The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Silence reigned for a brief moment.

"Hey, why are you deliberately ignoring me?"

There stood the lich, a transcendent figure rivaled only by those of the 8th Circle. Who was he? None other than Deian, the King of the Dead—a commander infamous for his deep-seated animosity and ruler of legions! Yet, here he stood...

"Cough! Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else," he croaked in his current state.

"You find this amusing? Can't you recognize me?" Davey inquired.

"Cough! I do not," he wheezed.

The root of all this commotion was the accursed monster before him. King of the Dead Deian had once been a symbol of terror, a being so feared that he could proudly claim to have driven the first saint to their demise. But now, he averted his gaze from a single individual.

"What's happening…?"

Iro, sprawled on the ground, gazed wide-eyed at the surreal sight of Davey and the monstrous King of the Dead Deian.

Davey had demonstrated his ability to defend himself in their prior encounters. However, one might assume he stood no chance against King of the Dead Deian. Yet, in reality, it was Deian who avoided eye contact, pretended ignorance while trying to withdraw.

Amid this bizarre standoff, Davey's smirk darkened further. Witnessing that smile, Iro clenched his teeth and folded his bony hands as if in prayer.

‘Oh, God, is the one wearing that sinister smile truly a Saint...’

"It's funny, I was a bit concerned, but here we are meeting face to face."

As Davey confidently approached Deian, he backed away, coughing.

"Why go to the demon realm when I can just use you?"

***

Succubus Lapis, dutifully carrying out King Deian's commands, furrowed her brow at the perplexing situation unfolding before her.

‘Why is he conducting himself in such a manner?’

King of the Dead Deian, irrespective of his temperament, was an extraordinarily potent lich. After all, he was a sorcerer of immense prowess, second only to the first Lich Nyx, who once led the demons. When it came to sheer might, Deian was unquestionably on par with the lord she served. In fact, there were times when his power seemed to eclipse even hers.

‘Then why is he so unnerved by a mere mortal?’

It defied logic.

‘Could it be... that this human is a fiend from the realm of humans?’

Yet, no matter how closely she scrutinized him...

‘I can scarcely detect any significant power emanating from him. He presents as nothing more than an ordinary human.’

To her, Davey was merely a nocturnal target, and her irritation swelled.

"What on earth are you doing, Deian?! Just eliminate that human!"

"What... What are you talking about? I... I am Deian..."

"Did you honestly believe I wouldn't notice your attempts to conceal yourself?"

As the cunning voice flowed from the human boy's lips, Deian's skeletal jaw dropped. The emotion in his eyes for that fleeting moment was challenging to decipher, but one thing was evident – he was in despair.

"You cursed witch! If I manage to survive this, I'll ensure that you neither live nor die!"

Lapis couldn't fathom why she was the recipient of his anger. If they persisted in this manner and wasted time, she had no inkling of how wrathful her lord would become.

Swoosh...

"If you won't do it, I will." She wielded a substantial scythe, directing its blade at the human boy. "It will sting only a bit."

As Lapis, with her gentle yet ominous voice, lunged at the boy, Deian, who had been anxiously scanning their surroundings, swiftly seized her by the nape of her neck. "What are you doing?!"

"Damn it! This is all your fault! Follow me if you want to avoid death!"

With that declaration, Deian and Lapis were enveloped in a shroud of black smoke.

"Where do you think you're escaping to?!" Illyna lunged forward, but in the blink of an eye, skeletal soldiers obstructed her and Davey's path.

Zap!

Shortly after, a teleportation spell from the 8th Circle materialized, and the two figures vanished. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could discern the situation. Deian had spotted Davey and fled in terror.

"Damn! Right before my very eyes!" Illyna, incensed that the individual indirectly responsible for her beloved brother's demise—the former crown prince of the Pallan Empire—had slipped away right in front of her, shouted with seething intensity.

* * *

"What... What on earth..." The villagers and their guardian, Iro, stared at Davey in utter disbelief. "You... What exactly are you?"

"Are you always this slow?" Davey replied with calm composure, directing his gaze at Illyna.

Her intensely furious expression made it clear that she was prepared to confront the King of the Undead, Deian. Despite her elixir-enhanced abilities beyond the Swordmaster level, King Deian wielded skills from the advanced stages of the 8th Circle, rendering her still no match for him.

