Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 095

It was a crisis on the brink of annihilation.
The bewildered heroes had lost their will to fight, barely able to catch their breaths under the protection of S-class heroes.
– Whooaaaaah. –
The calm sandstorm engulfed them. Like casually crushing ants, the colossal spirit engulfed its prey with a devastating presence, instilling fear.
“Ugh, nooo!”
The heroes fell to their knees one by one, gasping for air as the negative energy wave hit their mental barriers. Even the most experienced hero, Ellie, among the A-class, was no exception.
‘I’m going to die.’
Just before the mental barrier collapsed, the vision blurred into darkness. Chaotic memories flooded the mind. Memories with family. Tears shed during training. The gruesome disaster scenes that made her into a pro hero.
Yet, nowhere did she see a way to save her dying body.
– Step by step. –
As the footsteps brushed past, a faint sound reached Ellie’s dulled ears. Her body, driven solely by the desire to ‘survive’ in the face of death, strained to raise her eyelids to identify the owner of the footsteps.
It was an instinctual act to secure vision and protect oneself from unidentified threats.
“Ah!”
Ellie’s iris trembled intensely as she opened her real eyes. The owner of the unidentified presence was none other than Isaac, the S-class hero, hidden within the walls.
– Step by step. –
Isaac’s footsteps echoed softly. His expressionless face showed no hint of tension or fear, even amidst the fierce onslaught of sound energy. He remained unperturbed, as if facing countless emperor-level spirits was nothing new.
“Isaac! Let’s join forces now!”
Yoho, who had been about to pull the lever and flee, shouted urgently. The combined spirit was not a full-fledged emperor but a case of forcibly elevating its class through hastily gathered power.
Knowing that with Isaac’s participation, there was nothing they couldn’t handle, she chose to fight back instead of giving up.
– WhoooOOOOOOOM! –
From the belatedly revealed Isaac, a formidable wave of mana surged forth, capable of being harnessed. The pressure that had been weighing down the heroes simply by revealing his presence vanished as if washed away.
His presence exceeded the category of 5 stars. The heroes, who had narrowly escaped death, looked at him in awe.
– Flutter! –
Isaac, riding on the summoned black tiger with wings, soared into the sky.
“Flame Emperor, can you do it one more time?”
“Yes, Unnie!”
As Isaac left, Flame Emperor and Yoho unleashed their mana once more to erect walls of fire and pink shields. Even with Isaac’s participation, blocking the attacks of an emperor-level spirit alone would have been impossible.
– GooooOOOO! –
– Boom! –
Eventually, when the sound energy beams extended from eight tentacles converged into one.
– KwadddDUCK. –
From Isaac’s body, facing the beam head-on, something emerged. It appeared to be a rough grayish rock.
As the rock grew in size, expanding from a wide vein of ore into a small hill-sized entity in no time.
– Kwagwaggaggwagg! –
A deafening explosion reverberated.
– Whooooooom. –
The immensely powerful sound energy beam reached its maximum output before gradually losing strength. From start to finish, the massive gray rock shield stood tall, unwavering in its position.
Isaac successfully blocked all attacks from the combined sand specter.
“Come… Bernie?”
Flame Emperor and Yoho, who were about to join forces, were stunned by Isaac’s newfound strength, unable to close their mouths.
The combined sand specter, sensing their confusion, spoke instead.
“You…! No. It can’t be. An Awakened from a lower civilization like you!”
With a flick of its tentacles, the sand specter of Isaac’s visage lashed out. However, the tentacles, which seemed poised to pierce Isaac’s torso in an instant, instead found themselves striking empty air.
– Pshht! –
In the gap, a purple mist that scattered sparkles appeared right in front of the massive combined spirit. In Isaac’s right hand, atop which he stood, was a newly acquired weapon, the Karna Blade.
– Swoosh. –
Finally, his blade was drawn diagonally.
─────────!
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– Sssssssshhh. –
The sand that had engulfed the cathedral was completely withdrawn, and the crimson orbs sacrificed themselves to trigger a large-scale unsealing ritual.
