The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

"I really can't figure it out," Davey sighed, looking at the golden, antique key in his hand. He was well aware that none of the items bestowed upon him by Goddess Freyja were ordinary: the embers that could revive the dead, the complete synchronization of his soul and body that defied all rules, and the gemstone that allowed him to unleash his full power and potential in a brief moment. And now, a key.

The problem was that, unlike before, this key had been hastily given to Davey as Goddess Freyja's influence rapidly waned. It also meant that if she delayed any further, she wouldn't be able to hand it over to him. It left him with mixed feelings. He certainly felt a sense of urgency. But what exactly did she want him to do with it?

"Even with the power of the abyss, all I can determine is that it's a key to a door. But I don't know which door it's meant for..."

"Is its power less useful than you thought?"

"Urgh..." Perserque, seemingly at a loss for words, let out a groan as she playfully tugged on his hair.

"Ouch, stop pulling."

"But I don't want to~"

Ignoring her playful antics as Perserque continued to twist his hair, Davey stared at the key for a while, realizing that reaching a conclusion was proving difficult. Since he had the ability to see the solution to the problem, he might as well cheat a little.

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, Davey jumped up, almost causing Perserque, who was happily playing around, to lose her balance and fall off him. Perserque, who had been grinning leisurely, gave him a strangely dissatisfied look. However, he remained fixated on the key, not saying a word.

* * *

A slender woman, cloaked in green, gracefully emerged from the enormous tree where she had been resting. Her smile exuded a sense of tranquility. At first glance, she appeared formidable, yet no one harbored any ill will toward her.

"It's been a while."

"Not that long, really. Anything of note happened?"

She leisurely extended her hand toward Davey. "What could possibly trouble me? Thanks to you revoking the diplomatic rights of the Divine Tree's sanctuary, even if a new Divine Tree is discovered, there's no official visitation here anymore. Now, I only need to protect it from the slave hunters, as I always have."

Davey widened his eyes at her words. "Are there still those audacious enough to target the elves?"

"No, there aren't. After the enormous commotion you caused, who would risk their life attempting such a feat?" She chuckled and reached out her hand to him. "Give it here. Let me have a look."

Upon her request, Davey casually retrieved the key and tossed it to her. Such a nonchalant demeanor toward the World Tree might be considered disrespectful and punishable, but Al and Davey clearly did not share a bond where such complexities mattered. They had formed a resolute alliance for a single purpose.

The key, suspended in midair, gently landed in her hand, emanating a peculiar energy while enveloped in a sphere of light. She closed her eyes, resonating with the key in silence, and then slowly opened her eyes, causing the light to fade away.

"It's definitely a key meant to unlock something."

"I'm aware of that."

Upon hearing his words, she pursed her lips. "You impudent brat, it's not just any ordinary door. It could be..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke calmly, "A dimensional gate."

Davey furrowed his brow deeply in response. "A dimensional gate? Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like someone who jokes around?"

With a silent nod from Davey, she tossed the key back to him. "Take it. If the goddess bestowed it upon you, there must be a valid reason."

"In the end, I still can't figure it out."

"You'll have to figure out how to use it on your own."

The conversation came to an end. Just as Davey was about to turn his back and leave, her words stopped him in his tracks. "Davey. The goddess's protection is waning."

"..."

"What on earth did you do to her?"

"Karma."

After his brief response, Davey grabbed Perserque and traversed through space, leaving Al behind. She looked at him with a complex expression and let out a sigh. He didn't catch everything she muttered, but he heard something along the lines of, "How in the world did the goddess choose such a reckless psychopath as her groom…?"

* * *

Perserque quickly fell asleep upon their return to their territory. Her soul was still in an unstable state, constantly craving rest. She preferred her small physical form, which allowed her to nap whenever necessary. Davey gently laid her on the bed before taking a seat himself, focusing his attention on the key. Rinne, who had been observing from the sidelines, cautiously approached.

"Master Davey, I highly value Rinne's analytical abilities. May I request permission to analyze this object?"

"Go ahead."

Davey tossed the key to Rinne, who eagerly caught it, her eyes sparkling. Almost immediately, blue letters began to rapidly scroll in her eyes. After exactly 10 seconds, Rinne reached a conclusion.

"Rinne's analytical abilities are severely lacking. This appears to be a defective item." Her honesty was unwavering.

