Debuff Master

“Y-Your bathing spot...?” Siegfried asked, slightly flustered.

“Yes, my bathing spot,” Deus replied.

“Ah!” Siegfried exclaimed after finally realizing what Deus meant. Then, he asked, “Do you mean the hot springs down there? Were you soaking there just now, Master?”

“What bullshit are you spouting?”

“Huh...?”

“This is my bathing spot,” Deus replied while pointing at the Ancient Crater.

Sseuuu...!

The crater was still unleashing the poisonous green fog.

“That... is your bathing spot, Master?”

Deus nodded and replied, “Yes, the water temperature down there is too low for me to feel anything.”

“...”

“I need at least this Ancient Crater to relieve my fatigued muscles.”

“Haha... Hahaha...”

“Well, a Red Dragon Lord built its lair and resided here...”

“Did you... chase it out, Master...?”

“No.” Deus shook his head. Then, he raised a brow and asked, “What do you take me for? Some thug? Why would I kick someone out of their house?”

“Y–” Siegfried was about to say "yes," but he hurriedly changed his mind after realizing the value of his life. “N-No! Not at all, master!”

“I asked him if he was willing to hand this place over to me, and that Red Dragon Lord was nice enough to agree to my request without any complaints. Hoho!” Deus said with a smirk.

However, Siegfried did not buy it at all. He already knew what had happened, even though he wasn't there.

“Do you want to leave, or do you want to die here?” This was probably the question Deus asked the Red Dragon Lord. Siegfried knew without a shred of doubt that the Red Dragon Lord was threatened instead of being asked nicely.

The Red Dragon Lord would have definitely scoffed after hearing such a question from some old human who had come to its lair uninvited, but it most likely left in a hurry after getting beaten to a pulp.

Yes, it was a dragon lord, but it was nothing but a lizard in front of Deus.

‘Hmm... I wonder what’s the truth? Is that dragon even still alive?’ Siegfried wondered, but he decided to act wise and not ask Deus any further.

There was a saying about how the truth could be cruel at times. Siegfried knew very well that he could die at Deus’ hands if he were to ask too many questions, so he decided not to be foolish enough to do so.

“It seems the Red Dragon Lord is quite well mannered, Master,” Siegfried said while rubbing his hands together.

“Ha!” Deus scoffed. Then, he stroked his beard and said, “That lizard didn’t have any respect initially, but it learned in no time after I gently taught it how to respect its elders. Hoho!”

“I-Is that so, Master?” Siegfried replied with an awkward smile. He was now certain that the Red Dragon Lord was indeed beaten until it was half-dead before leaving its lair.

“Yes, it was quite understanding and left far away,” Deus added.

Siegfried instantly understood what "left far away" meant. ‘It’s dead.’

The Red Dragon Lord had definitely perished at Deus’ hands. In other words, Deus had killed the Red Dragon Lord and took ownership of the Ancient Crater just to bathe in it.

"Ahem!" Deus cleared his throat, for some reason, before asking, “Anyway, what brings you here? I opened the way for you, but you were still so slow. What took you so long?”

“Huh...?”

“I told the creatures living here not to touch you since you’re my disciple.”

“R-Really, Master? Haha... Hahaha...”

“I hope you weren’t foolish enough to kill all of them.”

“...”

“Tsk... Tsk... Why are you so adamant about taking the hard path?” Deus clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I-I apologize, Master...” Siegfried muttered under his breath. He was overcome by guilt and shame after realizing why the fire-attribute neutral creatures did not attack him on the way up.

“I had no idea and—”

“A weakling is bound to walk the hard path.”

“Pardon me, Master?”

“Would you have done the same if you were strong?”

“...!”

“Keep working hard. A truly powerful being has no room for doubt in their hearts.”

“Yes! Master!” Siegfried enthusiastically replied and engraved Deus’ word in his heart once again.

Deus held up the Ignite Soul and asked, “What is this?”

