The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 702

Beep!

Shushupaga: Real life is so much more intriguing than movies.

Dr. Kim: You really think that gambling with people’s lives is fun, you piece of XXXX.

Shushupaga: My shadow is fine. I don’t care.

Persimmon Farmer: What exactly did the Sacred Group release?

Silver Spoon: Not sure. The news said something about it being an edited video. They're trying to dismiss it by claiming it's the work of an anti-government group plotting to overthrow the state.

Black Head: How many companies would survive if they really went in for a serious inspection?

Water Bomb: If the Sacred Group falls, will the government take over all its assets and workforce? I'm genuinely shocked. And what’s the deal about the nuclear missiles?

Dr. Kim: I mean, it is an extraordinary situation.

The online chat kept getting longer as more messages came in.

Rich Spoon: But is the video really edited? Or is it real? But even if it’s edited, I think it deserves a round of applause. It looks XXXX real.

Black Head: I heard it’s real. They arrested the Saint of Tionis immediately when he arrived at the Alliance Headquarters and took him for questioning.

Rich Spoon: And how the XXXX do you know that?

Black Head: My ass, you jerk.

Then attention then shifted toward a comment that another user made.

Alhazard: But isn’t that the president? Was the president that kind of person?

Persimmon Farmer: I’m not sure, but the president has definitely done things I disagree with. If this is real, I’m going to change my view on them.

Strange: It’s absolutely true. I was working there when it happened. The moment that desk jockey general saw the black dragon that the Saint of Tionis was controlling, he ordered a nuclear strike right away.

11 Meters: ??? Another baseless claim. Why in the world South Korea would have nukes?

Irritated by the sarcasm, Strange quickly retorted.

Strange: Ever heard of IYKYK? It means ‘if you know, you know’, you idiot. Did you know that Korea became an armory after all these monsters appeared? That’s why an agreement was made with the U.S. Department of Defense to store American nuclear missiles. In case something happens, things can be sorted out in Korea.

11 Meters: Yeah, right, you’re lying. I don’t buy it.

Just as 11 Meters answered sarcastically once again, another person chimed in.

Shushupaga: Is that guy a part of some comment army[1]? What’s wrong with him?

Strange: Like I’d know. But I do understand why that guy’s acting like that. Imagine the absolute chaos that would have happened if that monster had actually descended here. What the general did was only problematic because it involved an ally. If it had been an enemy, his actions would’ve been the right thing to do.

Shushupaga: But it's not normal for someone to take such an action without reporting to the president first. Besides, is it really the right time for such drastic measures? Just like y'all said, there are a lot of lives involved in this; it's not just about a few.

11 Meters: Yeah, yeah, whatever. He’s blackmailing the country with hostages. We don’t negotiate with terrorists.

Strange: Is this guy the desk jockey general in the video or something? Ugh... Anyway, the military has already seized control over Korea. The president’s just a puppet at this point,so he can’t even talk to the public..

That’s why the protesters are currently demanding truth. They want to know what's really happening.

Persimmon Farmer: What about the Church of Neltarid? They’ve been quiet about this whole situation since the monster emerged from the stuff they sent. They’ve said nothing.

Shushupaga: I know, right?

11 Meters: Yeah, yeah, big organizations that are masquerading as religious denominations don’t really care about small countries like Korea.

Persimmon Farmer: Let’s ban that guy first before we continue talking. I don't want to waste time on someone who doesn't know when to talk or not.

Strange: All in all, it’s true that they launched nukes. It's also true that the Saint of Tionis came to help but he got hella mad and just ended up watching because of that.

Dr. Kim: But real talk, do you think the Saint of Tionis could’ve won? It looks impossible to take on something like that.

Shushupaga: Do you not know how the Saint of Tionis took down Malicious Spirit Goumda in one strike with maximum damage? I do think there would’ve been chaos if it had just come.

Strange: Well, anyway, I’m going to go attend the protest. I’m pissed that the desk jockey military leaders are clinging to power.

Dr. Kim: It’s not like they had plans to take care of Meses anyway. When they were asked what they were going to do, they just said they'd look into it more and hunt it down.

Strange: Just so you know, my younger brother was part of that raid. He told me up front that they stood no chance. He also said that they could only last from a minute to ten minutes, tops.

Shushupaga: What do you mean by last? Like how long you last in bed? Haha.

Strange: Until all two hundred participants in the raid are dead, you idiot. And what's worse, all of the Awakened from rich families have evaded this raid. They all bribed their way out and just waited it out.

