Instructor Calder's gaze swept across the assembled students like a blade testing for soft spots.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhmjFS5h74
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSsbtLX9K6
"Most of you received your first blessing weeks ago. Maybe months." His scarred arms remained crossed. "You've had time to feel strong. To imagine yourselves as heroes."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuFBjpUpL3
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He let the words hang.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFxWIhI5k7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4UiANGQef
"You're not."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoJUuIfQpM
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaLWC4Ft7k
The declaration landed with the force of a physical blow. Several students straightened defensively. Others shifted their weight, uncertainty flickering across their faces.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FpUopWQmR
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikaeOh6ZcH
"Strength isn't granted. It's earned. The gods gave you a foundation - a body that can become something more than human. But that's all it is. A foundation."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSwpnhD4DC
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9fqiF7S6f
He uncrossed his arms and gestured toward the training grounds around them.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3weXGXpPKU
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WQeUtVu8C
"Every morning, you'll be here before dawn. Running. Lifting. Pushing your bodies until they break and rebuild stronger. Some of you are thinking that's pointless - you're Chosen now, why waste time on mundane exercise?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbq2ABnXxvl
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PiPyjE1iF
His expression hardened.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCU6YyaXXi
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwyYt9Y9eA
"Because there is no ceiling to how strong a Chosen's body can become. A commoner can train their entire life and hit a wall. You won't. Your bodies will keep adapting, keep growing, keep pushing past limits that would cripple normal humans."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlMmS2fpoJ
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxo4eigOSTR
Calder's hand dropped to his side.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTRChLIUIV
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5k0J6riy6
"And for those of you blessed with traits or authorities that enhance your physical capabilities - don't rely on them. Most enhancements boost your base strength. They multiply what's already there."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFnZIOrQWm
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYok7moPKR
The words settled over Cel like cold water.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sqROeFFpG
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeONRdzBKAO
Lunar Vigor. Active only under moonlight. Variable intensity based on the moon's phase.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs7A6XZPe5
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLhuepSumN
He'd already felt its effect many times - that surge of energy that had made him faster, stronger. But he'd been working with the strength the Moon Goddess gave him when she forged his new body.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDitVxrPhwv
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjyvSTJgdn
How strong was that foundation compared to other Chosen?81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7qzpQylt7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtYzrKPPDq
Cel's hand unconsciously closed into a fist, testing the strength there.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBElH2Y7vY
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9hsL4ZHvR
"Imagine," Calder was saying, "that your enhancement doubles your power. Double nothing is still nothing. But double an already formidable foundation?" He smiled without warmth.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNg6N8RFTS
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6PQGhEOPK
"That's when you become worth the divine investment."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDC5DA1mcDy
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREE2gnzltu
Around Cel, several students had gone pale. A boy near the front - one who'd carried himself with particular confidence during the ceremony - now looked like he'd swallowed something bitter.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJBWdiXH72
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWrYOeusfC
"After your theoretical classes each afternoon, you return here." His gaze swept the assembled students. "That's when we teach you to kill."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBPULrAgGH
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIizAEgCTG
The word landed with deliberate weight.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTypmmhAE25
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLRu0KZ3zk
"Weapons training. Combat forms. How to use your traits and authorities in actual battle instead of fumbling with them like children. And you'll learn to control your Divine Energy properly."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywZDLKxLY5
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvi8zLrIkz
Cel's attention sharpened.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJpA5pyem2
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvt5ycciDf
Control Divine Energy. The fundamental skill every Chosen possessed naturally.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbkFRJetDc
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyYKTp7C0d
Except him.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWlNtr5pae
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8CWYctn3e
He'd need to fake the concentration, pretend he sensed something he couldn't perceive. And when someone inevitably noticed they couldn't sense his Divine Energy signature…81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjNTQCWEL8
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBgnSY6oQn
The Reckoning assumed it was because of an artifact. But that wouldn’t work now - he wasn't manifesting anything. A trait, then. Some aspect of his blessing that suppressed his signature. Rare enough to seem special, possible enough to be believable.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmJxmoMZdf
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5CkLVlcXd
"Question." Calder’s voice cut through his thoughts. "What is Divine Energy?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdQ0cw9IXv
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8zIYFp9bj
Hands rose. He pointed to a girl in the second row.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCPbkKR3i7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwsiZk6y2q
"It's a gift from the gods. The power we need to activate our authorities."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcnuWRjDcP
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88OLpqjkbK
"Half right. Divine Energy is power granted by the gods, yes. But it's not just fuel for your abilities." Calder's tone shifted, taking on the cadence of someone explaining something fundamental. "It's a tool. A weapon. And like any weapon, it requires mastery."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFaRJaCHZY
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwq4iXYgDuh
He paused.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfXorJAqgB
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAAhZHTc7d
"It's also a sense. Your sixth sense, if you want to think of it that way."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYJwx4CKfL
