The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 786: Twilight of Destruction and the Unmissable Opportunity

The Kingdom of Rowane fell into silence upon hearing the news of King Krianes’s death. Although he was not a smart or wise king, his rule hadn't been useless either.

“...”

Davey glanced over the documents that were sent to him and signed them as if it was just a regular Tuesday.

“Let’s conclude farmland division with this. There is no need for any more changes.”

"Your Majesty…”

“What else is there to do?”

"Your Majesty.”

“Let’s stop talking nonsense and get to work. There is work to be done, and there is no time to waste worrying about useless things. Before now, I've entrusted too much work to you. ”

Rattle.

At his words, Perserque, who was floating in the air and savoring tea, loudly placed the teacup on the stand.

“Amy. Could you please give us a moment?” she said in a soft tone, and Amy nodded quietly.

"Yes, Your Majesty.”

But Perserque was no different from Amy.

“Davey.”

“Let’s not talk about that.”

“I don’t want to see you left with regrets.”

“I won't regret anything, and you know that I don’t have much time to spare right now.”

With all the thoughts running through his mind, Davey felt like his head would explode. The best case scenario right now seemed to be to briefly separate Thanatos who was in sync with Eclipse, then destroy Eclipse and trap Thanatos. However, unless Thanatos, who had been kicked out by Perserque, decided to let Eclipse go, it would take a long time to destroy her. And even if he could remove her, he knew it wouldn’t be easy to destroy her as she possessed overwhelming power even among the crazy ancient dragons—supreme power. In the end, Davey knew he would have to sacrifice a lot to make things work out.

He wondered if he could do it, and came to the conclusion that it would be impossible after he reflected on why he got involved in the war between the three gods in the first place. He figured everything would go to waste if he became the ruler of the red void and could freely manipulate the power of taboo like Hercules.

Furthermore…

It seemed like something had happened in the Hall of Heroes; some heroes had already manifested then disappeared.

“...”

“I know you have a lot on your mind, but as the saying goes—haste makes waste.”

“I won’t waste time sitting next to His Majesty’s body on the way back.”

“Davey,” she looked at him with a stern expression and tapped the table.

“You should go.”

“I already said I wasn’t going.”

“I’m sure the people will be upset if the Prince doesn’t show up for the King’s funeral.”

“...”

He knew Perserque was trying to come up with a good enough reason for him to go. Without saying anything, Davey took out a device from the drawer.

Kain had told him that he had been changing the temperature, soil, and climate in the northern part of Heins Territory. It was being done in the undeveloped part of the territory, of course, as it made no sense to drive out those who were living in peace just to hold a ceremony.

Davey then briefly wondered if the huge control system in Heins Territory was created with the intention to perform a ritual using the Absolute Gem. In fact, upon further thought, he realized he didn’t have to wonder anymore—he could be certain of it now. He put down the controller that was emitting mana and quietly looked at Perserque.

“Davey. Don’t do anything you’ll regret—just go.”

“I already knew that His Majesty didn’t have many days left, but I never thought he would pass away so suddenly.”

“Then even more so…”

“But there is nothing to regret.”

To Davey, His Majesty was just a person to whom he had been loyal. It had been a while since he broke off their relationship of father and son—whatever his reason was, it didn't matter to Davey.

“While I was away, Royal Attendant Bernile and Amy did all the hard work. I need to let them get some rest now.”

He decided to focus on completely pushing out the Abyss and managing the Heins Territory for the time being, which he believed to be enough.

“I still think you’re going to regret this.”

“No, I won’t.”

“No, you definitely will,” she said calmly as she slowly approached him. Then, with a bitter smile, she reached out her soft white hand and stroked his cheek.

“So just go to the palace right now.”

“...”

“Davey. I’m begging you.”

Davey couldn’t understand why Perserque was being so insistent. King Krianes O’Rowane had indeed treated her well—almost like his own daughter—despite her lack of power and official status. But that alone didn’t seem like it should be enough of a reason for her to push him so strongly.

Everyone in the territory: Amy, Royal Attendant Bernile, and even Aeria wanted him to go to the palace.

When Davey didn't answer, she went for his uniform and handed it to him.

“Please, do me this favor.”

She placed her lips on his with sad eyes. For someone who used to be shy about being affectionate, she was acting quite bold. That boldness even extended to other parts of her life, like the bedroom…

“Davey…”

As he stepped back, she looked up at him with wide open eyes.

“It seems like you’ve been intentionally thinking about something else for a while.”

“What nonsense. Why are you pretending like you know when you don’t even have the authority of the Abyss anymore?”

