Debuff Master

Chapter 684

Siegfried’s punches could only be described as "ruthless." He did not care whether the prisoners had their noses crushed, their teeth forced out, or if they were left impotent upon having their valuable family jewels crushed.

What if they died? That wasn't his problem at all.

Siegfried remained unfazed when he kicked a prisoner in the head, shattered a prisoner’s skull, or when he punched another in the solar plexus, causing the prisoner’s rib to fracture and puncture their lung. He did not even blink an eye when he kicked someone on the back and snapped their spine in half.

‘Why should I care if these scum die or end up crippled?’ Siegfried thought.

In his eyes, these prisoners were not even human. They were nothing more than animals—no, considering them as animals would be an insult to animals.

The vast majority of inmates incarcerated in the Fortress of Hell were vicious and ruthless criminals such as murderers, rapists, arsonists, and thieves. They were the worst of the worst of criminals, so Siegfried felt no remorse as he crushed them one by one.

After fifteen minutes of absolute chaos…

“Gh Rrkk…”

“Ughh…”

“Argh!”

The prisoners who dared to jump on Siegfried to welcome him were left in absolute shambles. They were writhing on the ground in agony after just fifteen minutes of combat.

“Now, all of you! Get down in front of me! Heads down, asses up!” Siegfried commanded the prisoners to form a line in front of him.

Then, he grabbed a nearby mop, broke its head, and struck their butts one after the other.

“You think I was easy, eh? Did you think I was easy?” Siegfried growled while hazing the inmates. Then, he pointed at one of the inmates and shouted, “Hey, you! Keep your head down! Heads down and asses up!”

“S-Sir, my arm is broken—”

“Oh, your arm is broken? Then how about I hit you elsewhere to take your mind off the pain?”

“Aaagh!”

“Do I need to care about your sorry excuses?”

“I-I apologize, sir!”

“Get down properly! Head down, ass up!”

Siegfried showed no mercy to the inmates, and he dealt with them in a cold, ruthless, and brutal fashion.

“We have a new Block Boss.”

“Who would’ve thought someone so strong would come to our block?”

“I thought he was just a kid, but he’s really strong.”

On the other hand, the demon guards silently observed Siegfried while they collected the souls of the inmates who had died in the brawl. Four inmates had been beaten to death by Siegfried, so the demon guards quickly harvested their souls.

“Looks like there will be a power shift in Block F4 from now on.”

“Yeah, we should’ve realized it sooner when he killed Willie.”

“Haha! We managed to harvest four souls thanks to him, didn’t we?”

“He’s one to keep an eye on. I have a feeling he will be a gift that keeps giving.”

The demon guards were pleased that they could harvest four souls at once, and they decided to keep an eye on Siegfried for now.

Becoming the Block Boss in the Fortress of Hell meant having a closer relationship with the demon guards, and this was something that came with plenty of perks and benefits.

Thus, the planned welcoming by the inmates turned out to be something good for Siegfried as well.

Later that night…

“Your Majesty, are you sleeping?”

“Not yet.”

Siegfried was visited by Ninetail just before he logged out.

“Did you find out anything?”

“It seems like this mission will not be an easy one.”

“Why so?”

“The twentieth basement floor… is a restricted area.”

“A restricted area? What does that mean?”

“It is classified as a top-secret area. Even the guards and inmates have no clue of its existence.”

“Hmm…”

“Mamon seems to know something about it, as he has been a senior guard with a long career compared to the others.”

“But what the hell could they be hiding down there? It’s not like there’s just a handful of inmates—there are nearly five thousand people imprisoned down there yet it’s all kept under wraps?”

“That does sound strange and fishy to me.”

“It sounds extremely strange and fishy.”

“Apparently, only a few senior guards and the warden, Belial, knows about that top-secret place.”

“Hmm…”

“It seems to me that we will have to stay here longer and gather information slowly.”

“Tsk… I knew this wasn’t going to be simple,” Siegfried pouted and grumbled.

He could not help but feel uneasy about the fact that the mission would start dragging on from now on.

“I will keep digging for more information, sire.”

“Then I’ll blend in with the other prisoners and try to curry favors with the guards.”

“Understood.”

“Okay, I’m off to bed now.”

