Surviving Among the Entities

I continued checking the circumstances of the transferees.

[2. Lee Hyun-woo (25), deceased: Former civilian, entered the mercenary business and sustained a flesh wound from a rusty goblin knife during his first battle against monsters, infected with tetanus and suffered 7 days of high fever and convulsions before dying of the disease.]

[3. Kim Min-jun (19), deceased: Former student, after transferring he met a noble and explained modern knowledge, requesting investment funds, but the noble demanded a prototype product first. He tried creating one with his knowledge but after repeated failures, gave up, and was beheaded for the crimes of noble defamation and fraud.]

[4. Park Seo-yeon (27), deceased: Former university student, became a servant for a noble family to make a living. Scouted by the family’s heir to become a concubine but refused, viewed as an insult and killed by the heir’s sword.]

The early transferees had all died.

‘Medieval fantasy, as expected it’s no walk in the park.’

Particularly noticeable were those who died trying to utilize modern knowledge.

[11. Lee Ji-hoon (17), deceased: Former student, attempted to spread modern knowledge and be remembered as a great pioneer, first stating ‘The earth is not the center of the universe, it orbits around the sun.’ Accused of blasphemy by the church, stood trial explaining various modern knowledge but denounced as a demon and burned at the stake.]

[22. Choi Ye-eun (23), deceased: Former university student, did odd jobs on a farm spreading the importance of hygiene to those around, directly washing her hands daily to set an example, but a wound on her hand became infected from water contaminated with animal feces, dying of the infection.]

[30. Jung Do-yoon (31), deceased: Former company employee, developed a water filtration tool using sand, gravel and charcoal, tried to sell purified water but was branded an unscrupulous merchant ‘selling water for money’ and stoned to death by people.]

Many had recklessly disseminated knowledge difficult for medieval people to accept, meeting their demise.

‘But the survival rate seems to improve further on.’

More accurately, there were many who lived well before dying.

[51. Yoon Soo-min (80), deceased: Former student, transferred at age 16 and did menial labor to raise funds, then utilized prior soap-making knowledge to produce fragrant soaps popular among nobles. Built a reputation as a professional soap merchant but abandoned plans to expand the business due to obstruction from other merchants. Afterwards, lived an indulgent life collecting artifacts, hiring mercenaries to wander the world, until passing away from old age at 80.]

[63. Lim Ha-yoon (99), deceased: Former company employee, joined a large merchant group showcasing his calculation and bookkeeping skills to get hired, simultaneously raising funds while networking and making allies out of other merchants and nobles through affability. Later directly operated the merchant group, using his established connections to run international trade across multiple nations, building economic and political foundations before gradually unveiling knowledge acquired pretransfer to advance the world’s civilization. Lived a prosperous and honored life before passing away from old age at 99.]

“Having witnessed the mistakes of their predecessors that led to death, the successors must have all been extremely cautious in their preparations.”

Since humans can progress through learning, it seemed most who realized the errors and causes of death from their seniors thoroughly prepared themselves.

“And some even awakened magic powers.”

The lives of those in the 1% who awakened magic power varied.

[97. Han Jun-seo (200), deceased: Former university student, awakened magic power after transferring and grew into an excellent mage by entering the magic tower. Later adventured accumulating combat experience to become a high-ranking elder of the tower, using magic to halt aging and maintain youth, eventually even reaching the master level and nurturing many students before passing away from old age at 200.]

[164. Oh Ji-a (17), deceased: Former student, awakened magic power after transferring and became the disciple of an unnamed mage, but died in an explosion from a misfired fireball while practicing spellcasting.]

[220. Nam Ha-yul (20), deceased: Former civilian, awakened magic power after transferring but it was a world where mages had to continuously expel their magic power through spells or it would kill their bodies, desperately tried learning magic but died from a heart attack caused by excessive built-up magic power before succeeding.]

“Still, they survived better than ordinary people.”

The investigation showed that no matter the preparation, ordinary people had an extremely high probability of death. However, those who awakened magic power generally had high survival rates and good lives unless the magic system of that world was threatening, accidents occurred, or they died in combat.

“But even that could not overcome fate.”

The 5% who transferred to the soft, happy other worlds lived blissfully, a higher probability than the 1% chance of awakening magic power.

[82. Lee Seo-hwi (???), surviving, ★5% winner★: Former convenience store worker, transferred to a world where everyone has their own spirit guardian, and his spirit was the spirit of the sky granting heavenly blessings, extreme luck in all matters, and enhanced five senses and physical abilities. Afterwards, gained much love from people, became renowned through adventures, and in his twilight years even succeeded in transforming into a spirit himself, descending as one of that other world’s spirit gods as an immortal being.]

[156. Jo Ha-ram (???), surviving, ★5% winner★: Former librarian, transferred to a world 200 years after a war ended where humans, elves and demonkin coexisted peacefully. While adventuring, accidentally triggered an altar at an ancient vampire ruin, becoming an advanced vampire capable of immortality. As a vampire, could walk under the sun and obtain nutrients from ordinary food like before. Utilizing her immortality and vampires’ perfect memory, devoted herself to science for hundreds of years until finally transforming that world into one with science and civilization like Earth. Currently serves as the dean of the world’s science academy.]

