Debuff Master-Chapter 881

Siegfried ate for another five minutes to replenish his calories. He was able to focus only on eating, thanks to Hamchi buying him time.

As a result...

[Alert: You are no longer afflicted by the Aura of Famine!]

[Alert: Status Ailment has been lifted!]

He was finally free from the crippling debuff of the Aura of Famine.

“Phew!”

He could finally stand on his feet. His legs were sturdy, his eyes were clear, and his hands that were trembling from having low blood sugar levels were now still.

His body was overflowing with strength.

“You’re dead now,” Siegfried growled, grabbing his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp and running toward the battle.

Meanwhile...

“You filthy little sewer rat!”

“Kyaaaa! Who you calling a rat?!”

“Die already!”

“Kyaaak!”

Hamchi was putting up a good fight against Mengistu, but he was gradually being overpowered. Although he was immune to the Aura of Famine, Hamchi could not defeat the Black Knight of Famine alone.

“Hey, Hamchi! Good job! Get back and leave this to me!” Siegfried called out as he charged toward them.

“Kyuuu! Got it!” Hamchi replied.

He quickly retreated and summoned the magical wheel once more to cast buffs on Siegfried.

“Argh! You annoying pests!” Mengistu roared in frustration before quickly trying to mount his black steed.

However, Siegfried was even faster.

Boom!

He threw his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp at the Black Knight of Famine and struck him squarely in the chest.

“Gaaah!”

Mengistu was sent flying into the air.

Wooong!

Siegfried immediately activated Discharge to enhance the range and power of Embrace of Despair.

Mengistu staggered to his feet and roared, “It’s useless!”

The Black Knight of Famine unleashed his Aura of Famine toward Siegfried once again, but Siegfried was unfazed.

“Nah, you’re the one who’s useless,” Siegfried sneered.

He pulled out a bottle of Mint Chocolate Ade from his Inventory and gulped it down the moment he was struck by Aura of Famine.

‘Mint Chocolate Ade is loaded with chocolate, so not only is it high in calories, but it also can be absorbed pretty quickly. Plus, it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Not to mention, it tastes absolutely amazing!’ Siegfried praised the drink.

Mint chocolate was a questionable flavor, but his choice proved to be a wise one.

[Alert: You have been afflicted by the Aura of Famine!]

[Alert: You are no longer afflicted by the Aura of Famine!]

The aura was immediately nullified, leaving Siegfried unaffected by it.

‘This is my chance. I have to finish him off now,’ Siegfried turned his focus to Mengistu once again.

There was no room for mistakes now, as he knew all too well the repercussions would be if he squandered this opportunity.

He lunged toward Mengistu, used Discharge, and cast Eternal Flames at the Black Knight of Famine.

Fwaaah!

The fiery red flames engulfed Mengistu and completely stripped him of his defenses.

What came next?

‘It’s hammer time!’

With Overclocking activated, Siegfried swung his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp at Mengistu.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Three consecutive strikes slammed into Mengistu’s head.

Ding!

The Mark of Death appeared above the Black Knight of Famine’s head.

BOOM!

The fourth and final strike detonated the mark, delivering devastating damage.

“Gaaaah!” Mengistu let out an anguished scream.

But Siegfried was not finished.

Woooong!

He unleashed a Wave of Annihilation.

“Kuheoook!”

Mengistu’s high level spared him from disintegrating on the spot, but he still suffered immense damage that made him scream in agony.

“Y-You’ll pay for this!” Mengistu roared while staggering.

He was still under the debilitating slowing effects of Embrace of Despair, but he still desperately tried to mount his black steed.

The Black Knight of Famine decided to use the thirty-sixth stratagem–escape. He decided he was in a disadvantageous position, so he decided to retreat for now.

‘Not so fast.’ Siegfried activated Transcendent Torrential Flower Rain, summoning aura blades above him.

Shwik, shwik, shwik!

The radiant swords struck the ground, forming a cage around Mengistu and his black steed.

What happened afterward?

‘Detonate.’

Kabooooom!

A massive explosion occurred, tearing Mengistu and his black steed apart.

