Debuff Master

Chapter 544

— Yes, Your Majesty?

“So what happened is...”

The call connected to the Proatine Kingdom. Needless to say, it was Michele who answered the call, and Siegfried spoke with him.

Prince Kyrix and the officers of the coalition forces could not listen in on their conversation, as Siegfried placed great importance on secrecy and made sure the call would be confidential.

Siegfried ended the call with Michele and headed straight to where the Adventurers were gathered to find Yong Tae-Pung.

“Uncle.”

“Yes?”

“Can you come with me somewhere?”

“Hmm? Sure.”

Siegfried started with the living legend, Yong Tae-Pung, before picking one hundred Adventurers in total. He made sure these one hundred Adventurers were the strongest of the bunch, and they were—without a doubt—the cream of the crop.

Siegfried put all of them in a large tent and told them. “I will come back in five minutes.”

Then, Siegfried went to find the prince.

“Prince Kyrix.”

“Yes?”

“Please pick our best sappers and tell them to cut down the trees behind us.”

“Cut down... trees? But why?”

“Please don’t ask me why. Ah, tell them the wider they make it, the better.”

“I-I understand.”

Prince Kyrix did not ask any further and immediately commanded the sappers to start felling the trees.

“Go help them, Seung-Gu.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

“Use your Iron Golems and uproot the trees. The wider the area, the better it is for us.”

“Alright.”

Seung-Gu followed after Prince Kyrix and uprooted the trees just as he was told.

Siegfried returned to the tent after finishing his business with the prince. He gathered the one hundred Adventurers and gave a short speech.

“All of you must be tired and itching, right? Shall we go hunt?”

Yong Tae-Pung was the first to respond, “Hmm? You want us to go hunt?”

“Yes, uncle.”

“What are we hunting?”

“You will know once we get there. Hehe~” Siegfried replied with a grin.

“Well, I’m going since you’re the one asking,” Yong Tae-Pung replied with a shrug.

“Ah, it will be long and arduous, so all of you better steel your resolve, okay?”

“Geez... I’m going to be sad if you say that. I might be turning fifty soon, but I’m much fitter than most young men out there!”

“I am sure you are. But this hunt will be extremely grueling...”

“What in the world are we doing?”

“I already told you. You will know once we get there. Anyway, let’s go!” Siegfried exclaimed. Then, he led Yong Tae-Pung and the Adventurers out of the coalition forces’ camp.

***

On that same evening...

“My lord! We have received reports that the Adventurers have attacked Despacito Territory!”

“What?” Death Fog grimaced at the report. Then, he asked, “Despacito Territory... Isn’t that the large city located at the frontlines?”

“Yes, it is, my lord!”

“They’re attacking that city?”

“Yes.”

“Bwahaha! Have they gone mad?” Death Fog bellowed a burst of laughter.

The Despacito Territory was a very large territory located at the frontlines, and the undead soldiers stationed there numbered more than five hundred thousand. However, the Adventurers had actually managed to find their way into that large city?

Their actions were nothing short of committing suicide.

The Adventurers were powerful immortal beings, but there was no way they could defeat five hundred thousand undead soldiers.

“Are they trying to show off their abilities? Or are they trying to die?”

The lich bowed and replied, “I believe they are just trying to show off. The Adventurers are very powerful beings, so they tend to be cocky at times. Thus, I conclude that they are most likely being reckless since they can just come back to life after a few days thanks to being immortal.”

Death Fog nodded and said, “I see... That makes perfect sense if they don’t fear death.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“How many are there?”

“Our reports state that there are one hundred of them.”

“What? One hundred?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hmm...” Death Fog was baffled by the recklessness of the Adventurers.

Who in their right mind would charge into a place with more than five hundred thousand enemy soldiers with just a group of one hundred?

“It seems their immortality has gotten to their heads.”

“I believe so.”

“Catch every single one of them. Make sure that none of them escapes.”

“As my lord commands.”

“I’m going to expel those damn Adventurers the moment I seize control of this world.”

Death Fog swore to rid the continent of the Adventurers once again.

***

Meanwhile, Siegfried and the one hundred Adventurers were busy running away from the five hundred undead soldiers stationed in the Despacito Territory.

“N-Nephew! Are you sure we’re not going to get slaughtered at this rate?!” Yong Tae-Pung shouted while wildly swinging his Hwaryongdo.

“I thought you said you’re fitter than most young men?!” Siegfried shouted in response while swinging his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp.

“T-That was!”

“Show them what an old veteran can do, uncle! Sweep 'em all away!”

“Argh!”

“Whoa! I almost died just now!” Siegfried screamed in horror after narrowly avoiding a bone arrow shot by an undead soldier.

Siegfried and Yong Tae-Pung were not the only ones struggling.

“Ack! There’s no end to them!”

“They keep coming no matter how many I kill!”

“My skills are on cooldown! Buy me some time!”

“We’re getting pushed back!”

“Our side’s going to collapse! We can’t hold them off for much longer!”

The Elite Adventurers were trying their best to push back the horde of undead soldiers despite being exhausted and on the brink of collapse. It was only obvious that their stamina would hit rock bottom, as they had been fighting ever since they arrived at Despacito Territory.

One hour ago...

“We will be attacking the Despacito Territory.”

Those words from Siegfried made the Adventurers doubt their ears.

“Hey... Is he telling us to go kill ourselves?”

“What?”

