Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 143

A calm and serene song was softly resonating in that place.

A stripped-down interior with no decorations… and occasionally, people dressed in mourning attire crossed paths.

Even when I met my parents after returning to Earth, it became clear again that this place was one devoid of laughter and joy.

“Everything’s the same.”

The place I just arrived at is not where my parents are.

“Let’s see, Room 213…”

As I strolled down the corridor, I finally reached the destination I was looking for and stepped inside.

Recalling the name I heard through the Goddess, I examined the inscription on the urn that stood in the room.

And…

“I found it.”

There was a photo of a man who looked to be around my age before I was summoned to this world.

I forced a smile at the picture and awkwardly greeted it.

“It’s been a while.”

There was no answer, but if he were alive before me, I could sense he would ask why I was here.

The name inscribed in front of me read Park Jung-su.

The former Hero who was summoned before me, and… the Hero of the Demon King who fell into corruption after being defeated.

“So this is what you looked like.”

Among the people I knew, the man’s appearance in the photo felt quite unfamiliar.

The Hero from back then looked different from the one in the photo, someone who was said to have a similar appearance to mine… The Goddess mentioned that when I met him, he had fallen into a horrific abomination.

In this world, the last time I saw him, he had transformed into a female form. So, this was the first time I was seeing the ‘real thing.’

“To update you… I managed to protect the world well, and I returned to Earth and have been living fine. The reason I’m even reporting this to you… Well, it’s nothing special. I just wanted to talk. It’d be silly to talk to empty air in my room.”

There was no reply, but I kept going.

“These days, I’ve been rescuing Heroes. At first, it felt like just a collecting obsession, but honestly, it’s cool, right? It’s a gathering of Heroes who saved different worlds and returned. I love flashy things, so collecting Heroes feels like there’s nothing in the world that could compare. Just yesterday, I reminisced with one of those Heroes. In that moment, you suddenly came to mind.”

Maybe that’s why, while rescuing Heroes, when you came to mind, I found myself thinking this.

“Am I allowed to do this now, when I couldn’t even save you, the one I should have rescued…?”

If I had been more patient, if I had just tried harder even if it took more time, perhaps I could have saved you and returned to Earth together.

The Goddess told me to give up, but the gaze of the former Hero that I saw just before he vanished in my sword seemed to linger in my mind still.

Perhaps the indomitable spirit of the Hero is a result of forcibly stuffing memories into the far corners of my mind and turning away from them. Is this something that could be called PTSD?

“It was tough back then. You were strong enough that I had to risk my life. Just like how I was blessed by the Goddess, you were blessed by the Demon King. It was a trade-off.

Though my wounds have healed, that intense pain has imprinted on my soul, beyond just my mind. So…

“…Ugh.”

Every time I recall you, that pain resurfaces.

The pain of my heart being ripped alive, my head exploding, my whole body turning into pulp, and my consciousness being shredded like rags.

“Even I, who has turned into this monstrous mess, have struggled, so that says it all.”

The reason I was able to become stronger than the average Heroes was… simple.

The demons’ strength was an issue, but the fact that the transcendental power of a Hero had shifted to the other side was the real deal.

The Goddess had to take drastic measures because all the worlds she was responsible for could turn into hell on earth.

So, she poured all forms of causes and blessings into the newly summoned Hero, aiming to break through every limit that defines the Hero, to make the strongest weapon.

Thus, after negotiating with the will of Earth, the Goddess decided to summon me, who supposedly had the highest potential… or so the tale goes.

Before I defeated the former Hero and engaged in a bloody battle with the Demon King, it was the truth she briefly shared.

Considering that, he was indeed powerful.

The worst opponent who stood in my way just before the fight with the Demon King, and in certain aspects, even harder to fight than the Demon King himself.

“Still, overcoming such hardships is what a Hero should do… But am I really worthy for having dealt death to you, who needed saving?”

The figure in the photo remained silent.

Of course, I didn’t expect an answer, yet somehow that silence gnawed at a piece of my heart, leaving a sensation of loss and disappointment.

