Debuff Master-Chapter 1,028

Debuff Master-Chapter 1,028

Chapter 1,028
‘
Just you wait. I’m going to transform and come back for you,’
Siegfried gritted his teeth while running away. He ran, ran, and ran, trying to escape from the pitch-black sky cast overhead by the Dark Sky Lord.
Within this space, none of his skills could be activated. That meant the only solution was to get outside of it and activate Demon Lord’s Descent before coming back to the battlefield.
Unfortunately, as sound as the plan sounded, it was easier said than done.
“Siegfried van Proa! Where are you?! Are you going to continue running around like a coward?!”
A thunderous voice boomed across the battlefield, causing Siegfried to freeze for a second.
He thought his comrades managed to stall the Dark Sky Lord, buying him time to escape from the battlefield. But it turns out that he had already made quick work of them and was now shouting in rage.
‘
H-How did he deal with them so quickly?! D-Don’t tell me... he already killed them all? All of them? In that short time?’
Siegfried shrieked inwardly.
He felt a wave of dread crash over him as he realized what had happened. The Dark Sky Lord had wiped out all of his comrades, who were named Adventurers, within seconds.
In addition to the Dark Sky Lord's absurdly broken skill, Dark Sky, which completely restricted the use of any skills, the Dark Sky Lord's combat prowess was exceedingly high as well.
‘
So this is a Grandmaster...’
Siegfried could keenly feel the immense gap between a Master and a Grandmaster. If he thought about it objectively, then his chances of defeating the Dark Sky Lord were still slim, even if he could use his skills.
It was probably around ten percent—no, it was most likely less than that.
‘
I’m going to become a Grandmaster too, even if it’s the last thing I do,’
Siegfried gritted his teeth and swore to ascend to that realm. Then, he dropped low to the ground and blended with it.
The Dark Sky Lord was in hot pursuit, hunting him down with terrifying movement speed, but he had yet to find Siegfried.
In other words, Siegfried had no reason to appear before the Dark Sky Lord.
While racking his brains, he suddenly came up with an idea.
If he could trick the Dark Sky Lord into searching in the wrong direction and use that chance to slip outside the battlefield while the Grandmaster was distracted, then...
‘
Activate Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance.’
Siegfried used his maphack ability to keep track of the Dark Sky Lord’s movements in real time, then he pressed himself flat against the ground and started crawling.
He crawled beneath the corpses of the fallen Holy Alliance troops and held his breath.
“Siegfried van Proa! Do you really think you can escape from me?!”
Unable to find his prey, the Dark Sky Lord stormed through the battlefield, bellowing in rage and tearing through the corpses of the already dead soldiers. However, he had no way of finding Siegfried hidden beneath the bodies without any detection abilities like Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance.
In the end...
“You despicable, filthy little rat! Do you have no pride as a warrior?!”
The Dark Sky Lord cursed and raged before vanishing into the distance. He was still prowling the battlefield with fire in his eyes, determined to track Siegfried down and finish him off.
‘
Just wait and see, you bastard,’
Siegfried growled inwardly.
As soon as the Dark Sky Lord disappeared from view, Siegfried bolted in the opposite direction.
“W-Who’s there?!”
“Die!”
“Kill him!”
The Holy Alliance troops jumped out at him, trying to stop him after recognizing him.
Bam! Bam! Thwack!
However, Siegfried smashed through them and kept sprinting as fast as he could.
He only had to run at least two more kilometers before finally escaping from the range of Dark Sky, so he squeezed every single strength he had in him and ran for his life.
***
While the coalition forces of the Proatine Forces, Kiev Forces, and the 8th Corps of the Marchioni Empire were locked in a fierce battle against the 1st Corps of the Holy Alliance, the southern region of the Marchioni Empire remained as still as the calm before a massive storm.
The Holy Alliance gathered a colossal army of five hundred thousand troops and was advancing straight toward the borders of the Marchioni Empire.
As expected of the mighty Marchioni Empire, they did not show any signs of being frightened, as they amassed their own troops on the border.
At the Fortress of Pallas, one of the main pillars of the empire’s southern borders, two hundred thousand imperial troops had already gathered, alongside five Immortal Battleships...
And that was not all...
The empire’s most advanced anti-air artillery systems were deployed there, and stationed among the troops were also thousands of high-ranking knights, each one over Level 299.
The empire’s forces stationed at the Pallas Fortress were more than enough to reduce most nations, even great powers, to nothing but ashes in a matter of a few days.
“
Hmm...
A defensive battle, huh. I’m not really fond of these.”
The commander of the southern front and the lord of Pallas Fortress, Lieutenant General Gimok, showed not the slightest hint of concern over the situation.
“If it were up to me, I’d make the first move and advance our troops instead.”
