"..."
"..."
The first reaction of Lin and Yama after reading these words was utter bewilderment.
Putting aside the connection between a wish and a Monkey's Paw, the sequence—"The first time is for 'Lin'; the second time is for 'Yama'; the third time is for 'You'"—was completely incomprehensible. Especially that last "You"—could it be that someone else besides them was trapped in this Bubble Universe?
Aside from making them more cautious, this prompt, which felt like a usage instruction for a key item in a game, served no other purpose.
"...Your thoughts?" Lin asked the pensive Yama, turning the Monkey's Paw over and over in his hands as if giving it a massage.
Beneath the shimmering moon, as it slowly revealed itself from behind the sky-obscuring clock tower, Yama, with her snow-white hair and iridescent eyes, stared at the words before slowly turning her gaze to Lin face.
Lin heart skipped a beat.
Was it an illusion? For a moment, he thought he saw something in Yama eyes...
But perhaps he had simply misseen. He hadn't seen a colorful world in a long time, so his recognition of colors was somewhat blurred.
Unaware of Lin thoughts, Yama replied expressionlessly, "You first."
"...Why?" Did there have to be an order?
"No reason, I just feel like it." Yama struck an uncooperative pose, crossing her slender arms and staring at him with eyes made of ice.
Unable to read her attitude, Lin attempted to state his own interpretation.
"The wishing part should refer to this arm. Judging by the final sentence, as long as the wish is 'grantable,' no price needs to be paid. However, not just any wish can be fulfilled. And the number of wishes is likely three: the first is mine, the second is yours, and the third..."
He didn't know who the third was for. That "You" could refer to Lin, or it could be Yama. It was a piece of critical information.
"There are many legends about wish-granting," Yama suddenly spoke in a detached tone.
"For instance, the most famous is Aladdin's lamp—three wishes with no strings attached. Initially, these tales of cost-free, near-omnipotent wishes served as parables to test the heart and the greed for power. But later, as stories began to tell the same template with different characters, innovation took over."
"At first, it was just the characters' morals and backgrounds that changed, then the era. Finally, it returned to the catalyst of the story: the wish itself. Some placed restrictions on the wishes, some reduced the number, and some... made the wish no longer a wish. Or rather, they allowed the wish to be fulfilled in a twisted way."
A twisted way...
"If you wish for wealth, a traditional story would conjure countless riches out of thin air. But a twisted wish-granter would make the richest person near you drop dead, their family slaughtered, and then it would be discovered that you are the last distant relative with inheritance rights."
"If you wish for love, it would kill everyone who loves the person you love, until only you are left."
"If you wish for world peace... it would eliminate all sentient life, leaving behind absolute peace."
Yama tone was tranquil to an extreme, yet her words were filled with a slow, suffocating lethality—like a blade piercing the heart. They carried a vivid sense of despair, a beautiful death sinking into the deep sea.
It was as if... she had experienced it firsthand.
"Do you know that much?" Lin asked suddenly.
"..." Perhaps not expecting Lin to ask such an out-of-character question, Yama fell silent for a long while before murmuring, "Well... I had a lot of time to find books. I've read most stories."
"Do you read power-fantasy web novels too?"
"...I do not."
Yama actually averted her eyes guiltily, letting Lin know that this cold individual still had a bit of human flavor left in her.
However, this nonsensical conversation was destined to be short-lived. Yama quickly brought the topic back to the point: "This arm might be a so-called 'twisted wish-granter.' Since it has no inherent restrictions on the wish itself, the problem likely lies in the way the wish is fulfilled."
"..."
"So, my advice is: do not use it. Not even once."
At that moment, the two looked at each other with a shared premonition, then simultaneously turned toward a specific direction.
Flames were soaring into the sky.
"Oh my, another cute girl. No wonder Lin stays here and doesn't want to come back, hee-hee~"
A huffy Mobius and Aponia, who was resting with her eyes closed, both looked at the newcomer at the door. Her charming, sharp-tongued appearance seemed remarkably out of place in this eerie Deep End—like a ray of light falling upon the mortal world.
Elysia smiled and waved, casually opening the door to Aponia room and stepping inside.
"Hello... Elysia..." Aponia nodded gently. She had many ways of knowing about the girl, so her appearance did not surprise her.
"You actually came. I thought you, the social butterfly, had forgotten him," Mobius said, her expression sour. However, those who knew her well knew she often smiled when she was in a bad mood and acted cold when she was in a good one.
Of course, her sharp tongue was also a signature trait.
"That hurts, Dr. Mobius! I just want to be friends with everyone. How could I be a social butterfly?" Elysia shook her head in mock sadness and sat down next to Mobius. "Besides, Lin is my good friend. How could I not come see him when he's in trouble?"
"Isn't a social butterfly someone who makes friends with everyone?"
"But I don't become friends with everyone for a purpose."
"Hmph, who knows." Mobius turned her head away but didn't drive Elysia away.
"This beautiful sister nun must be Aponia. Hello! Lin has mentioned you to me many times~"
Mobius felt even more irritated.
Why did even Elysia know about Aponia from Lin? Just how many people had he begged to ensure the MOTH would go easy on Aponia? Was this guy always such a fussbudget?
"We're going to throw a super-luxurious celebration banquet when Lin wakes up. Aponia, would you like to come?"
Huh? He wasn't even awake, and she was already planning a celebration? And how many parties had Elysia organized in the past six months? Welcoming parties, celebrations, birthdays... she was present at every holiday. She even made a huge fuss over the soldiers' birthdays. How much did she love the feeling of people being together? Was she a child?
Yet, to Mobius surprise, Aponia was actually talking and laughing with Elysia, getting along quite well. It felt like Elysia could chat with anyone, especially pretty girls who were seemingly defenseless against her verbal onslaught—meanwhile, the men tended to treat her with uniform neutrality.
"By the way, was Lin wearing that before?"
Suddenly, Elysia pointed at the ring finger of Lin gloved left hand with a smile, asking a casual question.
Mobius focused her gaze and noticed a ring-shaped bulge beneath the glove...