The Will to Stand

"I'm not quite sure what the cause is either."

Before I knew it, I was sitting in a white room. A doctor sat in front of me, and my mother was by my side.

"This is your son's leg."

The doctor was pointing at an MRI scan of my leg. A white skeleton, with muscles and blood vessels intricately woven around it. It was hard for me to tell what was what just by looking, but according to the doctor, there didn't seem to be any problem at all.

"But if that's the case, why can't he stand up?"

"Well..."

The doctor glanced at me, gauging my reaction. He had probably realized it. Just as he said, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my legs.

"It might be a psychological factor. I would highly recommend seeking psychological therapy."

The doctor phrased it diplomatically. I simply kept my head bowed.

Back then, I just... didn't want to run anymore.

I was afraid of running. The anxiety of having to place on the podium ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every time I entered a competition. And the repeated failures to do so. It wasn't that I was completely out of running for a medal. But every single time, I was the athlete who missed out on a podium finish by a hair's breadth. Even when I held onto the hope that I would make it next time, the result was always the same once the race actually began.

Even so, I kept running, looking only ahead. I was exhausted and weary. The outcome of the next competition was as opaque as all the ones before it. There was only the uncertain hope that maybe, just maybe, I would place next time.

That was when I received the proposal to switch to long-distance running. Looking back, it was actually a decent suggestion. But to my past self, it felt different. After receiving the proposal, I finally took a moment to look around me. My family, who held high expectations for me, and an uncertain future. Everything pressed down on me as an immense burden.

To make matters worse, my performance in the first race after switching to long-distance was terrible. The coach told me it was just my first competition, but having already experienced so many failures in short-distance, I couldn't take his words at face value.

I was terrified. I wondered if there was even an end to this path. So, I chose to collapse on my own. Losing all motivation, I initially thought I would just rest for a week. That week quickly turned into a month, and eventually stretched into several months.

— Do you remember now? What kind of person you were?

I remembered. No, in truth, I had never once forgotten. I was a piece of trash who chose to give up whenever I faced an uncertain future.

— So why don't you just give up? Like you always do.

I didn't answer. I just stared at my mother, who was weeping beside me. I felt so incredibly guilty that I couldn't even lift my head.

— Are you ignoring me now? Or have you already given up—

Shut up.

— Huh?

Yeah, I gave up. I was a coward. But that doesn't give me a reason to give up now.

The entity was digging deep into my worst traumas. But it was misunderstanding something. It didn't understand the real reason why those memories remained as traumas for me.

I always regretted it. Regretted not standing up. What would have happened if I had stood up back then? I was so curious about that, it drove me crazy day after day.

I picked up my smartphone, ignored the messages, and unlocked it. On the screen, the game Hundred Braves was running. Alan was sitting collapsed in the desert, facing a pack of wolves.

To me, raising Alan... was a form of proof. Because no matter how you looked at him, it was highly uncertain whether Alan could ever become a hero. I wanted to see how far he could go if he just didn't give up. I was curious.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

— (...)

As if displeased by my words, the entity silently shifted the scenery once again. This time, I was on a road.

If I hadn't given up on standing up back then. If I had at least tried... could I have become something? I wanted to see that through Alan.

The blare of a car horn. A chilling sensation washed over me, and I looked in that direction. This situation, too, was vividly etched into my memory.

Because I had already reached a point where I could no longer stand.

A sedan that had run a red light was speeding toward me in my wheelchair. And back then, I had a foolish, fleeting thought. If I get hit by this car... I won't have to run anymore, right? And because of that hesitation, I missed my window to move.

That was the day I lost my legs completely. I lost even the ability to try standing up again. What would have happened if I hadn't given up on standing? The means to prove that myself had vanished forever.

So, I have to prove it.

Through Alan Flake. That was the only way my foolish self could stubbornly cling to.

— I thought you would give up easily. It seems I misunderstood.

The car was approaching at high speed. There was no time to hesitate. Nor was there any reason to.

Just standing up...

I channeled strength into my legs. Weakened from years of sitting, they refused to listen to me properly. But it didn't matter. Even if I couldn't run, even if I couldn't walk. Just standing up was enough.

Thinking about it now, it's such a simple thing.

Though I was once a pathetic human who couldn't even manage something so simple, I couldn't repeat that mistake.

I pushed myself out of the wheelchair and stood up. The sound of the car brushing past and smashing the wheelchair to pieces echoed behind me. Along with that sound, the space itself began to shatter.

Get up, you idiot!

I was finally back. It felt as if I had just woken from a long dream. I didn't even need Absolute Obedience. Alan's body still had enough physical strength left to stand, and in the end, the only thing that mattered was my own will.

I immediately stood up. Reaching out, I pulled a sword from my inventory and gripped it. It was the holy relic I had borrowed from Gwen.

