I Contracted Myself

The quiet dormitory was filled only with Zhang Ping's steady breathing.

A gentle morning breeze blew in from the balcony, causing the human skin hanging in front of him to sway slightly.

Behind the blood-stained, pale human skin of Luo Shiyu, the Tianchang Fox watched Zhang Ping silently, as if observing a performance.

Its narrow fox eyes squinted slightly, extending a claw towards Zhang Ping's head, but stopped at the last moment.

After a moment of contemplation, it slowly retracted its claw and stood up to leave the dormitory.

"Your Highness, why didn't you kill him?"

A Tianchang Fox waiting outside the door asked in confusion when 'Luo Shiyu' came out.

'Luo Shiyu' looked coldly at the Tianchang Fox and said, "If not him, then... don't waste food!"

"Understood!"

The Tianchang Fox immediately realized it had spoken out of turn, lowering its head and tail in submission.

'Luo Shiyu' glanced back at the still-sleeping Zhang Ping and then left the boys' dormitory with its subordinates.

***

Half an hour later.

Zhang Ping, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

"As expected, I can't afford to be careless."

Zhang Ping glanced out the window without moving, confirming that the Tianchang Fox had left before finally relaxing.

He had commanded his body to sleep but kept his mind awake, so during 'Luo Shiyu's' inspection, he had already thought of his oversight.

It was just past four in the morning, still dark outside.

In the Night Walker state, others would subconsciously ignore him.

There weren't many students who woke up early at the school, and even fewer knew he went for a run so early.

But by five-thirty, the sky would start to brighten, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the Night Walker state. Some early-rising students would inevitably notice him running.

Since he usually ran on the track around five, his absence today raised the Tianchang Fox's suspicions.

He had used the Appraisal Skill on the Assassination Ring and seen 'Luo Shiyu' in action. In terms of strength and speed, 'Luo Shiyu' was overwhelmingly powerful compared to him.

He stood no chance of surviving in front of 'Luo Shiyu.'

Fortunately, from his observations over time, he had determined that 'Luo Shiyu' seemed to have no appetite for males.

So, in that moment of awakening, he decided to take a gamble. He bet that the other party didn't know he had found the ring, that they wouldn't discover his flaws, and that they wouldn't eat him in the end.

"Training is too slow; I need to find a way to get some gear."

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Zhang Ping deeply realized how dangerous his situation had been.

What could be more tragic, terrifying, and horrifying than being at someone's mercy?

He couldn't afford any more mistakes!

Since he was already awake, he decided to go to the cafeteria 'normally.'

Although Zhang Ping didn't want to see 'Luo Shiyu,' it would be even more suspicious if he didn't go to the cafeteria today.

However, when he arrived at the cafeteria, he heard many students discussing: Black Death Star was dead.

Black Death Star was a notorious assassin in Mingzhu City, willing to kill anyone for the right price, even the City Lord.

It was said that the previous City Lord had been injured by Black Death Star and later died young due to the old wounds.

As Zhang Ping ate breakfast and listened to the students' discussions, he gradually pieced together the situation.

Apparently, a resident had found Black Death Star's body nearby this morning.

Black Death Star had died in a foul-smelling ditch not far from the school, with much of his body chewed up by wild dogs or other animals.

His once pristine white clothes were soaked in blood, and the black mask on his face was shattered into several pieces. His death was extremely gruesome.

"Could Black Death Star be the man in white who tried to assassinate 'Luo Shiyu' last night?"

The more Zhang Ping listened, the more he felt that the Black Death Star described by his classmates resembled the man in white he had seen in the appraisal.

So, the man in white he thought was an ally last night was actually an assassin?

Wait a minute.

That doesn't make sense!

Luo Shiyu, like him, was an orphan and not a significant figure. No one she knew could afford to hire an assassin.

Could it be that someone else had also noticed the mutated beasts in the city...

And, emboldened by their wealth, directly hired an assassin to kill the beast?

