After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

All together, everyone joined hands and ascended to the top of the World Tree.

This was originally Lia's dream.

Lin Da agreed with her, recalling his past life's gaming experience, which was extremely utilitarian, and he strongly felt that it was true.

It was this red-haired girl who had saved him from numbness, making him realize that clearing the game was not everything.

The teammates fighting alongside him were even more worth cherishing.

Moreover, since Lia was naturally clumsier than Aiko and the others, Lin Da put most of his energy into helping Lia.

But it seemed that she had misunderstood something.

She treated these goodwill efforts as something she could use to order others around.

Even oxen that plow the fields have their day of collapse.

"Because the original intention has changed, that's why I left the team," he said.

"No,"

Lia said firmly, "If you come back, I can lead us to become the strongest adventure team in White Dove City."

Lin Da chuckled, "Snow Goose's original intention was not that."

"You mean... teammates are more important?" Lia frowned.

"Yes."

"Then you are utterly wrong,"

Lia decisively refuted him: "Do you know of a team called the Primitive Adventure Team? They were the team most likely to clear the World Tree's top level."

"The captain of the Primordial didn't have any friends."

"But that team was still powerful."

"So—you are wrong, power is the only thing that matters,"

Lia's youthful face shimmered with the glow of wisdom.

"Are you going to refute what the captain of the Primordial, the 'Dark Shadow' Dai Lian, said?"

It was as if she was using the sayings of great men to educate the unenlightened weak—unless Lin Da himself was stronger than Dark Shadow, no matter what he said,

Lia could always rebut Lin Da with, "What right do you, a mere captain of a common adventure team, have to deny the Primordial Adventure Team?"

However, upon saying this, Lin Da's expression became somewhat strange.

That included Kafni, Monica,

and even Aiko, who was standing behind Lia.

They weren't sure whether to remind her.

That the captain of the strongest adventure team she believed in was right in front of her!

Aiko ranted in her mind.

Now 'Dai Lian' had realized that teammates are more important than personal strength.

He had told Lia to her face, but she was still holding onto the outdated 'bible' as if it were the truth.

Lin Da also helplessly held his forehead.

"If you don't understand this, you will never become an excellent team captain."

...

Passersby all looked in surprise at the red-haired girl standing on the street, wondering if she had been abandoned, like a stray cat thrown into a box and not wanted anymore.

In the end, Lia was still unable to convince Lin Da.

Watching the members of Phoenix Tail Flower disappear at the end of the long street, her expression became blank.

She couldn't help but whisper, "Why did it turn out this way?"

The members of Snow Goose understood what she meant.

Why did Lin Da, who had always been the kindest to her, become cold like a stranger?

Indeed, Lia could be annoying, but she was naturally slow-witted, something Lin Da would certainly understand. According to the other members' understanding of Lin Da, he wouldn't be so unfeeling.

Of course, if they knew the later game plot like Lin Da, they would understand.

Whether Lin Da returned to Snow Goose or continued to help Lia, it would prevent her from growing into a true mature and steady Swordsman, a 'Bursting Flames'.

Seeing Lia looking dispirited, Aiko found it somewhat amusing, but when the cool breeze blew by, bringing a chill to her heart, she also felt a pitiable coldness.

Compared to Lia, she wasn't much stronger.

She probably was just a slightly better friend in Lin Da's heart!

Aiko thoughtfully said, "It turning out this way might have been inevitable."

"Inevitable?" Lia didn't understand.

As if reflecting on herself, Aiko pondered and slowly said,

"Affection is mutual. If only one side gives, they will soon become an empty shell, hollow, with nothing left. Only when there is mutual giving can affection remain stable."

For three years, it was Lin Da who had helped them, but they had never considered reciprocating to Lin Da.

Even their own parents expected these unfilial daughters who ran away from home to care for them in their old age,

so what was Lin Da hoping to get from them?

Just as Lin Da said, since the original intention of Snow Goose had changed, and even the last bit of sentiment worth lingering for had been lost, there was no need to stay.

During the three years with Snow Goose, Lin Da had been drained completely dry, his affection for them exhausted by daily trifles and complaints.

"I've done a lot for him too!"

Lia's eyes reddened as she retorted, "In the Mystic Realm, I was always at the front, protecting everyone. He was the lowest level, but I never really planned to kick him out."

Aiko's mouth twitched, feeling that the twelve-layer Serpent Leader needed a few more chops; this little dwarf had still not come to her senses.

What you've done is simply fulfilling the responsibility that comes with being a Swordsman, a team captain,

just like a business owner who works overtime but thinks they're doing a huge favor for all their employees, self-indulgently moved by their own actions.

"There is a way to make amends, it's not impossible."

"What?"

"You, go and lick Lin Da's boots."

Aiko gazed at Lia's astonished little face and said, word by word.

"Me, lick the boots of a commoner born of a wild chicken? Impossible."

Lia's face flushed with indignation, and she refused without even thinking about it.

