The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1257

There were four main members of the Gourmet Research Society. The leader was Yuria Helishana, joined by Rinne, Marky, and the dark elf Aina Helishana.

However, unlike Aina who stayed busy as the head of the Shadows, Heins Territory’s intelligence unit, the other two spent their time slacking off despite having official roles. In the end, they’d impulsively flown off to Earth.

Davey had instead gone to the Divine Tree's Land in place of Yuria, who had shirked her duties and run off.

"That's unexpected. I was expecting you to drag that troublemaker Yuria here with you,” Al said with a surprised expression.

He waved a hand dismissively, ignoring her comment. "Myuu, have you been well?"

"Yeah! I've been good! The fruit here is super tasty!" Myuu, who had been sitting on Al’s leg, darted over and jumped into Davey’s arms. "Hehe! Secret friend!"

That phrase prompted a stare from Al.

"What’s with that look...?" Davey didn't understand.

"Are you trying to lay a hand on this child?"

"You got a death wish?"

At the heart of the Divine Tree's Land, the one considered the root of all—the physical manifestation of the World Tree Al—looked affectionately at the half-elf Myuu, who lived in the Moon Forest under Yuria’s attentive care.

"What are you doing messing around with a kid?"

"Come on now, can’t you tell? I was feeling a bit lonely, and then this adorable child came to visit."

Unlike the deranged version of World Tree Al Davey had taken down before, the current Al was quite fond of half-elves. That was likely why Myuu grew attached to her so easily.

"So, what's up? Yuria would normally be the one to come and report things, yet since you’re here, I assume you want to talk about something?”

"Do you have any spare World Tree Saplings?"

She shook her head. "Other than the ones I planted in the Demon World, no.”

"Well, fuck."

"Hmm?"

"Half-god Neltarid said we need a World Tree Sapling. Apparently, the natural energy on Earth is running dangerously low."

"I see. Earth isn’t exactly a small dimension, so from the perspective of those who manage dimensional balance, they’d definitely need a sapling to fix it."

She elegantly swept her hand through the air. A root on the ground quietly shifted and slithered toward her, revealing five small fruits. "As you can see, none of them has fully grown into proper saplings yet. Even the fastest-growing one will still take a considerable amount of time."

"That’s fine, then."

Davey turned to leave without hesitation, then Al tilted her head. "Hmm? I thought you needed one urgently?"

"Can’t do much if there is none. I just gotta pay for my karma.”

It wasn’t something Davey could just juggle credit cards to fix. It was the karma Neltarid had to pay for coddling humans too much.

"Oh, right! According to the records Yggdrasil made before you killed them, one ungerminated sapling somehow made its way to the continent long ago. Maybe try looking for that one?" she suggested.

"How am I supposed to find a defective sapling that didn’t even sprout when it got lost ages ago? Seriously, everyone needs to stop wrecking the environment like this."

According to Neltarid, Earth’s natural energy had rapidly depleted, pushing the planet into a recovery phase. If it were to go into full recovery mode, it’d soon face widespread desertification.

To prevent that, they needed a World Tree Sapling to work as a massive source of natural energy.

While it sounded like a simple fix, from Earth’s perspective, it was a critical crisis—almost like the entire Amazon Rainforest being lit on fire.

In fact, small-scale desertification was already taking place in various parts of Earth, with cries for help growing louder and louder.

* * *

Yuria crossed dimensions to Earth while struggling to carry a large bag filled with exploding mana stones.

She didn’t pay much attention to Earth’s uniquely heavy and stuffy air. It was odd, since as an elf, especially a high elf, she should’ve been extremely sensitive to such things.

To anyone watching, it’d be easy to believe that the older dark elf Aina was the high elf and that Yuria, the actual high elf, was the dark elf.

"So where did you even get all these exploding mana stones?” Marky, trailing behind with a clearly dissatisfied expression, asked with a hint of frustration.

Yuria smiled sweetly in response. "Bought them."

"You bought those, without any collateral?"

"Yes. Gracious Savior’s name came in handy.” Yuria said it like it was nothing, even though getting caught would mean hanging off a cliff by the ankles. However, she stood firm. "Of course, Lady Rinne was the one to use his name."

Marky’s face twisted. Anyone could tell exactly what she was thinking from the sheer disappointment written all over her face.

Still, a part of her felt like it didn’t matter. If things went wrong, Yuria and Rinne would just take the blame anyway.

