Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 074

After a brief meditation to clear my mind, I took out the unique magic stone ‘Tempering’ from my inventory.
School violence
Having resolved the piled-up tasks, I finally could experiment with the power of the new combat skill I would acquire.
[Unique Magic Stone – Tempering]
▶Category: Magic Stone, Unique Magic Stone
▶Grade: Unique
▶Description: A magic stone imbued with the power of a sovereign, it looks like it can be absorbed.
▶Effect: Tempers the body to make it harden.
“So, this is a magic stone.”
It looks like a rough lump of metal. It seems a bit rusty too.
“Hmm…”
Taking a deep breath, I brought the unique magic stone to my chest. The magic stone was sucked in smoothly and became one with my body.
[Absorbed the unique magic stone ‘Tempering’.]
It feels like the blood vessels throughout my body are pulsating. Aside from slight discomfort, there was no unpleasant sensation at all.
[An unknown power surges.]
[Acquired combat skill ‘Tempering’!]
“Huh?”
For a moment, I felt my body swelling. Is something like a basic passive effect coming even without using the skill? Let’s see.
– Thud, thud. –
‘Feels like something has hardened.’
After tapping my chest, arms, and thighs, I subtly noticed an improvement in muscle elasticity. Of course, the effect seems marginal, maybe just a slight improvement in firmness.
“Now, it’s time for pain.”
– Zzzing. –
A massive figure is printed in the air.
Sharp fangs sprouted over the monster blue skin, and beady eyes blinked. That grotesque face, after seeing it so much, is starting to grow on me.
“Come at me, troll.”
[Ferocity Trait]
[Lethal Force Trait]
……
…
[Mode application completed.]
[Commencing battle.]
First, I’ll take a hit from this brute.
“Growl!”
– Thud! –
“Oof.”
It still hurts. But then, another swing of the wooden club comes flying.
– Thwack! –
[Life gauge depleted completely.]
[Ending battle.]
“Phew.”
With ferocity and lethal force added, I managed to withstand two blows. Seems like my toughness has increased by about three times. Even after being hit by that huge club, my body didn’t even stagger. I did step back about ten paces, though.
‘I’ll save the leader skill for last.’
Next, I tried several different stances for Harvesting Fist. With two new combat skills, there might also be the growth of previously nonexistent magic circuits.
– Thud. Crack… Thud, thud. –
Only the cursed ground kept getting hit. It feels like a few days ago, I stepped on my left foot with this sensation. How can I move even a short distance?
– Thud, thud. –
‘Not working.’
The Field Treading failed to activate. No matter how much I tried to recall that sensation, like a single parasite passing through my blood vessels like a red blood cell, it just wouldn’t work.
– Swoosh, swoosh, swish. –
I didn’t give up and consecutively clenched and unclenched my palm in the air. It was the ‘Harvesting Fist – Watermelon Smash’ that purified the Aqua Shaper.
– Swish. –
Tight squeeze.
“Phew.”
It keeps not working. There still seemed to be no magic circuits in my body.
‘Too bad.’
Despite my body feeling firmer, I thought something would have appeared in my blood vessels or nervous system. Yet, activating the Harvesting Fist without the finishing skill was still impossible.
…That aside.
– Roll, roll… Roll. –
“Creak. Crank.”
Is it mocking me now?
While the master is earnestly training, the summoned creature is rolling around so carefree?
“Come here.”
– Slosh, slosh, squishy squishy. –
For a moment, I alleviated my disappointment with some communication with Gunggi. Is it just me, or does it seem like it gained some weight?
“Drrrrr Drrrrr”
Gunggi seems to be in a good mood, as even the sound of the eight-cylinder engine can be heard after a long time. A brief change of mood dispelled the frustration.
‘I’ll figure something out as I customize one piece of equipment after another.’
Didn’t I also commission a craftsman from China? Must have cost a fortune. It’s worth considering directly purchasing a high-end hero suit or weaponry with effective options.
“Things will be different from now on.”
– Zzing. –
The hologram troll was printed again as soon as the intense training began, wielding its thick club.
‘Just imagining it should trigger activation on its own.’
