The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-507

Davey observed as the lich, who had defied divine providence to attain immortality, lay prostrate on the ground, fervently praying. Illyna looked on with wide eyes, clearly shocked.

For a moment, the light emanating from the lich and the feathers floating around him unmistakably represented a high-level divine power. Unlike the faux divine power that merely imitated the abilities of the gods, this divine power held a higher rank. Naturally, this power was known to only be wielded by Goddess Freyja, making it difficult to believe it was fake.

"How can a god favor a Lich?"

Explaining this in a logical manner was challenging. However, relying solely on logic was foolish. This meant that the lich must have had some means at his disposal.

As Davey silently observed the lich, blessed by a divine miracle, he suddenly rose with a glint in his eyes.

"Behold, mere mortals! Blessed by the gods, I, Chancellor Iro, will make you all repent... ugh!" Before he could finish speaking, Davey lifted him up with one hand, showing a tight fist with a smirk.

"Oh, is that so?" Davey believed in teaching a lesson to those who did not understand words. While ending him would be easy, this lich was a rare... test subject.

"Your eyes reveal impurity!"

"That's none of your concern," Davey retorted.

[Devil Ylgr’s Crowd Suppression]

[Biting one's own tongue]

Crack!

In an instant, a powerful blow sent the lich's jaw shooting upward. Davey then took precise aim at the lich's collapsing ribs and summoned his strength.

[Fierce Abdominal Strike]

Thud!

"Ahhh! Wait! Wait! You hit a bone!" the lich screamed.

Davey continued the merciless beating. Despite having received a divine miracle, there was hardly any difference in the lich's resistance. However, Lich Iro seemed to possess an unusual resilience, screaming non-stop despite the relentless blows.

"Why not ask your gracious goddess again, huh?"

"Ugh... I can't stand it! The scriptures may preach against killing, but blasphemers against the gods deserve divine punishment!" With those words, a dark wind swirled around the lich. The devilish mana imbued with divine blessing was irritating.

‘To discuss divine power in front of a Saint?’

As Davey felt a surge of irritation, the dormant divine power within him awakened. Simultaneously, a massive holy mark on his back reacted, filling the surroundings with divine energy.

In an instant, the storm of divine power shifted the balance, equalizing the situation that had previously favored the lich.

Just as Davey was preparing to strike the lich once more, the lich opened his jaw wide, as if it was about to fall off. Observing this, Davey halted his actions and slowly reduced his energy. At the same time, Lich Iro regained his usual expression.

Davey attempted to activate his divine power again.

"No…" The lich, with his mouth agape in horror, responded.

Whenever Davey concealed his power, Iro's expression returned to normal. Reactivating it produced the same reaction from the lich. Davey found this pattern easy to understand.

"Hey."

"..."

"Hey."

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you know of a Saint?"

Davey's question cast confusion in the lich's eyes.

* * *

"Ah... Even the goddess can be indifferent. How could she leave traces of divinity on such a delinquent?"

Thud!

"Ouch!! Wait... Wait! You hit a bone!"

Ignoring Iro, who was rolling on the ground and pretending to be hurt, Illyna looked at Davey with an incredulous expression and asked, "Davey, what happened?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be so shocked right now."

‘The notion that a god granted blessings to a creature that had forsaken faith. Could anything be more ridiculous?’

Davey was suddenly curious and called out, "Your name’s Iro, right?"

"Huh? Oh... Yes, that's correct."

"Why did you trap us in that cave?"

In response to Davey's question, Iro paused for a moment, then spoke with a glint in his eye. "Most intruders tend to lose their minds when left in utter darkness for extended periods."

Davey narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "So? You intend to break their spirit and then..."

"Then I release them, ensuring they can never return. For the stubborn ones, I leave some food and water." Davey fell silent, taken aback by Iro's unexpected response.

"Actually, the cave you were in has been under my protection for a long time. I was safeguarding dangerous items inside, like the red gem and the elixir. Oh, miss, excuse me, but do you have any breadcrumbs?"

Without hesitation, Illyna handed over a small piece of bread from her bag. Meanwhile, Davey continued his line of questioning, showing little interest in Iro's behavior.