Really… I don’t know what a human heart is.

“I guess it won’t change anything, even if I sulk like this, so I’ll stop. Maybe I’m doing this just to make excuses for myself. How about I show you the new Heroes instead?”

As I arrived here, I had kept my smartphone away, not wanting to be disturbed.

―Ding!

As it triggered back to life, the familiar notification sound echoed.

Looking at the screen, there was a message sent from Dayoung.

―Sis, hurry back. A new Hero has arrived.

Ah, another one has come.

“Did you see? A new Hero has arrived. That makes four already.”

Since I said someone arrived… it probably means they watched the collab video between Ahjin and me.

There wouldn’t be any other reason for them to come directly to my home. Now that I received Dayoung’s message about the new Hero’s appearance, I found I couldn’t just linger here anymore.

I bid farewell to his photo one last time.

“I guess I should take my leave now. Perhaps… I might not return here anymore, but I wish you peace.”

I thought maybe I could find some answers, but in the end, I left without any results or answers. Perhaps it was the outcome of my own unnecessary gloom.

Just as I was stepping out of the building…

“……”

In the dazzling light outside, there was someone standing before me.

“You are?”

An armor of a monster painted with the melted flesh of a human, a distorted face screaming in despair and anguish.

The creature had its skeleton twisted grotesquely, with numerous mouths and eyes affixed to its skin.

But… that face was undoubtedly a familiar visage etched in my memories.

“The former Hero?”

Am I finally going insane? Is this an illusion? A hallucination?

My heart, which had not been shocked since returning to Earth, trembled, crashing like waves.

If this was real, it would be a great calamity, and I couldn’t even think of the notion of unleashing my powers out of panic.

―Creak!

With every movement, the twisted bones let out horrific screams.

When that hand reached toward me, the Hero, smiling with a contorted face, opened its mouth.

The words from its lips didn’t reach my ears, but I felt a resonating echo in my heart.

If…

―If there is another Hero like me, could I save them then?

Upon that question, my body froze.

Suddenly, that day came to mind.

That day was tainted with the sulfur flames and blood of hell, a world marred with corpses.

In that moment, standing before me, blocking my path just one step away.

Back then, with the Holy Sword, I…

Honestly said… I might have just given up because it was so tough, wanting it to end quickly.

Time had melted away, as I fought tirelessly all alone.

At that moment, various faces flashed through my mind.

Dayoung, Ahjin, Yuri, and even Eunha, though she was just an ordinary person.

They were my precious connections, different from my days as a Hero.

“Ah, I see. This is why I was so attention-seeking.”

To have defeated a demon silently for so long made me cling to attention was merely an excuse.

What I truly needed was a companion, someone to stay by my side, to endure, to move forward with.

I answered boldly.

“Yes, I am worthy. I can’t give up because there are kids watching me like this.”

Nodding my head firmly, I replied with conviction.

“Because I am a Hero. So if such a moment comes, I will definitely save them.”

Even if it means collecting Heroes while streaming.

This time, it would be different. I wasn’t alone anymore.

Here, in my hometown, Dayoung is with me, Ahjin is with me. Other Heroes and friends are also with me.

I felt the resolve inside me strengthen more than any time during my days as a Hero.

At that moment.

―Pitter-patter.

As my answer emerged, a light shone down and the figure of the former Hero began to fade away like ash.

Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the dazzling light that arose from the melted ash sparked in my eyes.

A flowing mantle of golden waves and silver armor. A dazzling woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, engulfed in radiant nebula.

The figure of myself once known as Friede. And… the Hero who was once called the Hero of Light.

She smiled meaningfully… and spoke.

―Save me next time.

Both the light and the Heroes vanished.

As I glanced around at the usual scenery of buildings, I let out a sigh.

“……”

When I stepped outside, sunlight brightly illuminated the sky.

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that this brilliance… might have been the light that the former Hero held.

―If there is another Hero like me, could I save them then?

The question from the former Hero echoed in my mind once more.

If such a moment were to come… then I will surely….

“I will save the Hero.”