The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1309

Super Ribbon was already pretty well-known on the internet. However, upon waking up, she found she’d somehow become even more famous.

She stared blankly at the phone screen that Si-Hyun showed her.

“You see this? I didn’t mean for it to happen. The song you sang was already registered under your name, but this... ummm.”

She had no words.

“Don’t worry, no one’s doubting your talent. People are making a fuss now, but it’ll die down with time. You won’t have to deal with anything annoying.”

Super Ribbon loved sharing her music with a wide audience, but such overwhelming attention left her stunned.

She had basically become a breakout star overnight.

Si-Hyun hadn’t meant for that to happen, but with a response like that from the public, there was no reason for Super Ribbon to not feel good. Super Ribbon seemed visibly pleased, as if she’d finally gained real confidence in her own music.

Si-Hyun had completed ten songs with Mute’s help, while they’d only released one so far. That only raised people’s expectations even more.

However, of course, not everyone was happy about it.

“Brady! I’m warning you, don’t try anything stupid,” an older man’s voice told Brady.

“Father,” he responded.

“If you try to dig deeper, we’re the ones who will be at a disadvantage. I did agree with your request, but if the Saint of Tionis is involved, then back out now,” his father rationally reasoned.

Brady couldn't accept that. “Father!!”

“Think rationally. Even if you go after this out of spite, you’ll gain nothing after all the trouble.”

“You know full well that without Park Si-Hyun in my special orchestra, it’ll be a hell of a lot harder to perform!”

“Then you should’ve handled him better!”

Damn that Park Si-Hyun! Brady still couldn’t understand why that bastard was working with the Saint of Tionis. He never remembered them ever having a connection of any sort.

How things had ended up like that was a complete mystery to him. None of it made sense.

The foundation backing Brady and the orchestra he controlled were crucial assets that built his reputation.

Si-Hyun, despite being hard to like, had made the biggest contribution to that success. Tying him down with various excuses had worked for a long time. That was, until he suddenly dropped everything and walked away.

“Damn it...” Now that he’d lost his golden goose, he had little to boast about. That was why he had decided to find some way to obstruct Park Si-Hyun’s path and drag him back in, no matter what it took.

Alas, then the Saint of Tionis had become involved. Even judging by the rumors alone, Brady knew that just one wrong move could bring total destruction. He had no choice but to tread carefully.

“Damn it...” He clutched his head with both hands, groaning in frustration. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Huh?”

His eyes flickered between red and their original color as he slowly raised his head. Then, as if possessed, he bolted out of the house. He went straight to a neighbor’s house.

“Oh, hey Brady. Long time no see. How’ve you been lately?” the old woman greeted him warmly, but his hands began to tremble.

Then his eyes sparkled. At the same time, the old woman’s gaze turned foggy.

“Your command...” she robotically said. The voice came out devoid of any emotion. Startled, he quickly pulled back the power.

According to what he’d seen, his ability only allowed him to control one person. Just one.

“No way... did I just become an Awakened?!”

His expression twisted in a mix of confusion and elation. If this power had truly been granted to him, and the gods had really given him this chance, then he could only use it on one person.

It would be suicide to try it on the Saint of Tionis, of course. Instead, he’d just have to use it on the one responsible for everything that’d happened.

“Park Si-Hyun, you fucking bastard. You’ll never escape from me.”

* * *

The budding orchestra faced some challenges as they progressed, but everything moved forward steadily.

Somewhere along the way, the International Music Association had, for reasons unknown, revoked all penalties that had been imposed on Si-Hyun.

They had pulled out!

With those obstacles gone, Si-Hyun began scheduling performances across different countries through various channels.

“Okay, I think we’re ready now. Time to take care of the important part.”

Si-Hyun casually brought up his next idea. “Even if we’re a dream team, shouldn’t we come up with a name so that all of us can walk away with good memories?”

Everyone they’d gathered had once lost their passion, only for it to reignite under him.

It was rare for those people to even be in the same room, let alone perform together, so the synergy was undeniable. Still, what shocked them the most was the presence of Super Ribbon, Davey, and Mute.

The three of them became a major source of inspiration. Pulled in by that spark, the others pushed themselves to the limit, using every bit of their creativity and skill.