"Stay here."

"No! I'm coming too! I'll take him down myself!"

"Listen to me." Davey firmly grasped the enraged Illyna’s shoulders, locking eyes with her. He said, "Stay put. I'll handle him."

"…" Illyna was so distraught that tears threatened to flow.

"I've got this. Just stay here."

"You'll... really do it?" With a melancholic tone and a childlike look in her eyes, Illyna asked, "Will you truly seek revenge for my dear brother?"

"Yes. I'll give that bastard a sound thrashing."

Illyna then embraced Davey tightly, burying her head in his chest. "Please, Davey..."

"Alright," Davey responded with calm resolve.

Then, Iro approached hurriedly. "What's your plan? Why did that man look at you like..."

"Stay here. Since you're skilled, watch over Illyna and make sure she doesn't do anything rash."

"You..."

"I have some unsettled matters to deal with."

‘That's why I shouldn't leave traces.’

"It's perilous! Don't you know about his 8th Circle necromancy..."

Suddenly, Iro's voice trailed off as he beheld the magic circle emanating from Davey’s body. His jaw dropped so dramatically it seemed as if it might detach. "Huuhhhhh..."

Witnessing his reaction, Davey mischievously erased the circle, returning his expression to one of apparent seriousness. Well, he showed seriousness with a hint of playfulness.

Woosh!!!!

"Huuhhhhh..."

Davey activated the magic circle once again, causing Iro's jaw to drop for the second time.

‘This guy... His reaction is crystal clear,’ Davey thought.

"8th Circle Warp!" Iro finally identified the nature of the magic circle, his eyes filled with shock. The revelation that an apparently ordinary human boy possessed 8th Circle magical abilities left him flabbergasted.

Zap!

Shortly after, the mana enveloping Davey connected with the magic circle, completely transforming the environment. That fool had fled without bothering to cover his tracks. It was glaringly obvious where he had gone.

* * *

Crash!!!

Immediately upon crossing through space, Davey encountered a colossal fist hurtling toward him. Without a moment's hesitation, he propelled himself off the ground, leaping into the air just as a barrage of razor-sharp arrows, seemingly poised for this very moment, sped ferociously in his direction. Deian refrained from employing his signature curses; he wasn't foolish enough to waste his energy on them, knowing curses wouldn't affect Davey.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! It's time for your demise! I'll end you for the humiliation you've caused me!"

As Davey traversed through space, he found himself still inside the subterranean mountain range, which appeared even more treacherous than before. The ground was scarcely visible, and most of the surrounding area was consumed by fiery red magma. One misstep, and Davey risked melting away into the searing heat.

"This place is a magma lake. This is where you'll meet your end!" From an unknown location, a voice—presumably Deian's—echoed, followed by a colossal movement beneath the magma, heading toward Davey's position.

Suddenly, creatures erupted from the magma, launching a coordinated assault on him. Among them were massive fish spewing magma and flames, a snake over 20 meters long, and a colossal bull with a fish-like lower half. These creatures appeared significantly more menacing than anything Davey had encountered in the subterranean mountains, each possessing power akin to that of a master swordsman. While it remained unconfirmed if a King of Evil Beasts resided at the very bottom of these mountains, the creatures that inhabited the region were undoubtedly formidable.

"You think hiding and using others will save you?"

Davey levitated and delivered a powerful punch to the head of the massive snake attacking him. With a resounding noise, the snake recoiled, but the onslaught persisted relentlessly.

"These creatures are under my control after much effort! Even if you're immune to curses, can you withstand the denizens of this living hell?"

Deian's shout pierced the air. As Davey deflected numerous attacks, he scanned the surroundings for Deian. Although he couldn't spot him anywhere, he was certain Deian was nearby. Just as Davey began feeling cornered, a piercing red glow emanated from an apparently unending black sinkhole. From beneath the deepest layer of the subterranean mountains, a hellish abyss opened, and before Davey could react, a massive breath of flames erupted from its depths, engulfing him.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Perish! Become the prey of the King of Evil Beasts, the Volcanic Worm!"

Amidst the inferno, Deian's taunting laughter echoed. Davey, submerged in the magma, felt the weight and heat of it sapping his mana. Many creatures, including the King of Evil Beasts, the Volcanic Worm, were clearly under Deian's command. Davey realized the extent of Deian's dominion in this place, controlling so many formidable creatures.

