The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Davey did not instill false hope in those who had already lost all hope. He knew he had only one day left in this world. Even if he gave them weapons capable of resisting the demons, there was no telling if it would be significantly effective. Teaching them using his power was impossible, and due to the limitations of his influence, he could not expel the demons on their behalf.

Having left the village with only Aeria, Davey was guided by the Observer as he headed deep into the forest. There, he found a massive mound of earth with a very large rock embedded in it.

[Here we are. Fill the key with the mana you're feeling in this forest, and connect it with that stone.]

Following his guidance, Davey took off the leather necklace he wore and began to gently infuse it with mana.

"This place... is truly peculiar," Davey remarked.

Aeria, who had followed him, looked around the vicinity, her arms shivering as she hugged herself. "It feels as though someone is watching us."

Davey felt the same eerie sensation of being watched. He then warned, "Stay close to me.”

"Ah... Yes!" Startled, Aeria quickly moved closer to him.

Once he confirmed that Aeria was close by, Davey closed his eyes and began to analyze and memorize the unique flow of mana enveloping the entire forest.

[The flow of mana from a forgotten civilization 5,000 years ago is indeed very peculiar. Normally, it would be impossible to discern its patterns, but someone of your caliber might manage in about 5 hours.]

Ignoring the Observer's confident prediction of a five-hour process, Davey skillfully filled the necklace with mana and began molding it to his will. The transformation it brought about happened in an instant. Soon, the rock began to glow faintly blue.

[Eh?! Is it already done?]

'What's so difficult about it?' Davey thought.

[Even an 8th Circle magician would need days to figure out these patterns...]

Within less than a minute of activation, the glowing stone looked incredibly beautiful. While Aeria gazed at the stone in awe, Davey slowly connected it to the massive rock surface.

A low, resonant sound echoed, and the rock, which had appeared ordinary moments ago, began to transform, creating a massive wave of change.

"The rock has changed!" Aeria exclaimed.

"Let's go in," Davey said without hesitation.

As he started walking, Aeria’s eyes widened and she hurriedly followed him.

* * *

Prugrepf Royal Tomb was an archaeological site dating back even further than the era 3,000 years ago when the black sword Ares had been active. It was a civilization that had been completely forgotten in history.

Before the Observer mentioned it, even Davey had been unaware of its existence, making it clear that this relic held something secret.

The enormous space should have been a dark interior, but it had a soft glow as if bathed in moonlight. Moreover, there were rows of massive stone statues resembling paladins, giving off an aura of a temple dedicated to the gods. The intricate figures, which seemed as though armors had been placed on real giants, displayed an astonishing level of craftsmanship. This level of technique was not as blunt as blacksmith or stonemason skills nowadays, but it was on par with those in their heyday.

Looking at the forms, which were eerie enough to give off a chilling vibe just from their eye-to-eye contact, Davey began to walk slowly without a word.

"Eeek!"

Suddenly, Aeria, who was following Davey, was startled and crouched down. Upon seeing her sudden movement, Davey tilted his head and approached her. Aeria, who had been trembling, slowly raised her head.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"...Ah, yes."

"What happened?"

"Well... That's..." Aeria trailed off, glancing again at the statue, and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry... I just felt something creepy pass by..."

Davey looked around quietly, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

An eerie ambiance had spread throughout the forest. The atmosphere felt damp and heavy rather than serene.

Davey turned to the Observer, who seemed to know the layout of the area well, and asked, "Do you know anything about this?"

[I cannot say.]

"Why not?"

[I say this for your sake. Giving you more information could be dangerous. However, the decision to come here will benefit both you and I, that much is certain.]

The very existence of a guide like this seemed to come with a bundle of constraints. Because of that, there appeared to be a difference between what he could and could not say.

"From the cold air to this strange feeling, it's creepy..." Aeria cautiously followed Davey, stretching out her words in a fearful manner.

"Huh?"

Suddenly playful, Davey stopped with widened eyes. This made Aeria look at him with a scared expression.

"Why, why are you doing that?"

At her cautious question, Davey pointed behind her with a surprised expression, and Aeria responded with a stiff, awkward smile. "Woah, Prince Davey... Are you joking?"

Whooosh!!!

"Kyaa!!"

At that moment, a cold wind blew through the quiet stone corridor. The timing was so sharp that it was no surprise Aeria, who was naturally timid, got startled. Her reaction, with her ears tucked down like a small animal and shivering, was rather cute.

