Debuff Master

Chapter 785

“Hey, what’s with that face? Is there something funny about asking who your master is?” Deus grumbled and grimaced after noticing the odd twitching in Siegfried’s expression.

“N-No, sir. Pfft…!”

“What’s so funny? Is it someone I know?”

“Mmph…!”

“Who could it be?” Deus furrowed his brows in deep thought, wondering if Siegfried’s mysterious master might be someone familiar.

‘The techniques that you call underhanded… you made them, Master! Hehehe!’

The mere thought of Deus discovering that the dirty underhanded cowardly tricks that Siegfried had been using were actually created by his own hands was more than enough to make Siegfried stifle his laughter with all his might.

“Ah, whatever. Why do I even care? It’s not like we’re acquaintances or that I’ll ever meet that person anyway,” Deus grumbled, looking annoyed at Siegfried’s refusal to reveal his master's identity.

With that, he turned his attention to Betelgeuse.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes?”

“You said I could meet someone who wields the power of invincibility.”

“Well, that’s…”

Inzaghi interjected, “Give it up.”

“Why? I want to meet the one who attained the power of invincibility,” Deus said while pouting.

“It’s impossible,” Inzaghi replied, shaking his head.

“And why is that?”

“Because neither them nor us can leave our own timeline. Unless they come here themselves, that meeting cannot happen.”

“Then why not just call them here?”

“Do you honestly think someone who attained the power of invincibility would bother to meet someone weaker than them?”

“W-Well…”

“Just let it go.”

“Tsk…”

“You can’t even defeat other Grandmasters, so why do you think it'll be good to challenge such an individual?”

“That’s true… but still…” Deus muttered, slumping his shoulders. Then, he said, “What if they give me some advice? It’d be worth the trouble, right?”

“Mhm?”

“I’m sick of it, you know? Losing all the time…”

“Do you truly wish to surpass them?”

“Of course! Anyone walking the martial path wants to be the strongest, right?”

“That may be true, but…”

“Isn’t there any way I can meet them?”

Then, Deus turned back to Betelgeuse and growled, “You said I can meet that person!”

“Well, I thought you might be able to meet him if you went to him directly, but summoning that esteemed individual here? That’s impossible,” Betelgeuse replied, looking troubled. ȓ𝐀ΝƟВΕ𝙎

“Hmm…”

“I apologize.”

“Damn it… To think I can’t meet someone like that…”

Siegfried watched Deus with a mix of amusement and sympathy. A part of him wanted to reveal the truth, the truth that Deus, his master, would only day attain the power of invincibility.

‘No, if I tell him now, it won’t mean anything. The Debuff Master was born from the countless trials and defeats Master had to endure. That power is the fruit of his grueling journey,’ Siegfried thought, suppressing his urge.

Even if this Deus was merely an alternate version from the parallel timeline of the Suzdal Empire Ruin, Siegfried refused to interfere with Deus’ path to enlightenment.

“It’s unfortunate, but I guess I can’t help it.”

Finally, Deus sighed and gave up on meeting the invincible individual. Ironically, he was completely oblivious that the one he was seeking was, in fact, his future self.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

With that, Deus and Inzaghi turned to leave, heading back to their rightful timeline.

“It was nice meeting you,” Deus said with a nod.

“It was an honor to have fought alongside you,” Siegfried replied with a bow.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but keep at it. Even if you can’t reach the realm of Grandmasters, I hope you at least surpass the wall and become a Master.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“Then, I’ll be off now.”

“I wish you a pleasant journey, sir.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Without glancing back, Deus strode forward with confident steps.

“It has been an honor. May fortune smile upon you.”

Inzaghi, too, bid farewell and followed behind Deus.

“Goodbye, Master,” Siegfried muttered under his breath, watching their figures grow smaller and smaller in the distance.

A quiet smile formed on his face.

***

Siegfried and his party loaded the remains of the Red Dragon onto the Heaven’s Eye and departed from the Suzdal Empire Ruins.

“Congratulations on your victory, sire!”

“Congratulations on your victory, Your Majesty!”

Awaiting Siegfried were the Proatine Allied Forces under the command of Oscar…

“Well done, everyone.”

Siegfried didn't forget to express his gratitude to the soldiers of the alliance.

“It’s finally over. All troops will be rewarded and given leave once we return to the kingdom.”

Woaaaah!

The soldiers erupted in jubilant cheers. They were completely worn out and exhausted from fighting one battle after another.

The war against the Zavala Kingdom had just ended, but they were sent straight to the Suzdal Empire Ruins. They hadn't fought any significant battles here, but they were prepared for battle around the clock without having any chance to rest properly.

The mental strain they had to endure was grueling and unbearable.

“Dame Oscar.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Let’s go home.”

“As you command, sire!”

With that, Siegfried gave the order for the entire allied forces to retreat. They boarded the Heaven’s Eye and set their course for the Proatine Kingdom.

***

Upon arriving back in the Proatine Kingdom, Siegfried wasted no time and went straight to Brunhilde, retrieving the Blood Spinel Soul from her.

“Thank you for your hard work, dear.”

“It was something I had to do.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Siegfried gave Brunhilde a kiss before carefully storing the Blood Spinel Soul into his Inventory.

Then, he summoned the head blacksmith of the Porsche Workshop, Cayenne, and commissioned the recreation of the True Fated Censer. Every second was now crucial, as he now possessed all five of the Soul Fragments of Apocalius.

“How long will it take? I need it to be done as quickly as possible,” Siegfried said.

“It will be complete by this evening if Lord Quandt assists,” Cayenne replied.

