Synopsis: In a world where Gates spawn monsters and awakeners fight for survival, Lee Shinhyuk—the last survivor who defeated the Heaven-Defying Star known as the Heavenly Demon—uses his final breath to accept a goddess’s blessing and travel back in time to prevent apocalypse. But the moment he returns to the past, the blessing kills him.
Then one day, a silver-haired goddess appeared before Kwon Ohjin, a cunning scammer who absorbs Shinhyuk’s corpse and memories. “The one who goes against fate. The sole savior of a world doomed to end—” What the hell is this woman even talking about? “You must be the Regressor.” “…What?” No, I’m not.
I Am Not a Regressor (also known as Not a Regressor or I’m Not a Regressor) is a regression fantasy that flips the genre on its head: Kwon Ohjin, a nobody scammer from the slums, accidentally absorbs the fragmented memories and power of the actual regressor Lee Shinhyuk after his death, then spends the entire story desperately pretending to be the chosen hero while lying to gods, allies, and enemies alike—all to protect his disabled childhood friend Song Ha-eun and avoid being exposed as the Heavenly Demon who destroyed the world in the original timeline.
It’s the kind of story that hooks readers who crave clever protagonists navigating impossible situations: a morally gray MC who uses cunning schemes over brute force, a compelling cast featuring a jealous possessive love interest and a goddess falling for the MC’s lies, high-stakes deception where one slip could expose everything, visceral combat that rewards strategic thinking rather than power fantasy dominance, and emotionally grounded motivations that make even a professional liar feel human.
Where to Read I Am Not a Regressor Online
If you want legitimate platforms with accessible English translations, these are the main options:
Wuxiaworld (English novel):
I Am Not a Regressor is officially available on Wuxiaworld under the title “Not a Regressor,” providing consistent translation quality and regular updates for English readers.
TAPAS (Manhwa status):
The manhwa of I Am Not a Regressor was serialized on Tapas but was officially discontinued after Episode 55 in 2025, leaving the story incomplete in illustrated format.
Korean original:
The original Korean web novel is titled 나는 회귀자가 아닙니다 by author ButterflyValley (나비계곡), published by KW Books starting in 2021.
What I Am Not a Regressor Is Really About
At its core, this is a high-wire act where a professional scammer must impersonate a time-traveling hero, navigate divine surveillance, and prevent his own rise as the apocalyptic villain—all while protecting the one person who makes his lies feel like betrayal.
The “real” protagonist of I Am Not a Regressor novel, Kwon Ohjin, isn’t trying to become a hero or save the world out of nobility. He’s a survivor from the slums who spent years scamming newly awakened hunters for pocket change, doing whatever it took to pay for his disabled older-sister figure Ha-eun’s medical bills after she lost her sight and limbs protecting him and other orphans. When he accidentally absorbs Lee Shinhyuk’s memories and the goddess Vega mistakes him for the regressor, Ohjin lies to stay alive—and keeps lying as the stakes escalate beyond anything he imagined.
The story is anchored in a modern Earth transformed by Gates spawning monsters, where awakened humans gain stigmata powers from constellations (gods watching from above), organizations like the Korean Awakener Association struggle to maintain order, and Ohjin must prevent the catastrophic events that turned his alternate-timeline self into the Heavenly Demon who destroyed civilization.
This isn’t a power fantasy where the MC effortlessly dominates everyone. The story features a protagonist whose greatest weapon is his ability to lie convincingly rather than overwhelming strength, enemies who genuinely threaten him because he lacks Shinhyuk’s complete memories and training, a goddess Vega whose divine restrictions limit her ability to help but whose emotional investment grows dangerously real, and character dynamics where Ha-eun serves as Ohjin’s morality chain—the person he’d sacrifice the world to protect, which makes his lies to her feel genuinely painful.
