Debuff Master

Chapter 1217

Caiphos managed to survive thanks to Siegfried’s emergency treatment.

Siegfried disinfected his wounds, stitched them up, poured potion over them, and even wrapped them with clean bandages.

“Just who are you…?” Caiphos asked, still looking stunned.

“Who am I?” Siegfried asked. Then, he smirked and removed the Metamorphosis Mask, revealing his true face.

“…!”

Caiphos immediately recognized Siegfried and recoiled in shock.

By now, Siegfried had become so widely known throughout the continent due to statues of him erected across the continent that even a child growing up in a backwater rural province could recognize him by now.

Even though Caiphos was a herbalist in the remote village of a backwater provincial kingdom, he knew very well what Siegfried looked like.

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty Siegfried von Proa…?”

“Correct. That is me.”

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty…!” Caiphos exclaimed, hurriedly kneeling on the ground awkwardly.

Caiphos was unfamiliar with official court etiquette and was unsure how to conduct himself before Siegfried. Though he might be of the highest lineage on the continent, he had lived his whole life as a herb gatherer, oblivious to his true identity.

“Ah, forget it,” Siegfried said, waving his hand dismissively. Then, he smiled and said, “No need to bother with etiquette you’re not even familiar with.”

“B-But…!”

Siegfried helped him to his feet and said, “I said it’s fine. Still, you’re lucky to have survived all this while without dying.”

“W-Well, I struggled desperately in order to stay alive, s-sir…” Caiphos replied.

“You don’t have to worry anymore. I am here to save you.”

“T-Thank you! I am truly grateful!” Caiphos exclaimed, repeatedly bowing to Siegfried. Then, he asked, “But if I may… Why did you come to save me? I have never prayed to your statue. And I am just a lowly herb gatherer. Why would someone like you come for someone like me? I cannot understand why…”

“Well, I suppose you’re wondering why the hell this guy, me, came to save you, right?”

“N-No! I would never think like that of Your Imperial Majesty!”

“Haha! I was just joking, relax. It’s actually simple. It’s because of the secret behind your birth.”

“W-What? The secret behind my birth…?”

“Yes.”

“But I am just the son of a poor slash-and-burn farmer—”

Siegfried cut him off and said, “No, you’re not. You’re someone of noble blood.”

“Huh…?”

“Not just noble. You’re actually royalty. You are a descendant of the imperial family of the Marchioni Empire. A member of the Posteriore Imperial Household.”

“That is impossible. How could someone like me be of royal descent? Much more so, a member of the Posteriore Imperial Household?”

“Do you really think so?”

It was then.

Siegfried suddenly pulled Caiphos close and put on the Shoddy Crude Chameleon Suit.

“E-Eh?”

“Shh. Be quiet.”

Caiphos flinched, but Siegfried quickly hushed him.

Then, he pointed in the distance and said, “Look over there.”

The Marchioni Empire’s knights were frantically scouring the area, looking for something.

“Caiphos is living in hiding as a herbalist under the alias Johan. We must find him at all costs. Our mission is to bring him back dead or alive; you may kill him at sight.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Search the area carefully! Comb through everything and don’t leave a single stone unturned!”

“Yes, sir!”

Siegfried looked at Caiphos and whispered, “See? They’re all here to catch you. You might not be aware, but you’re actually royalty. To be precise, you’re the youngest son of the late emperor and empress.”

“B-But that’s impossible…”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Do you remember that person who occasionally came to check up on you? Elder Beggarius?”

“Ah! Yes, I know him!”

“He was also royalty. In fact, a distant relative of yours. He secretly watched over you so Emperor Stuttgart wouldn’t find and kill you. But after he fell in battle, the network that was protecting you collapsed, too. That’s how the Marchioni Empire caught wind of your existence and is chasing you down now.”

“E-Elder Beggarius has passed away?”

“He died honorably.”

“Elder…”

Rather than revel in his identity as royalty, Caiphos seemed more shaken and grieved by the death of Beggarius.

