Debuff Master

“S-Siegfried!” Betelgeuse screamed and ran toward Siegfried.

“Sieeegfrieeed!”

“…!”

“I missed you! I missed youuuuuu!”

Betelgeuse charged at Siegfried so fast that Siegfried couldn’t even avoid him. Betelgeuse hugged him as tightly as he possibly could. It was impossible for Siegfried to avoid the huge old man as he was a Master.

Creak… Crack…!

As such, Siegfried felt as if he was being crushed as excruciating pain washed over him.

[Siegfried van Proa]

[HP: ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬜⬜]

In fact, he lost twenty percent of his HP with just one hug.

“Euk! You crazy old geezer! It hurts! I said it hurts!” Siegfried screamed and thrashed around.

However, Betelgeuse did not budge an inch as he continued shouting, “Siegfried! My Siegfried! I missed you so much! I missed you soooo muuuuch!”

“Ah, hey, let go of me…”

“Heuk… heuk… heuk…”

“…?”

“Kuheuuuk…!”

This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Betelgeuse started crying while hugging Siegfried.

He cried.

He wept.

Then, he started wailing out loud.

“Ah, why the hell are you crying all of a sudden?”

“I-I’m just too happy to see you! Heuk! Heuk! Heuk!”

“Do you not have any shame? You are already over 130 years old, right? You said you were the leader of the Five Star Heavens? Why the hell are you crying all of a sudden?”

“T-That is… Heuk! Heuk! Heuk!”

“…?”

“It was too painful… too painful…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That is… No, this is not the time for that! Hurry Siegfried! Run away! Run!”

“Huh? What do you mean by that now? Why should I run away?”

“The Demon Lord lives here!”

“D-Demon Lord…?”

“A truly ferocious old geezer lives here! Hurry up and run away! You will be forced into slavery forever if he catches you!”

“What the hell are you saying…?” Siegfried could not make heads or tails of what Betelgeuse was saying.

‘The Demon Lord lives here? But my master is the only one here. What does he mean by slavery…? Oh… Don’t tell me…?’ Siegfried muttered inwardly as a thought suddenly struck him.

“So, you have come.”

A friendly voice suddenly entered his ears.

‘Huh?’ Siegfried thought as he forced himself free from Betelgeuse’s restraint and turned toward the voice.

Deus was standing there looking at him with patient eyes as if it hadn’t been that long since they separated.

“Master!”

“It has been a while.”

“Your disciple greets Master!” Siegfried exclaimed. He bowed in front of Deus.

“Hello, elder. I am a friend of your disciple, Gosran,” Gosran said. She also bowed next to Siegfried.

“Hiiiik?!” Betelgeuse cried out in surprise as he thought, ‘S-Siegfried is… that devil’s…?!’

He was shocked by the fact that Siegfried was the disciple of the Demon Lord who forced him into slavery.

“Yes, have you been well?” Deus asked.

“Yes, Master!” Siegfried exclaimed in response.

Siegfried did not care whether Betelgeuse was in shock or not. He was simply too full of emotions after finally reuniting with his master.

‘Oh, my god! No wonder he refused to become my disciple…!’ Betelgeuse thought.

Deus suddenly looked at Betelgeuse and asked, “What did you say a while ago? What? A devil? The Demon Lord?”

“E-Elder!” Betelgeuse exclaimed in response as he turned ghastly pale.

“Hooo, is that truly what you think of this great me?”

“N-No! Not at all! Why would I dare…”

“Come to the backyard later. I have something to discuss with you in private.”

“H-Hiiik!”

“I haven’t had a massage these past few days, so my body is itching. Hoho!”

Betelgeuse knew it by then. ‘I-I’m screwed!’

***

A few months ago, Betelgeuse was on a journey to become a Grand Master when he stumbled upon Mount Kunlun and got into a fight with some old man. The reason they got into an argument was quite… childish…

“Hey, excuse me.”

Betelgeuse was looking for a village nearby after running out of supplies when he came across the old man. He decided to ask for directions from the old man. However, the problem was that Betelgeuse had spoken casually to the old man.

“Hey, you, can you tell me the directions?”

“Tell you the directions?”

The old man, Deus, was taken aback. He was irritated by the fact that this young guy in front of him was asking for directions as if he was talking to his subordinate.

“Yeah, I’m looking for a village, but I can’t find my way around here. How about you show me the way?”

“Show you the way?”

“What’s with that look? You have a problem?”

“Ha! Look at this young punk! Where are your manners?”

“Young punk?! Ha! Do you have a problem that this ‘young punk’ asked you for directions?!” Betelgeuse retorted in disbelief before saying, “Hey, you, young punk! I’m 130 years old this year, but what did you just say? You, young punk?! You look like you are 80 years old at most!”

“Look at this little greenhorn,” Deus muttered with a cold smile and said, “You dare act all high and mighty in front of this great me when you aren’t even 200 years old?! Haha! You are quite the funny one! You are indeed funny!”

“What? How old are you to spout such nonsense?!”

“I’m over 500 years old.”

“500 years oooold? Haaaaa? Tsk, tsk… Look at this young punk going all senile already. Hey, you snotty little punk. Do you even know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m one of the few people Master and one of the five stars of this continent! I am one of the Five Star Heavens, the Sword Emperor Betelgeuse!”

“Kekeke!”

“…!”

“You dare talk about the heavens in front of this great me at your pathetic level? Hoho! It seems that there are quite a few street urchins wandering around with their noses up!”

Betelgeuse was in disbelief at the old man’s response.

