Debuff Master

Chapter 768

“What happened afterward?” Siegfried asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and concern.

“I lost,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied bluntly.

“To whom?”

“The Immortal Alchemist, Acheron... She was... unbelievably strong.”

“How strong?”

“Even three Grandmasters aren't going to stand a chance against her,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied, sounding dead serious.

“No way. That’s impossible,” Siegfried retorted, skeptical of what he said.

“I’m Level 500.”

“What?!” Siegfried exclaimed as his jaw dropped to the floor.

Level 500?

According to the game lore posted on BNW’s official website, those Level 450 were Grandmasters. Was Cheon Woo-Jin saying that he had already surpassed even that threshold?

“It’s conditional, but when I fully unleash my power, my combat strength becomes on par with that of a Grandmaster.”

“Whoa...” Siegfried muttered in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, but what he heard next shocked him even more.

“Despite using up all of my stacks, I lost—no, I didn’t just lose; I lost badly.”

“Did you record the battle?”

“I did. I’ll send it to you later.”

“Okay...”

“Anyway, she’s absurdly powerful. Of all the NPCs I fought so far, she’s easily the strongest. Her attack patterns are also incredibly complicated, and it’s impossible to predict her next moves.

"It’s like... she’s operating on a whole different level of mental capacity.”

“I guess there's a reason she's the Immortal Alchemist...” Siegfried muttered in disbelief. His disbelieving voice told Cheon Woo-Jin the severity of their situation

Since Cheon Woo-Jin, at full power equal to a Grandmaster, couldn't even put up a proper fight against Acheron, no player could realistically the latter.

“Still, it’s a relief that you managed to secure the final soul fragment. Otherwise...” Cheon Woo-Jin trailed off with a solemn face.

“...Apocalius would have fully resurrected and descended upon this world.” Siegfried finished his words for him.

“In the worst-case scenario... the game would have been reset,” Cheon Woo-Jin added, his voice still sounding grim.

“Right. We really got lucky, like you said.”

“Even so, we can’t afford to relax.”

“Why not?”

“Acheron’s abilities are beyond anything we can imagine. She possesses just four soul fragments, but she's... already as dangerous as having five and having resurrected Apocalius,” Cheon Woo-Jin explained.

“I see what you mean. And that’s why we have to track her down and destroy her as soon as possible,” Siegfried said, his eyes blazing with flames of determination.

“But how? The Heaven’s Eye has been taken away, so we don’t have a way to trace the energy signatures emitted by the soul fragments anymore.”

“We can't trace her through the fragments, but I think I have an idea about where she went.”

“I found evidence of supplies from the Zavala Kingdom being funneled somewhere else.”

“...!”

Cheon Woo-Jin looked surprised at those words.

“They were transported northward using the Aphrodite Merchant Company,” Siegfried said, pulling out a report from his Inventory. Then, he laid it out on a table and opened a world map of the continent beside it.

“It went... roughly here,” Siegfried said, pointing at a specific location.

“The ruins of the... Suzdal Empire?” Cheon Woo-Jin muttered, his brow furrowing as he examined the map.

***

The Suzdal Empire was said to have flourished in the northern regions of the continent approximately two thousand years ago. However, it mysteriously vanished one day, and its legacy ended up getting buried deep within history.

The problem was that the ruins of the Suzdal Empire were known to be an absolute nightmare. It was a place where the very fabric of time and space had twisted into a chaotic labyrinth. Bizarre phenomena were common over there.

Nobody would willingly venture into such a place, and it was actually considered one of the forbidden areas of the continent.

It was a notorious place even among Adventurers. There were regular posts on the BNW community forums from Adventurers claiming to have lost their way after entering the ruins. Many of them had never found their way back and were forced to quit the game altogether.

Compared to the Dimensional Rifts, where one could clear its dungeons to obtain return stones that one could use to escape from the rift, the ruins of the Suzdal Empire offered no such mercy. It was a twisted maze of distorted time and space, and it seemed like a living creature set on devouring anyone who dared to venture into it.

To make matters worse, even if someone were to die inside the ruins, their respawn point would be automatically set inside it, making escape nearly impossible.

“So they’re basically daring us to follow them, right?” Cheon Woo-Jin growled, his voice dripping with venom.

“It seems like it,” Siegfried replied with a nod. Then, he added, “They’re probably banking on us losing our way in the ruins while they carry out whatever scheme they’re planning. Who knows? What if their real headquarters is in there?”

Siegfried’s theory made perfect sense. The Guardians, despite their advanced technology and network, had not been able to track down the elusive Church of Osric.

What if their main base of operations was hidden within the labyrinthine ruins of the Suzdal Empire? It would explain all of the mysteries surrounding the Church of Osric.