‘He lived his whole life as an ordinary person, so it’s normal for him to be sentimental. But even someone like him will turn into a monster once he gets a taste of power…’ Siegfried thought.

Then, he pulled Caiphos along and said, “Anyway, I will explain more later. For now, we need to get moving. You will die a meaningless death if you stay here.”

“…”

“Let’s hurry.”

Siegfried dragged Caiphos, who was still shaken by both the secret behind his birth and the death of Beggarius, and led him out of the Illusion Village: Javiern.

***

Leaving the Illusion Village: Javiern was quite easy.

The combination of Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance and Sensory Eye allowed him to move around much quicker and easier than before, making the escape from the Illusion Village pretty safe and easy.

Siegfried turned to his side and said, “Hey, Hamchi. Take this guy back to the imperial palace. You can do that, right?”

“Kyuuu? Aren’t you going home too, owner punk?” Hamchi asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“I have some business to take care of,” Siegfried replied with a sly grin.

“Kyuu? What business?”

“I’m going to have a little fun with the ones inside before I go.”

“Kyuuu! Are you planning to screw them over?”

“Of course! Why would I pass up on such a good chance? I won’t fight them head-on, but I can at least mess with them.”

“Kyuuu! Got it! Then Hamchi will take the boy home!”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Once Hamchi agreed, Siegfried turned back to Caiphos.

“Go with my friend. You will be able to live safely and happily for the rest of your life if you do.”

“B-But…”

“You can’t live a normal life anymore. No matter where you hide, they will come after you. In the end, you will be dragged off to the Marchioni Empire. And if you end up lucky to be alive, well, I’d say you will be unlucky, as they will torture you and then publicly execute you for treason.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. Just go with him.”

“…Alright.”

“See you later.”

After sending Hamchi and Caiphos off, Siegfried returned to the Illusion Village: Javiern.

Then, he began trailing Lee Geon and the imperial knights. Unaware that Caiphos had already been rescued, Lee Geon and the imperial knights were still combing through every corner of the Illusion Village.

‘Keke! What a bunch of fools,’ Siegfried mocked them inwardly as he shadowed their movements. Then, he thought to himself, ‘Giving me one of Inzaghi’s artifacts was the biggest mistake of your life, buddy.’

He recalled how, in the past, Lee Geon had lent him one of Inzaghi’s artifacts.

The Inzaghi Set consisted of three items.

At the time, Siegfried already had Inzaghi’s Compass and Inzaghi’s Wooden Staff, but Lee Geon lent him Inzaghi’s Map, allowing him to complete the set.

The three artifacts merged into one, which became Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance, and he had been heavily relying on Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance since then.

Thanks to Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance, Siegfried overcame countless crises and grew stronger.

In other words, part of the reason Siegfried managed to become a Grandmaster and reach his current heights was Lee Geon’s blunder.

‘Okay. Let’s see…’

Siegfried carefully tracked Lee Geon’s movements using Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance and followed him.

A few hours later, it seemed Lee Geon had given up searching for Caiphos, as he moved toward the area where the boss monster was located.

‘Has he given up already? Or is he planning to defeat the boss monster, restore the village to normal, and then search for Caiphos?’

Siegfried was not exactly sure of Lee Geon’s intentions, but what was certain was that Lee Geon was very close to the boss monster of the Illusion Village: Javiern.

The boss monster of this Ancient Dungeon was called Akharacho of Illusions, and judging by its name, it clearly had the power to deceive one’s eyes.

Of course, Siegfried would be able to easily deal with Akharacho of Illusions with ease now that he had Sensory Eye.

‘How is he going to fight?’

Siegfried decided to hide and observe how Lee Geon would fight against Akharacho of Illusions.

Since he was using the Shoddy Crude Chameleon Suit, there was no risk of him being discovered. Thus, he watched the battle between Lee Geon and the Akharacho of Illusions from afar, as if he were spectating a sporting event.

