Debuff Master

Siegfried hopped over the rocks and placed down the climber when he reached the cliff and checked the climber’s state before applying potion on his minor wounds. Then, he looked down at the rest of the climbers struggling to climb up and said, “He seems fine, so I’ll leave him here!”

It was then.

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have obtained Experience Points!]

A string of messages popped up in front of his eyes.

“Eh? Where did these come from? Ah! Maybe...?” Siegfried muttered before realizing that the Experience Points had come from the Jagged Mountain Goats that had fallen off the cliff. They were so high up the ground that it took quite a while before the mountain goats struck the ground, just like how it would take a long time before a skydiver would land or hit the ground.

“Y-Your Majesty! Thank you so much! We will not forget your kindness!” Elliott shouted.

“Why don’t you show me how grateful you are instead of just talking?!” Siegfried retorted.

“P-Pardon?!”

“I’m busy so see you later!”

“Your Majesty! Please wait! Your Majesty!” Elliott screamed at the top of his lungs, but it was to no avail.

“Bye!”

Siegfried had already climbed too far for the Santa Climbers to catch up to him.

“How in the world is this possible...?” Elliott muttered in disbelief while watching him disappear into the distance.

‘How can the king of a weak and tiny kingdom destroy an entire cliff with just one swing of his hammer...?’ Elliot couldn't believe what he had witnessed just now.

Siegfried van Proa, the first Adventurer to become a king on the continent. He was renowned for rescuing Emperor Stuttgart and the other rulers in the worst terrorist attack the continent had ever seen during the World Peace Conference.

However, contrary to his achievements at the World Peace Conference, Siegfried van Proa’s infamy preceded his fame. He was the King of Debauchery, the worst lecher under the sky with inexhaustible sexual stamina.

Well, everyone was jealous of the last one.

On top of that, numerous people claimed that he looked kind and righteous on the outside, but he was a despicable coward who would not hesitate to stab others in the back for his own benefit.

Other eye-witnesses claimed he did things even the devil would think twice of doing without batting an eye. There were other rumors that he was actually a demon in human clothing. However, everyone who met him personally agreed on one thing; it was the fact that he loved money more than the worst miser on the continent.

The list of Siegfried van Proa’s infamy was so long that it was difficult to remember every single one of them but...

‘I have to admit he is strong,’ Elliott could not deny what he witnessed just now regardless of how bad Siegfried van Proa’s reputation was.

How could someone possess the strength to destroy the surface of Mount Kunlun? This was not something an ordinary person could pull off!

‘He is the key to this expedition’s success. I must grab him at all costs!’ Elliott steeled his resolve to catch Siegfried even if it meant risking his life in doing so. He knew he could teach Mount Kunlun’s peak just by sticking close to Siegfried.

“Your Majesty!” Elliott screamed at the top of his lungs just before Siegfried disappeared into the horizon.

“Your Majesty! Your MAJESTYYY! Please wait! Just a moment!” Elliott screamed while climbing in an extremely risky manner.

It was the same for the other climbers.

‘We can’t lose him!’

‘He’s our only hope in conquering the peak!’

‘We must catch him at all costs!’

Every single one of the Santa Climbers had the same thought as Elliott. They knew Siegfried was the only person capable of protecting them in Mount Kunlun, so they squeezed every single bit of their strength to catch up.

“Your Majesty!”

“Please wait!”

“Take us with you, Your Majesty!”

They called out to him desperately.

***

Siegfried ignored the Santa Climbers and continued his climb.

An endless cycle of climbing and fighting ensued...

He would run into vicious creatures native to Mount Kunlun while climbing, fight them, resume his climb, and run into another one. He would use everything in his arsenal to vanquish his foe, allowing the Santa Climbers safe passage up the mountain.

The Santa Climbers knew that they could climb safely thanks to Siegfried, so they squeezed every ounce of their strength to climb so that they wouldn't get left behind. He was their only hope of safely climbing this treacherous mountain, as their combat capacity was almost nonexistent.

In other words, the Santa Climbers were basically leeching off of Siegfried right now.

‘Tsk... Why do I feel like those guys are leeching off of me? Damn it...’ Siegfried grumbled after realizing the climbers were profiting off of him, but he decided to pay them no heed. He could not push them off the mountain or kill them just because they were following him, right?

‘Let’s not mind them and focus on climbing,’ Siegfried thought while keeping his sights on the top of the mountain.

A few hours later.

“Ah~ That’s it for today,” Siegfried said with a stretch before calling it a day. He took out the Mobile Bunker and placed it on the ground. The sun was starting to set, after all.

“Kyu! Good job today, owner punk!”

“You, too.”

Siegfried and Hamchi ate dinner in the bunker before getting ready for bed.

‘I’ll have to try to sleep soundly tonight. It’s quite tiring to sleep inside the capsule, but I can sleep on my bed after I descend from this mountain,’ Siegfried thought as his eyelids grew heavy.

Three hours after he had finally fallen asleep...

Knock! Knock!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Siegfried was woken up by the sound of knocking outside.

“What the hell...?” Siegfried grumbled with his eyes closed.

Hamchi's eyes were closed as he replied, “Kyu... It’s those climbers... They're outside...”

“Again?”

