Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 122

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The clear sky was visible above.
It was a vast, empty blue.
– Gasp! –
A part of the sky, resembling a human face, moved away.
As I lifted myself from the soft pillow, I realized that I had been resting on Ophelia.
“Are you okay?”
“…Ah.”
I must have either fainted or fallen asleep as if I had fainted.
My body, having accomplished its task, had relaxed and lost consciousness.
It was an absurd mistake.
‘That was close.’
Even though I had just purified the Rift, being defenseless in a dungeon was reckless. After all the hard work, I almost ruined everything at the end.
– Ssshh. –
“How many fingers do you see? Hello? Can you hear me?”
Three fingers waved in front of my eyes. Grasping my hazy mind, I first stopped Ophelia, who kept tapping my shoulder.
“Enough. I’m awake.”
I was awake, but my body felt incredibly heavy. I didn’t want to move. I longed to lie down and take a nap on Nexus Jet. I missed home.
‘Ugh.’
But this wasn’t Earth.
Even if it was annoying and exhausting, I had to endure a little longer. Come on, body, hang in there.
I barely managed to get up.
‘Was I conscious of her?’
Perhaps the reason I collapsed and lost consciousness was because I subconsciously trusted Ophelia.
My body, pushed to its limits, might have believed in that vague sense of security, thinking it was okay to rest for a moment because there was a protector.
“Here.”
I opened my inventory and handed over the loot obtained from the Rift, ‘World of Shadows’.
Among them were the ‘Black Sword,’ a Tier 2 hero-grade weapon obtained from the King of Shadows, and the ‘Cloak of Drifting Shadows.’
“These are the promised items.”
“Oh… This, this is too much.”
Ophelia, who had been eyeing the pile of items, returned the cloak.
Whether it was out of a sense of guilt or a desire to show kindness, I didn’t insist and simply put it back into my inventory. The design was simple enough that it would look good even if worn over my hero suit.
Ophelia hesitated before speaking.
“You were incredible earlier! I’m not sure if I was of any help…”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration and concern.
For a fleeting moment, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. She seemed somewhat similar to my comrades.
It was a laughable notion. She was an ascendant who had lived for nearly 800 years. The awakened ones on Earth wouldn’t last three arrows from Ophelia.
“My abilities are specialized for boss battles. If you hadn’t dealt with the shadow monsters, I wouldn’t have been able to face the King of Shadows at full strength.”
I found myself encouraging her.
“Really?! So, I wasn’t a burden. Hehe.”
Seeing Ophelia’s bright smile, I felt a strange sense of comfort. I had grown accustomed to this role.
‘I wonder how the kids are doing.’
The elixir of immortality side quest had long been completed. In contrast, there was no news regarding the Hero Tournament double crown side quest.
However, since there hadn’t been any failure messages from the system, I assumed that the ‘Hero Tournament’ had been delayed for some reason.
‘With God Hand recovering his lifespan and the Sword Emperor stepping in…’
They would have easily thwarted DRR’s full-scale terror attack. While I didn’t know why the success or failure of the side quest was delayed, my immediate task was clear.
‘Find a way out from the Command Center.’
The training period on the ship was six months. Given the time spent in this dungeon, I would be automatically ejected by ancient magic in three months.
Of course, I had no intention of waiting that long.
‘I have the power to do so.’
Having purified the King of Shadows, I no longer feared 6-star monks, ascendants, or monsters with my 5-star abilities.
‘And with this unique magic stone…’
I took out the unique magic stone obtained from the King of Shadows and held it in my right hand. It emitted a dark smoke, absorbing even the light around it, forming a sphere of complete darkness.
「Unique Magic stone – King of Shadows」
▶ Classification: Magic stone ⇨ Unique Magic stone
▶ Grade: Hidden Piece
▶ Description: A magic stone imbued with the power of a sovereign. It appears to be absorbable.
▶ Effect: Manipulate shadows at will.
The simple effect of controlling shadows. However, its practical performance was far from simple.
In Clan of Heroes, this stone boasted an overpowered performance, and if combined with Final Finish, it would create an incredible synergy.
I brought the black sphere close to my heart.
– Ssshhh. –
The sphere was smoothly absorbed into my body.
[You have absorbed the unique magic stone ‘King of Shadows.’]
– Ssshhh…! –
A chilling darkness seemed to seep into me, sending shivers down my spine. This was a different caliber compared to previous unique magic stones.
The dark shadow that sprouted from my heart extended as if to consume my entire being, but it was all in vain.
– Wooooong. –
The trembling shadow was completely absorbed into me, and the alien sensation vanished in an instant.
[An unknown power surges within you.]
[You have acquired the combat skill ‘King of Shadows’!]
– Ssshh. –
– Ssshhh! –
Shadows rose at my command. They transformed according to my will, becoming human figures, sharp spears, or grotesque monsters.
“Eek! Hii!”
Ophelia gasped in shock during the process, but she would eventually learn that users could absorb unique magic stones and even assist in retrieving them.
Revealing this secret early wouldn’t change much.
“Have you become a monster!?”
I would need to take some time to reassure her.
“This is, well…”
To avoid alarming her, I roughly explained it as one of the hero’s abilities, and then we walked towards a nearby round structure.
[It’s a teleportation array.]
[It seems like it will take you somewhere.]
Under the artificial blue sky, the teleportation array was the only thing visible.
‘It must lead to the summit.’
I knew where it led. My steps, unlike before, were now filled with confidence.