“Do you think there’s something I wouldn’t understand about you? You're afraid of going to the palace now. I bet you’re unsure of whether or not you can maintain your composure after seeing His Majesty’s body.”

After staying silent for a while, unable to find a response to what she said, Davey finally took the coat she was holding.

He wasn’t bothered by such provocation. He knew there was no reason to be shaken by it. Davey had lost his sense of familial affection toward his father who had neglected him all his life. Although his father’s death was certainly sudden and unsettling, there was no reason for Davey to feel genuinely sad about it.

And he was going to prove that point now.

Beep… Beep!!

Davey changed the status of the territory so that conditions could be adjusted even without him. That way, he could start the ceremony of the Absolute Jewel as soon as he returned from the palace.

Afterward, he walked alongside Aeria. Since he was engaged to her, she had an obligation to attend the funeral. It was late, but it seemed like Aeria had prepared as if she knew, and as soon as she saw him, she smiled sadly and approached.

“Prince Davey, you're making the right choice.”

“I’m sorry for acting out late at night. Let’s go to the palace for a brief visit.”

She smiled prettily and nodded.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to have any regrets.”

With that, Davey just told Amy that he was going to the palace and then jumped through space.

The castle of the Kingdom of Rowane was extremely quiet. It was only natural, considering King Krianes had passed away the day before. The knights and soldiers guarding the palace were on duty wearing black attire. In addition to those on duty at the palace, many nobles weren’t leaving the palace even at this late hour.

After the aristocratic faction was wiped out and the king's power increased, many people began to support him for political reasons. But even so, their condolences were sincere.

"Davey.”

The first person to greet Davey was Baris, whose eyes were red. Then, after following him, he saw Winley and Tanya shedding tears. Lastly, he saw little Aeonitia O’Rowane. Since they were all half-siblings, they didn't get along well with each other, but they were very different from before—perhaps because of the bloodshed that had happened.

“Follow me.”

Eventually, Baris took the lead and guided him to where His Majesty's body was. The place where Baris guided him was not the king's palace, but the outer palace and garden at the back of the estate.

Unlike the extravagant palace, it was very simple, even giving off a feeling of emptiness. As they reached the entrance to the outer palace, Aeonitia, Tanya, and Winley began to cry, tears streaming down their faces.

“Sob… Your Majesty…”

It seemed like Winley was barely stopping herself from crying out loud.

“Open the doors.”

At Baris's words, the knights respectfully saluted and opened the door. Davey could smell a bright floral scent accompanying pure white flowers inside.

“Davey, please go in. You two as well,” Baris said, quietly bowing his head toward Aeria and Perserque. They nodded quietly and followed Davey inside. In the center of the outer palace’s throne room, he could see a richly decorated arrangement of flowers with a coffin placed on top. The lid was still open, revealing the cold, gaunt-looking man inside.

“Sob…”

Perserque covered her mouth to stifle her sobs and shed tears. Aeria carefully approached and comforted her, trying to calm her down.

“...”

Davey silently walked to the side of the coffin and saw his father lying down with his eyes closed. No, he looked at the king of this country, Krianes O’Rowane.

“First Prince Davey O’Rowane offers his condolences for the Sun of the Kingdom.”

He got down on one knee in a respectful bow. He didn’t shake. He knew this man’s death would have no effect on him.

“...”

Davey just looked at his body in silence. He didn't feel any sadness. However, he felt like his chest was filled with frustration for no reason. It was a subtle feeling—it wasn't even sadness. Still, he couldn’t figure out why he was clenching his fists.

As Davey thoughtlessly stretched out his hand and touched the cold, hard, and scarred back of His Majesty's hand, he could feel the ravages of time.

He figured he passed away either from a natural death or from overwork.

Although he was not old, his lifespan had been severely shortened due to his severe mental suffering and stress. Moreover, his body was damaged due to excessive work and his disease had been eating away at him by the minute. That was what showed Davey that he hadn't had much life left.

He knew his extended life wouldn’t last much longer. On the surface, Davey had kept him alive so that he could reflect on his mistakes until Baris became king. But then, he began to wonder if that was actually the true reason.

Davey became more and more confused.

[Didn’t you just want him to die?]

It felt like someone was whispering. He wasn’t hearing things; it was more of a rhetorical question, as if another part of him was talking to him. He kept asking questions and answering them in his head, almost like he had a split personality[1]

[If that was what you wanted from the beginning, you could’ve done so earlier. Even though he wasn’t exactly your enemy, you were still quite angry with him, so there was no reason or excuse for holding him back from death.]

“...”

[Or did you want him to stay alive?]

‘Not hoping he would die…?’ he thought.

Did Davey hope he wouldn't die?

