Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Last Monkey's Paw
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I stared at the one remaining monkey's paw after returning to the office.
"Where should I use this thing?"
The monkey's paw, with its single remaining middle finger, had proven itself far more powerful than anything in the game—thanks to the world beyond my right eye.
"It grants the wisher's desire exactly as stated."
Unlike the original monkey's paw, which twisted wishes to its own whims, this one fulfilled desires without any distortion.
"And it bases it on the wisher's own perspective."
In the world beyond my right eye, Yoo Sung-yeol had wished for "everyone to be rational and smart." Yet, by my standards, the people there weren't rational or smart at all.
"They were downright stupid and irrational."
If they had truly been rational and smart, that world could never have come to pass.
"They would have weighed the benefits and risks of their actions to make optimal choices."
In that process, society members would have shared opinions, introduced laws to mitigate risks, and strived for greater gains through social consensus.
"In reality, that's impossible because people prioritize personal gain. But if everyone had been rational and smart, they would have compromised with reality, temporarily setting aside individual interests for the community's future—a truly ideal society."
But the world Yoo Sung-yeol wanted wasn't like that. Rationality was focused solely on individual survival, and wisdom aimed only at completely rejecting future risks.
I knew why it turned out that way. He'd been consumed by the community.
"Those stimulating posts are just bait for attention from others."
Prolonged exposure to all the sensational incidents, accidents, and foolish human choices on those sites had turned him cynical, reshaping his standards for rationality and wisdom.
"Well, it makes sense. With 7 billion people in the world, there are 7 billion reference points."
If it didn't align with the wisher's own standards, it'd be no different from the original paw. The last remaining monkey's paw had simply matched Yoo Sung-yeol's sandcastle of anger and cynicism—perfectly innocent.
"In the end, humans are the problem again."
Just holding onto the last remaining monkey's paw without using it was a win. Keeping it out of reckless hands could save the world from disaster.
"I need to use it."
But I decided to go ahead. I'd figured out the right way to use it.
"In the game, there are four ways to use the last remaining monkey's paw."
First: Strengthen your character. A physically and mentally empowered character greatly increases escape chances from entities that pose physical or spiritual threats.
"It randomly boosts by 2 to 4 times, but that's not a great option for me."
I ruled it out. Events like this monkey's paw incident—happening beyond my knowledge—can't be dodged anyway, so it meant nothing.
"Even immortality via wish wouldn't matter much in this world."
Not when things worse than death exist.
Second: Acquire a desired entity.
Rejected that too. Sure, it could protect against many entities if used well, but not against universe-spanning, dimension-hopping catastrophes like this one.
Third: Exclude a desired entity from the game.
Destroy weak, insignificant ones permanently or banish strong ones to another dimension for years.
"In a world full of countless entities, excluding one is pointless."
And finally, the fourth: Restore a broken entity.
"Repair consumable items for reuse or revive powerful-but-weakened entities as allies."
That's what I wanted—the fourth option.
Just not on an entity.
"Last remaining monkey's paw, I make my wish."
"Restore the Humanity Protection Foundation to perfect condition before it was destroyed by the Munchkin Mary Sue Constellation."
What allowed humanity to reach the top of the food chain? Not some simplistic single-cause thinking, but cooperation surely played a huge role.
"Humans survived stronger beasts by forming cooperative societies."
Wolves, lions, elephants—they cooperate too, but human organization is far more advanced. What I needed was the division of labor that comes from such groups.
"I can't survive entities alone."
I'd thought about it before. If a global, humanity-wide, universe-scale disaster struck somewhere I couldn't see or reach—could I stop it?
Answer: No.
It could happen while I slept, or even awake, end before I noticed.
"Dial TV helps, but only limitedly. No guarantee of that luck again."
So how had humanity endured?
The Humanity Protection Foundation. Or just "the Foundation."
"Originally, the group that protects the world from entities."
They hold future-foreseeing entities and efficiently deploy others to safeguard humanity.
"And the perfect partners to scout and handle entities I can't touch."
Their strength varied per game, but according to the Munchkin Mary Sue Constellation, they're extremely powerful in this world now. Reviving them destroyed could prevent repeats of this mess.
"Sure, the stronger they get, the more they violently exclude suspicious things..."
I'd probably count as an entity to them, so they'd try to exclude or eliminate me. But better than vanishing without warning anytime.
"If they come for me, talk it out—or use the golden ticket."
I made the wish. The paw's last finger bent.
"!?"
But only briefly. Halfway bent, it stopped as if blocked, trembled, then sprang back open.
"The wish failed."
Why? What reason?
"No idea."
I tried another experimental wish, unlikely as it was.
"Last remaining monkey's paw, I make my wish. Eradicate all entities in this world, other dimensions, and beyond the universe."
The finger twitched ever so slightly, then straightened.
"So the earlier reaction was an attempt, but insufficient power stopped it."
Why couldn't it restore the Foundation?
"Does the Munchkin Mary Sue Constellation's destruction erase their existence entirely?"
