The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 936

Before opening the locked door, Davey reviewed the bizarre contents of the video stones once more for good measure.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that Surtr was far from sane when filming with the stones.

“Drugs...”

‘The devil’s cabbage.’

He was clearly under the influence. He had to be. It was the only possible explanation for his... eccentricity on display.

"Drugs? Uh... Are you talking about the kind of drugs you’ve always said I should never ever do?” Evangeline asked.

"No, not exactly. The one I’m thinking of can actually have quite a few health benefits. But if someone with the wrong constitution consumes them, they can act... strange.”

It was similar to how some people on Earth behaved strangely for a time after getting their wisdom teeth removed.

- Wahhh!! I’m going, going, gone! Hahaha, why am I so freaking handsome?!

- Hehehe. I am the Great Blacksmith of Chaos! My hammer is chaos itself! Bow before me, you fools!

Beep.

"D-Daddy, what’s wrong with this person?"

Evangeline tilted her head, unable to comprehend the situation.

"It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Daddy just might have shown you something a little disturbing..."

Davey couldn’t believe how drastically a person could change under the influence of drugs.

Sword God Ares, for instance, occasionally smoked uniquely shaped leaves that he rolled up like cigarettes. Unlike tobacco, they were beneficial to the body—though they could make a person feel hazy and mildly addicted if smoked while exhausted.

On the other hand, Surtr—though he had lived in the same era and was close to Sword God Ares—never touched the stuff. Out of curiosity, Davey had once asked the smoke-master Ares himself why Surtr didn’t partake despite his rigorous physical lifestyle.

Sword God Ares had given him a suspiciously vague answer.

[He quit after a particularly shocking experience. I don’t know the details. By the time I became friends with him, he’d already stopped completely.]

At the time, Davey hadn’t understood what he meant. However, it would seem the answer to the mystery had been locked deep inside Surtr’s Labyrinth all along.

"Hahahahaha!!"

No longer able to contain his laughter, Davey rolled on the floor, clutching at his stomach between heaves.

‘Surtr, of all people, you’ve been hiding something like this the whole time? I never pegged you as the type.’

Now, Davey was absolutely bursting with a morbid curiosity about what else could possibly lay behind the doors sealed with double-layered locks.

"Locks created with 7th Circle magic... Seriously, come on. What is this, amateur hour? You have to try harder than that to protect your hidden indignities, o’ distinguished master of mine.”

Clank!

Without hesitation, Davey shattered the locks and stepped inside, revealing stack after stack of photo albums. Upon finally opening the first album, he abruptly froze.

He slammed it shut immediately, a 9th Circle Hellfire spell being desperately cast to incinerate it in its entirety.

"Let’s pretend I never saw that..."

The storeroom was like Pandora’s Box—if its contents were revealed, they’d no doubt unleash horrifying truths and plagues upon the world. What made it even funnier was the sheer amount of defensive magic placed on the items. However, even with such protection ensuring most would never be able to open them, Davey made sure to burn them to ashes without leaving a trace.

"Daddy?"

"The things in here are really harmful, Evangeline."

"Harmful?"

"Yes, so let’s just agree that we didn’t see anything. I need you to promise that what we definitely didn’t just see will forever stay only between us. Can you do that for me?"

Seeing him smile, Evangeline turned pale as she nodded frantically, clearly frightened at the possibility of even slightly recalling the horrifying sight from earlier.

"Okay! I’ve already forgotten everything!"

"Good girl.”

He then turned his attention back to the remaining items. Without hesitation, he incinerated them as well—a scorched earth policy was best when in such dire circumstances.

After all, as long as Davey retained his memory, he could always reproduce the embarrassing moments if needed.

[Dig]

After erasing all evidence of the room’s existence, Davey left immediately. However, as he speed-walked down the hallway, a strange, sharp smell of blood hit him.

He remembered that no one had been injured except when first entering the dungeon. However, the stench was the kind of overwhelming blood smell that could only arise when most of a person’s blood had been drained and left coagulating in a macabre display.

“Ugh...”

Evangeline wrinkled her nose and pinched it shut, clearly disturbed.

“Daddy... it smells like blood...”

"I wonder what happened...”

Once they returned to where the statue stood guarding the entrance to the disturbing film archive, what greeted them was a scene of carnage. The follow-up investigation team laid lifeless on the ground. No survivors. The source of the overpowering stench was the blood pooled beneath their bodies.

"My goodness... All these people...” she whispered with a horrified face.

But then, Davey felt a foreign presence lurking nearby.

“They’re not targets. What should we do?”

“No witnesses.”

Figures dressed in strange black attire abruptly emerged, swiftly surrounding the father-daughter pair.

