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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaCElJKzOZ
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His back hit the wall. Stars exploded across his vision.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq8oxDYELa
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbxdOssvtC
The creature was already turning, coiling with terrifying speed despite its injuries. No hesitation. No pause.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEludmdc7RU
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2opwz30fUR
It came at him again.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDXjCgcNwg
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECjZDeq8c0
Cel swung.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFvsd8UIGg
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrLwUqibI5
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNSQXGxez0
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtUH8yxWe9
Claws raked across his back.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx51BotsoWX
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO6xiq4Zr9
Blood sprayed hot across his skin. He staggered forward, teeth clenched against a scream, using the spin to put distance between them.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnCPULoI1q
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0wVas0QSE
The creature pressed forward, serpentine body propelling it in a lurching charge.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I19fj0k0b
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv7eg0hXnA
Cel raised Silent Moon defensively—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtypls9oy7A
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGsIKuogWc
The blade was pointing the wrong way. His burned fingers couldn't adjust the grip fast enough. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAxf5QXoeI
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8FrboJpES
The creature slammed into him, its remaining arm wrapping around his torso as needle teeth snapped at his face.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV0KQ2z2Vr
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHmq6oWA8r
They crashed to the ground. Ash exploded around them in choking clouds.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7yC5ulYLb
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxnHNzYx3l
Cel drove his knee up. Lunar Vigor turned the defensive motion into a devastating blow.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFhAxh3Mmg
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9jogtQsZc
Something cracked. The creature's body spasmed, loosening its grip for just a moment.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhziyCcbqep
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f869FpFIF
He rolled, throwing the creature's weight off him. They separated, both scrambling in opposite directions through the ashen air.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0tb97Ofr1
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLcTnbsWLf
His back found the wall. The creature coiled against the far side of the small room.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTLGpcinAL
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0i3iV2ZbdE
Both gasping. Both bleeding. Both fighting one-handed - Cel's right arm still dead from frostbite, the creature's torn away entirely.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdpkgg2xnW
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB3KXXaXIF
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINcKqMMaw3
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi24qeFCcYc
It charged again.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljkuZg3V4M
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlNELVc8eQ
Cel lunged forward to meet it, driving Silent Moon straight ahead in the most basic thrust he knew. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAsVONd53E
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD5nKG0Fou
The blade went where he aimed.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SzuHGoLF5
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFf1Gvvi4b
Steel punched through stone-like skin. Blood erupted hot and thick from the wound..110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTfdpJ1Cje
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BXGeitJ8G
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sONa9xcZs
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Px32FwJ6W
Face-to-face now. That needle-ringed mouth snapped wildly at his face, driven by dying fury.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZX6sARMZ6
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4LAhmu8YC
Cel twisted the blade.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoT3RllVHuZ
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z5h6wPsBB
Steel tore through internal organs. The creature's shriek reached a pitch that made his ears ring as its entire body convulsed.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawyVoJ6Fpl
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJTTOZBCeA
Two more crescents ignited along Silent Moon's length.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsGA7123Fs
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzRGoVV8xC
Six now.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4k2VP6NvrH
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4kWRkSNlh
The resistance disappeared. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaNeB0n05Q
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcskq5sBc4M
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK8L3fr9C4
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MGiBQ1R6J
The creature's shriek cut off mid-sound.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNJYZTMPen
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TBS53i0CV
Its claws loosened their death grip. The eyeless head tilted forward, almost gentle, before the entire body went slack.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ9p86eqAf
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEIS7vn9gZ
<You have achieved something extraordinary: You killed your first creature.> 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhGRRQgScX
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoNBBZF2jm
<You have received the artifact “Cinderward”.>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUTzH4YWbT
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXJkXFuA7E
Dead weight collapsed against him.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEoR1eAYwy
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT6n2PUQEG
Cel staggered backward as the creature slumped to the ash-covered floor, its serpentine body going slack in a final, loose coil.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJUEVuNUgH
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIAkH7Pmp8
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CAMox88lu
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdSN0iHiTo
His left arm shook. Not from exhaustion or pain, but from the aftershock of violence.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W4Gs9tlvs
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJYm1NMLCx
He'd killed it.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QWHLWaniv
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJ4cK4FyRE
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2qkCEDTtK
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ONvFOnjHK
Cel stared at the corpse. At the hole he'd carved through its chest. At the dark ichor pooling beneath it.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYaiUMZIdY
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSKgYQQ7He
His legs gave out.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CdAhBqwcQ
