The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-464

One might wonder why there was interest in a broken artifact, but the record stone that appeared to have been intentionally broken piqued Davey's curiosity.

"Look at this. Someone broke it on purpose."

It was cleverly hidden, but it was evident that the content inside had been skillfully erased.

"I think I can fix it."

"Really?"

Perserque slowly grew to her original size and then gave Davey a nod. "Move aside, Davey."

"I'd rather not."

"What?"

"Sit here."

The chair was large. Davey spread his legs and patted the empty portion of the chair. Seeing this, the woman's face crinkled in disapproval.

"Where did you learn about such harassment?"

"If we are in formal wear and taking an oath, we would do even more. So what's stopping us from doing this?" Upon Davey's words, the woman's face turned red, and she quickly swung her hand.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, Davey found himself lifted into the air and then flung away.

"Hmph! Don't even dream about it."

With a sour face, the woman reached for the broken record artifact. At that moment, a demonic energy unique to her began flowing from her body, restoring each distorted magic circle.

"It might look like an accident, but someone broke this intentionally. They must've wanted to hide whatever was inside." She flicked her finger, and the content stored in the record stone began to restore neatly. "It's done."

"You're quite skilled, aren't you?"

"Ahem. When it comes to magic circles, I'm quite good."

"Start it up."

Upon Davey's request, she flicked her hand, and the magic circle started spinning, projecting an image above it.

The recorded scene was of a different place. Deep within a forest, there was a figure of a knight. "Ha... Ha!!"

The heavy breathing of the knight as he ran desperately could be heard clearly. Though the perspective was first-person, the dark gauntlet on his arm and the silver greaves made it clear he was one of the knights. The surroundings resembled the scene when one would enter the magical boundary through the White Tiger portal. It seemed he had entered the magical boundary by chance and got lost.

Boom!

A massive explosion echoed. What was chasing him? The answer soon revealed itself. From the depths of the forest, a colossal green monster emerged, roaring and rampaging through the woods. It was the King of Evil Beasts, Braga, a unique creature known as the legion and the host of magic. Braga slowly approached the trembling knight, seemingly playing with its prey.

"I... I don't want to die! Please, save me!"

With a desperate scream, the perspective quickly retreated, likely the knight who held this device backing away in fear. Naturally, once Braga set its sights on someone, their chances of survival were slim. Just as Braga was about to devour the knight, a familiar black mist emerged from the forest, binding Braga entirely.

Out of the mist came a girl, wearing a white dress with a broad-brimmed witch's hat and holding a magic book. It was a sight Davey and Perserque were familiar with. It seemed to be around the time Davey had met her.

"You little ones are always fearless! Get out of here! Do you know where you are?!"

"Wh-Who are you?"

"Didn't you hear me? Do you want to be eaten by this monster? Or do you want to be devoured by me, the witch and owner of this magical boundary?!"

Though she spoke fiercely, the black mist emanated from her bound Braga. The power of the Abyss was restraining Braga. However, the expression on her face was not good. It seemed something was constraining her.

Creak!

"That audacious thing!"

When Braga caused a commotion, the woman shouted with a visibly irritated face. Suddenly, fine shapes appeared all around, pressing and pinning Braga down.

"Get lost!"

The knight turned and fled in alarm.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

Then, the breathless voice of a seemingly exhausted girl echoed.

Crack!

After that, black energy flew out, and the artifact shattered. Perserque and Davey did not speak for a long time. So much was conveyed, even if it was just a few words of conversation. They understood it very well.

"Davey, what is this…?”

"..."

Davey just stared at the artifact in silence. The first thought that came to his mind was precisely this…

“Did she deceive me?”

* * *

Braga’s presence was noticeable even outside the magical barrier. Sitting in the middle of a plain not far from the capital, Braga had numerous monsters spread around him.

“My goodness... the number is not ordinary.”

“Braga is weakened. I'm certain. When he exerts all his original power, a black aura rises from his whole body.”

Everyone fell silent at Reina's words. Given that Reina currently held the title of a hero chosen by the gods on this continent, it was not surprising where she got that information.

"He seems much weaker than expected.”

True.

"Now's our chance."

With her words, the group of wizards slowly approached.

“Yulis, Class 6, reporting. Preparing the main bombardment magic.”

