The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

With bright blue eyes shimmering, the small boy wrapped in a cloak flapped his wings. As he did so, his body began to slowly grow, transforming into a slightly older, bigger boy.

"Rinne, cover the children's eyes," Davey swiftly commanded, watching the transformation.

Rinne immediately covered the eyes of the two children, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, with her hands.

"I detected an abnormality in the emotional module; Rinne highly despises this," Rinne's head quickly turned as she said this.

Naturally, as the boy grew, the cloak that had fit his smaller form could no longer cover his entire body. Despite unintentionally providing a bit of a show, the boy seemed unfazed, slowly spreading his hands and flapping his wings to ascend.

"Ugh."

Entranced by his blue eyes, Illyna began to falter as the boy flew between her and Davey. Still, she glared at him.

"In the name of the gods, I shall punish you. Be prepared."

Despite his young age, the boy spoke with grave authority. Almost instantly, a spear made of light materialized in his hand, emitting an intense, almost blinding white heat. It lunged directly at Davey's throat with surprising speed and force.

"No, stop!" Illyna cried out.

Thwack!

Davey swiftly parried the incoming spear and threw a punch, striking the boy squarely in the face. The spear shattered, and the boy crumpled.

"Ah..." Realizing it was too late, Illyna let out a heavy sigh. "Davey! I'm not sure what's happening, but he's just a child!"

"A misbehaving brat needs early discipline. Don't worry! He isn't going to die from that."

This was a species Davey had never seen before. The wings resembled those of Rinne, but the emotions in the eyes were far too mechanical, and the placement of the wings was different.

"Rinne, do you recognize this creature?"

"Assessment: unknown."

From her definitive answer, it seemed Rinne truly did not know. However, earlier, there was a faint frown on Rinne's face when she looked at the boy. It was a mix of hostility and disgust, but mostly it seemed like a headache. It was doubtful whether this creature was related to Rinne's locked memory.

"What on earth... happened…?"

Illyna was clearly perplexed by the rapid series of events, and Davey wanted to take advantage of her confusion and make fun of her. However, Perserque quickly chimed in. "Just like a newborn bird recognizes the first being it sees as its parent. Congratulations on becoming a mother."

"What, me?!"

Illyna was taken aback, not having anticipated this turn of events. Perserque was not just teasing; the boy had resonated with Illyna's power and saw her first upon his awakening. He likely considered anyone who threatened Illyna, like Davey, to be a threat to his "mother."

"Sir Davey, I recommend immediate restraint."

"Tie him up and throw him in the carriage."

Following the command, Rinne hurriedly wrapped the boy in a cloak and tightly bound his limbs. She then lifted him as if he were a mere sack and tossed him into the storage of the carriage.

"Any attack on Master Davey is intolerable to Rinne. This is an underestimation." Rinne dusted off her hands as if nothing had happened, returning to the group. She left them in stunned silence for quite some time.

* * *

The boy's power was indeed unusual. He had momentarily resonated with Illyna, forcibly amplifying her power.

Thump! Thump!

He was causing quite a ruckus. Even though they had securely restrained him, it seemed he had woken up and was creating a disturbance.

"Should we... leave him like that?"

"That creature is clearly harmful, even at first glance."

Davey noticed Illyna swallow hard at his words.

"Harmful? He clearly called me 'mom'. Isn't it pitiful? Like a newborn baby? Although, it does seem to grow a bit... faster than usual."

"That's not the problem."

While Davey understood Goddess Freyja as a transcendent being, he also suspected, though unconfirmed, that there might be another powerful being in the Abyss with a will comparable to Goddess Freyja's.

However, Neltarid was a different case. If it were a lesser will, like that of the Sun God or the Moon God, Davey wouldn't have been as concerned. Yet, the force that composed Neltarid exhibited a power that appeared to rival Goddess Freyja's. In essence, this implied that the hierarchy of gods was at least at the level of Goddess Freyja.

"Please, don’t do this..."

