The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1128

The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1128

Chapter 1128
Hyun-Ah lamented in a hesitant tone, “The silence gate situation isn’t something we can track and handle through normal means, but it’s also a bit awkward to ask Tionis for help.
Whew.
In the end, we’ll probably have to rely on your foresight again...” Hyun-Ah said in a hesitant tone.
“It's okay. This thing is not difficult,” Kouna answered.
Hyun-Ah gave a slight smile at her awkward speech.
The dangerous silence gate. Given that people had already died because of it, she wasn’t thrilled about making a decision that might put Kouna in danger.
“Even if there haven’t been any gate precursor events, we’re still thoroughly investigating areas with rising mana waves... What are you looking at?”
Kouna, who had been staring at something on her smartphone, turned the screen toward her with a smile.
[Lolol look at her panic]
[So freaking funny lololol]
The chat was blowing up with excitement.
- Wait, a... a donation?! I told you not to donate! I have money! Seriously, don’t send anything!
- No, I’m saying... you have to save for your future! If you keep spending like that, you’ll end up broke on the street! That’s what my dad said, at least. Kyaa!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please stop! Stop!!
A girl was screaming in the face of a stream of nonstop donations. It wasn’t even a stream where the streamer showed their face, instead simply being a live drawing stream. Even so, thousands of viewers were flooding it with subscriptions and donations like they’d made a sacred pact to support her.
“Is that Eva?” Hyun-Ah muttered in disbelief.
It would seem that girl had started streaming her drawing with help from Al Hajat. They’d clearly done a lot of planning in advance, but she had no idea how on earth Evangeline pulled in thousands of viewers within the first day.
Ding!!
- ParkFromTheBlock has donated 50,000 won.
[1]
[Okay, okay, I’ll save it since the streamer said so.]
Ding!!
- Cheapskate has donated 100,000 won.
[I’m a cheapskate because I never spend money frfr.]
“No wayyy! Didn’t you say you were a cheapskate?! Is there no way for me to refuse donations?”
[There is a toggle off button for donations.]
Seeing that comment, Eva’s face lit up as she frantically began searching for the ‘toggle off’ button. Alas, she was a total newbie at streaming, so there was no way she’d know where to find it.
[You just had to tell her. You snitch, smh
.
]
[Fr though. Why?]
[Who was that? Was that a Greeder? Ban the newbies! Ban the newbies!!]
[Wtf are you saying? She’s a new streamer. You’re the newbie here.
[I’m ditching Moderation. I’m staying here from now on.]
Ding!!
- Moderation has donated 100,000 won.
[Currently tracking down traitors in real time. I will remember you all.]
[D:]
[D:
I didn’t say anything, mr. streamer, I swear.]
[ o7 ]
[ o7 ]
[ o7 ]
As if responding to their shameless antics, another donation rolled in.
- Moderation has donated 100,000 won.
[Streamer, can you draw one more thing? This time, can you draw this?]
The donation included an attached file. Flustered, Evangeline nonetheless accepted it.
“
Ummmm.
Just don’t give me too much money, okay? Let’s see... ten, hundred, thousand... a hundred thousand won?!
Haaah.
” With a sigh of resignation, she relented, “Alright. I’ll draw whatever you want.”
She began studying the image sent by the user Moderation.
“What is this? Some anime character?”
[
Ah!
It's Yoo-Ah!! Yoo-Ah!!!]
[Yoo-Ah!! I’d die for you!!]
The character named Yoo-Ah was wearing a very provocative outfit, sporting an extremely voluptuous figure.
“
Wow,
she’s gorgeous!” Evangeline let out a breathless comment as she began looking the character up online.
“This... I feel like if I mess this up, people are gonna freak out...” Even as she mumbled to herself, the chat pushed her to proceed. She fell silent for a moment.
“
Whew.
Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
After a final pep talk, she began sketching on a blank sheet of paper. Just as before, it started with a few rough scribbles.
[Those scribbles are hella cute lolol]
[I heard this stream scams with scribbles. Show us more already!]
