My bloodline is so eager to improve.

We'll have barbecue tonight.

Otto immediately began cutting the meat after he finished speaking.

The dagger in his hand had a gleaming blade and a narrow, flexible body; it was a dinner knife specifically designed for preparing food.

Otto was used to distinguishing tools very clearly.

He uses a knife to cut meat, a hunting knife to dissect monsters, and a sword for battle. Unlike other adventurers who use a single dagger from start to finish, he has no qualms about eating or skinning animals.

In his view, not separating raw and cooked food and sharing food between humans and animals is not only unhygienic but also prone to accidents.

Upon hearing this, Tessa didn't stay idle either. She turned around and went into the woods to pick up some dry branches and fallen leaves.

She was very careful in her selection, choosing only thoroughly dried pine branches and birch wood. This type of wood produces less smoke, burns longer, and the meat cooked in it won't have a strange taste.

When she returned, she squatted in the middle of the camp, took out a flint and tinder from her pocket, and with a few clicks, sparks flew up, igniting the dry grass at the bottom. The flames slowly climbed up the dry wood and soon a stable fire was burning.

"Actually, I could have started it with the Soul Purifying Flame."

Seeing this, Otto casually remarked. Now that his Purifying Soul Flame has been upgraded, it can condense into a physical flame, making lighting a pile of firewood a piece of cake, much more convenient than using a flint and steel.

But Tessa refused without looking up, her tone unusually serious:

"No, we can't rely on magic like this."

She skewered the pieces of meat that Otto had cut onto cleaned branches and placed them on the grill above the fire, where the fat quickly sizzled.

Golden oil droplets dripped down the meat's grain, landing on the embers and creating wisps of smoke carrying the aroma of meat that drifted far away on the wind.

As she rotated the grill stick at a steady pace to ensure the meat was heated evenly, she turned to look at Otto, her expression as serious as if she were lecturing at an academy:

"Spells and combat skills should be used as trump cards to save your life in critical moments."

If you get used to using magic to solve even the smallest things like starting a fire, fetching water, and clearing a path, you will eventually develop a dependency on it and take your supernatural power for granted.

When faced with real danger, you might just be a little short of magic power to make up for it and not be able to use your life-saving move.

I've seen what it's like to have your magic depleted—utterly exhausted, dizzy, unable to even stand steadily, and it takes several days to recover. That's truly unbearable.

There was a senior at the Divine Ritual Academy who was extremely talented. He became a full priest at a younger age than me. He relied on his profound magical power to solve everything with magic in his daily life, even conjuring water out of thin air when he wanted to drink.

As a result, during a training expedition to the border, he encountered a monster horde. His magic was exhausted prematurely, and he couldn't even create a simple defensive shield, dying instantly at the hands of goblins.

Chapter 137 A Tiny Stream (First Update, Please Subscribe)

Tessa was referring to examples she had personally witnessed, lessons learned through the blood and sweat of many veteran professionals.

She watched as Otto, so young yet possessing such strength and growing at an astonishing rate, showed that he was still a novice and inevitably lacked basic survival skills.

As a senior and a church priest, she felt obligated to offer some advice to prevent the young man from making mistakes in trivial matters.

Otto listened attentively, his fingertips paused for a moment, and then he nodded in agreement:

"I've got it. Thanks for reminding me."

He knew Tessa was right; after all, one should conserve magic and stamina during battle.

Just as Tessa was grumbling, the fire crackled, and grease dripped onto the embers, sending up wisps of smoke carrying the aroma of meat.

The two chatted casually as they grilled the meat skewers, accompanied only by the sound of the wind and the occasional birdsong in the woods, making the days seem to stretch out.

Otto took a bite of the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roasted meat. The skin was charred and crispy, while the inside was soft and tender. The juices spread on his tongue, mixed with the aroma of herbs.

A sense of melancholy suddenly welled up within him. Counting the days, it had only been a little over half a month since he left Lot Village for Oak Town.

But in the past two weeks, he had ventured into the carnivorous vine's lair, encountered the Crimson Shaman, and even banished the avatar of the Primordial Demon. His days were tumultuous yet fulfilling, filled with the clash of swords and shadows. Ironically, he began to miss this peaceful and leisurely time when he didn't have to be on edge.

