Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 116

In the middle of a forest bathed in the hues of dawn, a series of explosions erupted.
– Boom! Boom! Boom! –
A giant moray eel monster that had been soaring through the blue forest was flung away, turning the surroundings into a wasteland. Several small magical machine soldiers caught in the battle were destroyed, their remains scattered across the grass. Startled fairies flapped their wings frantically and fled.
The fairies, resembling small humans, were about 20 to 30 cm tall. Aside from their small stature and the translucent wings on their backs, they didn’t look much different from human beings.
– Bzzzz—Flash! –
The giant moray eel monster, pushed back by the force, opened its jaws wide and fired a barrage of blue beams. In the direction of the beams stood an old man with his hands behind his back. The old man, dressed in a dark green robe, deftly dodged the blue beams with mystical movements.
– Crackle—Sizzle! –
However, one of the blue beams suddenly curved and struck the old man. He hurriedly clasped his hands together to deploy a protective spell, but the beam pierced his left forearm.
“Ugh, a mere magical machine soldier!”
A white flame seemed to ignite in the old man’s right hand. He pressed it against his wound, and the piercing injury began to heal rapidly.
Seeing an opening, the giant moray eel monster lunged at the old man with ferocious eyes.
“Screeeech!”
“You wretch!”
The old man supported his right hand with his left palm and moved his right fingers with precision, as if forming specific symbols with his hand.
– Whoosh—Swoosh! –
Tree roots shot up from the ground, attempting to seize the writhing body of the giant moray eel monster. However, the monster skillfully evaded all the roots and lunged at the old man with its jaws wide open.
“Damn.”
– Snap. Snap, snap, snap, snap! Snap! –
Just before being devoured, the old man crossed his hands elaborately, casting a spell. A magic circle inscribed with foreign characters appeared in the air, and from it, a mass of tree roots emerged, pushing the giant moray eel monster back.
Their battle raged on for a full hour. The forest’s edge, leading to a vast lake, was torn and collapsed, and a once-rounded hill had completely vanished, transforming into a steep valley.
“Huff, huff.”
The old man in the dark green robe panted heavily. At his feet lay the corpse of the giant moray eel monster. In reality, it was a magical machine soldier, and its damaged parts revealed complex mechanical innards.
– Boom! –
A massive explosion occurred not far away. The old man, releasing his energy to survey the surroundings, sighed in relief.
“Phew, it seems things went well over there too.”
Soon, a young woman limped towards him from the direction he was looking. She wore light, form-fitting leather armor and carried a bow wrapped in a white aura on her back.
“Your skills have improved significantly. To think that you, Lady Jeong, managed to defeat the notorious ‘Void Viper’ on your own.”
“I’m embarrassed. The Void Viper you subdued was much larger than the one I faced. You are truly remarkable, Master Hyunrim.”
“Haha! You are too modest. The Void Viper is a 6-star magical machine soldier, comparable to a mid-tier monster. For someone at the early stage of 6-star to fight such a machine is a life-and-death struggle. Yet you only sustained minor injuries. This is a testament to your skill.”
“Your praise is too generous. But I must complain to our companions who arrived late. What were they doing while we were fighting the Void Viper?”
“Indeed. I was beginning to think they had become romantically involved, but it seems they brought along an unexpected guest.”
– Rustle. –
A pair of a man and a woman emerged from the forest, and behind them was a 5-star human riding a black tiger. Despite facing senior figures, he did not kneel.
“Lady Jeong, why are you so late? And who is this?”
“Apologies for the delay. We found some Cheonghyang fruit on the way.”
“Cheonghyang fruit! Isn’t that the fruit that can be made into a heavenly-tasting wine and slightly enhance one’s magical power? No wonder you were delayed.”
“Thank you for understanding. And we brought this fellow from the middle of the forest. According to him, he got separated from Senior Theodren and was wandering alone in the Dawn Forest.”
“Surviving in the Dawn Forest with just a 5-star level? He must be quite lucky.”
“Yes, but actually…”
The woman shared with the group that the blue-eyed young man claimed to have the ‘key’ to the Command Center and that only he could use it. As she spoke, the faces of the girl and the old man showed a mix of anticipation, joy, and then concern.
After listening to the woman’s entire story, the old man in the dark green robe stroked his long beard and spoke resolutely.
“In that case, after securing the sap of the ‘Dawn Tree,’ our next destination will naturally be the Command Center, the deepest part of the ship.”
“But we might encounter Senior Theodren and those monsters on the way.”
“If that happens, we’ll miss out on a golden opportunity. It’s a dilemma. It would be great if we had a way to approach it discreetly.”
The Command Center.
It was the deepest part of the ancient ship, a mysterious space that had never been opened since the ‘Great Battle for the Throne,’ where various Ethereals and monsters gathered to fight for treasures. Surely, invaluable treasures lay dormant there, but the risks were equally significant. The Ethereal party seemed to be overwhelmed by the sudden opportunity for a life-changing event.
“I know a secret passage. I can guide you.”
