Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 133

Heroes and spectators alike were stunned.
The performance I had prepared was simple. I unfolded the world of shadows and then quickly retracted it.
Thanks to the Final Finish’s correction effect, the shadows moved solely according to my will. I minimized the release of magic power, focusing only on visual effects.
I had intended to express a dark hero style in a simple yet powerful manner, but it seemed I had overdone it.
‘Did I go too far?’
Had I caused a broadcasting accident? The professional MC holding the microphone was trembling.
Should I crack a joke? But that wouldn’t suit Isaac’s character. It might be better to do nothing at all.
However, I couldn’t let the awards ceremony’s atmosphere be ruined. I couldn’t spoil the good memories of the audience and viewers.
At least, I should give a proper acceptance speech.
“Aren’t you going to give me the award?”
“Oh, yes! Hero Isaac has achieved brilliant feats this year, like a shining star. Not only did he purify the awakened Aqua Shaper in an instant, but he also saved our country from the brink during the full-scale war with DRR…”
♩~♩―♬♪~
The grand BGM, which had paused momentarily, resumed, refreshing the atmosphere. Holding the golden trophy handed to me by the association’s secretary, I stood before the heroes and the audience.
The intense lights stung my eyes.
Using my abilities to restore my vision, I saw that people’s stiff expressions had somewhat relaxed. Perhaps because the accident had already happened, my heartbeat was surprisingly calm.
“……”
A flood of emotions washed over me.
To think that I, who was a hero in name only, would receive the World Class award.
Suppressing my complex thoughts, I began to speak calmly.
“In truth, I had no intention of becoming a hero.”
This place held significant meaning for me as well.
I, Lee Geon-han, was just an ordinary office worker. I wasn’t good at any sports, and it had been a long time since I had any involvement in fighting.
[Recalling old memories, you felt a surge of euphoria.]
Yet, here I was, as Hero Isaac.
With a bursting heart, I embarked on my first day at work, having to jump straight into my duties.
“I became the leader of a clan, nurturing heroes, to pursue another dream of mine.”
I wanted to succeed as a YouTuber focusing on the main content of Claw Hero. Despite uploading videos consistently for years, the dream always seemed distant.
I lacked talent. The intervals between uploads gradually lengthened. Everyone lived like me. Living as an ordinary office worker was tough. I consoled myself with that thought, compromising with the world.
“But this world was still exposed to danger. I had no choice but to use my power. Then, people started to take an interest in me.”
As I became Captain Isaac and started achieving things, the cheers and gratitude of the public, genuine respect, and special treatment naturally followed. These were the ideal life scenarios I had dreamed of in the past.
Being noticed everywhere, having successful people wanting to befriend me. Was I pure-hearted or just naive for dreaming of a life like a drama protagonist?
“And so, I ended up here. I still intend to avoid hero activities, but I will say one thing.”
I still wasn’t cut out to be a hero. Unlike other S-rank heroes, I hadn’t trained to the death, and I was still more interested in my own survival and benefits than in the noble hero spirit.
Some omnipotent being above the sky summoned immature me to this world, making me live as Hero Isaac.
And I, Lee Geon-han, made a choice. To become a hero I wouldn’t be ashamed of. To protect people as far as my strength could reach.
“As long as I’m here, you will be safe. Thank you.”
I know the pain of people who, no matter how hard they try, find their dreams slipping further away. I also know the sense of deprivation felt by those born unable to even make such efforts.
I, Lee Geon-han, was one of those people.
Waaaaaah!
But Hero Isaac was a special existence. He could defeat powerful monsters with a single strike, lead his team members and staff, and had the brains to efficiently manage a clan.
So, I could no longer use fear and inconvenience as excuses to delay what needed to be done.
I had to be the pillar that allowed untapped talents to rise, ensuring they could grow with abundant infrastructure.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap.
The cheers and applause of the people were endless. Thankfully, it seemed I hadn’t ruined the awards ceremony.
The team members were beaming. Other heroes also wore bright smiles.
A gentle smile crept onto my face as well.
‘I am…’
Hero Isaac.
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***
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Champion Citadel.
Top floor, Skyline.
A white-haired middle-aged man, a sturdy elderly man, and a blue-eyed young man sat around a round table.
On the table were whiskey, tea, and coffee, each reflecting their preferences.
The white-haired middle-aged man took a sip of deeply brewed green tea and gently initiated the conversation.
“I was deeply impressed. I can’t tell you how reassuring it was when you spoke, Isaac.”
“Don’t misunderstand. I will only step in when you absolutely cannot handle it. I was merely reaffirming my previous stance.”
“Just having you in South Korea is a great honor. From now on, the Chairman and I will serve you. Other heroes won’t even dare to look at your face. Hahaha.”
The white-haired middle-aged man, Hero Sword Emperor, tried to lighten the mood while never taking his eyes off Hero Isaac’s expression.
He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable in the slightest.
‘A hero from another world. Flame Emperor’s guess was wrong.’
When Isaac unfolded the world of shadows, the Sword Emperor saw his true nature. He seemed poised to transcend even the boundaries of the sky.
Such a great being couldn’t have originated from Earth, where the history of heroes wasn’t that deep.
‘There is a massive barrier at the outskirts of the hidden world.’
The Sword Emperor, with his extensive experience from ruins, relics, and occasional encounters with intelligent beings rather than monsters, had a vague understanding of the world beyond the barrier.
It was a world beyond the sky. A sky beyond the sky.
‘Isaac must be a guardian sent from there to protect us.’
A being who had surpassed the pinnacle of human awakening and seemed ready to break even the boundaries of the sky sat right before him.
The idea that such an absolute being visited this tiny Earth civilization out of curiosity was unconvincing.
‘Now I understand why he hasn’t been active in missions.’
