Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 1

Sitting on the bed, he stared blankly at the floor as time stretched on in silence. After a while, he clenched and unclenched his hands and repeated the motion several times. His hands were pale and clean—so pristine that they felt unfamiliar. Yet, the way they moved in perfect sync with his will reassured him that they were undoubtedly his own.

“Did I really come back...?”

Speaking the words aloud made the surreal situation feel just a little more real to Do-Jin.

He had returned to a time before he was broken, before his life had fallen apart completely. If that was the case, then there was only one conclusion: he couldn’t afford to waste this miraculous second chance. The reasons behind this phenomenon—how it happened, why it happened, and what it meant—were questions to be addressed later.

The moment he came to terms with this reality, Do-Jin reached for his smartphone. He knew that understanding his current situation was the first step to make sure he wouldn’t waste this second chance.

The most important thing I have to know is today’s date.

Since he had returned to a time before the accident, his first task was to avoid the traffic accident altogether. With that thought in mind, Do-Jin checked the date on his phone but then he froze in disbelief.

What? It’s already past the date of the accident..?

Three days, to be precise.

Do-Jin stiffly turned to look at the bed and memories of that dreadful day, the ones he couldn’t shake off no matter how hard he tried, came flooding back.

Three days ago... No, on that day, he had woken up in that very bed and checked the time.

Realizing he was late for his part-time job shift, he had rushed out of the house. Bounding down the stairs two at a time, he had run to the crosswalk where the signal turned green as if it had been waiting for him.

He had smiled at the small bit of luck amidst the chaos, believing he had avoided the worst.

But then came the deafening roar—CRASH! It was as if the sound reverberated through his entire body, and with it, his consciousness had vanished. By the time he woke up, everything had already fallen apart.

Even now, just recalling it made cold sweat drip down his back and his breathing to grow ragged. And yet, that moment—that horrifying incident that had shattered his life—had already passed.

Do-Jin stared blankly as he checked the messages piled up on his smartphone.

Colleague: Where are you? It’s way past your shift.

The first message was from the convenience store employee who worked the shift before him.

Then came messages from the store owner, followed by ones from the café where he worked in the afternoons, and even from the capsule hotel where he worked late-night shifts on alternating days.

“Was I really working this hard?” Do-Jin muttered to himself as he let his hand fall limply to his side.

And then he began to laugh. The quiet chuckles grew louder until eventually he was clutching his stomach, laughing as hard as he could.

It had been a curse—fifteen years of torment. That one moment had torn apart and crushed every piece of his life. And yet, now, that same moment had simply passed him by.

The very idea that fate, supposedly so steadfast, could change course so easily was ridiculous. He couldn’t stop laughing at the thought. And so, he laughed, laughed until he could laugh no more. With each burst of laughter, he poured out all that had built up inside him: despair, sorrow, regret, resentment, and joy.

All of it.

***

Perhaps because he had poured out all his emotions, a sense of calm washed over him. And maybe that’s why his body, starved for three days, began to cry out in hunger.

The fact that he could still feel hunger in a situation like this struck him as absurd, but he knew he’d collapse if he didn’t eat. Opening the fridge, he found only chicken breast, broccoli, and tomatoes.

The barren state of the fridge reminded him of his past self, who had juggled three part-time jobs and still made time for exercise.

“Living on energy packs might’ve been better,” he muttered, tired of the overly disciplined lifestyle of his younger self.

Settling on a tomato, he closed the fridge. No matter how strong and youthful his body felt, he knew throwing chicken breast into his empty stomach after three days of fasting would only cause digestive problems. He thought he should make some porridge later.

I should take care of those messages.

Chewing on the tomato, Do-Jin started responding to the messages. Apologies for his three-day disappearance and explanations that he would have to quit his jobs due to urgent circumstances.

“Urgent circumstances are urgent circumstances,” he mused with a faint smirk.

After all, how often does someone get to say they’ve turned back time? That fleeting amusement gave way to deeper thoughts. He began contemplating his next steps—and revisiting what kind of person he’d been at this point in time.

At this time, Do-Jin had been saving money relentlessly, cutting into his sleeping hours after leaving the orphanage. His goal was to buy a capsule—or, more accurately, to build a better life. Like everyone else, Do-Jin was desperate for success. He had been that way since he was very young, perhaps because he had nothing and no one to rely on.

But no matter how desperate his thirst was for success, reality had been cold and unforgiving.

Efforts equal to those of others weren’t enough to escape his circumstances. Starting with nothing meant the odds of a worse life were stacked against him. That’s why he had given up his hard-won college acceptance.

He had seen an article about LOST, a virtual reality game boasting millions of users within just three months of its release. That was when he decided to bet his future on it.

The real problem was this: I got hit by a car while saving up for a capsule.

What followed was a painfully predictable story.

