The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

The incessant downpour of sword strikes continued, as if refusing to cease. Without any difficulty, the enhanced power of Caldeiras drew forth strength that was beyond what was previously imaginable. This was the reason people emphasized the importance of powerful equipment. The power of Caldeiras was fully realized when the Sword Lord Ares split the great ocean into two, and now, this very smagnitude of power of Caldeiras was created in Davey’s hand. Of course, despite the emphasis on powerful gear, splitting the ocean would be impossible without the wielder's own capabilities.

One by one, the swords that were unleashed like a road to hell started to vanish as Davey carefully withdrew the torrent of blades and retrieved Caldeiras back into his hand. Perhaps it was because the Malicious Spirit had vanished that the remaining beings he had summoned started to disperse as if dissipating and eventually vanished completely without a trace. All that was left of the bridge was stillness and the remnants of devastation. But it didn't take long before the bridge finally caved in, unable to bear its own weight, and began to collapse.

And so, Davey took the sole survivor and held him in his arms, believing that there was no reason for a living child to die.

Thud!

“Hmph?!” Davey reacted instinctively and narrowly avoided something that pierced the ground with a speed incomparable to the speed of sound.

“Is this for real?” Davey was dumbfounded as he stared at the destruction left in his previous spot.

In front of him, there was a giant octopus tentacle that was glowing a faint blue. Although it seemed alive as it wriggled about, it was hard to say if it really was a living creature. But what was more alarming was the power contained within the tentacle, which had just targeted the spot where Davey was before he moved to evade it. It was simply a power too great for any living creature to wield. It was reminiscent of the eeriness when the World Tree Al manifested its power. This monster was like a massive system.

It was not a Malicious Spirit, but then…

“We did it... Cough...”

A mangled piece of flesh… No. The Malicious Spirit slowly emerged from the water. Despite being fatally wounded beyond hope of being healed, the Malicious Spirit stubbornly clung to life.

“Such extraordinary power... How could the foundation of immortality be broken so easily?”

“Keep your mouth shut. I did control my power, after all.”

The Malicious Spirit looked up at Davey with disbelief.

“Look, that's the embodiment of tremendous power.”

“I could slice up that octopus leg for a nice side dish to beer.”

Despite his body deteriorating, the Malicious Spirit managed to laugh chillingly at the sight of the giant tentacle.

“For sreason, it seems we could not fulfill everything Neltarid desired. With your power combined with its essence, the ancient will that is slumbering in this land might awaken.”

Hearing this, a frown appeared on Davey’s face. “Ancient will?”

As the Malicious Spirit deteriorated completely, leaving only his mouth, he mumbled, “It is...”

[The symbol of harmony. The union of black and white. The absolute being we wished to serve... Not the false shell that rules this place!!]

Crack!

The sky split open, and something began to collapse.

[The ancient god symbolizing harmony.]

[Neltarid.]

* * *

It seemed having a dual personality was a main thin harmony.

“Neltarid exists perfectly well. So another Neltarid?”

The concept of simply eradicating the giant octopus tentacle was not applicable this time. After all, the octopus had no actual body—just one leg. However, the true physical body of the creature was sensed in the vicinity. To be precise, it was deeply entrenched within the dimension called Earth. That meant Neltarid was deeply embedded in this world.

“It looks like we have a lot to talk about, Goddess Freyja,” Davey muttered as he tried to reject the light that was trying to engulf him.

The giant octopus leg no longer attacked Davey, but it boldly made its presence known on Earth. The upcoming chaos was already evident without needing to be said.

Before leaving, Davey had a lot he wanted to get done. He needed to scold Perserque for recklessly rushing in to save him, and he wanted to meet Hyun-Ah again, something he might not get to do anymore. But Davey only had so much tat his disposal, so he had to make a choice.

“Aaargh! Let go of me!”

Tentacles had wrapped around Perserque and had bound her tightly. And although they were incomparable to the one that attacked Davey, the tentacles that had slithered around her were so many that her arms and legs were completely caught in their grip, and her face had becred as she screamed.

Without a word, Davey sliced the tentacles with Caldeiras and caught the trembling Perserque with a frown. “What brings you here?”

“Da... Davey.”

“We’ll talk when we get back.”

She had made things easier for him, but it was not something he could not do without her.

Finally accepting the engulfing light as if there were no turning back, Davey was then expelled from Earth along with Perserque.

