```


    "I bet someone''s cursing me behind my back."


    Lin Da wiped his nose, slightly confused.


    Looking ahead at severalrge buildings,


    aside from the detached luxury vis, there were also regr apartment buildings, which were much cheaper than the former.


    Klyne and Oru had taken out a loan to buy an apartment here.


    Entering the neighborhood, not far ahead, there was a huge magic fountain, its colorful glow particrly captivating.


    Beside it, there were many benches where adventurers gathered in groups of twos and threes, mostly couples.


    Adventurers jogging past Lin Da, and on the square, a group of elderly adventurers were dancing to exercise routines, while a bunch of kids yed noisily with wooden swords.


    This scene from another world was quite simr to reality.


    Lin Da walked straight on.


    "Hey," Kafni seemed to have noticed something and nudged Lin Da with her elbow, pointing forward with her chin.


    Following the direction Kafni indicated, Lin Da paused for a moment.


    On a bench beside the magic fountain sat a girl with fiery red hair.


    It was the captain of the Snow Goose Adventure Team, Lia.


    She was alone, without her teammates by her side—perhaps she hade out to clear her mind?


    The light and shadows of the fountain fell on Lia''s face, fluctuating between light and dark, her small face staring nkly up at the night sky, looking somewhat deste.


    As Lin Da and Kafni, an attractive pair, passed by Lia, she indeed noticed them.


    Lin Da pretended not to see her and walked on as usual.


    But he could feel a sharp gaze sticking to him like someone had aimed a sword at him.


    Lia, seeing thefort gifts in Lin Da''s hand, initially rxed her expression, thinking about how to refuse them.


    But unexpectedly,


    Lin Da treated her like air and just breezed past her!


    Thefort gifts, after all that trouble, were not for her!


    Lia was already frustrated from her defeat on the 11th floor; Lin Da''s disregard was about to make her explode with anger.


    Meanwhile, Lin Da had almost walked away when he heard someone calmly say behind him:


    "I didn''t lose, Missy."


    "?"


    He hadn''t said anything, had he?


    Having been addressed, Lin Da had no choice but to stop. Walking away now would seem too deliberate.


    He turned to Lia.


    Lia''s face was lifted, stubborn, like a disheveled but still proud peacock.


    Thick bandages were wrapped around the girl''s arms, arge pain-relief patch on her forehead, her left handy casually by her side, her right hand on her hip, slightly tilted in a carefree manner.


    "If it hurts, you don''t have to tough it out," Lin Da quickly saw through Lia''s facade of strength.


    It was exactly people like her who would suffer for the sake of pride and never admit that even a decapitation hurt.


    Lia''s face twitched; she moved her hands, "It''s just a minor injury, it''ll heal in a few days."


    That gesture seemed like she was trying to prove something.


    Only her eyebrows furrowed noticeably.


    Lin Da pointed to the pain-relief patch on her forehead: "The blood''s seeping through."


    Lia''s expression copsed.


    No wonder her head felt fuzzy.


    She casually said, "Such a minor wound, it doesn''t matter."


    "Oh," Lin Da nodded, nced around to see that Kafni had sidled off—who knows when—perhaps afraid Lia mightsh out at her?


    This deity was sometimes pretty smart.


    Lin Da left Lia behind and stepped forward.


    ```


    "I heard you''ve set up a small team called the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team?"


    For some reason, Lia was especially chatty that day,


    Lin Da was a bit annoyed and hummed an acknowledgment.


    The double nonmittal hums caused the bleeding on Lia''s head to surge.


    She red at Lin Da and said word by word, "Your adventure team will never, ever be able to match up to my Snow Goose."


    "I wasn''t trying topete with you," Lin Da said, puzzled, "What exactly are you trying so hard to prove?"


    "But... if we were topete, the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team wouldn''t lose to any team," he said.


    "What, you''re way too arrogant!"


    Lia, driven toughter by her fury, pointed at Lin Da, "You''ve changed, you''re not the Lin Da you used to be!"


    The Lin Da of the past would have shown her warm concern.


    He would have stayed by her side when she was unhappy and assisted the team perfectly to clear the next level.


    Lin Da said, "You''ve changed too."


    Lia''s eyes were firm, "I haven''t."


    Lin Da shook his head, unwilling to continue the argument with the young girl, and walked away with the gift.


    In the square, many adventurers were sneaking peeks at them.


    Lia shot a warning re at the crowd, then stormed back to the vi, fists clenched in frustration.


    She hade out to clear her mind, but after meeting Lin Da, her mood had only worsened.


    When she got back to the vi, she saw Aiko sitting on the couch with slices of cucumber covering her face, her head tilted back, emanating a faint white Magic Power glow, immersed in meditation.


    Lia poured herself a cup of coffee, cupped it with both hands, and held it to her chest, her thoughts in turmoil, "Aiko, do you think I''ve changed?"


    "Huh?"


    Aiko opened her eyes, surprised, and leaned to look at Lia, wondering what had upset the hot-tempered girl this time.


    She nced around and said, "Nope, Lia is always Lia, she never changes."


    On hearing this, Lia breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Aiko, you really understand me."


    Lia felt much better.


    With a grimace, she finished her unsweetened coffee, went upstairs to her bedroom to change the pain relief patch on her forehead, and then grabbed the Greatsword Sun Eater, practicing with grunts and effort.


    The wound throbbed with searing pain, but Lia gritted her teeth, letting her Fire Series Battle Qi circte throughout her body.


    The defeat on the eleventh level was only temporary,


    On the twelfth level of the World Tree, she was determined to lead the Snow Goose Adventure Team to a Perfect Clear!


    ...


    Behind the vi areay a cluster of residential buildings.


    In a four-story building, Lin Da was warmly received by his old teammates.


    "I was just saying we should get Klyne to buy some pigeon meat, and here you are, bringing over gifts," said Oru,ughing as he opened the door and saw Lin Da and Kafni standing outside with the gifts.


    "Wee." The Elf Girl Klyne smiled politely, took the gifts from Lin Da''s hands, and invited them into the living room.


    The two old teammates didn''t seem to be in great shape.


    Lin Da noticed a trace of exhaustion deep in Klyne''s eyes and that Oru''s right arm was bandaged up like a mummy, with the heavy scent of ''Golden Sunflower'' emanating from it—a Magical Herb known to promote bone healing.


    The four sat down at the living room table, exchanged courtesies, and talked about their recent experiences.


    When the conversation turned to Snow Goose Adventure Team''s conquest of the eleventh level, Klyne, who had been silent until then, suddenly clenched her fist and said in a low voice:


    "Lia went too far. She didn''t mention a word about Oru''s injury, just kept ming him."


    Oru was straightforward and honest; he felt that being scolded by Lia was no big deal,


    But his girlfriend Klyne could not stand it. Even when Oru''s shield arm was broken, he didn''t back down. The reason for the team''s heavy losses was all due to Lia and Aiko always drawing away the Magical Creatures'' aggro,


    In the end, it was Oru who was med for not being able to keep the creatures at bay.


    Klyne, a regr Elf Girl without a particrly forgiving heart,ined incessantly.