The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-543

Davey understood that Rinne was not human, so her growth couldn't follow typical human developmental patterns. Unlike humans, she could alter her physical form at will, and her method of growth differed. It wasn't about training and achieving enlightenment. So, what needed to be done?

"Rinne, there are three options," Davey said, and Rinne tilted her head in curiosity. He then added, "The first is the best, but it involves absorbing more of those bead-like things you ate. It's the most efficient and effective method."

Rinne shook her small head.

"Master Davey, the beads I absorbed are very hard to find," she assessed. With the enemy's location still unknown, they had no choice but to consider the second method.

"The second method involves using an amplification magic circle to briefly boost your devil mana," Davey explained.

"Brief amplification?" Rinne asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, we'll briefly amplify the unique devil mana you possess, resonate it, locate their position, and then I'll take them down to recover mana-infused artifacts. Essentially an extension of the first plan, but it might be quite challenging in practice."

Rinne nodded in response.

"Master Davey, Rinne, a highly advanced biogolem, doesn't consider pain an issue," she reported.

"Really?" Davey asked skeptically.

Despite his cold warning, Rinne simply nodded quietly. "Rinne, with a bio-armor, is analyzed to be very sturdy, and the internal components are also robust."

Indeed, Rinne's body was more durable than Davey had anticipated.

"Alright, then let's try the second method," he decided, and with that, Rinne lightly rose and bounced away.

* * *

To amplify Rinne's energy, they had to precisely grasp and envelop her devil mana, linking and activating it with the amplification magic circle. The process was not easy and could be very dangerous if done incorrectly, but Davey had no intention of backing down.

"Don't worry. In theory, it should be possible," he reassured in the midst of a vast plain, repeatedly checking the giant circular magic circle he had drawn, while Rinne playfully bounced on its center.

"Ideally, it should be perfect, but there's a high chance of failure, Davey," Perserque argued, considering the possibility.

After all, it wasn't just simple devil mana; it was the power of a Deathlord. Her unique body and ascension to the singular realm of a Deathlord had caused her to undergo a massive transformation. Consequently, she was able to wield a unique transcendent dark magic. In comparison, it was like the difference between the divine power used by Davey and other humans and the higher divine power of the supreme deity, Goddess Freyja. In this sense, Rho Aias was almost a divine being in a human body. If Davey missed anything, Rinne could be in great danger.

"Rinne, perhaps it's better to give up now," Perserque suggested with feigned concern.

Rinne tilted her head, looking at Perserque.

"Rinne, an exceptional biogolem. Failing to complete such a mission would mean I can't be called a superior golem of Master Davey," she reasoned.

"It's settled then," Davey said after countless recalculations.

Failure was not an option.

Taking a short breath, Davey asked, "Rinne, shall we begin?"

"Rinne, ready and reports full preparedness. Highly appraise thoroughness," she confirmed.

"Good," Davey responded. He lightly placed his hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to draw out the mana.

The devil mana almost seemed to scream in high tension, "Use me! Use me!" as it slowly activated the magic circle through Davey's hand. Simultaneously, dozens of large and small magic circles, spanning tens of meters, began to emit light and transform one by one.

"Perserque, please keep a close watch on the surroundings," Davey requested.

It was crucial not to reveal the use of devil mana for the time being.

Whoosh!

In response, she looked at him with some displeasure before vanishing.

A low resonance began as the central, large magic circle started to absorb the devil mana. Soon, a dark force began to emanate from the ground, and in response, a small amount of devil mana started to flow from Rinne's body. It was the unique, one-of-a-kind power of a Deathlord.

Woong…

"Report, report! A significant amount of energy is resonating..." Rinne, fascinated, began to wave her arms about and spoke as her own devil mana resonated with the one produced by the magic circle Davey had implemented.

However, suddenly, her expression distorted, and she began to roll on the ground in agony.

"Rinne!!" Davey shouted.

She thrashed and cried out, "Error! Error! Massive energy detection... collision... overload..."

Dark energy burst from her body like flames, clashing with Davey's magic circle. The situation was akin to giving someone with Type A blood a transfusion of Type B blood. Theoretically, Rinne's body could explode from the reaction and shatter into pieces.

"Endure it! I will make this a success!" Davey declared.

Theoretically, it should have been perfect, but from his experience, the success rate was barely 10 percent. The remaining 90 percent depended solely on his skill.

Even as the rampaging devil mana began to erode his body, Davey did not look away from Rinne. The dark currents that had reached his right eye left marks on his face and discolored the white of his eye. Tears of blood trickled down from the intense pain. Conversely, Rinne's screams began to subside as the side effects gradually shifted to Davey.