‘It seems that he has really gone senile. Tsk tsk… He doesn’t look that old… Well, it’s only normal for ordinary people to go senile at his age…’

He treated Siegfried’s master, Deus, as an old man with dementia, so he decided to just ignore the senile old man and go on his way.

However…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’ll go on my way. Why don’t you just go home and stay home? You should be considerate of your children.”

“…”

“Remember not to smear your shit on the walls and make your kids’ lives miserable. Anyway, this hyung will get going now,” Betelgeuse said. He then decided to leave in search of the village, but he could not leave.

“I said, where do you think you are going?”

“Heok!” Betelgeuse gasped in surprise. ‘Since when?!’

The old man he treated like a dementia patient suddenly appeared right in front of him.

Afterward, the old man clenched his fists and said, “I hope your body can take a few hits.”

Crack…!

“W-What are you saying…?!”

“You better grit your teeth.”

“Kuheok…!”

The old man punched Betelgeuse. Then, he was hit again and again and again without being able to retaliate.

The Sword Emperor Betelgeuse was beaten to a pulp by a senile old man.

***

“I plan to keep him around and make him do some chores. He is stronger than he looks, so he is pretty good with menial tasks,” Deus said.

“Did something like that happen? Haha!” Siegfried chuckled.

‘Tsk tsk… how can you be so fearless and stupid at the same time to pick a fight with Master? What an unfortunate old geezer.’

Siegfried knew better than anyone that Betelgeuse was just an ant in front of Deus, despite being a Master.

“But how are you acquainted with such an ill-mannered buffoon?”

“That is…” Siegfried told the story of how he met Betelgeuse.

“I see. He actually dared to salivate all over this great me’s disciple with his pathetic skills? He seems to be much more ill-mannered than I thought.”

“I am sure he did it without knowing of your greatness, master. I hope that you will be able to forgive him with your benevolent heart…”

“I’m already benevolent toward him. Isn’t it enough that I spared him?”

“Your grace is as wide as the universe, Master,” Siegfried sincerely said. He wasn’t really trying to butter up to his master as he thought, ‘Yeah, that’s right. He is lucky to be alive.’

“Anyway, it has been a while, my disciple.”

“Yes, Master.”

“You didn’t send a single letter to me all this while. What brings you to your old master today?” Deus said while glaring at Siegfried with eyes that seemed to be rebuking him.

“I apologize, Master. Your pathetic disciple has forgotten to pay a visit to his great master because he was too busy trying to live his life. Please forgive me, Master.”

“Ehem!”

“Truthfully, I thought of sending you a letter at least, but I figured that it is disrespectful for me to greet Master with a piece of paper so—”

“Don’t you think you have been neglecting your master after descending this mountain?”

“I apologize once again, Master. I will make sure not to repeat this mistake ever again!”

“Ha!”

“As a token of my apology… I have brought you a present, Master.”

“A preseeent?”

“Yes, Master. It is not something that can measure up to the grace you have bestowed on me, but I thought that this was the least I can do as your disciple…” Siegfried said as he extended something toward Deus, and then he added, “I hope you find it to your liking, Master…”

“T-This is?!” Deus exclaimed as his eyes shot wide open as he asked, “Don’t tell me… this brandy is… the Blood Tears of Revenge?!”

“You are correct, Master,” Siegfried replied with a smile.

The brandy Siegfried gifted to Deus called the ‘Blood Tears of Revenge’ was an expensive luxury brandy that an emperor a thousand years ago drank while swearing vengeance upon his enemies.

“Y-You managed to get your hands on something this precious?”

“Yes, Master! I bought it to offer as a present to you, Master!”

“Kekeke! Good! Good!”

“Do you find it to your liking, Master?”

“Of course! I love it! Who could have thought you would bring me something this precious?”

“I hope that you will enjoy it, Master.”

“Yes, I will drink it at once later this evening.”

The disappointed look on Deus’ face toward Siegfried disappeared in an instant thanks to the ‘Blood Tears of Revenge’.

“But what is that living corpse you brought with you?” Deus asked while pointing at Carell.

“He is someone I have been looking after, but they say that there is no hope for him.”

“Is that so?”

“That is why I have decided to be brazen and ask Master for…”

“Let me take a look,” Deus said. He took a cursory glance at Carell before saying, “That is a fatal wound. He would have already died a long time ago if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s being forced to stay alive.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I can see why you brought him to this great me since those pathetic people they call doctors would not be able to save him.”

“Master…”

Siegfried was about to make a cautious request when Deus cut him off and said, “I will save him, so don’t worry.”

“I-Is that true, Master?”

“There could be some problems, but saving him won’t be an issue.”

“As expected…!”

“Hmm… His organs are frozen pretty well. It’s frozen just enough to make him survive. This skill… is it yours?” Deus asked Gosran.

He was indeed sharper than a ghost.

“My name is Gosran,” Gosran said with a bow before she continued, “It is an honor to meet—”

Deus cut her off and said, “You seem to have talent, but why are you hanging out with my disciple?”

“I am your disciple’s comrade…”

“Let’s talk in private later.”

“Pardon me…?”

“Are you deaf? I said I will see you in private later, so wait for me to call you,” Deus retorted while glaring at her with a chilling gaze.

“Heok…!” Gosran gasped in horror before she collapsed to the ground.

Thud!

“Gosran-nim!” Siegfried shouted. He hurriedly ran over to her side, but it was to no avail.

Gosran could not withstand Deus’ gaze and died on the spot.

[Gosran]

[HP: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜]