The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-427

"Uh... W-What?!" A bewildered voice rang out amidst the demons.

Suddenly, the ground all around flipped over. From the upheaval emerged soldiers made of earth, each one bold and surprising. Attempting to block their seemingly mundane weapons with shields proved futile.

Crash!

The demon's shields were sliced as though by a ferocious saw blade, leaving them exposed.

"Argh! My shield!"

The earth soldiers viciously grabbed the demon by the scruff of his neck and smashed him into the ground. Truly, their strength was overwhelming.

In an instant, the surge of earth soldiers appeared to already outnumber the demons. They sprung up from all directions, quickly encircling and attacking the demons, demonic beasts, and corrupted monsters. Their aggressiveness was truly commendable.

"Stop them!"

The panicked cry of Kreed, the demon commander, echoed urgently, but the demons also knew that their own lives were more precious than anything else. Naturally, it was impossible to remain calm when a powerful foe had suddenly appeared and surrounded them.

"Grrraaaahhhh!!!"

However, the situation was somewhat better for the mind-controlled monsters. A single ogre, its body covered in black tattoos, wildly swung its club around, blocking the approach of the earth soldiers.

Thanks to the fearless attacks of the corrupted monsters, they seemed to be holding out. But then...

Zzzzz... Whoosh!!

With a resounding thud, a beam of yellow light swept across the area in an instant, slicing the ogre, who had been wildly swinging its club, into two parts. Though it wasn't a clean cut, rather, the middle section of its body seemed to have vaporized.

As the beam passed through, the ground bore a colossal scar, scorched and transformed.

"This is... insane... What is this?"

Afterward, stone giants emerged from the ground, towering about 10 meters high. Their glowing yellow eyes filled with power as they advanced slowly. Each one resembled an impenetrable wall, exuding overwhelming strength.

The astonishment extended beyond the demons, reaching even the men and women believed to be part of the resistance. Fear and awe gripped them at the sudden appearance of Davey's summoned entities.

[So it is... My subjects are beings of this place. Although you have granted them freedom, they still feel indebted to you.]

While they could have freely chosen to abandon him and face their demise, they made the decision to stay and aid him. In the end, having someone who could fight on his behalf was all that mattered.

Ironically, the influence brought about by his very existence posed a major problem, whereas there were no restrictions on the consequences of his actions. To be frank, it was a ridiculously dull system.

According to the Observer, Davey had only ten minutes of unrestricted, carefree rampaging, and this time had to be used wisely.

If Sleesia perceived this as mere entertainment, she would refrain from intervening and simply watch the spectacle unfold for a while.

As his subordinates were rapidly being defeated, Commander Kreed, who had previously shown disdain for the earth soldiers, shifted his focus toward Davey.

Carrying Aeria on his back, Davey had not made a move since the battle began, leisurely observing the chaos.

"You... It's you!!"

The realization that Davey was the source of the chaos prompted Kreed to rush toward him, his dagger aimed at Davey's heart. However…

Clang!!

Before Kreed could reach him, a gigantic hand sprung from the ground, blocking his attack and immobilizing him.

"This mere stone thing!" Kreed spat out, his menacing aura intensifying as he drew his Aura Blade.

It seemed like the stone giant's arm would be severed in an instant, but the situation had already been decided in a moment.

The stone giants, who had endured God's curse for nearly 5000 years, accumulating resentment and suffering, were top-tier undead that even the First Lich Nyx would hesitate to control. Each of them was a monstrous being.

Puff!! Thud!

An earth soldier wearing a crown rushed in and stabbed Kreed's heart from behind with a sword made of soil. Following this, spears of earth flew in all at once, piercing through his body.

Kreed's death, his eyes bulging, was so futile that it was almost pitiful. There was a saying that if no one saw it, it was an assassination. Kreed, a demon of considerable potential, unfortunately met his end.

In an instant, the clay soldiers who had swept away their enemies like an oncoming tidal wave turned their collective gaze toward Davey, as if awaiting their next orders. Each of them had been liberated from underground traps. But in the already cleared courtyard, they had nothing more to do, so Davey commanded them to return. They vanished into thin air, their presence had been invaluable, serving as Davey's hands and feet.

Afterward, Davey leisurely turned his gaze toward those who had been subjugated by the demons. Three experts and one master. He had thought all the skilled ones were dead, but apparently, that was not the case.

"Who on earth are you?" murmured a woman, her voice rigid.

As he looked at the woman, Davey was suddenly struck by how much she resembled Euris. But that was another matter.

"Lead me to your hideout."

"What, what did you say?"

"I saved your life, so repay me quickly."

Astonished by Davey's blatant demand, which felt like a threat without being a threat, the woman stared up at him for a long time.

