The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 872.1

Most martial artists used knuckles or gauntlets in combat. Maximus, however, wore leather gloves made from some unidentifiable material.

“I watched your match. I never expected you to be the Saint of Tionis. You’re strong.”

He casually stretched, continuing the conversation.

“Haha, the one person I should’ve been most wary of turns out to be my newfound friend. How’s Baris doing?”

Davey smirked at the question.

“He’s doing well.”

“You sound like you already knew who I was.”

“I found out somehow.”

Ssss...

Maximus took his stance.

“Don’t hold back. I’m asking as a friend.”

Boom!!

Everything happened in an instant. Davey cast a Silence spell over the area and blocked his lightning-fast attack.

“That’s not all!”

Thud!!

Maximus didn’t falter when his attack was blocked. Instead, he used the momentum to pivot his body, slamming his leg on the ground to propel himself forward—a core principle of martial arts known as stomping.

As expected, the skills he had weren’t ordinary. His martial arts combined internal energy, stomping, and striking movements like waves crashing forward.

“Tai Chi,” Davey muttered.

Maximus widened his eyes in surprise.

“You...!”

“Yeah. Seems like you’ve reached the level of a nine-star master. Pretty impressive.”

Maximus burst out laughing.

“Hahahah! Just who are you, really?”

“Beat me, and I’ll tell you,” Davey replied casually while grinning.

Maximus took a deep breath and repositioned himself to move again. His steps and hands traced the outline of a Tai Chi symbol.

Peng, Lu, Ji, and An.

The internal energy of the Eight Trigrams spread out, and he made movements clearly different from before.

But Davey had already anticipated this.

“Hup!”

As Maximus surged forward as if tearing through space itself, Davey extended his fist calmly.

“If you come at me so predictably, then of course I’ll just...”

Whoosh! Thud!

In a split second, he blocked Maximus.

“Hmph?!”

Davey then coiled his attacking arm, locking it in place.

“What the—?!”

Maximus tried to pull away but soon realized his joint had been completely immobilized. As he stared in shock, Davey pulled his fist back and met his gaze squarely.

His martial arts were incredible, far beyond what one might expect from someone in their late teens. Yet, despite his confidence in his skills, Davey had countered every move of his—he had even made openings that placed him in danger.

If Maximus had trained more rigorously, Davey knew he wouldn’t have made these mistakes. But his disdain for martial arts prevented him from fully utilizing his strength.

‘No wonder he doesn’t know how to move well.’

“Listen carefully.”

No matter how good a weapon was, one couldn’t master it without wielding it.

Davey hurled a punch toward his stomach. In the flow state where time seemed to have stopped, Davey muttered.

“If you think gaining this power was enough to achieve what you wanted...”

“Hmph?!”

“And if you think your efforts have been betrayed because of it, you’re better off quitting now.”

Thud!!!

The enormous impact rippled outward, shattering the silencing barrier Davey had cast. The shockwave made its way out in all directions.

“Damn it...”

As Maximus crumpled to the ground, Davey turned to Illyna.

“Let’s take him with us.”

“You’re awfully concerned about him, aren’t you?”

“He’s my first friend around my age. Besides, I’m curious about what drove him to this point—what pushed him so far.”

“Friend, huh... You’ve never had a friend your age before, have you?”

It was a bitter truth, one that Davey couldn’t deny.

* * *

“Ugh...”

When Maximus opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Baris staring down at him. His eyes widened in shock.

“Long time no see, Maximus.”

“Baris? Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Heh... Hehe. It’s been, what, six years since we last saw each other at that international summit banquet? We caused quite the stir back then.”

“I didn’t even know you were a Prince of Terraria until I got here.”

“And here I thought you were just some ordinary guy too. Hahahaha. Meeting you here like this... I don’t even know how to feel.”

“Why have you changed so much?” Baris asked.

Hearing his bitter question, Maximus didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his head away and made an uncomfortable smile.

“Davey.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, yeah. Slept like a baby, damn it. Fuck, man. Did you really have to beat me half dead?”

“You should be happy that you’re still here at all. Honestly, I wanted to beat the living hell out of you.”

“...”

Maximus responded with a bitter smile.

“When people around me talked about you...”

“...”

“I honestly thought they were exaggerating. The world’s full of big fish stories, after all. I figured there wouldn’t be that much of a difference between you and me.”

He gazed up at the ceiling as he spoke.

“But I was wrong. The way you saw through everything about me in an instant... It was ridiculous.”

He then closed his eyes again. Meanwhile, Darian, who had been resting in Aeria’s arms, began squirming and whining, wanting to be held by Davey instead.

“Tell me, what happened after we met back then?” Baris asked in a concerned tone.

Maxioms’s fist trembled in response.

According to Baris, the Maximus he had met during the international banquet in the past was practically a different person.

Back then, even though his skills were lacking, he believed that hard work could make up for it. He wasn’t arrogant or playing around like he was nowadays; he was relentless, constantly training, and had dreamed of becoming a respected hero who would make the world a better place—all hallmarks of a boy who loved martial arts.

