After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply-Chapter 737 - 511, The Strongest Newcomer?

Chapter 737: 511, The Strongest Newcomer?

Boom!

The council hall doors burst open with a thunderous crash.

A young woman draped in icy snow, her fiery red hair tied in a long ponytail, strode in with swift, purposeful steps.

She wore a form-fitting adventurer’s outfit that accentuated her graceful figure. Her orange-gold eyes seemed to smolder with flames, and in every glance, she exuded an unshakable authority.

The council members, each harboring their own thoughts, lowered their heads guiltily.

No one could deny their respect for this young woman, who, despite lacking any background, had single-handedly founded White Dove United in the harsh Ice Abyss.

“Miss Lia, you’ve returned!”

Everyone stood to welcome her.

Soon after, a silver-haired young woman and a blue-haired man with closed eyes followed her into the hall.

Exhaustion was evident on all three of their faces.

But returning safely—nothing mattered more than that.

Aiko’s eyes lit up with joy as she hurried to Lia’s side. “It’s so late already. Do you have any idea how many people were worried about you—”

Midway through her sentence, Aiko felt a dampness on her hand.

Startled, she glanced down, her pupils shrinking instantly.

Her hands were wet with a shocking crimson red.

“You…”

Aiko’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Only then did she notice how pale Lia’s face was—alarming and ghastly—and how deathly cold her body felt.

When she looked toward Isa and Abner, one had their left arm wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, the wound frozen over with congealed blood; the other appeared unscathed outwardly but was breathing heavily, with their body faintly trembling.

The fiery atmosphere in the council hall was doused by a sudden and chilling wave.

Aiko: “You’re hurt? What happened out there?”

Lia pulled out a chair and sat down, her face clouded and silent.

“I’ll explain,” Isa sighed. “When we left after picking up supplies, we were ambushed by Dark Rose.”

The expressions in the hall were instantly transformed.

The air thickened with turmoil and unease, a storm teetering on the brink of eruption.

Despite her rising anxiety, Aiko felt powerless. With Lia and the others injured, White Dove United’s combat strength had significantly diminished. The remaining members stood no chance against Dark Rose’s three leaders.

“I’ll fight the final battle with everything I’ve got.”

Lia abruptly spoke, her tone resolute. “If anyone wants to leave, do it now.”

With those words, several members secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

“Miss Lia, I’d like to continue cultivating in the Ice Abyss, so… my apologies.”

Big Beard was the first to stand. He bowed to Lia before pushing open the door and leaving.

“Miss Lia, I owe you my thanks!

Half a year ago, if not for your help, I would have been eliminated.

I should have stayed in White Dove United, but I have a reason I must ascend to the Sacred Rank. Forgive me!”

“Sigh, and just a month into joining, trouble like this happens…”

One by one, members shook their heads and sighed as they walked past the red-haired young woman.

Lia lowered her gaze, unresponsive. But her arms, folded tightly across her chest, betrayed the strength of her grip. She couldn’t suppress the undercurrent of disappointment within her.

Just as Aiko had said, factions were nothing but alliances of convenience. The moment danger struck, they scattered like monkeys off a falling tree.

In the blink of an eye, aside from the elders of White Dove City, only five members remained in the hall.

“I will follow Miss Lia to the death. If I get eliminated, I’ll just go to Miss Lia’s homeland to become an adventurer!” declared a man with thick lips and dreadlocks.

“Count me in, too!” Mouse Shu, a short man with oversized, gray-furred ears, thumped his chest, all the adoration and admiration for Lia shining in his eyes.

“Hmm, Shu and Tolu, I appreciate your resolve,” Lia nodded approvingly before turning to Isa. “How about you?”

“I’ll never surrender, of course,” Isa replied decisively. “But fighting like this is a lost cause. We need another plan.”

“Seek outside help?” Lia pondered aloud. “White Dove United still has over 20,000 cultivation points. We could hire someone from the top 50 on the Light Rank list.”

She folded her hands on the table, her eyes glazed with a deep contemplation.

The elders of White Dove City watched Lia’s composed demeanor and sighed silently.

In just a year, Lia had not only grown taller but had also matured in temperament, gradually evolving into a capable leader.

Especially with her fiery determination, she had led White Dove United from having nothing to securing its own base.

These experiences had cemented Lia’s position as the foremost leader among White Dove United’s three chiefs.

“I heard Volgan has ties with Lin Da. Do you think he’d agree to help?” Abner asked.

“That werewolf? Probably not,” Oru interjected. “He’s like me—he also got hit on the 25th floor.”

As he spoke, he lifted his shirt, revealing a sticky, purplish-black scar on his abdomen.

Seeing the scar, Lia’s eyes flickered with a surge of fury.

Last month, during the 25th-floor Mystic Realm event, Snow Goose had clashed with a Demonic adventurer team. Oru had been struck by an arrow in the abdomen and had fallen victim to “Dark Corruption.”

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking interrupted her thoughts.

A skinny member hurried in to report, “Chief Lia, we’ve got newcomers wanting to join White Dove United.”

“Newcomers?”

Lia was momentarily stunned.

The conflict between White Dove United and Dark Rose was well-known across the Ice Abyss. Yet in such a moment, someone still wanted to join?

If White Dove United lost, its members would have to pay cultivation points.

If they couldn’t pay, they’d be sent to work in the depths, mining endlessly.

Without clearing their debts, leaving wasn’t an option.

From what Lia knew, a Light Rank adventurer who owed 10,000 points had spent thirty years mining underground. Last month, unable to bear the torment, he smashed his own head with a pickaxe.

Lia waved her hand. “Tell them to come back tomorrow if White Dove United still exists by then.”

“Got it. I’ll let him know.”

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The skinny man clattered down the stairs.

“Miss Lia is truly too kind,” Mouse Shu said with a toothy grin, baring his large front teeth. “If only I could marry Miss Lia.”