Debuff Master

Chapter 111

“…”

Siegfried was speechless.

‘Is this for real…?’?

He was flabbergasted by the sudden unexpected death of Gosran after being glared at by Deus, but it seemed that Deus was taken by surprise as well.

“Huh? She died?”

“I… I think so, Master…”

“Hmm… To think that she would die from being glared at… she is weaker than she looks. Hoho!” Deus blamed Gosran for dying under his glare. “My disciple, can’t you find sturdy and dependable ones to hang around with? What kind of help will she be when she’s so weak?”

“…”

“Of course, you’re weak as well.”

As always, Deus did not forget to insult Siegfried.

“Anyway, you want me to save that guy?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Hmm…” Deus pondered for a moment before he said, “It goes against the laws of this world to save someone that’s already at death’s door, but I can’t ignore the request of my one and only beloved disciple… Alright, I will save him.”

Deus looked at Carell and commanded, “Wake up.”

At that, Carell’s eyes snapped open.

‘He woke up just because he was told to do so…? But he was dying…’?Siegfried thought.

He was once again in awe of Deus’ abilities.

“E-Euk!” Carell groaned.

“Carell!”

“Y-Your Majesty…?”

“Are you alright?”

“Where… Where am I? Did Your Majesty fall in battle, too…?”

“You know I’m an Adventurer, right?”

“Oh, right… T-Then this place is…?”

“It’s my master’s place. My master saved—” Siegfried said.

However, Deus interrupted and said, “Go back to sleep.”

Carell immediately fell back to sleep after Deus waved his hand.

A half-dead person woke up after he was told to do so, and then he immediately went back to sleep after he was told to do so. Deus seemed like God or something.

“Master? Why did you send him back to sleep?”

“It’s because we don’t have enough materials.”

“Materials…? What kind of materials do you mean, Master?”

“This great me’s infinite mana can sustain his life and restore his broken life vessel, but it is difficult for me to restore his rotting organs with simply my mana. Of course, nothing is impossible for my esteemed self, but my body will disappear if I attempt that. Keke!”

“Huh…? Master’s body will disappear…?”

“That’s right.”

“What do you mean by that, Master?”

“This great me has unraveled the mysteries of everything in this universe, and I am at the pinnacle where I can see through everything,” Deus said. He smirked and added, “Which means that I am no different than a god.”

“I-I think so, too, master.”

“However, the laws of the universe do not permit people like me to embody themselves in the flesh. That is also the reason why a god does not exist in the realm of mortals.”

“…?”

“That means that I will lose my body and disappear into the realm of the gods once I display my full powers.”

“Heok…”

“I am not able to display a hundred percent of my powers, and I don’t have any plans to do that for now. I need to at least see the beloved disciple that I gained so late in my years rule over the continent or something, right? Perhaps, I wouldn’t be so reluctant to become a god then. In fact, I’m already struggling to keep this fading body of mine in this world, so that is why I can’t fix that kid’s heart and organs.”

Siegfried could not dare to even start interpreting what Deus had said just now as it seemed like it was something so great a person of his caliber should not even dare to understand it.

‘Is this something like a restriction penalty for being overpowered…?’?he wondered.

Nevertheless, Siegfried tried his best to process what he was told just now in video game terms since that was the closest thing he could come up with.

“But if you truly wish to save this kid, then you need to find a new heart that can replace his decaying one. For example…”

“…?”

“The Clockwork Empire possesses a mechanical device that is similar to a heart. It will be possible to save this kid and perfectly patch him up if we have one of those mechanical hearts. So, what are you going to do, my disciple? Will you go and get one of those mechanical hearts?”

Then, a message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.

[Alert: A quest to obtain a mechanical heart has appeared!]

[Alert: Do you wish to accept the quest?]

The quest for a mechanical heart was the second quest Deus had ever given Siegfried.

***

[Obtain a Mechanical Heart]

[Type: Normal Quest]

[Description: Go to the capital of the Clockwork Empire, ‘Metropolis’, and kill the boss monster ‘Mecha Lord’ to obtain a mechanical heart.]

[Progress: 0% (0/1)]

[Reward: Mechanical Heart, ?]

The quest was pretty straightforward, but the problem was… where on the continent was the Clockwork Empire?

‘Clockwork Empire…? Where is that? Was there such a place on the world map?’?

He was pretty proud of his knowledge when it came to BNW, but he had never heard of a place called the Clockwork Empire before.

“Master, in which country can I find this Clockwork Empire?”

“The Clockwork Empire was ruined a thousand years ago.”

“Uhm… then do I have to go and find the ruins of this ancient empire?”

“I see that you have learned how to use your head. I always thought it was just a decoration on top of your shoulders. Keke!?That’s right, you will be able to obtain a mechanical heart if you go to the ruin of the Clockwork Empire. Will you go in search of a mechanical heart? I will keep this guy alive until you come back, so you don’t have to worry about him. I will keep him alive for a thousand or even ten thousand years, so you can rest assured that he won’t die.”

“Yes, Master. I will go and get one,” Siegfried replied and accepted the quest.

“Excellent. Then, go forth and bring back a mechanical heart! I shall listen to your tales once you come back with the mechanical heart. Ah, don’t worry about getting there. This great me will send you directly to it. That is the least I can do for my beloved disciple as your master, right?”

