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Chapter 138 - The Impostor III

6

Kuro.

The name of the "diary owner," which had not appeared throughout the will note, was Kuro.

Let\'s focus on the fact that this was a nickname, not a real name. Even the Black Jade couldn\'t know the real name of the diary owner.

"Kuro didn\'t talk to anyone."

And probably, no one knew.

"Weren\'t they in the same group?"

"Yes. Since they were Japanese, they were part of our group. But they always lagged behind, just following us. Kuro never actively tried to do anything or join in."

"……."

In plain terms, they were an outsider.

You know how, when elementary school kids go on a field trip, there’s always that one kid who lags behind everyone else, insisting, \'Don’t worry about me, I’m just enjoying the scenery, which is the real purpose of the trip\'? Kuro was exactly that type.

Life as an outsider became far more severe after the end of the century than it was before.

In this era, social skills were no longer a "nice-to-have" trait but something directly tied to survival.

"If they were such a loner, they wouldn’t have been treated well in the group, right?"

"Correct. When we fought monsters, Kuro would just stand there and watch. I remember they didn’t even participate in the distribution of loot from the fairies."

"……."

"Still, we didn’t kick them out of the group. They didn’t cause any trouble… To be blunt, there was also the calculation that if monsters attacked us from behind, Kuro would be the first to die."

"They were just a disposable pawn?"

"Honestly, yes."

…That impression was completely contrary to what I had felt while reading the will note.

In the diary, Kuro seemed twisted but at least fulfilled their role in the group as an awakened being.

Above all, it gave the impression that Kuro’s strength increased as time passed. They even seemed capable of single-handedly fending off a centaur tribe’s attack.

Was that testimony all a lie? Was the diary I found nothing more than the delusional notebook of an isolated person?

"However… Looking back now after hearing what you said, there were some strange things."

"No matter how trivial, feel free to share."

Black Jade furrowed her brow, as if searching for a faded photograph in the drawer of her memory.

"Kuro slept a lot."

I blinked.

"Sleep?"

"Yes. Sleep. You know how, when you’re spirited away, you never know when a monster might appear, so you’re usually on edge? But Kuro strangely slept peacefully despite being so timid when awake."

"……."

"And this might sound odd, but each day Kuro slept, their arms became more and more covered in fur. Yes, just like the photo you showed me, Doctor Jang."

Monkey’s Paw.

A human who uses the power of a monster becomes more and more like a monster.

If someone relied on the Monkey’s Paw, they too would eventually degenerate into a monkey-like form.

"Since hair suddenly sprouted from their arm, we were cautious. It could have been some unknown disease or curse. So, we subdued Kuro and searched their belongings…"

"What was in the backpack?"

"…A monster\'s hand, an ordinary notebook, and some snacks. We, of course, tried to confiscate the monster\'s hand. But."

But they couldn’t take it away.

"When we tried to take it, the hand went berserk with incredible strength. Several of our group were knocked out in an instant."

"Oh."

"Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. But in the chaos, Kuro escaped. The monster’s hand crawled after them. We were shocked and dumbfounded… But more than that, we were disgusted. So, we just let Kuro disappear."

"You never reunited with Kuro?"

"No."

Black Jade looked down at the photo on the table.

"I was a bit curious about what happened to them, but I guess they turned into this hairy creature. It was probably some kind of curse."

"……."

Before parting ways, I chatted with Black Jade about various things until the evening.

Just before I left the shrine, I asked Black Jade one last question.

"By the way, I have one last question."

"Yes?"

"When you did the tutorial dungeon in Jeju Island, did a large number of Japanese people die early on? Like, 16 people dying near the entrance of the dungeon?"

Black Jade shook her head.

"No, nothing like that happened. Our group had a high survival rate."

"Just as I thought. Thanks."

"…? No problem. Take care."

I quietly descended the shrine’s steps.

Now then.

What could be the truth behind this case?

