Chapter 139: Resting Warrior’s Adventure

The sensation of forcibly dragging my struggling mind up from within was not a particularly pleasant one.

As if rewinding all the scenes in a dream, I was yanked back into consciousness with a dizzying sensation, my eyes snapping open.

“Mm…”

“Ah, is it morning already?” No, wait. Checking the clock, the digital numbers displayed 3:00 AM.

This is totally a night owl’s rhythm.

My little goal of becoming a morning person is crumbling just like that.

“Oof!”

Stretching with all my might, I shuddered at the electrifying rush of blood surging through my body.

As the circulation made a full loop, even washing through my brain, the lingering drowsiness instantly dissipated.

After washing up, I stood blankly, gazing at my reflection in the glass opposite me.

‘Hmm, do I just feel like I’ve lost my purpose, or is that actually the case?’ Come to think of it, ‘what was I doing before I fell asleep?’

Feeling too lazy to stand any longer, I sank into the sofa and tried to retrace my memories.

Right… I snatched the rank 1 spot, and the season ended right after.

I remember feeling satisfied looking at my locked-in username on the leaderboard.

And I probably bragged a bit.

Something about me being the best at handling Soul Warfare.

“Doesn’t seem like much now.”

A sigh escaped me at the unexpectedly hollow feeling settling in.

It was strange.

Even before being summoned to this world, I don’t recall ever feeling this empty after playing games.

Normally, just winning a match or two would send me bouncing with joy.

If I had ever reached rank 1 before, I would’ve been grinning from ear to ear.

But now, after just one sleep, I’ve already hit a state of disillusionment? What kind of garbage emotional return on investment is this?

Now that I’ve actually reached my goal in Soul Warfare, my motivation for both streaming and gaming has plummeted.

The urge to just quit altogether was rising rapidly.

As a streamer, this was the worst possible situation.

***

—Bzzzt.

The vibration of my smartphone pulled me from my thoughts.

Without thinking, I reached for it.

It was a message from Yuri, simple and to the point.

[Are you awake?]

I replied with a quick [ㅇㅇ]. Not long after, the doorbell rang.

I felt a little bad for whoever was at the door, but before I even registered Yuri standing there, my eyes locked onto the bundle of sandwiches in her hands.

Only then did my body realize I was on an empty stomach, sending a desperate signal to shove that food into my mouth immediately.

That made sense—I had skipped meals while gaming, so it wasn’t surprising that I was drained.

“You played all the way until dawn. Now that you’ve completed your mission, eat properly, will you?”

“Thanks. I’ll eat well.”

I took a bite, and the combination of meat, vegetables, and bread blended smoothly as it went down.

“Tastes good.”

The words came out naturally, a simple, honest appreciation of the flavor.

Upon hearing my reaction, Yuri’s face took on a faintly pleased expression.

“It’s a sandwich with pulled pork, cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, and salad between brioche buns. I also added a little salsa, so it should help with your appetite even if you’re not feeling particularly hungry.”

“Oh, really?”

She always describes food in such detail whenever she makes something.

Even when Ajin moved in, she didn’t miss the chance to chatter on, giving a full explanation of our black bean noodles and sweet-and-sour pork while we ate.

That was… quite the unique experience.

I took another bite, letting the toppings meld together and bring joy to my taste buds.

Yeah, I had to admit it—she really was my, and the warriors’, personal chef.

“Sorry for making you go through the trouble again.”

“It’s nothing. I made too much anyway, and you’ve been too busy lately to eat properly, so it worked out. I can make you sandwiches or simple meals anytime.”

“Oh, yeah? I mean, I appreciate it, but…”

I wasn’t sure if she was overexerting herself.

And so, my quiet meal continued.

There wasn’t much conversation—just me, picking at my sandwich in silence, repeating the same motion over and over.

Yuri sat there, staring blankly into space.

Thinking about it… Yuri was different from Dayoung or Ajin.

She always seemed to keep a certain distance.

At first, she showed some interest in my streaming, but it faded quickly.

Now, all she did was drop by to make meals whenever she had time.

Some might say it’s ridiculous to call that “keeping a distance,” but that’s just how it felt.

Maybe the only topic we could really talk about was… this.

Once I finished my sandwich, a perfect sense of fullness washed over me, loosening my mind in just the right way.

I wondered what kind of life Yuri had lived as a hero.

I remember her mentioning having a family—’were they still doing well?’

