After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

Even Aiko thought that in a one-on-one duel, Lia was still inferior to Isa. The reason was simple: Lia wasn't exactly the brightest.

Normally, it was Lin Da's job to persuade her in these situations, a thankless task that Aiko was glad to avoid. Aiko sighed again, put on a congenial expression, and said to the visibly irritated Lia:

"Captain, why don't we head to a Minor Secret Realm or hunt some Magical Creatures first? Our resources were depleted during the last strategy for the 11th floor, we need to restock. Potions, Magic Scrolls, the front line's Armor, all damaged—and the spoils from the 11th floor don't even cover a fifth of our losses."

Her methodical analysis left Lia in silence.

Suddenly, it dawned on her. The Snow Goose Adventure Team was out of money!

Supplies needed replenishing, front-line gear needed replacing.

Oru was also injured.

Even with the help of Regeneration Art, it would take half a month to recover.

The pressure of strategizing from the 10th floor onward was mounting.

Lia was also aware of it, and she considered equipping her team with Town Portal Scrolls.

But the scrolls for levels 10-20 were much more expensive than those for levels 0-10.

Buying Town Portal Scrolls required Gold Coins, and so did other magic items.

Lia felt somewhat embarrassed.

The main members' weapons were Purple Rare, and her own gear, all Purple Rare, had nearly depleted their adventure funds!

It seemed Aiko was right; proceeding to the 12th floor in this state wasn't wise, was it?

"Uh, Captain, I have something to say."

Oru's one hand, wrapped like a mummy, hung in white cloth in front of him, while he raised his healthy left hand hesitantly and said.

"What is it?" Lia asked.

"Should we hire Lin Da to strategize for the 12th floor?"

"Absolutely not!"

Lia's face changed instantly, and she slammed the table in refusal!

"But..."

"There's no 'but.' Hiring him for strategy would mean admitting that our Snow Goose Adventure Team is incompetent," Lia interrupted Oru.

Everyone fell silent.

After the strategy session for the eleventh floor, most had gradually come to a harsh conclusion; Snow Goose's strength did not come from the genius Swordsman Lia.

It was Lin Da.

Yet no one could convince this fiery-eyed redhead.

Phyllis sneaked a glance at Oru, thinking that perhaps the team members all approved of Lin Da's strategy.

The latter, noticing Phyllis's look, said gruffly, "It would be great if Brother Lin Da were here; with him, I'd get off lightly."

Phyllis detected a faint Taunt in Oru's words.

He smiled and said nothing.

He secretly thought that after Lin Da left the team, breaching his contract, he must be broke, unable to even afford decent equipment.

Since that is the case, why not use Gold Coins to hire Lin Da for strategy? Although Lia disagreed, he could just keep it from Lia and secretly approach Lin Da.

Phyllis's admiration for Lin Da's strategic abilities surpassed even his own mentor; he had long wanted to meet him!

Lia and Lin Da might not get along, but that didn't mean the team members had to be on bad terms with Lin Da, right?

"Um,"

Lia suddenly fidgeted, sitting at the end of the conference table, twirling her fiery red hair nonchalantly, and asked, "Does anyone know what that traitor is doing now?"

"Lin Da?" Klyne asked.

"Mm."

Lia felt uncomfortable the moment she heard the name, and picked up the Cooling Magic Array controller in the conference room, setting it to blow forcefully.

Klrona, who had been intensely focused on solving a puzzle cube, looked up, raising her little hand: "I know, I know! When I went to buy a new Magic Puppet toy on the street, I heard that Big Uncle Lin Da has formed a team!"

"Formed a team?" Lia laughed and shook her head: "He found teammates to form a team with him? He must have just picked someone randomly."

"Not at all."

The voice was Aiko's.

Although she sat in a wheelchair, she actually was the Snow Goose Adventure Team's information conduit and often liked to stroll around, enjoying the gazes of admiration from a group of adventurers.

Aiko said with a hint of jealousy, "I heard it's a beastmen girl, an adventurer who took the level test and has level 25."

Level 25?

Lia fell silent.

The highest in the Snow Goose Adventure Team was only level 24,

and that was Aiko.

As the team leader, she was only level 23.

"Why would that kind of person join Lin Da's team?"

"Don't know," Aiko replied.

"Definitely tricked and conned into it."

Lia felt a blockage in her chest, unable to swallow it down.

Why did Lin Da, who had left the Snow Goose Adventure Team, seem to be doing so well?

There was a busty blonde who liked him, and now a high-level beastmen girl had shown up.

Hearing about other girls by Lin Da's side, as well as the "Aiko hugs Lin Da" incident mentioned in the White Dove Morning News the day before yesterday, made Lia feel inexplicably uneasy.

Aiko, to actually like that traitor...

Luckily they had had an open and honest talk; Aiko stated that it was all the newspaper's nonsense and that like Lia, she was furious with Lin Da and vowed to punish that traitor.

Lia gathered her thoughts and asked again, "What's Lin Da's team called?"

Aiko said, "It seems to be the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team."

"Such a weak name," Lia snorted coldly.

"Phoenix Tail Flower is a common flower in the beastmen territories, you know? It represents friendship, companionship," Aiko said, tilting her head playfully, "Isn't Lin Da possibly taunting us?"

Lia fell silent again.

Once upon a time, I too considered him a companion!

It was his own lack of effort—who else could be blamed!

"If you see someone from the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team, beat them up for me," Lia said coldly.

The team members looked at each other in confusion.

Was it really only the captain herself who wanted to fight Lin Da?

Phyllis was the first to snap to attention, raising her fist furiously: "Lord Captain, I will never let that guy off. When I see him, I'm going to give him a good 'teaching'... no, a beating!"

"Hmm," Lia nodded, "We must beat him into a pulp."

——Ding-dong.

Right after the meeting ended, as Lia and her team were heading downstairs, they heard the doorbell ringing at the front door.

Outside, a girl dressed in a white coat, her light blue short hair and beast ears covered by a hood, was lazily blowing a large bubble with her bubble gum.

Pop.

As the front door swung open, the bubble burst as well.

At the villa entrance, a blue-haired and a red-haired girl met.

Although it was their first meeting, Lia inside felt an inexplicable, strong threat.

The other girl's eyes were calm, yet they gave Lia the eerie sensation of being stalked by a wolf, that beastman had a strong aura of aggression!

Behind Lia, a bunch of team members craned their necks to look over.

"Who is it?"

"A beastman, seems to be high-level, haven't seen them before, not a local adventurer from White Dove City?"

"A werewolf, light blue hair, seems familiar somehow?"

Aiko pondered thoughtfully.