Upon hearing the pleading, Davey sighed briefly and called for Rinne. "Rinne, bring that creature here."

Following his command, Rinne quickly stood up and soon returned from behind the carriage, carrying a struggling figure as if it were luggage. She then unceremoniously dumped it in front of Davey and dusted off her hands.

"Rinne's performance was excellent."

"Well done."

As Davey patted her head, Rinne looked up expressionlessly. However, Davey sensed a feeling of satisfaction from her.

After removing the cloth gagging the creature, it glared at Davey with eerie blue eyes lacking pupils. "How dare you do this to a disciple of God?! Release me! Mother! Help!"

"So, it can't communicate yet?" Davey said grimly, nodding at Rinne, who conjured a cannon-like device in her hand, aiming it at the creature. Energy began to gather at its muzzle.

"It will hurt a lot if he gets hit," Illyna commented.

"Such a pity," Davey sneered, chuckling sinisterly.

Illyna, shocked, pulled the boy close. Whatever had happened, it seemed that both Davey and Perserque shared the same sentiment. Seeing the terrified boy cling to Illyna reminded Davey of a scared child holding onto their parent.

"I won't submit! I won't!"

Although the boy shouted defiantly, it appeared to be meaningless. Davey then posed the first question.

"Why do you consider Illyna your mother?"

"What kind of question is that?! If not a mother, then what should I call her?"

At this outburst, Illyna's face turned crimson with embarrassment. Clearly, the boy recognized the first individual he saw as his parent.

"Anyway, what kind of being are you?"

Davey knew this was not a typical species.

In response to his question, the creature wriggled frantically before confidently shouting, "I am Valkyrie! The seed of God! The judge who carries out God's will!"

"Is this God of yours the so-called mighty Neltarid?"

"Blasphemy!"

With its limbs restrained, the boy tried to bite Davey out of desperation. However, he couldn't reach Davey.

"You seem pretty useless for a 'seed of God'."

"He’s still like a newborn. It's my turn to ask then," said Perserque, breaking her silence. "You definitely said something about Neltarid."

"How dare you use such a disrespectful tone toward a god!"

"As far as I know, there are only three gods in this world: Goddess Freyja, the Sun God, and the Moon God. But I've never heard of this 'Neltarid'."

The deity Perserque mentioned was Goddess Freyja, and from her power derived the Sun and Moon gods. The Sun and Moon gods were more like folk deities, with their existence still unconfirmed.

"Ha! Lord Neltarid is a god of neutrality who harmonizes all! He may not answer now, but he will return one day!"

Davey merely nodded in response. Without evidence, it sounded no different from the rants of a religious fanatic.

"It’s not very enlightening."

It seemed best to simply observe for now. The surprising part was that the suspected god of the Abyss seemed unrelated to this boy. The powers of the abyss were far removed and different from his power.

"By the way... what should we call you?" Illyna, watching the situation, tried to soften her sharp gaze and gave an awkward smile.

"I don’t have a name yet. Mother, you should give me one."

Illyna looked bewilderedly at Davey upon hearing the boy’s melodious reply. There was a strange sense that she found the creature endearing.

"Well then..."

"How about ‘Max’?"

"Max?"

When Davey mentioned it, Illyna seemed uncertain.

At her hesitation, the boy snapped at Davey, "I never asked you to name me... Wha-?!"

But before he could finish, Rinne pressed a heated metal object against the boy's cheek, turning his face blue with shock.

"Should you show any more hostility toward Davey, Rinne will deal with you. Don't think Rinne underestimates a brat like you."

From the beginning, Rinne had an inexplicable hostility toward this boy. It was as if she instinctively disliked him, like encountering a doppelganger.

It was puzzling, given that they were of different species, but even when the boy did not attack Davey, he still sensed a strong undercurrent of negativity from Rinne.

In fact, there was virtually no information about Rinne's species, believed to be the Lion of God.

"Kain."

"What?"

"How about Kain de Pallan?"

