Debuff Master

“He’s bringing the dead… back to life? Count Arial is?”

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

“Come on~”

Siegfried refused to believe the herald. Count Arial was the descendant of Great Sage Sieghart, which meant that he undoubtedly had some sort of special talent, but bringing the dead back to life was completely impossible.

Logically speaking, bringing the dead to life was difficult to do so, even if this was just a game. Besides, it wasn't like Count Arial was a part of the Church of Osric, so how could he even bring the dead back to life? Did he have the same ability as the one who had brought Weapon Master Shakiro back to life as the Weapon Seeker?

‘Eh? Hold on…’ Siegfried suddenly suspected that the count was in cahoots with the Church of Osric.

The Descendant of Blood Master Berserk, Vladimir, was also a member of that organization, so there was that possibility too.

“Did you say that Count Arial brought the dead back to life?”

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

“Yes, I did! I saw it with my own two eyes, sire!”

“Who did he bring back to life?”

“He brought the soldiers back to life, sire!”

“I mean, which soldiers?”

“Count Arial displayed the miracle of bringing the soldiers he was hosting a memorial service for!”

“Memorial service… dead soldiers…?” Siegfried muttered under his breath. Then, he asked the herald, “Tell me everything that happened in detail.”

“That is…” the herald proceeded to explain the series of events that led to the miracle.

***

Two hours ago, a memorial service was being held in the Chateau Territory for the soldiers who fell in battle. Everyone living in the Chateau Territory attended the memorial service led by Count Arial.

The memorial service proceeded normally. The Proatine knights and soldiers marched with coffins wrapped in both the kingdom and the territory’s flag. White flowers were strewn on the ground and a gun salute was held to honor those that fell in battle.

However, things started to change the moment Count Arial began his speech.

“...How can we appease those who lost their loved ones in the battle?”

Count Arial’s speech was no different from normal when it started, but everyone noticed something strange later on.

“Losing someone you love is the most painful thing anyone can go through, and that pain will not be cured unless they come back to life.”

Then, the third eye hidden in Count Arial’s forehead suddenly opened.

“I will… return them to you.”

The people looked up at those words, baffled by it.

Someone asked, “W-What do you mean by that?”

However, Count Arial did not answer the question. Instead, he spread out his hands and raised them up high just like how a saint would, and his third eye looked at the coffins where the dead soldiers rested.

Then, he said, “Arise and return to your beloved ones.”

A massive surge of energy burst forth from his third eye, destroying the coffins and…

Swoosh!

The soldiers resting inside the coffins arose one by one and started moving again.

“H-Honey!”

“Papa!”

“Father!”

“M-My son! My son!”

The bereaved loved ones were shocked at what they were witnessing.

“W-Where… am I?”

“Huh? I’m sure I was dead… How?”

“Is this the afterlife…?”

The soldiers couldn't believe that they had come back to life and were utterly confused by what was happening.

“D-Daddy?!”

“Arwen!”

A little girl shouted and ran to one of the soldiers.

“Daddyyy!”

“Arweeen!”

A tearful reunion between father and daughter commenced, and this served as the signal for the rest of the families to rush to their loved ones.

The memorial service turned into a sea of tears in an instant, but the people still could not believe what they were witnessing.

“The dead came back to life…?”

“Oh my god…”

“Is this the work of God?”

“No, I think we’re dreaming right now…”

It was then. Count Arial infused mana into his voice and addressed the entire Chateau Territory, “I have received enlightenment during my training in isolation, and I have obtained the power of omnipotence, which is the power I used to bring the dead back to life.

"You are no longer bereaved family members. I have used this power to bring your loved ones back to life, so I hope you will continue to live happily in the future.”

Somebody prostrated on the ground and shouted, “G-God! A god has visited us!”

Then, the family members and the soldiers prostrated on the ground.

“My god!”

“Ah! My god!”

“Thank you, god!”

“God has brought the dead back to life!”

The Chateau Territory people started to worship Count Arial as a god, and that was how the count became known as a god to the people.

***

“He brought back the dead to life? They’re actually alive and not members of the undead?”

“Yes! Your Majesty! None of those that came back to life were undead beings!”

“Hmm…”

“They could hear, speak, and think just like normal human beings, and they still had their memories from when they were alive!”

“I see… What else is Count Arial doing?”

“He is on his way to a memorial service hosted in another territory, but the problem is that half of the Chateau Territory residents have followed him…”

It was then…

Bam!

Siegfried slammed the armrest, smashing it to pieces.

“That bastard dared to play with me?” Siegfried growled in anger, recalling what the count had told him.

“If I may dare, what does Your Majesty think of holding a memorial service for those who have passed away?”

“If it pleases, Your Majesty, I will see to it that the grand memorial services for all sides will be…”

A grand memorial service? Bullshit!

‘That bastard wanted to resurrect the soldiers during a grand memorial service to ensure a ton of witnesses. Word will then spread like wildfire. What a cunning guy…

'He planned to have the people on his side in one move,’ Siegfried gnashed his teeth after realizing the count’s hidden agenda and just how dark he truly was inside.

