The Max Level Hero Strikes Back!

Episode 36

“A village of orcs?”

At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was the orcs’ construction technology and design. To the orcs, those who called themselves warriors, goblins were their enemies. But how come there were goblins in the orc’s village?”

“It was a village without an owner. A watchman told me that they were gathering here recently.”

It wasn’t clear, but fortunately, it seemed to be true. The number was about one hundred fifty as expected. Even though many were killed in the raid, it seemed that their numbers had been replenished. In other words, it means that they weren’t just here but also exist somewhere else. The people who were kidnapped by goblins weren’t in sight. Maybe they were being held in the dilapidated buildings of the village.

“They kidnapped Lini…”

When I turned my head to the sound of the muttering, one of the volunteers was glowering with bloody eyes as if he were going to shed red tears right away. He was trying so hard to push down his urge to jump in right now because of the atmosphere.

“Are you angry?”

So, when I looked at him calmly, he clenched his teeth and nodded vigorously. This time, I looked at the entire volunteer squad.

“Do you want to kill them?”

My calm voice spreads to everyone like a wave.

“Yes!”

“I want revenge!”

The other volunteers nodded and loudly responded. They seemed to be on the verge of swinging the shabby weapons they armed themselves with. I felt that the people here had good spirits. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be angry with those who weren’t their family members.

“I guess I chose a good manor.”

I smiled. After that, I lifted the bow in my hand and put an arrow on the bowstring. Then I closed my eyes and raised my mana. My first actual battle as a lord came quicker than expected.

* * *

‘Strengthened shot.’

By the appearance, it just looked like I was pulling an arrow in a twisted position. It looked sloppy on the outside, but it was a skilled shot. I was the one who absorbed all the skills of Apollo, the god of archery. Despite his cheesy personality, he possessed exceptional archery skills. As a result, the technique that I learned wasn’t at all typical. The knights’ eyes widened as they were taken aback when I unexpectedly pulled the bow. What I was trying to do was the standard tactic. It must have looked like that in their eyes.

“L…Lord?!”

“It wouldn’t work with standard tactics!”

They probably thought that it was ridiculous. If goblins trapped you in such a wide area, it would result in a lot of casualties. Given the number of goblins in the village and the volunteer’s current state, significant losses or annihilation were more probable. They would have initially thought I would reduce their numbers by setting up appropriate traps or guerrilla warfare. I even promised that no one would die with my leadership.

However, I had no intention of using such a slow method in cleaning them up. It wouldn’t make sense if I couldn’t sleep because I was afraid of dust.

“Do not forget. I mean not for a single person to be killed.”

With a smile, I gently twisted the bow and released it.

Bam!!

With the sound of air bouncing, a sharp arrow flew into the air.

Thud!

-Kieeek!!

-Ahhh!!

The arrow that flew instantly broke the bones of a goblin holding a bent club. As they learned of their colleague’s death, the goblins let out strange cries that shook the whole village as well as the surrounding forest. It was a peculiar cry, no matter how I heard it. When they discovered me standing leisurely with arrows by my side, the goblins gathered and exploded in rage with a violent scream. It looked like a swarm of bees popping out of a beehive when someone touched it. The volunteers looked overwhelmed by the air of their menace, their faces turning pale.

What the hell was this kid doing?! They didn’t say that, but I’m sure that was what they were probably thinking now. I immediately pull an arrow on the bowstring and raised my divine power. Then I put strength in my throat. Watch your lord and see how amazing he is.

“I will commend you for the first time as your lord and family.”

I looked back at them in breathtaking silence.

“Everyone!!!”

I grabbed their attention. With that word, the Stigmata in my back began to glow.

[Hard Skin]

[Strength]

[Agility]

[Vital Pump]

[Mana Shield]

[High Blessing]

Strengthening the skin, strengthening their muscles, increasing agility, increasing stamina, magic defense, and enhancing overall capability.

The pure white light that spread out in a circle starting from where I was standing became various buff spells and began to wrap them. Not just one or two, but to everyone who gathered here. Although it was just light buff magic, the effectiveness was incredible when someone could forcibly raise other’s levels.

Suddenly, countless buff spells flew around my body, and then wrapped around them as well. They were amazed. Along with a strange light, their body started overflowing with power. Were they already surprised? I wasn’t finished yet. As I spread the continuous white light, my will, which comprised of divine power, was further manifested.

