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“Ugh, Dayoung, I’m feeling nauseous. Can you slow down a bit….”

“Yeah, if you throw up, I’ll toss you in the washing machine.”

“Stop it, you jerk….”

I gulped down my irritation at Baebae’s complaints. Seriously, why did they insist on coming along?

Ignoring Baebae who was struggling in the shaking bag, Dayoung dashed toward the promised meeting spot.

We received the contact only two hours ago.

It felt like we had too little time to prepare, making our pace quicken even more.

“After washing up and getting all dolled up, it’s not even like I’m meeting a guy.”

“And so you’re going to go looking like a beggar? Also, stop talking to me. If people see us, we’ll get caught and dissected.”

Despite her bold words, Baebae’s statements oddly pricked at my heart.

Seriously, why was I putting so much effort into this? Who was this woman that made me feel so flustered?

With nowhere to vent my rising annoyance, I simply kept my mouth shut.

【Just keep your promise….】

When I had previously requested a meeting, Dayoung had said it was a second favor she owed me.

‘She said it wasn’t an unreasonable request….’

But this feels like quite a stretch. Is she acting with pure intentions?

Given that I owe her one, I couldn’t outright refuse what she asked. However, I couldn’t figure out why she called at this hour.

‘What could she possibly want?’

‘Is it about the recent sniper incident?’

‘Couldn’t this be discussed in the MS Room?’

‘The controversy over hacking has been smoothed over, so is there really more to discuss?’

‘Or is it a problem she can’t tell anyone about? Could it be that the real hacks have been used?’

The endless questions swirled in my mind, twisting into a troubling assumption filled with anxiety.

“Ah, ah.”

Running quickly made my chest feel tight. At least it’s cold today, so I’m grateful I’m not sweating.

If my makeup had run due to sweat, I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen next.

If I had the Hero’s Power, this wouldn’t be so exhausting.

I muttered complaints inwardly as Dayoung moved toward the location Friede had told her about.

That’s when it happened.

“Huh…?”

As I neared the designated meeting spot, I sensed the surrounding world had changed.

Although still in a sealed state, the sensation I had gained as a Hero thrummed in my mind like an echo.

Only a dozen meters separated me from the meeting place, but that small boundary felt like a dividing line between worlds.

People around seemed either oblivious to or unaffected by this… casually going about their paths.

After coming to Korea, the tension was more intense than during the hacking controversy, tightening around my heart.

The risks of ordinary streamer activity were on a different level altogether compared to this.

‘I need to be careful.’

I leaned toward my bag and whispered to Baebae inside.

“Baebae, do you sense anything now?”

“Of course. Are we almost at the meeting place?”

“Yeah, we’re nearly there.”

“Stay alert, Dayoung-geya. Be ready to run if we need to.”

At Baebae’s words, Dayoung nodded in agreement.

Even with all my strength, it would only last a few seconds….

But during that time, I could utilize about 1/10 of the Hero’s Power.

With the idea of transforming if necessary, I made my way toward the bench obscured by trees in the distance.

‘Just as I thought….’

This was definitely the spot where I was supposed to meet Friede.

How could something like this happen in a place designated for a meeting with someone?

There was hardly any sense in this oddity….

Each step I took brought me closer to the curve where the meeting point came into view when suddenly….

—Flash!

I was engulfed in a blinding golden light, closing my eyes in shock.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, I tightened my grip on the brooch and shouted.

“Baebae!”

A white light encompassed my body in response to the golden glow, transforming Baebae from a frog doll into a massive metallic staff.

Fiery red designs decorated the staff; ruby-red eyes gleamed with intensity.

A uniform of harmonious red lines and white was now present.

As a Hero, Dayoung gritted her teeth.

No matter how much the world’s laws suppress power,

‘Just for a moment…!’

As the Hero’s Power awakened, my vision cleared, and I finally saw what lay ahead.

Before me stood a familiar woman.

“Friede?”

Dayoung, abandoning thoughts of escape, stared blankly at her, Sehee.

Clad in silver armor and a golden cape.

Her attire was undeniably the same as I remembered.

Yet, she bore a divine otherworldly aura that could not be found in the virtual reality.

The golden nebula embellishing her armor and cape was something no ordinary coding could replicate….

“…….”

As I looked up, her dazzling blonde hair danced in the light.

When I opened my eyes, her blue eyes, as if they had sapphires embedded in them, fixed on me.

“Nice to meet you.”

Freed from her helmet, she appeared divinely beautiful, smiling at me.

“Hero Forming.”

It was the voice of Friede that I had always heard in the MS Room.

And the sanctity that could never emerge from the Demon King and his minions.

Such a being was known to Forming well. While their forms might differ, powers could only be wielded by one specific class.

That is to say….

“Hero… Miss?”

[“Sister?!”]

In my head, Baebae’s astonishment was an additional surprise.

Here, two women had come out as Heroes to each other.

