After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

Speaking of the present moment,

Lin Da's legs were in severe pain, his bones making cracking sounds.

Yet, his facial expression remained calm.

Even though his legs shook like a sieve, he calmly looked at Hulus and his companion.

"The Phoenix Tail Flower party… does not welcome you."

Lin Da's voice was icy as he upheld an enormous weight with his arm and pointed outside the courtyard, "No escort needed."

"?"

Hulus's face was filled with astonishment.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He exchanged glances with Rhode, feeling it somewhat absurd.

Two Star Rank 'presences' couldn't suppress a level 23 adventurer?

The higher the Ability, the greater the resistance to 'presence', that was true.

But an adventurer's willpower was also a major factor.

Hulus had always thought that Lin Da was a kind and gentle adventurer with no backbone, easy to manipulate.

Now, it seemed, perhaps he had misjudged?

"Well said! Two useless adventure groups daring to cause trouble?"

A hearty laugh rang out from the building.

Jite leaped down from the third floor and landed with a thud.

His furry panther tail maintained balance, whipping fiercely against the floor.

The shrill sound made everyone shiver.

Vice Captain of White Dove, [Mad Panther] Jite!

White Dove Commander, [Observer] Gale, also flew down using the Wind Control Skill.

The two positioned themselves in front of Lin Da, blocking Hulus and his partner's 'presence'.

Lin Da's body relaxed, and he was clumsily caught by Lulu.

"Are you alright?" Lulu asked with concern, her eyes glancing at Hulus and his group as her eyes filled with murderous intent, her hands stealthily shifting into beast claws...

Lin Da could clearly see through Lulu's intentions and shook his head. After a short rest, he stood up, patted Lulu's head gently, and said softly, "No need for you to intervene. Once the Phoenix Tail Flower reaches Star Rank, I will have my own methods."

Specter's people won't be arrogant for much longer.

Once the Phoenix Tail Flower stepped into Iron Level, Lin Da would complete the [Annihilate Specter Adventure Group] sub-quest.

Meanwhile, inside the courtyard, the arrival of Jite and Gale made the atmosphere tense and charged.

Hulus clearly hadn't expected that White Dove Adventure Group would have 'two people' here.

In their estimation, having Gale alone attend the party was already a great honor for Phoenix Tail Flower.

Adding Jite made the situation balanced, 2v2; both Hulus and Rhode, being group leaders, weren't intimidated by them.

But Hulus cast a startled glance upward and was terrified to notice that person standing by the window, whose presence was utterly imperceptible—Abner!

[Mind's Eye] Abner, level 38.

The strongest adventurer in White Dove City!

Hulus's heart skipped a beat, and he put on a smile, "Everyone, please don't misunderstand. We merely came to deliver a congratulatory gift to the Phoenix Tail Flower. We'll leave immediately after setting it down."

He gave Rhode a meaningful look, suggesting they leave the Steel Wild Boar King behind.

But Lin Da scoffed coldly, "No need. Take it back with you. My warehouse is too small to accommodate anything else."

Some favors also depend on the circumstances.

In full view of everyone, even if Hulus offered him a million Gold Coins, he wouldn't accept.

Once tagged with the label of a fence-sitter, it's hard to ever shake it off.

Gale raised an eyebrow, a twinge of satisfaction in his eyes, and said, "Hulus, if you don't want to get beaten, scram!"

Hulus's old face turned red, knowing that he was outmatched, and he and Rhode skulked away.

Once they were completely gone, the Rock-level guests, who had been holding their breath, began to breathe again and started discussing animatedly.

"Hulus really has lost his edge, crashing someone else's party like that is pure provocation!"

"Lucky for us, the White Dove folks were here, or today could have been dangerous."

"The captain of Phoenix Tail Flower is tough, actually daring to send Hulus packing."

Minnie lamented, "If it were me, I'd probably have caved first and dealt with the rest later."

Gale, feeling a bit awkward, patted Lin Da on the shoulder and took out a magic scroll, saying, "Here's a Locating Technique in here. If this happens again, just tear open the scroll and our White Dove Adventure Group will come as fast as we can."

"Alright," Lin Da accepted without demur.

He thought to himself, The Locating Technique is merely a last resort. The main thing is still to improve myself.

The "Death Crab Pincer" he obtained from the King Crab Set can inflict true damage on anyone not more than ten levels above himself. According to Lin Da's inquiries, Hulus is around level 35, meaning, as long as he reaches level 25, he would have a fighting chance against Hulus.

'The fifth floor's Goblin Prince is a two-star Epic Demon Creature. Killing it would be enough to boost our entire team to 25.'

'Lulu, at levels 28 or 29, has a chance. '

'By using Diamonds to buy some Experience Guidance Tickets for Lulu and coaching her well, there's a good chance to boost her to Star Rank first!'

Lin Da held Lulu's cold little hand, his gaze intense as he thought: Having a Star Rank would ensure the safety of Phoenix Tail Flower, and a Star Rank in Witch State is not something ordinary Star Ranks can compare with.

The matter involving the Specter Adventure Group quickly spread at the party.

People were filled with righteous indignation. Everyone at the Great Mystery Continent had been annoyed by the Specter people at some point, as they stole their resources and outright denied it, utterly lacking in decency.

They wouldn't commit crimes violating the empire's laws, but every petty act on the fringes was their forte without Specter's people abstaining.

Even President Velen couldn't handle them since Specter and Bedrock were still Steel Level Adventure Groups.

Without such elite teams, the Great Mystery Continent resource areas allocated to White Dove City by the empire would shrink, along with the monthly supplies given to the Rock Level Teams.

President Velen wanted to eliminate these two cancers but couldn't afford the heavy cost it would entail.

If White Dove City were to be personified, it would be considered too poor to cure its own tumors, merely allowing them to grow unchecked.

After this small episode, Lin Da and Abner went off to talk in the study.

Abner expressed that the White Dove Adventure Group would do its utmost to protect the Phoenix Tail Flower team from 'external forces' until all its members reached Star Rank.

However, he hoped that Phoenix Tail Flower would stay determined and not defect to the enemy.

Lin Da immediately swore to the Goddess—Phoenix Tail Flower's conflict with Specter and Bedrock was irreconcilable!

The bond between the two teams deepened once again.

If Hulus knew his visit would lead to this outcome, he would have been kicking himself.

By noon, the party officially began.

Lin Da, on the third-floor podium, gave a brief thank you speech, followed by everyone raising a toast to celebrate.

"Congratulations to Phoenix Tail Flower for breaking through level 20!"

The crowd's cheers, loud and clear, were like a sword piercing into the skies.

In this lively atmosphere, Lin Da's previous discomfort faded away, and his smile returned.

Captains from various Rock-level Squads came forward to toast, and though Lin Da was a good drinker, his face grew a bit flushed.

Eventually, he had to switch to fruit juice in place of alcohol.

"Captain Lin Da sure is a stubborn one."

A young lady with pink hair, holding a glass of orange juice, adjusted her thick black glasses and looking under a poster, said:

"The adventure goal of Phoenix Tail Flower, everyone safely reaching the summit—do you think it's possible? It's quite funny, like something a child would dream of."

Si Lin was trying to use her rhetoric to persuade Lin Da.

To simply defect, swear loyalty to the Demon King.

Being an adventurer really isn't worth it.