The Ignite Soul had been heated up to the point that it spewed a poisonous green fog all over the place.

“Heok?” Siegfried gasped after finding that the Ignite Soul was still perfectly fine. It seemed that even the lava of the Ancient Crater was not strong enough to destroy it.

“Hmm... I don’t think you put this as bath salts for me... Anyway, whatever your intention might’ve been...” Deus trailed off.

“Gulp...!” Siegfried nervously swallowed a hard lump in his throat, thinking that he messed up big time.

“The poison makes it feel like a herbal bath, so it feels better than normal. Hoho!”

“Ehh?! H-Herbal bath?!”

“You know how they put medicinal herbs in baths?”

“Yes, Master...?”

“Yes, so I think I’ll be enjoying my baths more often from now on. Hoho!”

“T-That is a huge relief, Master!”

“But what is this thing? I sense a foreign energy and a fragment of some spirit in it. Does it contain the spirit of a creature from another world?”

“Yes, Master,” Siegfried replied. He could not help but be in awe of Deus once again, as he managed to see through the Ignite Soul in a single glance.

“Did you come here to destroy this?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Unfortunately, that is impossible.”

“May I ask why, Master?”

“Let’s continue this discussion elsewhere. You don’t look so good.”

“Yes, Master. Ah, but I will have to go back down, as the climbers are waiting for me.”

“You don’t have to bother with them. I already sent them down.”

“Wow...”

“They looked like beggars for a bunch that climbed up the most comfortable path. Kekeke!”

“The path we took was the most comfortable one...?”

“Yes, the path you took was child’s play when compared to the real Mount Kunlun.”

“Haha... Hahaha...”

“Let’s go down,” Deus said.

Then, the scenery around Siegfried changed without any warning.

***

Siegfried was back at Deus’ hut. It took him days to climb Mount Kunlun, but it only took him less than 0.1 seconds to come back down.

Well, this did not come as a surprise to him, as Deus was able to send him flying tens of thousands of kilometers with a simple shove, after all.

“Master, this has to be destroyed at all costs,” Siegfried said.

“Yes, that is something that will bring forth disaster upon this world, and it is only right for it to be destroyed.”

“But if it can’t be destroyed even with the flames of the Ancient Crater... How am I supposed to destroy it?”

“My disciple.”

“Yes, Master?”

“There are many things in this world you cannot resolve with force alone.”

“By force, you mean...?”

“You will have to use the same energy making up that thing and destroy it starting from its atoms.”

“Oh!” Siegfried exclaimed, but he did not understand what Deus meant. Therefore, he asked, “Master, my background is in liberal arts, so I did not understand what you meant by destroying it starting from atoms.”

“Ha!” Deus scoffed. Then, he narrowed his eyes and grimaced, “Do you think that’s because of your background? You’re just stupid!”

“...”

“That was an unsightly excuse, my disciple.”

It was then.

‘Owner punk is an embarrassment to all liberal arts people... Kyu...’ Hamchi thought while nodding his head in agreement.

“...”

Siegfried was speechless and had his head down at the direct criticism.

“Anyway, it seems even I don’t know a surefire way to destroy this thing.”

“Even you, Master?”

“Why should I think of such complicated things when I can just crush it with my hand? I’m not a fan of taking the hard path.”

“Then, may you please destroy this for–”

“No, that is not possible,” Deus shook his head. Then, he explained, “This object has already aligned with the laws of this world. I cannot destroy that thing for you. Well, I can easily destroy it, but it means becoming a god and ascending. And I don’t have plans to ascend until I've seen you reach the realm of invincibility.”

“I understand, Master. I shall do my utmost to reach the realm of invincibility and make sure that you'll ascend in peace!”

“Kekeke!” Deus cackled in delight after hearing his response. Then, he exclaimed, “That’s the spirit! As expected of my disciple!”

“Yes! Master!”

“I can't destroy that thing for you, but I can still give you a hint.”

