Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 117

– Srrrrrr… –
In the middle of the swirling tree that supported the blue orb, at the heart of the vast Dawn Forest, countless branches were suddenly converging from within the enormous sacred tree that rose from the majestic structures.
The branches, coming from four directions, intertwined like instruments playing a harmonious melody, creating a form that began to take shape as an exquisite piece of art.
– Srrrrrr… –
Inside the sacred tree, in a dark and blue space reminiscent of a mysterious universe, a form gradually became clearer. What started as a vague shape slowly revealed the silhouette of a human as time passed.
– Crack. –
The intertwined branches finally formed the perfect image of a young man. His skin appeared as soft as that of a newborn, and his emerald eyes seemed to ripple like a deep lake.
– Sssss… –
Branches from the sacred tree covered the young man’s naked body. The living branches brushed against him, disintegrating into fine clothing.
As the young man took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his breath turned into blue particles, merging with the cosmic space.
The young man, created by the sacred tree, murmured in a serene voice.
“Has the time come?”
– Wooooong…! –
As if rejoicing in the flawless being it had created, the enormous sacred tree emitted a deep, resonant sound.
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Suddenly, memories from the past surfaced.
I remembered the time when I was immersed in biological determinism, believing that no matter how hard one tried, some people would never succeed, while others would succeed no matter what.
Some people could effortlessly obtain computer certifications in a few months, while I would fail no matter how hard I tried. My innate spirit of ‘Shin to bul ee’* hindered my English studies.
Perhaps my life was predetermined the moment I was born. No matter how hard one tries, some people’s fates are bound by their genetic sequences. They are simply born that way.
There are people who can study for over 10 hours a day, people who are born skinny but become bodybuilders after over a decade of training, and people who run a YouTube channel for more than three years without profit and eventually surpass a million subscribers.
Such people exist. There are genes that allow one to rise again even after falling a hundred times. Some people are born with such destinies, different from an ordinary person like me.
– Wooooong…! –
From the center of the lake, at the core of the Dawn Forest where the giant swirling tree was rooted, a distant resonance emerged. It was a beautiful sound. For some reason, it felt that way.
– Swoosh. –
“What’s wrong?”
My dreamy reverie was abruptly interrupted by a face that suddenly appeared.
A delicate, beautiful girl who looked no older than a high school student. She was Ophelia Grace, the second daughter of a prestigious magical family renowned even in the vast Terraria, and the guide NPC for Season 2.
Meeting her like this must be fate. There are moments when it feels like you’ve been caught in the wheels of destiny, as if ordained by the heavens—or rather, by the system.
I, who was once ordinary, was no longer ordinary. The once ordinary me, now special, had my own struggles along my timeline.
If I had remained an ordinary person, if I hadn’t grasped such great power, would I have avoided being abruptly kidnapped and suffering like a dog?
“You’re a bit too close.”
“Hehe, why? Are you embarrassed?”
It seemed the Lady had taken quite an interest in me. True to her character, which preferred dangerous adventures over magical research or administrative tasks, she was exceedingly cheerful.
‘She must have been quite bored among all those formal people.’
The party leader, the strict old man Master Hyunrim, and Jeong So-hwa, who was in a serious relationship with Baek Pung-young, were all rigid monks. Being among those who valued hierarchy and etiquette must have been tough for her mischievous nature.
“Not really.”
“You’re just like a cat. The way you grumble is exactly like my Monet. Ah! Monet is the cat I’ve been raising. I rescued him from a sewer in the slums, and it’s been over 50 years now.”
Is she the type to talk in a stream of consciousness? She was having a conversation all by herself.
By the way, could that cat be the one I know? If it’s lived for over 50 years, it would be quite popular if imported to Earth. Animal lovers, who have sent their pets over the rainbow bridge, would be thrilled.
‘…What am I even thinking?’
Have I really adapted to this perilous dungeon survival?
Here I was, in a 100-120 level dungeon, thinking about importing cat breeds.
Is this really the same Isaac who used to fear getting killed by a single hit? It felt nostalgic.
“That tree over there. Has it always been there?”
“Hmm? The tree with branches spiraling out?”
“Yes.”
“Of course,~ According to the information left by our ancestors, it’s been there since the beginning.”
“I see.”
Something felt off. When I passed through the ‘Dawn Forest,’ the mid-passage of the dungeon in Clan of Heroes, I didn’t recall seeing such a tree. Its shape and size made it a blatant landmark of the forest.
It’s strange that I don’t remember such an impactful geographical feature.
“Do you know anything about that tree? It was emitting some unusual vibrations earlier.”
“Of course, I know. But you know, kid, I’ve told you repeatedly, haven’t I? You need to get into the habit of speaking more gently, kindly, and politely.”
She kept insisting on this.
In the party, she had self-appointed herself as the ‘incompetent junior training officer,’ feeling the need to teach me manners.
Among Ethereals, there was an unspoken rule, ‘Absolute obedience to the strong.’ The three monks in the party were also upset by my behavior because of this background.
“Lady Ophelia doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Me? I don’t really care, but the others do. When dealing with seniors, you need to be polite, courteous, and formal. Is that so hard?”
“Yes.”
I’m not trying to be difficult, it really is hard. Before I accumulated my magical power, I could force myself to be polite, but things have changed. As the saying goes, ‘No one can withstand a gang-up,’ but my final finish is ‘a mechanism where getting hit charges my combat gauge.’
I’ve run simulations several times, and the result is that I win no matter what, even in a 3:1 fight.
“Oh my, look at this stubborn kid. You’re just like my Monet, aren’t you?”