[Used Final Finish.]
[The next attack is enhanced with the power of a ‘Finishing Blow’.]
Similar to when dealing with Spectral arts, I concentrated my mind and imagined my body becoming as strong as steel.
– Thunk. –
– Thud! –
It didn’t hurt at all. In fact, the troll missed its club due to the increased resilience.
‘This feels different’
When dealing with Gunggi, there was a sensation of something tickling from inside the chest outward, whereas tempering felt like it was spreading out smoothly.
– Kwaang! –
– Boom! –
The hologram troll repeatedly struck my hardened body. The movements were dynamic, but it only felt like playful tapping.
‘Incredible.’
Is this a dream or reality?
Even though a monster at least 50 times my size is swinging a wooden club, I don’t feel any pain.
‘No time to be amazed.’
With a joyful heart, I hastily brushed aside, and the next turn was Gunggi.
“Roaaar!”
I commanded Gunggi, which had become a giant tiger in no time, to attack me with an appropriate intensity.
“Wait! No, no. I’m ready. Come on.”
I couldn’t help but be afraid. Let’s close our eyes tightly and endure it. Knowing the limits of the Tempering’s defense would come in handy, wouldn’t it?
Gunggi hesitated for a moment before swiftly swinging its foreleg.
– Thud! –
‘Oof!’
It was a touching moment. Once again, it only felt like being lightly touched. My confidence soared.
Gunggi boasts the specs of a mid-to-late level 80. Even if it seemed like a weak swing, the power would have been enough to knock out a monster in their 50s with a single blow. And I withstood such an attack with my bare body.
“Stronger.”
– Splat! –
– Thunk thunk. –
Gunggi’s foreleg slashed diagonally across my body. It was much faster than before. There was a sound like chunks of metal colliding.
‘What’s with the stability!’
Unfortunately, I just staggered back a bit, feeling no significant pain. Gunggi looked puzzled as it observed its own foreleg.
Surprised, aren’t you? I am too.
“This can’t be its full power, right?”
“Roar.”
“Then try attacking with about 80% of your power.”
Gunggi nodded hesitantly. Suddenly, its eyes flashed red, and it began to emit a crimson aura. It was a sight I hadn’t seen before.
‘It seems like it’s showing off its strength.’
Visually and somehow, it felt more vicious.
“Has it grown by devouring spirits?”
Gunggi nodded in agreement. If I were hit by it in that state, it feels like even the tempered skin would crack. But I still need to know the limits of my defense.
“So, try attacking within a reasonable range of what seems acceptable.”
Gunggi nodded. Immediately after, its expression turned fierce, and a long residual image tearing through space swept past me.
– Whoooooosh. –
– Shaaa! –
The loud ripping sound almost deafened me. This one hurt a bit. Of course, the pain was only enough to be noticeable, not threatening to my life. As I groped my chest and abdomen to inspect the wounds, the shallow cuts had already healed, and my skin had become firm again.
‘Does it come with inherent regeneration ability?’
It seemed that there was a moderate amount of regeneration ability being exerted. When activating the Final Finish, the basic abilities such as S-class hero-level magic, physical abilities, and regeneration seemed to be inherently exerted. The problem seems to be my lack of skill in handling my enhanced body.
Hmmmmmm…
After 1 minute and 13 seconds, the Final Finish was released, and the battle gauge decreased by 50%.
‘Incredible, isn’t it?’
The newly acquired combat skill, ‘Tempering’, seemed to easily block powerful attacks from monsters around level 80.
With this, the fear of being easily killed by minor attacks was completely overcome in the ‘Final Finish’ state.
“In the end, it worked out well.”
The week of hardship was worth it. I finally obtained a powerful defense mechanism. A proud sense of achievement filled my chest.
– Zzing. –
Before leaving the training room, I printed a slightly larger bear monster than myself. After some training, Isaac’s physical abilities were superior to those of most athletes.
‘Why did I only think of this method now?’
Moreover, with the acquisition of Tempering, my resilience would be slightly stronger even in everyday situations, so I might be able to hold my own against a bear.
