The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

"That was basically a gamble, wasn’t it? You really are one crazy bastard," Isildi said while looking at Davey like he’d lost his mind.

Disregarding the power of taboo, Khan had consumed an enormous amount of mana—enough to defeat Sleesia, at least. His strength was beyond imagination, making it only natural that it would be difficult for Isildi to handle him.

In the meantime, their only hope, Davey, had transferred most of his mana to Khan. If things had gone wrong, they could've all ended up being devoured by Khan who would have become so powerful that it was impossible to stop him.

However, the ruse was successful, and in the end, Khan's body was split into three pieces and Davey was able to neatly inject his inner elixir into the Gem.

With Davey not using his full strength in his attacks on Khan, speed was crucial in defeating him. If Khan had successfully used all the energy Davey had worked so hard to feed him, Davey’s efforts would have turned futile.

Soon after Khan—the main force behind the locust swarm—had vanished, the swarms of locusts that had gathered from all directions began to disperse and eventually disappeared completely.

And then…

"T—The sky… The sky is clearing up!!”

The dark sky of the Demon World began to brighten with light.

The sky of the demon world was normally considered quite dark. However, immediately after Khan, pretty much the last demonic beast, disappeared, the sky began to clear. In the case of Killer Rabbit, he didn't have any power left to affect the Demon World anymore. As the sky changed even further, Davey became certain that Khan had been the cause.

“The sky... The sky is completely clear now!!”

“I can’t believe it...”

Davey wasn’t sure if it was because the demons were happy that they had defeated their enemy or if they were shocked by the clear sky, but he could see their faces lighting up. The demons cheered, unable to take their eyes off the brightened sky and unsure of whether or not the darkness would return overhead.

“What dangerous thing are you trying to do this time?” Kain asked as he saw the demons from afar while walking toward Davey.

“Instead of spending our time in the demon world doing this, we could have just captured and absorbed the Evil Beast Kings in remote areas outside.”

The northern part of Pandora territory, located in the northern region of central Tionis, was home to many powerful Evil Beast Kings like Shandra Minea’s clones. Each one of them was a monster comparable to dozens of sword masters.

In fact, when the Shandra Minea clones had moved in the past, it led to a situation where a large number of master-level knights from the Alpha Reinforcements were killed or injured.

Davey thought how it really could work out if there were more than one of these beings. In fact, he knew it would also be the most efficient approach.

But in the end, he shook his head.

“I just wanted to see if the Armor of Atlantis was really effective.”

“Sir, don’t lie to me… I know you just forgot.”

Davey lightly bounced his body, ignoring Kain’s skeptical remarks. The demons who couldn't take their eyes off the clear sky turned silent as he stood in front of them.

“Those who died, raise your hands.”

“...”

But then Davey realized he wouldn’t get any answer from motionless corpses.

“To be frank, I knew I wouldn’t be able to save everyone… But a lot more died than I expected,” Davey mumbled in a low volume he thought to be practically silent. However, all the demons still heard him.

“I’m sorry. I can’t bring back the dead once they’re gone, which makes me someone who couldn’t keep their promise.”

There was actually one possible way to save them, but Davey knew it wasn't worth the effort and risk when he didn’t know how much life he would need to use in return.

As the demons sighed in bitterness at his muttering, Gonda, the security force leader, stepped forward.

“It’s true that we feel uneasy and resent you for killing our friends and families.”

Davey realized that earning their true loyalty would be difficult since he was essentially the mortal enemy who had taken away their loved ones.

However…

“But it is also true that, when the ruling class demons who were supposed to protect us ran away, you came to save us. Everyone here knows that we would have all died without you!”

He lowered his halberd in a stern manner and raised his head. He then turned around and, after a brief silence, shouted at the soldiers.

“Salute the Demon King!!”

Davey knew the shout was just a formality, but it was more than enough for him. The demon soldiers lined up beside Gonda with their distinct, disciplined posture and gave Davey a demon salute.

“Oh wow, I don’t know what to say.”

