Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become CEO of Overpowered Hero Clan – 002

The Hidden Power of the CEO

“… Huff!”

I thought my lifeline was about to snap. What on earth was that just now? It felt like a supernova explosion happened several light-years away.

“Phew.”

I wiped away the cold sweat streaming down my forehead. I should look into the strange phenomenon I experienced earlier. By now, communities worldwide must be in chaos. There might even be people who, absentmindedly staring at the night sky like me, have lost their minds and started singing.

The light was so intense, after all.

“… What was that?”

But there seems to be something I need to address before that. I got up to wash my face and came face-to-face with a scenery entirely foreign to my small apartment. Empty bottles, snack wrappers, a cup of instant noodles with leftover broth—there’s no sign of a clean space. Is this really a place where people live?

‘Did I pass out?’

Unless someone moved me here while I was unconscious, I can’t explain this mess.

What’s strange is that it’s not an environment where a patient would rest comfortably.

‘Who could it be?’

I start listing the people who might have come to my place and taken me while I was unconscious. Mom, my younger sibling, maybe a couple of close friends.

Since this isn’t my hometown, the most plausible explanation is that one of my friends who happened to know my apartment passcode came in, found me passed out, dumped me here, and left.

Tiptoeing, I cautiously stepped into the living room.

One side of the room was all floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a panoramic view of the lush Han River. On the opposite side, I could see two refrigerators and stacks of instant noodle bags piled up in the kitchen.

‘Whose place is this?’

The owner must be pretty well off, given the apartment’s estimated value of at least 2 billion won. Do I know anyone who would live in a place like this and has my apartment passcode?

‘No, that’s not it.’

I’ve been feeling extremely uncomfortable since earlier. Even basic movements, like breathing and extending my arm, feel strangely unfamiliar, like they’re not my own.

“Is this… what… um?”

Moreover, my normally deep voice sounds strange, as if it’s been tampered with.

My arms, my legs, everything feels strange.

I headed straight for the bathroom. And when I looked in the mirror… Oh my god, I’m seeing a face I’ve never seen before.

As if entranced, I stared at the unfamiliar face in the mirror.

Normally, I would have gone crazy and thrown a fit at this bizarre phenomenon, but…

“Hmm.”

For some reason, my body’s reaction is incredibly calm. It’s an indescribable feeling, like something fundamentally twisted.

Slooowly.

I cautiously touched my facial features. A prominent nose, sharp blue eyes, moist lips.

“Who are you?”

It’s an image of a cool city guy with a slightly Westernized touch blended into the East Asian genetic.

Even with a casual look, he’s outrageously handsome.

~Swoosh~

I took the opportunity to check my body while I was at it. Seeing the well-defined muscles, it was clear that this body definitely wasn’t mine. If this were someone else’s situation, they might have bragged about becoming a fit and handsome man overnight, but being the one affected, I’m more than a little upset.

To suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and find myself in this state is like being struck by lightning.

“This is strange.”

I continue to explore my body and face, trying to figure out what’s happening. It’s like someone switched souls with me or I’m trapped in a vivid nightmare. Attempting to decipher this chilling situation with futile insight…

… Either way, it’s a tragic scenario.

“Hmm.”

I leaned back against the wide sofa, taking slow breaths.

Should I just go back to sleep like this? Who knows, when I wake up, everything might return to normal…

– Ding-dong! Ding-dong! –

The familiar sound of my smartphone notifications interrupted my thoughts. I quickly picked up the device from the living room floor.

Encased in a black wallet-style cover and filled with several cards, this was undoubtedly my smartphone.

To have my smartphone with me even though my body has changed… I have no idea what’s going on.

As soon as I turned on the smartphone, the mobile game I enjoyed playing automatically launched.

「Quest Activated!」

[Quest – Main]

▶ Objective: Remove the [Black Company] debuff from the clan within your remaining lifespan.

▶ Reward: Decent amount of points, useful package, 1 year of lifespan

“What’s this now?”

Has my account been hacked? The game displayed a strange message.

Even if my account were hacked, I can’t do anything in my current situation. I covered the smartphone and stretched out on the sofa.

– Beep-beep –

“…?”

However, as I was trying to clear my head for a moment, I had to sit up in bewilderment.

