Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 184

Memorial Service (9)

It was a direct hit.

The shockwave made my eyeballs ache.

Dagon, with his octopus-like tentacle beard, was sent flying and crashed into the outer wall of the Rift.

[You’ve dealt massive damage to the monster ‘Blood-Soaked Dagon’.]

[The realm of the Rift is being withdrawn.]

Whoosh―

The master of the Rift had been practically offered as a sacrifice for the summoning circle. Naturally, the dark red spatial barrier that had surrounded several square kilometers dissipated lightly.

‘Is it thanks to the Celestial Canopy?’

The Celestial Canopy protecting the small world hasn’t been lifted yet. Levels above 100 on Earth receive a combat power penalty.

“Lord Dagon! Uh… Huh?”

Morpheus, who had been serving that thug, was dumbfounded. I wanted to beat him to death right away, but unfortunately, my battle gauge was cut down to 25%.

I pointed at the three DRR villains with my chin and said,

“I’ll leave those to you.”

The ability of that artist Specter is quite troublesome. It would also be nice to see the other heroes in action.

Above all, I was reluctant to have my attention divided while dealing with Dagon.

[You find ‘Final Finish’ burdensome.]

[It seems an unprecedented fear is creeping up on you.]

The system, pretending to be objective, speaks to me in the form of ‘messages’.

As if the leader skill being burdensome is something new. I’ve been a coward consistently since day one of my hero activities.

‘This is probably…’

But this is a different kind of fear.

Perhaps the normal ‘Final Finish’ is like a trial version used before the limit-released version.

The unlimited mode is literally infinite. It’s detached from the ‘battle gauge’, which is the resource element of the leader skill, and its power is enough to annihilate even second awakening beings in an instant.

The system has bestowed a kind of ‘authority’ on the individual named Isaac. The side effects, well, needless to say. Every time I use it, I feel like I’m losing ‘myself’.

Boom!

A loud explosion occurred in the direction where Dagon had crashed. Soon after, an octopus-head with an ugly, frowning face came walking out.

Thump!

The heroes sprang into action behind me.

I left a few words of caution over the communication channel.

“The blonde Caucasian turns ‘drawings’ into reality. Be careful. And the villain with the oversized muscles…”

I was worried sick.

Turns out I’m unexpectedly altruistic. To think I’m concerned about my team members getting hurt when facing a level 135 monster. They should know how to handle it themselves.

“Kuhehehehe, Kuhahahahaha! Haa… What a waste. How many liters of blood have I wasted?”

There was a hint in his dialogue.

His ability is blood manipulation. The amount of blood he accumulates is his life force and the source of his power. Not that knowing this helps much.

‘It’s impossible to exploit.’

Even if you know the opponent’s characteristics and weaknesses, it’s meaningless in this situation. His level is 135. In Ethereal terms, that’s between early and mid 7-star.

Even with the Celestial Canopy’s restrictions, with my 5-star peak spiritual power, I’d be lucky to withstand a few normal hits.

One way or another, it means I have to release the limit. For combat, of course.

Even if it doesn’t work, I should try what I can.

I scraped together the background knowledge of a Clan of Heroes ranker and delivered my best bluff.

“Dagon, huh. Are you a subordinate of the Blood Demon King Brakan?”

“…Don’t you dare speak that name so casually.”

“I know another name too. Azhul.”

“…!”

The true name of the Blood Demon King Brakan, Azhulratharos. I only mentioned ‘Azhul’, which symbolizes powerful and dark forces.

This is what you’d call a true name extraction linked quest.

The finale of the Blood Demon King episode is completed by discovering and reciting his true name, greatly weakening the Blood Demon King’s power before the final battle.

I think it appeared somewhere in the middle of season 2. Because his true name was called, he was dealt with at a lower scale compared to his actual ability.

“How did you…! Who are you?”

He was visibly agitated. Looks like the bluff worked well. If I play this right, it could lead to a beautiful conclusion.

“One chosen by the damned heavens.”

