Debuff Master-Chapter 863

It was a bizarre arrow.

The flying arrows looked completely ordinary, wooden shafts tipped with simple metal points.

Their power and speed were impressive but not superior to those of Gosran, the descendant of the legendary archer.

Gosran’s arrows were both faster and more powerful, but somehow, these arrows were far more terrifying.

Shwiiik! Puuuk!

Two members of the Execution Guild were struck by the arrows.

Thud! Thud!

They collapsed instantly and died before they hit the ground.

The Adventurers ranging from Level 270 to Level 299 were killed instantly by a single shot.

‘Holy crap! What kind of damage is that?!’ Siegfried exclaimed inwardly, shocked by the sheer lethality of the arrows flying at them.

Even if the arrows were strong, it was absurd for a single shot to kill a Level 299 Adventurer. What made it worse was that these were not just a few arrows being fired at them, there were hundreds of them raining down at once.

“Enemy attack!”

“We’re under attack!”

“Tanks! Go to the front!”

“Take cover!”

The Execution Guild members scrambled and prepared for combat, but their casualties increased nonstop. Surprisingly, the arrows dealt close to zero damage if they were blocked or deflected.

But if an arrow managed to land on target? That was it.

Instant Death.

The arrows killed anyone they struck as soon as they pierced their target.

‘This is broken as hell!’ Siegfried exclaimed inwardly.

He couldn't believe the absurdity of the situation, but he was not in any immediate danger. His reaction speed was exceptional, and it went up a notch after becoming a Master.

Ducking and dodging such attacks was hardly a challenge for him.

‘I deserve to die if I get hit by something like that,’ Siegfried thought.

With light effortless movements, Siegfried avoided the rain of arrows, weaving between them with ease. He would die from embarrassment if he were to get hit by one of those arrows.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the Execution Guild members.

“Argh!”

“Damn it! What the hell!”

The guild members ran around trying to dodge the arrows in a chaotic frenzy, almost looking comical while at it.

On the other hand, Siegfried decided to avoid drawing attention to himself. He dropped flat to the ground and quietly used the corpse of a fallen Execution Guild member as cover.

This turned out to be an excellent choice.

Shwiiik! Whoosh!

Hundreds of arrows rained down without ceasing, but there was one peculiar thing about them. Not a single arrow was released in a volley like how a company of archers would do. Instead, every single arrow was shot high and aimed at the heads or torsos of the Execution Guild members.

Meanwhile, Siegfried was lying flat, low on the ground. He was safe enough to take a nap if he wanted to do so.

‘Tsk... You morons should’ve stayed low on the ground,’ Siegfried thought with a smirk while secretly looting the items dropped by the dead Execution Guild members.

He made sure to just take one or two items at a time rather than sweeping the whole place up, as he would attract attention if he took too many items at once.

Meanwhile, Alexei led the Execution Guild members and roared, “Fight back!"

‘Geez... They sure are working hard,’ Siegfried thought, watching their desperate struggle. Sure, he could take advantage of the chaos and attack the Execution Guild from behind right now, but he decided to wait.

‘Good food tastes better when you save it for last,’ Siegfried thought with a grin.

He was planning to killsteal the boss for himself. That way, Alexei would suffer an even greater psychological blow.

Of course, there was also the matter of safety.

If Siegfried stabbed Alexei and the Execution Guild members now, then he would be left all alone. On the off chance that the dungeon turned out to be too difficult to clear solo or if there was some special mechanic that required group participation, then he would be screwed.

Thus, he decided to bide his time, waiting until the boss was nearly defeated.

[Alert: You have obtained +11 Nelsia’s Claw Hand!]

[Alert: You have obtained +13 Fang Sword!]

(omitted...)

[Alert: You have obtained +13 Lance Staff!]

Siegfried lazily looted the items dropped from the fallen Execution Guild members while lounging around.

***

After the battle, Alexei groaned in frustration while looking around. “This is insane...”

The bodies of about twenty Execution Guild members were scattered across the ground. To lose twenty of their men in the very first skirmish was really a big loss.

“Damn it!” Alexei cursed and gritted his teeth.

Losing a single guild member was unacceptable when there was a war looming on the horizon. Not only that, suffering such heavy losses so early in the dungeon meant that this raid could end up a disaster.

“Damn those dwarf bastards!” Alexei cursed as he stomped on a Pigman Archer's corpse.

The Pigman Archers were humanoid monsters slightly taller than goblins but shorter than dwarves. They were equipped with the deadly ability that guaranteed death to their target when successfully landing a hit.

Of course, this incredible skill came at the cost of their abysmally low health.

“Regroup! We move out in ten minutes!” Alexei ordered. He leaned against a massive tree nearby. He opened his Inventory to retrieve some food and drinks before consuming them hastily.

The dungeon’s environment was merciless. Alexei was forced to hydrate and replenish nutrients manually, as he had already run out of stamina potions. If he failed to maintain his hydration and nutrients, his stamina would plummet, putting him at risk of exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Siegfried acted as he had always done ever since he entered the dungeon. He moved quietly to ensure that he would go unnoticed. At the same time, he collected valuable information.

