The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

While actual manipulation of time was beyond reach, accelerating one’s thoughts was certainly within the realm of possibility, even for the more challenging magic.

Of course, the one using it wasn’t Davey, but Perserque von Pallan.

When the 8th Circle Custom Space Magic was released and time returned to normal, the three people were in a sorry state. They had been beaten black and blue by Davey.

Just because someone was a renowned hero did not mean they were good at teaching. The perfect example was Dokgo Jun—he was truly the worst when it came to teaching.

“From now on... Hicc! Ah, I'm getting tipsy. I'll tutor you on attributes, so watch carefully... Hicc!”

”Tutor me on attributes? What do you mean?”

“Hicc! Ugh... Right. I'm going to beat you up starting now. Hicc! You just need to dodge or counter. Hicc!”

In order to learn martial arts and divine techniques from Dokgo Jun, Davey had endured hours of brutal beatings that had been painful enough to make him want to die.

He planned on repaying that favor tenfold.

Of course, the Kwak siblings had nothing to do with him and Dokgo Jun, so he only provided basic guidance for them while he focused on training Han Ja-Seong to death. However, the only way he could teach martial arts was by beating them.

Thus, as he got back to his “honeymoon,” Davey tortured Han Ja-Seong almost to death as they journeyed east, seeking information on the Absolute Jewel in an attempt to retrieve it.

The attacks were so ferocious that Han Ja-Seong pleaded for death instead.

"Don't worry. People don't die that easily."

That was what Davey always told Cheon Ji-Hee, who was at a loss when she saw Han Ja-Seong's miserable state.

Of course, every time he said such a thing, there was someone who would click their tongue as if he was the devil incarnate, but the fist was a universal language, and a good thrashing was the best way to shut someone up.

Whenever Han Ja-Seong was pushed nearly to death, Davey would use holy power to heal him. Simple healing was possible even in a location where holy power was not available as such.

As a result of this relentless training, a new inner power began to awaken within Han Ja-Seong.

It wasn’t that his dantian recovered; rather, his Heavenly Spirit Physique generated a new one.

The newly gathered qi far exceeded his expectations, and in just one day, he gained more power than he had accumulated over years of effort.

Of course, this was not the end of the basics.

Ja-Seong had just started to grasp his own internal energy and seemed absorbed in it when Davey gave him a shocking command.

"From now on, continue to gather qi through breathing exercises, but do not use it until we reach the eastern metropolis."

Davey pressed on Ja-Seong’s acupoint, effectively binding the flow of his qi.

"Are you planning to skip external cultivation altogether?" Davey said.

After sparring with Ja-Seong and Kwak siblings and observing Cheon Ji-Hee, who could use the Heavenrend Divine Art by sheer instinct, one thing became clear to him.

The martial artists of the current martial world… were grossly neglecting external training.

"From now on, you will start physical training. We’ll be traveling to the metropolis on foot."

After saying that, Davey took out four golden rings and put them on Ja-Seong’s wrists and ankles.

"Whoa!!!"

Ja-Seong staggered at the weight of the rings. Davey had enchanted the rings with gravity magic, but Ja-Seong didn’t know that, and he initially thought that they were just simple gold rings.

He looked at Davey in shock as he struggled with the unimaginable weight.

Joon-Seong looked at him curiously and asked, "Huh? Why are you so surprised over some rings?"

Then he tried to lift Ja-Seong’s arm and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"This is..."

"What, do you want to wear them too?" Davey asked.

It was true that Joon-Seong wanted to become stronger, but he didn’t want to hang something on his body that was so heavy it would incapacitate him.

"Don't worry about muscle tears. I'll take care of you until we reach the metropolis."

"But the external training…"

"Wow, looks like you still haven’t come to your senses."

The current martial world had many issues, and Davey considered the negligence of external training to be a significant one.

"Do you think everything can be resolved by focusing solely on qi while neglecting external training?"

Unlike qi training, the efficiency of physical training was extremely low.

But that wasn’t all. Martial artists of this realm often developed impressive muscles naturally, leading them to significantly undervalue external training.

Of course, it wasn't that there weren’t any experts who valued external training, but the balance was terribly off.

"If you don't want to learn, you can quit right here."

Davey did not want to beat Ja-Seong into obeying when he wasn’t in the mindset to listen.

"The choice is yours."

At those words, Ja-Seong fell silent and then slowly nodded.