* * *

-Metamorphosis Stack. 250 Stacks.

“....”

As if it had been waiting for Davey’s return, a massive reward cthrough. The reason for this Metamorphosis reward was likely because he had distorted the fate of the entire Earth. It was fortunate it went smoothly, or else a single mistake could have led to Earth’s disappearance, which would have been a real disaster.

“Eh?!”

Thwack!!

“Agh!”

Carrying Perserque on his waist, Davey walked briskly and smacked her back heartily. She had been utterly reckless for showing up there.

“Da... Davey!"

“Quiet. You've done something so stupid that a smack on the back won't suffice.”

At his admonishment, Perserque flinched.

“Hyun-Ah is important to me, and so is my other sister, Yeon-Hee.”

But the one Davey needed to protect the most now was her.

A beat of silence passed before Perserque finally said, “I’m sorry.”

But when she met his eyes, she hurriedly bowed her head to avoid his stare.

Normally, a long sermon would be expected to follow, but this time, his scolding did not last. Instead of giving a long nagging, Davey chose to remain silent and held Perserque in his arms.

“Sorry, Davey. It won’t happen again.”

“If you get hurt, I might end up going crazy. So please,” Davey said calmly.

Perserque gave no response to this. Afterward, Davey left her behind and crossed through space, not bothering to return Caldeiras to Illyna.

He headed to the Holy Empire, Valcias, in the northern region of the Eastern Continent, where the sanctuary was located. There, Davey intended to meet one of the representatives, Saintess Lena.

“Wh... who... Huh?!”

“Sa... Saint!” The horrified holy knights yelled as they saw him.

Davey then quietly said, “Sorry to intrude at this late hour. Is the Saintess available?”

“How could you…”

“I curgently to offer prayers.”

At his words, the holy knights hesitated and exchanged looks. These female holy knights were entrusted with protecting Saintess Lena closely, and their apprehension to let Davey in was due to his unexpected visit and the rule that nobody could enter at such late hours.

“But at this time, the Saintess is undergoing her evening prayers and baths. Even for a saint...”

“Oh dear?”

But the rules respected by the holy knights were void for someone whose head was filled with a flower field.

“Wow, Davey~ Long tno see!”

The girl, who was running toward Davey as she waved her hand, was clearly not in a state suitable for a public appearance.

“Sa... Saintess!”

“Oh my!”

The panicked holy knights quickly covered her with a cloak.

Although it was not entirely transparent, what she was wearing was still not fit for outside. From the wetness of her hair, it was obvious how she had just finished her baths. But she didn’t seem to care, only looking at Davey gleefully like a small animal. The knights didn’t say anything anymore about her appearance or her behavior around Davey, but their expressions already spoke volumes.

‘How shall we handle this flower field? Oh, Lord...’

Their faces were a sight to behold.

“Are you here for me? Or is it for Goddess Freyja?”

“I have prayers to offer to the goddess. It's urgent, so I can’t wait. May I enter the sanctuary or the grand prayer room?”

“Hmm... It's impossible at this hour,” she replied as she tapped her lower lip thoughtfully with her index finger. But then her lips stretched into a bright smile after a second or two. “Since we have a guest, it should be fine! Please cin!”

“But... Saintess!”

“Hehe, I’m counting on you~”

Davey watched as Saintess Lena took hold of his hand and pulled him along. Meanwhile, the knights clutched their heads and groaned as they began to feel a throbbing headache because of the saintess.

"Please go in. We did not see anything,” a knight, who had thought of the most efficient method, said.

Davey then merely offered a quiet nod in agreement to the knight.

"What kind of prayer is it?"

"It's an important prayer, but I’m hesitant to say more about it."

"Hmm... But I’m a Saintess, right?"

"Pfft..."

At her cute question, Davey could not help but chuckle.

"I'll tell you after you've had a bit more experience as a Saintess."

The naiveté in her was not necessarily a bad thing. Her noble altruism was deserving of respect. It was for these reasons that Alice recognized her and even conceded to her becoming a Saintess.

Eventually, Saintess Lena gave up on asking Davey what was on his mind. She then moved on, walking barefoot on the marble floor. Despite the fact that she was walking without any footwear on a floor that had been trodden by many pairs of shoes, her feet remained perfectly white and clean. The holy power that had blossomed in her body ever since she beca saint was incomparably pure. On top of that, it was also vast. Such a volof power could even manifest an Eighth Level holy magic. It was unclear how much further she could grow and advance, given her altruistic actions, but there was certainly potential for growth.

