Debuff Master

Chapter 734

Krwaaaang!

The walls of the O’Toul Fortress that held firm against countless sieges finally crumbled with a resounding crash. The countless bombardments, battering rams, and relentless swarm of enemy soldiers had worn the structure down to its breaking point.

The wall had been standing firm, protecting the Proatine Alliance soldiers for days, so the fall of such a sturdy wall at the final battle was painfully disheartening and demoralizing for the soldiers.

Silence ensued for a split second.

Everyone stood in a daze.

The enemy soldiers could already feel the victory and honor that they had been waiting for. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Kill them all!”

“Destroy everything in here!”

“Kill them! Spare no one!”

“Die, you bastards! Die!”

The Zavala soldiers poured in through the breached wall section like a wave crashing down and swallowing everything in its path.

“N-Nooo!” Siegfried cried out and dashed toward the breach. He could feel his heart thumping wildly as he sprinted as fast as he could. Then, he looked back and shouted, “Hamchi! I need your help!”

“Huff...! O-Owner punk...! Hamchi is exhausted...!”

“Just one more time!”

“A-Alright... Huff... Kyuu!”

Hamchi had been tirelessly running on his magical wheel all this while, so he was utterly spent.

However, he could not ignore Siegfried’s desperate plea for help.

“KYUUUUU—!”

He squeezed every ounce of strength remaining in his body to spin the magical wheel once again, imbuing Siegfried with buffs. Unfortunately, he reached his limits, and he staggered, stumbling inside the wheel. He was too exhausted to keep it turning.

“O-Owner punk...! Hamchi is sorry... Huff... Hamchi can’t... move anymore...!”

“Don’t worry about it! You’ve done enough!”

“Kyuu... But Hamchi wanted to help more...”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you. You’ve done your part, so rest and leave the rest to me.”

“But owner punk still needs help... Hamchi have to—”

“It’s alright. You’ve done enough! Just take it easy!”

Hamchi’s eyes looked sullen at the fact that he couldn't help more, but Siegfried reassured him as he charged toward the breach. He did not even have the luxury to stop and check on Hamchi, as the situation was dire.

The allied forces would get massacred if they failed to block the breach.

Siegfried took a deep breath and activated Eraser Swarm, unleashing his potent radioactive energy at the approaching waves of enemies. Then, he placed Blaze Field and Shadow Hell on the breach in an attempt to stop more enemies from coming in.

Shiiik! Shiiik!

Hiss! Hiss!

Blaze Hydras, Frost Hydras, and Night Stalkers emerged from the debuff field, and they immediately started pouncing on the Zavala soldiers, mercilessly tearing through them like a pack of hungry beasts.

The scene of Siegfried’s debuff fields and his summoned creatures wreaking havoc and slaughtering the Zavala soldiers was nothing short of carnage.

Thud!

“Gah!”

Smack!

“Ack!”

Bam!

“Arghhh!”

Each swing of his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp was lethal. The Zavala soldiers attempted to push their way into the breach, but the defense Siegfried had put up made it impossible for them to do so.

A Zavala knight captain shouted, “Rip the scrolls!”

The knights took out scrolls that would temporarily increase the user’s Poison Resistance and ripped them at their captain’s command.

“Onward, men!” the knight captain ordered.

The knights charged bravely into the Eraser Swarm, but what awaited them were indescribable shadows that prevented them from moving freely within the thick, noxious green fog as well as the range of the debuffs.

They struggled with all their might against the clinging shadows, but most of them succumbed to the deadly radiation as soon as the scroll’s effect ended.

Some of the Zavala knights gnashed their teeth and pressed past the Night Stalkers, but what awaited them was far more sinister than the shadows from the ground.

Hiss!

Shwiik!

Hiss!

They were met by the blazing fury and icy wrath of the Blaze Hydras and Frost Hydras that spat searing flames and freezing gusts, causing tremendous damage and debuffing them as well.

“Keep going! Just a little more!”

“Argh!”

“Push! We’re almost there!”

A handful of knights managed to overcome both the radiation and summoned creatures, but they found themselves battered and weakened by the time they got through the breach.

Whoosh!

Unfortunately, what awaited them was Siegfried, who had his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp in hand and fury raging in his eyes.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Siegfried swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp and smashed their heads open. Those who managed to block the blows with their swords or armor suffered lethal wounds, and their final words before succumbing to their injuries were full of disbelief.

