Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 072

– Thump-thump! –
My heart started pounding as if it would explode. Unless it’s an attack swift enough to respond to in an instant, it’s likely I’ll evade it all through my agility.
If I throw the Thunder Sword here or swing the sword slowly, the opponent might escape unharmed.
‘I wonder how the judgment will be if it misses.’
Perhaps I can only use Final Finish as an ‘attack action’ once. Even if the attack misses, if a fly or mosquito somewhere gets caught and dies, it seems like a judgment will appear showing that the Leader skill is used. So, I have to determine the outcome with just one blow.
‘Direct strike is the only way to survive.’
– Swish. –
Let’s do it. Failure means death. I’ve practiced hard. Quietly, step by step, until blisters formed on my soles. Please, just this once.
– Squish-squish – whoosh! –
I was nothing more than an ant in front of the giant of water. Eventually, when the Aqua Shaper raised both hands and swung down powerfully.
“Sweep them away and shatter! Aqua Titan Smash!”
– Whoosh! –
The giant of water became a calamity of floods and attacked me.
– Beep-beep-beep. –
As the ringing intensified, the speed of the flood slowed down gradually. Enduring the headache that felt like a spear piercing my brain, I stepped forward with my left foot.
‘I gather my magic into a belt shape around my lower body and step forward as if rolling my foot forcefully.’
Imagine. A miracle that crosses a great distance with just one step.
– Thud. –
My left foot struck the damp ground.
…Nothing happened.
– Kugwagwagwagwa! –
The flood surged.
Death looms.
‘Gunggi!’
I hurriedly commanded Gunggi to stop the flood.
At that moment.
– Woong. –
A strange sensation flowed through my chest.
‘This feeling!’
It’s like I vaguely grasped how to use magic. My brain, with its sharp learning ability, hastily grasped the sensation as if controlling an irritating parasite.
– Beep-beep-beep –
– Swoosh. –
In the world where the flow of time slowed down infinitely because of the intensified ringing and headache, I stepped forward with my left foot again.
– Thud! –
“Gack.”
My body shot out uncontrollably fast. Suddenly, I saw the Aqua Shaper trying to retreat in front of me. I reached out my right hand and grabbed its head.
– Slurp. –
‘Enough!’
– Bang- Whoaaa! –
As soon as my steps stopped, wind blew from behind. His head slowly melted into liquid. I gripped its forehead tightly.
[Harvesting Fist – Watermelon Smash]
– Crunch! –
– Gugugugugugu! –
As I clenched my fist, the spot where the Aqua Shaper’s melting head had been disappeared, and black light seeped out, forming a round sphere that sucked in everything around it.
– Uuuuuung. –
Just after, as the whirlpool-like phenomenon that was being sucked inward stopped, a powerful shockwave burst out as if the space itself was exploding.
————-!
The downpour is pushed away in a semicircle. Slowly, time regains its speed. Moments later, just when I thought the ringing in my ears would end…
-…Shoaaaa. –
Rain fell again, dripping down my body.
[VICTORY!]
[Defeated the villain ‘Aqua Shaper’.]
[Gained 1,500 points for defeating a formidable foe.]
Did I succeed? I can’t even think straight.
– Kurrrrung. –
Thunder roared in the distance. Suddenly, the mysterious power that had filled my body vanished without a trace.
‘It’s not over yet.’
Struggling, I held onto my crumbling legs with sheer willpower.
[Wow!Wow!Wow!]
[Isaac! Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!]
[Wow.]
[Wow.]
[Wow!!!!!!!!!!!]
Glancing at the chat window, it was flooded with ’Wow’. Although it was a long message, it scrolled up too quickly to see the contents.
‘It seems like it’s over there too.’
I checked the members’ channel, but there were no clay monsters, only dirt clods scattered around. It seemed that the Aqua Shaper’s death signaled the end of the command.
The urgent matters were over. All that was left was the sweet time of reward.
‘It’s convenient to just take what’s given.’
On the ground where the Aqua Shaper stood, there were a necklace with a cross pendant and a gemstone with a dragon pattern. Although its body vanished, the system left behind these two items as if extracting them.
‘This must be a magic space.’
The necklace with the cross pendant was a magic space containing all the items obtained by the Aqua Shaper. Using a magic infusion device to open the necklace, inside were various grades of magic stones and a heap of different types of loot.
‘I finally got it.’
Above all, what pleased me the most was the fact that the unique magic stone of the ancient monster, the starfish, was also in the magic space. It felt like I had everything in the world.
