Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 1

Upon opening my eyes, a strange ceiling greeted me.

Perhaps… this is my ‘home.’

The first impression upon returning from my hometown wasn’t one of emotion or some unprecedented warmth.

Strangely enough, it was awe at the lofty ceiling that caught my attention as I regained my senses.

Turning my head, the scenery of the room came into view.

‘What a nice room.’

Modern yet vintage, items of mismatched properties were arranged to maintain balance in the space.

Lying flat, I stretched my arms upward.

Beginning from my outstretched hand, I could see the Hero’s Equipment that enveloped my body.

And the sensation of the Holy Sword grasped tightly in my hand.

It seemed that the Hero’s Equipment had followed me to this world as the goddess claimed it would.

“Ugh!”

As I stretched, my entire body tingled pleasantly, every nerve awakening.

How long had it been since I had truly woken up…?

My mind, fortified since the moment I awakened as a hero, was now filled with fresh vigor, regardless of that fact.

Brushing off my seat, I approached the window and pushed aside the curtains.

“…I really am back.”

The familiar view of tall buildings.

Digital billboards and the throngs of people walking in the streets.

What emotion should I feel at times like this?

The protagonists of web novels I had read in the past often shed tears over their lingering feelings for another world, anger, or sadness…

Or they wept with emotion at the sight of their hometown upon returning.

I wasn’t sure if it was that I had become emotionally desensitized or if my mind had simply become stronger.

Turning my gaze back to the room, I noticed a smartphone, a wallet, and some documents placed on the table.

Opening the wallet first, I checked for 500,000 won in cash, a debit card from T Bank, and my ID.

The photo on the ID displayed a familiar face, a woman with blonde hair and turquoise eyes.

Let’s see, the name is…

‘Jisehee.’

130101-4XXXXXX

Gangnam District, Seoul, XXX road.

After confirming my birth details, I couldn’t help but chuckle. They really nailed it by pairing this appearance with a Korean name.

The documents confirmed that I was the owner of this building.

The smartphone had no security lock set up. Checking the calendar, it was now January 3, 2035.

Under the name Jisehee, I had just turned 22.

Looking at the banking app on my smartphone, I saw the enormous wealth accumulated as the goddess had informed me.

I wouldn’t have to worry about money for the rest of my life.

Maybe that’s why.

With so many things buried in my heart, I wanted to tie this one matter up before anything else.

* * *

Setting aside the Hero’s Equipment and Holy Sword in a corner of the room, vowing to organize them later…

The first thing I did was take a shower.

I hadn’t had the chance to wash up properly while smashing demon skulls in another world.

Of course, I hadn’t been filthy. The blessings of a hero helped maintain cleanliness.

—Swoosh!

Yes, this sensation; I missed this experience so much.

As I embraced the warm water, I swallowed the rising emotions surging from within.

A trivial action, but it could stir great emotion in people, depending on who they were.

After finishing my shower, I opened my closet and gratefully found that there were no overly feminine —like extremely girly— clothes.

The women’s underwear… was nothing I had any issues with. It wasn’t like I was showing anything, and I had worn similar things in the other world.

Being flustered over this wasn’t exactly right, given how resilient my mental state had become as a hero.

I found an appropriate black suit, slipped it on, and got myself ready to head outside.

The reason for my black attire was simply because I was going to a place not suited for flaunting.

As I stepped outside and looked up, the blue sky welcomed me.

After bashing demons in hell, it had been a long time since I’d seen such a clear blue sky and a dazzling sun.

“It’s bright.”

Being January, the start of a new year, the bright sunlight playfully poked at my eyes under a cloudless sky.

Maybe I should have brought sunglasses, I thought, feeling a small twinge of regret as I quickened my steps.

“It’s still here.”

After an hour’s taxi ride, I arrived at XX City Memorial Park.

Though 13 years had passed, it remained unchanged.

Following the memories of old, I arrived at the columbarium.

There…

“Thank goodness.”

My parents’ spots were well kept.