Zhang Ping thought with a strange expression.

However, it was a good idea.

After all, even if people didn't realize the existence of mutated beasts, hiring an assassin to kill a beast would work as long as the target was clear. The assassin would kill regardless of whether it was a person or a beast.

No need to gather evidence, no need to convince anyone.

Just money!

But to afford Black Death Star...

The mysterious person or force that seemed like an ally had considerable financial resources.

What a pity.

Black Death Star failed.

Not only did he fail, but he also alerted the enemy.

The Tianchang Fox would undoubtedly investigate in secret during this period.

Any abnormal behavior could attract their attention.

With a complex heart but a calm exterior, Zhang Ping finished his breakfast.

***

Returning to the dormitory.

He prepared to start his daily training.

No matter how many thoughts he had, he could only act at night.

Before training, he sat on the bed and condensed a Contract Gem. After consuming it, he suddenly felt a sensation of 'everything elevating' from within. He was momentarily lost before realizing he might have gained a new talent.

However, unlike the Night Walker talent, which immediately brought noticeable changes, this time he couldn't feel any immediate difference.

Zhang Ping composed himself and used the Appraisal Skill on himself.

[Appraisal Successful]

[Summoned Beast: Zhang Ping]

[Master: Zhang Ping]

[Race: Human]

[Potential: ☆☆​​​​​​​☆​​​​​​​☆]

[Lifespan: 89]

[Rank: Primary Awakener]

[Level: 2]

[Talents: Contract Gem: Can consume stamina + mental strength to condense a Contract Gem. Once the target willingly accepts the Contract Gem, their life, soul, and consciousness will be dominated by the Summoner. They will also receive the Summoner's potential and luck. After the first consumption, subsequent consumptions will slightly increase their potential and have a 1% chance of awakening new talents. Note: The talents obtained by Summoner Zhang Ping through the overuse of IQ, potential, and luck are powerful but come with significant drawbacks. Overambition may not be a good thing.]

[Absolute Command: You have absolute control over your summoned beasts. Your commands cannot be disobeyed.]

[Absolute Obedience: You must absolutely obey the Summoner's commands. You will carry out the Summoner's orders with unwavering loyalty.]

[Stable Appraisal Skill: Can appraise targets with a very low chance of obtaining information. The smaller the power gap between you and the target, the higher the success rate. After the first successful appraisal, subsequent appraisals of the same target will have a significantly increased success rate. Note: This talent was born from the curiosity of Summoned Beast Zhang Ping and Summoner Zhang Ping.]

[Night Walker: Grants night vision, significantly reduces presence at night, greatly increases movement speed, reduces weight, and allows complete invisibility in shadows.]

***

So, I've leveled up!

Zhang Ping thought after reviewing his attributes.

He hadn't expected to level up now.

He had previously estimated his level to be between 3 and 4.

Who knew he had been a level 1 newbie all along?

"After leveling up, the Appraisal Skill has evolved from an unstable version to a stable version, and my attributes now include rank and level.

This means... I can now determine the level of mutated beasts without waiting for nightfall?"

Zhang Ping closed the attribute panel, speculating in his mind.

However, all verifications would have to wait until nightfall. For now, the plan remained unchanged: focus on training.

"Today is a good day. Let's start with 2,000 push-ups to celebrate."

Zhang Ping smiled and began his warm-up exercises.

After warming up, he immediately commanded his body to start training.

With the level-up, both his stamina and mental strength had improved.

While training, Zhang Ping carefully felt the changes in his body.

Strength and speed had increased slightly.

But mental strength and stamina had increased by about five percent.

After finishing his push-ups, Zhang Ping estimated.

It seemed that as an Awakener, his main attributes were stamina and mental strength.

Different Awakeners had different attribute improvements upon leveling up due to their unique physiques and abilities.

Some Awakeners had incredible strength, some had immense mental strength, and others had extraordinary vitality, all because of their different main attributes.

