The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 964

The invaders had been subdued, and the dragons had gathered in the half-destroyed meeting room.

Evangeline sat with the hatchlings, telling them various stories to keep them calm and unafraid. The dragons, without even knowing why, were drawn to her comforting presence. Perhaps it was because she was an ancient dragon. Regardless, she was already proving herself to be the perfect caretaker, ensuring the little ones didn’t become overwhelmed by the chaos.

Boom! Boom!

Meanwhile, Rinne was busy clearing out the wreckage from the shattered corners of the room.

Five full-fledged dragons and two elders were seated around the room. Davey looked at them silently.

“Ahem, ahem. I suppose I should thank you first,” Elder Opal said awkwardly, averting his gaze as he expressed his gratitude. “If not for you, we would’ve suffered great losses.”

“You’ve certainly changed your stance, considering how eager you were to get rid of me not long ago,” Davey replied casually.

“T-That’s... that’s not...”

“I’m just teasing.”

His lighthearted response made Opal let out a small groan of exasperation.

“Elder, while the lord is unharmed, the crystal of power has been stolen.”

“I’m aware,” Opal muttered, swallowing hard as fury flickered in his eyes. “Those despicable bastards. What could they possibly want with the crystal of power?”

“We don’t know their exact reasons,” Sapphire interjected. “But they referred to themselves as the vanguard. This war has begun, and we need to act swiftly to prepare a countermeasure.”

Opal nodded. “I agree.”

“However, with our current strength, our chances of victory against them are exceedingly slim,” added Elder Marin, who was wrapped in bandages.

“I-I’m sorry, everyone. If I had suspected Kaiser earlier...” Opal said in a regretful tone.

“No,” Marin replied firmly. “That isn’t your fault, Elder Opal. We were all too complacent. None of us imagined a traitor would rise from among the elders...”

He then glanced at Davey.

“Here. Take this,” Davey said, taking out snacks from his Pocket Plane and handing them to the hatchlings. The young dragons eagerly rushed forward, happily devouring the treats.

“Once again, we owe you our thanks,” Marin said, bowing his head.

“Not sure I’ve done much to earn all this gratitude,” Davey replied nonchalantly.

“No, we must properly repay this debt.”

“You’re not trying to sweeten me up so you can wring something extra out of me, are you?”

“Ahem!” Marin awkwardly looked away, clearly flustered.

‘An old man being as transparent as ever.’

“This isn’t the time for such things,” Marin replied, changing the topic. “According to Siller and Arti’s investigations, it seems there are no additional resistance forces left. We must pursue Elder Kais immediately—”

“Don’t worry about that,” Davey calmly interrupted. “I’ve already sent someone suitable to handle it.”

The ruler of the skies—someone who could easily devour even elder dragons without breaking a sweat.

Elder Opal and the other three dragons exchanged looks, having no clue what Davey was talking about. However, Marin, Rudel, and Sapphire paled as realization dawned on them, their gazes fixed on him in disbelief.

"Don't tell me you sent...”

"That's right. I sent that one.”

"Then it's over.”

Unlike Rinne, who was an anomaly; or Davey, whose mana presence was nearly undetectable, Megalodria made no effort to conceal its power. It brazenly displayed its overwhelming strength, becoming the subject of fear and reverence.

Sapphire trembled slightly upon recalling the first time he’d encountered Megalodria.

"Even for Elder Kais, that seems a bit excessive,” he remarked.

The mythical beast king that possessed the power to make even the elders tremble in fear was chasing Kais down.

However, an unexpected report came through.

[Contractor. My apologies. I was playing around with him and... lost him. Seems I’ve gotten a little lost myself.]

Crack!!

All eyes turned to Davey. Trembling with irritation, he gripped the already damaged marble table so hard that he left a handprint embedded in it.

"Honestly, I don't think he's human. He's probably something else just pretending to be one," whispered Hovana, the golden-haired dragon, to her friend Arti.

She nodded in agreement as she glanced cautiously at Davey.

‘This chicken bastard... Seriously.’

* * *

“Huff... Huff...”

Kais sprinted forward. It would’ve been best if he could use spatial warping magic, but casting any spells within the damned Dragon’s Nest would likely expose his exact location instantly.

Normally, Elder Kaiser would have administrative privileges over the nest’s protective barriers, but Elder Marin had stripped away his privileges and revoked his control over the entire area.

If he hadn’t been found out, none of this trouble would’ve happened. He couldn’t figure out where it had all gone wrong.

His mind reeled as he thought back to the events earlier. He had been mid-retreat when he suddenly saw the massive black dragon tracking him.

It wasn’t just any dragon—it was something entirely different.

Even for dragons, the strongest beings of Middle Earth, the very presence of that creature heightened their instincts to a razor-sharp edge of terror and dread.

It wasn’t merely his imagination.

Two elder dragons meant to escort and protect him ascended to take down the creature, but within mere moments, it turned them into cold corpses.

Knowing he stood no chance against it, Kais had only one option left: run for his life.

But the nasty black dragon toyed with him. It darted in and out of sight as though it’d lost him, only to reappear and renew the pursuit. The erratic chase threw Kais off his original escape route entirely, leaving him wandering aimlessly.

He’d never before heard of such a terrifying creature.

He wondered if those spineless moderates had managed to survive all this time by relying on the monster or if it was some ancient being slumbering deep within the mountain range.

Kais had no clue, but one thing was certain: he needed to report this to his monarch.

After all, he still carried the Dragon Lord’s crystal of power in his possession.

Kais had mercilessly sacrificed the other dragons fleeing alongside him, using them as bait to distract the black dragon. While the beast mercilessly slaughtered them, he took the chance to escape.

