Debuff Master - Chapter 1113

Chapter 1113

Just as Siegfried was about to make his way to Felix…

“Your Imperial Majesty!”

Quandt came running, yelling desperately toward Siegfried, who was flying fast in the sky.

“Please wait a moment! Your Imperial Majestyyy!”

“Kyuuuu! You damn owner punk! Are you just gonna leave Hamchi behind?!”

Quandt was not alone, as Hamchi, too, was sprinting after him, panting while shouting at the top of his lungs.

Siegfried, who had been flying toward Felix, changed directions in mid-air and turned toward the two of them.

“Kyaaaak! Were you really going to ditch Hamchi?!” Hamchi snarled, his fur standing up.

“M-My bad! Things were just so hectic and urgent that I got too focused on getting there as fast as I could.”

“Kyaaak! You traitor! Not a shred of loyalty in you! No honor!”

“I won’t leave you behind again, I swear. Sorry, man,” Siegfried said and gently patted the giant hamster on the head.

“So you finally managed to break through the wall, owner punk? Kyuuu! I can feel it! Your aura is way stronger now!”

“Yeah, I did. I told you not to worry, didn’t I?” Siegfried replied with a smile.

“Kyuuu! That’s right! Hamchi knew you could do it! But Hamchi’s heart would’ve been broken if you had really died! Anyway! Congratulations, owner punk!”

“Haha! You little rascal.”

Quandt approached him and said, “Congratulations, sire.”

Having heard the exchange, Quandt already deduced that Siegfried was finally a Grandmaster.

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Quandt. You’ve always given me the best gear possible,” Siegfried replied, giving a small bow to show his appreciation.

“Not at all, sire! I am the one who should be grateful that Your Imperial Majesty continues to use the artifacts I have crafted!”

Quandt truly meant what he said, as the Bavarian Workshop had now risen above both the Autonika Workshop and Mercedes Workshop in recent days, solidifying their position as the number one workshop of the continent.

Not only were they the best-selling workshop, but they had also clinched first place in the Consumer Satisfaction Index, earning themselves the highest brand value. As a result, the days of giving out discount events were now long gone, yet profits still rose dramatically.

In fact, their fame had risen so much that even the second-hand artifacts held their value far better than other brands in the market.

This was all thanks to Siegfried.

The fact that Siegfried consistently used the Bavarian Workshop’s artifacts had spread like wildfire.

These days, it was a trend among Adventurers to follow in Siegfried’s footsteps and use the artifacts from the Bavarian Workshop.

People believed that a part of his success could be attributed to the synergy between him being a skilled warrior and the skilled blacksmith supplying him with quality artifacts.

This was the organic marketing effect most workshops were after, and why they were willing to supply powerful warriors with artifacts for half the price or completely free.

“Here, please take this,” Quandt said, pulling out a set of armor from his inventory.

[Transcendent Demonform Set]

[An upgraded version of the Demonform Set crafted to protect the mana hall and allow the user to fully harness their powers.]

After hearing that the Demonform Set he had crafted for Siegfried ended up getting destroyed, Quandt rushed to craft a new one

“As you can see, it is for single-use only, sire,” Quandt said.

The Transcendent Demonform Set had a durability rating of just one, which meant that it could only be used once.

“I did not have time to reinforce its durability. But for now, at least this should serve you in a single battle.”

“Thank you, truly,” Siegfried replied, genuinely grateful.

After all, since his Demonform Set was destroyed, he had been wearing whatever gear he had on hand, one that could be called a Daiso Item Set[1].

Thus, getting a proper armor set now couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I’ll use it well.”

“No need to thank me,” Quandt shook his head and replied. Then, he added, “When you return, I will craft you a true masterpiece, one that would be the greatest work of my life.”

“Really?”

A warrior of your caliber deserves the finest artifact out there. I already have the blueprint prepared, so all that is left is for Your Imperial Majesty to return safely.”

“Okay, got it,” Siegfried replied with a smile and took the armor set.

[Alert: You have obtained Transcendent Demonform Set!]

Right then and there, Siegfried equipped the armor set and let Hamchi climb onto his shoulder.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Quandt said, remembering something else. Then, he pulled out another item and handed it to him, “This is the replica you requested. Crafted at the highest quality, so no Adventurer should be able to tell the difference.”

“Ah!” Siegfried let out a gasp when he saw what it was.

The item he received was none other than the meticulously crafted replica of the Rabbit Foot of Regression.

[Alert: You have obtained the Rabbit Foot of Regression!]

Even the system didn’t indicate that the artifact was a replica, making it perfect for a little switcheroo.

‘Now that I’m a Grandmaster, too, I can finally swipe the real one off of Beowulf.’

With this, the preparations were complete.

All Siegfried had to do was make contact with Beowulf and subtly swap the pendant he was always carrying around.

“Thank you so much.”

“Think nothing of it, sire. I have only done what I must.”

“Well then…”

“Off you go.”

With that, Siegfried soared high into the sky and made a beeline for Felix.

“Your Imperial Majesty…” Quandt murmured to himself as he watched Siegfried fade into the distance like a speck in the sky. “Please save our world…”

He no longer saw Siegfried as just a business partner or a sovereign ruler. In his eyes, Siegfried was now the savior, one who would deliver the world from destruction.

***

War loomed over Felix where the barrier was being dispelled, but the atmosphere itself did not feel grim at all, thanks to the Adventurers.

“I’m gonna deal the cards now.”

“Don’t you dare cheat. I can tell when someone’s cheating just by the sound of the cards being dealt.”

