Debuff Master-Chapter 1097

Chapter 1097
Meanwhile, aside from the troops involved in the bombardment operation, the Allied Forces were also taking a break, just like the Holy Alliance.
While the Holy Alliance was marching relentlessly, the Allied Forces were doing the same, leaving the soldiers utterly exhausted.
The only saving grace was that they only had to move as fast as the Holy Alliance, as they just had to maintain the distance between them. Thus, even though the march was grueling, it was still mentally bearable to some extent.
However, Hansen himself hadn't been able to get even two full hours of sleep.
He was hunched over a map, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Unable to watch any longer, Oscar approached him. “You should take a break, Major Hansen. According to the s, you barely got an hour of proper rest.”
“N-No, Supreme Commander! This is the most critical time for us! I cannot afford to rest!” Hansen leapt up and saluted sharply.
“You are the one currently commanding the entire Allied Forces in the absence of His Imperial Majesty, Major Hansen. If you neglect sleep and push yourself to the brink of exhaustion, what happens to the army you lead? Remember this, Major. Your body no longer belongs just to yourself; it belongs to the Proatine Empire as well.”
“
Ah...!
”
“As a soldier, surely you understand how vital proper management of supplies is, right? It’s the same for us. We have to keep ourselves in optimum condition at all times, if we can, especially during a war.”
“But this is no time for me to rest, Supreme Commander,” Hansen said, looking desperate.
“
Hm?
And why is that?” Oscar asked.
“I have done the calculations. Based on my estimates, this cat-and-mouse game between us and the Holy Alliance will continue for another three days,” Hansen explained, pointing at the map on the table.
“So?”
“Three days—no, four at the latest. Within that time, the Holy Alliance will inevitably catch up to us.”
“Can’t we just keep retreating?”
“No, the terrain here is extremely rugged. It puts us at a disadvantage when retreating. Getting through this stretch will take time, and that will give the Holy Alliance a perfect opportunity to catch up.”
“So what you’re saying is... Based on your calculations, we will be forced into a large-scale battle at that point. Is that what you’re saying?” Oscar asked, leaning in over the map and taking a closer look.
“Exactly, Supreme Commander. Three days if we are lucky or four at most. By then, the gap between our armies will shrink by two to three kilometers. And at that point—”
“There will be no avoiding a battle.”
“Yes... If the terrain favored us like before, we can keep retreating until they are utterly incapacitated by fatigue. But this time, the terrain is not on our side. If we could just get past this one stretch, all of our problems would disappear. But there is simply no other way around it.”
“Not even with your brilliant strategies?”
“Unfortunately... No matter how many times I run the numbers, all scenarios eventually lead to us clashing against them.”
“
Hmm...
”
“There will be a massive battle. I have run through the possibilities a hundred—no, a thousand times over. But I reach the same conclusion every single time. No matter which route we take, it always leads to a showdown with the enemy...” Hansen said without a shred of doubt in his voice.
Thud!
Then, he pointed at a point on the map known as the Namtat Gorge, where an old fortress called the Last Fortress was located.
“...right here.”
The Last Fortress blocked the main road running through Namtat Gorge and was made up of five defensive walls.
Once the final defensive line of an ancient kingdom, it was known as one of the five greatest impregnable fortresses on the entire continent. That said, it had long been abandoned and had become a mere tourist attraction.
“The Last Fortress in the Namtat Gorge. That is where we will have to face the Holy Alliance.”
“Well, it is a solid defensive position from a tactical point of view.”
“Yes, but the difference in numbers is overwhelming. They outnumber us nearly three to one. We would still be in serious danger even with the defenses of the Last Fortress.”
“I see.”
“Which is why—”
“You’re saying we need to weaken them even more before that battle.”
“Exactly,” Hansen replied with a nod.
That was the key.
To inflict as much damage and wear down the Holy Alliance as possible, before the inevitable large-scale clash that would erupt within the next four days.
***
The effects of the title, "Demon Lord Hunter," were undeniable.
And talk about perfect timing!
While wandering through the Maze of Evil to test the power of his new title, Siegfried happened to run right into none other than the Demon Lord of Wrath, Azmodan.
“You son of a bitch!” The moment Azmodan laid eyes on Siegfried, his rage erupted like a volcano, causing him to charge at him while spitting out a barrage of curses. Back at the meeting hall, he was caught off guard by Siegfried’s ambush and was overwhelmed, but it would be different this time in the Maze of Evil.
Azmodan did not believe—not for a second—that he was weaker than Siegfried. He was determined to pay him back for the humiliation he had suffered, but...
“It’s great to see you again, you hot-headed freak!”
Siegfried immediately activated Embrace of Despair, slowing down Azmodan. Then, he immediately unleashed Karma Flare, applying powerful debuffs to the Demon Lord of Wrath.
“
Arrrghh!”
Azmodan roared in agony from the flames. He was a demon lord, so he didn't take massive damage from it. However, the fact that Siegfried could actually hurt him at all was significant.
The fact that Karma Flare was able to injure even a demon lord proved just how powerful it truly was.
Siegfried turned to Azmodan and casually asked, “Hey, did you know that anger management is not a mental illness?”
“
A-Argh?”
“That’s not a mental issue... it’s a physical one.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
“What I’m saying is...” Siegfried muttered, tapping his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp transformed into the form of a bat. Then, he flashed a sinister grin and said, “Psychiatric treatment isn’t what you need, my friend. You need physical therapy.”
“What do you mean by—”
“Like this.”
