The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1240

The Patroshist executives were found themselves in panic mode.

The forces from another realm had a goal of throwing Earth into chaos. Naturally, they found common ground with the Patroshists, an anti-government organization that thrived on disrupting societal structures. Their interests aligned well—too well, in fact for the comfort of all nations.

The invaders needed resources, while the Patroshists wanted additional manpower and new military might. Each side had something the other lacked, so they became ideal partners.

Using the power of a non-human entity, they had obtained strength beyond that of ordinary humans. Some of their gear could even completely disable hunter gear and mana-based equipment!

Of course, they’d always avoided direct confrontation with relatively high-level hunters or heavy bombardment, as such actions posed real risks to their survival, but that phase had since ended.

“Heh. Is that it?”

Within an underground cavern in a sun-scorched desert, a massive egg pulsed as it hung suspended midair, giving off a faint green glow.

“Do we still need more sacrifices?”

“No, this should be enough.”

“Tch. Just looking at it gives me chills. What the hell is even inside that thing...?”

Countless animals, insects, and humans had been thrown in as materials for the egg’s incubation. They'd added an abundance of unidentified matter, as well.

“However, I heard the information on the base mutagenic catalyst leaked to the alliance.”

“It doesn’t matter. They’ll never find us, and even if they do, it’ll already be too late.”

All the alliance had figured out was that the Patroshist was plotting something big. There was no way they’d find their exact location.

“Even the Messenger of God is useless. All this chaos, and yet they still can’t find us.”

“Messenger of God... You're talking about that Valkyrie, yes?”

“Yes.”

The armored man beside him nodded.

That figure was certainly a threat. If he learned their location, they’d suffer a devastating blow. The strength that Valkyrie held was far beyond any ordinary human.

However, they only needed to worry about him for the time being. Once the egg hatched, everything would change.

“So? You’re still not going to tell us what exactly is inside that thing?”

“Hmm.”

“Let’s be honest, the Messenger of God isn’t the issue. The real problem is that the Saint of Tionis has entered the fight.”

The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.

“That man is dangerous. He’s torn apart more than one calamity, with his own bare hands! We’ve done a good job going out of our way to avoid clashing with him so far.”

However, that fragile balance had now shattered. The Patroshists were falling apart, both internally and externally.

“If this plan fails, there’s no telling how far back it’ll set us.”

“Same for us. That man assassinated our emperor, so there’s no retreat left for us either.”

There was nothing more dangerous than two forces with no way out joining hands.

It was a gamble for the remnants of the Nacha Empire, as well. No one could accurately measure the power of the man who had slain their emperor.

However, using the catalyst’s trait of growing stronger with more sacrifices, they believed they could still create a proper calamity.

“We must divert the Saint of Tionis’s attention. Even if we get this creature to full maturity, if it’s weaker than him, we’ll lose before it even serves its purpose.”

“I’m aware. Still, how do we turn his focus elsewhere?”

“We force it,” the man sternly said.

“How?”

“I heard he has a daughter living on Earth.”

That single sentence was enough.

“At the start of the operation, deploy harvesters in all sectors. We have enough basic sacrifices, but we still need more mana.”

“We’ll begin at once.”

They carefully lifted the sealed glass containers, shards that had fallen from the massive egg lying within.

Their expressions were tense with fear.

“They say even a single shard can become a calamity, without the right kind of glass containment... What a joke.”

The creature inside the egg was only one facet of the threat. Even the fragments it shed could cause disasters. What kind of catastrophe the main body could cause was beyond imagination.

The Patroshist executives couldn’t help but grin.

* * *

“So, what are we supposed to do now?” Mit Chyde, far more confident than before, gave a bold smile.

It had taken time, but he had steadily grown more familiar with using his magic in real combat, beginning to successfully take down the enemies.

From heavy weaponry dangerous to a 2nd Circle mage, to unfamiliar gear designed to interfere with his magic, he had been under constant attack from opponents who already had extensive real-world combat experience. He’d suffered multiple critical blows along the way, yet thanks to the protective blessings Josiah cast on him, he had nonetheless managed to survive.