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After making the arrangements, Siegfried set out to find his master, Deus. While he was going to pay respects to him, his main reason for going to see him was for safety.

If there was any place in this world that Siegfried deemed safest, then it was by Deus’ side. No matter who came for the Soul Fragments of Apocalius, he was certain they would not dare try anything under Deus’ watch.

As expected, he found him by the lakeside.

“I have returned, Master.”

“Oh? You’re back already?”

“I greet my master,” Siegfried said, bowing deeply to the ground.

“Hmm? What’s this about? Why the sudden formal bow?” Deus frowned and asked.

“Uh… Nothing special. I just—”

“Did you enjoy meeting my younger self?”

“W-What?!” Siegfried jumped, astonished. Then, he stammered, “H-How did you know, Master?! D-Don’t tell me—?!”

“You didn’t meet the real me.”

“Eh?”

“I am a transcendent being. Even if it was a parallel world, do you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Hahaha…”

“Did seeing me in my fledgling days amuse you?”

“Well, it was…”

“Bwahaha! Yes, even I was once a fledgling, but now… I’ve attained the power of invincibility,” Deus said, his eyes sparkling with pride.

“Yes, Master!”

“So, keep training. One day, if you persist, you too will reach the level of a Grandmaster.”

“Yes, Master!” Siegfried responded enthusiastically. Then, he opened his inventory and took out a bottle, “This is for you, Master.”

“Hmm? What’s this?”

“Read the label, Master.”

“Essence of gold?” Deus read. Then, his eyes widened as he asked, “Is this truly that Essence of Gold?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Hoho! Such a precious gift.”

Deus usually showed little emotion, but he was visibly moved this time.

‘Got him!’ Siegfried smirked inwardly.

The Essence of Gold was no ordinary wine. One bottle was worth the equivalent of a ton of gold, and it was considered one of the rarest and most exquisite drinks in existence.

Of course, there was no way Siegfried would buy it; he had acquired it by chance among the spoils from the Iron Palace.

‘It’s a shame, but it’s definitely worth it.’

Siegfried offered the rare treasure as both a show of filial respect and a perfect excuse to stay close to Deus.

“Bwahaha! You cute little rascal! In all my years, I never got to taste this even in my prime, yet here I am now, finally enjoying such luxury!”

“Do you like it, Master?”

“Like? Bah! I love it!” Deus exclaimed, running his hand through his beard. Then, he said with warm gentle eyes, “You’ve done well, my disciple. You truly are worthy of being my pupil.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Just then, Deus’ ever-present sidekick, Vulcanus, chimed in.

“Is that wine really that amazing? Can I have a sip?” Vulcanus asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Elder Brother,” Deus said.

“Y-Yes?” Vulcanus replied nervously.

Deus flashed a smirk and asked, “Would you like to be sent off to the heavens?”

“H-Hiiik!”

“Know your place.”

“H-hieek! My apologies…”

“This is such a treasure, and you dare think you’d get any? Hmph!”

Not a single drop would be shared. After all, even the mighty Zavala Kingdom’s treasury only had one bottle of this treasured wine.

“My disciple.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Let us savor this Essence of Gold together.”

“I’ll prepare it right away!”

“Bwahaha! Let’s go!”

“Yes, Master!”

Siegfried and Deus departed to enjoy the wine, leaving Vulcanus behind to pack up the fishing gear.

Alone, Vulcanus muttered bitterly as he headed back to his quarters.

***

On that same evening, Siegfried spent time with Deus before heading to the mountain behind the palace. There, he ordered the soldiers to set up an altar and carefully placed the completed True Fated Censer atop it.

He inserted all five pieces of the Soul Fragments of Apocalius into it and, as the final step, dropped the Flame of Annihilation into its core.

Whoosh! Crackle!

The Flame of Annihilation ignited, and soon, the censer turned into a fiery crimson, swirling with otherworldly energy.

“Argh!” Siegfried gritted his teeth. He was having a hard time withstanding the intense energy surging from the censer, but he stood his ground with sheer grit.

Minutes passed, and each minute seemed to stretch longer than the last until finally…

Flash!

A brilliant beam of blue light shot from the censer and soared into the sky. In the pillar of flame, the soul fragments burned, disintegrating one by one into ash and scattering into the wind.

Just like that, the cursed soul fragments—the very objects responsible for the destruction of two mighty kingdoms on the continent and for turning the Southern Great Jungle and the Northern Great Forest into hellscapes—were erased from this world forever.

The otherworldly demonic entity, Apocalius, would never rise again.

“Good job. You finally did it,” Cheon Woo-Jin said, offering a rare compliment.

Siegfried let out a weary yet satisfied grin and replied, “Yeah, it’s finally over at last. Thinking about all the suffering those damn things caused…”

Just then—

“Kyuuu! Hey, owner punk! Look over there! A shooting star!” Hamchi cried out, his tiny paw pointing at the sky toward a dazzling scenery.

The ashes from the shards painted the night sky with radiant colors, creating a breathtaking display.

“Huh? You’re right,” Siegfried replied after seeing the streak of white meteor falling in the distance.

“Kyuuu! Hurry up! Make a wish! Hamchi heard that wishes come true if you wish on a shooting star!”

“What? You believe in that nonsense?”

“Kyu?!”

“If wishes come true just by seeing a shooting star, then everyone will get what they—”

"Hey." Cheon Woo-Jin nudged Siegfried before the latter could finish his words.

“Hey.”

“What?”

Cheon Woo-Jin narrowed his eyes, and he sounded suspicious as he remarked, “That shooting star… Doesn’t it look like it’s heading straight for us?”