The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1259

Super Ribbon, who had just entered Korea University and began her undergraduate life, found that everything caught her interest.

She had already heard about the Gourmet Research Society stirring up trouble again, and how they ended up dangling off a cliff somewhere in the U.S., turning into a public spectacle.

It was hard to believe that the incident was responsible for the massive Divine Tree now under constant investigation and protection by the Awakened Federation.

From what she could tell, the emergence of that tree had become a global phenomenon. Desertification had completely stopped across the planet, vegetation instead beginning to spread across barren regions once again.

While a World Tree Sapling might not possess enough power to support an entire world like a fully grown World Tree, it had more than enough strength to drastically accelerate the circulation of natural energy. At the very least, Earth wouldn’t face any environmental issues for the following few hundred years.

“Did you get into a lot of trouble?” During a break between classes, Super Ribbon sat with Evangeline on a bench at the campus.

Evangeline nodded repeatedly with a gloomy face, her head lowered. “A lot.”

It was a short answer, but she didn’t sound upset.

“Our moms were only hard on you because they care about you.”

“I know...” Evangeline had finally realized just how insensitive she had been to potential danger. It was only thanks to luck that the situation hadn’t turned worse.

From another perspective, it was like leaving a child home alone, only for them to play with something flammable and nearly burn the house down.

“How’s your streaming going?”

“Same as always. Games, drawing, chatting... fighting with Moderation.”

“He really never changes.”

Evangeline lifted her head with a small grumble. “Exactly.”

Thanks to the face blindness spell, the group hadn’t attracted too much attention. Still, if they stayed in one spot too long, someone was bound to notice something since Evangeline was a massive online influencer.

In terms of pure follower count, even most famous actors and singers couldn’t match up against her.

“By the way, whatever happened to the offer that happened in one of your streams?”

“Offer?”

“Yeah, offer. That person who said they wanted to sponsor you and set up an art gallery.”

“Oh... I turned them down. I’m not really interested.”

Evangeline didn’t ever think much of it, but her artistic talent went far beyond what one would expect from someone her age. Every piece she created with just a few strokes revealed a sense of completeness—they were widely considered true works of art. Some of the pieces she drew as fan service were reportedly receiving offers for insane prices by collectors.

If she ever gave up everything else and focused solely on art, she could be called a true blue master.

Super Ribbon was reminded once again of how terrifying the innate talent of an ancient dragon could be. It was no surprise that the dragons who called her princess were so full of pride.

“Hey, Super Ribbon. I’ve actually got something I’ve been wondering about.” Evangeline sat upright, hands folded over her knees, and cautiously opened up. “My body’s done growing, right?”

“Huh?”

“My body. It’s not gonna grow anymore, is it?” She looked down at her petite figure, turning from side to side. “I’m not gonna get any taller, right?”

“Dad said your physical growth from here on will be minimal.”

It was most likely that she was done growing, but it felt cruel to say that outright given the circumstances.

“Then... this won’t grow either?” She tapped her chest with a pout. “Do you know what those jerks in my stream said yesterday? They said they couldn’t tell whether or not I was streaming with my back facing the camera!!”

Super Ribbon had to hold back a burst of laughter.

Her body had the unmistakable look of a cute young girl, and that wouldn’t be changing.

“I mean, I want a body like, bam! You know? Long legs! Curves!”

“You’re already plenty charming as you are,” Super Ribbon reassured her.

“No! I want to be all like—bam! Tall! Hot!”

When she kept rambling incoherently, Super Ribbon smiled bitterly. “Eva.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry, but you probably won’t grow any more.”

Sometimes it was better to give hope, yet in this case, lying felt worse.

“What?! Sis, you can’t just say that!” Clearly, that wasn’t the answer Evangeline had wanted to hear. “I’m supposed to be the one and only ancient dragon in this world, right?! That means... maybe...!”

She suddenly fell silent. “Sis. You know who my real parents were, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“What kind of people were they?”