“It looks like you and the investigation team didn’t exactly get along,” Davey muttered, observing the situation.

The assassins moved swiftly, scattering like shadows. They were moving at a speed beyond the perception range of most people. He figured even a Master would likely prove incapable of tracking them.

“Daddy!”

Evangeline tried to draw her sword, but he placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“Stay still.”

Soothing her nerves, Davey slowly began to gather his energy.

Swish!

At that moment, one of the assassins lunged at his nape with a dagger. He casually caught the blade mid-stab with his bare hand, easily shattering it. He then grabbed the assassin’s head and brutally slammed it to the ground.

“Hmph?!”

“Everyone be careful—this guy’s no joke.”

“You really don’t know who you’re messing with, do you?” Davey asked, his voice low and cold.

He figured their objective wasn’t him, instead targeting the Pallan Empire.

Because Emperor Sullivan had kept his participation so secretive, to the extent that even the outside investigation team was largely unaware of Davey’s identity, he was surely an entirely unexpected hindrance to their plans.

"Evangeline, only strike down the ones who come directly at you. Do not, under any circumstances, act first."

While he had always known there’d come a time when Evangeline might need to learn to kill without hesitation, a sudden bloody ambush was neither the time nor place for that lesson. Given the circumstances, she only needed to observe and defend herself if necessary.

"Daddy will handle this.”

"Kill them."

The black-clad assassins surged toward Davey with incredible speed.

[Red Ribbon]

In an instant, the crimson sword, Red Ribbon, flew into his hand and emitted fierce red blade energy.

"He’s a Swordmaster! Don’t give him any openings!"

‘Swordmaster, huh? These assassins must’ve fought Swordmasters before.’

As Davey spun Red Ribbon in his hand, he darted forward effortlessly.

Slash!

In the blink of an eye, the assassins had already fallen, their bodies collapsing while spraying blood across the ground.

“Guh... What is this...?”

"It seems you came here thinking a Swordmaster would be your toughest possible opponent. I mean, your stealth work is commendable, I’ll give you that. But who are you?”

“You... what are you...?”

"Why stir up such chaos now of all times? Not that it changes the result, though."

Slash!

Without hesitation, Davey severed their heads. He then turned to the bird mask statue that had remained still despite the carnage.

"You could’ve intervened, you know."

[It is not my place to interfere in human affairs. I am the guardian of the door, and that is all.]

"Some of them seem to have gotten inside already.”

[Once the door is opened, who enters is no longer my concern.]

Davey shook his head, supposing that indifference was to be expected. The outside had already fallen into silence, but within, an ominous killing aura was palpable.

"Right. Keep up the good work," he muttered as he turned and walked toward the path leading to the treasure vault.

‘Even they won’t be able to navigate their way through without delays, given the difficulty of the maze...’

But as he approached, Davey sighed at the sight in front of him.

The maze had been generously decorated with colorful arrows.

"Figures. Who would’ve anticipated an attack?"

* * *

"Gaaah!!"

"Protect His Majesty! Do not let those bastards get anywhere near him!" a Swordmaster knight shouted as the knights clashed violently with the black-clad assassins.

“Damn it! How did they know we’d be here?!”

"I knew they would act eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon."

"Your Majesty, forgive our incompetence. We will deal with these intruders immediately—"

"Just buy time,” Sullivan said with a stern face.

“W-What?!” the knights exclaimed in shock.

"Have you already forgotten about our fellow traveler on this trip?"

“Ah...”

"I will not allow more precious lives to be sacrificed. Prince Davey will deal with them without difficulty—"

"Your Majesty!!!"

At that moment, several assassins charged toward Emperor Sullivan at incredible speeds. The two knights guarding him leaped forward to block the attack.

Slash!

The assassins and Supreme Expert knights clashed. What should have ended decisively in the knights' favor shockingly turned out to be the complete opposite.

The knights collapsed, spraying blood across the floor.

"What... is this?!"

More knights fell as their cries of agony rang through the room.

"Gaaah!! Gaaaaah!!”

It was a one-sided slaughter. Sullivan, frozen in place, was stunned and speechless.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!"

Another Swordmaster knight drew their Aura Blade blade and charged to shield Emperor Sullivan. Yet, even he was intercepted by a sudden, imposing figure.

“Urgh?!”

The two exchanged a flurry of rapid strikes, their blades sparking in the air.

However, within moments, the Captain of the Imperial Guard—a Swordmaster himself—was struck down, spraying blood on the wall.

Although there weren’t many imperial guards of the Pallan Empire present, each one of them were known for their unmatched skill and experience. But even they were overwhelmed in this one-sided massacre.

"Y-Your Majesty... You must... escape..."

The captain, coughing up blood, reached out toward Sullivan with a trembling hand.