As she clung to him in surprise without even looking back, Davey patted her head. "It's a lie."

"Don't do that..." Aeria murmured with a sad expression and looked at Davey briefly before slowly moving away. Then, she put her hand on her chest and slightly furrowed her brow.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah... My heart keeps pounding weirdly..." A tear fell from Aeria’s eye as she spoke.

"Aww..."

Aeria’s expression became troubled due to the unexpected tears. "I'm sorry. I keep showing you such an unsightly side..."

"If you're scared, you can lean on me."

"I can't. I would be a burden to Prince Davey, and..." Aeria felt strange, like she should not carelessly cling to someone.

Her voice was so quiet that it was hard to hear, but it reached Davey’s ears clearly. She couldn't calm down and kept fidgeting.

"Don't worry even if these stone statues move."

Aeria gave a faint smile. "When I talk to you, Prince, I strangely feel at ease. But at the same time, I feel a prickling pain..."

"Should I check for arrhythmia?"

"No, it's okay!" Aeria retreated in surprise. Then, she silently followed Davey again.

How long had they been walking? In the midst of silence, they finally reached a large cave with a huge door. The giant statue that guarded the entrance was here as well.

"Wow, it's creepy but really magnificent."

"That's the charm of an ancient relic untouched by human hands."

[By the way, time here flows a bit differently than outside. A day here is about four hours outside.]

At this unexpected information, Davey placed his hand on the door at the end of the cave. It was inscribed with mysterious characters. Most ancient characters had been pictographic, but the characters here were clearly advanced.

Silently tracing the characters written on the wall, he could feel a faint flow of mana. He reflexively fed in mana to match it, and then something astonishing started. The characters on the door began to glow, transforming into different characters in his vision.

"Blessings to the dead......"

"Huh?"

"And curses to the living."

As Davey mumbled the characters written on the wall, Aeria approached him and her eyes widened. Then, she looked at him with wonder and asked, "Can you read these characters?"

"The cold flow is their spirit... and the quiet air is their breath."

As Davey continued speaking, the characters on the door began to glow slowly.

"The name of this place is the Cradle of the Beginning. You who are born, even now, turn back. When those who are not permitted set foot in here, the spirits of the underworld will aim for your life…”

These words seemed nonsensical, but apparently, deciphering them was the key.

Hoooom!!!

Soon, the entire door began to absorb a pale green light in its engraved cracks. And then, the light rapidly filled the cracks engraved in the floor, walls, and ceiling.

At the sudden change in the environment, Aeria looked around with a tense face and slowly moved closer to Davey.

Gggggggg!!!!

Then, with a loud noise, the massive door started to open, revealing a dark space. The space beyond the door was a massive cavern. However, in Davey's view, there were several small spheres of light scattered on the floor. A trap, or a testing room.

Silently, Davey stepped into the room and slowly stepped on one of the circles filled with light drawn on the floor.

Oooom!!!

Simultaneously, the light engraved on the floor went out. As there was no change in the flow of mana, the light began to return as soon as Davey lifted his foot off it.

"Hmm… Do they want me to turn all of them off?"

After some thought, Davey stepped on another platform to turn it off, then moved his other foot to step on a circle of a different color. Then, the second platform also lost its light and disappeared. There were a total of four circles drawn on the floor.

Without a word, Davey reached out his hand and touched the remaining two, and the flow of mana around him began to change.

Ping!

At the same time, lights began to rise in places other than where Davey’s hands and feet were.

"Are they asking me to match and turn off the lights again?"

Davey once again moved his hands and feet, extinguishing all the lights. Continuing to solve this small puzzle, he diligently carried out these tasks in silence.

However, Aeria found Davey’s behavior to be strange.

* * *

Aeria looked at Davey with a hint of confusion as he suddenly entered the cavern and started stepping and touching the empty floor as if afraid. Nothing was reflecting on the floor in her view. However, he started to crouch and move around like a four-legged animal, as if confirming something.

‘I need to help him!’

Although she didn't know what it was, he had said that the reason he came here might hold the key to restoring her memories. In the end, he was working so hard for her. What was she doing? The thought that she was a nuisance caused her expression to subtly turn into a gloomy frown.

‘I… I need to help.’

Was it a matter of dignity? She thought it was not right for her to just stand by and watch this boy she barely knew working so hard for her. Thinking this, Aeria embedded Davey's figure into her mind. Then she, too, cautiously knelt and placed her hands on the empty floor. And then, like a bug, she began to crawl slowly.