Debuff Master - Chapter 1109
Chapter 1109
“…!”
The demon lords flinched at Siegfried’s suggestion.
Attacking the Celestial Realm while the angels were away for an invasion of the Middle Realm?
“Of course, that would be the worst-case scenario. I still plan to stop them from invading the Middle Realm, so we will do what we can on the ground. But if they succeed in descending, then things will go from bad to worse real fast. Anyway, what I’m saying is that we need to be prepared.”
“By prepared… Does my lord mean the invasion of the Celestial Realm?” Belial asked.
“Exactly,” Siegfried replied with a nod. Then, he explained, “Do you remember the gate Baal was planning to use for the invasion? We can use that.”
“Hmm… That is an excellent idea,” Belial said after giving it some thought.
“You think so?”
“Yes, sire. It would be immensely satisfying to see us, demons, raze the Celestial Realm.”
“I knew you’d agree.”
“And if we succeed in invading the Celestial Realm, then it might be possible for us to reach the Middle Realm, too.”
“Huh? Really?”
“It is impossible to go directly from the Demon Realm to the Middle Realm, but we could simply use the Celestial Gate they have opened once we are in the Celestial Realm.”
“Oh! That’s true!”
“And if that works…” Belial trailed off.
Siegfried immediately grasped what it meant and said, “The Middle Realm and the Demon Realm could join forces.”
“Precisely, sire.”
“That would be a fight worth fighting,” Siegfried said with a smirk. Then, he added, “We will get crushed if we face the angels alone, but we’ve got a fighting chance if we unite with the Middle Realm.”
“Indeed.”
“That’s what I’m trying to say. If we want both realms to survive, we have to work together this time, regardless of whether we like it or not.”
“I agree completely,” Belial replied with a nod, readily agreeing that it was a wise decision.
At the rate things were going, even the demons were on the verge of extinction. What did it matter if they allied with the Middle Realm when their very existence was being threatened?
Survival came first; conquering could come later.
“Get that warp gate open and have our forces on standby. As soon as we get word that the angels have descended on the Middle Realm…” Siegfried trailed off before adding, “We’ll hit them where it hurts. We storm the Celestial Realm and burn it to the ground.”
“Ooooh!”
The demon lords couldn’t help but tremble, shuddering with a thrill they had not felt in centuries. An invasion of the Celestial Realm was something every demon had been fantasizing about.
Since the dawn of time, angels and demons had been fighting endlessly, but neither side had managed to raze the other’s home realm to the ground.
The former Demon King, Baal, had been killed by the current Chief Archangel, Lucifer, in the very heart of the Demon Realm. That event sent shockwaves throughout the Demon Realm, and morale had plummeted across the realm.
But now they had a shot at payback.
Nothing could be more exhilarating and tantalizing for the demons.
“In any case, given how the situation is…” Siegfried said. Then, he turned to Belial and called out, “Lord Belial.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“You will be in command.”
“…?”
“You will lead our demons in the invasion of the Celestial Realm.”
“I-I am honored beyond words, sire!”
With that, Siegfried officially appointed Belial as the commander who would lead the invasion of the Celestial Realm.
Even if Belial had failed to ascend to the throne of the Demon King, he would be remembered as the demon lord who led the assault on the Celestial Realm, and this was more than enough to satisfy his ambitions and secure his unwavering loyalty to Siegfried.
“Metatron.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“You will be the vice commander.”
“I am beyond honored, sire!”
Metatron was a little disappointed that he had not been named the commander, but he completely understood Siegfried’s reasoning and humbly accepted the role appointed to him.
Why?
It was all because Metatron would have died at the hands of his brother, Baroque, if it weren’t for Siegfried. And now, here he was, succeeding his father as the Demon Lord of Vengeance and being named the third-strongest demon in the Demon Realm.
This was an honor far beyond what he had ever imagined.
‘I’ve been named the vice commander of the invasion, Father…! I hope I have made you proud!’
