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Chapter 136 - The Impostor I

1

By now, if you\'ve been following my story, you might have vaguely noticed something.

An essential element typically found in genre fiction is missing from my tale.

This element is so crucial that you might wonder why the protagonist even bothers playing the role without it.

That element is the "monopoly of fortuitous encounters."

For example, take the 555th turn of Oh Dokseo. The moment she realized she was in a novel\'s world, didn\'t she immediately have this thought?

[Oh Dokseo: Well, anyway, the key thing in the Busan Station arc is how quickly you can secure the elixir hidden in Haeundae early on. That\'s all that matters.]

Ah, fortuitous encounters! What a sweet sound.

An elixir that boosts your cultivation in an instant. A secret manual somehow buried halfway up a cliff. A future world’s strongest individual, whose personality would normally be twisted beyond repair, but whom you train from a young age to become dependent on you through gaslighting. Or perhaps you loot an item whose true value remains unknown to anyone else.

You lightly snatch these up.

"Just my luck," you coolly murmur.

This, indeed, is the dignity bestowed upon the protagonist of genre literature.

Why hide it?

I, too, had my fair share of luck in my youth.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call me a "luck hunter," actively seeking out these fortuitous encounters.

If I ever entered a void, it meant there was a rare item there that could only be farmed in that place.

It was the same with the anomalies. I haven\'t mentioned it until now, but the "Heart of the Ten Clans" is an incredibly rare item. If you eat it raw, it easily stacks up internal energy equivalent to a full 60-year cycle (tastes like tuna belly).

But if it was in the past, things might have been different. As of now, I no longer cling to such items.

In fact, I actively avoid them.

Unless it’s absolutely essential, I pass it up, and if it’s too valuable to pass up, I hand it over to others instead.

"Why on earth...?"

Upon hearing my policy, there was a time when Oh Dokseo frowned in confusion.

She was taking a break from writing my tale at the time. Sensing that she seemed a bit worn out, I specially prepared Ten Clan sushi for her, using the Heart of the Ten Clans.

She munched on it, mumbling, "It really tastes like tuna sashimi..." before continuing.

"Are you a hipster or something? Like, do you think it\'s too cliché for the protagonist to monopolize all the fortuitous encounters or something?"

"No way. If I could, I’d love to monopolize fortuitous encounters. After all, I have the [Continue] ability, so the more I collect, the better."

"Then why...? Oh! Is it more efficient for your comrades to consume them rather than you?"

"Hmm. There’s that too, but… it’s easier if I just show you."

I enjoyed educating Oh Dokseo on the anomalies. It would all be useful to her later on.

I opened my interdimensional trunk bag, took out a notebook, and placed an item on the table with a thunk.

Oh Dokseo’s eyes widened.

Of course, the item was probably familiar for someone as much of an otaku as her.

"...Isn\'t this the [Monkey’s Paw]?"

"Oh. You recognized it immediately."

The Monkey\'s Paw.

As the name suggests, this anomaly is shaped like a monkey\'s paw, and it grants three wishes.

However, true to its nature as a anomaly, it never grants wishes in a straightforward manner.

Anyone who dares to use it to cheat life will find that some form of "misfortune" inevitably befalls them.

Wish for "eternal life," and it will grant you eternal old age without immortality, letting you enjoy an eternal silver life.

Wish for "immortality and eternal youth," and after the earth ends, you’ll be the only one left, enjoying an endless journey through the universe.

Wish for "immortality, eternal youth, and the ability to end your life whenever you wish," and it will ensure that horrendous, catastrophic events keep happening around you, making you question if you can even die at all.

Is that absurd?

Yes, it is.

Absurdity is the essence of the [Monkey\'s Paw].

It’s impossible to make a wish without side effects. You could call it the dark evolution of the magic lamp with the genie trapped inside.

"Strictly speaking, this is both a monkey\'s paw and a human hand."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"By the time I found it, someone had already used up all three wishes."

"Yikes."

Unfortunately, this post-apocalyptic world had already fully realized the curse of the Monkey\'s Paw.

"Dokseo, if someone who thinks they’re smart but doesn’t yet understand what anomalies are like found the [Monkey’s Paw], what kind of wishes do you think they’d make?"

"...Well, since there are three wishes in total, first, they’d wish for ‘the removal of any negative side effects of the wishes.’"

I smiled.

"Good. What next?"

"Uh... ‘Remove the limit on the number of wishes’? Three wishes might not be enough. Although this type of wish is often denied in stories, you’ve got to try, right?"

"Wow. How could it be so similar?"

"Huh?"

"I\'ll explain later. Anyway, what’s the last wish?"