[Unless you're an idiot, you know who brought you food and medicine every day when you just woke up from your coma. You know who protected you, even when you were comatose.]

“...”

[In the end, rather than hating him, you were just complaining because you didn’t know what to do. You asked him to treat you like a son. You hoped that he would spend the rest of his time with regret for giving you such a hard time.]

Hearing this, Davey realized how cunning he had been. He couldn’t deny it. Perhaps he had hoped that King Krianes O’Rowane would spend his remaining time seeing him and regretting the past—when Davey wouldn't even forgive him in return.

In the end, Davey was devastated when he saw his father's body in front of him.

[Lor…]

Another voice rang out from somewhere. This time, it was not himself talking, but a clearly distinct voice.

[Lord. The Absolute One of the Void. Please open your eyes.]

At those words, Davey, who had his eyes closed, slowly raised his gaze. As he saw the body of his fallen father, he slowly gathered the power of taboo. But something in his body resisted that use of the power of taboo.

[Please do not be fooled by the encroachment of Destruction. Unlike the created gods, you are the one who will become the absolute rule of the beginning.]

The power of taboo in his body then went rampant and pushed out all the strange forces that had been encroaching on his body.

Crack! Crack!!

The space around him warped and distorted. He couldn't pinpoint when these forces had started to exist—if it weren't for the power of taboo, he knew he might not have even sensed them. When he finally came to, he saw a massive ancient dragon with familiar red scales.

It was Arbit's giant head.

“Arbit?”

[What a relief, my lord. And my apologies. There was a huge problem with your soul wavelength, so I urgently called you here.]

“Can you explain it in an easy-to-understand way?”

The old ancient dragon slightly raised his huge body and huffed.

[Lord. Where do you think a fallen god will end up?]

“What do you mean?”

[I’m asking about the power a god obtains after giving up their immortality and absolute authority.]

Arbit was asking about the moment when a god gave up all godly power, and what state that being which could no longer be called a god would reach.

[One side of Neltarid, Destruction, has voluntarily given up all divinity. They must have realized that if they continue like this, they will all be eaten by the other side.]

“...”

[And the aftermath is now happening on Earth.]

“A god… is no longer a god? What about the other half?”

[The power was already leaning to one side anyway. Destruction must have done such a thing because it decided that there was no place left for it to retreat. Since its destruction seemed predestined…]

“So it’s committing suicide?”

[It is impossible to know what will happen, as there are no precedents of a god abandoning their divinity. But keep in mind, now that they have abandoned it, they will be able to exercise overwhelming power.]

“On the other hand, that means I now have a chance at killing them.”

The Karma of Divine Death was a level that the power of taboo couldn’t reach. For a being called a god, it was impossible to kill another god. All that could be done was to tear them apart, divide them, and seal them away.

However, if one was no longer a god, then killing them was possible. No matter how strong the opponent was, immortality and mortality were fundamentally different. Neltarid's side of destruction figured that the outcome would be the same whether they were absorbed or destroyed, so they made the choice to go all-in to kill Davey.

‘Wait a minute…’ Davey thought.

He then opened his eyes wide.

“Arbit. Is there a way to forcefully drop one’s level of divinity?”

[The levels? Except for interfering beyond the conditions and dropping it oneself or violating the rules of the beginning... Wait, lord, don’t tell me…]

“I think I just found a way to end Thanatos without completely sealing off the Abyss.”

Eclipse's extinction was inevitable, as she had already outlived her lifespan and was suffering while trapped inside the Abyss. Given that, Davey realized he had no choice but to go for a method that would destroy both her and Thanatos at the same time. To achieve this, he now knew he shouldn’t use the Absolute Gem during the ritual to close the Abyss.

[Lord. That would be…]

“Is there a way or not?”

He sighed at Davey's question.

[You don’t listen to my request, even toward the end…]

He muttered as if he was complaining, moved his huge body, and huffed as if he was sighing.

[To be frank, there is not.]

Although he expected this answer, he still felt bitter. But then, Arbit continued to talk.

[Well, of course, he might have a way.]

“He?”

[Hercules. The first lord, and the original owner of the power you possess.]

Hercules...

[But now is not the time. From what I can feel, the destructive side of Neltarid has already eaten the dreams and future of most humans on Earth and is growing stronger… If we don’t punish them before it’s too late…]

Things may become irreversible.

Davey nodded at his words.

1. People, let the record show that multiple/split personalities aka Dissociative Identity Disorder does not work like this with fluid dialogue between alters, and the author is a bit off with the comparison lol. Don't worry if you talk to yourself in your thoughts or even have entire conversations - some research even suggests that our internal dialogue is a good thing meant to be like parents guiding us through problem-solving. ☜

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