I swung the sword, slashing across a wolf's face. I could have thrust to ensure a kill, but I chose not to. I wouldn't be able to handle all of them that way.

I don't need to defeat them all. Driving them away is the priority.

In this urgent situation, my mind operated with cold precision. Even if my body was burning hot, my head had to remain cool. I had to fight like a character, but think like a player. And one way to do that was to utilize the holy relic.

I gripped the sword in a reverse hold and raised it high. Then, I whispered.

Gravitus Replicant...!

The moment I spoke the sword's name, I felt it. The Stigma on my forearm was resonating with the blade. It seemed the activation was a success. Now, all that was left was to trigger the sword's effect.

Release the weight. To the maximum.

At that instant, I saw the space around the blade warp slightly. I could no longer hold the sword up. The blade plunged down into the desert sand.

Boom!

A thunderous roar erupted. Immediately after, a massive shockwave began to ripple outward. Sand erupted in all directions like a fountain. Unable to withstand the impact myself, I barely held onto the hilt, struggling to stay upright.

"Ugh!"

The residual echoes of the explosion reverberated through the soaring plumes of sand. Amidst the chaos, the whimpering of the wolves echoed. They sounded utterly terrified.

Yeah, if you get the message, run.

As the thick clouds of sand gradually settled, I was able to assess my surroundings. A massive, hemispherical crater had been carved into the sandy ground. The wolves had already fled, leaving nothing behind.

"Haa..."

I gasped for breath and fell to my knees.

Let's rest for just a moment.

It had been a brief clash, but because my stamina was already depleted, it had taken a heavy toll. Ultimately, I chose to sit down and rest. Sitting on the ground, I raised my head and stared at the distant hill.

Have I crossed about a hundred hills by now...?

If so, the hill before me would be the 101st. After crossing a hundred hills, I had been about to give up on the 101st without even trying. I had set my own limits without even making an attempt.

Even though I don't even know what lies beyond it.

I would go. As far as my physical strength would carry me. There was no reason to fear a limit that hadn't even arrived yet.

More importantly...

I looked down at the sword in my hand.

Item Info.

With that thought, the information about the sword materialized before my eyes.

Its performance is certainly the real deal.

Initially, I had chosen it simply because adjusting its weight meant I could use it for a long time—from now, when my strength was lacking, to later, when I had built up my stats. Of course, since gravity manipulation wasn't limited to just making the sword lighter or heavier, I figured there would be other ways to utilize it, but... I hadn't expected it to be this powerful.

A "fraction" of its power is already this much?

And this was only a 2-star holy relic. Although using it like this would undoubtedly damage the blade on anything other than soft sand, the sheer power it had just displayed was incredible. I couldn't even begin to imagine the might of the original Gravitus, which could control gravity not just on the blade itself, but within a certain radius around it.

So this is a holy relic...

I realized that the in-game lore—which claimed a hero with a Stigma compatible with a 4-star holy relic could split a mountain in half—was not an exaggeration. It was a shame, really, that this relic wasn't mine to keep. Once the Trial was over, I would have to return it to Gwen. I certainly didn't want to end up like those bandits we encountered on the way.

Suddenly, the image of Gwen coldly vaporizing the blood on her sword came to mind.

But first, I need to finish the Trial.

I still didn't know where the desert ended. In fact, I didn't even know if it had an end. It might not even have one. But one thing was certain: I would not give up on this Trial.

Shall we set off again?

It was at that moment. The surroundings suddenly grew dark.

Huh?

I looked up at the sky. A single drop of water fell onto my upturned face. Just as I wondered if I was imagining things, more droplets began to fall, one after another.

It's rain!

I pulled a water bottle from my inventory. Thirst was going to be an issue if I kept walking, so this was perfect timing.

But how am I supposed to collect the water?

I needed something to use as a funnel. As I was looking around, another thought struck me.

Isn't it raining a bit too hard?

The rain began to pour down as if the heavens had opened up. To my bewilderment, the rainwater began to pool on the ground. The water rose in an instant, as if the desert sand had never existed in the first place. Panicking, I tried to scramble up the sand dune, but the rising water swallowed me whole in a matter of seconds.

A sensation of being dragged downward. It was exactly the same feeling I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had when I plunged into the Lake to begin the Trial. After sinking for what felt like an eternity... I broke through to the other side of the water's surface.

"Gasp, pant..."

I couldn't make head or tail of the situation. I was simply overwhelmed by the sight of the colossal tree that stood before me.

"What in the world..."

Emerging from the water, what greeted my eyes was a tree so massive that calling it a "giant tree" felt like an understatement. To compare it to something in the real world, you would have to bring in something like the Lotte World Tower.

"What is this..."

The moment I muttered those words, a voice spoke.

— Calling me "this." Could you address me properly?

It was a voice that felt strangely familiar.

— First of all, congratulations. You have passed the Trial.