"Hmm..."

Oh Dokseo ate another piece of Ten Clan sushi before speaking.

"It\'s a bit tricky, but I\'d wish for \'luck to be maxed out.\'"

"......"

"Since the Monkey’s Paw brings misfortune to its user, this would be a counterattack. If I max out my luck from the start, I could suppress the misfortune itself."

I couldn\'t help but suppress a bitter smile.

Oh Dokseo\'s answer was textbook. It was similar to the responses I got when I asked Cheon Yohwa, Lee Hayul, and Seo Gyu the same question.

Though the details of the wish differed, the objective was the same: to "eliminate the limits and side effects of the Monkey\'s Paw."

"You\'re right. No matter who found it, they would have made similar wishes."

"Oh, right."

I took a sip of my café au lait.

Then, I looked down at the notebook placed beside the Monkey\'s Paw on the table.

"And that\'s why monopolizing fortuitous encounters has become impossible for me."

2

The first time I found the Monkey\'s Paw was in Jeju Island.

At the time, I was exploring the tutorial dungeon that had appeared at Seongsan Ilchulbong.

The dungeon was themed around a "school trip," a void that, in terms of timeline, had appeared alongside the "Baekhwah High School" tutorial dungeon as one of the earliest tutorial dungeons.

In the tutorial dungeon, the elevation of Seongsan Ilchulbong grew to the height of Everest.

Of course, by the time I arrived, the tutorial had long since ended, and Seongsan Ilchulbong had returned to its normal size.

I was exploring the now ordinary area of the former tutorial dungeon, searching for any items that might be worth salvaging.

"There are quite a few corpses."

No particularly noteworthy items were in sight. However, as befitting a former tutorial dungeon, bones and corpses were strewn from the hiking trail entrance.

"Are there any people I know among them?"

I checked the cards and IDs of the corpses, and most of the bodies near the entrance were Japanese.

There were about 16 bodies in total.

It wasn\'t unusual. A few Japanese people were in the Busan Station tutorial dungeon where I came from, like Uehara Shino.

Being closer to Japan than Busan, more Japanese people were likely forcibly summoned to Jeju Island.

"Hmm?"

Then, near the summit, I found a rather "peculiar corpse."

First of all, the body was covered in thick hair.

No, it wasn\'t just thick; it looked as though the whole body had been drenched in hair growth serum. At first glance, it was easy to mistake it for an animal\'s carcass or a bush rather than a person.

Most notably, the body’s location was odd.

It was hidden in a slope far from the designated tourist route, in a spot where it was unlikely to be seen by others.

"Was this person also a victim of the tutorial?"

The body was clutching a thick notebook with both hands.

I picked up the notebook, thinking it might be a will.

――――――――――

《Day 1》

I\'m writing this journal just in case something truly unexpected happens.

――――――――――

The will was written in Japanese, not Korean.

Flip. Without much thought, I turned to the first page of the notebook.

――――――――――

The world has gone strange.

It was strange before, but now it’s even stranger. People are dying so easily it’s almost laughable.

But I’m lucky! When I was dragged to this mysterious place, the "Monkey’s Paw" was right before me.

Thanks to having watched the Monogatari series back in the day, I recognized what it was as soon as I saw it.

Who would have thought my ex-girlfriend\'s otaku hobby would be helpful?

Thanks, Sena. I forgive you for cheating on me with that other girl.

The Koreans around me didn’t seem to know what it was. Afraid someone else might realize, I quickly stuffed it into my backpack.

――――――――――

The Monkey\'s Paw?

I looked down at the corpse again. It was so hairy that the face was almost unrecognizable.

"Hmm. Now that I think about it, it really does resemble monkey fur..."

Could this person have made wishes to the Monkey\'s Paw and ultimately been possessed by the anomaly?

Flip. I continued to turn the pages.

――――――――――

《Day 2》

If I had a "Monkey\'s Paw," what wishes should I make?

I remember chatting with Sena about that once.

I thought it was just idle chatter, but who knew I\'d actually be given such fortune?

It feels like destiny.

No matter how many side effects the "Monkey’s Paw" may have, it would be foolish not to use it. People are dropping like flies around me. I have to survive somehow.

If I don’t think like this, I can’t handle how many people are dying. I miss eating gyudon and pineapple.

――――――――――

Borrowing the power of an anomaly.

"Hmm."

That was a thought typical of someone not yet accustomed to the end times.

But even someone like me, who had experienced hundreds of turns, could only make limited use of tutorial entities like the spirit of Inunaki Tunnel, and even then, with numerous restrictions.

It\'s a path beginners should not tread lightly.

