Debuff Master

Chapter 91

It was Siegfried’s first time using Torrential Flower Rain, but its overwhelming power was still something simply impossible to put into words.

The disks thrown by Siegfried separated into a thousand shuriken that painted the sky green before mercilessly cutting the Mostids down. The Mostids possessed an exoskeleton that was pretty tough, but the Torrential Flower Rain’s destructive power didn’t have any problems shredding the flying monsters.

On top of that, the radioactive energy infused in the shuriken was so powerful that it managed to poison the Mostids, even though they possessed resistance against poison. The shurikens only had to graze them, and they would immediately die.

However, that was only the beginning…

The shurikens didn’t stop after a single attack.

Whiiiiiish!

Siegfried’s mana turned into a storm that covered the sky!

Shwaaak!

His shurikens continuously flew throughout the sky along with his mana!

The Blood Butterfly’s Dance Throwable Set, which was crafted from a Green Dragon’s scales, mind sapphire, and mind metal, did not lose its kinetic energy even after hitting a target. As such, Siegfried could move them around at will and wreak havoc across the entire battlefield.

The entire scenery looked like…

“It’s raining… death. The flower petals of death… they’re covering the entire sky…” someone muttered while looking up in a daze.

It looked like flower petals were flying throughout the sky, and it was indeed a beautiful sight.

***

While Siegfried was busy using Torrential Flower Rain to sweep up the Mostids…

‘I have to regain command! That’s the only way the soldiers will survive…! I am their squad leader!’?Carell thought as he gnashed his teeth.

“Hey, you there! Move! This is your commander’s order! Don’t just stand around! Move the injured to a safer place!”

“The three of you! Go around and deal the final blow to the monsters that fell down from the sky!”

“Adventurers! Protect your fellow allies!”

He pointed at each soldier individually and gave them a command as he showed a side of him that was completely different from his usual self.

‘An Adventurer is carrying the full weight of a squad! I have to do something as well!’?

Carell steeled his resolve. He was a pathetic commander, but he wasn’t an irresponsible person. In fact, he was a diligent and responsible person who strived to do his best in any situation. There was no problem with his personality as a knight. Unfortunately, the tasks he had been receiving were far too overwhelming for him to handle all alone.

***

When the flower petals of death stopped their carnage, Mostids could no longer be seen in the air.

An overwhelming victory!

The thousands of shuriken flying across the air turned the Mostids into sitting ducks.

‘Excellent… this is the best…! Master Shakiro-nim, you are truly the best!’?Siegfried thought with a huge smile after using Torrential Flower Rain.

The skill truly lived up to its reputation as the ultimate skill personally created by one of the Five Star Heavens, Weapon Master Shakiro.

[You have gained Experience Points!]

[You have gained Experience Points!]

[You have gained Experience Points!]

[You have gained Experience Points!]

[You have gained Experience Points!]

Naturally, Siegfried gained a ton of experience points thanks to it.

However, the skill consumed a lot of mana. The Blood Butterfly’s Dance Throwable Set’s ‘Flying Sword’ option consumed 11% of his mana per second on top of the 30% mana required to activate the Torrential Flower Rain in the first place.

Thanks to that, Siegfried’s mana was currently empty—zero.

“What was that skill just now?”

“Hyung, weren’t you a Poison Mage? What skill was that? Was that a spell?”

“Hmm? Look at his item. That’s an artifact crafted by the Hometown of Death, right?”

“Oh…?he’s overgeared…”

“What kind of item raises Throwable Weapon Mastery and Throwing Mastery by 10 levels…?”

“What kind of skills was that Torrential Flower Rain? Was that it just now?”

“Hyung, you’re super awesome!”

The Adventurers in the same squad as Siegfried gathered around him and started praising his item and skill.

“Ah, yes… I’m just overgeared… haha…” Siegfried used the convenient explanation that he was overgeared without giving any clear answers to their questions.

‘You guys are annoying, so just back off…’?he grumbled inwardly.

Siegfried felt that he had no obligation to explain his item and skill to people unrelated to him.

Not to mention…

“Kyaaaak!”

“Kireuk!?Kireuk!”

“Krreuk!?Kreuuu…!”

A swarm of monsters was rushing out from the Cryptid colony in the distance, and this meant that the battle wasn’t over just yet.

“They’re coming again. Get ready for battle,” Siegfried said. He drank a mana potion while pointing at the swarm of monsters.

He had no choice but to consume mana potions. The Torrential Flower Rain he had just cast had consumed all of his mana, after all.

“Can you guys buy me some time until I replenish my mana? I will handle them once I recover,” Siegfried asked.

The Adventurers tilted their heads in confusion at his words before grimacing.

‘What? He will take care of all of that when he isn’t even Level 100?’

‘Isn’t he being too arrogant just because he got some good items after spending a shit ton of cash?’

‘I think his items got into his head…’

‘Ah, another player spouting bullshit…’

The Adventurers in the squadron, who were mostly Level 100 and above, could only understand Siegfried’s words to be the nonsensical ramblings of a rich player who managed to get his hands on some nice items.

However, Siegfried didn’t really care about what they thought.

‘I will have to be careful using Torrential Flower Rain from now on… the mana consumption is simply too high…’?Siegfried thought while drinking bottle after bottle of expensive mana potions with a heavy heart.

***

The Alligator Squad clashed against the swarm of monsters while Siegfried was recovering his mana.

The mutated monsters resembled normal predators like wolves and tigers. However, powerful monsters like orcs, ogres, trolls, and minotaurs were mutated as well, which made fighting the Cryptids an extremely challenging task. In addition to the insane reproductive ability of the Cryptids, one would have a swarm of monsters that made the monster wave at Sohoca Ruins look like a walk in the park.

