《The Savior’s, the Regressor’s, the Protagonist’s Memoir.》


 The first heaven, Human Disaster Heaven

    The man was sitting on a chair. His face reflected in the black light. A teacup held in his hand. The black tea inside trembled. Along with the softly resonating black ripples, he smiled.


    Ding¨C Big Ben rang.


    "Well then, shall we start again?"


    The world gradually shrank. Ding¨C with the chime ringing again, the world narrowed once more. The vast world darkened. It was gradually being devoured. He laughed maniacally.


    "Again, a failure. Well, there''s plenty of time anyway. That''s my role, isn''t it? So, what can I do?"


    Ding¨C Ding¨C Ding¨C The intervals between the chimes of the bell shortened. The world was being consumed more and more. Finally, the black light devoured everything in the world. The world lost its colors. Big Ben''s chime echoed with an infinite interval. The world lost time. The world shrank infinitely until even a handful of ashes could no longer fit. The world lost space. Everything in the world was engulfed by color, pulverized by time, and melted by space. At last, the world lost its life. He sipped the last of his tea in that one place. The world lost its essence.


    Seoul, South Korea, December 24, 2025, 12:00 AM.


    I woke up. In a very small goshiwon (tiny studio room), I rose and opened the window to look outside. Snow was falling outside. Trees were buried in snow, and flowers could not withstand the weight of the snow pressing them down. The world was covered in white snow. I had seen this scene countless times. This was my starting point, the life that would become my first life.


    Kim Do-hyun (½ðµÀìÅ).


    The name my parents gave me, meaning to walk only a shining path. As always, I dressed appropriately as Kim Do-hyun. Soon, a great change would occur in the world. But I was certain only I would know about it. At 22 years old, just before the final year of college, I wrapped a scarf around my neck, donned a long padded coat, and stepped out of the goshiwon. I had to save the world. But I couldn''t do it again this time. Destruction (œçÍö), meaning its own demise, was something I had only just figured out how to stop. This time would be the last. I resolved.


    People were wandering here and there to enjoy Christmas Eve. I pitied them. I pulled out a fountain pen from my padded coat pocket, which I had brought with me before leaving. Engraved with "½ðµÀìÅ," the pen was a gift from my parents to celebrate my acceptance into college. This fountain pen contained my special memories. Memories worth being remembered by the world held great power. I, Kim Do-hyun, a novelist aspirant¡ªthis pen was a tool to bring me closer to my dreams. It was the tool that would allow me to draw my world.


    I held the fountain pen in the air and wrote.


    [I know you. O ruined world. O past me. Your ruin shall save this world.]


    The letters melted away. The world tasted the words. The world''s vast mouth savored the dark taste of ink, and it laughed deeply, very deeply.


    "Hee hee hee hee¨C"


    It was an innocent laugh one could not think belonged to something grand or majestic.


    "O world. My world. Choose me as the protagonist. I came here to save this place. Though the great world chose me, Kim Do-hyun did not. So choose Kim Do-hyun as the protagonist. That is your way to escape destruction."


    The world laughed. Laughed. Laughed. The world''s laughter was absolute. It never lied. I had encountered the world countless times. The first world I would meet¡ªthe name I gave to summon it was "Human Disaster Heaven" (ÈËžÄÌì). A world of disasters brought about by humans. That was what this place was. Human Disaster Heaven responded to my words, in a manner very much like itself.


    My mind expanded infinitely, and the time of snowflakes stopped. A snowflake multiplied into two, and that snowflake stretched into infinite time. Not just that. I looked straight ahead. There, the falling snowflakes, the blinking traffic lights, the walking couples, and the flying airplanes¡ªall split into countless possibilities. A snowflake devoured another snowflake. A red light turned green, and green turned red. Couples argued and loved each other. Airplanes multiplied into two and split again.


    The world is the world.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    That statement meant the world governed all incomprehensible to humans. The world transcended dimensions. Therefore, for humans to communicate with the world, they had to transcend the second dimension humans observed, the third dimension they inhabited, and the fourth dimension where human consciousness resided, reaching beyond to the fifth dimension.


    In the fifth dimension, where everything was split and existed as countless possibilities, the world expanded there. A point. The world, expanded endlessly from that point, existed where it was. It was drawn into the dimension of nothingness. No, the world guided me. The world existed as a point, extended to a line, and the existence of the line continued into space. The being composed of countless lines appeared as a child, and yet it was a young man and also a girl. It was also an old man, and ultimately, it was pure. I recognized it clearly.