One thing was clear: the "Monkey’s Paw" had something to do with it. If I trust Black Jade’s testimony, it’s also clear that the diary didn’t depict reality as it was.

"Hmm."

I wrote a small sentence on the back of the diary.

[Old Scho, fool.]

I found the same diary when I moved to the next turn and went to Seongsan Ilchulbong.

I flipped through the pages but couldn’t find the sentence [Old man Sho, fool].

"――Aha."

Only then did I realise the truth about how the Monkey’s Paw granted wishes, the nature of this diary, and the truth about the "False Returner."

The solution was simple.

7

"This is a \'Dream Diary,\' Dokseo."

Oh Dokseo blinked.

"Uh… a Dream Diary?"

"Yes. You’ve heard of it, right? It’s used for psychological counseling or just to experience lucid dreaming, but in any case, this item is a \'notebook that records events that happen in dreams.\'"

"I’ve heard of it… So, you’re saying all the stories in this notebook are just delusions that happened in a dream?"

"Something like that."

I picked up the notebook and lightly flipped through it.

"Didn’t you notice something strange?"

"Something strange?"

"Yes. The diary says that time repeats infinitely from the 5th day. But for some reason, this diary alone isn’t \'caught in the regression and its contents remain unchanged.\'"

"…! Oh! Oh!"

"You noticed too, huh?"

I smiled faintly.

“It’s not something like my cane sword or the logout game laptop I gave you—those special, unique items. If a real regression were to happen, of course, the contents of the diary would revert to blank. But the diary continued, just as if nothing had happened.”

“Then, does that mean the diary, like your unique items, remains even after the regression…?”

“That was a possibility, but I tested it myself, and that wasn’t the case.”

[Old Scho, fool.]

The sentence I had written as a test disappeared cleanly in the next turn.

So, in the end, this diary wasn’t some extraordinary item. It was just an ordinary notebook.

“This simplifies the conclusion. The person who wrote in that diary was simply dreaming that they were repeatedly regressing.”

“Ah… Wait a minute, but then wouldn’t that mean the monkey\'s paw deceived Kuro by pretending to grant her wish?”

Oh Dokseo snatched the notebook from my hand and opened the page titled [4th Day].

――――――――――

1. Whatever wish I make, please don’t create any side effects.

2. Remove the limit on the number of wishes I can make. If that’s impossible, then let’s pretend I didn’t make this wish.

3. Give me good luck. Make sure I avoid all ‘accidental misfortunes,’ like being crushed by a falling rock.

――――――――――

“Here. Look at this.”

Oh Dokseo pointed firmly at the first wish.

“Look closely. She clearly wished for no side effects from her wishes.”

“She did.”

“But if the monkey’s paw just showed Kuro a dream of ‘being a max-luck regressor,’ while in reality, she’s still a lonely person with no special abilities, isn’t that fraud?”

I smiled.

“Oh Dokseo, you lack a sense of the anomaly.”

“What? What nonsense is that?”

“Think deeply about what the monkey’s paw really is. It’s not something that grants wishes. It’s something that creates side effects from wishes. That’s the essence of the monkey’s paw.”

Humans always want to gain without any loss.

In other words, they have no conscience.

To replace the lost conscience of humans, the anomalies say this: every advantage has its downside.

If you’ve gained something, you must lose something as well.

‘Luck and misfortune are equal in amount.’

This principle is the law the monkey’s paw adheres to.

“In that sense, the name [Monkey\'s Paw] doesn’t really capture its essence. We should call it [Pros and Cons] or [The Law of Total Luck]. That would be a more appropriate name.”

“The Law of Total Luck…”

Oh Dokseo muttered blankly.

I nodded.

The Law of Total Luck.

That was the true name of this entity.

“The principle behind the Law of Total Luck works like this: First, a person wishes for the ‘luck’ they desire. Then, the entity calculates a misfortune equal in magnitude to that luck.”