“One was an ancient dragon, and the other was human. Your father was a giant, easily over two meters tall.” After a moment of silence, Super Ribbon raised her hands, hesitating as if to shape something in the air. She then looked at Evangeline. “Do you want me to share some memories?”

Evangeline held out her hand with a tense face.

Super Ribbon possessed vast mana, but Evangeline had never seen her cast a spell.

They resonated, then Evangeline channeled her mana and shaped something above her small, pale palm. What appeared was a tiny girl, dressed in a black, gothic-style dress and holding a matching black parasol.

She was a truly beautiful girl.

Evangeline was shocked. “Is that... my mom?”

“Yeah, that’s Eclipse, an elder of the ancient dragons. She was strong enough to fight gods head-on, all by herself.”

“Why did she fight with dad?” Evangeline wondered.

“Because of that moon.” Super Ribbon lifted her hand and pointed up at the pale green moon, faintly visible even in daylight.

Originally, Earth had only one moon. Ever since that fateful battle, however, a second green moon existed in the sky.

When it first appeared, astronomers around the world were in shambles trying to understand it. Now, it had become something people simply accepted.

A moon that exerted no gravity or pull, it was practically an illusionary sphere. Even so, its physical presence was undeniable.

That mysterious moon was, of course, Thanatos.

“Your mother spent her whole life looking like this,” Super Ribbon told her.

Evangeline couldn't believe it. “N-No way... I heard the egg I was born from was huge! How could she lay something that big with a body like that?”

“She probably laid it in her true form.”

Eclipse’s tiny body was just her preferred transformation. Her true form was far larger than Evangeline’s current size.

“You’ve got a point,” she admitted.

“Still, don’t worry too much. That’s just my guess, not something confirmed.”

Evangeline stared at the illusion of Eclipse with a dazed look and tightly clenched her fists.

Eclipse was even smaller than Evangeline! If genetics had their way, then it was entirely possible Evangeline would remain in her current form forever.

“You took after your father when you were born,” Super Ribbon said, a reminiscing look on her face. “I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday.”

That bright smile she had once shown to Davey was still vivid in her memory. Evangeline had been influenced by Davey O’Rowane the moment she entered the world. So maybe, just maybe, there was still a tiny sliver of hope for growth.

As the child of Eclipse, a calamity-level ancient dragon, and Hercules, the strongest in the Hall of Heroes, her potential would likely be the highest in existence, right after Davey himself.

Davey had once said that given enough time, she could even surpass him. After all, she bore both Eclipse’s bloodline and Hercules’s power.

However, Super Ribbon knew Davey wouldn’t exactly sit around waiting to be surpassed.

“Someday, Eva... you’re going to be the one protecting our family. When that happens, I’ll be the one protecting you at your side.”

Even just being a sword, that would be more than enough.

“Eh? Super Ribbon?” Just then, someone called out from a distance. Even if their face blindness spell had weakened, there was no reason anyone should’ve been able to recognize them.

Or so she’d thought. Super Ribbon suddenly realized the spell had completely worn off.

“Ah...”

Fortunately, the area was mostly empty.

“Sunbae? Is something wrong?”

“Ah, no. I just came to get the Travel Club’s upcoming event approved. But wait... isn’t that... It's Evangeline!” Kim Ah-Rin rushed over like a fan meeting a celebrity, her eyes wide with excitement as she stared at Evangeline.

“Uuuh. Hello.”

“Wow, it’s great to meet you! You’re Evangeline, right? I love your streams!”

“A-Ah...” Caught off guard by someone recognizing her in person, Evangeline blushed and bowed her head.

“You’re even cuter in real life!”

“T-Thank you...”

“Anyways. Super Ribbon, we’re leaving in a week. Want me to send you the gear list?”

“Yes, please. That’d be great.”

Evangeline was curious what they were talking about. “Where are you headed?”

“Evangeline, want to come with us?”

“Eh?” Super Ribbon couldn’t help but question if it was really okay to bring a non-member along on a club trip.

“Sometimes I go with my family, so it’s fine.”

