“I wish to make a contract with you two.”
I inadvertently let out a sigh.
The heavy atmosphere pressed against my body, even the surrounding magic sinking deeply into the ground under its weight.
I cautiously looked at the other side.
Two figures, seated and observing me, came into view.
The oppressive atmosphere was emanating from them.
It was just like the promotion review chamber.
Even their expressions were the same.
Myra was smiling, while Miryeong’s eyes were wide open.
“I will ensure that no mirror insects or similar items are distributed to anyone outside the Tower without your permission.”
The words I uttered were infused with magic, rising into the air.
They transformed into letters that began to seep into a pre-prepared sheet of paper.
‘When was the last time I made a contract like this?’ It had been about five years ago, with Professor Irien. I never thought I’d use this method again.
“Very good….”
Myra clapped her hands lightly and smiled.
Then, her magic reached out, trying to take the paper.
Avoiding her magic with a slight movement, I grasped the paper in my hand.
Myra looked at me with a curious expression.
Swallowing hard, I spoke again.
“In return, I would like to reduce the number of mirror insects provided to you. Ten per month as a baseline, adjusted through mutual agreement.”
“Ten, hmm. Well, if that’s the case, there’s no need to pressure Mr. Evron further.”
Miryeong spoke, resting his chin on his hands as he stared at me intently.
His eyes were filled with curiosity.
The conversation, too, was absorbed into the paper as magic.
Placing the paper carefully on the desk, Miryeong’s magic swiftly snatched it away.
Examining the paper, he laughed loudly.
“Not bad. Though there are some parts I don’t like, this will suffice.”
He passed the paper to Myra, who also read it slowly before nodding.
They both infused it with their magic.
The paper tore and merged into their wrists.
Rubbing the wrist where the contract’s words had appeared, I felt the binding effect as clearly as the roots of a tree tethered to it.
This contract was lengthy, with numerous conditions attached.
I gave a wry smile.
After all the agonizing deliberation to reach this point, the matter concluded more easily than I had anticipated.
The heavy weight on my chest lightened slightly, and the tension in my rigid body eased.
Seeing this, Miryeong laughed.
“You figured it out after all? I thought it would be difficult for you.”
Given the circumstances, his words made sense.
Everything so far had flowed naturally—if I had been blinded by the allure of points, that is.
My suspicions began with the wraithwood at the auction house.
If I hadn’t felt unease upon seeing it, or questioned the points, I wouldn’t have had this chance.
And that item had been listed by Myra.
She glanced at me with a sly smile.
For whatever reason, I owed her.
I bowed my head slightly in return.
***
“This round… I win.”
“Indeed. As promised, let’s split the mirror insects seven to three.”
Mirror insects—that was the issue.
During the promotion review, they offered a hundred mirror insects in exchange for a substantial number of points.
Five hundred points per month, ballooning into a massive total.
Back then, I thought that was the end of it.
I believed they were selling off some aspect of my future in exchange for points.
But I was wrong.
They had no intention of disseminating mirror insects across the entire university.
It was clear their focus wasn’t on creating a massive communication network for the entire campus.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Arcana Trade Union dominated a segment of the university using the Stalactite City as its base, and other organizations likely did the same.
Everything within their domains flowed under their control.
For them, innovations like communications were likely an inconvenience.
That thought began to take root.
From that perspective, they sought me out because of the potential they saw in my mirror insects—a potential to disrupt the established order they had painstakingly built.
There had already been such an incident at the Tower.
Jun had used the bulletin board to restructure the Tower.
He had partially succeeded, advancing rapidly after seven years stuck on the first floor.
As the bulletin board lost its value, direct exchanges became the norm. In this structure, they accumulated power and knowledge faster than before.
‘If mirror insects spread across the university, more individuals would dream of something like Jun’s vision.’
‘Would they risk causing such chaos for a few points?’ For them, points were just tools, easily acquired.
It was speculation, but it was the most plausible answer I could find.
That’s how they came to me.
Of course, avoiding their proposal was nearly impossible—it was an irresistible offer.
And my complaints melted away when I saw the incoming points.
I assumed they intended to distribute mirror insects across the university.
Three billion in a hundred years.
‘How much more in two hundred years?’
Yes, that was the first trap.
“Dealing with perceptive individuals is the easiest. Everything is settled neatly like this—how wonderful.”
Miryeong said, inspecting his wrist where the magic contract appeared.
Slowly tracing the letters, he conjured a card with his magic.
The card floated toward me, gleaming gold with Miryeong’s name inscribed on it.
“This is a token of appreciation for the contract. We always base our dealings on trust. Use it to pick something you like at the auction house.”
“Thank you.”
I mustered the brightest smile I could manage.
After all, the contract was complete, and there was no reason to refuse this gift.
I carefully tucked the card away.
“Oh, don’t get the wrong idea. This is just a gift. There’s no longer a need for Mr. Evron to owe us anything.”
Miryeong responded to my smile.
“Yes, that was the second trap.”
