Debuff Master

Chapter 577

“Ah...” Han Tae-Sung muttered.

The screen turned gray, and he could no longer see anything.

[Alert: You've lost consciousness and have been disconnected from your character!]

[Alert: You may reconnect after 12 hours once your character regains consciousness!]

[Alert: You will not be able to log in for 49 hours should your character fail to recover and die!]

[Alert: 11 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds remaining!]

[Alert: 58 seconds...!]

[Alert: 57 seconds...!]

Han Tae-Sung was forced to take a break.

Click...! Thud!

He opened the cover of his VR capsule, the Ogre, and walked over to the living room.

Plop...!

He plopped down on the sofa.

“I lost... for the first time...” Han Tae-Sung muttered under his breath.

After becoming the Debuff Master, this was the first time he had struggled against an opponent to this point after becoming the Debuff Master, and it was also his first time losing as the Debuff Master.

He had fought against countless enemies stronger than him so far, but he had defeated them so far. There were a few close calls, but he somehow managed to emerge victorious against all of them.

However, it was different this time. He had lost against the Weapon Seeker, who was highly likely to be the resurrected Weapon Master Shakiro. He could have won if Touch of Death were just a bit stronger, as it would have incapacitated the Weapon Seeker.

In the end, the duel came down to a sliver of a difference. He could have won if he had managed to deal just a little bit more damage to his opponent, but he ended up losing because he failed to do so.

“A loss is a loss. What’s the point of close calls when I've already lost? Sigh...” Han Tae-Sung grumbled. He did not bother consoling himself by saying that he had put up a good fight or it was a close one.

Was it really a close call?

He could have dealt more damage against his opponent when he had the chance to do so. If only he had attacked with more ferocity, then his final attack wouldn't have lacked that little bit of damage that could have won him the fight.

Regardless, a loss was a loss.

He did not want to say it was a close one or that he was unlucky.

“But I didn’t expect to lose...” Han Tae-Sung muttered. This was the first time he had tasted defeat in a long while. After becoming the Debuff Master, Han Tae-Sung had been trying his best not to lose to anyone.

‘I guess I should go get some fresh air,’ Han Tae-Sung thought after looking at the clock. It was already past eleven at night, which meant there were not that many cars on the road.

Han Tae-Sung went down to the car park in his tracksuit. He stood in front of his rows of luxury cars and chose to drive the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Vroom! Vrooom!

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s 4.5 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine roared the moment Tae-Sung turned it on. The fact that it was a cold start made the engine roar louder.

There had been massive advancements in technology in recent years, and most cars had already transitioned to electric, hydrogen, or even hybrid engines. However, there was something unexplainable about driving a combustion engine supercar.

The Ferrari 458 Italia model was first released nearly twenty years ago, so stepping on this vintage car gave Tae-Sung a sense of nostalgia.

‘Let’s go for a drive to clear my mind. It’s not too late to think after that,’ Tae-Sung thought before stepping on the gas pedal and leaving the parking lot.

Vrooom!

Han Tae-Sung was planning on drowning the bitterness of his first loss with the roaring of his supercar’s engine and a cup of coffee.

***

The next day, Ha Tae-Sung switched on the BNW client and logged into the game.

He descended onto the continent as the Adventurer, Siegfried.

[Proatine Kingdom: Preussen, Main Castle]

He opened his eyes and found himself in the Proatine Kingdom’s castle.

“Mmm...”

“Are you awake, my love?”

The first to greet him was his lovely wife, Brunhilde.

“Papa! Don’t be pain! No pain!”

“Kwiiing! Kwiiing!”

He turned his head and saw his beloved daughter, Verdandi, and her Fairy Dragon pet by his bedside, too.

“Haha...”

Siegfried ended up smiling without even realizing after seeing his family worried about him. They were just NPCs in a game, but the fact that there were people so worried about him made him feel happy.

“Papa is fine,” Siegfried said, hugging Verdandi tightly. Then, he looked at Brunhilde and said, “You must’ve been worried. I’m alright now.”

“Kwing! Kwing!”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Siegfried replied, patting the Fairy Dragon on its head.

“Kyuuu! Are you up, owner punk?!” Hamchi exclaimed, carrying a bag of nuts.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Kyuu! I was really worried about you! You almost died!”

“Really?”

“You would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for elder-nim!”

“Elder-nim? Are you talking about Master?”

“Kyuuu! Yes, I am!”

“Master saved me?”

“He had been watching the fight! Kyuuu!”

“Heok?!” Siegfried gasped in horror and hurriedly tried to get up.

However, his body wouldn't listen to him.

“Aack!” Siegfried screamed in agony at the sharp pain he was feeling all over him. His entire body was in pain, starting from the top of his head all the way down to his fingertips and toes. It felt as if his body would get ripped apart if he tried to exert himself.

[Siegfried van Proa]

[HP: ??????????]

[Mana: ??????????]

[Stamina: ??????????]

His HP, Mana, and Stamina had yet to recover. The penalty for activating the third stage of Overclocking and failing to defeat his opponent within the duration of Grand Duel was not something he could recover from in just twelve hours.

“I think you need to rest, dear.”

“Argh...!”

“You must rest no matter what.”

“B-But...!”

Siegfried could not just lie down on the bed after hearing that Deus had seen his duel against the Weapon Seeker from start to finish.

“Argh...! Aaaack!” Siegfried groaned and moaned in agony, trying to sit on the bed. He lamented the fact that Deus had seen that duel. ‘Damn it! Why was Master watching me?! Why at that time of all time?!’