With the usual boundaries between us slightly blurred, my curiosity took the opportunity to surface.

Now that I had secured rank 1 and no longer had a clear goal, I couldn’t hold back the question that popped into my head.

“Yuri, what kind of hero were you?”

She nodded slightly, as if recalling her past, before answering.

“Hmm, I think I was pretty ordinary. Wait, does it sound weird to call a hero ordinary? But after meeting you and the others, it doesn’t seem all that special. Look.”

As she raised her hand, a small light flickered into existence, quickly expanding into the form of a sword.

It wasn’t quite as magnificent as my holy sword, but it was undoubtedly a radiant weapon imbued with the light of the world, a true embodiment of divine power.

“Heh… a holy sword, huh?”

“Yeah, I have one too. When I first met Dayoung and Ajin, I was surprised. One’s a magical girl, and the other’s a psychic. I thought all summoned heroes would have holy swords like me.”

After clearing her throat briefly, Yuri slowly began to tell her story.

“In this world, my journey was… well, the classic tale of a hero clad in shining armor, wielding a holy sword to defeat the Demon King.”

It was the kind of story straight out of a dream—a textbook hero’s journey.

I listened more intently than ever.

Yuri’s account of her adventures was quite simple: she was summoned, chosen by the holy sword, and, alongside her companions, set out to defeat the Demon King.

They explored dungeons, saved a fairy kingdom in peril, and searched for the relics of past heroes… The whole setup was as captivating as a well-written novel.

And the characters? They were even more intriguing.

There was the aloof tsundere noble, the eldest son of a duke’s family and the next in line to become the Sword Saint.

The arrogant yet dependable elven prince, a master of archery and spirit magic.

The cold and distant boy genius from the Magic Tower, known for his incredible sorcery but secretly helping from the shadows.

And the gentle saint chosen by the gods, an older brother figure who had been particularly kind to Yuri.

It was the perfect composition for a hero’s party.

A well-balanced team: the hero at the front, a melee swordsman, a sharpshooter, a mage, and a healer.

A textbook setup, really.

But… something about how Yuri described her companions felt strangely off.

‘Wait a second… this pattern… I’ve seen this before… Ah, right!’

This was straight out of a romance fantasy novel!

‘Was there even a villainous noblewoman in her story?’

“Hey, did you happen to have a girl who bullied you?”

I asked half out of curiosity, but her reaction was unexpected.

She flinched like a fish caught on a hook.

“Oh, yeah. There was another girl who got summoned with me. The problem is…”

“The problem is?”

“She ended up becoming the Demon King, and in the end… I had to fight her.”

“What? How did that happen? You were both strangers summoned from another world—you’d think there’d be some kind of camaraderie.”

“Well…”

Yuri scratched her cheek awkwardly, then let out a small sigh before continuing.

“The truth is, I was the only one summoned as an actual hero. She must’ve been dragged along by accident. And she wasn’t from Earth—she came from a completely different world. At first, I thought we bonded over being stuck in the same situation, but…”

“But?”

“Things changed after the hero’s party formed… I think it was because she didn’t have any talent as a hero, and the party members paid more attention to me than to her.”

“Where’s my popcorn?! Someone bring me popcorn!”

“She left the party midway, and the next time we met was at the Demon King’s castle. She had fused with the Demon King, and I had to defeat her. But before she died, she used the last of her strength to place a curse on me. And that curse was…”

She trailed off for a moment before finally saying, “It turned me into a man.”

Oh. That explained a lot.

I had been wondering why she’d pick such a specific curse, but now it made sense.

She didn’t want Yuri getting close to the sweet, handsome guys in the hero’s party.

They say a woman’s jealousy can bring frost in the middle of summer… and with one forced gender-swap curse, she completely ruined Yuri’s life.

From what Yuri told me afterward, the shock was too much for the so-called sweethearts in the party—they all left and cut ties with her.

Honestly, that was classic romance fantasy male leads for you.

They looked perfect on the outside but were empty inside.

Yuri, lost in despair, eventually found a way back to Earth through the summoned goddess, but the curse remained.

And to make matters worse, she also lost access to her hero’s powers.

“Still, I think I was lucky to meet you, Sehee. It feels like I’ve been given a chance to start over.”

She smiled shyly, but there wasn’t a hint of self-pity in her expression.

There was something strong about her—resilient, even.

It was a story that could bring tears to anyone’s eyes.