The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Woochi, having made a flamboyant entrance, retreated with an awkward expression. The heroes scattered for their own reasons as well.

Some left claiming they were tired, while others departed saying they had things to do.

However, no one criticized Davey.

“Have a drink.” Sword God Ares sat beneath a large willow tree and offered him a cup of Nirvana Brew. “Chug this one down.”

“Were you drinking alone before this?” Davey asked him.

“Well, sometimes it’s nice to drink quietly like this.” Ares leaned against the willow and looked up, as if reminiscing about something.

“Do you resent me?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Forget it,” Davey responded. “Does resentment bring home the bacon? Does it bring Willow back to life?”

Even though he’d calmed down, the intense sense of loss still lingered within him.

“Someone leaving is certainly a sad thing. It’s even more painful when you’re part of the reason they're gone.” Ares let out a bitter sigh, seemingly recalling a past memory. “Still, Davey. I don’t believe Willow wanted you to be destroyed and chained down by what happened.”

“Well, who could even know how much she might resent her father on the inside...”

“Do you really think she hated you that much?”

“If I were her, I would resent myself deeply. Just like I did with my own father.”

King Krianes O’Rowane. His father seemed to believe he had cared for him in his own way, but Davey couldn’t accept that.

In fact, he refused to.

So, for him to ask Willow for the same understanding, considering his own past, was too shameless.

“As you were, your daughter will be too, eh? What a twisted cycle. He was your bad example and you vowed never to be like him... but life repeated itself. Bloodlines are a scary thing indeed.”

Davey didn’t have anything to add, simply drinking the Nirvana Brew.

“I spent so much time with Willow, yet I don’t know anything about her,” Davey lamented.

“Yes. That must be the heaviest burden on your heart.” Ares drank continuously for a while without saying anything more either.

Davey watched him gulp down the intensely potent Nirvana Brew like it was water. Knowing that it was even stronger than the Amrita brewed by Dokgo Jun, the Hall’s greatest drunkard, the sight stirred a sense of kinship.

“The details will come out later, but let’s make one thing clear, Davey.”

“Yes.”

“Bringing Willow back to life is impossible. Even if you turn back time and save her, someone else will surely have to die in order to pay the price.” Though he said that, Ares sympathized with Davey’s desperation.

“Is it because of Abel?”

“Yes. The goddess sent his future self back to the past in order to mend what happened to his wife. To alter history.”

The problem was that the goddess, who possessed omniscient power, didn’t follow Davey’s cause.

“I thought it’d be possible even without her help.”

The zenoen who dreamed of revenge had all vanished, and the souls of the zenoen they’d exploited were separately collected by the goddess to begin purification. Perhaps, after a long time, they’d be able to open their eyes again as true apostles of the goddess.

“Davey, it is crucial that you do not forget. While Willow’s matter is regrettable, her sacrifice plays too big a role in creating the current reality that you live in.”

It was a result he would never have chosen if he had known.

Unlike the zenoen, if Willow actually came back to life, it meant that the power she’d used to help the past Super Ribbon would vanish.

“If that happens, your past self might not be able to handle Super Ribbon properly, and the egos of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon could also be in jeopardy.”

If Willow was freed from the powers of the Abyss and Predatory Assimilation, those powers would instead immediately reach out to the other children.

“The goddess told me that saving Willow, no matter what process you go through, will lead to your death.”

That was why the heroes tried so hard to stop him, and it was something Davey was already aware of.

“That’s not the only problem, either. Even just taking back the authority of time from the world’s law will be a problem in itself.”

“Then what should I do?” Davey asked in a desperate voice. “What in the world can I do to ease this damn guilt?!”

He felt a hypocritical and maddening sense of loss every time he thought of Willow.

“Hey, man! What did you do back in the day when the little chancellor’s father vanished in Alberta? If she had the power and tried to do the same thing you’re considering now, what would you have done?” Woochi, who had appeared without anyone noticing, laughed and lightly smacked Davey on the back.