Siegfried felt like hiding in a hole somewhere.

He was ashamed that he had allowed Deus, of all people, to witness his defeat.

‘I should hurry and apologize,’ Siegfried thought, braving the pain as he forced himself to his feet.

“A-Argh...! H-Hamchi, where’s Master right now?”

“Kyuuu! He’s in the garden bullying those demons!”

“Really? A-Alright. Ack!”

Siegfried forced himself to walk toward the garden where Deus was at.

***

After defeating Siegfried and obtaining Megingjords, the Weapon Seeker left the Proatine Kingdom.

‘I don’t know where I’m headed to. Where is this path taking me?’ wondered the Weapon Seeker. He had no knowledge of his destination, but his feet seemed to be taking him somewhere.

He walked, walked, and walked until he reached a warp gate that seemed to have been abandoned. The warp gate took him somewhere, and he walked until he reached another abandoned-looking warp gate.

He repeated the process until he lost count of it.

“Welcome.”

Someone suddenly greeted him the moment he emerged from the warp gate located in a secluded forest. The person was wearing a hood covering their face, making it impossible to tell their identity, but the person seemed to have been waiting for him.

“Are you the one who led me here?” the Weapon Seeker asked.

“Yes, that is me.”

“Who are you?”

“I am... the savior,” the hooded person replied.

“Savior? Who are you saving?”

“I am the one who will save this world.”

“The one who will save the world...”

“You have been resurrected by my will, need, and call, Weapon Seeker.”

“...”

“You shall be my faithful servant, working to reestablish this world.”

“Are you saying I’m your slave?”

“Yes, I am your master, as I am the one who brought you back to life.”

“I don’t really feel like it—”

“Kneel.”

Thud!

The Weapon Seeker was forced to his knees at the Savior's command.

“You cannot defy me.”

“...”

“You have finally found all of your weapons, Weapon Seeker. I will bestow you with a new name. You shall now be known as the Blue Cardinal of the Church of Osric.”

“Blue Cardinal...”

“I will come and find you again, so stay hidden in this forest and recover your strength,” the Savior commanded before vanishing into thin air like a mirage.

“I am... the Blue Cardinal... of the Church of Osric...” the Weapon Seeker muttered, and his eyes were hollow, seemingly devoid of any consciousness.

***

“You missed a branch over there. I hope I don’t have to remind you to keep the trees nice and tidy now.”

Deus was in the garden supervising the demons Metatron and Chaos.

Well, he was actually bullying them under the guise of supervising them.

“Y-Yes, Elder-nim!”

“I will clean it up at once!”

Metatron and Chaos hurriedly took out pruning shears and cut the branch at Deus' command.

Meanwhile, Siegfried somehow managed to drag his trembling legs to the garden to approach Deus.

“I greet my master!” Siegfried greeted.

“You’re up already?”

“Master...”

“Hmm?”

“I apologize...” Siegfried said, kneeling on the ground.

“Eh?”

“Please forgive this useless disciple of yours for showing something so unsightly!”

“Hmm...?”

“Please forgive me—”

Bam!

Deus gave Siegfried a knuckle sandwich, making his head collide with the ground.

“Argh!”

“You little punk.”

“M-Master...?”

“What nonsense are you spouting after fighting so well?”

“Huh...?” Siegfried looked up.

Plop...!

Blood dripped down his nose, but he couldn't care less about his bleeding nose right now.

He fought well? Did that mean Deus that was not disappointed in him?

“My disciple.”

“Yes, Master?”

“I am not disappointed in you.”

“R-Really, Master?”

“Of course,” Deus replied with a nod. Then, he smiled and said, “You really fought well.”

“...!”

“The stubborn tenacity you showed at the final moments of the battle. That undying fighting spirit of yours was truly adorable in my eyes,” Deus said warmly. He looked at Siegfried with warm and sincere eyes.

The reason Deus had chosen Siegfried despite him being an unsalvageable and unrecyclable piece of trash without an ounce of talent was that he had a stubborn tenacity and unyielding spirit against those stronger than him.

“Master...”

“And it’s true that you fought well.”

“R-Really?”

“You've inherited the skills I've created, but you were up against a Master. You almost won against such an enemy, which is quite admirable. Also, that combination of Flying Sword and Touch of Death you showed at the final moments of the fight was truly creative on your part.”

Deus did not forget to praise Siegfried’s ability to adapt to the situation.

“My disciple.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Have you realized the difference between someone who surpassed an insurmountable wall and someone who has yet to do so?”

“Yes.” Siegfried nodded.

What was the point of having overpowered stats, items, and class when he was up against someone who had overcome that wall? The chances of him winning against a true Master were akin to his chances of winning the lottery.

In addition, the Weapon Seeker’s ability to summon endless weapons using his mana was something that most people would not be able to imagine, even in their wildest dreams.

“You will soon come face to face with a wall,” Deus said.

“Yes, Master.”

“And you must destroy that wall instead of climbing over it.”

“I will, master!”

“So don’t forget to train and hone your skills. Train until your bones are ground—no, until your soul is pulverized into dust. It will be impossible for someone who does not train with all their heart to surpass any wall.”

“I will remember your teachings, Master!” Siegfried replied enthusiastically. Then, he swore inwardly, ‘I will... I will surpass–no, destroy that wall!’

The first defeat that Siegfried had experienced as the Debuff Master became the fuel that ignited the flames within him. Siegfried van Proa swore to train until he became a true Master.