Davey knew he wouldn’t be able to get closer with the demons right now. The ultra-high-ranking class that controlled the demons, among them Astaroth, was wary of Davey and was trying to help stabilize the chaotic demon world. On the other hand, the middle ruling class didn’t miss the opportunity to exploit the demons, taking everything they could.

In short, the demon world was still in chaos.

Because of this exploitation, there was some extra room for public opinion to sway in his favor, but it was still difficult to completely earn the demons' trust as their new Demon King.

However, even a journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step. Davey knew he had plenty of time ahead and planned to help the demons live decently in this land.

But some might wonder why he would do such a thing for beings that were once his enemies. The reason was to fulfill a promise Davey had made to two demons, and the responsibility he felt as a result. He understood that they were a product of their situation, and in the end, both sides were victims.

The main culprit was Goddess Freyja, who created the adversary and Demon King. But since there was virtually no means to go against her, all they could do was hold their anger in and wait for their opportunity.

[Oh, Davey, are you leaving?]

"You..."

There was still Killer Rabbit left, and Davey was just thinking about what to do with him.

[I'm currently attached to you, Davey. You can have my attention wherever you go. How do you like it? Do you feel ecstatic?]

“I feel disgusted.”

***

Coordinates for returning to Earth were of limited use. The current cooldown for using the Dimensional Key was about two to three days. Although it changed periodically depending on the amount of power, it was currently at a level where there was enough to move a large airship the size of Asgard in about three days.

As soon as they started moving between dimensions, the surrounding scenery began to morph. From the half-destroyed city, full of the demons' unique architectural style, he then began to see Earth with buildings undergoing restoration.

Even though it had only been a few days at most, Davey felt like he had been in the demon world for a very long time.

All of the Malicious Spirits that directly threatened Earth were dead, so there was virtually no reason for Davey to stay here anymore—it was now time to leave the place and return home. Of course, in order to do that, the entire airship had to be moved back to Tionis, so the fact that he had to go to Earth didn’t change.

Davey also thought he should at least say goodbye to Hyun-Ah, who had confidently recognized him as Shin Hyun-Soo. He knew that once he left, he wouldn’t be returning to Earth unless something serious came up.

As they entered the wormhole-like space connecting dimensions, an intangible force pushed him through to the other side. Isildi, who wasn’t used to dimensional travel, frowned as if she was experiencing motion sickness. They floated through the zero-gravity space, heading toward Earth.

“This place amazes me every time I see it,” Kain said, waving his hand and tapping the surface of the huge whirlpool.

The borders of each dimension briefly became visible.

The Yurgian Continent.

The Central Martial Alliance of the Heavenly Central Plains.

Although they couldn't see all the barriers they wanted, as they were rifts of each specific dimension, they were still connected to every dimension.

“The Central Martial Alliance...”

“Once you stabilize enough, you can go there,” Davey reassured her.

She was not completely stabilized yet, which was why she was just waiting silently.

Then Kain, as if he was bored of waiting, tapped the huge flow as a goof, and then Earth showed up.

"Uh?"

There would have been nothing to be surprised about if he had just seen Earth how it normally was. But if Davey wasn't mistaken, he had every right to be surprised.

“Did you see that?”

“What do you mean?”

"Nevermind. It must've just been my imagination.”

Davey felt like he had briefly seen the back of someone familiar. People often say that when they see something similar to what they’re used to, they mistakenly think it's the same thing. But even so, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled by how out-of-place it was.

Zzt, zzzt!!

Eventually, the dimensional rift pushed the three, including Davey, to their designated location. Then a sudden intangible force came out and started pulling him and Isildi apart.

“What?! What is this?!”

Given she had no power to manipulate dimensions, Isildi was quickly pulled away from Davey. As Kain swiftly disappeared to get her, Davey was separated from the two and thrown into a strange place.

[You will follow the will of God.]

Davey woke up to an unknown voice and he found himself at a funeral home honoring the dead.

"Ah... Ahhh..."

A small boy was sobbing while holding onto a portrait of a man. Beside him, there were young boys and girls huddled together with tears streaming down their faces.

Without a doubt, Davey could tell that someone had passed away. When he looked around, he couldn't see Kain or Isildi. In fact, there were hardly any people around.

