Debuff Master

Chapter 536

It was somewhat understandable for them to react late, as it only took three months for things to spiral into madness for the Ephedrine Kingdom. Three months sounded like a long time, but it was extremely short for an entire kingdom to turn into an undead kingdom, so it was justifiable that the surrounding kingdoms had missed the optimal timing to subjugate the undead monsters.

However, Siegfried could not understand why they did nothing even while things were getting worse. Were they so oblivious to the fact that they would soon have to fight for their own survival instead of their share of the Ephedrine Kingdom if the Undead Kingdom ended up becoming even stronger?

This was a classic case of the pie rotting while they were busy arguing over who would get the biggest slice!

“Tsk... The Undead Kingdom might really form at this rate. If that happens, then...”

Siegfried knew very well what was going to happen if a soul fragment of Apocalius managed to take control over an entire kingdom. Dealing with only the soul fragment was not that difficult, but dealing with a soul fragment that had conquered an entire powerful kingdom was a different story altogether.

‘Argh...!’

Siegfried didn\'t even want to imagine what would happen by then. If the Undead Kingdom was formed and it managed to collect at least two more soul fragments, then even the most powerful nation on the continent, the Marchioni Empire, would struggle against it.

“U-Ugh... My head hurts...” Siegfried groaned while grabbing the back of his neck.

Meanwhile, he had just crossed into the borders of the Solid Kingdom and was now heading for the Axion Fortress located on the kingdom’s outskirts. He soon arrived at the Axion Fortress, which was where the coalition meeting attended by representatives from the surrounding kingdoms was taking place.

The reason they had chosen the Axion Fortress as the meeting place instead of the numerous capitals available was solely due to the fortress’ strategic location. Axion Fortress was located near the three surrounding kingdoms, and it was extremely close to the Ephedrine Kingdom as well.

Thus, the Solid Kingdom, Tame Kingdom, and Seistan Kingdom gathered at this strategic location together with their armies.

— We will be landing shortly, Your Majesty.

Siegfried tapped his finger impatiently after hearing the captain’s announcement.

“I’ll go take a look at what those bastards are up to,” he growled before fastening his seatbelt in preparation for landing.

It was then.

— Warning! Warning!

— Enemy ships spotted ahead!

— The landing sequence has been aborted!

The Huracan was under attack.

***

“What now?!” Siegfried raged.

The reason he was raging was that something always happens whenever he was on an airship. He had no idea why but the airship would either crash, get attacked, or something bad would happen whenever he was on one.

The captain hurriedly reported, “Your Majesty! It is difficult for us to land the airship!”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Hostile undead flying monsters are attacking us—!”

The captain was unable to finish his words, and he ended up getting thrown to the floor.

Bam!

An impact violently shook the Huracan, forcing it to use evasive maneuvers to prevent further collision with the incoming undead flying monsters.

“Your Majesty! There are too many of them! We have to give up on landing and retreat at once!”

“I thought this was the Axion Fortress?!”

“It is, sire!”

“But why are there so many undead flying monsters?!”

“T-That is...!”

“No way... Has the fortress already been conquered?!”

“I believe so, sire!”

“Let’s retreat to the nearest airbase before we get shot down then!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Siegfried had no choice but to command the Huracan to retreat.

“Just what in the world is going on...?” Siegfried muttered while looking at the flock of Bone Wyverns outside, shooting blast after blast of dark energy waves at the Huracan.

The Bone Wyverns were monsters he could deal with on his own, but he decided to fall back and get a grasp of the current situation first. The first thing he did as soon as he landed was call Michele.

— Huh? There was a flock of Bone Wyverns surrounding Axion Fortress?

“Yeah. I have a feeling the fortress has already been conquered.”

— That is strange, though...

“Hmm? Why?”

— I just got off a call with the Axion Fortress. I informed them that Your Majesty would be arriving soon...

“What? How is that possible? I was attacked by a flock of Bone Wyverns just now.”

— That is puzzling me too. The ground forces are bound to get decimated the moment they lose air superiority...

“Try calling them again and find out what’s going on.”

— Yes, Your Majesty.

Siegfried waited for Michele to call back after finding out what was happening at Axion Fortress.

A few minutes later...

— Your Majesty.

“Yeah?”

— The Axion Fortress has not been conquered, but they are barely holding on.

“Really?”

— They plan to mobilize their armies to reclaim air dominance, so Your Majesty will have to travel on foot if you wish to enter the fortress.

“What a mess... What the hell were they doing until they lost the air to those monsters?” Siegfried grumbled.

— They claim they were ambushed by the monsters and had failed to react in time.

“Tsk... If they say so. Anyway, send me the coordinates. I’ll go by foot then.”

— Yes, Your Majesty. A group of knights and soldiers will escort Your Majesty once you reach the coordinates I have sent just now.

“Thanks.”

Siegfried commanded the captain of the Huracan to go to the coordinates Michele gave, which were located in a secluded forest a distance away from the Axion Fortress.

The Huracan landed on an open clearing, and Siegfried, Hamchi, and Seung-Gu disembarked from it. They had no choice but to walk the remainder of the way due to the tall dense trees preventing the Super Airship from landing.