“Aha…?”

In short, the monkey’s paw is like the hand of a merchant that trades luck for misfortune.

“But one day, a customer suddenly demands free luck without any strings attached. That customer was Kuro. Now, how do you think the merchant would feel?”

“…What kind of jerk is this?”

“Exactly. It’s a dilemma.”

Of course, the anomaly doesn’t feel ‘dilemma.’

It simply encounters an ‘error.’

When a situation contrary to its nature is forced upon it, the entity will do whatever it takes to correct the error, by any means necessary.

The Law of Total Luck was no different.

“So.”

I took out a pen.

Scratch, scratch.

I drew an arrow next to the [4th Day] entry in the diary. Then, I added my interpretation on a blank page.

“The Law of Total Luck had no choice but to twist Kuro’s wish. Like this.”

――――――――――

1. Whatever wish I make, please don’t create any side effects.

→

(1) Any luck must necessarily come with misfortune of equal value. That’s the ‘side effect’ Kuro referred to.

(2) If there’s no hidden downside or side effect, there’s no luck. Kuro’s wish is essentially the same as not wishing for any luck at all.

(3) Therefore, Kuro made no wishes in this reality. The wishes she made are fulfilled in ‘a place that is not reality.’

(4) In that other place, the Law of Total Luck need not be upheld, so Kuro can enjoy nearly infinite luck.

(5) Since the luck enjoyed in that place doesn’t require any misfortune to be balanced, no misfortune will befall Kuro in reality.

(6) In reality, Kuro has neither luck nor misfortune. Therefore, Kuro’s wish for no downsides and side effects has been granted.

――――――――――

Oh Dokseo’s jaw dropped.

“No way…”

“How is it? Do you understand?”

“No side effects… Yeah, no matter how sweet a dream is, you can’t really say it causes any side effects in reality… Wow, seriously. You really shouldn’t mess with entities like this, huh?”

I was satisfied with Oh Dokseo’s muttering. I had hoped she would learn that precious lesson.

“But the problem doesn’t end here. The second wish also brought about massive repercussions.”

――――――――――

2. Remove the limit on the number of wishes I can make. If that’s impossible, then let’s pretend I didn’t make this wish.

――――――――――

I tapped the second wish with my pen.

“This lifted the restrictions on the monkey’s paw.”

“Lifted the restrictions?”

“As you know, the exchange of luck and misfortune with the monkey’s paw is usually limited to three times. It’s a kind of golden rule. But Kuro asked, didn’t she? To remove the limit on her wishes.”

Kuro probably thought she was being clever by inserting a loophole to exploit.

But the ‘side effect’ she feared so much manifested entirely differently.

“This effectively broke the chains that were binding the entity known as the Law of Total Luck.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I mean this.”

――――――――――

2. Remove the limit on the number of wishes I can make. If that’s impossible, then let’s pretend I didn’t make this wish.

→

(1) The wishes humans make are essentially asking for ‘luck.’

(2) Removing the limit on the number of wishes means removing the limit on the ‘amount of luck’ that can accumulate.

(3) But luck and misfortune must always maintain the same total amount.

(4) Therefore, if the limit on luck is removed, the limit on misfortune must also be removed. From now on, humans must exchange not just three rounds of luck and misfortune, but an infinite number of rounds, and in infinite quantities.

――――――――――

Oh Dokseo paused.

“What? What? Whaaaat...?”

“Pay attention to the wish Kuro made. If Kuro had wished for something like [Remove the limit only for me], it wouldn’t have caused much trouble.”

But Kuro, whether consciously or unconsciously, made one crucial mistake.

“Kuro asked for the complete removal of the [wish limit] that the Monkey\'s Paw had.”

“So...?”

“So, the second wish didn’t just apply to Kuro alone—it applied to all of humanity. You and I are no exceptions. If we take more ‘luck’ than we need, an equivalent amount of ‘misfortune’ will immediately follow.”