Why I Am Not a Regressor Stands Out
A lot of regression fantasies promise “cunning MC uses future knowledge.” I Am Not a Regressor earns its reputation differently—mostly through psychological tension, morally complex relationships, and a protagonist whose lies create cascading consequences instead of easy wins.
Brilliant subversion of regression tropes
The core premise immediately sets itself apart from typical regression stories.
Instead of the hero traveling back in time, the actual regressor dies immediately and the story follows the villain-to-be who steals his identity. Ohjin doesn’t have complete future knowledge—only fragmented memories from Lee Shinhyuk’s perspective, causing him to make critical mistakes when context is missing. The tension comes not from “will he win” but “will he get caught lying,” creating dramatic stakes that feel genuinely unpredictable. His unique ability, Black Sky, lets him absorb other awakeners’ stigmata and memories, but using it risks exposure and carries moral weight since he’s literally consuming people.
Complex protagonist who balances selfishness and humanity
Ohjin is a consummate liar who somehow remains compelling and sympathetic.
He’s explicitly described as a crazy jealous guy who exhibits possessive behavior toward Ha-eun, lying and manipulating everyone around him except her—yet readers recognize his actions stem from desperation to protect the one person who cared for him when he had nothing. His rough past as a slum scammer shapes every decision: he’s ruthless when necessary, killing without hesitation when threatened, but also shows unexpected kindness like transforming into a dying man’s deceased son to give him peace, or comforting a villain by appearing as his mother in his final moments. The story never pretends he’s a good person, but it makes you understand why he does terrible things.
Meaningful relationships with emotional depth
The character dynamics feel genuinely earned rather than tropey wish fulfillment.
Ha-eun serves as Ohjin’s morality chain—the disabled older-sister figure from his orphanage who he’d destroy the world to protect, creating dramatic irony since his alternate self apparently did exactly that. Their relationship isn’t typical romance; it’s loaded with unspoken feelings, mutual protectiveness, and the unique tension of her almost believing his lies despite knowing he’s a scammer. Vega, the goddess of Lyra who blessed Shinhyuk, becomes Ohjin’s unwitting accomplice as she genuinely believes he’s the regressor, creating heart-wrenching moments when she expresses faith in him and he feels guilt for deceiving her. Over time, Vega evolves from divine overseer to another pillar of support, making Ohjin’s deception feel increasingly burdensome rather than triumphant.
Strategic combat that rewards cleverness
Fights aren’t won through raw power but through planning and exploitation.
Ohjin’s healing factor only works near large bodies of water, so during his battle against water-controlling enemy Sosuke, he fakes desperation and pain to manipulate his opponent’s psychology. His shapeshifting abilities from absorbed stigmata create tactical options beyond simple combat, letting him infiltrate, deceive, and turn enemies against each other. The constellation system means gods are limited by divine laws in how much they can interfere, forcing Vega to carefully ration her assistance and punishing her severely when she helps too directly—removing the safety net of deus ex machina saves.
The Weaknesses of I Am Not a Regressor
Despite its strengths, reader feedback reveals consistent pain points that can significantly impact enjoyment—especially for those expecting consistent quality throughout or uncomfortable with specific character behaviors.
Quality drops significantly in second half
The novel starts strong but suffers noticeable decline as it progresses.
The first half is really good and promising, showcasing cleverness in plotting and character development. However, the second half feels rushed and disappointing, with writing that doesn’t show the same level of intelligence that made the opening compelling. Many plot points and settings are left unfinished or neglected by the ending, and the conclusion itself is unsatisfactory, leaving readers with a lot to be desired. The 442-chapter story (268 in Part 1, 174 in Part 2) seems to lose direction in its latter portions.
Protagonist’s romantic manipulations feel sleazy
Ohjin’s treatment of female characters crosses ethical lines for many readers.
