Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 144

Welcome to America

They thought everything was over.
For ten years, he had only been able to see his daughter’s sleeping face, but now an unprecedentedly high concentration of dark energy was emanating from her.
All the Sword Emperor could do was barely maintain his sanity and muster his magical power to counter it.
“Huff. S-Sword Emperor. Can you move?”
“…Yes. I’ll do it.”
The anesthetist and the magical engineer had already left Earth Flower Party. If they hadn’t, their mental barriers might have collapsed, turning them into either vegetables or monsters.
Thunk.
With trembling hands, the Sword Emperor injected awakening agents into the arms of Isaac, Seo Eun-ha, and Baek Hwa-ran.
“Phew.”
He still couldn’t believe it.
Judging by the dark energy that had been emanating from his daughter’s body, the demon’s power level surpassed that of an Emperor.
If Isaac hadn’t subdued the demon, Isaac himself or Seo Eun-ha might have fallen under its mental control and acted according to its will.
In that case, the worst monster in history, surpassing even the Emperor, would have been born. A monster that no one in the current human race could contend with.
‘Who are you, really?’
Yet Isaac had purified such a demon in an instant with some unknown method. The Sword Emperor wondered if Isaac had even given his best effort.
He vaguely guessed that Isaac had used some kind of ultimate move that exerted absolute power in the mental world.
Beep— Beep—
Not long after, the heart rate of Hero Isaac, the one who had purified the demon, began to accelerate.
His own heartbeat seemed to quicken in response.
It was an indescribable fear of the unknown, a terror that defied explanation.
“Gulp.”
His fingertips trembled slightly.
The Sword Emperor knew in his mind that Isaac stood on the side of humanity as a hero. However, feeling fear in the presence of such a colossal being was an animal instinct.
The Sword Emperor thought to himself.
It was a great relief that this man had settled in their country as a hero, a profession of the light.
Swish.
Isaac, having awakened from the Dream Dive, slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
His eyes were as unfocused as ever. Surprisingly, there was not a hint of accomplishment in his gaze.
Boredom or monotony.
Those were the emotions reflected in his eyes. He had accomplished similar feats countless times, to the point where he felt no thrill anymore.
‘He wasn’t significantly behind.’
The demon had been strong. The dark energy emanating from his daughter had been so intense that it made his skin sting and his bones ache.
And this was coming from the Sword Emperor, who had reached the pinnacle of awakening.
The God Hand, who was a level below, had barely managed to stay conscious thanks to the purifying power of the radiant light.
This meant that the demon’s level had indeed surpassed that of an Emperor. In other words, it was similar to Isaac’s level, whose power had reached the heavens.
How could he wear such an expression after defeating such an enemy?
‘No. That defies reality.’
The Sword Emperor briefly entertained the thought that Isaac might have purified hundreds or thousands of enemies at the demon’s level in the mental world.
Even if he was an existence from beyond the great barrier, it was impossible for him to have faced monsters of the same caliber as if it were a daily routine. If that were the case, he would have long since lost his life or become crippled.
“Thank you…”
Setting aside his profound fear and numerous questions,
The Sword Emperor expressed his sincere gratitude.
His daughter was precious beyond words. He regretted a thousand times over not telling her he loved her more often instead of subjecting her to harsh training.
Seeing Hwa-ran alive and moving vividly, something he had only seen in dreams, was a sight he could hardly believe.
However, such a dreamlike story was soon to become reality. It was possible because it was Isaac.
“I’m tired. I need to rest. Take care of the two kids. When they wake up, give them this.”
Isaac handed over two bottles of elixir he had prepared in advance to the Sword Emperor.
“These elixirs will help restore mental barriers and enhance mental strength.”
This was something the Baek family should have prepared themselves.
The Sword Emperor, unable to hide his embarrassment, bowed his head and accepted the two bottles of elixir.
Isaac had not only demonstrated power beyond human standards but also the foresight to prepare elixirs for mental restoration.