I didn’t want to be stubborn. If I had been, the curious Lady wouldn’t be hovering around me so much. She kept looking at me as if I were a ‘subject of study.’
“But what do you mean by vibrations? What did the ‘Dawn Tree’ do?”
“Didn’t you feel the vibrations?”
“Uh-huh. Did you feel something? Even among humans, the frequencies we hear can differ.”
It seemed I was the only one who felt the vibrations.
There was definitely something about that tree. This was the first time I felt such a strong pull.
– Swoosh. –
The old man, who had been sitting cross-legged, dusted off his seat and approached us.
“Let’s move out. Lady Ophelia, you must have fully recovered by now?”
“Yes. I’ll take care of this boy. We can’t afford to have the key malfunction.”
The next destination for this Ethereal party was the ‘Dawn Tree’ visible in the distance. Their goal was the tree’s ‘sap.’
“Haha! It seems the Lady has taken quite an interest in that boy. Are you planning to take him as a servant later?”`
– Zap! –
A sharp killing intent pricked my skin. It wasn’t from the cheerful Ophelia, but from the foul-tempered witch, Jeong So-hwa.
‘Does she really want to do this?’
Despite her budding romance with the handsome monk Baek Pung-young, it seemed she was still interested in my body. Considering the monks’ behavior in the game, it wasn’t surprising. It was just unfamiliar to see such antics in reality.
“No? I’ll just send him back to where he came from.”
“Prhuhuhu, of course. That’s how it should be. You seem quite popular. I remember when I was young and popular too. Hehe.”
Don’t look at me so lecherously, old man. It makes me want to rearrange your face.
‘Let’s just keep things peaceful.’
I was holding back, but it felt like something was bound to happen soon. My left-hand kept twitching towards my skill set.
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***
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– Swoosh. –
After about 30 minutes of travel on the luxurious ship that Master Hyunrim had taken out from his magical space, we landed on the land at the center of the lake.
Under the towering Dawn Tree, Gothic-style buildings were stacked together in a grand display. The height of the Dawn Tree literally pierced the clouds, reaching the sky, and it was no exaggeration to say it connected heaven and earth.
“This place is said to be a kind of holy city, teeming with monster species that have worshipped the Dawn Tree as a sacred tree since ancient times.”
The base of the Dawn Tree was surrounded by vast Gothic fortresses from medieval Europe, spiraling upwards in a majestic manner.
Each fortress was adorned with intricately carved spires, pointed arches, and ornate statues, boasting a grandeur comparable to any major city.
“It is believed that the entire domain of the Dawn Tree was transported here from a distant past.”
As soon as I saw the spiral-shaped city wrapped around the massive tree from its base to its midsection, I knew where we were.
‘The Abandoned Holy City, Dorothenian.’
In Clan of Heroes, it appeared as a bizarre city spiraling in mid-air. The sacred tree they called the Dawn Tree was nowhere to be seen.
“The monsters that appear in the holy city are mostly lower-tier warrior level, but there are several lower-tier emperor level and five mid-tier common species. We need to ascend to the top of the holy city as discreetly as possible. The sap of the Dawn Tree is a supplementary elixir that helps break through the limits of mid-tier 6-star, and with a small amount of sap, we can obtain two complete Seongdo Pills that aid in breaking through the early 6-star limits.”
The old man’s briefing didn’t register in my ears. If this was indeed the ‘Abandoned Holy City, Dorothenian,’ then the direction I needed to go was not up, but down.
‘I can conquer this. With my current abilities.’
The unique hidden piece in this dungeon was incomparable to the supplementary elixir that helped break through the mid-tier 6-star limit. The hidden piece, concealed somewhere in the depths of the holy city, was a unique magic stone of the same grade as necromancy.
‘I might even reach the top before they do.’
Deep within the underground of the holy city, there was a teleportation device that could instantly transport one to the highest point of Dorothenian. If luck was on my side, I could farm the hidden piece and monopolize the sap of the Dawn Tree that they so desperately desired.
I had joined them to prepare for any unforeseen dangers, but I was ready to leave this Ethereal party, composed entirely of early 6-star members, without hesitation. If they tried to hold me back, I could just beat them up and leave.
“Therefore, I suggest we don’t move together this time. Instead, let’s ascend the holy city stealthily using our individual concealment techniques. Even if one of us gets detected by a mid-tier common species, it’s better for that person to suffer alone while the rest continue the climb.”
Surprisingly, the old man, whom I thought was rigid, proposed a reasonable plan. If they dispersed on their own, I could head straight to the underground without unnecessary conflict. Whether the others would agree was another matter.
“Master Hyunrim, I find it hard to agree with that.”
As expected, the monks, masters of backstabbing, immediately grew suspicious. The one who objected sharply was Jeong So-hwa, the female monk.
“Master Hyunrim, you provided the information about climbing the Dawn Tree. I’m concerned you might be using us as bait to gain benefits for yourself.”
“Haha, it’s not unreasonable for Lady Jeong to think that way. However, even if I climb first, I promise to equally distribute the sap of the Dawn Tree we obtain this time. Competing among ourselves will only increase the risk.”
“Then could you make an Oath of the Heart Demon? Only then will I feel reassured.”
“How can you speak so lightly of an Oath of the Heart Demon? Doing so might put me in danger instead. Let’s do this instead. I’ll entrust you with my cherished martial treasure, the Taeguk Spirit. The Taeguk Spirit consists of three orbs, so it seems appropriate to distribute them equally among the three of you.”
“The Taeguk Spirit? If that’s the case… I can feel reassured. We don’t have any information, so I hope you understand our concerns.”
“Hahaha, of course, I understand.”

Note: A Korean term meaning “body and soil are one”