After risking my life and doing this crazy stunt again, this level of reward seems appropriate.
[Stress has reached its limit.]
[Rest is recommended.]
‘My body feels really weird.’
The joy of acquisition momentarily suppressed the headache that felt like my head would explode, but the headache was so severe that it made me feel nauseous. I should stretch out on the bed quickly, but before I get caught by association officials or journalists…
– Huwoong. –
– Shoaaaaa! –
It was right at that moment when a bright light flashed in the sky. The light stretched horizontally, splitting the sky as if opening up a new space and dispersing the clouds.
‘What’s that?’
Then, the raindrops that were joyfully pouring down from the clouds in all directions stopped, and thick beams of light descended onto the earth like in any typical fantasy movie scene.
– Flutter, flutter. –
Not long after, a white horse with wings was seen descending from the sky. It seemed to be the Heavenly Horse, famous as the steed of the S-class hero, Sword Emperor.
‘Is this déjà vu?’
A sense of déjà vu washed over me. It felt like there had been a similar incident before, where a disaster was resolved, and then a bothersome superior appeared afterwards. Meeting the great hero again like this felt familiar.
– Flutter, flutter! –
As the Heavenly Horse approached the sky, it suddenly disappeared, and a middle-aged man with long white hair descended to the ground. He scanned the surroundings expressionlessly before finally speaking.
“Well done, Director Isaac. It’s nice to meet you for the first time like this.”
“…..Yes.”
It felt like my rationality was deteriorating in real-time. It was an honor to meet him, but my condition was not up to par. I hoped he wouldn’t cling to me too much. Trying not to speak informally was stressful in itself.
“It seems Director Isaac has completely purified the long-standing disaster. I seem to have chosen the wrong time to make my appearance. I look forward to meeting again someday.”
I nodded, doing my best to keep my composure.
Maintaining my rationality was difficult, and I couldn’t bring myself to speak as nausea rose within me.
With a smirk, Sword Emperor Baek Mu-seong soared into the sky, emitting clouds of mist, and disappeared beyond the horizon in an instant. He had an Oriental aura about him that was truly unique.
‘To awaken in the first phase at this time…’
The level of Sword Emperor, the strongest in Season 1, was filled to the brim at 100. While God Hand remains at 5-star, achieving awakening, even if DRR’s senior executives swarm in, they won’t stand a chance against him.
– Zing. –
Just in case, I quickly checked a few live channels of heroes within a radius of a few kilometers.
‘It seems like everything’s been resolved.’
The heroes were all staring blankly. There were no clay monsters around, only dense clumps of dirt on the ground.
Having assessed the situation, I suppressed my voice and spoke.
“18 October XX, 4:18 PM, situation concluded.”
====
***
====
– Chirp chirp- chirp. –
Dim sunlight illuminated the city. The heavy darkness disappeared, and the raindrops left by the downpour lingered moistly on the streets. The Han River still bore the remnants of the heavy rain. Swollen currents surged vigorously, and at every intersection, rainwater accumulated, as cars traversed through the water streams in the early morning.
‘I should go to work.’
The scenery outside the balcony indicated so. I really wanted to take one more day off, but my situation didn’t allow it.
– Swish. –
[61 missed calls]
Traces of contacts from known external sources were clearly visible on my smartphone.
[Team Leader, Public Relations Team Leader, Finance Team Leader, HR… 7]
[Approved. Please confirm.]
[9:37 AM / 999+]
The team leaders’ group chat had turned into an online conference room. I couldn’t understand why there were so many messages piled up. Were they discussing trivial matters related to work on the group chat?
Usually, they wouldn’t discuss such things in a group chat without the CEO. Perhaps the psychological desire to show off their hard work played a significant role.
‘I can’t possibly read all of this.’
I continued to read through the individual messages from the team leaders. It was the usual workload. Apart from the skyrocketing number of advertisement offers, broadcasting appearances, mission requests, and event invitations, everything else was filtered out.
‘This is slightly overwhelming.’
Among the remaining messages were all from major corporations. The team leaders couldn’t have ignored the suggestions of these dinosaurs.
It wasn’t a good sign. As soon as I became an S-class hero, the declaration of ‘not engaging in hero activities; seemed meaningless. The nation witnessed the dramatic purification of the worst villain, who had just managed to rise again.
‘In the end, it exceeded 8 million.’
Considering the smartphone viewership numbers and the elderly who might have watched on large TVs or screens in underground shelters or evacuation centers, this number was arguably the maximum in the country.