– Grrraaaw! –
– Thud, thunk! –
I continued the struggle with the gray bear, stepping up my efforts. Although I kept losing due to the difference in physical abilities, this was just a trick to quickly fill up the ‘battle gauge.’
After vigorously consuming recovery potions and exchanging blows using the unyielding Harvesting Fist for an hour, the battle gauge, which had been torn to pieces, was now back to 100%.
‘Then I can relax now.’
Today, it seems I can take Gunggi for a walk on my way home.
====
***
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In the dim darkness, beneath a circular ceiling, a towering statue with giant horns looked down upon a sinister cathedral.
Red candles illuminated a floor made of jade, and beneath the ominous demon statue, a crucifix submerged in blood-like red liquid.
– Swoosh. –
Someone draped in a long cloak washed their face with the inexplicable red liquid in horror. Then, raising both hands in a gesture of respect towards the demon statue, they murmured something eerie while folding their elbows inward.
“Bishop, you’ve come a long way.”
An old man, who appeared out of nowhere, with a hunched back, addressed the mysterious figure who had finished the eerie ritual. The figure wiped the moisture off their face, then turned around and removed the cloak.
Inside was a silver-haired youth with crimson eyes.
“It’s been a while, Doctor. Have you made up your mind?”
“Haha, yes indeed. The items are in good condition. Thank you for bringing them alive.”
“It was not easy to find a couple of living heroes, but a 3-star essence is as valuable a treasure for beings like us as a high-grade magic stone. Why did you need a living hero couple for your experiment, Doctor?”
“Since you have helped me in this matter, I will answer without reservation. A while ago, the Exploration Bureau provided me with the recipe for an elixir using the essence of a ‘Dark Hero’ as the main ingredient. They say that by consuming the elixir, one can definitively enhance special mutations. Whether this effect is real or not can only be known after it is completed.”
“Enhancement of special mutations…! If that’s true, it’s even better than the ‘Origin of Corruption’ bestowed upon the priests. Is it finally possible for bishops like us to have an elixir that works? “
“I cannot be sure. The problem is that the number of Dark Heroes is too small, and even if they are found, they are too powerful for bishops to face lightly. That’s why we needed heroes who love each other. If one robs or tortures the other in front of them, it may lead to the loss of reason and the occurrence of ‘corruption’. Of course, there is a high probability of losing oneself and becoming a monster or even a villain like us. But if a hero with a 3-star essence has strong mental strength, we hope their ego will not collapse.”
“So that’s why. I wish your experiment success, Doctor. Then, let’s go right ahead.”
“I’ll follow.”
The silver-haired youth smiled faintly, then left the cathedral with the old man and walked through a long corridor. Outside the windows stood Gothic-style towers reminiscent of Western university buildings.
Except for occasional devil statues that occupied one side of the corridor or gruesome framed pictures of people being slaughtered, the place seemed unsuitable as a stronghold for villains. However, judging by the vast scale of the cathedral and towers beyond the windows of the long corridor, it appeared to be the headquarters of the largest villain alliance in the world, the Black Salvation Coalition.
– Tap, tap. –
The silver-haired youth passed through the winding corridor and arrived at a room adorned with intricate patterns of iron decorations. The men in red cloaks guarding the entrance recognized the silver-haired youth and bowed their heads before stepping aside.
The fact that the silver-haired youth wore a black cloak while the men wore red cloaks seemed to indicate that the color of the cloak represented a kind of rank or status symbol.
Inside the room, a handsome man with long blond hair lay still with his eyes closed. The silver-haired youth gently caressed the face of the blond man. The sorrowful sadness in his eyes hinted at a very special relationship between the two.
“Marius, my beloved brother. Just hold on a little longer. I’ll wake you up soon.”
The expression of the silver-haired youth alternated between bitter sadness and fiery anger for a moment.
“Doctor, let’s begin the ritual. I trust you have brought the ‘Dew of Rahenawel’ to restore the shattered mental barrier.”
“Of course. How could an old man like me dare to play tricks in a deal with the bishop? Let’s start the ritual right away.”
The opulent room, adorned with various antique furniture, was filled with dense negative energy, and intricate magical circles continuously appeared and disappeared on the floor.