Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 059

Hero’s Day

A traditional Hanok filled with traditional charm. On both sides of the maze-like hallway, there were tiled pavilions, and to the right of the pavilion, a crimson sunset unfolded.

Beyond patterns imprinted with retro sensibility, on the uneven wooden floor, rustic tables were arranged, adorned with banquets like abalone slices, fresh fish, pollock soup, and grilled scallops.

– Yum yum. gulp –

While the atmosphere and menu were rich, the man sitting at the dining table was gruffly filling his empty stomach. His vacant eyes seemed to only see traditional Korean food touched by the artisan’s hands as essential nutrients for survival, and at times, he appeared as lonely as an exile who had lost the joys and sorrows of the world.

The identity of the gruff man was Hero Isaac. And the man who sat across from him, the S-rank hero Flame Emperor, had to carefully observe Isaac’s mood. After all, he had to improve his relationship with him as the representative of the committee.

‘It’s awkward.’

Having consistently adhered to the position of recruiting without disturbing Isaac’s nerves, Flame Emperor had no other hero to communicate with him.

The plan to assess Isaac’s talents through the provocation of the quirky Electric Guy had partially succeeded, but it almost led to a trouble between him and the Hero Association, resulting in this situation.

‘Despite his refusal, what’s with the induction ceremony?’

Isaac was a thorough rationalist with a firm self-opinion. One had to be careful when he repeatedly refused. But ignoring that, they induced the manifestation of his talent, almost causing a catastrophe.

‘He didn’t express it, but it must have been okay.’

Would it be easy for an absolute person, who roamed through hardships, to adapt to procedures and systems? Moreover, the man in front of him showed the strength to compete with S-rank heroes alone. Not as powerful as Senior Sword Emperor, but Isaac was also an existence beyond the standard.

‘It was extraordinary.’

Without any preliminary movements, just raising his hand in weapon demonstrated that level of magical power. Flame Emperor couldn’t be sure if he could withstand Isaac full force with all his miht.

“I’ve been rude at the committee. Electric Guy is just someone with a very unrestrained personality.”

“It’s okay.”

Even though he said that, his true feelings couldn’t be discerned. Isaac remained expressionless and consistently showed no emotions.

‘But still, to be so rational.’

Flame Emperor recognized it from their first meeting. Having slaughtered numerous villains and monsters, in return for constantly growing stronger, his mental barrier would have been soaked in blood, becoming a fortress of iron will. Emotions as a human would have soon faded, not even allowing him the pleasure of savoring delicious food.

In metaphor, a blade tempered to the extreme. Or the ultimate weapon. Whatever it was, the body and mind must be tailored to the annihilation of enemies and extreme adaptation to one’s survival. The process could properly be called ‘evolution.’

‘He showed us respect.’

The man didn’t punish Electric Guy, who was about to launch a preemptive strike. He merely raised his hand to his sword, not fully drawing it out to the end.

And as if boasting, he willingly manifested his talent, even though enduring the terrifying aura that had been accumulated over many years was an ordeal.

‘Only someone who has relentlessly slaughtered enemies with full force anytime, anywhere, could harbor such an aura. Adjusting or distributing minimal power would have been a luxury.’

The more logically one speculated, the more chills ran down the spine. This man, who suppressed the instinctual will to counterattack that would have surely surfaced, must have displayed an extraordinary level of superhuman patience.

It was unfathomable that he could achieve such a feat even after losing his humanity. The inexhaustible control over violence and the astonishing composure in the face of slaughter. This man had surpassed something.

‘It’s unbearable.’

Blood boiled after a long time.

Flame Emperor, too, was a passionate warrior comparable to Electric Guy. Even though he knew this wasn’t the right time for such a request.

“Perhaps, if possible, could you spar with me someday?”

Flame Emperor asked.

For the first time since Hero ‘Sword Emperor’, he felt as if he faced a colossal wall. As a warrior who pursued strength, he wanted to clash with all his might.

But.

“No, it’s dangerous.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, hero Isaac rejected. It was an honest response devoid of any emotions. It wasn’t intended as provocation or an attitude of disregard.

He must have genuinely judged that a confrontation with him would be dangerous. After all, it might lead to the loss of the opponent’s life.

“… Is that so? Are you saying I can’t even withstand your strike?”

This was Isaac’s objective opinion, devoid of emotions.

‘But.’

He couldn’t admit it. As the pillar that had protected this country for over a decade, having achieved the impossible defection many times, even if the evaluation was devoid of emotions, isaac’s judgment was never wrong.

“I don’t mean that.”

“You will change your mind soon. You will soon realize that we are also strong. I’ll make this request again when that time comes.”

Flame Emperor suppressed his excitement. The dinner wasn’t the right time for such a rude request. Continuing the meal in silence for a moment, Flame Emperor recalled his role as a communication personnel.

“On Hero’s Day, there is actually another secret annual event.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll explain briefly. Beneath the Memorial Hall, there exists a massive Rift that has been present since ancient times. Normally, no one can enter due to a sealing spell, but every Hero’s Day, each of the six clans forms a squad and enters the ancient Rift. It’s filled with various rare materials and treasures.”

“Is that so.”

As always, isaac showed little reaction. But Flame Emperor was confident that Isaac’s interest would soon be piqued.

