The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Bang!!!

Compared to the enemies they had encountered thus far, the number of dokkaebis wielding sharp sickles with black chains was smaller. However, the danger emanating from each of them was slightly distinct, to the extent that it felt strangely menacing.

Shwaa!!!

Illyna took a deep breath as she witnessed the dokkaebis falling, their bodies drenched in crimson blood.

"Is it because of this place...? Somehow, they're harder to deal with.”

Her mana wasn't faring well in this environment. The consumption here was ridiculously high. Even though she was employing the same techniques as in their world, her mana reserves were depleting rapidly.

Nevertheless, Illyna couldn't afford to stop. If she laid down her sword, the only one capable of eliminating their enemies would vanish. She had to persist under Davey's guidance, for she alone could protect him. Strangely, Davey's attacks weren't inflicting fatal injuries. Hence, this time...

‘Finally, I'll be able to put that arrogant bastard in his place!’

The disparity in their strength didn't matter. Illyna was already content with extending her hand to him in his time of need. Without questioning why she found satisfaction in assisting Davey, she amplified her efforts to overpower the dokkaebis effortlessly.

Shwaa!

"Ugh!"

During the process, she sustained a minor injury. However, that was just the beginning. In the midst of this never-ending battle, she was able to grow at an astonishing rate.

Despite her almost mechanical movements in dispatching the dokkaebis, she suddenly noticed that their numbers had significantly dwindled. With the dokkaebis posing less of a threat, Illyna finally became aware of the presence of the most dangerous opponent—the gigantic snake.

As she turned her head to assess the snake's situation, she was surprised to find that the once overwhelmingly powerful creature had vanished. Only Davey remained.

"Davey?"

The snake had clearly displayed intense fury, as if it would devour Davey without hesitation. So, where did it go? Illyna tightened her grip on Caldeiras, whose power had diminished after slaying the Demon Lord, and cautiously approached him.

"What?"

"Stay calm."

"..."

An incredulous expression briefly crossed Illyna's face as she hurried toward Davey. Then, she scrutinized him from head to toe.

"That... you didn't just toss it away as a joke, did you?"

"It's true."

"Why am I even asking? Ha... But more importantly, where's the gigantic snake?"

"It fled."

Illyna looked perplexed upon hearing Davey's composed response. She inquired, "Wait, weren't you planning to ride on it?"

Unbeknownst to her, she was slowly assimilating and following Davey's unorthodox path. In response to Illyna's awkward question, Davey revealed a rope made of light, obtained from an unknown source.

"It needs some education," Davey remarked as he tugged on the light rope firmly.

Tighten!!!

Thud!!!

—Hiiiiiiisss!!!!

The desperate cry of a snake resounded loudly from somewhere.

"You brat, where do you think you're going? You've barely taken a few hits, and now you're running off to find your mommy? Why are you so weak? Get back here!"

Thump, thump, thump!!!

Illyna couldn't help but think that the person standing before her was truly a monster, witnessing him effortlessly pulling the gigantic snake out of the sand.

***

Giving the slightest glimmer of hope to the tormented opponent was the most effective way to shatter their mind and spirit.

Unlike the dokkaebis, who relentlessly attacked their target devoid of emotions, this snake, which Davey believed to be the imoogi [1], displayed a sense of fear. This indicated that the imoogi was a higher being with emotions.

"You're still going to watch? In that case, what's your judgment based on the current situation?" Davey taunted, locking eyes with the imoogi as he dragged it along the sandy ground. "Care for an encore?"

—Hiiiiiiisss!!!

The imoogi's pupils quivered, its body trembling as Davey gently stroked its scales. The imoogi was fully aware of the stark size disparity between them. After all, it was enormous enough to devour the human before it in a single gulp.

Yet, having experienced a few strikes, it understood that this was not the end. It couldn't contend with the diminutive human standing before it. That's why it made a desperate attempt to escape.

"You must be thrilled to be pulled back, aren't you?"

—Hiiiiisssss!!!

“Goodness, even if you don’t like it…”

Slap!!!

"You must endure it.”

The imoogi's body spasmed, writhing in a desperate struggle from the powerful blow it had received.

"Why are you making such a fuss? You won't die either way, will you? It will only hurt a bit," Davey remarked.

