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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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—External Record (9)—
“It’s a bit chilly.”
I should have dressed more warmly if I’d known it would be this cold already. Still, diligently pushing the wheels of my wheelchair made it feel a little less cold.
That was one of the reasons I didn’t use an electric wheelchair. Even though I couldn’t use my legs, I still wanted to move under my own power.
…Actually, the bigger reasons were that manual wheelchairs were cheaper, lighter, and could go more places, but the sentiment was there too.
Just then, I felt a vibration from the smartphone in my pocket. I took it out.
‘Mom?’
The phone, now properly charged, displayed my mother’s number. I answered.
“Son.”
“Hey, Mom.”
“Have you eaten lunch?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
Of course, parents didn’t need a reason to call their children.
“Just calling to see how you’re doing.”
“What? I’m doing fine, living diligently, so you don’t have to worry.”
It was true. I was quite busy these days, studying coding and English. I was still considering university, since navigating with a wheelchair seemed inconvenient.
“Yes, Mom believes in you. Are you outside right now? I can hear traffic sounds.”
“Yeah, I came out for a bit. It felt a little stuffy being cooped up at home.”
“Yes, you should get some fresh air sometimes. Just don’t go too far. It’s dangerous.”
“Okay, of course.”
Actually, I had come quite far. I hadn’t intended to, but I guess I got a little carried away with the rare outing.
“Then I’ll hang up. Take care, son.”
“Okay, you too, Mom.”
I hung up and looked ahead, smartphone still in hand. The Han River flowed before me. I felt a sense of déjà vu, but it must have been my imagination.
‘This place was almost my end, wasn’t it?’
I placed my hand on the railing. It was higher than I thought. It wouldn’t be impossible to climb over, but there was no reason to.
‘I thought I would never be able to stand up again.’
Just a month ago, I had completely crumbled. I cowered in fear of failure without even taking a single step.
And like a coward, I tried to prove myself through a game character.
But…
‘I’m not going back to that.’
Of course, falling hurts. But it’s wrong not to run because you’re afraid of falling. I was still in a wheelchair, but I was different from a month ago, when I was just sitting at the computer.
I had managed to stand up again.
‘In a way, it’s all thanks to Allen Blake.’
Having succeeded in standing up again thanks to him, I occasionally checked on Allen Blake’s progress afterward. But the frequency gradually decreased.
‘It seems he’s on the right track now.’
Of course, that was by Allen Blake’s standards. It was still uncertain whether he could reach the ending no one had ever seen.
But there was nothing more I could do to help him, so I decided to focus on my own affairs.
So, I hadn’t logged into Hundred Brave for the past two weeks. Thanks to that…
‘What’s that?’
A truck stopped in front of me. It had a slogan written on it:
‘We condemn the irresponsible termination of Hundred Brave’s service.’
I hadn’t even known about the termination of Hundred Brave’s service.
‘What’s that all about…’
I picked up my phone and searched for “Hundred Brave” on the portal. An article popped up at the top.
What was this all about? I closed the portal window and opened the Hundred Brave app.
‘If that’s true…’
I would be a little, no, quite disappointed. I hadn’t seen Allen Blake’s ending yet. He was a character I had briefly identified with.
That’s why I was still rooting for him, and I wanted to see his ending.
‘Please…’
I desperately denied reality. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t connect after seeing the article. But even so, I had to confirm it myself.
Welcome back to Hund_red ^ray@ve%
Login Successful!
There was still this possibility.
‘It connected?’
There was some noise, but it definitely connected. Moreover, the interface displayed was Allen Blake’s. The location was the Hero Academy in Hailen.
‘Did the trial just end?’
It was impossible to check on the character while the trial was being calculated. So I waited for Allen Blake to appear on the screen.
And finally, he appeared. He was still disguised with black hair, as I last saw him.
‘Should I say it’s a relief for now?’
There was still some noise, but I could recognize him as Allen Blake. But the problem was, why could only I connect to Hundred Brave?
‘What should I do?’
— This record is a preserved record before deletion by ?, and its distribution is prohibited —
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