Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 028

– Boom, boom, boom, boom…

–

– Bababa-bam! Bababa-bam! –

“……?!”

A firework went off in the middle of the night.

The BGM that pierced through my ears was similar to the sound that used to play when you obtained a legendary item from a random package in the Clan of Heroes.

‘Terror?!’

I instinctively reached for the Leader skill activation button, but I realized with blurry eyes that this was the ‘Quest Clear’ effect.

[Quest completed.]

A system message was floating in the air, surrounded by virtual fireworks.

The current time was 6 AM on a Monday, and I had woken up a whole hour earlier than the scheduled time.

‘Ah.’

My established routine had been broken, and frustration washed over me. I pressed my temples to calm down.

‘’Well, at least I completed the quest.’

And then, the additional rewards that followed the message that had been flashing before my eyes for a while now made me wide awake.

[Quest reward received…]

[Obtained 3,000 points.]

[Obtained a special growth package.]

[Increased lifespan by 1 year.]

Three months had turned into one year.

“A special package?”

I quickly opened my inventory and examined the package.

Inside were two “Magic Circuit Redistribution Vouchers” and the materials needed for enhancing hero rating.

The materials included four Spiritual Energy Condensed Soul stones and twelve Low-Grade Breakthrough Stones.

The Soul stones and Breakthrough Stones were essential materials that adjusted the rating enhancement probability.

Furthermore, the Magic Circuit Redistribution Vouchers were items that could only be purchased with cash in Clan of Heroes.

In this world, you couldn’t open a cash shop even if you searched for it. What is the meaning of living like this? It was like acquiring a valuable item that is not available locally.

“Creak…?”

Gunggi that had been sleeping soundly on the floor climbed onto the bed. I petted its head and back as I basked in the rewarding feeling.

– Swish, swish.

–

The chirping of the birds outside felt like a blessing, and the sunlight filtering through the curtains was warm and pleasant. It was nice up to this point.

Until the oblivious system notification interrupted.

– Ping…

–

[Quest activated!]

[Quest – Main]

▶ Objective: Turn the clan into a ‘mid-sized company’ within your remaining lifespan.

▶ Reward: A considerable amount of points, a very useful package, and an additional year of lifespan.

“……”

My mood sank dramatically.

I had expected that the quest wouldn’t be completed in just one go. After all, it was like receiving orders from the enigmatic forces that had stuck me in this world.

If they wanted my remaining lifespan to disappear as soon as I cleared the quest, they wouldn’t have bothered bringing me to this world in the first place.

‘What’s their real intention?’

Like the previous quests, the focus seems to be on diligently growing the clan, but I had no idea what they truly wanted.

Did they enjoy watching me struggle and grow? Or were they planning to send me to a battlefield like the War of the Gods in the future?

“Ugh.”

An involuntary groan escaped my lips.

At least the deadline had been extended from three months to over a year. Ah, well.

While I finished my shower and dried my hair, I searched for the conditions to classify a company as a mid-sized enterprise on my smartphone.

[In Korea, 99% of companies are small and medium-sized enterprises, with over 80% of workers employed in them…]

I nodded bitterly.

Even before the possession, I seemed to have worked diligently, but my salary was barely enough to make ends meet on my own.

‘Although I’ve spent excessively on microtransactions and reinvestments…’

In any case, it was the same on a peaceful Earth, but in this world where disaster struck on a random day, the gap between rich and poor would have increased, not decreased.

‘Moreover, 99% are small and medium-sized enterprises.’

Being a mid-sized company means being within the top 1%. Do they expect me to achieve this?

With a one-year deadline, the difficulty seemed formidable.

[If the total assets exceed 500 billion won regardless of sales, it qualifies as a mid-sized company.]

The specific conditions for becoming a mid-sized company were having total assets of 500 billion won. Since liabilities were included in assets, if it seemed impossible, I might have to become a super-debtor and forcefully clear the quest.

[Or, if the average sales of the main industry meets the mid-sized company criteria, it is classified as a mid-sized company.]

Hero Clan was classified as a private business, and it needed to exceed an average annual sales of 150 billion won over three years to become a mid-sized company.

However, the Harmony Clan, bound by the constraints of balance, hadn’t been in business for a year yet. So, I found out that in this case, you had to add up the monthly sales and divide it by the number of months the income was generated, then multiply it by 12.

Even with some quick mental calculations, my current performance fell far short of the required standards.