Even with the chat buzzing nonstop, Evangeline carefully started building up her sketch. In a repeat of the last time, the drawing looked like a chaotic mess that no one could make sense of for most of the process. Yet, over time, everything started to change.
[???]
[What am I even watching right now?]
[I thought she was just pretending to be good as a gag, but she’s actually scamming with pure skill?]
[Wait, is this edited footage or something?]
Her incredible skill practically brought the character to life. Her unique style of realism, fused with a vivid aesthetic, immediately captured the attention of everyone watching.
[Yoo-Ah, I’m dying over here!]
[Yoo-Ah, something’s happening to my body...]
If she understood what they really meant, Evangeline would’ve been mortified. Fortunately, since she was so focused on her drawing, she didn’t catch any of it.
Ding! Ding!!
- PsychoMasterQueen has donated 5,000 won.
[I usually don’t chat much about art, but this is insane. I can’t believe that what I’m seeing is coming together in just fifteen minutes. No line art, just started with rough scribbles of color... How does something like this come together??]
[Wow. I’m selling my drawing hand. It’s useless now.]
[No one’s buying your hand. I want her hands!]
[Kids these days are scary. Her technique just knocked professional illustrators into another dimension.]
[Is this what a fully-actualized rookie’s process looks like?]
Her art wasn’t simply a display of talent. It subverted expectations before transforming into something close to a finished masterpiece.
She let out a short sigh and paused briefly in her work.
[That voice, tho.]
[Bro, you better chill, saying stuff like that to a minor will get you arrested.]
[You don’t even know how old she is lol]
[Even just listening to her voice, you can clearly tell she’s a kid. Stop being gross.]
Kouna chuckled while watching the stream. She looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Hyun-Ah was still confused. “Do stream viewer numbers normally blow up like this within a single day?”
“She probably got picked by a big-time react streamer who watched her and brought viewers over.”
“Big-time streamer?”
Kouna nodded. “There’s this thing where a major streamer hosts a brand-new channel just before ending their own stream as a ‘raid,’ simply to see how their viewers react. It's kind of like a community event. It’s actually viewed pretty positively since the intent isn’t bad. However, that guy Moderation... his fanbase is kinda... unhinged.”
The streamer Moderation was a well-known illustrator with impressive art skills.
His viewers, on the other hand, were infamous on the platform. Known as greeders, they had all sorts of outrageous nicknames: perverts, degenerates, juicers, etc.
It had just been a shot in the dark.
Of all people, Moderation had been her very first viewer. It would seem he managed to fake his username as ‘zz’ in his first chats with her. His interest in her art had instantly gone off the rails, which was how all the chaos had started.
“Are you sure all of this is okay?”
“What’s there to worry about, with you around? Besides, that oil guy’s keeping an eye on things. He’ll definitely kick out anyone who crosses the line.”
It was a little concerning, but Hyun-Ah found some peace of mind knowing that Super Ribbon was nearby to calm Evangeline down in case anything went wrong.
Of course, in her mind, the best-case scenario would be to move everything—the soundproof booth, the streaming gear, and all other streamer accoutrement—into their house and have her stream from there. Even so, she ultimately gave up on that thought.
Evangeline wanted to live independently, and Hyun-Ah figured her stream was just another part of that learning process.
Evangeline brought in a staggering amount of donations on her first day of streaming, well into the millions of won, and managed to convert the majority of the hosted viewers into her own subscribers.
* * *
[The folks on the forums are losing their minds lately.]
[There’s a new rookie streamer whose talent is unreal. Seriously, they had the entire host audience wrapped around their finger within three hours of their very first stream.]
[Some people were demanding a face cam, too.]
[But like, why are they drooling so hard when it’s not even a face cam stream? They don’t even know if the streamer’s a guy or a girl.]
[Yeah, and if it turns out they’re a guy, most of those dudes would drop their subs in a second.]
[Isn’t Moderation a guy, too?]
[Yeah, but that dude’s a freak with a fetish for weirdos, so it’s different.]
[Putting that aside, though, the way the streamer talks is honestly adorable. It’s not fake, just pure confusion. I’ve been watching streams for years, so I can tell when it’s genuine.]