Whoosh! Bam!
Siegfried activated Crushing Tremor and began administering
physical therapy
to Azmodan.
[Crushing Tremor]
[Imbues the user’s hands or weapon with powerful energy.]
[While active, Basic Attacks deal 250% increased Damage.]
[Each successful hit unleashes a powerful shockwave that deals massive area-of-effect damage.]
[Additionally, the energy unleashed by the shockwave spreads outward, applying a slow effect to all enemies on hit.]
[Type: Active Skill (ON/OFF)]
[Cooldown: None]
[Range: 7 meters radius (increases with skill level)]
[Current Skill Level: 0]
[Mana Cost: 2% of total mana per hit]
[Damage Output]
— First Strike: 250% of Basic Attack Damage
— Splash Damage: 350% of Basic Attack Damage
It was the perfect skill for turning basic attacks into a therapy session that would cure Azmodan’s rage disorder, at least according to Siegfried.
“
Argh! Aaaagh! Graaah!”
“Wow! The patient seems to be really enjoying the treatment!”
“Y-You crazy bastard!”
“
Eh?
No improvement? Okay, let’s ramp it up a notch.”
“
AAAAAGH!”
Azmodan shrieked in agony as Siegfried beat him senseless without mercy. Even under normal circumstances, Siegfried would be a tough match for Azmodan. However, the title "Demon Lord Hunter" was boosting his power to the extent that even Azmodan stood no chance against him.
“S-Stop! Please! Stop!”
“Are you feeling better now, sir?”
“I-I got it! I was wrong! I-I was–
aaack!”
With that, Siegfried completely cured Azmodan of his so-called Intermittent Explosive Disorder[1] using the most effective yet brutal
treatment method
imaginable.
Of course, just because Azmodan was begging for mercy and had admitted his wrongdoing didn't mean Siegfried was going to forgive him.
Siegfried grabbed Azmodan by the hair and whispered, “If you so much as try to pull this crap again the next time we meet, you’re really gonna regret it. Got it?”
“O-Okay, I-I... g-got it,” Azmodan stammered in response.
“I won’t be this gentle next time.”
With that final warning, Siegfried threw Azmodan to the ground.
Baaam!
Azmodan crashed into the ground, reducing his HP to zero.
A bright light engulfed him, forcibly transporting him to District Zero.
[Alert: You have leveled up!]
[Alert: You have reached Level 445!]
Just like that, Siegfried leveled up once again.
‘
I’m almost there.’
Rather than rush into the heart of the Maze of Evil in search of the legacy left behind by Demon King Baal, Siegfried decided to focus fully on hunting the demon lords for now.
He only needed to take down four more to hit Level 449 and finally face the wall that awaited him.
***
Meanwhile, the Allied Forces were retreating to avoid direct clashes with the Holy Alliance while continuing their guerrilla tactics.
At the same time, they occupied the abandoned Last Fortress in advance and began reinforcing it in preparations for the upcoming all-out war.
During this period of time, the Holy Alliance became utterly exhausted due to the relentless forced marches and the constant harassment from guerrilla warfare.
In fact, it had gotten so bad that deserters were fleeing in the thousands.
“W-We have a problem, sir! There are signs of rebellion brewing among the troops!”
“Damn them all to hell!” Deldelos roared, growing increasingly frustrated as his own soldiers started refusing to act according to his commands.
However, this was inevitable, as the actual conditions of the soldiers were simply far worse than what he, as the commander, thought.
“So is this how it all ends? Like a dog chasing chickens...”
It was then.
“Sir! A large shipment of supplies has just arrived from headquarters!”
“Supplies? Why would shipments arrive now? This could hinder our march instead.”
“These aren’t your typical supplies, sir!”
“
Hm?
”
“We brought a sample for you to test, sir.”
The lieutenant stepped forward and handed Deldelos a syringe filled with a milky white fluid.
“What is this?”
“It’s a combat stimulant that the leadership has authorized to be distributed to all troops, sir.”
“A stimulant?”
“Yes, sir. Once injected, the soldiers are said to gain explosive strength for an entire week.”
“Explosive strength? Just how powerful are we talking about?”
“They claim that an average foot soldier could take down a knight, sir.”
“What?!” Deldelos exclaimed, flinching in shock.
It would take at least five soldiers to bring down a single knight. But if a single soldier could suddenly gain the power to defeat a knight, then the stimulant’s effect was nothing short of extraordinary.
And the fact that it lasted for a whole week was a massive advantage, too.
“What about the side effects?” Deldelos asked. He was asking a very important question, as there was no way something this potent would not come with a price.
“They will end up disabled, sir. I heard that after a week... they will lose the ability to use mana ever again.”
“
Hmm...
” Deldelos fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he said, “Let’s be honest here. An average foot soldier will live and die without ever once wielding mana, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many units were delivered?”
“Five hundred thousand, sir.”
“Distribute them immediately to the five hundred thousand soldiers who don’t have the ability to channel mana. But not a word about the side effects, got it? There’s no need for them to know that much.”
“As you command, sir!”
And with that, Deldelos authorized the distribution of the combat stimulant to five hundred thousand soldiers.
‘
That should do it,’
he thought with a grin, feeling that he had already won the war.
Against five hundred thousand soldiers enhanced by the combat stimulant, the fortress where the Allied Forces were huddled in would surely be overrun in the blink of an eye.
Finally, the all-out assault Deldelos had been waiting for was about to begin.
1. Apparently, anger management issue has a scientific name. More info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_explosive_disorder
☜