Chapter 111
Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 111
The first thing that greeted the group was a long, empty corridor. The monsters and Ethereals who had rushed ahead were nowhere to be seen. Wrapped in bright light and then opening his eyes, Isaac found himself surrounded only by Gojeok, Gorgog, and Theodren.
[Starting the tutorial for Team 5.]
[Defeat the incoming enemies and survive the disasters.]
Alien text appeared in the air of the corridor. Isaac’s blue eyes, which had been dull, now sparkled with clarity as he focused on the messages.
– Buzz— Zing. –
The corridor plunged into darkness, soon replaced by colorful neon lights forming square outlines. It resembled the vibrant screen of an intense rhythm game.
“Crooar.”
From the far end of the corridor, a giant centipede crawled towards them. It was merely a Lord-level monster, but intriguingly, the giant centipede was not a real monster but an artificially created magical machine soldier.
If not for the information window, Isaac would have mistaken it for a simple arthropod monster.
“It looks quite delicious.”
– Swoosh— Snap! –
– Gulp. Crunch, crunch. –
Gorgog, who had been chuckling, transformed into his true form, a giant frog, and swiftly extended his long tongue to swallow the giant centipede whole.
A Tier 1 Lord-level magical machine soldier was nothing more than a snack for a Tier 2 being.
The giant centipede was crushed and burst inside the frog’s mouth, with a few small mechanical parts and joint pieces flying out due to Gorgog’s voracious eating habits.
The giant centipede looked indistinguishable from a monster on the outside, but its insides were mechanical.
“Gorgog, it’s fine with Lord-class, but you shouldn’t devour Emperor-level magical machine soldiers like that. The magical core, the Magi Core, is a precious material.”
“Of course. Even though I’m omnivorous, I know the difference between food and treasure. Haha.”
Treating the tutorial as mere warm-up exercise, the absolute beings leisurely defeated the endless waves of magical machine soldiers. The highest-ranking Theodren didn’t even bother to step in.
Isaac stood back, watching the absolute beings’ battle in awe. Since the ship was unaffected by the Celestial Canopy, the Tier 2 beings’ arm swings and tongue lashes easily dismantled hundreds of magical machine soldiers before they could even get close.
– Whoosh! –
Eventually, a fierce hot wind blew through. Isaac, just in case, raised his left hand near the activation button of his captain skill, but before anything could happen, Theodren deployed a protective shield to guard him.
– Swoosh. –
The intense heat passed over the shield. Even within the sturdy barrier, the scorching heat made it hard to breathe. Isaac subtly drew the Karna Blade and used his Cross Technique to dispel the heat constricting his body.
“Hmm? You’re using a cultivation technique. The Cross Technique, I see. It’s a basic technique in Terraria, so it’s not surprising it has been passed down to the small world. But to temporarily reach 3-star and then revert to an ordinary person, that’s quite a unique constitution.”
“Yes, Senior. I don’t have a mana circuit within my body, so I can’t store mana. I can only exert powerful force once in a long while. Even the 3-star mana is unusable without the Karna Blade.”
Since it would soon be revealed anyway, Isaac decided to speak first. Theodren nodded slightly at Isaac’s confession. Instead of disappointment, curiosity sparkled in Theodren’s eyes. Isaac’s constitution seemed unfamiliar even to the ascendant who had lived for thousands of years.
– Boom! –
The tutorial ended with the Black Robe Elder, Gojeok, crushing an Emperor-level snake-shaped magical machine soldier with his bare hands. Gojeok’s breathing remained stable from start to finish, even as he turned the magical machine soldier into scrap metal.
[Ending the tutorial.]
The alien message was broadcast, and soon a bright light enveloped Isaac and the others. When he opened his eyes, warm air blew gently, revealing that the dark space with neon lights had transformed into a vast tropical rainforest filled with lush vegetation and mountains.
“It has begun. Isaac, this place is teeming with a wide variety of magical machine soldiers, from tiny insects to gigantic beast types. So, you must not leave our side for even a moment.”
“I understand.”
“Gorgog, Senior Theodren. First, we need to elevate this boy’s spiritual power. Let’s find a safe base.”
“Agreed. Let’s move east. There’s a cave there that’s good for hiding. And as you both know, flying is absolutely forbidden here. If you ascend even slightly, you’ll be struck down by the ancient civilization’s magic.”
“Of course. During the last Spirit Communication War, someone tried to break that rule and use a flight technique. He developed a unique technique to fly up to 100 meters, but he couldn’t withstand the pressure and his body exploded. He barely survived by transferring his original thought to a solid magic stone. Truly, the world is full of all kinds of people.”
“Haha, I heard that amusing story too. Now, let’s move quickly. We need to develop this boy into a Keyholder as soon as possible.”
At Theodren’s command, the absolute beings began to sprint towards the eastern part of the tropical rainforest. Isaac, who knew most of their stories, pretended to be suitably surprised while keeping up with them.
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The coastal cliff at the edge of the tropical rainforest was as beautiful as a serene resort. Below the cliff, a dark cave yawned like an abyss, and the eerie wind escaping from the cave mixed with the jungle’s heat, creating a pleasantly cool breeze.
