After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

Ironclad Land Turtle, level 28, Purple Rare Level Magical Creature.

Materials from its body can be sold for a total of 200,000 Gold Coins.

In this battle against the creature, the Snow Goose Adventure Team's days of coordination began to yield results.

In the past, when they fought this level 28 Ironclad Land Turtle, it was an ordeal that often resulted in injuries.

But this time, with everyone working together, the front liners Oru and Klrona were responsible for fending off the Ironclad Land Turtle's attacks while Lia took the opportunity to deal damage, and Aiko provided support...

The Snow Goose Adventure Team succeeded in defeating this strong level 28 Magical Creature with only minor losses.

Aiko curved her lips into a smile and wheeled over to Lia.

Lia was looking down at her hands, seemingly puzzled by something.

"Have you gotten stronger?" Aiko asked curiously.

"I don't know why, but the Battle Qi is flowing more smoothly," Lia murmured, excitement in her eyes.

Ever since she resolved her issues and stopped viewing Lin Da as an enemy she had to defeat, she felt lighter and even found more pleasure in eating.

The happiest moment of her day nowadays was before going to sleep when she looked at the 'Dark Shadow' poster in her room.

She trained with all her might, hoping someday to be part of a team as strong as the Primitive Adventure Team.

As Lia's mindset improved, her Battle Qi became smoother and more responsive, reaching a twelvefold efficiency.

Her level had not changed, nor her equipment, but Lia could clearly feel her damage output had increased.

Gently touching her left eye beneath the eyepatch, she felt a faint sense of burning.

Streams of pure Fire Fighting Qi seemed to emanate from there.

'I remember Lin Da saying that wounds scar over and grow even tougher skin. Could it be my wound is healing and becoming more powerful?'

Lia couldn't help but be proud, placing her hands on her hips and saying, "If Lin Da knew how strong Snow Goose is now, maybe he would regret leaving the team."

Aiko secretly rolled her eyes and said, "When we came to the wilderness, I heard adventurers discussing that Lin Da and his team have all reached level 21."

"Level 21? So quickly?"

Lia was stunned for a moment.

She spent half a year going from level 19 to 20.

Going from level 19 to 20 was even more challenging than from 26 to 27.

Adventurers lacking in talent, even with the Divine Gift from the World Tree Goddess, couldn't break through and were stuck at level 19.

Upon hearing that, Oru laughed and said, "Lin Da made the right choice in changing his profession. He made a mistake choosing to be a Healer before, but this Healing Mage role suits him best."

Klyne packed away her beautifully crafted green bow and, with a charming smile, said: "Lin Da is catching up with us. Next time in the Great Mystery Continent, maybe we can fight Magical Creatures together."

Lia's little face drooped and she fell quiet.

The other team members perhaps didn't mean anything by it and were just reflecting.

But Lia always felt it was a dig at her for letting Lin Da leave the team.

"Enough, Snow Goose will never collaborate with Phoenix Tail Flower, even if Lin Da isn't an enemy, he's still a competitor. Losing to Phoenix Tail Flower would be too shameful for Snow Goose!"

Lia scanned her team members; current levels in Snow Goose were:

herself at 27, Aiko at 28, Klrona at 25, Phyllis at 24, and both Klyne and Oru at 23.

They had the advantage over Phoenix Tail Flower.

But the advantage was rapidly shrinking.

Lia was actually a bit afraid of Lin Da mocking her to her face.

After all, if it were her, she would definitely taunt Lin Da...

'It's not that I want to check up on Phoenix Tail Flower; I'm only thinking of finding him because of Lin Xi!'

Lia made up her mind and said to everyone, "Lin Da has returned from the fourth layer; we should ask if he found any trace of Lin Xi."

"Lin Xi..."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

At the mention of this name, the three veteran members of Snow Goose all had a gloomy expression.

The person most affected by Lin Xi's disappearance, aside from Lin Da, was Lia.

Lia and Lin Xi, both frontline damage dealers and Swordsmen of similar age, quickly became friends.

They had a much closer relationship than with Aiko or Klrona.

Lia regarded Lin Xi as her best friend, as well as her strongest rival.

Even Isa, in Lia's heart, wasn't quite on par with Lin Xi.

Their current duel record stood at 99 wins and 99 losses.

The vital 100th victory was pending, and they agreed that whoever secured it could issue one command to the other.

Lia had long decided on her command for Lin Xi; she would tell her to stop teasing her!

Putting cockroaches in her clothes, stealing her cake, showing her risqué comic books, trying to corrupt her...

Lia was annoyed with Lin Xi.

But it wasn't until Lin Xi left that she realized something was amiss.

There was no one to bicker with anymore.

She couldn't get along with Aiko, Klrona was too young for her to play with, and Lin Da was a steady type of adventurer, preferring to bury himself in thick tomes.

So... If there was a clue about Lin Xi, Lia would help Lin Da search for her.

Definitely not for Lin Da,

Lia just wanted to find her friend.

Meanwhile, the male members of Snow Goose had finished collecting the Magical Creature materials.

The group boarded the carriage and headed back to White Dove City.

Regarding Lia's suggestion to go to 'Goldfinch District' to look for Lin Da, Aiko, however, declined.

"Why?"

Lia asked, puzzled.

She always felt that Aiko cared a lot about Lin Da.

Even practicing cooking in secret.

If it weren't for Aiko telling her that she was just an ordinary former teammate of Lin Da, Lia might have suspected that Aiko had other feelings for him.