-You. Are you going to use all of it?

Since I already started, let me finish my cosplay as a genius saint because they don’t even know what kind of magic this is anyway.

[Divine Protection]

[Renovathio]

[Reinforce the Mind]

Upper-level defense, increasing health recovery rate, and strengthening mentality. This might have been enough, but I gave them an even bigger service.

[Saint Gloria]

Buff efficiency amplification area spell.

When [Saint Gloria], a buff-amplifying magic of the sixth tier, appeared, the golden glow of light encircled us, and their bodies began to grow even lighter. With this spell, even the general public could perform expert-level skills under certain conditions.

“What the hell…”

“Oh my gosh…”

Currently, the divine magic that I could cast was of the upper sixth tier, considering the case of artifacts. It was a divine enhancement buff from level one to level two and even level three, but the effect was incomparable when you raised the levels. Even paladins in Valshas, the headquarters of God’s order in the mainland, wouldn’t lavishly use it like this.

Unlike other magic or black magic, divine magic was the most challenging magic to acquire. It would be enough to bring out the seventh tier if they were a saint or a pope. The volunteers and knights who instinctively realized that they had become something more from the buffs looked astonished by the strange power overflowing within their bodies. They seemed to feel the sensation gradually swelling up inside.

Those who previously seemed enraged by my reckless behavior looked at me with impressed eyes. I responded with a silent smile and inhaled a quick breath again in response to their reaction. Belief, or something like that, was essential to boost morale.

“I will let you release all the anger accumulated in yourself!!”

This fight was important to them, who were exhausted from the continuous raids. For those who were exhausted, nothing was better than confidence as a stimulant.

‘Oh, I wanted to do this at least once in my lifetime.’

– What are you talking about?

You became stronger! Charge in!

-…

The volunteers of the manor have been looking for chances to avenge the goblins’ attack that happened previously. They regarded the buffs I gave them as just mysterious magic, but the power overflowing from their body was strong enough to give them the confidence to relish the moment.

-Shriek!

-Scream!

Otherwise, there’s no way they could make expressions filled with excitement even when they saw the group of deadly goblins.

“Let’s go!”

“Sweep them away!!”

Our headcount was only a third of theirs. It seemed to be a significant difference on the surface. Still, on the contrary, it was possible to handle the goblins without difficulty if each person handled three.

Did they say that in martial law? If the number was more than three times as many, you should never use the standard tactics. In a way, it didn’t matter because this wasn’t a standard tactic. It was a fight between a human and a goblin with a different specification. The fight between the injured volunteers and goblins was tied at first, but the balance of the fight soon collapsed because of the divine magic I used.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

I pulled my bow again as I watched them screaming with crude weapons. Then I briefly blinked. As the mana was circulating inside my eyes, the goblins’ heads from beyond appeared in my sights instantly.

[Lock-on]

While muttering lightly, I prepared another strengthened shot. I aimed my arrowhead and immediately released the bowstring. It hit the nape of the goblin’s neck, who was screaming wild.

Boom!

With the sound of the bowstring cutting through the air, another goblin screamed and fell.

Bam!

The goblins collided with the knights and volunteers running in the front row.

“You beasts!”

-Shriek!

They had a faster body than imagined, as well as improved muscle strength and boundless confidence. The aftermath began to spread out of control after a volunteer lightly struck his sword and blew a goblin’s head off.

“Oh my god.”

“Oh, oh…”

It was usually impossible to cleave through a neck with a single sword so neatly, even though they were goblins with weaker physical strength than humans. Only knights could do so with professional training as they had physical and technical skills, but certainly not these poorly trained volunteers. Yet, such a phenomenon was happening.

“We can win!”

“Don’t be scared!”

“The Lord is with us!”

The confidence showed on their faces when they realized the change in their body; the war situation quickly turned into a one-sided attack rather than a battle. Of course, there was always someone who overdid it with extreme confidence.

“Ouch!”

When they acted hastily, it could cancel the mana shield and instantly damage the volunteer. If I ignore the situation, it might cause one or two serious injuries. Of course, I had no intention of leaving it like that.

[Heal]

Level one simple recovery magic. However, the higher the level, the more effective it would be.

“Huh?”

“The wound…”

As the wounds on his body were engulfed in warm light and healed in an instant, he looked up at me with a surprised face. Instead of responding to his stare, I shot another arrow.