Some Awakeners even chose to go against the grain.

Instead of focusing on their main attributes, they worked on their weaknesses.

Others had abilities that complemented their main attributes, making them well-rounded with no weaknesses.

The diversity of Awakeners largely stemmed from the differences in their abilities and main attributes.

***

Nightfall.

Zhang Ping put on the Assassination Ring and left the school.

The Night Walker state already made him nearly invisible. If he stood still, even those of higher rank would subconsciously ignore him.

Now, with the Assassination Ring, no one noticed him at all, not even a glance.

"In my current state, as long as I don't attack anyone, no one will notice me."

Zhang Ping stopped at a street corner, looking at a shop in the distance, thinking to himself.

He used the Appraisal Skill on the Tianchang Fox in the shop. After one failure, he succeeded.

[Appraisal Successful]

[Mutated Beast: Tianchang Fox]

[Race: Mutated Fox]

[Potential: ☆]

[Lifespan: 66]

[Rank: Intermediate Mutated Beast]

[Level: 15]

[Talents: Cognitive Distortion: You can distort the cognition of creatures, altering their perception.]

[Defiance of Common Sense: When performing actions that defy common sense, you can forcefully make the target unable to perceive the abnormality.]

***

Before the appraisal, Zhang Ping had already known the rank of this Tianchang Fox but not its specific level.

He glanced at the attributes and continued walking. Since he could gather more information, he aimed to know his enemy well and planned to identify the levels of the Tianchang Foxes nearby.

Before leaving, he had planned to observe some Tianchang Fox levels tonight and inquire about the prices of Super Gear.

He urgently needed to arm himself.

Especially after 'Luo Shiyu's' inspection in the morning, he deeply realized how dangerous his current situation was.

If 'Luo Shiyu' had wanted to kill him then, his body would probably be in a garbage dump by now.

***

Half an hour later, he arrived at a weapon shop called 'Iron Soul.'

He had noticed this shop two nights ago during his night patrol, mainly because the owner was human, not a Tianchang Fox.

Many shops in Mingzhu City had Tianchang Foxes, especially weapon, gear, and potion shops. Finding a clean shop wasn't easy.

After observing for half an hour and seeing no new customers, he entered the shop.

The shop was spacious, displaying many large weapons. The most exaggerated was a five-meter-long blade, likely only wieldable by a high-level Awakener.

The dim lighting inside the shop and a large furnace at the back added to the atmosphere.

The furnace fire was still burning, making the shop feel hot.

A frail old man sat by the furnace, half-closed eyes, leaning against the wall, smoking a long-stemmed pipe.

Seeing that the old man didn't acknowledge him, Zhang Ping walked to the display counter and examined the weapons.

Awakeners in Mingzhu City preferred blades, so the shop had the most blades.

Each blade on display had a description below it.

Zhang Ping stopped in front of an exaggeratedly shaped large blade, reading the description: Nine-Ring Ghost Axe Blade, three meters long, weighing 350 pounds, a hybrid of an axe and a blade, specialized for medium-sized mutated beasts.

He moved on to the next weapon, a scythe.

Ghost Scythe, four meters three in length, weighing 396 pounds, with a chain hidden in the long handle, capable of shooting out to bind the target, specialized for agile prey.

Moving forward, Zhang Ping's eyes lit up slightly.

The display case held a beautiful blade, similar in shape to an Embroidered Spring Saber but much longer and entirely snow-white, like jade.

Zhang Ping read the description: Cold Lady's Light Blade, one meter eighty-eight in length, weighing 80 pounds, forged with Frozen Leopard Blood, attacks imbued with cold, causing deep bone-chilling cold upon striking the target. If the cold is not dispelled in time, the target will die from frozen blood vessels within three quarters of an hour.

What a fine blade!

But when Zhang Ping saw the price, it felt like being slashed by the Cold Lady's Blade, his heart turning cold.