Surviving Among the Entities

Hyung Si-yeol’s problem could not be helped through ordinary means. Since I lacked the power to selectively erase only the desired portions of people’s memories, I needed an entity to aid him.

“It’s good to see you again. It seems the constellation matter was resolved properly.”

Currently, the only place I could obtain such an item was from the Suspicious Merchant. The Omnipotent Gold Corporation only provided entity locations, could only be used once a month, and I had just visited recently so I could not go there now.

“Yes, it was a close call.”

On the other hand, the Suspicious Merchant could process the used deceptive contract I no longer needed, and might possess the entity I wanted, making her the optimal choice for now.

“But you’ve changed your appearance?”

She had reverted to a pure monster form indistinguishable as any particular gender except for her voice, just like the first time I visited.

“Fufu, I wonder why?”
“I can guess.”

The only difference from before was whether I had entered using the plain invitation or the elaborate one.

“Just to make sure, it’s not only my appearance that changes. The items I trade also change.”
“How can I raise the invitation rank?”
“By satisfying me through our trades.”
“That doesn’t seem difficult.”
“Indeed, not difficult at all.”

What kinds of entities would a higher-ranked merchant sell? How would her appearance change, and would there be any other transformations?

“I feel our future trades will be enjoyable.”
“Your anticipation fills me with joy as well. But what trade did you come for today?”
“There are a few items I need, so I’ll have you appraise the value of just one of them for now.”

I placed “The Most Convenient, Simple, and Fantastic Truly Fair Contract Allowing You to Use Divine Power to Your Heart’s Content” on the table. Her six arms unfolded the sheepskin parchment scroll, her slender eyes instantly dilating like magnifying glasses to scrutinize it.

“Ah! Lucifer Company! The most wicked, unconscionable, and unlawful merchants across all dimensions! This is one of their bait products! It’s astonishing the contract hasn’t been consumed despite you having used it before!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! It’s extremely rare, though it does happen occasionally. Since it has rarity, it can be traded for a good entity. What entity would you like? If you don’t know the name, tell me the ability and I’ll bring a matching entity.”

Excellent. Perhaps I could receive a good entity after all.

“Do you have a monkey’s paw left?”
“Unfortunately not. Even if I did, this could not trade for one.”
“Then do you have a wish-granting ticket?”
“Ah! I do! The value is quite suitable too! Please wait a moment.”

The merchant entered through a wooden door in the back. After some commotion, she returned holding something resembling a checkbook.

“Here it is.”

The difference was that instead of checks, it contained tickets that could be written on.

“How many sheets is it?”
“It consists of two golden tickets and six regular tickets.”
“Excellent.”
“Indeed.”

After receiving the wish-granting ticket, we had a tea time together.

“Be cautious going forward.”
“What do you mean?”
“You did not fully use Lucifer Company’s contract. As unscrupulous merchants deeply proud of their wares, they may visit you again with another item.”
“Could you tell me more about them?”
“I would like to, but I fear they might come calling to complain. My apologies.”

I can understand the merchant’s reservations about ones capable of creating entities that could even control the constellation’s avatar.

“I hope our next trade goes well. Farewell.”
“I will bring a good item.”

This trade must have been highly satisfactory, as I received an elaborate invitation.

‘I just need to naturally deliver this to Hyung Si-yeol.’

One golden ticket should be enough to resolve his current situation.

‘How can I naturally deliver it to him?’

But I didn’t need to ponder it at all.

“Excuse me, is this the Resolver Seung-hoon Lee’s office?”

“Please don’t be tense. Have a seat and wait comfortably.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Do you prefer black tea or coffee?”
“Yes, coffee……”

Hyung Si-yeol sat stiffly on the chair, his two eyes constantly twitching.

‘Will he really be able to resolve this?’

His complexion was haggard. Ever since the previous incident, whenever he closed his eyes the mocking posts about him on community forums kept resurfacing, and those manipulatively spreading fake information as if he had actually done those things made it seem like he would break down at any moment.

‘Ugh, I should have had a good sleep first. What is this face.’

Since that day until now, his total sleep time was a mere 8 hours. Over a week had passed, but he hadn’t slept more than that and looked like he could collapse at any moment.

‘Constellation……’

If only the Constellation had still been here, he wouldn’t have been this exhausted. He still didn’t understand why he had said those words back then.

[Wahh! People’s malice! Th, this isn’t what a hero should be! Wah! I won’t do it!]

Of all things, why did it have to be the self-Ilbe certification lingo and not just regular insults? He had wanted to make excuses about being from Gyeongsang Province, but that was impossible since in past broadcasts he had revealed being a native of Seoul.

‘But even if he’s a resolver, can he really resolve this?’

What Hyung Si-yeol wished for was for people to stop calling him an Ilbe troll or insulting him on the internet and in reality. But the incident had become too big, ensuring he would be mocked forever.

‘But since he’s a resolver, he’ll do something, right?’

Bored and curious about the resolver’s office, he discreetly looked around.

“Woah, a seven-headed snake?”

