The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1254

The voice came from a tall young man who spoke to her in a friendly tone, “Super Ribbon, right?”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

He had sun-kissed skin and wore light clothing, his blonde hair shining under the sun. Sporting a gentle smile, he looked down at her.

Super Ribbon asked, “Can I help you?”

“You’re a freshman in our department, right? It looked like you were lost, so I figured I’d help.” With that, he took the lead without waiting for a reply. “I’ll show you the way. Most of the new students have already gathered.”

She didn’t bother asking how he knew who she was.

He walked ahead with a casual familiarity and reached out to gently pull her by the arm.

“Ah!” Startled, Super Ribbon quickly pulled her arm back. He flinched as well, then gave her an awkward smile.

“Right, sorry. I got too friendly out of habit. It’s this way.”

“Thank you.”

‘Is he a bad guy?’

The thought crossed her mind for a moment, but she shook it off. He just seemed to be a bit much.

If someone were to ask what kind of existence Super Ribbon truly was, those who knew would answer without hesitation that she was a sword that cut through everything. In fact, Super Ribbon had once dealt critical damage to both Neltarid’s other half and Thanatos with nothing more than a simple awakening.

She was a peerless demon sword that had grown over a long period of time, being completed by Davey's hand.

Unlike the divine sword Caldeiras, she was a weapon so powerful that, unless the wielder had a certain level of skill, it could actually dampen their abilities.

However, if one were to ask whether Super Ribbon, now in human form through her energy projection, retained that level of power, the answer would be no. Her strength was no different from an ordinary human's. She could use various forms of mana, but her output was limited.

In other words, there wasn’t much that separated her from a regular human. Of course, whether or not anyone could actually harm her was a completely different question.

She followed the man with blond hair, and they arrived at a large building where a group of students stood holding signs.

Some wore matching department jackets, while others were dressed in more casual, varied styles.[1]

“I’m back!”

The blond man, Kim Dae-Yang, brought Super Ribbon over to a group standing beneath the sign that read Awakening Department.

The noisy crowd went silent in an instant, and all eyes turned to Super Ribbon.

Some looked at her with curiosity, while some blushed slightly. Others pretended not to care and just looked away.

Whatever the reaction, all attention had centered on Super Ribbon, making her feel slightly overwhelmed. Meeting people had been part of her plan for the event, sure, but her main interest was in campus life and her classes.

“Oh? Dae-Yang, do you two know each other?” a male student in a department jacket asked.

Kim Dae-Yang responded with a chuckle, “Nah, not really. She just looked a little lost.”

“Wow... Still, you managed to recognize her.”

“How could I not? She’s a gorgeous junior.”

Some nearby students shook their heads in exasperation.

“Alright, everyone line up! You’re Super Ribbon, right?”

“Eh? Oh! Yes, I am. I’m Super Ribbon.”

“I have to say, your name stays unique every time I hear it. Anyway, if you could please line up over there. That’s the line for the Awakening Department students, so they’re your classmates.”

Super Ribbon looked curiously at the line of dozens of students, surprised by the formality of his tone.

There were definitely more men than women. She’d heard the gender ratio was fairly even, but in person, it felt more like 70:30.

“Whoa... So it’s true. The daughter of the Saint of Tionis really did enroll here,” one of the other students said.

“Wait, but isn’t she still too young? Isn’t the Saint of Tionis in his twenties?”

“Yeah, well, Evangeline’s the same case.”

“And who the fuck is that, you loser?” one of the others snarkily shot.

“You don’t know Evangeline? She has millions of followers, even more popular than most celebrities. Who’s the real loser here, man?”

“Damn... Didn’t expect that.”

It seemed some of the students whispering were viewers of Evangeline’s stream.

With the scheduled time approaching, Kim Dae-Yang, who had been chatting nearby, stepped up onto a platform.

He looked out over the Awakening Department students and spoke, “Nice to meet you all! I’m Kim Dae-Yang, a fourth-year student. I sincerely welcome every one of you to the Awakening Department at Korea University!”

He shouted brightly, his voice clear and powerful. After a brief pause, he continued, “Since there aren’t too many of us, how about we do quick introductions before we start orientation? Let’s go one by one. You, up front—you go first.”

