Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 136

Sword Emperor Family.
A place where history and tradition were alive and breathing.
It was indeed an impressive family. After all, they produced the awakened Sword Emperor. Moreover, the elders of that household had survived the chaotic era when the Sword Emperor and God Hand were just born.
Talent and magic circuits were concepts not even defined back then, and the history of that generation, long before the hero system was introduced, was the end of the century itself.
Humanity barely managed to survive, solving basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter in an apocalyptic world where monsters ran rampant. Eventually, they nurtured heroes, leading to the present day.
Originally, the Sword Emperor Family started as an ordinary martial arts dojo. It was a place where traditional swordsmanship, known as Bonguk Swordsmanship, was inherited to train the body and mind healthily.
However, the late Baek Sang-hyuk, the head of the dojo during the Great Catastrophe, awakened his talent and protected citizens by cutting down monsters that crossed through the rifts with a single sword. He gathered talented individuals and formed a civilian defense organization.
That was the beginning of the Sword Emperor Family, which could be considered Korea’s first clan.
“The official mission starts in three days. Until then, familiarize yourself with the scenery, people, and terrain of the Sword Emperor Family. I’ll share the mission details separately. They’ve requested strict confidentiality.”
Eun-ha’s face was full of questions. Being suddenly dispatched to the Sword Emperor Family must have made her think of all sorts of things.
‘There won’t be any danger. We just need a purifier to work inside.’
The Sword Emperor, Baek Mu-seong, had a youngest daughter, Baek Hwa-ran, whom he had in his sixties. I wasn’t confident in coaxing and comforting a girl who had likely already been seduced by a demon within her mental world.
I would handle the combat, and Seo Eun-ha would handle the psychological treatment.
Bringing other team members would only complicate things further. The treatment method, known as ‘Dream Dive,’ involved entering the patient’s dream to restore their damaged ego. It required expensive magical engineering equipment, specialized purifiers, and anesthetists to monitor vital signs, making it a highly cumbersome process.
I would love to give everyone experience points, but this mission became more complicated with each additional person involved.
“Yes! Understood. Should I go right away?”
Eun-ha, whose eyes had been wavering, answered confidently.
I planned to redistribute her magic circuits soon. Although she hadn’t yet met the conditions for the system transition, I would make sure she did soon.
I nodded at Eun-ha and delivered my closing remarks smoothly.
“Everyone is doing well. Don’t get impatient, but don’t get complacent either. That’s all. Eun-ha, follow me.”
I heard Seong-ah’s complaint from behind, saying she wanted to come along too, but Eun-ha handled it well by turning around and sticking out her tongue.
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Purification.
A term that means to clean something impure or dirty.
This sacred-sounding keyword was used much more broadly in the world of Claw Hero.
Defeating monsters was called purification, and the act of suppressing disasters was often referred to as purification as well.
This was because entities, whether evil spirits, monsters, or the underworld, were fundamentally ‘contaminated with negative energy’ and caused havoc.
Besides heroes, there was another profession involved in these purification activities: purifiers.
Purifiers were specialists who could cleanse negative energy from contaminated materials, weapons, and living beings.
Most materials or weapons obtained from nature or monsters needed to go through a purification process to hold any value, except for some accessories or weapons with beneficial ‘corruption options.’
Seo Eun-ha’s classification as a top-tier supporter was partly due to her ability to perform such specialized purification roles.
“This mission is…”
As we traveled in the sedan sent by the Sword Emperor Family, I explained the mission details and her role to Seo Eun-ha.
Her expression changed several times before her eyes became resolute with determination.
“I know Hwa-ran. So, we’re going to rescue her.”
“You had interactions with her when you were younger?”
“Yes. Our grandfathers were close friends. They still are.”
This was information I hadn’t been aware of.
It seemed similar text had appeared when Seo Eun-ha faced the demon in the mental world in Claw Hero.
‘This is good.’
Purification of people and animals is classified as a professional medical act. It requires a study load equivalent to that of a general practitioner.
Although Eun-ha had been steadily studying to become a purifier, she still lacked the experience to be called a professional purifier.
However, if the treatment target was someone she knew from the past, the difficulty would significantly decrease.
Baek Hwa-ran, trapped in her mental world, might open her heart more easily to Seo Eun-ha.
“I will definitely succeed! It’s an honor to be with you, Leader.”
“Heh, good.”
It was essentially an easy mission, as long as no unexpected variables occurred.
No matter what, the demon in the mental world wouldn’t be able to defeat Isaac, who had activated his Final Finish.
Even though it was limited to 1 minute and 13 seconds, there were no beings on Earth that could withstand the onslaught of a late 6-star level.
There wouldn’t be any need to use Unlimited Mode for a while.
“But Leader.”
“Yes?”
I felt her gaze fixed on me.
Eun-ha, who had aged a year, looked much more mature.
Sitting next to me, she appeared as a proper young lady. Though to me, she still seemed like a child.
“In the other world, what happened to you?”
So, she was curious about that.
A lot of things happened.
In the Screaming Land, I managed to land the final blow on Eaglemaw and escape. Heaven must have been displeased because right after that, I was kidnapped by a guy named Gojeok and forcibly infused with ‘Yeong-geun,’ a constitution that allowed me to accumulate mystical power in the Ark of Trials.
I also learned a decent technique called Deep Pool Tranquility Technique and accumulated the mystical power of a 5-star in just a month. I met Saint Ophelia and purified the Shadow King in the underground of the Holy City.
