Chapter 406 — I'm an Infinite Regressor, But I've Got Stories to Tell

Chapter 406

The narrator, identifying as Undertaker, reflects on his journey through over 1,000 regression cycles. He humorously critiques his own lack of unique, resume-worthy skills like a 'Protagonist Certification' interviewer might, noting that his 'Time Seal' and 'Aura' are either situational or non-unique traits. Despite this self-deprecation, he acknowledges that his perseverance in maintaining the 'ordinary protagonist' trope is his defining characteristic, culminating in a successful debut after 1,022 cycles, cheered on by awakeners who believe in him. He muses that understanding the voices of anomalies early in previous cycles might have reduced his trial-and-error, but implies his current mindset is unique to his recent struggles. The narrative shifts to a team comprising Oh Dok-seo, Sim Ah-ryeon, Lee Ha-yul, and children from the Regression Alliance, currently in the 1,022nd cycle within the Japanese archipelago. They dig near a tunnel entrance and unearth the preserved forearm of a child. Lee Ha-yul, utilizing her puppet abilities, retrieves more body parts from various locations over a fortnight, storing them in her yogurt cart's refrigeration unit to prevent decay. Once assembled, she uses puppet strings to stitch the corpse together, creating a seamless doll. However, the face is unrecognizable due to severe damage. Sim Ah-ryeon is tasked with drawing a portrait of the deceased child. She works mechanically, posing the reanimated corpse through Lee Ha-yul's control, and produces a smiling portrait that restores the child's face. The narrator attaches this portrait to the corpse, covers it with a plain white mask, and the entity vanishes instantly, indicating the anomaly has been resolved or moved. The narrator then visits the Inunaki Tunnel alone. There, he encounters a small child wearing a plain white mask who asks for his company because the tunnel is dark and she is scared. The child explains she needs to enter the tunnel to retrieve her family's dog, Melt, who ran inside. The narrator agrees to accompany her, warning her of ghostly rumors and instructing her not to look back or lose sight of him. They walk through the long, treacherous tunnel; the child holds his hand tightly, muttering about Melt and her worry for the dog. Upon hearing Melt bark, the child rushes ahead, embracing empty air as if hugging the dog, expressing relief. After the child and the phantom dog disappear, the narrator exits the tunnel to find only the white mask and Sim Ah-ryeon's drawing left behind. He notices a large, brown dog drawn in crayon next to the smiling girl in the artwork—a detail Sim Ah-ryeon did not add. Realizing this marks a permanent end to the cycles, he stores the drawing carefully. The chapter concludes with the realization that from this point forward, there will be no more epilogues or regressions; every story will now simply be the final end of a regressor.

Chapter ID

aae3zrxwk1

Chapter number

406

Duration

13:20

Views

0

Likes

0

Media

Audio + video