They had passed away in an accident two years before I was summoned to another world.

Was it because there were no relatives to take care of them?

The artificial flowers adorning their sites had long since faded under the weight of time.

“…….”

Seeing the neatly arranged photos of my parents left me tongue-tied, an emotion I hadn’t felt even upon my return washed over me.

As a hero, I had witnessed countless innocent souls meet untimely deaths.

I’d shed rivers of tears over the grief and frustration I felt in those moments.

Yet, it wasn’t the tears that were falling now, but my heart was clenched tightly… it was more painful than ever.

“I’m back. Father, Mother. How have you been?”

Swallowing my repressed emotions, I managed to greet them.

“Must be an unusual sight for you. So much has happened since then… Well, I’ve become a hero. I saved the world, came back proudly to Korea, and made a lot of money too.”

I shared the pride of being the child of my parents turned hero with them, skipping the hardships of the journey.

Having won shining victories…

Accomplished great feats…

Saved so many lives…

Though it had taken me a struggle to find my first words, once the dam broke, the words flowed easily.

“I will live well from now on. I’ve faced all the hardships I needed to. Now I just want some peace….”

Gently caressing the glass wall that separated me from my parents’ photo, I spoke with a tender smile.

“I’ll make sure to be happy. Please watch over me.”

Stepping back slightly, I said my farewells again.

“I’ll take my leave now, Father, Mother. I’ll visit often.”

Leaving the columbarium, I consulted at the administration office about how to manage my parents’ remains and arranged for new decorative artificial flowers.

If Father and Mother were still alive today, what would they have thought upon seeing me, who had changed so much?

Well, even with all the chaos of the past years, wouldn’t they have accepted me?

A son returning after ten years, now turned into a daughter… what can you do?

I’m still a proud child, right?

Stepping outside the building, the sun greeted me with dazzling light.

That bright light that had felt like it was playfully biting my eyes when I first stepped out now felt slightly different.

Was it a celebration of the fact that I had tidied up everything?

That light was as bright and radiant as my hair.

* * *

As the door opened, the unique voice of the electronic mat greeted me with “Welcome.”

An employee, who had been watching game streaming on the Switch channel, quickly got up from their chair.

“Welcome…”

With a casual smile, they raised their head, but time froze at the sight of the customer entering.

‘Holy hell, what the actual fuck. So damn pretty.’

With waist-length shimmering blonde hair and blue eyes, it was the epitome of a golden-haired beauty.

Her calm yet slightly cold expression struck a delicate balance that was exceptionally remarkable.

Dressed in a crisp suit.

Despite the restrictive attire, her figure subtly and consistently asserted itself.

Had I ever assessed someone with such speed in my 23 years of life?

The part-time worker, boasting sure reflexes in life’s craziness, tilted their head in confusion.

Hadn’t worked here for almost a year, and even among the workers in the area, none had looked like her.

Was she a new resident nearby? Or just a passerby who popped in for a moment?

‘Is she mixed?’

I’d seen plenty of Western model beauties online before, but somehow, there was something different about this one’s countenance.

If someone were to look that dolled up, I guess they’d look like her in reality?

Lost in the circle of questions, the employee shook their head and shook off the thoughts.

What’s the use of this daydreaming? I’d rather have a drink with her.

“That’ll be your total.”

She stepped to the counter with several cans of drinks and snacks, and I hurried to assist with the checkout.

“I’ll need to see your ID.”

“Sure.”

My body trembled a little at her truly remarkable voice. Was this the famous eargasm everyone raved about?

This customer simply handed over her ID, yet I felt a small thrill inside.

The rule that pretty faces come with pretty voices was certainly on display here.

When I caught a glance at the ID confirming her age, I was shocked to find her name was something Korean.

‘Jise… what was it? Jise-yon? Jise-eun?’

I was busy dwelling on her name when I felt like a total loser, quickly getting back to the checkout.

“All together, that’s 15,800 won.”

“Here you go.”

Should I have asked to take a selfie or something? In the end, I forced back the desire bubbling up inside.