It was then that the blue-eyed young man, who had been silently observing them, spoke up. The old man in the dark green robe, who had been contemplating how to discipline the insolent youth, scowled fiercely.
“What nonsense is this? Are you saying that someone like you has a map of this secret realm?”
“The map is right here.”
The blue-eyed young man tapped his head with his finger. The old man, ready to lash out, paused, half curious and half skeptical.
“Is that so? You claim to know the geography of this place? Including a secret passage to the Command Center?”
“Yes. I have a rough idea.”
“Rough idea?”
“Yes. The knowledge was transferred to me from the ‘key.’ I believe my memory will become clearer as we proceed.”
“Are you trying to manipulate us with your silver tongue? Afraid we might harm you?”
“Even when I offer a solution, you react this way. Just forget I said anything.”
“What, what did you say?!”
– Rumble─! –
A powerful wave of energy burst forth from the old man’s body. His fierce aura made the young man and woman beside him pale as they raised their magical power.
“Master Hyunrim! At this rate, you’ll kill him. We need him to get the key.”
“You wretch! If you don’t want to die, kneel and speak the truth. Do you really know the secret passage?”
Despite the woman’s intervention, the old man did not relent. He was determined to teach the insolent blue-eyed youth a lesson.
“I said I know.”
“You insolent brat…! Didn’t you hear me say kneel!”
Amazingly, the blue-eyed young man faced the old man’s overwhelming aura without a change in expression. He even seemed bored, as if he found the situation tedious.
This was not the attitude a mere 5-star junior should have in front of a 6-star senior.
‘This kid. If he dies, it’s not my fault.’
The old man had had enough. Discipline was the best remedy for insolence.
– Swoosh. –
– Bang! –
The old man’s palm shot out towards the young man, unleashing a powerful force that struck the young man’s chest.
– Boom! –
‘He withstood it?!’
Incredibly, the young man remained standing. His upper body swayed slightly, but he didn’t collapse. It was unbelievable. He should have been coughing up blood and sent flying!
“Is that thing on your shoulders just for decoration? If you kill me, the ‘key’ disappears with me. Are you okay with that?”
“You, you insolent whelp! Let’s see if you can withstand this too!”
– Rumble. –
– Sizzle. –
– Boom! –
As the old man cast his spell, magic circles appeared on either side of him, spewing thick tree roots and branches. Just as the immense physical force was about to crush him, a dark gray barrier began to form around the young man’s body.
“Hyunrim! Stop!”
“Don’t!”
The young man and woman tried to intervene, but the spell had already been cast.
– Boom! –
The wave of trees surged forward, attempting to hurl the young man far away. Or at least, that was the intention.
– Crack! –
– Boom. –
Incredibly, the young man was pushed back a few steps but managed to withstand the old man’s wood attribute spell. The occasional explosion indicated that he was using some unique defensive spell to endure the attack.
Eventually, the ferocious onslaught of trees ceased, and at the edge of the shattered and crushed boundary stood the blue-eyed young man, still enveloped in the dark gray barrier.
“This is impossible!
On the young man’s chest, a bird wreathed in blue flames was flying around. It seemed that the summon’s fire had partially mitigated the physical force of the oncoming tree debris. Although the young man’s magical power was abundant enough to rival an awakened being, a 5-star should not have been able to block a 6-star’s attack so effortlessly.
This defied the natural order.
The difference in power between a 5-star and an awakened being was at least fivefold, and the gap between an awakened being and a 6-star was over tenfold.
It appeared that the young man’s defensive spell, summon, and some innate ability provided extraordinary defensive capabilities.
“Old man, I can’t tolerate this any longer. There’s a limit to respecting elders. What are the rest of you doing? Are you okay with losing the key?”
“Well… Master Hyunrim, please restrain yourself. This fellow must have been terrified of death every day since he got separated from Senior Theodren. He probably lost his mind because of it.”
“Yes, indeed. I don’t know how he managed to block Master Hyunrim’s attack, but he has the ‘key’ and mentioned a ‘secret passage.’ Given how well he withstood the attack with just 5-star power, he might actually be credible.”
The young man and woman, who had been in shock, quickly regained their senses and tried to calm the old man. Despite his wounded pride, the old man finally withdrew his energy.
“Hmph, it seems you might be worth keeping alive, so I’ll stop here. But never again should you speak so arrogantly! Even in your small world, the rule is that the weak bow to the strong.”
“Yawn.”
The young man closed his eyes and pretended not to hear, even yawning in the process. It was as if a lazy person who had seen it all was mocking his opponent.
‘This brat!’
The old man barely suppressed his rising anger at the young man’s continued insolence. The young man was truly peculiar, seemingly naturally lazy and indifferent to everything.
“He’s quite an unusual child. It doesn’t seem like he’s doing it on purpose, so perhaps Master Hyunrim could overlook it?”
“Huh, I’ve never seen anyone with such a personality in my life.”
“I’ll take care of him. It seems better for someone less familiar with the senior-junior culture to manage him.”
“I’m sorry to burden you, Lady Jeong. But I must say, I’ve never met someone so purely insane.”