Debuff Master-Chapter 872

“What if I don’t want to live the rest of my days in peace?” Deus asked, taking a step toward the duke.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Duke Kagon’s heart began to thump violently as if it would explode at any moment now.

‘T-This feeling is...!’

It was then that the duke finally realized that the old man before him was no ordinary person. He was a Master himself, but his instincts screamed in terror at the mere presence of this mysterious old man.

‘A Grandmaster? No, he’s beyond that...!’

Various thoughts raced through his mind, but he was unable to grasp the situation.

“Let me teach you some manners,” Deus said.

Before the words could even fully register in the duke's ears, a fist beat him to the punch.

Bam!

Deus’ fist slammed into his jaw.

“Gah!” Duke Kagon winced in agony. He was sent flying dozens of meters before he could even react. However, what shocked him even more was that the mysterious old man had already grabbed him by the collar before he could even hit the ground.

“Ack!”

“Let’s see how tough you are.”

“W-Wait! Esteemed Sir—!”

“I’ll make sure to teach you some good ‘ol manners.”

Deus’ infamous etiquette class began...

“GWEEEEEEK!”

For the first time in his life, Duke Kagon experienced fear so strong that it felt like his soul was being crushed by despair.

Several hours later, Duke Kagon staggered to his quarters in a daze.

“This was just a warning since it’s your first day. Be careful from now on. Or else, this great one will personally reshape your soul itself.”

The duke’s body was in absolute tatters and more resembled a ragged piece of cloth rather than a human being. Yet, strangely enough, not a single part of him was broken or torn despite all the abuse he had received.

Well, that did not mean the pain was manageable. In fact, the pain was unbearably excruciating.

‘So this is what it feels like to have your body ripped apart...’

The duke finally knew how getting ripped apart felt.

Deus’ techniques were nothing short of extraordinary. He hit him and inflicted maximum pain, but his strikes were so precise that he did not cause any serious injury. Every single one of his punches targeted Duke Kagon’s nerves while making sure they remained intact.

This was indeed a testament to Deus’ incredible technique and precision.

‘Damn it... What kind of monster is he?’ Duke Kagon growled inwardly.

It was then.

“Hey, isn’t that Kagon?”

“Kagon? You mean that talented kid from the Palom Kingdom?”

The duke turned his head after hearing a pair of old voices mention his name.

“H-Huh?!”

His eyes widened in shock after he recognized the owners of the voices. They weren't ordinary old men, as they were none other than Daode Tianzun and Betelgeuse.

“S-Seniors!” Duke Kagon exclaimed, hurriedly approaching them and bowing deeply. Then, he looked at them, looking slightly flustered, and asked, “W-What brings you here?”

“I have some matters to attend to, so I’m staying here for now,” Daode Tianzun said nonchalantly.

“Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? We’ve somehow ended up living as freeloaders here. Hohoho!" Betelgeuse replied nonchalantly.

Then, Betelgeuse asked, “But what about you? What brings you here, and why are you in that state?”

“Well, you see...” Duke Kagon proceeded to explain what had happened to him.

“Tsk, tsk...”

“Hah!”

Both of them clicked their tongues and scoffed in response.

“Everyone makes mistakes in life, but you’ve really crossed the line this time.”

“You might as well have died. Be grateful you were let off in one piece.”

Hearing this from the two Grandmasters left Duke Kagon at a loss for words.

“I-Is that elder that great...?” he asked.

“Hey, Kagon. Do you recall the other elder who’s always beside that esteemed being?” Daode Tianzun asked.

“Yes, I heard he’s the elder brother. But honestly... he’s nothing more than an errand boy from what I’ve seen,” Duke Kagon replied.

“That individual is none other than the First Red Dragon and the God of Blacksmiths.”

“What?!”

“Even dragons who became gods long ago are nothing more than lackeys to that esteemed elder.”

“...!”

“Just what were you thinking, provoking someone like him? Oh, you fool.”

“A-Ah...”

At last, Duke Kagon realized the gravity of his mistake.