"Fine, do whatever you want. I’ll just munch on something and watch how it unfolds.”

"First, we’re going to see Lady Evangeline. We have to make sure we have insurance."

It was the ultimate insurance policy against Davey—Evangeline’s presence was essential.

* * *

“Nooo! How many times do I have to hit the ceiling for this?!” Evangeline screamed with a shaky voice.

She was in the middle of playing a collection-based crane game after Moderation had persuaded her to play.

Having just blown through all the allowance she’d painstakingly saved up, she sat and spiraled in despair. “Haaah.”

When she slowly booted up a shooting game to play instead, chaos erupted in her stream chat.

[??? Wait a sec]

[?????]

[Yo! Danger! Boss launched a shooting game!]

[Evac warning! Evac warning!]

Ding!

[Constellation Sagittarius has donated 5,000 Won.]

- You’re evil, boss! You're gonna pretend you’re out of life again and shut the stream down, huh?! You’re just trying to kick us all out of the lobby again, aren’t you?!

“Oh... I died.”

Beep!

[The stream has ended.]

Evangeline let out a deep sigh without even glancing at the viewers being kicked out one by one. It wasn’t anything new. It was just another rage-quit stream.

She made a satisfied face after punishing the viewers who had been teasing her nonstop.

As she began to wrap up the stream, Yuria, who’d been waiting cautiously for the right moment, called out to her, “Lady Evangeline, I’ve got a great offer for you. Interested?”

“Huh? When... did you come in?” she mumbled.

Due to a recent terror attack, Evangeline had been streaming from her lair instead of her usual place. Somehow, her internet still worked, probably because Davey had set up some sort of flow mechanism behind the scenes.

The small dark slime perched on her shoulder blinked its golden eyes at her.

Yuria continued, “I just got here, Lady Evangeline. Would you be interested in visiting Super Ribbon’s school?”

Evangeline jumped to her feet, instantly snapping out of her gloom. No answer was needed. Her choice was clear.

* * *

The campus of Korea University was quite large. Since Super Ribbon had started attending her first classes there, Evangeline had grown increasingly curious about universities.

If she really hit the books, she could probably get in herself, yet it didn’t particularly appeal to her at the moment.

“Are we going to see her right away?” she asked.

“No, let’s eat first. I’m starving,” Yuria answered. She pulled out a map of the campus from who-knows-where and started eyeing the buildings.

With Rinne, Marky, Evangeline, and Yuria moving together, the group stood out like a beacon. Noticing it, Evangeline used a face blindness spell to forcibly redirect the attention of passersby.

She mumbled, “It would’ve been nice if Reina had come with us too.”

“She’s currently in another dimension, at the Gracious Savior’s request,” Yuria replied.

Apparently, the moment Davey had said that she was the only one who could do the job, Reina had lit up like a flower in bloom and dashed off. Most people who knew her had already noticed how she had changed, and the one most concerned was Illyna. Clearly, it would all eventually come to a head.

Yuria and Rinne seemed completely fixated on trying the famous Volcano Hot Wings from Korea University’s student cafeteria, which had gained a reputation all its own.

“But wait. Are outsiders even allowed in?” Evangeline curiously asked.

“We already looked into it. Except during peak hours, outsiders are free to enter,” Yuria said confidently.

Surely, there wouldn’t be any problem.

As they stepped into the relatively quiet cafeteria, Yuria scanned the area with a keen eye. “Perfect. Good, and the sanitary conditions seem decent enough. Anyone who messes around with food deserves a harsh lesson.”

Evangeline rolled her eyes.

Yuria might look bright and cheerful on the outside, but the moment someone played with food, she’d snap like a maniac.

“If something was off, you were going to summon spirits on the spot, weren’t you?”

“Oh my, we’re on Earth, remember? I wouldn’t go that far! Causing trouble here would just create a headache for Gracious Savior.”

‘Like anyone would believe that...’

Scanning the ordinary-looking cafeteria, it wasn't long before Yuria walked up to the meal ticket vending machine and started pressing buttons.

“So we buy tickets with this, eh? Huh? Why isn’t it working?”

“Haaaah. Step aside.” Evangeline pulled out a small wallet from her pocket and fed a bill into the machine. “This is how you use it.”

“You’re amazing, Lady Evangeline.”

“Ehem. This is basic stuff. Anyways, what do you want to eat?”

