The following morning, news about the blue grade secret realm had already spread across most parts of the settlement.

People gathered around shops, guild buildings, and even roadside stalls discussing the same topic with lowered voices and excited expressions. Some claimed the realm contained ancient treasures from before the apocalypse, while others insisted it was connected to the undead dragon incident from days ago.

The biggest reason for the noise, however, was not the realm itself.

It was the agreement.

For the first time in a long while, the human side and the Velhari side were conducting a shared exploration mission together. The moment that information leaked out, speculation spread even faster than the original news.

"They are definitely hiding something."

"There is no way both sides suddenly decided to cooperate peacefully."

"I heard the realm appeared near the border itself. Maybe neither side can enter safely alone."

"Or maybe the Velhari found it first and the humans forced their way in."

Rumors changed every few minutes depending on who was speaking.

Some people looked nervous after hearing the Velhari would participate directly. Others became excited because they wanted to see powerful fighters from both sides together in one place.

By midmorning, the gathering area outside the eastern gate had already become crowded.

Several guards stood nearby to stop civilians from approaching too close, though many still stretched their necks trying to catch a glimpse of the teams selected for the mission.

Zich stood near the side of the prepared convoy with both hands inside his coat pockets.

His white hair moved slightly under the morning wind while his eyes calmly scanned the area around him. Unlike the noisy crowd nearby, his expression looked completely uninterested in the attention surrounding the mission.

Helen stood beside him with her arms crossed.

Today she wore lighter combat gear instead of her usual casual clothes, though the relaxed smile she often carried was smaller than normal. Her eyes occasionally moved toward the distant road leading to the Velhari side.

Jayden remained farther away from both of them.

His posture was straight, and his cold gaze occasionally drifted toward Zich before returning forward again. The tension between them remained obvious enough that even nearby guild members avoided standing between the two.

Arnold stood at the front near Cole.

Both men looked far calmer than the rest of the gathered fighters, though Arnold’s eyes stayed fixed toward the eastern road with quiet focus. Cole, on the other hand, looked increasingly irritated as time passed.

Several more minutes went by.

The Velhari side still had not appeared.

Cole clicked his tongue loudly before folding both arms over his chest. "Those bastards are doing this on purpose. Making us stand here waiting like idiots probably makes them feel important."

Arnold ignored the complaint and kept watching.

Zich glanced briefly toward Cole before looking away again. He personally did not care whether the Velhari arrived early or late, though standing around doing nothing while surrounded by noise was starting to become annoying.

Helen noticed his expression and smiled faintly.

"You look like you want to leave already."

"I do."

"You have not even seen them yet."

"That part is not exciting enough to improve the situation."

Helen laughed quietly under her breath.

Before she could respond again, movement appeared near the eastern road. The guards standing nearby immediately straightened, and the noisy conversations around the area gradually weakened.

The Velhari team had arrived.

Three figures walked forward without hurrying.

At the front was a tall Velhari male with dark red skin covered in darker markings running along his arms, neck, and jaw. Narrow golden eyes with slit pupils calmly looked over the human side while two short backward curved horns rested near his temples.

Dark armor covered most of his body. Several sections had been reinforced using thick bone plates, and a long bone spear rested loosely in his right hand. Black metal rings had been attached near the blade, producing faint clinking sounds each time he walked.

The second Velhari was much shorter. Dark hair completely covered most of the figure’s eyes, making the face difficult to read properly. Unlike the leader, this one carried twin curved blades strapped behind the waist.

The third Velhari stood out the most. Even from a distance, the giant stood at least seven feet tall with thick muscles stretching against heavy armor. The creature carried no visible weapon, yet the size of both arms alone already made several nearby humans tense instinctively.

Silence spread slowly through the area as the three approached.

The pressure coming from them was unpleasant.

It was not only strength either. Their expressions carried open disdain while their eyes moved across the gathered humans as though they were looking at something beneath them.

Several nearby guild members unconsciously stepped back slightly.

One younger fighter swallowed hard after meeting the spear wielder’s eyes for barely a second. Even the surrounding guards straightened further as the oppressive atmosphere pressed against the gathering area.

Cole’s face darkened immediately as he whispered under his breath, "Arrogant bastards."

The tall Velhari heard him. His golden eyes shifted toward Cole briefly before looking away again without responding. The lack of reaction somehow made the dismissal feel worse.

Zich watched the exchange calmly. His gaze lingered on the spear for a moment before shifting toward the large Velhari at the back. Unlike the others nearby, he showed no visible reaction to the oppressive aura surrounding the group.

Helen frowned slightly. Usually, she tried to remain friendly even toward unpleasant people, but the way the Velhari side looked at everyone around them made irritation appear clearly across her face.

"They really know how to ruin the mood," she said quietly.

Jayden remained silent nearby, though his hand had already moved near the hilt of his weapon.

The atmosphere near the convoy became noticeably heavier.

Several humans stared openly at the Velhari side while the Velhari leader calmly returned the looks with narrowed golden eyes. Nobody spoke for a few seconds, but the tension filling the air became obvious enough that even the surrounding crowd stopped whispering.

The shared mission had not even started yet, but everyone present could tell it would not be peaceful.