“Chosen by the heavens? Aren’t you an ascetic? How dare you criticize the celestial realm…”

I don’t know what I’m saying either. I just blurted out whatever came to mind.

Conscious of the Akashic Live, I transmitted my inner thoughts telepathically.

―Choose. Die here, or help me.

His brow furrowed slightly. Evidence that his mental state is shaken.

Dagon spoke in a threatening tone.

“Stop putting on airs!”

―This scene is being broadcast to humanity right now. If you want to live, don’t blurt it out loud.

“……”

He calmed down again. Seems he’s suppressed his excitement and regained his reason. I would have preferred if he had gotten more enraged.

The eyes of the octopus-headed Dagon flashed.

Whoosh―

Simultaneously, bright red blood clots converged around him. Damn, looks like I failed.

Dagon flicked his tongue, slurp.

“If you were truly an absolute being, you would have unleashed an appropriate aura before wagging your three-inch tongue. Has your realm dropped from late 6-star to 5-star due to the side effects of a magic ritual? Kuhehehehe! You’ve done well trying to mock me.”

“How foolish. Blame your own dullness.”

Shooting a look of utter disdain, I shook my head slowly.

My heart starts pounding violently. A confrontation with an enemy that can’t be handled with Final Finish has always been a series of spine-chilling terrors.

Whoosh!

A stream of blood is shot. At a speed invisible to the eye.

I reflexively opened the one and only path to survival.

[Final Finish – Unlimited Mode has been activated.]

Woooong────!

Zap!

[You feel that the thing you were worried about has arrived.]

My chest feels heavy. My head is ringing. My body and mind are trying to split apart. A cozy sense of superiority wells up, and reason and emotion are endlessly eroded.

Whoosh―

Slap.

The stream of blood touched the fluttering shadow and was absorbed.

[The mental barrier has been severely damaged.]

[You are steeped in boredom.]

Everything in the world becomes trivial. Everything is bothersome. Why do I have to go through all this trouble? I should just manage things casually and have the members run errands.

Couldn’t I have had a comfortable, cozy, and monotonous life where I just rest at home and enjoy unearned income?

Whoosh!

Splat―

Streams of blood fly in. As I wave my hand, they are swallowed by the shadow.

“What have you done! More importantly, how come your energy…?”

Dagon’s eyes widened. The octopus-like alien gathered blood clots to create something massive.

The color is excessively red. I don’t like it. It would be nice if it were moderately red, but isn’t it painful to look at?

Whoosh―

Splash!

Hundreds, thousands of blood bullets fly in. Blood pours down like a torrential rain falling sideways.

I lightly stomped my foot.

Boom―

Whoosh───!

The shadow spreads. The black domain swallows space and time. If I paint everything with color black like this, there would be no more danger, right?

Monsters, evil spirits, demons, and all the alien species of Terraria. Let’s paint them all black.

Click!

Dagon put on a suspicious-looking white mask. It’s equipment that reduces the pressure of the Celestial Canopy. I think that mask was called the anti-pressure face.

The Great Demon Army Nakhal wore that mask too.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Whoosh―!

Chains of blood unfurled. At the end of the long chains, there’s something like a blood-red axe.

The blood chains circled around Dagon.

‘Is it the True Name Dharma Treasure?’

These things called dharma tools or dharma treasures, the powerful monsters and ascetics of the Eight Desolate Worlds each had three or four of them.

The terms might be different, but they were all essentially high-performance armaments.

“Blood Chain Axe! Go berserk!”

Whoosh!

The blood chain elongated. It’s dynamic like a dragon alive in the sky.

Whoosh―

But even the dynamic redness is painted black. The world becomes pitch black, easy on the eyes.

I waved my hand to increase the density of the shadow. The world turns jet black.

[‘Blood-Soaked Dagon’ howls in fear.]

[‘Blood-Soaked Dagon’ has been defeated.]

[You have gained 50,000 points for defeating a formidable enemy.]

Formidable enemy?

