Zhang Ping's Abilities

Zhang Ping currently had twelve innate abilities.

The first was undoubtedly the Contract Gem. It was his most important foundational ability.

After he advanced to Intermediate Awakened, he could control the shape and size of the Contract Gems he made. There was one small detail, though: the larger the gem, the more stamina it took to create.

From that detail, Zhang Ping could infer something interesting.

Activating a Contract Gem consumed stamina and Mental Strength. Since larger gems required more stamina, that meant stamina went into making the "gem" itself, while Mental Strength formed the "contract" within it.

When he first advanced to Intermediate Awakened, Zhang Ping thought his control over the ability had improved. Later, he realized the real change was his improved control over Mental Strength. That was the secret behind his ability to alter a contract's terms.

Some might wonder: couldn't he use Absolute Command to improve his control over Mental Strength?

The answer was no.

Zhang Ping's control over his own Mental Strength had always been one hundred percent.

The question wasn't how much of it he controlled. It was how much that "one hundred percent" amounted to.

For example, a Novice Awakened's Mental Strength was like a tractor. No matter how well you drove it, it could never match a sports car's speed. Once he advanced to Intermediate Awakened, his Mental Strength changed in quality, turning from a tractor into a sports car.

That underlying change in Mental Strength was the true source of his improved control.

He could now use Contract Gems in more and more ways. They worked well for both treating the Lost State and controlling condemned prisoners.

If necessary, he could even make weapon-shaped Contract Gems for combat.

Once rated Useless Tier, the Contract Gem had quietly changed his life and