"What about the elixirs?"

"Ah... the rest are mine. Thank you. I'll eat well." Nonchalantly, Iro sat down on his knees and took the bread Illyna offered.

"Wait, you're just bones. Can a skeleton eat bread?"

"I too must maintain this body. If I don't eat, I'll lose bone. I must consume." Chuckling, Iro bit into the bread. As he chewed, the pieces turned into a powder of light and seemed to merge with his body. "Wow, it's really tasty." His tone was friendly, but he looked eerie, given that he was nothing but bones.

"Unbelievable. A lich that eats... I've lost count of how many times I've been shocked today."

"So those millennium potions, they were all yours?"

"Yes, before becoming a lich, I used to create such elixirs. Ahem. Anyway, could you please return the red gem and the elixirs?"

Davey locked eyes with him.

"I'll answer first. All material things in this world exist under the will of God, and while God's will permeates everything, only those who receive and act upon His will can truly understand it."

"That's from the third chapter of the Freyja Sect's prayers. It brings back memories. However, I don't quite understand your meaning. Could you clarify?"

Generously, Davey replied, "It means no returns."

"Heh... Look, I can let go of the elixirs, but the red gem should not enter the human realm. The owner of the treasure vault left instructions about that."

It was clear that Hermesia had constructed this underground vault to completely isolate the Red Dragon Eye from the world. How Iro reached the deepest floor remained a mystery, but it seemed he had modified the dungeon to guard the items in his own way.

"You think you can just install a security system in a vault that's not yours?"

"Vault with an owner? This is the first I'm hearing of this."

"That vault is mine."

"Hehehe, you have a good sense of humor... AHHH!"

Davey began mercilessly striking the exact spot on Iro's shoulder, eliciting agonized screams.

"Okay, okay! Just take it! Take everything!"

In the end, it was Lich Iro who waved the white flag. He groaned in pain, massaging his shoulder, before turning his gaze to Davey's question.

"You've been dwelling in these underground mountains?"

"Yes, for the time being."

"So you're familiar with the terrain?"

"With the exception of the most perilous areas on the lowest floor, I can confidently claim to have explored every part of this mountain range."

"Good. Then guide us."

Upon hearing Davey's request, a glint appeared in Iro's eyes. "Where do you wish to go? If it's outside, I can transport you back..."

"No, we're headed in the opposite direction."

Understanding Davey's intent, Iro fell silent briefly. "You plan to journey to the demon realm?"

"Yes."

"I wouldn't advise it. According to what I've heard from a recent escapee, the demon realm is currently in turmoil and embroiled in conflict."

"I'll make that determination for myself. Will you be our guide, or must I exorcize you here and now?"

"Ex... Exorcize?"

"As the chosen one of Goddess Freyja, I cannot allow a symbol of heresy like you to remain at large."

In fact, Davey thought, ‘It didn't really matter. The mark was made unilaterally by Goddess Freyja. If there were any complaints, she should just retract it.’

"But, how can..."

"All fate in this world is determined by the gods. No one can evade the destiny chosen by the gods. Moreover, the Saint is the foremost believer in these gods."

"What are you talking about?"

In response to his question, Davey replied with a cool smile, "If you want to avoid death, guide us."

"Uhm... Please wait for a moment." Iro, speaking calmly, rose from his seat. "I originally came here for another task. I can't assist you until that's resolved."

"A task?"

"Yes. I need to capture a Magma Cow alive."

Iro began to explain about this creature, Magma Cow. Apparently, it was a powerful bull that lived within the magma. It was gentle but strong, a bit timid, well-built, and had a strong sense of pride.

"You have to capture that Magma Cow alive?"

"Yes. We need it for farming, especially in this barren underground mountain range."

‘Farming?’

Davey found it hard to believe that this lich would be involved in agriculture.

"Ah, of course. It's not just for my personal gain. There's a purpose behind it."

"So, if we help capture it, you'll guide us?"

"You can wait that long, can't you? Surely, someone who took the elixir I provided wouldn't refuse such a simple task."