“I mentioned this story because, now that you have officially become an S-rank, we want to provide you with corresponding treatment. We want to grant you the right to assemble a squad and enter the underground Rift even within the Harmony Clan. Are you interested?”

Isaac subtly nodded his head, showing some interest. The legendary ancient Rift seemed to tug at his curiosity.

“The ancient Rift is estimated to have existed for 4,000 years. It’s a place where no one knows which monster caused its emergence, and why it can’t be purified. It’s such a mysterious place that it forms various rare types of monsters and ecosystems. If you express your intention to participate, I will send you detailed information separately.”

“I’ll think about it.”

If Isaac’s reaction was that positive, it was a very good sign. For the first time in his vacant eyes, even if just for a moment, a faint spark of vitality seemed to flicker.

– Zap! –

Flame Emperor’s face turned fierce for a moment.

“Where!”

– Fwoosh! – Boom! –

The flames extending from Flame Emperor’s fingertips burst in a corner of the restaurant. As the smoke cleared, there lay a slightly larger-than-a-cat-sized dead creature, charred to a crisp. It was a small monster called Kreets, known for its well-developed stealth abilities, often used by villains for information reconnaissance.

“Kreets! Daring to hide. Sir Isaac, I apologize. It seems a rat sneaked in. I need to catch them. I’ll leave now.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Please go in and check.”

– Fwooosh.

–

Flame Emperor turned into flames and disappeared. He followed the faint traces of negative energy like an arrow. As Flame Emperor vanished like the wind, the face of Isaac, left alone, relaxed considerably.

====

***

====

The underground ancient Rift of the Memorial Hall. Unusually, it followed a normal storyline. My memories were vague, but it seemed like I entered the ancient Rift, intending to farm, and ended up having a boss battle deep underground.

Well, it seemed like the story was somewhat complicated, but I skipped it all, so I can’t remember the details.

‘Nevertheless.’

Above all, I vividly remembered that I could obtain unique magic stones. Even if I ignored other additional income opportunities, it was worth entering just for that one thing.

The unique magic stones not only drove heroes, villains, and monsters crazy but also shone even brighter when I used them. Starting with Spectral Arts, it was something else entirely when a magic became a skill. Even if I was a novice in magic control, once I became skilled it, the game changed. How good could I have been as a summoner, having learned Spectral Arts as a skill?

‘Information gathering is a priority.’

While the Clan of Heroes region was a relatively safe passage, the ancient Rift had a dangerous vibe from the beginning. Why the heck does a Rift have a history of 4,000 years? Going deep inside, who knows what might come out. Knowing what kind of monsters are inside, the terrain basics, obtaining the squad list of the six clans participating that day, assuming various variables, and organizing corresponding countermeasures, I should prepare for all that.

‘Is it time to use a hacker?’

The hacker’s location will be provided by the Secret Agency CEO. Most information could be easily obtained through a hacker. After all, even during Season 1, weren’t villains the main enemies? They all use the internet.

– Beep. –

It was a moment when I was trying to relax after organizing my complicated thoughts. A message notification with the alert sound came. It was another lengthy one.

“You’ve done well.”

[Hwang Man-deuk]

[Respected Leader! I, hwang Man-deuk, have been discharged today. And my grandmother has also been discharged (Hooray)! (΄▽`) After taking the elixir, her weakened nerves completely recovered in just two days. It was a miracle that was possible thanks to you, chief. I will live my life with gratitude, never forgetting it. Loyalty! ∠(‘・΄)]

[And there’s one more piece of good news! I finally reached 2 stars. It seems that the psychological aspect played a significant role. In the future…]

It was a message filled with sincerity. Although it was as longwinded as a flattering letter to a king, my heart was satisfied.

‘Public opinion seems to be settling well for now.’

The passionate hero image seemed to be well-received as Hwang Man-deuk’s popularity votes were soaring day by day. The controversy of ‘Isn’t he a dark hero?’

hadn’t been widely discussed yet, so the immediate crisis seemed to be passing smoothly.

Still, there was a long way to go. Despite achieving relatively impressive results compared to Yeo Jin-soo and Gil-seong, who had relatively stagnant popularity.

‘It can’t stay like this.’

Seo Eun-ha is definitely confirmed to participate, but it is difficult to win because she is a support player. It is important how much the ‘Harmonious Hero Life’ uploaded every week from the end of October will explode. If that doesn’t work, it seems like I have to drag her out to a public broadcast entertainment show even if it’s forced.

– Buzz… buzz.

–

“Why are you doing that?”

“Meow!”

Gunggi had been sticking to my side since earlier pressed its front paw against my shin. It seemed to want to go for a walk. Maybe my anxious and tired feelings weren’t getting through due to its low intelligence.

“It’s dangerous, so you can’t.”

Instead, I threw two lines of chicken breast that I had torn and dried. I gave a pat on Gunngi, who was shamelessly enjoying its snack, and it stretched out on the bed.

Perhaps today’s mental exertion was severe. As soon as I lay down, drowsiness attacked me.

‘What time is it?’

[38 Missed Calls]

As soon as I picked up my smartphone, I was greeted by a flood of missed calls.

“… Let’s deal with it tomorrow.”

It’s the first day being recognized as S-rank hero officially. I’m sure the employees and partner companies are going crazy. As if it wasn’t tough enough, it seems like I’ll be even busier.

‘Let me rest for a bit.’

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, it was already the next morning.