The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-365

Concentrating his senses at his fingertips, Davey proceeded to dissect the body. The few medical staff and council members, who had been carefully holding the patient's limbs during the suffocating surgery that could end in tragedy with a single misstep, could only stare in awe at Davey. Swiftly and efficiently, as if he were navigating through water, Davey maneuvered his hand, and at a particular moment, his eyes flashed with revelation.

'Here!'

Without hesitation, he inserted the scalpel and cleanly excised the tumor.

Leaving behind the speechless witnesses of this inexplicable surgery, Davey furrowed his brows. "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill the patient? Bring the gauze and suction device immediately!"

His voice was thin, naturally resulting in a high-pitched cry that reverberated. Thanks to that, those who had been dumbfoundedly observing his surgery quickly sprang into action.

Davey swiftly cut and stitched the problematic area. If the internal bleeding was left untreated, it could instantly prove fatal for the patient. A drop in blood pressure and an increase in bleeding could lead to death from excessive blood loss.

Following that, Davey promptly sutured the blood vessels and organs that were the sources of internal bleeding, effectively stopping the bleeding. He then swiftly extracted the blood from inside the body using the suction device provided by the council members and meticulously closed the wound.

The patient, who had been convulsing on the brink of death, now slept peacefully with a serene expression.

Turning toward the dumbfounded onlookers, as if they had witnessed an unimaginable spectacle, Davey said quietly, "What is it? How long do you plan on gaping?"

"I can't believe this... Did you just perform surgery on that patient?" an elderly council member slowly approached and examined the patient after asking Davey, seemingly in disbelief.

"Is there a problem?"

"Oh, oh... That can't be. Even seeing it with my own eyes is utterly ridiculous..." He stared at Davey, astounded.

Even the slightest mistake or misstep could have instantly claimed the patient's life.

The time it took to make an incision in a trembling patient's body, remove the problematic tumor, and manage all the internal bleeding caused by complications was shorter than a typical surgery.

"To develop a cure, we need to understand the underlying cause in addition to the Monochrome Malady virus antibodies. Doctor Oruk."

"Y-Yes! Please speak, Your Highness."

"Although it may be bothersome, please investigate their dietary habits, activity range, and any peculiarities. The answers are always embedded in our lives."

With Davey's words, the doctor hurried off as if entrusted with a once-in-a-lifetime mission.

* * *

Swoosh!!!

The river current flowed downstream. Descending from the giant mountain range and passing through the Formark Plains, the large river was known as the Yosk River, one of the lifelines of the Central Continent. It had long provided drinking water and sustenance to small territories and villages in the region.

Splash!

Rinne dipped her wings in the river and with a powerful upward motion, created a resonating noise. She clenched her small hand toward the giant fish known as Janar, which leaped into the air.

Whoosh! Clink!

Simultaneously, particles gathered in her hand, forming something substantial. "Rinne's spear. Very strong!"

Woosh!

She seemed pleased with the green metal spear that effortlessly pierced through the freshwater fish. Nodding several times, she then hopped over to Davey and presented the skewered fish.

"Did you always fish like that?"

"Rinne evaluates wings' high lure ability."

"But those wings weren't made for that."

The freshwater fish Janar brought by Rinne also had parasites. Initially, almost no animals were free of parasites. The problem was how many of them carried the deadly pathogen.

"The current outbreak is affecting 80,000 people, with an additional 20,000 casualties. Too many people have died in a very short time. This situation probably started spreading before the war ended."

With multiple problems occurring simultaneously, even those who had previously been unconcerned started to realize the gravity of the situation as numerous people began to die across the territories. The issue was that the disease had already spread extensively. Fortunately, due to quick responses afterward, proper isolation measures had been implemented, preventing further severe outbreaks.

"Of course, that's just buying time. For now, only the territories around the Yosk River are affected. But wait a bit longer. The moment Janar, which carries this parasite, goes out to sea, it's going to be chaos."

"Lord Davey, what if that happens?"

"We need to find a cure before that. That's why we have gathered these medicines."

There were many minor diseases, but the most severe was the Monochrome Malady. If left unchecked, it would claim many lives, much like the Black Plague on Earth in Davey's previous life. However, because Davey had discovered it, they bought a little bit of time.

"Once it breaks out, if there are no antibiotics, you die. The problem is that we can't identify the remaining cause..."

Due to the lack of crucial clues, Davey sighed heavily. Even the best physician cannot comprehend every mutation of a virulent germ. The more dangerous the disease, the more cautious one must be.

Davey had been speaking confidently, but from the beginning till now, he had to rely on all the knowledge in his head. The fact that divine power did not work meant that the virus had been created in a new way. So that means something unintended was the cause.

"Daddy!"

From far away, Davey saw Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who had been playing, running toward him.

Leaving the kids near the water's edge without supervision was risky, but they were under the care of Perserque, who was in his pocket. Ever since she learned that her horns could be detached, she had been removing her horns and hiding them somewhere.

Perserque, who had come up to Davey as she swung her silver hair, chuckled. "Red Ribbon has a gift for Daddy!"