“You better brace yourself from now on, Kagon. Today was only a taste of what’s to come. Tomorrow will be far more painful than what you experienced today, and it will only get worse from there,” Daode Tianzun said. Then, he turned to his side and asked, “Am I right?”

“Absolutely,” Betelgeuse replied, nodding in agreement with his eyes closed.

As someone who spent two years as Deus’ slave, Betelgeuse knew better than anyone else what lay ahead.

“Things will only get tougher for you. That’s why first impressions always matter, you know? Tsk... Anyway, I suggest ending your life with your own hands if things get too hard. That’s the only way you can escape from him—no, who knows? Maybe even death won’t free you from him,” Betelgeuse said with a dark shadow overcast on his face.

Duke Kagon felt a chill travel down his spine as if he was struck by lightning.

He initially thought he would be a hostage for a few months at most, but now, he was afraid that he would spend the rest of his life as a slave.

Just as the Sword Emperor suggested, he wondered if it was better to just die right now than to experience what his fate would ultimately be at the hands of the mysterious old man.

***

Meanwhile, the Palom Kingdom suffered devastating losses after losing the war. Out of the more than one hundred thousand soldiers they sent, a staggering seventy thousand fell in battle, and the remaining soldiers that did make it home came back with grievous injuries.

To make matters worse, all of their equipment was seized ,and not a single cannon made it back. All five hundred cannons deployed were either destroyed or captured by the Proatine Kingdom.

However, the most critical blow was Duke Kagon getting captured as a hostage.

He was no ordinary man. As a Master, his very existence was considered the most powerful weapon the Palom Kingdom could possess, and he was the kingdom’s national treasure.

A Master was worth more than one hundred thousand soldiers, so most kingdoms would do whatever it took to have one. Yet, here they were, their most prized warrior was captured and taken hostage by the enemy.

“Kagon...? Did you just say Duke Kagon has been taken hostage?” Queen Rosenn asked with sheer disbelief in her voice.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Argh...”

She let out a groan upon hearing the report, but that groan soon turned into something else.

“AAAAAAARGH!”

A deafening roar erupted from her.

“AAAAH! AAARGH! ARGH! KYAAAAH!”

Her rage surged to the point that it was impossible to contain it any longer without screaming at the top of her lungs.

“AAAH! KYAAAAH!”

Her outburst did not stop at screaming. She began throwing anything within her reach, smashing and kicking whatever was near her.

“...”

“...”

“...”

The nobles and officials stood silently with their heads bowed low, and not a single one of them dared to intervene or say anything.

After all, interrupting the queen’s outburst could easily turn them into her next target, so who in their right mind would risk such a thing?

In times like these, silence was the best way for them to survive.

The destructive rampage and screaming failed to quell Queen Rosenn’s anger, and the fact that a messenger burst into the throne room to deliver urgent news only made her rage grow hotter.

“Your Majesty! The Green Isles is attacking our naval base!”

“W-What?!” Queen Rosenn screamed in a mix of shock and anger at the report.

She was shocked by the news that the Green Isles, which was known for using hit-and-run tactics and evading head-on clashes, would suddenly launch a large-scale invasion.

But this was merely the beginning...

Another messenger rushed in, bringing even more dire news.

“The border has been breached!”

After that, a flood of urgent reports poured in, one after another. The neighboring kingdoms, along with the Green Isles, were now invading them.

The neighboring kingdoms received intel that the Palom Kingdom was weakened by the defeat they suffered, so they seized this opportunity to attack their borders.

International diplomacy was a cutthroat place, and there was no such thing as permanent allies or enemies.

The kingdoms that bordered the Palom Kingdom were the perfect example of that, as they swarmed like a school of hungry piranhas looking to devour their weakened prey.

This was the price that the Palom Kingdom had to pay for getting involved in a war. Rather than exacting revenge on the Proatine Kingdom, they were now scrambling to fight for the survival of their very kingdom.

***

After taking a short rest, Tae-Sung logged into the game.

He planned to get Gringore’s consent to commercialize his image first before heading to contain the remaining Great Rifts.

Grinding was no longer a chore, as his level started steadily climbing once again after reaching the rank of Master.

