Debuff Master

Chapter 700

Did this guy down an entire barrel of alcohol or something?

“Hey, you there. What in the world are you doing?” Siegfried asked.

However, the old man gave no response.

“Oh-ho! Heave-ho, let’s go, let\'s go! This year, and last, you still owe, still owe! I came last year, don’t you know? Here I am again, back for more!”

The old beggar seemed completely oblivious to Siegfried’s frustration as he continued his dance while singing his heart out.

It was then.

“Oh! Young Master!” the old beggar exclaimed, suddenly stopping his dance and song. Then, he bowed at a full ninety degrees before pleading once again, “This old man’s throat is as dry as a desert, Young Master! How about handing over the fine hammer in your hand as a bit of charity?”

“What?!” Siegfried exclaimed. He was too stunned to even feel angry, as the beggar was not just asking for spare change, but he was asking for Siegfried’s +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp, a weapon he cherished as if it was his own life.

The beggar’s request was not just absurd but it was absolutely laughable—or it would have been under normal circumstances.

“Knock it off. Just what do you think you’re doing right—”

It was then.

“H-Huh?!”

Siegfried felt his right hand, the one gripping his precious weapon, moving on its own as if it had its own will.

“W-What the hell?! Why is this happening?!”

Siegfried grabbed his right arm with his left hand in a bid to stop it from handing over his weapon.

“Argh! My body... it’s moving on its own! What the hell is this?!”

“Oh, Young Master! Don’t be so stingy now! What else can this old man live for? My poor pitiful body is all I have left in this world. If you’d just show me a bit of mercy, then...”

The beggar pleaded repeatedly as if he wanted to squeeze every single bit of pity in Siegfried’s body. Surprisingly, Siegfried found it harder to resist handing over his weapon the more the old man begged.

“T-This is insane! What’s happening?! Argh!”

“Kyuuu! What’s wrong, owner punk?!”

“My body...! My body is... moving on its own...! Do something, will ya?!”

“Kyu? Got it.”

Hamchi sprang into action and launched himself at the old beggar, attempting a dropkick.

“Kyuuu! Don’t you dare rob owner punk! Kyaaaa!”

Swoosh!

The old beggar leaned back and dodged Hamchi’s kick with one graceful move. Then, he turned his attention back to Siegfried and continued his relentless begging.

The more he begged, the harder it became to resist.

‘T-This is absurd! What kind of beggar is this?!’ Siegfried exclaimed inwardly.

The overwhelming persistence of the beggar was simply too much. This was not just simple begging, but rather, this was something far more dangerous.

Begging typically worked by stirring the emotions of the other party—pity, annoyance, empathy, or whatever it took to make someone part with their money.

However, this old man was not just pulling on heartstrings.

He was flat-out controlling Siegfried’s body.

It was as if there was an invisible force so powerful that even Siegfried, a powerful Adventurer, was struggling to resist it.

‘I need to do something,’ Siegfried thought. He clutched his right hand with his left, keeping the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp from reaching the beggar’s hands, and quickly activated Waves of Oppression.

Woooong!

Siegfried’s body unleashed powerful pulse waves that spread out in all directions.

[Alert: Mind Control has been lifted!]

A message popped up in front of his eyes. To his surprise, the beggar’s pleading was not just simple begging but was actually mind control.

“Who in the world are you?!” Siegfried growled.

He did not bother waiting for a response, as he immediately swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp at the old beggar.

But—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The old beggar dodged the attacks as if they were not that much of a threat. He waved his body like a drunken fool and tumbled on the ground. His body teetered and swayed as if he had lost control of it, but he managed to evade Siegfried’s attacks effortlessly.

‘W-What...? How did he dodge that?’ Siegfried was shocked, his eyes shot wide open.

The old beggar’s movements might look clumsy, but they were shockingly precise. It was as if his unsteady swaying was part of some advanced technique as he evaded Siegfried’s attacks like a seasoned veteran—no, someone even greater than that.

“W-Who the hell are you...?!” Siegfried asked, his curiosity reaching its peak.

Then, he flashed his Rune of Insight and decided to check the old beggar’s details.

[Beggarius the Beggar King]

[The ultimate beggar.]

[He is the Guild Master of the Beggar Guild, and he has a powerful information network.]

[He has reached the pinnacle as the best beggar on the entire continent.]

[Not much is known about his background, but he is known to have no equal when it comes to begging.]

[Type: Named NPC]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Poor Lord]

[Level: 300]

[Affiliation: Beggar Guild]

[Position: Guild Master]

[Titles: God of Begging, Ultimate Beggar, King of Beggars, Beggar King Deluxe, Beggar King Supreme, Barefooted Legend, Marathoner, Running Beggar]

[Warning: You might lose your entire fortune if the Beggar King targets you.]

The information shown by the Rune of Insight was so shocking. It was so shocking that Siegfried ended up screaming.

“Why the fuck is a beggar a Master?!”

***

Siegfried was utterly dumbfounded.

‘T-This makes no sense at all...!’

What exactly was a beggar?

A beggar was someone without a home or means of livelihood, and they were forced to survive on the streets by begging. That was what most people would call a beggar or a homeless person.

They were, by definition, people who had struck rock bottom or had their lives crumble to the point of no return. It didn\'t matter whether they had failed on their own or simply could not keep up with life, as they would eventually end up someone powerless and insignificant.

However, there was actually a Level 300 beggar?

A beggar had actually stepped into the realm of a Master?

What kind of Master would pretend to be a beggar of all things?

“A Level 300 beggar...? Is this for real?” Siegfried muttered in denial. He wanted to reject reality entirely, but there was something he was unaware of. There existed a shadowy guild of information brokers known as the Beggar Guild, and the Beggar King, Beggarius, was their leader.