“Your disciple is intently listening, Master.”

“First, find the owner of the Emerald Tablet.”

Deus said the exact same thing that Daode Tianzun had said to Siegfried.

“So I eventually have to find the owner of the Emerald Tablet?”

“Oh? It seems you already knew about it?”

“Daode Tian—” Siegfried was about to say Daode Tianzun but he stopped after recalling that Deus laughed at that title. Thus, he hurriedly corrected himself and said, “Elder Percival has told me.”

“I guess he’s trying hard to live up to his reputation as a magician. He seems to have learned a thing or two here and there. Hoho!”

“Yes, I believe so, Master.”

“It seems that Percival has already told you everything you need to know, so there’s nothing more for me to tell you. But this great being can’t possibly be one step behind that brat, right?”

“Pardon me, Master...?”

“Finding the owner of the Emerald Tablet will prove to be difficult.”

“If you could give me a hint then—”

“Take this drawing,” Deus said as he took out a frame and passed it to him.

“What is this, master?”

“That is a painting painted by the owner of the Emerald Tablet.”

“Oh!”

“The painting is filled with the boredom and emptiness of someone who had been living for many years, so whoever painted this has lived for hundreds of years. The owner of the Emerald Tablet has created the Philosopher’s Stone and obtained eternal life, so you will find him if you track down the painter who paints in the same fashion as this one..”

“But, Master... It could be something painted by a bored dragon too or perhaps a Grandmaster who has lived a long life,” Siegfried retorted.

“You’re not wrong, but dragons don’t paint.”

“Huh?”

“Those lizards like to order the dwarves to paint for them. I can guarantee you that none of them will personally lift a brush and paint their own paintings themselves.”

“Ah!”

“Also, even if a Grandmaster can live a long life, do you really think that they can express such raw emotions through a painting? No human can express such boredom and emptiness. Therefore, I am certain that whoever painted this is indeed the owner of the Emerald Tablet.”

“I guess it is if you are certain, Master.”

“Is this enough of a hint for you?”

“Yes! Master!”

“Then go and do what you have to do.”

“Are you going somewhere, Master?”

“I will be going to Proatine. I haven’t seen my cute granddaughter for a few days now, so I’m starting to feel empty. Hohoho!”

“I understand. I shall go seek the owner of the Emerald Tablet then.”

“Go on.”

“I shall return with greetings another time, Master.”

Siegfried bowed and went to where the Huracan was parked.

***

Inside the Super Airship, Huracan...

“Hmm...” Siegfried narrowed his eyes and inspected the painting.

There was nothing special about the painting. It was just a painting of the sea with the sun setting shining down on a lonely island in its backdrop. The only other thing of note in the painting was the back of a young naval officer watching the sunset from the island.

“What did he see here...?” Siegfried muttered while narrowing his eyes.

“Kyu! Owner punk!”

“Yeah?”

“What do you know? Kyuu!”

“What did you say?! Are you picking a fight?!”

“Why are you expecting to understand art with those eyes of yours? Kyu!”

“Why, you little!”

“Kyu! You should find an expert!”

“An expert?”

“Yes! Won’t it be faster if you consult an art expert? Kyu!”

“Hmm... Now that you mention it... Yeah, what do I know about art? I’m neither artistic nor sentimental to see the emotions in paintings,” Siegfried coolly admitted he was clueless.

However, he now had a dilemma.

“Hmm... But who’s the expert?” Siegfried muttered to himself.

It was then the captain of the airship chimed in...

“Your Majesty, may I speak?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“What if Your Majesty takes a trip down to the City of Art, Artiur?”

“Artiur?”

“Artists from all over the continent gather in Artiur, so I am certain someone who could appraise paintings will be there, too.”

“Oh! That’s a great idea!” Siegfried exclaimed. Then, he smirked and ordered, “Let’s go to Artiur!”

The Super Airship, Huracan, changed course and headed for the City of Art, Artiur.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com