Right after he entered the game, he opened the Eastern Great Rift, which was now his territory, to the other Adventurers.

Of course, the A-Grade mana stone mine was heavily guarded. Siegfried stationed soldiers, set up cannons, and even asked Decimato to cast defensive spells and barriers to prevent any outsiders from entering.

The Execution Guild was not the only one he had to worry about, as other great powers could attempt to seize the mine from him, too.

Soon enough, Adventurers began flocking back to the Eastern Great Rift to hunt. They were previously forced to take long detours to the northern or southern regions to hunt, but that was no longer the case now that the Eastern Great Rift was reopened to the public.

“Not bad,” Siegfried murmured with a smile while observing the now-bustling Eastern Great Rift.

To be precise, it was the A-Grade mana stone mine in the short distance that made him smile.

But even as he took in the sight, his mind was weighed down by a lingering sense of uneasiness.

‘Clearing the rift over and over again is just a temporary solution. I’m just extending the timer on a ticking time bomb that’s bound to explode soon enough. I need a way to deal with the disasters before they escape rather than just sit around waiting for them to explode first.’

There was a limit to just raiding the dungeon to stop the inevitable. Not to mention, there was also the risk of an accident happening during a raid, which could lead to catastrophic consequences.

In addition...

“The Blue Knight of Death is... It isn’t a matter of being strong or weak. The Blue Knight is the embodiment of death itself. It is an inescapable force that governs the fate of all living beings; even those who possess eternal life cannot evade its grasp.”

“The day the Blue Knight steps through a dimensional gate... I can assure you that death will follow wherever it passes, and nobody in this realm will be capable of stopping it.”

Siegfried recalled Michael’s warning. Among the three remaining apocalypses, he could not allow the Blue KNight of Death to escape the rift, no matter what.

Unfortunately, the problem was that nobody knew which Great Rift the Blue Knight of Death could emerge from, and it was this uncertainty that was stressing Siegfried out.

He could not help but feel overwhelmed with worries despite his victory over the Execution Guild and the massive profits he would soon obtain from the mana stone mine.

“Kyuuu! What’s with the long face, owner punk?!”

“I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. I really wish I had ten bodies to handle everything...”

“Kyuuu! Are you saying you want to learn how to use the Shadow Clone Technique?!”

“Ugh... Is there some kind of school where I can learn that?” Siegfried groaned but nodded in agreement, as he genuinely wished such a thing was possible.

“Kyuu?” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

“If there were one, I’d like to enroll right now. But I would prefer it be a crash course than a full—”

It was then.

Flash!

The Eastern Great Rift suddenly emitted a bright burst of light before glowing into an intense fiery red.

“...!”

Both Siegfried and Hamchi looked up in an instant, alarmed by the rift suddenly running wild.

Just like the old saying, "speak of the devil, and he shall appear," the rift chose this exact moment to go berserk.

“Let’s go, Hamchi.”

“Kyuuu!”

Without missing a beat, Siegfried and Hamchi swiftly moved toward the entrance of the Eastern Great Rift.

***

But the Eastern Great Rift was not the only problem.

While Siegfried was busy gathering players to form a party, an urgent report arrived.

“Your Majesty!”

An agent from the Proatine Kingdom’s intelligence department hurriedly approached Siegfried to deliver the news.

“Loyalty!”

“At ease. What’s the matter?”

“I have come to report that the Southern Great Rift has gone into a rampage, sire!”

“What? The Southern Great Rift, too? Damn it!”

Siegfried could feel a sharp migraine after hearing that a second rift was rampaging, too. Managing one rift was already a monumental task, but two at the same time was basically a disaster in the making.

Just then, another agent rushed to deliver a report.

“Your Majesty! Urgent news has arrived from the north! The Northern Great Rift has started to rampage!”

Siegfried stood dumbfounded for a second before he turned to his furry companion.

“Hey, Hamchi...”

“Kyu?”

“Are you sure you don’t know any schools teaching shadow clone techniques? If you know of one... now is probably a good time to refer them to me.”

He was not joking at all. He truly wished he could split himself into numerous clones after hearing that the three remaining Great Rifts were rampaging at the same time.