After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

After saying farewell to the audience beyond the screen, Lin Da closed the live stream, took out the Teleportation Stone, and returned to the Secret Realm Square with Monica.

The noon sun fell on Lin Da's face as he held Monica's hand, a contemplative look crossing his features.

The cost of hiring someone to challenge a Minor Secret Realm and the endlessly repeatable Great Mystery Continent varied drastically.

If someone helped the Phoenix Tail Flower clear the 13th level and then went back to their original team, they couldn't enter the 13th level again and would have to wait until the 14th level to rejoin.

Fortunately, Lin Da was not too short on money.

The first person he thought of hiring was the Holy Mage Aiko.

With Aiko's help, clearing the 13th level's hidden problems wouldn't be too big of an issue.

However, he had only recently refused Aiko, deciding in his heart to distance himself from her.

And then there was the question... would Lia let her go?

Since Snow Goose was stuck on the 13th level without passing, borrowing Aiko would mean Snow Goose's team would lose their magical output, making it even harder to get past the 13th level.

Thinking about this, Lin Da began to feel a headache coming on.

'Forget it. We're not at the 13th level yet, I'll think about it when we're close,' Lin Da thought to himself.

Rather than the yet-to-be-reached 13th level, the immediate challenge was the 10th level of the Great Mystery Continent.

According to the announcement from the World Tree Sanctum, there was still half a month left until the opening of the 10th level of the Great Mystery Continent.

Originally, Lin Da had no intention of aiming for 'that item.'

But Tasya's arrival was an unexpected pleasure.

Plus the newly-promoted Star Rank Lulu.

Phoenix Tail Flower was no longer the weakling that had to walk around Star Ranks; they now qualified to compete at the 10th level.

'Before the Great Mystery Continent opens, try to improve strength as much as possible. The 300,000 Experience Guidance Tickets haven't been used yet, I wonder if I can push Monica to Star Rank before then.'

As Lin Da pondered this, he took Monica's hand and walked toward the Chilang Commerce near the square.

Just then, there was a commotion in the crowd ahead, interrupting Lin Da's train of thought.

Approaching them was an adventure group of twelve people.

The leader was about fifty years old, with silver-grey hair parted in the middle, a grim face, wearing a black robe, and carrying a pair of twin swords on his back.

This adventurer exuded an impressive aura, which gave Lin Da a sense of pressure, though much less compared to the pressure he felt from Tasya or Lulu, probably a level 30 Star Rank.

Combining that with the somewhat familiar face and the ghost-patterned badge on his chest...

Lin Da realized it was the deputy head of Magic Shadow, Kam, Hulus's brother!

"Captain..."

Monica gripped Lin Da's clothes nervously with her small hands.

Seeing the deputy head of Magic Shadow, Kam, approaching with a strange smile, the onlookers sensed a whiff of gunpowder.

To retreat or not to retreat?

Lin Da only had one choice in mind.

Being seen as the successor to the White Dove Adventure Group, retreating here would mean Lin Da would lose face so badly that he wouldn't sleep well for a month.

"Kid, my big brother Hulus has been well taken care of by you," Kam said, as he walked up to Lin Da with the Magic Shadow group, his smile hiding a non-smile, "I hope you don't give me a chance."

"What do you mean?" Lin Da looked straight at him, feigning ignorance.

A murderous intent crossed Kam's face, "My big brother Hulus is a kind person. The matter of sending an assassin to attack you is definitely not his doing. Lin Da, you have framed him!"

Hulus is kind?

Lin Da was taken aback and closely observed Kam's serious expression, feeling that he did not seem to be joking.

"Have you watched the Magic Shadow film 'Elf Miss Emimi and the Logger's Summer Romance'?"

"I've seen it, what about it?" Kam frowned, not understanding Lin Da's intention.
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"You are just as naive and adorable as the noble elf Miss Emimi in the story, gullibly following the woodcutter who can't walk the path straight, rejecting a prince to choose a woodcutter with nothing in his house but a big axe—an incredibly pure, silly, sweet girl."

Lin Da patted his head as if he remembered something and added, "Oh right, I'm not complimenting you; I mean to say that your brainstem is rather underdeveloped, not reaching the level of a normal person even in your forties or fifties."

"What? Are you insulting me?"

Kam's face turned red, his voice sharp.

Even with his slow wits, he could tell that Lin Da was taunting him.

It was a scholarly taunt, fitting for a man of letters, comparing him—a man in his forties—to the feeble elf Miss Aimmi.

Kam, feeling humiliated and furious, drew the twin blades from his back!

His Star Rank "Presence" burst forth, a force of gravity pressing down on Lin Da.

The onlookers panicked and began to back away.

"Is the vice-captain of Magic Shadow about to kill someone in public?"

"Knights Order, do something!"

"How dare this old fart lay a hand on my brother Lin Da? I'm going to the Law Enforcement Department to lodge a serious complaint!"

Everyone there stood on Lin Da's side.

It was because Lin Da's reputation was so good—free strategy guides, amiable demeanor, no airs of a top adventurer... he had gained a large following of casual fans.

If Kam dared to make a move on Lin Da in public, the Adventurers' Guild would receive a cartload of complaints against Magic Shadow the next day.

The crowd's murmurs were like a bucket of cold water, sobering Kam up considerably.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Kam's forehead.

"What, not planning to make a move? Turns out you're just a good-for-nothing coward."

Lin Da, with the Verdant Shield hovering over his head, curled his lip.

"You little bastard..."

Kam's expression darkened.

"Vice-captain, sir, this is not good."

A blonde woman in a black robe with freckles on her face pulled at Kam.

"If you strike now, even if you kill Lin Da, you won't escape the Knights Order's pursuit," the blonde woman whispered.

Kam clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"You brat, better watch your back at night, or you might just find a flowerpot falling from the sky and crushing you dead!"

Kam led the Magic Shadow members toward the World Tree.

The square fell silent for a moment, until the people from Magic Shadow disappeared in the blue teleportation light, and then erupted into discussion.

"Based on the vice-captain of Magic Shadow's reaction, could the rumor that Hulus sent someone to assassinate Phoenix Tail Flower be true? Why else would he be so anxious?"

"It's not certain, maybe Hulus was indeed framed by Lin Da. Otherwise, how stupid would Kam have to be, picking a fight with Lin Da at this time? This shows Kam is confident and knows Lin Da is lying."

"I believe in Lin Da 'Potpot'."

"Exactly, my Potpot would never lie!"

A pair of twin lolita sisters stared fiercely at the person who spoke ill of Lin Da.

...

After Lin Da left Secret Realm Square, his face turned utterly cold.

He had planned to give Magic Shadow a few days of peace before making his move, but Kam brought his face to the punch, so Lin Da had no choice but to strike.

When he returned to the villa, Lin Da found Gale there, too.

In the living room, the scent of black tea lingered.

The silver-haired maid served the guest from White Dove Adventure Group with a wooden tray.

Seeing Lin Da return, Gale stood up and took out a piece of Magical Equipment from his Space Ring.

"The equipment you commissioned, the 'Magic Dragon Soft Armor', is ready. Have a look and see if you're satisfied."

Lin Da's eyes lit up.

He had been waiting for over a week, and finally, it was made.