The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

‘Reality? Not a game, but reality?’

The boy wanted to scream that it was nonsense, just a simple bug. But conspiracy theories were everywhere, and during his time confined at home, he had read many articles online about people who went missing or even died while playing games. These rumors persisted, never quite disappearing. If actual deaths had occurred, Alf Online would not have remained so popular.

Games were meant to be enjoyed, not cause pain or shock. But this place was different. Grotesque scenes that should have been censored and unbearable pain that should not have been transmitted were all too real here, not to mention the inability to log out.

“Ahh…Ahh…”

‘If there is a god, this shouldn't be possible,’ the boy thought.

What sin had his kind sister, who always smiled at her younger brother, committed to deserve such cruel torment due to a game's bug? But what if this was reality? If so, what did it mean for his sister, who had endured terrible torture and died in his stead?

“Ahh…ahh…” the boy groaned in agony.

The robed figures that surrounded his sister and left seemed less like living humans and more like ghouls or zombies.

"That body is useless. The value of a foreigner lies in their unique power. But if she's already on death's doorstep, there's nothing to be done. Dispose of her," ordered the man.

"Yes, sir.”

“Feel free to feed her to beasts or stuff her for display. My interest lies solely in this one," he said, approaching the boy like a shy girl but with eyes gleaming with madness, and caressed the boy's wounded body.

“Ahh… ahh!”

The boy twisted in excruciating pain, a surge of strength fueled by the sight of his sister's gruesome death.

"Hmm... It's a bit inconvenient not to have a conversation. But you'll listen, won't you? I'll save you. That defective product lying dead is useless, but your power is valuable to us. The power of foreigners doesn't conform to existing systems," the man chuckled.

A murderous intent filled the boy's eyes.

‘I will kill him! I swear I will kill him!’ He vowed to kill them, the emotion seeping out intensely.

"But if you keep resisting, there's no choice but to kill you. Just like that!"

With a snap of his fingers, the ghoul-like creature holding the girl stopped and slowly took off its robe, revealing a bald man with protruding, blood-red eyes devoid of life.

"It's feeding time, everyone! Let this boy watch as you devour the girl!"

The monster tossed the girl to the ground and began to bite off her arm with a sickening crunch.

Crack!

“Ahh!!! Ahh!!!” the boy screamed in horror as her white, soft arm was ripped apart.

The man with black hair taunted him. "So just help us, and we'll heal you."

“Ahh! Ahh!!!”

The boy knew all too well that this offer of help would lead to death. The man before him was a liar. He had promised the girl he would stop the boy's torture in exchange for her help, but then she was left in a horrific state. And now, he was trying to manipulate the boy using his sister's safety. Accept or refuse, death seemed the only outcome.

Within the horrific abyss, the boy smirked as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

"Hm?" The black-haired man looked at him quizzically as the boy started to move his mouth as if he had given up on everything.

The man with black hair leaned in with exaggerated interest. "Come on! Tell me! Are you going to help us? Will you hand over your power to us?"

The boy, with a dead look in his eyes, gazed at the man and then slowly opened his mouth, which was missing all its teeth and dripping with blood, to bite the man's ear.

Would the boy, in his dreadful state and hardly able to exert any biting force, even hurt the man? The man, who had been silent, calmly detached himself from the boy and then, without a word, struck the boy's face.

"How dare you! How dare you bite the ear of one who serves the Deathlord!"

Thud! Thud!!!

The boy's body jerked uncontrollably with each brutal hit. The severe beating clouded the boy's mind and caused one eye to become bloodshot. Yet, the man did not stop beating him.

"Enough! Your power is useless to us, so I'll just kill you and turn you into a ghoul like the others!" the man yelled as he pulled out a dagger inlaid with a strange orb and aimed for the boy's heart.

Ping…

Then, a faint ringing sound was heard. It was neither loud nor entirely soft, a peculiar sound. The black-haired man paused and looked around. "What's that?"

Even the monster that had been chewing on the girl's arm stopped and slowly lifted its head. But all that could be seen was darkness.

"What are you doing? Go out and check what that noise is..."

Chang!

But the man halted mid-command, struck by a chilling slicing sound. For a moment, he was dazed, then his eyes widened in shock.

The massive, thick ceiling, tens of meters above, cracked into dozens of pieces with light streaming in as someone broke in. The eyes of the black-haired man, a high-ranking Illuminati member, bulged.

