NOVEL NEXT Chapter 682
Three siblings’ mother, An Ji-a.
The moment her world began to collapse was a very small instant.
Clang-!
At first, it was just a stiff sensation in her fingertips.
Was it because she’d held a cleaning brush for too long, or had she slept in a bad position?
However, as time passed, that sensation didn’t fade away; rather, it gradually spread to other parts of her body.
One finger that had moved well yesterday wouldn’t budge today.
At first, there was fear, then despair.
Finally, numbness.
A horrific future awaited where even this numbness would eventually disappear.
Nevertheless, her mind was harshly clear.
Thoughts of the children left behind began to surface.
Her three children, especially the youngest, were still so young.
She had promised her beloved husband that no matter what happened, she would take care of the children until the end.
An Ji-a could not stop herself from sinking deeper into darkness.
Maybe humans were hopeless creatures, instinctively sensing the end was near while standing on the brink of death.
Even until the moment she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with regret and pain.
But then.
[You should definitely get a medical capsule for home without skimping on expenses.]
[And it would be better for you to practice moving in virtual reality as well.]
Seo Yu-na’s mother, An Ji-a, was saved from hell.
After a week, she was discharged from the hospital and returned to her old, shabby yet dearly missed home.
[Symmetric key transmission: Protocol ARIA]
A semi-permanent Reflex Devise was active on her left arm.
Everything followed the words of the mysterious girl.
After a month, she could freely move her shoulders,
and after half a year, she was able to transfer herself to a wheelchair.
Then came a year.
“Oooh, oooh? Hey kids, look! Mom can walk well, right?”
“Uhh… Mom!”
It took time until she could walk on her own without any machine support.
Thanks to the brutal rehabilitation program in virtual reality.
Having lost her precious daily life three times, An Ji-a felt differently.
“Can’t you throw that away already? What are you doing, you old folks?”
Even when parents of the academy staged a protest to transfer Na-me, she couldn’t hide her anger and fought back.
“What’s your problem? Safety is important, but we must consider our kids’ education first!”
However, An Ji-a was powerless.
She had been expelled after receiving an academic warning in her third year of high school, leaving her with a final education level of middle school.
A full-time housewife, essentially unemployed.
Even her Aura Heart couldn’t function properly due to an accident, leaving her without physical strength to fight back.
“Mom… Na-me is dropping out of the academy… Waaaa…”
“Yu-na…”
“Na-me isn’t that kind of kid… Waaaah. What if Na-me starts to hate us and never talks to us again later…!”
When her youngest daughter was sobbing in her arms, An Ji-a’s heart ached as if it would break.
She wondered if things would have changed if she’d had strength.
But time in the world mercilessly continued to flow.
Seo Yu-na stubbornly completed her third year and was promoted to the fourth.
The silver lining was that through the eldest Seo Maru, who had become a V-tube editor, she could often hear updates about Na-me.
One day, while helping her youngest daughter with academy homework.
“That factoring is wrong. Good job, my daughter.”
“Hey, mom seems surprisingly smart.”
“Surprisingly? Look at you. I passed down my brain to you.”
“Really? Mom can’t be that good. Ack!”
How annoying it was that she sounded just like her old self.
An Ji-a playfully gave her adorable daughter a light punch.
“You’ve never ranked first at the academy, right? But I have.”
“No way? That’s… a lie!”
Seo Yu-na was genuinely shocked.
If that were true, there was no reason for their family to be struggling.
“After my Aura Heart was injured, I couldn’t use magic or aura well, that’s why.”
Thirty years ago, after the Middle East War, the method for producing synthetic drugs infiltrated Korea.
A method to create a substance with effects identical to actual drugs using Reflex Devices and Magic Stones.
The government hurriedly banned the protocol, but within that week, the drugs manufactured already amounted to millions of doses.
An Ji-a was also a victim of those drugs.
If only she hadn’t visited that place that day, would her life have changed significantly?
“Mom, why?”
“It’s nothing. Once you finish your homework, would you like to bake cookies with me?”
“Sure! But there’s a lot to do, so you need to help me out the whole time.”
An Ji-a ruffled Yu-na’s hair.
If that had been the case, she would never have met her beloved son and daughter forever.
*
Time passed, and the Dream Capsule was released into the world.
An Ji-a was just as shocked to see the Alchemist’s mirror.
Her husband’s face, which she hadn’t seen for ten years, looked incredibly youthful.
“I used to tease you a lot about your looks… Now you seem to have become much better looking.”
With the update of the Dreaming Mode version, she could turn off the mirror’s display, but she never used it.
There was no reason to ignore the sight of her beloved family reflected in the mirror every morning.
Sometimes when all five family members appeared in the mirror, she bizarrely felt that the day would go smoothly.
That evening was no different.
While cooking sirloin, her portable torch suddenly stopped working during the searing process.
“Yu-na! Come here and put some mana into the torch!”
Sometimes, cheap magic tools would have these glitches.
But if you add aura as a catalyst, they would quickly start functioning normally again.
“Okay!”
Seo Yu-na dashed out of the room as if it were familiar.
