The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

Chapter 405

The ellipsoidal spheres of white flame, densely packed and numerous like the stars in the sky, descended rapidly with a fierce rotation, transforming everything in their path.

Among all skills, magic was the one that readily unleashed the horrors of hell. Whether it was dark magic, necromancy, divine magic, or elemental magic, each with its unique approach, mages consistently achieved effects surpassing those of swordsmen who had spent years honing their skills to split mountains and rocks.

Were there drawbacks? Perhaps the extensive preparation time and the need for exceptional talent. It required a significant investment of a lifetime for a human to reach a certain level before their physical body deteriorated with age. However, those who managed to overcome this challenge were rewarded with the guarantee of formidable firepower through magic.

Boom... boom!!!

The initial onslaught of white light bombardment rained down, engulfing everything in a vast white inferno, reducing all beings to ashes.

Amidst the screams silenced before they even had a chance to escape, Davey locked eyes with the man frozen in place—the Saint of the Sacred Tree. This man had previously fled from the battle in Davey's world and met his demise at the hands of Anabelle. While Davey recognized him, this was their first face-to-face encounter, prompting Davey to withhold immediate execution.

"Is the World Tree still merely observing?" Davey questioned, expecting the intervention to occur soon.

In this world where the demons had emerged victorious in the war, they had long harbored hatred toward humans and were prepared for this very scenario. The Moon Forest Elves were in dire straits. Without Davey's assistance, Yuria Helishana and Myuu, whom she had been secretly protecting, would have succumbed to the overwhelming might of Yggdrasil's powerful guardian.

This outcome had likely already transpired, considering that they had been crucified on these crosses for approximately a decade without any sign of their bodies being recovered.

"Argh!"

"Please, save me!"

The scene of hell continued to unfold.

Boom!! Boom!!

The white flame spheres continued to rain down upon the Sacred Tree Shrine, reducing everything in their path to ash, including the living Blood Elves.

"N... Noo!!" The man, the Saint of the Divine Tree, stared in horror and trembled at Davey's actions. "What... What are you doing?! Stop this at once... Ack!"

There were still those who failed to comprehend the situation. Desperately backpedaling away from Davey, the Saint of the Divine Tree tried to gather the guardians, regardless of whether they were dead or alive.

However, given the devastation caused by the bombardment of the white fiery spheres, there was no guardian capable of fulfilling such a task. Even if there were survivors among the guardians, they would be unable to halt Davey's actions.

Crunch...

"Ah, ah, aaaaaah!!"

With a spine-chilling sound of bones being crushed, the Saint of the Divine Tree strained himself, his legs pulverized. His throat was being held tightly, so he could not scream properly, but him being in this state made no difference.

"Seven stab wounds on the left side of the abdomen. Four wounds on the left thigh, likely from a spear. Right leg was severed."

Davey's words caused the trembling man to look up at him with bloodshot eyes.

"As for Aina Helishana, her throat was severed, and her body bears the marks of brutal whippings and curses. After all that you've done, do you expect any understanding between us?"

Davey's smile sent shivers of fear down the Saint of the Divine Tree's spine.

"If you mercilessly killed Myuu, I can do the same to you. I don't think any further conversation is necessary."

Swish!

"Di... Die!!"

It appeared there was a surviving Blood Elf guardian among them. Perhaps believing that killing Davey would bring an end to the hellish bombardment, the guardian drew his dagger and lunged toward Davey's neck without hesitation.

However, before he could get close, the white ellipsoid falling from the sky vaporized him, leaving no trace behind.

"Why... Why are you doing this! Let's... Let's negotiate!" The Saint of the Divine Tree, released from Davey's grip, proposed while trembling. "I don't know what has angered you so much..."

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"Y-Yes...?"

"You killed Myuu, you killed Aina. Those were your choices."

"..."

"Now, it's my choice to slaughter every elf here, including you. We have made our choices. Is there any reason for us to interfere with each other?"

While Davey may not have been completely free from the impulses that currently consumed him, once he gave in to those impulses, there was no room for further conversation.

Slowly lifting himself up, maintaining a stoic expression, Davey began to channel his mixed blood magic—a fusion of Heavenly Demon Power and Command Mana—into himself.

"S-Save me..."

"You should be grateful. I don't have much time to keep you alive and torture you repeatedly... I have someone to find..."

Hiss…

With Davey's words, dark red lines resembling drought-stricken earth started to manifest all over his body.