“Where are all the good ones these days? The game’s too easy.”

With nothing to do during the wait, the Adventurers had set up tables all over the place and were playing Hardstone.

“Selling consumables here!”

“Loot for sale!”

“Selling Dwarf Statues way below market value! Hit me with your best offers!”

Some even opened street stalls and hawked their goods.

As always, the Adventurers—who couldn’t stand boredom—found ways to pass the time. Even in the face of an impending global catastrophe, they were playing mini-games or engaging in a little marketplace hustle.

“Unbelievable…”

After arriving in Felix and seeing the millions of Adventurers, Siegfried shook his head in disbelief. The world was on the brink of annihilation, and yet, there they were, goofing around without a care in the world.

If this weren’t peak gamer behavior, then nothing else would be.

“Whoa?!”

Just then, someone spotted him.

“It’s Siegfried!”

“Siegfried is here!”

“Ooooh!”

The news that Siegfried had appeared spread like wildfire, and Adventurers started rushing over in droves. This was only natural, as Siegfried was nothing short of a superstar among those playing BNW.

‘Crap!’ Siegfried winced.

In hindsight, maybe it was not the best idea to show himself so openly.

“Huh?!”

“Level 450?!”

“He’s a Grandmaster now!”

“Siegfried has become a Grandmaster!”

“That’s insane!”

Some of the Adventurers managed to flash their Rune of Insight at Siegfried to check his level and were shocked by what they saw.

Normally, Siegfried’s Rune of Insight was far more powerful than most low-level Adventurers couldn’t possibly peek into his stats.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten to adjust his settings after his metamorphosis, so his status window was revealed.

“Hey, let’s get outta here!”

“Kyuuuu! Got it!”

Siegfried immediately grabbed Hamchi by the scruff and vanished using teleportation.

Pop!

He wasn’t a mage-type class, but Siegfried could finally use basic teleportation that allowed him to leap short distances away.

After teleporting away with Hamchi, Siegfried made a beeline for Verdandi. Soon, he found the Imperial Guards of the Proatine Empire and his own trusted comrades forming a wall around Verdandi.

“Dear!”

Brunhilde had been standing by Verdandi’s side, and she rushed straight over the moment she heard that Siegfried had arrived.

“I’m back,” Siegfried said with a smile.

“Y-You have ascended to a higher realm?” Brunhilde asked.

She instantly sensed that Siegfried had become a Grandmaster, and it was no surprise.

After his metamorphosis, Siegfried had changed drastically. For starters, his eyes had changed from brown to a deep golden hue. His skin became fairer, and his hair became glossier and longer, flowing like shadows flickering in the darkness.

More than anything, his aura had changed completely. Before his metamorphosis, Siegfried had emitted such an intense aura that anyone could tell he was a force to be reckoned with.

Now, he emitted a calm and gentle aura. His aura was so different that, unless one paid close attention, most would think that he was just another face in the crowd.

A Grandmaster could control their aura to the extent of eliminating any unnecessary energy their bodies emitted.

“Yes, my love. I was able to push past the wall and ascend. It is all thanks to you,” Siegfried replied with a smile.

“Congratulations, my love!” Brunhilde cried out, throwing herself into his arms.

“Wow! You’re a Grandmaster now, hyung-nim?!”

“Incredible!”

“Congratulations, oppa!”

His comrades, who were nearby, all offered their heartfelt congratulations.

Among them was also him.

“Congratulations, Siegfried.”

Beowulf approached and extended his hand.

The moment Siegfried laid eyes on Beowulf’s face, it felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.

‘What the hell? Why the fuck is this bastard here?’ he growled inwardly.

Why?

The fact that Beowulf, who was strongly suspected to be the leader of the Illuminati, was here, in this very spot, was deeply unsettling.

***

‘This guy is too suspicious…’ Siegfried narrowed his eyes, deeply wary of Beowulf’s presence.

If Beowulf wasn’t the leader of the Illuminati, then perhaps he had come with pure intentions to lend a hand.

However, it was highly unlikely in Siegfried’s eyes.

‘Don’t tell me…’

He looked toward Verdandi, who was still focused on unraveling the barrier. It almost looked like Beowulf was waiting for an opening to sabotage, or worse, assassinate her.

Of course, Beowulf had yet to make any moves, so Siegfried couldn’t just jump the gun and falsely accuse an innocent man in front of everyone.

“Thank you for coming. I seem to always be in your debt,” Siegfried replied, hiding every trace of suspicion as he smiled and shook Beowulf’s hand.

“Not at all,” Beowulf replied with his trademark good-natured smile. Then, he said, “By the way, it’s truly incredible that you’ve finally become a Grandmaster. Congratulations once again.”

“You are being too kind,” Siegfried replied, waving his hand modestly. Then, he smoothly pulled Beowulf aside and guided him to a nearby table, “Come now, everyone! Don’t just stand around doing nothing. Let’s kill some time with a little Hardstone and chat a bit while we wait.”

As he spoke, Siegfried stuck close to Beowulf like gum.

He was not doing this just to keep him company or anything. It was a deliberate move to monitor him in order to keep him under constant watch so he would not even get the chance to make a move on Verdandi.

But that was not all…

Siegfried had one more trick up his sleeve.

He planned to use the unique ability of the Dark Abyss: Necklace of Greed and Betrayal to swipe the rabbit-foot-shaped pendant Beowulf was carrying—the pendant he strongly suspected to be the Rabbit Foot of Regression.

1. Daiso is like the Dollar Store. ☜