2

As I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.

This place is likely… my 'home.'

The first impression upon returning home wasn't one of intense emotion or any indescribable warmth.

Oddly enough, my initial thought was an admiration for the high ceiling that caught my eye as I regained consciousness.

Turning my head, I took in the scenery of the room.

'This is a nice room.'

The room balanced a mix of modern and antique elements that, though seemingly mismatched, complemented each other well.

Lying sprawled out, I stretched my hand upward.

Starting from the outstretched hand, I could see the warrior's gear covering my body.

And the familiar feel of the holy sword gripped in my hand.

It seems that, as the goddess said, my warrior's gear followed me to this world.

"Mmm!"

Stretching fully, my whole body shivered with a pleasant sensation.

How long has it been since I was this drowsy…

Though I had a strong mind since my awakening as a warrior, I felt a refreshing energy filling my mind, regardless of such matters.

Getting up and moving to the window, I pulled aside the curtains.

"…I'm really back."

The familiar view of skyscrapers.

Digital billboards and a crowd of people walking the streets.

'What am I supposed to feel at a moment like this?'

In the web novels I'd read before, the protagonists felt lingering emotions, anger, sorrow…

Or even tearful emotions upon returning to their homeland.

I don't know if I'm emotionally drained or if my mind has become resilient.

Turning my gaze back to the room, I noticed a smartphone, wallet, and some documents on the table.

Opening the wallet first, I confirmed 500,000 won in cash, a check card from T Bank, and an ID.

The ID photo displayed the now-familiar appearance of myself – a woman with blond hair and teal eyes.

Let's see, the name is…

'Ji Sehee.'

130101-4XXXXXX

XXX Road, Gangnam District, Seoul.

After confirming the date of birth, I couldn't help but chuckle.

They managed to fit a Korean name with this appearance.

The document was the deed that stated I was the owner of this building.

The smartphone didn't have any lock screen set up. Checking the calendar on the device, I saw that it was January 3, 2035.

Reestablished under the name Ji Sehee, I am now 22 years old.

As the goddess mentioned, a vast fortune was accumulated in the bank app on the phone.

With this, I probably won't need to worry about money for the rest of my life.

Maybe that's why.

Of all things, this was the one matter I wanted to settle first, above anything else buried in my heart.

Deciding to stash away the warrior's gear and holy sword in a corner of the room, I resolved to organize it later…

The first thing I did was take a shower.

In the other world, I didn't have the luxury of bathing properly with all those demons I had to take down.

Of course, that didn't mean I lived in filth. The warrior's blessing kept me clean.

-Swoosh-

Yeah, this feeling… I missed it so much.

As I let the warm water cascade over my body, I swallowed the emotions welling up inside me.

It may seem like a trivial act, but for some people, even small things like this can be deeply moving.

After finishing my shower, I opened the closet.

Fortunately, there weren't any eccentric – like 'excessively' feminine – clothes.

Women's underwear… wasn't an issue.

It's not like it's on display, and I wore similar things in the other world anyway.

Given my mental resilience as a warrior, I couldn't get worked up over something like this.

There was a decent black suit, so I put it on and got ready to go out.

The reason for dressing in all black was that the place I was about to visit wasn't suited for flashy attire.

Leaving the building, I looked up, and the blue sky greeted me.

After battling demons in hell, it's been a long time since I've seen such a bright sky and a shining sun.

"So bright."

Perhaps because it was January, the sunlight, without a single cloud in the sky, gently nipped at my eyes.

Regretting not bringing sunglasses, I quickened my pace.

***

"Still the same."

After an hour-long taxi ride, I arrived at XX City Memorial Park.

Thirteen years had passed, yet this place remained unchanged.

Following old memories, I found my way to the memorial room.

Inside, there was…

"Thank goodness."

My parents' place remained as it was.

They were people who had passed away in an accident two years before I was summoned to the other world.

Maybe because there was no one else in the family to take care of it.