‘Cruel, you say? Not saintly? If Goddess Freyja has bestowed upon me the remnants of the Saint to restrain my actions, then Goddess Freyja has seriously misjudged me.’

"Arrgh, aaaaaaaaah!!!!"

As the dark red lines continued to proliferate across the Saint of the Divine Tree’s body, the pain became unbearable, causing him to tremble violently and emit a horrifying scream. And then...

Boom!!!

With a colossal explosion, his body horrifically disintegrated into pieces. Not a single drop of blood emerged from his shattered form. The blood magic that Davey had infused into his body repulsively consumed and incinerated all the blood within him. The fragments of flesh that were expelled from his body dried up and hardened to the point where they were unrecognizable as remnants of a living being.

As the pieces of flesh reached Davey, they evaporated before even making contact with his body, akin to a meteorite burning up upon entering the atmosphere.

Amidst the ongoing explosions, Davey silently observed the fragments that were once the man, then slowly shifted his gaze toward the cross that still stood tall amidst the chaos.

"Just wait a little longer, Myuu."

‘I will be back once everything is cleaned up here.’

Davey pressed forward without hesitation, his facial expressions less restrained than before.

The Land of the Divine Tree sprawled across vast territory. Even in areas where the World Tree's barrier had mitigated the impact of the White Nova bombardment, there were survivors.

Slowly, the flow of blood magic, a fusion of Davey's inner power and Command Mana, stirred around his body. He clenched his fists, not even considering drawing his sword. Closing his eyes, he took a deliberate step forward.

The Land of the Divine Tree stood as the largest city among the elven settlements across the continent. In fact, the other locations were rather modest in size, almost resembling villages in comparison. However, given the elves' relatively low population, they were considered cities.

The once serene forest now appeared horrific, the hellish scene a stark contrast to what it used to be. The once lush crimson trees had either been reduced to ash or vanished entirely. The forest paths, once adorned with vibrant grass and flowers, now bore a resemblance to a landscape ravaged by a bear, dotted with craters.

Amidst it all, faint traces of surviving Blood Elves remained. Some bodies had been completely incinerated, leaving only a lone hand bereft of its owner. This was somewhat fortunate, as the high-temperature magical bombardment had vaporized most corpses.

"Elder Kon, what on earth is happening?!"

Transforming into a Blood Elf did not strip them of emotions or their capacity to shed tears. Although the elves' unique sense of peace had vanished, replaced by heightened cruelty and violence, they were still transformed individuals, akin to the ominous Dark Elves.

The sacred city of the elves, the Land of the Divine Tree, possessed a sanctuary built by Emilia, the previous generation's Saint, as a preparation for emergencies. However, most of the elves currently within the sanctuary were of old age.

An intruder had arrived, and the problem lay in the fact that this intruder had swiftly decimated the scouts and vanguard. That was why he sought refuge in this concealed haven. By blocking mana and concealing his presence, this perfect barrier would undoubtedly prevent the human who slaughtered the scouts from finding him.

The Saint of the Divine Tree was present, and the Mother of the Divine Tree was on the verge of awakening, so a brief concealment should have resolved everything. How could such an individual discover the elves' hidden refuge? Everything had been flawless for nearly a decade.

The primary pillar of resistance had crumbled, and the tide of war had turned in favor of the demons. However, due to the presence of a few remaining resistance fighters, the demons were unable to lay a hand on the Land of the Divine Tree.

As a result of the curse cast upon the Divine Tree by Yuria Helishana as a sacrifice to the Spirit King, the elves of the Divine Tree had transformed into Blood Elves. Yet, if the Mother of the Divine Tree could eradicate the corruption caused by the Dark Lord Perserque, the Divine Tree could revert to its original form.

Yes, there was a treacherous Dark Elf who had returned to save her younger sister, but she had long since perished. Everything had been perfect. But now, an unexpected presence had disrupted the seamless order.

Overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of unease, he hurried into this refuge, but the loud commotion outside was clear evidence that the grotesque human intruder and the proud elves of the Divine Tree were still locked in battle.

Adopting a stern expression, he abandoned the previously complex one. He shouted, "Do not fret. The Mother of the Divine Tree is on the brink of awakening from her slumber. I know not from whence this grotesque human emerged, but it is merely one human!"

The elder elves facing him remained silent.

