Daru's distressed heart soon calmed down after realizing that not a single Veshari paid him attention.

He was now able to walk around with more confidence in his disguise.

If everyone was ignoring him, then it meant that he was able to blend in perfectly.

Daru had a faint smile the whole time, sometimes even stopping by for a few seconds to watch a half-full party of low-rankers hunt down a swordspawn two levels higher than theirs, though he couldn't deny that he hated the thought of leveling like this.

It would simply be far too slow for him.

Once a hunt was over, he would then carry on with his brisk pace, proudly striding towards whatever Novice City was in this direction as though he belonged to the race and had been hunting in this continent from the moment his eyes lay upon the permanently gray skies of Veshara.

He soon believed his disguise was perfect, stopping by again to watch a low-ranker party finish off a swordspawn through teamwork.

Daru thought he could definitely learn from them in this regard.

His disguise would've produced the perfect results, had one of the E-ranker Veshari in the low-ranker party he just finished observing not choked on his own saliva after taking a closer look at his trial name.

The young male Veshari then told the female beside him with unusually desperate enthusiasm, and that party member the one next to hers, resulting in the entire party laughing viciously while thinking along the lines of: 'How could one be so damned unlucky?!'

Some even thought they'd rather be an E-ranker than a D-ranker of such a name.

"Ahfakriphar" got the attention of the entire party faster than he'd hoped, though he remained oblivious to it.

Daru didn't know they were in utter disbelief at the trial name he chose.

Finally, one of the members of the party, a D-ranker, couldn't take it anymore, calling out:

"Hey!"

Daru froze, nervousness returning.

Has he been found out?!

Stiffly, he turned, unintentionally gazing coldly at them. He was prepared to draw his blade.

"What?"

"Yo, yo, relax. I just want to cheer you on. Good luck finding a party, yeah?" the D-ranker, Vesbi, roared in a slightly mocking tone.

The members of the other party then burst out laughing, causing Daru to furrow his brows, puzzled.

It didn't seem like his disguise was seen through…

Thus, he decided not to respond, simply turning around and continuing on his way, while pondering what had just happened.

Why did they suddenly wish him luck?

He didn't understand and simply decided to shrug it off, ignoring the ongoing cackle-party.

As long as his cover isn't blown…

The deeper he went into the Haunting Mist Valley, the more Veshari Bladeborns he encountered—mostly E- and D-rankers in duos and trios.

Naturally, more people noticed him.

Daru noticed that they all shot him strange glances before bursting into laughter, like the party earlier.

'What the hell?'

Their consistent reactions made him uneasy, as he couldn't help but think they knew something he didn't and that he might be being led into a trap.

Still, what could he do except carry on? He simply took note that there was something weird with him.

To his deeper puzzlement, even though hours and maps passed, not a single enemy stopped him.

He was made fun of even by F-rankers, but that was it

Eventually, he made it to an area where level seven swordspawns roamed. Daru knew he was probably close to a Novice City.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't completely shake off the unease in his heart.

He wasn't affected by the mocking, just the thought of standing out in the city.

Was his disguise actually bad? Was he being lured into a city?

Naturally, there was no way for Daru to confirm this, and he knew it.

He simply steeled his resolve. He would fight his way to a map if he needed to.

Daru continued moving, passing through the level seven area, then six, then five…

The levels of the swordspawns he met consistently got lower and lower until finally, he laid his eyes upon it.

A dimly illuminated, misty grove with redwood trees reaching for the gray heavens.

There were bridges connecting most of the trees, and the redwood with the thickest trunk was located right at the center.

The walls, unlike those made of stone in Agaron, were simply reinforced wood.

It definitely looked less secure.

After taking a few minutes to observe the layout of the Novice Grove, Daru took a deep breath and approached.

A few bladeborns were coming and going, but their numbers were way fewer compared to those in the Haunting Mist Valley

The plan was to enter, look for the merchant, purchase two maps—one for himself and one for Kazuraga—and get the hell out of there.

Daru wasn't wary of the bladeborns.

After all, the strong ones like Ae'shkar were probably grinding hard in more advanced areas like the Somber Swamp.

The ones he must avoid were the "City Guards". At least that's what they were called in Agaron.

Daru was certain that, one way or another, there were Combat Waykeepers defending the area from intruders like him.

The City Guards in Agaron were level 50, and if he wasn't mistaken, then the equivalent of them in this grove was likely around the same level.

He must be careful.

A dozen minutes later, he reached the entrance, and as soon as he did…

"Pfft!"

Stifled laughter and pointing fingers greeted him. He was being made fun of again…

'Tch…' Daru inwardly clicked his tongue in slight annoyance. 'What's wrong with my disguise?'

Nonetheless, he simply ignored them as he did earlier, braving into the city.

If something isn't broken, why fix it?

Veshari bladeborns had been laughing at him since earlier, sure, but no one had attacked him.

Maybe he would get away with just that?

Anchoring his courage and actions in this belief, Daru didn't let go of his composure, walking deeper into the dimly illuminated grove with his head held high.

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