The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1243

A deafening explosion and shockwave shattered the brief moment of silence.

Soldiers emerged from the chaos, every one of them had the same thought. They had heard of the power the Saint of Tionis wielded, but what they had just witnessed far surpassed anything they could’ve imagined.

The military, of course, had its fair share of Awakened individuals. In fact, many of them actively served as soldiers.

The ordinary soldiers had seen the very best of those exceptional individuals—the top-ranked and rare S-Class individuals from the first generation—yet had never felt such a shock as Davey O’Rowane’s performance gave them.

“Thank you...” Lieutenant General Bonafrot bowed his head.

Davey silently stared at him, then slowly looked around and said, “Don’t thank me.”

His voice was soft, almost gentle. However, there was an underlying coldness to it.

Davey turned toward the wounded, silently watching the ones writhing in pain. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

“Looks like it drains vitality. So, I did have the right idea. Hm. I don’t know how to feel about this.”

Fwoosh!!

In that instant, a surreal phenomenon erupted from his fingertips. Pale green particles gathered at his hand, then spread outward in a great current, dispersing through the battlefield. They swept toward the wounded, excluding the dead, and infused them with vitality.

The Third Moon, Thanatos, the remnant of the Evil God. It was the single greatest medium that circulated vitality across the entire world. The body that could not be destroyed.

It had many names, yet to Davey, the King of the Red Void, it was nothing more than a channel for controlling vitality.

“A little bit should do,” he murmured quietly before gently withdrawing his hand.

The soldiers who had been withered and ravaged, on the brink of death, gradually returned to their original states and stabilized.

In the lingering cold stillness, Davey turned and looked straight at Bonafrot. “Shall I tell you what you really did?”

“What do you mean...?”

“That thing was a transmission unit. It devoured every bit of physical energy from your weapons, and every shred of non-physical energy from the Awakened individuals you deployed, then sent it all where it was needed.”

He didn't know what to say.

“You definitely messed up by going off on your own.”

What did that even mean?

“General Bedolph already had a decent grasp of what was going on. I’d already heard one or two things from him, giving me assurances, so that’s why I didn’t act beforehand. There are also some things I’d like to change myself.”

Bonafrot slowly lifted his head. Then, he reached toward his trembling aide. “Aide.”

“Yes, General Bonafrot?”

“Shoot me.”

“Sir?!”

“I drove my subordinates to meaningless deaths, all because of my own arrogance. I thought I understood everything on my own, but that was pure conceit. If I’d consulted with that old man Bedolph even once, we might’ve seen this coming and avoided the disaster.”

He spoke as if he had already made his decision. “So shoot me. There won’t be a single word said at the court-martial about anyone else’s insubordination. I’ll take full responsibility,” he said firmly.

His aide stumbled back, shaking. “General! Don’t do this! There’s no such thing as a perfect man! P-Prince Davey! Saint of Tionis! P-Please show mercy just this once!”

“Have you made your decision?” Davey asked.

Bonafrot didn't know which decision he meant.

“Your men. I will say, you were lucky to have them,” Davey spoke calmly as he walked past Bonafrot. “The souls of the dead move on to reincarnation. Yet... there are quite a lot of them still here.”

“Pardon?”

“There are many who died that are still trying to protect you.” Davey continued walking. “It’s rare for that many souls to linger like this.”

- He’s stubborn, and strict to a fault. But he’s a true soldier. He gave his entire life for the peace of mankind. It’s not often you see a general personally charge into battle for the sake of a single subordinate.

Recalling what General Bedolph once said, Davey muttered, “I’m letting this slide, just this once. Not that we’ll be crossing paths again after this... Anyways, pull back. Those things are targeting the Awakened individuals and the Alliance when they unleash full firepower.”

“There are more of them, not just here. And if they absorb a massive strike like before...”

“Even a battery with excellent performance can’t survive a surge that instantly exceeds its limit. It’ll overload and break.”

The Patroshists liked to believe they held the upper hand in intel, but Davey had sources they couldn't have imagined.

“In that case...”

“I’ve already made the arrangements, and hired them as mercenaries. They should at least earn their pay. One of the items the Alliance promised was food, and that’s enough to keep a lot of people alive.”