The artificial flowers, once arranged in decoration, had long faded under the passage of time.

As I looked at the photos of my parents neatly placed inside, an overwhelming emotion overcame me, leaving me speechless – a feeling I hadn't even experienced upon returning to modern life.

As a warrior, I'd witnessed countless innocent people die tragically.

There were times I wept with sorrow and frustration.

Although I wasn't crying this time, my heart felt as though it was being gripped tightly… it hurt more than ever.

"I'm back, Father, Mother. Have you been well?"

Swallowing down the suppressed emotions, I finally managed to greet them.

To the two of them smiling warmly in the photos…

"This must be a strange sight for you. A lot happened during that time… I became a warrior. I saved the world brilliantly, returned proudly to Korea…

I even made a lot of money."

I let them know that their child had become a warrior who saved the world.

No matter how grueling and horrific the journey was, in front of my parents, I shared only the triumphant result, something to make them proud.

I achieved glorious victories…

Made significant accomplishments…

Saved countless people…

Though it was so hard to speak my first words, once I began, the stories flowed out effortlessly.

"I'll live well from now on. I've faced all the hardships at once, so now, I'll live peacefully."

I said, gently touching the glass separating me from the photo of my parents, with a soft smile.

"I'll be happy, I promise. Please watch over me."

Taking a step back, I bid them farewell once more.

"I'll be going now, Father, Mother. I'll come visit often."

Leaving the memorial room, I received counseling from the administrative office regarding my parents' remains and decorated the artificial flowers with new, beautiful arrangements.

I wondered what Father and Mother would have thought if they were alive to see me now, this drastically changed version of myself.

Who knows – even with all the noise over various stories, maybe they would have accepted me in the end.

Though I returned after ten years, now as a daughter instead of a son, what could I do?

'I'm such a proud child, after all, right?'

***

Stepping outside, the sunlight greeted me with its dazzling radiance.

The playful light that had nipped at my eyes earlier now felt slightly different, as if celebrating my readiness to move forward after putting things in order.

It was as bright and brilliant as my own hair.

When the door opened, the signature voice of the electronic door chimed, "Welcome," indicating the arrival of a customer.

The part-timer who had been watching a game stream on Switch Channel hurriedly stood up from his chair.

"Welcome."

The moment he lifted his head with a polite smile, his mind froze at the sight of the customer.

'Holy… damn. She's incredibly beautiful.'

Golden hair cascading down to her waist and blue eyes – the epitome of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty.

A calm yet slightly cool expression with a delicate balance of mystery.

Neatly dressed in a suit.

Despite the form-fitting nature of her clothes, her figure stood out in a striking way.

'Had he ever assessed someone this quickly with such a sharp gaze in his 23 years of life?'

Complimenting his own eye-speed in an almost cinematic way, the part-timer tilted his head in confusion.

Though he had worked here for nearly a year and was among the more seasoned employees in the area, he couldn't recall ever seeing such a stunning beauty around.

'Was she a new resident in the neighborhood? Or just a passerby dropping in for a moment?'

'A foreigner?'

He'd seen a lot of beautiful Western models online, but something about her stood out – the features were familiar yet distinct.

If someone who'd been heavily edited on the internet existed in real life, they might look like her.

Shaking his head to clear his spiraling thoughts, the part-timer muttered that all these musings were pointless – a drink with her would have been better.

"Ready for checkout."

She stood at the counter with several cans of drinks and snacks, and he promptly assisted with the transaction.

"I'll need to check your ID."

"Sure."

A slight tremor ran through his body at the sound of her low, beautiful voice.

'Was this what those old men called an 'eargasm'?'

All she did was quietly hand over her ID, but it was oddly thrilling.

She was abiding by the unspoken rule that someone beautiful would have an equally captivating voice.

He was also surprised to see a Korean name on the ID confirming her age.

'Ji Se…something. Ji Seyeon? Ji Se-eun?'