While tricking Vega to survive is understandable, he deliberately insinuated they had a romantic relationship in the previous timeline when he already had feelings for Ha-eun—an unnecessary lie that many find distasteful. His relationship with Ha-eun features an exhausting will-they-won’t-they dance despite the characters being 28 and 30 years old, acting like teenagers in ways that feel cringy with romantic implications. Most problematic is his active seduction of a third character (the Italian saintess) specifically to manipulate and use her, playing with her feelings despite having no genuine interest—behavior that readers describe as greedy and jerky even for a scammer protagonist.
Inconsistent writing and convenient plot armor
I Am Not a Regressor’s internal logic frequently breaks down under scrutiny.
Ohjin isn’t actually that smart for a scammer and should’ve been caught multiple times: he fried one body to pose as another without considering DNA testing, walked around openly using a “missing” person’s custom weapon without anyone from the searching guild recognizing it, and relies on lies described as sandcastles that should crumble with one good question. Vega as a constellation is nerfed solely for plot convenience—constellations typically watch awakeners constantly in this genre, but her surveillance is limited so Ohjin’s deceptions remain hidden. Ha-eun possesses inhuman power levels but is rendered useless in key moments for contrived reasons, and the story introduces new abilities conveniently whenever Ohjin needs an escape.
Racism and blatant stereotyping
Cultural elements handled poorly damage the quality of I Am Not a Regressor.
The Japan arc in particular features standard racism against Japanese characters with cartoonish villains, dragging novel quality down significantly. Around chapter 140, writing quality drops off a cliff with blatant racism and poor storytelling that makes continuing feel like a chore. This isn’t subtle characterization but rather lazy writing that relies on national stereotypes for conflict.
Convenient supporting cast behavior
Side characters don’t react realistically to suspicious circumstances.
During major arcs, half the Awakener Association acts as pawns for Ohjin’s schemes without questioning why, and entire organizations forget he claimed to have evidence about traitors immediately after he’s incapacitated. Supporting characters like Lee Woohyuk don’t ask obvious follow-up questions even when a brother’s life is at stake. This pattern repeats throughout: characters conveniently fail to notice inconsistencies or ask probing questions that would unravel Ohjin’s deceptions.
I Am Not a Regressor Main Character — Kwon Ohjin
Kwon Ohjin is introduced as a nobody scammer from the slums who survived by tricking newly awakened hunters into paying him a cut of dungeon profits—until the day a dungeon overflow killed the regressor Lee Shinhyuk and Ohjin’s innate ability, Black Sky, awakened to absorb Shinhyuk’s stigmata, memories, and the goddess Vega’s blessing.
Ohjin is a consummate liar, crazy jealous guy, and ruthlessly pragmatic survivor. He’s smart enough to fool a goddess into believing he’s the regressor, cunning enough to navigate complex schemes using fragmentary future knowledge, and desperate enough to do anything—lie, manipulate, kill—to protect Song Ha-eun, the disabled woman from his orphanage who lost her sight and limbs.
His rough past involving scamming for survival and watching Ha-eun sacrifice herself for orphans shaped him into someone who explicitly states others’ lives mean nothing compared to hers. His ability Black Sky lets him absorb other awakeners’ stigmata and peek into their memories, which is how he obtained Shinhyuk’s knowledge and continues to gain power—though using it means literally consuming people, adding moral complexity to his growth.
In the original timeline, this same Ohjin became the Heavenly Demon, the apocalyptic villain who destroyed the world after something terrible happened to Ha-eun. Now he’s racing to prevent that future while hiding his identity from the goddess betting everything on him.
I Am Not a Regressor Characters Guide
These are the characters and factions that define I Am Not a Regressor’s core conflicts:
Song Ha-eun
The main woman in Ohjin’s life, existing somewhere between older sister figure and love interest. She lived at the same orphanage as Ohjin and cared for him and other children before losing her eyesight and limbs in an incident protecting them.