But now, he was the exact opposite.

Breaking the silence, Maximus opened his eyes and spoke again.

“It’s all pointless.”

“Maximus!”

“Listen, Baris.”

“...”

Baris went quiet as Maximus raised his tone.

“All those things you’ve built up through hard work—when they end up completely destroying your life in an instant, what would you do?”

“I...”

“And when everything you’d worked so hard for over all these years was thoroughly dismissed by someone with sheer talent? When you get the hang of those things, not when you need them, but after everything falls apart?”

“...”

“Can you honestly say you wouldn’t hate them all?”

Baris sighed heavily in response to his question.

“This might take a while, so I’ll grab some drinks,” Aeria said softly, excusing herself with Darian in her arms. Perserque and Illyna also quietly left the room.

“Davey.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to win the tournament?”

“I intend to.”

“For you, this tournament is just a little playtime, isn’t it?”

He was right. Though Davey was technically a teenager, his abilities far exceeded those of the other tournament participants.

“Hah. What am I supposed to do?” Maximus chuckled dryly, looking at Davey. “You should quit the tournament. Just let it go.”

“Maximus!!” Baris shouted in disbelief.

“Davey, please. I’m asking as a friend. I know it’s absurd to make a request like this, but... please, just concede.”

Hearing the despair in his voice, Davey leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs.

“At least tell me the full story, if you want me to consider it.”

Maximus closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath before speaking slowly.

The Terraria Kingdom had long been steeped in martial arts, with a deep-rooted tradition of training in martial arts.

Because of this, from its commoners to its royalty, the kingdom took immense pride in its martial prowess. The current king, however, took this obsession to an extreme, being described as one of the most ambitious rulers in their history.

The king had twelve wives and fifteen children—twelve princes and three princesses.

He was so obsessed that he frequently declared that his throne would go to the prince who demonstrated the greatest skill in martial arts.

“You know, I never cared about becoming the next king,” Maximus began. “I just loved martial arts. I wanted to get along with my brothers and one day leave the kingdom to travel the continent and continue my training.”

He had genuinely loved martial arts. From a young age, he had taught himself and trained relentlessly. He had never stopped, even when his hands blistered and his muscles tore to the point where he couldn’t move his arms.

“The thing is, I wasn’t motivated by pride or ambition—I just loved martial arts for what it was.”

He had dreamed of becoming a hero, one whose name would be known across the continent for the skills he honed.

“Yeah, I remember. You told me that when we first met,” Baris replied.

Six years ago, when Baris and Maximus first crossed paths, he was trying to depart from the banquet in order to train. He wanted to train rather than waste time at a formal event. The two had promised to one day become great heroes whose names would be known throughout the continent before then parting ways.

By all rights, Maximus and his conviction shouldn’t have changed.

But everything shifted during the last Continental Martial Arts Tournament.

He had trained because he loved martial arts, so his skills naturally surpassed that of his brothers. That was the beginning of his troubles.

[Go, bring glory to the Terraria Kingdom.]

The king, impressed by his talent, began favoring him excessively, placing immense pressure and expectations on him. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

It wasn’t just the king—nobles and commoners alike pinned their hopes on him, putting an unbearable amount of pressure on a fifteen year old boy.

“Hah. That wasn’t even the worst problem,” Maximus scoffed. “Even when my brothers tried to assassinate me because of their jealousy, I thought I could still handle it.”

But then...

Four years ago, during the Continental Martial Arts Tournament hosted by the Contas Empire, everything fell apart for Maximus. He lost against the heir of a ducal family from the Vasis Kingdom, a bitter rival of Terraria. That loss marked the turning point in his life.

Maximus trailed off as an uncontrollable hatred and fury began to radiate from his body. The anger was directed at the very concept of martial arts itself.

“I gave it my all, and I still lost. Even though the heir from the Vasis Kingdom was my rival, we acknowledged each other’s skill and fought without regret. Everyone witnessed it. I admitted defeat because I believed I hadn’t put in enough effort and that I’d been bested by someone with more talent. I accepted my loss and vowed to improve.”

But reality was cruel.

When Maximus returned to Terraria, he had been greeted by an icy glare from the current king. When the father he had once loved and respected looked down on him with coldness, he was confused and desperate.

He had hoped his father would comfort him, telling him it was okay and that he had done his best. Even if his brothers ridiculed him, he believed his father would be different.

But what awaited him were his brothers’ mockery and the king’s cold, scornful gaze.

“Maximus,” Baris called, his face hard with empathy, but Maximus shook his head.

“That alone would’ve been tolerable. But then...”

The furious king didn’t stop at mere disdain.

“Not long after, I received a box at my quarters.”

When Maximus was told it was a gift from the king, he thought his father had finally forgiven him. But when he opened it, he screamed in horror and wept tears of blood.

“What... was in the box?”

“The head of the woman I loved.”