Surviving Among the Entities

Identity is an important concept representing a person’s social position or role.

‘In the past, identities inherited through bloodlines like nobles or royalty were important, but not anymore.’

Even in modern times, those born into chaebol or political elite families can flaunt that as their identity, but it only appeals as ‘Wow, someone born into a prestigious family.’ What truly mattered was something else.

“Occupation.”

Whether the knowledge required for the occupation is specialized or not.
The annual income earned through the occupation.
The occupation’s difficulty level and the size of the affiliated organization.

“In a capitalist society, one’s occupation is their identity.”

Unfortunately, I lack an occupation. Most people find jobs to make a living, but I have had the financial means to live without an occupation in the past and present.

[According to your resume, you have no prior work experience?]
[No, as I wrote, I’ve been active as a debater online.]
[That’s not an occupation.]

Just once, wanting to experience a working life, I had applied for a job but failed the interview.

“Without an occupation, the places you can go are limited.”

Entities do not discriminate based on time or place. As such, I needed an identity granting me universal access, which was impossible with an ordinary identity.

“What I need is a highly versatile identity allowing me to enter anywhere.”

And I planned to acquire that using the Great Author’s Heirloom from now on.

“A fountain pen making the recipient accept any writing as truth.”

According to the wiki, the original owner was an aspiring writer who, realizing its usage, wrote an introduction presenting himself as a great author and disseminated it, becoming one – but it backfired.

“Even if people’s perceptions changed, his actual writing skills did not improve, so with each published work he faced endless criticism and rebuke, unable to endure it until eventually committing suicide?”

I recalled one of the Great Author’s Heirloom’s settings described in the wiki – an experiment log.

[Experiment results: The subject accepted anything written with this entity as truth. However, if settings conflicted, everyone would forget all previous truths accepted, and the user who caused the conflicting setting could no longer activate the entity’s ability.]

[Experiment 1: The subject wrote in a notebook “○○○ is handsome.” ○○○ was the subject’s own name.]
[Other people were asked to evaluate the subject’s appearance. 95 out of 100 rated it below average.]
[After showing them the “○○○ is handsome” line written with the entity, they re-evaluated. 100 out of 100 rated it as highest-level looks. Some even asked for the subject’s contact information.]
[Afterwards, the subject wrote in the notebook “○○○ has an average appearance.” When shown to different evaluators, not the previous ones, and asked to rate appearance, 95 out of 100 rated it below average.]
[Conclusively, the truth created by the entity was destroyed, and after a few more experiments the subject could no longer activate its effects.]

If settings conflicted even once, from that point onward it would only function as an infinite ink fountain pen, unable to activate its ability.

[Experiment 2: The subject wrote in the notebook “I am a hero.” They were instructed to specifically envision what kind of hero while writing. This subject envisioned Superman.]
[When the evaluators saw the subject, they requested autographs. The evaluators perceived the subject as Superman manifested in reality and thought it natural, not finding it strange.]
[When another subject wrote the same line but envisioned Batman, the evaluators perceived them as Batman.]
[A minor disturbance occurred with an evaluator violently asking why the Joker wasn’t killed but merely imprisoned in an asylum each time.]
[It was confirmed that when writing vague content, the setting the writer envisioned while writing was reflected.]

When writing proper nouns or widely applicable words, the specific setting could be directly created.

“In conclusion, the most effective way to use this is to simply write one concrete, specific truth setting.”

It’s a pity, but better than haphazardly using it elsewhere risking setting conflicts that negate all previous effects and permanently lose the fountain pen’s ability.

“Especially concerning identity.”

Having already decided what identity to acquire, I went to a printing shop and ordered large quantities of business cards.

“I will write the content myself. Please just print the business card paper.”

I had tens of thousands of sleek, premium business cards printed. After bringing them home, I wrote the content directly using the Great Author’s Heirloom.

‘A renowned identity granting universal access, an occupation where people directly seek me out after inexplicable entity-related incidents occur.’

Such an occupation does not exist in reality.

‘Then I’ll just create it.’

Gripping the fountain pen, I envisioned detailed settings. After hours of contemplation and preparation, I wrote on the business cards:

“Seung-hoon Lee, World’s Greatest Resolver”

The occupation ‘resolver’ does not exist. Similar jobs like mercenary, errand center, or private detective exist, but no profession goes by the name ‘resolver.’

‘But for me, resolver is an official occupation.’

First, I remodeled the interior of the bbang-gwa store I had previously purchased. No longer a food establishment, I converted it into a proper office and changed the sign to “Seung-hoon Lee Resolver Office.”

“What’s a resolver?”
“Seems like a private detective or something.”

Observing the reactions of nearby building owners, they all seemed unfamiliar with the term ‘resolver.’ Since this was the expected response, I approached them and handed out my business cards.

“Hello, I’m the newly opened store owner and resolver, Seung-hoon Lee.”

Even those who hadn’t reacted much before reading the business card had their eyes change the moment they did.