"Bingo, found you! You bastards."

"Rinne, your detection ability is highly commendable!" exclaimed a silver-haired girl, puffing out her modest chest with pride.

The red-eyed boy with black hair grinned in response. "Right. Looks like we've come just in time."

The silent boy and the girl with a torn-off arm, the black-haired man, and the robed monsters all froze.

"Who are you?!" the black-haired man finally exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.

The red-eyed boy coughed a few times, then averted his gaze before saying, "Congratulations. I'm about to give you the opportunity to tell me where your fellow organization members are."

"What are you talking about!" the man exclaimed.

"No need for your cooperation. We'll take it by force," the boy who had just appeared retorted.

The silver-haired girl crouched slightly. The man, sensing danger, tried to move, but it was too late.

"Rinne executes a missile dropkick!" the girl cheerfully shouted, launching herself like a cannonball with boosters, and slammed the man against the wall.

"Rinne, neatly subdued the enemy," she said crisply, having fully embedded the man into the wall.

Meanwhile, the boy hanging on the wall slowly regained consciousness. His tough life, those damn game specs, still kept him alive, thanks to his skills. The boy looked up with a stony face at the light pouring from the sky, followed by a cascade of greenish light.

Just then, as the greenish light touched the boy's cheek, it began to sizzle and smoke, as if something was burning away. But it was not painful. The boy suddenly realized his vision was becoming clearer and then let go of his consciousness.

* * *

Rinne and Davey had endured great pain to activate the amplification and resonance magic circles. Consequently, Davey could detect a significant resonance of Deathlord's power nearby, involving at least three artifacts.

With this quantity at hand, Davey knew Rinne wouldn't require any additional amplification; proper absorption of these artifacts would suffice to utilize the resonance magic circle without issue. That was the purpose of their movement. Though they had summoned Megalodria for swift transportation, upon their arrival here, they deemed it unnecessary, considering the havoc a Grandmaster-level summon could wreak.

As they carved through the terrain, the first sight that met Davey was the black-haired man and the remnants of the Illuminati in their dark robes. There, hanging on the wall, was a boy who seemed to be not yet in his twenties, and a girl, or rather a young woman in her early twenties, bloodied and lifeless, being gnawed on by a bizarre monster. Davey noticed the artifact he had been seeking in the hand of the black-haired man—an orb-inlaid dagger made from the flesh of the Deathlord. Its exact powers were unknown to Davey, but it was a necessary item, and he couldn't allow it to be destroyed.

"Rinne, subdue that black-haired one," Davey commanded.

Instantly, Rinne executed a missile dropkick, slamming the man against the wall. Following her, Davey entered the cave, slowly drawing his sword, Red Ribbon, and scattering a red aura around.

Woosh!

Then, he invoked: [Oh, mighty and exalted being, this ignorant one humbly beseech you. Spare the life of one who still has much opportunity.]

[8th Level Holy Magic]

[Rain of Heaven]

The sight of such young individuals dying was not something Davey enjoyed.

‘Though your influence may have waned, your sight isn't blind, nor are your ears deaf.’

Trusting in that miracle, he relayed the message of the Goddess: [Live, you wretched creature.]

A cascade of healing power in a pale green hue poured from the sky at Davey's behest. A deluge of healing rain started, gradually mending the wounds on the boy's body. Amidst this downpour, Davey, bewildered by the life force, slowly drew his sword, targeting the staggering monsters.

"GRAAAAAHHH!!"

BOOM!!

Just as the black-robed entities surrounding Davey lunged at him, the red blade of Red Ribbon flashed brilliantly.

Shhhhk!

No other sounds were heard, but the bodies of the robed monsters that had lunged at him froze in mid-air and began to crumble apart as he flicked his sword, scattering them to the wind.

"Rinne, no time. Finish this, don't play around," Davey instructed.

At his word, particles began to converge in one of Rinne's hands, which had just slammed the black-haired man against the wall. The particles morphed into a large crowbar, a pry bar.

"Rinne highly rates the pry bar."

The saviors of humanity were always held in high regard. Light began to gather in Rinne’s blue eyes.

“Cough! What is this?!” The black-haired man finally came to his senses and cried out, but all he saw was Rinne’s pry bar flying right at his face.

KABOOOM!!!!!!!

With a tremendous crash, the walls of the cave began to collapse in unison.