A Worn-Out Newbie

A 35-year-old unemployed gaming addict, Lee Eu-jin, is a prime example of “rotten water”—a term for those hopelessly stuck in old, dying games. After losing his last valuable item, “The Executing Sword,” in a desperate, failed attempt to pay off loan sharks, he loses consciousness. He wakes up to find he’s been transported 15 years into the past—back to the start of the virtual reality game, ‘Deus Ex Machina,’ as his 21-year-old self. Armed with 70,000 hours of stagnant experience and knowledge of the game’s future, he vows to conquer the world that once ruined him. Now, as the game’s “Stagnant Water,” he embarks on a quest to devour all the hidden pieces and stand at the pinnacle, using...