Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 134

Chapter 1: Saturday Sunshine

It’s a bright and sunny Saturday.

While we were enjoying the holiday vibes, we were unloading stuff from a small van. That’s right. Today is the day Ajin moves in. She’s the second Hero to officially join my household. Come to think of it, this is our second meeting and she’s the second Hero to move in, so maybe we have some kind of special connection going on here. Well, it’s just a silly superstition from a Hero’s perspective, but still.

I thought of hiring a moving company for a more relaxed experience, but Ajin strongly opposed it, saying she didn’t have much stuff anyway. In the end, we just rented a small van, but to my surprise…

“There’s really not much.”

Well, aside from clothes and a computer, there’s almost nothing; it’s pretty embarrassing for a move. I wasn’t even expecting to use my trusty luxury muscle car, Rulsuluis Swagtail, for this, but if I crammed everything in just right, it could probably handle it. The rest was just the basic furnishings of the room, so really, she just needed to show up.

It was nice to wrap things up quickly, but…

‘What’s up with her?’

For some reason, Ajin kept playing with her fingers and avoiding eye contact.

“Um, yeah, right? I believe living alone should be minimalistic, so I don’t accumulate unnecessary stuff unless absolutely needed.”

“Why are you so shy?”

“Well… I was just thinking that your place is really nice. A place like this costs a fortune for a security deposit. It’s a bit embarrassing that my stuff won’t even make a dent.”

What kind of inferiority complex is this? I found myself puzzled by her unexpected response. Honestly, at this point, it’s frustrating to realize how poor the Hero benefits are, regardless of whether it’s in this world or another. Why should a Hero who saved the world be in such a pitiful situation? After overcoming countless hardships and dangers to save the world, shouldn’t a happy ending be the default?

“Ajin.”

“Uh, yeah?”

I gently hugged the shy Ajin’s small frame. The little Hero stiffened for a moment before snuggling deeper into my embrace.

“Don’t feel that way. You’re receiving the rewards you rightfully deserve now.”

“…….”

“Be proud like a Hero.”

We all have the right to stand tall.

A few minutes passed. As I loosened my arms and offered a soft smile, Ajin smiled back. Yes, it’s nice to see her smile.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

The courtyard was set up by me, and all it had to offer was the strength to showcase our Hero pride. No matter how little stuff there was, I was determined to finish carrying Ajin’s belongings in one go, and I took them all up to room 502 in one quick trip. Easy-peasy.

“When I moved as a kid, I really struggled.”

“Huh? Your childhood?”

“Yeah, our house was bigger and had a lot of stuff. I was so busy and disheveled that I couldn’t even enjoy my new home before I crashed right out.”

“Oh, I see. Your childhood….”

Just as Ajin pondered and waved her head, about to say something…

“Thanks for your hard work, everyone.”

The door to room 501 opened, and Yurie appeared. Oh right, Ajin’s room 502 is right across from hers, so they’re officially neighbors now.

‘Will one day this place fill up with Heroes from our neighbors above, below, and beside?’

I don’t really expect that many, but if a ton of Heroes showed up, I might need to consider buying the land next door… No, I should just do it now. How much could it possibly cost?

“Oh, I timed it just right. Dinner is ready, so everyone eat up.”

A familiar smell that tickles the nose wafted through the door. Sweet yet greasy, with that signature fermented scent too.

Given how distinct it is, I could tell what it was right away.

“Is that Chinese food?”

“Yep, it’s Jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork. I heard they’d arrive right after I called, so I prepared it ahead of time.”

“How did you think to make something like this?”

“When my family moved, my dad ordered Jajangmyeon. I remembered how good it was back then, so I wanted to try making it. Hehe.”

That’s some surprisingly hearty knowledge for a high school girl. It’s not wrong, though. I found myself a little tempted too.

Yurie seemed to have transformed into a food enthusiast, but hey, I was loving the gourmet treatment. I wondered if it was okay to be feeding a minor like this. But Yurie didn’t mind. Above all, I couldn’t resist the happiness that came with such delicious food. Hiring a chef felt too much like bringing in a contract worker. I didn’t want that emotional distance. But Yurie was a fellow Hero, so she fit right into my emotional circle. That’s just how it is. Sometimes people make choices that steer away from logic based solely on emotion. This is no exception.

I used to whip up meals pretty decently on my own, but there was always this lingering feeling of dissatisfaction. The ingredients might be fancy, but the end result felt all too much like a bachelor’s cooking? I rarely made those extravagant dishes you see on YouTube cooking channels. Ultimately, no matter how much cash I threw at good ingredients, there’d always be a gap in quality that came from skill.

“Hmm.”

While Ajin seemed a bit unsatisfied, she soon relaxed her expression and followed behind me with a big smile. Well, a lunch of Jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork after a move is king-level.

*

*

*

The workspace was pretty neatly organized.

A room packed with 10 latest model computers and virtual reality devices set up as a studio.

The only other things present were a humidifier and an air conditioner, the bare essentials. It was a bizarre space that was worlds apart from daily life.