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3OI0IeTsT
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmwjqKrZee
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefS8rx9S98
The shaking spread from his arm to his shoulders, his chest. Adrenaline drained away, leaving cold clarity in its wake.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhL8kxh654
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPuJ99hSdI
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM67ZaDKTOP
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7tLYMsqSH
But there was a difference between knowing and doing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq5Alo1YMq
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNgNcV0120
And he'd found himself... capable.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PbZE95oJG
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb6JTLA6hU
Disturbingly capable.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXGrb6xVgh
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJCSwDZLR6
He was alive. The creature was dead. Simple as that.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsslFa9U9A
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BJ6ykDITY
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ILKRlsXRy
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde5Ccj54Uz
But his hands kept shaking.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlgQFEeEdF
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBNDamw166
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQTdHNV8Wt
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gqWdz6htg
Cel's breath came in short gasps. The walls seemed to press closer. The ash in the air grew thicker.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAVrLrzsTh
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxXpKDVZ7X
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4JISUTDki
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafKjQY8RSS
The shaking gradually subsided.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlZiCYiFhX
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzKjtGJ6Xk
When he opened his eyes again, the creature was still dead. Still bleeding. Still very much proof of what he'd become.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGaNiUilS7
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU1x7AR5BW
This was what survival looked like now. Not hiding. Not enduring. Not waiting for rescue that would never come.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNvZNIZ5pG
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL3QjgvpkB
Killing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGRVK2uYFx
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NjGUuOZxo
No grand meaning. No divine purpose. Just violence meeting violence until one side stopped breathing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsVt5C8jO8
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa24ECSWft7
He was no longer prey. And there was no going back to what he'd been before.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5cskeCgvy
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIIb1YAEEW
Silent Moon dissolved into moonlight threads as he dismissed it.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmXMihP306
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dRyjm2GUa
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUG2x2OZLc5
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CZCFnumXP
He waited, watching the gaps in the ruined walls. Watching the gray curtains thin and part. Watching until the world outside grew still again.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ibpouaqak
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKa4rtNgXo
When the last echo of the tornado faded to nothing, Cel remained seated against the wall, letting his battered body rest.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ2AExxE5r
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY1WdIKcCV
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrXIVPGQBM
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYrqkQMfB3
He reached out and picked it up.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXAtVqcdSk
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IjFgM7CEz
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjheCIl6dsI
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt15lGavjty
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftI7mx7LHf
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rlMz1P7K9
Cel turned it over slowly in his fingers.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4U0rZ52muC
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDk6Fb5roQ
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XY33XoMok
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnZed6ouKI
Every achievement granted one. And with each coin came a choice.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnOU963gsz
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwgqbx3Llt
He could use it to awaken an artifact.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8oxPtApPU
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIPRWARRle
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXygbMMMyZ
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYoRrCVQcg
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6eqpzj6OE
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGQ3NbAZTQ
Or he could unlock the Insight. The Ledger of Nightmares.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qPbvpsXGM
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPYYNSoABZ
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fdIZBxDSW
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6S6N5ppTNU
Cel closed his fist around the coin.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqywpGVSU3
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH10sHcLDB
Time to see what his first achievement had earned him. And then... he'd decide how to use that coin.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBO4OhnekF
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMU8zahKAY4
Cel closed his eyes and reached inward, toward the space that existed within him. The world shifted, reality bending—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2Fjv3e5yg
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLaykssQlk
—and he stood once more in his soul's landscape.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U14NmKhiT
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLQkRLrsIJ
The cracked earth stretched beneath his feet. The mist swirled in gentle currents. And there, waiting as if she'd never left, stood Selina.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiOWrpKjBJ
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dIks2QeqN
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeRnZEPkAe
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz8vzjJQ5v
"Welcome back, Chosen One." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "I felt the moment of your achievement. Congratulations."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdtYz7yoSW
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJ352oc2R1
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBxEF52FTC
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo0DT78rQG
"Thank you." The words came easier than expected.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqjzLErqdo
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjeaEddfvq
Selina gestured toward the monolith rising from the mist ahead. "Come. See what you have earned."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsGFjmRRb5
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgd86yqbXCm
Cel followed, anticipation building in his chest despite the exhaustion that weighed on him.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc97o6JMngi
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeel6hTSLkD