Metatron thought of his late father as his heart swelled with emotions. Of course, no one knew for sure whether the invasion of the Celestial Realm would take place or not.
***
After instructing the demons to prepare for the invasion of the Celestial Realm, Siegfried returned immediately to the Middle Realm, but the moment he arrived…
“What the hell?!”
He was stunned as soon as he reached the capital of the Holy Alliance, Felix.
A massive crowd—no, a sea of players had gathered. The crowd easily numbered in the millions, and they had already packed the area around the outskirts of the city. Most of them had come after watching Siegfried’s livestream or reading the news headlines.
“Ah…”
Siegfried felt a surge of emotions in his chest after seeing so many players willingly rush to the front lines.
This was undeniable proof that countless gamers, like himself, loved BNW deeply and didn’t want to lose it. They had dropped everything and came running all in order to protect the game they loved.
‘Yeah, we all feel the same,’ Siegfried thought, feeling a bit teary-eyed.
He wiped his eyes and headed toward where Verdandi was located. She was standing at the boundary of Felix, her palm pressed against the barrier. She was focused, using alchemy to dismantle the barrier.
Brunhilde stood faithfully by her side, protecting her from any threat.
“Hello, darling.”
“Hi, I’m back.”
“How did it go?”
“I finished up in the Demon Realm. I made some preparations, just in case the worst happens.”
“You did well, my love.”
“But… she seems really busy right now,” Siegfried said, looking at Verdandi with concern.
“She says she can’t talk right now,” Brunhilde replied, dabbing Verdandi’s sweaty forehead with a wet towel.
Verdandi had her lips sealed tight and focused entirely on dispelling the barrier.
“Our daughter is working so hard to protect the world.”
“That’s my girl,” Siegfried said proudly with a huge, beaming smile. Then, he gently patted her back and said, “Daddy’s proud of you.”
Verdandi couldn’t speak, as she was still unraveling the seal, but she looked up and smiled back.
‘Don’t worry, Father! I’ll break this barrier quickly and do my part to protect the world!’
‘Thank you, my sweet and strong daughter.’
Both father and daughter communicated through telepathy instead. Then, the thought hit Siegfried hard, ‘I can’t lose someone this precious to me.’
If the angels managed to destroy this world, he would never see Verdandi smile again. He would never be able to hold her again or hear her voice again.
‘I have to protect this happiness no matter what.’ Siegfried clenched his fists and reaffirmed his resolve. However, defeating the angels was no easy task, even if the Middle Realm and the Demon Realm joined forces.
It’d be extremely difficult if Lucifer, who defeated Baal in a one-on-one duel, stood at the helm of the angels.
What about Siegfried? Yes, he had inherited the power of the Demon King and had become extremely powerful, but Lucifer was a monster among monsters. He was not an opponent that Siegfried could defeat easily, even if he was at his peak.
To make things worse, Siegfried’s mana hall was still riddled with cracks, so it was impossible for him to maintain his transformation for long.
‘I need power. I need something absolute that’s strong enough to face Lucifer head-on.’
Just then, Siegfried realized he only had one option left.
‘Ah, in the end… that’s my only option.’
An idea popped up in Siegfried’s head, and it was the quest “Crossroads of Life and Death.”
It was a risky quest where he could lose everything if he ended up failing.
But what if he succeeded? Then maybe, just maybe, he could obtain the power he needed to stop the angels and protect the world.
It was not just about the invasion.
Siegfried’s current state was so unstable that he would still be living on borrowed time even if they ended up winning.
Unless he became a Grandmaster and had his body reconstructed, his mana hall would eventually shatter, and he would be left a broken shell.
In other words, the Crossroads of Life and Death was a quest he had to complete no matter what.
‘I have to do it even if I’m scared. I have no other choice aside from this. Just because my mana hall is still intact doesn’t mean it’s not going to shatter later. What’s the point of playing it safe if I’m already hanging off a cliff?’
As the realization settled, his resolve strengthened.
‘After everything I’ve been through, don’t tell me I can’t land a single hit. I mean, no matter how incredible Master is, even he shouldn’t be able to dodge everything, right?’
