章 24: Chapter 24: Decided Outcome

"Round two," Ray declared, his voice carrying across the training ground.

Elora surged forward with even greater velocity than before. "Luck won't save you this time," she taunted, her strikes devoid of mercy.

Finn refrained from launching any offensive maneuvers, adhering to his instructions to hold back even further. He deftly evaded each incoming blow and parried those he couldn't dodge.

"What's he playing at? He's not even trying to counterattack," Asher remarked, his focus fixated on Finn rather than Elora. "Was it all just luck?"

"No, it wasn't. You might not have noticed, but he's deliberately restraining himself," Aiden elucidated.

"Finn holding back against Elora? That's unheard of," Evelina chimed in, joining the conversation.

"Simply surviving against her for this long is an accomplishment in itself. Now, I'm itching for a spar myself," Matty added, his fists clenching in anticipation.

Meanwhile, Ray observed in silence, his gaze fixed on Finn's weapon. An odd sensation washed over him as he studied the spear.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Jett prodded.

"Don't do that, you might have given me a heart attack." Ray chided.

"Sorry, but doesn't the spear look familiar?" Jett persisted.

"I had my suspicions, but if you're bringing it up, then it must be one of those 14 weapons from WAR BOUND. I had one in-game too, but mine was a sword, and it was incredibly rare. How did you come across it?" Ray inquired.

"We got lucky," Jett evaded the question.

"Lucky, huh?" Ray echoed skeptically. "Luck alone doesn't suffice, though."

The battle raged on, with Elora pressing relentlessly, leaving Finn with no breaks. He stumbled, his footing faltering, and in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, Elora seized the opportunity, her sword poised at his neck.

"I surrender," Finn conceded, collapsing to the ground in feigned exhaustion. "Isn't this a bit too intense for a group of six-year-olds?"

"He's lost. Was it merely luck?" someone pondered aloud, voicing the confusion shared by all present. They watched in astonishment, while only Jett sported a knowing smile.

Elora extended her hand to Finn. "I claim victory this time. Your technique may be lacking, but your sheer power compensates for it. I don't know how you've become so strong, but I refuse to be defeated by you."

Finn grinned and clasped her hand, pulling himself to his feet. "Is that a challenge?"

"Final round," Ray announced, drawing everyone's attention. Finn took a deep breath, brandishing his spear at Elora. "I'm sorry, but this time, I must emerge victorious," he declared, foregoing any particular stance and simply standing his ground, spear aimed at his opponent.

Jett couldn't help but marvel at the unfolding scene. "That's it, Finn, write the story as I desire," he murmured quietly, observing intently.

"The bet is still unsettled, so come at me," Finn challenged her, a newfound resolve coursing through him.

Enraged, Elora launched herself into the attack, but Finn, done with holding back, unleashed his full strength. With a single swing, he sent both of her weapons flying.

"I win," he declared, pointing the spear at Elora once more.

Typically, a victorious duel would be met with cheers, applause, and jubilation. But this time, the atmosphere was one of stunned surprise rather than celebration.

It wasn't that they were displeased with Finn's victory; quite the opposite, they were all astounded. The issue lay in the fact that Elora hailed from a distinguished military lineage and had been regarded as the strongest among the group, rivaled only by Ray. So, the fact that Finn, who prioritized wealth over combat and habitually evaded training, managed to best her left everyone, including Elora, dumbfounded.

Amidst the stunned silence, Finn retracted his weapon, causing it to vanish, and extended his arm to Elora, waiting for her to grasp it. After a few moments, to everyone's surprise, she took his hand and pulled herself up.

Jett began applauding, and gradually, others joined in, dispersing the tense atmosphere and restoring the jovial mood.

"You've got to spill the secret."

"Ah, darn it, I lost the bet."

"Yeah, me in too."

"Finn, spill it. How'd you manage to beat Elora?"

"What level are you at now?"

"Elora put up an impressive fight. I doubt I could match her skill."

