The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

"Roll to the left."

-Screeeeeeech!!!

As the Fire Chicken writhed in agony, it let out a heart-wrenching scream, as if it were on the verge of death. Then, it glared at the Azure Dragon, Rumble, who was shivering beside it.

‘It's all because of you!’ That was the sentiment mixed in its gaze.

The Fire Chicken wanted to yell at the Azure Dragon, but its oral structure only allowed it to caw quietly as it shed blood tears, unable to talk.

Caww…

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Too slow. Roll to the right.”

A massive pot appeared out of nowhere as Davey chopped vegetables on a cutting board.

-Screeeeech!!!

With an anguished cry, the Fire Chicken rolled again and again. It was filled with fear that its father might change his mind and throw it into the frying oil.

"What in the world..."

"What on earth are you doing?"

The three people—Yun Hee-Ryeong, Kwak Mi-Young, and Su-Yoon—seemed at a loss for words. Perserque and Rinne, however, were familiar with the hierarchy among Davey and his pets. The former kept silent, while the latter rhythmically tapped the table with a fork and knife in hand, seated at the table Davey had set up.

"Rinne. Highly value precious ingredient, new taste data," Rinne stated.

Rumble quivered at the sight of Rinne, who was licking her lips and behaving, in its view, ferociously and ominously. Watching the shivering Rumble, the Fire Chicken squirmed even more violently on the ground.

"Uh... Sir Davey?" In the midst of this ludicrous scene, Kwak Mi-Young cautiously called out to Davey.

"Just wait a moment. The flesh and gall of a divine beast, especially the Azure Dragon, have been known as unmatched elixirs for ages."

"Ah... But..."

Since Kwan Mi-Young did not know what to do, Yun Hee-Ryeong intervened. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean? I just told you to wait a bit."

"No! Are you really planning to eat those Divine Beasts?!" Her outcry was met with vigorous nods from Su-Yoon and Kwak Mi-Young. Their eyes bore intense empathy.

"Divine Beast?"

"Yes! Divine Beasts! Look over there! Unless my eyes are completely blind, that one is the Divine Beast of Fire, the Vermillion Bird, and that one is the Divine Beast of Thunder, the Azure Dragon!"

Davey remained silent.

"And the one asleep there is...uh…the White... White Tiger..."

Indeed. In this world, the legendary Divine Beasts were known as magnificent entities that brought immense good fortune to humans. And yet, one of these beings was rolling on the ground following Davey's order, while another trembled in fear. For those who were well-aware of what the Divine Beasts were, this situation was utterly astounding.

"If the people from the Imperial Sorcery Division saw this, they'd be foaming at the mouth," Su-Yoon remarked, equally baffled.

"No, so are you going to eat or not?"

"How could you eat that! You'll incur divine punishment!"

Davey furrowed his brow. "I’m sure divine punishment is not really enough for someone like me."

"What?"

"Never mind."

Thump!!

Davey stopped cutting radishes and glanced at Rumble, causing it to tremble.

"See, I understand. Living under my pressure and then suddenly getting such a power boost here must be very unsettling."

Rumble shuddered as it looked at Davey, who then gently stroked its neck and scales, and their already pale blue color seemed to pale even further.

"Rumble."

-Grrrrrrrrr.

It seemed to have forgotten that Davey was the kind of master who could teach others anger management the hard way and turn a fierce and proud dragon into a meek and humble worm.

"The air here is good, isn't it?" A grin crossed Davey's face, and Rumble nodded its head like mad.

"That's why I called all of you here...to nourish your bodies."

"..."

"And yet, you're intoxicated with power and bare your fangs at your own father?" Davey's eyes flashed.

As madness frosted over Davey’s smiling face, Rumble's eyes seemed as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

"Rinne, light the fire."

"Rinne is guest, not supposed to labor."

"Would you like to take their place?"

"Rinne, high praise for fast mission execution!"

Rinne rushed over and placed her hands together under the pot.

Whooosh!!

Instantly, flames erupted from Rinne’s fingertips, radiating intense heat as they began to heat up the pot.

"Simply because you got a little stronger here, you dared to attack your very own parents?"

-Grrrr! Grrrrr!

Rumble desperately attempted to protest but, like the Fire Chicken, the Azure Dragon could not speak. These Divine Beasts, born from Davey himself, had not yet fully harnessed their powers. Even though they were born with a significant amount of power, that did not mean they lacked the potential for further growth in power.

"What should I do to you?"

Frenzied, Rumble writhed around, but as it was tied up, it couldn’t do anything other than thrash. Overwhelmed by frustration, Rumble soon began slamming its head wildly on the ground, following the Fire Chicken's example by madly rolling on the floor.

"Oh, you don’t want me to eat you?"

Davey quietly nodded as he watched Rumble nod frantically.

"There won't be a second time."

The blood drained from Rumble's already pale blue face.

"Fine. I'll forgive you. Fire Chicken, get up."

As soon as Davey turned around, the wrathful Fire Chicken sprang up with military precision and proudly puffed out its chest.

"Wake the cat up." Davey pointed at the White Tiger that had fallen on the ground and was proudly displaying its noble idiocy by sleeping in what it thought was an elegant posture.

"You guys have something to do."

Davey proceeded to dump the rest of the ingredients into the pot, addressing Su-Yoon. "Haven't eaten yet?"

"Did... didn’t you say you wouldn’t eat them?" Su-Yoon tentatively asked, thinking that Davey was seriously planning to eat the Divine Beasts. Her stomach was squirming with worry.

By now, she had realized the kind of situation she was in. Davey was not only capable of summoning Divine Beasts, but he also made them fear him like a veritable dog trainer.

