Klrona cocked her head to the side, wondering where she had gone wrong.
Lin Da thought for a moment, neither agreeing nor rejecting the idea.
âOn the 15th floor, thereâs a material called Itchy Vine. When you go there, pick some fresh ones and use them for foot baths; itâs effective for the recovery of your legs,â Lin Da said.
âUm, I understand,â Aiko replied with a smile, âLin Da, thank you for your concern, Iâm really happy.â
All present could detect a hint of sourness in the air.
Lulu frowned but remained silent.
...
Lin Da scratched his head, feeling that Aikoâs tone was similar to that of an ex-girlfriend after a breakup⦠Tonight was Luluâs turn to be on duty, and if she took revenge out of jealousy because of Aiko, that would be bad.
âWith Lulu and the others, along with teammates I havenât yet met, I have enough Oath-bound. The people of Snow Goose are truly untouchable!â
Lin Da couldnât imagine a scenario where Aiko, or even Lia and Klrona, became his wives.
Especially the latter, who pestered him so much during his three-year stay at Snow Goose that Lin Da began to doubt his life choices. Marrying her would mean never having a momentâs peace!
Under the watchful eyes of Lulu and the others, Lin Da smiled at Aiko and said âNo problem,â then rejoined the Strategy discussion against Abner.
Aikoâs gaze lingered thoughtfully on Lin Daâs profile.
When she returned to Snow Goose Villa, she could only transform her grief and anger into motivation, practicing âNo Chant Water Magicâ like mad!
âVery well, Lin Da, youâve provoked me. I must imagine you as a dog wearing a collar, having your teammates watch as I use you fiercely!â
Aiko regained her composure, showing the smile of a victor.
As long as she didnât accept defeat, she would never be a loser!
â¦
â¦
âPresident, thereâs no way they can win,â a male with a long blue ponytail remarked soothingly as he polished his bamboo sword, eyes closed, inside the training hall with floors as smooth as mirrors.
His voice was as mild as water, but the content of his words was more domineering than those nobles infamous for maliciously withholding wages.
âSigh, why wonât you listen to adviceâ¦â President Velen massaged his temples, looking at Abner with a headache.
For three days, Velen had pleaded, but Abner still refused to throw the match.
[After a fierce battle, both sides displaying all their Skills, leaving the audience utterly exhilarated, ultimately Lin Da and his two companions triumphed over the monstrously strong Abner through the power of bonds and friendship.
All four are outstanding adventurers, winning the high praise of Cyan City journalists and the nobility!]
This was the script Velen had designed.
Yet, not even the first step of his script could progress, and the exhibition match was tomorrowâ¦
Velen wore a worried frown, as his hair quickly grayed within just a few days.@@novelbin@@
Abner put down his bamboo sword and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, calmly stating:
âPresident, I am aware that Lin Da is the one who destroyed the lair at Dragonâs Rest Tomb, and that heâs the adventurer who ascended to Star Rank in the shortest time in White Dove City.
The Verdant Shield is an equally impressive Skill, and I have high hopes for the future of the Phoenix Tail Flower.
But, thatâs not enough.
Standing opposite me, no matter who it is, I, Abner, will go all out.
President, I owe you a debt of gratitude. But Iâm sorry, I wonât lose to them.
In terms of profession, I am a Raging Stream Warrior; regarding equipment, my Azure Core is an Epic Five-star; concerning skills, I have practiced swordsmanship since I was five, for twenty-five years now, without missing a single day.
After defeating the Nightmare Guardian on the 19th floor, Ice Abyss Training Camp is our next destination.
Therefore, in this exhibition match, I will not lose, nor can I afford to lose.â
Abner spoke more than he usually did.
Velen was astonished, âI see, thatâs why you turned down Azure Sky Universityâs invitationâthe Ice Abyss Training Camp is your real goalâ¦â
With the conversation having reached this point, Velen had no way to persuade Abner to throw the match.
To Velen, all four teams from White Dove City were valuable.
No matter which one went to the Royal Capital, Velen felt his life would be fulfilled.
But then⦠Velen sighed. There was a mysterious lady in black claiming that if Lin Da won, she would invest three hundred million Gold Coins in White Dove City.
Three hundred million!
