This is a story of a man that was thrown into a scp like world and went crazy.. Crazier than the crazy world he was thrown into. So expect many serious nightmarish moments that turned into black comedy or gag prank in a blink of an eye.

By the way the story is quite a drag in the beginning. It takes quite a while to establish the characters, background and world and I think those are where all of the one stars are from. But once you get past it the... more>> story opens up and it gets really interesting.

The recent tunnel arc got to be my all time favourite. Its worth reading just for this arc. <<less

This novel is the cream of the crop of regressor novels, the purpose of regression is to explore the possibilities and stories behind characters and events that would be impossible under normal circumstances and this novel accomplishes exactly that. It's very similar to SSS-class su*cide hunter as it's written by the same author but it doesn't get bogged down by unnecessary plot points. I love that that the author has perfected his craft with this novel, the main character Undertaker is very mature and aloof, it always seems like he... more>> doesn't take things seriously, but explaining things in a joking manner even as his allies and companions die makes you respect the journey he's undertaken, living thousands of years and developing his mental fortitude to never break. What I'm so impressed by is that you don't simply learn about the main character through his own thought process. When a character has perception manipulation as their main ability that makes them appear to be the most agreeable and likeable person to every individual, the author utilizes this character to display the kind of human with the values that Undertaker looks for in this devastated world. Romance is foregone compared to his other novel which gives me a sigh of relief (I did find the romance arc in SSS-class su*cide hunter to be extremely good but Undertaker is much more focused because of the lack of it), the author also specializes in minute nuances such as why he never says his real name aloud and creating dangerous anomalies that can cause a very real and genuine threat to a regressor. Even in scenarios where the protagonist needs a break from his constant suffering to regain his sanity, you learn more about the side characters alongside him from these out of the way interactions. I've never seen a regressor novel be told from the point of view of someone who failed, but it's not a concept that's unique just to be unique, I genuinely believe that if this were ever made into a manga, manhwa, or anime that it would top every list for the season. <<less

"There is an epilogue"

-Undertaker, the protagonist and the regressor of this novel

This isn't really an actual "review", but more like my own useless yapping. But here me out:

... more>> Can a story which has reached its epilogue truly be an epilogue if at that very epilogue, the story starts all over again?

In the world of novels, especially those delving into the infinite regression genre, the idea of an epilogue gets really interesting. Usually, an epilogue is where everything wraps up, giving us closure on the characters and their journeys. It's supposed to be the end of the line. But what if the story loops back on itself, kicking off a new beginning right at the supposed end? It kind of flips the whole concept of an ending on its head.

This looping nature suggests that the end isn't really an end at all—it's just a doorway to another version of the story. Each 'epilogue' in these tales acts as both an end and a fresh start, making us rethink what we know about how stories work. It's like life's endless cycles, where every ending is just a new beginning. The characters and the readers are caught in a continuous loop, reminding us that stories, much like life, are always changing and evolving.

On a deeper level, this makes us question the very idea of closure. Can we ever really say a story is over if the end just leads to another beginning? Maybe the notion of a final conclusion is just an illusion. The infinite regression genre nudges us to think about time, existence, and the narratives we live by. It suggests that maybe there are no true endings, just ongoing transitions.

So, in these stories, the epilogue isn't the last chapter but more like a pause—a moment to catch your breath before the journey starts again. It challenges us to rethink what finality means and to embrace the endless possibilities that come with a story that never truly ends. Each 'ending' is both a conclusion and a new beginning, reminding us that stories, like life, are part of an infinite dance of time.

• • •

All I can say is that, I really enjoyed the novel and I highly recommend it. Also it's from the same author as Su***de Hunter.

A bit of a spoiler but Status Window doesn't exist here. It might get a bit repetitive around Ch. 50, well, atleast for me, but I still enjoyed it so who cares.

Also here's a list of all the major characters that has been shown so far in the TL (Ch. 65) or (1-110th Cycle)

Spoiler

•Undertaker - Regressor, Unique and Diverse Personality, Really Enjoyable and very easy to sympathize

•Saintess (Executioner) - Fake Constellation, Hikikomori, Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Time Stop

•Old Man Scho - Another Infinite Regressor, Sword Saint (or something), AWOL/Given Up

•Seo Gyu - SG Net, The First Person to always die in each Regression

•Dang Seo-Rin - Witch, Harry Potter Fan, Train, Eccentric, Life Span

•Sim Ah-Ryeon - "Healing Angel", Needs to take on a lot of aggro and hate to have better Healing Effect

•Sword Marquess - Insane Old Man, Plant Growth, #1 Lunatic, Delusional

•Cheon Yo-Hwa - Insane High School Student, Necromancer, #2 Lunatic, Delusional

•Oh Dyeok-Seo - "Novel Reader", Knows a bit of the Regressor's story

•Noh Do Hwa - National Road Management Corps, Doctor of Prosthetic Limbs

•Go Yuri - Perception Manipulation, Common Sense Alteration, Creepy, Monster (Human) (?)

[collapse]

<<less

A unique non-linear regression story, where the focus is on the most significant runs out of the protagonists 1183 attempts.

The non-linear structure differentiates this story from the rest of the genre, and the author's writing style keeps things interesting. There is less focus on progression or gaining strength, and it instead covers interesting concepts and events.

Highly recommend checking this one out!

BTW the author is the same one that wrote SSS Class Suic**de Hunter, so that speaks to its quality.

It is definitely a unique non-linear story and meta-commentary on the "Regressor" genre.

By reading a couple of chapters you can tell, it's well thought-out and written by an experienced author of the genre. The story reads almost like a documentary or a journal of a man who is trying to keep his mind intact while organizing his thoughts with the depressing nature of his struggles. With an infinite amount of regressions, he will eventually get to his "perfect run" but can his psyche handle it?

