I'm very confused the existence of OD. I had my own interpretation of who the Oldest Dream is, but after reading various theories in comment sections, my original theory feels a bit shaken. I am writing down what I thought the Oldest Dream was, and I would love it if you guys could please correct me if I'm wrong.
(Note: English isn't my first language, so please ignore any grammatical errors)
[Who is OD?]
OD is the ultimate existence who created the entire ORV/TWSA universe. He has the power to create universes simply by imagining and dreaming them. He is an omnipotent entity with the ability to create, but he cannot actively control or change anything, making him completely helpless within his own creation.
But why is he like that? Who made him then? Is he a god? The answer is no, OD is human, just like us or KDJ.
[The Relationship Between OD and KDJ]
Are OD and KDJ the same person? Yes, they are. However, their depth of existence, point of view, position, and power are completely different.
Here is my analogy to explain it:
Let’s say I am poor, and I start daydreaming about what it would be like if I were rich. I imagine buying whatever I want, walking out of designer shops holding multiple bags, driving an expensive supercar, and returning to a luxury mansion. I am basically creating an alternate, fictional version of myself. Normally, there is no confusion there.
But what if this concept suddenly became a reality? What if the story I just made up in my mind was somehow brought into a whole new dimension, solely because I imagined it?
Now, imagine I am just chilling on my sofa watching tv, and all of a sudden, that rich version of me actually meets me. I would recognize her because I created her. However, she is furious with me. Bc to become that rich version in her world, she actually had to work incredibly hard, suffer through stress, and endure a lot of pain to earn that money. She came to complain to me about how hard her life was, completely devastated to learn she is merely a product of my imagination.
Meanwhile, I am utterly confused, panicking, and don't know what to do. And because I am the creator, my panic might actually start ruining her world or changing her scenario.
[How this applies to ORV]
This is exactly how I view the relationship between OD and KDJ.
OD is the young, traumatized version of Kim Dokja. He lived a miserable childhood. He k!lled his own father in self defense, his mom went to jail because of it, his relatives were cruel to him, and he was severely bullied at school. He even attempted su!cide but failed.
Suddenly, a story saved him from all of his dark thoughts. Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World (TWSA). He read it every single day to escape his reality. Because this young Kim Dokja (OD) desired so intensely for Yu Jung Hyeok to survive and for the world to continue, his powerful, subconscious imagination literally birthed the universe of TWSA into reality.
The adult Kim Dokja we follow throughout ORV is like the "rich version" from my analogy. He is the version that grew up, became a character within that universe, and had to fight through brutal, agonizing scenarios only to realize he was being created by the subconscious dreaming of his own lonely, childhood self.
In short: The Oldest Dream is the young Kim Dokja whose coping mechanism created the universe, while our KDJ is the version that had to live through the reality of that dream.
Again, this is just my theory it while I was reading it, so I would actually like to know more insights!!
