The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Marin and Sapphire left Heins Territory and flew straight to the western region of the continent.

Their destination was none other than the Divine Tree's Land—a sanctuary of the elves where the World Tree Al resided.

"Welcome, great ones."

The elf priestess Emilia stepped forward with a polite demeanor to greet the two dragons. As she approached, Sapphire casually walked up to her and gently took her hand.

"Emilia, you’re as stunning as ever. What do you think? Would you consider becoming a guardian at my lair…?"

"Sapphire, stop with the nonsense."

"Ugh, alright.”

Emilia reacted as if this wasn’t the first time Sapphire had attempted to woo her. She nonchalantly led the two dragons toward the place where the World Tree Al resided.

Once inside, she brought them further into the sanctuary to meet Al herself.

Unlike Sapphire, Elder Marin greeted her with the utmost respect. Perhaps it was this reverence that made Sapphire, who usually behaved indifferently toward the World Tree, glance away with an awkward expression.

"What brings you here, blue dragon?” Al asked while gently stroking the neck of a nearby deer.

"There are things I wish to ask you.”

"You’ve come for a reading of your fate, haven’t you?"

"Yes."

At his response, Al gazed at him in silence.

"You will die."

It was a short yet weighty declaration.

A fortune told by World Tree Al was a prophecy which even dragons couldn’t afford to ignore. Though the World Tree rarely performed such readings, her predictions almost always came true, no matter the circumstances.

The World Tree’s reading had concluded that Elder Marin would soon die.

"W-What? Wait a moment, World Tree! Are you saying my father will die?!"

Al sighed softly at his outburst, turning her gaze toward him.

"You’re as passionate as ever."

"My apologies. I’ve failed to teach my son properly."

"Father!!" Flustered, Sapphire raised his voice.

"Hey! World Tree! What do you mean by that? Are you saying my father is going to die soon?!"

"I do not speak falsehoods. The threads of fate are only severed under two conditions: death, or a situation akin to death."

Her response was so calm that it felt almost chilling.

"Severed, you say… Then, is there a way for me to survive?"

At that question, Al quietly smiled.

* * *

The fallen dragon extremists.

While the moderate faction referred to them as the fallen ones, those beings called themselves reformist dragons. This distinction was important, as their true intended purpose was never to cause chaos or destruction across the continent.

They had risen against the status quo out of frustration after witnessing the continent’s woes, suffering from overpopulation and relentless wars. And so, they’d decided to abandon passivity, eradicate the sources of conflict, and thereby protect the land.

That was their original noble goal, united in ultimately achieving peace.

However, due to their race’s civil war, the ideals of the fallen ones had become somewhat distorted over time.

"Based on the most recent intelligence reports, we can conclude that the five dragons have all been killed, including Karrella and Karma."

The reformist faction had grown to far outnumber the moderate faction.

"That damn bitch Karrella. I warned her to be cautious! Have we figured out which of those moderate bastards killed her?"

"At this stage, the most likely suspect appears to be the red dragon Rudelite.”

Rudelite.

Among the fallen ones, Rudelite was a name that carried significant weight. The moderates had used the power of the Primordial Dragon bloodline to put them to sleep during the ancient civil war, and it was Rudelite's heart that bore traces of that power.

The moderates had taken his sister, Rubilite, and extracted her dragon heart to obtain that same essence. They then placed her heart into the Dragon Chalice, using its power to weaken and seal the fallen ones.

Had it not been for their new lord, no, their monarch, who later awakened them, they would have remained in slumber for hundreds of years more.

"Fortunately, according to the latest information, Rudelite has not returned to those cowards’ Dragon’s Nest lair."

"The fool has no idea how crucial his survival is for his people right now."

The red dragon elder remarked, drawing laughter from the others.

From the moderates’ perspective, using his heart was their last hope—leaving him unguarded was nothing short of foolish.

"Have you devised a way to retrieve him?"

"We’re preparing to send several full-fledged dragons to retrieve him. However, it seems the moderate fools have caught wind of our plans and are moving to stop us. Additionally, we’ve learned that Elder Marin of the blue dragons is currently guarding Rudelite alongside his son, Sapphire."

The moderates likely didn’t want to place too many restrictions on how Rudelite chose to spend his years, as his sacrifice had already been predetermined. Imprisoning him would be seen as excessive, even by their standards.

"Tsk, tsk. Those idiots. This is why they keep losing. So, is additional deployment impossible?"

"Not until our monarch, along with the other elders and the bulk of our forces, crosses over to the continent.”

"Unacceptable."

The green dragon elder let out a low chuckle before one of the younger red dragons cautiously asked, "Elder, do you have a plan?"

"I will awaken Karrella."

"What? But Karrella is… dead, isn’t she?"

"Yes. Her body has likely returned to nature by now."