* * *

Their primary target had been none other than the infamous demon commander, Kreed. For months, they meticulously prepared a strategy to kill him. Armed with the power of a Sword Master, combined with stealth and an artifact bestowed by higher demons, Kreed posed a formidable challenge even for other Sword Masters.

Eurina vividly recalled how her team leader relentlessly emphasized the urgency of eliminating Kreed. Unlike other demons who led armies to suppress the rebels, Kreed preferred to act alone. Embracing his lone wolf approach, he executed numerous deadly strategies, claiming the lives of countless individuals, including those in Eurina's hometown.

Tragically, her team's leader also suffered the loss of his beloved wife at Kreed's hands. Though Kreed was not particularly misogynistic, the demons sent to clean up after him discovered his wife still alive, resulting in devastating consequences.

‘What could this man possibly be?’

Eurina glanced at the boy following her. Outwardly, he appeared entirely human, and she couldn't sense any mana from him, suggesting he was an ordinary individual with no power. How could such an ordinary person roam this dangerous continent alone? It seemed absurd, but she quickly realized the ridiculousness of her thought.

The numerous clay soldiers that appeared to escort the boy were similar to the magic of command sorcerers, but the soldiers were not dead; they were too vibrant to be golems. What on earth were they, and why did they follow this boy? Most importantly, why did a being like this boy suddenly appear out of nowhere?

Her mind was racing with numerous thoughts, but fear kept her from voicing any of them. Her superior and team leader were dead, leaving the command authority of the separate party with Eurina. Based on her personal judgment, she recognized the boy as a dangerous entity. Despite him appearing and helping out at the most critical moment, the boy felt alien and different from humans.

"Leader."

"..."

"Leader."

Eurina, who had been staring blankly at the boy, had eyes wide at the sound of a man's voice. "Hmm. Why?"

"We have arrived… What shall we do?"

"…Let's allow him in for now. After all, he is a human, and the fact that he helped us remains unchanged. If he can truly become a friendly ally to us… I will make use of him. Besides, the beastfolk he's carrying doesn't look too well."

As she turned her head, a strange feeling washed over Eurina when she caught the boy looking at her. His gentle smile sent chills down her spine.

"Can you please come inside? She must be quite uncomfortable being carried all the time."

Strangely, the boy, who had been continuously carrying the girl, didn't seem tired at all. Eurina thought it wouldn't be a big problem since the girl looked light, so she opened the door to the hideout created by magic.

Woong…

The mana stone reacted, the magic circle manifested, and the firmly locked door twisted and the illusion disappeared. Most of those hiding in the hideout were victims of the war.

* * *

Davey had his own business to attend to in this place. The hideout was located in a subterranean cave beneath a colossal rocky gorge. It was a cave of massive scale, the entrance meticulously concealed with visible effort.

"This place happens to be one of the largest remaining pockets of resistance. Most of them are connected here. They independently supply weapons, grow medicinal herbs, and cultivate food.”

"Quite impressive. I guess there must have been some engineers left," Davey responded.

"Just lucky enough to have extended their lives by a few years.”

Humans, dwarves, beastmen, orcs, and others—several species who had joined forces to resist the demons when they invaded the continent—were dwelling here.

"Ah, Eurina, glad to see you've made it back alive," greeted a muscular orc with a shiny bald head as he approached Eurina, lightly patting her shoulder.

Orcs looked quite good with their bald heads, and Davey sometimes wondered if they were completely immune to baldness. Eurina lightly punched Gren's broad, green chest and chuckled.

"I did not think you would come back alive," Gren remarked.

"Neither did I, but I did," Eurina replied.

Davey quietly listened to the conversation between Eurina and Gren.

"I see some unfamiliar human faces," Gren observed.

"Oh, those are people we rescued outside. One beastfolk and one human. The beastfolk has been asleep the whole journey here for some reason. I'll let you know the details after I report," Eurina explained.

"Alright. Looking forward to it," Gren replied, laughing under his breath as he walked off.

"May your next death be satisfying," Eurina said to Gren.

"May yours be satisfying as well," Gren replied.

They were considering death. They had no intention of driving out the demons. Instead, they were resolved to take as many enemies with them as possible when they died.

Later, Eurina dismissed her team and led Davey and Aeria to a small cabin. "This is my room. Could you lay the beastfolk girl down here? Even if you don't know, the healers will..."

"No, I know a bit about healing. Don't worry about it," Davey calmly responded.

His response caused Eurina’s expression to tighten.

As soon as Davey laid Aeria down on the bed made of giant leaves, Aeria began to move slightly.

"Are you a doctor?" Eurina asked.

"Yes. Well… in a way."

Eurina’s expression changed oddly at his words. "Well... You lead those soldiers, and you're a doctor?"