Debuff Master-Chapter 1106

Chapter 1106
“Risk everything... everything...”
Even after leaving the lake. Siegfried kept repeating those words to himself, mulling over their meaning.
He desperately wanted to become a Grandmaster.
The Demon King’s Descent had pushed his mana hall to the brink of destruction, and his enemies—the Holy Alliance and the Illuminati—were preparing to make a last stand.
The final battle that would dictate the fate of the continent would soon start, and defeating them would be far more difficult if he failed to ascend to the realm of Grandmasters before it.
However, the problem was the cost.
The price he would pay for failing the quest was far too great.
If he failed Deus’ trial, then it would be the end of Han Tae-Sung’s life as a gamer.
He had already made a lot of money and could live comfortably for the rest of his life without having to work another day. He could find a new game or do whatever he wanted in the real world.
But could that really be called "living" for Han Tae-Sung?
The thing he loved more than anything in the world right now was this game—BNW.
Everything he had built in it was dear to him. He loved the NPCs, the world, and the camaraderie with his fellow gamers.
What if his character was deleted?
It would all be over. His life would be robbed of the one thing that gave him so much joy and happiness. He would become a man who could only speak of past glories, reminiscing like some old war veteran claiming to be a legend back in the day.
All that would remain were his tales from a life that was no more...
“Damn it...”
Thus, Siegfried couldn’t bring himself to accept the Hardcore Epic Quest, Crossroads of Life and Death.
Now that he understood that Deus was asking him whether he was ready to risk everything was not simply a metaphor, he started to feel afraid.
“What should I do...? What am I supposed to do...?”
Siegfried wandered alone through the imperial palace with a heavy burden on his back.
The Hardcore Epic Quest was not merely another quest. It was also Deus' question. Basically, Deus was asking him if he was willing to face whatever trial with his very life on the line in order to grow stronger.
And for Siegfried, it was a question worth agonizing over.
***
Meanwhile, the First Red Dragon and the God of Blacksmiths, Vulcanus, suddenly felt a question nagging at him and decided to ask Deus.
“I was wondering...”
“
Hm?
What is it?”
“The trial you gave that kid.”
“What about it?”
“Don’t you think you went a bit too far?”
Vulcanus’ question was one that any reasonable person might ask.
After all, to put a disciple he had painstakingly raised and trained through such a terrifying ordeal was something that Vulcanus found bizarre.
“Was that really necessary? Couldn’t you have given him some other kind of trial? Perhaps something less extreme? I mean, you’ve invested so much in raising that boy.”
“Are you saying you
don’t
approve of my teaching methods, elder brother?”
“N-No! Of course not!”
Vulcanus frantically waved his hands and shook his head, trying his best to calm Deus down.
“I just meant that the trial seems a bit too much for the boy, that’s all! Don’t take it the wrong way!”
Deus raised a brow and spoke in a low tone, “To grow stronger, one must be willing to stake their very life on it, elder brother.”
“Y-Yeah, but still...”
“In order to wield the power of invincibility that even transcends death, one must have the hunger to wield it. Coddling him like a greenhouse flower won’t help. I mean, what’s the point of wielding that strength if it’s not forged through struggle?”
“Ahem!”
“A true master possesses not just power but an indomitable will. And willpower is the most potent energy source in this entire world. Surely you know that better than anyone.”
“I’m just worrying about the kid, that’s all...”
“Worrying about him will not help him transcend at all. Those are two very different matters,” Deus said. Then, his face turned slightly bitter and added, “There was a similar case a long time ago.”
“
Hm?
What do you mean by that?”
“It must have been about fifty years ago. There was a child born with an extraordinary gift.”
“Just how gifted is this child that you would actually say that someone is gifted?”
“A prodigy who might appear only once every thousand years.”
“I-I see...”
“He climbed to the realm of Grandmaster all on his own, without anyone’s teachings. Need I say more?”
“
Oh!
To think such a prodigy existed!”
“But that boy...” Deus trailed his words. Then, he shook his head and said, “No, I suppose there’s no point in bringing that up now.”
“
Huh?
Wait, what? Are you really stopping there?!”
“Yes, I am.”
“But you just got to the interesting part! You never told me you had another disciple!”
“Let’s drop it. He was a painful memory, and I won’t let you turn him into your tea.”
“O-Okay, I get it.”
Vulcanus immediately clammed his mouth shut after realizing that Deus was in a bad mood. He knew full well that he would end up getting punched in the face if he were to push the envelope any further.
***
The Allied Forces swiftly regrouped after their victory at the Last Fortress and were now preparing to advance toward the capital of the Holy Alliance.
Under the direction of Duke Decimato, the mages began inscribing a gigantic warp magic circle.
The plan was for the Allied Forces to use this large-scale warp magic circle and surround the Holy Alliance’s capital instantly.
It was expected that the operation would proceed without a hitch, as there were no obstacles standing in their way.
The troops that landed on the shores of the Holy Alliance had already marched toward the capital, and the towers that controlled the warp gate frequencies had already fallen into the hands of the Allied Forces.
All they had to do now was wait for the magic circle to be completed.
“You seem to be burdened with heavy thoughts, sire.”
Meanwhile, Oscar noticed that a deep shadow had cast across Siegfried’s face.
The war was as good as won, and all that remained was to deal the finishing blow, yet why did he seem to be troubled?
Siegfried snapped out of his thoughts as if waking from a trance and asked, “
Ah,
I didn’t notice you there, Oscar. Do you need something from me?”
“You seem troubled, sire,” Oscar replied, looking concerned.
“Me?”
“You look like you are in deep thought about something.”