The reason I emptied a room to make this was because of the nature of the tenant who would move in here.

“What do you think?”

“Wow!”

Seeing Ajin’s jaw drop in awe made my efforts worthwhile. The virtual reality devices did cost a bit, but it was worth it.

“Are those for work?”

“Yep, here I can manage ten clones, right? I set up the computers accordingly, so I can work on editing video projects or take on other freelance gigs. And this….”

I pointed to the virtual reality device. It was a massive tube-shaped device that one person could fit into, completely different from what Dayoung used before.

“I know what that is?!”

“Exactly. You’ve got a good eye!”

I figured she’d recognize it quickly since she had often come over and admired my device. The model was the same as the one I used. Ajin had always been glancing at my device longingly every time she visited. I thought she’d be truly interested in the allure of virtual reality, so I prepared this as a gift. Here she can leave the work to her clones while indulging in virtual reality. Up until now, Dayoung was the only one I met in virtual reality, so I was feeling a bit left out, but this way we could both win.

“Let’s play Soul Warfare together with this. We can also play loads of other games. There’s plenty to enjoy beyond just gaming.”

“W-wait, is it really okay for you to share all this?”

“It’s fine. I told you, this is part of Hero welfare.”

“I feel like the benefits I’m receiving are worth several hundred million already.”

I mean, after saving the world, what’s a couple hundred million, right? The items Ajin brought in when moving? Those monetary factors… honestly, they didn’t matter that much. Nobody makes a fuss about spending a few hundred won for a drink from a vending machine. Just like buying snacks at a convenience store; even if you can equip three Heroes with the same building and a car, it wouldn’t break the bank. There’s no reason to feel stingy about it.

“I originally thought about just getting each of you a Gangnam apartment… but considering how many Heroes might show up, that seemed too difficult. If the number got into the thousands, I’d struggle.”

“I seriously doubt there would be that many Heroes randomly showing up.”

“You never know! Maybe someone jumped into the Han River or got hit by a truck, and now they’re all here. Assuming even 10% of them came back as Heroes, that would still be a lot.”

“Ugh, I get it. I’ll gladly accept your kindness. Thank you so much.”

She was being overly grateful so I waved my hands dismissively. Honestly, we Heroes tend to be too nice for our own good. It must have been tough for her to come back to Korea, but seeing her spirit and kindness… that’s what it means to be a Hero. Anyway, maybe it’s time to switch topics to business.

“By the way, do you want to see something? There’s something I need you to check out.”

“Okay. What is it?”

I sent Ajin a rough video I’d worked on through my smartphone. The editing was minimal, reflecting the raw footage as is.

To an ordinary person, it might just look like a plain video of the scenery around me. It was content documenting the surroundings for experiments before Ajin arrived. But…

“Whoa, uh-oh?”

A surprised gasp escaped Ajin’s lips as she watched the video. So she could catch it.

“Sis, are you serious…?”

“What do you think? I made it just now.”

During Dayoung’s streaming days, I had sent blessings through donations to neutralize curses. The message embedded in this video was an arrangement of that same technique. Hidden within the video was a message too subtle for an ordinary person to catch. A signal woven into a golden melody, sent as a call of the soul, not made of words or sounds. Only those like Heroes who awakened at a high spiritual level could perceive it.

The content wasn’t anything grand. To summarize…

“Heroes in need of help, come here. The address is Gangnam District, Seoul… this is our house address, right?”

That’s the gist of it. In simple terms, if a Hero is struggling, they can come here for help… a call for salvation, if you will.

“Ajin, the reason I set up ten computers isn’t just so you could do well as an editor. There’s another reason.”

“……”

“As I said before, we might have other Heroes out there. The problem is, we don’t know where they are, and they likely don’t know us either. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack on the beach.”

“That’s true.”

Ajin nodded in agreement. No matter how talented I was, it would be impossible to find someone in this vast land crowded with people. If other Heroes could unleash their powers freely, it might help us find them. But based on my experience, so far I’d only seen Yurie, which likely meant everyone else was living their lives just like ordinary folk. At least, for now…

“So, I’ve been thinking about how we can locate the other Heroes. This is the solution I came up with.”

I gently caressed the monitor connected to the computers.

“The internet is all the rage, after all. Including other streamers and gaming teams, I want you to help me embed a message somewhere within them.”

Hiring another editor wasn’t really feasible in terms of security, and it wouldn’t be as smooth as we’re doing now. If the person was a normal capable individual, I would have discarded that idea immediately. But Ajin’s got the unique ability of a psychic disguised as a Ninja with fluid clone techniques. With her, we have a decent chance.

Plus, there’s a connection to the STK Team, so it seems like a good foundation to start building on. Once Ajin regains her strength over time, it could also expand into commissioning her.

“Sis, you were really serious about this.”

“About what?”

“You really had a plan to help Heroes like Dayoung… and like Yurie too.”

I grinned and replied.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

This is something I started because I wanted to help Heroes.