As the orbs flashed several times, a barrier was drawn at the entrance of the cathedral. It seemed as if immense pressure was applied to a very small point.
– Weeeeeng― Flash! –
As the process continued, several of the magic circles surrounding the cathedral began to break, eventually creating holes large enough for a person to pass through in the barrier.
“At last…!”
The sand golem couldn’t contain its excitement. Having dodged the crimson orbs, it descended into the pit and stood at the entrance of the cathedral where the hole had opened.
“The map he gave me was genuine. A relic of the upper world, even a ruin of the celestial race. Who would have thought their legacy would be hidden in such a small world!”
The sand golem entered the cathedral without hiding its joy. The other crimson orbs hesitated, worried that their leader might be setting a trap, but all they could do was wait eagerly.
– Kurrrung. –
Finally, a sound echoed from within the cathedral. The crimson orbs hoped desperately that the sand golem would emerge and declare the discovery of vast treasures.
But instead of the sand golem they were expecting, appeared a mysterious man with an angular face, shoulder-length black hair, and horns extending from his forehead.
The crimson orbs trembled in confusion.
“Oh~ So many prey. I knew leaving behind the treasure map was a good idea.”
– Shwak. –
With a gesture from the man’s angular face, hundreds of crimson orbs floating around whimpered before falling to the ground around him.
“I wish they were corporeal monsters. Well, I’ve been starving for a thousand years, so I won’t be picky.”
– Thunk― Thudududuk! –
Hundreds of crimson orbs shattered, and the translucent cores within them flew towards the man. Like a vacuum cleaner, he indiscriminately absorbed the nuclei scattered around him.
After ten minutes, the numerous crimson orbs turned into dust, leaving nothing behind.
– Whooooo. –
“Hmm?!”
The man with the long hair, having finished his meal, raised his head to look at the distant sky. Faint noises could be heard from there. Frowning, he soon expressed deep admiration as if sensing the beings in the far-off sky.
“Spirits, and two of them are 5-star level! Even the 3-star ones are quite something. What a feast.”
– Kugugugung. –
A reddish-black aura surged from the man’s horns. Then, a pair of dark wings as black as midnight sprouted from his back. With a flap of his wings, the man covered hundreds of meters in an instant.
– Gurururur! –
However, the man’s frenzied flight towards his prey soon came to a halt.
“This is!”
A tremendous explosion erupted in the distance, sending shockwaves that swept away even the sandstorms swirling hundreds of kilometers away.
“The aura of an Awakened?! The presence of an spirit equivalent to an emperor just vanished in an instant. Even if it’s an Awakened, to defeat an emperor-level spirit in one fell swoop! That means reaching the pinnacle of Awakening…!”
Resembling a demon from myth, the man’s face turned pale, and he trembled violently. Terrified, he turned in the opposite direction and fled with all his might.
“They must have detected my presence. Please, after a thousand years of being freed, I can’t just vanish like this!”
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Yoho was left speechless by the miraculous sword strike that unfolded before her eyes.
“This is unbelievable….”
The power of an Awakened who could split a mountain with a single blow. Perhaps it was a strike that surpassed even the prowess of a Sword Emperor. Isaac was not metaphorically, but at least on par with a Sword Emperor, an Awakened.
There were only four Awakened in the world. With Isaac added, there were now five, making South Korea a country with two Awakened among them, even among the major powers.
“Thank you for your grace!”
“T-Thank you, senior!”
As Flame Emperor knelt down, the rest of the heroes followed suit. It was customary in the industry to lower oneself in allegiance to a powerful hero who had saved their lives.
“That’s enough. Start the cleanup.”
Isaac, displaying the authority of an Awakened, naturally commanded Flame Emperor and the other heroes. He had demonstrated a level of skill equivalent to a Sword Emperor, and he couldn’t keep up the formalities with other S-class heroes forever.
If Isaac had used his authority, Flame Emperor would have bowed even lower, waving her hands to show even greater respect.
‘Oh, I’m trembling.’