He wondered if the dead person didn’t have many people to come visit them. As he looked around blankly, an old man with a weary expression approached him in a wheelchair.

“Young man, have you also come to pray for my son to rest in peace?”

Davey went blank for a moment at his question but soon nodded. He had thought he was pretty well known on Earth, but going by the old man’s words, that didn't seem to be the case.

Coordinates getting mixed up was something that happened all the time, but Davey had no way of knowing why he ended up here out of all the places.

Davey figured it’d be awkward to just leave as he was already here so he just nodded quietly.

He didn’t know who had died, but it wasn’t difficult to pray for the soul of the deceased and offer divine blessings. As he entered the room in silence, the small children looked at him with tearful faces. They forced themselves to hold back their tears and bowed to him.

He bowed back at them and lit an incense. He looked up and saw the man in the portrait smiling brightly.

“Why did they take you so early… Why did you leave these little ones behind...” the old man in the wheelchair exclaimed as he came from behind.

“Thank… Thank you for coming... Thank you...”

A boy thanked Davey while hiccupping. There was a strange feeling in the silent funeral home. Davey silently opened his Pocket Plane and took out what he was looking for. He retrieved a very luxurious-looking envelope which seemed to have banknotes in it. He picked up a pen from nearby, wrote his name on it, and inserted it into the box in front of him.

"Rest in peace. Although things may be difficult, I know your loved ones will be able to make it through,” Davey said calmly. He then turned around to leave. But then,

“Have you eaten?”

"Pardon?”

"Please… Please stay for a meal.”

Davey smiled bitterly and nodded at the old man’s words.

***

“The guy lying in the coffin over there is actually my son.”

“I offer my condolences.”

“I’m not saying this just to hear those words. I just… I just wanted to let things out a bit, because my body is like this and I have no clue how to go about raising those kids since their mother has already passed away as well.”

“Did he die in an accident?”

“Well, the news also didn’t reveal his identity, so it makes sense for you to not know. Are you aware of the recent incident that’s been on the news?”

Davey remained silent as he listened to his weak, trembling voice.

“The incident about underaged children drunk driving, stealing cars, hitting people, and running away. He’s the victim.”

The man went on and told Davey about how his son had lived a truly sincere life. He had four children, but their mother left the world early due to a chronic illness, leaving him alone to raise the children.

“...”

The day of the incident was like no other. In addition to his day job, he earned money by working part-time at night with the sole intention of trying to buy his children delicious food. It seemed that while he was going back home from his job as a designated driver, a car suddenly hit him.

“The doctor said that if they had taken him to the hospital right away, he would have survived. But according to the detective, the kids crushed my son with their vehicle again after hitting him initially. His ribs were completely crushed, and he ended up dying on the spot.”

His eyes swelled up as he muttered bitterly.

“How could you go like this… How could you go before your father[1] …”

“He surely did wrong, leaving his old man like this,” Davey said calmly. The old man nodded bitterly and drank a glass of soju.

“How do I raise those children from now on? To be frank, my son didn’t know a lot of people since he was so obsessed with work. He didn’t socialize, and only had about five friends. Although they’re not here right now, they were actually the only ones who came to the funeral. That’s why I’m grateful you’re here.”

Aside from them and the few remaining family members, Davey was the only one who came to honor him. Although it wasn’t planned, if he could bring a little bit of comfort to the hearts of a few people, there was no reason for him to not honor the man’s death.

Then Davey asked a follow up question.

“What happened to the minor who drove the vehicle?”

But his question seemed to have acted as a trigger. The old man finally couldn't hold back any longer and cried. Unlike his once strong appearance, he cried like a frail old man now. His voice choked with emotion as he silently wept, unable to say a word.

“They told me that the kid who was driving was only thirteen years old. You may not be from this country, but this country doesn’t properly punish children under the age of thirteen. They say there’s a juvenile law or something.”

"Thir… teen years old?”

Davey couldn’t help but think that the world was going crazy.

“I couldn’t believe it myself… And since the people who were riding with him were not driving the car themselves, they were all released on probation. They just went through perfunctory disciplinary measures.”

The old man cried even harder.

