Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 102

– Click. –
He pulled the hologram slot with all my might. The gacha machine spun with a cheerful sound.
‘Is it the same structure as the roulette draw?’
White and yellow letters whizzed past. The speed gradually slowed down. The roulette alternated between white and yellow rewards until it finally stopped.
– Boom~. –
A loud firework effect went off. The combat skill I received was…
「Shadow Stealth」
▶ Category: Skill ⇨ Combat Skill
▶ Grade: Common
▶ Effect: Hides within shadows.
It was a common-grade stealth skill. His mouth tasted bitter.
‘Stealth, huh.’
A stealth skill. It’s better to have it than not. It’s suitable for infiltrating enemy lines, escaping, or assassination.
‘It might be useful for various applications.’
However, unlike the unique skills obtained through core stones, such as Spectral Arts or Tempering, it was uncertain whether this one would also increase in power in the final finish state. If that were possible, it would be a different story.
‘Let’s see.’
Isaac, who had disembarked from the Nexus Jet, went to a dark corner of a cave and used Shadow Stealth.
– Sss. –
“Oh.”
His hands and feet disappeared. His torso and legs became transparent. The good thing about combat skills was that they activated with sheer willpower, without the need for complicated mana control.
“Can you see me?”
“I can’t see you, but I can sense you. You won’t be able to hide from those with Champion-level eyes or higher.”
In other words, it was a poor reward for now. However, Shadow Stealth was extremely easy to activate, and it seemed useful for improving proficiency in mana control through the sensation of using the skill.
‘Everything has its use.’
Putting aside his disappointment, Isaac decided to commence earnest mana sensitivity training. As he pulled out the Karna Blade and gripped it in his hand, a refreshing energy flowed through his arm again.
“Let’s start. What should I do first?”
His magic mentor was Ifrit, standing right in front of him. Despite hearing the near-truth from Isaac, Ifrit found it difficult to accept. However, he seemed genuinely lacking in understanding of magic.
The death of the master means the disappearance of the summoned creature. Ifrit needed to make Isaac strong for his own sake as well.
“Since you lack a magic circuit, we must first create an artificial path for circulation.”
Earthlings with advanced spirituality all had magic circuits. These circuits developed along the nervous system, forming a very complex structure. With the technological capabilities of Earth’s civilization, it was impossible to fully interpret each individual’s magic circuit, so it was vaguely referred to as ‘talent’.
“A magic circuit is a collection of numerous magical formulas. The Ethereals of Earth have naturally circulated mana through their innate magic circuits to use specific magical formulas.”
Ifrit was well-versed in Earth’s magical engineering technology, as well as the training and combat systems of heroes. He had naturally learned these things while residing in the body of Wendia Lord for decades.
“So, as their spirituality strengthens, they instinctively realize the methods to use higher-level magical formulas latent in their circuits. This is their way of growth, but it is a very inefficient and ignorant method.”
“Is that so? Then what should I do?”
“Give me your strength. I will pass on the ancient knowledge to you.”
There was no need to take a long detour. As an entity from the Celestial Realm, Ifrit knew a systematic way to accumulate mana and quickly enhance spirituality.
Although most of his memories from the Celestial Realm were lost, he remembered almost everything he had learned surviving in the vast Terraria. The technique he was about to use, the memory transfer ritual, was something he had obtained from some ruins on the outskirts of the western continent of Terraria.
‘Can I really trust this guy?’
On the other hand, Isaac was hesitant to accept Ifrit’s proposal to transfer his memories. It was suspicious that an ancient and cunning being like him was so readily obedient.
Unaware that the system had made him and Ifrit completely subordinate to each other, Isaac cautiously decided to bind him with a Simma Oath.
“I need to be sure.”
“……”
Isaac handed Ifrit a translucent rectangular stele. Speechless, Ifrit shook his head as he formed the pact. Only after that did Isaac feel reassured and decided to accept the ancient knowledge.
– Wooooong. –
A surge of mana that seemed to press down on heaven and earth erupted from Isaac. At that moment, the bird of blue flames swelled and grew enormous. As its blue flame-covered wings flapped vigorously, a complex circular magic circle enveloped the bird of blue flames.
The magic circle, composed of various lines, shapes, and star patterns, was mirrored beneath Isaac’s feet.
– Wooooooong──! –
Intense blue light began to emit from the two magic circles. Isaac suddenly had his eyes tightly shut. Due to the flapping of the giant bird engulfed in blue flames, various parts of the cave collapsed and crumbled.
– Shooaah! –
At that moment, a powerful surge of mana rippled violently. The head of the blue phoenix, which had been unfolding the memory transfer ritual, instantly recoiled as if it were about to overflow, and turned towards the nearby pond.
A faint sign of hesitation lingered in the eyes of the blue phoenix as it glanced at the pond.
– Wooooong… –
Before long, the magic circles drawn in the air and on the ground vanished, leaving only faint traces of blue. The memory transfer did not take much time.
The blue phoenix suddenly shrank like a pigeon, fluttered weakly for a moment, and then abruptly concealed itself in Isaac’s arms.
“…”
Isaac had been closing his eyes silently from the beginning to the end. Suddenly, like a shaman, he began whispering something, barely audible.
====
***
====
One day, two days, three days passed.
Time flowed endlessly.