Knowing the ecosystem of the Desolation Gale, Isaac refrained from moving until the lord-level spirits merged.
The battle ended in an instant, but each moment was risky.
Isaac, riding the wave of the sand specter’s purification with his sword strike, immediately returned to the Nexus Jet. Although it was a fleeting moment, thanks to the ‘slowed flow of time’, he was able to retrieve even the debris dropped by the sand specter before returning.
If the timing had been slightly off, the surge of power from the matured spirit could have dissipated before it leaped through space, potentially causing chaos as it fell from the high skies.
“Oppa Isaac is an Awakened. It’s embarrassing not to know such nobility.”
“But is that really the appropriate title?”
“Hehe, handsome seniors are all Oppa. Even among 5-star heroes, he’s quite strong. I think he has the right to be addressed as such.”
“You’re shameless. But your audacity is amusing, so I’ll overlook it. Address him however you like.”

With measured steps, Isaac walked towards the upper deck and returned using the lever. The heroes gazed at his retreating figure with eyes full of admiration.
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– Ahgjag! Wargoo! –
The voracious creature chewed on the core of the highest-grade sentient being. It seemed absurd to feed on such a thing even in its juvenile state. But it must have had confidence in digesting it.
[Combat Gauge: 43%]
The combat gauge, which had dropped to 25%, now rose to 43%. It was still insufficient. To face the Emperor-class monster flying in from hundreds of kilometers away.
‘It didn’t seem like a Sand specter.’
The presence was eerie and discomforting. It was more intense than the grotesque spirit formed by the merging of six entities, likely placing it at the Emperor class.
It was fortunate to have detected it in advance. This was an unexpected variable.
[Oppa, how far has that monster come? I can’t detect it with my senses.]
Yoho’s communication came through, surprisingly gentle.
But asking me won’t yield any answers. I accidentally noticed it while activating Final Finish. How would I know its current location?
‘It’s probably because it’s a big one. How am I supposed to notice something hundreds of kilometers away?’
The creature’s presence was detected from a distant and dark place. It felt like a vast 3D map unfolded in my mind, and instantly, its location was sensed through my senses.
‘It seems like abilities change according to the opponent’s class.’
Another hypothesis was added based on the battle result. The potency of Final Finish seemed to correlate with the combat power of the enemy I faced.
The increase in power and range of my sword against the sand specter compared to previous Final Finishes was undeniable. It was palpable.
Not to mention, detecting the presence of the creature so far away was unprecedented. It felt like my brain’s perception range had significantly expanded.
The skill description is so unhelpful. It seems like there’s always something new to discover.
“The creature’s presence has faded. Let’s maintain our formation for about 30 minutes.”
[Hmm~ Understood.]
Yoho on the screen cocked her head. She might have caught on to something. It’s odd for someone who dealt with an Emperor-class spirit in one stroke to be wary of a similar-class monster.
At least they must have realized that my talent isn’t the type that can be used continuously. They probably understand that while the burst damage is immense, the cooldown is lengthy.
‘I guess this might be better.’
You can’t hide the truth forever. But hiding falsehoods within a truth that seems plausible is another matter. Using the combat gauge filled by the members’ battles to use Final Finish or the fact that talents require cooldown after use doesn’t seem inconsistent within the broader context.
‘It’s easier to operate with a penalty on abilities than to be misunderstood as a powerful hero who keeps hiding.’
Being discovered is just a matter of time. I need to be prepared.
However, I also need to consider the possibility of villains identifying my weaknesses and devising tailored strategies against me. It’s best to equip myself with utilities that can reduce cooldown time before that happens.
[Yes! I’ll maintain the current status.]
It seemed like Yoho understood my command without any hesitation. The day when S-class heroes listen to my orders has come. Nowadays, each day feels surreal.
“Grrrrr….”
Gunggi, who shamelessly devoured at least a 200-billion-worth meal, rolled over with a full belly. It seems like the saying “The bigger the tiger’s arms, the bigger the mistakes” holds true. I wish someone would take care of it for me. I just want to live without stress.