Time passed on, and the day of their first performance arrived. Si-Hyun couldn’t deny that things had gotten a bit out of hand in scale, so he gathered the members to share his thoughts.

They’d proceed as planned, but they’d hold larger concerts to bring in more audiences wherever they received support.

No one had a strong opinion either way, so there weren't any objections. With Juliana’s help, Si-Hyun pushed everything forward smoothly.

During the rehearsals, Super Ribbon had quickly grown close to the orchestra members. Her friendly and affectionate personality made people naturally gravitate toward her. As they got to know her better, they’d found themselves even more charmed by her warmth, almost treating her like their own granddaughter.

“Whew!” Super Ribbon took a deep breath, clearly on edge.

“Nervous?” Davey asked.

“Yes, very. I never thought I’d be performing all the way in New York City.”

“This is just the beginning. We’ll be hitting a few countries in quick succession after this. In the end, we’ll wrap it up in Korea, just like you wanted.”

“Okay.” Super Ribbon let out a breath and placed a hand over her chest.

Davey told her in a reassuring tone, “You’ll be fine. Although I have a pretty good idea of how many people showed up tonight... just remember this. You’ve already shared your music and voice with hundreds of millions of people before now.”

Sure, not every response had been positive, but that didn’t matter.

“Yes!”

“Right. Just play your heart out, I’ve got your back.” After giving her a light push forward, Davey turned his gaze to Mute, who was silently tuning her instrument. “You don’t regret this? You worked so hard to get this opportunity, and now you’re not even in the spotlight.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t care about being the center of attention. Music is just my way of communicating with the world and exploring it.” She explained how the fame that came along with it was just a side effect. That it was nothing she cared much about.

She looked up at Davey with a faint smile, “Still... Thank you. Even if it’s a faint, foolish nostalgia, and even if this isn’t the team I originally wanted, you brought back memories I thought I’d buried away.”

Then she lightly kicked him in the shin. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Alright. As long as you’re okay.”

The massive auditorium was pitch dark, but just from the number of people murmuring inside, it was clear it wasn’t a traditional classical orchestra performance. It was a bold experiment that blended the grandeur of an orchestra with the accessibility of pop music.

The audience was unlikely to stay quietly seated.

“Still... way more people showed up than I expected. We only released two videos.”

Of course, considering the orchestra was composed of world-renowned masters and was crushing the music charts, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Super Ribbon looked down at her instrument, slowly calming herself.

Finally, the dim lighting began to brighten. At the same time, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.

She never thought things would turn out like this. Her eyes widened with confusion and disbelief. She stiffened slightly, overwhelmed by the massive crowd in front, but that nervousness didn’t last long.

Seeing people shouting her name and everyone else’s as well, she quickly changed her mindset.

Even some of the veteran members, used to calm, majestic performances, wore surprised faces in front of the roaring crowd even though it was what they'd expected.

After all, the music they performed was far from stiff and quiet.

Everyone turned their attention to Super Ribbon, who’d be the first to start.

Normally, Si-Hyun would’ve been holding the conductor’s baton. Instead, he stood ready with his own instrument.

The whole thing was an experiment, a performance with the majestic sound of an orchestra fused with melodies that could move a broader audience. It’d be a lie to say they were the first group of its kind, but they were definitely rare with the lineup they had.

Super Ribbon slowly closed her eyes, then opened her mouth.

Thanks to the amplification magic Davey had cast, her beautiful, clear voice alongside the sound of her gayageum spread through the hall in a way that felt surreal.

The rest of the musicians began playing, having been waiting for her signal.

Soon, the music engulfed the entire auditorium.

Unlike listening through a video, the audience found themselves fully immersed. The breathtaking melody drew them in and soon brought about a profound change.

As Davey and Mute exchanged a glance, shimmering particles of light scattered throughout the orchestra. The lights soon took the forms of translucent fairies and danced through the hall.

In the middle of this magical, dreamlike performance, the audience sat in stunned silence, waiting until the very end of the first song before even blinking.

It was a song that had already been released as a video. It had even swept the music charts! While the audience had technically heard it before, the live version made it feel completely new.

There were no flashy tricks. Just as they say tuning is finished off with refinement, Super Ribbon sang in a beautifully pure voice. At times, it felt addictive, and at others, it stirred a sense of grandeur in the heart.