A hologram message appeared just above my field of vision, Counting down to death.

[Remaining Lifespan – 89:23:59:45]

[Remaining Lifespan – 89:23:59:44]

[Remaining Lifespan – 89:23:59:43]

…….

…

“Lifespan?”

Even if something goes wrong, this is seriously wrong. Has my brain gone haywire along with my body swap?

– Thunk –

“Ugh.”

I turned on the TV on instinct, fearing that if I were left alone with my thoughts, I might lose my mind. Hearing something made the situation a bit less terrifying.

… But receiving news as shocking as my body changing was the issue.

[Breaking news. Multiple monsters appeared in the downtown area this morning…]

“Hmm?”

The news channel was reporting something strange.

Several monsters have appeared in the city center, resulting in over 30 civilian casualties and one hero casualty.

“What nonsense is this…?”

Soon after, an interview with the clan leader, was conducted. The anchors praised the quick response of the heroes and emphasized the security of South Korea until their tongues ran dry.

– Click –

I switched channels.

On a variety show, a stunningly beautiful actress was dancing a hip dance. However, at the bottom of the screen, there was a bold red font displaying captions like ‘This is the groove of retired heroes!’. Then, the music changed to a male idol’s song, and intense dance moves followed.

One after another, the show presented uniquely intricate movements that seemed impossible for ordinary people, even for the world’s best dancers. The finale involved a mid-air 5-spin turn, and the panel members applauded as if it were a promised performance.

“Don’t do this…”

– Click –

I switched channels again.

A story about heroes was being discussed.

– Click –

I switched channels.

A broadcast praising heroes was on.

– Click –

The next channel?

No twist.

A broadcast about heroes surviving in a foreign land was playing.

– Click, click, click…

–

On this channel and that channel, all I saw were people referred to as heroes.

Heroes had taken over the broadcast industry.

“This is messed up.”

I’m about to lose my sanity. These crazy folks are planning a massive-scale prank to fool just me, but my reason was denying reality.

After spending two days exploring my home and monitoring the situation, I concluded that this wasn’t some mental disorder like schizophrenia.

Certainly, I had experienced something unrealistic where my body swapped with someone else’s. I should consider it like my soul possessing this body, an absurd situation.

Moreover, I understood that this world is the universe of Clan of Heroes, the mobile strategy RPG game I’ve been playing, and where I don’t mind spending my paycheck.

When I searched the named heroes from the game on online portals, they appeared frequently.

[Remaining Lifespan – 87:19:23:21]

… With this situation, it became difficult to dismiss that message at the top of my vision as nonsense.

If I didn’t follow the words of these lunatics who arbitrarily decided my remaining lifespan, I might actually retire from the world at a young age.

Those who can swap people’s souls around probably aren’t afraid of murder.

“Hmm.”

In web novels or webtoons, the protagonist who ends up in another world one day is often given a versatile ability. I wasn’t an exception.

“Status Window.”

[Status Window]

▶ Name: Isaac

▶ Title: Leader

▶ Charisma: [Boredom Genius]

▶ Leader Skill: [Final Finish]

▶ Daily Skills: None

▶ Combat Skills: None

A simple hologram window appeared in the air. Although I’ve entertained fantasies of experiencing an overturned life due to a system correction like in many novels, when this kind of status window popped up in reality, I didn’t know what to do with it.

“At least it’s a position worth trying.”

The status window revealed my body’s name, isaac. That’s the nickname of my Clan of Heroes account’s leader character. It’s clearly stated that my title is Leader. I received more than 10 urgent texts and calls asking when I’d be back in the office over the past two days.

Without a doubt, the identity of this body is my leader character within my Clan of Heroes account.

“The perspective is around 5 to 6 months into Season 1. It was the time when I was heavily investing to boost sales.”

One of the key pieces of information I’ve gathered in the past two days is that my high-spec account that I played on hasn’t been directly linked.

First of all, the fact that the clan has fallen into a [Black Company] state is quite something.

“Why did it have to be now?”

It’s a story that’s been going on for five years. In the days when I was carelessly managing the clan, there was a time when unethical management led to the downfall of the account. I used to be the one who wrote certified posts about [Strategies for Building a Clan’s Foundation], from the basics to the advanced stages, but back then, I was only obsessed with inflating the scale using deceitful methods.