Bonafrot asked with a hollow voice, “There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“That small amount of compensation the Alliance promised... What do you even plan to use it for?”

“What else? Resources that are common on Earth can be extremely rare elsewhere. There are still things I can use, and there are those who need it.”

“Those who need it?”

“Yeah. There’s a crazy saintess who won’t stop praying every single day.” Davey sighed like he was utterly fed up.

Moments later, black smoke swirled around him. Just like that, he vanished.

* * *

It was true.

Massive slime-like monsters had appeared, and not only in the region where General Bonafrot had led his troops, but in multiple locations across the globe.

Those creatures remained still, seemingly dormant. Everyone seemed unaware that they were simply waiting for the soldiers or Awakened individuals to attack them.

The Patroshists knew the creatures would be attacked in every scenario, as long as they waited.

The monstrous slime that appeared in Ukraine rippled ominously as it noticed a figure approaching.

Step. Step.

What approached it was pure white. It was pitifully small compared to the monstrous form, yet the aura it carried was different.

Crack. Crunch.

The sound of muscles twisting echoed across the surroundings. A massive, bipedal rabbit with a bursting, muscular frame craned its neck as it looked up at the creature.

Snap. Snap.

It cracked its fingers one by one, its beady, swollen eyes flashing with light.

“Kyu.”

The white calamity, Killer Rabbit. It charged its fist with terrifying physical power, making quick work of the creature.

Along with its first strike, miracles began appearing in other regions as well. A hulking minotaur whose body and face looked like the night sky, filled with shining stars, clenched its massive black gauntlets and tore a slime monster apart with its bare hands.

Taurus. It was the only constellation capable of manifesting and acting in the physical world.

Elsewhere, a towering dokkaebi swung a colossal spiked club, acting as one of the four members of the elite Muscle Training Society. The dokkaebi, Shiverwock, had entered the field.

Other forces had been dispatched across multiple fronts, as well.

The princess of the Abyss, Isildi, bickering endlessly with Verdandi beside her, stood over a shattered heap of slime, the only parts left of her target.

In another region, Illyna wielded the great white divine sword Caldeiras. Rinne, now fully in her Sephiroth form, was already in motion elsewhere as well.

Only Reina was elsewhere, working on a separate task. Yet, she was beaming with joy, thrilled to be the only one given an “important mission” to assist Davey directly.

Finally, on a remote battlefield, Josiah Frances was in the middle of taking down the last remaining creature.

She glanced at her disciple, who was rolling on the ground, clutching his stomach and screaming, “Gaaah!! I’m gonna die!! I’m really gonna die this time!!”

“No one dies from a damned scratch, you chimpanzee!! Quit making a scene!”

Josiah could’ve crushed the monster instantly if she used her vampire powers. Alas, having been bound by Davey’s orders to only use the power of a 6th Circle mage, her hands were tied. All she could do was restrain the creature and protect her disciple from its attacks.

Still, this monstrous slime had given more insights to Mit than any enemy he’d fought in real combat to date. However, it wasn’t enough. They needed one more big jump in progress.

While Josiah had been diligently carrying out Davey’s training assignments, all throughout that process, she had still kept a close eye on her disciple’s growth.

Mit Chyde was growing at an astonishing rate. At the moment, all he lacked was one final decisive burst.

Throwing him into chaos yielded results, but the risk was high, and success wasn’t guaranteed.

What he really needed now was rest. Time to reflect and process everything he’d learned.

However, there was no time for lollygagging.

So, Josiah made an executive decision. They would take a gamble.

“Mit.”

Barely catching his breath, Mit Chyde responded with a wrecked, bloodied face. “Haaah. Hah. Y-Yes?”

“I’m going to take a gamble. I’m sure Teacher has already taken care of all the other monsters that popped up across the world. If we drag this out, he’ll probably come clean this one up too. Dirty kill-stealer.”

That would be bad for her.

“But we can’t just leave this thing alone. It’s been absorbing your power and sending it somewhere else this whole time.”

She had already reported the situation to Davey, and the reply had been simple. He had said he’d ‘come by soon.’ That was it. She understood what it meant.

The key now was how much Mit could grow by facing that creature. The frustrating part was not knowing where the absorbed energy was being sent.

Davey wasn’t the type to drag in anyone unnecessary for help. He usually handled everything with his own hands.