Once the first song ended successfully, Super Ribbon looked around nervously. She took a short breath, her expression showing a bit of worry.

It was far too quiet compared to the beginning. As she stood there stunned, a deafening wave of cheers and applause exploded through the hall.

Her eyes flew open in shock. That wasn’t what she’d been aiming for when she started music. Just playing music with her father had been enough for her.

When she looked out at the crowd of people who genuinely enjoyed her performance, something started to well up inside her. It left her both warm and restless all at once.

When she turned her head, she saw how the members wore expressions of pure joy, completely satisfied with their own performance and the harmony they had created together.

Yet, that was only the beginning of their performance. They had prepared so much, and while things had taken a slightly different turn from their original expectations, Super Ribbon felt even more thrilled as she got ready for the next song.

Even if they were only showcasing a portion of what they had prepared, it didn’t matter.

The videos from that day quickly spread, drawing widespread praise from countless people.

* * *

“The rest of the songs are climbing the charts too! Apparently, they’re surprisingly addictive.”

Davey spoke to Mute while watching from a distance, “Songs and novels follow the same structure of a beginning, middle, climax, and end. A well-written story always draws people in.”

Having successfully wrapped up their performance and gathered, the orchestra laughed and popped champagne in celebration.

Each person in the group was a remarkable figure. Some were even known as strict, rigid professors feared by many.

Yet in that moment, they looked like children who had just gotten a new toy, laughing heartily like the funny neighbor everyone had on their block.

It was the atmosphere Super Ribbon’s presence had unintentionally created.

“Are you satisfied?” Davey asked her with a smile.

“Of course.” Her response came out flat, but her slight smile said otherwise.

“Honestly, you look like you could die from happiness right now.”

Truthfully, even before Super Ribbon’s interest, Davey had always wanted to create an opportunity like this.

Super Ribbon just happened to be the one who brought it to life, though the outcome wouldn’t have been much different either way.

“It’s a relief to see you like that, but dying is off the table! You’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

“I know, so shut up, will you?” she snapped back at him.

Davey grinned as he held out a wine glass. “Let’s have a drink.”

Renting out a hotel ballroom wasn’t exactly a financial burden for Davey.

Mute looked at Davey with her usual composed expression, then gave him a faint smile. She clinked her glass against his and said, “The little ten-year-old snot-nosed kid has really grown up.”

“Jeez, how far back are you going?”

“But... looks like someone’s missing,” Mute commented.

“Yeah. The guy who planned all of this isn’t even here.”

Si-Hyun, who had set everything in motion, was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

“Fuck off! Get back.” Si-Hyun took unsteady steps backward, his face tense with fear. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

However, the man staggering toward him wore a twisted smile full of madness. “I told you, didn’t I? If you stay by my side, we both win. Why do you keep trying to slip out of my grasp?”

“Get lost, you psycho! And wipe off that creepy ass face while you’re at it!”

“Hehehe. This is all your fault, Mr. Park.” Brady’s eyes gleamed red as he spoke.

Si-Hyun instinctively sensed the danger and tried to run.

Coming outside after receiving a message from him had been a mistake.

“If you lay hands on me here, it’s not going to end well for you!”

“No need to worry. No one’s going to notice you’ve changed,” Brady coldly informed him.

“Bullshit!”

“You’ll act just like your usual self. The only difference will be... a little shift. I promise I won’t interfere with your performances. But like I said from the beginning, you’ll help build the foundation of my reputation.”

His deranged smile deepened, and Si-Hyun tried to resist, but his struggle soon proved futile. His expression slowly turned vacant.

“Ah.”

It was only the beginning of their line of performances. Though their tour would be short, he had to at least make sure Super Ribbon went through it with good memories.

Topping the charts didn’t matter. Si-Hyun had planned to do the tour with Super Ribbon just once, just as he had promised, and then walk away, dissolving the group without hesitation.

The others had agreed. However, if things went the way that twisted bastard Brady wanted, that noble, pure intention would be corrupted beyond recognition.

He couldn’t let that happen!

Music created for a pure purpose couldn’t be tainted by something this filthy.

Alas, his consciousness began to flicker.