The experience of defeating formidable foes one after another seemed to be slowly transforming me into a more heroic figure.
– Wheeeeeee. –
As I stepped onto the teleportation array, a magic circle formed along the round floor, gathering a massive amount of mana.
Surrounded by bright light, it wasn’t long before we noticed the scenery around us had changed.
A lush forest spread out in all directions, and directly ahead was a massive tree trunk that looked like a cliff.
– Shalala. –
Fairies, which I had seen in the forest before, lit up the dawn darkness like stars.
Judging by their numbers, this must be the birthplace of the fairies.
Sanctuary of the Sacred Tree
As we took a step forward, the name of the area was displayed in bold, golden font before fading away after a few seconds.
This effect felt new. It was as if we had arrived at the final battleground.
‘What is that tree?’
– Boom! –
– Rumble. –
Just then, a loud noise erupted from below. The air was filled with the clash of intense, opposing mana forces.
Ophelia and I hurried down the steep hill to identify the source of the commotion.
‘I knew it.’
It turned out to be a fight between monks on the flat ground. It was Master Hyunrim, Jeong So-hwa, and Baek Pung-young.
Monks are often like that. They’re always eager to stab each other in the back. Obsessed with treasure, they resort to all sorts of tricks to gain an advantage.
‘We don’t even know what’s inside that tree.’
At this rate, both sides would end up suffering.
For my own safety, I needed to use them as a vanguard.
It seemed the old man had summoned a magical soldier of his level, and together they were holding their own against the combined techniques of Jeong So-hwa and Baek Pung-young.
“Why are they fighting each other…?”
“You should intervene. They won’t listen to me.”
“I suppose I should. Everyone!”
With Ophelia’s mediation, the monks’ fight came to a temporary halt. Master Hyunrim, delighted by her arrival, tried to coax her to his side, but it was a futile attempt.
She fundamentally disliked fighting among fellow Ethereals.
“Princess, you have climbed the Sacred Tree diligently. I’m relieved. I thought that devious old man had dealt with you first and then attacked us.”
“Nonsense! Princess, do not be swayed by their sweet talk! They cowardly targeted my back when they saw I was exhausted from fighting powerful monsters alongside them!”
Listening to their bickering, it was clear they were all trying to manipulate the situation to their advantage. It was hard to discern the truth, but it was tiresome nonetheless.
‘Seems like they don’t even consider me.’
Formally reconciled, the monks’ conversation shifted to how they would divide the sap of the dawn tree.
“Are we dividing it exactly into quarters?”
“Hmm, that doesn’t seem fair. We fought the monsters together, but the princess followed us comfortably from behind, didn’t she?”
“What? What are you talking about? I came up through a different route.”
But then, absurdly, Master Hyunrim, Jeong So-hwa, and Baek Pung-young began to argue that Ophelia should be excluded from the division.
‘Unbelievable.’
It was a sight too good to keep to myself.
Their ability to adapt their stance in real-time to the situation was remarkable.
They seemed to have communicated secretly, deciding to deal with the seemingly weaker Ophelia.
“There can’t be another route! You’re being unreasonable.”
“Princess, since you’re being so shameless, we have no choice. Master Hyunrim, how about we continue our discussion without this uninvited guest?”
Jeong So-hwa and Baek Pung-young pressed her.
Meanwhile, Master Hyunrim was whispering something to Ophelia, causing her face to turn pale.
With a victorious smile, Master Hyunrim spoke up.
“Princess! You must have seen it clearly! These people are not to be trusted. Now that you’ve seen their true colors, join me in defeating these scoundrels!”
In a way, it was impressive.
Master Hyunrim seemed to have concocted a cunning scheme to turn the neutral Ophelia to his side.
‘As expected of monks.’
The observation ends here.
Curiosity piqued, I had been listening to the monks’ nonsense. Using Final Finish, I unleashed an unprecedented wave of mana.
– Wooooooong───! –
After that, it was easy.
The monks, who had lived in a world where power was everything, obediently followed my command without a word, leading us to the path inside the Sacred Tree.
“Hehe, I didn’t realize you were a senior. May I ask where you are from…?”
“Shut up and keep walking.”
“I’m sorry.”
Midway up the Sacred Tree, there was a gap large enough for a person to pass through.
Whether or not I obtained the dawn tree sap the old man mentioned was irrelevant.
‘It’s close.’
What brought me here was a mysterious pull. The deep resonance that only I could hear from outside the lake had instilled a sort of compulsion in me.
A compulsion that I must reach that gigantic tree.
– Shalala―. –
A blue light sparkled.
Each of them was a pure magic crystal.
Breathing in, the refreshing air and spiritual energy filled my lungs, and the branches growing on the walls and ceiling swayed as if welcoming us.
The passage widened, revealing the mysterious interior of the Sacred Tree, resembling the vastness of outer space.
– Goooooo───. –
There was a chair.
Someone was sitting on the wooden throne.
[Someone is looking down at you.]
[The overwhelming presence makes it hard for you to breathe.]
This was something on a completely different level from the King of Shadows.
I was terrified of that presence, but at the same time, I felt an irresistible urge to approach it.
The unknown being spoke.
“I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
– Beep―. –
【Information Window】
▶ Name: ???
▶ Level: 200
▶ Classification: Ethereal
▶ Star Rank: 8-star (Second Awakening)
Only one thought filled my mind.
If you spare me, I’ll do anything.