After all, how could anyone even think of looking for the enemy’s main base in a place so dangerous and inaccessible? Even if they suspected it, who'd volunteer to go and investigate that place?

“Damn it... So we don’t really have a choice, do we?” Cheon Woo-Jin grumbled in frustration.

“Not if we want to stop them,” Siegfried replied. Then, he added, “But hey. At least we managed to secure the final soul fragment. There’s no point in moping around, so let’s hurry and track them down.”

“Yeah,” Cheon Woo-Jin said. Then, he clenched his fists and growled, “We have a debt to collect from those bastards.”

“You’re right. And we will make sure they pay us back tenfold,” Siegfried said with a smirk.

“I’ll go get ready,” Cheon Woo-Jin got up and said. Then, he turned around and added, “Oh, one more thing...”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not officially completed, but you technically gathered all five fragments. So, you deserve a reward.”

“Huh?”

“Let me level you up,” Cheon Woo-Jin said nonchalantly.

“Huh? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Just accept it.”

[Alert: The Quest Maker, Cheon Woo-Jin, has sent a trade request!]

A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes. It was a trade window, and it showed that Cheon Woo-Jin was transferring a portion of his own levels to him.

[Alert: Do you accept the trade?]

Siegfried instinctively pressed the accept button.

[YES!]

[Alert: The trade is complete!]

[Alert: Your level has increased!]

Then, system messages flooded Siegfried's eyes one after another.

[Alert: You have reached Level 287!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 288!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 289!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 290!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 291!]

(omitted...)

[Alert: You have reached Level 299!]

Siegfried’s level skyrocketed from Level 286 to Level 299 in the blink of an eye.

It was a massive leap of thirteen levels in one go.

“...!”

Siegfried was completely dumbfounded. Leveling up once in the upper two hundred was excruciatingly difficult, but he actually leveled up thirteen times in an instant, and it was a feat that was nothing short of a miracle.

However, what surprised him even more was...

“Y-You... gave me your levels?” Siegfried stammered, staring at Cheon Woo-Jin in disbelief.

“Yeah. You worked so hard, so you deserve a reward,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied nonchalantly.

“But... What about you? Did you lose levels after giving them to me...?”

“Obviously?”

“So, if you gave me fourteen levels... then are you at Level 486 now?”

“No,” Cheon Woo-Jin replied, shaking his head. Then, he said, “I’m Level 458 now.”

“Wait, what?! You were Level 500, right? Isn’t dropping fourteen levels going to leave you at Level 486? Why are you Level 458?!”

“The deduction is tripled when transferring levels to someone else.”

“...!”

“For every level you gained, I lost three.”

“Whoa...”

“Well, not that it matters,” Cheon Woo-Jin said with a shrug. Then, he added, “I’ve already used up all of my remaining stacks, so I'm not that strong for now, anyway.”

Cheon Woo-Jin had exhausted everything he had during the battle against Immortal Alchemist Acheron. He was in a weakened state until he had gathered enough stacks.

“Hey, Tae-Sung.”

“Yeah?”

“You will have to handle it from now on.”

“Don’t worry, man. Leave it to me.”

“Thanks.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Anyway, I’m going to focus on recovering my strength for now.”

“Yeah, take it easy for a bit.”

Siegfried turned to leave, and his steps carried his determination.

***

Leaving Cheon Woo-Jin behind, Siegfried made his way to the Proatine Kingdom to meet Brunhilde.

“Dear, what’s going on?” Brunhilde asked with concern.

“Well...” Siegfried explained the recent developments in detail before handing over the Blood Spinel Soul. Then, he pleaded with utmost seriousness, “You must protect this no matter what.”

“Don’t worry. I will protect it with my life if I must,” Brunhilde reassured him with a resolute expression.

“Thank you,” Siegfried said gratefully.

“No need to thank me, dear,” Brunhilde replied with a warm gentle smile.

“Alright, I need to get going. Things are going to be hectic from now on.”

After entrusting the Blood Spinel Soul to Brunhilde, Siegfried immediately went to find Quandt and explained the situation.

“So, can this... be enhanced further?” he asked, holding up the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp.

Siegfried wanted to maximize everything he could before going after the Church of Osric in the Suzdal Empire Ruins. Since he had already reached Level 299, it only made sense for him to also push his main weapon, the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp, to brand-new heights.

“Hmm... I can guarantee one enhancement. It should be possible with a large number of Orb of Enhancement,” Quandt replied confidently.

The Orb of Enhancement was a rare material obtained by dismantling enhanced weapons, and the chances of acquiring one were so slim that the orb was a highly rare and valuable resource.