“How long do we have to hold on?!”

“You said you’re replenishing your mana!”

“Ack!”

“Damn it! Who the fuck planned this campaign?!”

“Euaaaaak!”

While the squad members were busy screaming all sorts of grumblings, complaints, and curses, Siegfried stepped forward and said, “Stand back. I won’t take responsibility if you die because you were nearby.”

‘Look at him trying to act cool as if he’s a Ranker…’

‘He won’t take what if I die?’

‘Ha! Shall we take a look if he can put his money where his mouth is? He probably only knows how to depend on his weapons… tsk!’

The eyes of the Adventurers looking at Siegfried gleamed with distrust rather than curiosity. Their eyes seemed like they were saying something along the lines of ‘alright, let’s see what you can do’?as they glared at him.

Weakling.

Siegfried’s level was simply too low for anyone to take his words seriously in this place, but their opinions of him soon changed the moment he activated Irradiate and faced the swarm of monsters head-on.

Sseuuu…!

Radioactive energy flowed out from Siegfried’s body.

Step… Step… Step…

The Cryptids were about to make contact with the greenish fog around Siegfried.

In short, ‘Death’ was about to descend upon the battlefield.

Thud… Thud… Thud…?

.

The Cryptids dropped dead one by one…

“What the hell?!”

“What is that damage?!”

“He instantly killed the Level 100 monsters?!”

“Is that an eraser or what?”

The Adventurers were shocked at what they were witnessing with their very own eyes.

Insta-kill.

The HP bar of the Cryptids was depleted in just a second the moment they came into contact with Irradiate.

The Cryptids were at least Level 100 monsters.

“I’ll go ahead,” Siegfried said before adding, “Maybe around ten seconds? You will be fine as long as you maintain a safe distance from me. If not… you will die.”

He warned the squad members regarding his poisonous fog before walking toward the direction of the Cryptid colony.

It looked like he was going to commit suicide.

What kind of a sane person would walk into a colony swarming with thousands of monsters? He was certainly going to be surrounded in an instant and ripped to shreds before he could even notice it.

However, Siegfried remained unfazed because…

He was Death incarnated in this place.

‘Oh~ Sweet~ Experience~ Points~’?He merrily hummed inside as he entered the Cryptid colony, which looked like a mine filled with a mother lode of experience points.

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 84!]

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have gained experience points!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 85!]

The monsters below Level 200 dropped dead like flies exposed to insecticide the moment Irradiate, which possessed the same traits as a Green Dragon’s Poison Breath, came into contact with them.

***

The Alligator Squad managed to conquer the Cryptid colony in an instant with the Grim Reaper named ‘Sieg’ at the vanguard.

Champion monsters? Named monsters? Mini-Boss? None of the monsters in the C Rank area could survive Siegfried’s Irradiate, and the boss monster was no exception.

[Alert: You have successfully killed the Boss Monster, ‘King Mostid’!]

[Alert: You have destroyed a C Rank hatchery!]

In addition to killing the boss monster, Siegfried also destroyed the hatchery of the C Rank area, and the Alligator Squad returned to Area C-21 after successfully destroying the key facility of the Mostids.

Then, the news of their triumphant return and heroics reached the ears of the knight in charge of Area C-21, Lt. Colonel Fallschirm from the Macallan Kingdom. He was also the commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion.

Of course, there was no need to mention that the culprit behind the absurd orders to Carell was none other than Lt. Colonel Fallschirm.

“The Alligator Squad came back alive from that operation?” Fallschirm asked one of his officers.

However, his eyes were still fixated on the parchment in front of him without showing any particular emotion or reaction to the news.

“How many returned alive? Ten? Twenty?” he asked.

“No, sir, fifty-six out of seventy-eight survived,” the officer reported.

“Hmm?” Fallschirm raised an eyebrow and asked, “Fifty-six? Is that even possible? That colony would have been impossible to conquer even with a battalion… The reason I gave that order in the first place was to scout that colony’s strength…”

“The reports state that one of the newly recruited Adventurers had the ability to commit a large-scale massacre. The person of interest is Private Sieg, a Silver III Adventurer of the Mercenary Guild.”

“Private Sieg… It seems that a useful one came in. Monitor him from now on.”

“Yes, commander-nim.”

“Hmm… Alligator Squad… They keep coming back alive. Are they simply lucky, or does their commander has some skills up his sleeves? Hoho!”

“How should we follow up?”

“Follow up?”

“It is a commendable achievement. We will have to award them for—” the officer started.

However, Fallschirm cut him off and said, “They’re going to die anyway.”

Then, he continued. “What’s the point of giving rewards to disposable soldiers? Our battalion’s finances are precious; remember that. We don’t have to give any rewards to trash like them.”

“Then shall we select a few of them and give them a vacation as a reward?”

“Vacation? Who is going to protect our lands if our soldiers go on vacation? Who will fight? Will you take their place?”

“No… that’s…”

“Just think of them as walking corpses on borrowed time. All right? Is there a reason to feed corpses?”

At that moment, the officer couldn’t help but think, ‘Ah… what a cruel bastard… Ha… what does he think of human life? What? Disposable soldiers?’

The officer boiled with anger inside.

Fallschirm.

He was a commander who thought of his soldiers as nothing but disposable pawns.

He considered this battlefield, where countless lives were lost every single day and where the future of the Macallan Kingdom hung in the balance, as nothing more than a stepping stone for his future.

It could also just be a simple game of chess for him.