No answers. I shelved the paw for now.
"If only I knew why."
Next day, minutes after arriving at the office.
"Excuse me, are you Fixer Lee Seung-hoon?"
"Yes, that's me."
Two people in suits came looking for me.
"Good. We're with this."
The woman in the man-woman pair handed me a business card.
[Humanity Protection Foundation: S / Sung Yu-ra]
Completely unexpected.
"I'm Sung Yu-ra, S-Grade Agent from the Foundation—short for Humanity Protection Foundation."
"And Kim Dong-wook, C-Grade Agent from the same."
The Foundation had come to me.
"Excuse me, but do you possess the last remaining monkey's paw?"
"What would you like? Black tea? Coffee?"
"Coffee for me, please."
"Could I get milk?"
"Of course."
While fetching tea, coffee, and milk, I overheard them whispering.
『Overseer, isn't that an entity?』
『Yeah, definitely one from the Isekai series.』
『We should recover it now!』
『Are you nuts? The guy's an cognition-alteration ability user who can force the 'fixer' identity as common sense worldwide. And we walked right into his den!』
My fixer card had English under the Korean, and I'd spread it via Google ads on overseas sites lately—hence the chatter.
"Too effective is a problem too."
I eavesdropped while mixing milk into the tea.
『Honestly, his fixer status feels normal even now. And I got the S-Grade cognition-alteration vaccine! Without it, we wouldn't even suspect.』
『Sigh. Someone like him used the last remaining monkey's paw on us. For good or ill?』
『Don't assume yet. Agent's iron rule, right?』
『Never rule out possibilities. Certainty against entities is death.』
『Eh, higher-ups think so, but not me.』
Surprisingly, Sung Yu-ra ruled in my favor.
『A world-scale cognition-alteration user stopping at just 'fixer' status? Means he's small-minded, no big ambitions.』
『But what if he's hiding his true intent?』
『That's why we're here. Did he use the paw offensively, or otherwise?』
I returned with the tea, coffee, and milk.
"Here you go."
"Thank you kindly."
"Thanks."
Wary as they were, they drank without suspicion.
"Does a ruined Foundation still have poison-scanning entities, or are they so wrecked they don't even suspect?"
Sung Yu-ra didn't drag things out.
"First off: Our Foundation detected you using the last remaining monkey's paw on us. We don't know the content, but defenses sensed it, nullified the wish, backtraced, and led us here."
"Impressive. The paw's power is immense."
"It's the Foundation. So, what did you wish for?"
I told them exactly.
"......"
"Overseer?"
"It's true."
Her easy acceptance meant she—or her entity—could detect truth in words.
"Rookie, release."
"Yes."
Kim Dong-wook pulled a small box from his pocket. His delicate, careful manipulation with a tiny metal pen was precise.
"What's that?"
"Antimatter bomb. Set to detonate on our activation release or new cognition-alteration waves."
"Oh? Power level?"
Take back my earlier assessment.
"Erases everything within 10 km."
Ruined or not, Foundation was Foundation.
"Good thing your words weren't cognition-alteration deception. It would've blown already."
"Haha, fun."
"......"
"Overseer, disarmed."
"Y-yeah. Right."
Before they spoke, I did.
"You're here to rebuild the Foundation with the last remaining monkey's paw, right?"
"Yes. You knowing to use it that way means you get its power. But for humanity's sake, could you hand it over?"
I nodded.
"Of course."
"Ah!"
"But with conditions."
Sung Yu-ra's face hardened with resolve.
"Anything we can do, we will—even if it's..."
Suddenly, she seemed incredibly alluring.
"Beautiful."
Her flowing hair gleamed like silk, begging to be touched, heartbreakingly lovely. Her eyes drew me in, making me want to gaze all day. Her slender, delicate frame yearned to be held forever; her scent made my heart race, scattering focus.
"Even my body."
Was this love? Maybe.
"I refuse."
But no. Love without mental bonds, just flesh? I pass.
"Love needs bonds and time-built affection, mental union."
Not pure platonic, but close. My body reacts only to women—half the world—but any woman would do; I'd find her someday.
"......Yes?"
"......Huh?"
They looked stunned. Kim Dong-wook milk dribbled down his chin.
"Uh......"
He even shifted away slightly.
"Um, sorry, but are you gay by any chance?"
Sung Yu-ra asked.
"My body reacts only to women, so not homosexual."
"Then why reject me...?"
"I want mental love over physical. No matter looks, if mentally lovable, physical follows."
"......"
She paused, then spoke.
"We reviewed your entire past, Lee Seung-hoon."
"My records?"
"Yes, including internet sex-related ones."
"From ages 13 to 16, maybe?"
She nodded.
"Ah."
Now it clicked.
"Embarrassing, huh."
They'd seen my wildest sex-obsessed phase.
"Mental love now...?"
"Humans change with time. Anyway, my condition is this."
I set down my empty teacup.
"I want to visit the Foundation."