First Preliminaries (1)
Heat coursed through my entire body.
The grueling exercise had sent my blood racing madly through my circulatory system, and a sweet, metallic taste filled my mouth.
The one silver lining was that even when my body was drenched in sweat, I never reeked of anything foul.
I wiped my face as if washing it with the water that had risen up to my lower body. Then I gripped the support bars again and walked forward.
If you could even call this walking.
It was a motion so pathetic I’d be embarrassed for anyone to see it. When a person walks, their ankles need to move properly, but for me, even twitching a single toe was a struggle, let alone my ankles. If I went outside in this posture, my feet would just drag along the ground. It would look ridiculously comical, no doubt.
There was this classic game with a memorable scene where you die to a snail—I’d end up walking just like the zombies in that one.
“Haa, ugh! Haaa…….”
“Patient. If it’s too hard, you can take a short break. Overdoing it isn’t good either.”
“Just a little more. I’m fine, so just a little longer.”
“Alright. But make sure you rest properly during the breaks, okay?”
“I understand.”
Fortunately, the therapist didn’t force me to stop. I was grateful for that. This was an opportunity that only came once a week for me.
I already lived like trash on ordinary days—I couldn’t afford to whine even on a day like this. It was the same regret I always had at times like these: I should have exercised more beforehand. To think my stamina was this pathetic. Compared to my days as an athlete, this wasn’t even warm-up level.
Maybe I should have listened to Master’s advice a bit more. Not that I’d ever actually put it into practice.
With a leg that should have been amputated long ago, proper exercise was nearly impossible. What could I even do with a body that couldn’t walk without crutches? And if I got hurt messing around in that cramped room of mine, that would be an even bigger problem.
Besides, once I logged into the game, I could move freely. The less time I spent outside the dive pod, the better—physically and mentally.
“Aaargh!”
“Patient! Are you alright? Should I move you right away?”
“No! I just… made a little mistake. I’m fine.”
“Yes. Then… I’ll support you from behind.”
“Thank you.”
This place was the rehabilitation center of the Sigma Medical Group. It was the Korean branch of a world-class medical corporation, and the place where most of the money I earned went. It was also the only place among all my attempts so far that had shown any progress.
The cutting-edge equipment here carefully regulated even the slightest current of water to care for my body. Even now, a faint electric current was collecting data, and I was floating with only my lower body submerged in the water.
Yes. Here, even I could attempt rehabilitation. It was remarkable progress compared to when I’d first heard the doctor’s opinion. To think I could actually try something!
“Ms. Han Daeun? I have something to tell you regarding the results of your detailed examination.”
“Your condition is difficult to diagnose precisely from a medical standpoint, but looking at the symptoms alone, it includes left-sided hemiplegia and…”
“The test results also indicate problems with the tissues and circulatory system. Incomplete blood circulation could lead to discoloration or necrosis.”
“Regarding the pain and functional decline, we haven’t been able to reach a reliable conclusion.”
The conversation had been so complicated that I couldn’t remember all of it. I hadn’t understood it all anyway. My mind at the time hadn’t been free enough to grasp medical terminology. So more than the doctor’s words, his despairing and helpless expression had stuck in my memory.
In short, my left leg was in a state closer to a general ward’s worth of ailments. It showed symptoms as if I were constantly poisoned by some toxin, and apparently there was no precedent for it. The doctors hadn’t recommended amputation for nothing.
Still, today I had received one hopeful piece of news.
“The results of the detailed examination we conducted last week are in.”
“How is it? Has it improved a little?”
“It has improved, albeit very slightly. First, if you look at this data, the current nervous system is…”
The doctor said it still wasn’t a significant figure, but the fact that it had improved even by a hair’s breadth was what mattered. That alone was enough for me to cling to this stubborn life a little longer.
Even pouring water into a bottomless jar was fine. If I could reclaim my legs again. If I could stand on my own with this body and start over, I would ask for nothing more.
So I would endure this kind of training as much as needed.
…That was how I felt, anyway. I couldn’t actually keep it up for hours on end.
