Chapter 155
Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 155
A vast forest shrouded in mystery.
Suspended in the air like a full moon illuminating the darkness, a sphere softly scattered the bluish light of dawn across the entire world.
The blue light breathed life into the creatures hidden in the forest’s nooks and crannies, occasionally fluctuating in intensity.
In the forest, eel-like monsters over 8 meters long roamed. Strangely, their gills housed intricate mechanical devices.
The eel magical soldiers moved through the treetops with lifelike fluidity, while fairies emitting blue light flitted around, inspecting the eyes and tails of the eel magical soldiers.
Vwoooom…!
At the heart of the dawn forest.
A powerful vibration emanated from the upper part of a massive structure that rose like a circular staircase.
However, the eel magical soldiers floating in the forest sea merely glanced in its direction before resuming their search for energy clusters hidden somewhere in the forest.
The amount of magic felt from the vibration wasn’t significant enough to draw their full attention.
Swoooosh—
The high-density magic waves that had spread in all directions began to retract back to their origin.
The focal point of the converging magic waves was the top of an ancient, spiral-shaped structure, the abandoned holy city of Dorothenian.
Flash!
From within the half-collapsed sanctuary, a man opened his eyes. His eyes glowed a vivid blue, and lighter blue particles swirled around him.
Rumble—
Boom!
Before long, another intense wave of magical power surged from the blue-eyed youth.
The blue light occupying several kilometers gathered the scattered blue particles from across the holy city and brought them to the youth sitting cross-legged.
As the youth absorbed the blue particles, his skin began to faintly glow. His skin radiated vitality, occasionally exuding a refreshing scent of cypress wood.
Rumble!
As the youth absorbed the blue particles, a deep vibration emanated from him once more. Suddenly, a strange tearing sound, as if the sky itself was being ripped apart, violently echoed through the holy city’s heavens.
Shortly after, at the western and eastern ends of the sanctuary, a blue sphere and a green sphere each coalesced and began orbiting the sky above the holy city.
The two spheres accelerated their rotation until they moved so fast they became invisible to the naked eye, gradually closing the distance to the youth.
Vwooooom—
Boom!
The two spheres merged into one, creating a fierce storm that enveloped the sanctuary. A massive explosion erupted within the storm, accompanied by the continuous sound of something shattering, causing chaos in the sky above the holy city.
Whoooosh…
After a while, the mysterious pressure that had been gathering a vast amount of spiritual energy from all directions completely dissipated.
As the storm slowly subsided, the blue-eyed youth, who had been sitting cross-legged at its center, stood up abruptly.
His expression was slightly distorted, as if he had not achieved what he desired.
“Was it too ambitious?”
The youth was none other than the hero Isaac.
For nearly a month, he had been accumulating power using the formulas of the Heart-Calming Technique and the Heavenly Wood Lotus Technique, attempting to break through the limits of his first awakening.
All he had to do was recite the formulas of both techniques in succession. The two methods fused as if they had always been one, and the Heavenly Wood Lotus Technique, like the Heart-Calming Technique, did not contain overly complex insights, making it easy for Isaac’s sharp mind to comprehend.
As a result, just as Ifrit had said, the rate at which he accumulated power doubled, turning the miracle into reality!
Poof!
Ifrit, the blue flame bird, was summoned into the air.
After a lengthy and intense three-hour discussion with Ifrit, Isaac concluded that two prerequisites needed to be met to successfully break through the limits of his first awakening.
First, he needed to move his training location to a safe area in the vast Terraria, where the spiritual energy was richer than in the Trials Ark. Second, he had to consume a legendary-grade elixir that would aid in breaking through the limits of his first awakening.
In fact, attempting to break through the limits of the first awakening and reaching the pinnacle of 5-star power within just half a year of training was practically defying the laws of nature.
“Noah, transport me back to my home on Earth.”
With a sense of regret, Isaac was enveloped in a bright light.
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Returning to Earth after a month, Isaac spent his time at home playing games, reading, and watching stimulating video content to soothe his weary mind and body. However, unable to withstand the restless energy of Gunggi, he donned a mask and took a walk along the Han River the next day.
As he admired the urban and natural scenery surrounding the Han River, Isaac managed to alleviate some of the mental burden caused by his failure to achieve awakening.
Breaking through limits felt like something that became more elusive the harder he tried to grasp it.
For Isaac, who had embarked on the path of a monk accumulating power through cultivation methods, breaking through the star-level limits was also a process of overcoming the inner demons deeply rooted within him.
While the power accumulated in the body was important, mental maturity and understanding the principles of nature were equally crucial.
He had only recently resolved to live as a true hero.
The difference between Isaac’s immature mental state and the seasoned heroes who had overcome trials and tribulations to reach awakening was as vast as that between a veteran soldier and a newly graduated recruit.
“Experience is key. Experience.”
He had yet to grasp the principles of life, let alone the vastness of nature.
Defeating powerful monsters and villains, as well as managing the Harmony Clan, would have been impossible without his leadership skills and charisma.
However, he had only been in the world of Clan of Heroes for just over a year.
Though the story had surpassed the scope of Season 1, Lee Geon-ha, the human, was confident.
By clearing the time-limited main quests, continually elevating Hero Isaac’s status, and nurturing his team members, he believed he could eventually confront the system that had trapped him in this world.