People say that whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. It wasn’t something Mit Chyde had intended to happen, but he had to claw forward with everything he had in order to not feel that pain again and never experience death.

However, it still wasn’t enough. He was too lacking to achieve the 3rd Circle in such a short time.

“To be honest, your current level is beyond what most 4th Circle mages can reach. The reason you haven’t reached the 3rd Circle yet is simple, coming down to the lack of time. With your talent, you’d get there in a few years no problem using the path you’re on now, but no such luck,” Josiah said calmly as she treated his wounds.

There was no method he could think of that would let him break through in less than a month.

“So, what do I have to do to speed it up?”

“There’s only one way for you. You’ll have to force a transformation that goes far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.”

There were many factors required to reach the next circle, but there was a method that could bypass all of them.

“Is that even possible?”

“Why not? You’ve seen Teacher.”

Davey O’Rowane. A man who had been in a coma until sixteen, yet became someone entirely different within just a few months of waking back up.

“Even a genius across all of history couldn’t do that. Besides, he’s using 8th Circle spells, not some 3rd Circle stuff... Is he even human?”

Josiah wore a complicated expression. “Not sure. Teacher said his talent wasn’t concentrated, but covered a wide range.”

Not concentrated talent, but wide. It meant he wasn’t built to just climb upward, instead having the capacity to expand his skill in every direction.

Josiah knew the truth. Mit Chdye didn’t know anything.

“Anyway, the Patroshists are about to cause a major incident. That will be our opportunity to gain real combat experience. Don’t try to kill them right away, just start slow instead. Teacher bought us a few days to work with, and this time I’ll be joining in too.”

“Wait, if you’re going to step in, won’t that settle things too quickly?”

“I won’t be using my vampire powers, which means I can only save you from instant death once or twice.”

“What?!” He knew full well how much that instant death protection had helped him survive, and the fear of fighting without it hit harder than expected.

“This time, I’ll be focused on putting my established theory into practice. All I’ll be doing is protecting you. In that time, you either break through the wall or at least find a clue to do so.”

“He didn't know what to say.

Josiah spoke with quiet seriousness, “Teacher gave me this chance, I’m going to use it to teach you, my first disciple.”

“But this threat you’re talking about—”

Boom!!

It happened in an instant. A thunderous explosion erupted from the other side of the ruined city and something appeared. It was something none of them had expected.

Its shape practically defied description. It looked like a massive slime, some blob of something unidentifiable. The green, grotesque shape so large and twisted rapidly expanded in size as if it had suddenly come into existence. Even from several buildings away, its colossal size was obvious, reaching at least tens of meters tall.

Mit Chyde trembled from the overwhelming sense of dread, but he gripped his staff tightly. The staff that helped him control mana, along with the robe that protected him from mana backlash, were the only things he could rely on to survive.

“I thought we had gotten an advance warning, but it looks like Earth’s military fell behind on intel.”

“W-What do we do?!”

“What else? Now that it’s right in front of us, the answer’s obvious.” Josiah kicked him in the leg. “Let’s gooo! You’re running out of time. If you don’t reach the 3rd Circle within the next few days, your life is as good as over.” The words were heavy. “But I can’t give up on my first disciple, can I?”

Josiah gave a bitter smile, and Mit Chyde felt like he was about to cry.

That warmth of being believed in was unfamiliar to him. It was something he’d hated but something he’d longed for, more than anything.

“Yes, you sure can’t.’

* * *

Evangeline was streaming, as always, while Super Ribbon was busy preparing for her university orientation.

Evangeline held up a few outfits she had prepared beforehand and asked her viewers, “Which one looks cuter? My sister’s starting college, and I want to get her something nice! I don’t know what suits her best, so I figured I’d test with my own clothes first...”

[Whatever it is, one thing’s clear! Your fashion sense is so bad it’s practically a national threat.]

[That one looks okay, though?]

[Nope. She’s a walking fashion disaster. The clothes are cute, but you have to consider the person wearing them. You think a kid drowning in a full-length dress is going to pull it off?]

