The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1235.2

Josiah led Davey to a forest not far from the villa where Mit Chyde was staying.

Since she had only ever arrived using a reverse summoning circle, she couldn’t transport others the same way, but Davey had opened a dimensional gate so that there were no issues.

[2nd Circle]

[Lightning]

After quickly gathering mana and chaining together a full incantation, Mit Chyde launched a lightning spell at a massive boulder before then collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.

He had expected to reach the 2nd Circle eventually once he committed to undergoing proper training, but the speed of his growth still surprised him. Naturally, he felt proud of himself. A strange sense of confidence began to rise within him.

He began to think that maybe—just maybe—he could reach the 3rd Circle within the target period.

“Still, controlling mana is really difficult...”

However, he still hadn’t adjusted to the completely new system of mana control Josiah had imposed.

Zzzt.

Just then, a gate tore open, and Josiah emerged from within. It looked different from her usual contract summoning arrivals, and he quickly found out the reason. She hadn’t used magic this time, instead ripping open a gate herself.

“Is training going well?” 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Mit, exhausted, dropped down to sit on the ground. “You’re here.”

Josiah beamed with satisfaction. “Hehe. Well? Not bad, right? You can already feel the effects of my training after just a few days, can’t you?”

“Not bad at all.”

Along with Josiah came Davey O’Rowane. Then, beside him...

“Ah!”

“Hey.”

Mit Chyde stared blankly at Perserque, then quickly flinched. He had noticed that Davey was staring at him intently with a wide smile.

“Get any stupid ideas, and I’ll scoop your eyeballs out.”

That chilling threat delivered with such a cheerful grin made Mit shiver and rapidly shake his head.

Mercifully, the beautiful woman standing next to Davey smacked him lightly on the back. “Davey!”

“Kidding. So, think you can hit the 3rd Circle in time, kid?”

“I’ll try everything I can. Every tool, every option. If it takes effort—”

“You know, jumping from 1st to 3rd Circle in this short of a time period isn’t just difficult—it’s practically impossible. Not technically impossible, but this method still won’t work well enough to make it happen.”

His words made Josiah scoff. “Yes, it will! I get it now. I finally understand how you used to teach us back then, Teacher.”

She raised a finger and pointed at Mit. “Alright, show him. Show him how perfectly my theory has taken hold in you. Teacher will be stunned!”

Mit felt strange for some reason, but nodded nonetheless.

Since breaking into the 6th Circle, Josiah’s teaching method had completely changed. The way she explained mana flow, control, and even spell computation had changed as well.

Thanks to that, he had broken through to the 2nd Circle far quicker than expected. Even so, he felt that Davey didn’t seem too impressed.

“Wait... You’re a mage?” Mit abruptly asked him.

“Are you an idiot? Of course he is! He’s my teacher!”

“But... he’s a Saint. Can he even do that?”

“Teacher’s... a special case.”

Mit didn’t really get why she sounded so smug compared to how she had been when he first met her.

Following her instructions, he quickly began to cast magic using the system she had developed. It was just a basic Magic Missile, but it contained everything it needed to demonstrate his ability, like quick incantation, instant computation, and coordinate locking. He drew out just the right amount of mana, accelerated it, overcharged it, then fired.

His casting speed was well beyond most mages of his level. If he’d still used the method Josiah had taught him before reaching the 6th Circle, such a feat would’ve been impossible.

Boom!!

The Magic Missile shot from his hand and collided with a nearby tree, carving a large scar into the bark before disappearing.

“How was that? Pretty great, right? For a 2nd Circle mage, that’s some serious firepower, don’t you think? Bet even you couldn’t do that back when you were in the 2nd Circle!” Josiah started teasing Davey with a smug grin, and Mit felt his face flush.

However, truthly speaking, he had never seen anyone go through such a drastic boost in output even at the academy.

Davey studied the tree quietly. “Yeah, the control method’s solid. It’s a pretty refined technique. If I had to put odds on it... maybe fifty-fifty? Could go either way.”

Then, after a short pause, he continued, “But there’s a problem.”

Mit blinked.

“Young noble Mit Chyde.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You’re not planning to end your career at 3rd Circle, are you?”

“Huh? Of course not! My goal is the 6th Circle!” His answer was firm.

The 3rd Circle was just a short-term objective, something he needed for the upcoming hearing. His real goal lay far beyond that.

“Hmmm. Then this won’t work.”

His comment made Josiah pout. Then, she smirked. “Ha! Teacher, you’re just jealous, aren’t you? You never had this level of casting refinement back in your day!”

Her reaction wasn’t surprising, as new 6th Circle mages always got high on their own theories.

“I’ve seen the truth! At this pace, I’ll catch up to you in no time. The day I become the greatest mage on the continent isn’t far off—”

“Pfft!” Davey nearly doubled over with suppressed laughter.

“Teacher!!” She ground her teeth in anger, but to Davey she just looked cute.

‘How dare a newbie try to lecture a veteran. Pfft.’