Truly, he was the epitome of an ideal hero clan leader.
Watching Isaac’s retreating figure as he left Earth Flower Party, the Sword Emperor suddenly came to his senses.
A disaster of the first order had struck near Earth Flower Party. The dark energy wave emitted from Baek Hwa-ran had been incredibly fierce.
“Let’s get to work on the cleanup. We must at least save face.”
“Heh heh… You handle it. Sleepiness is overtaking me. Huh…”
Thump.
The God Hand collapsed backward. He was completely exhausted from overusing his radiant powers.
Baek Hwa-ran’s outburst had been particularly violent, enough to exhaust an S-class hero specialized in purification and regeneration.
“Report the damage.”
From the communications, the Sword Emperor learned that more than half of the warriors remaining in the clan had fainted.
Even with the God Hand’s radiant powers suppressing it, such damage had occurred. The dark energy emitted by the demon might have also caused civilian casualties.
‘Thank heavens.’
Had the demon revived by taking another body as its host, who knows what might have happened…
The Sword Emperor heaved a sigh of relief, bowed towards the direction where Isaac had disappeared towards Myeongryundang, and swiftly began to manage the chaotic situation.
It had been exactly one day and ten hours since the Dream Dive had begun.
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Sword Emperor Family.
Myeongryundang.
In the spacious room where he had been lying as if dead for half a day, Isaac slowly rose and opened his inventory.
At the top of the inventory was the unique magic stone he had obtained after purifying the demon.
「Unique Magic Stone ― Mental Manipulation」
▶ Category: Magic Stone ⇨ Unique Magic Stone
▶ Grade: Hidden Piece
▶ Description: A magic stone imbued with the power of a lord. It appears to be absorbable.
▶ Effect: Manipulates the opponent’s mind.
While the description suggested a mind control-like ability, in practice, it was often used to neutralize allies affected by mental attacks or to disrupt opponents attempting to cast spells.
Swoosh.
The unique magic stone was smoothly absorbed into Isaac’s chest.
[An unknown power surges within you.]
[You have acquired the combat skill ‘Mental Manipulation’!]
‘It was worth the effort.’
There were fewer than five unique magic stones related to mental abilities across all seasons.
For physical or elemental attacks, he already had the excellent defensive measure known as ‘Tempering.’ Now, he had a method to counter mental attacks as well.
After drinking some cold water to clear his mind, Isaac calmly reviewed the mission in the mental world.
The twist that Baek Hwa-ran had sealed the demon in her subconscious was a detail Isaac had missed due to his habit of skipping storylines. However, it was only a minor surprise.
Following the manual he had memorized, he had persuaded her using people she was close to, and through prior communication with Seo Eun-ha, he had managed to suppress the trauma caused by loneliness as much as possible.
As a result, the demon freed from Baek Hwa-ran had only displayed combat power equivalent to a Tier 2 common type.
According to the information displayed, the demon’s true strength was that of a Tier 2 rare type. However, as a nightmare that fed on human fear and pain, it couldn’t exert its full power in Baek Hwa-ran’s subconscious, where some of her trauma had been alleviated.
‘Normally, Baek Hwa-ran would have died with the demon.’
In the original game, Seo Eun-ha, who had become an S-class hero, and Hwang Man-deuk had purified the demon in the mental world.
The demon bound to Baek Hwa-ran wasn’t particularly strong, which made it possible to purify it.
In reality, however, Isaac had saved Baek Hwa-ran and purified the demon. This achievement would have been impossible without the Final Finish.
Especially, the Final Finish─Unlimited Mode was a complete upgrade over the normal Final Finish, as it could purify even a Tier 2 entity in an instant, albeit at the cost of extreme mental exhaustion.
However, from another perspective, if one’s mental strength was low, using it was akin to emotional self-harm rather than an upgrade.
Currently, Isaac’s mental strength was on par with that of an awakened being, but maintaining Unlimited Mode for more than 10 seconds was still challenging.