In the end, neither Rinne's material analysis, Perserque's insight, nor the power of the World Tree's Seed could determine the key's true nature. Davey continued to absentmindedly toss and catch the key until he eventually opened the window and leaped outside.

"Maybe it opens when I spin it in the air, huh?" Davey joked.

Rinne glanced at him with an expressionless face, although her eyes seemed to hold a hint of disdain. "Master Davey, that statement is highly uncertain."

"Well, you never know, right? Watch this. I'll hold it up in the air and say, 'Open.'"

As if such a simple action would yield any results.

"Huh?"

In an instant, the key Davey touched to the air reacted, creating a massive rift.

Davey laughed it off, but Rinne, who had been observing the situation, widened her eyes.

"Rinne... It seems like this is the real deal?"

"Warning. A significant energy reaction has been detected. Master Davey, this is highly dangerous."

"This..."

Without uttering a word, Davey extended his hand toward the rift and absentmindedly muttered, hoping that if it could open, it could also close.

"Close."

And just like that, the rift that had effortlessly opened began to slowly close.

"...Let's go again."

Davey had no intention of sparing mana for important matters, even if it meant using Warp several times a day. This was what they called hard work. Without hesitation, Davey turned around.

Al looked at the spectacle Davey was showing more seriously than he had thought. She then said, "Davey."

"I understand what this means."

"Dimensional movement magic is originally impossible. It's because of the goddess's blessing. But this key opens that door. And the fact that the goddess handed it to you means that her blessing is weakening. And, there must be something there that needs your power. It means that problems have occurred not only here, but also in other places."

"Huh... So this really is the key to a dimensional gate?" Davey mumbled in disbelief and soon tapped the open dimensional gate.

"Do I have to go there and do something that the goddess wants?"

"...It seems likely."

Davey activated the status window with a flat voice. "Remove the presence in the abyss beyond the rift. In exchange, gain 1 stack of Reincarnation. Unlock 1 transcendent item."

‘Will it enhance my physical strength now?’

Davey soon made his decision. Simultaneously, Rinne clung to his leg, and without hesitation, Davey flung himself into the rift, saying, "I'll be back, so please keep an eye out for me."

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid? Why wouldn't I be? I'm scared to death." Davey said calmly, and without hesitation, he plunged into the rift.

Simultaneously, a massive spark echoed, warping his sight. Instead of the grand garden where he had been moments ago, he found himself in a desolate space.

"Master Davey! There's a massive energy reaction ahead!" Rinne, who had been clinging to his leg, shouted and blocked his way.

Whirring and clanking sounds filled the air. When he looked up, he saw an old, massive train charging toward him. It was not exactly charging; the place where he was standing happened to be the train tracks. The problem was not the train itself, but that it was half-covered with a massive black material.

Upon closer inspection, it resembled the trains he knew but had a significantly different shape. Of course, the important part was not the train, but what was clinging to the supposed locomotive. At a glance, it was impossible not to recognize where that thing came from—the abyss. It appeared as though the abyss had not only influenced Tionis but was also reaching out to other dimensions.

With widened eyes, Davey realized he could not avoid it. He grabbed Rinne's shoulder, pulled her back, and clenched his fist. He was not sure what was happening, but a small number appeared in his vision: 30:00. It was a countdown, the maximum time he could stay here with the dimensional key. What was expected of him here was to deal with that monstrous entity presumed to be from the abyss. Hunt one, get two rewards. This was indeed a sweet deal.

"Let's quickly finish it off and go back," Davey muttered and clenched his right hand into a fist.

He then threw a punch at the monstrous train, or rather, something resembling a train, charging fiercely at him.

[Heavenly Destroyer Demonic Blood Explosion]

A demonic figure in crimson emanated from his hand as he aimed straight at the front of the oncoming train.

Simultaneously, the massive train, with its overwhelming weight and speed, crumbled and distorted at the front. The following train cars were launched into the air, and the monstrous entity of the black abyss was also knocked back. Glass shattered, and items from inside spilled out. At the same time, humans drenched in the stench of death began to pour out. They were not ordinary humans; they were humans with the stench of death on a train.

"What's going on? Are all of you heading to Busan[1]?"

Davey's response was quite simple.

1. Busan is a city in South Korea and a movie called “Train to Busan” is about the zombie apocalypse. ☜