"Never mind them." Calmly speaking, Davey took out some special ingredients from the pocket plane. "I did not expect to use this, but it is what it is."

As he mused, he expertly sliced meat and added it to the pot.

"What's that...?"

"Seasoning."

Using seasoning even though the main ingredient was already good enough? Confused expressions reflected on everyone’s face, and Perserque's eyes widened. "Davey, don't tell me you're going to feed them that..."

"Why not?"

"Oh... Oh my goodness, Goddess Freyja..."

As the meat was being cooked in the pot, Davey took out another ingredient from the pocket plane and quietly poured it in.

Shh!!

An eerie smoke billowed from the pot. As if a demon was thrashing about, the thickened broth seemed to manifest ghostly faces screaming in agony.

"What... what is that?"

"Rinne, highly praises the new taste data."

Rinne, renowned for her bizarre taste in food, was even eager to taste this horrific broth. In the past, she had even licked her fingers after she dipped them in troll's blood.

"It's good for the body."

Particularly potent medicine was dangerous if taken directly, so its effects had to be inhibited a little with meat and various other ingredients. Even so, the effects were potent.

"Since I can't protect you for a while, eat this and hang in there."

The ghastly and viscous broth was what mages from the mage tower of Tionis used when they prescribed harsh treatments to elevate their own achievements. Despite its notoriously bad taste, the effects were nothing short of miraculous. And if it was infused with magic, after consumption, the effects were magnified and prolonged. Even if the caster was far away, the effects still applied.

[Kind Goddess Freyja, bestow your blessings upon us.]

Praying cautiously, Davey approached the broth with a hand extended, drawing upon holy power.

[Strength]

He accelerated the manifestation of the spell by casting it several times over.

[Strength]

[Strength]

[Strength]

The difficulty of magic increased with repeated casting, and the increase was not additive or even multiplicative, but exponential.

Having cast Strength a number of times, Davey began casting other spells.

[Agility]

[Vital Pump]

[Mana Conversion]

[Mana Shield]

[Stone Skin]

[Divine Protection]

[Renewal]

The tasteless medicine began to transform into an unparalleled divine elixir. Watching the flickering light at Davey's fingertips, the spectators instinctively began to tense up, sensing the unknown power behind it.

[Reinforce the Mind]

He even applied a mental fortification effect.

‘Now watch carefully. This is the power of a saint from another continent.’

[Saint Gloria]

Whoom!!!!

Not just from Davey's fingertips but from his entire body poured forth an immense holy power, radically amplifying the effects of the broth, which was already ridiculously potent.

"Phew..."

Drawing a short breath, Davey slowly said, "The effects will last for three days."

This medicine would turn even ordinary people into incredible monsters beyond their comprehension. An elderly person might not even be able to leave their bed to go about their business, but if they ingested this potion, they would become able to not only rise and walk, but pick up and throw rocks weighing dozens of kilograms.

If Davey could stay by their side, a simple buff might suffice. But Davey could not afford to cast such crude spells now. Since they would be moving separately, this was the best course of action.

"I won't be taking any objections. Everyone, eat up."

Davey poured the broth, which radiated holy power that anyone could sense, into cups. He extended one to the closest person, Su-Yoon.

"Drink this, Princess Jadeflower."

"Ugh?! What... what's that smell?" She recoiled and cringed at the awful smell.

"Drink and let the power flow through you!"

Davey’s expression and words made him look very much like a sinister dark magician. Su-Yoon shivered and inquired, "If I do…Prince Davey…what will the price be?"

"Your taste buds."

Davey could not guarantee the taste, after all.

"I... I won't eat it!"

"Me... I won't either!"

"I'd also rather not..."

Unlike Rinne, who was eagerly preparing to drink the broth, the three ladies were desperate to refuse.

"This is murder! Attempted murder of a royal! I’m still alive, and now you want to finish me off..."

"After all the trouble I went through to make it for you?"

Chilled by his glare, Su-Yoon twitched. "You're... a tyrant."

"Drink it. Otherwise, even if you really die, I can't help you."

Her face turned to gloom, and she hesitantly accepted the cup.

-Screeeeeeech!!!

Seeing the liquid scream as she looked into the cup, Su-Yoon's eyes welled up.

"Ah... can't I just... not eat this? No matter how I look at it..."

"Consuming it won’t kill you, but not consuming it might."

She did not argue, but just stared at the cup.

"Well, it won’t kill you but it’ll taste like it does. You probably won't have an appetite for about a week after eating it."

Somewhere in a hidden cave, inhuman screams echoed. Who knew what torture the poor creature was subjected to?

***

"Sir Davey. A cold appraisal. Tastes like ten-year-old sewer water." Even Rinne, a huge fan of the most bizarre foods, frowned at the taste.

‘Come on, it just tastes like death,’ Davey thought. "Alright, listen carefully. Perserque and I are going to catch the cause of this mess. Yun Hee-Ryeong, you're coming with me."

"Me... Me?"

"Yes. You come with me."

She was too much of a wildcard to be left alone.

"And Peach Blossom Fairy, please take Princess Jadeflower and head to the palace. It’ll take about half a day on horseback."

Kwak Mi-Young, who had collapsed and was retching on the floor, looked up at Davey.

"Do not reveal Princess Jadeflower's identity. Enter quietly. And when you meet the Emperor of Yu—"

"I... I am the acting emperor..." Su-Yoon slowly lifted her head from the floor. "If... If you have something to say, say it to me."

"Well, that makes things easier. Have a few reliable people get ready."

Not just the beings from the Abyss had the ability to scheme.

Davey handed her a small piece of paper. “This is…”