKWEYlH
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcQD3zDX81
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BKj9yz62i
It came at him again.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxtGPyyX7A
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS6ypeR0Wf
Cel swung.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETDWY1Jwt3
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt07qaIWdB
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxbhbsDgNv
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9d2wkphKS3
Claws raked across his back.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGaTr6q0iM
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICa7tkQFJ6
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJkCbfhmbW
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNY2I1VHo8a
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcN1FPm7V4
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdrSIpmDrs
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznJIsvMtWV
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFi4FNYuT0
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MyfgohbuD
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOi6bRnme4
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkM2BduoFo
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWJV9ASsnY
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFaxAVe8cd
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNhHiaavzf
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUXPzRwv6M
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtq27P4jNo
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKDkIKvabZ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyI0Nw5H0Jb
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNOY6PAY4v
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf2NFUV8z5
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaj31EPHFV
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IK03zVY4w
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFGjCsvYJT
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIWkzgWFp7
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkRJNnP9ss
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxbWFzg83j
It charged again.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Jh1X50QC1
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2QvSY41gh
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPSJbLCxav
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQcIjcn1GZ
The blade went where he aimed.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kZR5tWa0c
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkLjTWrF20
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JvvWymcLe
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd7gpMP72h
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxn3rL9oAZg
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPDLljJ2J3
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoAyMlKUrg
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyAMvbPmIK
Cel twisted the blade.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif5vZTykvA
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3CcyybP0x
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrvHlA0Cuh
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVzz90OX9y
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtFFVhSRBr
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUFSirMfba
Six now.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTDNhTWGWr
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26WSlUIPIG
The resistance disappeared. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnn4lumXfw9
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfRsIqXhOc
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8PsuNHNii
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngLKH6Z8wl
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYLuVkFQHn
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ACKyY5Cm5
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsZSfRu3HO
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM9S3agqUu
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY27F5U9yFK
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9atApJfxr9
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPcdqF2RdB
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRr4iqCpjn
Dead weight collapsed against him.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc4Q88zjOA
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl6wkyo2a8
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi2nCoFrn2
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVjl5IIcFQ
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAvrD2w1fG
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETwES7s8a4
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDyDOtw0G2
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjZRXGCLPm
He'd killed it.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuPraITt74
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhATJylivzt
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEekPN9dqN
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObC4Gi04PY
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoRQOcqnIL
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k9N4QFMq2
His legs gave out.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCL7pdC0rj
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiXMh9vKer
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ463NsyuyU
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWJ9C1A3rt
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EIS3Ng7Yr
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIQ7CVQmg5
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtZUj6r1jU
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQSBstxvDY
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WxmKDFPwJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnljWPvvRKD
And he'd found himself... capable.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIkhmB9HvW
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVowaOpZS0i
Disturbingly capable.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoKrgIcMcD
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNEqTD1Im7
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3SaKdtzlb
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwg3S6N3yI
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNo8skM8Yp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHWVza4Bio
But his hands kept shaking.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUiaDjZD2Y
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCrGMjWn8o
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHzZ8LNcJQ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZOsq1C862
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Jwyb38H54
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9Lb2v0FbD
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKrmTUHspq
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUtsovvqsi
The shaking gradually subsided.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErz11LOXfJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9Yh6c55ih
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDj9buEJar
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8ZT9AIw76
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxviUVCbHw7
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2p5IRqFmVw
Killing.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97e2zj0cSJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMHpMxeZW8
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtGhrJvi6i
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz5bt4mQuH
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRKfTcokWg
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75I3VI5hN2
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVKrYnM6SX
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOaPArUQSx
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx6loA4AKU
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FVNJt7xrT
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7L2qCDqkPs
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCc2eVq35FD
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pzuIJzhrj
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElwcwbSoPC
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIrdFCILls
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYikllNQrt
He reached out and picked it up.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSFJnJVCfG
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHJj3EYVHi
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywnTovLp4J
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEgvrQN6Bc
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAhScJlAUK
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGIk9kEGNo