Bringing the dead back to life? Forget about the descendant of Great Sage Sieghart, as even Sieghart himself couldn't do that!

Siegfried was one hundred percent certain that this power was from the Soul Fragment of Apocalius, and the only reason Count Arial could use it so skillfully was that he was the descendant of Great Sage Sieghart.

“Where is he? Where is Count Arial right now?” Siegfried asked.

“I will check at once, sire!”

“Report to me the moment you locate him and cancel all of the memorial services in the territories yet to hold them. We can’t let Count Arial bring back the dead anymore!”

“Yes, sire!”

Siegfried hurried to the communications room to call Cheon Woo-Jin after giving instructions to the herald.

“Ack! You surprised me!” Siegfried screamed after running into Cheon Woo-Jin on his way to the communications room. His heart almost jumped out of his chest after seeing Cheon Woo-Jin, who was hidden by a shadow and leaning on a pillar.

“Hey! Can’t you tell me if you’re here?!” Siegfried lashed out.

“Why are you so easily startled?” Cheon Woo-Jin asked with a smirk.

“It’s because you always pop up out of nowhere!”

“Hey, why are you so worked up?”

“Won’t you get worked up if you’re in my shoes? I was made a fool right in front of my face!”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“This bastard, Count Arial, lied to my face! He had the Soul Fragment of Apocalius but was hiding it all this while!”

“Ah? Did you just receive the report? I came after we picked up energy signals from the soul fragment.”

“Yeah, I just got it.”

“Let’s go. The Guardians are on standby, too.”

“Sure.”

Siegfried and Cheon Woo-Jin rushed out to beat the living daylights out of Count Arial.

***

Siegfried and Cheon Woo-Jin rushed to the nearest warp gate after Count Arial was located. They warped to the Paraffin Territory and were greeted by a shocking sight.

“God!”

“God has brought my son back to life!”

“Bless me, my god!”

“Save me!”

The people of the territory, especially the ones who lost their loved ones in the battle, were on the ground, worshiping the count as if he was really a god.

But that was not the end of it…

The main square of the Paraffin Territory was no different from having a religious event, as it was filled with the soldiers who came back to life along with their loved ones.

“Count Arial!” Siegfried shouted.

“Hello, Your Majesty,” Count Arial got on one knee and bowed despite being surrounded by a multitude of people.

“Enough with your tricks,” Siegfried growled.

“I am not aware of what you mean by that, sire—”

“I know you have the Soul Fragment of Apocalius. Stop this charade at once and hand over the soul fragment, or else…” Siegfried trailed off. He pointed at the sky where a grand fleet of the Guardians was flying overhead.

Each airship was equipped with cannons that were all aimed at the count, but that was not the only thing threatening the count.

The Proatine Special Forces had already taken control of the walls, and their compound crossbows were aimed at the count, ready to pull the trigger at any given moment.

On top of that, there were also fifty Level 300 Guardians created by the Homunculus Project, and they had all surrounded the count.

“I suppose I don’t have to tell you what’s going to happen, right?” Siegfried threatened.

There was no need to explain that Count Arial would be riddled with holes the moment Siegfried gave the command.

“I am afraid I cannot understand what Your Majesty is saying,” Count Arial replied.

“Is that so?”

“Your Majesty’s humble servant used this power to bring the dead back to life.”

“So?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

It was then.

‘What the hell is this bastard trying to say?’ Siegfried growled inwardly.

Was it bad to bring the dead back to life? No, it was not. What was so bad about bringing the dead back to life if it was possible? This was a good thing unless the one doing it was an enemy of mankind.

Why?

It was all because nobody wanted to lose their loved ones.

Siegfried would want to bring someone he loved back to life if it were possible, but that was wishful thinking, as bringing the dead back to life was impossible.

In other words, there was no way bringing the dead back to life could be something normal, and this was all the more true if the power to bring the dead back to life had come from the Soul Fragment of Apocalius.

“Your Majesty, I have used my powers to bring those who died back to life into the arms of their loved ones.”

“...”

“Is this something I must stop?”

“That is—”

It was then…

“How dare you use black magic to belittle His Majesty and confuse the people?!”

One of the soldiers wearing the Proatine Kingdom’s military uniform drew his sword and beheaded the Espadrille Province soldier who had been resurrected by the count.

Swoosh!

The soldier’s head fell to the ground with a thud.

Spurt!

Blood spurted out of the soldier's headless corpse…

“W-What is the meaning of this?!”

“What are you doing?!”

“Kyaaaaaah!”

The loved ones of the soldier screamed in anguish upon witnessing the death of the soldier.

“What are they doing?”

“God brought the dead back to life, but they’re killing them again?”

“T-Those rascals! They deserve to be punished with death!”

“Preposterous!”

The public’s sentiment started shifting and…

"Keke…" Count Arial grinned with his head bowed to ensure that no one would see it.

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