In the current timeline she’s an incredibly powerful awakener despite her disabilities, though the story renders her uselessly sidelined in key moments. She serves as Ohjin’s morality chain—the person he’d do anything to protect, to the point where he imagines something must have happened to her in the first timeline to push his alternate self to destroy the world. Their relationship features a frustrating will-they-won’t-they dynamic despite both being in their late twenties/early thirties.
Vega (Goddess of Lyra)
The silver-haired constellation with golden eyes who blessed Lee Shinhyuk to travel back in time, only to mistake Ohjin for the regressor after Shinhyuk’s immediate death. She genuinely believes Ohjin is the Heaven-Defying Star destined to save the world, creating constant tension as he maintains the lie.
Vega is limited by divine laws that severely punish her for using too much power to help Ohjin, forcing her to carefully ration intervention. Over time she evolves from divine overseer to genuine emotional support for Ohjin, becoming another pillar he relies on—which makes his deception increasingly painful for both of them. The story features her growing misunderstanding that she and “Shinhyuk” (Ohjin) were lovers in the previous timeline.
Lee Shinhyuk (The Actual Regressor)
He is the actual regressor who fought as the last survivor against the Heavenly Demon Kwon Ohjin in the original timeline. After watching the world fall and countless heroes die, he accepted Vega’s blessing to travel back six years—but the overwhelming power killed him the moment he arrived in the past.
His incomplete memories, absorbed by Ohjin through Black Sky ability, provide fragmentary future knowledge that helps and hinders Ohjin throughout the story. Shinhyuk had attempted to confess his love to Ha-eun in the original timeline, only to be rejected, and his memories reveal she distanced herself from him afterward—creating awkward tension when Ohjin accesses these memories.
Antagonists of I Am Not a Regressor
The Heavenly Demon (Cheonma/天魔)
The apocalyptic villain who destroyed the world in the original timeline—revealed to be Kwon Ohjin himself after something catastrophic happened to Ha-eun. In that timeline, the orphan scammer became so powerful and destructive that Lee Shinhyuk and countless awakeners died trying to stop him. Now Ohjin must prevent the circumstances that would transform him into this world-ending threat, all while hiding this identity from Vega and others who would kill him immediately if they knew the truth.
Various Constellation-backed enemies
I Am Not a Regressor features antagonists empowered by different constellations, creating conflicts where Ohjin must navigate divine politics, awakener organizations, and enemies who scale appropriately to challenge him despite his growing strength.
I Am Not a Regressor Quick Wiki (2025)
Korean title: 나는 회귀자가 아닙니다
Alternate titles: Not a Regressor, I’m Not a Regressor, I Am Not a Regressor
Author: ButterflyValley (나비계곡)
Original publisher: KW Books
Start year: 2021
Original platform status: Completed with 442 total chapters (Part 1: 268 chapters; Part 2: 174 chapters)
English novel: Available on Wuxiaworld
Manhwa status: Discontinued after Episode 55 in 2025
Core premise: Professional scammer accidentally absorbs the dead regressor’s memories and must impersonate him to a goddess while preventing his own rise as the apocalyptic villain
Genre tags: Regression Subversion, System, Constellations, Gates, Awakeners, Cunning Protagonist, Morally Gray MC, Anti-Hero, Deception, Harem Elements, Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4.0/5.0 based on Novel Updates community
I Am Not a Regressor Review — Is It Worth Reading?
If you want a clever subversion of regression tropes with a morally gray scammer protagonist, meaningful emotional stakes between a possessive MC and his morality-chain love interest, high-tension deception where one mistake could expose everything, strategic combat that rewards cunning over power, and compelling character dynamics where even a goddess falls for the MC’s lies, then I Am Not a Regressor is definitely worth giving a chance. However, it’s not for everyone.