"Ah. Could you wait a moment?"

She then took a brief but deep breath in front of the massive prayer room's door.

Knock-knock!

"Is anyone there? Is the fight over?" Saintess Lena asked quite loudly.

But the only answer she got from inside the prayer room was utter silence.

"Hehe, then I'll open the door, okay?"

She casually opened the door, then immediately greeted the two women she saw with a bright smile.

"Oh my. It seems the conversation hasn't finished yet."

Davey clicked his tongue as he looked around inside.

"Always something with you, Saintess."

Hearing Davey’s remark, Saintess Lena giggled.

With them in the prayer room were a knight, who possessed a greater holy power than usual, and a peculiar individual, who was wearing a flipped hood.

And as the knight, who was startled by Davey's appearance, attempted to speak, the hooded figure turned toward Davey. Her eyes then went wide with shock. She didn’t waste a single second before hurrying over to approach him.

"Ah! Meeting this way must also be a grace bestowed by Goddess Freyja!"

Although the figure who rushed toward Davey was slightly shorter than him, her height was still considered tall for an average woman.

The startled knight then cried out, "The... The Saint of the Continent?! Stand back! That woman is a treacherous demon!"

At her outcry, Davey quietly inquired, "Why are you here?"

Iro, the lich from the underground mountain range who would scream in agony at the loss of even a single hair, looked up at him and said, "Ah, the god has bestowed toa proper revelation at last!"

The ease with which she smiled made Davey release a sigh, but he relaxed his expression when he heard her next words.

"To chere and welcyou."

"So, you showed up in human guise?"

At his question, she tilted her head slightly and answered, "Yes. Isn’t my Spirit Mirror magic quite impressive?"

‘What? Spirit Mirror?’

As Davey's expression crinkled in confusion, she looked at him with curiosity.

"Spirit Mirror?"

Was it the very sdevil magic he knew? It cast what the spirit looked like when they were still alive, giving their dead form a graceful appearance. It was the magic used on those whose bodies had been shattered.

"Yes, the Spirit Mirror."

"So, that's... your real appearance?"

The lich of the underground mountain range Davey knew was obsessed with her single strand of hair. She displayed her bones openly and cackled in a strange fashion. She was a lich who, contrary to common sense, was a devout believer in god. She was also capable of scaring children into crying at first sight. That was who Iro was. But...

Her appearance now could hardly be associated with the Iro he knew. Davey, who was rendered speechless, only watched as the knight drew her sword and aimed it at Iro’s throat.

"Stop right there, treacherous fiend."

"Oh... I've been caught," Iro admitted to him.

This made Davey sigh.

"I'll vouch for her identity, Saintess Lena."

"Uh?"

As Saintess Lena tilted her head in confusion, the knight urgently shouted, "It's not possible, Saint! This being is an undead! A demon undead! Even for a Saint...!"

"Iro, can you perform Saint Miracle?"

"Um... Using the Miracle of Freyja for proof isn't exactly..."

Her voice trailed off, as if understanding had finally dawned on her. She then waved her hand, and a bright light enveloped her entire body. She was likely deactivating the Spirit Mirror.

But then...

"Huh?"

She suddenly looked down at her hands in confusion, pinched her cheek, and frowned.

"The Spirit Mirror... It won't deactivate."

Her remark caused everyone to have reactions filled with surprise.

"The magic won't undo."

As Iro gestured emphatically at herself, Saintess Lena happily smiled.

"Wow, that's really great! Congratulations!"

The knight looked utterly baffled by Lena's baseless joy, while Davey frowned upon witnessing the miracle of her magic becoming a reality. But the astonishment did not end there.

"Let's begin with a prayer...”

"No! It’s preposterous for a treacherous lich to pray!"

The knight's dogmatic outcry made Iro purse her lips before saying, "I can’t?"

"It's impossible! Though the god bestows mercy, this is the Saintess's prayer room! Absolutely not in this place..."

"I... I also received a stigmata-like thing from Freyja."

At this claim, everyone looked puzzled.

To prove the veracity of her words, she proceeded to roll up her sleeve to show them what she meant. There, a stigmata identical in size to that of Saintess Lena’s was visible.

"..."

"..."

"Wow~ You're a Saintess as well!"

After this remark, silence fell over everyone except Iro, who tilted her head and said, "What's wrong?"