They walked for about an hour...

Siegfried looked around and said, “It should be around here somewhere.”

Kyooooo!

Kieeeeee!

Kieeek! Kieeeeek!

The Bone Wyverns were diligently patrolling in the sky, forcing Siegfried’s party to hide behind the trees while waiting for the knights and soldiers from the Axion Fortress.

“Hyung-nim,” Seung-Gu whispered while they were waiting behind a tree.

“Yeah?”

“Uhm...”

“What is it?”

“How long do you plan to play today?”

“Who knows? Since when did we decide on things like that?”

“Hmm...”

“Why? Are you busy?”

“That is...”

“...?”

“I...” Seung-Gu muttered. He fiddled with his fingers for a few seconds before finally confessing, “I have a girlfriend so..”

“Huh? Oh, you have a girlfri—” Siegfried nonchalantly replied, but he froze after finally realizing what he had just heard. Then, he looked at him and exclaimed, “What?! You have a girlfriend?!”

***

Siegfried couldn\'t believe his ears. ‘S-Seung-Gu has a girlfriend?!’

He had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that Seung-Gu would end up getting a girlfriend!

“A-Are you serious?”

“Yes, hyung-nim. Hehehe~”

“You? Girlfriend?”

“Eh?”

“W-When? How did you two meet?”

“Ah, her name is Da-Hee. She was one of the girls we went on a vacation with,” Seung-Gu answered while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

“Ah? The one running her own online store?”

“Yes.”

“You’re dating her?”

“We decided the last day of our trip to be our first day together. Hehehe~”

“Wow... I didn’t expect that you\'d get a girlfriend...” Siegfried muttered in disbelief. He did not expect—no, he did not want to believe that Seung-Gu could get a girlfriend.

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just amazed you managed to get a girlfriend.”

Seung-Gu looked at him straight in the eyes and said, “Hyung-nim. You can get one, too, but you’re stopping yourself from getting one.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Do you remember that girl, Hye-Ji?”

“Is she the one with short hair?”

“She’s the one with the long flowing hair Sigh...” Seung-Gu said with a sigh. He knew that Siegfried wasn\'t interested in any of those women, but he didn\'t expect that he had already forgotten their names and their looks, even though it hadn\'t been that long since their vacation.

“Anyway, she was interested in you and asked me to help set you guys up, but you were too dense that—”

“Come on~ You ain’t fooling me with something that obvious,” Siegfried replied with a laugh.

“Huh?”

“Does that even make sense? She was interested in me?”

“...?”

“Stop spouting nonsense and just focus on your own love life. I don’t think we will be particularly busy today, so you can log out after a bit.”

“Hyung-nim... That’s not what—”

“Don’t worry~ I’ll let you go soon.”

“No, I really mean—”

It was then.

Siegfried raised his hand and said, “Hold on. This isn’t the time for us to chat.”

“Huh?”

“I see...” Siegfried muttered while nodding.

“Huh? What do you mean, hyung-nim?”

“I knew something was odd.”

“Hyung-nim?”

“Hey, Seung-Gu.”

“Yes?”

“Summon your golems.”

“...?”

“They’re coming,” Siegfried said while pointing into the trees.

‘But I don’t see anything...?’ Seung-Gu thought, but he did as told nevertheless. He knew what he saw and what Siegfried saw were vastly different. Siegfried could see, feel, hear, smell, and taste far better than others, so there were things that only he could see.

The golems were summoned, and Seung-Gu hopped aboard Golem King Reventon.

Whiiing! Click... Clack!

Once Reventon\'s cockpit door was closed...

“Kekeke!”

“Kehehe!”

“Kikiki!”

A group of undead emerged from behind the bushes.

“I thought their knights and soldiers were coming to fetch us?” Seung-Gu asked.

“Yeah, they’re here,” Siegfried replied nonchalantly.

“Huh? But aren’t those undead monsters? Ah! Did they get ambushed by those monsters and—”

“Nope,” Siegfried shook his head. Then, he said, “Nobody got ambushed. It’s more likely everyone in the fortress has already become members of the undead.”

“Eh?”

“I thought about it, and it all makes sense now. It’s weird how they just watched while things descended into chaos and those undead flying monsters were circling above the fortress. But the ones that came to get us were all undead monsters? What does that mean?”

“No way...”

“Yes, way. I think those undead bastards had captured the Axion Fortress as early as a week ago.”

“What?!”

“They most likely turned everyone in the fortress into undead as quietly as possible. Then, they pretended that they were arguing about things to make a fool out of the three kingdoms.”

“Then that means...?”

“Yup, their representatives and soldiers have most likely turned into undead monsters.”

“Whoa...”

“Anyway, that’s not our problem,” Siegfried said with a shrug. Then, he took out his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp and said with a smirk, “It’s time to fight.”

Woooong!

He gathered his light attribute mana into his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp and jumped into the air.

Whoosh!

Siegfried slammed the ground with Splitting Heaven and Earth aimed at the oncoming group of undead monsters.

Krwaaaaang!