"You did great sis."

"Do you think you could teach me that move?"

They gathered around Finn and Elora, their conversation brimming with cheerfulness. One wouldn't have guessed that they had just witnessed a spar moments ago.

"Wow, that was incredible."

"Are they all supposed to be that strong?"

"The duel of members of the thirteen Divine Lords, what a spectacle it was," remarked one of the onlookers.

"Yeah," agreed another.

As the group conversed among themselves, it became evident to them that the titles held by the combatants and their peers were no joke. Even some seasoned adventurers felt a bit threatened.

"I suppose this is what you had in mind?" Ray breathed a sigh of relief as he observed the spectators.

"More or less," Jett replied nonchalantly, still basking in the success of Finn's execution of the plan.

"But why go to such lengths?" Ray's curiosity lingered, pondering if there was an ulterior motive behind Jett's actions.

"I have my reasons. Let's just say I aim to rewrite the ending because the one I saw wasn't satisfying," Jett evaded the question, though internally he mused, 'I simply wanted to shatter their sense of logic and ignite their drive to grow stronger.'

"You don't want to be on the spotlight as well? Revealing your identity as one of us would earn you a title like the rest of us, along with special privileges to aid in you in levelling up," Ray suggested.

"Nah, not interested," Jett dismissed the offer without hesitation.

Ray appeared slightly taken aback. "You're not seeking recognition? That's remarkably humble of you."

"Who said I don't wan't the spotlight? It's simply not the right time," Jett asserted confidently. "There's one more thing though."

"What's that?" Ray inquired.

Carefully surveying his surroundings, Jett leaned in close to Ray. "I need you to keep that weapon a secret. It would be troublesome if word got out. You don't need to worry about him using it carelessly; I'll handle that," he whispered.

"Hmm, I think I understand. I won't say a word about it," Ray affirmed, happy to comply.

Jett extended his hand toward Ray. "How about we seal the deal with a handshake?"

"Sure," Ray agreed, clasping Jett's hand, unaware of the devilish grin hiding behind Jett's facade.

[Condition has been met]

[Force Contract S]

- Sign a contract with a target without their consent or knowledge.

- There are no limits to the terms a contract can have or influence.

- Contracts can be stacked with old ones.

- Target must willingly touch the user's hand to confirm.

- Nullifies any other contract

- Penalty for attempted resistance is decided by the user.]

[Usage 3/3 per day]

[Duration: 24 Hours]

'I can't afford to fall behind before my time to shine, now can I?'

[Contract Terms]

- User will continuously receive a 30% bonus EXP for whatever EXP the target gains daily.

- The target is prohibited from disclosing information about the Midas spear unless granted permission or until he acquires his own Unique weapon.]

[Penalty: Severe pain]

"Alright, I need to get going," Jett bid farewell to Ray before setting off to find Finn.

*****

After some searching, he finally located Finn and called out to him. "Hey Finn, give me your hand."

Finn hesitated, sensing that something was off, but eventually complied with Jett's request.

[Condition has been met]

[Force Contract S]

[Usage 2/3 per day]

[Cooldown: 24 Hours]

[Contract Terms]

- User will continuously receive a 30% bonus EXP for whatever EXP the target gains daily.

- The target is not permitted to use the Midas Spear for any selfish or irrelevant reason.

- Experience Contract

- Proficiency Contract]

[Penalty: Severe pain]

"Now, I think I'll establish the EXP contract with Elora too," Jett mused.

[User will continuously receive 30% bonus EXP for whatever EXP the target gains daily.]

I'll explain

This contract essentially meant that if the target, for example, Ray, gained a total of 100,000 EXP in one day, then 30,000 would added as bonus and immediately be subtracted from Ray's total and transferred to Jett.

So basically Ray keeps 100% of his exp and and extra 30% gets gifted to Jett essential speeding up his progress without slowing down Ray.

I hope it's not too confusing