As Davey remained submerged in the magma, a dark figure pulled him out. It was a massive lizard with fiery scales and razor-sharp claws, hoisting Davey slowly with its six vigilant eyes gleaming.

"I've yearned for my revenge against you since our last encounter! I've waited for this moment to end you!" Deian appeared, seemingly having employed magic to conceal himself.

Davey turned his head toward Deian and asked, "So, how many have you brought under your control?"

Deian, grinning with his skeletal visage, replied, "Every monster here has sworn loyalty to me, the Commanding King! There's no escape for you now!"

Davey smirked and reached out with his free hand. A notification appeared, indicating the activation of a familiar title: the Starbreaker. Energy began swirling around him, power absorbed and released in an instant.

"What are you doing?!" Deian exclaimed.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," Davey calmly responded, even while being held by the massive monster.

Deian's eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean?"

"Summoning them all at once."

Davey had never summoned all his creatures simultaneously, but with the vast energy he now wielded, the terrain began to shift and quake.

The hot, moisture-laden air stirred, and the flames of magma flickered. Davey, startled by the sudden turn of events, quickly surveyed his surroundings.

As if to meet such a wild expectation, a massive black figure burst from the magma, seizing the King of Evil Beasts that held him by the head and brutally slamming it into the wall. Though immensely colossal, a smaller black dragon appeared unfazed, crushing its opponent underfoot.

"What, what?!"

Just as Deian, shocked by the appearance of the black figure, was about to gather mana, the space around him began to warp and change again. The fiery bird with anger issues, Vermillion Bird, the fierce Azure Dragon with a wild temperament, and the being Davey used to call the perfect embodiment of regality – a massive tiger with pristine white fur, White Tiger, all revealed themselves.

"I think there's no need for commands. Let out all that you've been storing up."

At Davey’s command, the three Divine Beasts started to move slowly, observing the many monsters surrounding them. The monsters, only operating on instincts, were overpowered by the sheer force of the Divine Beasts and hesitated, though some still seemed ready to fight.

The sounds of battle rang out. Including Megalodria, who was violently beating the King of Evil Beasts, the three Divine Beasts were unleashing incredible power, but that did not matter. The strength Davey had gathered as the Starbreaker was never weak enough to be exhausted by this.

"Two more for you as a gift."

Davey reached out toward Davey, who was agape in shock. Davey then converted some of the power he had gained from the star fragments into spirit mana. Simultaneously, the wall contorted, revealing a colossal stone giant, and the moisture in the air formed the figure of a blue woman.

"King of Earth Spirits, Gnoass. Queen of Water Spirits, Water Slime. Fulfill the contract."

[Contractor's demands will be met.]

[Didn't I tell you not to call me Water Slime?!]

"I don't care; it's catchy."

One king of mythical beasts, three Divine Beasts, and two kings of spirit beasts. Though it might have seemed foolish, deploying high-quality troops against an enemy focused on quantity brought Davey joy and satisfaction. There were two ways to win in a numbers game: overwhelm with sheer numbers or reveal superior quality.

"It's... it's impossible..." Deian mumbled in disbelief, facing the overwhelming force before him.

But Davey only added more fuel to his despair. "What's the matter? If you're shocked now, just wait. There's one more."

The three Divine Beasts and the two kings of spirit beasts quickly turned the tide, transforming the battle into more of a massacre than a contest. Deian, looking hollow and feeble, gazed at Davey in silence until he noticed the power gathering in Davey’s hand, and his eyes widened in shock.

"You're mad... You wouldn't?!"

"Thank you. You've provided the perfect opportunity for a summoning."

‘Did he think it would be easy to find a place with such a strong natural energy of flames? Since I'm using stored power, might as well make a contract.’

In front of Deian, Davey started to manifest the spirit summoning circle.

[Below the beginning of time, builder of the world,]

[Burn fiercely according to the pact,]

[Owner of the hot oxidizing flame.]

[I wish to uphold your name and the pact.]

[My name is Davey O’Rowane.]

[Your name is the origin of flames.]

It was time to call a friend for Slaimmy and Gnoass.

[Come forth. Arsonist.]