After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply

"The terms are indeed generous, but..." Lin Da glanced over the content on the parchment, and his face suddenly darkened, "A master-servant contract?"

"Indeed, this is the Coldmoon Duke's favor towards you," McCarthy smiled. "Other ten-star candidates can at most sign a Cold Moon Pact, which binds far less than a master-servant contract.

It sounds like their contracts are better.

But you have to know, the Coldmoon Duke is an extremely protective legend.

There was once a guy named Dai Lian who killed many from the great nobility and was denounced by the people of the Royal Capital. Yet, the Coldmoon Duke, by his power alone, suppressed those opposing voices and saved Dai Lian.

Many Light Rank adventurers, scrambling to become a servant of the Coldmoon Duke, never got the chance,"

After hearing this.

Lin Da remained expressionless, but Tasya next to him, couldn't seem to stand still anymore.

Could it be possible that Dai Lian the Dark Shadow is Lin Da...

McCarthy, upon entering, suspected that Lin Da knew her. This suspicion was actually correct. Lin Da did know McCarthy and had graduated from the Ice Abyss years ago.

But times are different now. Tasya learned from Lulu that the Coldmoon Duke has rebelled.

The Ice Abyss is likely to become a cradle for raising the power of the Demons.

"Dai Lian," once the most trusted adventurer of the Coldmoon Duke, might have become her greatest confidante or enemy.

As long as the Dark Shadow is alive, the revival of the Demons is doomed to fail.

The attitude of the other three Great Dukes is also very ambiguous.

No one knows whether they are truly loyal to guarding the empire.

If all are minions of the Demons...

Before the situation becomes clear, revealing the identity of the Dark Shadow is too dangerous.

This adventurer hailed as "the most likely to reach the top of the World Tree" is not allowed by the Demons to live in this world.

Lin Da pondered for a while.

His thoughts, and Tasya's, weren't much different.

Whether the Coldmoon Duke is a friend or foe, let's not discuss that for now.

Once the Demons find out he is still alive, they might come out in full force.

Better to secretly grow in power first.

Then contact the Four Great Dukes, using the Dark Shadow as a pivot, and establish an Adventurers' Alliance to protect the Mystic Continent.

Lin Da read through the master-servant contract again, his expression becoming extremely vivid.

The summoned beast contract he signed with Kafni, compared to this contract, looks utterly trivial and makes him seem especially conscientious.

The contents of the master-servant contract included but were not limited to:

Staying by the master's side 24 hours a day.

Not using power without the master's consent.

Seeing the master as the only one, and not talking to strangers without the master's permission.

Greeting the master every morning.

When the master is in a bad mood, accompany the master in slaughtering Magical Creatures.

And so on.

Lin Da didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This wasn't about being a servant at all.

It was utterly about being a dog!

Lin Da shook his head, handed the contract back to McCarthy, "Sorry, I can't sign."

"Hmm, you can start packing your bags and go with me now... wait, what did you say?"

McCarthy, who had started to rise from the sofa, sat back down, looking confusedly at Lin Da, "What did you just say? I didn't catch it."

"I said, I refuse. I appreciate the Coldmoon Duke's kindness, but I'm used to being free, I don't understand noble etiquette, and it's better to be an ordinary adventurer peacefully," Lin Da paused, "And also, I have a question, is it necessary to sign a master-servant contract to get a Ten-Star Rating?"

The processes in Another World are too different from the game.

In the game, there's no contract at all, the pass that costs 98, just pay an extra 100, and you can unlock the Ten-Star Rating.

McCarthy was dumbfounded, "Do you know what you're saying, rejecting such a great opportunity? If I were you, I would have kowtowed in gratitude already." Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

Lin Da, "I'm sorry, but you should go back. I still need to lead my adventure team to prepare for the strategy against the Flame Giant, and I can't possibly follow you to the Royal Capital."

"A Flame Giant in White Dove City, does the [Door] exist?" McCarthy raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The [Door] is also known as the Door of Rejection. Without killing the Flame Giant, all adventurers entering the 19th level will always arrive at this Mystic Realm.