“Volcano Hot Wings,” both Yuria and Rinne answered in unison. They were already well-informed about the cafeteria’s famous dish.

After getting all their tickets, the four of them placed their orders and gathered around a table. Once it was done, they stared at the blazing-red chicken dish in front of them.

“Good. Looks well-fried from the outside. I’ll need to check the seasoning myself, but judging by the smell and color, the quality doesn’t seem bad,” Yuria murmured, sharply analyzing the food.

Evangeline felt the need to add, “Ummm, just so you know... this is a student cafeteria. They’re cooking food for hundreds of students, so obviously it’s not going to be as refined as food from a high-end restaurant.”

“That’s not what matters, Lady Evangeline. What matters is how clever the idea behind the dish is.” Her culinary philosophy was clearly thorough. “Tionis’s food culture is the result of centuries of development. Meat, rice, bread... They’re all staple foods. Corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes too. You see them everywhere now, but they weren’t always so common or widespread.”

Yuria began sharing knowledge about things that were common yet rarely thought about.

“Even this ham, for example. If you look into its origins, it came from military rations. Earth and Tionis aren’t that different. Let’s take Tionis for example—where do you think ham originally came from there?”

Before eating, Yuria gave a quick lecture on the development and spread of everyday ingredients and dishes. “This rice, too. I’ll never forget the ecstasy of tasting it for the first time! Just think about how much time and research went into developing something like this.”

Even simple food had a long and complex history behind it.

“Alright, let’s give it a taste.” Yuria smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with genuine passion for the culinary arts.

“Ugh. It’s spicy,” Evangeline complained.

Yuria began eating slowly and gracefully, surprisingly elegant.

Rinne stared down at the chicken in silence. Then, holding her fork in a reverse grip, she stabbed down hard and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing away. "Spicy satisfaction. Rinne evaluates the sharp kick highly."

"Huh. Huuu... It's spicy, but it’s so good!"

"Humans have really evolved."

Evangeline was completely taken by the savory taste that followed the heat. Making a pleased face, her small mouth moved with satisfaction as she chewed.

Marky was no different.

It was a common dish, with nothing particularly special about it. Even so, the unique sauce definitely caught Yuria's attention.

‘This choice was definitely the right one! If all goes well, this might bring a major culinary revolution to Heins Territory.’

The Gourmet Research Society, led by Yuria, was a club known for its constant troublemaking. While Heins Academy had a number of clubs, none matched the frequency or scale of the incidents that the Gourmet Research Society had caused.

Still, Davey didn’t let them run wild just because Yuria or Rinne were his closest aides. He wasn’t exactly the type to cover for people over mere favoritism, after all.

He recognized that their accidents had come with significant contributions to the culinary culture of Heins Territory. That was the true purpose of the Gourmet Research Society.

Sure, Yuria caused trouble, but the new cooking methods, utensils, and innovations she occasionally introduced had led to the development of Heins Territory exclusive specialties. The recipes were monopolized and products exported internationally, generating a level of revenue that couldn’t be ignored.

One prime example was how the Lyndis Empire’s royal family had fallen in love with Heins cuisine, turning some of its signature dishes into noble staples.

That was also why they had come to Korea University’s student cafeteria. Foods famous enough to become local specialties always had their reasons for prevalence. Yuria was confident the cafeteria’s dish would offer some form of inspiration.

She had a bizarre personality that didn’t mind boiling a caterpillar as long as she thought it might taste good. Yet despite that eccentricity, her sense of taste was unparalleled.

In fact, as long as people weren’t aware of the ingredients she used, no one ever failed to praise her dishes.

‘What a unique method! Just as expected. If this kind of flavor is possible with this technique... then with the right ingredients, we could draw out an entirely new taste.’

Satisfied, Yuria gently wiped her lips with a napkin. "Alright. Shall we begin?"

At her cue, Rinne reached down and rummaged through a large bag on the floor.

"Wait! Aren’t those exploding mana stones?!” Evangeline shouted in an alarmed voice.

Yuria simply shook her head. "Don’t worry, Lady Evangeline. I’m not planning to blow this place up."

Saying so, she reached her hand out toward Rinne. "Kur fruit."

Rinne, seemingly having anticipated the moment, handed her a small purple fruit. Yuria took it in one hand, held the exploding mana stone in the other, and summoned a water spirit.

Though such conduct might’ve looked absurd in a cafeteria, thanks to the face blindness concealment spell, no one even noticed. Besides, no one could have recognized the stone for what it was anyway.