Evangeline let out a sigh as her chat descended into its usual chaos.

[Constellation Sagittarius has donated 5,000 Won.]

- Stop wasting time! Just draw, streamer.

“Chairman, banned!!” She shrieked and aggressively jumped into action, banning Constellation Sagittarius on the spot.

Even after all those permanent bans, it somehow kept showing back up. No one could figure out how, though it had practically become a running gag. Even the streaming platform seemed to have given up trying to stop it.

“You guys have no idea how hard Super Ribbon worked to get into college! She studied like crazy, wanting to never stop learning so many new things.” Her voice held a strange pride, and her smile brightened as if she were the one being praised. “When someone works that hard, you’ve gotta give them at least a gift, right?”

[Yeah, yeah. Draw already!.]

[Moderation has donated 10,000 won.]

- I know that fashion sense is so wack you always need someone else to pick your clothes. I even see an outfit I chose for you.

Grinding her teeth, Evangeline did her best to ignore them.

“So anyway, I just want a—”

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Sudden knocks rang out, and she turned her head instinctively.

She sometimes streamed from her lair, but only for fun. The place on Earth was her stable base.

Given as such, it wasn’t unusual for someone to show up at her door. Not impossible, at least.

“Who is it? Ah, hang on—just a sec, I’ll be right back, chat.” She stood up and stepped out of the room.

The moment she left, a deafening explosion rocked the building, completely obliterating the room she had just left.

[???]

[What just happened?]

[No clue??]

[Did something blow up??? Gas leak?? Should we call 911...?]

Viewers were thrown into confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened. They didn’t understand the situation.

However, among them was fellow streamer Moderation, who shot up from his seat with wide eyes.

He knew it wasn’t a gas explosion, instead likely to be a deliberate detonation.

Someone had just tried to kill her!

Throwing on clothes as fast as he could, he rushed out of his house. Before long, he arrived at the building where her studio was located. He saw Evangeline standing atop the collapsed building’s rubble, her expression blank as she held a man by the throat.

“Eva...!” Park Seung-Hyun shouted, but stopped himself from continuing the moment he saw the chill in her face.

“Moderation,” she said in a surprisingly quiet voice. “This emblem on the armor... It’s the same as the ones who attacked you, isn’t it?”

She let out a low, furious growl. For some reason, she was absolutely seething. “I was wondering how I’d find them. Looks like one of them survived.”

Her pupils showed a visible split, and a wave of ferocious battle energy burst from her body.

Startled, Park Seung-Hyun quickly scanned the area. He knew that if anyone saw this scene, it could easily be misunderstood.

However, to his surprise, the people around them stood frozen, as if hypnotized.

“E... Eva!”

“Uncle. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Crunch. Crack.

The Patroshists had no idea how long Evangeline had been grinding her teeth over the intruders from the Nacha Empire.

She had already exploded once when the cafe Super Ribbon and Reina worked at was attacked. Evangeline had a much stronger sense of attachment to those within her circle than people realized.

All they’d wanted was to bait the Saint of Tionis, and without knowing it, they instead stepped on another landmine entirely.

If no one stopped her, Evangeline, consumed by rage and on the verge of losing control, could easily cause a catastrophic disaster. Park Seung-Hyun instinctually cried out in panic, “Eva! Calm down, okay?! Let’s just take a moment and assess—!”

But even as he yelled, his eyes widened in disbelief. He saw a massive in her jacket enormous wings burst forth.

With one powerful flap, she launched herself into the air.

“W-Where are you going?!” he desperately shouted after her.

Floating high above, Evangeline slowly looked down at him. “I noticed something during the partial manifestation. There’s a disgusting stench coming from the west, and I’m gonna go smash it.”

No one knew that, by nature, ancient dragons were a natural counter to the demon race.

Evangeline didn’t know exactly what was over there. She had simply sensed it.

In her partially manifested state, her instincts led her directly to the hidden location of the massive egg the Patroshists were guarding. Her sudden, unplanned movement began to throw off the timing and strategies that were so crucial to their operation.