"Master Davey! Rinne is an exceptional biogolem!" she exclaimed as she understood the reason why the pain dissipated. She banged on the transparent wall of the magic circle she was in, her expression blank but seemingly furious.

"Don't worry about me. Just focus, damn it," Davey grunted, suppressing the severe pain and closing his eyes.

Pain was relative. This was nothing compared to the agony he had suffered when he first fell into the corridor and was mauled by a sandworm while learning survival skills from Hercules.

‘Don't underestimate the resilience of a millennium-old human,’ he thought.

Thud!

Davey pressed down on the mana from Rho Aias, which was about to shatter his body, and forcefully planted one hand on the ground. Immediately, a massive amount of energy burst forth, creating an enormous magic circle that began to compress and expand repeatedly.

Woong!!!

The magic circle, filled with explosive energy, began to compress slowly.

Boom!

And when it had compressed to a certain extent, a massive rumble, audible even kilometers away, enveloped the entire Heins territory. Concurrently, Rinne's amplification magic circle shattered, and the dark traces eroding Davey's body began to fade.

“Haaa…haaa…” Gasping for air and kneeling, Davey collapsed.

Rinne quickly rushed over and toppled him, climbing onto his fallen body and gathering particles. "Error! Error! Red signals detected in Master Davey's biometric data! Rinne will operate!"

At her outcry, Davey chuckled and pushed her forehead away with one hand. She fell with a thud, and Davey frowned, slowly getting up. He muttered, "Your owner won't die so easily."

It was absurd to risk his life just for amplifying someone else's mana. It was a brief attempt to glimpse the divine realm with human power, perhaps a natural consequence. But now, there was a more pressing issue.

As the pain gradually subsided, Davey slowly rose. "Found you, you bastards."

* * *

In the dimly lit cave, a girl and a boy were bound in chains, hanging against the wall. Figures in black robes with conical hoods obscured their faces, adding an eerie atmosphere as they proclaimed themselves the saviors of the world.

"Ah... Ahhh..."

The boy, half-naked and slumped with a near-dead look in his eyes, lifted his head.

"This is... a lie..."

His voice was stained with pain, rightfully so for a being who should not have been capable of feeling such torment.

"How fascinating. Even a foreigner, who hardly feels pain, is affected by such powerful magic. Truly, a formidable curse," remarked a man with black hair and a crazed look, emerging from among the robed figures.

"Oh dear, are you still doing alright?" he asked mockingly, then turned his attention to the girl tied next to the boy, roughly touching her unconscious face. "This young lady seems almost in the grasp of the god of death. It's going to be difficult to elicit proper terror from her. It's even challenging to infuse the great Deathlord's power."

At his command, a couple of the robed figures slowly walked over and released the shackles supporting the girl's arms.

Thud!

Her body collapsed, seemingly lifeless.

“Ahh… ahh… ahh!” The boy widened his eyes in horror and screamed, though his voice was barely audible after the brutal torture.

"How unexpected, such spirit remains. The mental fortitude of foreigners is impressive indeed," the man said as the boy's eyes, now empty, began to shed tears.

Both the boy and the girl were outsiders, mere gamers who enjoyed playing games. The girl, the boy's older sister and a top player in Alf Online, had brought him into this world to show him its beauty, only for them to be subjected to horrific torture and strange curses by these vile people.

Their ordeal began accidentally during a quest for a new item. But after a series of events, the boy regained consciousness to find them trapped in this dark cave for weeks, unable to log out. The real horror started when their captors realized the siblings wouldn't assist them, subjecting them to terrible torture. The boy couldn't comprehend how pain could be inflicted on a user's body, but the captors claimed to be utilizing the power of a being called the Deathlord. It seemed like a far-fetched tale because mere data affecting the system didn't make sense.

Yet, why was his sister in such agony, and why would she not wake up? Why couldn't they log out of this virtual reality? A chilling thought crept into the boy's mind: had his sister truly died? It was supposed to be just a game. Games couldn't kill people. But why did he feel so unsettled?

Despair filled the boy's face as his tears fell sorrowfully. "No, please tell me it's not true. Sister, please."

The black-haired man cruelly crushed the boy's desperate hope. "Ah, perhaps you believe that as a foreigner, you might live if you return. How quaint."

The boy wanted to kill him but lacked the strength. Instead, he glared at the man with eyes full of anguish.

"Unfortunately, that's impossible. This place you speak of, it's not a game. Surprising, isn't it? Typically, humans can't make you aware of this fact. A transcendental being prevents it," the man continued, prodding the boy's wounded body as if sharing a secret. "This is reality."

It was a horrible and dreadful truth the boy had already begun to suspect.