We delve into tropes like what... more>> are constellations and why they are always seemingly in Korea and not around the world? Message boards and the power of communities with the use of gaslighting and gatekeeping. Can one "perfect run" exist? How can certain "Regressors" in stories need only 1 or 2 runs while our MC is with an ongoing struggle of over 1000 lives? What is the true antagonist in Regressor stories? The butterfly effect of course! How would a regressor take a "break" from all the failures?

Highly recommended, while the ideas and topics are nothing new in the regressor genre it gives a fresh enough take to interest you. Jumping from serious tales to the outlandish that keep you reading. <<less

This novel is so f*cking good. I think it would make a great anime, too.

A story told in a non-linear fashion, organized by specific topics. The details from each story come together to form a whole. Sometimes non-linear stories are done in a boring way, or in a way that makes you think "was this style necessary? It would have been better if it was just told normally" but this novel does it really well.

I like the MC a lot. He's got a great personality that's serious without being pretentious... more>> but also he's secretly a little sh*t who loves harassing his friends for fun. I like the seemingly mundane subjects that he gets fixed on - one of the "tales" he tells is of his insatiable thirst for webnovels and how he forces attempts to persuade writers to keep writing them so he doesn't get bored. In more than one story he manipulates a group of communist fairies so they work for him like s*aves, and he even shamelessly drops the famous quote from Animal Farm "Everyone is equal, but some people are more equal than others." He's subtly hilarious all the time and I love him.

5/5 for plot, characterization, and storytelling style. It doesn't focus much on the action or day-today minutia of a Hunter/Gate world, so even if you aren't normally interested in this setting you should try it. <<less

Really solid story, recommended if you like non linear episodic style writing. This reads like someone who is telling his autobiography in a free form way, with musings and time jumps.

Pro

• • MC is old, mature, and pretty powerful. The author makes him humane and interesting, not some kind of edgy unfeeling killing machine like you see sometime with these kind of stories.

• • Introduced characters are interesting and have their own quirks, they feel distinct.

• • The author plays with the regression genre in itself, and yet it doesn't feel like a self hating parody, it's fresh.

• • The non linear story-telling allows for a good pacing while introducing interesting concepts regularly, I'm usually not a fan but in this case it works because every arc has its own point, the one the character wants to explain.

• • The world lore is interesting despite not being really developed yet.

Con

• • No romance (personal preference, in this case it doesn't make the story too dry as characters have interactions with each others, and romances are hard in time loops anyway, as illustrated in the story itself actually)

• • Maybe too vague at the start, it's hard to see what exactly is the "enemy" or why he's failing and regressing until later in the story. Or even his actual powers.

Premise: The diary of a regressor who's at his 1183th time regressing and still not able to win.

Each few chapters are stories condensed from several regressions, mentioning key characters or moments. They are overall well written and manage to keep an interest in the plot and future of said characters.

That being said the story falls down into a repetitive pattern by chapter 40+. The formula is: Presents a new character, explain his quirkness, MC follows that character thoughout some loops until this character becomes a permanent inclusion to his 'party'... more>> or just falls into the background.

So, falling into a repetitive pattern is the first problem of the story, which costs one point. The second is a lack of plot. There should be a main plot/problem that the MC should tackle to 'win' but there's none. There are roadblocks like the Ten Legs, the Buddha tree and the meteor shower, but they are more like events than plot.

The novel ends up being loose tales about the characters he met without any insights about any overarching plot. There must be goals in a loops for the MC to achieve, minor or major.

As for the MC's powers. He just mentions:"So I gained perfect memory at run 50..." or "I couldn't know what she's thinking because I only got [Mind Reading] after run 500..." How or why he gets these skills is still not known. Why the MC's so powerfull should be one of the first tales, but it's not explained even after so many chaps. He just one-shots everything because he's 'strong' and that's it.

So while I agree with 5 star reviews for the first dozen chapters, considering how well written they are, this novel fails to keep interest after, due to storytelling pattern repetition and lack of overaching plot. <<less

Update 2: How does this novel just keep on getting better and better? I can't even say anything without spoiling it. You need to read this!

Update 1: This novel is worth reading if for no other reason than chapter 17. It is consistently amazing but this chapter completely blew me out of the water. Delicate, soft and painful writing. It made me shed tears like a novel I had been following for weeks. Amazing execution and a very good author. I fully recommend it!

Older review:
what a morbid, nihilistic atmosphere. Our main character is sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a coffee made by his dead friend that is lying next to him, which has lost all hope in seeing this world through a happy end. What we get to see are MC's recollections of his past, well, theoretically future. 1183 of them. Stories lost throughout time, only known to his perception. Tens of thousands of years, seconds for others. Countless experiences, all yet to materialize in reality. Now, all being unfolded in front of our eyes. He may have given up on this world, But the coffee he gets to taste once every 10 or so years is worth reminiscing about the past for.

I'm still very early in the novel but it's incredibly promising and really well executed so far, the translation is also super solid. Thank you to WeTried Translations!

This story is about an infinite regressor trying to save the world, but the world is f*cking doomed due to "anomalies"

Like seriously, there is an anomaly called "isekai truck" which basically runs you over if you read fictional works. A world tree that creates a cult and turns people into zombies, a highschool girl who is a batsh*t insane and also a necromancer, aliens who find water deadly etc

The progression is non linear so this story is more about characters and how they interract with the anomalies rather than plot... more>> progression (though it still progresses albeit slowly)

Oh also, this novel is written by the author of SSS Class su*cide Hunter so expect good writing and emotionally high moments <<less