Chapter 36 — I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 36

The narrator, who refers to himself by the moniker "Undertaker," reflects on his fourth life cycle, a period he considers his "teen phase" and source of deep embarrassment. During this time, he acquired the ability [Complete Memory], allowing him to reconstruct these vague, shadowy events. He walks through the devastated Busan Station terminal, jingling bells and offering a choice to the dying and despairing: escape their pain by entering an endless dream of their happiest moments. This power, known as [Time Seal], ensures that once a person enters the dream, they are completely forgotten by the world, with only the Undertaker retaining their memory. He explains that while many chose suicide over the terror of being erased, some accepted his offer, finding comfort in oblivion. Among those he encounters is Kim Joo-chul, a retired professional football left-back. Kim Joo-chul is a crippled man, his left leg damaged from a career-ending injury sustained at age 26, which he claims led to his family's collapse; his wife died recently, and his son had left with the mother years prior. Despite his physical decline and social ostracization by survivors who viewed him as useless, Kim Joo-chul clung to his past glory, obsessively watching highlight reels on his phone and bragging about his former fame to anyone who would listen. The narrator notes that Kim Joo-chul had died repeatedly in previous cycles—eaten by monsters, losing an arm protecting others, or succumbing to injuries—but in the fourth cycle, they escaped the station together. Shortly after, a hound-like monster bit off Kim Joo-chul's remaining good leg, leaving him with only a stump. Carrying the bleeding, semi-conscious man to a ruined football stadium, the narrator listens to Kim Joo-chul's final ramblings. Kim Joo-chul expresses relief at the loss of his pain and asks to be put in the dream. He accepts the terms of [Time Seal], preferring to be forgotten by the world he despised. As his life fades, Kim Joo-chul does not ask to be remembered; instead, he repeatedly murmurs his son’s name, "Kim Si-eun," born on November 11, until he dies. The narrator rings his bell, sealing the man in eternal dreams, and notes that it would take many years before he finally encountered the heir to those last words.

Chapter ID

aakmae75eh

Chapter number

36

Duration

11:07

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Audio + video