‘But it’s cleaner this way.’

The quest wasn’t something abstract like ‘Become a hero recognized by the entire nation.’

That was somewhat fortunate.

Total assets of 500 billion won or annual sales of 150 billion won. It wasn’t a quest with unnecessary complications.

‘Let’s see. What were the money-making farming methods available around this time?’

As I started to grasp specific goals, I lay halfway on the bed, and my mind began to race.

Making money was my true expertise. In comparison, boss raids were like my secondary major.

Efficient farming and business were essential for accumulating wealth. If I hadn’t secured a significant amount of money through these means, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the miracle of conquering the Mytreya of the Deep Night for the first time.

‘I have to clear content quickly or produce items, but…’

Zzzt.

“Ugh…”

My temples began to throb again. It was probably due to the dizziness caused by rolling my head on an empty stomach.

I resolved to deal with it and have a simple breakfast with the packed lunch I had prepared. Afterward, I headed to the office and started brainstorming seriously.

In the third quarter, it seemed more urgent to break through content that generated money rather than obsessing over sales.

I would need to hire more employees and formulate a more aggressive business strategy.

‘To do that, managing stress and physical health is crucial.’

My gaze subtly reached the bottom of the status screen.

[Points: 4,853]

I had 4,853 points. The 3,000 points from the quest reward had been a significant addition. However, as a gamer, I couldn’t bring myself to spend them right away.

I touched the points and selected ‘Yes’ when the holographic scroll popped up. A purchase list appeared.

[Spin the Roulette]

[Bronze Roulette: 500P]

[Silver Roulette: 1,000P]

[Gold Roulette: 5,000P]

[Platinum Roulette: 20,000P]

“I have only 150 points left until Gold.”

How would I endure this?

Regardless of the risks, gambling was often a shortcut to ruin. But my heart desired the Gold Roulette.

‘Let’s do as I please and avoid regrets.’

– Gurgle…

–

After focusing on it for a moment, a rumbling sound came from my stomach. It felt like someone was pressing hard on my diaphragm, causing a stifling pain.

I’ve been experiencing these symptoms for a few days. It’s the aftermath of caffeine addiction. Quitting coffee abruptly would only lead to skyrocketing stress, causing a vicious cycle. It was a real dilemma.

– Thump, gulp, gulp…

–

I grabbed a multivitamin bottle from the desk and took a few pills. I leaned back in my chair and waited for the discomfort in my stomach to subside.

‘Is this the right choice?’

Even on regular self-imposed vacations, my body was breaking down. Pushing myself to work while my body complained was taking a toll. The joy of achieving results and the fear of becoming a failed quest kept me going. If I had been slacking off until now, I might have been on the verge of becoming a ‘ghost of work.’

‘Today, work is piled up, so I can’t help it. Maybe I’ll take a break tomorrow.’

I had been trying to calm my mind for about 30 minutes. My queasy stomach in check, I started looking at my office tasks with determination.

A breeze blowing in the August afternoon. It was a perfect day for a nap.

However, my modest resolution to work steadily for a while was shaken during lunchtime when the approval documents were placed on my desk.

This was due to the discovery of a lucrative request on the mission list.

“Let’s see.”

As usual, there were a bunch of high-paying but high-difficulty missions on the list.

Requests from upper-class customers who expected Hero Isaac’s performance. Some companies even submitted requests with the same content, despite previous rejections.

– Swoosh, shush, charr.

–

I quickly checked the missions based on difficulty and compensation from the thin mission information window that was spread out on the documents.

Nowadays, I was quite fast at rejecting missions. I had no patience left for feeling sorry for rejecting them. I had become accustomed to the life of a CEO.

“Hmm?”

While flipping through pages mechanically, my hand stopped involuntarily on page 14.

The mission’s difficulty and compensation seemed odd.

[Mission – Event Security]

▶ Difficulty: Easy

▶ Description: Provide security for the VIP invitation event at S Department Store, August 13th, XX year, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for six consecutive hours. This mission was requested with your involvement as a condition.

The former director was recently dismissed, and there is a rumor that it was part of the current director’s scheme, but there doesn’t seem to be anything special about it.

▶ Compensation: 500 million won

▶ Reward: 50 points

The difficulty was easy, and the compensation was 500 million won.

It was undoubtedly a considerable amount of money. Of course, other S-rank heroes might not move even if they were offered tens of billions, but I wasn’t even a regular hero; I was essentially a D-rank hero.

