The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-512

‘Step aside, there's something I want to test.’

"Damn it."

Davey suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of despair.

"I must find an outlet for this sadness." Muttering with irritation, Davey pressed on, disregarding the chaotic and nightmarish surroundings.

In this eerie place, a woman writhed, her entire body ensnared in a shimmering silver net. It was Lapis, who had arrived alongside Deian. Though not a high-ranking succubus, she held a significant position in her own right.

"Ugh... Human! Release me at once!" Lapis, her face barely visible through the opaque net, shouted at Davey with a fierce glare. "Do you believe you'll escape unscathed after this?"

"Yes, I have every reason to believe so," Davey responded calmly as he approached and seated himself beside her. He then placed a hand on her forehead and began to speak. "Aren't you under the command of the so-called King of Destruction?"

Davey hadn't forgotten Deian's words. His journey to the demon world aimed to reclaim the void energy possessed by the King of Destruction. Although the term 'reclaim' might sound peculiar, it essentially belonged to Davey, as he had acquired it when he defeated Belial. There was ample justification for Davey's pursuit.

"Do you think I'll divulge anything to you? What a joke, human."

"Do you even know who I am?"

"Hmph, I care not for human matters."

At that moment, it became apparent that Lapis differed from the demons who had previously invaded the continent.

"Let's see how long you can resist."

Davey unhesitatingly employed Baersha's curse on her. Numerous torture techniques were at his disposal, but this was a systematic approach to mentally breaking his adversary.

[Sensory Amplification]

"Huh?!" Lapis seemed to have some resistance to such sensations, being a succubus.

"Dirro, begin."

After giving the order to Dirro, Davey turned away without a second thought.

"What's happening? My body... Ahh! Stop it! Please, stop!" Lapis screamed and struggled, but all she could move was her mouth.

As Davey watched her face redden in agony, he realized that Baersha's curse was even more potent than he had imagined. Clearly, the sensory amplification curse had a formidable effect, evident even on Rinne, whose face rarely displayed any emotion. The curse's effectiveness had been almost like a guaranteed outcome from the start.

"Cough... Hah... Hah..."

When Dirro finally stopped, Davey posed another question. "Where is your master?"

"Hah... Hah... Do you think I'll tell you? The moment I escape from here, I'll drain your life energy, leaving you a withered husk. And that human woman you brought will be torn apart and fed to the beasts!"

"Very well, maintain your fierce demeanor."

This way, Davey wouldn't have to wrestle with guilt. They say every grave has a story, but feeling comfortable about ending someone's life with a story was an entirely different matter. Lapis's face paled at Davey's smile.

"You've misunderstood me," Davey said.

* * *

The demon world was vast, and little was known about it. Some referred to it as a different dimension, while others called it an isolated space or even a distinct continent.

"Madam Marka, we've lost the trail of the King of the Dead, Deian. It appears that the lich called Iro might have..." A succubus, kneeling in submission, quietly reported.

Marka, a woman leisurely sipping wine as red as blood from a wide bed, slowly turned her head. Her voice then flowed from her lips, mesmerizing but cold as ice. "What happened to Lapis?"

The succubus trembled and lowered her head in response. "That... that is… Cough!"

Shortly after, an unseen force seemed to lift the succubus, slowly raising her into the thin air. "Cough... Ugh... Please... save me..."

"What was your mission?"

"Ugh... Following Madam Marka's orders, we were to guard the mid-tier dream demon, Lapis..."

Crash!

"And yet you couldn't fulfill even that one command?!" The lady who shouted fiercely tightened her grip around the succubus's throat, causing the delicate creature's neck to twist, and it fainted.

“…” Other succubi, paralyzed by fear, trembled as they watched her. However, this only seemed to further incite Marka's anger.

"Pl-Please... spare me!"

Slash!

Another succubus fell, spewing blood.

"Stop this!"

Suddenly, a door quietly opened, revealing a young girl.

"Oh, who might this be?" Marka, who had been coldly staring down the succubus, approached the girl, placing her hand on the child's cheek. "After being sealed, your powers have diminished so much. With such a frail body, how could you possibly suck life energy?"

"..."

"What can a woman who lost her husband do anyway?"

"Don't speak badly of my husband," the young girl responded defiantly, her face flushed with shame.

Marka, however, only chuckled dismissively. "Because of that disgusting human, worshiping Goddess Freyja, my partner was killed. And now, I've lost contact with one of my most cherished subordinates."

"Lost contact means they're not dead yet."

"Is that so?" The woman spoke in a leisurely tone, then brushed the girl's cheek with a strange energy emanating from her fingertips. She continued, "Ah, Liline Orlouge. How delightful to see the once unruly being under Grand Duke Astaroth now fallen like this."

"I never ran wild."

"Maybe not. But there were many who didn't favor the grand purpose of the Grand Duke."

This young girl was none other than Liline Orlouge, the daughter-in-law of Grand Duke Astaroth. Despite being a succubus, she was unusually shy. And now, Liline appeared significantly smaller in presence.