With that, Siegfried laid down on his bed and logged out.

***

The next morning, Siegfried attended the roll call before heading down to the mess hall of Block F. He did not really have to eat as an Adventurer, but a notification had popped up alerting him that he had to replenish his nutrients, making him begrudgingly make his way to the mess hall.

However…

“What’s up with you guys? Why are you following me?” Siegfried frowned and asked after noticing several inmates trailing behind him one by one like a train.

“Good morning, boss!”

An inmate that resembled a rat grinned and greeted him. His eye was bruised, and his nose was slightly crooked, clearly broken. He was one of the prisoners whom Siegfried had beaten up the night before.

“It is only natural for us to stick close to you since you are now the new Block Boss of Block F4!”

“Is that so?”

“We will be serving you as our boss from now on, so please sit back, relax, and let us handle everything else.”

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“Me? My name is Tormani, boss.”

“Huh? Your name is Tormani?”

“Yes, boss!”

“Tormani…? A lackey?”[1]

“Huh? A lackey?”

“Never mind. So what are you in here for?”

“For illegal gambling and murder.”

“Yeah, you look like someone who would do that.”

“Hehe! Thanks, boss!”

“...?”

“Shall we, boss? Hehe!”

And just like that, Siegfried found himself leading Tormani and the rest of the inmates from Block F4 to the mess hall…

On the way to the dining hall…

“You seem to be fitting in quite nicely. Do you think you have finally found your calling?”

Ninetail passed by Siegfried with a teasing remark as they headed toward the mess hall.

‘Ugh…!’ Siegfried was annoyed by her remark, but he could not really argue with her.

He looked oddly similar to how prison bosses were portrayed in movies from how he was leading a group of prisoners to the mess hall for breakfast.

Siegfried’s entourage arrived at the mess hall.

“Is he the new Block Boss of Block F4?”

“No way.”

“But look at the state of those F4 guys. It looks like he gave them a good ass-whooping.”

Siegfried became the center of attention in the mess hall as the inmates from the other blocks could not help but stare at him. Of course, he could not care less whether they were looking at him or not.

“Oh? Oatmeal?”

He was pleasantly surprised with the breakfast menu. The menu was the Fortress of Hell’s roasted oats soaked in cold milk.

“Oatmeal doesn’t sound so bad,” Siegfried said with a smile and picked up his food.

He clearly looked happy with the menu, as oatmeal was something he had every morning in real life. It was low on the glycemic index, packed with fiber and carbs, and had a bit of protein, making it an ideal food for those taking care of their health.

Han Tae-Sung was a fitness fanatic, so it was definitely the perfect meal to maintain his body fat and blood sugar levels.

“Ugh! This is so gross!”

“Are you kidding me?! They’re feeding us dog food again!”

“Please give us something fit for human consumption!”

Meanwhile, the other prisoners groaned in disgust at the oatmeal, and some even tossed their spoon in a bout of anger.

They could not be blamed for their reactions, as oatmeal had a reputation for being bland and tasteless even in real life.

However, whether their outbursts were justified or not was not important.

“Hey, you.”

Siegfried was quietly enjoying his meal when he shot a glare at the inmates from his block, who were his underlings now.

“Just shut up and sit down if you don’t wanna eat. Do you have any idea how nutritionally superior oatmeal is? This stuff is—”

Siegfried was about to start a lecture on the wonders and greatness of oatmeal when he was interrupted.

“Hey, are you the new Block Boss of Block F4?”

“Do you want to introduce yourself?”

“It’s pretty rude not to introduce yourself, don’t you think so?”

The Block Bosses from Block F1, F2, and F3 approached Siegfried’s table with their crews, and they clearly looked like they were looking for a fight.

“Let’s just eat in peace,” Siegfried said, his eyes still on the oatmeal.

However, the other block’s bosses were not going to back down easily.

“This bastard…”

The Block Boss of Block F1 swung his fist at Siegfried—

Smack!

—Only to be met with Siegfried’s tray smashing down on the top of his head.

Siegfried had swung the tray vertically before the fist could even reach him.

Thud!

The Block Boss of Block F1 collapsed without even uttering a scream.

The corner of the tray was still lodged in his skull.

