Vale, the Shadow Immortal, stood before the assembly of Beast Arts Practitioners, each warrior holding their weapon with a mix of anticipation and reverence.

He could hear their whispers, but he decided to focus on his task: to give blessings to their magic artifacts.

His ability to give "blessing" to Magic Artifacts or even to normal objects wasn't from a Spell Model that he already has. It came from the Shadow Consortium.

Indeed, it came from one of the organizations that had visited his castle over a year ago.

At that time, Cane from Shadow Consortium had previously requested his blood to create a Divine Talisman. At that time, Vale was hesitant to use his blood to create such an item.

After all, if that talisman was handed over to the wrong person, it would be disastrous. A talisman that was above the known highest-ranking talisman that an Arcanist could be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

However, after quite some time, he was able to consider all possibilities.

All in all, it would have given him more benefits if he had cooperated, so he still decided to go ahead with the plan. He even added a condition to learn how to make his Divine Talisman.

Thanks to that, Lisa, Denise, and all the others in the castle obtained a Divine Talisman from the Consortium.

Of course, instead of learning how to create a Divine Talisman, Vale had learned how to provide "blessing" to an item with his Shadow Divinity or even using his blood.

'Let's quickly finish this' Vale muttered.

As Vale extended his hands, a hush fell over the crowd, the only sound was the whisper of the wind through the trees.

Whoosh~

He began with Sylvana's sword, his fingers tracing the length of the blade.

As he did so, the metal darkened to an obsidian hue, and shadows gathered around the edges like a shroud.

Sylvana and the others wanted to exclaim in surprise, but they all held their mouths as if they didn't want to disturb Vale's ritual.

They didn't want the blessing to fail. After all, a failed blessing wasn't harmless. It could break the items instead!

Considering that, they made sure not to disturb him.

Soon, Vale whispered the word "Shadow Blessing".

Again, it wasn't a Spell, but he simply chanted it to trigger his mind. It was the method he developed to draw enough Shadow Divinity

Soon, the sword seemed to absorb the light around it, becoming a weapon that could cleave through both flesh and even the light itself.

He did not return the sword to Sylvana, but instead, he turned his attention to the next item. Since he was in the momentum, he didn't want to break it.

Next was Korvax's hammer, its head large and already imposing.

Vale placed a palm on either side of it, and the shadows coalesced into solid form, wrapping around the hammer like dark vines.

"Shadow Blessing"

Once again, the hammer was pounded by the darkness to obtain a new, heavier weight, promising to bring the might of shadow essence upon its foe.

Lyra and Tyro had also handed their daggers.

Vale took each dagger and held them aloft. The blades vibrated as if eager for the blessing.

'Ohhh~ These daggers are Royal Grade Impressive.' Vale commented in his mind.

He continued with his ritual and enveloped the daggers in a silent miasma, ensuring their strikes would be as quiet as they could ever be.

One by one, the other Practitioners stepped forward, presenting their weapons to Vale. Each time, he imbued them with a unique aspect of his Shadow Divinity:

A bow that once sounded like a screeching string now hummed with a deeper resonance

A set of throwing knives became almost invisible when hurled

A staff, used for channeling the natural energies of the world now pulsed with a darker power. Anyone could guess that the spells that would cast on it would be tinged with the essence of night.

As Vale continued, the surrounding air around them seemed to thicken, charged with the power of the Shadow Divinity.

The Practitioners felt the weight of their newly blessed weapons, a tangible reminder of the strength they had been granted.

When the last weapon had been blessed, a collective sense of empowerment filled the group.

They knew that with these weapons, they were no longer just Beast Masters; they felt like calling themselves Shadow Beast Masters!

Sylvana chuckled at this thought but she immediately suppressed herself in case Vale misunderstood.

Vale stepped back, his task complete.

The Practitioners lifted their weapons high, the newly formed shadows writhing around them in a dance of dark celebration.

That's right The shadows seemed alive in their weapons!

They were ready to face the Demon horde or even weaker Demon Saints, to defend their realm with the blessings of the Shadow Immortal.

"Incredible! Thank you, Sir Immortal!"

"This is going to be my family's heirloom"

"If there's a time that you need our help, please don't hesitate to inform us."

"Right If you have young disciples who want to learn beast arts, you can let us know and train them with the basics. No need to attend the academies."

"Hahaha That's right We don't know how we are going to repay you, Sir Immortal. So please don't hesitate to come to us if there are minor things you have to do. Just leave those things to us."

The Practitioners could feel the power coursing through their newly blessed weapons, a sensation that was both exhilarating and humbling.

They knew that with these gifts, their prowess in battle would be unmatched.

Vale smiled at their words and he would surely use them if needed.

"Alright Go forth, warriors of the Beast Arts" Vale proclaimed, his voice echoing with the authority of the ages.

"I hope these weapons will help you kill more demons or even Demon Saints. Become symbols of victory against the darkness that encroaches upon our world." Vale wanted to sound profound, which was befitting of an Immortal, but he seemed to be trying too hard.

He decided to end his words with that and left the area.

The Beast Arts Practitioners raised their weapons high, their cheers resonating through the region

They were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, emboldened by the blessings of the Shadow Immortal.

***

In the meantime, not too far from the remnants of the Vermont Academy, Lesley Hoffman, with her fiery red hair and piercing eyes, led her squad of Dark Arts Practitioners through the shadowed forests of the kingdom.

They moved like wraiths, silent and deadly, their presence known only by the chill in the air and the whispers of the leaves

"Mhmm We're finally getting a good haul this time." She muttered with a smile on her face.

Lesley, though young, was a prodigy among the Practitioners.

Her power was immense, her control over the Dark Arts was unparalleled and not even the professors of the Academy were her match.

Her team, a handpicked group of the most talented and ruthless mages, followed her without question, their loyalty as deep as the darkness they wielded.

They were on the hunt for a Demon Saint, one who ranked 44th in the hierarchy of the Abyss.

This Demon Saint had caused chaos in one of the laboratories of the Vermont Clan and had to die. This Demon Saint's power was formidable but not insurmountable. The Demon Saint was relying too much on the Corruption Divinity and the weapon that could emit abyssal fire.

Lesley and her squad had tracked it to these woods, and they were ready to end their reign of terror. Well, this Demon Saint was already injured by the Patriarch of the Vermont Clan. The Demon Saint could no longer show more than 50% of its power.

Nonetheless, if it wasn't Lesley's team, it would be dangerous for other Evanescent Vessel's squad.

As they closed in on their quarry, the Demon Saint sensed their approach and attempted to flee.

"Tsk What kind of mark did they put on me? How are they finding me?!" The Demon Saint said in frustration.

He then tore through the forest, uprooting trees and shattering rocks, its desperation could be felt.

However, Lesley and the others were already in the distance.

She raised her hand, and her squad formed a circle around her. They began to chant, their voices a low, haunting melody that resonated with the power of the void.

The air around them darkened, and the fabric of reality began to thin.

"Now!" Lesley commanded, her voice cutting through the night.

With a collective surge of their wills, they summoned theHand of the Death God A mysterious being living in the Spirit World.

The hand tore through the veil of space, a terrifying entity of shadow and malice. Its fingers were like the trunks of ancient trees, its palm a chasm of darkness!

"What is that thing?!" The Demon Saint, who was ranked 44th, was terrified at the mountain-sized hand reaching out for him!