"I hope you appreciate my curse."

"No Queen of Succubi before has ever cursed their own kind in such a debilitating way, specifically using a curse that makes them younger."

This could mean death to a succubus, a species that fed off life energy. Normally, they did not discriminate between humans and demons as their source, but in Liline's weakened state, sexually satisfying her target became a significant challenge.

In essence, the punishment Liline was undergoing was equivalent to a death sentence for a succubus. Even though Liline, after her marriage, had shed some succubus characteristics, her situation was dire.

"So you will be the first. Ahahahahaha!"

To the Queen of Succubi, the succubus species should have been protected as a family. Originally, Marka was a high-tier succubus, on the same level as Liline. However, when the previous Queen of Succubi disappeared while following Grand Duke Astaroth to another continent, Marka took the throne.

The problem was her capability. Being aggressive and lacking in skills, Marka's insecurities led to chaos among the succubi. Under normal circumstances, a stronger succubus would have easily replaced her. However, by chance, Marka absorbed some of the power scattered by the King of Evil Beasts. Cruel and indifferent to her kin but powerful; that was Marka now.

"Prepare for our departure. We'll deal with that useless lich ourselves. Yes, Liline. If you want my help to save your father-in-law, come, kneel, and beg at my feet."

After the war, Astaroth suffered massive damage. He managed to survive, but soon after, opposing forces rose against him. Now he lay in a sickbed, unable to rise. Liline had to do whatever was necessary, even reaching out to Marka, who she knew despised her, for help.

"..."

"Well, can't you?"

Seeing Marka sitting provocatively, extending her foot for Liline to grovel, Liline lowered her head in despair. And slowly, she began to crawl toward Marka.

After seeing Liline crawling in despair, Marka ruthlessly kicked Liline aside and spoke bitterly, her voice dripping with spite and an inferiority complex. "Bitch..."

Turning to a trembling succubus, Marka demanded, "Where is that damned lich?"

"The only ones who knew a shortcut were Deian and Lapis. But now that we've lost contact with them, there's only one way."

The answer was through the airway method. The challenge was that this tunnel, which connected the outskirts of this underworld where Marka's castle resided and an underground mountain range, was occupied by a massive entity.

"Hmm... The King of Evil Beasts..."

"We either need to distract it or subdue it, Madam Marka," the succubus informed her.

Marka nodded slowly, considering, "Even I can't easily challenge the king of evil beasts. But didn't you say it's crazy about succubus flesh?"

With a sinister grin and an even more eerie look, she turned to Liline, "Liline, your time of utility has come."

It was an implication of offering Liline as a sacrifice.

"Once it eats succubus flesh, it sleeps for nearly a week. Are you willing to go yourself?"

The pressure from Marka's questioning tone left Liline silent, fists clenched. But she murmured quietly, if she could continue the legacy of her deceased husband and help her father-in-law, she would do anything.

"Yes."

* * *

Inside the vast underground mountains, a multitude of demons, including the dreaded Kings of Evil Beasts, made their dwelling.

A small girl, dressed in vibrant attire, entered a cave with a melancholy expression. She had heard stories of the Kings of Evil Beasts. The particular creature she sought was an anomaly known as the Gluttonous Hound, Cerberus. This monstrous being had mutated in the demon world, surviving by devouring other creatures within the underground mountains.

While its colossal physique and immense strength challenged the notion of it being a Cerberus, its unmistakable trio of heads provided irrefutable evidence. Of course, its power was cataclysmic. Legend had it that this Cerberus had a penchant for succubus flesh, and once it consumed one, it would slumber for nearly a week to digest its meal.

Following Marka's command, Liline, who had willingly chosen to sacrifice herself, approached Cerberus's lair, her sadness palpable.

"Stay strong. If this can help my father..." was her sole source of solace. It served as her way of repaying the kindness of her beloved deceased husband and the care her father-in-law had shown her. While it remained uncertain whether Marka would honor her promise, Liline had no alternative.

As she ventured deeper into Cerberus' lair, which bore grim traces of blood, fear trembled within her. She was well aware that the beast's insatiable hunger had led it to hunt and consume all the succubi in the vicinity. Stepping into this nightmarish realm, tears flowed down her cheeks. If Cerberus were to consume her, Marka would likely capture the lich who resisted her, given his invaluable abilities.

THUD! THUD!

The approaching noise suggested that Cerberus had detected her presence. Petrified, Liline hugged herself, bowing her head and shaking, her cloth hood trembling atop her. "I don't want to die..."

As the deafening sound drew nearer, a massive presence loomed before her. Holding her breath, she braced herself for the impending pain, but then...

[Contractor, what is this?]

A deep but sane voice spoke.

"How should I know? Is this the right place?"

"..."

Liline slowly raised her head and gasped at the sight before her.

“Ugh…”

Her legs gave out, and she almost collapsed. A massive black dragon was staring down at her. And in its hand, a bloody and defeated Cerberus was being dragged along.