His objective was to deliver a strike powerful enough to kill the imoogi in one blow. Yet, due to the restriction imposed by Goddess Freyja, no matter how forceful or heavy his attacks were, no actual damage would be inflicted.

However, the excruciating pain from each successive strike would undoubtedly be overwhelming. In essence, Davey's approach was to inflict pain worse than death. It was, simply put, the most effective method.

Punch!!! Punch!!!

“Hey! Hey! Come here, you bastard! What are you doing, huh?”

—Hiiiiisssss!!!

“You, what did you just say? Come here, you punk!”

Punch!!! Punch!!!

The imoogi could barely manage a dry gulp amidst Davey's relentless onslaught. The pain was excruciating, driving it to the point of wishing for death, yet it remained unable to die.

Meanwhile, Davey was certain that if he continued holding onto the imoogi for much longer, Goddess Freyja would impose sanctions upon him. Taking that into consideration, he had made plans accordingly.

However, it appeared that the goddess had ceased her interference. Davey speculated that there must be a limit to how much she could meddle, so she was likely assessing the situation before imposing any further restrictions.

Yet, there was also the possibility that this infuriating goddess intended to manipulate Davey into doing something else under the guise of divine punishment.

Could there be something more to it? The circumstances that led Davey to be limited in his use of power reminded him of a deeply unsettling plan. However, he promptly dismissed the thought by shaking his head.

Surely, it couldn't be like that, right? That was what Davey desperately wanted to believe. He was unaware of any other motives, but if Goddess Freyja had orchestrated everything to ask something of him, then there could only be one thing.

"I don't think that's the case."

"Huh? What?" Illyna asked, puzzled.

"The divine punish... Hmm? It's nothing," Davey responded calmly, his gaze fixed upon the trembling imoogi that had collapsed before him on the ground.

The imoogi, a highly intelligent creature, had come to a realization of its predicament. Understanding that Davey would not release its hold, and feeling the immense weight and overwhelming pressure he exerted, the imoogi made the choice to submit and obey.

—Hiiiisssss…

The imoogi let out a desperate cry as it bowed down before Davey, causing a smirk to form on the human's face. "You should listen when others are still speaking nicely," Davey said calmly, then turning to Illyna. "Let's go. There are a total of seven gates. This is just the beginning. The more we drag things out here, the more annoying it gets."

Illyna tightly held onto Davey's hands and carefully climbed onto the imoogi's head. Davey held onto her firmly to ensure she wouldn't fall as he twisted the hair that had sprouted on the imoogi's head.

"Let's go, Poppy."

Beads of cold sweat dotted the imoogi's head as it freaked out upon hearing Davey give it a dog's name. It was quite remarkable to see a scaled creature sweat like that. Perhaps it was a special talent?

"Kyaaaack! It's too fast!"

"You'll get used to it in no time."

"Ugh..."

Initially slow, the imoogi gradually picked up an astonishing speed. Illyna, taken aback by the sudden acceleration, clung tighter to Davey's arms. Over time, she grew accustomed to the speed, her eyes widening in awe as she witnessed the imoogi soaring through the skies using an intangible power.

"Wow..."

Though all they could see was endless sand, the aerial view was still breathtaking. A shimmering river came into their sight, flowing amidst the vast expanse.

"..."

While Davey silently observed their surroundings, Illyna seemed captivated by the simple beauty of the scenery. She asked, "Davey! What's that over there?"

"The River of Souls. It's like a galaxy composed of the souls of the deceased."

"That?!"

"Quasar."

"That, over there?! Isn't that the God of Night Creas' Tears?!"

"What God of the Night? That's just a black hole. Can't you see the black object in the center? It possesses immense gravitational force and absorbs light. Its surroundings only appear bright."

Was this supposed to make sense? But this was the reality before them.

"A black hole?"

"That's correct. It's a celestial body. Wherever one exists, that place would be completely devoid of life."

"Hmmm..."

Despite the presence of a quasar, an astronomical body emitting blinding and powerful light, there was also a nearby black hole displaying immense gravitational force. This place was filled with phenomena that would typically be nonexistent in the world.

Well, the scenery was undeniably beautiful. It seemed Illyna was content to etch this beauty into her memories rather than seeking answers to the doubts arising in her mind.

"You asked if I had gone crazy, right?" Illyna looked up at Davey after admiring the phenomena scattered across the sky. "I believe being able to witness this view is enough for me to risk my life."

