The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

It would take a lot of time to create a world, even under the will of the Goddess. However, according to what Davey had heard from Daphne, there were plenty of other worlds in existence within this world. Basically, it was already a complete world that had been created through God's will.

It wouldn't be strange if this world came and went. After all, this was a world created in the dreams of Goddess Freyja. If one were to delve into the complexity of this world, they could keep digging and still find it to be a very intricate and detailed place. However, the simplest and closest explanation for this was a dream.

Simply put, it was a world that was naturally created because of God’s will and could easily disappear the moment it fulfilled its purpose.

"And that's why it's full of bugs. Well, I won't complain. As long as I find that opening, I'll be able to escape from this place."

"Ugh, ughhh…" Illyna woke up with a groan.

She regained consciousness only an hour after Davey had started moving. It was a very challenging task for an ordinary person to walk for that long while carrying another person on their back. However, for Davey, who could swing a metal bat weighing a ton without straining a muscle, Illyna was as light as a feather. Despite being the smallest, the biological golem Rinne topped the list as the heaviest being.

"Ugh… My head…" Illyna groaned. She cradled her throbbing head as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around blankly. "Ha! Davey!"

"Are you finally awake?"

Despite Illyna still being in a daze despite hearing the calm question, Davey, without any hesitation, removed the hands he used to support her.

“Kyaaack!”

Davey left the shrieking Illyna, who had not yet completely regained her senses, behind and chose to silently enhance his vision to survey the surroundings. However, all he could see was the endless desert. There was no refuge in sight, no place to escape from the scorching sun.

“…”

"It hurts… You! Are you serious?!" Illyna shouted, gritting her teeth. However, her face twitched as she saw the stern and serious expression on Davey's face.

"Illyna."

"Huh... Oh?"

"Have you lost your mind?" Davey asked, silencing Illyna. "Do you think you can just follow wherever I go?"

Illyna remained silent, unable to respond for a while. Then, she protested, "B-But how can you stay calm when you see someone disappearing right in front of you?! And it's even a divine punishment! That!"

"It seems like you've witnessed this before, huh?"

This phenomenon wasn't very common. Illyna could only grit her teeth and answer, "When I was young... I saw a corrupted priest from the Holy Empire kill countless people and face divine punishment... How could I ever forget that horrifying scene..."

She murmured gloomily, "You're a Saint, aren't you...? So, why did you receive divine punishment?"

Illyna didn't know much about the situation back then. The connection between the Demon Lord and the Antagonist was something only known to those closely related to Davey.

Davey took a few steps forward, raised his arm, and rolled it to loosen his muscles. Then, he closed his eyes momentarily before responding, "First of all, let's start by destroying this worthless place."

[Devil Ylgr’s Great Rift]

[Asura’s Overlord Fist]

This was the same fist that had shattered the barrier covering the elven forest where Yuria Helishana lived before. However, back then, it had been greatly compressed. That's why it looked entirely different now. After all, it was an attack capable of dismantling and tearing apart such a worthless space.

Illyna's eyes widened as she witnessed a dark red energy manifest in Davey's clenched fist, while his left foot slipped back.

‘Let’s see how long this space can last.’

Boom!!!

Dark red flames erupted and engulfed the area, accompanied by a resounding explosion. The spot Davey struck was an empty space, yet even before his right fist made contact, his left hand had already snatched and pulled something from within—a barrier that had kept him confined in this place, something simultaneously existing and non-existent.

From Davey's perception, it appeared to have been designed to fade away gradually. It wasn't a significant concern. What unsettled Davey was the presence of those entities that had imprisoned him here, observing him like perverse voyeurs.

Crack!!!

Just like shattering glass, the dark red flames collided with the empty space, generating black sparks that fragmented the surrounding area.

"Kyaaack?!" Illyna shrieked, looking up at Davey with despair, curling up in response to the sudden emergence of fierce winds around them.

"As I thought, you won't be satisfied even after I break down the prison and escape," Davey remarked.