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YBKsuXELc
Cel went very still.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnminORDFou
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqTIH2zC3Q
A sixth sense. Something every Chosen possessed naturally. Something that let them perceive and manipulate the energy flowing through them.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWd5F74suR
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvgAoMbf8O
Something he completely lacked.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgN5IaCgnak
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjH8d1WMJ19
Wait.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DpODiCPxQ
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgooEVhVwEA
His mind cataloged the truth with clinical detachment. Sight, hearing, touch, smell - those he had. But taste? That had died in the cell, ground away by months of consuming rotting meat.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc5gioNL66
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuShOxOGOy
Other Chosen had six senses. Normal humans had five. 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9O7PPgBHp
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70oVeChhOQ
He had four.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQr590xUs0
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8cZoHbjPg
The absurdity of it would have been funny if it wasn't so completely fucked.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54mtxFsDQL
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqIPmmXQYT
"Let me demonstrate," Calder said.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq1jqfm4Cn
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPppf08LDQ
He closed his eyes.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM50dpEPUHI
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The ground trembled - barely perceptible, like the earth itself had taken a breath.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdth4juA3U
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZpr4LCMFv
Students around Cel gasped. Some stumbled backward. Others went rigid, eyes wide with something between awe and fear.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ42ukp2Wl
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2tW17j0Tw
A boy near Cel dropped to one knee, breathing hard. The girl beside him pressed both hands to her chest.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFb8JKeeHS
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmNMcVJ9Aq
Cel saw nothing.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPowC76lKa
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXPHHAaole
'This is going to be annoying.'81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLfBdI5ERC
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoakixFzFjL
Calder opened his eyes again and the pressure - whatever it had been - vanished.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvpcv6W03J
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhVYQwdB1Q
"That was my raw Divine Energy." He gestured broadly. "With training, you'll learn to sense it in others. More importantly, you'll learn to sense corrupted essence."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIBjE072U0
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlVR4dLTqM
His expression hardened.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4a9LbO7FX
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"Rift-creatures carry corruption in their very being. Most humans can feel it as wrongness. But if you refine your sixth sense, you can classify a creature by its presence alone. Know its blight level before you see it."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XFu32jjcl
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYXV7zT1GC
A hand rose.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODNQg5tKtX
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"Couldn't we just use the Ledger of Nightmares?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZeQRUFqZD
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkaa58hiOQ
Confusion rippled through the group. Several students exchanged questioning looks.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDzAeKSeQ6
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLuSD1tbNm
Calder's expression shifted - something that might have been approval.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasszT3n9yN
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4DDk3kbFG
"The Ledger is a valuable tool. Instructor Saren will cover it in detail during your theoretical classes." He paused. "But the Ledger requires time. You need to observe the creature, consult the entry, read the information. In combat, you rarely have that luxury."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlEYiSWL5o
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PhAVSR2ze
The mention of the Ledger pulled at Cel's attention.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9tyjGTPxt
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrR4X1BlED
He still needed to check it thoroughly. The entries from the Crystal Maze remained unread - the crystal-spined thing that he rode, the lake of nothingness that hunted him, and the fairy-like creature that killed him. Though why creatures from his trial appeared in a supposedly comprehensive bestiary of real encounters, he still didn't understand.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8JD9FCEIR
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAqYF8jq62
And the creature Esrin had fought in the Ashlands. The massive thing that had erupted from the dead volcano. What blight did something like that carry?81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFOjV9pNy7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMEInNgzR3
The questions circled through his mind as Calder continued explaining the training regimen. 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZr2cH2vrnv
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUZKA06hJH
A structured routine designed to transform blessed individuals into functional warriors.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAQ2Qjs9pV
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTlhijsMUa
"Dismissed," Calder eventually said. "Dawn tomorrow. Don't be late."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFdiV5Limd
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EcDC0BjE3
The students dispersed in clusters, conversations resuming as the weight of the instructor's presence lifted. Lior remained beside Cel, his expression distant as he processed the lecture.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPGP9QSXGs
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGgdZuxAso
They walked back in silence, the path to the dining hall filling with other students whose voices rose in animated discussion. By the time they reached the entrance, the buzz of energy was almost overwhelming - dozens of conversations competing in volume as students dissected the day's revelations. 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0CMcHWFvf
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoEYZ2WqDy
Cel and Lior claimed their isolated table again. Food arrived within minutes - roasted meat, vegetables glazed in something that caught the light, fresh bread that released steam when torn open.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyROZYxUcu
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87wcds1A2o
Lior took his first bite and went still.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtZzxkotJj
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His eyes widened. He chewed slowly, almost reverently, then swallowed and immediately reached for more.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHak48TUCv