Crack!

The assassin who had defeated him stepped forward, crushing the captain’s hand under his boot.

"From this day forward, the history of the Pallan Empire will change," the assassin declared coldly.

Emperor Sullivan’s eyes blazed with fury at the assassin’s audacious proclamation.

He realized that his decision to keep the security detail to a minimum was a critical mistake.

‘We arrived earlier than planned because Prince Davey joined us ahead of schedule; how could the enemy have still known the exact timing to strike?’

Rash actions invited disaster. Sullivan, acting as if he had no trump card or plan to fall back on, took a step back.

"State your allegiance—who sent you?"

In response, one of the assassins stepped forward slowly.

"I cannot reveal that information."

"I see. You won’t speak easily. Are you aware that your actions constitute treason against the Empire?"

"Hmph. Do you think we came here thinking we were following the law?"

"Your Majesty! Please, retreat!" the Captain of the Imperial Guard cried.

Then, one of the assassins unsheathed their blade and stabbed the captain’s arm.

“Gaaah!!”

The attack had maimed him in an instant.

Sir Gandav was also present, but he had been taken down before the assassins even launched their attack. One by one, the elites of the Empire had been eliminated—an undeniable failure in preparation and response.

"My apologies... Your Majesty..." Sir Gandav said weakly, bowing his head as blood seeped from his wounds.

Nearly all those capable of fighting back had already been subdued. Despite their small numbers, they were all Masters in their own right. The assassins had taken them down nonetheless, which clearly meant that they too were on the levels of Master or even above.

"Since you’re the Emperor, I will allow you to give your final words.”

"Final words? It seems you take me for a fool.”

“Well, if the shoe fits.”

"You bastard!! Don’t you dare think about laying a single finger on His Majesty!”

Thud!!

The assassin kicked the captain, sending him flying.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here—it’s the beloved Emperor, at the mercy of myself and a few assassins.”

The assassins withdrew silently. Then someone emerged from the depths of the labyrinth.

"You... who are you?!"

Sullivan widened his eyes in recognition, seeing the figure stepping forward—it was none other than his fellow member of the imperial family.

"It’s been a while, dear brother."

"You... What are you doing here?"

"Come on, now. Can’t a younger brother visit his older brother when he's in the neighborhood?”

“...”

"It’s a pity things turned out this way, isn’t it? Brother, did you enjoy feeling like you ruled the world? Was it worth it while it lasted?"

"Silence, fool! Do you have any idea what you’re doing right now?!" Sullivan fumed.

"Of course I do. I’m claiming the throne, Brother."

"You have no understanding of what it means to be Emperor of the Pallan Empire! If you repent now and abandon your foolish ambitions, I will spare your life!"

“You still don’t get it, do you?”

The blond young man then sighed and fell silent for a moment before gesturing to one of the assassins, who handed him a dagger. Without hesitation, he drove the blade into Sullivan’s abdomen.

"Gaaa!"

"Listen, dear Brother. The Pallan Empire is the mightiest empire on this continent. And what did you decide to do with all that power? You wish for peace? That’s laughable."

"You lunatic... That kind of thinking is precisely why I cast you out," Sullivan growled as blood seeped from his wound.

"Hmph. Say whatever you like. It doesn’t matter now. Once you’re dead, it will finally be my time to officially inherit the throne."

"Don’t be ridiculous. My son, Crown Prince Shiren, is next in line.”

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

"Ah, yes. Him. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of him too."

"You’ll regret this—you’re making a grave mistake."

"Mistake? What mistake? I don’t see one.”

"You don’t even know who else is in this labyrinth with you. You’ll never have any chance to succeed!”

But he merely responded by chuckling. The young man waved his hand lazily.

"Are you talking about those knights outside? Sorry, but they’re all dead as of earlier today. Did you really think I’d leave them alone as I made my way here?" he grinned sinisterly.

He turned to the assassins.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him."

"No! Your Majesty!!" The captain screamed desperately as blood dripped from his mouth.

The massive assassin positioned near Sullivan raised his blade, ready to deliver the fatal blow.

Just as the sword began to descend, something dark swiftly appeared behind the assassin.

“Hmph?!”

The assassin had taken down Swordmasters before, but even he couldn’t perceive the speed at which the mysterious figure moved, leaving him frozen in shock. His eyes widened, only catching a fleeting glimpse of his attacker. The last thing he saw was a pale hand flying toward his face.

Smack!! Boom!!

Despite being hit by a mere slap, the force sent the assassin hurtling like a ragdoll, crashing into the wall. He slumped to the ground, silent.

"Hmm... I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I assume it’s fine if I kill these guys, right?"

The room fell into a stunned silence.