GRCD 01

Chapter 01

On an unusually clear day when the sky felt higher than usual, Kang Hajin thought:

“Ah. Life is fucking meaningless.”

And also—boring.

Curled up inside his bed, he mindlessly scrolled through clickbait thumbnails on a short-video app. When something looked remotely interesting, he tapped it… but didn’t actually watch.

Eventually, he closed the app and rolled over.

And thought again.

“Seriously… life is so damn boring.”

Hajin figured he might be at the lowest point on his life graph.

29 years old. An unemployed job seeker pretending to be one. The eldest son of his family.

He looked around his messy room.

What do I even have left?

“…I thought I was living my life somewhat diligently.”

Ever since he abruptly quit his job, he hadn’t felt motivated to do anything. A friend who knew him well said he probably just needed time to rest.

So he rested—really rested—for months. But while his body felt fine, his mind didn’t. It felt like time itself had stopped.

On days like this, he often thought about resetting his life. With nothing else to do, he started reading web novels—and maybe it was just confirmation bias, but lately everything was about reincarnation, regression, or possession. Honestly, it was the most thrilling fantasy anyone could imagine.

But here’s the key point.

It was just imagination. IF. What if. Maybe. hoxy.

A fantasy escape that people desire—but know has a probability of zero point zero zero zero percent in reality.

The moment Kang Hajin experienced his first regression was on one such clear, blue day.

* * *

When he first regressed, Kang Hajin thought he had finally been given a chance to change his life.

Of course, he was a bit confused when he opened his eyes and saw a familiar gray exam paper in front of him.

“Don’t cheat. You know it’s zero points for misconduct.”

He had been lying on his bed just moments ago, and now—he had gone back 12 years in time, and it was middle school midterms, second period?

He seriously wanted to smack whoever aligned this timeline with an OMR sheet and a pen.

“Seriously, what is this nonsense? I thought my last ‘set’ was college hazing…”

And it was a math exam, no less.

“Everything was covered in class.”

The problem was… that class was 12 years ago.

The idea of confidently writing answers like “Heh, I’ve already solved this in my past life” was impossible—he had simply come too far.

People in novels said they remembered lottery numbers. Yeah right. Reality was brutal.

At age 29, he really should’ve at least considered the possibility of regression.

Thus, his first regression began clumsily.

He returned to the semi-basement house he had lived in before his father got a new job, and gained tearful motivation. He clenched his fists and began studying fiercely, determined to live differently this time.

Military service again was hell, but he figured he’d deal with it later somehow. If he could rebuild his life, that was enough.

“This is a chance!”

He thought that—until he regressed again during the English listening section of the mock college entrance exam.

* * *

Is this real?

He’d heard people say that phrase was outdated, but it was the only thing that fit.

Seriously, what the hell?

“Hey Hajin. Do you think military service is a joke?”

Is regression a joke to you?

“System, who the hell are you screwing with…”

He had been about to choose answers for a listening question when—

“Hey Hajin, if a superior talks, you answer.”

“Private First Class Kang Hajin.”

“What? Kang dog? You’re a dog now. From now on you’re not Private First Class—you’re ‘puppy.’”

“Pardon?”

You’re the one with a trash personality.

Calling someone names like that at his age was just pathetic.

The regression system that sent him back here was insane. He considered ignoring the senior officer while calmly thinking:

‘I need to find a pattern.’

Two full years passed after regression without incident.

And then suddenly—boom, regression again.

What the hell?

At this point, he suspected something.

Maybe there was a hidden algorithm behind this regression system.

* * *

The third regression happened two weeks after discharge.

He had barely grown his hair out, and now he was back at age 24.

Time was completely broken.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!”

At this point, he seriously wondered if he was in hell.

Or maybe he was unconscious in a hospital somewhere and dreaming all of this?

Each regression strengthened that theory.

Then, during the fourth regression—

He suddenly realized something.

This regression… wasn’t controlled by him.

It was someone else’s regression timeline he was being dragged into.

* * *

The fourth regression was winter, age 19.

“Whoever you are… I’m definitely getting caught in someone else’s timeline.”

Luckily it was the weekend, so he could think quietly at home.

He was still living in the semi-basement, but it was familiar enough.

He knew that in about four years, his mother would get into investing after his father’s re-employment, and the family would move into their first apartment.

Some events were always fixed.

“Hyung, I need the computer.”

“Use it.”

“You have to get up for me to use it.”

His younger brother waved him off.

Hajin moved to a quiet café instead and started organizing everything in a notebook:

[Original]

29 years old. On bed watching short videos. Unemployed. Depressed.

[1st regression]

Age 17–19. During midterm exam. WTF.

[2nd regression]

21–22. Military… again?

[3rd regression]

Age 24. Lasted one week.

[4th regression – now]

Age 19, winter. After college entrance exam. Retest confirmed.

There are fixed events that always occur.

Regression timing seems random.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

Military service three times?

He clenched his teeth and wrote his conclusion:

<The one performing regression is not me. I am being dragged into someone else’s regression.>

“This is usually where the system gives you a tutorial, right?”

If he wasn’t the regression target, it made sense he had no system interface.

And then—

[Really?]

At that moment, everything froze.

A presence responded.

[Can you stop that kid?]

“…I’m not crazy, right?”

The voice wasn’t sound or sight—it was more like a resonance inside reality itself.

And Hajin didn’t care what it was.

He had already been through too much regression to fear anything.

“Can you stop that kid?”

“That kid? I don’t care who it is. The only thing I can’t handle is going back to the military again.”

[Haha. Interesting.]

The voice laughed.

Then continued:

[Alright. I’ll place a bet too.]

“You want to speak in a way I can understand?”

[I’ll give you a chance. To fix everything.]

And then—

A blue light flickered before his eyes.

[Kang Hajin (Fixed Regression)]

Title: Access Denied (Insufficient Authority)

Trait: Access Denied (Insufficient Authority)

Special: ‘Drift & Stray’ mode ON

※ Mental care system temporarily activated to stabilize regression-induced confusion ※

“…Finally!”

A system window.

Hajin punched the air instinctively.

It had no physical effect, but it felt satisfying.

[That will help you from now on. There are limitations… but I look forward to it.]

And then—

The voice disappeared.

Time returned to normal.

Hajin exhaled sharply and studied the floating window.

“Mental care…”

Strangely, he was too calm for someone in his situation.

Probably because of that system.

He went to buy a drink to clear his head.

“Um… sir?”

“Yes?”

“The manager told me to give you this. Also… they’re asking if you’d like a part-time job.”

“Oh, I’m a retake student. Maybe later.”

He returned to his seat, rejected the offer, and stared at the system window.

The most noticeable line was:

Access Denied (Insufficient Authority)

Authority.

Meaning someone else had it.

And then—

[System loading complete!]

[You have been designated as the mentor of a regression user.]

[Basic Quest: ‘Find the Regression User!’ (New!)]

[Single Quest: ‘Find the Lost Dream’ (New!)]

[Accept quests?]

No hesitation.

He slammed “Accept All.”