Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 170

Sometimes… I dream.

I was wandering the streets alone.

It wasn’t Korea, or specifically, the streets of Seoul. It was a place with unfamiliar architecture, filled with people I’d never seen before.

Some who made eye contact with me smiled and greeted me as if they knew me. I was sure I didn’t remember them, but I reciprocated their greetings as if it was all too familiar.

Even though it was a different world, seeing this vibrant place made me smile.

The woman dreaming realized one thing in her dream. I absolutely… know this place.

Before I knew it, the scenery had dramatically changed.

Looking up, I saw a red sky.

Beyond the horizon of the setting sun, it looked like it was painted with blood-red paint, an ominous sight that seemed ready to splash blood upon the sky. A cursed sky, riddled with evil.

And… in the middle of a hell where everyone was dying…

“Ker-choke! Ugh!”

There was a woman in armor, struggling to control her soaked and heavy body like a wet rag while holding a sword.

Her long flowing black hair, and the armor and cloak that seemed forged from clear darkness as dark as black pearls.

Above all, she shone brilliantly, yet suffered in pain because she couldn’t prevent catastrophe… such a pitiful existence.

Ah, the one who has failed.

In a world turned to wasteland, something approached before her.

It was a darkness different from the clear dark before her, filled with decay and corruption that absorbed and tainted everything.

Like twin siblings who looked alike but had vastly different dispositions, the two entities faced each other.

As the woman, who firmly planted the sacred black sword, seemed to sense something, she slightly turned her head.

Her face appeared beyond her beautifully grown black hair.

That face was…

*

*

*

“Gah!”

With wide eyes, Eun-ha gasped and sat up, exhaling harshly.

Already drenched in cold sweat, goosebumps crawled all over her body.

Actually, it wasn’t just the condition that was bad, but there was something worse.

“Ah, what’s going on? I feel like I saw something.”

I definitely felt like I’d seen something significant, but it was as if a piece of film had been cut out in the middle, leaving behind a blank mosaic space.

Nothing’s more irritating than remembering something important in life only to forget it suddenly.

After falling into a ridiculous situation, Eun-ha’s brows were furrowed with frustration.

Concentrating, she rummaged through her memories for traces of the dream.

The only thing she could recall was the sword she was wielding in that crimson world…

“I think I dreamed about something involving swordplay.”

Maybe it’s because she played Soul Warfare too much. After all, it had been years. It’s not too surprising to dream about such things.

They say dreams are originally reflections of reality, right? Wielding weapons in a virtual reality intermittently, it seems only natural to have dreams like this.

The only problem was…

“It seems like I’ve been having these dreams frequently lately.”

Though the scenes were different each time, such blurry dreams had started surfacing unexpectedly often. Could it be since the brawl tournament, or after meeting my sister?

At first, I thought it was just another absurd dream and ignored it, but now I felt like I might need to seek mental counseling.

“Ugh. I have a busy day today without this hassle.”

Eun-ha got up from bed and gradually stretched her body. Feeling invigorated, she set out to start another day.

An empty room with no owner could only hold Eun-ha’s shadow.

* * *

“Views are skyrocketing, it’s astonishing. Oh, want some of this?”

“Uh-huh.”

Handing over a perfectly broken ice cream bar, Ah-jin reviewed the statistics she’d prepared again.

The growth trajectory rivals the soaring price of coins back in the day; it’s downright awe-inspiring.

What if a person’s body grew like these metrics? Well, I guess we’d have to worry about growth pains, broken bones, or joints going out of alignment.

“Editing seems fine. By dinner, I can magnificently process the fight against whatever it was and upload it. Umm… since this week is still plentiful, how about focusing on Soul Warfare?”

“I think that’s fine too. I mean, talking about the Demon King and all is just between us. From the viewers’ perspective, my sister is the top-ranking player who schooled those hackers anyway.”

Dah-young, who agreed with Ah-jin’s opinion, leaned back comfortably in her chair, seemingly savoring the precarious balance of her chair set to her weight.

“Having suffered because of those hackers, how refreshing is it that my sister took them down? She indirectly avenged those who suffered at their hands. Even if she’s usually pessimistic and itching to kill, she can’t resist this plot. Naturally, she’ll be the center of attention.”

“So you’re saying her status has grown to that of a hero in the game?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

It was quite interesting and… a thrilling bait.

Until now, she had received a lot of admiring looks and treatment, but it was always in the context of being a remarkable player. This time was different, Dah-young and Ah-jin both asserted.

Meanwhile, Ji-hye, who had been quietly listening, raised a curious question.

“Is virtual reality that intense? Back in the PC days, I don’t remember it being like what Dah-young said. Everyone was telling us to stop overhyping it, right?”

