Ch.108The Great First Step

# 108. The Great First Step

My legs hurt, not my eyes or brain.

But what the heck is this situation?

[JoanOfArcIsASaint has invited StubbornBackdoor to the chat.]

[Do you accept the invitation?]

It’s still there even after I close and open my eyes. So I’m not seeing things.

And I can’t dismiss it by hitting the back button, can’t turn off the screen, can’t even force-quit the phone.

Anyone would find this strange.

I tried waiting quietly without doing anything.

[Do you accept the invitation?]

The message prompts me again, as if asking why I’m not accepting quickly.

“Ah.”

I see. So that’s it.

“This is why.”

This is why all the raid members disappeared.

I’ve spent most of my days forcibly reading novels or thinking about these people, so I can’t help but have some intuition about this.

Plus, being someone who reads a lot of fantasy novels and is familiar with games, a scenario quickly forms in my head.

1. The raid leader was pulled into the game for some reason. Setting aside theories about game company conspiracies or connections to another world. This is easy to guess since the raid leader disappeared first, and their nickname popped up in the message.

2. The raid leader is a commander class, so while soloing might be difficult, it shouldn’t be impossible. But since that’s not the situation, they must have met certain conditions to call the raid members one by one. Asking for help.

3. Whether it was random or the raid leader’s will, they disappeared one by one. But considering that other raid groups haven’t had most of their members vanish, the raid leader must have done something special.

I suspect WaterAnswer also disappeared when they received this message while I was in surgery.

4. This “invitation” is a forced choice disguised as an option, and the moment I accept, I’ll also move to the raid leader’s side and be considered missing on Earth. A strange disappearance that people close to me would know about but wouldn’t become a public issue.

Whether this scenario is realistic or not doesn’t matter.

The phenomenon of people suddenly vanishing during a game and this message popping up is already unrealistic.

‘At least they’re all alive. But.’

I’m someone confined to a wheelchair.

‘With legs like these.’

Of course, I don’t have much attachment to reality. No friends, not attending university or working. My aunt and uncle can now fully live their own lives.

The only things I had were games and Veritas.

And both of those are in there.

If my legs weren’t like this, I would have accepted minutes ago.

‘I don’t want to be a burden.’

I don’t want to receive pity from these people too.

I liked being an equal raid member without having to be self-conscious.

The moment my actual body goes there instead of my character StubbornBackdoor, I’ll become a burden and a dependent.

[Do you accept the invitation?]

But the prompting message already fills my phone screen. It reminds me of the raid leader who used to pester me…

– It’s because I want to be with you, Backdoor.

– I want to enjoy things with you, Backdoor.

– You won’t regret joining my raid.

– The final refuge created by those who don’t belong.

– I’m not forcing you.

I wonder if the raid leader knows they’re forcing me now.

[Do you accept the invitation?]

“I’m crippled in the legs, is that okay?”

[Do you accept the invitation?]

“A weak, short patient in her early twenties—can you take responsibility if you just take me away?”

[Do you accept the invitation?]

Maybe WaterAnswer, who disappeared first, told the raid leader about my situation. They don’t seem like a gossip, but as the only person who knows my circumstances, they couldn’t have kept quiet about it…

If they’re still calling me despite knowing, it means they’re calling me anyway, right?

“Right. That’s the kind of person the raid leader is.”

[Do you accept the invitation?]

Even so.

Here’s another fool who doesn’t want to let go of her last hope.

That Veritas… will remain an exception.

“You said we’d enjoy things together but left me behind… so I’m just going to stick to you like glue and be a burden.”

**

[You have glimpsed T’s memory.]

When I opened my eyes, there was a cute, petite woman in her early twenties with gray short hair, wearing a patient gown, looking up at us.

She wasn’t surprised, angry, or embarrassed—just sitting quietly, calmly observing us.

She looked like a doll.

‘Patient gown.’

Perhaps that’s why seeing Backdoor in a patient gown made my heart ache particularly.

I couldn’t say anything due to the numbness, just staring at Backdoor, and it seemed the other raid members felt the same as the reward room fell into silence for a while. But someone took action.

