Debuff Master

‘Ah… I see, so that’s how it was,’ Siegfried thought while staring at what he noticed. He finally realized the secret behind the soul fragment and clicked his tongue inwardly, ‘Tsk… It’s too bad.’

It was then.

“Die!”

The rebel soldier who had thrown the mace at the back of his head snuck over to Siegfried. He picked up his mace and tried to attack Siegfried with it.

Bam!

Siegfried swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp as if swinging a fly swatter at an annoying fly. The rebel soldier died in a single hit, and Siegfried did not even take his eyes off Count Arial.

‘You’re dead the next time we meet,’ thought Siegfried. He smirked and retreated upon finding out Count Arial’s weakness.

***

The coalition forces’ retreat was successful.

The barrage of Magic Missiles and the Blizzard cast by Duke Decimato were invaluable in preventing the rebel forces from chasing after the coalition soldiers.

On top of that, the duo—Gringore and Lamborghini were protecting the retreating troops, making it impossible for the rebel soldiers to take even a single step farther, no matter how many buffs they received from Count Arial.

The coalition forces suffered minimal casualties thanks to the assistance of the Proatine Forces.

They had lost the battle, but it was a strategic success when taking into consideration the fact that they wanted to lose the fight in the first place. Thus, it could be said that this was a successful defeat.

Meanwhile, the rebel forces relentlessly chased after the coalition forces. Most strategists would call off the chase and try to break the encirclement first and regroup after, but the rebel forces seemed to possess limitless stamina, running tirelessly after the coalition forces.

The coalition forces retreated past the Paraffin Territory. Then, they abandoned it and continued toward the direction of the Marmont Territory. Siegfried had already planned to give up the Paraffin Territory after losing the battle, so this was also a calculated move from the coalition’s side.

Soon, the sun set, and the rebel forces arrived right in front of the Paraffin Territory.

“My people! My soldiers! Lift up your eyes and watch!” Count Arial exclaimed, pointing at the Paraffin Territory.

C-Crack… Krwaaang!

The city walls suddenly cracked before completely crashing down.

“...!”

The rebels were in awe of what they had witnessed. They were so shocked that they were at a complete loss for words. Did he really just bring those walls down with mere words? Was this even possible if the said individual weren't God Himself?

“Oh! He is truly a god!”

“My god!”

“God has blessed us once again!”

“Ah!”

The rebel soldiers prostrated themselves on the bare ground, worshiping Count Arial again and again. Then, they charged toward the Paraffin Territory with sky-high morale and occupied it without shedding a single drop of blood.

***

The coalition forces retreated to the Marmont Territory, and the atmosphere was at an all-time low.

The Proatine Forces were in better shape than the crusaders, as they did not participate in the battle and only aided the crusaders in their retreat. The fact that they were not involved in the battle made them unaffected by the defeat.

However, the crusaders were the exact opposite of them.

“My god…! Have you forsaken us?”

“Is he truly God…?”

“My god! My god! Their god is with them, but why are you not with us?!”

The crusaders possessed deep faith, but even their faith was shaken after the battle against the rebels. The powers displayed by Count Arial made him look like a real god, and the crusaders felt that this holy war was between gods rather than against a heretic.

Well, their reaction was understandable, as they had personally witnessed the dead coming back to life over and over again. Thus, the mood in the coalition forces’ camp was gloomy.

“Brothers and sisters! Do not be deceived by the tricks of the heretics! That evil heretic proclaiming to be God is nothing but a demon in disguise!”

Saintess Janette went around the camp edifying and healing the crusaders. She even prayed for those who requested it, instilling renewed vigor and courage in them.

Meanwhile, Siegfried summoned the representatives and offered them his favorite Mint Chocolate Ade.

“Thank you for your hard work today, everyone. Please, have a drink, as it will help with your fatigue. That drink tastes really good. It’s like honey,” Siegfried said.

“How can you look so happy right now, Your Majesty?” Cardinal Shrink said with a stiff look, not even touching the Mint Chocolate Ade that he had offered.

“Huh?”

“I am aware that you had already predicted our defeat, but please keep in mind that we have lost a lot of men in this battle.”

“Are you referring to our soldiers’ morale?”

“If Your Majesty is well aware of that, then I implore you to consider your–”

“You don’t have to worry anymore,” Siegfried interrupted the cardinal. Then, he smiled and said, “I already figured it out.”

“Pardon me?”

“I believe I told you that we would have to clash three or five times to get a grasp of things, but luck was on our side, as I already figured it out. So—shh!”

“A-Are you certain, Your Majesty?” Cardinal Shrink asked with his eyes wide open.

“Yes, I am certain, so stop worrying and just have a good night’s sleep. Your main task now is to help our men recover their morale and nothing else aside from that.”

“Oh!” Cardinal Shrink exclaimed in awe.

Ding!

A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.

[Alert: Congratulations!]

[Alert: Cardinal Shrink’s affinity toward you has increased explosively!]

It seemed his innate ability to attract old men had triggered once again.

[Alert: Cardinal Shrink has decided to completely trust you from now on!]

Siegfried's charms had allowed him to completely "conquer" the cardinal of the Church of Martial God, Cardinal Shrink.

