Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 39

A week had passed since Do-Jin left the party. Having reached Level 50, he stretched as he stepped out of the capsule. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Phew, first goal accomplished. Now I just need to get the rest of my preparations in order.”

Rolling his neck to loosen up, he walked toward the front door. As soon as he opened it, the crisp October air rushed in, the evening chill biting at his skin. It was definitely too cold for short sleeves. Shivering slightly, he quickly grabbed the package waiting at his doorstep and brought it inside.

He tore open the first box, which contained a set of salad meal kits he had ordered for his health. Do-Jin ripped open the topmost salmon salad, shoveling a few bites into his mouth as he moved on to unbox the rest.

“Wellness energy packs for the capsule, sparkling water... multivitamins... Hmm? Where’s the backrest cushion I ordered? Oh, here it is.”

Each and every package contained something related to health, from nutritious food and supplements to accessories that made long hours in the capsule more comfortable. The total cost came out to a staggering 870,000 won.

In his past life, he had never had the money for this kind of indulgence before the age of twenty. And even when he finally could have afforded it, he’d dumped every last bit of cash straight into the game. The thought of spending on anything else had never even occurred to him.

his time, things were different. He wasn’t just throwing himself into the game anymore; he was taking care of his real-life body as well. If Do-Jin was going to live, he wanted to do it right: live well, live long, and stay healthy. In the process, he realized something unexpected.

Spending money is actually fun as hell. He nodded to himself in satisfaction as the low hum of the handheld massager vibrated against his muscles.

Back then, every cent he made in the game had gone straight back into it. Even the money he earned in real life had been funneled into his gaming addiction. That reckless spending had ruined both his gaming life and his real life. No matter how much he spent, none of it had ever felt fulfilling.

This time was different. This kind of spending actually felt rewarding. It was like treating himself for all his hard work, rewarding himself for pushing through. This was what it meant to truly enjoy both earning and spending.

Still nodding to himself, he finished off the last bite of his salmon salad.

“Alright, time to get some remote work done.”

After tidying up the packages, he was about to lie down in the capsule when he suddenly hesitated, a thought flashing through his mind. Eating and immediately lying down was a guaranteed way to invite acid reflux.

Don’t get cocky just because you’re young. You’ve been through this before... You know damn well that the sins of today come back to bite you by the time you hit thirty. Never let your guard down.

Since he was planning to do some research instead of hopping right back into the game, he didn’t need to be in the capsule. He plopped himself down in front of the cheap computer the orphanage provided and started browsing the net. A quick scroll through Lotranet showed that the buzz around him had already died down. Right now, the LOST community was too busy losing its mind over something way bigger.

The Bloodshed Guild...

A massive raid announcement from the infamous Bloodshed Guild had completely hijacked the forums. Do-Jin clicked on the top post plastered across Lotranet’s front page that read: “Greetings. I am Blood King, the guild leader of Bloodshed.”

The moment Do-Jin saw the words Bloodshed and Blood King, his lips twisted into an ominous smirk. He had the worst kind of history with the Bloodshed Guild and Blood King. Even with the brutal handicap of only being able to use offensive spells, Do-Jin had clawed his way up to become a ranker. It’d taken relentless effort, raw talent, and an all-consuming dedication that left no room for anything else.

Out of the millions of players, only a thousand were ever granted the title of “ranker.” That alone had once made Do-Jin a known figure, even earning him a fair amount of popularity. But all of that had come crashing down the moment he crossed paths with the Bloodshed Guild. They had somehow dug up his identity, after which the Blood King ended up exposing everything about Do-Jin’s real-world circumstances.

In the game, he played the role of a badass mage, but in reality, he was a cripple who couldn’t even make it to the bathroom on his own. No matter how much he decked himself out in high-end gear, it didn’t change the fact that in real life, he’d been scraping by on disability benefits, drowning in debt, and living a worthless existence.

That was the first time someone had connected LOST’s Do-Jin with the reality of who he was. No one had known who’d first spread the information, but Do-Jin knew the truth. That bastard Blood King was the one behind it.

“How’s it feel, huh? Say something. Or did your mouth stop working along with your arms and legs? From what I heard, you can talk,” he would say.

Even now, Do-Jin could remember every sneer, every word, every ounce of malice in that voice.

“Go ahead. Try acting cocky again. Next time, I’ll humiliate you even worse, you crippled piece of shit.”

Not everyone had mocked him after his private life was exposed. Many had pitied him, even condemned the person who had leaked his personal details. But for Do-Jin, who had been little more than a wounded animal at the time, none of that sympathy had helped. If anything, the sheer weight of all that attention had been unbearable.

He had done the only thing he could, throwing himself deeper into LOST and shutting himself away from the world entirely. He’d never been able to get his revenge.

It’s going to be different this time.

His gaze burned as he stared at the monitor, then clicked on the video Blood King had personally uploaded. An arrogant voice rang out, leading into an introduction about the guild that was anything but brief.