“Start from the bottom, huh? Is that the idea?”

But it just so happened that the point of possession was when the account had fallen into a horrible state. Vertical corporate culture, endless overtime, unresolved issues with hero compensation, embezzlement by executives, violations of labor standards, and more… It’s a situation full of every possible evil that could occur in a small to medium-sized company.

“Inventory.”

– Ting –

A hologram inventory appeared, about the size of an A4 paper. The contents were much sparser than the original account. The inventory system, along with the status window, seemed to work well in reality too. But the problem was that instead of rare boosters and high-tier crafting materials that should have been present, there were just miscellaneous items I used in Season 1.

“Why are these two still the same?”

However, the equipped leader skill and charisma remained intact, which was quite ironic.

I still don’t exactly know what’s going on. What I do know for sure is that I’ve become “Leader Isaac,” who must perform hero missions and manage the clan.

– Shhhhuuurrrk—

I opened the dressing room. The fortunate thing amidst my misfortune was that Isaac seemed to be a guy who knew how to live. Suits of various types were neatly laid out, and ties and watches were tightly displayed in their cases. I picked out a few items randomly and put them on. Perhaps it was my good fortune, but anything I wore seemed to suit me well.

“Hmm.”

A restrained wildness shone in his blue eyes, and under his rough hair, a strong profile accentuated a noble subject. Even his gesture of running his hand through his hair was sophisticated. They say that the face completes fashion, but beyond that, my original body was becoming humble due to the stark difference.

– Ring-ring, ring-ring –

My smartphone rang. It seems that the manager who came to pick me up has arrived in the parking lot. It’s time for me to step out of the blanket.

“Don’t be nervous, act as naturally as possible.”

I hesitated to press the call button. I was already feeling stressed. I don’t know what I should do or how I should behave there, and I have to act as someone else. I have to be careful with every action. It’s going to be precarious every moment.

“Ahem, um, ahem.”

Clearing my throat, I imagined the attitude successful CEOs adopt when dealing with employees and projected that into my voice.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes, Leader, we’ve arrived! As you might be aware, there are reporters in front of the entrance. It seems you should exit from the back entrance. They’re waiting near the service entrance.”

My throat tightened. The current Isaac seemed to be receiving public attention in a negative sense.

“Why do I have to deal with this?”

With a cap pulled low, I discreetly left the elevator, moved towards the back entrance as if performing a spy operation, and got into the limousine van. Just after, the manager handed me a file.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the proof of the content you requested.”

“Proof of content?”

“Yes. And we’ve collected a few sources that can be used for extortion. Fortunately, they’re less impressive than they appear in the images. Thankfully, their behavior isn’t as severe as one would expect. Hahaha.”

I can’t even guess whose story they’re talking about. Should I pretend to know or should I just ask directly? After a brief struggle, I decided to cut to the chase and asked, “What kind of extortion?”

“Well…. You see, seo Eun-ha. I’ve had an encounter with Han Seung-tae from ‘Dawn.’ He’s a crazy guy, so it might be fun to involve him a bit.”

Hero Seo Eun-ha. She’s a Tier 1 supporter I diligently nurtured from the early days to the end of Clan of Heroes Season.

However, the manager who’s driving right now seems to be inclined to provoke her. For what reason, though?

“Why are you trying to attack her?”

“Well? She didn’t do anything wrong, did she? No matter how dissatisfied she is, if she reveals internal clan matters to the media… Ah, I’m sorry. If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”

Squirm.

I pressed on my tense neck muscles. Memories from the past came flooding back.

“It was something I did, after all.”

The internal disclosure event of the affiliated hero. Because of that, the already challenging clan operations had been greatly hindered.

In the end, I wasted the cash I had charged up to recruit heroes on penalties. I had tormented the internal whistleblower hero, seo Eun-ha, who had left for another clan, using every means the game allowed, driven by anger. That was Seo Eun-ha.

“I wasted money again trying to reinstate her.”

Let’s not repeat the mistakes made in the game in real life.

– Rip –

I tore up the proof of content without even looking at it.

If I want to stabilize this damn clan within three months, I’ll need to be tough-hearted.