Ares and Davey glared at him, instead, so he flinched and backed away.

“W-why the looks?”

“Phew. I wish you’d just shut that little mouth of yours...”

As Ares sighed and shook his head, Woochi’s head tilted, puzzled. “Was that not it?”

“Ugh! You idiot, come with me.”

Dokgo Jun intervened and stopped his nonsense, dragging him away to preserve the mood.

Watching Woochi unceremoniously depart, Davey’s expression darkened.

“Cheer up,” Ares comforted. “He’s just trying to help you feel better, in his own way. Nonetheless, even I find his true feelings hard to understand.”

“Yeah...”

“Of course, even though he was right, this probably wasn’t the place to say it.”

Though his actions were often frivolous, Woochi was also a great being who was deemed as a hero.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you. And by the way, you’ve shown incredible endurance here.” Ares quietly patted his shoulder and slowly stood up. “Let’s skip the small talk and get to the point. You must’ve heard that the goddess is collecting the fragmented pieces of Willow that vanished.”

“I heard, but is something like that really even possible? Collecting ash doesn't bring a tree back to life. Besides, even if it were possible, the goddess doesn't have the power to pull something like that off right now.”

Ares nodded at his sound logic. “True. That'd normally be the case. Honestly, I don’t know much either.”

It was reasonable for Ares to be confused by the turn of events. After all, he wasn’t some kind of all-knowing guru.

“Didn’t you plan to try even if there was only a one percent chance?”

“That's right,” Davey confirmed.

“Then there’s something you must do.”

Ares looked behind Davey, who also slowly turned his head. His eyes widened in an instant. “Perserque?!”

“Davey! What in the world are you doing here all alone...” She ran over, her voice full of worry, and embraced him. “I heard everything, and I'm so sorry. How could you try to bear all of that alone?”

“Wait... How is she even here?” Davey was still shocked to see her.

“Odin called her over.”

‘Wait, that’s possible?’

Davey looked at Ares in surprise, but the man merely shrugged and complained that magicians never revealed their secrets.

“You both know the gist of the situation,” Ares began. “It’d be easier if the goddess told you herself, but I guess I can be the one to tell you what you need to do.” He pulled out a small gem from his pocket.

“This is...?”

“It’s one of the remnants Willow left when she vanished. At that time, these remnants scattered all over the place. Most are recoverable with enough time, but there are some places you two will have to go and recover them yourselves.”

Both of them caught on right away what he meant.

“You mean we have to go find them.”

“But how are we supposed to find this?” Perserque asked as she looked at the remnant with a dark expression.

“Don’t worry too much, I'll get you the method soon. The vanished remnants are likely in other dimensions, not just Tionis and Earth. You can’t miss a single one.”

* * *

“Aaaargh!”

The stinging pain made Davey scream.

Perserque mercilessly pinched and pulled his cheek, glaring at him. “You should’ve gotten your shit together and asked for help! What does that leave us, who were waiting for you to come, if you bear it all alone!”

“It hurts! It hurts!” he complained.

“It’s meant to! Just accept it humbly,” she angrily said.

It was only after about ten minutes of bickering and nagging that her frustration seemed to ease a little.

She embraced his head and spoke in a melancholic voice, “It must’ve been so hard for you.”

“You must’ve felt the same way when you heard.”

“Not as much as you, though. Having Willow vanish right before your eyes? I can’t even imagine it.”

Though she spoke like she wasn't impacted much, her true feelings were likely different. Since a certain amount of her power had also gone into creating Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, Willow was practically their first child.

Davey couldn’t fathom how much pain and despair Perserque must have felt upon hearing the news that the child she helped bring into existence had suffered and quietly vanished.

“You really have a way with words.”

“Sure do. Now, get up! The faster we move, the sooner we’ll collect her traces. Maybe a miracle will happen again and help us along.”