Indeed, the office interior befitted a resolver’s, not being ordinary at all.

-Quack!

“Eek!”

Startled, he glanced around. Something on the shelf behind was staring at him.

‘A rubber duck?’

A rubber duck that would be perfect to take into the bathtub, its expression somehow seeming to sneer and exude confidence.

‘An automatically quacking rubber duck? Does it have a machine inside?’

Upon closer inspection it didn’t seem to have any machinery inside.

“Hm?”

After putting the rubber duck back, he turned around to find a book lying open on the desk that hadn’t been there before.

“A book?”

As if drawn by some mystical energy, he read the open section.

[Other World Transfer Bleeding Edge Service for Those Suffering in This Life! The Manager Has Gone Insane! Transfer to Another World Right Now for Increased UP! UP! UP! 20% Chance of a Soft and Happy Other World!]
[Two Slightly Useful Abilities Granted!]
[Depart Right Now! Just Make the Contract and Immediately Depart!]
[[Seal] <- Gently press any finger for over 3 seconds.]

Medieval fantasy? What was this about? Was it offering to reincarnate him into another world or something? As he stared intently at the book, Seung-hoon Lee returned.

“Did you enjoy looking around?”
“Huh? Ah, hahaha, that was……”

He had been about to make excuses that he didn’t mean to look at the book, but it had already vanished.

“Then let’s discuss your case.”
“…..Yes.”

Drinking his coffee, Hyung Si-yeol candidly explained his situation.

“Um, but where did we meet before?”
“I likely saw you at your first fan meeting.”

Seung-hoon Lee extended a paper showing Hyung Si-yeol’s autograph.

“Ah! You were that person!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

Woah, the world! Seung-hoon Lee the resolver was my fan!

“I’ve listened to your concerns. It should be quite easy to resolve.”
“R, really!? By any chance, how much will it cost?”

As expected of a resolver. He must be planning to manipulate internet opinion or fabricate fake information to save me, which would require utilizing many people and resources hence my question about the cost – but Seung-hoon Lee shook his head.

“I’ll do it for free. Since you’re a fan.”
“Ah, ahh! Thank you!”

To the grateful Hyung Si-yeol, he extended a checkbook.

“This is a ‘Wish-Granting Ticket’. Any wish written here will definitely be granted.”
“Huh? R, really?”

It sounded unbelievable, but Hyung Si-yeol thought:
‘If the constellation exists, why couldn’t there be a wish-granting ticket too?’
Plus, this was the resolver Seung-hoon Lee, after all. He might very well possess such a thing.

“However, it doesn’t simply grant your wish like a god.”
“What does that mean……”
“Have you heard of a monkey’s paw?”

Hyung Si-yeol nodded. With 15 years of online community experience, he was naturally familiar with the story.

“The monkey’s paw that grants wishes, but in a twisted manner leading the user to ruin, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. This is similar to the monkey’s paw.”
“Then I shouldn’t use it, should I?”
“Instead, it’s a bit kinder and gentler than the monkey’s paw. Let me give you a demonstration.”

Seung-hoon Lee tore out one regular ticket from the book. Taking up a pen, he wrote one line on it.

[I want lamb meat.]

At that moment, someone visited Seung-hoon Lee’s office.

“Hello there? Hahaha, I’m the owner of the lamb meat restaurant that just opened up in this building. I brought some lamb meat as a housewarming gift to let you try it.”
“It must be delicious. I hope your restaurant flourishes.”
“Ooh, but aren’t you Resolver Seung-hoon Lee? Ah, I’ll be sharing this building with the great resolver!”

Recognizing Seung-hoon Lee, he even brought additional lamb meat akin to a small bribe, with the total amount seeming to be around that of one whole young lamb.

“You saw that? It works that way.”
“…..Really, it grants any wish?”
“It doesn’t grant absolutely everything. The way it grants wishes varies greatly depending on the wish’s scale. For example, if you wrote ‘I want to become a god’, you would only become one in your dreams while reality remains unchanged.”
“Ahh, I see.”
“However, the higher the ticket’s rank, the greater the limit on the wishes it can properly grant.”
“You mean those golden tickets?”
“Your understanding is quick.”

Seung-hoon Lee tore out a golden ticket.

“The ticket ranks are regular, gold, and platinum, and I have two golden tickets. I will give one of them to you, Hyung Si-yeol.”
“With a golden ticket…… will it grant my wish?”
“Of course. In fact, higher-ranked tickets even tend to grant wishes in a way that helps others, so it will definitely grant yours.”
“Can you really give me such a precious thing?”
“Of course.”

Seung-hoon Lee extended the golden ticket.

“I am one of those who wish for you to do well.”

“A golden ticket.”

On the way home with the ticket, Hyung Si-yeol pondered what to wish for.

‘Should I wish for the Constellation to return?’

His former self might have scoffed and tossed aside such a thing, but after meeting the Constellation and experiencing the hidden side of the world to some extent, and since it was the resolver Seung-hoon Lee, he seriously considered it.