“This couldn't have happened if there was a God… I've been going to church and praying to God all my life! What good is wealth and fame? I prayed that my son, who worked hard to raise his children, would stay healthy! But then, what is this? God took my son away. But this isn’t all.

“At the very least, I begged for those evil bastards who killed my son to be punished. I know I won’t live much longer anyway. But God didn’t even hear the last prayers of a dying old man—things wouldn’t be like this if God surely existed.”

Davey gave him a handkerchief and patted him on the back as he sobbed.

“I am not sure what the right thing to say is right now, but… I really don’t know what to say…”

The old man didn't stop crying for a long time. The tears of an old father who had lost his son came across as heartbreakingly sad.

***

“Thank you so much for coming. My son would be grateful too.”

“Sir, please look at this.”

The old man looked at his hands.

[Holy Magic]

[Recovery]

Then the pathogens in the old man’s body became weakened. Although Davey couldn't do anything about the old man’s lower body paralysis, he thought he could at least help make him feel more comfortable.

“The bad guys will still get punished someday.”

"Yes… Yes… Your words mean a lot…”

Of course, there was nothing Davey could really do. He could put pressure on the Korean government to punish the offenders, but he had no right to intervene like that.

Davey only intervened in issues regarding those associated with him, refraining from making other moves. After all, this was a problem of Korea, not his. He knew he didn’t have the right to boss others. He knew he was still the Prince of the Kingdom of Rowane, although he had given up his right to succession.

Davey left the incense altar, leaving the crying children behind. Kain and Isildi then appeared as if they had been patiently waiting.

“Oh, you were here. But…”

“What’s up with that face?”

“I’m feeling quite bitter right now.”

“This place... is a place where human funerals are held. I'm glad you didn’t go through any trouble. Let’s get ready to return to Tionis.”

"Alright.”

After responding calmly, Davey turned his back to the funeral home door leading to the basement. He reminded himself that helping only partially would be the same as not helping at all.

***

There was a lot of talk about the minors every day on the news, as they not only stole cars but also drank alcohol and ran people over. However, the police concealed some of the facts and withheld the identities of the criminals in the name of protecting their human rights. They also only gave them probation and light disciplinary actions, using their young age as an excuse.

It was without a doubt a terrible outcome.

When Davey went on his personal channel that he had run for a while after coming to Earth, he saw that it had become an online community where people had been frequently chatting about it. It was his fault, as he hadn’t taken care of his channel.

[What the hell is wrong with this country?]

[XXXX, I thought the world couldn’t get any worse than it already is.]

[It’s even worse since it’s gotten to this point. Look at those bastards using this to their advantage as the election approaches. They probably won’t give two fucks about it later on.]

[I saw the victim's funeral a while ago. No one was there. They made a fuss about it, but everyone else was indifferent.]

[What is wrong with this world…]

But Davey knew he couldn't do anything. He just turned away, bitterly ignoring their conversation.

As the Asgardian crew realized that he had returned, they briefly reunited. He then announced their future plans and checked on Rinne’s condition.

"Hm?”

He discovered something strange about some parts of her body.

“Rinne.”

She tilted her head with a blank face.

“What’s up with this?” Davey asked, pointing to her leg. He noticed that her already weakened legs, worn down by excessive repairs, had become even more fragile to the point that even a strike with an iron pipe would leave scars and bruises. Her leg was severely distorted, too.

Rinne looked at Davey quietly and answered.

“Rinne collided with Earth’s steel vehicles. Rinne confirms she had endured the collision. Rinne highly evaluates her durability, even though she is currently under repair.”

Davey stopped operating on Rinne after hearing her response.

“Say that again. What smashed into who?”

1. In Korea, dying before your parents is regarded as a violation of their filial duty. It's similar to how one should treasure oneself since their body is given by their parents. But people don't actually think the deceased is morally wrong. It's one way to express their grief. ☜

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Orb's Blorbs

Good Lord, this chapter was heart-wrenching ಥ_ಥ Both because of that poor man's grief-stricken family and because wtf Davey. He saw all that and still is clearly only going to do something about it now because Rinne was involved. If Davey ultimately wasn't going to do anything I was gonna riot

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

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