The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-599

It was Rinne's responsibility to disguise the cave where Princess Jadeflower, Su-Yoon, had been hiding.

With her arms spread wide, Rinne summoned her unique power, and eventually, she even started to utilize the dark mana characteristic of the Death Lord Rho Aias. It was unclear by what mechanism Rinne managed to incorporate the dark mana into her own power, but she was unleashing incredible power, nearly equivalent to the energy generated by a nuclear plant going full throttle.

During the fight with the Illuminati, Rinne had absorbed numerous artifacts from the Death Lord Rho Aias, accumulating a considerable amount of energy within herself.

"So, what's the plan now?" Yun Hee-Ryeong asked, arms crossed.

It looked like Yun Hee-Ryeong was displeased with the situation.

"Don’t worry, I am a princess of the Country of Yu. There's no one who would not listen to the words of a princess..."

"Stay here," Davey suggested firmly.

Princess Jadeflower turned to look at him.

"What’s that again?" she asked.

"Speaking out won't change anything," Davey responded.

Princess Jadeflower frowned and glared at him, clearly unimpressed.

"How impertinent—" Princess Jadeflower started, but a voice interrupted her.

"Davey is of royal blood as well, so you should watch your words."

It was Perserque. Emerging from beyond a wall, hidden by a force that warped the very space around her, this girl of otherworldly beauty sharply rebuked the princess.

"My husband is of a noble lineage."

Perserque’s statement caused everyone to look at Davey with surprise in their eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Davey inquired, his tone sharp.

"No, it's just... you're quite casual for someone of royal blood,"

"Better to be light-hearted than dignified and incompetent, isn't it?" Davey retorted.

Su-Yoon's brows furrowed at his sharp remark.

"Impudent—no, how rude!" Su-Yoon corrected herself upon remembering his royal status, but she still glared at him.

"What about me is incompetent?" Su-Yoon demanded, her voice laced with indignation.

Perserque, seizing the moment to steer the conversation, asked, "What were your thoughts upon seeing Prince Wol Gye-Woo?"

As the competition host on behalf of the Country of Yu, Su-Yoon had been meeting with Prince Wol Gye-Woo far more than anyone else here. Thus, she was naturally the one who should be most familiar with the prince.

"He…had a profound interest in martial arts?" Su-Yoon replied.

"See, that’s why I said you’re incompetent," Davey pointed out.

"What did you say?! Then tell me! In what way am I incompetent?" Su-Yoon demanded, her voice rising with frustration.

"Just because you go and tell them doesn’t mean that they’ll agree that nothing happened and overlook it," Davey said calmly.

Since the Country of Hwan had a pretext, they wouldn’t miss an opportunity to wage war against the Country of Yu. It wouldn’t matter that Yu and Davey were not actually responsible for killing Wol Gye-Woo.

"Hwan will use any reason they have to bite and tear at Yu," Perserque stated.

That was what Wol Gye-Woo had hoped for, although he had never anticipated his own death being the trigger for war.

"Th… Then what am I supposed to do? Haven't you said it yourself? That my existence could overturn this crisis!" Su-Yoon exclaimed.

With her pride more and more wounded, her face turned red as she pointed an accusing finger at Davey.

"Come on, tell me! If there's anything I can do, anything that could stop this war, I'll support it fully!" Su-Yoon insisted.

"What about our pursuers?" Davey asked, shifting the topic slightly.

"They've all been frozen. They're skilled experts, so they won't die, but it’ll be impossible for them to look for us in that state," Perserque explained.

Their partially frozen bodies would take a long time to thaw using qi. Even those who avoided the blizzard would also find it challenging to pursue Davey’s party further due to the blizzard's aftermath.

"Now, tell me. Who is it? Who has done this? The junior leader of the Ak Rim Sect was also killed by someone. The silent assassination of such a formidable figure is no trivial matter," Yun Hee-Ryeong pressed, seeking answers to the deeper machinations at play.

"Princess Jadeflower, if you do not act, war will ensue," Perserque warned, her voice carrying the weight of the impending crisis.

"I... I know! Haven't I said that I would go and explain myself!" Su-Yoon retorted, her frustration evident.

She was the one who had encountered the assassin from the Abyss, a being without form, whose mere presence instinctively invoked terror. The horrific visage of that entity was something she seemed unable to forget.

"Let's hear what you have to say first," she prompted, seeking clarity.

"I'll lay out the situation for you. First, Wol Gye-Woo has really been murdered by that creature. The method was too vile for me to intervene in time to prevent it," Davey explained.

It would be too much of a loss to revive Wol Gye-Woo, even though he hadn’t been dead for long. In addition, he had no spare Lasting Ember to facilitate such a revival.