“What the...?!”

Oh Dokseo screamed.

“Us too?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?!”

“Because a certain awakened person named Kuro made that wish to the Monkey’s Paw.”

“Damn it, that’s so annoying!”

“Absolutely annoying.”

Indeed.

It took a long way to get here, but the main theme of this episode was simple.

-Why is it that I, Doctor Jang, unlike the protagonists in other stories, do not indulge in monopolizing fortuitous opportunities?

Now, the answer has been revealed to you as well.

There is only one reason. This world already has a fundamental anomaly known as the ‘Total Luck System’ in place.

“Didn’t you feel it too, somehow? Even though we’ve got two lucky regressors and even though we’ve got No Doha, the ultimate workaholic, forming the National Highway Management Corps, and even though things are improving, those inexplicable setbacks just keep happening.”

“Gasp. No way?”

“It’s because of the Total Luck System. In this world, if you try to freeload too easily, the hammer of misfortune will crush your head.”

“Ahhhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhhhh! What kind of cursed game is this!”

Oh Dokseo howled in despair.

In short, in our world, it was impossible to monopolize fortuitous opportunities due to the very laws of nature.

For Oh Dokseo, who considered herself the protagonist of the world, it was nothing but despair.

I sipped on my now-cold café au lait. Even cold, it tasted good.

“Well, don’t worry too much.”

As an experienced regressor, I always had a plan to deal with the Total Luck System.

In fact, I found this anomaly quite useful in many ways.

“How can I not worry... Wait a minute! I just ate Ten Clan’s heart steak earlier! Does that mean I’m going to get that much misfortune now? What did you make me eat, old man?!”

But that’s another story.

I’ll save it for another episode someday.

8

There’s an epilogue.

After learning that a great void called the ‘Dream Within a Dream,’ ‘Bad Ending,’ and ‘Parallel Worlds’ was asleep in the unconscious depths of humanity, I began to infiltrate the world of the unconscious occasionally.

The purpose was simple. To regularly clean out humanity’s unconscious warehouse so that people could always have a good night’s sleep.

“Hm?”

“Grrrr... Grrrr...”

So, today as well, while I was busily beating up Old Scho’s bad ending, I sensed a strange aura coming from the southern direction of the Korean Peninsula.

After finishing off Old Scho’s, I headed south.

In the South Sea of Korea, there stood Seongsan Ilchulbong, which had been replicated from reality but enlarged about 50 times in size.

“......”

Thud thud thud-

From an elevation almost as high as Mount Everest, ‘someone’ was rolling something down.

It was a human head.

The person had long black hair, so long that it covered her face.

Thud thud thud-

She had piled up the heads like a mountain beside her and kept dropping them into the crater of Seongsan Ilchulbong, expressionless, meaninglessly.

Like a reversed Sisyphus.

Suddenly, I thought to myself.

――――――――――

3. Give me luck. Let me avoid all ‘random misfortunes,’ like getting killed by a stray boulder.

――――――――――

Kuro had wished to eliminate all random misfortunes.

How did the Monkey’s Paw interpret that wish?

Perhaps it considered that as long as the misfortune wasn’t random but rather ‘inevitable,’ it wouldn’t matter?

Even though countless myths and tales have warned against human arrogance, people still lightly think, ‘If I just change the form of the wish, I can still use the anomaly.’

Why be satisfied with just three wishes?

Why not ask for unlimited wishes?

If it were me, I would’ve used the anomaly more wisely.

Even if Kuro’s Tale remained a rumor passed down among humans, future generations would still think, ‘I could have used it better,’ and approach another Monkey’s Paw.

Hubris.

Perhaps that was the inevitable misfortune that befell Kuro.

I turned my back and moved away from the South Sea.

Thud thud thud-

Even today, a girl will be rolling severed heads in someone\'s dream.

- The Impostor. The End.