Aiko said, "Not a commoner, he's now a lord with the Badge of Honor as an adventurer."

"Still impossible."

Lia shook her head anyway.

She touched her eyepatch.

Thinking to herself,

If Lin Da no longer cares about his old teammates, then she need not care about Lin Da anymore either.

Lia spoke her mind,

She would defeat Lin Da's teammates to show Lin Da that teammates weren't important, and that personal strength was the only thing that mattered.

Lin Da was too weak when he was a healer, so she kicked him out.

If Lin Da had been as strong as he is now, she wouldn't have kicked him out.

Aiko watched her obstinate behavior with a headache.

If Lia really did that, not to mention Lin Da rejoining the team, it'd be good if they didn't become enemies.

Aiko thought the most appropriate course of action was for Lia to offer up her behind, but this method was flawed because, firstly, Lia would never do it, and secondly, Aiko wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

Being outdone by the Phoenix Tail Flower's members, Aiko could console herself by thinking that it was just because those little birds were closer to the water and got to the moon first.

But if Lia got ahead...

It would mean that a distinguished graduate from the Magic Academy was beaten by a dropout who only knew basic arithmetic.

Such an insult would haunt Aiko for life!

As for Lia, who had strayed from the right path, all Aiko could offer was her sympathy and silently add one more to the future wedding candy gift for Lia.

"Honestly, I think you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. You're so outstanding; in the future, you're bound to find teammates more suitable than Lin Da, like joining Snow Goose."

Aiko needed to apply some ointment to Lia's eyes.

She couldn't let this shorty keep pining for Lin Da and avoid the possibility of a turnabout.

"You understand me the best," Lia felt slightly better.

"Let's go back." Aiko took Lia's small hand and discovered, to her surprise, that it was terribly cold and even shaking a bit.

Sigh.

Looks like the wedding candy count was going up again.

...

...

"I am sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you please repeat?"

Lin Da, with a stern face, set down his cup of tea and looked incredulously at the manager sitting across from him on the sofa.

They were currently in the VIP room on the third floor of the Adventurer's Guild.

Any team reaching rock level was entitled to a private audience with the manager.

With the Badge of Honor issued by the Mayor of White Dove City, Lin Da was entitled to the same treatment as at rock level.

Everything was quite nice before entering the VIP room.

They were provided personal guidance, unlimited tea, and snacks, and the manager was very polite.

But when he put forward the request for the Adventurer's Guild to investigate Breeze River Beach, the response he got left him speechless:

"Mr. Linda, we'll provide the investigation results within three working days."

"However, based on my assessment, there's a high probability that a monster tide will erupt in no more than three days."

"We can't help it. If you were a regular adventurer, we would only provide a resolution within thirty working days."

The manager, named Klay, a forty-year-old fat man with a big belly, forced a hypocritical smile on his chubby face and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief, saying:

"Mr. Linda, you must also consider our difficulties. The guild's Investigation Department is short-staffed, and you are making such... well, 'strange' requests."

"As far as I know, there are clear signs before a monster tide erupts, like the migration and concentration of a large number of magical creatures. It's not something that happens without noise. A few level-15 Murderous Crabs don't mean much. Should we interpret the stray wandering of an Earth-Traversing Dragon into the Barren Plains as the revival of the Dragon Race?"

"Heh, the last monster tide happened over a hundred years ago, Mr. Linda forgive me for being blunt, but aren't you being a bit... paranoid?"

Klay said with a sneer veiled in a smile.

He wasn't impressed by this newly minted Glorious Adventurer. Lin Da was only level 16, and his claim to the badge was a strategy guide for the first three levels of the World Tree... From a standpoint of magnanimity, Klay praised Lin Da, but deep down, he wasn't convinced.

Look at the other Glorious Adventurers!

The last one, Abner with the Mind's Eye, killed a frenzied Earth-Traversing Dragon of level 37 in the wild. If they had let that terrifying creature get near White Dove City, the city walls might have collapsed, and city finances would be squandered!

Klay's disdain was well hidden in his eyes, but Lin Da still noticed it.

The matter of the monster tide was too crucial. Lin Da patiently said, "There are always exceptions. It's true that the last monster tide was a century ago, but can you guarantee there won't be any in the future? Perhaps that future is just a few days away."

"There are no exceptions," Klay, an excellent graduate, was very familiar with the habits of the magical creatures. The current state of peace in White Dove City signified there was no possibility of a monster tide.

"Even if there were an exception..." Klay smiled confidently: "The Adventurer's Guild would eliminate the unforeseen."

Kafni had been holding back her anger, and suddenly slammed the table: "Can you bear the responsibility if a monster tide erupts?"

Klay, still wearing a pleasant face, said, "Please sit down, Miss. It is prohibited to raise your voice in the Adventurer's Guild."

"Besides, I haven't refused your request. According to the process, the investigation results of Qingfeng River Beach will be handed over to you within three working days."