Traditionally, defending from within a fortress was one of the biggest advantages one could possibly have in war.
But to abandon that advantage and head out into the open field?
No sane commander would suggest doing such a thing.
And yet, the officers of Pallas Fortress seemed to see things differently, as all of them nodded in agreement in response to Lieutenant General Gimok's words.
“The idea that our motherland, the mighty Marchioni Empire, would be on the defensive is absurd.”
“I would love to charge out there this instant and take the enemy commander’s head.”
This was the mindset prevalent within the imperial army.
As the most powerful nation, the rulers of the world, the empire’s officers staunchly believed that they had the ultimate army known to mankind. They believed their armies were so absolute that they saw no problem with engaging any enemy in open combat, no matter the numerical differences or the terrain.
“
Tsk...
But there’s nothing we can do,” Gimok clicked his tongue in visible frustration. Then, he continued grumbling, “His Imperial Majesty has issued an imperial decree. We are to minimize casualties at all costs.”
The decree from Emperor Stuttgart was something Lieutenant General Gimok couldn’t understand.
Why?
It was all because the empire had always crushed their enemies in overwhelming fashion, even if it meant willingly placing themselves at a disadvantage. This had always been the preferred method used by the empire, as it would serve as an example and a deterrent to those who dared to even think about going up against the imperial army.
And yet now, they were to hold the line?
As much as Lieutenant General Gimok disliked the command, an imperial decree was absolute, so he had no choice but to do as commanded.
The deputy commander stepped up and said with a smile, “It is all because His Imperial Majesty treasures the lives of our men.”
“We are eternally grateful for the grace of our glorious liege!”
“His Imperial Majesty’s grace knows no bounds!”
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
“Long live the Marchioni Empire!”
At that, the high-ranking generals present in the war council all turned toward the flag of the Marchioni Empire and saluted as they shouted in unison.
“Glory to the Marchioni Empire!”
“Glory to the Marchioni Empire!”
“Glory to the Marchioni Empire!”
These men would rather choose to die in battle than admit that the empire was in a spot so precarious that they had to reduce casualties in every battle from now on. Their pride, unwavering faith, and supreme confidence in the empire were simply too absolute.
Time passed...
And then, just as the Holy Alliance advanced to the very doorsteps of Pallas Fortress...
“Bombard them without mercy when they enter the range of our artillery,” Gimok gave his command while keeping his eyes fixed on the swarm of enemy forces stretching out in the distance.
Beside him, a steaming cup of black tea sat quietly, its fragrant aroma rising.
A massive army of half a million? It did not matter in the slightest bit.
To Lieutenant General Gimok, they were nothing but objects that would soon be wiped off the face of the world by the empire’s firepower.
But then—
“S-Sir! Unusual readings detected in the enemy ranks! Warp gate frequency is spiking out of control!”
A came in all of a sudden.
Wooong! Wooong!
And then, Lieutenant General Gimok saw it.
Something strange was happening right in the heart of the Holy Alliance’s formation.
Right above their encampment—
Bzzt! Bzzzt!
The air itself began to crackle and distort.
Then, an explosion of sparks burst forth wildly.
What followed was even more shocking...
The space cracked open, and from within that void, a colossal golden gate slowly emerged, as if tearing through the sky itself.
“What in the world is that...?” Gimok muttered, his gaze fixated on the majestic golden gate.
Creak...!
The golden gate swung open, and then
they
appeared.
“Face the wrath of the heavens!”
“Receive your judgement, wicked heretics!”
“Death to all heathens!”
Tens of thousands of Fallen Angels flew out from the Celestial Gate, soaring directly toward the Pallas Fortress.
Ziiiing!
The Immortal Battleships and the anti-air artillery immediately opened fire, sending out wave after wave of laser bombardment at the incoming angels.
But it was useless...
The angels were too fast in flight to be intercepted by any of the empire’s defences.
And so—
“Foolish insects! Die!”
“This is divine punishment from the heavens!”
The angels dove straight down into Pallas Fortress, and within moments, the massacre began.
At the same time, the five hundred thousand-strong Holy Alliance army charged toward the fortress walls. They scaled the walls, fired arrows, and rammed the gates with a battering ram.
“T-This can’t be happening!” Gimok screamed in shock, his voice cracking in disbelief.
“
Aaaargh!”
“Aaaaack!”
“S-Save me!”
“Heeelp!”
The invisible imperial army of the Marchioni Empire, believed to be untouchable, was being slaughtered.
And this was the beginning of the end...
Waaaaah!
With the angels leading the charge and a half million troops behind them, the mighty Pallas Fortress began to collapse.
***
As expected, the strategic value of possessing a Grandmaster was simply overwhelming.
The battle that should have ended in a landslide victory for the coalition forces had been turned completely around, all due to the Dark Sky Lord. Using his unique ability, the Dark Sky, he allowed the Holy Alliance to dominate the battle instead.