[Orb of Enhancement]

[A mystical orb that increases the success rate of enhancement.]

[Type: Material]

[Rating: Unique]

[Effect: +2% Enhancement Success Rate]

Siegfried had amassed a significant number of these orbs while dismantling the enhanced demonic weapons crafted by Avant.

“What about two enhancements?” Siegfried asked, pushing the issue further.

“Hmm... That would be quite challenging...” Quandt replied with a serious look.

“Ah...”

“There’s a high risk of the weapon being destroyed.”

“What would it take to ensure a guaranteed enhancement?”

“Well, it’s quite simple. You just need more Orbs of Enhancement.”

“How many, exactly?”

“Maybe around... two hundred more? That’s at a minimum.”

“Two hundred?”

“Even then, collecting two hundred is a monumental task, so...” Quandt trailed off. He did not want to discourage Siegfried, but gathering two hundred Orb of Enhancement demanded a ton of artifacts to be dismantled.

“Hold on a second,” Siegfried said before opening his Inventory.

Cling! Clang! Clang!

A torrent of enhanced artifacts spilled out, creating a pile so massive that it would be dangerous if it were to tip over.

These were the spoils of war Siegfried had accumulated so far. Each and every one of these enhanced artifacts was looted from the Adventurers he had vanquished over many grueling battles.

Most Adventurers would sell these items at bulk price, but Siegfried was no longer in a rush, as he was making bank. Thus, he held onto these items and only sold them at opportune moments to maximize profits.

“How about now?” Siegfried asked, gesturing to the mountain of enhanced artifacts.

“With this many... you might be able to extract around fifty Orbs of Enhancement? Maybe more if we get lucky,” Quandt replied, looking visibly stunned by the sheer volume of enhanced artifacts in front of him.

“Damn it... It’s still not enough,” Siegfried grumbled, astonished.

The total market value of the items he took out just now exceeded thirty billion won, and yet it was still not enough. This was a testament to just how difficult it was to secure a one hundred percent enhancement success rate.

“As you know, the Orbs of Enhancement doesn’t drop that easily,” Quandt said with a sigh.

“Hmm...”

“With some luck, you might get around seventy or eighty orbs from all of these, but it will still fall short of the number we need to guarantee a safe enhancement.”

“Well, I guess we have no other choice then,” Siegfried said, sounding resolute.

“W-What do you mean by that?” Quandt asked, flinching slightly.

“I’ll find a way to get the rest, so please go ahead and enhance it.”

“What?! You’re seriously going to try and get more enhanced artifacts?!”

“I don’t have much of a choice,” Siegfried replied. Then, with a wry smile, he added, “Time isn’t exactly on our side.”

“Ah...”

“Here,” Siegfried said, handing over the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp.

“But if that’s your plan, won't it be wiser to wait until you’ve gathered all the orbs? I mean, why take the unnecessary risk? Wouldn’t it be better to aim for +15 in one go?” Quandt suggested.

“Why’s that? Isn’t it better to enhance it to +14 and then enhance it again later on?” Siegfried asked.

“Enhancing it to +15 will have lower risks. Even with guarantee enhancement, there’s still a 0.001% chance of failure, so why double your risk? There’s no such thing as a one hundred percent guarantee in the world of blacksmithing,” Quandt explained.

“Ah, I see...”

“On top of that, a one-shot enhancement slightly boosts the weapon’s overall attack power.”

“I see... Got it.”

Siegfried took the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp away and headed off to find Betelgeuse and Daode Tianzun.

“Hoho... So that’s the situation...” Betelgeuse mused.

“Those wretched bastards!” Daode Tianzun roared angrily after hearing that the Church of Osric was once again on the verge of reviving Apocalius.

“I need your help. Please,” Siegfried pleaded sincerely. He knew from Cheon Woo-Jin that the Church of Osric’s leader, Immortal Alchemist Acheron, possessed combat power equivalent to three Grandmasters.

Thus, having Betelgeuse and Daode Tianzun on his side was paramount. Siegfried could still remember their heroic feats during the incidents involving Apocalius, so they would definitely be of huge help to him.

“Alright, I will help you,” Daode Tianzun agreed without hesitation.

“I will assist you in any way I can, Young Master,” Betelgeuse said.

Unlike Deus or Vulcanus, who had to be mindful of the causality of this world, Betelgeuse and Daode Tianzun were not bound by such restrictions and could act as they pleased.

“Thank you. I will let you know when we will depart. Please be prepared,” Siegfried said with a deep respectful bow before heading off once more. This time, he used the warp gate to travel to a city called Sicario, a thriving city of trade.

He needed more Orbs of Enhancement to guarantee the enhancement of the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp to +15, and Sicario was the perfect place for him to start.