***

Lee Geon was truly a gamer possessing astonishing reflexes, and gifted was the only word that could be used to describe him.

‘No way! He reacted to that with just his instincts?!’

Siegfried was stunned as he watched Lee Geon face Akharacho of Illusions, relying purely on his intuition.

Unlike Siegfried, Lee Geon did not seem to have any skills like the Sensory Eye.

And yet, his movements were nothing short of extraordinary.

He was fighting evenly against Akharacho of Illusions while relying solely on instinct.

‘That bastard is a monster…’

Siegfried was floored by Lee Geon’s combat prowess, instincts, and his ability to adapt to the situation.

But that was not all.

Wooong!

Using his weapon as a medium, Lee Geon used his Grand Devouring Art to absorb all of Akharacho’s energy and use it to empower himself.

Absorbing the boss monster’s energy made Lee Geon extremely powerful, and the damage he dealt was simply out of this world.

[Akharacho of Illusion]

[HP: ■■■□□□□□□□]

‘So that’s how it’s…’

Siegfried quietly gripped his +10 Sky Piercer while observing Lee Geon’s battle.

‘Using the Touch of Death requires too much energy. He will sense it before I even get close if I use it.’

Siegfried planned to sneak behind Lee Geon, kill him, and take the items he dropped.

The boss monster was already weakened, so he could easily finish it off and monopolize the loot.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Siegfried’s excitement surged; he felt thrilled at the mere thought of it.

However, he forced himself to suppress his excitement and compose himself.

‘I need to be careful.’

Ambushing someone like Lee Geon would definitely not be easy. He was a monster capable of soloing a boss monster with nothing but his instincts and reflexes, so Siegfried had to stay calm and move discreetly to succeed with his ambush.

‘Slow and steady…’

Siegfried slowed his heartbeat as much as possible and carefully moved closer to Lee Geon.

However, he dared not get too close.

Lee Geon’s Grand Devouring Art was like a black hole that absorbed all energies around him.

If Siegfried ventured too close, then his Primordial Force would be drained by the Grand Devouring Art too, and Lee Geon would immediately notice it.

‘It has to be one quick combo.’

Siegfried patiently waited for the right timing.

He readied his stance to lunge at Lee Geon the moment an opening presented itself.

‘Wait for it… Now!’

In an instant, Siegfried closed the distance and snuck up behind Lee Geon. Then, he thrust his +10 Sky Piercer seven times in the blink of an eye. Before Lee Geon could even react, Siegfried struck him seven times, triggering the Seven Steps to Invincibility.

“…!”

Lee Geon froze in place, unable even to turn around. His eyes widened in shock, and his heart thumped wildly from the sudden ambush, as if he had just suffered a jump scare while watching a horror movie.

“W-Who dares to…?”

Uttering those final words, Lee Geon collapsed. Even while collapsing to the ground, he tried to twist his body to see who had attacked him, but it was futile.

Siegfried was wearing the Shoddy Crude Chameleon Suit, making him invisible to Lee Geon.

‘K thx, bye! Kekeke!’

Siegfried quivered with ecstasy after striking down his nemesis with such a despicable and treacherous ambush. Killing his enemies in such a cowardly and dirty manner had always made him feel ecstatic, giving him chills from head to toe.

However, this was not even the best part of the ambush.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Upon death, Lee Geon dropped multiple items, each one being extremely valuable.

Most of the items he dropped were heavily enhanced swords that most Adventurers could only dream of obtaining.

[Alert: You have obtained +16 Venom Blade!]

[Alert: You have obtained +17 Knight’s Devotion!]

[Alert: You have obtained +15 Sun Sword!]

[Alert: You have obtained +17 Demonic Blade of Evil Spirits!]

[Alert: You have obtained +16 Ancient Warrior’s Sword!]

He used each of these swords as a medium to offset the side effects of his Grand Devouring Art, so every single one of them was a top-tier weapon worth hundreds of billions of won.

In other words, Siegfried had hit the jackpot with a single ambush.