It acted like a heavy iron door, blocking the adventurers' path to climb further upward.

McCarthy, "I've read about the Phoenix Tail Flower Adventure Team. You expect to succeed with a few Star Rank members and a Moon Rank maid? Even students from the Ice Abyss Training Camp need at least three 40-level Moon Rank leaders."

"If you all had the potential of Ten-Star adventurers, that would be another story," McCarthy chuckled lightly.

She continued to persuade Lin Da, "Following Coldmoon Duke is a no-lose situation, she can definitely guide you to higher levels of the World Tree."

Lin Da still shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be bound by anyone. If I must sign a master-servant pact to become Ten Stars, then I'm quite fine staying at Nine Stars."

With the invitations continuously rejected, McCarthy's face started to lose color, glancing coldly at Lin Da, "You should realize that there are no more than ten people on this continent of higher status than adults. Serving the adult means being below only ten people and above thousands, which is a tremendous honor."

"I am very grateful for Coldmoon Duke's invitation, and the conditions she offered are very tempting, I admit I was briefly tempted."

"Then why not..."

"But if the price for gaining power is to give up my freedom, then please forgive my refusal."

Lin Da spoke calmly and firmly.

"Is that so, I see," McCarthy sneered slightly, her tone tinged with sarcasm, "Then I wish you could go further on the path of adventurers and not fall behind those who have signed contracts and are Ten-Star talents."

A wasted trip, McCarthy looked at Lin Da with a hint of anger, stood up, and walked towards the door without turning back, "You refuse now, even if you regret it later, the adult will not accommodate you, she never invites the same person twice."

Lin Da smiled and gave no reply.

This attitude was utterly the opposite of someone else... McCarthy felt like she was punching into cotton, unable to exert any real force.

The black guy had an empty gaze, sparing with words, whereas the one before her only offered faint smiles, completely inscrutable.

"Eye of True Knowledge Lin Da, I hope you can enter Ice Abyss sooner," McCarthy thought fiercely to herself.

…

"Finally, some peace."

After McCarthy had left, Lin Da sat on the sofa and had Tasya help him massage his shoulders to relax.

He had been quite looking forward to a Ten-Star Rating, but Coldmoon Duke's conditions were too excessive.

"Nine Stars then, at least it's better than being a dog. From Coldmoon Duke's personal plot, staying close to that kind of woman is too dangerous."

At the moment Coldmoon Duke's Card Pool had not come out, but Lin Da had used it in other rounds.

In a nutshell, she seemed a very calm woman, but in fact, she was insane, ready to strike even the king if their opinions clashed.

This round, without any points of good feelings, meant Lin Da and Coldmoon Duke were complete strangers; approaching her recklessly was too dangerous.

He would better off just climbing the tree straightforwardly.

"I wonder if there's any news about the recruitment of a Light Mage, and also about the materials President Velen was commissioned to gather…"

After lunch, Lin Da took Tasya and drove the carriage to the Adventurers' Guild.

As they were leaving their neighborhood, he saw a stall on the street with the sign [Magic Divination].

The crowd was packed around the stall, some shouting, "It's so accurate," praising it to the skies.

"Do they have scam artists in another world too…" Lin Da chuckled.

He withdrew his gaze, flicked the reins, and dashed towards the Adventurers' Guild.

...

In the reception room.

Nora, the secretary wearing a black pencil skirt, respectfully brought a cup of red tea to Lin Da's table.

Velen sat opposite, his face showing a hint of happiness, "The materials you requested, except for the Flame Glazed Stone, the rest have all been collected."

A flash on his ring, and a dozen or so materials neatly packed in a crystal box appeared on the table.

A blue flower releasing a chill, strangely shaped roots, a 40-level Ice System Magic Core, and a silver liquid that seemed to possess life…

Though none of these items were too rare on their own, collecting all of them required substantial effort.

Utilizing the channels of the Adventurers' Guild to collect them was indeed the right choice.