Silence settled over the Cave of Wonders.
The mountains of gold surrounding them seemed insignificant compared to the old brass lamp resting in Mario’s hand.
The Genie floated cross-legged in midair, resting his chin on one palm while waiting.
Unlike the countless masters before him, this one hadn’t wished for riches the moment he appeared.
Nor had he asked for a palace.
Or a kingdom.
That alone was enough to pique Genie’s curiosity.
“So…” Genie said with an easy grin.
“What’s first?
Wealth?
Power?
A castle with your face carved into the front?
I’ve done that one before.
Bit tacky, if you ask me.”
Mario shook his head.
“I’ve had several days to think about my wishes.”
“Several days?” Genie blinked.
“You planned your wishes before rubbing the lamp?”
“I did.”
“…Huh.”
Genie scratched his cheek.
“You’re making my job weird.”
Mario couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
The Genie snapped his fingers, conjuring a comfortable armchair beneath himself before sitting down.
“Alright.”
He leaned forward.
“I’m listening.”
Mario organized his thoughts one final time.
Every word mattered.
Reality-altering wishes always came with one danger.
Ambiguity.
He wasn’t speaking to a malicious genie.
In fact, this Genie seemed surprisingly good-natured.
But magic didn’t misunderstand because it was evil.
It misunderstood because words could have multiple meanings.
He intended to leave as little room for interpretation as possible.
“My first wish.”
The Genie straightened.
“I wish for complete and permanent protection of my soul, mind, consciousness, memories, identity, and free will against every form of unwanted magical, supernatural, spiritual, psychic, divine, demonic, conceptual, or similar interference—including, but not limited to, manipulation, possession, corruption, alteration, forced control, mind reading, memory modification, curses, hexes, soul attacks, sealing, copying, destruction, or any comparable effect—while still allowing me to voluntarily accept harmless or beneficial effects whenever I genuinely choose to do so.”
The Cave fell silent.
Even the Genie didn’t answer immediately.
Instead…
He stared.
Then he slowly lowered the clipboard that had somehow appeared in his hand.
“…Wow.”
Mario waited.
“You really did prepare.”
“I did.”
The Genie let out a low whistle.
“Most people say something like, ‘I wanna be invincible!'”
He pointed at Mario.
“You just handed me what sounds like a contract drafted by three lawyers and an overly paranoid wizard.”
Mario’s expression remained calm.
“I prefer removing uncertainty.”
The Genie chuckled.
“I noticed.”
He raised one finger.
“I don’t see any loopholes.”
Another finger.
“It doesn’t break the rules.”
A third finger.
“And honestly…”
He smiled.
“It’s one of the smartest wishes I’ve heard in a very, very long time.”
The Genie snapped his fingers.
Brilliant blue light erupted from his hand.
It wrapped around Mario’s entire body before sinking beneath his skin.
There was no pain.
Only warmth.
A warmth that spread from his chest before disappearing completely.
The Genie smiled.
“Done.”
Mario instinctively closed his eyes.
He couldn’t feel anything different.
And yet…
Somewhere deep inside himself…
Something had changed.
Something fundamental.
He opened his eyes.
“…Thank you.”
The Genie shrugged.
“One down.”
“Two to go.”
Mario nodded.
“My second wish.”
“I’m ready.”
“I wish to permanently possess complete, truthful, and effortless control over my biological age, allowing my body to perfectly become any age I choose between childhood and my natural lifespan, with every physical change occurring naturally and safely, without reducing or extending my natural lifespan.”
The Genie blinked.
“…That’s…”
He scratched his head.
“I’ve honestly never had anyone ask for that.”
Mario smiled faintly.
“I travel.”
“I noticed.”
The Genie slowly nodded.
“…Yeah.”
“There are.”
For just a brief moment…
The playful smile disappeared from Genie’s face.
Almost as though he understood exactly why someone would value such a wish.
Then he snapped his fingers again.
Blue light surrounded Mario once more.
Unlike before…
This time the sensation was different.
His body felt…
lighter.
As though every cell within him had suddenly become responsive to his own will.
The feeling faded almost immediately.
Genie spread his hands.
“Done.”
Mario didn’t waste the opportunity.
He focused.
Twenty-five.
A strange sensation swept through him.
Not painful.
Not uncomfortable.
Simply…
Change.
He glanced down.
His hands had become noticeably younger.
The faint wrinkles earned through years of work had vanished.
His muscles tightened.
His joints felt lighter.
Even his center of gravity shifted slightly.
The Genie stared.
“…Okay.”
“That’s actually pretty cool.”
Mario smiled.
He concentrated again.
Sixty-five.
Gray strands instantly appeared among his hair.
His skin aged.
His shoulders became slightly broader.