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzX6ppc33a
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1UrT3wm2h
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70uJVR14VD
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQ0cbhhilJ
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY7To7S36b
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghN3HpAcQA
He could use it to awaken an artifact.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaRLjZ7QE2
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XGZACSQ2z
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoffMIfS8l
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2RzjEnoL4
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoA9SxBEys
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HqX7E32M2
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrnajrKmTJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRpBtYdNak
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImLcXLDJrZ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZJB2S1cyJ
Cel closed his fist around the coin.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb259ovveLV
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37jos4reDU
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMDdVvrYtL
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInuHSPgasE
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAgqnsqkwd
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBvRahadu7
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7qLrOZ4OA
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16gv7iQQgP
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8hEIoMQRQ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqx3xKY62T
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8395BAhB0L
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2neCc8VjnV
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpgOm0AX2c
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA83BHE7OuO
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1mmh55cCx
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzfb3LQZCv
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdrqgILWx8
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaHklxwlDc
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIqAiF93QU
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50iZGuAf1p
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAqHkuC5Vk
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsmVM75ShV
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjglfQXIfp6
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMrFRyZWTB
<Name: Celvian>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVT1hG2ldFp
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qyBP4ANwA
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwqzJVkEho
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpL0K1WSjGO
<Achievements: (2)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSWHLWjwTJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5woA7mUCVT
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCOwTMi1hO
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RFsLAHa1m
Cinderward.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiMVT7m6wB
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ko5xpgDdq
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcparhjBJ7G
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncHBeRNYi1
<Artifact: Cinderward>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGMzciNLzu
<Type: Armor>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNJ9w904HY
<Grace: Blessed>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChGBMsEFnH
<Traits: />108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4p90IlJFe
<Authorities: />108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5LiFc2YJj
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGuJ3VN51j
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gowR0iMeb
Disappointment struck immediately.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc4CQJenld
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGcC8pjVVv
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkgK3z3eNF
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17paMPtjR0
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WhtBrH44p
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNTv89A86z
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqihBHmUvW
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPu6KqvLfm
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxjA5D2wsU
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMM33LHdpE
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDmePZFcYA
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIU2rLjxrm
The response was immediate.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMv8gNNAVs
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jpP4Usxry
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKmUWdX2gI
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00wKDfBx1F
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ln8pL4FQ9
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuBm3aW3KP
The light intensified for a heartbeat—108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYPjldprho
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBHjQoPN5g
—then dissipated all at once.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9oIteo9pt
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Cel looked down at himself.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX99wQWJ4t
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ070P0iV4Tp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOGEYLYo2r
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNd7YJQge8D
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxKRqXDIBA
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyttsnOh3u
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmybVqikB2
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qOsgNGeIO
"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEFuuCYEbo
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6u8XmTzEC
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFwsyCbsII
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8FFEhVRC9
"Blessed grade," he muttered.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eicuAaTV8
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMA3sh5wPH
"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." 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JOWeDAacC
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlWUpLgBwe
Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesBGwEBvnM
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6del22qjgp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYTc0rQGi0
His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnOKFuBRhK
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1st9gXrVAX
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwdVceSYmy
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ga8BUsil2
"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDCMHdBbcP
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEDNfoCL8J
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MxWZYYf2l
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI7JInOO8R
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"The practical choice," he murmured.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg8JFog10e
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU6hiOwRqg
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkO0WdLGyHV
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpf0vZLflu
He approached the monolith and focused on the locked Insight notation. The coin in his hand grew warm, responding to his intent.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUoq6vNaWj
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZGmluHsx4
"How do I—"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0Em6dAWhF
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The coin dissolved.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrX3gS6L4i7
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ysFu3Q8eH
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19MmjhJt09
The runes shifted. Changed.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQWzu03z9S
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGx4eZiS37D
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New text appeared:108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFcaVZYFbK
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18SaN8ITWE
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----------------108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOfhavkRyF
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108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVgVzhB1WM
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 :)
ns216.73.216.86da2
and then Add to home screen.