Cel stood frozen, staring at the empty entrance. His mind struggled to process what had just happened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqK40IK1Hsc
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwegQ5jNChO
'He's... coming back?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBmP0iwlcH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DNpWC0xGC
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRYwLtlscT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwl4gu2DxB
For him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhwQktYzc0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicezOSov6X
A complete stranger.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFElGyCJxC5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbmEFMfX3d
The absurdity of it struck him like a physical blow.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvcSguj12S
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqppQ8aDxkh
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwG1jYIkxVr
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrM7hwwGwA
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTKneTbbLq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZJZfiflMH
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the distant whisper of settling ash and his own ragged breathing.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R9KbQEqWn
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2jketVA50
'Why would he help me?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeSkEdiE0O
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpY1Upe7Iau
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoqou9JO1e
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S7G50Ylko
And yet he'd walked away - not abandoning Cel, but to help him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFhwIy9qrW
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwczoaRluY
It made no sense.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkjiI0k55B
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTluo1ofmWv
'What kind of person survives a year in the Hollow Realms and still cares enough to help a stranger?'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU2lJKFtse
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZYG8EisIB
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself when Raven returned.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaz5MaWceG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoD3sWGyi08
If he returned.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kSFn5h6S6
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rHQb6C1rw
But dwelling on it wouldn't help. Not now.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs0yxBuV4C
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlPgH99yXy
He needed information. Needed to understand what he was dealing with in this place.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3h6o4vshG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F49LQ8dEB
‘The Ledger.’ The thought came with sudden urgency. He'd unlocked it with his only coin.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgoRUITmQQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmBAfx0nFR
He reached inward - not toward his soul this time, but toward the bond that connected him to the Ledger of Nightmares.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9aW8KkSpD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWBLq5jKTU
The response was immediate.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnq5Yc3jcM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNRo3RerVq
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhznhNuzzV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9B4cipSz1
A book materialized in the air before him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHGoqLMWMK
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPotYdGuQM
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTOxwWF2aT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj4zROrN8m
It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiM1PXdgbvw
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5HTwhzhb6
Then gravity remembered itself.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPkoKamATN
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ADwDRhhqJ
The Ledger dropped.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhfnoaLKsW
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCBT1auCEN
Cel's left hand shot out on instinct, catching it before it hit the ash-covered floor.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7Y63XCVkT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30IwFRkJox
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVhvqzXiMS
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnUEBhKfj9
His fingers found the edge and opened the cover.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tbM4R2R3w
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2A62VdFOn
The first page simply held the name: Ledger of Nightmares.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgG4qM7WB2Z
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXXVVU5f1s
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZw0UKyq2g
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbfZgLuYAV
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDdzZ7dyk5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWxwzBc0hD
<Anathema: Ashclaw Ravager>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIjv8OBiMJ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwEWd8pMQT
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl1kbwtXnX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYg71ukQrT
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfohzFt7Kv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98W3kR6CFz
<Blight: Infernal>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLizFh9kaZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCbj6LcLG0
<Behavior: Minimal intelligence. Operates on predatory instinct. Solitary hunter. Aggressive when threatened or hungry. No observed social structure.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWe0mUhjZ1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsMUoBnNlz
<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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5Ft0fWb3s
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5STSeEq7Aw
<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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjS8jwGVsy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9coo1gw8l
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXkfqJOI7t
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0Z4rcVre6
Cel stared at the words, memory flooding back with visceral clarity.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaUJq3l0cV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVlpzCwAFh
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSZ9V9EIkQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡou7efNkGOO
It hadn't been random violence. It had been calculated. Methodical.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42dDw7RdL0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XKYQOC63J
'Heat signatures.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLj1cUmWg0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLCN9R39jY
That's how it had found him. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh90n98bV5
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0waR6CgAeo
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9uqkZj7Kn
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z4kRWytDs
Knowledge he'd lacked when it mattered most.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTocIjvAyPG
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwNQwTZQCY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBu3sjJito
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwq2FRq6ZY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cIaQEhQAs
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHJE1sUDrR
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUDcYhlhZx
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsN2uChlpu7
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm9bdj2VkE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlPb3C9Jhe