"So, you've truly lost it."

Illyna playfully stuck her tongue out at Davey in response to his words.

—Hiiiiisssss!!!

The surrounding landscape began to change gradually, as if signaling their departure from the desert. And there, at the edge of the land, stood a massive gate.

"How...? Once we enter through this enormous gate, we won't be able to leave, right?"

Davey listened to Illyna's observations while silently surveying their surroundings. The hostile stares of those individuals who had been watching them vanished the moment they mounted the imoogi.

Slitheeeer…

The imoogi made an immediate attempt to slither away, but Davey grabbed onto its beard, preventing its escape.

"Where do you think you're going? I don't know much about this place, so I won't let you run away until I find a way out of this world, understand?"

Upon hearing Davey's words, the imoogi's eyes gradually grew unfocused. Davey didn't particularly care about its reaction since it wasn't a divine beast that he had nurtured himself.

Creaaaaaaaak!!!

The huge gate slowly creaked open as a glaring red light leaked from the other side.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A chain suddenly shot out from the other side and tightly wrapped around Illyna. By the time Davey regained his senses, he was greeted by a horrifying sight beyond the gate.

"..."

Before him lay nothing but a vision of hell.

"Oh my... What in the world is this?"

"..."

The ground was adorned with countless spears and swords, impaling souls that appeared to be human and writhing in agony.

[Creating a terrifying and horrifying scene proves to be an effective method of pressuring the defendant undergoing the trial.]

That was what Davey thought. It appeared that Goddess Freyja had utilized the memories she borrowed from Davey to their fullest extent for this purpose.

“Welcome. This is the First Trial’s territory, the place that judges the soul, the Boundary of [Death].”

“It doesn’t matter if you're alive or dead; once you set foot in this place, the work you've done and the life you have lived will be judged by the Lord of Death.”

“For those deemed innocent, you will safely enter the territory of the next judge.”

“For those judged guilty, you will suffer in this hellish place.”

Davey raised his head upon hearing the arrogant tone. There, he saw a being exuding great momentum, accompanied by four men who appeared to be twin pairs, standing beside him as if assisting him.

The two pairs of twins, engaged in a relay-like conversation, suddenly ceased and spat out the same words, "How dare you raise your head? The one receiving judgment should bow in the presence of the judge, Death himself."

Davey covered Illyna's eyes to shield her from witnessing the suffering, bleeding, and pain of those around them.

"Cover your ears."

Illyna raised her trembling hands and immediately covered her ears at Davey's command. To ensure she wouldn't open her eyes, Davey cast a Blind spell on her before carrying her. He gently tilted her head upward to minimize the shock.

The figure before Davey was a narrow-minded judge who based his judgments on assumptions rather than considering both sides of the situation. He didn't even bother to glance at the full picture before reaching a verdict.

Davey wiped any expression off his face and slowly looked up at the Judge of Karma—a gigantic dokkaebi. The judge gazed back at Davey, completely devoid of emotion, resembling a machine.

"Right. You're going to judge me?"

"..."

The two pairs of twins attempted to wield the gigantic halberds in their hands, but they froze and fell silent when they witnessed the giant dokkaebi shift his gaze.

"What should I call you?"

"Impudent! The One that will Receive Judgment, show courtesy to the Judge!"

Illyna startled at the sudden emergence of the heavy and overwhelming pressure emanating from the figure before them. However, Davey steadied her and responded silently, "Courtesy? Why should I bother with such an inconvenience in front of a judge who haphazardly pronounces beings as criminals?"

Baaaaang!!!

Chains swiftly flew from all directions, tightly binding Davey's body the moment a resounding bang reverberated throughout the area.

"The Chain of Karma shall determine your guilt or innocence. The more lives you have taken, the redder the chain shall become. If you are innocent, the chains shall remain black."

The chains restraining Davey instantaneously turned crimson as those words concluded.

"Guilty," one of the four men declared nonchalantly, as if delivering a sentence.

"So, what is the verdict?"

In response to Davey's question, the silent judge finally said, "The One that will Receive Judgment, state your name."

"Davey O'Rowane."

"The One that will Receive Judgment, Davey O'Rowane. You have shed too much blood and committed heinous acts. This is your verdict."

1. a gigantic snake capable of evolving into a dragon ☜