Chapter 544: 410. Invitation from geniuses from other cities, the self-deprecating Isa_2
Lin Da: "Before that, could you do me a favor?"
"Of course, no problem," Wez nodded.
"Apologize to Isa."
Lin Da said indifferently, "The rating of Adventurer's Weekly is just a reference. It's nearly three months until the summer recruitment; can you guarantee that everyone's abilities won't change in these three months? Half a year ago, I was just a Level 10 Healer."
Wez was stunned, "You advanced to Star Rank in half a year?"
Lin Da: "Believe it or not, that's up to you. Until you apologize, I won't consider this collaboration."
Wez clicked his tongue, his smile disappearing.
He glanced at the puffed-up Lia and Isa, lips pursed, and said coldly, "I don't think there's anything wrong with what I said.
I won't apologize.
Lin Da, I hope you will seriously consider my invitation. I already have a Nine-Star adventurer who agrees to team up.
Additionally, my brother is a faction leader at the Ice Abyss Training Camp.
Joining forces with me, not only would you achieve excellent ranks in the entry assessments, but you could also become a member of my brother's faction and receive focused training.
Leave those two losers behind and choose me, that's the wise decision."
"[Eye of True Knowledge], don't let yourself down," he added.
Wez opened the carriage door and leaped down.
His figure turned into purple mist and disappeared.
His voice echoed around the carriage: "I will come back to invite you again, Lin Da, I will definitely show you that losers are just losers, I am a better fit for you than they are."
The carriage fell into a brief silence.
"This guy really stinks," Lia said angrily.
Looking at the silent Isa beside her, Lia patted her shoulder, "Don't let people like that get to you, so what if he is Nine-Star? Many legendary adventurers were called losers in their youth, I heard the odds are three times higher for losers to become legends than ordinary people."
Isa smiled wryly, "Where did you hear such a ridiculous notion..."
Lia said earnestly, "Klrona told me, she said it's from statistical data in a book."
That pink twin-tailed loli?
The image of Klrona surfaced in Isa's mind.
By "book," she probably meant comic books with fantasy themes.
Sterry tilted her head and extended a finger, saying: "Wez has always been like that since he was a child, not reading the room at all, he actually just wants to kindly invite you to join, you know?"
Lin Da: "As I said, unless he apologizes to my friends first, we can't talk."
Lia was a bit touched, "Lin Da, I didn't realize you cared about us so much..."
"It's just because he belittled Isa that I am angry, it has nothing to do with you," Lin Da joked.
"Ah?! That's too much!"
The carriage burst into chaos.
Sterry and her brother were both amused by their antics.
But Isa seemed deeply troubled.
She didn't feel relaxed even with Lin Da and Lia deliberately trying to lighten the mood by playfully arguing.
"Lin Da, why don't you... just accept Wez's offer, take Lia with you and join his team. I can figure out another way on my own," Isa suggested.
Lin Da and the others stopped.
The two looked at each other, worry evident in their eyes.
Compared to Lin Da at Nine Stars and the carefree, Eight-Star Lia, Seven-Star Isa seemed to feel inferior.
It wasn't very apparent when she was with familiar faces.
But the emergence of people like Sterry and Wez intensified Isa's feelings of "being lesser than others."
The silver-haired swordsman girl, her right hand gently holding her left forearm, stood at the carriage entrance, biting her lip.
The sunlight from outside streamed through the window, casting light on where Lin Da and the others stood.
A clear line of light and shadow separated the two sides.
Isa stood in the corner's shadow, a faint smile on her face.
As if encouraging Lin Da and the others to join Wez's team, and not to mind her.
Yet, even the dim-witted Lia noticed, Isa's hand holding her arm was trembling slightly, the downturn of her lips laden with reluctance.
In Adventurer's Weekly, Isa was rated Seven-Star, the weakest among the four Iron-Level team captains in White Dove City.
As for the conditions within Ice Abyss Training Camp, a careful inquiry could reveal some basic rules. For instance, adventurers who can graduate from there are rated Eight Stars and above.
To date, the number of adventurers who had graduated with a Seven-Star rating from Ice Abyss could be counted on one hand.
Seeing her old rival's dejected expression pained Lia's heart a little.