In the chilling silence, Elder Kon observed the other elders, who fixed their gaze not on him, but behind him. "What's the matter? Why are you...?"

He turned his head and saw. There was a human leisurely entering the hidden refuge, dragging an elf whose head was covered in blood with a single hand.

"What... What?!" Elder Kon exclaimed.

"Elder Kon, it's refreshing to see you again. I haven’t had the pleasure of killing you myself.”

The human, who was different from any human he had seen before, smiled creepily and uttered unintelligible words.

Elder Kon had seen many enemies filled with malice, but the mania in that human's eyes was that of a top predator. He felt a horrifying fear as if his whole body was shrinking under the gaze that was far beyond the normal range. He had never seen any being give off such a creepy feeling.

Not even when the demons, who could not fight the elves, came to this sanctuary of the elves and made an inviolable treaty. Not even from the Grand Duke called Astaroth and other Grand Duke-class demons, and the incredibly beautiful woman with void eyes and silver hair. Not even when he faced Dark Lord Perserque himself did he feel such a chilling sensation.

Perserque was a being that warned him of a danger greater than any he had ever thought of. The feeling of his blood freezing just by making eye contact…

‘Yes, she is the Lord of the demons who shook the continent. I can understand if it's the Dark Lord. But what on earth is this human? Where on earth did he come from to intrude this sacred space in no time?’

"Where, where are the guar-"

He could not make a sound. As if his voice had been sealed, he felt like any sound or speech would lead him to a horrifying death.

‘What are the guards doing?‘

Yelling inwardly, Elder Kon soon noticed the bloodied elf thrown by the grotesque human. The fallen elf was none other than one of the Agent Guards, the elite force of the Divine Tree. Covered in blood, the Agent Guard appeared unharmed. He must have infiltrated alone.

As the commotion subsided and he turned around, the grotesque human nonchalantly discarded the blood-soaked altar of the new god. Paralyzed by the inexplicable situation, Elder Kon quickly realized that the surrounding scenery had undergone a drastic change, faster than the blink of an eye.

"I hid because I was afraid, sorry about that. I've been in and out of here many times. Actually, I was looking for you. That damn Yggdrasil is obviously somewhere nearby."

Startled by the human’s calm voice, Elder Kon’s eyes widened and he slowly surveyed his surroundings. His body had stiffened. It had been a hidden refuge just moments ago, but as he regained his senses, he found himself in the midst of an open ruin. And there, among the ruins, three intact crosses stood out.

"You, human..."

"Do you have something to say?"

He couldn't utter a sound, overwhelmed by an intense fear of impending death. Behind the speechless boy, something crimson began to take shape.

"Seeing the three hanging there seems to have triggered something in you. No regrets, though."

The calm voice accompanied a transformation. What appeared behind the human boy was the figure of a colossal demon.

"I fully intend to become a demon, not a pitiful Saint, in your presence."

Davey was going to do so willingly. With these words, a gigantic monster, radiating an almost overwhelming terror, opened its eyes.

Simultaneously, Elder Kon's knees involuntarily bent and shook as he knelt down.

This intruder was not ordinary. The madness etched onto the boy's face, capable of effortlessly massacring countless elves in a short span of time and summoning a demonic entity even more dreadful than the Demon King, was quite literally the embodiment of a malevolent god descending for destruction.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It's only fair to treat devils like devils. I've cleanly dispatched others, but you're not the direct culprit who inflicted that fate upon those three individuals."

Meanwhile, several lights flickered in the sky, slowly orbiting as if drawing a massive circle. The spectacle was so awe-inspiring that Elder Kon found himself unable to respond, his eyes wide open, simply staring.

Then, Elder Kon felt warmth beneath his robe. Unlike the other elders who had lost consciousness, he foamed at the mouth but retained his sanity. He had no choice but to witness the end brought about by the boy, his mouth foaming and even wetting himself.

The unidentified demonic figure that emerged behind the boy struck the ground, causing the earth to rupture, and from within, crimson magma surged forth, creating a scene reminiscent of the gates of hell.

At that moment, he began to question whether the human boy was truly human, and if he was, what the elves had fearlessly provoked. Thoughts that would never have arisen under normal circumstances tormented his mind, leading to confusion. The power emanating so casually from the boy was profound and weighty, far surpassing the dark aura radiated by the demons. The fear it instilled, encompassing death and beyond, was primal and enveloped in pitch darkness.