It was Yehyun noona.

“Backdoor! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…!”

Already in tears, noona ran to Backdoor and hugged her tightly. Backdoor, who had maintained her composure, seemed flustered and tried to push Yehyun noona away, but she was too frail.

“WaterAnswer…?”

“Yes! It’s WaterAnswer. How did you know?”

“Just your way of speaking and the feeling.”

Instead, Backdoor was awkwardly patting Yehyun noona.

‘Now’s the time.’

I approached right in front of her, knelt on one knee, and met her gaze.

“Backdoor.”

“R-raid leader.”

“I need to apologize, introduce the raid members, and explain the situation… but first, would you try standing up?”

Backdoor frowned. I quickly added:

“I know your legs are uncomfortable. But I’d like you to try first. I’ll explain everything later. All of it.”

“…Okay. I’ll try.”

“Yehyun noona. Please step aside for a moment.”

“Oh, sure. Backdoor, fighting!”

The other raid members also lowered their bodies. It was to avoid looking down on Backdoor, who needed to gather courage.

Meeting her gaze at a similar height, our eyes conveyed silent encouragement.

“…”

Backdoor pressed her palms against the ground, lips pursed. I could see the veins popping on her small, white hands and her arms trembling from the effort.

Her back, waist, and hips began to move.

“Soyu noona.”

“Yes.”

We didn’t get excited. We knew expectations could turn into disappointment, which could also be hurtful.

Also, we didn’t openly help. I gestured to Soyu noona, who cast a mild Radiance of Salvation, secretly infusing it into Backdoor.

Our encouragement and the Radiance of Salvation had an effect.

“…!”

Backdoor, who had been struggling and trembling, managed to raise her knees and looked at me with a startled expression.

‘You can do it.’

I nodded firmly to convey that meaning.

With both palms and knees on the ground, Backdoor struggled for a while, falling several times when trying to stand. Seeing her limbs trembling and her face and back drenched in sweat broke my heart. Each time, Seyeon or Yehyun noona tried to help, but Yuri and Subin held them back.

‘I know this from seeing the memory, but this is something she needs to accomplish alone.’

She’s a child who’s used to being alone but doesn’t like it. However, standing up and walking on two legs was something she had to do by herself. Only then would it have meaning.

‘This isn’t ordinary rehabilitation.’

Despite falling countless times, Backdoor never let out a groan. She seemed to see possibility unlike her usual rehabilitation, visibly putting in tremendous effort.

After the 17th try and 18th success.

Like a newborn calf standing up, Backdoor managed to stand on her own, albeit unsteadily, and maintain that posture.

Not long after surgery, all by herself.

Backdoor’s wide eyes glistened. She kept blinking rapidly, looking upward as if trying to hold back tears.

Some of us were already crying.

I too swallowed all the emotions welling up inside me and said what I knew Backdoor wanted to hear.

“Come over here.”

“…Okay.”

Backdoor waved her hands around, struggling to maintain balance. For a while, she couldn’t lift her feet. Having just succeeded in standing, she seemed afraid of falling again if she moved.

No hand to hold, no pole to grab.

It must have been a sudden and cruel request for Backdoor, but.

One step.

A distance that seemed like maybe a third of my stride.

Her posture was awkward, her whole body was trembling, and her movement was painfully slow, but.

StubbornBackdoor, truly stubborn, moved 1cm at a time… and finally succeeded in taking her first step on her own.

“Ah…!”

“That’s it!”

Tears were already streaming down Backdoor’s face as she took that great first step. But she was smiling. And that smile showed confidence.

After the first step, the second took half the time. The third took half of that. Her stride gradually widened.

And so, after about seven steps, Backdoor reached me.

“Raid leader. I followed your order to come here.”

“…Well done. Really well done.”

“I have a lot to say too, really a lot.”

Wiping away her tears, Backdoor looked down at her legs, then smiled awkwardly and said:

“First, my name is Arang. Tae Arang.”

Being called Backdoor is a bit… you know.

Someone’s snicker became the trigger, and we all laughed while crying.

And so, with Backdoor—no, Arang’s great steps, Veritas became complete.