Debuff Master

Chapter 332

‘What’s that?’ Siegfried wondered after grabbing something soft, warm, and squishy.

His vision was starting to get better in the darkness, and he could see the silhouette of a certain something.

‘Don’t tell me?!’

Siegfried’s face turned pale upon realizing what was going on.

Grab!

Someone grabbed his hand before he could retract it away.

“Oh my, you’re quite the aggressive one, aren’t you?”

“W-What?!”

“I didn’t expect you to be so lecherous.”

It was Antiope, and she had her face right up to Siegfried’s nose while prowling underneath the darkness like a cat.

“You pretended to be all coy and uninterested, but who would’ve known that you would touch me…”

“I didn’t touch anyone!” Siegfried exclaimed before he stood up.

‘Huh?”

However, something was strange.

“W-Why… AM I NAKED?!”

He was shocked to find his character completely naked.

How?

All he did was log out and sleep. When he returned, he suddenly found himself naked underneath the same covers as Antiope.

“I escorted you to my bed chambers after you collapsed, and I took your clothes off so you could sleep comfortably. However, you disappeared right after that, person from another world.”

“Oh?”

Siegfried finally understood what was going on. It seemed he was moved and undressed against his will after he logged out from the game.

“But why am I here?”

“Because you’re strong…”

“That’s your reason…?”

“Our tribe desires strong men, and you have managed to defeat not only me but the chieftains of the other tribes as well. Isn’t it a given that I would bring a strong man like you to my bed chambers?”

“What the… I mean, it’s not that I don’t understand, but…”

“You may embrace me anytime you want, and I want you to embrace me without rest—day and night…”

“D-Day and night?!”

“Yes… Hohoho!” Antiope said as she let out a seductive laugh, and then her eyes turned into like that of a fox and said, “So, shall we keep going now that you’ve made the first move?”

“G-Go where?”

“You already know~”

“I… don’t…?”

“Come on~”

“NO!”

Siegfried raised his voice and scurried to the corner where his clothes were sprawled and got dressed.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell? I’m getting dressed.”

“W-Why would you get dressed?”

“Why else? Because I’m not going to stay naked under the sheets with you.”

“But you touched me first…”

“It was a mistake, a mistake,” he emphasized.

“Why…? Don’t you want to do it with me?” Antiope asked while utterly confused at his refusal.

“Yes.”

“You don’t like me? Am I not beautiful enough?”

“Well, you are beautiful and have a good figure… Oh, while we’re at it, can you get dressed too? It’s embarrassing looking at you.”

“Don’t tell me…” she muttered before her eyes turned serious and said, “You’re impotent?”

“No.”

“As expected…”

“What did you expect?”

“I undressed you and wiped your body, and there’s no way someone so well-endowed like you would be impotent…”

“S-Stop!” Siegfried screamed and pleaded, “P-Please stop that… Talking about it is making me feel uncomfortable…”

“So why? Why are you refusing to sleep with me?”

“I have a wife, and she’s pregnant with my child.”

“So what? I’m pretty sure polygamy is widely accepted on the continent, right?”

“Because I’m not from the continent? Polygamy is not widely accepted in the world I grew up in.”

“Oh?”

“And I’m here to find a cure for my wife, so how can I fool around with other women?”

“I… I see…”

Antiope finally understood what Siegfried meant and covered herself with the blanket.

“You must love her a lot…”

“Yes, I do love her a lot.”

“She should be quite beautiful, right? More than me… And that’s probably why you didn’t waver even one bit…”

“Yes,” Siegfried replied without an ounce of hesitation, and then he further added, “She is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted.”

“I… I see…”

“Then, I wish you a good night,” Siegfried said with a smile before he left Antiope’s bed chambers.

Longing? Lust? There was no such thing in Siegfried’s mind as he walked away from the barbarian beauty.

“Haa… Was he really not interested in me? Tsk!” Antiope let out a sigh before clicking her tongue out of frustration.

Her pride was hurt.

“Just how beautiful is she…”

She could not help but wonder about just how beautiful Siegfried’s wife was for him to not spare even a single glance her way. Well, he did fondle her breast, but it was an accident.