Dr. Kim: Fucking bastards. Alright, I’m joining the protest too.

It was human nature to rebel against directives. In fact, the military’s oppressive control, whether it was subtle or blatant, was becoming more evident throughout Korea. This led the government to pressure the Sacred Group in an attempt to quell the unrest. But once the movement gained momentum, it only continued to grow and eventually drew more protesters from all over the country.

The people of Korea, a nation recently devastated by a colossal monster, shifted their focus to the escalating conflict between the government and a single individual.

***

The protests grew more intense while foreign media watched quietly. Yet none of them intervened. Well, there were actually journalists who were more astute and had already begun to seek Davey.

In the day and age where the Internet reigned, more information floated around than when Davey used to live on Earth under the name of Shin Hyun-Soo. But the government was still manipulating the media, making them report events in a fragmented and biased manner, despite the ongoing protests.

The government also attempted to sway public opinion against Davey, trying to garner support for their side. But these tactics were nothing new. Ultimately, they were just fiddling around with politics, which often didn’t comply with justice. Of course, they also didn’t know ahead of time that one video—another political ploy—would cause them to lose support.

This place wasn’t Tionis. It was also common for a nation to rise and condemn corruption, especially with the prevalence of social platforms and the Internet in recent times.

[People of Korea, he is inciting the public by editing videos and fabricating believable scenarios. As a countermeasure, the government will strictly penalize the Sacred Group for attempting to overthrow the country using these fake videos..."]

“HAHAHAHA!!” Davey couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. "Strictly penalize? What do they think they’re doing? Some comedy skit? Oh, come on now!”

As Davey turned around, he saw Yoon Tae-Gang, who had his entire body ensnared by the dark hand and his bottom up to his waist rotten with his head hanging low.

“...”

‘Let your body decay like that for the next three days. You'll experience excruciating pain,’ Davey thought.

His smile then faded away. Davey knew that the man in front of him was also aware that the size of the protest was growing bigger at an absurd rate. After all, it was only natural for it to grow since the so-called edited videos were too realistic, and the government's response to the crisis when Meses took people’s lives hostage was beyond absurd.

Those in power recruited top-ranked Awakened to raid Meses. This was only natural for the Awakened since they obtained their abilities to take on the Malicious Spirits and any monsters that were summoned on Earth. But right now, it looked like a bunch of level ten users were gathered to take down a level two hundred boss monster. And dealing damage to such a monster already seemed impossible, so it would take a miracle for them just to make it out of the battle alive.

The ones who could clearly assess the situation knew what these efforts meant from the start. The current leader, Seo Ho-Jin, had the mindset of sacrificing for the greater good. He was one of those who believed that one had to go through hardships while still young.

The protests continued to grow as everyone demanded to know the truth and to be given a viable solution. The government was running out of time. They had a couple of days, at best. Davey had captured Meses and kept some of the Awakened alive, but this was just a temporary measure. Once Davey could no longer hold down Meses...

[Damn humans!! I won't wait any longer! As soon as this barrier disappears, I will devour all of your shadows!!]

Meses was now threatening a massacre.

Whirr!!!

Davey furrowed his brows at the sudden whirring noise of a helicopter. When he looked up, he saw a black helicopter speeding toward him across the sky, being followed by flying monsters whose origins he didn't know. But Davey knew that it was reckless for them to come to him, as it ended up spinning out of control after a monster attacked its tail.

[Level Six Holy Magic]

[Divine Flame]

Zing!!

Davey felt pure white energy forming that seemed like it was being charged. The Divine Flame was stronger than before, as it had Goddess Freyja’s divine power, not just any other. Then a massive beam of light struck the monster attacking the helicopter, tearing through its body like a sponge shot with a bullet. The monster, now missing half its body, plummeted toward the ground.

Davey then reached his hand toward the helicopter that continued to spiral down.

[Sixth Circle]

[Great Telekinesis]

Thud!!

The wildly spinning helicopter halted mid-air. With a single move of his finger, Davey brought it closer to him and slowly lowered it to the ground in front of him. The blue light that had been enveloping the helicopter faded away. It then didn’t take long for the door to creak open and for someone to come out limping.

"At last... I finally found you," the mysterious man said. But he was no stranger.

"Mr. President, I didn’t expect to see you again,” Davey said calmly.

The man was none other than the president of Korea, now a figurehead stripped of most of his power by the military regime. He approached Davey with his eyes fixed on him.

Davey then pressured him so that he would want to run away.

But he continued to walk toward Davey.

This made Davey realize that the president did not come to deceive anyone.