As he let his thoughts wander over her name, he caught himself and quickly resumed the checkout.

"That'll be 15,800 won."

"Here you go."

He briefly considered asking for a selfie with her, but in the end, he suppressed his rising desire.

'Damn, I should have asked for a selfie and maybe even her number.'

As she left with her items in a bag, he found himself filled with regret, thinking he'd be losing sleep over her for a while.

***

I chuckled slightly as I left the convenience store.

He probably thought he was being discreet with his glances.

As a warrior, I could sense such gazes as openly as if they were outright stares.

Out of precaution, I'd come to this spot, a bit away from home, to buy some dinner.

Perhaps I should refrain from visiting this convenience store too often.

"Wooow! Mom, that lady's chest is like a watermelon!"

"Shh, don't say that out loud, my little princess."

"Aw, why not? She's really pretty…"

Not only the passing mother and daughter, "Hey, honey, don't you think she looks pretty, someone you haven't seen around here?"

"Looking at her outfit, she might work for some foreign company, huh?" whispered a group of middle-aged women, along with other subtle glances around me…

Once home, I stashed the items from the convenience store in the fridge, then stretched out on the sofa.

Though I could tolerate people staring at me, it's not like my face would wear out from it…

However, my overly sharp senses picked up on feelings in their gazes beyond mere admiration or goodwill.

"I'm no longer using the warrior's power, and yet it's still like this."

Living like this could get a bit tiring, but well…

'Why does it feel so good?'

'Have I always enjoyed this kind of attention, or did the goddess's excessive blessing and grace change me like this?'

The thought amused me, and I let out a quiet laugh.

Today marks the fifth day since my return to Earth.

They say mountains change in ten years, and I needed to understand how the world had transformed in my absence.

For the past few days, I've been exploring the streets or browsing the internet on my smartphone, repeating this daily routine.

It was my way of trying to familiarize myself with society.

If I were to sum it up, there were groundbreaking developments and changes… to a surprising extent.

It was none other than…

'Virtual reality.'

That's right.

Unlike back then, when VR games were just starting, the world had changed.

Virtual reality had emerged three years ago and rapidly transformed society.

'You'll find something really fun when you return.'

'Could this be what the goddess meant? It definitely has impact.'

The popular games I used to enjoy, like Legendary Battle, had been pushed out of the mainstream by new virtual reality games.

Not only in game market share but even as a leading title in e-sports.

Of course, PC rooms were still going strong, and due to the high cost of virtual reality devices, many users still enjoyed traditional PC games.

But it seemed that traditional PC games, music, videos, and various programs were increasingly being implemented within virtual reality, replacing them at a rapid pace.

I opened the Switch app, which, along with YouTube, was still one of the dominant platforms for game streaming.

Among the game channels sorted in the app, a title with a major viewership caught my eye.

The most popular game currently in virtual reality.

"Soul Warfare."

A preview of the game's promotional video began playing.

A cursed knight defeating cursed monsters and collecting souls.

The dark yet grand scale of the dystopian medieval fantasy setting felt strangely familiar.

"The graphics are amazing."

Perhaps it's because it's virtual reality.

The realism and detail were outstanding, making even the graphics of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void look lackluster.

As I silently watched the advertisement for Soul Warfare, I sprang up from the sofa and cautiously slipped into the virtual reality capsule.

Curious about this large capsule device, which resembled a king-sized bed that had been placed in a corner of the room since my return.

I later found out that it was a virtual reality connection device, an 80 million won limited-edition model.

"Oh!"

What is this – it feels like lying on a waterbed?

The ultimate comfort, unmatched by any PC setup.

'As expected of the goddess. She definitely knows how to reward.'

Forget the plans I had to lounge around with some beer and snacks tonight – I powered on the virtual reality device.

My target was Soul Warfare.

'Why am I playing a game?'

'Who needs a reason to play a game?'

'I'll just play it.'