He realized his body was beyond repair, so thoroughly broken that even prosthetics couldn’t make up for it, and fell into despair. Convinced his life was over, he spent more than two years doing nothing but staring blankly at the ceiling, day in and day out.

Then, in a fit of resignation, he decided to log into LOST one last time, just to remember what it felt like to walk normally. By the time he snapped out of it, he had thrown away all his settlement money, insurance payouts, and disability pension on the game and became a complete addict.

But now, he had returned to a time before misfortune struck—a time where anything was possible.

Do-Jin thought deeply. He shelved questions about how or why this had happened. What mattered was deciding what he wanted to do and how to use this new life without regrets.

After much deliberation, his conclusion was simple.

“Even after coming back, there’s only one thing on my mind.”

What he wanted to do, what he was good at—everything revolved around LOST. Even achieving the successful life he had dreamed of seemed easiest through LOST.

Though he barely remembered what the real world would look like fifteen years into the future, his knowledge of LOST was encyclopedic, almost obsessive.

In his previous life, he had started three years after the game launched, bedridden and desperate. Now, however, only five months had passed since its release.

If he failed this time, he would have no excuse—it would mean he was truly useless. But this time, Do-Jin had no intention of living like a failure.

Once again, he chose to walk the path of LOST.

Maybe, as I progress, the mystery of this return will reveal itself.

Unsolvable questions could wait. Perhaps climbing the ranks in LOST would eventually provide the answers. But this time, he wouldn’t abandon reality or sabotage himself. His goal was to live a life he could be proud of. Wasting this miracle would be unforgivable.

With quiet determination, Do-Jin looked down at his pale, clean hands and made his vow.

***

Do-Jin gazed with awe at the capsule that filled his small studio apartment. It was an outdated, cheap model, bulky and cumbersome. But to him, it was the most precious thing he owned.

Of course it’s precious—how could something that costs over 3 million won not feel precious?

He had invested his entire savings of 9 million won, leaving only the bare minimum for living expenses. Even so, he still had 25 million won left to pay on the lease, including interest. After deducting the cost of the LOST subscription, his bank account balance was down to a mere 240,000 won. This wasn’t just bold—it was a downright desperate investment.

Yet, even after spending nearly everything, Do-Jin wasn’t worried. With his knowledge of the next fifteen years of LOST, money was no longer a concern.

In his previous life, wealth had been his measure of success. Now, it was merely a tool for enjoyment, happiness, and convenience.

Still, Do-Jin believed that to make life enjoyable, he needed short-term, concrete goals. Vague ideas like a happy life, a successful career, or a fulfilling existence were far too abstract. He wondered what would be his perfect goal.

As he prepared to log into LOST, Do-Jin seriously considered this question—though, in truth, it was meaningless. For someone as obsessed with the game as he was, no other goal was necessary.

“Well, if I’m starting over... I might as well go all the way.”

The thought of standing at the pinnacle of LOST filled his mind. It was simple, but that was what made it so satisfying.

Click.

Lying down in the capsule, Do-Jin closed his eyes. And in the same moment—

[Welcome to LOST.]

A new world unfolded before him.

***

[The starlight of creation fades over Lostania.]

The prologue of LOST began with the sorrowful voice of a woman.

A burning continent. A sky roiling with black clouds and crimson lightning. Before his eyes unfolded the final moments of agony from the world of Lostania.

[Since the power of the Star of Creation began to wane, unending waves of monsters have emerged in Lostania. As though carrying out a predetermined destruction, they continue to threaten us endlessly. You are our only salvation.]

The screen quickly shifted to users, beings summoned from another world to Lostania, as they wielded swords and magic to slay monsters.

[Oh brave adventurer, lover of the thrill of exploration, hear Lostania’s plea. Answer the call, and step into a world brimming with adventure. In return for your devotion, we shall reward you with a journey that will stir your very soul!]

Listening to the emotional yet powerful voice of the woman, Do-Jin couldn’t help but think, no matter how many times I hear it, this always feels like propaganda used to recruit young people during wartime.

And honestly, he wasn’t wrong. According to the game’s lore, users were summoned as adventurers tasked with dealing with the ever-growing monster threat caused by the waning power of the Star of Creation.

[Please customize the appearance of the new body that will house your soul.]

After enduring the unskippable prologue, Do-Jin was finally allowed to create his character.

No changes to appearance.

Without hesitation, he chose to keep his character’s appearance identical to his real-life self. The mannequin-like figure resembling white clay transformed into the sharp-eyed, tall, and strikingly handsome young man that mirrored his reality.

[Please choose a name to use in Lostania.]

Once again, he didn’t have to think twice.

Do-Jin.

Even in his previous life, while he had altered his character’s appearance, he had kept the name identical to his real one.

With just these two settings, the character creation process for LOST, an opportunity granted only once, was complete.

“I never thought I’d walk this path again.”

It was the path of light—the very same one he had walked in his previous life. Walking it again gave him an odd sense of déjà vu, as though he was experiencing yet another return.