Ah, so Dagon was a formidable enemy. Seems he was purified, caught up in the shadow.

But what’s the point of 50,000 points? I’ve already accumulated close to 10 million.

I used to spin the roulette and get what they called daily skills. The last one I got was, what, ‘Language Decipherer’? I barely even used it.

‘Why do I have to do this?’

I became strong because I couldn’t die. As I got stronger, I became busier. People hail me as the hope of humanity. Did I… really want to become special?

Am I living a happier life now that I’ve gained people’s attention? I don’t know.

[‘Cult Leader Morpheus’ has been defeated.]

[‘Specter, the Painter of Fear’ has been defeated.]

[‘Mountain-like Goliath’ has been defeated.]

[For defeating a formidable enemy….]

Messages kept popping up.

Names of villains. Things I want to erase are being erased first. The heroes… No, no. The heroes will live on well by themselves.

When I paint everything bothersome black, everyone will become peaceful.

And then I’ll retire without anyone knowing. Then I’ll live leisurely watching games or YouTube for the rest of my life… Ah, but there’s a problem.

My remaining lifespan of just over a year.

‘Damn it.’

It was a dog’s life.

Why did the system call me to this world? Even if it forcibly recruited talent to use, no matter how capable Isaac is, the celestial immortals and angels would be much more powerful.

‘What happens when my lifespan runs out?’

The system treated me like crap. It pushed me into the pit of death at every opportunity. Let’s paint even the system black while we’re at it. I’m not sure if the shadow will reach that far, though.

[You have entered a ‘Berserk State’.]

[It seems you’ve lost something precious.]

What do you mean by berserk? What precious thing are you talking about? This is right. Don’t disparage it with sensational terms.

Whoosh────!

The shadow stretches far and wide.

Winged things are painted black. Hundreds of thousands, no, tens or hundreds of millions of demons enter the realm of darkness.

Messages flashed endlessly. Points kept coming in without pause.

Someone shouted.

“How dare you ignore the one-month grace period!”

“It’s my choice.”

What are they trying to say?

Promises with monsters are meant to be broken. What’s important is how fatally you can stab them in the back, not some notion of trust between humans and monsters.

Crack!

[‘Great Demon Army Nakhal’ has been defeated.]

[‘Avatar of the Ox Demon King’ has been defeated.]

[You have gained 80,000 points for defeating a formidable enemy.]

[You have gained 150,000 points for defeating a formidable enemy.]

I’ve painted all the annoying things black. What’s left is…

“Humans.”

If there’s nothing to protect, you don’t have to protect it. Why do heroes have to protect people in the first place? Who made that rule? Why must the strong protect the weak just because they’re strong?

Whoosh―

The world of shadows soaks the land and sky. Black liquid seeps into the city, writhing. Everyone is becoming peaceful. Eternal rest is, in a sense, the greatest fortune.

Those who close their eyes will no longer have to suffer in pain.

Grab!

Someone grabbed my waist. Are they trying to interfere? But why? I’m just trying to paint the colorful things black.

Someone said.

“Leader… Let’s go on a trip. Us.”

Someone is crying.

It’s a familiar face. But who is it?

Whoosh―

The shadow envelops someone. Those eyes, they look sad somehow. Who are you? Why is light emanating from a person?

[Seo Eun-ha is looking at you.]

“……”

“Leader!”

Someone else broke through the darkness and grabbed me. Warm hands held my waist, arms, and legs.

“It’s like you’re a dark hero, right?!”

“The fog is thick! How can fog be this black… Ha, haha.”

[Gil-seong is looking at you.]

[Hwang Man-deuk is looking at you.]

Hazy memories come flooding back.

Why are these guys here? And I… What was I about to do?

“Leader… You’re not alone. We’re here.”

[Yeo Jin-soo is looking at you.]

Whoosh―

The shadow seeps into me.

The world that had been painted black starts to become colorful again from the distant outside.

‘I am.’

I am Hero Isaac. And I am the office worker Lee Geon-ha.