Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan

Become Overpowered CEO of Hero Clan – 027

The cool breeze rustled through the lush green hills on both sides, making my hair dance in the wind. Gunggi sitting beside me, enjoying the exhilarating wind, had its fur ruffled by the excitement of the wind.

After a relatively short rainy season, it was time for a drive to the countryside after a long time. The car smoothly moved along the road.

I checked my smartphone upon arriving at the destination. There were long text messages and image files waiting for me. The sender was the promotion team leader, and the content was related to the recognition of the members and Harmony Clan.

‘Why would they send this on the weekend?’

If the team leader started working on weekends, it might make the subordinates feel obligated to work as well. I understood the desire for a promotion, but one should be cautious.

“Let’s take a look for now.”

I returned to the car after examining the report in the gravel field. Without much need for detailed checks, the popularity vote counts for the third quarter of the members showed a remarkable increase.

The popularity vote was one of the subcategories of the national evaluation, one of the five main reputation evaluations for heroes. While Seo Eun-ha had consistent support, the votes for other members with lower recognition had increased by several hundred percent.

This was the effect of their appearance on a popular weekend variety show. No matter how popular YouTube and cable channels were these days, public broadcasting still had a strong influence. After the broadcast, they even created a separate YouTube account to maximize the impact, and the number of viewers for last week’s episode of [The World They Live In] was estimated to be around two million.

With the addition of short videos circulating on social media, the ripple effect was substantial. Now, the question was, among the members who benefited from the entertainment, who had the most significant increase in popularity votes in the third quarter?

(Based on a week’s data)

Isaac: 111,403 votes (1st place)

Guess who it was.

It was me.

“Hmm.”

I felt a mix of joy and discomfort. I had no intention of seeking popularity, but it seemed that my character had thrived on screen more than I expected.

Even with a character that lacked any entertainment value and was pure boring, the production team of [The World They Live In] had clearly shown themselves to be professionals.

‘Anyway, I did my part.’

Thanks to the PD, I had managed to break away from Isaac’s authoritative image to some extent. Although it might lead to more people approaching me on the streets after seeing how I looked on TV, I decided to accept it as a minor penalty.

– Woof, woof! –

Wide grassy fields, several large dogs running around with their owners. This place was known for its pet-friendly cafe and even provided pet grooming services.

“Creng…?!”

As for Gunggi, raised his head as if he were about to jump onto the grass at any moment, I focused my attention and suppressed his urge.

Releasing a monster with the appearance of a tiger in the middle of the grass field would undoubtedly result in not only the innocent dogs but also their owners screaming in panic.

– Ding, ding.

–

When I entered the cafe while holding Gunggi back, and the cafe owner, who had received a call in advance, greeted us with a perplexed expression.

I assured her that Gunggi would behave and that there would be no accidents, which seemed to put her mind at ease.

The cafe owner initially seemed desperate at the sight of Gunggi’s exuberant appearance but later nodded resolutely, offering a handshake.

“It’s really an honor. I enjoyed watching the broadcast!”

“Yes, thank you. Can you take care of him for a bit?”

“Of course! Your pet name is Gunggi, right?”

“Yes.”

“Gunggi~ Come here…”

I focused my mind and controlled Gunggi to follow the cafe owner obediently. Her shaky pupils settled as Gunggi safely reached her hands and headed into the shower room. I took a seat in a sunny corner of the cafe after ensuring Gunggi’s safety.

“Phew.”

I had driven for over an hour to get to this pet cafe for a reason.

When the Spirit manifested itself at home, it shed fur everywhere and tore up the sofa whenever it got a chance. Its claws grew twisted, and it was covered in filthy, matted fur. I couldn’t leave it like that, so I decided to give it a bath. However, bathing that Spirit was a real challenge.

I was fortunate that the cafe owner kindly agreed to help. Managing the Spirit was no easy task.

‘I respect the owners of large dogs.’

– Rub, rub.

–

I sipped on my refreshing cafe latte and gazed out of the window. The vast open field, the pets playing enthusiastically inside, watching them calmly gave me a soothing feeling.

– Ding, ding.

–

“Hello!”

“Ah~! Ohoho, it’s been a while. What can I get you?”

“Just the usual.”

So, I spent about ten minutes in a daze. Then I heard a familiar voice. I turned to see a cute white Pomeranian in the arms of Gil-seong.

“Hey there~! Hoho, it’s been a while since you visited. What would you like to order?”

“Ohoho, an iced vanilla latte, please. Is this lady trying to poison me?”

“Hohoho, yes, an iced vanilla latte, medium size, please.”

The barista and Gil-seong, who was holding the Pomeranian, seemed to be chatting as if they knew each other well.

It seemed absurd to me that I would meet a member in a pet cafe of all places. I wondered if it was some kind of event, but I suddenly remembered the connection between this pet cafe and Gil-seong’s personal coach, who had recommended this place.

‘Why today of all days?’

Meeting someone you were only casually acquainted with outside was always awkward and stifling.

However, as an inherently introverted person, I recalled the many times when I had walked past people I knew without acknowledging them, only to have our relationship become painfully awkward when we met again later. So, I decided to pretend not to notice and casually greet her when I saw her next.

‘Huh…!’

Finally, after placing her orders, our eyes met, and she looked as if she had seen a ghost. Then, she tilted her head, regained her composure, and spoke with an apologetic tone.

“Sorry. You look so much like someone I know. Haha.”

“That’s right.”

