Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAaLqfVUev
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprZ0XbN5Bt
'He's... coming back?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXojjdsjFOH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V0OKCJeQI
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?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDCkxhL5Cz
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXsS00AIWc
For him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OGQjMdZsH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzeJBB9dEc
A complete stranger.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2ktLrGnMG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnblmDPH0pL
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeqQUutRyS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjziREujpa
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOTdfy0DAL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfjrn9wSqs
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQJwJKJmMA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7t1BfzvUh
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkisk0qXoop
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rvn0cyUKA
'Why would he help me?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEPj1NtoBP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aqTYJnC0p
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. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxYJ4o1Nha
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgmlpuW3RB
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmAO7jTGH3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyA7cXntaQr
It made no sense.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuiTHf0eEq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFFMB3xHR4
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpWsJuLy6E
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ905PKirqAT
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrfju1162G
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXwBZnunzV
If he returned.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zN1ii3M9o
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5xZc02UJu
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLvBZ3zSMW
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcKQrPzKDH
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD91ACoYKAx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pLtHmkp3E
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge2123zQYE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6kKeKhDse
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXnmUn0spk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrqjvFzewz
The response was immediate.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQXKh8n28a
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMxJbmk1Iz
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOAS28s6QS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMSs3QihWa
A book materialized in the air before him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQ8soWN8MC
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzy57cjZxv4
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOOGj97Au7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPN3d7Msb9
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmK2YPXxZf
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSX3mHlRGr
Then gravity remembered itself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwCCL5aVf8
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTv9I9fWZa
The Ledger dropped.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxGyj3ImY3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OT0wIOz9l
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN3Xnv3AlX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoFUbpolcq
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPdmOHRZuL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlrBYt8r4e
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTWHfwBs6g
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpbDQV0KGL
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44ecNuZcFG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyVlO7lVOq
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSTpXSNF5a
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fucckYnCW
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimynB9J05v
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJsY6R9BC0
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXjR5l02Gk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Lz1XKhvG1
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp39Il9rlHp
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9hv1IQ2Uv
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNBuVb2EoY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgqcY4fJAI
<Blight: Infernal>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWdCeC2IU8
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYbdtu8hra
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhscpyr8WG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYZULSbz7y
<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.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJuNedxIvC
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzFQxyjFMb
<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.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBdHiYXDcZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJLUlPXrOt
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXqRf0U5zu
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYtBuvUpzx
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrP8QhDKlIh
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvhkn9i79z
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rTwW4Y2u7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMj08QkceK
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbm8ysdH1G3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t5docdFfG
'Heat signatures.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiifIkPAkc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdClV7KsSp
That's how it had found him. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cAeF3oCXC
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaN7NTeC7y
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkjxNOwuJS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2Cu8ic314
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHT3nUftJ5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaDj04rZox
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVm2Jilr6f
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFogtxj8ny5
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHmLqV94RP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9g3U6YdbzJ
Each tier represented not just power, but wrongness. How thoroughly the Hollow Realms had twisted a creature into something that shouldn't exist.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsTEqBLB5N
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS1ZEx87h3
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrP4wDQSMJy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JGKDb2nsE
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWveLi9J8l
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3corz79LjS
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBMMVNcATv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZl3uDS5Y1e
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCC51rpWSGF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlTrapymx5
<Realm: Crystal Maze>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv9TXalLhc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh1eLe0GsR
Cel froze.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h3TWNMuqH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CzRDJZowP
Crystal Maze.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp9ete216p
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfimCz3ACi
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuPlapzymk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rWeq3Z90B
<Blight: Cursed>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMm7LOhxrt7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdylCEChShF
<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.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveXfpj71rS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElAm6rbtkd
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlMeVyplEv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2eS7ULLUZ
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4neJi4IB54
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcleFAtuWYL
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8vujdttaB
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4FTEqvtle
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0Rw2GnS7w
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cnarfDF2I
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTq3QHXrDWd
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxs5QmiUfX
But that didn't make sense.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYlUhoJI48
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34zTRZUns7
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpQmN7bLF3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQPQuGLXwS
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQWjWV5gmd
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMIVKL618i
His brow furrowed. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv4CwCFA5n
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTzksw224g
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIOM0KU6Zv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TrNtjJnQo
If the creatures had been genuine rather than divine fabrications, if the dangers had been actual rather than symbolic, then what did that mean? 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQg8ZoLc1C
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa9Tuqp2j1
He had no answer.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd550DRqSh
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKC1aJN63rj
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguOtkVfvYN
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5kyTvLEam
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBz5zVT39kz
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9x6VuuL2LI
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZcDwXixEs
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt8OSyRA7j
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcI0OLn9qDS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwnvfJ7ip0
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYgfy6jmbj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kMoCqN1L0
<Blight: Defiled>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCY41Dok5v
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMuBIPMq3W