“Oh, ohh, are you really the resolver Seung-hoon Lee?”
“Yes.”
“The very Seung-hoon Lee who uncovered the true culprit of the John F. Kennedy case, found the Loch Ness monster, and revealed the Roswell UFO crash conspiracy theory?”
“That’s right.”
“Ooh! Can I get your autograph?”

After providing autographs, I asked them:

“It seems you know quite a bit about me.”
“Of course! You’re famous!”
“Who was the true culprit in the John F. Kennedy case?”
“Oh, who was it again? I knew but forgot! Haha!”
“What did the Loch Ness monster look like?”
“I forgot that too!”
“What was the Roswell UFO crash conspiracy theory?”
“I knew but can’t recall right now! Haha!”

As expected, the entity’s power is dangerous.

“I see. Then please contact me if you need anything.”
“Yes! You’re talking about mysterious, inexplicable matters beyond human understanding, right? I definitely will!”

With the setting successfully applied, I next utilized internet advertising.

“Hahaha, I never expected to meet Mr. Lee like this.”
“It’s a pleasure.”
“No, the pleasure is all mine. To directly meet the one who uncovered the secrets of the Moai statues, something I was immensely curious about after seeing them, wondering ‘Why were these created?'”

The ads were simple – I just scanned my business cards and spread them as internet ads.

‘The setting also mentioned the aspiring writer printing and disseminating his writing, and it had an effect.’

After spreading the ads for several days, I searched my name on internet communities.

[Seung-hoon Lee <- Isn’t this guy famous? But why are his internet ads so shoddy lol]
└[Who is he?]
└[Wow, there are people who don’t know who Seung-hoon Lee is. Are you a hermit?]
└[Here they go again with their exclusive chatter.]

[Who is Seung-hoon Lee?]
[The first person to uncover the secrets of Atlantis, the one who uncovered the secrets of the Aokigahara Forest, the one who solved the truth behind the Red Mask – the proud K-Resolver, that is Seung-hoon Lee!]
└[??? What are you talking about? Are you insane? Can’t distinguish reality from fiction?]
└[I checked the namu wiki. There are lots of things he supposedly resolved, but not a single answer is written about what problems were actually solved?]
└[Seems like viral marketing. Bumping up traffic.]

People’s reactions were polarized extremes. Since the ads themselves weren’t big, there weren’t too many posts either.

‘Instead, I made it so the search algorithms would pick it up, so anyone involved in entity-related incidents will seek me out.’

I had connected the ads to various keywords related to mysteries, horror, and inexplicable incidents, so those in need would find me.

‘As long as there are no setting conflicts from the Great Author’s Heirloom, my resolver identity will not disappear.’

I placed the fountain pen inside the safe I had purchased.

‘I will no longer use this.’

I had acquired everything needed for survival. I had opened the resolver office too, and people’s reports would come in even if I just waited, while I could also encounter entity incidents through Dial-A-TV or Shin Yeong-mun.

“But before that.”

I headed to the library.

“I should retrieve that.”

I arrived at the private library Shin Yeong-mun had mentioned. After thoroughly searching the place, I was able to find the book I wanted.

“Found it.”

A single line title printed on the black cover:

“Book 6 of the Other World Transfer Series for Those Who Want to Transfer to Another World: Medieval Fantasy”

I discreetly slipped the book into my possession. It lacked a barcode or anti-theft seal, allowing me to easily take it from the library.

“As I thought, it was that series.”

Returning to the office, I examined the book.

“The Other World Transfer Series.”

An entity that transfers you to another world the moment you agree to the contract written inside.

“Volume 6, but I only remembered up to volume 4.”

As a series, it was comprised of multiple volumes, each transferring you to a different other world setting.

“Volume 1 was hunter, 2 was gate, 3 was tower, 4 was cyberpunk.”

But volume 6 – it seemed the series had additional installments after I had stopped playing the game.

[Warning! This book speaks only truth, not falsehoods, and will actually transfer you to another world. But be forewarned, you will not be the protagonist, and most other worlds are harsh with very low probability of succeeding like the protagonists.]

A warning greeted me on the very first page.

[However, your chances of success increase with sufficient preparation, so we implore you to be fully prepared before transferring.]

Specific details were written on the next page.

[You will transfer to an other world equivalent to Earth’s medieval era. The number of transferable other worlds is currently 1,111,111,111 based on existing contracts, and you will be randomly transferred to one of them. Specific selection is impossible, leaving it entirely to chance.]

Next were the average levels of those other worlds.

[Most other worlds have magic. However, to use it you must first awaken your magic power, with only a 1% probability of success. This applies to transferees as well, and to reiterate, you are not the protagonist.]
[There is a 5% chance of transferring to a soft and happy other world.]

I turned to the next page.

[Transferee List & Circumstances]

And I recalled what grade this entity was.

[1. Seo Min-woo (30), deceased: Former science teacher, taught science to other world inhabitants and conducted various experiments, created a crude microscope to show people the existence of bacteria but was burned at the stake by the church for supposedly summoning demons.]

“The danger grade, huh.”