It was just a little effort for her mother, who couldn’t handle auras at all.
“What more can I help you with this time, Mom?”
Whoosh-
The torch ignited.
“Oops.”
“Hmm? Isn’t that a mana torch, Mom? What did you do?”
“Uh, yeah… but why…”
An Ji-a was unaware of the change occurring in her own body.
That her Aura Heart, which had been broken for 30 years, was beginning to function properly.
*
[Hello, I’m An Ji-a, a mother of three and a homemaker with 23 years of experience.
First of all, I really want to share this story.
The reason I’m participating in this World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament is that I received great help from NoName Wizard twice.
Until a few years ago, I was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, but thanks to NoName’s help, I was able to save my life.
And recently again, thanks to the Dreaming Mode created by NoName Wizard, I was treated for my Aura Heart dysfunction that I had carried for 30 years, allowing me to handle the aura I had dreamed of once again.
During my rehabilitation, I really enjoyed the Wagal game.
Today, I attempted to recreate the ‘Raging Thunder Strike,’ a move often used by strikers in that game.
The results may not have been exactly what I hoped for, but I sincerely prepared, so I would appreciate it if you could look upon it favorably.
Just being able to challenge this again makes me truly happy. Thank you.]
The support video made hearts heavy.
“Wow… I never imagined you’d be this capable…”
The last time she met Yu-na’s mother was during the Lunar New Year holiday, when they all went to the water park together.
‘At that time, Yu-na didn’t mention anything special about her mother.’
So, had such power emerged just two months after her Aura Heart had recovered?
– What the hell, does this even make sense?????
– Aura Heart dysfunction for 30 years + Multiple Sclerosis patient >>> Most of the No-nobles
– Isn’t this totally a scam?
– She was not a magic user but couldn’t even use aura,
– PMAAS training method ← I’m really curious about how this works.
“Anyway, it’s not a scam. She’s my friend’s mother. Even when she operated the treatment Reflex Device before, she always received help from others.”
The viewers were unaware that Yu-na’s mother had attended the elite Nahit Academy in the past.
It felt a bit awkward for me to explain that here now.
“Due to possible fairness controversies, I’ll follow only Yeondam Seung’s decision.”
“Oh, NoName Wizard, why are you talking to me?”
“I thought the monk’s judgment would be the most accurate.”
[‘Barcode’ donated 5,000 won!]
– A homemaker with only three months of experience shattering rocks with gloves from the first day? Ohhh shtㅋㅋㅋ*
– The impact at the end is insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– I’m going to send my mom to do this immediately
└ Rebel ON ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Mom, wait! I’m gonna get you to try this…!
– Does this even make sense… Wow… wowㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Honestly, she’s got to pass. Na-me must have intentionally arranged it so that there wouldn’t be a controversy.
└ This isn’t some ridiculous situation unless you’re blind. Everyone knows her skills are overwhelming.
└ Are you making fun of the visually impaired?
└ There are no visually impaired people. Get treatment if you’re like that.
– Isn’t that the elementary school guest who appeared some time ago? What was her name?ㅋㅋㅋ
└ It was Seo Yu-na.
└ Rightㅋㅋㅋ That was when I went to see NV.
└ She must have grown a lot; isn’t she around the same age as Na-me?
“If this were a competition to choose the strongest fighter, my evaluation would be different.”
Yeondam Seung quietly spoke up.
“What do you mean?”
“The reason is simple. The physical limitations are far too clear.”
“True. In terms of age and experience.”
“However, as NoName Wizard has stipulated in the evaluation criteria, the focus of this tournament is not on physical perfection but rather on the noble awe-inspiring skills.”
“Yes.”
Yeondam nodded. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
“I do not know this person’s life story well, but everything – encapsulated in that one moment of movement.
The weight of a life built over decades.
The will that never gave up even in the collapsing despair.
And the indomitable spirit that sought to surpass oneself.
Her sincerity and spirit, which transcended mere techniques, are things that no one could replicate.”
“Therefore, I respectfully acknowledge this person’s skill and decide to pass her.”
A moment of silence fell, and the monk closed his eyes and slowly bowed his head.
Thump-thump-thump-
The sound of the wooden percussion resonated gently.
I began to grasp Yeondam Seung’s criteria.
To walk one’s own path, to realize inner truths, and ultimately transcend pain.
That is Nirvana.
‘This would make selecting a successful candidate even more challenging.’
How many more like Yu-na’s mother exist in the world?
It seemed I had unintentionally raised the bench.
*
A few days later.
I found a suitable rock and swung my fist with all my might.
BBAAAAAAAAM-!
Exploding aura, shattering rocks.
Hundreds, thousands of fragments scattered in all directions.
Phew… recently, the number of people applying with similar repertoires has increased significantly.
I dusted my hands and squatted on the ground in a lazy posture.
“The first successful candidate was accepted for their high technical completeness even though their power was weak. So from now on, don’t even think about applying if you can’t break at least this much. Alright? The fragments will block the view of your stances. And don’t send sad stories! That won’t make me accept you!”