"Quiet! Everyone, quiet down!"
Just then.
On a makeshift platform in the center of the hall, a heavily made-up middle-aged woman stepped up with a megaphone in hand.
"The assessment will officially begin in five minutes. Everyone, enter the assessment area one at a time in the order shown on the big screen!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to her at once. They hurried excitedly toward the platform, afraid of missing a single word.
The hall was a dark sea of people, filled with nervous, expectant faces.
"Seventy-nine Contract Spirit Masters registered for this assessment. Following the association's final review, six Contract Spirit Masters will qualify for promotion."
As soon as the staff member finished speaking, the crowd fell deathly silent. Then, like a powder keg set alight, it erupted.
"What? Six? Did I hear that right?"
"Seventy-nine people competing for six spots? How are we supposed to pass?"
"Why are there so few this time?
I remember there were only sixty-something people taking the assessment last year, and weren't there more than ten spots?
How come there are more people, but fewer spots?"
"Yeah! That's way too few! We paid so much in assessment fees, yet there are fewer and fewer spots. This is outrageous!"
For a moment, cries of complaint rose and fell all around.
Every face showed not only shock, but deep anger!
That infinitesimal pass rate was practically a death sentence for most of them.
Faced with the furious candidates, the woman on the platform rolled her eyes impatiently.
"What are you making such a fuss about? Do you think we get to decide how many spots there are for each assessment?"
She brought the megaphone to her mouth, amplifying her voice several times as she said sharply:
"Passing the assessment means you can receive a monthly allowance from the Spirit Tamer Association. All of that has to come out of the association's funds!
And these past few years, our Underground City hasn't produced any powerful Contract Spirit Masters. We've contributed less and less to the Federation's cave exploration missions, and the rewards we receive are nowhere near what they used to be. Where is the association supposed to find so much money to support people who do nothing?"
She paused, a trace of contempt in her eyes, and continued:
"To tell you the truth, there will be even fewer spots next year!
Anyway, anyone who doesn't want to take the assessment can get a refund now. No one will stop you!"
The heavily made-up staff member's manner was harsh, and her words were like a bucket of ice water, dousing everyone's anger.
It was an indisputable fact that the Underground City had produced fewer and fewer capable Contract Spirit Masters in recent years.
But could a mere handful of spots for junior Contract Spirit Masters really affect the entire association's funding?
Everyone understood the matter without saying it, yet no one dared speak of it openly.
Even the people who had complained the loudest could only fall silent in resignation.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the bitterness and helplessness in the others' eyes.
They could only pray in their hearts that they would be among those who passed the assessment.
Otherwise, if they failed to qualify to enter the caves again, and with the assessment growing harder year by year,
their only way out might be to sell the Contract Spirits they had painstakingly raised, settle down to find a job that would put food on the table, and say goodbye to their dream of becoming powerful for good.
In the corner, Lin Luoluo heard all this and couldn't help frowning.
"I remember there were a full thirteen spots in last year's assessment. Back then, you only needed a B-Rank evaluation to pass.
I never thought there would be more people this year, but fewer spots."
A hint of worry appeared between Lin Luoluo's brows.
The assessment fee this time was a full fifty silver coins.
It was the savings she and her younger sister had spent years scrimping and saving to put aside. Every silver coin bore their sweat and hopes.
If she failed the assessment... she didn't dare imagine what she would do.
Her younger sister's illness still required money, and she had no idea how they would pay next month's rent. If they lost this money, they might not even make it to the end of this month.
Just as her thoughts were in a tangled mess, a soft tentacle quietly emerged from her arms and gently stroked her head.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking their way, Bai Chen comforted the girl holding him, who was clearly becoming anxious.
As a modern man who had transmigrated here, he was already accustomed to seeing this sort of suspected corruption and embezzlement.
But none of it had anything to do with him.
Even if there were only one spot this time, he was absolutely confident he could claim it.
The only thing he cared about now was Lin Luoluo.
The staff member stepped down, and the assessment officially began.
The two waited quietly in the corner of the hall for their turn.
However, not long after the assessment began, everyone in the first round had already finished, and a loud announcement rang out in the hall.
"Congratulations to Jiang Ruoxue of the Underground City's First Spirit Tamer Middle School for passing the assessment with an evaluation of S-Rank!"
As the announcement ended, the hall, which had been lifeless because of the limited spots, instantly erupted into an even greater commotion!
"What! An S-Rank evaluation!"
"This... this has to be fake! Is something wrong with my ears?
You know, our Underground City hasn't had an S-Rank evaluation in a full six or seven years!"
"The result is already out. How could it be fake?
Don't forget, Jiang Ruoxue is also the only person in our Underground City to have contracted an S-Rank Contract Spirit in the past seven years!
An S-Rank Contract Spirit is practically invincible in combat against others of the same rank, and that's not even mentioning the Jiang Family standing behind her. It would be strange if she didn't get an S-Rank evaluation!"
"That's true!
Sigh, comparing yourself to others can drive you to death! The Jiang Family has done plenty of evil by abusing its power, but heaven must be blind to have given their family a genius like her.
The Jiang Family might really have a chance to rise another step and become the first family in decades to move to the outer city!"
At this result, aside from admiration, everyone was left with deep emotion and jealousy.
To them, an S-Rank evaluation was like a star on the horizon, impossibly far out of reach.
Bai Chen, too, caught the announcement immediately.
Jiang Ruoxue?
Bai Chen had only been in this world for a day, but because of what had happened yesterday and this morning, he immediately remembered the name.
He hadn't expected it.
The girl who had stolen Xiao Luoluo's Contract Spirit and sent her subordinates to kill Lin Luoluo for good today had actually received an S-Rank evaluation!
"Xiao Luoluo, is an S-Rank evaluation hard to get?" Bai Chen asked in Lin Luoluo's mind.
After hearing the announcement, Lin Luoluo's little face had grown somewhat tense, and her small hand had unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. There was no telling what she was thinking.
It was only after hearing Bai Chen's question that she came back to her senses and replied quietly:
"Very hard!
I heard the assessment puts people in groups of three and uses Virtual Reality technology to send them into a mine tunnel recreated on a one-to-one scale.
And to get an S-Rank evaluation, you have to meet three demanding conditions at the same time."
"First, you have to clear it without taking any damage at all.
Second, every mine tunnel has one Demon that's stronger than all the others, like a boss, and you have to kill that boss.
Third, the personal performance score isn't based on quantity alone, but on your contribution in battle. Contract Spirit Masters in the same assessment can choose to form a team, so this also prevents the other two from helping one person farm an S-Rank evaluation."
Lin Luoluo's feelings were indeed a little complicated at that moment.
She wondered whether, if Jiang Ruoxue hadn't stolen her Contract Spirit, the S-Rank evaluation that had drawn everyone's attention today might have been hers.
But the thought lingered in Lin Luoluo's mind for only an instant.
She lowered her head and looked at Bai Chen, who was gently rubbing the tip of a tentacle against her palm, and a trace of warmth rose in her heart.
Maybe this was all arranged by fate.
If Jiang Ruoxue hadn't stolen her Contract Spirit, how would I have met Xiao Bai?
I don't want any Cold Moon Fox. Xiao Bai is the best!
"Xiao Bai, we only need to get a B-Rank evaluation and secure a spot to pass the assessment. Let's do our best together in a little while," Lin Luoluo said softly, pulling herself together again.
"Next group: Hu Yue'er, Chu Feng, Lin Luoluo, please report to Assessment Area Three and get ready!"
Just then, the staff member on the platform picked up the megaphone again and read out the new list.
Lin Luoluo's heart tightened. It was her turn!