[Shut up, simp. It’s obviously just a money-making act. You think we’re new here?]
[What kind of streamer screams and begs you not to donate money LOLS]
[But the scream sounded real! They seemed totally flustered. I’m sure they truly didn’t even know you could make money like that.]
[Did they grow up in the mountains or something lol]
[Still, their art is seriously next level.]
[I thought it was just a gimmick at first, and they were faking skill with scribbles. Changed my mind in ten minutes. They’re cracked.]
[Crazy ass got a +25 fully enhanced maxed-out hand. Their art is god-tier.]
[Is this what a IRL P2W warrior looks like?]
Her stream started spreading through word-of-mouth at lightning speed. Sure, her flustered reactions were part of the draw, but it was primarily her artwork that was so captivating it was almost shocking.
Naturally, from her perspective, it was hard to believe they were the same kinds of people who used to hurl insults at her. They were showering her with praise and admiration instead, which left her even more confused.
Evangeline, perhaps proud of starting something and seeing such clear progress, unexpectedly got hooked on the fun of streaming.
She giggled to herself as she wondered what to draw on that day’s stream, and whether anyone would show up again. “What should I draw today...”
As she pondered, she noticed a new email in her inbox.
-
Hello, we are a professional illustration production company...
The gist of it was that they saw the potential and commercial value in her artwork, and they wanted to know if she was interested in working together.
“
Hmm.
” Evangeline quietly read through the email. Then, without hesitation, moved it straight to the trash. “Nah.”
Humming to herself, she happily went on to browse other people’s streams.
* * *
The mana gate between Contas and the Great Empire of Ming, which had been shut down due to the war, eventually began operating again.
With news confirming the survival of the Daughter of Heaven, who was believed to be dead, the entire dynamic of the war between the two nations began to shift in strange ways.
Since legitimacy naturally belonged to the Daughter of Heaven, the new Grand Emperor who was acting as the regent of Ming inevitably lost any real claim to command authority. In such a climate, there was no justification left to prevent her return.
“I believe in you, Davey,” the Daughter of Heaven said.
“A sovereign shouldn’t trust people so easily.”
“Which is exactly why I know you won’t betray me,” she said confidently. “Behold! I shall show you the majesty of a true ruler!”
In the end, she used her personal connection to call Davey in. The justification was rather simple, calling it a rightful reward for the one who had saved and healed the sovereign of a nation.
Davey had no particular reason to refuse. In fact, he had been intending to leave both her and the Great Empire of Ming indebted to him, so he agreed without protest. While his status as an invited guest meant he wouldn’t be able to interfere officially, it alone was already enough.
The factions that had plotted to eliminate the Daughter of Heaven did everything they could to block his entry, claiming foreign interference.
The Grand Emperor desperately tried to shut down the mana gate connecting their nation to Contas, hoping to prevent her return. Unfortunately for him, reality had other plans.
Zzzzt!
“Woooow, this is amazing! It feels different from magic.”
“It’s somewhat similar.”
Technically speaking, Davey had officially opened a rift. It wasn’t something ordinary living beings could usually achieve.
Normally, such a method of teleportation was used for dimensional travel. Seeing that it was inherently unstable as a means for intradimensional movement, Davey had opted to use the special form Goddess Freyja had unleashed for him.
Although he was unhappy with the body being shorter than his male form, long-haired, and with delicate feminine features, it had been specifically crafted to handle divinity.
In other words, it was an androgynous.
If he warped through his divinity, it didn’t matter if the mana gate was sealed or not—they had no way to stop him.
Since the positioning itself interfered with the rules of the world, it was different from magic that used coordinates. It even allowed for travel to places he had never visited before, as long as they resonated with the rules of the world.
The Daughter of Heaven stared in fascination at the dimensional rift Davey had opened, then boldly stepped forward, clearly placing her trust in him.
“This isn’t magic, is it, Prince? Are you truly human?”
“This kind of thing comes at a hefty price, but it’s not impossible,” he said as he turned to Emperor Contas, who had come to see them off.
“I’ll give serious thought to the advice you gave me.”