And that was not even the end of it...
“Die. All of you.”
The Dark Sky lord rampaged through the battlefield, completely shattering the coalition forces’ formation.
To the Holy Alliance’s troops, the Grandmaster’s rampage was nothing short of a heroic epic.
The result?
“Hold the line!”
“Fall back!”
“Save yourselves!”
Even though the coalition forces had the Holy Alliance completely surrounded and were attacking from advantageous terrain, they were still forced to retreat.
They simply couldn’t overcome the critical disadvantage of being unable to use their skills, so they had no other choice but to retreat.
“Pursue them,” Cassius commanded.
He personally led the charge, relentlessly chasing down the fleeing coalition troops.
By now, Siegfried was no longer in the Dark Sky Lord’s thoughts.
Why?
It was all because he believed Siegfried had turned tail and run in fear, running for his life like a pathetic coward. Thus, the battle was now swinging toward an unbelievable victory, one that was nothing short of a miracle, for the Holy Alliance, all thanks to the Dark Sky Lord.
Meanwhile, Siegfried dashed across the battlefield and had completely withdrawn from the battle.
“M-Mom... I can’t make it...”
“P-Please, don’t... please...”
Along the way, he witnessed the pitiful deaths of countless comrades with his own two eyes.
‘
Just a little longer... hang in there, everyone.’
Gritting his teeth, Siegfried sprinted past his dying allies with only one thing on his mind—transforming into the Demon Lord of Greed and Betrayal.
“
Kyuuuu!
Where the hell are you going, owner bastard?!”
“Hey! Han Tae-Sung! Are you seriously running away right now?!”
Both Hamchi and Chae Hyung-Seok shouted after him after spotting him...
“I’m busy right now!”
Without even slowing down, Siegfried ran right past them.
About five minutes later—
Fwoooosh...
At last, Siegfried managed to escape from beneath the blackened sky and into an area where warm sunlight streamed down from above.
‘
Will it work?’
Once he was clear of it, he attempted to use a skill.
Fwaaah!
Instantly, Eternal Flames activated, as a bright crimson flame roared to life.
‘
Perfect.’
Realizing he was finally in a place where he could use his skills, he grinned.
There was only one thing left for him to do.
Rumble!
A massive amount of mana surged from his mana hall.
Fwaaah!
And demonic power whipped up and spiraled around his body.
The skill, Demon Lord’s Descent, had finally been triggered.
‘
I can’t use skills inside? Then I’ll just use them outside and walk back in.’
Unlike in the past, his debuff skills no longer affected the field itself but were now aura-based. This meant that they would still be in effect if he activated them outside and reentered the battlefield under the influence of the Dark Sky.
Fwaaah!
Seuruk!
Siegfried activated Eternal Flames and Embrace of Despair. Then, he spread all ten of his wings and soared high into the sky.
‘
Just you wait.’
There was no need for him to go searching for the Dark Sky Lord, as Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance clearly displayed his location on Siegfried’s mini-map.
Whoosh!
Siegfried flew straight toward the Dark Sky Lord’s location. He entered the battlefield shrouded by darkness, but his transformation stayed, and his debuff skills were still active.
‘Perfect,’
Siegfried thought, realizing his form was holding steady.
Thus, he infused his mana into his wings and flew even faster.
BOOOOOM!
The speed at which he cut through the sky toward the Dark Sky Lord was so extreme that it triggered a loud sonic boom, just like a jet breaking the sound barrier.
At that very moment...
“O knight of the empire.”
“
Arghk!”
“Your glory ends here. That radiant splendor you’ve built will soon crumble like a sandcastle, just like the empire you so proudly—”
The Dark Sky Lord was about to kill a high-ranking knight of the Marchioni Empire when he heard a deafening explosion from somewhere.
‘
Hm? What was that?’
His instincts screamed that a powerful force was coming toward him, prompting him to turn his head.
And the next instant—
Boom!
Siegfried, now in the form of a demon lord, landed right in front of him.
“Y-You are...!” Cassius gasped, nearly choking on his own words in shock.
He never imagined in his wildest dreams that Siegfried van Proa would return as a demon of all things.
“Hey, you said it wasn’t personal for you, right?” Siegfried sneered. Then, he said in a low chilling voice, “Well, you made it personal for me, and I’ve got a metric fuck ton of hard feelings pent-up.”
After having to watch so many of his comrades die because of the Grandmaster, how could he not have any hard feelings?
“Get ready, asshole.”
With that, Siegfried shot forward, lunging toward the Dark Sky Lord with terrifying speed.
It was time for revenge.
The Dark Sky Lord was going to pay a hundredfold—no, a thousandfold for what he had done.

Chapter 1,028