“Your method’s good, Josiah. Really. With some work, you might even hit the 7th Circle.”

“Right?! I knew it! I’m worthy of being called the Great Sage! If I publish this theory, the entire Mage Tower will go nuts!”

Her declaration made Davey chuckle.

Originally, he hadn’t planned to tell her. Unfortunately, with her current system, there was no way Mit would reach the 3rd Circle in time.

Watching his own disciple stumble around was fun, sure, but a promise was a promise. He couldn’t play around forever.

“Watch closely, Josiah. I’m going to cast a spell using your method.”

Davey reached out his hand. He drew up mana using the same theory she had established upon reaching the 6th Circle, then began operating it in the same way.

“Hmmm. What should I go with? Yeah, let’s go with this.”

[8th Circle of Fire Magic]

[Prometheus]

It was his most familiar and frequently used spell. Without a single chant, the mana surged violently, and soon blue flames flickered in his hand.

Boom!!

It shot forward at an incredible speed, crashing into the same tree that had been hit by the Magic Missile moments before. It instantly erupted into a massive explosion of blue flames. The ground shook, and the surrounding area was filled with searing heat.

Mit’s eyes flew wide open in shock. Though Mit Chyde was a mage, he had never seen anything like 8th Circle magic before.

Once the enormous explosion finally subsided, all that remained at the point of impact was a massive crater. The sheer size of it made one question if what they’d witnessed was even magic. The shockwave alone had been enough to shake the entire area.

Its destructive power made strategic magic look like child’s play.

Mit Chyde’s jaw dropped. “W-What... What was that?”

“What circle... is that?”

“8th Circle,” Davey informed him.

Josiah was thrilled. “Wow, that’s incredible! I told you my theory was perfect! Even for 8th Circle magic, getting that kind of power is no easy feat!”

“Ah. Wait, hang on a second! He didn’t even chant anything! Isn’t chanting mandatory for 8th Circle magic?!”

“I told you, Teacher’s just built different. I’ve never seen him chant. Not once,” Josiah bragged.

“That’s... That’s not even remotely fair...”

Josiah looked like her confidence had only grown stronger, but Davey simply changed tactics. “Josiah. You said you’ve seen the truth, right?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll do it again, but this one’s a little different from your method.”

With a calm expression, Davey flicked his finger through the air.

[8th Circle Circle of Fire]

[Prometheus]

The mana around them was condensed almost instantly. It even seemed like it had disappeared for a second due to the excessive speed of travel. The faintest, most fragile ripple of mana stirred in the air.

“Eh? What the heck is that supposed to be?”

The heads of both Josiah Francis and Mit Chyde tilted in confusion.

The magic hadn’t even begun yet, but they looked unimpressed. Then, their minds went blank as reality was shattered.

Whoosh... Boom!!!

In an instant, the air felt like it was being sucked in, as if compressed. It was then that a massive burst of blue flames exploded, far beyond anything that they had ever seen before.

The blinding explosion didn’t just spread out, either. It turned into a towering pillar of blue fire, tearing through the sky as it surged upward, unleashing a massive storm of flames.

They were rendered speechless. While the earlier 8th Circle spell had been awe-inspiring, what they had just witnessed seemed like it was from a different world.

The fire pierced the clouds and kept going, screaming with power.

Perserque extended a hand and murmured something, a violet barrier quickly forming around them all.

Boom, boom, boom!!

The resulting shockwave swallowed the entire forest.

They would’ve been incinerated if not for her barrier, which absorbed the shock and left only the ground beneath them to tremble.

Mit Chyde, who saw the flow of mana and the execution of the spell with his own eyes, felt his legs give out, and he crumpled to the ground. It was natural for him to react that way, as it was the kind of spell one might never get to see in their entire lifetime.

It was just a casual swipe of the arm. Just a flick of the fingers. The gestures were light, perhaps even meaningless. However, the result was devastation on a cataclysmic scale.

Mit could only stare with his jaw dropped so low that someone could shove an egg into his mouth with ease.

It was the same magic as before, when he had used Josiah’s technique. Yet instead, the power, the range, the output, and everything about it was on a completely different level.

“Josiah.”

Of course, his shock was nothing compared to Josiah’s. She turned her head mechanically to face Davey after he called her name. He wore a light smirk, one so sly that it could only be described as mocking.

Josiah’s eyes widened even more.

Davey shrugged and struck the most infuriating expression imaginable. “Josiah, come massage my shoulders, will you? Feels like they’re... flared up. Can’t lower them.”

Mit simply stared blankly, replaying the spell over and over again in his head.

Josiah, on the other hand, couldn’t take it anymore. Her eyes filled with tears as she glared at Davey with trembling lips.

Watching this nonsense unfold, Perserque let out a long, quiet sigh that gently rippled through the air. “A master who teases his student like this... Honestly... Little one, you mustn’t ever grow up to be as awful as Davey...”

Davey had indeed helped both Mit Chyde and Josiah in his own way. However, anyone could see that he enjoyed teasing them more than helping.