Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 163

The Great War of Humans and Demons

Deep beneath the Sea of Okhotsk.
A vast protective barrier surrounding an ancient underwater ruin, long buried in the ashes of time, emitted a grandiose vibration.
Rumble—
The coral reefs and large fish decorating the seabed were caught in a chaotic whirlpool caused by an underwater earthquake. Fish, belly-up and lifeless, were soon consumed by the cataclysmic seabed quake that seemed to overturn the world.
Boom!
The great disaster shook the seabed, causing the waters around the ancient underwater ruins, dormant for eons, to boil like molten lava.
The surface of the sea swelled with fierce waves and foam, and with a deafening roar that seemed to tear the earth and sky apart, the extensive underwater terrain, long submerged, surged above the waterline.
Rumble—
Crash!
Storms and thunder roared, and a sound like the cry of a colossal ancient beast struck the world engulfed by the typhoon.
At the heart of the island that had pierced through the sea, an unknown ancient city, still shrouded in a semi-transparent barrier, stood.
Buzz.
As the underwater earthquake subsided, the great disaster accompanied by the storm slowly returned to the peaceful routine of nature.
Buzz.
After a while, the semi-transparent barrier surrounding the ancient city peeled away like a discarded shell. Inside, stone structures deeply etched with the passage of time, tall towers, and beautifully inclined arches adorned the city’s entrance.
Crackle—
Soon, a massive purple line appeared vertically in the center of the city, then widened into a circular, grotesque shape resembling the maw of hell.
From within the eerie giant fissure, a constant stream of dark red aura spewed forth, contaminating the surroundings.
Cackle.
Roar!
Soon, from within the giant fissure, human-shaped monsters with demonic horns embedded in their foreheads began to emerge, their chilling laughter echoing through the air.
Their numbers continued to swell endlessly until they reached tens of millions.
Before long, more than half of the newly risen island was filled with these human-formed demonic creatures.
Thud! Thud!
Following the human-formed demons, hundreds of massive demonic creatures, each several meters tall with bulging muscles, began to cross through the fissure one by one.
Their movements were sluggish, and it took more than half a day for just a thousand of them to cross over.
Swoosh—
Thud.
While the demonic army continued to emerge from the fissure, the human-formed demons who had scouted the island earlier began using spells to construct walls and reinforce the flimsy structures scattered across the island.
Despite not communicating loudly, they moved in perfect unison, as if they were a single entity.
Rumble.
As the sun set and dawn slowly approached, the bright sun rose once more.
Large warships and magical mechanical soldiers began to emerge from the fissure. Among the warships, one particularly enormous vessel resembled a flying aircraft carrier, its deck encased in steel, giving it a formidable durability.
In contrast, the smaller warships were primarily made of wood but were highly maneuverable and could change direction with ease.
The colossal magical mechanical soldiers took on various forms, some resembling giant demons and others taking the shape of animals like rhinoceroses.
Each magical mechanical soldier had a demon riding on its head, and the demons who were busy fortifying the island bowed their heads and did not dare to look up as these figures appeared.
Roar…!
As the demonic warships and magical mechanical soldiers all emerged, and the afternoon passed with the sun setting in the western sky, a powerful vibration shook the sea surface, causing the sky to darken rapidly. Lightning struck incessantly, as if heralding the end of the world.
Roar!
A high-ranking demon with two pairs of wings descended through the giant fissure. Not long after, a massive human figure appeared, tearing through the purple fissure behind the high-ranking demon.
On their arrival, the entire demonic army, which had been busily organizing the island, simultaneously knelt and bent their waists, raising both palms towards the sky in a gesture of utmost reverence.
The massive human figure surveyed the surroundings, his eyes gleaming.
“A grand army of this scale to conquer a mere adjacent realm of the small world? Nakhal, did my true form indeed command such caution?”
“Yes, my lord. You mentioned spotting a 6-star spiritual being somewhere in this adjacent realm. According to the investigations by the Bone Wind Demons, this place called ‘Earth’ has five awakened beings and over a hundred 5-star spiritual beings.”
“Oh, how rich in spiritual energy for just an adjacent realm. This harvest might finally allow my true form to forge the Heaven and Earth Axe, which it has longed to create.”
“If that happens, Lord Uma’s might will surpass the Seven Great Demon Kings, earning the exclusive favor of the Demon God. Moreover, there is another area in this small world that remains untainted by demonic energy. If we gather the spiritual beings from there as well, we can meet the requirements for the Heaven and Earth Axe.”
“Kahahaha! Excellent. Let the harvest begin. Even with the constraints of the barrier, an adjacent realm of the small world cannot possibly withstand the might of our Northern Demon Army.”
“We will proceed immediately.”
The demon with two pairs of wings bowed to the massive human figure. Soon, a thunderous, ferocious voice echoed across the entire island, and the demonic army let out a bizarre roar, displaying their frenzied determination.
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The blue-eyed young man, Isaac, who had formed a bond with the white dragon, continued his training for another week. Unfortunately, he did not find the breakthrough he sought.
The time for training was overwhelmingly insufficient, and he had not experienced enough life-threatening battles to overcome such a limit.