“
Ah,
I’ve got some things weighing on my mind.”
“May I ask what troubles my lord?”
“It’s nothing serious,” Siegfried replied with a shrug. Then, he asked, “What do you think would happen if I disappeared, Oscar?”
“Pardon...?”
“I mean, what if one day I vanished and never came back? Suppose... I died?”
“T-That would be... truly unbearable.”
“Would it?”
“I could never forget Your Imperial Majesty. I would spend the rest of my life remembering my lord with longing.”
“That sounds just like you, Oscar. Always so loyal.”
“Everyone who knows my lord would feel the same as I do.”
“
Haha!
I doubt
everyone
would,” Siegfried said with a chuckle. Then, he smiled and added, “I appreciate your kind words, though.”
“But why would my lord say something like that...?”
“It’s nothing. I just had a few things running through my mind. Don’t mind me, and please continue the strategy meeting,” Siegfried shook his head and smiled. Then, he stood from his seat and said, “As for me, I’ll be taking my leave now.”
With that, Siegfried left the war council chamber.
Hamchi quickly ran beside him and asked, “
Kyuuu!
What’s up, owner punk?”
“It’s just that I have something on my mind.”
“What is it?”
Siegfried sat atop one of the palace’s spires and said, “I’ve hit a wall.”
“
Kyuu?”
“I can’t grow any stronger.”
“So what now?”
“I have to pass the trial master has prepared for me. But the thing is...” Siegfried proceeded to explain the Crossroads of Life and Death quest to Hamchi.
“
Kyuuuu?!
You’re saying you could really die if you fail?!”
“Yeah... There’s no resurrecting this time. If I die, that’s it. I’m gone forever.”
“
Kyuuu!
No way!” Hamchi shrieked, shaking his head frantically. Then, he exclaimed in panic, “Why would you go die?! You can’t die! Hamchi has no one to play with if owner punk is dead!
Kyuuu!”
“I don’t want to die too, obviously,” Siegfried grumbled in response, puffing his cheeks.
“Then why?!”
“It’s just that...”
“
Kyu?”
“I have to become stronger.”
“
Kyuuu?”
“My mana hall is messed up right now. At this rate, I might not even need to transform. Just fighting as I normally do could suddenly be fatal.”
Siegfried was not exaggerating, as his mana hall was already cracked to a dangerous degree.
One wrong move and it could shatter completely.
This was the reason why his original plan had been to overcome Deus’ trial, ascend to the realm of Grandmasters, and reconstruct his body.
Unfortunately, the Crossroads of Life and Death was a brutal quest that came at the cost of his character being permanently deleted if he ended up failing it.
In other words, he was trapped.
“Think real hard about this, owner punk. Getting stronger is definitely good, but what’s the point if you die?
Kyuuu?”
Hamchi said in a serious tone.
“Yeah, I know...”
“And don’t forget, you’ve got a wife and kid now. Are you really okay with never seeing them again?
Kyuuu?”
“Of course not.”
“No need to rush it then! Train more, get stronger, and then take the trial.”
Hamchi had a point. Siegfried was not confident at all that he could even graze Deus, let alone land a clean hit.
If anything, getting even close to him would be a miracle.
He had been beaten so many times in the past that he had reached one conclusion, even brushing against Deus’ robe required risking his life.
Thus, even if he did decide to take the trial, now was definitely not the time.
He first needed to spend time training with Bruce and sharpen his senses to the absolute limit.
“I guess I’ll just sit on it for now,” Siegfried muttered, flashing a complicated look.
This was the biggest crisis in his life after becoming the Debuff Master. He had only known victory for the past three years, but now, the greatest and most dangerous trial of his life loomed before him.
***
Meanwhile, in the Celestial Realm...
“The day of your descent is almost upon us, brother,” Gabriel ed to Lucifer.
“
Hm?
Have you found my vessel?” Lucifer asked.
He was still undergoing treatment, but he appeared to be recovering quite well.
“No, we failed to secure the vessel. But must we rely solely on a vessel for you to descend?”
“Hmm... I guess you’re right.”
“Our followers are currently performing the ritual to open the Celestial Gate in the Middle Realm.”
“How long will it take?”
“If all goes smoothly, two days. If not, a week at most.”
“Excellent.”
For the first time in a while, a smile appeared on Lucifer’s face.
Until now, he had only received s of failure after failure, so it was refreshing and a welcome change for him to finally hear that something was going their way.
“But there’s one problem...”
“A problem? What is it?”
“Siegfried von Proa.”
“
Ah,
wasn’t he the Adventurer from another world who became a demon lord?” Lucifer said, as if recalling the name.
“That’s correct.”
“Why is that insignificant creature a problem?”
“They say he has become the new Demon King now. Also, he’s free to move about in the Middle Realm without restriction.”
“
Pfft!”
Lucifer chuckled. Then, without batting an eye, he mused, “Those demons sure are pathetic, aren’t they? They’re so desperate for a new Demon King that they’ve crowned that mongrel? What a mockery.”
“Will it be all right, though, brother?” Gabriel asked carefully.
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Lucifer raised a brow. Then, he glared and asked, “Are you perhaps worried that I, Lucifer, might get stopped by some half-breed Demon King?”
“T-That’s not what I meant, b-brother!” Gabriel stammered.
“You need not worry, Gabriel. I am the Chief Archangel, the one who defeated not one, but two Demon Kings. After my descent, my name will be remembered in the annals of this world’s history for eternity,” Lucifer said confidently.
However, there was something in his mind that he didn't say out loud.
‘
At least until I reduce this damned world with all of its damned realms to ashes with my own two hands...’