“Damn it! This is madness. Not being able to use spatial warping magic...” he muttered and then sighed in frustration.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t even risk moving in his true form. It’d make him far too conspicuous to the naked eye.

“Where the hell is Kaina, that useless bitch?” Kais growled through clenched teeth.

His younger sibling, who was supposed to assist him, had disappeared without a trace some time ago. Her prolonged absence only fueled his anger.

Thud! Thud!

Kais stomped the yard in frustration, digging at the dirt. He then steadied himself. Unsure if the black dragon was still hunting him, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down yet.

He carefully resumed his cautious escape.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Kais finally felt certain that the black dragon had been toying with him too much and ultimately lost him.

Now, if he could just get out of this domain, he could cast spatial warping magic and escape for good.

As the hopeful thought crossed his mind, he spotted a group of orcs returning from a hunt, carrying their freshly caught prey.

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Dressed in sturdy brown tunics with reinforced greaves, the orcs looked tough and battle-ready.

“Orcs, huh...” Kais muttered.

‘Good. Let’s use them.’

As Kais pondered his plan, he conjured a spell into his hand and fired a burst of telekinesis magic toward the orcs.

“Gah?!”

“W-What is this?!”

Caught off guard by the sudden telekinetic force, the orcs were lifted into the air. With a weary expression, Kais approached them slowly. He glared coldly and domineeringly at them as he unleashed his Fear.

“Hmph?!”

The orcs paled in terror.

“Listen carefully, you insignificant creatures. I am Kais Kaseldrian, the gold dragon.”

“G-Great One...”

Though the species had supposedly long since vanished from the world, the orcs instinctively recognized him to be a dragon.

“Do not forget that your lives now depend entirely on my mercy,” Kais growled coldly.

“Ugh... Ack... Cough...”

“Do you disagree?” Kais asked menacingly as the orcs writhed and struggled against the telekinetic grip, desperate to escape.

Despite their minds being paralyzed by the fear of death, they instinctively wriggled to break free.

“Stop struggling. If you continue, I’ll kill you.”

“Uuuugh!! Uuuurrgh!!”

Annoyed by their stubborn resistance, Kais forcefully distorted the surrounding mana, dealing a fatal blow to one of the orcs.

“Damn it. Dead ones are useless to me,” he muttered bitterly.

He reached out toward one of the remaining orcs.

“Listen well. From now on, you will carry out my orders,” Kais declared, his split pupils gleaming with menace.

Under normal circumstances, the orc should’ve been quaking in fear and nodding obediently. But Kais had overlooked the implications and consequences of harming these particular orcs.

“Grrrk! Damned reptile. Warriors... do not become slaves!” the orc snarled.

Kais's brow furrowed.

‘How dare this mere muscle-bound brute have the audacity to call me a reptile?!’

Forgetting his original purpose, Kais reached out his hand.

“Watch your tongue, you filthy orc. I can kill you this very instant.”

“Grrr! Go ahead. You may kill me, but I will not bow.”

In response, Kaise increased the pressure of his mana. The orc let out a tortured scream as it wriggled to fight the pain.

“Bow! Fear me!!” Kaise roared.

The orc screamed louder, yet its hateful glare did not waver.

‘Stubborn fool!’

While killing the orc would ruin his plans, the sheer audacity of the creature tempted him to ignore the consequences.

Boom!!

"I heard that someone dared to mess with our tribe.”

Two imposing figures emerged before Kais. One was a towering orc, shirtless and boasting massive, rippling muscles.

Buooo...

The other was something far more bizarre. It looked like a minotaur, yet it was filled with starlight and shimmered like the void.

"Brother, calm down," the orc said confidently. "With great power comes great responsibility."

The orc then turned to Kais. "Dragon, was it you who dared harm our tribe?"

Kais scoffed. "Hah... It seems every pest in this world now believes me to be some soft persimmon. Yes, it was me. What of it? Do you, an orc, intend to challenge the mightiest creature in Middle Earth?"

The minotaur bowed slightly. It then reached down and grabbed a massive rock that fit perfectly in its enormous hand. The creature took a stance as if preparing to throw a grenade, muscles tensing with an audible crack.

"If you apologize now, we’ll let this slide. Even dragons must follow the unspoken laws of strength."

"How dare you!" Kais roared, his temper exploding.

By now, he had completely forgotten about the black dragon and any other concerns—these insolent orcs and this bizarre minotaur had pushed him over the edge. He decided to kill them all.

Casting the 8th Circle spell Prometheus, blue flames condensed at his fingertips. However, unlike the version full-fledged dragons used, his spell burned with incomparable intensity.

"Die!!!" he bellowed, unleashing a devastating inferno.

Clink... Boom!!

In a flash, the rock hurled by the muscular minotaur streaked through the air like a cannonball. It instantly shattered Kais's flame spell and struck him with incredible force, sending him hurtling backward until he slammed into a boulder.

The minotaur, Taurus, flexed its bulging biceps triumphantly and let out a soundless roar.

"Great job, Brother! As expected, your muscles are truly unparalleled! If only that blonde girl who joined us recently were even half as magnificent as you!"

Kais, embedded in a boulder, coughed up blood.

"What... the hell is happening in this mountain range...” he muttered in utter disbelief.

‘First, that monstrous black dragon, then these orcs who don’t fear dragons, and now, this insane minotaur that can throw boulders with terrifying strength...’

Disoriented and overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all, his thoughts swirled.

"Hm?" Great Orc Chief Tsu tilted his head as he picked something up from the ground. It was a glowing red crystal that looked like a teardrop of blood.