However, even for Josiah, it was unclear whether Davey would be able to identify the Patroshist’s last hideout so easily.

She then said with a hardened expression, “There’s no time, so listen closely. This is your last shot! If you fail to reach the 3rd Circle this time... Then your chances are as good as dead.”

* * *

The stench was revolting. It felt instinctively repulsive, as if it had been crafted to provoke disgust.

That stench only further fueled Evangeline’s rage. The soldiers of the Nacha Empire—those who had nearly killed her precious friend Moderation, Park Seung-Hyun—were unforgivable.

Suddenly, those same soldiers, mere remnants of their defeated army, had merged with the Patroshists.

To Evangeline, they were an existence that could never be tolerated.

She wore a pleated skirt, a soft knit top, and a thin white cardigan that hung loosely over her arms. Her radiant wings, having emerged from the enormous magic circle that had formed behind her back, vanished in an instant as she landed in a quiet desert canyon.

The stench only grew stronger the closer she got. Whatever the source of the smell was, she was confident that the ones who had attacked her and Moderation were nearby.

Normally, she would’ve been able to keep her cool. Yet for some reason, she couldn’t suppress the emotions boiling inside as she stood there. All she wanted was to destroy everything in sight.

“What does it matter anymore...” she muttered as she swept her hand through the air with a light, graceful motion.

A deep hum pulsed through the air before a massive crimson and black longsword appeared. It was Twilight, the divine dragon sword. It was the same weapon her fussy, overprotective father had forged just for her, always worrying about the slightest hint of danger she might encounter.

After her battle with the Dark Priest, she had grown even stronger, awakening more of her race’s combat instincts. Though her ability to fully manifest had become more difficult as a result, the raw power she could now wield was on an entirely different scale.

She was growing closer to the strength her true mother once held.

As she surveyed the barren desert and the endless cliffs of golden rock, she felt multiple presences stirring around her.

She lifted her gaze and blinked. She then saw figures appearing in her field of view.

‘Drones?’

Indeed, hovering above her were drones. The strange mana waves they emitted made it clear they were far from commercial toys.

Beyond the drones, she sensed more mana waves and murderous intents. They weren’t there to welcome her, that much was clear.

However, that didn’t matter.

Evangeline, overwhelmed by the suffocating stench that clawed at her senses, had become the embodiment of rage.

As a dragon with mastery over psychic-type powers, she normally boasted stronger self-control than most.

Her nature played a part in her keeping her composure, despite going through the legendary adolescence phase of ancient dragons. Her innate power also played a part.

However, at that moment, even Evangeline was ready to lose herself. The foul stench radiating from those beings was enough to overwhelm reason.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re here to stop me, right?”

No reply came.

Evangeline growled, and her sword began to crackle with violet lightning. “But guess what? I don’t plan on letting you go, either. Especially—”

She stopped mid-sentence as her pupils narrowed into vertical slits.

Two massive magic circles shimmered into existence above each of her shoulders, hanging mid-air. From those circles emerged a pair of scaly dragon forelimbs. While they weren’t massive in size, the pressure they radiated was staggering.

It was the power of ancient dragons, who were the apex of all living beings.

She continued, “Against creatures that aren't even human.”

She took a step forward.

In her eyes, the enemy no longer looked human at all. They were twisted and grotesque, as if already infected with something.

Tap. Tap. Taptaptap!!

She dashed across the yellow cliffs like lightning.

Boom!!

Her form exploded forward with the force of a sports car hitting top speed with instant acceleration.

The lead monster shouted in alarm, “Stay focused! She’s just a brat, some kiddo who can’t even ki—”

Crack!! Slash!!

Along with an eerie sound, the thick skull of the lead monster spun through the sky, severed cleanly at the neck.

Evangeline surged forward faster than they could react, decapitating the lead figure in an instant.

Her power far surpassed anything they had prepared for. She was merciless. She wasn’t supposed to be capable of killing, yet what they saw proved otherwise.

Even if they had accepted the power of demons through mutagenic catalysts, thereby becoming enhanced humans, they were still human in the end. They still valued their own lives and feared death.