“It’s different from then. Virtual reality is a strange thing; users’ immersion levels are more intense than in PC games. Even those just watching the broadcasts feel it. Since it’s a space you experience directly rather than just through a monitor, the temperature of engagement is different compared to PC games. So, it makes it particularly easy to create a buzz. Moreover….”

Dah-young corrected her posture and gestured towards me, her expression indicating disbelief.

“Look at Se-hee unnie. With goddess-level looks, an i-cup chest, plus she’s skilled at gaming. If it’s virtual reality, it ends up being an avatar that perfectly mimics Se-hee unnie’s appearance. Who wouldn’t want that? Se-hee unnie embodies everyone’s ideal type. Just wait. With this opportunity of avenging those hackers, she’s got a reason, and there’s already a flood of sponsorship offers coming in—for sure, Trom Games, the makers of Soul Warfare, might jump in too.”

“Fascinating. With that level of appeal, shouldn’t she become a professional gamer? Sure, streamers make more money, but being a pro gamer would raise her profile enormously. She could put in a solid year and retire to just streaming afterward.”

“She doesn’t want that. She hates being tied down or belonging to any organization. Well, I can understand that choice.”

“Our Se-hee has quite the free spirit, huh?”

“Aren’t we perhaps talking too much about the person in question?”

What is this, a beauty contest? And what’s with the i-cup talk? I never told anyone!

Ah, did she perhaps hear it from Bbaebba? She’s not even seen my underwear, yet she’s nailing the size perfectly.

What kind of life has she lived to be able to gauge someone else’s bra size so accurately?

“Why, why are you like this? Lady Bit-chiseohee?”

“No, I was just contemplating where to keep you.”

“Pe?”

Inside the house, Bbaebba seemed particularly restless about just cosplaying dolls, refusing to return home after coming back with Dah-young.

Dah-young’s mother was released from the hospital, so the days of freely roaming the house like in spring were over, prompting Bbaebba to search for a different hiding place for secrecy.

“Dah-young will move into Room 504 this weekend. After all, since your mother is here, it wouldn’t work to keep it inside the house. We’ll have to put it somewhere else.”

“Ugh. Sorry, unnie. On the day mom got out, this guy almost caused a scene and nearly got us caught….”

“It’s fine. Now, what should we do? Should I just make a doghouse on the roof and have you stay there?”

“I-I’ll stay quietly. Please don’t abandon me, Lady Bit-chiseohee. We’re still family.”

Bbaebba hopped up in protest. Even after undergoing brain surgery to rewrite memories—a so-called light operation—her antics couldn’t be entirely subdued, but….

What could be done? In the end, we were all part of the same Hero family, so I couldn’t just abandon her. As a hero, my pride wouldn’t allow it.

“I’m just kidding. You’ll need to stay in another room, you know.”

Even if it’s a frog, they’re still going to be young women at their prime. It makes sense they’d be sensitive about sharing a space.

Just then—

“I’ll take Bbaebba with me.”

“Pe?”

At those words from Yoori, who entered while holding a glass of lemonade, Bbaebba froze like ice.

Hold on, it was unexpected for Yoori to say something like that.

“Are you sure? Bbaebba’s just a machine for eating and pooping, so it’s tough to live with.”

She’s neither laid-back like Ji-hye nor can keep an eye on them like Ah-jin does.

Yoori was just… a little fledgling who needed nurturing.

Aren’t I needlessly worrying about the trouble from Bbaebba’s antics?

Yet, despite my concerns, Yoori smiled brightly.

“Yes. Just leave Bbaebba to me.”

Such assertiveness.

The kind of high school girl self-assured that she’s ready and capable of handling it.

Feeling oddly proud, my hand subconsciously stroked Yoori’s hair.

As she closed her eyes and enjoyed my touch, just then, her eyes opened wide, glimmering with radiance.

“I’ll make sure to take good care of Bbaebba. Trust me, okay, unni?”

“No, Y- Yoori! What kind of nonsense are you saying…!”

With that holy resolve, we clasped Yoori’s hands together.

“Thank you. If it gets too difficult, don’t hesitate to tell us right away. We’ll help you.”

“You hit the nail on the head. Very well said.”

“Please, may this unfortunate, innocent, and kind child navigate this situation well….”

Ji-hye’s prayer met with Bbaebba’s energetic protest.

“Hold on! How could that ruthless, quick-witted, and sinister person be Yoori? What kind of divine empire rhetoric are you spewing here! Ugh!”

—Bang!

With a sudden clash, Bbaebba’s skull suffered a ‘V’ shape, and once again, an ordinary peaceful day continued.