Cel let out a sigh and turned the page to the next entry.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEYLLEBU9l
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KaNRDb0Mz
<Anathema: Endless Shambler>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3g4eUnrcy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wvoJP35mJ
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkuc5y4oNa
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzvqKCP8xn
<Realm: Crystal Maze>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yRWTuYhX3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIz80Wrjm8
Cel froze.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75WN52xIcD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGS4pbwHHaj
Crystal Maze.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJBiKeDSxI
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o5WKb8Gc8
The words struck him like a fist to the sternum. His eyes scanned the rest of the entry rapidly:111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyOxq116vo
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPlYNKbRxl
<Blight: Cursed>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9g2M8OVQT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8piC1QZHj
<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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFK8ImPBWr
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQtDbbWH5U
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpevTottx7
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFrFZvqxfk
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaCzhBg4lm
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzzmvPcwCM
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwKX9XtTJy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokjZQFYbxI
The sketch showed a skeletal figure, crystal growths erupting from bone in chaotic patterns.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2guLs3chz4
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2GCyHn6yL
The crystal-crowned skeletons. The ones that had pursued him through those violet-lit passages, their movements mechanical and wrong.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE1iAw5krX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fEUPRWMaM
But that didn't make sense.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkZ9NP3ZSi
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ytu9LMq11
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONvblfLPP8
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84uCCX4B9t
So why did the Ledger list them as a real encounter?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDBcJM5zWE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhLhl7Jdzv
His brow furrowed. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbolqqED0I
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLN0dpeOfeA
The question hung in his mind, unanswered and deeply unsettling.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjztNeZd3o
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mgliSBKWf
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIViqaf5U3S
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJOv5lgqSR
He had no answer.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0lRuUYW8i
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnySimyGgj
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4F34LBvFq
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjza0QQ8OI
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmZWTyfVz8
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvdw6etAOy
<Anathema: Perched Shadow>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfbBnBRkwE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrqrzzb4jO
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhgmPOgFRy
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2m0gSAQT3
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS8mc9WYTA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOqlayakjJ
<Blight: Defiled>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPZRbyQMNH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6SRYANNAF
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0Ger2Wame
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2RmtkEXdC
<Hunting Pattern: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN2Qjynu4u
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4EGc2RgXP
<Territorial Marks: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8JdekGcek
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIyoyJY3av
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69GNPJ8SDN
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0zUdvZosb
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhzoq3AdF0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsceB8sHdKl
No sketch. No details. Just darkness.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0sq0NtBUN
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc6GlAb8Md
Cel frowned, trying to remember. Perched Shadow... when had he encountered that?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpLK83ZdY1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0Sp3J3X4g
Then memory struck.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFpLuYASDA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1Jbg67vIh
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrQgdX3Lbs
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7M065Ba1OK
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnQ4leigPm
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNZwsBynAK
'Insufficient encounter.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwY5REfeJ4
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKvvawdaAy
The Ledger was telling him he hadn't learned enough. Hadn't seen enough to fill in the details.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqTGiO9fQZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8grdaU0RpN
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5mCEs8d2t
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHGnghDxsD
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzz8Ba3hIQW
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGnw9Kc7dk
He quickly turned the page to the next entry.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEYGomqrB6
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1pa5u8ljR
<Anathema: Ashlurker>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCqF8vHErY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OsoOUNNdj
Instead of reading further, Cel's eyes flicked to the sketch on the right page.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwszfg0JWV
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0NmWx326U
Recognition struck immediately.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcJcbSYBAa
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdRlj40yyU
The serpentine body. The elongated arms ending in clawed fingers. The eyeless head with its circular mouth ringed in needle teeth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tz3S227sa
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsxMkXYTPg
The creature he'd killed. The one whose corpse still lay coiling a few steps away.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZMG1BRKFj
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dpDwKGl5z
His gaze snapped back to the text.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrB4VsRBNdR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP2PDocMua
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSLFXJ0FNF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzXQuwDfAo
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftFdTZJVS0
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIGso3WCoa
<Blight: Profaned>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0qwoWP0cY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqGTVHDcwh
Profaned. One tier lower than Infernal. Only one tier higher than cursed - the lowest rank.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g2qm2ALZP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEElOTat43t
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52YrTlRNiR
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ot2QIVNaq
<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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9IAZbI9aU
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DIdEibqpn