Those who underwent enhancement could take multiple rounds from military assault rifles and still fight back with intact bodies. However, such resilience meant nothing in front of the black-haired girl standing before them. Just the pressure she was radiating was enough to make their souls feel like they were being torn from their bodies.

They stumbled backward in terror.

“Running away? Sorry, I don’t plan on letting anyone leave.”

Violet lightning orbs floated into the air behind her, crackling ominously as they spun. They rotated as if they were being juggled.

Even though Davey had located most of their operations, they had believed they still held the advantage since this particular location hadn’t been exposed.

They thought they had a shot. Then Evangeline arrived. Not only had she shown up, but her rage and actions were unlike anything they had prepared for. Even the Patroshists, who prided themselves on controlling chaos, found her presence incomprehensible.

Zoom. Boom!!

A massive projectile suddenly whistled through the air from somewhere far away, then slammed into her head. Her head snapped back violently, jerking as if she’d taken a direct shot from a high-caliber rifle.

It was long-range sniping for giant creatures. They had assumed that no matter how tough she was, taking such a hit without a barrier would leave her body broken. Their expressions lit up with relief.

However, it didn’t take long for their faces to twist into doubt, fear, and disbelief. Not only did she lift her head, but she had clenched the massive, heavy-caliber round between her teeth.

Her eyes were cold. Her face, expressionless.

She then clenched her jaw, shattering the round like a toothpick. She spat out the metal shards.

Behind her, the massive dragon claws that had manifested began to stir.

Someone screamed in sheer panic as the others turned to flee. “D-Damn it! Run!!!”

However, it was far too late for them.

The claws of the main body she had half-manifested came crashing down, mercilessly tearing through the entire area.

The massive rock cliffs were cleaved apart diagonally, with such apparent ease it was like they were made of paper. Stone shattered like glass, fragments flying like rubble.

They finally understood that no amount of augmentation, no level of enhancement would’ve allowed them to handle her.

Their plan had been to provoke Davey O’Rowane by attacking Evangeline. In the end, all they managed was to expose the spies they had hidden. Even worse, they’d enraged Evangeline.

Their brutal end was inevitable.

The half-demons were torn to chunks of flesh. Their remains lay strewn across the ground. As Evangeline calmly walked past them, she flicked her fingers. In that instant, black flames consumed what was left of the corpses. Their bodies turned to ash, and they disappeared without a trace.

It didn’t take much time for the desert to become the prime evidence of a dragon’s wrath.

* * *

“Damn it! We tried to cut off the threat, but we ended up only making it worse!” one of the leaders screamed.

Another shouted, “What’s happening outside?!”

“The outer defenses are completely destroyed! She’s heading straight for the hidden passage!”

“Shit! Deploy everyone! Just stop that bitch, whatever it takes!!”

None of them knew how Evangeline could have possibly found them. What they didn’t realize was that it had all started when one of their operatives, exposed to the demonic mutagenic catalyst, had released a traceable demonic scent. It was a scent that Evangeline, of all people, could never ignore.

“Move! Move out, now!!”

Their frantic screams filled the bunker. Then, Evangeline appeared on one of the surveillance monitors. They watched her clearly notice the camera.

Crack!!

The screen abruptly filled with static, and they stared in horror at the broken feed.

Deep within their underground hideout, buried beneath solid rock, the senior officers of the Patroshists stood frozen as a horrifying sight unfolded.

The massive claw of a dragon had loomed behind the tiny girl, shredding the rock like paper. Suddenly, that claw was staring them in the face.

“Ah. Aaaah.”

“Not here, either.” Her voice was calm. Unbothered. It appeared as if she didn’t even consider them a threat worth noticing.

While she seemed indifferent, inside her mouth, a tremendous force had already begun gathering.

It was the exclusive weapon of the dragons, known as dragon’s wrath. It was only a short time before she finally let out the dragon breath, and the beam of pure destruction melted the hideout.

Davey had only taught Evangeline the basics of combat disciplines. Just enough swordsmanship. Just enough magic. Just enough of whatever was necessary. After that, he always stopped and moved on.

Not because he was negligent, but because he didn’t need to teach her anymore.

She was born of two bloodlines, namely Hercules and the ancient dragon Eclipse.

With just that lineage alone, she already possessed the strength of a walking catastrophe.

That disaster had since hatched.

She was now calamity itself.