My bloodline is so eager to improve.

For some reason, Tessa gave Otto a strange feeling at this moment. Compared to her previous elegance, she now had a more mature and sharper side.

And what's wrong with that hair?

Otto learned from Lillian that female adventurers, even if they didn't cut their hair short, would try to tie it up so as not to affect their adventures.

Tessa, on the other hand, always wore her hair in a ponytail during her past adventures, but for such an important task today, she's letting her long hair down?

This always made Otto feel a sense of incongruity.

But when Otto's gaze fell on Tessa's waist, he noticed the source of that unease.

A small, cute rabbit plush toy was hanging from Tessa's waist, suspended by a black leather strap.

The doll looked a bit old, with droopy ears and eyes made of black buttons, which contrasted sharply with Tessa's overall capable and sharp image, making it seem particularly out of place.

The adventurers around couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight.

"Haha, little girl, why did you bring your fairytale companion with you on this mission?"

"Miss Tessa, do you need us to protect you?"

Your bunny friend can't fight monsters!

"Is this for an exam or just playing house?"

Hearing the adventurers' jokes around her, a flash of murderous intent crossed Tessa's eyes.

Her fingertips twitched slightly, and the surrounding air seemed to cool down a bit.

But she quickly dispelled that murderous intent.

She simply let out a long sigh, ignoring the mocking looks, and walked straight to Otto's side to greet the boy.

Good morning, Otto.

Tessa said with a smile, revealing two dimples.

"I didn't expect you to arrive even earlier than me."

Are you ready?

We're going to take our upgrade exam today.

Looking at Tessa, Phyllis whispered to Otto:

"Not everyone is qualified to see Una."

With Phyllis's explanation, Otto finally understood.

Clearly, second-tier grandmasters are not easy to get along with.

The necromancer Maeve enjoys playing pranks on handsome young men.

As for the alchemist Una, she lives a secluded life due to her own curse and never shows herself to outsiders.

All her requests were delivered by means of collection on her behalf or by transfer via Michael.

The only adventurer team in Oak Town capable of speaking directly with Una is probably the Dragonbreaker Blade.

Therefore, most adventurers are completely unaware of the truth about this rabbit plushie, which explains their sarcastic remarks.

"Heh, all they can do is talk the talk."

Tessa smiled smugly, then reached out and ruffled the head of the rabbit plush toy at her waist in a very affectionate gesture.

"Our plan is not simply to be bait."

In case anything goes wrong, this alchemist will be there to help.

The rabbit doll's ears seemed to twitch, making an extremely faint sound that only Otto and Phyllis, who were closest, could hear.

However, Otto quickly frowned.

He looked around with some concern and said in a low voice:

"We were shouting so loudly, like a sword being brandished at a temple."

After all, no one knows whether that shaman and his companions have any spies or informants within the guild.

That shaman's strength was unfathomable, and he acted in a mysterious manner. Moreover, he had the assistance of demons, so Otto had to be wary.

Just then, a prompt suddenly appeared in front of Otto's eyes.

[The Spell-Provoking Ape has warned you that you have entered the area of ​​effect of the Silent Sound Inscription.]

"Silent musical notation?"

Otto asked in a low voice without thinking.

What is that?

Seemingly noticing Otto's unusual behavior, Tessa instead showed a curious look.

"It seems you have a pretty good sense of runes."

Tessa said, somewhat surprised.

"They noticed something was wrong just by entering the area."

Tessa pointed to a small black pendant hanging from her waist and patiently explained:

"Did you see the runes on it?"

It's called the Silent Symbol, and this pendant is naturally a talisman that can fully utilize the power of the symbol.

The so-called silence syllable is actually very simple; it is something that can block out our voices within a certain range.

Within this area, only you, me, and Phyllis can hear each other's voices; no one outside can hear us.

"This is a very practical rune, especially useful when carrying out secret missions."

Tessa continued.

"However, it is not omnipotent. If you encounter a high-level thief, or if the other party also has equipment to break similar runes, it is very likely that the other party will find a weakness and eavesdrop."

Therefore, it is not absolutely safe.

Fortunately, there aren't any other adventurers here, so we don't need to worry.

Tessa appeared completely at ease, seemingly more knowledgeable about the Adventurers' Guild than Otto was.

Otto thought about it and agreed. Tessa had come with Erin after all, and Erin must have taught Tessa a lot during their time living in Oak Town.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

Tessa fiddled with the hammer in her hand, a look of great interest on her face.