The magical machine soldiers, which threatened intruders with their heavy thuds, did not appear on the sparsely covered coastline. Only the winged bird-like magical machine soldiers circled the blue sky, crying out.
– Swoosh. –
In contrast, the sea along the coast was so deep it appeared pitch black. The surface of the water glistened with an oily sheen, suggesting predatory activity beneath.
– Screech. Screech. –
Meanwhile, a large bird-like magical machine soldier resembling a seagull flew low over the sea. The water’s surface rippled, occasionally forming large waves.
– Splash! –
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the water, and the pointed head of a gigantic sea monster emerged. The sea monster’s body was easily over a hundred meters long.
Amazingly, the inside of the sea monster’s gills was fitted with complex mechanical devices, revealing that it was also a meticulously crafted magical machine soldier.
– Splash! –
The gigantic sea magical machine soldier devoured the bird-like magical machine soldier in one gulp before diving back into the depths. The magical machine soldiers behaved as if they were a living part of nature.
– Rustle. –
At that moment, a group of humans emerged from the bushes, carefully observing the spot where the giant sea magical machine soldier had disappeared. It was Theodren’s group, who had kidnapped Isaac.
“A 6-star early-stage Sea Oblivion resides here! The environment has changed again. The technology of ancient civilizations is truly astonishing.”
“Sea Oblivion? Isn’t that one of the underwater magical machine soldiers of the Celestials? This ship might be a relic of the ancient Celestials.”
“This ship is indeed a remnant of the ancient Celestials. We’ve already found several pieces of evidence. That must be the original magical machine soldier known as Sea Oblivion. We should capture it for research.”
“What should we do with this one?”
Gojeok, who had been agreeing with Theodren, pointed his chin at Isaac and asked. Theodren smirked and gave a nonchalant wave, indicating that Gojeok could do as he pleased.
“You were planning to create a spiritual root using your grand technique anyway. I’ll take Gorgog with me, so you can work comfortably inside the cave. We’ll capture that and return soon.”
“I will follow your command, Senior.”
Theodren, now seated atop the giant frog Gorgog, flew towards the vast sea. With a bitter taste in his mouth, Gojeok dragged Isaac into the dark cave.
The cave wound deep into the cliff, making it nearly impossible for anyone to discover it unless viewed from the sea.
– Whoosh! –
Deep within the cave, Gojeok ignited a flame in midair and glared at Isaac.
“Listen well! Since you are already familiar with the Cross Technique, you should be adept at utilizing cultivation techniques. It would be more advantageous for you to create a spiritual root and accumulate spiritual power rather than starting to study Kabbalah now. Here, spiritual power refers to the energy processed through cultivation techniques by absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Terms like mana, spiritual power, and magical power that you might have heard of all refer to this processed primordial energy.”
“Thank you for your teachings.”
“For now, there’s nothing you need to do. Just come and lie down here. I will perform the Five Primordial Spirit Engraving Technique to imprint a spiritual root on your mortal body.”
“The Five Primordial Spirit Engraving Technique… Senior, I have a question. If I receive this grand technique, will I become a Five-Element Spiritual Root holder?”
“That’s correct. Having more spiritual root attributes means accumulating spiritual power more slowly. A person with only one spiritual root is called a Superior Spiritual Root holder and is considered a genius. In contrast, those with four or five attributes are called Inferior Spiritual Root holders and are considered dullards. Although you know how to utilize the Cross Technique through special means, you are still a mere mortal. You should be grateful that you can even become a Five-Element Spiritual Root holder.”
“Thank you for bestowing your teachings upon me.”
“If you understand, lie down. Endure the pain.”
Following Gojeok’s command, Isaac lay down on the flat cave floor. Gojeok closed his eyes and muttered in an alien language for a moment. When he opened his eyes, his hands moved with lightning speed, pressing various acupoints on Isaac’s body in an instant.
– Buzz. –
A circular formation was drawn around Isaac. The formation was filled with various alien characters, emitting a vibrant blue light.
Hummm…
For the next five hours, the cave echoed with Gojeok’s mysterious mutterings in the alien language. His chanting sounded like a living statue reciting scriptures in a deep, majestic resonance.
– Rumble— Grumble. –
As Isaac lay with his eyes tightly shut within the formation, strange noises erupted from his body, resembling thunder and earthquakes. Despite these bizarre phenomena, Isaac remained comfortably lying down.
Gojeok, who was performing the grand technique, noticed the unusual calmness in Isaac’s demeanor.
‘He should be writhing in pain.’
The Five Primordial Spirit Engraving Technique was a grand technique that defied the laws of nature. Even with experience in the Cross Technique, the artificial engraving of a spiritual root was a completely different matter.
It was common for blood vessels to burst and organs to be damaged during the process. Yet, this boy was absorbing the spiritual roots as if he had already walked the path of high-level cultivation before.
‘Could he be a genius of the world?’
No. Even if that were the case, he must abandon such desires. This boy was fated not to be taken as a disciple.
– Swoosh… –
The grand technique, which was expected to take at least three days, was completed in just six hours. Isaac, who had absorbed the Five-Element Spiritual Root in one go, still lay there with his eyes closed, looking serene.
Gojeok’s eyes narrowed as he observed Isaac. The boy’s calmness was beyond extraordinary, hinting at a potential that even Gojeok had not anticipated.