“Did I hear wrong just now?”

“Can’t he go die alone if he’s so desperate to die?”

Their response was only obvious. Who in their right mind would ever run into a city with five hundred thousand soldiers stationed in it?

“Ah, so the plan is...”

Siegfried proceeded to explain his plan, as he knew the Adventurers would waver.

“Oh?”

“Hey, that makes sense—I think?”

“Hmm... If everything goes according to plan, then...”

The Adventurers thought that this risky gambit could potentially pay off big time if it ended up being successful. The enemy’s numerical superiority could be nullified if everything went according to Siegfried’s plan.

Thus, they agreed to partake in this plan, which had been nothing but short of a trip to hell, as they had been surrounded by enemies from all sides since they stepped foot into the enemy territory.

Rest? What was that?

They would be completely surrounded by the undead soldiers the moment they stopped running and attacking, so they had no choice but to fight with their lives on the line.

“Everyone! Spread out! Carry out your missions while fighting! Make full use of the terrain! Don’t forget your missions!” Siegfried shouted.

“Kyuuuuuu!” Hamchi cried out and ran forward.

Siegfried and the Adventurers spread out and made full use of everything the city had to offer. They hid behind walls, used the alleys as chokepoints, climbed on top of the roofs, and more just to fend off the undead soldiers while carrying out their mission at the same time.

‘I need to get to the city walls,’ Siegfried thought before making a beeline for the city walls.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

“Catch that little rat!”

“Die!”

The undead soldiers stationed on the walls rushed at Siegfried the moment they spotted him, but Siegfried made quick work of them by smashing them to powdery bits with his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp.

Then, Siegfried ran to the nearest anti-air turret.

“One!”

Bam!

He swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp with all of his strength and smashed the turret.

“Let’s go!”

“Kyuuu!”

Siegfried ran to the next anti-air turret.

Bam!

He swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp yet again and smashed the second turret too.

“Two!”

After he smashed the second anti-air turret, more undead soldiers appeared to stop him, but he smashed them to bits, too, before running to the next turret.

It was then...

“This is as far as you go.”

“A rat is running around our walls...”

The Death Knights appeared on the walls and blocked Siegfried’s path. These Death Knights used to be high-ranking knights back when they were alive, and they had become even more powerful upon becoming undead monsters.

It was only obvious that there would be powerful undead soldiers among the five hundred thousand stationed in the city, right?

‘Whoa...’ Siegfried felt slightly nervous after seeing the Death Knights.

Their levels ranged from Level 250 to Level 280, and they were definitely not opponents he could afford to underestimate. To make matters worse, there were more than thirty of them, meaning Siegfried was bound to have trouble with them.

Siegfried clenched his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp and said, “Sure, let’s see who comes out on top.”

Then, Siegfried rushed at the Death Knights blocking his path with the ferocity of a hungry beast.

***

Siegfried and the one hundred Adventurers fought all night long. They chewed on the Smoked Mutated Three-Legged Octopus and fought, fought, and fought against the incoming horde of undead soldiers.

The Smoked Mutated Three-Legged Octopus definitely played a crucial role in this mission.

The stats of the Adventurers? Excellent.

Their abilities? Magnificent.

Their combat prowess? Outstanding.

However, all of those would be meaningless once they ran out of HP, Mana, and Stamina. The Adventurers would have fallen prey to the undead soldiers without the Smoked Mutated Three-Legged Octopus, as their HP, Mana, and Stamina would have been depleted long ago due to the incessant fights.

The Adventurers seemed to be building a strong momentum until disaster struck. They were running out of the Smoked Mutated Three-Legged Octopus.

“Huff... Huff...!”

“I can’t... fight anymore...”

“Ugh...! I can’t focus. I’m too tired!”

“Is this the end...?”

The Adventurers spread throughout the city finally met their limits, forcing them to await the inevitable. They tried their best to fight against the five hundred thousand undead soldiers, but their exhaustion finally caught up to them and grabbed their ankles.

Siegfried was also in the same situation.

Bam!

He crashed into the wall after getting smacked by the lance of an undead soldier on horseback, a Dullahan.

“Kyu! Owner punk!”

“Ugh...”

“Are you alright?!”

“Do I... look 'alright' to you?” Siegfried replied, squeezing every ounce of strength remaining to get back on his feet. Then, he grumbled, “Ah... I think I’m going to die.”

It was then...

“This is the end, foolish living being.” The Dullahan spoke with a voice that would make the air on one’s arm stand. “Give up and embrace your demise.”

There were hordes of undead soldiers behind the Dullahan—no, they were not only behind the Dullahan as they were behind, beside, and in front of Siegfried, too.

Siegfried was completely surrounded and...

[Siegfried van Proa]

[HP: ??????????]

[Mana: ??????????]

[Stamina: ??????????]

His HP, Mana, and Stamina were so low that it wouldn't be strange if he died any second now. Anyone could tell that this was the end of the line for Siegfried, but he remained unfazed.

“Do you think I’m crazy? Why would I die?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you die if you love death so much?”

“That annoying mouth of yours is the problem,” Dullahan grumbled in disbelief. Then, it readied its lance and said, “We shall see if you can still yap after becoming an undead.”

Hiyah!

The Dullahan kicked the side of its steed and charged forward.

Shwiiiiii!

Then, it thrust its lance forward with insane force toward the middle of Siegfried’s chest.