MTLNOVEL Chapter 6: Novel Page 6: The Contract Reversal Effect.
As far as Lanling could remember from the original story… There were four ways to break a magical contract.
The first was for both parties to willingly agree to cancel it.
The second was if one of the parties passed away.
The third was to have a Runic Mage, an expert in this particular magic, break it by stealing the contract.
And finally, there was the 'Contract Reversal Effect,' one of the methods to annul a contract. It was a forbidden technique, explicitly listed among the taboos of Runic Mages, and anyone who violated it would face severe punishment.
Lanling momentarily froze upon hearing Mystry's words. The other person had spoken in a normal tone while staring at her intently, as if waiting for an answer from her small lips.
"No way…" the young girl murmured, the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. ["Cheripha... can you hear me?"]
The voice of Cheripha, which had been chattering in her head all along, had gone completely silent. Lanling took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions and play along for now.
'To deduce this much… Could Mystry be an important character I forgot about? And which side are they on?' Lanling pondered. 'This method has been forbidden for a long time, and no one should have used it for at least a hundred years. Yet, someone still knows about the so-called Contract Reversal Effect.'
"'Mystry'… that's not your real name, is it?" Lanling asked.
"There's no need for you to know my true identity. You only need to know that I will be the last person in this world to ever harm you."
Lanling let out a soft, slow breath. She still couldn't figure out which character Mystry was supposed to be. The more she tried to think, the dizzier she felt, until she had to stop altogether.
"You must have many questions for me, my dear little bookworm," the woman in mourning attire said. "But before that, let's begin your magic training. We don't want to waste any time. Now, sit in meditation and follow my instructions… I will help you practice magic."
"But just a moment ago…" Lanling spoke softly. "You said you wouldn't teach me."
"In order to successfully perform a Contract Reversal, you must have enough magical power to make the contract recognize you as the superior," Mystry stated indifferently. "If you surpass its current master, the contract that binds you as a slave will instead recognize you as the master or the one who originally drafted it. Of course, there must be certain tricks to it..."
"As for the method—no, rather,...for a contract bound by life itself, there is no need for an intermediary. Both parties are directly involved, with the contract acting as the medium. As long as you have more magical power and inject it into the contract to dominate it—through the magical pathway established by the pact as a party to it—"
Mystry paused for a moment before continuing, "Simply put, your master will become the slave, and you, little bookworm, will become his new master. After that… well, it's up to you what you want him to do."
This was one of the severe consequences of a Contract Reversal. If one was lucky, the contract would simply dissolve, freeing both parties.
However, if that wasn't the case, the power of the contract would immediately shift to the new dominant party, as long as the contract still existed—or, in the worst-case scenario, something even more dangerous could happen.
Although Lanling wished to break free from the contract and grant both herself and Cherish their freedom, she also desired to make Elliott pay for what he had done.
"…I want him… to face the consequences of his actions," Lanling declared firmly, causing Mystry's dark gray eyes to widen.
"Oh? Are you asking me to deal with him?" Mystry asked.
"I've never thought about killing anyone. Not ever," Lanling replied. Even though Elliott had tormented her from the moment she arrived here, that didn't mean he deserved to die.
"Then what will you do with him, my dear?"
"…I… I have my own way," Lanling answered. While she sought revenge against Elliott, her main reason was that she at least wanted to ask him about the Silver Rose family's curse. If he became her slave, he would surely have no choice but to answer her. As for everything else, she could think about that later.
For now, gathering information about this world of fiction was the most important task—especially regarding the enigmatic curse of the Silver Rose family.
"Is that so? In that case, I'm rather curious to see how you'll handle him," Mystry said. "For the sake of your pitiful fate—and the destiny that has brought us together—I suppose I'll take the risk."
Mystry instructed Lanling to sit in meditation, close her eyes, and breathe as she directed. The young girl obediently complied. However, just before they began the lesson, she tilted her face upward and asked the floating figure before her:
"…Mystry, I have a question."
"Go ahead, my dear"
"Why did you say that magic is something ancient and outdated?" Lanling asked. "I've heard that the most powerful mages usually come from the 'Tower of Magic.' Are you from there?"
The little girl pretended to ask innocently.
Mystry watched for a moment before sighing and replying in a weary tone.
"Because magic... has the same fundamental principles repeated over and over again… I've learned it to the point of boredom," she said simply. "But magic has two severe weaknesses, you know?"
As Mystry turned back, her floating figure drifted through the air, and several books from the shelves she had already examined floated towards the girl.
"First, magic has made any new discoveries outside its foundation be labeled as heresy, simply because they do not originate from the magic recognized by the Magic Tower and the Church. Hmph!"
The woman let out a dry laugh as if mocking the two great powers of the world. "Even dark magic, as wicked as it is, is still accepted as long as it originates from mana—even if it's used for immoral purposes. Isn't that ridiculous?"