Just then, his thoughts came to a halt. He turned to Brunhilde and called out, “Darling?”
“Yes, my love?”
“I need to go for a bit.”
“Where are you going?”
“To train.”
“Train? All of a sudden?”
“This won’t do right now. I need to break through it,” Siegfried replied. Then, he gently grasped her hand and said, “I love you.”
“Hm? Is something wrong, darling? Why do you sound like someone I might never see again?” Brunhilde asked, sensing that something was off about him.
“Not at all. It’s just that the training will be short but intense,” Siegfried replied with a smile.
He was taken aback by her sharp intuition, but he decided to put on a facade.
“Really?” Brunhilde asked, looking concerned still.
“Of course, I’ll be back soon,” Siegfried replied with a smile. Then, he turned and ran his hand over Verdandi’s head.
‘I love you, my sweet and precious daughter.’
‘I love you too, Father!’
‘I’ll be back soon.’
‘Okay!’
And with that, Siegfried left Brunhilde and Verdandi behind—perhaps for the last time—and made his way back to the Imperial Palace of the Proatine Empire.
***
Back at the Imperial Palace…
“Kyuuu… Are you going to be okay, owner punk?”
Hamchi looked up at Siegfried, his voice filled with worry.
“What if you really die, owner punk? Hamchi can’t imagine not seeing owner punk ever again… Kyuuu…”
“Ha! Who said I’m gonna die? I’m not gonna die,” Siegfried replied with a scoff, brushing the concern off.
“Kyuuu… But owner punk’s master isn’t some ordinary person. You could really die this time, owner punk!”
“I said I’m not dying,” Siegfried growled in response. Then, he shrugged and said, “And it’s not like I want to risk my life either. But look at me, I’m already a wreck. My body is falling apart and will soon crumble if I don’t do anything.”
“Kyu?”
“Even if it weren’t for those damned angels, my mana hall would still be in danger. One wrong move and I’m done. I’ll be a cripple for the rest of my life. Sooner or later, I’d have to face this trial anyway.”
“Kyuu… Still, that’s…” Hamchi whimpered, his ears drooping.
“Don’t worry, man. Do you really think I won’t land even a single hit? I’ll get one in even by sheer luck,” Siegfried smiled and gently patted the giant hamster’s head.
“But I’m still scared for you, owner punk… Kyuu…”
“I said it’s gonna be fine. Just trust me, you little rascal.”
“Kyuuu! Okay! But you must pass the test, owner punk!”
“Obviously, I will,” Siegfried replied, flashing a confident grin.
Then, he turned toward the lake where Deus was waiting for him.
‘I can do this! I have to trust in everything I experience up until now. After everything I’ve been through, there’s no way I can’t land a single blow. If I can’t even manage that, then yeah… maybe I do deserve to die,’ he hyped himself up, fueling his confidence.
The self pep talk seemed to have worked, as a fire lit within him and filled his steps with renewed confidence. He was terrified the first time he saw the quest details.
Now? Not anymore. He was now seeing it in a different way. This was a trial he had to overcome in order to protect the things that mattered the most to him, and the realization gave him peace.
Thud, thud, thud…
He marched down the path leading toward the lake with confidence in his steps.
“So, you’ve come,” said Deus. He was still sitting calmly with a fishing rod in hand.
“I greet my master,” Siegfried greeted with a bow.
“The sound of your footsteps has changed. And it seems your heart has changed as well.”
Unsurprisingly, Deus had picked up the changes that occurred within Siegfried just from the sound of his footsteps.
“Yes, Master. I have found the courage to face this trial.”
“Good,” Deus said. Then, he slowly stood up and asked, “Then, shall we begin the trial?”
Badump!
Siegfried felt like his heart had stopped, and he nearly collapsed from the intense pain.
“A-Arghh…!”
An overwhelming wave of invisible energy radiated from Deus, and it was so intense that it nearly choked Siegfried to death.