The green dragon elder smirked.

"But it seems our monarch already anticipated this outcome."

The elder laughed and added, "Elder Marin’s presence there actually works in our favor.”

‘He’ll be able to witness the reawakening of an elder-level dragon soon enough.’

The elder could hardly wait.

* * *

After hearing the World Tree's judgment, Elder Marin and Sapphire returned to their guest room in Heins Territory, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Father. What the World Tree said…"

"…"

"Do you think it’s true?"

"The world has changed a great deal since we entered hibernation."

The World Tree had been vague in her words, withholding details about who that mysterious human was or what he had done. Yet, there was something undeniable in what she had said.

- You want to know what kind of being he is? Tell me, Elder Marin, do you know why my predecessor Yggdrasil perished, and why I awakened in its place?

According to the World Tree's testimony, he was human, yet had grown to be something far beyond human—in essence, he was the true protector of the continent.

Protector.

It was a word far too heavy for flippant dismissal. If the world’s protector fell, the world would end along with them. This wasn’t about powerful beings being drawn to one individual out of admiration—it was about the strongest of the strong gathering around someone even stronger.

Even after hearing it straight from the World Tree, it was a truth difficult for them to accept.

"Still, after what we heard, it’s hard not to believe it," Sapphire muttered.

Thinking of the dragon heart stored beneath the lord’s manor only left him feeling even more hollow.

"Elder Marin. Sapphire."

Their complicated thoughts were interrupted as Rudel approached.

"Rudel."

"Yes, Elder."

"Do you wish to remain here?"

"Yes. Until the moment my heart is placed in the chalice, I will serve the lady of this territory.”

"That girl… who is she to deserve your devotion…” Sapphire muttered under his breath, sighing in disbelief.

"Mind your words, Sapphire. Lady Evangeline is not someone you can speak of so carelessly."

"What's so special about a mere human?!"

His reaction was understandable, really. It was hard to comprehend why a dragon would swear their very existence to serving a human.

"She is no mere human.”

"Then what is she?"

"…"

Rudel hesitated. He considered revealing that Evangeline was a Primordial Dragon—a descendent of the Primordial Dragon they worshipped. But in the end, he stopped himself.

The ancient civil war had occurred because they had used the power of the Primordial Dragon. And so, if word spread about Evangeline, her heart—the heart of the Primordial Dragon itself—would become the seed of endless conflict amongst the dragons.

Even if Sapphire was relatively trustworthy, it wasn’t a secret he could share so easily.

"If she’s not a human, then what is she?" Sapphire pressed, his suspicion growing.

Rudel let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

‘This is something no other dragon can know—not even Sapphire.’

Just then, Elder Marin spoke up.

"What are you holding?"

"It’s the dragon heart of the black dragon Karrella.”

Having been processed and encased in a special container, the heart glowed with an ominous black light.

"I brought this along because I wanted to check something," Rudel explained.

A dragon heart that had been extracted from its owner was a massive artifact. It typically posed no threat on its own, having no will or consciousness.

"But to think this is really Karrella's heart…" Sapphire murmured as he reached out to touch it.

The moment his hand brushed against it, a chilling sensation ran through him.

"Karrella was already renowned among our kin as a uniquely powerful dragon," Rudel added.

At that very moment, Sapphire widened his eyes, a flicker of panic flashing through them.

"Urgh!!"

He collapsed suddenly, and streams of blue mana began flowing out of him and into the heart.

"Sapphire?!"

Alarmed, Marin and Rudel rushed to support him. However, before they could reach him, black tendrils burst forth from Karrella’s heart and lashed out at them.

"Argh!!"

"Gahhh!!"

The tendrils spent only an instant taking down the dragons. Their hearts were weakening, and the tendrils were taking away their mana. They looked up at the ceiling with their eyes wide open as they felt their power being absorbed.

The heart, suspended in mid-air, began to glow with an ominous light. It then shattered its container and started to transform.

"The… The monarch’s authority…” Rudel gasped.

The power to forcibly absorb the power of other dragons and convert it into one’s own strength.

There was no mistaking what this meant.

It was the signature ability of the monarch, the most dangerous enemy of the moderate faction—a being so powerful that even the current Dragon Lord couldn’t easily subdue it.

But how such a power had managed to emerge from the heart of an ordinary full-fledged dragon was a mystery.

The heart greedily drained the mana from the three dragons as if it had been patiently waiting all that time just for that moment. The light it emitted grew stronger and stronger as it drew their power away.

"Urgh…!"

When the seemingly endless absorption finally stopped, the three dragons collapsed weakly to the ground.

A massive, black-scaled dragon with glowing, sinister eyes emerged before them.

[Agh… Argh… It hurts… It hurts!!!]

A voice drenched in madness.