***

The next morning, Siegfried headed to the Ishuka Ruin after getting ample rest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The barbarians from the five tribes followed behind him. They danced and beat drums while singing in their own tongues.

‘Ah… This is so damn embarrassing…!’

He could not help but be extremely embarrassed as it felt like he was the center of attraction in this vast jungle right now, but he did not bother stopping the barbarians from causing such a ruckus.

The Great Jungle Challenge was a tradition passed down from generation to generation in the Great Jungle, and he strongly believed that one had to do as the Romans did when in Rome.

Of course, sleeping with Antiope was out of the question.

“Oh! I never imagined I would get to see the Great Jungle Challenge with my own eyes!”

Thanks to him, Amundsen was overjoyed by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

His main purpose in coming to the Great Jungle in the first place was to explore the Ishuka Ruin, so seeing the most important tradition of the Great Jungle take place was like a dream come true for him.

Still, it went without saying that Amundsen was prepared to make a run for it if ever Siegfried lost the duel.

“Your Majesty! Not only did you save my life, but you also gave me the opportunity to explore the Ishuka Ruin! I pray for your victory as Your Majesty’s victory is my victory!” Amundsen exclaimed and earnestly wished him success.

He started addressing him as Your Majesty because he had overheard Gringore addressing him as Your Majesty.

Unfortunately for Siegfried, Amundsen wouldn’t possibly know where the Proatine Kingdom was located. In fact, Amundsen definitely had no idea that the Proatine Kingdom even existed in the first place.

“Yes, I have to,” Siegfried replied with a smile.

Amundsen held his hands together and squirmed before muttering, “And if it is possible…”

“Yes?”

“May I humbly request… for your support?”

“My support?”

“Ahem… It is a bit embarrassing for me to say this, but… Ahem… Ahem…” Amundsen cleared his throat first before continuing, “Actually, I am quite an influential explorer and archeologist. I pride myself on being the best on the continent when it comes to what I do.”

“So…?”

“I still have to explore countless ruins and unknown regions from now on, but I am having financial difficulties doing so. Exploration is quite a dangerous task, but hiring mercenaries tends to be quite expensive. Equipment can be quite expensive, too…”

“So you want money?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Let me get this straight… I saved your life, and now you want ME to pay up?” Siegfried asked in jest.

However, Amundsen immediately reacted by waving both of his hands and exclaiming, “N-Not at all, Your Majesty! This is a misunderstanding! That is not what I meant, Your Majesty! You have already saved my life, so how could I be brazen enough to demand money from Your Majesty?! I’d be a beast if I were to do that!”

“Ah~ So you were an animal~?”

“N-Never! I simply wish to make a fair proposal that will benefit Your Majesty!”

“A fair proposal that will benefit me?”

“I have already mentioned before, but I am the best in this field! Some will definitely not agree, but I pride myself on being the best!”

In other words, Amundsen was not proclaimed as the best, but rather, he was self-proclaimed the best.

“So?”

“If Your Majesty agrees to sponsor me, I shall offer the artifacts and eighty percent of the gold I discover in my explorations to Your Majesty!”

It was then.

Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!

Siegfried’s nose quivered. ‘I can smell it! This smell! The scent of money!’

He instinctively could smell the scent of money coming from Amundsen.

A hunting ground, dungeon, or ancient ruin was bound to be a treasure trove that would give Adventurers tons of gold or items, but the problem with them was the competition with other Adventurers. After all, it was quite difficult to exclusively hunt in places that were already known to the public.

However, what would happen if Siegfried had an exclusive hunting ground that was still unknown to the world?

Kaching!

Dollar signs appeared in Siegfried’s eyes.

“Your Majesty! This is an investment! I’m sure you are aware, but a ruin holds numerous artifacts and riches untouched by others!” Amundsen exclaimed.

“Hmm… I might consider investing…” Siegfried muttered while rubbing his chin before asking, “But how can I know if the information you have is credible and rare? I’m not a fan of sharing things with others, you see.”

“Your Majesty does not have to be concerned about that! I could even show you all of the research I have dedicated my life to if Your Majesty wishes!”