Soon after, Red Ribbon, with something hidden in her small hand, offered it to Davey. "It's tasty! Very tasty!"

Seeing her so excited and cuddling up to him, Davey gave Red Ribbon a broad smile and picked her up. Despite the change in his appearance, he was still their father, and that gave him a sense of stability.

"So, what gift did Red Ribbon give me…?" While Davey spoke, his expression froze as he saw what she had given him.

"Huh?" Seeing Davey’s face, Red Ribbon became nervous and tilted her head in confusion. "Is Daddy angry? Did Red Ribbon do something wrong?"

Perserque slowly came forward, seeing the child about to cry, and asked him, "Davey, relax your face. Are you trying to make the children cry?"

"Perserque, where did you get this?"

Perserque tilted her head, then said, "Where did I get it? You don't know about Vetro mushrooms? They are a delicacy that the people of these territories always have at their table. They taste good, so I was looking forward to them too..."

Vetro mushrooms... They were large, ugly mushrooms with a brownish hue. They had a rich and savory taste with high nutrition. Davey was seeing this mushroom for the first time, and he just found out...

"This...is a poisonous mushroom, isn't it? And an extremely toxic one at that."

In the world where Hypocria once thrived, an identical mushroom used to flourish—the Alemandria. As far as Davey's knowledge extended, it stood as one of the most covert and treacherously toxic mushrooms known. Consuming Alemandria or Vetro mushrooms alone posed no immediate threat, but when exposed to a specific disease, it spawned a nightmarish affliction.

It was then that a realization struck Davey: these mushrooms were a dietary staple for the people in these territories. In essence, the majority of the population had consumed these mushrooms, along with Janar, the carrier of the parasite.

Davey held Red Ribbon up and said, "Red Ribbon, you have helped Daddy."

"R-Red Ribbon did well?"

"Yes, you did very well!"

"Kyahahaha!"

Now that they had identified the cause of the disease, all that was left was to create an antibiotic and cure it.

* * *

It was three days later.

"Damn it... That damn bitch!"

Bang!!

Viscount Rutismar, stripped of his position due to his clash with Prince Davey, seethed with uncontrollable rage. The table where he sat bore the evidence of his heavy drinking, strewn with empty bottles.

"How dare he... How dare he threaten my position!" he exclaimed.

There were limits to a human's capabilities. The disease control team had spent years constructing rules and systems. It was not a realm for a novice to meddle in, relying solely on medical skills and power.

"Compose yourself," Count Geliman advised. "Nevertheless, this disease is ultimately incurable. Unless we fully comprehend its nature..."

"But the prince knew about the disease. It was as if he could see through us."

Initially, they had no intention of treating the disease. In fact, they were aware of its spread but had chosen not to intervene. The greater the crisis, the higher their stature would rise. This was especially true with the Palan Empire's control over the disease control team, amidst a state of political turmoil.

Prince Alejandro of the Pallan Empire, the Twelfth Prince, harbored ambitions of toppling Crown Prince Sullivan, the current wielder of power. To achieve this, Alejandro needed to establish his own accomplishments and shatter Sullivan's momentum.

The outbreak of the war had been fortuitous, and their early discovery of the disease had been advantageous. If the disease were to escalate on a large scale, Sullivan's position would inevitably crumble, while Alejandro's would naturally ascend. The perfect scenario unfolded after the deaths of approximately one hundred thousand commoners.

But this damned Prince Davey was ruining everything. By some means, he had uncovered half of the disease's cause and, with his audacious skills, successfully performed surgeries, saving those on the brink of death.

A few days ago, he had returned and began identifying the cause while developing antibiotics. As the crisis began to abate, the Pallan Empire spread this information to every region, temporarily banning the capture and consumption of Vetro mushrooms and the freshwater fish Janar to prevent further outbreaks.

Indeed, the number of new cases, which had been increasing by the dozens to hundreds daily, halved overnight, and then halved again.

"We have no other choice now," stated Geliman, his bald head glistening, with a somber expression. "We must resort to our final option."

"Our last option?"

"If things continue as they are, Crown Prince Sullivan's momentum will surge while Prince Alejandro's will wane. But Prince Davey remains oblivious to our machinations. Hence, we must exacerbate the situation before he achieves success."

Geliman's words drew the attention of Marquis Poplis, Count Baltis, and Viscount Rutismar.

"I have already dispatched the troops. How could Prince Davey, engrossed in his antibiotic development, possibly know about the events occurring here and there? Your only task is to report to the royal family: Prince Davey's treatment came too late to make a significant impact. Ultimately, most of the quarantined patients perished. To prevent further outbreaks, all the corpses were incinerated.”

"With the demise of tens of thousands peasants, we might be able to overthrow the Crown Prince. I have already given the order."

"But if Prince Davey discovers our scheme..."

"If it were Davey, he would turn you wretches into living corpses."

As Geliman's words hung in the air, an eerie presence loomed over the room and everyone froze in place.

Viscount Rutismar slowly turned, his eyes bulging at the figure looming above them. A chilling aura crawled up his spine.