Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 152

“Two.”
Two fingers folded down.
Even though his opponent was a 5-star hero, so was he. The blatant disrespect from someone who saw him as inferior made Volcano grit his teeth.
‘Just a little longer.’
Soon, a fellow hero from the Guardians clan, who had received his signal, would arrive to assist him. The advantage was his. As he reassured himself, his anxiety transformed into anger.
“Three.”
As Isaac’s third finger folded, a wave of volcanic energy erupted from Volcano’s entire body.
Whoooosh!
“You’ve insulted me.”
The intense heat gathered in his palm, forming a scorching lava orb.
Sssss—
Steam hissed, obscuring the view. Volcano hurled the lava orb directly at Isaac’s face. Simultaneously, the rookie female heroes instinctively leaped back, driven by a survival instinct.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions followed in quick succession.
“Kuhuhu, huh?”
However, the smirk on Volcano’s face faded. His opponent remained standing in place, unscathed. Isaac’s entire body was enveloped in a dark gray, mineral-like substance. Seeing his attack blocked, Volcano felt a twinge of anxiety but forced a smile.
“Not bad. You do have some reason to boast.”
“I gave you a chance. Don’t blame me.”
“Fahahaha! Shut up and come at me. Did you get scared already?”
“Try to survive. I might not be able to control my strength.”
Bang!
A burst of purple smoke dispersed, revealing a menacing black tiger unsheathing its claws. Astonishingly, the black tiger emitted a Lord-level dark energy.
Screeeech!
Clang—
The black tiger’s paw clashed with Volcano’s lava-infused fist. Instead of an explosion, Volcano found himself pushed back.
‘Grr!’
The sheer brute force had torn through his explosive technique. To think someone could command such a monstrous black tiger.
The earlier transformation of Isaac’s skin had been a ruse; his true talent was clearly in summoning.
‘In that case.’
Swoosh—
Bang!
Volcano shot forward, leaving a red trail. Molten lava surged over his head and shoulders.
Sssss—
Whoosh!
However, the lava chunks he expelled were absorbed by a blue phoenix that had appeared in front of Isaac. The phoenix, burning with blue flames, seemed impervious to Volcano’s abilities.
Screeeech!
Clang!
“Ugh!”
In the meantime, claws from behind raked across Volcano’s back. Suppressing the pain, he saw a blue fireball approaching from the front and the black tiger’s fierce paw from behind.
Quickly channeling his magical energy, Volcano raised both hands to the sky. His entire body began to bubble and then erupted in a massive explosion.
Boom!
A dust storm swept through, bringing the battle to a temporary standstill.
As the thick dust settled, Volcano, gasping for breath, stood with his entire body enveloped in scorching lava. His face twisted in rage.
“You’re dead…!”
Rumble—
Massive amounts of magical energy surged through intricate circuits. The boiling lava engulfed Volcano, transforming him into a 3-meter-tall lava giant. In contrast, Isaac, who had been facing him, stood with his arms crossed, looking unimpressed.
Flanking Isaac were the black tiger Gunggi and the blue flame bird Ifrit, standing protectively by his side.
“Rooaaar!”
The lava giant spread its arms wide. Sparks flew from the giant, and hundreds of fireballs shot out.
Whoosh!
However, as Ifrit spread its wings, a towering curtain of blue flames rose, swallowing all the fireballs. Simultaneously, Gunggi, emitting a dark red aura, leaped through the air, targeting the lava giant’s head.
Slash!
Boom!
The lava giant’s head split into three parts. Gunggi then twisted its body dynamically, landing a powerful kick on the giant’s chest. The impact area crackled with dark red lightning, and the lava giant was helplessly flung backward.
Murmurs filled the air.
The incredible sight caused a stir among the people in the lobby who were watching the clash with great interest.
“This is unbelievable! Volcano is being pushed back.”
“Is he a new S-rank? What an incredible performance!”
Volcano was considered a strong mid-tier S-rank hero in the United States. Yet, this mysterious Asian hero was handling him with ease.
“Who on earth is he?”
“He looks familiar, but I’m sure I’ve never seen such a chic Asian among the American S-ranks.”
The unfamiliar face added to his mystique and freshness. Despite Volcano’s use of his trump card, the Lava Titan, the mysterious Asian hero didn’t seem to break a sweat. More striking was his expression, which seemed to say, “Is this all you’ve got?” whether intentional or not.
“Damn! Look at how composed he is. I think I’m falling for that hero.”
“What are you talking about? We should be rooting for Volcano. We’re Americans, after all.”
The S-rank Asian hero had an enigmatic charm that captivated the audience. His unique and relaxed aura, combined with the impression that he would never lose, radiated from his demeanor and movements. It was clear that his power far exceeded that of typical S-ranks.
Among the hundreds of spectators working in the hero industry, some were bound to be experts on global incidents. One such expert was Natalie Perez from the New York Times’ Metahuman Media Desk. Her department covered all hero-related news, and she was aware of the Korean hero named Isaac, who had defeated the Sword Emperor in a duel.
“Benjamin! That hero is Isaac!”
“You’re just realizing that now? A sloth would mistake you for its mother.”
“What? You knew all along?”