    [How can you perceive me? Are you truly a being of this place?]


    The world asked. I nodded. The world grew angry but was also pleased with my nod.


    "O world. I am truly your being. But you also know. The world must inevitably lead to its end in destruction. Because it is the world, it is omnipotent, yet also powerless."


    The existence¡ª it grew furious. The lines trembled, and they affected my existence, namely the existence of Kim Do-hyun. It felt like my body was being torn apart, the pain radiating from every cell in my body, extending to every particle. The world was angry. Without caring about the pain, I continued speaking.


    "That''s why you need me. I am the savior of the world, the guardian of the world, and the one chosen by fate. I will be your protagonist, and I will kill your destruction."


    [Kill destruction..? Destruction..? Destruction is "œç" and "Íö." Destruction exists as destruction, and destruction cannot exist. You cannot save it, and the world must undergo its pilgrimage of destruction. That is the reason for the world''s existence. And yet¡­ you say you''ll kill destruction? Destruction¡­ Do you think that is possible? Did I misunderstand you?]


    The world questioned my words. Destruction cannot be killed. But this was the world testing my information. The protagonist chosen by the world. The protagonist can kill destruction. More precisely, it can eliminate it. The protagonist chosen by the world is forced to kill destruction but is given the justification to kill it, making it possible to do so. That is the protagonist. That is the protagonist of Human Disaster Heaven (ÈËžÄÌì).


    "The protagonist. If you grant me the rights of the protagonist, it will be resolved. What are you afraid of, O world? I had awakened my powers before your call and sensed your existence. I know the flow of destruction, and I am standing intact in the dimension of nothingness. Isn''t that alone proof enough of my qualification?"


    The world laughed. Dimensions trembled. The dimension of nothingness shook as the world welcomed me. It was great affirmation, yet the world said:


    [But there is already someone chosen as the protagonist in this world. Is there a reason to disrupt the flow of the world and hand over the rights of the protagonist to you? If I were to transfer the rights of the protagonist to you, the flow of the world would change. I, the world itself, taking such a gamble is an incredibly risky choice, and if it fails, even you cannot be unaware of what might happen. Are you forcing me to make such a dangerous choice?]


    From the world''s perspective, this was only natural. The world would have also prepared for destruction, yet the sudden appearance of an existence like me would be a significant variable. The protagonist chosen by the world¡ªhis name was Han Jun-young, the one originally destined to be the protagonist of this world.


    "Are you considering Han So-young? Surely you know I am far superior. Then why are you refusing?"


    [That you even know Han So-young was supposed to be the protagonist¡­ What are you? Even in ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö, there is no information about you..? Who are you? How can this be? That I do not know. That the world does not know. Is that even possible? Just who are you?]


    "The counterpart of ¡õ. Through it, I gained the power of regression. That is who I am."


    [Truly, a human can oppose ¡õ? Just invoking its name would set a human''s brain ablaze and shatter their mind. Are you truly human? A regressor¡­ Yes, that was foretold in the prophecy. That it would come to my dimension. Then why are you revealing this to me?]


    "Because I cannot kill ¡õ alone. Not even seal it. That''s why I need your help."


    [Our help? Ours..? You really are a regressor. Very well, this much proves your qualification. So, Kim Do-hyun, do you truly have enough power to stop the world''s destruction?]


    "I am not just a regressor of one or two loops. Do you know how many times I''ve had this conversation? How many times I''ve saved this world? At least thousands. I have saved this world thousands of times to kill it."


    The world laughed. Like a child. The world, its mouth moved. A divine word. Hence, I could not hear it. My ears tore, and the sound of every living creature pounded into them, sending chills through my body and dizziness to my mind. But the mouth of the world was saying, "Fine! You are the protagonist of this world."


    Blink. I closed and opened my eyes. That tiny moment passed. The conversation with the world¡ªsince it occurred in the dimension of nothingness, time held no meaning. Tap. A snowflake fell on my foot. Tap-tap, more snow began to fall, and I pulled my hat on. Closing the cap of my fountain pen, I tucked it back deep into the pocket of my padded coat.


    "Now, the first world is beginning."


    The world of Human Disaster Heaven (ÈËžÄÌì). The destruction of this world begins with humans. The destruction of the world. The reason I returned to this world as 22-year-old Kim Do-hyun was simple. This is where the destruction begins. Christmas¡ªthat day lit the spark of destruction, and that spark led to the world''s end. I had to stop it.