[Old Man Romance ♥]

[Do you want to be secret friends with Ajusshi?]

[A title awarded to those loved by old men.]

[Type: Title]

[Rating: Unique]

[Effect: +250% Affinity from old male NPCs]

It seemed that Siegfried’s titles were hard at work these days.

‘Tsk…’ Siegfried clicked his tongue after reading the string of messages, as he wasn't really happy to possess such a title.

“Since I have discovered the secret of that heretic, please do not worry anymore and just wait for me. I will find a way to defeat him,” Siegfried said and left the tent.

“Oh!”

“As expected of His Majesty, King Siegfried van Proa!”

“He’s no ordinary young man. He’s a hero gifted in both martial prowess and tactics!”

The representatives from each church could not help but be in awe as they stared at Siegfried's departing figure.

“Ahem! It seems my faith in His Majesty was not that strong!” Cardinal Shrink exclaimed, clearing his throat. He was embarrassed about the fact that he had raised his voice at Siegfried earlier.

He was so ashamed that he tried coughing the embarrassment away.

Gulp! Gulp!

The cardinal grabbed the Milk Chocolate Ade on the table and chugged it down.

“Bleuuuuurgh!”

Not even one second later, he threw up the drink while clutching his neck. He collapsed to the ground and started convulsing.

“P-Poison! An assassin has poisoned Cardinal Shrink!”

“C-Cardinal Shrink! Are you alright?!”

“Healer! Call in the healers immediately! Cardinal Shrink has been poisoned!”

“T-These drinks are laced with poison! Don’t touch them!”

The knight templars rushed into the tent and escorted Cardinal Shrink to the infirmary.

***

Siegfried left the tent and headed to the warp gate leading to the Proatine Kingdom.

Hamchi ran and jumped on his shoulder and asked, “Kyuu! Where are we going, owner punk?!”

“To dig a well.”

“Kyu?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

They arrived at the Proatine Kingdom. The first thing Siegfried did after arriving at the castle was ask the servants and maids about Deus’ current location. They told him Deus was at the lake, so he immediately went there.

“Oh?”

As always, Deus was fishing at the lake.

He smiled the moment he sensed Siegfried's presence.

“He’s doing all the right things these days,” Deus muttered out of sheer delight as if he already knew why Siegfried had decided to visit him.

“Master! I have come!”

“Welcome back. Your footsteps sound confident. I like it,” Deus said, looking at him with warm, gentle eyes.

“T-Thank you, Master!”

“So, what brings you here today?”

“Ah! I've been enlightened recently, so I have come seeking for your teachings, Master,” Siegfried said with a huge smile. He seemed happy after getting praised by Deus.

“Oh? What kind of enlightenment was it?”

“Master.”

“Speak.”

“These skills you have created are the path to invincibility.”

“They are…”

“And making my enemy weaker is the key aspect of these skills…”

“That is correct too.”

“Then, I should have a skill that would nullify any buff my opponent casts on themselves to become strong, right?” Siegfried asked

Deus burst out into a peal of laughter upon hearing him.

“Kekekeke! Kekeke!”

“M-Master…?”

“So you've graduated from spoon-feeding and can finally understand things on your own! Keke!”

“Ugh!”

“Good! Good! I couldn’t be more proud of you! Kekeke!”

Deus couldn't hide his delight, as he found Siegfried to be cute and adorable. It was rare for him to show this human side of himself, as he had already discovered the secrets and laws of the universe. This kind of reaction was truly rare for him.

‘Alright!’ Siegfried cheered inwardly at Deus’ reaction. He knew he made the right call coming to see the Level 999 Hidden NPC.

***

Siegfried had witnessed something during the retreat, and he was very certain that it was the secret behind Count Arial’s power. Unfortunately, he didn't have the right skill to deal with Count Arial—no, the soul fragment’s powers.

Thus, he decided to seek help from Deus, as he did not have enough time to level up and unlock the skills one by one. Besides, it was completely normal for a disciple to seek help from their master when in times of need, right?

Moreover, Deus was an NPC, so it was normal for an NPC to give quests to Adventurers. In addition, a BNW player could obtain quests from NPCs by appeasing them and getting on their good side.

“So you want a skill that can nullify the enemy's self-strengthening skills?”

“Yes, Master. Making my enemies weaker is definitely a superb ability, but I believe being capable of nullifying my enemy’s buffs is just as important, too.”

“Good… Excellent…” Deus muttered, looking proud of him. The reason he was proud was that Siegfried’s way of learning until now was to receive whatever he taught and obtain skills through leveling up.

However, it was different this time, as Siegfried had come to him first, wanting to learn a very specific skill. The fact that his one and only disciple had his own enlightenment and had requested something specific was a cause for joy.

“My disciple.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Why are you seeking answers from me? I believe you don’t have to ask me about that.”

“Eh?”

“You already know the answer, don’t you? You knew the answer from the very start.”

“P-Pardon me, Master…?”

“The teachings I have engraved in your head are not something that can be obtained solely through physical growth.”

“What do you mean by—”

“Why aren’t you using it if you've been enlightened?” Deus interrupted him and asked.

It was then.

Ding!

A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.

[Alert: You have acquired a new skill!]

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