Davey took a moment to consider his options. While his initial thought was to eliminate the lich immediately, he reconsidered, recognizing that Lich could potentially serve as a valuable guide through the complex underground mountain paths.

"Very well, then."

"Follow me."

Davey followed him until they arrived at a massive river of magma. Despite being deep underground, the area was brightly illuminated by the pooling magma, the cascading lava from the walls, and the volcanic rock.

Ordinarily, the intense heat would have scorched their skin, but both Illyna and Davey, having consumed the elixir, had surpassed the limitations of an ordinary body.

Suddenly, the bubbling magma stirred. Lich then produced a rod with a peculiar stone attached.

"It's over there."

"Are you certain you can do this?"

"Hahaha, rest assured, Goddess Freyja will surely watch over us."

Crash!

As he finished speaking, the Magma Cow swiftly lunged, swallowing Iro’s upper body.

"Did he get eaten while attempting to capture it?"

At Illyna's question, Davey nodded.

"Aaaaargh!!"

Screaming, Iro was dragged into the magma. After a long silence, bubbles emerged from the magma, and something shot out.

"Aaaaah!! The Goddess is with me!" Iro crawled to the edge of the magma river, his body ablaze. Yet, he managed to stand as if unaffected.

Davey's judgment was correct. This lich was at least on the level of a master swordsman.

"A mistake on my part," Lich muttered calmly, gazing at the broken rod in his hand.

"Ah! My Hypnosis Staff is broken!"

Only a fragment of the staff remained. The powerful stone it held seemed to have been swallowed by the Magma Cow.

"How...?"

Trying to locate it was futile as the Magma Cow swam mockingly away in the distance.

"This... I need to get another Hypnosis Rod..."

Feeling that leaving this foolish lich to his own devices would take all day, Davey snatched the remaining piece of the staff from him.

"What are you doing?!"

"The point is to tame that beast, right?"

Iro remained silent in response to Davey's question. If the intention was to use the Magma Cow for farming, then taming it would suffice without the need to capture it.

As Lich nodded in agreement, Davey pulled out a large chunk of meat. He said, "Let me show you how. I'll demonstrate the true skills of a tamer.”

At Davey's statement, Lich's eyes sparkled. "Oh, are you perhaps a tamer?!"

"For the time being."

"...Did you have taming skills, Davey?"

"I learned them by watching."

Taming skills were special abilities, so even if someone wanted to learn them, they couldn't simply acquire them. However, that didn't mean it was impossible.

"Watch closely. This is how real taming is done," Davey said calmly, holding a rod in his right hand and lifting his left hand with a chunk of meat.

The piece of meat was about half the size of a human. The Magma Cow was a creature about four meters in length. Davey had seen it once before; it was fairly strong.

[“Davey, remember, taming is a skill. It might not be possible for you due to your natural attributes and abilities. However, there is a way for you to succeed. Don't forget that the creature being tamed has feelings too. If you can empathize with it on an emotional level…”]

Davey hadn't forgotten that lesson. He recited the teachings of his taming master to them.

"The basics of taming involve two things: bait to lure the creature and a taming rod. This rod will do just fine. My technique may be sloppy, but..."

Of course, Davey could adjust his technique. He caused sparks to fly from the taming rod, concealed it behind his back, and gently squeezed the meat to make it bleed. As a result, the swimming Magma Cow began to slowly approach.

"Wow..." Iro and Illyna looked at Davey in amazement.

Whoosh!

Soon, the Magma Cow that emerged slowly from the mud began to sniff the meat and inspect it carefully. Davey then showed the rod to the creature and approached slowly, with Iro and Illyna watching anxiously.

"The key to taming is empathy. This rod will help me connect with the creature."

"Wow..."

"Be as gentle as possible. Think of the creature as family, as a lifelong companion." Davey coaxed the creature to take the meat into its mouth. The creature bit the meat, widened its eyes, and began to swallow it hungrily. Davey then raised the rod in his hand and said, "It's all about empathy. Quietly and gently, reassure the creature..."

Bang! Bang bang bang!

- Moooooo!

He began to tame the creature vigorously.

["Listen closely, Davey. Taming is a skill. This is how it's done."]

‘If you do as you've learned, everything falls into place.’