“Right. Even if we could bring her back to life, we need some foundation to start off.”

If Willow had simply died, Davey might’ve attempted a resurrection, even if it affected his lifespan, but that too was impossible for two reasons. First, Willow wasn’t a typical living being; and secondly, it was a complete vanishing, not just death.

“So, how are we supposed to find them?”

He then heard a familiar voice say, “You’re here. Let me compliment you for staying put and not wandering off.”

He turned his head to see the Minstrel Hero Mute walking toward him with a unique-looking instrument in her hand. It was a small, twelve string instrument that resembled a lyre, its shape slightly different.

Davey hadn’t seen such an instrument before.“What is that?”

“Can’t you tell by looking? It’s an object that’ll help you find her remnants, and it’s sure to be effective. It was personally blessed by the goddess, after all.”

“How do you use it?”

“Just pluck it, dummy. Why are you so full of doubt?” she grumpily replied.

He quietly plucked a string. A unique tone then spread out. At the same time, the immense divine power linked to him was forcibly drawn out and infused into the instrument.

“It has terrible efficiency.”

“Do you see it?” she asked, expectant.

Taking another look, he finally realized what kind of change the instrument made.

The melodies from the instrument had spread out and branched into dozens of visible strands, connecting to places in the far distance. He figured they were connected to the remnants that scattered when Willow vanished.

“It’d be absolutely impossible if the goddess hadn’t given us some of that girl’s remnant power.”

Mute, who could hear souls, had made the instrument herself. It was also blessed by the goddess. The instrument’s purpose was not to play music, but instead to find things.

“Also, Davey, the remnants aren’t going to last long in the world. I know it’s inappropriate to say, but you need to be careful and efficient if you want to catch ‘em all. Don’t go around destroying everything.”

“Don’t worry, there won’t be any issues. I’ll be sure to erase anyone who gets in the way.”

She was clearly exasperated, sighing, “You never listen, do you?”

* * *

The Last Wisp, the secret knight order of Tionis, had several branches.

Basara, the guardian dispatched from the Last Wisp headquarters, pointed to a moving presence beyond the forest, then shouted with a strained face, “All Knights, raise your weapons! The Evil Beast King Granatos is about to emerge!”

It was the emergence of a gigantic evil beast king, appearing after a very long time of stillness.

After the Last Wisp had endured a period of distress in their defense, the existing lower evil beasts and evil beast kings in the wilderness seemed to be keeping a low profile, hunkering down as much as possible for some unknown reason.

However, a recently identified mutant monster had evolved, emerging as a dangerous threat. The giant dragon-shaped evil beast king’s name was Granatos, and it was a being that exercised control over hundreds of wyverns.

It was classified as an extreme risk within the knight order, decided after it defeated five Master-level knights in a raid.

Its power was more dangerous than the existing evil beast kings, transforming the territory of the Alpha Reinforcements into a brutal warzone.

A majority of the Master-level knights having already been defeated, its potential had been proven. They had contacted not only the Anchor Knights, but also the Roaming Knights. Alas, they were still unable to secure reinforcements from their most important ally, Heins Territory.

Illyna had stated the reason for the decision to be Davey’s disappearance.

Of course, Illyna should’ve joined the fight at least, but she was already dispatched to block the emergence of large-scale monsters in other remote areas. Ultimately, the Evil Beast King Granatos was something that the guardians and the Alpha Reinforcements knights had to deal with on their own.

“Relying on one person is not the best thing to do, anyways. Your lives are what matters most! The higher-ranking knights will take on Granatos, while regular knights will focus on the wyverns under its control.”

“Yes!”

The knights, including the new recruits and the company Davey was familiar with, nodded with tense expressions.

It was natural to be scared. It was a full-scale battle with an evil beast king, something they’d normally never experience in their lifetime!

Boris, who stood next to Basara, spoke up, “If you feel it’s too dangerous, don’t even think of giving your life away in some heroic sacrifice. Retreat as fast as you can.”

