Divine Contract

The next day, perhaps feeling restless after his strength had improved, Shi Mo made a rare appearance in the training area of ​​the Seventh Sequence.

The vast space was divided into several areas, where members were undergoing various high-intensity physical training, combat, weapon handling, and simulated training targeting the strange characteristics.

Shi Mo leaned against the shadows at the entrance, his eyes lazily scanning the area. Most of the training seemed unremarkable to him, until his gaze was drawn to two figures on the central main arena.

That was Bai Xu, and a man who had just returned from a patrol in another region, whom Shi Mo had not yet formally met.

The man had short, jet-black hair similar to Bai Xu's, but his temperament was sharper and more outgoing, like a drawn blade. His eyes were arrogant, his figure was tall and straight, and he wore a close-fitting black combat suit that outlined his explosive muscle lines.

The system immediately notified Shi Mo in his mind: [High-energy reaction detected, identity confirmed: Seventh Sequence Vice Captain, Bai Jin.]

"Is that Bai Xu's younger brother?" Shi Mo asked in his mind. He remembered that Hong Yuan had mentioned it before.

[Yes, host. Bai Jin, the vice-captain of the seventh sequence, is second only to Captain Bai Xu in strength, and has a rather fiery personality.] The system added.

At this moment, the two on the stage were clearly not engaging in ordinary sparring. They were not using any weapons, but the aura emanating from them caused everyone else in the training area to instinctively stop what they were doing and watch intently.

"Brother, I won't lose to you as easily as last time!" Bai Jin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Give it a try," Bai Xu said calmly.

Without further ado, Bai Jin launched the first attack.

His speed was astonishing, leaving a faint afterimage in his wake. His fist, accompanied by a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, aimed straight for Bai Xu's face. The power of this punch far exceeded any physical attack Shi Mo had ever seen before.

However, Bai Xu seemed to have anticipated this, and with just a slight tilt of his head, he narrowly avoided the swift attack. At the same time, as if he had foreseen it, his palm precisely struck the opening under Bai Jin's ribs exposed by the attack.

Bai Jin reacted extremely quickly, twisting his body to block. The two men's arms collided, producing a dull thud as their bodies struck. The shockwave spread outwards from them.

"Warm-up complete!" Bai Jin shouted in a low voice, his eyes suddenly becoming extremely focused.

The next instant, a powerful energy surge erupted from his body! His muscles seemed to swell slightly, his veins bulged, and his aura rose visibly at a rapid pace, increasing the oppressive feeling!

[Warning! Target White Ash has been detected using a special ability! The energy level has increased dramatically! Analyzing... It is suspected to be the power of 'Divine Contract'!] The system urgently prompted.

"Divine Contract?" Shi Mo's gaze sharpened.

At the same time, Bai Xu's eyes also changed.

In his green, rule-bound eyes, countless fine, data-stream-like silver threads flashed rapidly, weaving together brief and blurry images of the future. His entire aura became ethereal and transcendent, as if detached from the current timeline.

[Warning! Target Bai Xu detected using a special ability! Involving the realm of time and causality! Analysis in progress... Suspected to be another form of 'Divine Contract' power!]

The two, having activated their "divine bond," instantly elevated their combat level.

Bai Jin's strength, speed, and reflexes were terrifying; each attack was like a cannonball, leaving fine cracks in the specially made arena floor. His fighting style was expansive and destructive.

Bai Xu, on the other hand, is like a ghost moving through a storm.

His movements didn't seem any faster than Bai Jin's, yet he always managed to dodge every attack with the slightest effort and with perfect timing, or to parry and counterattack at the most crucial moments. He seemed to be able to see through all of Bai Jin's attack routes and subsequent changes; his green eyes, gleaming with silver light, seemed to foresee countless possibilities in the next few seconds.

Bai Jin's violent punches created a series of sonic booms in the air, but they could never truly touch Bai Xu's body.

Bai Xu's counterattacks were as precise as a scalpel, each strike hitting the very moment when Bai Jin's power was shifting or when his old power was exhausted and his new power had not yet been generated, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Damn it! You saw through me again!" Bai Jin roared, stomped the ground, and soared into the air, his legs like battle axes, whipping towards Bai Xu with sharp wind pressure.

