Chapter 75: The Shadow Sanctuary
Marcus was subtly observing the other party, his first time approaching someone like a Keeper.
The couch she sat on, surprisingly soft, hadn't sagged much, as if she herself weighed very little.
"It's a special soul plant with a trace of possession ability, considered top-grade. It's what I need. What would you like to exchange it for?"
Shadow spoke with delight, her voice tinged with coldness, as if she spoke to everyone this way, though her joy was palpable.
Marcus understood; powerful people often become reserved, not because they've lost the ability to interact with others, but because they've lost interest in putting on an act.
Just like when he faced ordinary people.
If someone praised a unique item as top-grade in front of the seller, a ruthless person would probably charge ten times the price.
But this was the confidence that came with strength; with enough power, everyone around you would be reasonable, even unscrupulous merchants would become honest.
"I'm not very familiar with the prices in this area, you can decide what to offer," Marcus said.
Upon hearing this, Shadow pondered for a moment, glanced at Marcus's attire, and said,
"Then I'll give you five pounds of Void Silver."
Void Silver? Marcus was puzzled by the name; he didn't know what it was used for.
Shadow seemed to sense Marcus's confusion:
"You... you don't even know what Void Silver is?"
"I truly don't know. Please enlighten me, Keeper," Marcus admitted frankly.
Hearing this, Shadow seemed to understand something. A glint flashed in her eyes, and she said coldly,
"Claire said you are also from Earth. May I see your Crossroads number? This is my number."
Shadow flipped her wrist, and a piece of information materialized:
Crossroads Number: NA346 Identity: Branch Keeper.
"This..." Marcus hesitated slightly.
Shadow seemed to understand Marcus's hesitation:
"The Crossroads number is assigned by the main facility. No curse can be traced back to the participant based on the number, unless the other party's abilities surpass those of the Crossroads. This is one way to distinguish factions."
Upon hearing this, Marcus no longer hesitated. He flipped his wrist to communicate with the Crossroads seal, and a message appeared, transforming from illusory to real:
Crossroads Number: NA914 Identity: Participant.
Shadow nodded upon seeing this message. NA was an abbreviation for North America, something that couldn't be changed. Having confirmed Marcus's identity, Shadow spoke:
"Void Silver is the main currency among the Keepers, and it's generally not for sale to regular participants. It doesn't originate from the story worlds, but from reality!"
"Reality?"
Marcus's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He had been awakened in this world for over a week, and he always felt a sense of crisis weighing on his heart, but he didn't know where it came from.
This was also why he even considered approaching people carefully, gathering intelligence. Because at times like this, he understood the predicament of those who didn't know the full picture, feeling like they were fumbling in the dark, truly passive.
But now, the world's mysteries seem to be unfolding.
"Yes, it originates from the intersection of reality and the supernatural. It serves to isolate supernatural atmospheres and is an essential material for building future sanctuaries."
"It can also be used to craft armor. The reason Keepers don't trade survival points is because as long as you wear armor made of Void Silver, disguise yourself as an ordinary person, and participate in a few stories, you'll have enough survival points."
"In ordinary stories, as long as you don't cause trouble, wear the Void Silver lining to conceal your supernatural nature, hide away, relax, and enjoy a vacation; survival points aren't a rare commodity."
Hearing Shadow's cold words, Marcus felt utterly bewildered.
He had initially thought it would just be competition between participants like in similar systems, but now there were things like sanctuaries, the Supernatural Realm, and Void Silver.
"What is the Supernatural Realm? And what is the sanctuary you speak of, Keeper...?"
Following his principle of asking questions when he didn't understand, Marcus was eager to know what was going on in this world; information was indeed paramount.
Shadow seemed to have been waiting for Marcus to ask this question.
"I see you still haven't joined any faction, probably because you have real-world concerns, right?"
"This world isn't as simple as you think. Every rule has its own absolute reasoning; they were established step by step, correcting mistakes made by our predecessors. Once you understand that, you'll understand!"
"My Night Rain Society is currently recruiting nominal members, who can share society intelligence and trade."
"Nominal members don't need to reveal your background, but they also don't enjoy real-world benefits. These spots are specifically prepared for talented individuals who are both promising and cautious."
"I still have spots available. Would you like to join my Sanctuary?"
"These spots are generally not publicly announced. Once you understand enough, you'll naturally lower your guard."
Shadow looked at Marcus, not intending to explain further, but instead extending an olive branch.
Marcus considered this for a moment. He indeed didn't want to reveal his background and be controlled by others while he was still weak, because he had the confidence to become stronger.
But now, with an opportunity to join without revealing his background and obtain intelligence, Marcus didn't want to miss it.
Judging from Shadow's intentions, it seemed that investigating the real-world background wasn't just about controlling the person, but more like a real-world necessity to arrange something.
However, this wasn't something Marcus needed to consider now. Once he reached the Keeper level, he wouldn't mind being exposed, but definitely not now.
"Alright, I agree to join the Night Rain Society as a nominal member,"
Marcus replied decisively without hesitation.
Shadow nodded, and Marcus's seal received a message:
[Crossroads ID NA346 invites you to join the Shadow Sanctuary. Do you agree? (Note: Leaving a branch sanctuary requires submitting 1000 survival points. You cannot join another branch sanctuary during a single instance period.)]
Seeing this message, Marcus felt the penalty for leaving was entirely within his tolerance. With a thought, he confirmed joining the Shadow Sanctuary.
[You have joined the Shadow Sanctuary. The entry point has changed from the plaza to the Shadow Sanctuary Hall]
Shadow also received feedback. Seeing that Marcus had joined her sanctuary, she forced a stiff smile.
"Welcome! Your questions can be answered on the information board in the Shadow Sanctuary lobby."
"Regarding the exchange of Soul Plant, you can choose Void Silver or 10,000 Survival Points."
Marcus thought carefully. Void Silver could be exchanged for Survival Points, but according to her, it wasn't easy to buy Void Silver with Survival Points.
"Then I'll go with what we said at the beginning; I'll choose Void Silver."
"Okay."
An item about the size of a basketball and a badge the size of a large coin were placed on the coffee table.
The Void Silver looked like a piece of organic matter with a metallic coating, still seemingly alive.
A grayish-silver sheen seemed to flow and swirl on the surface, looking like flesh infused with otherworldly energy.
(End of Chapter)
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