The monolith pulsed with soft light as he approached. Runes appeared across its surface - sharp, angular, beautiful in their precision.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJcwSA9PFE
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorTRBBJfqJ
<Name: Celvian>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstWTEnT9i5
<Paragons: (Heir to the Moon) (White Death)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBy9k3Rw5w
<Artifacts: (Silent Moon) (Cinderward)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHfWEEnEli
<Insight: (locked 0/1)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRNqjdYjrQ
<Achievements: (2)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq6qbns8VI
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3K1C6sH2Qf
Cel stared at the second artifact's name.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CNQyliAIS
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXCX1yKaAz
Cinderward.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0M9nQUImvl
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7KmtcSlZG
His focus sharpened on it, and the monolith responded - the runes shifting and rearranging across its surface:110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY38rvLKXzp
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UPyCgKBO3
<Artifact: Cinderward>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVdJwuA3J7
<Type: Armor>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGntAkn66iz
<Grace: Blessed>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalqoWl7yw9
<Traits: />110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGoHeV1TT1
<Authorities: />110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNJI17HlAK
<Awakening: (locked 0/1)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuviUjLd2V
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BjXXxgvMH
Disappointment struck immediately.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKd74VrKE1j
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNcLmHG7vT
Blessed. The lowest grade. And completely empty - no traits, no authorities. Nothing but base protection.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zHIr36jEr
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQuq8jTSz1
He thought of Silent Moon. Heavenly grade. Third tier, leagues above what he'd just received.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYc6Mb4phD
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYqDsVhUXU
The contrast was stark. Brutal, even.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO63pyV6Lc2
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHR9RCNl5R
"I should see what it looks like," Cel said, more to himself than Selina.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ92BkCFUBx
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WAnCfn9hH
He reached inward, willing Cinderward to manifest. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSFmVTZarU
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wKaoOqAA1
The response was immediate.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqxUptjOff
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzRYuLstge
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlybLGTTGWh
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtTKpmCGgQ
Selina stepped back slightly, giving the manifestation space. Her posture held quiet interest as she watched the divine weaving unfold.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4h1cCWrjW
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI50P5SYh3L
The light intensified for a heartbeat—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPs4u9U8Zs
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—then dissipated all at once.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLh0WakcbD
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Cel looked down at himself.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWkvcmYsEl
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aNWW7krWn
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXwSmxNLgt
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH4GrbK8Og
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGTPrQRWqw
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The entire ensemble was muted in color - deep charcoal and smoky grays. Worn-looking despite its divine origin.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0MPa3NX2a
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"It suits you, Chosen One." Selina's voice carried quiet approval. “It will serve you well."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjyrlywSY6
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzkE2gi8Pe
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"Blessed grade," he muttered.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64TmF7JHYx
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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." 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPcxLHbYni
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Cel flexed his hands, watching the bracers move with his wrists. The armor felt... right. Natural.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2jL1G1jx9
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He supposed she had a point. As long as it ensured his survival, additional powers didn’t matter. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpss07BCMI2
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His gaze drifted back to the monolith, to the coin still clasped in his hand.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3gQJqYsXs
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<Insight: (locked 0/1)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QSufH1dPs
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"Most Chosen spend their first coin on this," he said, gesturing toward it. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQOFCFfzMz
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"That is the common path," Selina agreed. "And often the wisest. Knowledge is a weapon that never dulls."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILBmYSchbb
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRYRtRFipt
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9DE07AV1B
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"The practical choice," he murmured.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjti9hpPsSR
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"Many have survived by making it," Selina said simply.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhrxAEa3zI
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH5Uy8NB1K
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ2gGDcC80
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"How do I—"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJTMELmu0k
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The coin dissolved.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KJrsPLyw3
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3PAFI8ItX
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The runes shifted. Changed.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvD957uPemg
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<Insight: (unlocked 1/1)>110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3AHyrorPU
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New text appeared:110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTs514HCsZ
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<Insight: (Ledger of Nightmares)>
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----------------110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZmbdWcehK
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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 :)
ns216.73.217.128da2
and then Add to home screen.