Debuff Master-Chapter 1082

Chapter 1082
The armored giant was the largest humanoid monster Siegfried had ever seen in his life. It stood over three hundred meters tall, and it looked like it could easily take down a fully grown dragon with its bare hands.
“T-That thing is too damn big even for a giant!” Siegfried exclaimed in disbelief.
“That... is the very first creature our Father created... at the dawn of Genesis,” Michael said.
“
Eh?
What do you mean by that?”
“Protogenoi[1]. In the ancient tongue, it means those who labor.”
“So you’re saying... that giant over there is part of the Protogenoi race?” Siegfried asked.
“Correct,” Michael replied with a nod. Then, he added, “They were the very first beings that Father had created after forming the world.”
“The very first?”
“They were born even before angels and demons were born.”
“What...?”
“I’ve heard that they aided Father in completing this world when it was still unfinished.”
“Hold on. If they were such an advanced race, then why would they be stuck down here underground?” Siegfried furrowed his brow and asked.
“That’s because... they committed a sin that could never be forgiven,” Michael answered.
“A sin that can’t be forgiven? What did they do?”
“After helping to complete the world, the Protogenoi remained in the Middle Realm for some time. They managed the intelligent lifeforms that were created after that.”
“And then?”
“One day, a wicked thought formed in their heads—to rebel against Father.”
“
Whoa...
” Siegfried muttered in disbelief.
It was hard to imagine the sheer audacity of it. He couldn’t understand how any sane, intelligent creature, let alone a divine creature, could turn against their own creator despite seeing that creator with their own eyes.
“So what happened after that?” Siegfried asked.
“The outcome was inevitable. Their rebellion failed,” Michael shrugged and replied.
“Well, yeah, obviously.”
“And after that, Father destroyed the Protogenoi... and created us, the angels and demons.”
“
Ah...
”
“I never knew what became of them. I assumed that they were wiped out, but to see a Protogenos here of all places...”
“Maybe they weren’t exterminated? Maybe they were sealed down here instead?”
“That’s the only explanation that would make sense. Otherwise, there’s no way a Protogenos could be here.”
“Looks like they were punished. I think rather than just outright exterminating them, they were condemned to this place for eternity,” Siegfried said.
“I agree. To survive here for eons... That must be a punishment far worse than death,” Michael replied with a nod.
“Then does that mean the food source of these fleas—”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the distance, a swarm of Lava Cavern Fire Fleas pounced on the Protogenos. As expected of fleas, they were capable of clinging even to something as colossal as a giant standing three hundred meters tall.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Protogenos shook its body in an attempt to shake off the fleas latching onto it.
Krwaaaang!
The ground shook violently just like before. The sheer force of its weight and size was enough to cause an earthquake with every movement.
“I think this will be a tough one. Why did your wings have to be here in this monster-infested hellhole?” Siegfried grumbled.
“What else can we do?” Michael replied with a shrug. Then, he said, “I don’t know how many Protogenoi are down here, but we will have to move very discreetly if we want to avoid getting crushed to death.”
“Yeah, getting stepped on would flatten us in an instant. We will probably be flatter than a piece of paper.”
“I agree.”
“Let’s hurry up and find your wing. We’ve got nothing to gain fighting those things.”
“It’s this way.”
“Let’s go.”
Michael led the way, heading toward the Protogenos.
Following his lead, Siegfried and the others moved onward in search of the wings.
***
Siegfried’s party moved forward. They hunted down the Lava Cavern Fire Flea while doing their best to avoid the Protogenoi. Having to move discreetly slowed them down significantly, but they had no other choice.
The Fire Fleas were not particularly difficult opponents, so they could wipe them out with ease and keep moving without issues.
However, they had to move with caution when it came to the Protogenoi.
To a Protogenoi, Siegfried and his companions were smaller than ants and probably hard to notice, but it would definitely become a serious problem the moment they were spotted.
Thus, the party moved with extreme care as they searched for the wings.
[Alert: You have absorbed fire attribute energy!]
[Alert: Your Fire Resistance has increased!]
[Alert: Quest progress has increased to 44.1%!]
The more Fire Flea Liver he consumed, the more noticeable the changes to Siegfried's body became, and one of the biggest changes was that he no longer felt hot despite being so close to lava.
“
Huff... Huff...”
Hamchi covered in fur was drenched sweat and was on the verge of collapse.
“
Haa...”
“It’s a bit hot here...”
Both Shakiro and Michael were drenched in sweat as well.
However, it was different for Siegfried. He stopped sweating a long time ago, as his Fire Resistance had increased so much that he could no longer feel the heat.
But that was not all...
‘
Eh?’
Siegfried could feel that the fire-attribute energy that had always been inside his mana hall was merging with the energy he had absorbed from consuming the Fire Flea Livers.
It felt like a new red ring had formed in his mana hall.
‘
Will it be possible if I do this?’
he wondered and snapped his fingers.
Fwooosh!
A bright crimson flame surged from the tip of his finger.
‘
Whoa?’
Alongside the frost energy of the Blood Frost Orb, he now commanded fire energy as well. The Inferno Blaze Orb wasn't complete yet, but he was definitely getting there.
‘
This is awesome,’
Siegfried thought, smiling in satisfaction after feeling the increase in his strength.