"Guards, are you ready to charge into battle with the priest?"

"Let's go, we need to prepare for the lottery."

Phyllis glanced at the wall clock, nodded, and said:

"Well, it's about time."

All log-level adventurers participating in the assessment, please assemble in the center of the hall. The drawing of lots is about to begin!

As Phyllis's voice rang out, the noise in the hall gradually subsided.

All the adventurers participating in this upgrade test put down their glasses and weapons and gathered in the center of the hall.

The air was thick with tension and excitement, and everyone wore an expression of anticipation.

Otto took a deep breath and gripped the sword at his waist.

He glanced at Tessa beside him, and Tessa turned to look at him as well. They smiled at each other, their eyes filled with confidence.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Tessa's eyes.

"The hunt is about to begin!"

Chapter 105 Hunting Target (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

Clearly, Tessa is very concerned about this upgrade test.

She kept grinding the worn-out wooden floor of the Adventurers' Guild with the tip of her boot, the wood grain turning into a layer of fine wood shavings with her repeated rubbing.

She turned her head and gently nudged Otto beside her with her elbow, her urging tone carrying an undisguised eagerness:

"Hurry up, hurry up, stop dawdling, or the lottery tubes will be snatched up by others."

Otto sighed helplessly, letting her pull his wrist as they walked through the bustling crowd with Phyllis.

After a short while, the two finally squeezed into the center of the examination area, and Phyllis took out an old-fashioned wooden lottery tube from the counter.

She looked at Otto and Tessa in front of her, a gentle smile immediately appearing on her face, and handed the lottery tube forward:

Are you two ready?

The entire upgrade assessment committee is included in this document.

Tessa didn't reach out to take it. Instead, she took a half step back, patted Otto's shoulder, and gave him an awkward but polite smile.

The smile was just right; the curve of her lips and the angle of her eyes seemed to have been carefully calculated, perfectly concealing the cunning that flashed in her eyes.

“My darling is here, so come and get him.”

Her voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Eileen said that such things should be left to Qimei Na!"

Otto's lips twitched involuntarily as he looked at her serious expression.

He knew, of course, what Tessa was thinking, and he also knew that this draw was nothing to brag about.

As early as last night, that old fox Michael had secretly told him that the commission for this promotion assessment had already been decided by Eileen, and the lottery was just a formality.

It feels like when you bought a lottery ticket in your past life. You had traveled back in time, accurately memorized the winning numbers, and bought the ticket with great anticipation, only to find out when the results were announced that the winning numbers were not the ones you had memorized.

All the effort and preparation turned into a joke; fate always turns on its own track, allowing no interference whatsoever.

Just as Otto was secretly cursing, Phyllis had already passed the lottery tube forward again, her smile still gentle:

"Mr. Otto, please."

Seeing this, Otto didn't hesitate any longer. After all, the result of the draw was already predetermined, and there was no point in thinking about it any further.

He reached out and slowly dipped his hand into the lottery tube.

The cool, wooden feel traveled from his fingertips, the uneven walls of the tube brushed against his skin, and the wooden skewers inside collided with each other, making a crisp, pleasant rustling sound.

The adventurers around stopped what they were doing and turned their curious gazes toward them.

For all novice adventurers, advancing from Log to Blackrock is a crucial step in their career.

This is not just a promotion in rank, but a symbol of status and strength.

Only by becoming a Blackstone-level adventurer can one take on more lucrative and dangerous commissions, truly stepping into the adventurer's profession.

As for Tessa, she simply leaned against Otto, casually fiddling with her signature hammer in her hand.

The hammer gleamed faintly in the lamplight, looking like a torch about to go out.

Her face wore an indifferent expression, as if the person drawing the lots was not Otto, but a complete stranger.

After a while, she slowly asked:

"What did you draw?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached Otto's ears clearly.

The moment Otto's hand reached into the lottery tube, he immediately sensed something was amiss.

A wooden stick seemed to be imbued with some kind of magic, sticking firmly to his fingertip, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off.

Otto understood that this was probably Eileen's arrangement.

He immediately took the opportunity to pull out the wooden stick.

The surface of the wooden stick was covered with a line of neat charcoal writing, the ink still slightly damp.

In the southern part of the Silverfrost Mountains, three adult rock-skinned lizards were hunted, and their hearts were removed as a sign of a successful hunt.

Upon seeing the words "rock-skinned lizard," Otto immediately wore a strange expression.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Tessa beside him.