CHAPTER 103: THOSE COLD EYES

"Sigh...it’s still not enough in the end, huh?" lamented a pale-gray-skinned bladeborn at the gates as he dissipated into red cubic particles.

But Daru couldn’t care less about the Veshari novice who had just been killed by a Tahm Throssa.

He was happy that he was able to survive, thanks to the notifications in front of him:

[You have consumed a Level Grape!]

[Congratulations! You’ve leveled up to 36!]

Daru stopped, observing the leaving Grove Sentinels with a faint smile as he allocated his earned attribute points before proceeding on his way.

It was time to return to the Somber Swamp.

His disguise seemed to still be somewhat reliable, despite the mockeries he suffered.

So, Daru didn’t take it off yet, traveling through four maps and passing the well-populated Haunting Mist Valley.

Four hours and a dozen mockeries later, he finally arrived, staring at the familiar swampwater.

It felt like home in this distant land of the Veshara continent.

With a faint smile, he entered.

The words ’Somber Swamp’, written in the familiar font that was as bold, straightforward, and sharp as a sword, appeared in the skies for a few moments as if welcoming him.

Thanks to the map in his hands, it was now far easier for him to navigate the location, though he literally only headed south and went straight ahead.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to return to Kazuraga’s burrow.

This time, Daru summoned his cross-eyed Albino Zebra.

There was no need for him to be so cautious here, since there were far fewer bladeborns in this location.

He also wanted to complete the Satyrian Quest as soon as he could.

The mount cantered forth, sending swampwater splashing everywhere.

...Until twenty minutes later...

He heard the sounds of an ongoing battle and dismounted from his zebra, dismissing it with two claps.

Daru then walked closer, tachi in hand.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes noticed and locked onto him from the shadows of a mangrove, following him as he arrived at the scene of an ongoing battle.

Daru’s eyes narrowed.

Three Vyrrkans — two B-rankers and one C-ranker — were ganging up on someone.

"Hahahaha! For a human B-ranker, you’re quite strong, but not strong enough. Die!"

The moment he realized what was happening, his kin was already dissipating into red cubic particles, slashed from behind by the sneaky C-ranker.

"Yeay, fist bump, brothers." One of the B-ranker Vyrrkans, Drakar, initiated in celebration, only for the brute bladeborn to realize that his comrades weren’t paying attention to him.

Both were grinning at something behind him.

Drakar quickly turned to look, the same grin emerging on his face as he realized that there was a witness.

A local.

A Veshari.

"Oh? A D-ranker? Say, little Veshari, where are your friends? Call them now, because you’re gonna need them," taunted Drakar as he dashed forward.

The other two Vyrrkans, the C-ranker Koral and the other B-ranker Barimara, didn’t even move, giving the kill to the acknowledged boss of their temporary trio.

There was no need for them to gang up on a low-ranker.

It was rather unfortunate that their brains didn’t even have the capability to doubt the fact that a D-ranker made it this deep in the Somber Swamp alone, when the three of them had to work together to defeat level forty swordspawns.

Daru dashed right back, slightly displeased that a human had been killed right in front of him.

Drakar was bewildered. He couldn’t follow Ahfakriphar with his eyes!

The next thing he knew, the world was spinning, and his vision was turning black.

"D-DRAKAR!!" exclaimed the other two Vyrrkans in horror and disbelief.

They saw what happened, but at the same time, they didn’t. The D-ranker Veshari was too fast.

Far faster than what their eyes could handle.

’How?!’ were their temporary final thoughts as the gray death fell upon them, ruthlessly reaping their lives and sending them back to Ignarok.

Daru felt his heart lighten after avenging whoever the human bladeborn was.

He instinctively relaxed the next moment, having finished eliminating the threat.

It was then that he suddenly felt danger from behind, swampwater splashing everywhere as swift and light footsteps sounded.

Daru quickly jumped to the opposite direction and turned. He narrowly managed to angle his sword more neatly than the ambush situation allowed.

His eyes then shifted focus — from his opponent’s sword, to her hands, then to her face, locking gazes.

Daru froze.

He was quite familiar with those blueberry eyes, interacting with them almost every day.

However, this was the first time he saw them so intense, so ruthlessly cold, like a frigid winter night in the Alps.

He had never expected that Iris was also here.

Her long blue hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a set of common processed alloy armor that protected her vital parts but allowed fluid movement.

Daru was about to speak when she jumped back and created distance.

But how could he when his training partner is so fired up, an icy-blue aura enveloping her.

He had never seen this menacing side of her.

Thus, he decided that it was for the best that he stayed quiet for now, a faint, excited smile appearing on his face.

Today would mark their first spar.

To his surprise, the usually quiet Snowflower spoke:

"I knew it...I have to at least take one of your lives. You’re a strange and dangerous D-ranker..."

Daru’s smile widened slightly, and he responded.

"That’s right. I’m a dangerous D-ranker, so it would be best for you to take my life."

Iris’ gaze turned a notch colder, and she charged again, this time bewilderingly faster.

Daru had to utilize his reflexes to their limit before managing to block her sweeping strike from his left.

He skidded backwards a few meters, suddenly outmatched both in speed and strength.

What was going on?

Daru was a bit confused, but he was all for it. He shall try to learn more about his training partner today.

In the next moment, Iris erupted into a graceful onslaught.

Her icy-blue longsword, with a stoic white flower in the connecting point of the cross guard and the handle, hacked, slashed, chopped, and stabbed at her opponent.

Daru inevitably fell on the defensive, steps light yet firm as he retreated, meeting her sword with equal ferocity despite his being inferior in physical attributes.

The training partners danced with their swords, a melody of metallic clangs, grunts, and watersplashes playing in the background.

They exchanged no words, only blows, each tougher than the last.

But Daru’s defense proved too difficult to crack.

For the first time in her life, Snowflower found her flowing style ineffective, curious as to how the D-ranker Veshari in front of her was so impressive.

Forget his astonishing physical attributes; it was his skills with the sword that made things incredibly difficult for her.

Iris’ passive would always grant her a small advantage in physical attributes, no matter how strong her opponent was.

Her swordsmanship, honed for hours in training every day, was usually more than enough to give her the win.

This was the first time she ran into this kind of stalemate despite being superior both in sword tier and physical attributes.

Was she inferior in sword techniques?

Iris was naturally unwilling to believe this, taking one deep breath as she momentarily stepped back and stopped her fierce offensive.

Another red damage value floated above her, the sixth time it had happened in this duel:

[-6]

It was quite a small amount of penalty from her passive, but unbelievably huge to Iris, considering she was fighting a low-ranker from another race.

Nonetheless, every damage dealt to her, even one from her own passive, only empowered her further.

The longer the battle went, the more Iris’ opponent would learn why her name in the Myriad Sword Realm was Edelweiss.