The time allocated for my rehabilitation training was three hours per session. The moment training ended, I was completely spent, and I headed straight to the lounge to collapse. It felt like every ounce of strength had drained from my body. I might as well have been marine debris floating on the ocean.
Unable to so much as lift a finger, I closed my eyes in that languid state.
What woke me was a chill against my cheek.
“We meet again?”
“Uh… e-eh?”
I’d only meant to close my eyes for a moment. Apparently I’d fallen right asleep.
When I opened my eyes, the silhouette of a woman appeared in my blurry vision. Unlike me in my patient gown, she wore something close to formal business attire. A kind face with a fresh, bright smile. She was a beauty with long, light brown hair cascading down.
As if telling me to drink, the woman opened a bottle of cold mineral water and handed it to me.
“Th-thank you?”
“You must have worked hard. You’ve been through a lot this week as well.”
“Well… I have to do at least this much.”
“It’s not an easy thing. Not just for the body, but for the mind too. I know that well myself.”
Ah, I shouldn’t, but… I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward into a grin.
What the woman had handed me was clearly plain mineral water with no additives whatsoever. Just the kind of bottled water you’d buy at a convenience store. And yet the water sliding down my throat was unbearably sweet.
Of course it was—because this woman was the person I admired most.
“Thank you. That really encourages me.”
“I’m glad it helped. I’m sure you’ll get good results. By the way, did you come alone again today? Shall I help you when you leave?”
“I’m fine. Today my Mas… no, an acquaintance brought me. They’ll come pick me up if I wait a little.”
Her name was Lee Ga-yoon. Her nickname was Luce.
A pro gamer belonging to Sigma eSports, she was the undisputed top Paladin player in the domestic league. As befitting the pinnacle of a league, the fandom that followed her was of considerable size. Of course, I myself was included among her many fans.
The reason I’d become a fan of Luce wasn’t simply because of her skill. Korea’s standing in Infinity Black hadn’t been particularly high, after all. The title of domestic best couldn’t earn high evaluation in the international leagues.
But Luce had a story that struck a chord deep in my heart.
If my legs had been cursed, then Luce’s arms had been cursed. From the level of barely being able to twitch a single finger to moving her wrist had taken two years. And another two years after that just to raise a shield even inside the game, they said.
She had started as a despised no-name streamer. Unable to even hold a shield properly, she stubbornly challenged ranked games. In the early days, she was infamous as “a streamer with zero skill who just grinds match after match.”
But Luce never gave up even once. Her skill, which had been wandering the depths, had at some point surpassed ordinary players, and by the time she could handle a shield well, she had advanced to the second-division league.
There was no need to speak of where she stood now. Luce had become the light illuminating the Korean league. A human victory in the truest sense of the word. It was only natural that she had become my role model.
“Well then, I’ll be going. I have something I was working on.”
“Yes! I’ll drink the water well. Thank you.”
That was also why she frequently visited this rehabilitation center. She did volunteer work periodically, or so I’d heard. Even now, she seemed to have been looking after patients nearby and run into me.
Could I… someday wear light like Luce does?
I’d like to play a game with her at least once. I’d received a few commissions to kill Luce so far, but I’d never accepted any of them. I might snatch other streamers’ broadcasts, but I never wanted to snatch hers.
Still, if the chance came, I wanted to face her at least once. I wanted to purely compete in skill. A one-on-one duel with the person I admire—how could my heart not race?
But revealing my nickname was unappealing because Ga-wol’s notoriety was so widespread.
The moment my thoughts reached that far, a certain idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Ah, um! So… will Luce also be participating in this event? The Infinity Arena?”
“Hmm? So Daeun also plays Infinity Black. Yes, I’ll be participating.”
“Is that… so? Then I’ll cheer for you. I’ll make sure to watch the stream too.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my best!”
I could participate in this tournament too, after all. With Luce’s skill, she would definitely climb all the way to the top. In a tournament, the higher you go, the higher the chance of meeting. If luck was on my side… facing Luce was entirely possible.
My heart pounded. For the first time in a long while, it felt like my blood was boiling again.
I stared down the path Luce had taken and tightly clenched the area around my heart.
Should I hurry Master along a little?
I need to get back quickly and finish the preliminaries.