Before him, the same vast and endless desert materialized. However, this time it seemed less harsh than before.

"Thirsty?" Davey asked, gazing up at the sky.

Illyna, still in the same position, nodded quietly in response. She then said, "My mind is a mess... I can't understand why you killed Belial. And now... I don't even know what's real anymore."

Silently, Davey retrieved his Transcendence Demise upon hearing Illyna's words.

"Desert Horn Moths. Despite their appearance, they contain a significant amount of water."

One only needed to catch one and extract the liquid from them. With these moths at hand, anyone trapped in the desert wouldn't have to worry about dehydration.

"What?" Illyna questioned.

"Bang!!!" Davey exclaimed as he struck what appeared to be the empty desert in front of him. "Hmm. This must be a dream derived from the Tionis Continent."

For survival experts, the presence of Desert Horn Moths indicated that this environment was highly suitable for survival.

—Kihyeeeeeeeck!!!

A loud shriek resonated as Davey slammed his staff, filled with mana, onto the sand. The sand was completely upturned as dozens of repulsive bugs, half the size of a human, leaped into the air and took flight. There had been nothing visible on the sand, yet they suddenly sprang up as if appearing out of thin air.

"Urk?! That's disgusting!" Illyna screamed, raising Caldeiras and attempting to strike them down.

However, Davey swiftly extended the Transcendence Demise in his hands and halted the blade of her sword, saying, "What are you doing to our valuable source of water? Step aside."

Vwoong!!! Vwoong!!!

The gigantic and repulsive moths, displaying hostility with their violent wing flapping, appeared so hideous that no one would initially, or perhaps even after a second glance, associate them with something edible.

In reality, these insects resided in the Great Desert at the western edge of the Tionis Continent. They were classified as aggressive monsters, camouflaging themselves as sand by lying flat on the ground, deceiving and attacking unsuspecting passers-by with their sharp teeth and robust horns.

Davey held one of the Desert Horn Moths, now transformed into a clump of blood, in his hand, illuminating it with the light emitted from his staff.

The Transcendence Demise was renowned as a legendary support tool for mages. Since Davey wielded such an exceptional staff, it was only natural to assume he possessed magical abilities.

There was this old saying from the scriptures. It said, Battle mages are the best.

[CQC for Staff]

[Crushing the Stupid Head]

Boom!!!

After smashing the head of the scoundrel attempting to strike at his neck, Davey twirled his Transcendence Demise. He then wore a cold smile and proclaimed, "We won't need to worry about water for now."

Considering it was for two people, Davey would gather twice the amount he typically acquired.

Illyna couldn't rid her face of the complex expression as she observed Davey humming to himself, seemingly relishing the circumstances.

***

Illyna de Pallan, a princess raised in a beautifully pristine environment, couldn't comprehend why Davey merely crushed the Desert Horn Moth's head.

"That... um... Davey. What on earth are you doing? Those creatures are man-eaters... why can't you just exterminate them?" she questioned, her voice filled with disbelief. It was as if she pleaded with Davey not to jest anymore, as she had grown tired of his jokes.

However, Davey silently twisted the crushed moth's head, extracting its bodily fluid and pouring it into a leather bag. He explained, "The flavor is quite distinct. It's an acquired taste. Nonetheless, it's more than sufficient for hydration. And it's not poisonous. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe to drink."

Davey thought of the elf, Yuria Helishana, who possessed an eccentric palate and would likely jump at the chance to dissect this creature and utilize it as a tea ingredient.

"I-I don't want to... Davey, Desert Horn Moths are considered pests... I've never heard of anyone consuming pests before," Illyna expressed, her voice filled with reluctance.

"Such knowledge isn't widespread, you see," Davey replied. Even mercenaries, who had endured numerous hardships in the field, wouldn't be familiar with this common practice unless they operated in the desert. However, for those living in the desert, it was widely known.