In Bai Xu's "future vision," this attack had at least seven possible follow-up variations and three different landing points. He lowered his body slightly, and his right hand reached up as if he had foreseen the future, not to block, but to precisely strike a very subtle muscle node on Bai Jin's ankle that was about to exert force.

"Bang!"

Bai Jin felt a numbness in his ankle, and the power he had gathered instantly dissipated, causing him to fall unbalanced from the air.

He tried to force a turn, but Bai Xu's other hand had already pressed down on his back vitals like a ghost, and a gentle force was released, steadily "sending" him off the stage.

The battle is over.

Bai Jin staggered to his feet at the edge of the arena, his face full of resentment, but even more so with admiration for his brother's strength.

"Tsk, I still can't beat you. Your 'future vision' is too overpowered!"

The silver light in Bai Xu's eyes slowly faded, returning to its usual deep green, and his aura also calmed down.

"Your 'God of War Possession' has improved a lot; your strength and speed are almost catching up with mine. However, your combat skills and timing still need improvement."

"I'll definitely beat you next time!" Bai Jin snorted, jumped onto the arena, and showed no signs of frustration; on the contrary, his fighting spirit was even stronger.

The onlookers gasped in amazement and began to discuss the matter.

"The captain and vice-captain's 'divine bond' is too powerful!"

"I find it unbelievable every time I see it..."

"That's a 'divine covenant,' a unique gift..."

Shi Mo observed all of this, especially the two completely different yet incredibly powerful "Divine Contract" abilities, which piqued his interest. He turned and silently left the training area, heading directly to the core conference room to wait.

After a while, Bai Xu and Bai Jin walked in one after the other, still covered in the dust and sweat from their training. Bai Jin saw Shi Mo in the conference room, raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and poured himself a glass of water and drank it down in large gulps.

Shi Mo looked directly at Bai Xu and asked bluntly, "What ability did you just use?"

Bai Xu was not surprised by Shi Mo's question. He sat down opposite Shi Mo and explained, "That is the 'Divine Contract'."

"Divine Contract?"

"Hmm." Bai Xu organized his thoughts, "When a candidate successfully clears a certain number of high-difficulty dungeons, there is a very low probability that they will receive a special, unique gift. We call it 'Divine Contract,' which means the power of a contract with a god (or the source of the rules)."

Bai Jin chimed in from the side, his tone tinged with pride: "This thing depends on luck. Everyone gets a different ability, and once you get it, you can't change it. Like me, I got 'God of War Possession,' which can greatly enhance my basic attributes for a short period of time—strength, speed, defense, reaction, all-around improvement! The extent of the improvement is linked to my mental strength." He patted his muscular chest.

Bai Xu then added, "What I gained is 'future vision,' which allows me to see countless possible fragments of events that may occur within the next few seconds. Similarly, how long and how clearly I can see them depends on the strength of my mental power."

"See the future?" A glint of light flashed in Shi Mo's heterochromatic eyes. "All the futures?"

"No," Bai Xu shook his head, "it's 'possibility.' The future isn't a fixed line, but a probability cloud made up of countless choices and variables. 'Future Vision' sees only the most likely outcomes, or branches deduced based on current conditions. Moreover, using it is extremely costly and cannot be maintained for long periods."

Shi Mo seemed to be deep in thought.

Foresight and attribute enhancement... both abilities are indeed very practical and powerful, especially in a rapidly changing and perilous environment like the Mysterious Tales of Rules. No wonder Bai Xu was able to become the captain of the Seventh Sequence; besides his rule skills, this "future vision" is probably also key.

"What are the conditions for obtaining the 'Divine Contract'?" Shi Mo pressed.

"The number, quality, and rating of cleared dungeons, and even possibly individual...personal traits, are all influencing factors," Bai Xu said. "There's no fixed formula; it's more like a...random blessing after being recognized. In the Seventh Sequence, currently only Bai Jin and I possess this."

Bai Jin looked at Shi Mo with a scrutinizing and challenging gaze: "What? You want it too? You'll have to prove you have the strength and luck first. 'Divine Contract' isn't something you can just grab for free."

Shi Mo ignored the provocation in Bai Jin's tone. He simply looked at Bai Xu, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips: "A unique gift? Interesting."

Perhaps he also needs to "strive" for a "divine contract" that belongs to him?