He called a plainly dressed guy up to the front and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Relax. Just keep it short.”

“Y-Yes.” The nervous student hesitated, then opened his mouth, “Hello, I’m...”

* * *

College life was different from the experience at Heins Academy. Super Ribbon didn’t bother hiding how fascinated she felt.

To put it simply, the people around her fell into two categories. Half of them approached her out of curiosity or intrigue. The others kept their distance, held back by a strange kind of jealousy. Some seemed intimidated or even shy as they looked and whispered, but didn’t approach to talk to her directly.

Kim Dae-Yang continued to lead the orientation. Eventually, the upperclassmen introduced the department’s professors. Afterwards, they guided the freshmen to their assigned dorms to unpack for the stay.

The dorms were small, enough to house five at a time, yet to Super Ribbon, every single one of these new experiences was exciting and curious in its own way. Part of it was because she had no intention of staying in the dorms long-term.

After settling in and grabbing a quick meal at the student cafeteria, she casually munched on some snacks as she watched a group of guys play soccer on a large field.

Meanwhile, some upperclassmen were watching the freshmen from a distance, each sizing them up in their own way.

“That one seems like a real people person. Bet the student council’s got their eye on him.”

“That guy looks like a natural athlete. Probably gonna spend all his time in the department clubroom.”

“I smell... a future slav—no, grad student.”

As they shared their thoughts, they slowly turned their eyes toward Kim Dae-Yang, who was silently eyeing Super Ribbon.

“Sunbae,[2] what’re you thinking about?” one of the female students asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Me? Just thinking about how the new batch looks pretty energetic.”

“Come on, don’t give us that. So, who caught your eye this year? Don’t tell me... Super Ribbon?”

Hearing that guess, the sophomores and juniors nearby all turned their heads toward him at once.

“Sunbae, I’m telling you. Don’t even think about it. Seriously.”

“If you want to watch this department go up in flames, go ahead and try something.”

Their voices carried concern. Not that it meant much to him. Kim Dae-Yang just shook his head.

“Are you crazy? Yeah, sure, Super Ribbon’s naive and kinda clueless. If I eased her in gently, she’d fall pretty fast. Heard she’s a lightweight too, just like any other human. A couple shots and boom, we get in trouble.”

Kim Dae-Yang was a genius in that sense, but also dangerous.

“Sunbae, you really are the worst sometimes. You have no idea how many juniors went through trouble because of you.”

Well, the problem was that most of those juniors were guys. Learning that the classmate they had a crush on had spent the night with Dae-Yang had led them to heartbreaks.

However, the reason Dae-Yang never really got in trouble was simple—he walked that fine line with perfect balance.

“You all know I never push someone who says no,” he reminded them.

“Oh please. That’s what you always say.”

“You little—” Dae-Yang scowled and kicked the guy next to him a few times. “Show some respect to your heavenly sunbae, will you?”

“Alright, alright. But seriously, sunbae. This is friendly advice. Don’t even try with her.”

“Oh, come on. What, is her dad gonna come chasing after her even after she’s a college student?”

“You never know. Anyway, just don’t get her drunk and do something stupid.”

“I won’t, damn it. I value my life.” Of course, he was only saying he wouldn’t. “And anyway, girls like her? You mess around even a little, then taking care of them afterward is a mess.”

The other upperclassmen just shook their heads and looked at each other, exasperated with his constant behavior.

“Man, what if he actually gets our school blown up?”

“He’s a tyrant, I swear.”

“Not even wrong.”

“Oh yeah, Dae-Yang sunbae. Are we doing the initiation this year?”

Initiation. They dressed it up with various excuses and other terms, but everyone knew it was just a hazing ritual for freshmen.[3]

“Let’s skip it this year.”

“What?”

They couldn't believe it.

“If we do that to her too, even I might not be able to handle the aftermath. Don’t worry. I like girls, yeah, but I’m not trying to take down the whole department.”

“Fair... That culture we have will turn into a nightmare if it ever gets known to others.”

It was usually done after the entrance ceremony or during their department retreats, though it wasn’t exactly a welcomed tradition.[4] What used to be the norm on Earth had changed. The peaceful world of the past was gone, and society had shifted along with it.