"Keep wearing those gold rings," Davey ordered.

It wasn't good to let him be swayed by the power of the Heavenly Destroyer Divine Art that he had learned.

And so, a training regime so grueling that observers felt pity for Ja-Seong began once more.

All the way to the metropolis, Ja-Seong continued to sweat like rain.

He climbed incredibly high mountains and walked long distances that would cause an ordinary person massive blisters and pain.

He was a martial artist in name, but he had neglected physical training, and now he paid the price.

By the time they arrived at the metropolis after several days, Davey noticed that Ja-Seong’s body had started to change.

***

Clatter... Clatter.

Before coming to this continent, Davey had tampered with the item that Kain had given to him.

It was late by the time they reached the metropolis. They found a decent inn to stay in, and Davey told Ja-Seong to take a break from training for a few days, with the exception of wearing the gold rings.

Then, he released the acupoints that had been dispersing Ja-Seong's qi.

Naturally, Ja-Seong had expected to feel more at ease once his qi was returned to normal, so he was bewildered when the gold rings absorbed his qi and intensified the gravity magic.

These rings were enchanted to become even heavier by using the wearer’s own energy.

Typical physical training aimed to build muscle, but Davey’s training was more effective when it came to enhancing physical abilities in a short time.

Ja-Seong had just begun to think that he had adapted to the weight of the gold rings, but he had a dark expression now, as if he was about to die again.

"Davey."

Perserque's voice reached him from beneath the blankets.

"Is this level of training sufficient?"

"It’s… probably going to be tough," Davey replied.

He had provided only the basics.

“I taught him all the contents of the secret manual and explained whatever I could. Now, it’s up to him to experience and comprehend it.”

Neither of these two elements could be resolved through talent alone, nor was there a method to significantly hasten his growth within such a brief period.

Unless Ja-Seong was a genius like Ilina, who achieved remarkable growth after just one spar, this was all Davey could do.

"At his current level, even if he trained for a long time, at best he might reach 4 stars."

"Hmm?" Perserque hummed questioningly.

"Around the Master level."

The Master Realm was called Transcendent here, but in a clash between a Transcendent and a Master of the same tier, the Transcendent would have a considerable advantage in martial arts.

In other words, someone who had just attained the Master realm in their world was somewhere between the Absolute and Transcendent realms.

Martial arts offered a good return on investment because reaching each new realm was incredibly difficult.

"But for what it's worth, it seems pretty weak."

"Indeed. The martial world today doesn't recognize the merits of such martial arts anymore."

"They especially underestimate external arts."

Click!

As he finished assembling the artifact, the peculiar brooch in his hand began to glow. Light streamed from the gem set in the brooch, and a voice emerged.

[Have you arrived safely?]

"Yes. How's the situation over there?"

[There's good news and bad news.]

"If the bad news is what I expect, I'll go back immediately to break your neck."

[Let's start with the good news. There's no major issue. The Abyss has underestimated me. For now, I've managed to block the paths and prevent an invasion of the Tionis continent. I may not win in direct combat, but blocking the passage is within my power.]

The report came from Kain, utilizing the power of Neltarid—or rather, another persona within Kain.

"Is there anything else?"

[I completed the task you’ve assigned me and erased the traces of the parasite. They might not die off completely, though.]

"And the bad news?"

[The Abyss has caught wind of your quest. They've realized you're after the Absolute Gem and they’re paying attention to you now.]

At Kain's words, Davey’s expression turned grim.

Tionis, much like this place, was too frail to stand on its own. Should the Abyss launch an assault, this dimension would crumble in an instant.

"It's astonishing that the Abyss's princess hasn't already caused havoc," Davey muttered to himself.

[What are you saying?]

"What?"

[The princess of the Abyss is indeed present there.]

"..."

[Her name is Isildi. Be careful.]

"Are you trying to break our contract?"

[....]

"If you withhold information like this again, next time I'll cancel all agreements with Neltarid. Got it?"

Kain really should have known what to keep hidden and what to disclose.

[She's quite the unusual case.]

Having said that, Kain pressed on, inquiring about the progress.

[How is the search for the Absolute Gem going?]

"I've just reached the metropolis. A fence[1] seems to have come across its traces."

According to Kain, the Absolute Gem left traces because it radiated power.

These traces of power would solidify into a jade-like substance that appeared quite valuable. To someone ignorant of what the Absolute Gem actually was, it appeared like the goose laying golden eggs.