In other words, Beggarius was far from an ordinary beggar.

“Oh? You broke the flow of my begging? You’re not an ordinary guy, are you?” Beggarius asked while nodding in approval. Then, he pulled out a flask hanging from his waist, tipped it back, and down a hefty gulp of the potent liquor inside.

“Aaah! Singing that tune after so long has left my throat burning.”

“What the heck...?”

“Burp!”

“Ughh...”

“Booze tastes extra sweet today!” Beggarius exclaimed. Then, he wiped his mouth with his dirty sleeve and said, “You. Boy.”

“What?”

“Just hand over that hammer of yours quietly.”

“...What?”

“You’ve got no way of escaping me. Not with your current level.”

“What kind of old man—no, beggar are you? Who do you think you are?”

Ptooey!

Beggarius suddenly spat out a thick wad of yellow phlegm straight at Siegfried’s face.

“Ewwww!” Siegfried cried out and leaped out of the way to avoid it, but...

“Gotcha! You little brat!”

Beggarius suddenly closed in on Siegfried like a ghost and threw a punch at him.

“What the—?!” Siegfried gasped. He felt the air getting sucked out of his lungs, even though he managed to barely evade the blow.

“Oh? Hohoho! You’ve got some good moves. I can see you’re properly trained!” Beggarius chuckled in delight, seemingly impressed by Siegfried’s quick reflexes and agility.

“You crazy old bastard...!”

“But it doesn’t matter how well-trained you are!”

Beggarius started staggering toward Siegfried. His wobbling gait seemed unpredictable, as if he was completely drunk, but his movements seemed fluid and smooth for some reason as well.

“What the hell is this...?”

Siegfried felt himself getting dragged deeper into Beggarius’ erratic pace. The Beggar King’s attacks lacked power, but they were so precise that they slipped through Siegfried’s defense.

‘I can’t predict his movements at all...’ Siegfried thought.

Unfortunately, the price of getting distracted even for a split second when facing a Master was far too steep.

Bam!

Beggarius lunged and kicked Siegfried hard in the ribs.

“Argh!” Siegfried groaned, crashing into the ground.

“Hohoho! Allow me to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” Beggarius cackled and pressed the attack, unleashing a relentless assault.

‘Damn it!’ Siegfried fumed inwardly. He did not expect to be so easily distracted by a spit, but he could see no chance of counterattacking.

“I’m telling you, boy! Give me the hammer!” Beggarius exclaimed with a grin.

“Hey, old man...” Siegfried muttered, gnashing his teeth. Then, he glared at the Beggar King and growled, “You picked the wrong guy to mess with.”

“Oh? And what are you going to do with your pathetic skills?” Beggarius sneered.

It was then.

Whoosh!

Siegfried swung his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp, transforming it into a saber as he struck, aiming straight for Beggarius’ throat.

“Heup!” Beggarius gasped and staggered back at the last second, barely avoiding a fatal blow.

However, a thin crimson line appeared under his chin as blood trickled down his neck.

“...!”

Beggarius was shocked by the sudden counterattack. He could be dead by now if the wound was just two centimeters deeper, as his artery would have been severed and his blood splashed all over the place.

“Tsk... That didn’t finish him off?” Siegfried clicked his tongue and grumbled.

“H-How can you use Quick Draw?!” Beggarius exclaimed, recognizing the skill as the secret technique of Betelgeuse. Then, he muttered, “Quick Draw is Elder Brother Betelgeuse’s secret techni—”

“Shut it,” Siegfried growled and placed down Blaze Field and Shadow Hell simultaneously.

“Shwiiik! Shwiiik!”

“Shwiiiiik!”

“Shwiik! Shwiiik!”

Serpentine figures emerged from the ground. Blaze Hydras emerged from the flames of Blaze Field, while Frost Hydras emerged from the shadows of Shadow Hell.

The hydras flicked their tongues menacingly as if ready to devour Beggarius at a moment’s notice.

On top of that, Shadow Hell spawned several Night Stalkers as well, and these stealthy specters were eyeing an opening to cling to the Beggar King to render him immobile.

“I told you. You’ve picked the wrong guy to mess with,” Siegfried said with an icy smirk as he walked toward the Beggar King with his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp in hand.

***

‘Maybe this worked out for the better after all,’ Siegfried thought.

Siegfried believed that the Beggar King was probably what he needed the most right now. He had traversed the Arctic Pangea and mastered new skills while upgrading old ones, and he was itching to test his newfound powers out against a stronger opponent.

Lo and behold, Beggarius appeared just when he needed, presenting the perfect opportunity to put his new powers to the test.

‘I’ll go all out this time and win against a Master,’ Siegfried resolved.

But then—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Beggarius nimbly dodged all of the attacks and even retreated out of the range of Blaze Field and Shadow Hell.

But that was not the only thing he did...

“Shwiiik! Swhiiik!”

“Hiss! Hiissss!”

“Shwiiik!”

The Beggar King effortlessly dodged the fiery and icy breaths of the Hydras. He weaved through their attacks as if they were just child’s play.

What about the Night Stalkers?

They managed to cling to the Beggar King, but he shook them off as if he were a slippery eel.

The Beggar King, Beggarius, was like a phantom that was impossible to pin down.

“Take this, you little brat!”

Beggarius extended his palm toward Siegfried from a distance of fifteen meters. Then, he gathered energy in the palm of his hand and shot it out. The condensed beam of energy flew toward Siegfried like a missile.

Boooom!

“Argh!”

Siegfried was knocked to the ground by the explosion of aura.

Surprisingly, Beggarius had fired a magic missile made out of his aura. However, the Master had taken a step further, transforming the magic missile into a deadly long-range attack.