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMF5IjBSTY
"This is incredible," he said, the words muffled around bread. "I've never—the seasoning alone must cost more than my family spends on food in a month."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQFM0spwO0
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKoPa8RvPK
Cel cut into his own portion. The meat separated cleanly under his knife. He brought a piece to his mouth, chewed, swallowed.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8UeHyG0TO
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Nothing.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpzrNLLIKf
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡed55BSpPcB
‘Four senses, huh?’81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteGzCCbW0q
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiBlcKmJE1
Lior had already finished his first serving and was eyeing the remaining dishes.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AzhcmkqyX
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9kqSM3bHM
"Do you think they feed us like this every day?" He reached for more vegetables, practically vibrating with barely contained delight. "The instructors said three meals daily, but I assumed it would be simple fare. Porridge and hard bread, maybe some—"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF1ks21uLi
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWXUkOLq1G
He caught himself, glancing at Cel's plate.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eVmHUwu4Q
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyq7GShYU8
"You're not eating much."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtVtzOyj9F
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7m5fo2UQm
"I'm eating."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68SdUjPbrw
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqFMRLUzDT
"Right. Sorry." Lior returned his attention to his food with renewed focus.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVistUr26f
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgfoRtp3mS
The minutes passed. Around them, conversations rose and fell. A group near the front dissolved into laughter over something. Two boys argued about which deities were superior, their voices rising until others told them to shut up.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPVBJDyGMF
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sd79xLVWn
Cel ate because his body needed fuel. Lior ate like someone storing memories against future hunger.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtA8gJMCDk
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5INAJWDDh
When the plates were empty, students began filtering out. Most headed back toward the classroom - the ones who'd kept their hands down earlier, now bound for extra lessons that would stretch into the evening.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIaH2fpOy1
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZ3lBMQhHe
Lior watched them go, his expression troubled.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkogUaw9dD0
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhMiYpC3eg
"I should head to the classroom too." He glanced at Cel. "What will you do with your evening?"81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2ffWBpttv
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1rwLIilhf
"Read."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YmxGS6eQU
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7LWJISK7q
"I see." Lior's smile was brief and self-conscious. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfLDp8t695
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5jvOCmeud
He left with the stream of other students, his posture carrying that particular tension of someone facing something difficult but necessary.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCHyVECxkB
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYd3tK2mNma
Cel remained seated as the dining hall emptied. When only a handful of them remained, he rose and made his way through the corridors.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXiTbTYXIM
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSKypugDCx
The commoner dormitory was silent when he reached it. He unlocked his door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him with a soft click.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzGqEiqkz1
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOE4g7klVd
The room looked exactly as he'd left it. Narrow bed. Empty desk. Wardrobe with the commoner clothes he'd worn in the city.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWhHr9MVOH
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNk1HWpxNZ2
Cel moved to the center of the space and reached for the bond.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdTqsM8O63
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnykX5dOEjI
Moonlight threaded through the air, weaving itself into solid form. The Ledger materialized - worn black leather, silver filigree catching the afternoon light filtering through his window. It hung suspended for a heartbeat before gravity remembered itself.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ACIOCDthK
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gdBULu9iJ
He caught it before it could fall, the leather cool against his palms.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANaISU4hU7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQnXokPfaZ
His fingers found the edge and opened to the first page.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzXfxjty3T
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ3CWhRtw1
Ledger of Nightmares.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FokrGskY8
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcN4omuUQM
The title stared back at him in stark black ink.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8Hls7krpy
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKH1zGhDoH
Cel's fingers found the page's edge and turned.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmDv4iN4dL
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxaM13WRpQ
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawX0HRGlre
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn672vhj5ZA
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, hunched and wrong. Crystal growths erupted from bone in chaotic patterns - through the skull, along the spine, bursting from joints in jagged formations that looked more like infection than armor.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JPqooQK3Q
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRQZU4s1US
His eyes dropped to the text.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd51NuGLRxq
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvD9RwAb7wV
<Race: Creature> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmV3mYWzZs
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrweC0zq1Z
<Realm: Crystal Maze> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqztrUC4oB7
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4W0zeFU24F
<Blight: Cursed>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpD5WBt56F
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJ6CWcoCAb
Cursed. The lowest classification of all ten.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULxtYvjZtD
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVBEsGggCU
<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.>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXyNfyRVJ1
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShFHwnk3hm
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tcUFl93NN
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbAosdGuV7
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVFHCqpWrG
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8gPju8Qh8
<Legacy: [incomplete]>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJi0cDvfEsw