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8rYb7nwIs
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNHWvSXxY2
Because he'd hurt it. Because he'd used it as a shield.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTmufVuzze
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJ1PosGf8D
<Hunting Pattern: Survives by scavenging carrion and organic debris. Detects threats and food sources through ground vibrations.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw2TWXEEfP
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLLQljgayg
Ground vibrations.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERihLtLW8A
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJj1fIOgyq
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUI8SnKV1D
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiNE0ydZnV
<Territorial Marks: Extensive subterranean burrow networks. Surface trails of disturbed ash and earth. Scratch patterns on solid surfaces indicating structural testing.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgVUkxN2NO
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWl47RxqcW
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98oOQTzofu
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkvipDm555
Simple. Accurate. Horrible.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhxtvx3JeY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7HnRV9pu6
Cel turned the page.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4gXzH4t1Q
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2uI55sC67
<Anathema: Tremorborne>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTWe2InBFZ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DcljGkuGy
His eyes flicked to the sketch. The massive segmented body, the circular maw ringed with concentric rows of teeth. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD1SqXIxAg
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbq6Qqc0VH
The worm. The massive predator that had swallowed him whole, that had nearly cooked him alive with its molten breath.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3Zg8yxXou
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mp6vT0EHZ
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDssrHKDjcw
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxiCptJzUm
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno6Ho0urvU
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopPjAMcLGm
<Blight: Defiled>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIT369qeb1
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDicW3jOGf3
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI881lqICax
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51bjdfgt2G
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fOXm5a5ag
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYMLBNNI5T
How many newly blessed Chosen would be able to survive something like this? The thought should have filled him with pride.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEGqJjd1hQ
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOjud4qxnd
Instead, it just made him realize how close he'd come to dying.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFXxav2wKT
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMBy0JpNDy
<Behavior: Possesses extreme patience. Observes prey for extended periods before striking. Capable of tactical deception including feigned death or disinterest.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDOIdcywkv
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUt6EX72Eu6
'Tactical deception.'111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDumix0a1Dk
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNxuLv9Rxj
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhgDf0KRCO
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9EVWtVjJ6
<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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MYQEexwSY
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRLOYTqWFy
Cel's throat tightened. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu993fwiVuX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIo8BWnTN0J
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkp2jkvJRF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSRdZnEhCg
Luck. Pure, stupid luck.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwCcQYyUZN
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2utOelzvEQ
<Territorial Marks: Perfectly circular surface depressions marking emergence points. Obsidian fragments scattered across the ground mark its eaten debris expulsion.>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnmGz1M88G
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQGtHwqtuD
<Legacy: [incomplete]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7bfp1dDtX
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCs8oFOXAz
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxZIm18fdl
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfUm6PrHg4
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7GYNIqBwH
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVYshICVhe
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLWZxMdGVt
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGb9Qc5gxw
Since the trial.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPlyeaMFZ4
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwAwlN8p5z
His eyes drifted to the next entry almost against his will:111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWgHpmchWE
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIoNeo6nZe
<Anathema: Ember Stalker>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOnbaeyi9o
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVkCJ7uTbf
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPW6AFg8Xi
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DA3Ov3NRE
The bird. The thing that pecked at the Ashlurker's corpse with those terrible teeth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbzZnbbK1f
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO44Zib78U
<Race: Creature>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOcvMjHAsA
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAPa7mKjM4
<Realm: Ashlands>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS9aYNmSM3
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBaZw93r58
<Blight: Cursed>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bb2QpMDkD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN6JCLyFsr
<Behavior: [insufficient encounter]>111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLA6jdreIKD
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugThMXl9hE
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yXasIM7Yu
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoLRc5zUma
His head drooped forward.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1M0EtxuHVF
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawoUgRKso1
The book began to slip from his grip.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoUxxl9XY9
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOVP5ruHBH
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKoYnka14A
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUOd0vtyzz
But his body had reached its limit.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD6IwdVGof
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdNjrJOelE
The Ledger fell from his lap, landing on the ash-covered floor with a soft thump.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpam2DX1oae
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJP8cKn1qU
His head tilted back against the stone wall.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaZq9ehnvl
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tIYQ6OXrP
Just for a moment, he told himself. Just a brief rest while he waited for Raven's return.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW7RifyvNz
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXip15WFa3l
His eyes drifted closed.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4sEp7kflu
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ClN1FxRjF
And this time, when the darkness came, he didn't fight it.1234 copyright protection107ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CUfEXigkf 尼

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