"As a result, both the Evil Path’s Martial Alliance and the Country of Hwan will now hunt me to death," he concluded, foreseeing the inevitable enmity that would arise.

There existed a method to prevent the Country of Hwan from attacking, but it was considered a final measure, as it would disrupt the balance of the Heavenly Central Plains, making it impossible to maintain.

"That sounds likely," Su-Yoon agreed.

"Obviously, I have no intention of letting myself be captured or giving them any advantage. Therefore, the enemy will likely attack my allies."

This meant targeting both the Righteous Path Martial Alliance and the Country of Yu.

Wol Gye-Woo was someone who never missed an opportunity, and he had been merely seeking a pretext for war. In other words, preparations for war had already been made.

"With that in mind, it’s best if the outside world thinks you are dead for now."

Given that they had both suffered, the Country of Hwan would not have the luxury to pursue Davey immediately, nor could they afford to attack the Country of Yu and the Righteous Path Martial Alliance, who were fellow victims.

"Considering that your affiliation was with the Righteous Path Martial Alliance, there's a possibility that they will cling to that fact and exploit it," Su-Yoon pointed out.

"Worry not. Hwan won't have the luxury to do so," Davey reassured.

Those around Davey looked at him with perplexity upon hearing his words, but it was to be expected. If they were to pay attention to something else when there was an overwhelming dangerous enemy in front of them, then they would have to pay a price for this negligence.

Davey then retrieved all the Absolute Gem fragments he possessed from his Pocket Plane. When he placed them all together, they began to emit a greenish light and started merging into one.

"Unbelievable..." Everyone gasped, their eyes widening at the mystical sight.

The fragments of the Absolute Gems fused completely into a gem the size of a knuckle, radiating a brilliant light the color of jade, captivating everyone who witnessed it.

He left the cave that had been concealed by Rinne's magic, and once he was outside, he slowly raised one hand. They trailed behind him, curious, but soon tilted their heads in confusion upon seeing the fan and the Shamanic Rattle he had taken out.

"What are you planning to do?" Yun Hee-Ryeongasked, intrigued by his actions.

"Just watch," Davey replied with a hint of mystery.

Ding!!

With a clear, ringing sound, the bells chimed. Although the contraption was hastily made and not expected to be efficient, summoning something that already existed posed no difficulty.

A voice unlike Davey’s usual tone emanated from his mouth.

[By the name of the contractor, I command thee.]

Ye born of my wishes, appear at this place in accordance with the contract.

Tsut..ut!!

Clang!!

As the clear sound of the bells resonated once more, Davey opened the fan, and at its end, sparks of lightning began to gather, heralding the arrival of the being bound by the contract.

"Seems like this one’s first," Davey declared.

Boom!!!

As Davey spoke, the sky began to fill with dark clouds, and a vast power gathered. Thinking about it, this was indeed a world where one could draw upon qi almost without limit.

"What… What is that?!" exclaimed in horror Yun Hee-Ryeong, along with Kwak Mi-Young and Su-Yoon. Their eyes widened as they looked up at the sky.

The entity that appeared was one they all recognized well. A creature of immense length, covered in blue scales, with a pair of whiskers and clutching in its mouth a dragon orb, a symbol of power. It was one of the Four Divine Beasts, the one known for bringing lightning and stirring the winds—the Azure Dragon, Rumble.

Roarrr!!!

With a roar that shook the heavens, the Divine Beast began to greedily absorb the abundant power that filled this world the moment it revealed itself. The Azure Dragon appeared larger, more imposing, and exuded a more overwhelming presence than ever before, scattering its formidable essence in all directions.

"Th… The Azure Dragon?!" Yun Hee-Ryeong gasped in disbelief.

"It’s a Divine Beast?! Are you telling me the Four Divine Beasts actually exist!" Su-Yoon exclaimed.

The Azure Dragon, Rumble, made its dramatic entrance, appearing and disappearing within the massive clouds before slowly descending towards Davey. Upon seeing this, Perserque furrowed her brow.

"Making quite the spectacle of an entrance," Perserque noted.

"Better that everyone knows," Davey said.

They gazed at Davey with eyes full of suspicion, wondering if he had truly summoned the Azure Dragon, one of the legendary Four Divine Beasts. However, he did not feel compelled to respond.

‘Is such a fuss necessary over just one?’ Davey thought, then flicked the Shamanic Rattle once more. Simultaneously, at the end of the fan, flames began to emerge instead of lightning this time.

"Come forth," Davey commanded. He had only treated the previous summoning with dignity since he was acknowledging the significance of it being the first to appear.

Whoosh!!!