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbIvxTVqbm
Cel's hand tightened on the edge of the page. The sketch showed the truth clearly enough - those proportions, that basic structure beneath the crystal. They'd been human once.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyS4zbzs5Q
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR3EqbQe7X
Caught by the maze. Transformed. Reduced to shambling husks that existed only to inflict the same fate on others.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0n5q2brwQ
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ139oWfN86Q
He turned the page to the next entry - the mirror lake.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8yQnDk49K
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeQjiSqjKm
The next sketch was simpler this time. Solid black ink poured across the paper with only the faintest suggestion of ripples at its surface. Like looking down into still water at midnight.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ekz0jWzmZ
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeCsXSYon8
<Anathema: Memory Eater>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34xJgUhuoI
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDpYmsKr9O
<Race: Creature> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUImxAK4p3
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LcOqrSvdH
<Realm: Crystal Maze> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMbuZnRBjx
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv8zxv4pei
<Blight: Ruined>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cU6wLByXk
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTLzzR6i8Y
Ruined. Sixth tier. Higher than any other creature he had encountered in the Ashlands.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1hnTaoQzV
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDiY2cB3Rk
<Behavior: Responds to proximity and emotional disturbance. Expands territory following acts of violence or destruction within its mirror realm.>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9loOxtlFAs
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPYSdVCfgR
<Hunting Pattern: Lures prey by manifesting traumatic memories in liquid surface. Drags victims into its mirror realm populated by crystalline manifestations of their torments. Feeds on fear and despair.>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCzuRxEjOq
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUbvU0EJYr
Cel's eyes narrowed. 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGypTSGqYL
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tj8EgwdWw
Feeds on fear and despair.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ8X3oq2se
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yxo17T4KR
Not hunger. Not territorial defense. The thing sustained itself on suffering - drawing prey close with their own worst memories, then trapping them in a realm built from trauma made solid.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFMac0PY50
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LY0JBNhVq
He'd destroyed those reflections. Shattered every manifestation of his father, his family, the cultists, himself. If he hadn't - if he'd broken under the weight of their judgment instead - what would have happened? 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjsIa9kHps
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtNyGqMTDL
A shudder ran through him. He turned the page before the thoughts could spiral.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXx11v1lAy
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxVACtIYfI
The sketch showed a massive serpentine form, its thick body covered in dark hide between crystal formations that erupted from its spine in organized rows.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjYdHOzkfS
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9elJ3FZ7A0
Recognition struck immediately.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaiBGS0mVQ
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6LYEA6xXf
The creature that had carried him across the maze.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipoC9Pt9Uh
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkD5tAA706
<Anathema: Spinebreather>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYRAi1zdvW
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzErTzRRWIR
<Race: Creature> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTVNGruShH
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPcxeVZGJj
<Realm: Crystal Maze> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjakdCD5le
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWQXhrXNL6
<Blight: Fallen>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1uIrcoS6y
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq1aKiZxMA
Fallen. Fifth tier. One below Ruined.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2gTHCKKbz
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iCf3Xisig
<Behavior: Ignores potential prey in favor of predetermined objectives. Movement ceases only when threatened. Defends itself by shedding crystals from its spine that detonate on contact.>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQkrI8M89e
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxdLLsSbyv
Cel stared at the words. He'd thought himself lucky when the creature carried him across the maze. Lucky it hadn't noticed him clinging to its back, lucky it hadn't decided to shake him off or crush him against the crystal formations.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84CTcpVXEg
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4gvk5BH5H
But it hadn't been luck at all.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqlYIeuJ4e
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Yb0dsuPVG
The creature had simply deemed him irrelevant. An insect clinging to something far more important - whatever objective drove it through a realm of crystal and death with singular focus.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0ebpNeL7Q
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb41EUb7M0z
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIfeBG7rQg
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7MCdVl0xp
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]> 81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iXAQWW2t9
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xYW8C9zYb
<Legacy: [insufficient encounter]>81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSbMtU6yPh
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQo3H1Ngs3
The gaps stared back at him like missing teeth. He'd ridden on its back for hours and learned nothing except that he wasn't worth acknowledging.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTKqj7oIDG
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpu7TUtijw
His fingers hesitated at the page's edge.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLs8uXa0a9
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKx28AAgog
The next entry would be the creature that killed him. The one with translucent skin and violet light burning in its eye sockets. The thing that had impaled him on a crystal spike and watched him die with detached curiosity.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbfCQfQyfG
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuq2pKdL01
His throat tightened. But the information was there. Waiting.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQdB65ALzf
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidXT8RVohv
Cel turned the page.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4dud6fwLM
81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE0ZY0mWvQ
<Anathema: Crystal Monarch>1234 copyright protection77ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQI8gsnO6O 尼

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