‘Hmm... Seeing it in person definitely is better,’ Siegfried thought while carefully observing Alexei and the Execution Guild’s combat style, skills, and tactics.

Knowing one's enemy was the key to victory, so Siegfried decided to take this opportunity to gather intelligence.

Ten minutes later, the Execution Guild resumed their advance toward the assumed location of the boss room. Unfortunately, what awaited them was nothing but trials and hardships.

Scorching ultraviolet rays, stifling humidity, suffocating heat, and a swarm of venomous insects...

“Ugh!”

“It’s so itchy!”

The insects were not life-threatening or dangerous, but they drove the Execution Guild members to madness.

“Argh!”

“Damn it! My skin’s oozing pus!”

The insects gnawed away at their skin, causing them to break out in pus-filled hives. It was so bad to the point that they looked as if they were stung by bees.

“Guhh!”

One guild member died instantly before anyone could administer first aid. He was bitten by an unknown insect.

However, Siegfried remained completely unharmed. He exuded radioactive energy, causing even the insects to avoid him.

In the insects' eyes, Siegfried was more toxic and noxious than them.

‘Ah, perfect day for a stroll. The view is great too,’ Siegfried thought, enjoying the scenery while trying his best to pretend he was exhausted.

About thirty minutes later, Alexei turned to his guild members and ordered, “Stay alert, everyone."

There was a massive and murky pond ahead of them. Fortunately, it wasn't that deep. The water barely reached an adult man’s waist, making it possible to cross without swimming.

Unfortunately, just because it was shallow didn't mean trudging through the mud was going to be easy.

“Huff... Huff...”

“Anyone got water?”

“I’m so thirsty...”

The guild members were exhausted from the heat, humidity, and the strain of wading through the swamp.

‘Here they come,’ Siegfried noticed the ripples forming on the water’s surface in the distance, allowing him to immediately deduce that enemies were approaching.

He discreetly pulled out a long tube from his Inventory and placed it in his mouth before submerging into the swamp.

‘Wow, I can see everything in here,’ he was surprised.

His vision was astonishingly clear thanks to his eyesight being upgraded upon becoming a Master. His eyes had become so keen that even the murky pond water couldn't obscure his view while underwater.

‘A pack of crocodiles?’

Siegfried subtly released his radioactive energy after confirming the identity of the monsters, causing them to avoid him entirely and target only the Execution Guild members.

“Ahhh!”

“Crocodiles!”

“Stay calm, everyone!”

“They’re underwater!”

The battle began.

[Alert: You have obtained +7 Youngest Daughter’s Wrist Guard!]

[Alert: You have obtained +14 Silence!]

(omitted...)

[Alert: You have obtained +11 Fading Starlight!]

Siegfried collected the items dropped as the guild members died one by one. He could gather them unnoticed since the items sank into the water almost immediately, and all he had to do was dive underwater.

But that was not the end...

[Alert: You have gained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have gained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have gained Experience Points!]

(omitted...)

[Alert: You have gained Experience Points!]

[Alert: You have leveled up!]

[Alert: You have reached Level 306!]

Since Siegfried was in the same party as the Execution Guild members, he gained Experience Points without lifting a single finger.

He even leveled up in the process.

Five hours later, After much hardship, the Execution Guild finally arrived at the boss room of the Eastern Great Rift, Marsh of Slaughter.

[Slaughterer Crocogator]

[The King of the Marsh of Slaughter.]

[A beastman monster with the body of a human and the head of a crocodile. Its ruthlessness and combat prowess are unmatched.]

[Type: Monster]

[Species: Beastman]

[Level: 450]

[Class: Swamp Butcher]

[Traits: +15% Combat power in swamp-type environment, Restore 50% of max HP upon biting an enemy, Gains combat power proportional to damage received, Gains combat power with each successive attack.]

The boss monster, Slaughterer Crocogator, stood at a towering five meters high. It was a force to be reckoned with, as it possessed not only raw power but excellent regenerative abilities as well.

“All of you are dead as long as I live!”

The boss monster wielding its massive weapon, the +15 Butcher’s Blade, unleashed a fearsome assault, but the Execution Guild was no pushover.

As one of the continent’s top ten guilds, they demonstrated flawless coordination.

‘Oh? Impressive teamwork,’ Siegfried thought. He observed the Execution Guild with admiration as they skillfully raided the Slaughterer Crocogator.

For instance, their hit-and-run rotations were seamless.

Whenever a guild member was hit, others would immediately rush in to assist, while the injured member retreated to the backline to drink a potion and rejoin the fight. They also defended as a group rather than individually. The tanks worked in groups of three, blocking the monster’s attacks while the DPS struck in unison.

Their synergy was truly awe-inspiring.

‘Even I’d be in danger against them,’ Siegfried thought. He acknowledged their strength and reminded himself to avoid getting surrounded once war broke out.

“Graaah!”

When the Slaughterer Crocogator’s HP dropped to ten percent, the guild members were nearing their limits as well. Their HPs ranged from five to thirty percent. Most of the guild members were barely hanging on, but the battle was nearing its end.

‘Now’s the time,’ Siegfried thought with a grin, realizing that this was his moment to strike.

It was now time to savor the delicious meal that he had been cooking since he entered the dungeon—time to stab them in the back.