After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply-Chapter 727 - 506, the mastermind behind the disappearance of Dark Shadow?

From what Lin Da knew, [Dark Corruption] was a technique exclusive to senior-ranked demons and above.

“Did you clash with someone from Dragon’s Rest Tomb?” Lin Da asked in a deep voice.

“Yes. Cyan City’s adventurer organization launched a demon raid on the 30th level, and I, as the Dean of Azure Sky University, was invited to join.

I killed several senior officers but got wounded in return.

If it had been my teacher, they wouldn’t have made such a careless mistake. I’m still too weak.”

Bailuo let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Seeing the despondency in Bailuo’s eyes made Lin Da feel a stabbing ache; his right hand instinctively lifted, wanting to pat Bailuo’s head.

Luckily, he restrained himself. Bailuo, however, noticed Lin Da raise and then lower his hand, revealing a look of puzzlement.

In the game, Bailuo was someone who disliked claiming credit. While it sounded like she “killed several senior officers,” the odds were high that they were demons of level 57 or above—an achievement worthy of being featured in the Adventurer’s Weekly.

In truth, Lin Da had only learned today that Bailuo had advanced to Sacred Rank; she had always been so unassuming.

Bailuo tugged her dress strap back over her shoulder, but the image of that horrifying wound lingered indelibly in Lin Da’s mind.

The fact that such an injury could torment a Sacred Rank adventurer to exhaustion showcased just how excruciating the effects of Dark Corruption were.

Damned demons, I will not forgive you!

Lin Da took a deep breath, an icy resolve forming in his heart.

“If you venture to the 30th level, you must proceed cautiously.”

Bailuo warned earnestly, “At least two of the demons’ Twelve Belongings are on the 30th level. I was injured by a woman with pink hair; she wields a spear, her species is a succubus, and her ram-like horns on her head make her easy to recognize. If you encounter her, flee immediately!”

A succubus with pink hair…

Lin Da’s eyelid twitched.

There were plenty of succubi among the demons—how could it be such a coincidence?

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For now, Lin Da committed the details of this member of the Twelve Belongings to memory, then glanced once more at Bailuo’s injured shoulder. The wound needed immediate treatment; every day of delay drained more of Bailuo’s life force.

Indeed, while Dark Corruption could only be suppressed, not cured…

There existed rare magic items capable of healing it.

And Lin Da just happened to have one.

Having made this decision, a weight lifted off his chest.

Changing the topic, Lin Da said, “By the way, I’ve accepted Anna’s commission to investigate the disappearance of Dark Shadow. I heard you used to be part of his team; do you have any leads? Let’s exchange information.”

Lin Da revealed another purpose for his visit.

Aside from fulfilling his promise to Bailuo—to purify her friend—Lin Da was eager to learn how much Bailuo knew about the disappearance of Dark Shadow.

The threat posed by Dragon’s Rest Tomb was obvious, not requiring excessive concern. However, the mastermind remained veiled in an impenetrable fog. The closer Lin Da advanced in rank and approached the Royal Capital, the greater his unease grew.

A colossal shadow seemed to be encroaching upon him.

“If you have any information, please share it with us!”

To earn Bailuo’s trust, Lin Da began by revealing his side of the story.

—The Coldmoon Duke’s betrayal, commissioning Lulu and others to travel to the southern region of Cangqing Province to search for Dark Shadow.

Many of those commissioners were witches.

Yet they obeyed Coldmoon Duke!

If Lulu hadn’t been purified by Lin Da, she might have returned to the Royal Capital to report to the Coldmoon Duke. In a sense, the Frostwolf Tribe acted as a savior, severing the connection between the two. Of course, the Coldmoon Duke and Lulu did not “know” each other; they communicated via intermediaries, thus concealing their association from the eyes of the Royal Capital.

This woman could be described as deeply suspicious.

After listening to Lin Da’s account, Bailuo furrowed her brow, seeming lost in thought.

She murmured, “So, Evelyn truly betrayed us…”

The evidence Lin Da provided seemed to confirm a theory of hers.

“I don’t fully trust your words, but they are quite informative.”

Bailuo contemplated aloud, “For the Coldmoon Duke to specifically send people to the southern region of Cangqing Province—is it possible that traces of my teacher are there? If so, have I been searching in the wrong direction all along?”

“Can you now share the clues you’ve gathered on your side?”

“Of course.”

Bailuo nodded, raising three fingers, “There are three individuals highly likely to be involved in this matter. First and foremost, as you suspect, I also believe it’s Evelyn, the Coldmoon Duke.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Lin Da and his team all grew tense.

If the mastermind truly turned out to be Evelyn, things would become exceptionally complicated.

“Last year, five newcomers in Ice Abyss earned a Ten-Star Rating. Among them, Romanli and Volgan have clear identities, but the other three? I’ve never heard of them. Thus, I secretly investigated them for a time.”