Mirroring the Azure Dragon's tempestuous arrival, a massive flame erupted in the air. The fire blazed as if forming giant characters, and then soon engulfed the entire space. Amidst the inferno, a giant egg appeared.

"The intensity of these flames... I've heard the Jegal family could call upon the power of Four Divine Beasts, but this..." Yun Hee-Ryeong murmured.

Despite the overwhelming heat, their gaze did not waver.

"It's magnificent... truly awe-inspiring..." Su-Yoon marveled.

Their attention was completely captured by the emergence of the Vermillion Bird—Fire Chicken.

Davey frowned, growing impatient with the spectacle. "Hurry up and come out! We don't have time for you to be showing off!"

Craaaack!

At Davey's shout, the egg shattered instantly, revealing a bird enveloped in sun-like flames. The Vermillion Bird revealed itself. With the arrival of the Azure Dragon and the Vermillion Bird descending slowly from the sky, everyone's attention once again turned towards Davey.

As all eyes turned back to Davey, wondering what he would demonstrate next, he chided their eagerness with a tingling of bells.

Clang!!

Following the sound, the ground began to tremble. This time, the phenomenon took a slightly different turn.

The first two Divine Beasts had made massively grand entrances, showing off their incredible power.

One was known for its uncontrollable rage, and at the same time, its pride that looked down upon all existence. The other was fierce and arrogant, but equally, its pride was immense. However, this one was a bit different.

Kabooom!!!

With a tremendous explosion, fragments of the ground gathered to form the massive figure of a tiger. Compared to Fire Chicken and Rumble, it was on the smaller side, but the power it exuded was in no way inferior.

Everyone gulped dry. They naturally understood that this was the White Tiger, the Divine Beast that represented the earth element. What kind of imposing presence would the White Tiger show?

As it turned out, the White Tiger’s imposing presence truly surpassed their expectations.

“...”

“...”

Silence fell over everyone.

Snork… Snoork… Purr…Grawrr…

With a deep, rumbling purr, it lay on its back, sprawled out, asleep.

"Is... is that the White Tiger?" Yun Hee-Ryeong questioned in disbelief.

"The White Tiger, known to be among the wisest of the Four Divine Beasts?" Su-Yoon added, her tone laced with skepticism.

‘Wise? The White Tiger?’

"It’s a cat," Davey remarked dryly.

Indeed, big or small, cats are cats. And cats are aloof and arrogant, but at the same time, goofy.

Actually, compared to those making a grand entrance, this one seemed better in a strange way. The White Tiger named Whitey lay on its back as if nothing in the surroundings mattered enough to disturb its slumber, and the sight left everyone flabbergasted. Some were shocked, some were perplexed, some discombobulated, while others found it hard to believe what they were seeing.

Regardless of the reactions, the White Tiger remained indifferent. Meanwhile, the two divine beasts already in the sky seemed to be reveling in their own majesty, oblivious to the unconventional demeanor of their earth-bound companion.

"Come down here, you brats!" shouted Davey irritably, having finally lost his patience.

He was unable to bear the divine beasts' boasting any longer. At his command, a spark of fire flared in the eyes of both Fire Chicken and Rumble, as they turned their gaze upon him.

The look they were giving him was one of defiance.

"Ahh… Looks like they're really angry now?" Yun Hee-Ryeong said, her face tense as she attempted to dissuade Davey.

Both Kwak Mi-Young and Su-Yoon appeared quite frightened by Davey's outburst towards the Four Divine Beasts, worried about the dreadful possibility of provoking the wrath of such magnificent creatures.

But that was precisely what Davey had aimed for. In this world, where sorcery and Four Divine Beasts existed, the sheer presence of these Four Divine Beasts, even stronger in this realm, was enough to instill fear in their adversaries—a significant advantage.

Davey intended to make full use of this advantage by showcasing the Divine Beasts’ power and forcing both nations to heighten their vigilance, thereby escalating the tension to its peak.

Roarrrrr…

Whoosh!!!

But the Divine Beasts, intoxicated by the pervasive energy of the Central Plains that made them stronger and more reckless, seemed to have lost all sense of fear and hierarchy. It appeared necessary to remind them of their place.

Hiss!!

Davey thus pulled out a large metallic spear from his Pocket Plane—the cross-shaped Divine Spear Longinus, second to none in durability.

“Ptooey!”

Smirking sinisterly, Davey spat lightly into his palm, his demeanor both threatening and amused at the same time.

"Yeah, I know you’re feeling happy because you became stronger. But a healthy amount of fear is something really necessary, you know?" he mused aloud.

Some of his companions were horrified at the thought of provoking the Divine Beasts, but they immediately turned wide-eyed at the events triggered by Davey's daring challenge.

The reason for their shock was...