[199. Shin Do-won (???), surviving, ★5% winner★: Former university student, transferred to a world where the church wielded great power and peace reigned. Lost his body during the transfer and was reborn as a young girl, becoming a priestess whose powerful holy power led to being appointed a saint. Afterwards took the vanguard in repelling a demon invasion, leading the war to victory and rising to the position of pope. After death, lauded by a god who directly transformed her into an angel. Currently serves as a lesser deity.]

‘Living blissfully, no, still living blissfully.’

I had read through the entire transferee list and circumstances. Up to now, a total of 1,267 people had departed to other worlds through this book.

Around 700 had died horrifically.
Around 400 had lived ordinary lives.
Around 100 had lived successful lives.

And the rest were the 5% winners living protagonists’ lives in other worlds.

“Bait.”

The warning that you would not be the protagonist.
The 5% chance of transferring to a good other world.
Listing the transferees’ circumstances.

“All of it was calculated to stimulate human psychology and make people use the book.”

I might be in the 5% that transfers to a good world. I might overcome the odds and live a protagonist’s life – that’s how the book stimulated human psychology.

[If you have read all the preceding content and still wish to transfer to another world, please read the following contract.]
[I hereby clearly declare that I have no regrets about transferring to another world, and that this is entirely of my own volition.]
[By agreeing to this contract, as a bonus you will naturally be able to speak the most common language of the other world you transfer to.]
[Do you agree? [Seal] <- Gently press any finger for over 3 seconds.]

After confirming the contract on the final page, I closed the book.

“Ordinarily, I should destroy it.”

Of course, since it likely cannot be destroyed by ordinary means, the best options would be to sell it to the Suspicious Merchant, bind it with iron chains and toss it into the sea, or lock it in a safe to prevent anyone from using it.

“But should I really?”

I turned on the computer and searched about other worlds.

[Ah, I just want to go to another world. I’m really confident I’d do well in a fantasy world!]
[I want to go to another world too. Please send me there.]
[I really fucking want to go to another world. Go there, use science cheats to earn shitloads of money and fame, and make a harem.]
[I want to go to another world in a beautiful girl’s body. Act all tough occasionally showing a feminine side, and everyone around me would treat me like a princess.]

Most were just joking around. Since there was no actual way to go to another world, they were just indulging in fantasy chatter.

“But if there was a sincere way to go to another world.”

And if there were people who sincerely wanted to leave behind everything they had built to go to another world, then for them this book could be their only escape.

“If everyone who transferred had died, I would have unhesitatingly disposed of it. But that’s not the case.”

The mortality rate is roughly 55%, with a 40% chance of living an ordinary or successful life, and a 5% chance of living a protagonist’s life.

“I cannot deprive people of that opportunity.”

At that moment, a gust of wind from the window caused the book’s pages to turn.

[Do you agree? [Seal] <- Gently press any finger for over 3 seconds.]

As if asking me if I didn’t want to go to another world myself.

“Sorry, but I prefer this world.”

I quietly closed the book.

“So I’ll have to refuse.”

The Other World Transfer Book – Medieval Fantasy was fundamentally an object-type entity. An existence unable to move on its own until someone used it, so it advertised to give those who wanted to go to another world a chance.

[Are you tired of your reality? Want to become the protagonist? Then contact us immediately. Another world awaits you.]

It was an internet banner ad, but after placing the ad, I realized it did not appear at all on my computer.

-Yes? No, I properly placed it. It should appear normally. There are no system issues.

I called the banner manager, but only received reassurances that it was fine.

“Then there are two possibilities.”

Either the banner manager made a mistake.
Or the entity was involved.

“Was this your doing?”

There was no answer, since it was just a book. But I thought that was the case.

“Perhaps the ad only appears to those who sincerely wish to go to another world.”

Several days later, when I searched again, there were posts about the ad I had placed.

[-screenshot- What’s this ad? ‘Want to go to another world?’ When I clicked it just showed some phone number and email then ended.]
└What are you rambling about by yourself. Upload a screenshot if you’re going to say that.
└?? I did upload one? Are you blind?
└Looks like you’re the blind one.

The ad was visible to some people, but not to others.

“If I wait, someone will eventually contact me.”

[Um, I’m contacting you after seeing the banner ad.]

Two days later, I received contacts.

[Can you really send me to another world?]
[Is it true you can send people to other worlds?]
[Hey, is this a joke? You can’t actually do that, right?]

And from multiple people too. After consulting them, they all seemed to be people tired of their personal lives or circumstances.

‘As expected, the ad only appears to those desperately wishing for it.’

While useless to me, to some it was their sole hope and desperate lifeline.

[Of course.]

This would soon become a good deed.
[If you just follow a few precautions, I can send you right away.]
Was this not the altruistic nature of wanting to help others, inherent to humans?