The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

Those were the words Davey contemplated whether he should say or not. However, Davey couldn't even utter a word as Illyna moved faster than him, swiftly lifting her heels and taking action.

Illyna's actions left Davey genuinely puzzled. It felt as if time had frozen, and everything had come to a standstill. That's how unexpected her actions were.

The first thought that crossed Davey's mind in that moment was, 'Has this rascal finally lost her mind?' Just as embarrassment started creeping up on Davey due to the shocking turn of events, he suddenly realized that something had escaped from his body through his mouth. It was only then that he halted his intended action.

Davey wondered if there was truly something in his body that he was unaware of. However, Illyna abruptly distanced herself from him, resembling a shy little girl, before hugging him and patting his back.

"It's alright... It's fine... It's not your fault..."

"What?" Davey asked, attempting to step away from Illyna.

He wasn't very accustomed to her behaving this way. Nevertheless, Illyna refused to let go and clung to him even tighter.

"How difficult it must have been for you..."

"What the hell? Did you eat something bad? I told you not to just pick anything and eat it! Stop that!" Davey said, pulling Illyna away and pinching her cheeks.

However, the princess only ended up crying loudly, "Waaaaaah! Still! Huhuhu... Still!"

"Still what? Are you still not going to let go?"

"Snap out of it! And keep your snot away from me. Just go away."

"..."

Illyna started to hiccup, her eyes still moist with tears, and her face showed her efforts to console him. Ever since Perserque had separated from him, his ability to see through people had significantly weakened. It was a trade-off.

Well, Davey didn't have any regrets, nor did he think of asking her to return the favor for saving her. After all, that power was temporary, something he had borrowed in the first place.

However, he still retained a small portion of Perserque's Abyss Authority. The reason for it still eluded him. He didn't know if it was merely residue or if something had changed within his body after using the power for so long. Nevertheless, it remained within him.

For those who didn't know her, Illyna used to be a person who was cold and distant, although that aspect of her had greatly weakened. Regardless of her thoughts, her expression and aura were so icy that it made it difficult for anyone to approach her.

However, in this shattered world, Illyna continued to whimper and sob for a long time. By the time she finally calmed down, most of the world had already been reduced to pieces, except for the small space where Davey and Illyna remained.

"..."

Upon hearing those words and witnessing her earlier strange and inappropriate behavior, Davey's eyes widened as he realized something.

"Crazy," he muttered as he firmly grasped Illyna's shoulder.

"Kyaaaack! That hurts!" Illyna screamed and glared at Davey.

However, Davey's gaze was fixated on something else. Illyna's toes were already flickering, resembling a malfunctioning hologram. It was a sign of sacrifice. This only occurred when a pure soul was used to pay the price for breaking a taboo.

Davey had no choice but to offer a great deal in exchange for the cursed double-edged sword of power, the taboo's karma, that he had received from Hercules.

"Illyna."

Though he found it absurd, Davey still looked at the girl in front of him, just to be certain. Then, he swiftly grabbed her ears and pulled them down.

"Kyaaaack! That hurts! Davey, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Did Goddess Freyja force you to do this?"

"Did Goddess Freyja tell you to die in my place?" Davey asked, noticing something in Illyna's hand.

The object in her hand closely resembled the item carried by Saintess Daphne. It was none other than a holy stone passed down in the name of God. It was an item capable of manifesting miracles imbued with divine intent or an equivalent power.

In other words, Illyna had utilized the power of the holy stone to lessen the price that Davey had to pay by making contact with him.

***

“Give it to me while I’m still speaking nicely,” Davey said sternly, reaching his hand out toward Illyna.

Illyna immediately jumped up, taking a couple steps away from him while hugging the holy stone to her chest. She treated it as if it was something precious, yelling, “No! I can’t let you die!”

“You’re not going to give it to me? So, you think you can handle it?!” Davey shouted.

Illyna flinched, fat tears running down her cheeks. “It’s extinction, you know!!! They’re going to remove your existence in both dimensions!!!”

“Do you think you will be able to do anything if that’s in your hand?! Don’t make me say it again! Give it to me, Illyna.”

Annoyed by her childish provocations, Davey reached out to forcibly take the stone away. However…Illyna accidentally swallowed the stone when she suddenly hiccuped.

“Hey!!! Spit that out!!!”

“Ugh! Urk!!!”

Unfortunately, Illyna disregarded Davey’s words and curled in on herself. She had no intention of spitting the stone out.

“So you want to disappear instead?”

“No! I won’t disappear!”

Illyna flinched, as if something had exploded within her, before losing consciousness. Her body sagged and slowly floated in the air.

“Nice to meet you, you f*cking damned Goddess.”

Did she believe she could simply toy with people? Davey firmly grasped Illyna's collar, or rather, the entity that had taken control of Illyna's body. The blue eyes were evidence that the being inhabiting Illyna's form at that very moment was none other than a fragment of Goddess Freyja's Will.

In truth, Illyna did not possess any holy mana within her own body. Her ability to wield it was only made possible by the presence of Caldeiras. However, there was now a substantial amount of high-level holy mana swirling around her.

Goddess Freyja's Will lacked any emotion or personal identity. It was merely an immense will that supported the world in accordance with its providence and laws.

Silently, Goddess Freyja gazed down at Davey. Shortly after, she extended her hand toward him.

She did not utter a word, but an immense wave of information flooded into Davey's mind.