It delivers:
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Brilliant premise that immediately distinguishes itself from typical regression stories by making the actual regressor die and following the villain-to-be
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Complex protagonist who’s simultaneously a consummate liar and surprisingly sympathetic, balancing ruthlessness with genuine care for specific people
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Meaningful relationships with Ha-eun as morality chain and Vega as unwitting accomplice, creating emotional depth beyond typical harem dynamics
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Strategic combat and problem-solving where Ohjin’s greatest weapon is his ability to deceive rather than overpower
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Strong first half with clever plotting, satisfying reveals, and psychological tension
But I Am Not a Regressor is not for everyone, due to:
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Significant quality drop in the second half where writing feels rushed, plot points are left unfinished, and the ending is unsatisfactory
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Protagonist’s romantic manipulations that cross ethical lines, especially actively seducing women to use them while having feelings for someone else
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Inconsistent internal logic where Ohjin should’ve been caught multiple times, supporting characters act conveniently clueless, and plot armor rescues him repeatedly
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Blatant racism and stereotyping in certain arcs (particularly Japan arc around chapter 140) that damages story quality
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Harem elements that may frustrate readers expecting monogamous romance, though the story never fully commits to harem structure
If you need consistent quality throughout, ethical protagonist behavior, or tight internal logic without convenient writing, this will become frustrating despite its brilliant opening. However, readers who enjoy anti-hero protagonists, psychological manipulation stories, and can tolerate declining quality for a strong first half will find an entertaining and unique take on the regression genre—especially if you stop around chapter 140-150 before major quality issues emerge.
I Am Not a Regressor FAQ
What is I Am Not a Regressor about?
It’s a regression story where the actual regressor Lee Shinhyuk dies immediately upon traveling to the past, and scammer Kwon Ohjin absorbs his memories and blessing—forcing him to impersonate the regressor to a goddess while preventing his own transformation into the Heavenly Demon who destroyed the world in the original timeline.
Is I Am Not a Regressor a harem?
It contains harem elements with multiple women developing feelings for Ohjin, but it doesn’t fully commit to harem structure. Ha-eun is clearly positioned as his primary love interest and morality chain, while Vega misunderstands they were lovers in a previous timeline, and other women appear later. The story focuses more on manipulation and deception than romantic development.
Is Ohjin an overpowered MC?
No—his greatest strength is his ability to lie convincingly rather than raw combat power. He grows stronger by absorbing other awakeners’ stigmata through his Black Sky ability, but lacks complete future knowledge since he only has fragments of Shinhyuk’s memories. This causes him to make critical mistakes when context is missing, and he frequently faces enemies stronger than him who he must outsmart rather than overpower.
How is the novel quality?
The first half (roughly first 140-150 chapters) is widely praised as clever, engaging, and emotionally compelling with a unique premise. However, the second half suffers significant quality decline with rushed writing, unfinished plot points, unsatisfactory ending, and problematic content including racism that makes it feel like a chore to continue.
Does Ha-eun stay relevant or become useless?
Unfortunately, despite being established as incredibly powerful, Ha-eun is rendered useless in key moments for contrived plot reasons. She serves primarily as Ohjin’s emotional anchor and morality chain rather than active participant in major conflicts.
How long is I Am Not a Regressor?
The Korean novel is completed at 442 total chapters divided into two parts: Part 1 has 268 chapters and Part 2 has 174 chapters. The manhwa adaptation was discontinued after only 55 episodes in 2025, leaving the illustrated version incomplete.
Should I read I Am Not a Regressor novel or manhwa?
The manhwa was discontinued after 55 episodes, making it incomplete and not recommended if you want the full story. The novel is your only option for the complete narrative, available through Wuxiaworld, though be prepared for significant quality decline in the second half.
Is Ohjin actually a villain or hero?
He’s explicitly neither—the story positions him as morally gray. In the original timeline he became the Heavenly Demon who destroyed the world, but in this timeline he’s trying to prevent that future while protecting Ha-eun. He’s not a good person (lying, manipulating, killing when convenient) but not cartoonishly evil either, making decisions driven by desperate pragmatism rather than heroism or sadism.
