After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

The Dragon Race, by nature, possessed astonishing builds and powerful Dragon Language Magic, placing them at the top of the Magical Creatures hierarchy.

The Forest Dragon was not the strongest among the dragon species, but it was certainly not on the same level as the mixed-blood subspecies such as lizard-dragons.

An adult Forest Dragon started at the Epic Five-star level, with level 40 as the base. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Some could reach level 49, or even 50!

If it were a lizard-dragon in its 30s, Lia was confident she could take it on.

But when Lin Da mentioned the Forest Dragon, her head spun like a rattle-drum, faster than anyone's.

Watching Lia frantically shake her head, Lin Da said with a sense of resignation, "Can you listen seriously to what others are saying? I'm talking about stealing, not robbing."

"With just a few of us, steal treasure under the watch of a Forest Dragon?" Lia said, laughing in disbelief, with her hands on her hips, one finger pointing at Lin Da's nose, "I suggest you go home and read more books. Without even this common sense, you're still out here adventuring!"

A vein throbbed on Lin Da's forehead; if he weren't lower in level than Lia, he would have bound her with the Dark Whip to teach her a lesson. He truly didn't know how he had tolerated this red-haired dwarf for three years; he felt like awarding himself the employee of the year.

"I already said it—just the two of us certainly won't be enough. We have to wait for those top adventurers to attract the Forest Dragon's attention, then we'll sneak in," he explained.

"The main part of the treasure will probably be taken by the Sun Adventure Group, but a dragon's cave is vast and with the Forest Dragon closely watching, some treasure is bound to be overlooked. Just picking up the leftovers should cover our expenses for the coming year! If we're lucky, earning the Gold Coins of two or three Epic Weapons is also possible," Lin Da said as he laid out the plan in detail for Lia to understand with her walnut-sized brain.

"Oh, I see now." Lia clapped her fist into her open palm, "If you'd explained like this from the start, I'd have understood; we're going to sneak in and steal."

"That's what I've been saying from the beginning."

"But is it feasible? Shouldn't the Forest Dragon be in the deepest parts of the Dragon Forest? The Magical Creatures along the way are tough to handle," Lia said with a worrisomely furrowed brow, "we can't get in!"

In the depths of the Dragon Forest, level 30 Magical Creatures were everywhere.

One or two were manageable; they could join forces to deal with them.

But what about ten, twenty, or more?

The outcome would be only one.

Total annihilation!

"In theory, yes," Lin Da smiled, "but coincidentally, I happen to know a safe route that leads deep into the forest. I came today just to verify whether this route still exists."

"Really?" Lia looked at him skeptically.

Ever since Lin Da founded the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team, Lia hadn't been able to trust him entirely. She always felt as if she and the other members fell into the water, Lin Da would save Lulu first.

After all, their relationship was just that of allies. Thinking this, Lia felt somewhat uneasy. Lin Da was right beside her, yet he had become the leader of others.

Though their relationship had improved a lot since she expelled Lin Da, it was likely impossible for things to return to how they were before.

As Lia dwelled in her disappointment, Lin Da said, "That's why we've come to verify today. If that route isn't there, we'll give up on going deeper."

Lin Da had farmed the Great Mystery Continent more than a thousand times. He knew all the spots where Magical Creatures were distributed, the common hangouts of the Forest Dragons, and the layout of the caves. All of it was deeply etched in his mind.

Included in his knowledge was a hidden passage.

It was a tunnel dug out by a level 30 Magical Creature, the Burrowing Mole, which led right near the Forest Dragon Cave.

A subsequent earthquake caused the entrance to the tunnel to collapse, and it lay forgotten somewhere in the forest.

In the Dragon Forest, vegetation was lush and the terrain complex. Looking up, one could only see the sky-obscuring orange canopies of the Mondale Trees, seemingly a lazily cobbled-together high-scale map.

In such an environment, determining one's direction was undoubtedly extremely difficult.

Without a single landmark, inexperienced adventurers would get disoriented in minutes.

In this place, even a compass was affected by magical interferences. Lin Da placed one in his palm only to see the red needle spin round and round.

"Can't rely on this after all," Lin Da said as he put the compass back into his Space Ring, staring at the monotonous Mondale Trees while his brain rapidly worked to compare his surroundings to the 2D map from the game.

"We're not lost, are we?" Lia began to panic.

If they got trapped in the Dragon Forest and missed the closure of the Great Mystery Continent, they would have to stay there for a month—use of Teleportation Stones and Town Portal Scrolls was prohibited in such dangerous areas as the Dragon Forest.

During the closure of the Great Mystery Continent, all the Magic Power in the air would dissipate, making it impossible for adventurers to restore their Magic Power and Battle Qi. Moreover, the Magical Creatures would become more ferocious.

In other words, if they couldn't get out of the Dragon Forest and were locked in the Great Mystery Continent, their survival was anything but certain!

"What should we do?"

The surrounding area became increasingly menacing as the light dimmed and the silhouettes of the Mondale Trees swayed in the wind like towering giants.

The rustling of the grass stirred by the wind, the footsteps of unknown Magical Creatures, and various eerie howls... Even the usually brave Lia started to panic, instinctively grabbing the hem of Lin Da's clothes.

"I've got it."

A flash of inspiration struck Lin Da, and taking Lia's small hand, he said, "This way!"

"Ah!" Caught off guard by Lin Da's sudden pull, Lia nearly fell over, stumbling before catching up to him.

Her hand was enveloped by a sturdy, reassuring grip. Her heart pounded, and a flurry of thoughts ran through her head.

By the time Lia regained her composure, Lin Da had already brought her to their destination.

A sunken pit, inside of which was dirty, stagnant water, leaves, and lumps of black Magical Creature excrement. White worms thrived in the dung, slowly wriggling about.