Whether the fence actually possessed the real Absolute Gem was questionable, but it warranted investigation.

[If you perceive any danger, come back at once. It would be troubling if anything happened to you.]

"I can manage," Davey asserted.

Davey lightly pressed the artifact's off button and rose silently. If it turned out that the original Absolute Gem was not here, there was no point in staying.

However, the mention of the Abyss's princess gave him reason to hesitate...

***

Ja-Seong had mentioned that the Heavenrend Sect maintained an envoy within the Martial Alliance.

Yun Hee-Ryeong, renowned as the Water Dragon Swordswoman, was establishing her reputation among the Martial Alliance's Four Guardian Deities, taking up the mantle as leader of the Black Tortoise Division.

Ji-Hee and Ja-Seong, accompanied by the Kwak siblings, departed at dawn to share the latest on the Heavenly Gate and tales of the Evil Gate.

After they split ways, Perserque and he ventured into the back-alley market street promptly.

Kwak Mi-Young, who had briefed them about the fence, had carefully guessed that after the Martial Alliance's crackdown, the fences likely moved elsewhere.

Thus, it was their job to delve further.

As they entered the poor district, they saw the ambiance change drastically.

Filth and poverty were a universal constant, and they existed in every world.

Amid the numerous stalls and passersby, one could sense intuitively that these merchants wouldn't hesitate to sell a person if profit beckoned, and the passersby were no different.

Some even hawked meat of dubious origin.

Thump!

"Oh, my apologies," said a man. He had bumped into Davey on the bustling street. He bowed his head, then went on his way.

"Davey. Again?" Perserque asked.

"Ah, the catch is quite good this time," Davey remarked with a smirk, eyeing the pouch full of coins he now held.

Meanwhile, the pouch that had previously been secured at his waist had disappeared as if it had never existed. It was an expert display of sleight of hand but unfortunately for the thief, he had chosen the wrong target.

"What did you slip in this time?" she inquired.

"A stone with a mountain painted on it," came the cheeky reply, suggesting that the pickpocket should eat a pile of dirt.

The pickpocket probably felt smug, thinking he had secured a heavy pouch.

However, the only item inside was a stone, and his own pouch had surreptitiously transferred to Davey's hand.

That was Davey's method of turning a profit.

"Ah, it's nice to have money," Davey mused.

"Do you know the saying 'The rich are evil,' Davey?" Perserque asked knowingly

"Of course. That's the truth," Davey acknowledged. After all, he had gotten rich because he was pretty evil to begin with.

Only the cunning survived in this world. In these slums, this was an absolute truth and the only morality people knew.

And the dangers of the slums weren't limited to pickpockets.

A moment later, a burly man collided with Davey, then proceeded to roll on the ground screaming in “agony.”

"Aaaaargh! My arm! Oh, my shoulder!!!"

"Uh... what? Brother! Did this guy just hit you?!" yelled another man. They were clearly part of a gang looking to extort the unsuspecting.

"Ah! Folks! Look here! This man hit someone!!" he shouted, drawing the crowd's attention, thinking it would disconcert Davey.

But Davey's expression remained indifferent.

"Aaaargh! Ahh!"

As the man on the ground kept shrieking, the other man pointed at Davey. “Hey, you broke his shoulder! How are you going to compensate

"Yeah? Must hurt a lot. What do you want?"

"Hmph! You think we only want money?"

"How much do you need?"

"You'll have to give all you have. And that lady with you will have to come with us—"

Crunch!!

Before he could even finish his sentence, his jaw twisted grotesquely.

Such was the unchanging nature of the slums.

It was filthy, mean, dirty, dangerous.

And in this dangerous place...

"Gasp… man… he…"

As the man with the crushed jaw collapsed, Davey gave a thin smile.

"This is the price for messing with me," he declared, pulling out some coins from the pouch he had retrieved from the pickpocket earlier and tossing them to the man.

"I've paid for your life and the inconvenience. Next time, choose your battles wisely. And take that guy to a doctor before his dislocation becomes permanent."

The crowd, well aware of the scam, took this as a warning.

If you're going to act like a dog, be prepared to suffer like one.

Davey could easily take them all out, but if he made them fear him, chances were high that he’d find it difficult to approach useful people.

1. A fence is someone who knowingly buys stolen goods to sell later for profit; basically the middleman of criminals. ☜