Debuff Master

Chapter 1234

‘Am I finally going to see it?’

Siegfried felt he had taken his very first step toward attaining the power of true invincibility.

Of course, there was no guarantee he could ever clear the quest.

The difficulty of the wall skyrocketed each time, and it would not be strange if it took him an entire lifetime to clear the quest.

However, Siegfried was neither fazed nor afraid.

There was a saying about how taking the first step was already half the battle.

No matter how small the step was, the end would definitely be rewarding. The fact that he had obtained a clue to attaining the power of invincibility was already a huge achievement. Besides, it wasn’t like he had to clear the quest right away; there wasn’t even a time limit to it.

Level 650 was still far away, so he didn’t have to worry about it now.

“Thank you very much, Elder Brother,” Siegfried said with a bow.

“Huh? All of a sudden?” King Leonid blinked, taken aback by the unexpected gratitude. Then, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Are you about to ask me for a favor?”

“No, I am not.”

“Then why are you thanking me?”

“Because I gained enlightenment thanks to you.”

“Oh?”

“The words of one who has lived as a warrior for so long… Your words helped me realize something, a clue on how I can further grow stronger.”

“Good heavens… You mean to say you found enlightenment?”

“Not enlightenment per se. But I’ve taken the first step toward it. At least, that’s what I believe.”

“I knew it. I had my suspicions, and it turns out I was right all along,” King Leonid said with a nod.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’ve had a thought that the essence of martial arts ultimately lies here,” King Leonid said, tapping the side of his head with two fingers.

“You mean… the mind?”

“That’s right.”

“Why so?”

“Because physical strength alone has a limit. No matter how splendid the body is, it’s nothing more than bone and meat if the mind guiding it is dull. What use is the finest body if the one controlling it is a fool?”

King Leonid went on, sharing various insights he had wrestled with for many years.

“I see…”

“On the other hand, a brilliant mind with a frail body won’t make a warrior great either. A true warrior is forged only when intellect and physique are in balance.”

“I agree with you.”

“But once you rise past a certain level, the importance of the body begins to wane. After all, mana can compensate for your physical limitations.”

King Leonid had a point.

The human body was weak, and it was downright pitiful compared to beasts and monsters.

But with mana, humans could surpass those natural limitations.

At higher levels, it was no longer about the body itself, but rather, how well one controlled their body using mana that mattered the most.

“From the realm of Master and upward, what matters most isn’t raw physical power anymore. How well can one control their body and how skillfully one manipulates mana—that’s what’s important.”

“And the experiences gained while making decisions at the edge between life and death,” Siegfried added.

“Exactly,” King Leonid replied with a nod. Then, he went on, “In that fleeting instant, how clearly you see the situation, and what judgement you’ll make. Those are the important things. And where does that judgement come from?”

Again, he tapped the side of his head and added, “I think that talent itself is something within one’s mind.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“You are indeed clever. That’s why you are able to grasp a clue just from listening to this old man. Haha!”

Siegfried shook his head and said, “Not at all. I’m not clever—just lucky.”

“Haha! You’re far too modest for your own good,” Leonid chuckled. Then, he tapped Siegfried on the shoulder and said, “Meditate often.”

“Huh? Meditate?”

“For someone of your caliber, hours of physical training aren’t the most important thing anymore. What will benefit you the most is mental training—envisioning the movements in your mind, re-enacting them, and refining them.”

“Thank you for your guidance.”

“Perhaps, you may glimpse the realm beyond that of Grandmasters. A realm so great that even calling it great is inadequate, the one only your master has ever reached.”

“T-That is…”

“Please, brother. I want you to ascend to that realm. Not only for you, but for me too,” Leonid said, his eyes gleaming.

“Yes, I will, brother,” Siegfried replied with a firm voice.

***

After parting ways with Leonid, Siegfried continued to pursue the trail of the mysterious deaths occurring in numerous cities.

While advancing beyond the rank of Grandmaster was good and all, that would have to wait, as solving this mysterious case was far more important right now.

The incidents in the Lambda Kingdom mirrored those in the Proatine Empire exactly.

“Kyuuuu! Does that mean we have to stay outside if we don’t want to die, owner punk?!”

“That’s the conclusion I have reached. If you’re inside a house or any building, you’ll die. No exceptions.”

“Kyuuu?! Then what do we do?!”

“For now…” Siegfried pondered for a while.

Then, he stopped by a nearby communication station to relay his orders.

— Hello, Your Imperial Majesty.

Michele appeared on the magical communication orb and bowed deeply.

“Command every single person in the cities and villages in the affected regions to sleep outdoors. Tell them that they must remain outside if they wish to live,” Siegfried said.

— Hm? What is happening, sire?”

“Here’s the situation…” Siegfried proceeded to explain his deductions.

— To think such a thing is even possible…

“Oh, and have each household keep a goblin or any weak monster inside their house or buildings. If that’s not possible, then a pig or cow that they’re going to slaughter sometime soon. We need test subjects to test my theory.”

— As you command, sire.

Michele obeyed without protest. Fortunately, it was midsummer, so sleeping outdoors would not pose any danger to the people.

Was it uncomfortable? Yes, but it was still manageable. The Proatine Empire planned to provide military-grade tents for the people, which would make their outdoor camping a bit more comfortable.

‘That should do for now…’

Siegfried then traveled to the village he predicted would be next. He mobilized the troops and personally oversaw the preparations so that the people could sleep outdoors without much discomfort.

After everything was done, he waited together with Hamchi.