* * *

Maybe I should have ordered something sweeter.

I took a sip of Americano, but my restless heart wouldn’t calm down.

Having defeated the Demon King, I thought I’d have nothing more to do with this world besides Baebae.

But the woman in front of me was calmly sipping tea.

I recalled the events from just moments before.

* * *

Amidst a flood of excess information, Sehee smiled, extending her hand to me.

“I’m Jisehee. My class is the Hero who was summoned to this world and returned, and now I’m unemployed.”

“Ah, that….”

“Seeing your appearance, it seems you’re also indeed a Hero, Forming-nim.”

As Sehee winked, I fell into a panic.

‘No, this is all too sudden.’

This twist is practically a plot twist of epic proportions.

It’s hard to dismiss this as a joke; the distinct aura of a Hero proclaimed her class.

Even with different appearances, I too possessed similar power.

And so, like an echo, the powers of both Heroes resonated, acknowledging each other.

Staring numbly at her hand, which was enveloped in pure white gloves, Sehee tilted her head.

“I was just going for a handshake, but was that too sudden?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that… I’m just confused….”

The Light Hero Friede was a Hero after all.

“I’m Park Dayoung….”

I hastily grasped her hand, lowering my head slightly to hide my embarrassment.

Since the moment I recognized her voice in virtual reality, it truly felt like the concept of narrative coherence exists after all.

A figure like her was certainly unique; the famed ‘Launch Match Unnie’ from the community was the only one I could think of…

‘Wait a minute?’

As I raised my head, my eyes widened at the sight of Sehee.

“Ahhh!”

“…?”

“The Launch Match Unnie?”

This was the super skilled player I’d met in virtual reality who saved me during the hacking sniper controversy, now revealed as a Hero summoned to this world and casually outed herself as the infamous ‘Launch Match Unnie’ who had been stirring up the community!

‘This is insane!’

I was dizzy from the information flooding my mind.

I can’t handle something like this!

I’m overwhelmed.

* * *

Fidgeting awkwardly, it was Dayoung who first broke the silence.

“Is it… is it that you’re also a Hero who saved this world, Sehee-nim?”

“Um, yes. Although the worlds we were summoned to seem different, isn’t the situation quite interesting?”

“…?”

Sehee, taking a sip of her tea, arranged three pieces of sugar next to her.

“But it means there are many things we aren’t aware of, and if at least two other worlds exist, perhaps we can consider three as a necessity….”

“There could be other Heroes, right?”

“Yes, just looking at you, I thought about that.”

After nodding, her distant gaze out the window reflected the city lights like tears in her eyes.

Then, she suddenly looked around and noticed several individuals watching us with mild curiosity.

Oh, this feels awkward….

“So, about that….”

Sehee, avoiding my gaze, lowered her voice, covering her mouth to shield what she was about to say.

“I’m sure you’re curious about why I wanted to meet you?”

“Well….”

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t interested.

As Sehee spoke reminiscently, I found myself drawn deeper into her captivating presence.

Is it a charm of some kind? Or is this just narrative coherence at work?

It was the first time I felt that the woman before me, stirring her tea with a teaspoon while resting her chin upon it, could create such a picture.

“Meeting you wasn’t anything special. At first, I didn’t know you were a Hero, but while watching your stream, I noticed something peculiar.”

“Something peculiar?”

“Did Baebae happen to show up? Nope, while I was streaming in virtual reality, Baebae couldn’t appear.”

“Ugh!”

Inside the bag, Baebae fussed in silence, seemingly distressed.

Sehee chuckled lightly, waving her hand dismissively.

“No, not that frog friend. It was something else altogether.”

“…?”

“I didn’t know you’d been cursed, and you’ve been streaming continuously, did you know that?”

What on earth was that all about?

As Sehee observed my bewilderment, she nodded knowingly.

What kind of jolt of destiny is this?

“While I was examining the Soul Warfare streams, I spotted a channel that emanated a foul energy.”

“Is that my channel?”

“Correct, you appear to be under some kind of curse. It was quite amusing actually, considering it directed viewers to disregard the stream….”

“Wait, are you saying that all the trouble I’ve gone through until now is due to this so-called curse?”

“Well, if it was cheap enough, then it would also mean it was covert. It focused on the viewers rather than impacting you directly. Also, given that you’re a Hero, your abilities would be limited on Earth, right?”

What a cheap curse, I thought while clutching my headache.

“So that’s why you started taking an interest in my streams.”

“Ugh!”

Once more, Baebae’s muffled protests echoed from the bag.

“That frog seems to be having a tough time.”

“Oh, since Baebae hates being cooped up, let’s step outside to chat.”

“Yeah, let’s talk somewhere else. For instance….”

Even as Sehee’s playful eyes sparked mischief, I couldn’t ignore the strange anxiety tingling at my spine.

“At your house, maybe?”

Things are moving way too fast!

* * *