“I understand. Thank you very much, Master.”

“Alright, then get going now,” Deus said and waved his hand at Siegfried.

***

The experience was the same as when Siegfried first descended Mount Kunlun. Deus waved his hand once and ‘warped’ Siegfried tens of thousands of kilometers away. If there were a difference between that experience and this one, then that would be the fact that he crashed into the ground after being warped, but he managed to land safely on his feet this time.

‘Where am I…?’?Siegfried looked around.

[Metropolis: Northern area outside the Clockwork Empire’s ruins.]

A message popped up in front of his eyes. It informed him he was at the capital of the Clockwork Empire, Metropolis.

‘Judging by how everything is so dark without a sky and this damp humid air… I must be underground,’?Siegfried thought.

While he was looking around, a mechanical voice that sounded like it was pre-recorded echoed from somewhere.

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

There were numerous voices…

Flash! Flash! Flash!

The darkness was suddenly illuminated by lights being turned on as the sources of the voices finally revealed themselves.

‘Eight-legged machines?’?

Siegfried used his Rune of Insight on them.

[Mecha Octopus]

[Type: Monster (Mechanoid)]

[Race: Mechanoid]

[Level: 130]

[Class: Energy Buster]

[Details: A mechanical watchman in charge of the Clockwork Empire’s capital, Metropolis’ security. It possesses a very powerful skill called ‘Disintegration Ray’. Caution is advised when facing it.]

Once Siegfried was done reading the Mecha Octopuses’ details, Blue energy gathered at the center of the Mecha Octopuses’ bodies. The energy accumulated more and more before it was shot toward Siegfried.

Woooong!

It was the main attack of the Mecha Octopus—Disintegration Ray.

‘I knew it,’?Siegfried had already expected their attacks, so he was able to easily dodge them. Then, he used a version of Splitting Heaven and Earth enhanced by the lightning attribute—Splitting Heaven and Earth: Lightning.

He judged that the lightning attribute would be fatal to mechanoid monsters.

Baaam!

Siegfried slammed his hammer into the ground.

Whoosh!

Splitting Heaven and Earth threw the Mecha Octopuses into the air.

Baaam!

Then, they crashed into the ground.

Krwaaaaa!

Lastly, ferocious bolts of lightning descended upon them as if they were prey.

It was super effective!

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points.]

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points.]

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points.]

It was exactly as he expected. The mechanoid monsters were extremely vulnerable to the lightning attribute.

“That is a lot of damage. This isn’t a bad place to grind, I guess? Should I stay here and hunt for a bit?” he muttered to himself while passing by the remains left behind by the Mecha Octopuses.

Sparkle…! Sparkle…!

However, something sparkling caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks.

‘Don’t tell me…?’?he picked up one of the sparkling stones that the Mecha Octopuses dropped.

[D Grade Mana Stone Fragment]

[The fragment of a D Grade Mana Stone installed in the Mecha Octopus’ engine.]

The sparkling stone was none other than a mana stone fragment. It was just a fragment, but it was still a pretty expensive item.

“I have to take these!”

The mana stone fragments were going to be an excellent source of income, so Siegfried took the time to rummage through the remains of the Mecha Octopuses and pick up every single one of the fragments.

“Ah… What a waste… I should have just dealt with them the normal way… Why did I have to use Splitting Heaven and Earth and blow these babies up? Tsk,” Siegfried grumbled at the thought that he could have gotten a whole mana stone if he used a different skill to attack them.

However, it seemed that the heavens heard Siegfried’s grumblings.

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

“Lifeforce detected.”

“Intruder.”

Mecha Octopuses started appearing one by one.

“Heok!”?Siegfried gasped in shock. Of course, he didn’t feel threatened at all.

“What is this… a jackpot?!” he exclaimed as his eyes shot wide open.

He was shocked because these mechanoid monsters had basically approached him to offer up their oh-so-expensive mana stones.

***

While Siegfried was busy harvesting the mana stones offered up to him.

A huge group of around one hundred Adventurers squeezed themselves through narrow tunnels to arrive at the southern outer area of the Metropolis.

“This is a hidden dungeon, so you all better be on your guard,” Park Sung-Jin looked back and warned the Adventurers behind him.

Park Sung-Jin was a Level 200 Buffer class Adventurer. He had a V-shaped wing badge on his chest, and it depicted the insignia of none other than one of the top ten guilds on the continent.

The Genesis Guild…

***

‘Wow… How much are all of these?’?Siegfried thought in disbelief while looking at his Inventory.

His inventory was filled with the D Grade Mana Stones he looted from the remains of the Mecha Octopuses. They weren’t fragments like the ones he had picked up earlier, but whole mana stones. It was all because Siegfried paid special attention not to hit the mechanoid monsters too hard to prevent damaging their mana stones.

‘This dungeon is a jackpot!’?he exclaimed inwardly in excitement at the thought of obtaining even more expensive mana stones from the monsters here at Metropolis.

It was safe to assume that all of the mechanoid monsters in Metropolis used mana stones as their energy source. As such, there was a huge chance that they had mana stones in their bodies.

‘The boss should obviously be at the center of the map, right? I should slowly start heading south then,’?Siegfried thought before making his way south.

Of course, he did not forget to continue ‘harvesting’ mana stones along the way.