“Is it… Leader?”

“Yes.”

As if protecting her offspring from a natural predator, she held the pure white Pomeranian tightly, making a fuss.

This was no comedy, it felt like an everyday entertainment show.

‘She’s quite cheerful.’

With her intricate facial expressions and gestures, it was both burdensome and entertaining to watch her.

Her cheerful personality made it easier for me to engage in conversation. Gil-seong response was quite different from how others used to react to me.

“But how come you’re here?”

“For a drive and to take care of my pet.”

We talked about how we coincidentally met at the pet cafe and discussed pets in general. She did most of the talking, and I was mostly listening.

The conversation took a strange turn when Gil-seong seriously asked if she could summon her Pomeranian, named “Pomi,” like a familiar, and if that would extend its lifespan. I interrupted the frivolous talk and decided to check her magical circuits while we were at it.

[Information Window]

▶ Name: Gil-seong

▶ Level: 38

▶ Talent: Envy

▶ Rating: ★

▶ Affection: 0

▶ Stress: 40%

▶ Reputation: B-grade

▶ Abnormal Conditions: [Replica Syndrome]

[Sleep Disorder]

[Manga Enthusiast]

This was Gil-seong’s status. As she mentioned earlier, her growth was quite unusual. To summary, she believed that she could become like the character “Lyrica” and eventually gain Lyrica’s powers. However, as indicated by the abnormal status “Replica Syndrome,” Lyrica was a fictional character, but Gil-seong truly believed that she was Lyrica’s heir. What’s interesting is that her talent, classified as [Combat Role – Realization Realm], means that she becomes someone the target of her envy. This means that her fantasies become a reality.

“Reach out your hand. I’ll check your circuits.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

Gil-seong seemed puzzled but extended her hand willingly. I held her wrist, closed my eyes, and accessed the detailed information windows. I navigated to the [Magic Circuits] tab and manually altered the automatic growth, setting paths for ten circuits that she would activate later.

‘A bit twisted, but this is much better.’

Magic circuits are broadly divided into two categories: common circuits that any hero possesses and special circuits unique to specific heroes. This concept alone made ‘Magic Circuit Fanatics’ more than just a nickname for hardcore fans.

‘Our top priority is [Observer’s Eye], followed by [Dreamer].’

Common magic circuits for damage dealers are primarily located on the right side of the body, the right arm and right leg. In contrast, the two special magic circuits I was targeting for her was located around the forehead and the heart area. What does this mean? It means that she, who has had no significant changes in her combat abilities for a while, will suddenly become immensely powerful.

Once she equips her exclusive gear and learns how to maximize her attack mechanism, her combat power will explode.

I opened my eyes and returned to reality.

“It’s all set.”

“Already?”

“Yeah.”

– Pant, pant, pant.

–

“??”

Something was clinging to my leg. Gil-seong’s pet Pomeranian, Pomi, was looking up at me from the floor. I moved the little fellow to the adjacent seat and gently stroked its head, causing her to make a puzzled expression.

I felt a bit embarrassed and changed the topic.

“Are you receiving psychological counseling?”

“No, I don’t like it. They treat me like I’m crazy, even though I’m perfectly fine.

“it’s called delusional disorder. Symptoms of believing you’re a great person.”

“No…! It’s not like that.”

“Let’s talk about dreams. Describe them, and I’ll judge.”

Gil-seong gave me a look as if she didn’t believe me at all but decided to talk about her dreams anyway.

“Lately… Lyrica taught me how to use a laser gun in my dream! It emitted high-temperature heat energy without causing diffraction, and…”

The narrative about her dream with Lyrica was a bit all over the place. However, I treated it as a story rather than a delusion and listened intently.

“Ah, and recently… I’ve been telling stories about manga! Lyrica’s world doesn’t seem to have anime. They didn’t understand the term ‘magical girl genre’…”

Young Gil-seong, an orphan, created an imaginary friend out of loneliness and gradually became obsessed with her. In her dream, she meets her friend and has fun, providing a way to relieve stress.

“Hehe, and when I make fun of her, she finds it entertaining… Oh. Ah.”

[Gil-seong feels cold sympathy from you, who remained silent.]

[(I must have blabbered for no reason…)]

If Gil-seong had met Lyrica from her dreams in reality, she would have been diagnosed with a chronic delusional disorder, such as schizophrenia. Perhaps the reason she became obsessed with her delusions was that she couldn’t bear to live without them. Lyrica, her friend from her dreams, was both her guiding light and her only family, even if only in her imagination.

– Woof! –

Pomi returned to her owner.

Gil-seong, who appeared lifeless for a moment, cuddled her cute Pomeranian and pouted, sticking out her tongue and lowering her head. Fresh air flowed in through the wide-open window. On the other side, an energetic Golden Retriever and Border Collie were playfully fighting with each other.

“Hey, Gunggi, let’s go to Dad.”

“Arf!”

Just when I thought that my time had flown by…

Gil-seong’s conversation was a pretty effective way to pass the time. It’s interesting when you listen closely.

If I took Gunggi home in his current state, our house would be in chaos. I needed to let him have a good walk in a place with clean water and fresh air. Of course, before that, I needed to get an accurate diagnosis.

“A delusional disorder diagnosis for a hero in the real world. They really are a bunch of idiots.”

“Huh?”

“Your head is fine. Go play.”

I stood up and left Gil-seong, who was sitting there in a daze. It was a perfect day for a walk.