All Things Are Contracts

In the vast desert, human traces were scarce. An elderly man with white hair held a sheepskin map, examining the ruins before him. The ruins were not large, just scattered large stones protruding from the yellow sand, as if randomly generated by nature. Looking at these strange stones, the old man trembled with excitement.

“This… this must be it,” he whispered. His sunglasses could block the wind and sand, but not hide the joy in his eyes.

“This is the place, Old Gu. You’re quite lucky,” said a short-haired man with tanned skin standing next to him. “This place is buried by sand for over 300 days a year. It’s only exposed during these days when the desert winds are high. But I’m just an ordinary person, I can’t see what’s so special about this place.”

The man wore a white cloth hat and had a curved sword at his waist, adorned with beautiful gems. His status was not… not so noble, as the curved sword was a cheap online purchase. He was a native of a nearby sand city, specially brought to guide Old Gu in finding these ruins and earn some extra money.

Old Gu, full name Gu Chengxi, was a towering figure in archaeology, proficient in ancient linguistics with extremely in-depth research on various ancient world scripts. He once suggested adding world ancient linguistics to the college entrance exam and was chased and scolded for several years, although as more and more ancient ruins were discovered, ancient linguistics became increasingly important.

“Zhanyue, what are you still doing? Come quickly, bring my notebook,” Old Gu called loudly to the off-road vehicle parked not far away.

“Coming, teacher,” a young man in his early twenties replied, getting out of the car. His skin was somewhat tanned from years of exposure to wind and sun, but he was tall and carried himself with an extraordinary air. His face was handsome, and if not for his tanned skin, he could easily outshine many fair-skinned pretty boys. He carried a huge backpack and quickly walked over.

“Teacher, is this the ruins of the ancient Sand Kingdom?” The young man’s eyes burned with no less intensity than Old Gu’s as he looked at the scattered stones before him. Though young, he was already a doctoral student in ancient linguistics, with Gu Chengxi as his advisor. Over the past year, he had followed Gu Chengxi around, inspecting and learning, gaining a wealth of knowledge.

Old Gu crouched beside a jumbled stone, brushing away sand with his hand to reveal orderly engravings on the exposed rock.

“Old Gu? What’s this?” The short-haired man beside him was somewhat surprised. These seemingly unremarkable scribbles to ordinary people held extremely high research value.

“These stones haven’t been eroded by the wind, and the inscribed text has been preserved. I can’t even tell what material this stone is made of at the moment. It’s fortunate that this place is so sparsely populated and it hasn’t been damaged.” Old Gu’s face couldn’t hide his smile.

“Zhanyue, open the notebook to page 98. This should be Ancient Script No. 7. Let’s see how much we can decipher.” Old Gu was very excited. The short-haired man beside him was also curious, helping to clear the sand around the stone tablet to make the text clearer. The labor fee Old Gu gave for this trip was considerable; after returning, he could finally buy a 4090 as a hundred-day gift for his newborn son.

Zhanyue took out a thick notebook from his huge backpack, opened it, and began comparing the symbols on the stone tablet with the corresponding meanings.

“Myriad… Spirits… This character should be ‘spirit’, right? Myriad Spirits Crisis, with this realm stele as medium, summon… summon extraordinary talents from another world, perhaps… can… defy fate?” Zhanyue was puzzled.

“Is that so? I told you to read fewer novels, but you wouldn’t listen. I think you’ve become obsessed.” Gu Chengxi gave Zhanyue a disapproving look, snatched the notebook, and started translating himself. Zhanyue, feeling wronged, moved to the side of the stone tablet, carefully examining the text on it, curiously reaching out to touch it. “Is this the first contact with a mysterious civilization? It’s really exciting.” As an ancient culture enthusiast, it was hard not to be thrilled.

“Teach-” Before he could finish the word, the sky and earth suddenly changed color, and a fierce wind arose.

“Not good, a sandstorm is coming. Quick, back to the car!” The short-haired man pulled Gu Chengxi quickly back to the car. Life is the most precious thing.

The two who returned to the car were still in shock when they realized Zhanyue hadn’t followed.

“That little rascal, how did he not follow?” Gu Chengxi was about to get out of the car to find Zhanyue; the desert storm was no joke. However, strangely enough, the dark clouds that had obscured the sun quickly dispersed, the fierce wind suddenly stopped, and the desert instantly returned to its previous calm state.

“Zhanyue!” When the two got out of the car, they discovered that a living person had vanished in the blink of an eye!

“Teacher, Brother Ali…” Zhanyue shouted loudly. He was very afraid now. Just a moment of distraction, and when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the yellow sand desert but in a pitch-black space.

He took out a flashlight from his backpack. The light shone forward relentlessly but couldn’t reach an end. This dark space seemed infinite. When he pointed the flashlight at the ground, he was even more startled. Beneath his feet was not solid ground, but emptiness. Was he walking in the void ?

“Teacher~” Zhanyue tried calling out again.

“Stop shouting, it’s impolite,” an old voice suddenly sounded, its source untraceable.

“Where… where is this place?” Cold sweat appeared on Zhanyue’s forehead. No normal person had ever encountered such a scene.

The old voice sounded again, “This is the realm boundary, the crevice between two worlds. No space, no time, just you and me…”

“Realm boundary? What an outdated setting. Are you trying to fool me? I’ve received higher education, I’m a firm materialist!” Zhanyue shouted angrily to cover up his inner fear, not believing this voice, thinking he must be dreaming.

“Materialism? Good word. It might be the prevailing law in your world, but not necessarily in others. I’ve waited I don’t know how long for you. If you had come any later, I might have already dissipated. Then you would have been trapped here forever, neither aging nor dying, neither living nor perishing, eternally lonely.” The old voice was full of weariness; he was too tired.

“Who exactly are you?” Zhanyue had calmed down by now, after all, nothing was threatening his life at the moment.

“Who I am is not important. My power is almost gone. Take out something from your person, the thing you cherish most. Remember, you only have one chance to choose. This object will accompany you forever.”

Zhanyue was a bit speechless, but the answer instantly came to his mind. Of all the things on his person, what he cherished most could only be that one thing.

Zhanyue’s gaze settled on the watch on his left wrist. This mechanical watch was quite valuable, employing the most advanced technology and exquisite craftsmanship, both delicate and elegant. Its dial was covered with inlaid sapphire crystal, adding a layer of noble luster, while the case was made of high-strength stainless steel, precisely polished and fine-sanded, making it smooth and durable. The overall design was simple and modern, paired with streamlined curves, presenting a beauty that combined fashion and dynamism.

This was Zhanyue’s coming-of-age gift, and also the last memento left by his parents. He treasured it dearly. Even in this realm said to have no time or space, the watch hands were still moving normally.

“Is it this?” The mysterious old man seemed to perceive everything. The watch on Zhanyue’s wrist suddenly burst into dazzling light.

“In the name of the God of Contracts, by the principle of all things’ origin, reveal this object’s truth, and take it as a contract!”

The light from the watch grew brighter and brighter, until Zhanyue couldn’t keep his eyes open. When the light faded, Zhanyue felt that he had some inexplicable connection with this ‘inanimate’ watch, and something new appeared in his mind.

“The contractor I’ve shaped… I thought that with this object, you wouldn’t be able to develop any decent abilities. Unexpectedly, at the end of my life, I can still witness such a miracle. The future of the Myriad Spirits Realm is entrusted to you. Lastly, please accept this gift. My power can only bestow upon you nine innate contract seals. Good luck.”

The old man’s desolate voice disappeared, and Zhanyue felt something be injected into his mind before he passed out.

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