“Are we going?” Shakiro asked.
Siegfried stood up and replied, “Yes, we should.”
“
Kyuuu!
Look over there, owner punk!” Hamchi shrieked and pointed urgently toward where they had come from.
Siegfried grimaced and asked. "What?"
“
Kyuuu!
They’re here!”
“They? Who?” Siegfried asked and followed Hamchi's finger. Then, he cursed under his breath, “
Ah...
fuck...”
From a distance, a massive swarm of Fallen Angels was flying straight toward them.
“Why the hell are they coming here?” Siegfried grumbled.
He quickly motioned for the party to hide, as the entire party could be wiped out if so many angels managed to discover them.
Fortunately, the angels passed by without noticing Siegfried’s party and disappeared into the distance.
“
Phew!”
Fortunately, it seemed that they had not noticed them at all.
“But what the hell are they doing here?” Siegfried scowled.
“Perhaps... they’re after my wings?” Michael said.
It was a plausible explanation, as it would not be the first time the fallen angels had tried to stop Michael from finding his wings.
“Did they catch a whiff of what we’re trying to do?”
“That seems likely. Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to come this far.”
“Damn it... Let’s go and tail them.”
“Yes, we should.”
“Those stubborn bastards—” Siegfried stopped mid-sentence as a thought flashed through his mind.
“Hold on. Why are they flying out in the open like that?” he asked, pointing at the fallen angels flying in the distance.
“
Huh?
What do you mean?”
“Look at them. And look at that Protogenos, too. They aren’t reacting to them at all. See? Like not even a little.”
He was right. Even though the fallen angels were flying like a swarm of locusts out in the open, the nearby Protogenos did not seem to care at all.
In fact, the Protogenos continued walking away, indifferent to the fallen angels.
“Do you think the Protogenos will be indifferent to us too?” Siegfried asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but... I doubt they would be friendly toward us,” Michael replied with a furrowed brow.
“Right? Hmm... Something smells fishy here...”
“Like that?”
“What if... those angels have formed an alliance with the Protogenoi?”
“...!”
Michael’s face turned ghastly pale at the sudden realization.
If Siegfried was correct, then it would be a catastrophe. There would be no way to stop the combined forces of the Celestial Realm and the Protogenoi if they managed to invade the Middle Realm.
“Let’s hurry after them. Something reeks, and if those bastards are plotting something then...” Siegfried trailed his words. Then, his eyes gleamed as he added, “Then we’re gonna ruin their little plan—completely.”
He had no intention of letting the angels carry out whatever plot they were cooking up.
***
Siegfried and his party chased after the fallen angels as fast as they could.
“I offer my greetings to the Firstborns.”
The Top-Tier Fallen Angel, Garuel, was in the midst of a conversation with the three leaders of the Protogenoi.
These leaders were colossal giants, each standing over four hundred meters tall, and they were the ones who had played a direct role in shaping the Middle Realm at the beginning of time.
In other words, they were practically gods themselves.
Of course, they were now nothing more than sinners, who had been stripped of all the divine powers they once held during the beginning of time and were condemned to live eternity trapped beneath the ground to pay the price of their rebellion.
Among the three leaders, the one who stood as their head and was their true leader was Aither.
“Angels... You’re the second of Father’s creations, correct?” Aither asked.
“Yes, you are correct, Lord Aither,” Garuel replied.
“Why have you come to us? Did Father send you?”
There was a faint glimmer of hope in Aither’s voice as he asked. It had been countless eons since Genesis, so he was hoping that perhaps the Creator was finally willing to forgive them.
“No, I was not sent by Father.”
“What? Then why are you here?”
“That is...”
Garuel began to explain what had happened. He explained how the Creator had suddenly vanished without a trace and how the angels were now preparing to launch an invasion of the Middle Realm.
“Damn it all!” Aither roared in fury upon hearing the full story. His roar was so thunderous and deafening that it shook the entire underground cavern.
A four-hundred-meter-tall giant roaring at the top of his lungs was so loud that an ordinary person's eardrums would surely burst—no, even their heart would stop instantly.
Even Garuel, a top-tier angel, winced in pain. He did not show it, but the sheer force of Aither’s voice alone had clearly dealt damage to him.
“To leave us behind in this pit and then just vanish without a word... Is that what you’re telling me right now?” Aither asked.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“That damned Creator...”
“As I have said, that is the situation right now.”
“So why have you come to us?” Aither asked again, narrowing his eyes at Garuel.
“The Chief Archangel, Lucifer, wishes to help you escape from this place.”
“...What?!” Aither exclaimed, his eyes widened in disbelief. For hundreds of thousands of years, the Protogenoi had never even imagined the possibility of escaping from the world they were condemned to stay in.
Why?
It was all because none of them had the ability to fly. Thus, hearing that someone was willing to help them escape from their prison sparked a glimmer of hope in them.
“Do you mean it? Are you sure you can get us out of here?”
“Absolutely,” Garuel replied confidently. Then, he said, “We will carry you up to the surface.”
“
Ohhh!
”
Aither trembled like an excited child at Garuel’s words.
Why?
It was all because he would gladly sell his soul if it meant escaping this prison where they were condemned to stay for eons.
1. Protogenoi means firstborn, but this is Author-nim’s world, so he gets to decide what it means. Keke! ☜