It was the power of a mad dragon.

The power of the three dragons, combined with the power of Karrella’s dragon heart and the uncontrollable rage of a mad dragon, had created a nightmare. Lying helplessly on the ground, they could only watch in disbelief as Karrella resurrected before their eyes.

Having absorbed the power of an elder dragon, the rampaging mad dragon Karrella was far beyond anything that even an elder could handle.

Elder Marin’s face twisted with regret, him feeling idiotic for falling to such an obvious trap.

Their negligence had created a monster.

If only he had noticed something off when Sapphire first looked at the heart, maybe this disaster could’ve been avoided.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Karrella—now fully awakened—let out a deafening roar. She locked her glowing eyes on the three dragons.

Incapable of even undoing their polymorphism, they slowly began to rise into the air.

"Urgh… Damn it…"

"F-Father!"

"Don’t push yourself! It’s a mana seal! Forcibly using mana now will destroy your body!" Marin warned, gritting his teeth.

As expected of the monarch, this entire trap had been meticulously planned. Even after having faced him once before, Marin had still made the mistake of underestimating him.

Whuuum…

Karrella gathered black energy in her mouth, preparing to unleash a devastating breath attack as Marin’s thoughts raced. He hoped that if they somehow managed to recover their strength and break the mana seal, perhaps they could stop her.

Her gaze shook dangerously as the energy in her maw swirled.

Just as she was about to launch her breath attack, a calm, almost casual voice cut through the chaos.

"What the hell are you all doing in the middle of the night? Do you have any idea how many noise complaints I’ve gotten about your damned screaming?"

The three helpless dragons all turned their heads in shock.

Perched casually on the roof of the lord’s manor was a human figure eyeing the scene.

"Was this your doing?" Davey asked.

Sapphire flinched. "Y-You… human!"

"Or was it you, Elder?"

"Get away from here! Karrella has absorbed the mana of a dragon elder and two full-fledged dragons to go berserk!"

"Huh. I suppose she is a little more dangerous than before," Davey casually commented.

Marin sighed in response. He couldn’t believe that was all the human had to say in the face of such overwhelming and suffocating power.

"Get out of here already! If Karrella catches you, she’ll drain every last bit of your mana just like she did to us!"

Marin knew the human to be strong. If Karrella consumed his mana as well, her strength would spiral out of control, becoming unstoppable.

Why Karrella possessed the power of the monarch, or how a dragon that had already died managed to resurrect, was a mystery. But one thing was clear—if the situation continued, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Karrella, now fully consumed by madness, let out a deafening roar as she began to beat her enormous wings. Stirring up a storm of wind, her glowing eyes locked onto Davey. She then seemed to instinctively recognize him to be a threat.

Suddenly, Davey’s mana began flowing directly into Karrella’s.

"No!!" Sapphire screamed in panic.

Nonetheless, his mana continued to flow into her, as if her heart remembered and relished the idea of taking down its killer.

Karrella violently tossed Elder Marin aside and redirected her mouth to launch a breath attack at Davey.

Everyone fell into a tragic silence.

"You're a bit unique, I’ll give you that. But honestly, for all your size, your actions remind me of a mosquito,” he muttered casually.

He jumped off the roof, descending gracefully before them. At that moment, Marin, lying on the ground and watching the scene unfold, widened his eyes in disbelief.

One after another. No, dozens. No… hundreds of golden energy swords materialized in the air, targeting Karrella from every angle. Each energy sword was so powerful that even a high-ranking Swordmaster would struggle to produce a single one.

And yet, there were hundreds of such blades in the air.

Even Opal, the black dragon elder Opal who had dedicated their entire life to swordsmanship, wouldn’t be able to replicate such a feat. To craft such compressed Aura Blades, compared to making energy swords by making a shell of blade energy, was on a completely different level.

‘Who in the world is this human?’

As all sorts of thoughts raced through his mind, the mad Karrella acted on instinct. Her eyes, filled with a mix of hostility and primal fear, flared as she released her breath attack toward Davey.

Her power far exceeded anything she had ever wielded before her resurrection. It was a catastrophic blast, capable of reducing the entire territory to ashes in an instant.

And yet, Davey stood still with a faint smile. Not even removing his hands from his pockets, he simply spoke two sentences.

“Devour it.”

[Predatory Assimilation]

Crunch.

An unseen force devoured the breath attack whole mid-flight.

Marin, Sapphire, and Rudel stared on in stunned silence.

Even Rudel, who had heard about Davey’s true power from Lady Evangeline, couldn’t hide his astonishment. It was also his first time witnessing the full extent of the strength possessed by the father of the lady he looked after.

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Editorb’s Thoughts

Yeah Evangeline is a Primordial Dragon now too, idk bro. May as well be—she’s pretty awesome for sure.