“Really?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! These are all information regarding the unknown areas on the continent, and nobody else has any clue that they even exist!”

“Hmm… I will think about it.”

“R-Really?!”

“Of course, I can’t give you an answer right now. I’m not the one in charge of allocating budgets…”

‘Thank you! I am grateful for the fact that Your Majesty is willing to consider it!”

“But you will have to be prepared. The one in charge of allocating funds can be… quite meticulous,” Siegfried said as he thought of Michele.

“Your Majesty… Did you find something to spend money on?”

He was certain that Michele was going to be grumbling about it if he mentioned investing in Amundsen, but he decided to listen to his instinct and trust the explorer.

‘Well, I’m sure he’ll allocate some funds if I throw a tantrum…’

Siegfried could be quite irresponsible at times, and this was a perfect example of it.

‘We’re already going to invest anyway, so we might as well get some exclusive information out of it. Hohoho!’

While Siegfried was drawing up all sorts of plans in hopes that Amundsen was going to bring him valuable information that nobody else had, hundreds of Hunterians suddenly appeared in front of Siegfried’s party.

“This is the Great Jungle Challenge! The Hunterians are to respect the law of the jungle and escort the challenger to your king!”

The strongest warrior of the Amazoness Tribe, Sandra, shouted in a booming voice.

“…”

Then, the Hunterians stepped aside and made way for Siegfried’s party.

The chieftain of the Hogwa Tribe, Dwaitka, walked in front and said, “Please, this way, sir.”

“Yes, thank you,” Siegfried replied as he walked past the Hunterians and entered the Ishuka Ruin.

***

Boom! Boom!

The barbarian tribes banged their drums and sang louder as they entered the Ishuka Ruin. At last, Siegfried finally stood face-to-face against the ruler of the ruin, the Hunterian King.

[Hunterian King]

[The King of the Hunterians and the strongest one among them.]

[It rules over the Great Jungle after occupying the Ishuka Ruin.]

[Type: Monster]

[Race: Hunterian]

[Rating: Boss]

[Level: 300]

[Class: Elite Beast]

[Titles: Ruler of Great Jungle, King of Hunterians, Cruel Hunter, Jungle Beast]

The aura of the Hunterian King was not a joke. The boss monster resembled an evolved primate that stood three meters tall and postured like a human being.

However, its thick arms and legs made it clear that it possessed ten times more muscle mass than an average human, and the armor and helmet it was wearing only made it look more threatening. The Hunterian King’s intimidating aura alone was enough to intimidate just about anyone.

But the real problem was its weapon…

Clang! Clang! Chwak!

The Hunterian King’s choice of weapon was a large spiked metal ball that resembled a morning star attached to a long chain.

‘I think I’ll be a goner if that hits me even once…’ Siegfried thought while inspecting the morning star, which was at least five times larger than a basketball.

“Challenger from the outside….” Shockingly, the Hunterian King could speak human language. “Bring it on. I’ll make sure to end this duel swiftly.”

“I won’t say no to that,” Siegfried replied with a smirk as he gripped his +15 Gaia’s Fist tightly.

Wooong!

He cast a skill that surrounded him with holy energy.

[Alert: You have received the buff Brave Challenger!]

[Alert: You will gain +50 levels for the duration of this duel!]

Brave Challenger was now active.

Siegfried lunged at the Hunterian King at frightening speeds.

Fwaaa!

Of course, he didn’t forget to place down Blaze Field.

Whoosh!

The Hunterian King swung its large weapon.

‘I can’t fight this thing head-on. I need to parry its attack and find an opening to counterattack,’ Siegfried thought while observing the trajectories of the morning star.

He changed his grip on his +15 Gaia’s Fist and tried to gently parry the oncoming attack, but…

Bam!

“ACK!” Siegfried screamed as he was blown away a few meters. He had succeeded in parrying the oncoming attack, but he was sent flying for some reason.

He struggled to get back to his feet.

“Argh…!”

[Alert: Warning! Warning!]

A warning message flashed in front of his eyes.

[Alert: The durability of +15 Gaia’s Fist has dropped by 10!]