‘No, he said there were limits on the wishes it could grant. Since gold was the intermediate rank, not even platinum, an intermediate rank couldn’t possibly summon the Constellation back.’

Passing through a park, he took out the pen he had kept in his pocket to give autographs on the street after becoming famous through the Constellation.

“I shouldn’t be too greedy.”

He wrote his wish on the golden ticket.

[Please make people like me. On the internet and in reality!]

But after writing it, he worried if it was too broad a wish.

‘Since he said it would grant the wish in a good direction, it should be fine……’

At that moment, the world spun. When he came to, an immense agony weighed down his entire body, preventing him from even screaming.

“Dr. Janus! I can’t live! I hit someone!”
“Well, this has become troublesome.”
“Doctor, you’re speaking Japanese right now?”
“Oh dear, the auto-translate function must have turned off from the accident. Can you understand me now?”
“I told you to stop doing these direct experiments!”
“But nothing is easier, faster, and more enjoyable than direct experimentation, is there?”

What was going on? He had wished for people to like him, so why was he in a traffic accident in the middle of a park?

“Ugh, I should have stopped you somehow……”
“The ‘Ultimate Racer Pill’ was a failure. With this, there’s no way to beat that Legendary Racer of Jongno 3-ga!”
“Who is that? Anyway, what will you do now? You hit someone, will you just leave them like this?”
“Assistant, I am a doctor. I may also invent things, but my mission is to heal people. How could I simply leave them?”

Beyond the blurry vision, the silhouettes of a short person and a tall person could be seen. With the sun behind them their exact appearances were indistinct, but the racing car they had arrived in was clearly visible.

“Shall we return right away then?”
“Assistant, investigate that person’s identity and dispose of all records.”
“Haah, you plan to perform a makeover again.”
“Not a makeover, call it a gift. Since they nearly died due to my mistake, it is only right to give them a gift, is it not?”
“Yes yes, I’ll delete their identity right away and create a new one after the surgery is complete.”

Even the [Dr. Janus] lettering engraved on the racing car’s front.

“Alright, let’s begin the surgery.”

He had no further memories after that. Whenever he regained consciousness, he could hear the sounds of drills and saw blades one would expect in an operating room.

“What was this person’s occupation?”
“An internet broadcaster. But there seems to be some controversy.”
“Everyone has controversies, even me!”
“You have too many to count, Doctor.”
“Alright then, I’ll just make a body befitting an internet broadcaster? As a broadcaster he should be good at games too, so I’ll need to tinker with his brain a bit.”

Whenever he heard them rambling about something, the encroaching anesthesia prevented him from remembering it.

“While we’re at it, let’s enhance his drawing ability too? I saw he does art broadcast streams too.”
“Assistant, that’s a good suggestion! Adopted!”
“But wasn’t he originally male?”
“Haha, assistant, internet broadcasts gain more popularity with females! I may not watch much, but I know at least that much!”
“Hmm, well, is that okay?”

Initially the process was painful, but gradually became comfortable.

“Oh dear, I seem to have made a slight mistake with the brain?”
“Why? Is it serious?”
“Not too serious, just that he may only be able to say one word. His intelligence also dropped around 20 points.”
“But he can still write properly? Then he can communicate via writing, and with 80 IQ he can still live like a person, right?”
“83 IQ. But shouldn’t I fix it?”
“That would take too long. I want to get off work quickly. Let’s just end it here.”
“As expected of our MZ assistant.”
“I’m actually older than you, Doctor.”

And then he dreamed.

“Listen here, Hyung Si-yeol, this is not a dream. It’s a message I’m leaving you. From now on, you will receive people’s love. On the internet and in reality! It’s this very body, the one I made for you, Dr. Janus!”

It was ambiguous whether it was a dream or not.

“By the way, I disposed of your original identity. No need to thank me. Since you were receiving all sorts of hatred from people, it’s better to start over with a new identity! My assistant has created a new residence and identity for you, so you can begin your new life now!”

And with that final message, he awoke from his sleep.

“There was a slight issue with your language and intelligence, but I believe you can overcome that much. That’s all!”

“Ddwaidde!”

Waking up drenched in cold sweat, Hyung Si-yeol muttered to himself.

“Ddwaidde……”

What a truly dreadful dream. Was the accident just a dream too?

“Ddwai?”

His entire body was soaked in sweat, so he got out of bed to wash up.

“Ddwai……”

But where was this? This wasn’t our house? The large, nice room and living room, and the view of the Han River visible beyond the veranda – the first thought was that he had been kidnapped.

‘But what’s with the strange sounds I’ve been hearing?’

Was he imagining the childlike ‘ddwai’ something or other sounds he kept hearing?

‘Hm?’

At that moment, he discovered an ID card placed in the living room.

“Lee So-hee”

And below, a note.

[This is your new identity. -Dr. Janus]

Only then did the dream come back to Hyung Si-yeol, who rushed to the bathroom. Beyond the bathroom mirror was a young girl with silver hair and red eyes.

“Ddwai……”

He, no, the girl screamed.

“Ddwaiaaaahhhh!”