"Magic was born alongside humanity, so people understand it well," Lanling said, making Mystry, who had her back turned, suddenly brighten her eyes. "They know how it works, so they know how to fix it. Besides, immorality isn't exclusive to dark arts. Whether it's magic or divine power, both can lead to unethical actions."
"The creator of poison surely knows their poison well, is that it?" Mystry glanced over her shoulder, her previously weary tone sharpening into something more intense. "Even if that's true, so what? Even if we understand everything, in the end, everything still turns in the same cycle—a mere repetition of history."
The woman in black spread her arms to the sides. "Does everything only wait for a miracle or destruction? And what about the intentions and purpose of the user? If something is driven by true virtue, shouldn't it be encouraged instead!?"
'Or should we run…?' The more Lanling listened, the more she felt the unsettling distortion in the woman's thoughts. Though Mystry was a mage, her way of thinking was anything but that. Or was she…?
Lanling swallowed hard before cautiously asking, "Then, Mystry... Do you know of any powers beyond magic and divine energy?"
"Let's just say I possess many powers, but I'm not sure if they'd be the answer you're looking for. So why don't you ask, my dear bookworm... But I think the one who needs power right now is you, not me," Mystry replied.
Lanling didn't dare to ask directly. If Mystry truly had the status she suspected, she had no idea what consequences her question might bring.
"Th-then, what about the second reason?" Lanling threw out the other question that lingered in her mind.
"...The second reason is more of a personal belief," Mystry said. "Besides, even if I told you now, little bookworm, you wouldn't understand anyway."
That only made Lanling even more curious.
"Th-then… what is the power you're using right now?" she asked again.
"Magic, of course. What a strange question," Mystry responded, widening her eyes and blinking rapidly.
Her expression was as if Mystry were questioning Lanling's common sense, making the girl freeze before sighing deeply. Mystry, finding her reaction amusing, burst into laughter. The tense atmosphere from earlier seemed to vanish as if it had never existed.
Lanling couldn't help but question herself—what exactly was she expecting?
'That's right… If she were an outlawed mage, she wouldn't be able to use magic at all.' Lanling lowered her head, both exasperated and oddly amused. 'But if I said she's a runaway patient from an asylum, that would be more believable. Still, I should be careful.'
She lifted her head to watch Mystry laughing while clutching her stomach, then sighed and slumped her shoulders again.
'Is my life… no, my very soul is so wretched that I need a lunatic to teach me magic?' she thought bitterly. 'What kind of madness is this…? I just want to reincarnate into a life where I'm not a character in a novel…'
"We've wasted enough time. Let's start learning magic," Mystry cut off her thoughts. "First, practice the breathing technique to gather mana. Sit up straight, close your eyes, and inhale for three seconds. Hold your breath for three seconds, exhale for three seconds, and then hold again in the same pattern. Keep repeating it."
Lanling did as instructed while trying to contact Cheripha in her mind, but there was no response. Anxiety crept into her, but with no other choice, she continued practicing magic. The method of the "Inverse Pact" on this path required at least five years of training just to accumulate mana.
As Lanling continued to breathe steadily, a shimmering blue mist slowly emerged throughout the library and even extended beyond its walls. Mystry's deep gray eyes widened as she beheld the sight before her. A sudden, radiant smile spread across her face as she unconsciously stretched out her arms and twirled gently, as if dancing alongside the floating books around her.
It wasn't just within the library— the surrounding areas were also affected. Moonlight reflected off the softly drifting blue particles, making them shimmer beautifully like a sea of glowing sand, rivaling the stars above. Unfortunately, apart from a few drunken individuals who dismissed it as a dream, there were very few who could witness or experience this rare mana phenomenon.
Lanling, who had her eyes closed, remained unaware that the shimmering particles were expanding further and further outward.
Around the young girl sitting on the floor, delicate white-blue threads of light began to emerge from the ground. They swayed softly, resembling strands of silk drifting upward.
["Hey, Monkey writer!"] Cheripha's sudden shout startled Lanling, making her jolt and open her eyes. ["Run! Get out of there, now!"]
"What's happening?" The girl looked around. Seeing the mana phenomenon unfold just as it had in the original story, she couldn't understand why Cheripha was panicking. She then turned to look at Mystry, who was smiling brightly and walking toward her.
["Mystry is trying to sever the communication between you and me!"] Cheripha exclaimed. ["Do you have any idea how much power it took for me to break through and talk to you? Listen, writer— among all the characters you created, there is no one named 'Mystry'!"]
["What!?"] Lanling shouted in shock.
"So, that's how it is, little bookworm," Mystry said with amusement. "You're actually someone with an 'Innate Talent for Magic.'"
