Chapter 134: I want to help the hero

The sun is shining brightly—it’s Saturday.

While we should be fully enjoying the holiday, we were busy unloading luggage from a small van.

That’s right.

Today is the day Ajin moves in.

She’s officially the second hero to take up residence in my house.

Thinking about it, this is the second time we’ve met, and she’s also the second person to move in.

Doesn’t that mean Ajin has a strong connection with the number two? Well, that’s just a superstitious feeling that doesn’t really apply to a hero.

I considered hiring a moving company to make things easier, but Ajin was firmly against it, saying she didn’t have much stuff.

In the end, we just rented a small van, and—well, what do you know?

“Wow, you really don’t have much.”

Aside from clothes and a computer, there was hardly anything.

Honestly, for a move, it was almost embarrassing how little she had.

If I packed everything neatly, I could probably fit it all in my beloved Rolls-Royce Sweptail, even though that wasn’t really its intended use.

Most of the essentials were already provided in the apartment, so it was almost like she was just bringing herself.

It was nice that we could finish quickly, but…

‘What’s with her?’

For some reason, Ajin was fidgeting with her fingers, avoiding eye contact.

“Uh, y-yeah. I have this belief that living alone should be minimalistic, so I don’t buy anything unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Why are you embarrassed?”

“Well… it just hit me how nice your place is. A place like this must have a security deposit in the hundreds of millions… My stuff barely makes a dent in the space, so it just feels… a little awkward.”

‘What kind of inferiority complex is this?’ Her unexpected response made my head ache.

Seriously, at this point, whether it’s this planet or another world, I can’t help but feel furious at how poorly heroes are treated.

‘How can a hero who saved the world be in such a pitiful state? If someone overcomes countless hardships and dangers to save the world, isn’t a happy ending the least they deserve?’

“Ajin.”

“Y-yeah?”

I gently pulled her small, timid frame into a hug.

At first, she flinched, but then she nestled further into my embrace.

“Don’t feel that way. You’re just finally getting the rewards you deserve.”

“……”

“Stand tall, like the hero you are.”

“If anyone has the right to be proud, it’s us.”

***

A few moments passed.

When I finally let go and smiled softly, Ajin smiled back.

Yeah, she looks much better when she smiles.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

The courtyard of the building was under my jurisdiction, so there was nothing here except the power I could show off as a hero.

No matter how little stuff Ajin had, I decided to carry it all up to room 502 in one go—no need to make multiple trips. Too easy.

“When I moved as a kid, it was such a hassle.”

“Huh? When you were a kid?”

“Yeah, our house was pretty big, so there was a ton of stuff to move. It was so hectic that I passed out before I even had the chance to take in the new place.”

“I see… your childhood, huh…”

Ajin nodded thoughtfully, as if she was about to say something, when—

***

“Good work, everyone.”

The door to room 501 opened, and Yuri stepped out.

Oh, right.

Since Ajin’s 502 was directly across from it, that made Yuri her unavoidable, permanent neighbor.

‘Will this building eventually be filled with heroes living in every apartment?’

I doubt there’ll be that many, but if more heroes keep coming, maybe I should consider buying the adjacent property.

No, actually, I should just buy it now.

It’s not like it costs that much.

“Perfect timing. You must be hungry—come eat first.”

A familiar scent wafted out from inside—sweet, rich with oil, and carrying that distinct fermented aroma.

The smell was so unique that it was easy to recognize.

“Chinese food?”

“Yeah, jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk. When I called earlier, they said they’d arrive soon, so I prepared it in advance.”

“What made you think of making that?”

“When we moved, my dad ordered jajangmyeon. I just remembered it being really good, so I tried making it myself. Hehe.”

For a high school girl, that was a surprisingly old-fashioned move.

But hey, she wasn’t wrong.

In fact, I was actually craving it too.

It felt like Yuri was gradually becoming the designated cook, but I wasn’t complaining—her food was amazing.

I did wonder if it was okay to make a minor do all this work, but she insisted it was fine.

More importantly, I simply couldn’t resist the happiness of delicious food entering my mouth.

Hiring a professional chef wasn’t really an option.

It would feel like bringing in a stranger bound by contract rather than someone truly part of the household.

But Yuri was a fellow hero, which made all the difference.

People sometimes make choices that aren’t entirely rational but are driven by emotion.

This was one of those times.

I could cook decently on my own, but there was always something missing.

I had access to luxury ingredients, but my cooking still felt like simple home meals.

The kind of flashy dishes you see on YouTube or cooking shows? I almost never made those.

No matter how much money you throw at high-quality ingredients, skill makes a difference in the final result.

“Mmm.”

Ajin seemed slightly disappointed about something, but she quickly relaxed and smiled as she followed behind me.

Well, after a move, jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk are the undisputed classics.

***

The workspace was neatly organized.

One entire room was packed with ten high-end computers and virtual reality devices.`

Aside from that, the only other things present were a humidifier and an air conditioner—minimal furniture.

It was a strange space, completely separate from everyday life.

The reason for setting up an entire room like this? It had to do with the nature of the tenant moving in.