Even Emperor-class demons couldn’t match him. He could obliterate magitech soldiers of the same class with a snap of his fingers.
Such a great being wouldn’t have been interested in the high-level disasters occurring on Earth. He wouldn’t have cared in the slightest.
‘Staying on Earth itself must be a monotonous task for him.’
That’s why he turned his attention to management and hero training. In a world where no one could match him, it was the only area where he could immerse himself and pass the time.
For someone who had already achieved the pinnacle of martial arts, fame and combat experience held no value.
I was incredibly curious.
‘In the world beyond the veil, just how powerful is he?’
How strong must he be to spend his time protecting a lower civilization like Earth?
Perhaps he was forced to be here, deprived of the opportunity to grow even stronger.
‘Later. Much later. When I am worthy, I will dare to ask.’
I suppressed my curiosity. Asking about his past now would be a great disrespect.
God Hand, the association president, took over the conversation.
“First, I humbly thank you. Because you found the elixir of life, I could extend my lifespan. I hope the secretary’s rude request didn’t waste your time.”
Isaac was an extraordinary being. Such a being had found the elixir of life for him.
In hindsight, it was an incredibly rude request.
“You are essential to this country. You can’t die yet. I might end up being inconvenienced.”
“Your words put my mind at ease. In addition to the prize from this Hero Tournament, the association will also express its gratitude. Please do not refuse.”
For the two who had played the role of senior mentors for decades, having an absolute being like Isaac was a godsend.
The weight of responsibility that had been pressing on their shoulders felt significantly lighter.
God Hand maintained a pleased smile throughout the conversation, treating Isaac with the utmost respect.
As if remembering something important, he lowered his voice.
“And an invitation has arrived from the United States. They want to have extensive discussions with us. They specifically requested your presence. Do you have the time?”
“Annoying. Tell them I’ll go next time.”
“Yes! I will convey that.”
“Oh dear, I can already picture The One pestering me. He’s been singing about wanting to meet you.”
“The One? You mean the American awakened one?”
“Yes. He embodies the hero profession more than anyone. I’ll tell him to come and greet you next time.”
The Sword Emperor and God Hand focused solely on forming a friendly relationship with Isaac. Serving him well was the path to national strength and prosperity.
They accompanied Isaac to the parking lot to see him off.
The association staff found it strange to see the Sword Emperor and God Hand, the nation’s great elders, lowering themselves and showing such respect.
“I have something to tell you.”
At the Sword Emperor’s serious expression, God Hand stepped back quietly. The Sword Emperor cautiously made a request to Isaac as they walked to the parking lot.
Isaac nodded lightly as if it was nothing. The Sword Emperor was overjoyed and kept his head bowed until Isaac’s black sedan disappeared down the road.
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***
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An endless barren land. A place where golden sand rippled.
The scorching sun blazed like a hot furnace, causing heat waves to rise everywhere.
In one part of the vast Silvara Desert, giant scorpions and ant monsters were engaged in a struggle for survival.
“Kiiiiii.”
The giant scorpion monster threatened the ant monsters with its venomous sting. The ant monsters tried to overwhelm the scorpion monster with their numerical superiority.
The survival struggle under the hot sun of the vast Silvara Desert was just another part of their daily life.
Swoosh―.
Suddenly, the scorching sun was obscured by darkness. Startled by the sudden phenomenon, the scorpion and ant monsters scattered, hiding beneath the golden grains of sand.
Whoosh!
The darkness, which had been slowly expanding, rapidly spread.
The area of the scorching desert was engulfed in pitch-black darkness.
Roar.
Groan.
From the rippling dark ground, numerous undead soldiers emerged. They were all soldiers shrouded in deep shadows.
Whoosh!
The darkness that seemed to cover the entire desert suddenly retracted. As the shadows, which had converged to a single point, completely disappeared, the figure of a young man with closed eyes appeared.
The young man, frowning, staggered a few times before letting out a deep sigh and opening his eyes.
The young man was none other than Hero Isaac.
‘The mental strain is excessively severe.’
‘Final Finish─Unlimited Mode’ drained his mental strength rapidly, even if maintained for just thirty seconds. At its limit, it could be sustained for about a minute.
Unlimited Mode had to be considered a separate skill from the typical Final Finish.
Activating the mode didn’t require resources like combat gauges, but once used, it left his mental strength depleted, forcing him to either use his mental cultivation technique or lie down in bed for a while.
‘In this case.’
It seemed more prudent to focus on increasing his maximum mental strength, regeneration, and reducing consumption, rather than enhancing the utility of Final Finish.
He needed to adjust his farming direction.
‘I’ll need to diligently gather elixirs and pills as well.’
The mental cultivation technique was a useful method that increased both his magical power and mental strength.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
The normal mode of Final Finish consumed combat gauges but greatly amplified his magical power and mental strength to the level of a late 6-star. However, Unlimited Mode didn’t boost his mental strength.
With a mere 5-star mental strength, he had been enduring the insane mental consumption.
‘My mental barrier won’t hold up.’
He had used Unlimited Mode in actual combat only twice.
Once to subdue the holy beast Salarotse and once to defeat Theodren, who had absorbed the energy of a fallen angel.
Even then, he hadn’t attacked directly. It seemed that the shadows were considered independent objects, as swallowing a target with shadows didn’t interrupt Unlimited Mode.
He wondered if Unlimited Mode could be sustained indefinitely since it didn’t consume gauges, but he hadn’t tested it yet.
He was genuinely afraid that his mental strength would deplete completely, causing his mental barrier to collapse in one blow.
‘Noah, warp me to my home on Earth.’
Ziiing―.
Flash!
With a single command, Isaac was enveloped in light. When he opened his eyes, he was in the living room of his apartment.
Home was indeed the best. Isaac felt immediately at ease.