「This is Blood King of Bloodshed. Those of you who have heard the name Bloodshed before already know. We are an elite guild, composed of top-tier rankers across multiple games. In LOST, we are the pioneers at the forefront, always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. If LOST had an official ranking system, I have no doubt that my guild and I would be at the very top. And now, Bloodshed is taking on a new challenge. The first-ever large-scale raid in LOST.」

The moment those words left his mouth, the screen shifted. Blood King faded from view, replaced by a shadowy silhouette. Something massive lay dormant in the darkness. The screen slowly zoomed in, creeping toward the enormous figure, inching closer and closer until it suddenly cut away.

「Bloodshed is the guild that explores the most dangerous regions accessible to players. Naturally, we’re also the first to face the deadliest threats. And what’s the ultimate thrill in adventure and exploration, if not confronting those dangers and taking them down before anyone else? That’s why we’ve decided to share that thrill with as many people as possible. On October 10th, Bloodshed will broadcast the first-ever LOST raid boss hunt live, with nothing hidden. Witness our glory! Witness Bloodshed’s victory!」

The video wrapped up with some over-the-top orchestral soundtrack, the kind only middle-aged guys would get hyped over.

“So that was October 10th, huh...” Do-Jin hadn’t remembered the exact date before now.

In his past life, Do-Jin hadn’t even been playing LOST around this time. One thing he did remember was that, around this time, Blood King had been the first to challenge LOST’s first-ever raid boss.

They fail in the end, but this is what puts them on the map, turning them into a corporate guild.

Of course, the guild was already well-known at this point in time, but nowhere near as legendary as Blood King made it sound in that announcement. In the future, though, they would become a powerhouse on the global stage, with Blood King cementing himself as a high-ranker within the top 100.

All of that stemmed from this first raid attempt. Even though they had failed, the scramble between competing guilds trying to claim this boss and the aftermath of it all had skyrocketed their fame.

And once they had that power and status, that motherfucker made my life hell with it.

Well, whatever. Now that he knew the exact date, that was enough. Do-Jin burned October 10th into his mind before scrolling down to check the comments on Blood King’s video.

└ Bloodshed? Aren’t those guys a bunch of toxic assholes?

└ Toxic how? Their whole guild’s over Level 50. It’s not like anyone even run into them.

└ LMAO, you think everyone’s some low level noob like yourself? Any veteran who’s ever had their hunting route overlap with theirs knows what they are like. These assholes don’t gank. They just “politely inform” you that the area is under their control and tell you to fuck off.

└ It’s not even about level. I heard everyone in that guild is a fucking landlord IRL. A few of them stream, and they’re all filthy whales who drop cash like it’s nothing.

└ Wait, there’s P2W in LOST? I thought you just paid the subscription fee and that was it.

└ Nah, they buy shit with real cash.

└ So all they’re showing us is a damn shadow? What the hell are we supposed to get hyped for?

└ How many people does it take to raid this thing? They’re probably just gonna zerg-rush it like any other world boss or open dungeon raid, right?

└ Dude, if they found it in their hunting grounds, it’s gotta be some next-level shit. Just grab some popcorn. It’s not like any of us are getting anywhere near that place for another three months anyway.

└ LMAO, who the fuck are these Bloodshed guys? First time I’m hearing about them, and from these comments, they just sound like a bunch of pay-to-win whales. Anyone can get strong by throwing a shit-ton of money at the game. Real skill is what actually matters, like that mage everyone on the forums was losing their minds over a while back.

└ Yeah, about that? That guy was rocking some activation-type item that literally glowed gold. That thing’s worth at least 30 million won in real cash.

└ LMAO shut the fuck up, no one even confirmed what item it was. You’re outing yourself as a goddamn noob. Do you even know how LOST’s loot system works? You can’t just throw money at the game and buy gear like that, dumbass.

└ Jesus Christ, can you morons stop fighting? Are none of you even hyped for this? It’s new content. New content that we get to enjoy later. If you’re a real gamer, you should be watching the raid, not bitching at each other.

└ Toxic or not, they look cool as fuck. If this is really the first-ever large-scale raid boss in LOST, and a Korean guild is taking the lead, you can’t tell me that doesn’t get your blood pumping.

└ Facts. If someone’s gonna take it down, better our guys than some Japanese guild. Imagine those bastards getting the first clear. You’d lose sleep over it, wouldn’t you?

The real-time flood of comments was mostly positive. Only a handful of players had actually dealt with the Bloodshed Guild’s shitty antics firsthand. Meanwhile, the rest were easily dazzled by power and were eating it up.

Do-Jin let out a low chuckle as he watched the reactions roll in.

“Yeah, soak it all in while you can. This is the last fucking time you’ll ever taste glory...” he muttered to himself before switching over to Lotranet’s item marketplace.

Do-Jin put up a listing for the Mythril Steel Accessory Set, which included a necklace and a pair of earrings. After testing things out, he had decided a couple of rings and a bracelet were more than enough to handle his mana recovery. No point in holding onto extra gear when he could turn it into cash.

Wonder how much these’ll go for. It would be nice if someone was dumb enough to overpay. With that thought, Do-Jin pushed himself up from his chair.

It was time to head back to Lostania. If he wanted to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime chance for revenge, he couldn’t afford to half-ass a single thing. He was going to be ruthlessly, brutally thorough.