It’s likely that the national pride in Isaac has surged like a tidal wave, regardless of age.
‘It’s best to lower expectations and shift attention to the clan level.’
I had a feeling that there would be several troublesome issues arising. People’s attention doesn’t always have a positive effect.
– Tick. Titi-titidek. –
I diligently messaged the PR team leader. Confirming public sentiment before launching a public relations campaign was basic.
‘Please forgive me.’
– Swish, swish. –
“Krrrr, kruo.”
As the manifested Gunggi rushed towards me and patted my thigh, it seemed like he had been feeling stifled from staying indoors all day. He must have sensed my intention to go out and was trying to stop me.
“I’m going out anyway.”
I affectionately stroked Gunggi and grabbed my long coat. The weather was getting colder.
====
***
====
Passing through the dull commute, I had to meet with the employees and affiliated heroes who were standing in line, preparing to face the defensive line created by the journalists.
I extended my hand to greet them, and after finally persuading Secretary Hwang, who was sitting comfortably with a toy, to rise and join us, I was able to reach the quiet director’s office.
“Phew.”
After enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee, I began reviewing the materials sent by the PR team leader.
As expected, under the prevailing trend of ‘Isaac, the S-class hero who quelled the worst disaster!’ various chaotic currents were flowing. If I had known this, I should have earnestly answered the journalist’s questions earlier.
‘I should have been more humble.’
Q: You defeated Aquashaper alone. How strong was the villain?
I had received many such trivial questions from the mic-wielding individuals. Perhaps I should conduct another interview and modestly mention how I merely took a spoonful from the feast prepared by Flame Emperor and Electric Guy. That way, my actions wouldn’t be overshadowed, and various other controversies wouldn’t arise.
‘In reality, sports stars often face such treatment.’
It’s a pattern where a revered legend suddenly becomes a pariah when they experience a slump. It’s the same here.
In the anonymous world of online anonymity, there’s no special treatment just because you’re an S-class hero. Perhaps it’s because the Hero Association guarantees freedom of expression.
[Bolt Man finally got exposed. LOL. I never understood why this guy is S-class.]
[It seems like the blind fans of Flame Emperor and Electric Guy are suffering from a blow to their egos. Even though both S-class heroes couldn’t handle the villain, Isaac defeated him with a single blow…? This might cause some controversy.]
[To be fair, they’re both respected heroes. But let’s admit it. Both of them belong to the lower tier of S-class.]
These were some aggressive comments attached to high-view YouTube videos. The traces of the fierce battle between the fans of both heroes in the replies were vividly visible.
It’s not something to say to heroes who risk their lives, but it seems like there are always people like this everywhere. The majority of them probably feel a kind of thrill when they criticize a star who was fervently cheered on.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter to Electric Guy anyway.’
With his handsome rogue appearance and a personality to match, Electric Guy was a controversial hero from the start. His image was further tarnished by the recent incident at the Sinabro Club.
On the other hand, Flame Emperor had an image of being passionate and just, making him naturally the hero with the largest fan base among S-class heroes.
‘Supporting a hero who was already injured would be difficult. It’s hard to ignore the criticisms.’
The fans must have been shocked by this extraordinary disaster. He almost sacrificed himself and could have been fatally wounded. The Association Chairman seems to have done a good job of helping him recover. Still, it must have been a blow to the pride of Flame Emperor, the world-renowned S-class hero, to have lost to the villain.
‘It’s making a fuss.’
Even now, in some obscure corners of the community, self-proclaimed fans of Isaac are probably stirring up a discussion, mentioning Flame Emperor and Electric Guy, saying something like, ‘Isn’t it just natural for Isaac to win against them 2:1?’.
People of all ages and genders, without exception, constantly admire Flame Emperor. Their robust and extensive fandom might end up causing resentment within the Harmony Clan.
– Knock-knock. –
“Come in.”
Secretary Hwang came in carrying piles of approval documents.
“Director! There’s something the association wants to discuss closely. They want to send someone over. What should we do?”
It must be something to discuss. Perhaps it’s about the ‘Dragon’s Fury’ that can control the ancient tomb. Since it’s something I claim ownership of, they seem willing to send someone over rather than insisting on their own rights.
“Tell them to come.”
“Yes. I’ll relay that. Hwut!”
– Thump. –
A stack of approval documents was placed on the table. Mission requests, entertainment filming costs, new employee orientation… This one seems to be related to merchandise production. After being absent for a week, there’s quite a backlog.
“Let’s quickly go through these.”
Even with ten bodies, it would still be insufficient.