Ch. 1Proctology Department Saves the World
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- The chapter opens in the primordial Chaos Void, where countless fragile, bubble-like spheres of light struggle against the chaotic energy surrounding them.
- A collision among the spheres creates enormous pressure and kinetic energy, which condenses into a gray bolt of lightning.
- The lightning enters one sphere and then spreads through the entire void, humorously described as forming a cosmic “harem.” The event supposedly kills thousands of Creator Gods and terrifies hundreds of Demiurgos.
- The story then shifts to Earth, where Duke, a man in his twenties, sits in the restroom of a private hospital while reflecting on his miserable life and career.
- Duke chose proctology after overhearing doctors argue that different medical specialties were the most profitable. He became convinced that control of the sphincter was the true foundation of life—and perhaps even the key to saving the world.
- Despite hard work and strong medical ability, Duke remains trapped beneath incompetent relatives of the hospital owner. When the department head becomes seriously ill from excessive drinking, Duke expects a promotion, only for the owner’s third uncle to be appointed instead.
- Duke’s romantic life is equally unsuccessful. Thirty blind dates fail once women learn that he works in proctology, and the hospital’s nurses prefer the wealthy, poorly skilled son of the owner.
- While Duke is lamenting his situation in the restroom, the light and ceiling suddenly vanish, replaced by an absolute darkness resembling a black hole.
- Duke wonders whether aliens have invaded Earth and whether his proctology career truly has a role in saving the planet.
- A gray bolt of lightning emerges from the darkness and strikes him. He is unable to move or react, experiences only a slight tingling sensation, and is ultimately reduced to a charred mass as the hospital shakes.
Character Developments
- Duke: Introduced as hardworking, capable, and deeply unlucky. He entered proctology for financial prospects but gradually frames his profession as a noble mission to protect humanity. His ambition, resentment toward the hospital owner’s family, and failed romantic life establish him as a comic underdog.
- The hospital leadership: The department head and deputy head are portrayed as incompetent relatives who retain their positions through nepotism rather than skill. The owner’s third uncle’s appointment destroys Duke’s hopes of promotion.
- The hospital owner’s son: Becomes Duke’s romantic and social rival because of his wealth, luxury possessions, and family connections, despite lacking medical ability.
- The cosmic beings: Creator Gods and Demiurgos are presented humorously as helpless victims or witnesses to the strange lightning event, suggesting that the coming supernatural crisis affects the entire universe.
Significant Themes
- Absurdity and dark comedy: Cosmic creation, medical work, workplace politics, and Duke’s death are all treated with exaggerated, irreverent humor.
- Fate and misfortune: Duke believes he has chosen “purgatory mode,” as every effort he makes leads to further setbacks.
- Merit versus nepotism: Duke’s competence and dedication are repeatedly defeated by the hospital owner’s family connections.
- Social prejudice and professional stigma: Although Duke is recognized as a skilled doctor, his specialty makes him repellent to potential romantic partners and nurses.
- Cosmic destiny hidden in the mundane: An ordinary hospital restroom becomes the site of a universe-altering event, hinting that Duke’s seemingly ridiculous career may indeed connect to a larger mission.
Character Interactions
- Duke’s life is shaped by overheard conversations among doctors, whose debate leads him toward proctology.
- He is indirectly opposed by the hospital owner’s relatives, whose nepotism blocks his advancement.
- His blind dates and interactions with nurses reveal society’s discomfort with his profession and reinforce his isolation.
- Duke’s imagined rivalry with the owner’s son highlights the contrast between competence and inherited privilege.
- His final encounter is not with a person but with the mysterious gray lightning, which links his mundane life to the cosmic events described at the beginning.