– Goooo───! –
During this time, near the ancient cave and the Abyss of Guilt, there were occasional phenomena where the sky vibrated and it seemed like the ground would collapse.
These phenomena were imbued with pure mana, causing even ordinary monsters to perish from the slightest shockwave. Startled by this unusual occurrence, the monsters scattered far from the mountain range, fleeing to unfamiliar lands.
Even the champion-level Ligno Giants, who once ruled the vicinity, were no exception.
The pure mana waves purified the vast mountainous regions, giving rise to new species of plants, and some surviving monsters exposed to the waves were transformed into Ethereals.
A curious Ligno Giant of Lord level was seen wandering near the cave, but upon hearing the ominous howling from the deep caverns, it hastily retreated from the mountain range. After that, no monster dared to approach the vicinity of the cave recklessly.
Thus, the mysterious phenomena continued for ten days.
====
***
====
A robust young man was soaking his body by the pond in the depths of the cave. With closed eyes, he murmured something.
The murmuring language was neither of Earth nor of the Ligno Giants, it bore a resemblance to the pronunciation of ancient languages presented by archaeologists.
– Ssshh. –
The young man didn’t open his eyes until half a day later. The young man who flashed within the dark crimson walls was none other than Isaac, who had entered the Abyss of Guilt ten days ago.
In his right hand, the Karna Blade of courtesy was held, and the depth of the pond had noticeably decreased, almost on the verge of overflowing.
“It’s been quite a journey.”
Isaac, who emerged from the pond, spoke despondently. The handle of his sword, the Karna Blade, was vivid as if a crimson demon might spring out at any moment, and the plain scabbard also bore marks resembling the handprint of a demon.
– Fwoosh. –
A blue flame burst from Isaac’s chest. It took the form of a small bird and delivered straightforward advice without hesitation.
“Master, it has only been ten days since you familiarized yourself with the Cross Technique. Moreover, it is a common method, and only those who possess the Brain Meridian can accumulate mana. If the master lacks the qualities of a monk, it would be futile to pursue such dreams.”
“I know. After all, I don’t even have a magic circuit in my body.”
“How about the transferred memories?”
“I received them well.”
Although he already knew most of it, the details were different. Many backgrounds and settings that he had casually skimmed through while playing Clan of Heroes were now clearly organized.
“The Ethereals of vast Terraria choose one of two paths to enhance their spirituality. What are these two?”
“Monks and Ascendants. Monks accumulate practices to become deities, while Ascendants aspire to master the Kabbalah and become angels.”
“You understand well.”
It was a concept that only came out in Season 2. To go beyond Awakening and reach the 6th star, heroes had to train in techniques or master the Kabbalah. By that time, the paths of Monks and Ascendants would diverge, turning them into completely different styles of heroes.
Of course, even after Awakening, there were heroes who continued to enhance their spirituality in their own unique ways. Among the members, Gil-seong was one of those types.
‘Anyway, now that I can handle mana, that’s enough.’
Although his body lacked a magic circuit, the missing mana could be replenished through the Karna Blade and utilized with the Cross Technique.
By doing so, he could eventually unfold simple formulas and synthesize materials as a magical engineer.
====
***
====
At the top of a rugged mountain, an old man in a black robe looked down at the vast land of screams below.
Behind the elderly man in the black robe, a giant hawk was picking at feathers with its beak.
“The one who holds the key is said to be down there…”
The elderly man in the somber robe grunted, touching his chin with his tongue. After pondering for a while, he turned around with a disappointed expression.
“There’s no other choice. If we recklessly go down there, we might attract unwanted attention.”
A chilly wind blew. By the time the fierce wind swept the mountaintop, the giant hawk and the elderly man in the black robe had already disappeared.
Deep underground in the land of screams.
– Grrraaaaahhh! –
The echoing cry seemed to snatch away the souls of living beings. On the other side of the giant underground pupil, a corner of an enormous magic circle, whose size could not be measured with the naked eye, was drawn.
From the giant magic circle, a high-density, mixed-frequency sound energy burst was continuously emanating, so intense that even a Lord-class Ligno Giant would find it difficult to absorb directly.
“Hmm, good…”
However, the towering man with a green beard casually absorbed the high-density sound energy as if it were nothing. After catching his breath, the man with the green beard asked.
“Has the ritual been completed successfully?”
“Yes, Great Timberlord.”
“In three days, there will be a day when two moons overlap. We must make sure to end his life then! Our tribe’s destiny depends on it.”
“Will it be possible? Even if Eaglemaw is considered sinister, it would be beyond our wildest dreams that our tribe has mastered the control of the Twilight Unseen Formation over hundreds of years.”
“Hehehe. Many millennia ago, this place was a stronghold of some demonic group. By sealing countless spirits and continuously producing high-density sound energy through their grudges, it’s truly a diabolical concept. Well, thanks to that, our Ligno Giant tribe has been able to develop to this extent.”
“All thanks to your great leadership, Chief. Without a doubt, you will become the ruler of the small world.”
“Hahaha! Enough of that. Let’s talk about such matters after our efforts bear fruit.”
The man with the green beard glanced sharply at something black trapped inside the giant magic circle.
– Grrraaaaahhh! –
The cry, filled with anger, vengeance, agony, and resentment, echoed for a long time.