Years passed in the span of a heartbeat.
Then…
Back to thirty-eight.
Everything returned.
Exactly.
No lingering discomfort.
No dizziness.
No instability.
The transformation was flawless.
Mario let out a slow breath.
“The wish worked.”
The Genie grinned.
“Told you.”
Only one remained.
Mario became serious again.
“My third wish.”
Genie floated back into the air.
“Last one.”
Mario nodded.
“I wish that whenever I enter another world through my World Travel ability, I will always be recognized by that world’s natural laws as a legitimate participant, allowing me to fairly obtain any universal power system, awakening, cultivation method, class, blessing, magic, talent, profession, contract, or equivalent opportunity that an ordinary native of that world could naturally acquire, while granting me no special privilege beyond equal eligibility.”
This time…
The Genie didn’t answer.
He simply stared.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Finally…
A slow smile spread across his face.
“…You know.”
He folded his arms.
“I’ve been granting wishes for a very long time.”
Mario listened quietly.
“I’ve made kings richer.”
“I’ve made beggars into princes.”
“I’ve even had someone waste a wish because he couldn’t decide what he wanted.”
Mario raised an eyebrow.
“…Really?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
The Genie sighed dramatically.
“Some people should come with adult supervision.”
Mario laughed.
A genuine laugh.
The Genie pointed at him.
“But you…”
“…You’re different.”
“Every one of your wishes solves a future problem.”
“Not today’s.”
Mario nodded.
“I prefer preparation over desperation.”
The Genie grinned.
“I figured.”
He raised one glowing hand.
“I can grant this.”
“But remember…”
He pointed upward.
“This wish doesn’t hand you power.”
“It simply lets the world recognize you as someone who has the right to pursue it.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted.”
“No bloodline cheats?”
“No.”
“No chosen-one nonsense?”
“No.”
“No secret destiny?”
Mario shook his head.
“I’ll earn everything else myself.”
For the first time since appearing…
The Genie looked genuinely impressed.
“…I like that.”
Blue magic erupted one final time.
Unlike the previous wishes, this energy didn’t flow into Mario.
Instead…
It spread outward.
Beyond the Cave.
Beyond Agrabah.
Beyond the very sky itself.
For a brief instant…
Mario felt as though countless unseen laws had acknowledged his existence.
Then…
Everything became quiet again.
The Genie lowered his hand.
“…Done.”
No dramatic flash.
No overwhelming sensation.
Just a quiet certainty that something fundamental had been woven into the fabric of his existence.
The Genie looked at him for a long moment before smiling.
“Well.”
“That’s all three.”
Blue particles slowly began drifting from the old brass lamp.
Mario noticed immediately.
“The lamp…”
The Genie glanced down before chuckling.
“Ah.”
“Our contract’s finished.”
“The lamp has served its purpose.”
The ancient brass lamp began dissolving into countless golden motes of light.
Within seconds…
Nothing remained.
The stone pedestal stood empty.
Mario watched silently.
“So that’s how it ends.”
The Genie shrugged.
“Everything has an ending.”
Then he smiled again.
“Except paperwork.”
“I think that stuff’s immortal.”
Mario laughed.
“So…”
The Genie rubbed the back of his neck.
“I guess this is goodbye.”
Mario inclined his head.
“…Thank you.”
“No.”
The Genie smiled warmly.
“Thank you.”
He pointed toward the colorful carpet waiting patiently nearby.
“I’ve met a lot of masters.”
“Most of them wished for things.”
“You wished for possibilities.”
Before Mario could respond…
The Magic Carpet suddenly floated beside him and gently nudged his shoulder.
The Genie looked at it.
“…Oh.”
“So you’ve decided.”
The Carpet nodded enthusiastically.
Genie threw both hands into the air.
“I knew it!”
“You always wanted to leave this cave!”
The Carpet spun excitedly in the air.
Genie sighed in exaggerated defeat.
“Traitor.”
The Carpet sheepishly lowered one corner before quickly bouncing back up.
Genie chuckled.
“Nah.”
He smiled at Mario.
“Take good care of my little friend.”
“I will.”
Blue smoke slowly began surrounding the Genie’s body.
He gave one final wave.
“Good luck, Mario.”
“I have a feeling…”
“…you’re going to visit some very interesting worlds.”
With those final words…
The Genie dissolved into countless blue lights that drifted upward before disappearing into the darkness above.
Silence returned to the Cave of Wonders.
Mario stood there for several quiet moments.
Three wishes.
Exactly as planned.
He looked toward the Magic Carpet.
The Carpet floated closer before stopping beside him, as though waiting for its new companion to make the first move.
Mario smiled.
“Shall we head home?”
The Carpet spun once in midair.
Its answer was obvious.