In his mind, he witnessed how the future of the world had shifted and transformed after the tightly woven threads of fate between the Demon Lord and the Antagonist unraveled. Goddess Freyja, who could see the future, was left with no choice but to make a decision. That decision was to forcefully empower Davey, ensuring that his power would reach a certain level and maintain the course of fate. Under the guise of divine punishment, she summoned Davey to this place and pushed him to his limits. However, as things reached their climax, Davey lost control and activated the taboo's karma.

The Goddess had intended to compel Davey to shatter the constraints placed upon him and this world. That was her perfect scenario. However, there was one crucial aspect she had overlooked. Great power always comes with a great price. Hercules' inherent power allowed him to surpass conventional limits. For someone with the audacity, confidence, and unwarranted strength to challenge the Authority of the Goddess, they must not forget the other side of the coin— the rules and providence of the world.

Naturally, this meant that Davey would have to pay the price himself. The Goddess had forced him to strengthen and reshape his body as she desired. But when things took a turn for the worse, even Goddess Freyja was left dumbfounded. As a result, she made a choice. She cast aside Illyna and opted to save Davey. Rather than letting Davey vanish, she chose to save him and advance the future she had foreseen, even at the cost of a single human life. It was a cold and calculated judgment.

However, Davey was not willing to let it go unnoticed. Clutching Illyna's body, he strained his neck to reach for a small cross from his pocket dimension. The cross symbolized Goddess Freyja, though it held no inherent power. Yet, if the one wielding it was a saint, the story would be quite different.

"So, you abandoned Illyna to save and use me?" Davey questioned, his voice filled with determination.

Goddess Freyja averted her shining blue eyes, and from Illyna's toes, her body began to fade away. Why? It was because she could no longer bear the burden of the price she had taken from Davey.

"Bring her back this instant," Davey demanded.

The Goddess remained silent, offering no response.

Davey’s fist was blocked by a transparent membrane.

“Oho. As expected, the god is a god.”

As Davey's attack struck, the barrier contorted and warped under the influence of the taboo's karma he had momentarily unleashed. The power of the taboo's karma was formidable enough to invalidate and neutralize the goddess' power, albeit slightly weaker. In other words, it couldn't fully nullify the entirety of the goddess' power.

Davey's cold gaze remained fixed on Goddess Freyja as he forcefully pounded his fists against the barrier. He understood that the goddess had never harbored any genuine affection for him, merely exploiting him for her own purposes. While Davey had initially accepted this arrangement without complaint, the current situation had exceeded all bounds and become an abuse of power.

After several forceful strikes against the transparent barrier, Davey ceased his assault. Goddess Freyja appeared angered by his defiance, yet she continued to exert herself in an attempt to protect and save him. It seemed that she had exhausted all possible means of dealing with him. A wicked and cunning grin spread across Davey's face as he tightened his grip on the cross in his hands.

"Right. So, you're saying you'll keep doing this, huh?" Davey taunted, flipping the cross in his hand. Since the damn goddess had decided to meddle in his affairs, he would have no choice but to resort to threatening her.

"Should I just plunge this into myself and reverse everything?" His words caught her attention, causing her blue eyes to lock onto his. In response, Davey raised the cross, waving it in her direction with a merciless and chilling smile.

"Maybe I should just drive this in. It seems like it's time for us to sign the divorce papers, don't you think? After all, you're clearly indicating that we should part ways, right?"

Regardless of the potential consequences or upheaval it may cause in the world, Davey was resolute in his determination to drag Goddess Freyja down and bring about their mutual demise. The intensity of his threats caused the goddess to tremble involuntarily. After observing him silently for a prolonged moment, she extended her hands once more.

Simultaneously, a status window materialized in front of Davey, the previously distorted and unintelligible words gradually transforming into a clear and legible form. Within moments, the immense power that had entered Illyna earlier dissipated from her body. Exhausted and devoid of strength, she collapsed onto Davey, completely helpless.

[The contents regarding the price of extinction that Illyna de Pallan had taken over changed ownership, now placed under the name of the Goddess, while Davey O'Rowane assumed the rest. Both beings had obtained a tremendous chance of survival.]

Just like that, the extra life that Davey had been saving for the longest time had disappeared.

[Goddess Freyja will pay 90% of the price.]

Davey's face lit up with a smile. It was a waste of his ember, but he knew that Goddess Freyja had thoroughly considered this before agreeing. It was time for him to stop bargaining.

"You should have done this in the first place."

However, Davey momentarily forgot that Goddess Freyja was a very petty goddess who held grudges for a long time.

[In the name of the Goddess, a portion of the price will be chosen and reassembled to be applied to the Saint who doubts God, the disgusting Davey O'Rowane.]

"What?" Davey mumbled as a light surrounded his entire body. At the same time, certain parts of his body began to undergo slight changes.

[For a total of one month, with two-week intervals each time, a phenomenon where your body will transform will occur. This will be applied and maintained in the name of the Goddess.]

A strong will prevented Davey from breaking free from the imposed restrictions as he pleased. Then, something black and long started to flow down his back, obscuring his vision. The slithering black mass was connected to Davey's head, making it easy for him to discern its nature. It was his hair growing longer.

"Huh?"

Davey furrowed his brow as his hands reflexively reached for his neck.

Meanwhile, the power of the goddess, seemingly unwilling to entertain objections or protests from him, enveloped Davey and Illyna in light, transporting them back to their original world.