“Please,” the president croaked. He then bowed deeply and said, “Please... I earnestly beg you to help me just this once.”

"You shouldn’t bow to me. The commander-in-chief of a country should not bow like this,” Davey replied.

"No," he insisted. "I know we cannot defeat the Malicious Spirit no matter how hard we fight."

“...”

The president was well aware of their frustrating reality. In the first place, the emergence of Meses wasn’t something they had foreseen.

"People’s lives are at stake. If bowing can save even one person... I am willing to do so as much as it’s needed!” he pleaded.

Davey weighed in his words with closed eyes. Then he said, "And why would you do that?”

"Yes?" he responded, looking for clarification.

"Why would you try so hard? People are always giving you a hard time due to political issues, and no one ensures you with their trust. On top of that, no one gives you credit or thanks you for the things you’ve done,” Davey retorted with an impassive face.

The president then replied, "Do I need reasons like that?”

The answer that Davey got made him squint his eyes.

"If it's possible to save even one person, I think I should try. Yes, I've been a part of the government’s corruption. I've committed illegal acts. But what does that matter right now? At least I recognize what's right as a human being, unlike that power-hungry ruler!"

"I believe he made choices that considered the circumstances as well,” Davey said.

"His mistake wasn't launching a nuclear missile—that's my wrongdoing as well. I'll face the consequences someday. But he's inciting people without providing any alternatives. In these desperate times, his solution was to suppress the protests with force..."

"I’ve seen enough already; you don't need to explain it to me," Davey interrupted while chuckling slightly. He never had any intention of profiting from this country. Korea had once been devastated by the Korean War, leaving the nation in ruin. While the current situation wasn’t as dire as the war, the fact that Korea had lost so much was true for both.

"Please... help save people,” he pleaded in the most respectful way possible.

His plea made Davey heave a sigh and say, "Ah... Interesting, interesting...”

Davey rose to his feet. Then, as he looked at the clock made by Aeonitia O’Rowane, the princess of the clock and his younger sister, he said, “There’s about... five minutes until Meses moves again.”

"Life must be saved, huh...”

Davey sighed again, slightly disappointed. He then decided to stop messing around, knowing that he had given the president enough of a hard time.

Even though the president wasn’t an admirable man, he at least understood the value of human life.

"Kain," Davey called out.

"Yes."

"Did you say your people were coming here?"

"Yes, they’re on their way."

"Tell them to wait."

After saying so, Davey stepped forward.

“W-what in the world?!” the president exclaimed.

A massive magic circle with a blue glow unfolded around Davey. Then, along with the president, the helicopter pilot, his bodyguards, and everyone who came with him, Davey jumped through the opening that had appeared in space.

Zap!

They reappeared above the square where Meses was. Originally, the device was to create a barrier. But it had inadvertently acted as a catalyst to summon the Malicious Spirit, which ultimately led to the emergence of Meses in the joint base in Korea.

As Davey looked around, he noticed the nervous and solemn faces of those waiting for Meses’s next move.

It was odd to see people armed and lined up, even though their fear of death was palpable.

"They must also be someone’s precious children. We can’t just let them die," the president said.

"So, you want me to step in before even one dies?”

"I know you can... I beg you.”

Davey chuckled softly after hearing his plea. Then he clapped his hands.

Clap!

In that moment, Meses, whose figure was shrouded in black rags that radiated a strange energy, lifted his head and saw Davey.

[Human!]

As Meses fumed at him, Davey just looked down at him in silence.

[Soon! I will soon devour your shadow and tear your body to shreds!]

After hearing the threat, Davey walked toward Meses, moving through the crowd of Awakened, which parted like the Red Sea.

“You’re talking as if you still have a trick up your sleeve,” Davey answered with a mocking tone.

[Hmph, that's none of your business]

Davey figured that Meses did have something up his sleeve. But unfortunately for him, Davey wasn’t going to fall for it.

“Well, you see... The First Grade Trap Spell I used on you...”

His eyes darted to Davey, alert and wary.

"I kind of bent the rules so that only one side could interfere," Davey finished.

Then he took out a sledgehammer, the Corona Destroyer, from his Pocket Plane and threw an amulet in the air. Without wasting another second, he hit Meses three times while ignoring his defense. Once done, he hoisted the hammer and made it rest on his shoulder.

And when he saw the amulet activate, he said, "Is there still time left? You won’t see the clock run out.”

1. There was an incident in Korea. NIS, Korea’s national intelligence agency, used their agents to manipulate Korea’s public by anonymously making comments that were favorable to the government at the time. ☜