Of course, the two of them didn't forget the wolf girl while they were eating.

Tessa couldn't get close, so Otto had to carry the chopped meat over.

He sat by the wooden frame, using a dagger to cut the tender, lean meat into small cubes, blowing on it to cool it down before handing it to the wolf girl bit by bit.

The wolf girl was a little reserved at first, carefully avoiding touching his fingers when she was eating the meat. But after a few bites, she loosened up and chewed very quickly, her tail gently brushing the grass and her ears twitching from time to time. It was clear that she was in a good mood.

Her teeth were very sharp, but when she faced Otto, she held back her strength so much that she didn't even scratch his fingertips.

Tessa sat across the fire, watching Otto squat there, patiently feeding the wolf girl. Her profile was softened by the firelight, and her features were no longer as hard as usual.

She couldn't help but pout, poked at the firewood in the fire, and muttered to herself:

"Damn it, do I look that fierce?"

Why is she never affectionate towards me!

As a high-ranking priestess of Callum, she was always surrounded by admirers in the academy, and her appearance was quite pretty. Now, she had actually lost in terms of approachability to an adventurer who looked cold and aloof. No one would believe it if she told them, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt.

Otto smiled upon hearing this and waved his hand to comfort her:

Don't overthink it, it has nothing to do with you.

Eileen probably mentioned to you that I have the protection of the Delari giant wolf; it's probably because our auras are similar, which makes her feel at ease.

Otto did not mention the Breath of the Moon.

There's no need to explain these core abilities, which involve one's own secrets, to the people of the True God Church, lest it cause unnecessary trouble.

Using the excuse of the giant wolf's protection to gloss over the matter is just right, and it also aligns with the information he has publicly released.

After hearing this, Tessa suddenly understood and nodded in acceptance, her sense of frustration finally dissipating somewhat.

She said, "How could it be my problem?"

But the two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the wolf girl had finished a plate of meat and wasn't quite done eating.

She moved closer, her warm, slightly rough tongue gently licking Otto's fingertips, cleaning off all the grease. Then she looked up at him with bright amber eyes, her tail swaying gently, clearly still not satisfied.

"Want some more?"

Otto chuckled and rubbed her soft ears.

"Okay, that's enough."

I brought plenty of meat; eat until you're full.

Although this trip was to return to the village for rest and recuperation, Otto made thorough preparations.

In addition to a large quantity of smoked and fresh meat that keeps well, he also bought a lot of fresh berries and candied fruits, intending to share them with the adults and children in the village.

Prices in the development zone have always followed the environment. Oak Town is surrounded by a thriving livestock industry and has large ranches, so meat prices are not high.

Being near the harbor, all kinds of seasonings were cheap, but fresh fruit was very expensive. In fact, the price of fruit from the developed areas was several times higher.

Otto spent a lot of money to buy these fruits, but now that he has three Gold Thorns on him, he doesn't care about this expense.

After all, he is currently quite well-off.

Just as Otto was thinking about whether to take out some fruit to give the wolf girl some water, he noticed that the originally quiet wolf girl suddenly became restless.

Her body twisted slightly, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, her head turned sharply to one side, her eyes darting around, and her tail lightly brushed the edge of the wooden frame, as if she was trying her best to endure something.

"What's wrong with her?"

Tessa immediately tensed up upon seeing this, moving closer but not daring to get too close, for fear of provoking the other person.

"Is your wound hurting?"

"I am indeed a priest, but we here specialize in sealing techniques. We don't have the healing arts of the Goddess of Harvest or the Goddess of Disease, so I can only watch."

She was so anxious that she became somewhat incoherent.

Priests also have many specializations. She is good at sealing and healing, but not at physical healing. If the injury really worsens, she has no way to help.

Just then, Otto received a notification from the Mystic Ape in his mind.

[The magical ape said, "Don't panic, she just drank too much water and needs to relieve herself."]

Otto was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He turned to Tessa and cleared his throat:

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to use the restroom."