“...!”

The inmates stared at the scene with shock, and they were horrified by the sheer brutality of what Siegfried had done. The way he had just driven a tray into someone’s head was far beyond what any of the hardened, vicious criminals could even imagine doing.

However, what scared them even more was what Siegfried did right after driving a tray into someone’s skull.

“Oh, you’re not eating that, right? I’ll eat it.”

He casually grabbed Tormani’s tray and continued with his meal as if nothing had happened.

“Oh, dear…” Meanwhile, Orleius, the demon in charge of the entire Block F, watched Siegfried with an amused smirk. “It looks like we’ve got ourselves the real deal."

Unbeknownst to Siegfried, he had just caught the attention of the chief overseer of the entire Block F.

***

Siegfried naturally ascended as the boss of the entire Block F after what the inmates dubbed the “meal tray incident”. The way he casually drove a tray into the head of the boss of Block F1 and calmly continued with his meal left every prisoner in Block F too terrified to even utter a word.

Siegfried leisurely finished his meal in peace and was about to leave when—

“Hey.”

“Y-Yes, sir?”

“Come with me for a moment.”

He was summoned to meet Orleius, the head guard overseeing the entire Block F.

“So you’re the newbie that took control of our section in a single day?” Orleius asked.

“Excuse me but… who might you be?” Siegfried asked in response.

“My name is Orleius. I’m the chief overseer of Block F.”

“Ah…”

“What’s your name?”

“My name is Seung-Gu,” Siegfried replied, making up an alias on the spot.

“I see. Well then, Seung-Gu…”

“Yes, sir?”

“How much time did you get?”

“Pardon me, sir?”

“I’m asking how long your sentence is.”

“Erm… I think it’s life imprisonment? Probably?”

“Hmm… Then negotiations might be difficult…”

“Sir? What kind of negotiations are you talking about?”

“I was about to make you an offer.”

“An offer…?”

“You see, in a few days time…” Orleius began to explain why he had called for Siegfried.

It was then.

Ding!

A quest window popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.

[Warden Martial Competition]

[Description: Participate in the Warden Martial Competition as Orleius’ representative and rack up achievements.]

[Type: Quest]

[Reward: +2,500 Affinity with Orleius + @]

[Warning: Defeat in the competition can mean death, so please be vigilant at all times.]

“I want you to fight for me in the upcoming tournament.”

“Huh?”

“I could have shaved off, say… ten years from your sentence if you won. But a life sentence? What a shame…” Orleius grumbled, clicking his tongue in disappointment. Then, he said, “I was already struggling to find a fighter worth betting my soul coins on…”

“Wait… A fighter worth betting your soul coins on?”

“Ah, you’re new here, so you wouldn’t be aware of it. The guards bet soul coins on the tournament fighters, and the stakes are enormous.”

“High stakes…”

“If someone as strong as you were to compete then…”

In that moment, Siegfried’s eyes lit up as an idea struck him.

‘Wait! This could be perfect!’

He had only spoken to Orleius for a couple of minutes, yet he had already come up with an ingenious idea that made him grin. He realized that if he played this Warden Martial Competition right then he might just secure himself a fast track to the twentieth basement floor, where Quandt was imprisoned.

“A life sentence is quite unfortunate, isn’t it? I guess the only thing I can offer is making your life much more comfortable here. Will that make you consider fighting in the competition for—”

“Oh, please,” Siegfried smirked, waving his hand dismissively. Then, he grinned and said, “It’s not like I have to go anywhere, so sure, why not? I will fight for you.”

“R-Really?!”

“In return, you will make my stay a little bit more comfortable, right? I am not expecting much, just a bit of comfort will do.”

“Of course! I’ll be winning quite a sizable pot if you win, so I’ll make sure you’re taken care of—no, I’ll do whatever I can do make sure your stay here is as comfortable as possible!”

“Deal. I will be counting on you, sir,” Siegfried extended his hand with a grin.

“No, I’ll be counting on you,” Orleius replied, clasping Siegfried’s hand firmly.

Ding!

[Alert: You have accepted the Quest – Warden Martial Competition!]

A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes, confirming that he had accepted the quest.

1. Tormani or 똘마니 means lackey in Korean. ☜