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpkqEVFfvy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2WEAoae1W
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7j7XyF8TS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJJ1CkiqGC
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKsf07P8YP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCjAy9KIdO
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrh3ZBEXx5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoucRMtc8j
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfT715gMZc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSFHi6brFx
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BJyaKTMJB
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QuJRk8NtL
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eUr2Zkvny
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PrvBH6hrt
Then memory struck.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6rS9XjOV3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxTptBD8zH
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBRTXPTbyn
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsSKV6u4D2
He'd barely seen it. Hadn't fought it. Had only run until the dawn's light drove it back into shadow.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRSDkgebui
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iesEtePVE
'Insufficient encounter.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT510kU1M8I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraZ7U8WRqN
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1z3Bd8oS6
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUtvX6wM1I
But the Blight classification alone told him enough. Defiled. One tier above Infernal. One tier above the creature that had already killed him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaX9W0sP1ic
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKyiAmav9W
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…111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyplxoJVxXM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpSYfNMFO4
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0Z8JCjHPo
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOryvGVL70
<Anathema: Ashlurker>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqMVuVYzf5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSusOQn53v
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqzZyInNfI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LJVif98LG
Recognition struck immediately.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6tMn0SjEV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDrQuXNKC3
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiz2lNGKqH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78v8xoi9gm
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwsNJPTk3Q
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI1SXApXZ6
His gaze snapped back to the text.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNm5YIg43r
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBprS06opHX
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBdWXoyGa1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReOldLqNUK
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoESl2QjMR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUNW7Ewqtx
<Blight: Profaned>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhZiNiZRU5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaHS8mpPYr
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0BCfE5F3Q
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEBAUSZsMH
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih32uqEIY2
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PBcqjI1tv
<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.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pgBepVjQ5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSHo3NEvDI
"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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGrfhyoJuT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLvs66puRf
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHLiptJOBx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYhcI8c1KW
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VycZ5xeH7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhor46jBUz
Ground vibrations.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7N9LwpMHkL
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlw1CRFsuS
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSqiWT7BaG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlgY2qYQG9
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzwDgYo8tq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEYVRmIquv
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEhLYYTtIb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFMPmz3e5G
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfomNzZcUf
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyNRcgQ8Mw
Cel turned the page.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB1wW3MfXV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZTdi7BSfz
<Anathema: Tremorborne>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWl3Kjix8U
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRpNTxhKQt
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SB0yk7dyj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Cj7gUmJ7U
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiQhCYChvg
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvuMzPhvgq
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeXkTJi27z
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUJwexsQGA
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2axnZGv4d
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIgQWiisrg
<Blight: Defiled>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMb7EFPwqwq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6DWOkRENt
Defiled. The same tier as the smoke thing. The same tier as something he'd needed to flee from rather than fight.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Na831ftho
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rk9CUkMZv
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. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhBNyBdIgw
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8uDTDathS
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV5fxhCvyn
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfja9qJN2K
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurzW5VXPNb
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNyKO4XfYc
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUKIneI9FT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWSasHCMMJ
'Tactical deception.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1M0TyiPr1B
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedqKKEw7BY
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvqMxADnPM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGM65W7liK
<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.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvgbC4aBaB
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD97Dm8QpTG
Cel's throat tightened. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG4UaR2AwY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2rUFOQdcn
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnS7Ney4zf1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy6LqY567r
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vuZYTjMQA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Aqsddluet
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU30nP69re4
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BEJwsEAyj
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmnJnuT4aR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSjjglMPB4
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GNDJH07fG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUegw1yQdjw
The page began to blur at the edges. Cel blinked hard, trying to focus. But exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboHGi4TUL6
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdlHq2j4tv
When had he last slept? Not in the worm's throat - that had been survival, not rest. Not during the storm. Not since…111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGZKalDFOI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoa6aB3gEy
Since the trial.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1HqaNPfcy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2ZWjbZP4R
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LalZ1jF7P
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6Yc4Kc0Ei
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAotz997iw
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX7nR6sF91
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBskxfTa3M6
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWpZQSVDmV
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwlWrUNQg9
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr05Rx2Nrg
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYWlO0ds1D
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQ82UlMPfA
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f320A6n8b
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOimS7Q0WDV
<Blight: Cursed>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX1km7TDJr
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAINjZGWocg
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWICK6KsME
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIjlRYb3lh
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmn4aO5gL7M
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzdvs6Kn5X
His head drooped forward.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGBtrZj0OC
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Cp8zcRPUR
The book began to slip from his grip.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkTma3agse
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YwYMXOyPa
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.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIKvBYlCPe
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaHAXsnDRH
But his body had reached its limit.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQiTfvRGIM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAeUfgedwN
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgHyXoLqZT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl08NxIEPX
His head tilted back against the stone wall.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEUjcPK1uk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW32DLkc5TI
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2rHaYV1k0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdKhut89Ui
His eyes drifted closed.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf8ho2lF3m
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCnDstv4ym
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection107ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OhMqqSnNO 尼

216.73.217.128