[Black Knight of Famine: Mengistu the Starved]

[HP: ⬛⬛⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜]

Mengistu now had less than twenty percent of his HP remaining.

Swoosh!

Siegfried infused Touch of Death into his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp and swung it straight at the Black Knight of Famine.

Boom!

“...!”

Mengistu froze in place as if time had stopped for him.

Moments later...

Ssshhhh...!

He slowly disintegrated into light particles that scattered into the air.

Siegfried had defeated the Black Knight of Famine: Mengistu the Starved, achieving the remarkable feat of slaying two of the Four Great Apocalypses that threatened the continent.

***

When Mengistu finally disappeared...

[Alert: You have gained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have leveled up!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 309!]

Siegfried gained an enormous amount of experience points and leveled up.

“Kyuuu! You did it, owner punk!” Hamchi exclaimed, scurrying up.

“What do you mean, I did it? It’s all thanks to you, you little punk,” Siegfried replied with a smirk.

“Kyu?”

“I would’ve starved to death if it weren’t for you.”

“Kyuuu!”

“You did awesome. I’ll treat you to the finest nuts when we return to the palace.”

“Kyuuuuu! I love nuts!”

Hamchi jumped up and down with joy after Siegfried promised him a reward.

‘This little guy is always so dependable,’ Siegfried thought, smiling warmly.

He was glad to know that his trusty companion could always come in clutch for him at critical moments.

Rumble!

Just then, a portal leading outside materialized in the distance.

“We don’t have much time. Let’s go, Hamchi.”

“Kyuuu! Let’s go!”

Siegfried hurried into the portal and exited the Eastern Great Rift. He did not waste any time, as he was concerned about the remaining Northern Great Rift and the Southern Great Rift.

As he emerged from the portal, the swirling rift began fading away. With the death of the Black Knight of Famine, Mengistu the Starved, the dimensional rift started disappearing as well.

‘Good. That’s two down and four more to go,’ Siegfried thought with a smile.

“Congratulations on your victory, sire!” an intelligence officer greeted enthusiastically. He had been waiting for Siegfried's return, so he was delighted to see the latter.

“What’s the situation at the other rifts?” Siegfried immediately asked about the status of the other rifts.

“Sir! The Northern Great Rift has been subdued!”

As expected, Cheon Woo-Jin and Beowulf came through. They lived up to their reputations as a Grandmaster and Master, and it was something Siegfried had expected as well.

“Does that mean the rift has disappeared as well?” Siegfried asked.

“No, sire. The Northern Great Rift is still there, but it has calmed down for now,” the agent replied.

“Hmm... I see...” Siegfried muttered, furrowing his brow at the report. Then, he wondered, ‘I defeated the Black Knight of Famine, and the rift disappeared. Does that mean the Northern Great Rift did not spawn one of the four apocalypses like mine did?’

In the end, he decided he would have to speak directly with Cheon Woo-Jin or Beowulf to get a grasp of what happened over there.

“And what about the Southern Great Rift?”

“The south... failed, sire.”

“...!”

“The party that attempted the dungeon was annihilated. Shortly after, a knight riding a crimson warhorse appeared, and the rift vanished completely.”

“Ah... Damn it...” Siegfried muttered under his breath, covering his face with his hands.

One of the four apocalypses, the Red Knight of War, had descended upon the Nurburg Continent.

“And then? What happened next?” he asked.

“Well, uh...” the agent hesitated, looking troubled. Then, he continued, “Everyone died, sire.”

“Everyone? All of them?”

Siegfried was stunned. Normally, a Great Rift would attract countless high-level Adventurers.

There were usually at least one hundred of them gathered at all times, and at times, even tens of thousands would gather.

But everyone actually died?

“But the thing is... It was not the Red Knight who killed them all, sir...”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“The Adventurers started fighting among themselves all of a sudden, and a massive brawl broke out.”

“A brawl?!”

“Yes, sire.”

“And then?”

“After the brawl, nearly everyone was dead. The Red Knight eventually killed those who survived the brawl.”

“Hmm...”

“The Red Knight casually rode off on his horse after slaughtering all of the remaining Adventurers. Our agents pursued him, but they lost his trail in the end.”