Illyna instantly recoiled, her face displaying horror at the thought of drinking insect fluids to survive in the desert. After all, as a princess who had been raised in comfort under the protection of her imperial family, she had never encountered such fare.

"I've bought us some time by breaking the barrier. However, enduring this place without sustenance is no easy feat. Here, drink it," Davey urged, offering the brimming bag of insect fluid.

Illyna's face paled upon seeing the bag's contents, and she instinctively took several steps back.

"I-I won't drink it!" she protested in distress.

That's when she heard Davey's threat. "Should I force you to drink it then?"

"I'd rather you kill me, you wretched fiend! Have you no manners toward a lady?" Illyna exclaimed.

"Ah, I truly couldn't care less," Davey retorted.

"Kyaaack! Stay away from me! I'd rather bite my tongue and perish than consume that repugnant bug!"

The issue was that the Desert Horn Moth appeared so repulsive that Davey couldn't retort and call Illyna immature. Well, it was true that he had endured an entire month without a single sip of water before mustering the courage to try consuming the bodily fluids of these insects. And he couldn't definitively say whether he liked it or despised it.

Despite their repulsive appearance, Desert Horn Moths were quite generous with their bodily fluids. As for the taste, Davey could confidently assert that it was rather sweet. However, if one knew the truth of its origin, it would likely induce sickness.

Observing Davey tip the waterskin into his mouth and drink the liquid without any hesitation, Illyna frowned. She couldn't help but gaze at him, unable to comprehend why he willingly consumed something so revolting.

"What did the royal family ever do to you? And what kind of experiences have you gone through to approach this so casually?" Illyna's question evoked a bitter memory within Davey.

"If you were forced to survive in the desert for several decades, actions like this would come naturally to you," Davey truthfully responded. However, it seemed that Illyna dismissed his words as a joke. Yet, Davey had genuinely lived in the desert. To be precise, he had endured there for 50 years.

"First, we must secure our food and water. Even if you've undergone metamorphosis, enduring this harsh environment will be challenging," Davey explained.

"N-No! I'll die if I drink that!" Illyna protested.

"Haven't you grasped your predicament yet? Who said you came here to assist me? If you refuse to drink, then what is your plan? Are you waiting for rain to magically appear for you to quench your thirst? Abandon that notion. Just observe the climate and weather; it's utterly impossible," Davey reasoned.

"If we examine our surroundings closely, we might discover an oasis..."

"What nonsense. How naive you are, my lady. This is the desert. If you can't find water to drink, are you planning to resort to drinking your own urine? Get a hold of yourself!" Davey exclaimed.

Illyna's expression turned both horrified and shocked upon hearing Davey's words. "U-Urine?! You pervert! Have you lost your mind?"

"What good is refinement and following etiquette if it leads to your death? That's why you should drink it before others see," Davey insisted.

Finally realizing that Davey was not joking, Illyna clenched her teeth. Fortunately, she stopped protesting at this point. Perhaps it was because she, too, was a swordsman and the leader of the Whitebird, someone who had experienced various hardships and difficulties in battle. If she had been nothing more than a sheltered flower in the imperial family's greenhouse, she would have been completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

"I came here to receive divine punishment. However, you recklessly reached out to me and got involved. You must understand that it will take considerable time before we can escape this place," Davey warned, causing her pupils to tremble. "And I'm telling you, even if I have to force you to consume something as repugnant as this, I will do it. It's what's necessary to ensure your safe exit."

This was Davey's way of expressing gratitude to Illyna, who had extended her hand without hesitation despite knowing that he was disappearing due to divine punishment.

"Do we not know when we'll be able to leave?" Illyna inquired.

"We are being observed by certain individuals. There's no need to reveal the obvious without reason. Just be patient," Davey replied.

Davey believed it would be advantageous for him if those beings made the first contact. Well, they might assume that Davey had no knowledge of them whatsoever, but that was far from the truth.

He thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to show those arrogant bastards, who considered themselves judges, just how foolish they were for attempting to pass judgment on him.

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