“What do you think?”

“Wow!”

Ajin’s mouth hung open in amazement, and seeing her reaction made all the effort I put into setting this up feel worthwhile.

The virtual reality device was a bit pricey, but this much was nothing.

“Are these computers for work?”

“Yeah. You can control ten avatars at once here, right? I set up the computers accordingly, so you can not only manage your own work but also take on editing commissions for others. And this…”

I pointed to the virtual reality device.

Unlike the one Dayoung used, this was on a completely different level—a large, tube-shaped device big enough for a person to step inside.

“This is that thing, isn’t it?!”

“That’s right. Sharp eyes.”

As expected, since she had been in and out of my house so often, she recognized it immediately.

It was the same model as the one I used.

Every time Ajin visited, she would always glance at my VR device longingly.

I figured she had a strong interest in the world of virtual reality, so I prepared this as a gift.

Here, she could leave the work to her avatars and fully enjoy VR.

Up until now, the only person I could meet in VR was Dayoung, which had been a bit lonely.

This way, it was a win-win for both of us.

“Now we can play Soul Warfare together. And we can play tons of other games too. It’s not just games—there are plenty of other things to enjoy.”

“Can you really just… give me all this?”

“It’s fine. I told you, this is all part of the hero welfare program.”

“The benefits I’ve received as a hero must easily add up to several hundred million won by now.”

If she saved the world, does a few hundred million really even matter?

The items I had prepared for Ajin’s move-in…

The financial cost wasn’t even a concern.

It’s not like people make a big deal over spending a few hundred won on a vending machine drink.

The amount of money I had on hand was more than enough to provide three heroes with identical buildings and cars.

There was no reason to be stingy.

“At first, I thought about just giving each of you an apartment in Gangnam… but since I don’t know how many more heroes might show up, that idea didn’t work out. If the number of heroes starts hitting the thousands, even I would struggle.”

“No way, I doubt there are that many heroes running around like stray cats and dogs.”

“You never know. Maybe everyone who jumped into the Han River or got hit by trucks ended up in another world. If even ten percent of them came back as heroes, the numbers would skyrocket.”

“Ugh… Alright. I’ll accept your generosity. Really, thank you.”

She looked so overwhelmingly grateful that I waved my hand dismissively.

Seriously, all the heroes I knew were way too kindhearted for their own good.

After returning to Korea, life must have been tough, yet they remained steadfast and good-natured… A true testament to their heroic spirit.

Anyway, enough of that.

Time to shift the conversation to business.

“More importantly, take a look at this. There’s something I need you to check out.”

“Hm? What is it?”

I sent a video to Ajin via smartphone.

It was a raw clip with no edits—just a simple recording of the surroundings.

To an average person, it would look like nothing more than a mundane landscape video. But…

“Huh? Wha—?”

Ajin let out a startled gasp as she watched.

As expected, she could see it.

“Unni… don’t tell me….”

“What do you think? I tried making one.”

Back when Dayoung was running her tiny live stream, I had sent donations imbued with blessings to neutralize the curse affecting her.

The message embedded in this video was a refined version of that same technique.

This video contained a hidden message that only those with a high enough soul resonance—heroes and similarly awakened beings—could perceive.

It wasn’t letters or sound but a golden melody woven into an ethereal signal, reaching out on a spiritual level.

The message itself wasn’t anything too dramatic.

It was just…

“‘If you are a hero in need of help, come here. Address: XX-dong, Gangnam, Seoul… Wait, this is your home address?’”

That was the gist of it.

Basically, it was a call for struggling heroes to come here for aid.

“Ajin, the reason I set up ten computers isn’t just so you can do editing work. Of course, I’d love for you to succeed as an editor, but there’s another purpose behind it.”

“As I mentioned earlier, there could be other heroes out there. The problem is, we don’t know where they are, and they don’t know about us. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

“That’s true.”

Ajin nodded in agreement.

Even with all my resources, locating specific people in this vast land, among millions of citizens, was impossible.

If other heroes could freely use their powers, I might have been able to detect them, but so far, Yuri was the only one I had found.

That probably meant most of them were still living like ordinary people, unaware of their own potential.

At least… for now.

“So, I thought about it. How can we find other heroes? This is the answer I came up with.”

I ran my hand across the monitor connected to the computers.

“The internet has been the dominant platform for a while now. I’m planning to bring in work from other streamers and esports teams, and I need you to edit those videos… embedding our message into them.”

Hiring an outside editor wasn’t an option—not for security reasons, and not if I wanted things to run smoothly.

‘If I had tried to use an ordinary editor, this plan would have been discarded immediately. But Ajin had a unique ability—she was a psychic ninja, capable of controlling multiple avatars.’

With her skills, this plan had real potential.

Plus, we had an existing connection with STK, so that could serve as a strong starting point.

Over time, as Ajin regained more of her strength, we could expand the operation and take on new requests.

“Unni, you were really serious about this.”

“About what?”

“About helping heroes. Whether it was with Dayoung, Yuri… You’ve been planning this all along.”

I smiled.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

This all started because I wanted to help heroes.