“A-Ah... Sorry, but I’ve got a stream that day.”

“That’s a shame.”

After eventually getting an autograph from Evangeline, Kim Ah-Rin waved and turned to leave. “See you in a week!”

“Yep, take care, sunbae.”

“Where’s the trip to, anyway?” Evangeline asked.

“There’s a creek not far from a haunted abandoned hospital. It’s supposed to have great nature and views.”

Evangeline suddenly shot up from the bench. “I’m heading off first!”

“Okay...? Get home safe.” Super Ribbon waved as Evangeline hurried away. She vanished as if she had never been there.

* * *

When Davey heard that Super Ribbon was going on a trip, he gently intertwined his fingers with Aeria's, who was resting her back against his chest and occasionally twitching her ears.

“These are clothes for the baby Perserque’s going to have. What do you think?” she asked.

“They’re cute,” he responded.

Tiny mittens, soft shoes, and clothes fit for a newborn.

Despite their differing race, demon physiology wasn’t much different from humans’. The two main differences were their demonic force and horns.

In fact, Perserque could detach her horns at her convenience. Since she essentially didn't have any, there was a chance that the baby might not even grow any horns at all.

“They’re adorable. Darian’s going to get jealous.”

“Fufu, Darian’s too big for mittens now.”

They looked like an excited newlywed couple preparing for the arrival of their child.

Davey cautiously asked, “But... doesn’t it bother you? That it’s Perserque’s child?”

“She’s my lifelong benefactor. And... it’s your child.” Aeria smiled so brightly and purely that it almost felt unfair of him to have suspected her at all. “How could I be jealous of that?”

She looked up at him, eyes quietly searching for something, as if asking for some reassurance. “Remember what I told you when we first met? That I just wanted to sit next to you, look at the same scenery, and laugh together?”

“I remember,” he confirmed.

“And that someday, I wanted to look back and say I lived a happy life. That’s all happening now. So how could I ever be jealous?” She leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. Her sweet scent tickled his nose. “But nothing more than this, okay? I might really start getting jealous then.”

‘Perserque will probably snap me in half before anything more happens...’

There was a simple reason she never got jealous of Illyna or Aeria—Davey had already recognized them as his people long before anything had started between them. However, everything after that was another matter.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, at this moment. And surprisingly... The four of us all sleeping together isn’t so bad. It's more cozy than I expected.”

Davey looked away, unable to meet her beautiful, smiling face. “I’m going to step out for some air. Go ahead and turn off the lights and sleep.”

“Come back soon.” Aeria wriggled under the silk covers, gently stroking the cheek of Darian beside her, who was fast asleep.

Outside on the terrace, Davey looked up at the sky and quietly called out, “Killer Rabbit.”

A snowy white rabbit emerged from the shadows.

“What about your main body?”

[Still in the Demon World.]

Though it was an ancient demonic beast obsessed with working out, it had become one of the trusted guardians protecting the castle in the Demon World.

The actual sight of it was nauseating, but the presence of its main body and countless duplicates had forcibly stabilized the public security of the Demon World.

Killer Rabbit struck a muscular pose and gave Davey a smug look, silently asking for an evaluation.

“About Super Ribbon’s escort. Have there been any issues?”

[About that... This time might be difficult.]

“You got something going on?”

[Not exactly? It’s more of a biological issue. Maybe try asking that constellation Taurus this time.]

“Taurus? When has it ever listened to me without question?”

[Still, doesn’t it follow orders pretty well?]

“That’s not good enough. I guess... I’ll ask that guy instead.”

[Who?]

“Someone appropriate.”

[Oh, that guy?]

“They’ve gotta earn their keep, after all.”

While there may not be any direct threats to Super Ribbon’s safety, leaving her without an escort was out of the question.

Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, and Super Ribbon herself might appear humanoid, and possess great power at their core, but they had practically no direct combat ability.

* * *

Although Killer Rabbit, who usually watched over her, had stepped away for personal reasons, Super Ribbon didn’t seem too concerned when her car came to a stop.