Tessa, I'll excuse myself for a moment. You take her to the woods over there.

Before she could finish speaking, the wolf girl shook her head violently, letting out a whimper of resistance. Her eyes returned to wariness as she looked at Tessa, and she shrank further into the wooden frame, clearly indicating that she refused to go with her.

The situation became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Tessa stood there, her face slightly flushed, feeling both helpless and amused.

Is she really that insecure?

Since they are both women, it would be more convenient for her to follow along.

Otto sighed and resignedly stood up:

"Alright, it seems I'll have to do it."

He carefully untied the leather belt around the wolf girl's waist to secure her body, then put his hands behind her back and lifted her up in his arms.

The wolf girl felt a lightness in her body and instinctively buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, her ear tips turning bright red as if they were about to bleed, and she even softened her breathing.

Otto carried her into the woods not far away.

By this time, night had gradually fallen, and a layer of dark purple twilight tinged the sky. Fireflies, like scattered diamonds, were hidden in the grass.

As the stream babbles across the meadow, its clear sound enhances the tranquility of the woods.

The wind carried the scent of grass and trees, and I heard soft rustling sounds behind me, along with the wolf girl's suppressed, shy breathing.

As for Otto, he just stared at the tree trunk in front of him, not looking to the side. In his heart, he felt that this wolf girl looked wild and unruly, but was surprisingly shy at heart, like a little beast that had never seen a human before.

Before long, accompanied by a gentle tug, the wolf girl lightly bit Otto's collar, seemingly wanting to leave as soon as possible.

The wolf girl's cheeks flushed red, her eyes darting away, avoiding his gaze, her head bowed low, looking just like a child who had done something wrong.

Seeing this, Otto didn't say anything joking, afraid that she would be even more embarrassed. He simply cleaned her up and then picked her up again, walking steadily back to the camp.

When they returned to the fire, Tessa was watching the commotion with her chin in her hand. Seeing the two of them come back, she couldn't help but ask the wolf girl curiously:

"You're so shy, why won't you let me help you?"

We're all girls, what's there to be shy about?

Chapter 138 The Weak Warrior (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

Tessa couldn't understand the wolf girl's thoughts. Could it be that Otto really had some kind of magic?

But Otto simply put the wolf girl back on the wooden frame and continued the conversation:

"It's probably because I feel insecure in unfamiliar environments."

I saw several children like that when I was in Lot village.

He picked up the wooden cup containing wild fruit juice next to him, took a sip, and, by the flickering firelight, slowly began to recount the past.

"Lotte Village is a small village, located at the foot of the mountain. The village chief has taken in several orphans, all of whom are children of adventurers who went out to do missions and never came back. They all grew up relying on the village's support."

Perhaps because they didn't have their parents' protection when they were young, they all lack a sense of security and are very sensitive.

There was a little girl named Lily, who wore two braids. Every few days, she would pack her little bundle and run out of the village, crying that she wanted to find her mother. Each time, she would hide behind the old oak tree at the village entrance and cry. It would take the villagers a long time to find her and coax her back.

There was also a little boy named Quito, who was not even as tall as the knife, but he would wave his wooden sword around all day, saying that he wanted to go to town to be an adventurer and make a lot of money to support everyone in the village. He spent all his time in Zan's blacksmith shop and refused to leave.

The village was in quite a commotion for a while; Chief Lance was constantly sighing and smoking his pipe.

Otto's voice was soft, and mixed with the crackling of the firewood, it sounded exceptionally calming.

That memory is still somewhat hazy; my mind is a jumbled mess, and I can't remember many things clearly. But the moments I spent taking care of those children are exceptionally clear.

At that time, he was at least mentally mature. He helped the village chief take care of a few teenagers, taught them to read, and told them about things outside. So, nothing really went wrong.

Tessa listened intently, resting her chin on her hands, and blinked after she finished speaking.

"It sounds like a church-run orphanage."

Churches affiliated with various religious orders typically have such facilities, providing shelter for homeless children, teaching them to read and write, and giving them trades so they can support themselves when they grow up.

I thought your village was also funded by some religious group.

"How is that possible?"

Otto smiled and shook his head.