The Overseer tilted his head as he observed Vale...
Vale’s Shadow Divinity was undeniable, so he couldn’t really deny his entry to the realm.
The Overseer then extended his hand upturned.
"You have to pay Divine Crystals," the Overseer said. "The toll for passage."
Vale’s expression remained impassive, but inwardly, he frowned.
Divine Crystals? He only had about a hundred of them in his possession. He was afraid that he hadn’t brought enough.
Before he could respond, the Overseer’s eyes flickered with sothing almost like amusent.
"You are unprepared."
A lesser being might have been offended at the tone, but Vale rely nodded his head.
"I was not aware of the requirent."
The Overseer then reached into the folds of his cloak and produced a single, empty Divine Crystal. It was a small, translucent gem like a piece of normal jewelry.
"Fill this..." the Overseer commanded. "Then you will understand the cost."
’Ohh... He thought I didn’t have any.’ Vale mused.
Vale then took the crystal, turning it over in his fingers.
His Divine Extraction System was not triggered since there was nothing to extract.
It was an empty Divine Crystal.
Nonetheless, his system was still triggered for another reason.
[ Do you want to store your Divinity Points in the Divine Crystal? ]
"Yes..."
[ Are you sure you want to transfer 5 Divinity Points? ]
"Ah?"
Shane was a bit shocked as he saw this.
It must be rembered that the Divine Crystal of the human realm required 20 Divinity Points to fill a Divine Crystal.
However, the Divine Crystal here only needed 5 Divinity Points.
This was certainly an interesting find.
Without hesitation, Vale channeled his Shadow Divinity into the gem.
The crystal darkened, swirling with dark power until it glowed with a subdued violet light.
’Do I only have to pay one Divine Crystal?’ Vale mused.
However, the Overseer continued.
"You will need five such crystals to move freely in Dark Vermont..." With that said, he handed over four more empty crystals.
Vale gently nodded after hearing the price. That would probably have been a substantial drain a few years ago but not now.
One by one, he filled four more crystals... It was not a significant reduction as he actually didn’t mind giving his five larger Divine Crystals.
Just like that, the Overseer collected the crystals, inspecting each before tucking them away.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he produced a small, black token etched with an image.
It seed to be the mark of the Overseer’s approval.
"This proves your identity as a Shadow Immortal." he said. "Do not lose it. You’ll find it useful in this realm."
With that, the Overseer dissolved into the shadows, leaving Vale alone in the prairie...
"I guess it’s ti to explore the place." Vale muttered.
***
This Dark Vermont Continent wasn’t as dark or gloomy as he indeed initially thought...
The sky stretched above him was peaceful and bright... There were no storms or anything he had previously imagined.
The sun—no, not a sun, but a pulsing orb of energy—cast a warm glow over a landscape, making it a vibrant place...
As he extended his Divine Sense, he noticed that the prairie he was at stretched not just as far as his eye could see... This was a really huge place!
Soon, he noticed in the north the presence of a forest consisting of Crystal Trees rose in the distance, their leaves glinting like fractured starlight, their trunks humming with latent energy.
Furthermore, there were Magical Beasts that road freely—stag-like creatures with pelts of living shadow, winged serpents that glided around, and many others could be seen.
Vale then moved closer to the area where he felt the presence of Immortals.
After so ti, he soon noticed towers of white and black stones.
Then, he also noticed carriages and there were even so bustling streets filled with Immortals and even so mortals and half-immortals.
Well, he already knew that this Shadow Realm was also filled with mortals, so he wasn’t that surprised.
Still, this place was truly a much better place than he had originally thought.
***
Soon, Vale’s Dinsional Creature let out a delighted chitter, its form started shifting into a creature similar to a cat as if the realm itself was refining it.
"It’s still fifty kiloters," Vale murmured. "Might as well enjoy the view."
He could have shadow-walked, to quickly arrive at the settlent, but he wasn’t in a hurry.
Vale continued his journey across the vibrant landscape of the region, taking in the unfamiliar sights slowly to familiarize himself...
The terrain shifted gradually from open plains to hills as he walked, giving him ti to observe this strange new world.
About 30 kiloters into his trek, he noticed a peculiar sight - an ornate rchant’s wagon floating about a ter above the ground...
It was moving steadily along what appeared to be an invisible path. The wagon was constructed from so dark, polished wood and Vale had no idea how it worked.
He could only see a single large wheel spinning lazily beneath it, though it never touched the ground.
As Vale drew closer, he could see the rchant clearly - a middle-aged man with silver-streaked hair tied back in a practical knot.
His clothing was simple but well-made, and it matched his wagon.
What caught Vale’s attention most were the man’s eyes... He was definitely an Immortal.
"First ti in this region?" the rchant called out as Vale approached. He seed to be amused.
Vale raised his brow. "Is it that obvious?"
The rchant chuckled, bringing his floating wagon to a smooth halt.
"Well... You’re staring at the grass like it’s about to bite you." The rchant chuckled as he tossed Vale a fruit...
Vale smiled and accepted the fruit. Then, the rchant continued, "Na’s Corvin. I trade in Divinity-infused goods along the Silver Road here."
He then patted his wagon affectionately. "This old girl’s been with three centuries now."
The wagon’s contents were indeed unusual - racks of mystical fruits, vials of swirling liquids, and what appeared to be small, living shadows contained in crystal spheres. Corvin then reached into a compartnt and pulled out a fist-sized fruit with a translucent purple rind...
"Two Divine Crystals."
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