Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 142

Chapter 1: The Unruly Sky

I distinctly remember that the sky was exceptionally bright and clear.

It all started from something trivial in the beginning. A time when I was endlessly gazing at the sky.

Why has it come to this? I thought I was doing something good. Why am I in this state?

Ah, could this be the fate I must endure as a Hero? It feels way too harsh for that.

“When the Demon King oppresses humans, the Hero defeats the Demon King, and humans exclude the Hero…”

It suddenly reminded me of a comic I had seen long ago, where the returning Hero became dark and twisted amidst the harsh reality and betrayal. That Hero had power intact, yet here I was, a complete mess.

Just because I have power doesn’t mean I want to take it out on others. I wish just to hold onto some strength to endure this harsh reality. Unfortunately, it seems this world can’t trust such heroes….

—Grrr.

At just the right moment, my stomach growled against me, and I chuckled sadly.

Looking around, thankfully, no one appears to be watching. Well, it doesn’t really matter since nothing would show on the surface anyway—anyone who saw would just end up laughing.

I sat cross-legged and slowly exhaled.

Still a pathetic trickle of energy entered my body, sparking faint life within it.

Normally, she wouldn’t feel hunger at all, but the oppression of this dry ground was too much to bear.

The energy of Nature had dwindled… no, in this world, concepts of energy and mysticism simply ceased to exist.

Even meditating brought only the tiniest slivers of benefit.

“Ha.”

Upon converting the meager energy I had accepted into vitality and finally easing my hunger, I sighed in relief.

To think I could barely survive like this…

When did this transcendental meditative practice turn into a means to stave off hunger?

It wasn’t “regulating vital energy,” but rather “early feeding” in this reality, which made me smirk.

At this rate, I might as well call lunch “vitality lunch,” dinner “vitality dinner,” and for late-night, I might have to switch “chicken and beer” to “vitality night snack.”

A once-powerful Hero who defeated the Demon King—what a sad sight!

“I can’t keep going like this.”

It had already been several days since I returned.

My college had gone missing due to a summoning and threw my final semester into chaos, leading to my expulsion.

I had spent time like a homeless person, unable to cope with that shock, but I couldn’t just let myself rot away.

‘How did I come this far alone, without family?’

Even if I had lost my power, I couldn’t just fade away without a fight.

First, I needed to restore my status, which had been declared dead, and then I would figure out what to do next as I brushed myself off to stand up.

“Did you watch Friede’s broadcast yesterday?”

“Her ranking first was seriously impressive. All the haters who said she’d get wrecked by Warden shut up—what a thrill!”

A group of guys came into view from afar.

They didn’t look like students… they seemed to be exam takers from the nearby study village.

Those guys were chattering excitedly about Friede as they walked past me.

“Check this video out. Friede is a total beauty.”

“Is she Slavic or German? Her looks are just unreal.”

“She wouldn’t even hold a candle to any celebrity.”

When one of the guys turned on the broadcast on his smartphone, the sound of this Friede they were talking about resonated in my ears.

“Be careful not to make mindless backsteps here, or you’ll be caught. It’s better to proceed slowly with side steps and roll…”

Her voice was captivating, clear and lively, making the listeners feel giddy.

There was another voice from one of the Demon King’s minions, known as a “beach girl,” who had a talent for seducing people, but the voice that flowed out from Friede’s broadcast was nothing like that.

It was pure, clean, devoid of any provocative sensuality.

Even without using any power, I marveled at how such a voice existed in this world.

That voice was so beautiful that I unconsciously perked my ears.

“Huh?”

The dull gasp that escaped her lips was amidst that group sitting nearby, who were absorbed in Friede’s broadcast.

Sure enough, the voice called Friede was calmly explaining the gameplay, but overlaying it was a call that captured attention for something else.

That content was definitely….

—”If you are a Hero, you should be able to hear this voice. If you have returned to your hometown and find life difficult, with no one to turn to, come to XX-dong XXX-XXX in Gangnam District, Seoul. As a Hero chosen by this world, I wish to help you. Again…”

Despite the double voices overlapping, I could distinctly pick out the clear call of the Hero. While describing the game was merely a result of physical vocalization, the appeal of knowing one was a Hero was a melody that inscribed itself into the soul.

Without realizing it, I shot up from my seat.

Perhaps, with this small hope, I could end these hardships and embark on a fresh start. I hurried my steps towards the destination conveyed within Friede’s plea.