“Ah... We’re fucked...” Siegfried muttered.

Not only had the Red Knight of War descended, but they also failed to stop him before he was unleashed to the world. This was the worst-case scenario not only for Siegfried but also for the entire continent.

“Mobilize all intelligence personnel and track him down. We must find and eliminate him at all costs. Suspend all other tasks and focus solely on this,” Siegfried commanded. Then, he added, “Make sure to relay my orders to Ninetails, too.”

“Yes, sire!”

The agent hurried off to carry out Siegfried’s orders.

“Kyuuu! What are we gonna do now, owner punk?!” Hamchi exclaimed in horror.

“Well...”

Siegfried had no idea what kind of catastrophe the Red Knight of War would unleash upon descending upon the continent. While it was clear that the continent would be plunged into chaos, the scale and extent of the damage was not something he could easily estimate.

“I have no idea. But I know for a fact that we’re fucked, so we have to find the bastard and taken him down, don’t you think so?”

“Kyuuu! You’re right, owner punk!”

“Well, we managed to stop the Blue Knight of Death, so I’m grateful for that.”

This was one of the silver linings for which he was grateful. The Northern Great Rift had been placated, and they now knew that the Blue Knight of Death was the one that would descend from it.

On top of that, Siegfried had defeated the Black Knight of Famine, Mengistu the Starved.

‘I should meet with them soon,’ he thought.

He needed to speak to Cheon Woo-Jin and Yong Seol-Hwa to learn more about what happened.

“Hey, Hamchi.”

“Kyu?”

“I’m going to take a break. See you tomorrow at the palace.”

“Kyuuu! Got it!”

Leaving Hamchi behind, Siegfried logged out from the game, all while wondering about the events that had transpired in both Great Rifts.

‘What the hell happened here...?’

He needed to hear the full story of what went down in the Northern Great Rift and the Southern Great Rift.

***

That evening, Tae-Sung met with Cheon Woo-Jin, Yong Seol-Hwa, Kim Seul-Gi, Kim Seung-Gu, and the others for dinner.

The dinner took place in a private room. The fact that famous pro gamers were dining in a restaurant would not only attract fans but also paparazzi, so it would be impossible for them to enjoy even a single bite of food in peace.

As soon as everyone was gathered, Tae-Sung turned to Cheon Woo-Jin and went straight to the point.

“How did it go? Hurry up and spill the story already. What happened?” he asked.

“What do you think happened?” Cheon Woo-Jin grumbled in response, his expression looking grave. Then, he explained, “After we barely managed to clear that ridiculously difficult dungeon, our surroundings suddenly went pitch-black.”

It was the exact same phenomenon Tae-Sung experienced. The Black Knight of Famine appeared right after his surroundings changed the moment he cleared the Eastern Great Rift.

“And then the Blue Knight appeared?”

“Exactly.”

“Did you manage to beat it?”

“Beat it? Do you even hear yourself? I got utterly destroyed by that thing. Completely destroyed,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied, shuddering as if recalling the nightmare.

“Ah, that was a dumb question. My bad,” Tae-Sung said, laughing awkwardly and scratching the back of his head.

It was only obvious that they would lose, as defeating the Blue Knight of Death in a head-on confrontation was not something even the grandfather of a Grandmaster could accomplish.

Still, it was a bit wrong to say that they were absolutely crushed.

Why?

It was all because they managed to stop the Northern Great Rift from rampaging completely. They had lost to the Blue Knight of Death, but they stopped it from descending upon the continent.

Tae-Sung was certain that there was more to the story. freewebnσvel.cѳm

“Ah, give me a second. I’m so hungry and tired that I’m seeing stars now,” Cheon Woo-Jin said before reaching for the first dish served.

He took a bite before gulping down the glass of cola beside him.

Tae-Sung waited patiently, giving Cheon Woo-Jin the time to eat. He could tell that Cheon Woo-Jin was utterly spent from the ordeal.

“Phew...”

Having downed an entire can of cola in one go, Cheon Woo-Jin finally looked more comfortable.

“So what happened was...” Cheon Woo-Jin proceeded to explain the ordeal that they had faced in the Northern Great Rift.