“Hamchi’s going back to sleep. Goodnig—ZzZzz... zzZzz... Zzzz... Kyuu...”

Siegfried ignored the knocking and tried to go back to sleep, but...

Bam! Bam!

Bam! Bam! Bam!

They started banging on the door, forcing him to get up and walk to the door.

“Your Majesty! It’s too cold outside!”

“King Siegfried! Please let us in!”

“Your Majesty! Please spare us from this freezing cold!”

The Santa Climbers begged outside the bunker door, asking Siegfried to let them in.

Kwachik!

A vein bulged on Siegfried’s forehead.

‘These bastards... Are they trying to start something with me?’

Well, he could let them sleep in exchange for gold once again, but that was not the problem right now. He was basically getting paid peanuts in exchange for his rest!

Siegfried was fast asleep just now after a long day, and their knocking had just awakened him. Anyone who was woken up from deep sleep would understand just how annoying it was to be awakened from deep sleep.

Moreover, there was a saying that people would start taking you for granted once you showed them goodwill.

Siegfried was not fond of the Santa Climbers, who were trying to leech off of him without giving anything of value in return. He could understand them following behind him after he got rid of all the dangers, but disturbing his sleep just to beg for refuge from the cold was something he could not forgive.

‘They dare to wake me up just so they could sleep peacefully?’ Siegfried gnashed his teeth in anger.

“Business is closed today so sleep in your tents outside,” Siegfried said icily.

“Y-Your Majesty! We will pay you well! Please let us–”

“I don’t need your gold, so fuck off.”

“Your Majesty...”

“I’m fine with you following me, but I hate it when others take advantage of my kindness. I dare you to knock one more time. I’ll show you what danger is before this mountain gets the chance to do so,” Siegfried growled before going back beside Hamchi and sprawling out on the floor.

Elliott turned around to the climbers and said, “It seems His Majesty’s upset today. I guess it’s perfectly understandable. Alright, we shall camp in our tents today. Get ready to set up camp.”

In the end, the Santa Climbers were forced to set their tents beside the Mobile Bunker and freeze throughout the night.

‘I dare you to disturb me one more time. I’m going to smash your heads open. Damn it, those guys only have one life, but they don’t even value it,’ Siegfried grumbled until his eyelids grew heavy once again.

***

A few hours later...

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Someone started banging on the door once again, waking Siegfried up.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“Your Majestyyyyy!”

The Santa Climbers screamed desperately outside the door.

Kwachik!

An even bigger vein bulged on Siegfried’s forehead.

“Are these bastards trying to test my patience...?” Siegfried muttered under his breath. Then, he grabbed his +13 Horse Fly and stomped angrily to the door, “I’m going to break their legs so they can’t climb ever again—no, I’ll just smash their heads open and end their misery.”

He was prepared to make the Santa Climbers pay for disturbing his sleep, but...

C-Creaaaaaak!

A scratching noise echoed from the door, and Siegfried froze upon hearing it. It sounded as if long nails were trying to scratch through the steel door of the bunker.

‘What the hell was that?’ he wondered with goosebumps on his arms.

It was then.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The banging on the door intensified.

Siegfried swung the door open and shouted angrily, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Please save us!”

“Aaaaack!”

The Santa Climbers flooded into the bunker just like how water would come gushing out the moment a dam’s floodgates were opened.

“What do you think you’re doing?" Siegfried raised a brow. "You dare disturb my sleep again—"

“Your Majesty! P-Please look at that!” Elliott screamed, pointing outside the bunker.

“Look at what?”

“T-That! Over there in the darkness!”

Siegfried grimaced and looked outside.

Whoosh!

The only thing he could see aside from the darkness was the freezing winds of Mount Kunlun blowing.

“Hmm? There’s nothing out there—” Siegfried was about to say when he was interrupted by red circles that suddenly appeared in the darkness.

‘Are those eyes?’ He instinctively knew the red circles were the eyes of some creatures.

Seuruk...!

The creatures finally emerged from the darkness.

“Tsk...” Siegfried clicked his tongue after finally realizing what these creatures were and why the Santa Climbers were so afraid of them.

Monsters.

The Santa Climbers banged on the bunker door desperately upon seeing the monsters.

Siegfried looked at Elliott and said, “Excuse me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Can you please get out?”

“Eeeeh?! Y-Your Majesty! B-But...!”

“Am I your mercenary?”

“T-That is...”

“I have no intention of fighting your battles, so please get out. I’m already so tired, yet you keep waking me up.”

“...”

“Alright, time to get out. Chop! Chop!” Siegfried said while pushing the climbers out of the bunker.

“Y-Your Majesty!” Elliott shouted before he opened his Inventory and spilled everything he had on the bunker floor.

Chiiiiiiing!

Elliott's items littered the bunker floor.

“I will give Your Majesty all of these! Please save us this once!” Elliott screamed desperately.

The other climbers promptly opened their Inventories and spilled everything on the floor as well.

“We will give these to Your Majesty, too!”

Elliott looked at Siegfried with pleading eyes and begged, “Your Majesty, we know we are brazen to ask for your—”

Elliott couldn't finish his sentence.

Why?

“Request accepted,” Siegfried cut him off and stormed out of the bunker.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com