Focused expression on her face, Yuria wrapped the exploding mana stone with the water spirit’s power. It soon began to emit a faint glow, then she gently split it open, extracting the core-like shard from inside. Unlike the rough outer shell, the small piece inside resembled a gemstone.

“We don’t have the right equipment right now, so from a sanitary standpoint, there are problems. But if we can secure more funding and time for more research, this core can be refined into a semi-permanent cooking tool.”

She embedded the shard into the kur fruit and watched as its outer skin began to soften.

"Three, two, one.” Rinne gave the countdown, and Yuria, without hesitation, squeezed the fruit with both hands, dripping the juice onto the chicken.

"Kur fruits are unique in what happens when one cooks the inside rapidly, but not excessively. That causes the flesh to change in structure, and the transformed fruit pulp drastically changes the juice."

To a normal person, it sounded like nonsense. She continued pressing the softened fruit until a thick, purple juice oozed out like sauce, coating the chicken completely.

"I came here because our research showed this dish would be highly compatible with it."

"Oh my god... Yuria, you look amazing right now,” Evangeline murmured, looking dazed.

Marky silently nodded in agreement. "That madness... I respect that.”

Yuria finished coating the chicken with the new sauce and picked up a fork. Taking a bite, her face lit up. "This is it!"

A completely new aroma! Just the smell alone was enough to make the others salivate.

Marky and Rinne immediately pulled out three more exploding mana stones.

"Quick! Do that to ours too!"

The water spirit wrapped the stones, and just like before, pierced the kur fruits with the cores.

The taste was pure bliss. The strange, tangy flavor was so delicious it wouldn’t have been surprising for them to be screaming at the top of their lungs.

Evangeline clapped her hands in delight. "Wow, this is seriously delicious! Amazing!"

Even Evangeline, who usually dismissed the Gourmet Research Society as a bunch of lunatics, was now looking at them with sparkling eyes.

It wasn't long before all four of them were reaching for more kur fruits and breaking open more stones.

"Ah! There’s one left! Do this one too!" Still caught up in the delicious madness, Marky handed over a slightly larger exploding mana stone.

"Hmm? This one is a bit big..."

"So what?! It’s amazing! Hurry!"

"Wait a moment. Something feels off about this one. Maybe just leave it—"

"No, hurry! This stuff is too good to stop!!”

The flavor was revolutionary.

Innovative.

Tangy. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Addicting.

Yuria, seeing Marky and Evangeline with sparkling eyes, felt proud and satisfied.

‘So what if it’s a little big and murky?’

She asked the water spirit to wrap the bigger one as well, and Marky looked at it with anticipation. When she couldn’t take her eyes off of it, Evangeline suddenly felt a strange sense of deja vu.

Just as Yuria heated the stone and Makry cracked it open, reaching to pierce the kur fruit, Evangeline screamed, as if something had finally clicked, "NO!!"

However, it was too late—the oversized core had already been embedded into the fruit.

Marky eagerly began to squeeze out the juice. Yet, nothing came out.

"Huh?"

Yuria and Rinne turned their heads at the same time.

"Something’s wrong..."

"Wait—! The life energy is too strong—!"

Evangeline, acting purely on instinct, dove to the ground and covered her head. At that very moment, the fruit split apart on its own and went flying.

Something unbelievable then began to emerge from within—a massive tree root so enormous it was hard to believe it had come from a fruit.

A mysterious seed, having absorbed the juice and moisture of the fruit, germinated instantly. The massive root tore through the solid concrete floor, burrowing deep into the earth and anchoring itself firmly. Within moments, it began to grow explosively.

A giant tree sprouted at an alarming rate, smashing through the ceiling and windows as it stretched rapidly upward.

“Kyaaa!!”

“W-What is that?!”

Panic swept through the building. Students who had been peacefully eating their meals screamed and rushed out of the cafeteria as the towering tree emerged out of seemingly nowhere.

Standing at the center of the chaos, Yuria and Rinne silently exchanged glances.

Without a word, they grabbed the bag with the exploding mana stones and bolted.

“Ah!!”

Marky and Evangeline, a step behind in processing the disaster, screamed and took off after them.

The only trace left of their presence was the massive tree that had torn through one side of the cafeteria wall, stretching all the way to beyond the ceiling.

The sudden appearance of the giant tree dominated the news for days, marked as a serious and unexplainable incident.