Nevertheless, he persisted in his training. The act of training itself had a stress-relieving effect, making the intense regimen bearable.
For fifteen days, he reflected on himself, gradually realizing who his true ‘self’ was.
At some point, his consciousness began to merge with nature, almost causing him to forget who he was, and he pondered the noble spirit of sacrifice among heroes.
“Ugh…!”
As Isaac continued his training, he suddenly frowned. Within seconds, his complexion turned ashen, like that of a gravely ill patient.
In the midst of his profound meditation, he had fallen into a heart demon.
Screech!
Aaaah!
People caught in the bizarre phenomenon were perishing. Though it was merely an illusion infiltrating their chaotic minds, it felt as real as reality itself.
Screech!
Heroes and civilians were being torn apart. Their shredded bodies were further fragmented and disintegrated, ultimately leaving no trace behind.
“Survive, my friends, for the future generations!”
Amid the atrocious phenomenon, an old man, bleeding profusely, continuously regenerated the disintegrating space-time, holding it together.
In response, a white-haired swordsman raised his weapon, while a red-haired youth sacrificed himself, burning his body into white flames.
“Keep your heart hot and your head cool! This is the heroic end I wished for! Humanity still needs you!”
Whoosh!
The noble flames burned away even the oppressive weight crushing the people, creating a glimmer of hope in the corner of the grotesque phenomenon.
Buzz—
Fwoosh!
The old man, now deeply wrinkled, coughed up blood but smiled brightly. The red-haired youth, his entire body ablaze, used himself as fuel to open a path of light.
“I will never forget! Your will shall forever shine in my heart!”
What saved Isaac from the heart demon was the cry of the white-haired swordsman embedded in his memory.
The white-haired swordsman who survived thanks to his comrades’ sacrifices was none other than the Hero Sword Emperor.
The old man who ceaselessly regenerated his comrades was God Hand, and the red-haired youth who burned himself to open the path was Flame Emperor.
Rumble.
Grasping the faint light, Isaac escaped the heart demon in an instant and quickly gathered his rampaging spiritual power.
“Phew.”
It was the burden he had been suppressing in his heart.
According to the story of Clan of Heroes, half of South Korea’s S-class heroes would die, and the other half would become vegetative. It was an already determined fact and an unavoidable fate.
However, the Akashic Records containing the final moments of God Hand and Flame Emperor left an indelible scar on his heart. The guilt of possibly being able to save them was something Isaac had forcibly ignored.
Whoosh.
As he barely managed to expel the heart demon and regain his composure, he sensed Ifrit flying above him.
Ifrit observed Isaac’s complexion carefully and sighed deeply.
“This is serious. Such a heart demon will grow into a greater trial when you attempt to break through your limits, and it must be overcome early.”
“…You’re right.”
“But Master, it seems you are more pure-hearted than you appear. Falling into a heart demon because of a comrade’s death…”
Ifrit found it difficult to fully understand the human named Isaac.
Even though he borrowed power from the mysterious entity known as the ‘System,’ his actions and personality resembled that of a retired veteran.
He must have pushed himself to the brink of losing his humanity, worn down by countless battles, and in the process, lost many who could be called ‘comrades.’
‘Was that not the case?’
Yet, what drove his master into a heart demon was the death of God Hand and Flame Emperor. This indicated that he was not accustomed to the death of comrades.
Ifrit often felt a sense of incongruity from his master, Isaac, but he had yet to pinpoint the cause.
“Even I find it surprising.”
“If you have any personal troubles, you can always confide in me. Psychological counseling is an excellent means of overcoming a heart demon.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Isaac stood up and looked down at the lush mountains, trying to calm his turbulent mind.
Death was indeed a frightening thing.
Not just his own death, but the deaths of the children, fellow heroes, and even ordinary citizens were trials too difficult for a former office worker who simply excelled at and enjoyed games to endure.
What good was it to faintly understand the laws of heaven and earth through the Heart Sutra and the Celestial Eye Flame Sutra? His mental state had barely surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Even most C-class heroes would likely be braver than this.
As he tried to regulate his breathing and clear his complicated thoughts, something happened.
“—First Officer, an urgent communication has arrived from Earth. They are requesting your immediate return.”
Noah, who managed communications across the small world, delivered the urgent news.
A message that couldn’t be directly transmitted through Earth’s magitech was relayed via Noah. Something significant must have happened on his home planet.
“Move to Earth immediately.”
Isaac was instantly enveloped in a bright light.
Flash!
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Swoosh—
The dawn sky burned red.
Beyond the horizon of the East Sea, darkness encroached.
Dozens of ships cut through the rough waves, and eerie bird-like monsters and eight aerial warships loomed ominously above the sea.
The demonic army, numbering in the millions, covered the sea like dark clouds, and occasionally, the roar of colossal sea monsters echoed through the sky, inducing a profound sense of dread.
The demonic soldiers aboard the ships and warships were clad in black armor and armed with spears and swords, exuding fierce determination.
Behind the demonic forces, an ancient behemoth of immeasurable size was shrouded in mist, revealing its vague form.
The sea waves parted helplessly as they relentlessly advanced towards the land.
As the demonic forces approached, the thunderous storm accompanied by lightning drew closer to the shore.