“It's an honor to work with such distinguished individuals. Let's give it our best.”

Leading the group were the 6th Circle wizard Yulis, the Sword Master Illyna, and several high-ranking knights, including Reina. Their opponent, a monster, used 8th Circle magic. Thus, everyone's faces were filled with tension.

“Will it be okay?” Winley cautiously asked Davey, but his thoughts were still caught up in the video he saw the previous day.

"Brother?"

"Hm? Oh... Yes. As Reina said, he seems much weaker. Something must have happened.”

"Wow! Incredible. A monster."

“Don’t freak out. We're not directly raiding it anyway. It's like a quest where we just get a slice of the pie while top NPCs do the heavy lifting.”

"How high does your level have to be to raid such a monster?”

Davey’s gaze shifted at the familiar phrase, a term not common in this place. Davey looked toward mercenaries participating in Braga’s subjugation. Among them, a distinctly dressed group stood out. Evidently young boys and girls.

"Well, they probably joined since they met the conditions. It looks like all the strong NPCs are participating?”

“You also get a good reward if you contribute enough. We just have to shoot with our basic bows.”

"This is an opportunity. It's not easy to switch to this map. Only a very few lucky ones find the hidden piece and come over, but soon everyone will come over, and nothing will remain here, right?"

"Only by securing priority can we climb the ranks and make money.”

"Davey, those kids are..."

“They must have crossed over via that damned virtual reality.”

The important thing was not Neltarid or those who came from Earth connected to him. Davey’s mind was cluttered. Why did she do this? Why did she show such a side? The girl holding the spellbook, known as the witch. If she was indeed Verdandi, then since she earned the title of one of the 'six beauties,' she must have lived here.

If she had made a fuss back then, the continent of Tionis would have crumbled before seeing the light. But she did nothing. Too many questions, and it was not easy to come to a conclusion. What is she in the first place? The Princess of the Abyss is wicked because she was made of billions of thoughts. She was certainly scheming something Davey was unaware of...

In the midst of my complex thoughts, suddenly...

Grr…

Davey watched as the sleeping beast known as Braga began to stir, slowly leading an army of hundreds and thousands of monsters to march.

"Archers! Load your arrows! Cavalry, prepare at the castle gate! When the signal is given, open the gate and charge in a wedge formation! Head straight for where Braga is! Clear a path!"

Reina held the authority to take overall command under the endorsement of the three empires and the Holy Empire. Her prowess and tactical leadership were already well-known, so no one doubted her capabilities. While it was not strictly necessary for her to take command, Crown Prince Greid Malon Briouk willingly delegated authority to her, believing that even one more soldier's safe return was worth it. In the past, Reina had shown overwhelming charisma as the leader of humanity's last resistance.

"What should I do?" Illyna asked.

Reina looked at her complicatedly. Though they once were the same person, their relationship had become convoluted as they had diverged into separate beings.

"You and I will confront Braga directly. We can't capture him if he's surrounded by his minions. And..." Reina trailed off, turning to Davey, "Davey, support the soldiers and knights from a distance. If you step in, casualties will be minimal."

Davey hesitated for a moment, "Ah, yes. That does seem efficient."

Braga seemed weakened, and to Davey, Reina and Illyna seemed enough to handle him. There was no need for Davey to intervene. Besides, the world already knew how powerful his buff magic was. Reina made her strategic command, and Davey's mind was too preoccupied to offer much feedback.

With a ferocious roar, the monstrous horde charged toward the city walls, and Davey, standing his ground, swiftly cast a spell. In an instant, divine magic burst forth from him, enhancing the capabilities of every soldier and knight.

"Davey, are you overthinking things?"

"Perserque."

The battle had begun. From atop the city walls, Davey watched as the monsters advanced rapidly and arrows flew toward them. The inevitable clash of the two forces was imminent.

"Do you think she's hiding something?"

She was a princess of the abyss. It was clear from the visual artifacts. Denying it now would only seem like a lie. The power she wielded when she subdued Braga was weak, but unmistakably abyssal. A power from a higher echelon, distinct in its effects.

"To think of those guys as ordinary beings just because they can't destroy the front side of a coin doesn't make sense," Davey pondered.

Billions of thoughts were congregating with one intent – a monster claiming to be a princess from the Abyss. And now she wanted to live among humans, blending in? It was ludicrous.