"Have you lost your mind? Adopting him as royalty? Do you understand what it means for an unmarried woman like you to adopt a child?" As he said that, Davey could imagine Sullivan tripping and falling in frustration.

At Davey's question, Illyna looked displeased. "Then, what do you suggest? Just abandon this helpless child?"

"No, Mother..."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him for now."

Fearless as she was, Illyna was not wrong in her assertion.

"Do as you please."

"I was planning to. Kain, are you okay with it?"

As Illyna looked down at the boy, he silently looked back at her, grabbing the front of her dress with both hands. He gazed up at her with eyes reminiscent of a rain-soaked cat.

"Mother."

"Ah, how cute... He doesn't seem bad, does he, Davey?" Illyna embraced the boy and turned to Davey.

Catching the emotions in the boy's eyes, Davey clicked his tongue. "Disgusting brat."

"Stop mocking me!" the boy exclaimed, his blue, pupil-less eyes flashing.

He seemed rather attached to Illyna. Despite the overwhelming power of Perserque, the boy showed no malice toward her, so there was likely not to be any issue.

"Mother, I'll eliminate anyone threatening the god of harmony, Neltarid, or you! I am a child who serves the gods! A Valkyrie!"

The boy was quite mature for such a young child. Nevertheless, Illyna found his tone quite endearing and chuckled.

"So, where is this Neltarid god? Sending you here and not even showing up?" asked Davey.

"That's blasphemy! The god hasn't answered yet, but someday he will!"

"I've never seen another of your Valkyrie species. Plus, you don't have any evidence to prove your claims, do you?"

"Well, that's..."

It's hard to extract clear information from the boy. Initially, the entity from Earth that created this virtual reality and sent him had not yet indicated whether he was a friend or a foe.

The only discomforting point was that the strange feeling Davey had during his transformation was eerily similar to the power within the boy that supposedly came from that god. Some force was undeniably at play. If the god Neltarid truly existed and planted his seed near Davey in the form of this young Valkyrie, it would be eerily deliberate. This gave him an unsettling feeling.

* * *

Clang!

The mana crystal shattered cleanly.

"At this rate, it'll be hard to measure your mana with tools like this," the old man commented.

The boy looked irritated. "Magic is so boring."

"You! Magic is an endless study! Haven't I repeatedly told you not to be arrogant?"

"Are you referring to this kind of basic magic?"

Saying so, the brown-haired boy extended his fingers. Muttering "fire" under his breath, a high-temperature flame arose from his fingertips. It was no ordinary magic, but a specially designed flame spell, incredibly intricate. Most mages couldn't use magic so fluently, quickly, and precisely.

"Goodness..."

"Magic is so boring. People who can't do it can't understand it. Playing and fooling around with girls is much more fun," the boy remarked.

"There's always someone above the one on top. It'd be nice if there was someone to take you down a peg at this magic competition..."

At the sharp words from his master, the boy chuckled softly.

The boy’s talent was so remarkable that it could be called demonic. He had grasped the flow of magic and mastered it all on his own without being formally taught. His master had only imparted a few simple truths, but based on those, the boy had ascended to an astonishing level.

Moreover, his extreme arrogance had grown after a recent magic duel. He had defeated Yulis, an elder of the enemy tower and also the elder of the central magic tower. The boy had triumphed against the 6th Circle mage without even attending a magic school or conducting research in any tower.

"Just thinking of people spending their whole lives learning such trivial things makes me laugh. It seems like the mage kind is filled with fools," the boy said, flicking his ear in annoyance as he got up. "I'm going to get some more sleep."

"Young man! The magic competition isn't far off. At least practice a bit..."

"If there are folks so dull they need to attend school to learn this, I don't see the need to worry."

At the boy’s words, the elderly master could only sigh in response. After all, the master was only a 3rd Circle mage. Despite the boy’s arrogance, the old man loved him like a grandson and couldn't help but be concerned.

"It'd be nice if there was a mage who could entertain me. But they all seem boring and all the same," the boy said indifferently, disappearing into the dim room.