“H-How...?”

“What kind of... monster are you...?”

“M-Monster...!”

Siegfried was truly a nightmare for the enemy. He was a terrifying menace that killed every single enemy in his path without any mercy.

He took a few steps forward until his back was against the broken section of the wall, and standing all alone, he blocked the incoming Zavala forces trying to enter into the breach.

He did not utter a single word, as his unwavering fiery gaze was more than enough. The silence combined with his expression affected the enemy’s morale far more than any battle cry could.

“H-How do we get past that demon...?”

“This is crazy!”

“No! I can’t do this!”

“I don’t want to die like this!”

The Zavala soldiers stood still, completely immobilized by fear. Siegfried’s sheer aura combined with his steadfast calmness intimidated even the most disciplined of soldiers.

At this very moment, his mere presence was more than enough to crush the spirits of the hardened soldiers of the Zavala Kingdom.

***

Ironically, Siegfried did not mean to intimidate the enemy by not saying anything or remaining expressionless. He was simply far too exhausted to utter a word or even sift his facial muscles.

It wasn't just the in-game character, Siegfried van Proa. Han Tae-Sung, the player, had reached his physical limits as well. He was too tired to even open his mouth, so he was not in the mood to mouth anything threatening to his enemies.

All he wanted to do—no, he had to channel all of his remaining strength and concentration into one thing and one thing only—defend the fortress from the enemy.

[Siegfried van Proa]

[HP: ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜]

[Mana: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜]

[Stamina: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜]

He had long run out of Mana and Stamina, and neither did he have any potion remaining in his inventory. He was literally standing on his last leg with just his will and determination to push back the invaders.

Fortunately, the Zavala soldiers had no way of knowing about his current situation, so they were gripped by overwhelming fear and started retreating.

“I-I don’t want to die!”

“This is suicide!”

“I’m outta here!”

The soldiers started retreating back, but some voices cut through their cries, making them stop in their tracks.

“Stand aside!”

“Clear the way, you lot!”

More than two hundred Iron Knights emerged, marching toward the breach in the wall guarded by Siegfried. They were additional reinforcements who had arrived through a warp gate, unlike the ordinary soldiers.

While it was impossible to transport large forces due to the limitations of a warp gate, it was possible to send small contingents of two to three thousand people. Of course, that was still a challenging feat.

The arrival of the Iron Knights was something that was expected, but the real problem was Siegfried's current condition.

‘Why is it now of all times...?’ Siegfried gritted his teeth and glared at the elite warriors of the Zavala Kingdom marching toward him.

Their presence alone was more than enough to pressure Siegfried, but he couldn't give up here—Not now when so much was at stake.

“Die!”

“We shall end you here today, Siegfried van Proa!”

The Iron Knights lunged forward and raised their weapons. Siegfried responded by clutching his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp and swinging it with all of his strength.

The only thing he could rely on was the weapon in his hand. His Mana had completely dried up, so he could not use any of his debuff fields or skills. All he had at his disposal against the Iron Knights was his basic attacks and the combat style drilled into him.

‘I won’t let even a single one of them through. No way.’ Siegfried gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. He was determined to fight even with his teeth if his hands failed him, and he charged into battle armed with only his grit and determination.

Whoosh!

Bam!

Smack!

How long had he been fighting? Time seemed to blur as Siegfried fought until he was soaked in blood. He hacked his way through wave after wave of Iron Knights.

At some point, he swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp only to hit nothing but air. This caused him to glance around and notice the absence of enemies before him.

“What the...?”

A chill ran down his spine.

Corpses.

There were dead bodies strewn across the ground in every direction. He had slain so many in a dazed state that he didn't even realize the fact that he had just committed a massacre.

His display of combat prowess was truly frightening and worthy of being mentioned for years to come, but unfortunately, his efforts were all in vain.

Why?

It was all because the scales of the battle at O’Toul Fortress were tilting toward the Zavala Kingdom.

Krwaaaang!

Another section of the fortress wall crumbled in the distance, but that wasn't the last of it.

Baaam! Baaam! Baaam!

Thuuuuuud!

The steel gate tilted before collapsing to the ground, allowing the Zavala soldiers to flood into the fortress.

‘I have to... stop them...!’