They stationed themselves at the central well, lying in ambush for the culprit.

However, the culprit did not show up even late into the night.

‘How in the world did it kill so many people while making it look like natural causes? Even I wouldn’t be able to do it that fast…’

Based on the evidence and testimony from the survivors, the massacre took less than thirty minutes.

Siegfried was powerful, but even he couldn’t silently kill tens of thousands of people that quickly.

‘Was it some kind of area of effect instant death skill?’ Siegfried wondered as the hours passed.

Eventually, dawn came, yet the culprit was still nowhere to be found.

“Ughh… I’m so sleepy…” Siegfried murmured, rubbing his eyes as the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon.

“ZzZz… Zzz… Zz…”

Meanwhile, Hamchi was already curled up asleep beside him.

‘Tsk… This traitorous little furball,’ Siegfried clicked his tongue and glared at the giant hamster. Then, he stood up and thought, ‘Oh well, it looks like today was a bust. I’ll just log out and get some sleep.’

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty!” The brigade commander rushed over to report, shouting, “All livestock and monsters inside the buildings were found dead!”

“What?!” Siegfried exclaimed.

“We confirmed it just moments ago.”

“But that’s impossible…”

“Judging from how rigid their bodies are, they died roughly three hours ago.”

“What did you just say?! How is that even possible?!”

Siegfried was completely shocked by what he heard.

‘T-This can’t be real… How the hell—?’

He had not let his guard down for even a split second all night. He stood watch at the very heart of the village, eyes wide open, ready to pounce on the culprit responsible for the deaths of so many people.

Moreover, he knights and soldiers had patrolled the entire village the whole time as well.

Despite all that, the livestock and monsters placed inside the buildings somehow ended up dying.

‘How…? Just how did whatever it is pull this off?’

Siegfried felt like he was hit right in the nose while his eyes were wide open.

The brigade commander knelt and presented his weapon.

“Your Imperial Majesty! Please execute me for my incompetence!”

There was a saying that a soldier could be forgiven upon failing a mission, but a soldier failing in vigilance ought to be punished. Despite the constant patrols, the culprit had managed to infiltrate the village, kill all of the creatures inside the buildings, and leave unnoticed.

It was only natural for the commander to be punished in a situation like this.

However, Siegfried shook his head. Then, he replied, “How could ordinary soldiers have noticed it when even I failed to do so? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“But s-sire…!”

“You did your best. Don’t blame yourself,” Siegfried said with a smile. Then, he added, “But don’t forget your resolve today. Keep it with you at all times and reflect on it.”

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is immeasurable!”

Siegfried coolly pardoned the commander and his men. Then, he left the village.

‘I’ll have to ask Michael about this,’ he thought.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation, so he decided to ask the one person most knowledgeable about the situation—Michael.

Why?

It was all because Michael was the one who had once sealed away these demonic monsters in Purgatory.

Michael would definitely know how to deal with such monsters as well as their weaknesses better than anyone else. While he was no longer able to descend to the Middle Realm and fight, he could still provide information.

***

Once again, Siegfried visited the Celestial Realm, and he was greeted with a very passionate reception by the heavenly hosts.

“I-It’s the Demon King!”

“The Demon King has returned!”

“Kyaaaaah!”

“R-Run for your lives!”

“Save yourselves!”

The angels turned pale and bolted in every direction, running away as if their lives depended on it. Ironically, they looked just like startled cockroaches scurrying in panic.

“Tsk… It’s not like I’m going to eat you,” Siegfried grimaced and grumbled as he watched them.

Of course, the angels knew that the Demon King, Siegfried, was on good terms with the Chief Archangel, Michael. They also knew that they would not be harmed.

However, the primal fear carved into their very beings struck fear into their hearts, and this fear instilled a faint doubt that Siegfried could suddenly turn on them at any given moment.

Those two powerful emotions made them instinctively run for their lives, whether they wanted to do so or not.

“Welcome, Siegfried,” Michael greeted.

‘Huh? What’s up with him?’ Siegfried narrowed his eyes and thought.

Michael was fidgeting while wearing an awkward look and sweating profusely. Siegfried was quite well-acquainted with the Chief Archangel, but this was the first time he was seeing him like this.

“It has been a while, hasn’t it, Michael?” Siegfried replied.

“Yes, Siegfried… Haha… Hahaha…”

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Siegfried smirked and said, “Nothing much. It just looks as though you’re uncomfortable with me being here.”

“W-What?! Not at all! Far be it from the truth! I always welcome your visits, Siegfried!” Michael exclaimed, flailing his hands frantically.

“Then why so restless and stiff?”

“I-I’m not stiff!”

“Are you really not bothered by me coming here?”

“Not at all!”

“Then why are you sweating? Why are your eyes shaking? Why are you so nervous?”

“E-Erm… T-That is…” Michael stammered.

“Ah, okay. That explains it,” Siegfried said, flashing a mocking grin.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The mighty leader of the Celestial Realm finds the Demon King’s visits to be burdensome. That’s what’s making you nervous, no?”

“N-No! That’s not—!”

“It’s fine. I get it. You’re drawing a line now that the crisis has passed, and you no longer need me. After all, how could the Holy Chief Archangel be seen associating with a Demon King? That would be a huge stain on your dignity and glory, wouldn’t it?” Siegfried teased.

“S-Siegfried!” Michael exclaimed. The Chief Archangel was practically on the verge of tears, as his gentle heart simply couldn’t withstand Siegfried’s teasing.