"Let's wait a bit, the invitation from Phoenix Tail Flower should arrive soon."

Aiko touched her rosy lips with her finger and after some thought, said, "Lin Da is busy right now, probably busy making invitations; if we go over now, we'll only be in the way."

Lia came to a sudden realization.

Right, Lin Da and his teammates had reached level 21...

"Will they invite us?" Lia said softly, clutching her little fist.

"Who knows?"

Aiko tilted her head and asked back with a mischievous smile in her heart, deliberately irritating the powder keg.

...

At the same moment, in the living room of a white mansion in Goldfinch District.

"Welcome back."

With damp hands wiped on her pale yellow apron, Lulu received them with a cool expression.

But upon closer inspection, one could see her fluffy wolf tail perk up happily.

It somewhat reminded Lin Da of a pet dog he used to own.

When coming home, it would also approach and wag its tail.

Upon entering the living room, the dining table was already laden with delicious food.

The appetizing aroma quickly captured Lin Da's nose.

In Dark Night City, all they had eaten were barely satisfying, far from enjoyable.

This table full of sumptuous dishes was not only delicious but was also cooked with the warmth of his teammates' hearts.

Lin Da's expression lightened considerably as he took off his coat and placed it on the sofa before giving Lulu, whom he hadn't seen for days, a friendly hug.

He also applied the Purifying Witch's ability to his arms, removing the pollution from Lulu's body.

With his hand against Lulu's back and his eyes closed, Lin Da felt the pollution near her heart.

Compared to when they first met, it was about five times less.

The higher the trust, the more efficient the Purifying Witch's ability.

Now, even a 40-level Moon rank adventurer standing in front of Lulu wouldn't be able to detect her witch's aura.

"Let's stop purifying here for now, and continue later."

When Lin Da came back to his senses, he noticed Lulu's cheeks were pink, and only her fluffy tail was still wagging high.

Lin Da was slightly startled and couldn't help but laugh.

Turns out, the great comfort he felt just now was from Lulu...

Now, his 'tail' wasn't wagging, but Lulu's was.

Indeed, she was a shrewd and shy Beastman!

Noticing Lin Da's teasing gaze, Lulu's wolf ears shook embarrassingly, and she huffed.

"Let's eat first."

Lin Da sat at the head of the table with Kafni and Monica to his left and right, and Lulu opposite him.

"Is the strategy still going smoothly?" Lulu asked.

"With some thrills but no dangers, it was just tough on Monica."

Lin Da thought back to all that had happened in Dark Night City, filled with emotion.

Perhaps because of his unique identity, his teammates retain clear memories after exiting the Emotion Secret Realm, and nobody forgets.

As Lin Da recounted the events, Lulu gradually learned about the incidents in Dark Night City.

The Werewolf girl's emotions fluctuated accordingly.

When Lin Da spoke about being tempted by the 'Dawn Goddess' and nearly falling into the pool, Lulu stopped eating, nervously clutching her fork in both hands.

When Lin Da revealed the true identity of the 'Dawn Goddess' and enslaved the Flesh Worm, Lulu smiled appreciatively.

The short-haired girl with light blue hair sat quietly, gazing at Lin Da across the dining table.

Her clear eyes shimmered, like a warm lake under the sunlight.

Lin Da's voice was calm and steady, carrying a sincere warmth, akin to a spring breeze.

This reminded Lulu of her childhood, when she would be held in her grandmother's arms listening to stories, equally captivating.

But this time, it was as though she was personally embedded in the story, with the hatred for the Flesh Worm, the unease in Lin Da's situation... It was like a large hand playing with the girl's emotions.

Occasionally, Monica and Kafni would interject, sharing their own adventure insights or adding details they had noticed.

Time seemed to slow down.

The pale golden sunlight of noon streamed through the windows, bathing the four at the table in a serene and beautiful ambiance.

Lunch passed leisurely.

Lin Da's mood, too, relaxed.

Delicious food nourished the stomach, and his own teammates were even more pleasing to the eye.

The beauties from Another World, if placed in reality, would simply be an overwhelming force.

Lin Da did not doubt that this was the reason he wanted to protect his teammates. If they were bulky Minotaurs, he might halve the meticulousness of his strategies.

"So... Lin Xi turned into a Succubus?"

Hearing the end, Lulu expressed her concern, "Don't think too much about it, even among Succubi, there are good ones."

Lin Da smiled helplessly, "I do hope to meet her. If I could persuade her to come to Phoenix Tail Flower, that would be great."

Lulu shook her head, "A contract with a Witch of the Twelve Belongings level, I have heard some about it, it controls the witch mentally, making them fully trust the Demon King. You have to purify the pollution from Lin Xi first to have a chance of convincing her."

The mention of this gave Lin Da a headache.

Purifying pollution wasn't an overnight task; he would need to bind his sister and purify her daily to restore her from the fall.

"Luckily, she won't be coming to White Dove City anytime soon."

Lin Da internally breathed a sigh of relief.

Given the strength that General Xilin displayed, Phoenix Tail Flower was really no match for her just yet.

But there must be some reason why Xilin wouldn't act against him.

Otherwise, he would have been kidnapped by his sister during the Monster Tide.

When Lulu finished clearing the table, Lin Da took out a stack of invitations from his ring.

He waved them in his hand, "Let's make these together and get the party started as soon as possible."

The leveling-up party was a very important tradition among adventurers.

Although Lin Da hadn't fully integrated into the culture here, he knew not to neglect the event.