‘Shit, I should have just taken a selfie and asked for her number.’

Watching her walk away with her items, I felt an incredible sense of regret.

I had a feeling I’d be losing sleep over this for quite a while.

* * *

As I stepped out of the convenience store, a small smile escaped me. She probably thought I was subtly checking her out.

As a hero, sensing such a gaze was like catching something obvious head-on.

Out of caution, I had gone to grab dinner somewhere not too close to home.

Guess I should be more careful about visiting that convenience store again.

“Wow! Mom! That lady has a watermelon stuffed in her blouse!”

“Shhh, don’t say that out loud, our princess.”

“Hiii, why? She’s really pretty…”

The passing mother and daughter, as well as the group of middle-aged women quietly whispering…

“Mom, I haven’t seen such a pretty face in a long time,” one remarked.

“Just look at her clothes; she must work at a foreign company or something.”

The furtive, curious glances that were not so subtle…

When I got home, I dumped the stuff I bought in the fridge haphazardly and plopped down on the sofa.

Trying to brush off those hidden stares still lingering at my face, even if seeing my face doesn’t cost anything…

My unnecessarily sharp senses told me that the feelings behind those staring gazes were not just simple admiration or goodwill.

“It’s been like this even without using the Hero’s Power.”

If life continued this way, I wondered if it would be a bit tiring but, well…

‘Why does it feel so good?’

Was I always someone who enjoyed such attention, or had I changed after receiving the goddess’s excessive blessings and protection?

Chuckling at my own thoughts, I let out a small laugh.

It was the fifth day since I had returned to Earth.

It’s said that ten years can change a landscape, so I needed to learn how the world had shifted in my absence.

For the last few days, I’d been wandering the streets and surfing the internet on my smartphone in an endless loop.

This was my way of trying to acclimate to society.

To cut to the chase, there were groundbreaking changes in the world that were almost incomprehensible.

It was none other than…

‘Virtual Reality.’

Indeed.

Unlike when VR games had just begun to emerge, the world had transformed.

In the past three years, virtual reality had taken the world by storm.

‘When I return, there are bound to be amazing things waiting for me.’

Could this be what the goddess was talking about? It surely left an impact.

Existing games like “Legendary Duel” that I’d once enjoyed had been displaced from the mainstream by new titles based on virtual reality.

Not just in game share, but even in e-sports climbing out of the mainstream.

Of course, PC bangs were still alive and well, and plenty of users still enjoyed traditional PC games due to the practicalities of VR device pricing.

However, it seemed virtual reality was rapidly replacing various programs like existing PC games, music, video, and broadcasting.

I opened the Switch app, still reigning as a behemoth alongside YouTube in the realm of game streaming.

Among the sorted game channels in the app, a title boasting a corporate-level following caught my eye.

Currently, the most popular game in virtual reality…

‘Soul Warfare.’

The promotional video playing in the preview.

A cursed knight overcoming the malevolent spirits, collecting souls in their wake.

In this dark yet grand medieval fantasy world, I felt an unexpected sense of familiarity.

“The graphics are truly impressive.”

It is indeed virtual reality, after all.

The graphics were so detailed and life-like that they made the cinematic of “Stellar Craft 2: Legacy of the Void” seem laughable.

“…….”

As I sat quietly watching the trailer for Soul Warfare, I sprang from the sofa and cautiously slid myself into a virtual reality capsule.

I was curious about what this king-sized bed-like device in the corner of my room was.

Little did I know it was a state-of-the-art virtual reality access device… that was limited edition and cost 80 million won….

“Whoa!”

How should I put it, it felt like floating in a water bed?

An experience of unparalleled comfort that I could never achieve with a PC setup.

‘Truly, the goddess sure knows how to reward.’

Despite having planned to kick back with some beer and snacks later, I couldn’t help but switch on the virtual reality device first.

The objective was Soul Warfare.

Why am I gaming, you ask?

There’s no reason to play games.

‘Just because I want to.’