CHAPTER 50: DARK PLANE

"Dark Plane?"

Although unfamiliar with the term, Nash felt a deep dread as he read those words.

Browsing the internal library of the Earth Horizon Alliance, he quickly found what he was looking for.

[Basic Information About the Dark Plane.

Cost: 1,000]

"Just basic information costs 1,000 contribution points?!"

It was just an overview, without substantial content like the void training manuals, yet it was still expensive.

As for advanced information, it wasn’t available.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, coupled with an abundance of contribution points, Nash bought the basic information about the Dark Plane.

As 1,000 contribution points disappeared from his squad account, a digital file was sent to his phone.

"Just a digital copy? How cheap!"

Feeling like he had wasted his money, Nash began browsing the information.

Suddenly, after reading the digital copy, his nonchalance quickly disappeared as his eyes widened in shock.

Like a man discovering a new world, Nash felt his understanding of reality expand.

According to the document, the world was divided into three planes: The Reality, the Virtual World, and the Dark Plane.

The Reality is easy to understand, as it’s where his physical entity resided.

The Virtual World, on the other hand, was an artificial world designed to connect everyone.

Finally, the Dark Plane was the flip side of reality, a dangerous place filled with dark beasts, the number one enemy of all living beings.

Yet, despite the danger, it was also full of opportunities.

What amazed Nash the most was the systematic laws of the Dark Plane.

Like a game, each time someone killed a dark beast, they gained experience that directly increased the void saturation in their body.

There was even a chance that the dark beast would drop materials, weapons, items, pets, and mounts.

Although there was a risk of death, compared to the benefits, it was nothing.

After reading the document multiple times, Nash decided to buy a basic Virtual Dark Pod.

Spending 87,000 contribution points, he was left with only 3,800.

Waiting in anticipation, he soon received a delivery at their squad room.

"Captain, what did you order this time?"

"It looks expensive. How many contribution points did you spend, Captain?"

Curious, his squadmates helped Nash drag a coffin-like device into his private room.

"It’s a Virtual Dark Pod."

"A virtual device? Don’t we already have the Virtual Helmet?"

"This one’s different. It lets you access the Dark Plane."

"Dark Plane? What’s that?"

"Haha, I’ll send you the information. Let me test this first."

Excited to enter the Dark Plane, Nash sent them the document and climbed into the Virtual Dark Pod.

---

Feeling his consciousness fade, Nash found himself in his virtual personal space.

[Welcome, Nash Navre, to your Personal Space.]

Standing in the familiar Virtual World, Nash tried to access the Nova Sector Virtual Server.

[Error!]

[The virtual device can’t connect to the void network. Please check your device for issues.]

"It’s still the same..." Nash smiled wryly.

Even after killing the last Arleanian on Earth, it seemed the network blockade hadn’t lifted.

Fortunately, being in a Virtual Dark Pod, a new access window appeared.

Tapping on the Dark Plane tab, Nash clicked Enter.

[Scanning...]

[Void Warrior: 10% Saturation]

[Eligible to Enter]

Seeing that he could enter despite the network blockade, Nash couldn’t help but smile.

If the Virtual Plane was artificial, relying on void signals to connect, then the Dark Plane was a natural realm, the opposite of reality.

Unaffected by interference, anyone with an external device could enter.

[Warning!!!]

[This is a dangerous place with a high mortality rate!]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

"Enter."

From the information he read earlier, Nash knew he wouldn’t be in immediate danger upon entry.

---

Dark Plane - Lantern Shelter, Nova Dark Battlefield:

[Welcome to the Lantern Shelter!]

As his body slowly materialized, a notification popped up before his eyes.

"Lantern Shelter? Looks like this place is the closest to Earth."

Based on the information he had read when entering the Dark Plane for the first time, one would be summoned to the nearest shelter corresponding to their location in reality.

Calming down, Nash focused on his body, feeling it perfectly synchronized with the reality.

His strength, senses, and runic space—all remained the same.

Although the Virtual World could do the same, the simulation of the Dark Plane seemed more real.

If he were to rate it, the Virtual World could simulate his body up to 99.99% while the Dark Plane could push it to 100%.

Looking around, he found himself in what appeared to be an ancient city.

Without the technological marvels of the real world, the buildings were simple, transportation relied on animals and carriages, clothes were made of cotton, the air filled with the smell of steaming food, and finally, a massive wall, like a dragon, coiled around the city.

"This is truly a primitive world..."

One of the special rules of the Dark Plane was that all mechanical, electrical, and void-energy-powered devices would malfunction.

Only basic mechanical devices like carriages, bows, pulleys, scissors, and water mills functioned.

For advanced mechanical devices like trains, motors, cars, planes, and machinery were completely disabled.

It was as if some great power watched over the world, suppressing advanced human technology.

Fortunately, dark beasts dropped weapons no worse than human-made ones.

Some even surpassed them, becoming supreme treasures of mankind.

Walking around, Nash began exploring, saving everything he saw to the [Memory Module System].

Looking at various stalls selling S-class weapons, even transcendence weapons, he couldn’t help but feel tempted.

The prices were shockingly low.

If the weakest S-class weapon on the Earth Horizon Alliance cost thousands of points, here they were only worth a few hundred void crystals.

Unfortunately, this place didn’t use void crystals as currency.

The merits earned from killing the dark beast were the only thing that could be exchanged with everyone.

Merits are the universal energy rewarded by the Dark Plane, which could be used to trade for almost anything.

Even transferring materials to the real world requires merits.

[Nash Navre

Rank: Void Warrior (10%)

Merit: 0]

Looking at his status panel, which did not have a single merit in his name, Nash sighed.

With no choice, he continued wandering, gathering information.

A few hours later, after visiting most of the city’s attractions, he headed toward the gate.

Just as he was about to step outside, a guard suddenly shouted, stopping him in his tracks.

"Stop! Where’s your badge?!"

"Badge?"