As the mood picked up, Super Ribbon, clearly enjoying the event, found herself laughing and cheering with her new classmates, waving a light stick with a bright smile.

She still looked young, but the fact that she was in college clearly meant she was legally an adult. Her pale skin, unusual hair color, and striking beauty made her the embodiment of a romantic fantasy for many students. She was basically the babe of their dreams.

“Alright! The Bear Team wins 3 to 2, so the Bald Eagle Team gets the punishment!” Kim Dae-Yang lifted the energy in the field again by declaring a competition’s winner.

The members of the Bald Eagle team grumbled and reluctantly got up to receive their penalty.

From the outside, it all looked innocent. It was clearly a typical university orientation. Nothing more, nothing less.

Once night fell, the upperclassmen gathered the freshmen in the department’s assigned auditorium, this time with the professors present as well.

They laid out picnic mats and began setting up an impressive amount of snacks, drinks, and all kinds of booze from beer to soju.

“Alright! You’ve all had a long day! You’re adults now, so everyone here will drink, right?” Kim Dae-Yang said in a booming voice.

In high spirits, the freshmen gathered into groups of five or six and responded enthusiastically, “Yes!”

“Yeah!”

Everyone looked like they were having a great time. Dae-Yang cleared his throat a few times and passed the microphone to one of the professors. “Professor, could we get a few words from you to kick things off? We’ll handle the rest from there.”

“Alright, then.” The professor, seemingly in good spirits himself, let out a hearty laugh and delivered a long, cliche toast.

Dae-Yang spoke up again, “Alright! Now that the professor’s toast is over, let’s go!! When I shout ‘freshmen’, you all shout ‘let’s go!’ and clink your glasses! Drink like it’s your last night! Tonight’s on us upperclassmen!”

The students cheered as the atmosphere grew more lively.

“Once again, welcome to the Awakening Department! Here’s to you freshmen!”

“Let’s go!!”

While it was a little cheesy, crowd psychology got the best of them, so the freshmen shouted joyfully and began breaking the ice by clinking glasses and chatting.

Meanwhile, Super Ribbon silently stared at a massive bowl filled with a mix of soju and beer.

“What are you doing? Not drinking?”

“Ah. Uh, I’m not really good with alcohol...”

“Hm? It’s good, though. Kehhh! That’s the stuff.” One male student gulped down a glass of straight soju and, his face bright red, stumbled closer to her. “I’m Park Moo-Sik. You’re Super Ribbon, right? Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, nice to meet you too. I’m Super Ribbon.”

“Hey, hey! Look at that guy already making a move!”

Laughter erupted from around them. Park Moo-Sik, having mustered the courage to approach thanks to the drinks, jumped up in embarrassment. “N-No, it’s not like that, you idiots!!”

Alcohol made people brave and reckless.

‘Dad also likes to drink...’

Super Ribbon had often seen her father get scolded by her mother after drinking. Given that he was nearly a demigod, it always took some serious liquor to get him drunk.

Just then, Kim Dae-Yang walked up beside her. “Don’t overthink it. If you can’t drink, don’t. No one’s going to force you.”

“Ah, hello sunbae.”

“Everyone here is nice, good people. There are no jerks who’d treat you differently just because you’re from another country. Eat, drink, and make friends. Having friends in college makes all the difference.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, smiling warmly. “If things ever get tough, don’t hesitate to talk to your sunbaes.”

“Ah... Thank you,” she shyly responded.

“Since alcohol seems too much, have some juice instead.”

Just as he reached for the glass in front of her, Super Ribbon quickly grabbed it before he could take it away. After all, if not now, when else would she get to experience something like the party she was in. “I-I’ll drink it!”

“Oooh, really? You know that if you drink, you gotta down it all in one go, right?”

She stared nervously at him, knowing her alcohol tolerance wasn’t great. “I’ll drink!”

She then shut her eyes tight and downed the entire bowl in one go.

“Ooooh!!”

Cheers and applause erupted around her as she emptied the bitter, burning liquid in a single gulp.

“Puhah!” She slammed the bowl down and squinted her eyes. “Ugh. So bitter.”

“Well done! Alright, let’s go for another!”