"What if she just genuinely liked this world and wanted to live in it?"

"That's nonsense."

Indeed, both Urd and Sleesia had shown their motivations and even acted against common sense. What was she then?

"Davey, you might just be overthinking..."

"What's that cliché line those abyssal creatures always spout?"

"We are... one."

"Individual emotions? Ha! It's all so confusing. It would've been easier if she just outright showed her ulterior motives."

"You think too much," she sighed.

Boom!

A beam shot from somewhere, missing Davey by inches, and melting a section of the wall.

"Ugh!"

Luckily, no one was hurt, but Davey had been lost in thought and failed to prevent it. In a battle requiring focus, such distraction was costly.

According to Perserque, the witch might truly want to protect humans and live among them. But considering the past actions of the abyssal creatures, it felt far-fetched. The abyssals Davey encountered either hailed Perserque as their queen while causing destruction or did not care about Perserque and wreaked havoc on the coin's front-side world. Yet, the idea of there being a pacifistic monster from the abyss now was unbelievable.

“Davey, focus for a moment...”

“No, that monster isn’t the issue right now. Who's the princess of the abyss? A group that only thinks about destruction?”

At his words, she sighed. “Davey.”

“Logically, aren’t they drawing a bigger picture, using humans’ weaknesses to their advantage?”

“That’s nonsense. If they wanted that, they wouldn’t be terrifying people by acting like witches. There's no reason for it.”

“Here it comes again!” Just then, a priest who had been pressed against the wall beside Davey, ensuring he did not fall, shouted urgently.

Looking in the direction the priest was pointing, monsters were showing hostility toward humans. Among them, Braga was recklessly firing green beams. Probably, one of them was headed toward Davey. There were others, under buff spells, fighting these monsters.

‘So noisy! Really.’

“No, considering all the clues and their behavior so far, trying to infer what they’re thinking is...”

Crash!!!

A direct hit. The green beam hit Davey spot on, and he was swept away without any reaction. After a brief silence, he emerged from the green smoke, staring blankly at his hand. It was stained black from the explosion’s aftermath.

“Are, are you okay?”

The beam had enough power to melt walls. Those who had seen the wall getting destroyed earlier and knew of its power were stunned to see Davey perfectly fine after taking it head-on without any defense.

“Damn it, this is so annoying.”

Annoyed, Davey punched the air.

Zing!!

From a blue rift, Longinus, shaped like a cross, emerged.

“These monsters, I’m trying to think and they keep interrupting...”

The rude ones should be swatted like flies.

[9th Level Final Holy Magic]

[Hand of God]

Whoosh Boom!!

A pure white light fell from the sky, shaped like a gigantic hand, pressing down on Braga, who had been firing the green beams. It was like swatting a fly. Even if the power of Goddess Freyja had waned, the 9th Level Final Holy Magic was not something to be underestimated. Braga struggled under its immense pressure, but Davey, caught up in his thoughts, simply pressed him down, finishing him off.

He admittedly poured more divine power than usual. The sudden turn of events made everyone, including the monsters that had lost all reason, freeze and stare at Davey, the cause of it all.

“What? Why are you all staring?”

“Davey… do you realize what you just did?”

At her words, Davey turned his head, looking at Braga’s corpse. Only the white feathers indicated the aftermath of what he had done.

“Crazy. Was that NPC damage for real?”

“What on earth… What did I just witness? One-shotting a raid boss?”

“Hey, wait, where have I seen that NPC? Oh! Right! The one from the event tournament, the crazy player who defeated the rankers…”

“That's not an NPC!”

“Damn, who is he? Someone from which nation?”

Amid the mercenaries who stopped firing their bows, boys and girls chattered.

‘Huh? When did I use this?’

In his hand, the divine spear Longinus was shaped like a cross. His thoughts cascaded one after another, leading him to a point of resignation.

“So, that damned Princess of the Abyss did this to gauge my power.”

She had already died once by his hands. She wanted to assess how dangerous he was! Before his metamorphosis, Davey could not produce this much power, so those who were aware of his previous abilities were even more shocked.

“This is because you foolishly couldn’t concentrate! What are you doing? Think simply! Why are you overthinking it, you idiot!”

Perserque angrily pulled Davey's cheek.