It could be used to rebuild the slums, construct new apartments, or serve as bounties to attract outstanding adventurers from outside⦠White Dove Cityâs financial situation was dire, and these three hundred million Gold could provide substantial relief.
Velen walked outside dejectedly, clenching his worries about the exhibition match as he returned to the Adventurersâ Guild.
â¦
The communal bathhouse of Luanwei Flower Villa.
âUnited as one, victory will eventually be ours!â
Lin Da rose from the bath, fists placed in front of him, delivering a passionate speech.
But he got too excited, and the towel wrapped around his waist fluttered like a paper butterfly, falling onto the waterâs surface.
Lia stood with her hands on her hips, laughing heartily, imagining the glorious scene of her showing off her skills tomorrow.
As the scene before her unfolded bit by bit, Liaâs smile froze.
Her complexion turned pale in an instant, as though grasped by a level 90 Holy Dragon.
Lia happened to use her head as a screen, acting as a sort of âmosaicâ for the not-yet-of-age Klrona behind her.
âWhatâs going on?â
Klrona, being short, only saw Lia petrified. Aiko, standing beside her, covered her red lips, a look of amusement on her face, while Monica looked down shyly.
Isa coughed softly, turning to one side. But she couldnât help glancing at Lin Da with the corner of her eye, her cheeks turning red at a rapid pace.
âUh⦠uh-ah⦠What, what is that, what are you showing me!!!â
Liaâs young heart seemed as if it had been struck by a rhino, and she stood dumbfounded.
She took out the Phoenix Feather Sword from her ring, shouting in panic, âYou vile Magical Creature, watch me chop you off!â
Lin Da had not expected this to happen. Just as he bent down to pick up his towel, suddenly, a cold breeze struck from the front.
Glancing upwards, he saw a fiery red great sword getting closer and closer to him.
âHoly crap, have you lost your mind!?â
Lin Da was scared out of his wits; if the sword made contact, his happiness for the second half of his life would be ruined.
He leaped backward, and then the great sword crashed down, causing water to splash in all directions.
A strand of black hair, cut off by the sharp blade of the sword, floated on the waterâs surface.
âIt wasnât on purpose, but you definitely did that intentionally!â
Lin Da was inflamed with anger.
The towel accidentally falling off was indeed his fault, but was there really any need for Lia to strike him with a great sword?
âYouâre definitely a pervert, lusting after me! Youâve been peeping at my chest, huh, disgusting!â
âWhat? What on earth are you talking about?â
Lin Da was furious. Who the hell would want to look at a flat chest, when he had three teammates with good figures to admire? It was an outright slander!
Seeing Lia rushing towards him furiously, Lin Da narrowed his eyes, not intending to hold back at all.
The bathhouse water, mixed with Dragon Blood, splashed up as he flung it, scalding hot water entering Liaâs eyes.
âOw!â
The effect was comparable to quicklime, halting Liaâs assault instantly.
Immediately after, Lin Da shot out a Venom Magic Sphere, sizzling as it dissolved half of Liaâs towel, exposing large patches of fair skin.
âWhat are you doing!?â Liaâs voice changed as she rubbed her burning eyes, while trying to cover up with the towel.
In the ensuing chaos, she had no composure to fight.
Lin Da had long wanted to punish Lia, to correct her arrogant attitude, and now was the perfect opportunity.
Everyone else found the spectacle quite amusing and watched from the sidelines.
Aiko was the most entertained, gazing without blinking. She hugged Chloe, covering Chloeâs eyes with her hands, and giggled, âYouâre still young, you can see this kind of thing later.â
âThen why can Monica watch?â Chloe pouted, unwilling to accept this.
Monica weakly replied, âIâm older than you, Iâm your big sisterâ¦â
All they saw was Lin Da throwing out the Dark Whip, binding Lia up.
âLet, let me go!â Lia was frantic, screaming loudly.
But this time, Lin Da had no intention of indulging her.
The Dark Whip bound Lia like a human-shaped rice dumpling, and with a plop, she was thrown into the bathhouse pool, face down, floating on the surface, with only her buttocks poking out.
Her skin, white and pressed into folds by the tight whip, jiggled with Liaâs angry struggles, bouncing like a large jelly.