When Kim Dae-Yang poured her another drink, the competitive spark in Super Ribbon flared. She picked up her glass again.

Whether they were used to drinking or not, getting freshmen completely drunk wasn’t hard for the upperclassmen to accomplish.

Watching her drink with increasing confidence, Kim Dae-Yang flashed a quiet, chilling smile nobody else could see.

Just like that, time continued to pass. With the alcohol giving her courage, Super Ribbon began opening up and making friends. She'd felt awkward at first, yet she was soon laughing and chatting with people who matched her energy.

Eventually, when most students started nodding off or couldn’t eat or drink anymore, the upperclassmen began rounding up the freshmen and leading them back to the dorms.

“Where’s Super Ribbon?”

“She said she’s going to the bathroom, sunbae.”

Hearing the second-year’s words, Kim Dae-Yang stood up, recognizing the perfect opportunity. “Alright, let’s start sending the freshmen back to their dorms. Make sure to check every room and make sure everyone’s alright.”

“What about Super Ribbon?” the person asked.

“I’ll find her and bring her back myself.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

The second- and third-years began waking up the freshmen and guiding them back to their dorms.

Meanwhile, Kim Dae-Yang slipped out alone and soon spotted the beautiful girl sitting outside on a bench, looking up at the sky while clearly drunk.

“Ah... Stars...” Super Ribbon smiled brightly, her face glowing under the night sky.

Kim Dae-Yang stopped in his tracks, staring at her in a daze for a moment, then slapped both his cheeks hard. “Alright, come on, Kim Dae-Yang. Pull yourself together? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Who says you can’t get a girl that pretty as your girlfriend...”

Only amateurs were obsessed with physical traits.

Muttering quietly to himself, he began walking slowly toward her.

Thud!

Startled by the sudden sound, Kim Dae-Yang flinched. He suddenly noticed a heavy hand gripping his shoulder with force.

He turned his head and saw a towering, snow-white rabbit that was easily over two meters tall, staring down at him in silence.

“W-Wha... What?”

He was face-to-face with a perverted-looking, sinewy muscled rabbit. Dae-Yang froze, stunned.

The rabbit locked eyes with him and pointed at Super Ribbon. Next, it pointed back at Dae-Yang. It then raised two fingers, index and middle, to its eyes, turned its wrist to point them at him, and finally dragged a thumb across its own neck in a slashing motion.

Afterward, it vanished.

If it were to have spoken, it likely would have said, ‘Don’t even think about it, or you’re dead.’

The fear carved itself deep into his soul, shooting Kim Dae-Yang back to his senses. In that instant, his drunkenness vanished. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, staring into the void.

Its blood-red eyes, so piercing he felt it could see straight through his mind, refused to leave his head.

“Hup...” He began to tremble all over, and eventually staggered back to his feet.

“S... Super Ribbon?”

“Oh? Hello, Dae-Yang sunbae!”

Her bright smile and playful tone made his heart thump wildly. Even so, he could not think of anything else at that moment.

‘Fuck... if I try to do anything, I’m dead meat! No, like... actually dead.’

It turned out that his survival instinct could beat out even the lust within him.

In the end, the upperclassmen who had planned to get closer to Super Ribbon, starting with Kim Dae-Yang, all eventually had the same terrifying encounter and harrowing experience.

No one dared make a move on her again.

1. In Korea, college departments often have what they call department jackets, which is basically matching jackets that represent their department/major. For example, those majoring in Math might wear a jacket that has their school logo, department logo, and Mathematics printed on the jacket. ☜

2. A form of address for someone of a higher position regardless of age, like Senior Brother in cultivation novels. It’s about someone who is senior to you, like they've worked somewhere longer or are higher up in school. ☜

3. Hazing is the practice of making those wishing to join a group do humiliating/grueling tasks. It can be as simple as having to hand out fliers in costumes, or as severe as going through life-threatening punishments. You may say it sounds ridiculous, and couldn't possibly work, but studies show that people value their positions higher the more they suffer to get it. It's like bonding. ☜

4. Colleges in Korea often go on what’s called department retreats, where the student council/body of each department goes on a trip with the students within the department. Although it is optional, most freshmen attend. It’s called MT (Membership Training) in Korea. ☜