Natalie squinted at her mentor, Benjamin Walker, who was grinning while keeping his eyes fixed on the training room, as if not wanting to miss a single moment.
“But Isaac is at least an Awakened. Is Volcano stronger than we thought? He seems to be holding his own against an Awakened.”
“Hmm. It’s not that Volcano is strong. For whatever reason, Isaac is holding back.”
Benjamin Walker was one of the few who knew the truth about that day.
Benjamin had witnessed firsthand how Vanguard, the second-ranked hero in the U.S., had been utterly defeated while he was in Washington looking for a story. Although he couldn’t write an article due to the government’s near-coercive request for cooperation, he remembered it vividly.
And today, by a series of coincidences, he had the chance to witness Isaac’s prowess once more. When coincidences repeat, they become inevitable. Benjamin believed some force of destiny had led him here.
“Natalie, watch closely. That man is the world’s strongest hero.”
“What? The world’s strongest is undoubtedly The One… Oh! Look, it’s S-rank hero Phantom!”
“Phantom?”
Hero name, Phantom. One of America’s most powerful telekinetics and an S-rank hero from the Guardians clan, he had appeared in Section C. As Phantom made his way through the crowd and saw the situation inside the training room, he immediately tried to join the fight.
“Phantom! You can’t. An incredible duel has started. Until the outcome is decided…”
“Move aside.”
Vwoom—
“Whoa!”
The supervisor was pushed back by Phantom’s telekinetic power. Along with him, the members of the Harmony clan guarding the entrance were also effortlessly shoved aside. Despite their combat abilities being on par with A-rank heroes, the gap between them and an S-rank hero was like heaven and earth.
Zzzing—
A wave of intense heat hit Phantom’s face. The boiling lava giant was staggering to its feet.
‘This is humiliating.’
There was no greater disgrace. For an S-rank hero representing the Guardians clan to show such a pathetic display, especially with so many onlookers, was a blow to the clan’s reputation. Phantom, filled with irritation, lowered his voice as he addressed the Asian hero who had reduced Volcano to this state.`
“Hey, you. Do you even know who you’re dealing with?”
“Not interested. Take that guy and leave.”
Crack!
A vein bulged on Phantom’s forehead. This stranger wasn’t part of any American clan. He had to be an S-rank hero from China, Japan, or Korea. Back in his country, he was probably treated like royalty, which explained his arrogance here.
‘But this is America.’
The Guardians clan alone had four S-rank heroes. This damn Asian needed to learn about the wild, no-holds-barred spirit of American heroes.
“Volcano, what’s his ability?”
“Ugh… Summoning. He controls a black tiger and a firebird of the same rank. Damn it, if only the match-up was better.”
“Let’s combine our strength and take him down. We’ll teach him the rules of victory.”
Any obstacle in their way would be thoroughly crushed. No matter how exceptional this S-rank hero was, a 2-on-1 fight was a different story.
“Haaap!”
Vwooom!
Phantom’s hands glowed with a purple hue. At the same time, the lava giant, having regained its composure, charged forward recklessly.
Flash!
Whoosh—
In response, Gunggi leaped through space, claws bared, while Ifrit spread its wings, burning with blue flames. It was at that moment that Phantom’s telekinetic technique reached its maximum output.
Crack!
“Now!”
In an instant, Gunggi and Ifrit froze mid-motion. Seizing the opportunity, the lava giant bypassed the two summons and swung its fist, capable of melting anything in its path.
Boom!
“No way!”
To everyone’s shock, Isaac’s palm, covered in a tough, dark gray mineral-like substance, caught the lava giant’s fist.
‘It wasn’t a trick?!’
How could a summoner possess such a high-level defensive technique? And to display strength comparable to the lava giant’s brute force?
‘Does he have two abilities?!’
But there was no time for astonishment. Volcano didn’t give up and threw his left fist.
Boom!
This time, the mineral covering Isaac’s hand grew into a barrier, blocking the attack. His defense was absurdly strong.
‘Where did this guy come from?!’
Volcano’s eyes twitched with anger. His bloodshot eyes reflected his burning rage.
“I’ll obliterate you along with this wall!”
Rumble!
A massive amount of magical energy surged. Amidst the searing pain of his magical circuits burning, the lava giant that was Volcano roared in desperation.
“Volcanic Overflow!”
Rumble—
Whooooosh!
The flames and boiling liquid that made up the lava giant converged into a single point, unleashing a continuous stream of lava aimed at Isaac.
Sssss—
However, Volcano’s ultimate attack never reached Isaac. A black void had appeared in front of him, swallowing the lava stream.
“This ends here.”
A cold voice declared the end of the duel.
Kwoooong────────!
“Gasp!”
“Argh?!”
The overwhelming wave of magical energy that crushed the two S-rank heroes occurred immediately after Isaac spoke. Before the shadows around them could fully expand, Volcano and Phantom lost consciousness and collapsed simultaneously.
It was the result of heroes with 5-star power facing the force of a late 6-star magical wave head-on.
“Tsk.”
Isaac picked up the unconscious bodies of the two American S-rank heroes with the undulating shadows and flung them towards the entrance.
Whoosh—
Thud!
The two heroes hit the reinforced glass wall and slumped down together, neatly stacked.