‘500 million for an easy security mission in one day? It’s like winning the lottery.’

As someone burdened with the task of achieving 150 billion won in annual revenue within a year, this amount was eye-catching.

Furthermore, the requesting organization, s Department Store, was a subsidiary of the 4th largest conglomerate, seonhwa Group. This request could be a sign of goodwill from a major corporation.

Since I received a quest this morning to earn a lot of money, I was eager to get along with the rich.

‘Still, just in case, let’s make it clear.

‘

Before accepting the mission, I conveyed to S Department Store that I wouldn’t participate in combat in case of a disaster, ensuring there was no room for misunderstandings.

That afternoon, after confirming that the client had no objections, I finally accepted the security mission.

The weather had cooled for a moment, but it was another hot August weekend.

Having taken two consecutive days of self-rest for stress management, I had a leisurely breakfast and headed straight to the mission site instead of the office.

When I arrived at the S Department Store parking lot, hero team members in their suits were getting off a limousine van on the opposite side.

‘I haven’t seen them in about three weeks.’

Seo Eun-ha was wearing a purple, frilly dress, and Gil-seong was wearing a pink bodysuit with a pouch and bandana.

Hwang Man-deuk wore a dark blue suit with a V-shaped pattern on the chest, while Yeo Jin-soo had a combination of a black suit and a white robe.

Their good proportions and unique designs made them look elegant and attractive in their outfits.

On the other hand, my black-toned hero suit, except for the design, which was quite unremarkable, had a thick material with a high collar. It was a relatively plain outfit that didn’t make a big statement, suitable for a normal person who lacked a sense of fashion.

While observing other heroes, I couldn’t help but wonder why some of them chose to wear outdated suits that made them look awkward. Fans also had mixed opinions about the classic costume concept that clearly divided people’s preferences.

“Leader~ It’s been a while since we met on the field! Hehe.”

As I approached the team members, Gil-seong displayed a slightly uncomfortable but friendly demeanor, waving her arms playfully.

My body, which had been maintaining a steady low pressure due to recent struggles with colitis, began to generate an irritated voice even before going through its own filtering process.

“Are you here to have fun? Don’t be so laid-back.”

I was secretly surprised that Isaac, who was showing his grumpy side, didn’t cause any harm to Gil-seong.

For a moment, she widened her eyes and seemed flustered, but then, as if to say, ‘When was that?’ she added some vigor and said, ‘Oops. Sorry! I’ll be careful!’

Hwang Man-deuk who was listening to this, thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to say that we will be careful rather than saying that we will correct it?’

He did not spare a military-style comment.

It sounded strangely like an entertainment-style negotiation, and it lightened the heavy atmosphere.

It felt like the team members were making continuous efforts to get closer to me since the last variety show filming. There was a subtle sense of testing boundaries and trying to build rapport.

‘Have they become more comfortable with me?’

Laughing and chatting during the mission was out of the question. I addressed the team, ensuring they had thoroughly familiarized themselves with the information sent from the support team.

“Non-VIP personnel should be dealt with immediately if found, especially pay attention to the 3rd-floor central A and B corridors connected to the subway station. I’ll communicate with the outer security team myself, so report any unusual findings to me.”

I conveyed a few more instructions and then we were deployed to the scene. We received polite guidance to a VIP lounge-like area, where we met the person who had hired us, known as the director of this department store.

From head to toe, she was adorned in luxurious high-end fashion. She introduced herself with a bright smile and a unique way of speaking.

“Hello~! It’s nice to meet you. I’m Han Hee-su, the chairman of this department store once again.”

Her warm smile and distinctive speech style warmly greeted us. She made a strong first impression, with a confident demeanor that seemed to reflect a firm sense of self.

To put it more bluntly, she seemed to be self-centered and quite full of herself.

‘It’s cold’

In less than 30 seconds, she showcased the character my mind had instinctively analyzed.

“We’re not like ordinary common people. It’s so nice when distinguished people gather, isn’t it?”

“There are limits even to being a distinguished person. But the previous person who handed this place over, I don’t know what they were thinking.”

“Shall we take a pretty photo? Everyone looks so pretty and handsome, I don’t want to be the ugly one, do I? Ho ho ho ho.”

She talked excessively and her speech was laced with a sense of superiority and discrimination. It was like a ringing in my ears.