“Don’t let it weigh on you too much. Nothing in the world is perfect. It’s a shame, but they have their own lives to live.” With those parting words, Davey calmly walked into the dimensional rift behind the Daughter of Heaven.
The moment he stepped through, the world in his view shifted.
“
Hmph?!
”
“T-The Daughter of Heaven?!!”
Startled shouts echoed from all directions as the Daughter of Heaven looked around in confusion. “What... What is the meaning of this?!”
She wasn’t the only one bewildered. The place they had suddenly appeared in was none other than the royal audience hall of the Great Empire of Ming.
Ming was known for its towering architecture, and the audience chamber alone had a ceiling that looked to be well over six meters high.
“Daughter of Heaven!!” As she stood blankly surveying her surroundings, a man rushed forward and dropped to his knees before her. “Please kill me! Even though you’ve returned safely, I failed to send an escort to welcome you!”
Hearing the young man’s anguished cry, others around the hall quickly caught on and tactfully followed suit.
“Please kill us!!”
However, one person among them couldn’t hide the look of panic on his face. It was the acting regent of the Great Empire of Ming, the Grand Emperor.
As a traitor, he was one of the people who most wished for her death. He had gone so far as to seal the mana gate to prevent her return, yet she had suddenly appeared in the royal court. It defied all logic!
“Jang-Goong...? You’re alive.”
The first man to kneel was none other than Jang-Goong. He was the loyal retainer who had saved her during the coup, risking his life to escape with her through the mana gate and hide her in Heins Territory.
“
Ahhh.
Jang-Goong, it’s all thanks to you that I survived! Rise.”
Hearing her words of praise, his eyes welled with tears as he took her hand and slowly stood. “
Ahh.
This is all by the grace of the heavens. To see you again, Daughter of Heaven, I could die without regret!”
Following his declaration, the other envoys quickly began distancing themselves from the failed coup, trying to dissociate from the Grand Emperor as much as possible.
While the royal court grew louder with excitement, Davey stood quietly nearby before speaking to the Daughter of Heaven. “Hey.”
“
Hmm?
What is it?”
“Do you trust me?”
She then looked at him with wide, innocent eyes before smiling brightly. “How could I not trust you, Davey?!”
Her answer brought a gentle smile to his face.
Bringing her here safely had been the extent of his role, yet for some reason, he felt compelled to offer her one more service.
“If you give me that jade ring you’re wearing, Daughter of Heaven, I’ll help you with this.”
She curiously looked down at the jade ring on her finger, admiring the delicate and beautiful design, then nodded.
“Daughter of Heaven?”
Jang-Goong and the other envoys exchanged puzzled glances at her reaction.
Sling!!
Davey flicked his hand in the air. Precisely following that moment, a steel sword flew from the waist of a guard stationed at the entrance before sailing straight into his grasp.
Gleam!!
Without a moment’s hesitation, he pointed the blade directly at Jang-Goong’s throat.
Everyone stared at the scene with shocked eyes.
“D–Davey?! What are you doing?!” the Daughter of Heaven screamed in alarm, trying to shield Jang-Goong.
However, Davey remained calm as he stared at the man down. “So. Tell me: why did you try to assassinate the Daughter of Heaven?”
Jang-Goong frowned, bewildered by the sudden accusation. “What are you talking about...?”
“First was the poison in her body,” Davey said calmly. “Then there's the fact that a mana gate, whose destination should never be fixed, somehow dropped her off specifically in Heins Territory.”
That was the real reason Davey had come here. He looked Jang-Goong dead in the eye. “I’m asking you why you tried to frame the Heins Territory.”
Jang-Goong was the man who had supposedly rescued the Daughter of Heaven from twenty royal guards trying to kill her. He was hailed as her loyal protector! So loyal, in fact, that the Daughter of Heaven herself had boasted about it.
However, weighing all the circumstances and past details together, Davey was certain that he was actually the one who had poisoned her. He was the one who had manipulated the unstable mana gate to send her into Heins territory!
It wasn’t the Grand Emperor, or someone else.
The so-called loyal retainer. The one who stood before him.
Davey concluded that Jang-Goong was the traitor.
1. About $35 USD ☜

Chapter 1128