“Gorororong. Gorororong.”
Listening to the loud purring of Gunggi, who was toasting bread on a wooden bench, Isaac leisurely enjoyed the cool breeze of the Han River.
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It seemed quite a few events had transpired over the past month.
No sooner had Isaac returned to the office than the association’s chief secretary rushed to see him.
I had hoped to share a cup of coffee, but the chief secretary seemed too urgent to waste any time on pleasantries and got straight to the point.
“Is my involvement necessary?”
“Yes. Although the mutual defense treaty does not cover civil wars, the Martial Arts Alliance claims that the rebels are under the control of a very rare monster species and have presented some evidence. However, since Chinese heroes and military units are joining the rebels, it is difficult to classify this as a monster-induced disaster.”
It was a matter related to China.
But as I listened, something seemed off.
Even if the rebels hadn’t been suppressed early, wouldn’t it be normal for them to vehemently refuse foreign military support? This could be a pretext for them to be wary of something like wartime operational control.
“This is strange. This is a sensitive issue. Have they requested support only from our country?”
“Yes. The Chinese government has agreed to transfer their voting rights in the World Council to our country for the next five years in exchange for us refraining from intervening in the northern theater occupied by the rebels, even indirectly. Of course, these are all still under discussion.”
There was a significant dispute between China and Japan over the ownership of ancient ruins located in the depths of the Sea of Okhotsk. During that process, Korea sided with China, which caused some resentment from the Japanese government towards Korea.
That was until Isaac, who had suddenly reappeared, swiftly defeated the Emperor-class demonic monsters and magical soldiers recruited by the DRR.
‘Does this mean they trust us?’
Since the Great Catastrophe 100 years ago, the alliance between Korea, China, and Japan had been as solid as a fortress. There was no room for conflict between neighboring countries as they were busy exterminating external enemies like monsters and villains.
However, during the past 20 years, known as the era of peace, subtle tensions had arisen among the countries possessing awakened individuals as they grew complacent.
Master Cheongun, who advocated for Sinocentrism, being mentioned as a candidate for the next alliance leader had political implications.
It was surprising that such a figure had suddenly started a rebellion.
“I’ve sent additional materials via messenger. And…”
The chief secretary, fully prepared, provided evidence that led the Martial Arts Alliance to classify the rebels as a monster force, casualty reports, and information that the rebels had pushed beyond Harbin and Changchun City to Jinzhou, close to Beijing.
What followed was an emotional appeal.
“Isaac, we beg of you. Master Cheongun, the leader of the rebels, is said to be on par with China’s awakened Heavenly Martial King. If you and Sword Emperor join forces, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of civilians will be freed from suffering.”
Chinese people were fellow Asians, after all.
The China of the Earth where office worker Lee Geon-ha lived and the China of this world were practically different countries.
If it meant saving countless civilians, Isaac was more than willing to participate.
Moreover, overseas missions were something he had been hoping for.
Unfortunately, to clear the main quest, a dangerous, top-tier disaster that couldn’t be resolved locally needed to occur overseas. Only then would they seek Isaac’s help and assign him the mission.
The answer was obviously ‘Yes.’
“I’ll take the team and head over.”
“Thank you! Ah, and I should have asked earlier. What kind of reward would you like?”
“I want an elixir or materials that can help break through the limits of awakening. If that’s not possible, information will do.”
“That…! Yes. We can definitely find the information for you. We’ll also do our utmost to source the materials, but as you know, the cost…”
Countries worldwide were pouring astronomical sums into nurturing awakened individuals.
An elixir that aids in breaking through the limits of awakening could cost trillions. Isaac didn’t expect the Hero Association to provide a fully prepared elixir.
If he could secure even one or two supplementary materials, he would be satisfied.
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The news that South Korea’s awakened Sword Emperor and Isaac had come to aid China spread like a beacon of hope, causing a stir throughout the country.
Tragically, the rebel forces led by Master Cheongun and Divine Spear Yeongwol, who had once been China’s S-rank heroes, had seized nearly half of the northern theater, including Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang provinces, known as the Three Northeastern Provinces.
In the process, millions of civilians were massacred, and a bizarre phenomenon occurred where heroes and military personnel captured by the rebels were easily swayed to join their ranks.
The most shocking event was that China’s pride and the idol of martial artists, the Heavenly Martial King, could not decisively defeat Master Cheongun, the leader of the rebels.
The rebel forces, which mercilessly slaughtered civilians, included awakened individuals.
The grim news plunged all of China into a state of fear over the potential overthrow of the government, leading them to naturally reach out to South Korea, which boasted two awakened heroes.
And today.
The awakened heroes who had come to save China finally arrived at Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Vwoooom—
A large jet adorned with the Taegeuk mark descended onto the runway, its jet engines roaring.
China’s key figures, including the Heavenly Martial King and the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, Youhe Zheren, respectfully greeted the S-rank heroes from South Korea as they disembarked from the jet.
‘That must be Hero Isaac!’
He appeared like a hero from a snowy mountain, embodying the spirit of a fierce beast.
The piercing gaze of the Heavenly Martial King, who seemed to personify the ferocity of a wild predator, fell upon the blue-eyed young man, Isaac, who walked with a languid grace.
Clasp!
Finally, the rough, massive hand of the Heavenly Martial King met the delicate palm of the young man.
“Welcome.”