Siegfried saw the chaos unfold at the gate, so he tried to move to stop it. Unfortunately, his body was already at its limit, and it refused to obey his command. His legs quivered as if they were trembling from extreme cold, and the hand gripping the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp throbbed with agonizing pain.

It was then.

Whoosh...!

His vision blurred, and he tilted sideways.

Clack!

He stabbed his weapon into the ground, bracing himself, and he fell on one knee to keep himself from sprawling on the ground.

It was clear to everyone that he had already reached his limit. He was too worn out to even remain standing, let alone continue fighting.

“W-Watch out!”

“Approach him with caution!”

“Slowly! Be careful!”

“He might make a last stand! Keep your eyes peeled!”

The Zavala soldiers formed a circle around Siegfried and carefully closed in after seeing him in a weakened state. The sheer display of carnage he showed earlier had caused the soldiers to be wary of him, but their worries were in vain, as he no longer had the strength to stop them.

‘Damn it! My character won’t move!’

Han Tae-Sung struggled hard to control his character, Siegfried van Proa, but his attempts were futile. He was now completely surrounded while the O’Toul Fortress was mere moments away from falling into the hands of the Zavala Kingdom.

Thus, the final moments of the war ticked by, and it seemed that the Zavala Kingdom would emerge victorious.

***

The fortress walls had fallen, and the gate had been breached. The Proatine Alliance soldiers were exhausted beyond measure, and they were now on the brink of being defeated by the Zavala Kingdom.

Among the exhausted defenders were Siegfried, Lohengrin, Nanuqsa, Beggarius, and even Duke Decimato. All of them had exhausted what little strength they had remaining, and any further resistance seemed impossible.

“Ahh...” Oscar muttered weakly after seeing the enemy soldiers flood into the fortress.

Her men were slaughtered one by one, and the end seemed near. Once the Zavala Forces had occupied the fortress, it would be the end for the Proatine Kingdom.

“Is this... how my homeland will fall...?” Oscar murmured in a daze, refusing to believe the sight in front of her.

It was then.

Flaaaash!

A powerful burst of light erupted, and a golden beam shot up into the sky, towering over the entire battlefield.

Oscar turned toward where the golden beam was coming from and saw a gentle golden glow spreading from the pillar of light. The wave of golden light engulfed the Proatine Alliance soldiers, including Oscar.

“...!”

Oscar’s eyes shot wide open as the radiant light enveloped her. She was in disbelief, as she could feel strength surging throughout her.

Fatigue? Exhaustion? They had all vanished without a trace. Her depleted Mana rapidly filled up; her HP and Stamina were quickly recovering as well.

“W-What is going on...?” Oscar muttered, completely stunned. Then, she looked at the source of the golden pillar of light only to find no one there but Siegfried.

He was engulfed in golden flames, but he was silent and unmoving.

“Your Majesty?” Oscar called out. Before her voice could even reach Siegfried, an explosion of golden energy erupted from Siegfried, and it swept outward in all directions.

And then... a miracle unfolded.

***

Thirty seconds earlier, Siegfried was fighting against his exhausted self; he was desperately trying to move.

Hum! Rumble!

At the outermost layer of his mana hall, a power of divine nature surged forth, spinning violently around his core.

And then—

Flaaaaash!

The divine energy around his mana hall exploded, erupting into a blinding column of light.

Then, a string of messages popped up in front of Siegfried's eyes, covering his vision.

[Alert: Your Divine Power is surging out of control!]

[Alert: Your HP has been restored!]

[Alert: Your Mana has been restored!]

[Alert: Your Stamina has been restored!]

[Alert: Your Divine Power is blessing your allies!]

[Alert: Your allies have recovered their HP, Mana, and Stamina!]

[Alert: Divine Power has granted you miraculous powers!]

[Alert: You have obtained the buff – Hero Time!]

[Alert: All of your stats are increased by 500% while Hero Time is active!]

[Alert: 4 minutes and 59 seconds remaining!]

[Alert: 4 minutes and 58 seconds remaining!]

[Alert: 4 minutes and 57 seconds remaining!]

Siegfried had no idea what was going on, but it didn't matter.

“T-This is insane...”

The sheer magnitude of power surging within him gave him goosebumps and made his skin prickle. His stats had just increased by a jaw-dropping five hundred percent, and it was all from a single buff.

The buff, Hero Time, elevated his combat prowess beyond the level of a Master, boosting him all the way to the doorsteps of the door to the realm of Grandmasters.