‘Mental strength is the biggest issue.’
Isaac realized that he urgently needed to enhance his mental strength through this mission.
There was no guarantee that Tier 2 monsters wouldn’t appear again on Earth. Isaac had already experienced events beyond the scale of Season 1.
This meant that situations requiring the use of Unlimited Mode might continue to arise.
‘I don’t know why it can’t be adjusted conveniently.’
Unlike the normal Final Finish, Unlimited Mode didn’t adjust his mental strength to six-star late stage. This had been verified through several experiments.
‘I’ll have to try crafting Tier 2 items soon.’
Whether it was elixirs or equipment, the performance difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 was like night and day. Isaac had several Tier 2 materials obtained from the Ark of Trials and memories transferred from Ifrit.
Although Ifrit’s memories included only a few common-grade Tier 2 elixir recipes and blueprints, even these were far superior to other Tier 1 elixirs and equipment.
Swoosh.
With his eyes closed, Isaac sifted through the memories transferred from Ifrit, organizing recipes and blueprints related to mental strength.
As he did so, the early dawn passed, and a vibrant sunrise began to light up the eastern sky.
It was a morning filled with the warmth of spring.
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Baek Hwa-ran, the precious daughter of the Sword Emperor, had awakened from her ten-year-long slumber.
Upon hearing this news, the Sword Emperor Family was filled with an unprecedented sense of vitality and joy.
Even the usually stoic faces of the warriors were adorned with hopeful smiles.
The well-being of his youngest daughter, Baek Hwa-ran, was a miraculous gift that lightened the Sword Emperor’s burdens.
A genuine smile graced his lips for the first time in a long while, and his love for his daughter shone softly in his eyes.
After confirming the casualties and property damage and issuing post-crisis orders, he instructed his household to prepare a feast with a much lighter heart.
Soon, the courtyard of the hanok village turned into a festival ground in celebration of Baek Hwa-ran’s return.
Songs and the sound of dancing shoes echoed everywhere.
Children looked up at the dazzling fireworks, shining like stars in the high sky, and cheered in surprise, while elderly people, shedding their dignified demeanor, swayed slowly to the rhythm.
Inside Hwangryongjeon, elegant waltzes were occasionally played, and some couples entrusted their bodies to the music, moving their feet delicately.
Music, laughter, and joyful conversations filled Hwangryongjeon, and small parties with surprise cakes and sparkling wine were held here and there.
At the center of it all were Baek Hwa-ran, seated in a wheelchair, the Sword Emperor, his immediate family, the Hero Association President God Hand, and Seo Eun-ha.
Isaac, who the Baek family’s council had decided to honor as a transcendent being above the law, briefly showed his face before leaving the Sword Emperor Family.
The Sword Emperor and his family were greatly disappointed but did not dare to stop him.
“He left quickly.”
“Indeed.”
The two heroes shared the same thought.
Isaac was strong, and thus, dangerous. He was more of a solitary warrior who followed his heart than a patriot.
How to manage and utilize such an ultimate card was entirely up to the Hero Association.
And the two of them were the heroes and leaders representing the association.
Their future concerns should not be about how to protect the nation, but rather how to appease and win over Hero Isaac.
His existence was synonymous with the continuation of peace.
“Think about it. First, let’s consider what we can gain from this exchange with America.”
“Haha, you. There’s a glint of madness in your eyes. You look ready to cause a commotion.”
“Heh heh heh. Did it show? In a world where power is everything, if there’s no need to bow, shouldn’t we stand tall?”
“I agree.”
A meaningful smile appeared on both of their faces.
The descendants, who were listening to the elders’ significant conversation, awkwardly smiled at the rare sight of their elders’ sly expressions.
‘What are they planning now?’
‘Looks like they’re up to something big.’
‘Isaac has given them wings.’
The cunning ones who could sway the nation’s affairs with their three-inch tongues.
That was the nickname for the Sword Emperor and God Hand in the international community.