However, I could fully understand the desperate mindset of someone in a life-threatening situation, willing to take a gamble.

Flip. I continued to read.

――――――――――

《Day 3》

The Japanese people summoned to this place gathered and formed a party. There was a girl named Yō who was quite powerful.

But she insisted that everyone open their backpacks and share resources. Is she crazy? That\'s private property.

I wanted to join another group, but most of them were Korean, so communication was difficult. I asked for a night to think it over.

Yō just stared at me expressionlessly and told me to do as I wished.

What a creepy girl. Fine, I\'ll do as I please.

Tonight, I plan to use the "Monkey\'s Paw."

――――――――――

Flip.

――――――――――

《Day 4》

I’ve spent days meticulously planning the wishes I\'ll make with the "Monkey’s Paw."

Here they are, in order:

1. Please don\'t create any side effects from whatever wishes I make.

2. Remove the limitation on the number of wishes I can make. If it\'s impossible to remove the limit, then disregard this wish.

3. Give me luck. Let me avoid all "accidental misfortune," like being killed by a random falling rock.

The core of these wishes is the third one—luck.

I considered other cheat abilities but ultimately rejected them. No matter how powerful a skill I obtain, I\'d be helpless if this Monkey’s Paw brings me misfortune.

Luck. With overwhelming luck, any power or misfortune would pale in comparison.

Perhaps the "Monkey\'s Paw" might try something sneaky while I\'m making my wishes.

It’s a demon, after all.

So, I plan to write these three wishes down on a piece of paper and present them all at once.

Honestly, I don’t know how this will turn out. I think I’m prepared, but just in case, I’m leaving this journal as a sort of will.

If I fail, I hope whoever finds this journal later will use it more wisely.

Now, I\'m going for it.

――――――――――

"......"

Before I knew it, I was deeply engrossed in the journal of this unknown awakened person.

Judging by the fact that they ended up as a corpse, it’s likely that the person failed. But there was much to learn from failure, just as there is from success.

This awakened individual adhered to a basic principle when dealing with anomalies and voids: "leave records for others."

That makes this corpse something like a fellow companion trying to survive the apocalypse.

Flip. My hands became a bit more respectful as I turned the pages of this will.

――――――――――

《Day 5》

I did it!

While I was on watch, centaur monsters attacked from the dungeon. But for some reason, I didn’t notice them at all, and they only went after the others.

Half the group was killed, but I didn\'t get a scratch. Even Yō, the strongest among us, got injured.

The surprising thing is that the second wish also came true! The wish limit is lifted! Hooray!

With the certainty that I wouldn’t die an absurd death, I suddenly felt more relaxed. Even seeing Yō\'s face doesn’t annoy me anymore.

Amazing. This is real.

I wished to the "Monkey’s Paw" that I wanted to eat gyudon. When I killed a monster, it dropped gyudon. I laughed at how lazy it was.

I got six bowls of gyudon and shared them with the remaining group members. Yō\'s expressionless face actually looked shocked.

Yeah. That’s the role that suits you—just an extra.

Our numbers have halved, but the power of the gyudon has lifted everyone\'s spirits. I’ve been reminded of how precious food is.

Thank you, Sena! It\'s all thanks to you! I’ll even forgive you for cheating on me with four other people while we were dating!

――――――――――

The trembling in the handwriting of the journal was unmistakable.

In my mind, I could see the image of someone who had risked everything, betting their life in an all-or-nothing gamble, and finally succeeded, shouting in triumph. A kind of victory declaration.

But unlike the journal\'s owner, I didn’t let my guard down.

"If this person had truly won, they wouldn\'t have ended up as a corpse."

The joy continued through the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th days. After the 11th day, the journal entries became sporadic.

When I flipped to a page far in the back, the journal finally resumed. This time, the handwriting was trembling for a different reason.

――――――――――

《Day 6??》

Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

When I woke up today, centaurs were attacking again. It felt strangely familiar, and then I realized the situation was exactly the same as on Day 5.

Half the group died. Yō got injured in the exact same spot. Every event repeated itself.

――――――――――

The journal’s owner seemed to manage to maintain some semblance of calm for a while.

They became diligent in recording what was happening again, detailing the events and any signs she noticed.

But as "Day 6??" repeated itself, she could no longer keep they composure. It seemed they weren’t particularly mentally strong from the start.

――――――――――

Something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong something’s wrong

――――――――――

On some pages, they had filled the entire space with the word "wrong."

After another long gap of empty pages.

Suddenly, in the middle of a blank page, a single sentence was written in cold, detached handwriting.

――――――――――

Is time looping?