Surviving encounters with lunatics like the late 8-star Salarotse, who had completed his second awakening, and Theodren, who had absorbed the power of a fallen angel, made me a legend.
“I got caught up in some troublesome matters. The annoying ones are dead, and I survived.”
“Really?! Those annoying ones must have been incredibly strong to trouble you, Leader.”
It didn’t seem like a genuine reaction.
It felt like she was subtly probing. Since I rarely had deep conversations with the team members, there must still be many things they were curious about regarding me.
Bzzzz.
I rolled down the window.
A refreshing spring breeze blew in.
Eun-ha’s hair gently swayed in the wind.
“They were quite strong. If I had been alone, I might have given up.”
I had thought being alone was more comfortable, but surprisingly, I found strength when I was with someone.
Back then, it was with Ophelia, and on Earth, it was with my team members. The arrows flying from behind and the voices cheering me on seemed to give me strength.
Perhaps my belief that being alone was more comfortable was because I had grown accustomed to loneliness.
I didn’t even realize that being lonely was actually lonely.
“…Leader.”
“What?”
“You seem really at ease.”
I seem at ease?
I glanced at my reflection in the black screen of my smartphone. It was the usual Isaac, worn out by the hassles of life.
“Just. That’s how it felt.”
That was Eun-ha’s response to my questioning look. She seemed like she wanted to say more but then quietly closed her eyes.
Surprisingly, I almost initiated a conversation with her. I wanted to listen to her worries and communicate with her.
‘This feels like a first.’
Maybe it was because I had more room in my life now. Perhaps it was the sense of security that no one could harm me.
They say generosity comes from a full granary. Maybe that’s why they advise meeting people who have room to spare, whether financially or emotionally.
Such people have the energy to care about others.
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The upright and righteous Baek family.
The elders of the Sword Emperor Family were in a state of emergency.
The emergency meeting was held at Hwangryonggak, where the ‘War Room,’ the grand conference hall, was located.
The emergency meeting gathered the highest elder of the family, Grand Elder Baek Mu-hyul, along with two elders responsible for education and finance.
Additionally, the heads of the elite martial halls— Blue Dragon Hall, White Tiger Hall, and Black Turtle Hall —were present, along with the direct descendants of the family, Baek Pung-young, Baek Seong-yeon, Baek So-hye, and Baek Nam-gi, who were the children of the Sword Emperor.
The heroes of the Sword Emperor Family referred to themselves as martial artists and strictly adhered to the somewhat old-fashioned family laws.
The titles and laws of the Baek family, reminiscent of martial arts novels, were influenced by the founder, Baek Sang-hyuk, who was both a martial arts dojo head and a martial arts novel enthusiast.
Baek Sang-hyuk, who felt like a martial artist from a novel as he cut down monsters and villains with a single sword, soon established the foundation of the Sword Emperor Family.
The system created by the founder was passed down through generations, leading to the present day.
However, despite the family laws and system evoking scenes from historical dramas or martial arts novels, very few people, past or present, mocked the Sword Emperor Family.
Their swords had saved countless lives. Those who ridiculed the Baek family’s martial artists, who dedicated their lives to their mission, were merely social misfits entrenched in specific communities.
Soon, the pinnacle of the Sword Emperor Family’s bloodline, the Sword Emperor Baek Mu-seong, who sat on the Throne of Swords in the War Room, spoke quietly.
“Almost everyone has arrived. Are the preparations for the lineup complete?”
“Yes!”
The three heads answered simultaneously, their nervousness evident as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
“Today, we welcome someone as high as the heavens. Be mindful of your words and actions. We cannot show any shortcomings of our Sword Emperor Family during Isaac’s official first visit.”
“We will keep that in mind.”
Baek Pung-young, the eldest, answered on behalf of his siblings. However, Grand Elder Baek Mu-hyul, the father of the Sword Emperor Baek Mu-seong, had a different opinion and began to reprimand the family head.
“Family head, we are people of the Baek family. Even if he is stronger than you, should we hide our glorious history?”
Grand Elder Baek Mu-hyul was displeased with his son’s attitude. Although he trusted the Sword Emperor, who had achieved remarkable feats, he believed that such reverence for an outsider was a disgrace to the family’s tradition.
‘How can the world’s greatest swordsman be so restless? The family members will lose their pride.’
The Sword Emperor Family must remain the world’s greatest family and hero organization. Although he himself had not achieved it, he had made his children the world’s strongest.
He still couldn’t accept that the hero named Isaac was stronger than his son, Baek Mu-seong.
What bothered him even more was that the family head seemed intent on adopting a submissive stance rather than igniting his competitive spirit.
“I share the same sentiment. The family head should remind everyone that it’s no exaggeration to say we rebuilt Korea. What national father would bow his head so easily? It should not be done.”
“Moreover, he is an outsider whose origins are unknown. He might not even be Korean.”
The two elders standing beside Grand Elder added their support to the elder’s opinion.
It was reminiscent of high-ranking officials pleading with a king during the Joseon Dynasty.
“I was preoccupied with thoughts of Hwa-ran. Father, you are right. I will greet him with dignity.”
“Father? This is a formal setting. Please use the proper titles, family head.”
“I apologize for my mistake, Grand Elder. It’s time, so let’s proceed.”
The martial artists gathered in the conference room swiftly exited Hwangryonggak. Except for the three elders who were well over a hundred years old, their faces were all stiff and tense.