The knights nodded, looking tense.

“GRAAAHHH!!!”

Following an enormous explosion, a large murder of three-eyed crows began to fly up from the forest.

Three-eyed crows were low-level monsters at the bottom of the food chain that only ate grass or corpses. They had clearly been startled and scared by an approaching monster.

Everyone immediately knew that the evil beast king was about to appear.

The knights who drew their swords and looked beyond the forest, as well as Boris and Basara, were shocked by the presence that appeared, toppling enormous trees.

The pressure the gigantic draconic evil beast king with black scales exuded was heavier than anything they had ever seen.

“Don’t be afraid! We fought a monster far more terrifying than this one a long time ago.”

The clone of Shandra Minea had given them an obscene amount of trouble. The pressure of the Grand Master-level Mythical Beast’s clone was truly immense, even back then.

“Even so, this one looks especially dangerous...”

The evil beast king, which had three pairs of reptile-like eyes, fixed its gaze on the knights. A poisonous mist spread from its mouth.

Amidst the intimidating grandeur that instilled fear, the knights collectively and formally readied their swords.

“All knights! Charge!”

Following Boris’s command, the knights quickly dispersed and rushed toward Granatos.

Naturally, it sent out its wyvern minions to dispose of the humans who were merely mayflies.

However...

Their full-scale battle didn’t happen.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Dozens of light pillars fell from the sky, piercing the wyverns and slamming them into the ground.

“KRAAA!!!”

Seeing the sudden attack take down a number of wyverns, the evil beast king was taken aback.

Granatos, who possessed considerable intelligence, roared mightily while thrashing its body and shaking the earth, then began to retreat. It had recognized the alarming threat that the attack had posed.

That was the last thought it ever had.

Slash!!

A completely different, enormous sword strike fell from the sky, slicing it cleanly in half.

Boom!!

With an immense roar, the ground shook, and a massive cloud of dust rose.

“Cough, cough!!”

The knights were shocked by the sudden disaster and watched the sight with blank expressions. All they could do was wait for the dust to clear.

“What just happened?” one knight said, arm covering their mouth to block out dust.

Most of the knights couldn’t properly regain their balance due to the enormous shockwave.

They couldn’t even imagine what had happened to Granatos.

Once the area cleared, Guardian Basara and Knight Commander Boris, the only ones who managed to get up, looked blankly at the figure beyond the dust and let out a sigh of relief.

“That guy is getting more and more incomprehensible by the day.”

“I couldn’t agree more...” Basara answered softly.

Granatos's scales were so hard that not even a Master-level Aura Blade could scratch them.

Furthermore, its talons were sharp enough to tear apart even mithril equipment, and its breath was known to be able to reduce entire mountains to ash.

They had lured and, at times, deployed knight armies to defeat many evil beast kings, but Granatos was a potentially unprecedented disaster.

However, that same Granatos was suddenly split open and in its death throes, unable to even get up.

Someone with an expressionless face stood on the head of the fallen Granatos.

One hand held a spear plunged into its head, while the other drew something into a crystal it held.

“Davey O’Rowane...”

A being who was a knight of the Last Wisp but far surpassed their level had crushed the calamity in one blow.

Boris, having been staring blankly, broke free from his thoughts and shouted with a surprised voice, “K-Knight Davey! What in the world happened?!”

Yet, despite his outcry, Davey ignored him and continued to pull out dust-like particles of light from Granatos and gather them into a crystal, all while gazing up at the empty sky.

It was as if he was yearning for something.

Soon, Davey mumbled something. Most could not hear, but a few with good hearing could catch what he was saying.

“No wonder you went crazy, assimilating with memories like this.”

Only a few people knew that a problem had occurred with Willow's remnants—a part of them had seeped into living beings. The changes brought by her memories and pain assimilating with the living being they attached themselves to were unpredictable.