They had predicted my every thought and lured me to the auction house.
They told me to freely gather the materials I needed for my dolls.
Had it not been for the unease I felt during the auction, I would already be drowning in debt worth millions.
‘If that had happened, there’d be no chance to forge this contract.’
Adjusting the terms of existing deals would have left me floundering in a sea of debt.
Then, I’d have no choice but to accept whatever demands they made.
Fortunately, I avoided it.
‘But what does avoiding it even mean?’
Since I owe them no debts, they’ll continue trading with me.
My points will increase.
However, providing mirror insects will stagnate my growth.
Even if I accumulate points, reaching a higher state will be impossible.
Blinded by massive points, I only recently realized this.
‘Even if I tried to raise my level through something like an elixir, it would be meaningless on a foundation built so hastily. It would collapse easily, making it even harder to build further.’
‘If I were to die after exhausting my lifespan, the Shadow Tree would also disappear. That outcome would benefit them in its own way.’
‘Though they’d face inconveniences from no longer being able to use the communications network, their goal would still be achieved.’
‘Even if I avoided the second trap, the first one had already sunk its teeth into me.’
I had to destroy that trap.
To do so, I needed to gain their absolute trust.
That was the purpose of this contract.
“I… will take my leave now….”
Myra stood up from her seat.
Using the shadows, she vanished.
I carefully rose to see her off.
“Wow, things turned out well. If this had gone any further, Professor Irien would have had something to say. It’s fortunate you’re a bit clever, Mr. Evron,” Miryeong said with a laugh. He, too, adjusted his clothing as if preparing to leave.
‘Professor Irien, huh?’ I let out a bitter smile.
“I’ll be going as well. Since the contract is finalized, feel free to enjoy the auction from now on.”
He rose, waving his hand.
A gentle breeze passed by, and his figure disappeared entirely, his flow of magic so subtle it was imperceptible.
I collapsed onto the table.
My back was drenched in cold sweat, soaking my clothes.
I still felt dazed, but I had somehow managed to get through it.
In truth, the traps they set for me weren’t all that fatal.
The first had a fair price—an enormous amount of points I couldn’t have gathered at my current level.
The second relied on my own choices.
As long as I avoided going into debt, it was manageable.
I let out a deep sigh.
This entire process of finalizing the contract must have been one of the possibilities they’d anticipated.
That thought felt increasingly certain.
Contracts aren’t formed through coercion.
They require deep mutual agreement.
That’s why they applied pressure so gently—so I could slowly recognize the situation and willingly propose the contract amidst countless constraints.
Just as they intended, I created restrictions for myself.
Now, the mirror insects could only be used by Tower students—excluding those affiliated with their organizations.
Well, that’s something, I suppose.
Letting out another sigh, I stood up.
The card in my pocket felt unusually heavy.
***
“Sixty points.”
Professor Irien spoke.
I lay on the floor, listening to her words.
The magic she exuded weighed heavily on me.
This was the first thing that happened after I returned to the Tower following the auction.
“Sixty points out of a hundred. You fell for a flimsy trap and rushed to finalize a contract. And it’s not as if you gained much in return. All you got were a few trinkets worth only a few million points.”
‘Trinkets?’ A bitter smile crossed my face.
I had combed through the auction’s item list multiple times to select the best one.
Yet, in her eyes, it was just junk.
“Still, you managed to return in one piece. Should I pass you?”
“Pass…? What do you mean?”
Her words made no sense.
I hesitantly glanced up at her, surprised to see a satisfied smile on her face.
“I’ve been pondering something recently. Just how much should I value you? I brought you in as a servant, but you’re more competent than I expected. It feels wasteful to use you for just a few hundred years.”
She sank lightly onto the floor, her glimmering eyes staring at me.
“Then this situation happened. So, I decided to see how far you could go. And you handled it cleaner than I thought.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Professor,” I replied with a bitter smile.
‘What would have happened without her?’ Things wouldn’t have gone as smoothly.
The reason I believed I could finalize the contract was because Professor Irien was backing me.
Her mere presence set the limits of how much they could pressure me.
“Of course,” she said with a smirk.
She pulled out a key from her pocket and tossed it in front of me.
The key landed near my head, and I stared at it.
The golden key radiated a strange magical energy.
“From now on, you’re the keeper of the treasure vault. Manage it well.”
I blinked.
‘The treasure vault—was she talking about floors six to nine?’ I had visited it once before and lost consciousness, never returning since.
I recalled the eyes I had long forgotten—those maddened, piercing gazes that burrowed into my very being.
Thinking of them made the earlier situation seem trivial.
I had to face them again.
My eyes trembled as I looked at her.
Noticing my gaze, she smiled mischievously.
“Pick anything you can handle once you’re inside. It’s so you don’t end up getting beaten like this again.”
‘Treasure?’ Her unexpected words left me stunned.
I cautiously reached out and grasped the key.
A heavy magic coursed through my palm.
It connected directly to my tree, forming a kind of circulation.
Within that flow, the key melted into me.