She strode over, intending to say something.
But Lin Da held her back.
Lin Da moved to Isa's side.
He gently tapped on the girl's pristine forehead.
"What are you talking about? The three of us together are the strongest. The Ice Flame Demon Prison Array is useless without any one of us.
Moreover, I guarantee that Isa's potential for the future is no less than Wez's.
Don't take such people's words to heart."
Lin Da's words were filled with confidence.
In the original game plot, Isa was a powerful four-star NPC card.
Four-star might seem low, but that was only in the eyes of players who could afford to draw five-star cards.
In Another World, she was definitely a genius.
As for Wez, this NPC, Lin Da had no impression.
At most, he was just an ordinary four-star.
To most adventurers, Isa was a genius.
It was just that she was too humble and didn't realize it.
Even... somewhat self-deprecating.
Lin Da noticed that when Isa was ridiculed by Wez, she just silently endured, not daring to retaliate.
Although this was a wise behavior, Isa's small actions revealed her inner fragility.
Lin Da gently embraced Isa, leaning close to the girl's ear and said,
"Believe me, once we get to the Ice Abyss, your training will progress much faster than now.
The ice element there is poison to other adventurers, but it's perfect for you.
Wez will soon be surpassed."
"Hmm..." A smile reappeared on Isa's face, "I feel much better now, sorry to make you and Lia worry."
"Hmph, who was worried about you?" Lia said with a blush, turning her face away.
Weylon watched for a while and felt it wasn't quite appropriate for him to stay, he said with a laugh, "You chat, I've got official business to tend to."
Lin Da held Isa for a long while, utterly losing track of time.
Perhaps because of his training in Ice Douqi, holding Isa felt completely different from holding Monica or Lulu. Isa was cool and smooth, with a pleasant scent of gardenia from her silver hair, enjoyable to hold all day.
"Cough cough!" Lia put her hand on her chin and coughed seriously.
Sterry and her brothers looked at Lin Da with an "As expected" expression.
No wonder these three could use the Fusion Rare Skills.
The title [Ultimate Pervert] truly fit.
...
In the following period, Lin Da and the sibling Sterry had a very enjoyable conversation.
Lin Da learned that Sterry's uncle was actually Wenqi.
The heretic who had taken Monica at Dragon's Rest Tomb had rushed over from Proclamation Wind City overnight with a Wave Detection Instrument during the moon rank.
"Uncle went there as a special recruit this winter already."
Sterry said helplessly with a wave of her hand, "He was supposed to join me in the summer, but he wouldn't listen, always so impatient."
"Wenqi has already left..."
Lin Da murmured to himself.
Thinking about it, that made sense.
At that time, Wenqi was already a level 46 Moon Rank, and continuing his advancement, the Ice Abyss was the best place to go.
During the carriage ride, both Lia and Isa appeared to be deep in thought.
It seemed they were considering their future development.
"Summer..."
Looking at the clear blue sky outside the window, Lin Da mused to himself.
The temperature had already started to warm up, everyone had swapped their winter clothes for lighter garments.
There were less than three months left until summertime.
He wanted to defeat the Flame Giant before then.
He also needed to seriously start planning for conquering levels beyond the 15th.
It wouldn't do for his group to leave White Dove City and have no one left.
Robert of the Valiant Adventure Team seemed to be approaching Star Rank.
If there was time, he should guide them, helping this adventure team advance to Iron Level as soon as possible.
Lin Da considered the matters ahead.
...
The battle between White Dove City and Red Heart City spread far and wide within just an afternoon.
Even cities as distant as Proclamation Wind City and Aoxia City got word of Lin Da and his companions' names.
The terrifyingly powerful black sword light.
The trio's Fusion Rare Skills.
The instant slaying of the Silverback Giant Ape.
For the first time, White Dove City's fame reached thousands of miles away.
The titles [Eye of True Knowledge], [Bursting Flames], [Silver Frost Swordsman] entered the public eye.
According to reports, the headquarters of Adventurer's Weekly, hearing of this event, was reconsidering Lin Da's potential rating.
But Lin Da was already Nine Stars.
To move forward from there, it would require the personal approval of that Big Shot...