Among all talents in this world, innate magical ability and natural-born sanctified beings were the rarest. Cheripha's ability was something Lanling had assigned to her from the very beginning— an inborn talent, one of the few that Lanling could use herself, though it still required refinement.
With Cheripha's abilities surpassing even supporting characters like Elliot by a wide margin— and considering it was a protagonist's skill— it wasn't surprising that she could reverse the effects of a magical contract.
As the glowing mana gradually faded, Lanling quickly got up to leave. However, black chains suddenly emerged from the ground, wrapping around her arms and legs. The moment they touched her skin, she felt something seeping into her body.
'This is… heretic magic!? But why—!?'
Lanling turned to look at Mystry, who now raised a single finger, a dark flame flickering at its tip.
'In the original story, heretic mages shouldn't be able to use magic! Aside from Alex and Allen, no one else has ever done it!'
"H-How!? You're a heretic mage! How can you use magic!?" Lanling shouted in shock, struggling to free herself from the restraints, but to no avail.
["If this goes on, you'll turn into a heretic mage! The entire plot will be ruined!, What!? …is Mystry trying to be the writer now!? I won't allow anyone else but you, Lanling!"] Cheripha yelled furiously before she began chanting. ["By the power of intervention, let the old chandelier above loosen and fall!"]
A faint creaking sound echoed through the room as the already worn-out rope of an old chandelier snapped. The heavy fixture plummeted down toward Mystry, yet she merely stood still, unbothered. The moment it struck her, the chandelier disintegrated into dust, vanishing into the air.
["Let the writer go!"] Cheripha bellowed. ["By the power of intervention, let the weakened bookshelves collapse upon Mystry!"]
Crack!
One of the aged bookshelves suddenly broke at its base, toppling over onto the others, creating a domino effect. However, when they fell upon Mystry, every single shelf instantly crumbled into dust, leaving only scattered books and wood fragments on the floor.
"It seems… in addition to an innate magical talent, there is also a mysterious force aiding you," Mystry mused. She stepped forward, stopping in front of Lanling. Raising a finger wreathed in black flames, she gently touched it to the girl's forehead. "You may be… one of my possibilities."
"one?…one of the possibilities? Is that it?" Lanling muttered softly. "No… I have to be a mage, not a heretic mage."
"Abandon your desire to be a mage, and you'll never regret it, little bookworm…" Mystry said as she pressed a finger against Lanling's forehead. "Now, this is going to hurt a bit."
'No… Yang Ge… Yang Ge, help me!' Lanling's tears fell from sheer terror, but she could no longer scream.
[Since I can't intervene directly with my power… Well, since the story has already reached this point, I might as well go with this!]
With that, Cheripha suddenly shouted something into Lanling's ears. The girl, who was already on the verge of losing consciousness, couldn't quite grasp what was being said.
And then—
BOOM!
A mysterious impact erupted from behind, sending the chair that had once served as a barricade flying, along with the door.
"…Those annoying vermin have finally arrived, huh? What a shame" Mystry halted her actions and quickly stepped back, waving her hand. The chains binding Lanling's wrists and ankles unraveled, and the woman's figure slowly began to fade away. Just before disappearing completely, she left behind a regretful expression.
Lanling collapsed to the ground, her face pale.
"A… Am I safe now?" she murmured weakly, struggling to gather her thoughts. "I… I survived."
At that moment, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps, followed by a loud shout.
"You heretic mage! You won't get away with this!—Huh?"
A golden-haired boy in a green traveler's outfit rushed in, his golden eyes locking onto the girl kneeling on the ground in confusion. In his left hand, he held a wooden staff with a golden C-shaped head, from which three gemstones—green, red, and blue—dangled on thin ropes. Each gem had strange orange runes glowing within them before the light slowly faded.
Lanling's heart pounded wildly as she turned to look at the newcomer. He stood at a cautious distance, pointing his staff at her with a serious expression. His golden eyes gleamed intensely, with swirling symbols within them resembling magical inscriptions.
"I saw you at the market earlier today. You're one of the cursed siblings the townspeople talked about, aren't you?" His voice was sharp with suspicion. "Why are you here alone? And what's your connection to these heretic mages? Answer me, now!"
Lanling barely registered his words. Instead, she stared at the boy—who was just stepping into adolescence—with growing confusion. His sudden appearance was utterly unexpected.
She recognized this character perfectly—his face, his hairstyle, even the C-shaped staff in his hand.
"Yang Ge… No… Alex?" she whispered.
At her words, the boy raised an eyebrow and lifted his staff slightly, his expression growing more guarded.
'Why is Alex Crawford here? It's not time for him to appear yet!' Lanling screams internally.
[At last, I've brought some reliable reinforcements!] Cheripha declared proudly. [That should make up for everything that happened earlier, right? Hmm?]