“This is the place?”

“Yes. Also, you really didn’t need to drive me all the way here...” Super Ribbon gave an awkward smile as she looked at the driver of the sleek red sports car, Kouna.

Gripping the wheel, Kouna shook her head.

She was a rising star among Japan’s Awakened individuals. A Celestial Maiden gifted with the power of Haitai, she had once been the minister of the Ancient Dragon of Time.

Much like Chris Marten, she remained a citizen of her home country while working under a transnational corporate entity, the Sacred Group.

Her active territory included Japan, Korea, and China, though her young age meant she wasn’t overworked and mostly only deployed for minor rift investigations.

“I just felt like taking a drive, so this worked out. There’s a rift nearby anyway, so I might as well check on it while I’m here.”

Traditionally speaking, she was too young to drive. Yet after a major disaster years prior, the legal driving age had been drastically lowered, making it possible for her to drive as well.

Thanks to the change, she expertly handled a very expensive, very flashy car that Davey had gifted her. He’d given her the car with the intent that she’d never again be made to feel small in front of anyone.

Since it came from him personally, she’d grown deeply attached to it.

“Thank you,” Super Ribbon told her.

“You’re coming back in two days, right? I’ll pick you up then. Got everything packed?”

“Yepp! I’m all set. I’ll have fun.”

When Super Ribbon opened the door and stepped out, Kouna called out to her, “Hey... Super Ribbon.”

“Yes?”

“How’s... he doing?”

“You could just check for yourself, you know.”

“I guess I’ve been too shy... He’s my sponsor, and I haven’t contacted him in a while.” Kouna smiled bashfully.

Super Ribbon shook her head. “Dad already knows where you are and what you’re doing, but he’d probably appreciate hearing from you directly. How about sending him a message on DurianTalk?” Having said what was needed, Super Ribbon turned and started walking up the mountain road.

“Wait, Super Ribbon! Are you sure you don’t need an escort?”

“Escort? No, I’ll be fine. Killer Rabbit usually helps out, but it’s busy this time.”

Just as Kouna started to worry, she caught sight of a massive dokkaebi club emerging from Super Ribbon’s shadow. It swirled once through the air, as if checking the surroundings, then vanished.

Kouna gave a small nod.

While the duplicates of Killer Rabbit were usually enough, there was another formidable being on Earth—the transcendental entity that wielded a club, the great Shiverwock.

It was one of four legendary beings in Heins Territory’s famous Fitness Club. The muscle-bound dokkaebi figure was well-known in a different domain than Killer Rabbit.

“Come to think of it, there’s a haunted abandoned hospital near here, isn’t there? I hope those spirits know better than to mess with her... She is guarded by a dokkaebi king, after all.”

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Kouna watched Super Ribbon pull her large suitcase up the steep concrete path until she vanished from view. Then, Kouna pulled out her phone and opened DurianTalk. She opened a chat she hadn’t touched in a long time.

Davey O'Rowane. Her sponsor, and by now, practically her guardian.

She knew that their age gap wasn’t that big, but Kouna knew better. However, she wasn’t sure if she should text in a polite and formal tone or in a cute and friendly way.

After moments of contemplation, she turned to her divine beast Haitai, the one who had made her into a celestial maiden.

“What’s the best way to message him?”

Poof!

A small tiger-like creature appeared in midair, hovering silently for a moment. It then immediately dove toward her phone, furiously jabbing the screen.

“Ah!”

Before she could stop it, her selfie was already on its way to him. It was one taken from a downward angle with a soft smile, showing her in a cute outfit flashing a peace sign.

She had taken it to boost her confidence. Now it was loading to be sent. She lunged to delete it, but alas... she was too late. Davey already saw it.

- Looks good on you. Drop by Heins sometime. Darian’s been saying he misses you.

It was such a casual reply.

Her face turned bright red as tears welled in her eyes, her entire body trembling.

[Kuh! Kaaak!!]

All she could do was grab the floating, smug-faced Haitai and slam it into the passenger seat.