Debuff Master

Destroying the munitions factory was far from an easy task. The factory where the Iron Fleet was being built was located in Garnet, the largest industrial city within the Zavala Kingdom.

Garnet had long been famous for the high-quality metals it produced, and the alloy used to craft the machines used by the Church of Osric to revive Inkarthus was also mined from here.

Situated just on the outskirts of this renowned industrial city was the munitions factory that was more fortified than a fortress.

Around two hundred thousand Zavala troops were stationed around it, and over a thousand anti-air cannons were installed surrounding the whole place. They were positioned to cover every possible angle.

But that was not all…

The munitions factory had high walls similar to those of fortresses, and its walls were lined with anti-air cannons and turrets, transforming it into an impregnable fortress rather than a factory.

Attempting to take this place by force would be nothing short of a suicide mission; even the Immortal Armada of the Marchioni Empire would find it difficult to take over this place.

Thus, the fact that Siegfried was planning on infiltrating this fortress to destroy the Iron Fleet, which was the key to the Zavala Kingdom’s victory in this war, left Kim Gi-Tae completely astonished.

“Are you really planning to storm in there, guns blazing? That… sounds like a very bad idea,” Kim Gi-Tae said with a frown.

“Yes, it is definitely far from a great idea. But what can we do? We don’t have a choice, as this war will only drag on longer and get harder once the Iron Fleet is complete and has taken the skies.”

“But still…”

“We have to at least try,” Siegfried said. Then, he spread out a map and added, “I will lead the Adventurers. In the meantime, I would like you to secure this, this, this, and this place. We need to secure these four positions.”

The four positions were ideal for both offense and defense; it would allow them to cut off water and food supplies going toward the capital city, Feiogh. Then, Siegfried continued, “Once we have these positions under our control, we will have other options for this war even if the operation fails and the Iron Fleet takes to the skies. Isn't that right?”

“Yes, indeed. Even if we succeed in destroying their fleet, the enemy won’t surrender anyway. Securing these four spots beforehand will help us avoid encirclement, stabilize our own supply routes, and give us a more solid footing in these lands.”

“I would like you to take charge in my absence, senior.”

“Me?”

“I am confident that I can leave things to you.”

“Ahem!”

“Please!” Siegfried bowed and pleaded in a respectful tone.

Kim Gi-Tae broke into a smile and replied, “How can I say no when you’re pushing like that?”

“Thank you!”

“Don’t worry about things here. I’ll take care of things and start the groundwork while you’re away.”

“That will put my mind at ease while I am away.”

“Just make sure you don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Siegfried infused mana into the insignia of the Head Crusher Guild and summoned his guild members.

***

Meanwhile, Ninetail infiltrated the munitions factory where the Iron Fleet was being built, known as the Iron Cradle. She posed as a researcher to gather information regarding the Iron Cradle’s inner workings, but despite her best efforts, she found nothing useful.

Even her skills were not enough to breach the security within the Iron Cradle, as the Zavala Kingdom had gone all-out in ensuring that the security was top-notch.

‘This place is airtight…’

In the end, Ninetail concluded that the Iron Cradle was impossible even for her to infiltrate. The Iron Cradle was a massive facility that was both a steel mill and a shipyard. Despite its massive size, the Zavala Kingdom made sure that every inch of the Iron Cradle was covered.

In addition, the security at the place where the Iron Fleet was being built was airtight, with three shift rotations around the clock, making even Ninetail hesitate to attempt to infiltrate it.

There was, however, a way to infiltrate the Iron Cradle. A few people could infiltrate via the drainage pipe connecting to the sewer system, but they would have to navigate through a maze of complex tunnels and avoid getting lost, all while looking for a spot where the guards were slacking off.

Even if a small team managed to infiltrate the Iron Cradle, the real challenge was breaking through the overwhelming defense. To add to that, destroying the Iron Fleet was a task almost impossible.

‘I should report this to His Majesty,’ Ninetail thought before slipping into the communications room to contact the Proatine Alliance.

— Oh? I was just starting to wonder when you would reach out.

Siegfried appeared on the screen with a big smile.

“Your Majesty.”

— Yeah?

“This place is impregnable–”

— Just wait a bit. I’m on my way.

“What?!” Ninetail exclaimed. Then, she hurriedly retorted, “I am calling to tell you that you should not come here.”

— No.

“Ehhh?!”

— Let me worry about that. Anyway, have you found any way in?

“I believe it will be possible through the sewer network.”

– Then wait for us somewhere safe. I will come to find you.

“You must not come, sire!” Ninetail raised her voice after seeing Siegfried not listening to her at all.

— It’s fine~ Relax~

“What’s fine?!”

— I have my ways.

“Your… ways…?”

— Yup.

“What kind of plan?”

– It’s a bit difficult to explain it right now. Just wait for me. I’ll be right there.

“As you command. But the sewage network’s entrance is—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the transmission was cut off, becoming filled with static.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

It seemed that Siegfried was so busy that he haad ended the call unilaterally.

“Ugh…” Ninetail groaned and rubbed her temples. She could feel herself slowly getting a migraine from the tension.

“Just what crazy scheme are you planning this time, sire…?” she muttered.

Ninetail was just an ordinary human when compared to Siegfried, who was no different from a devil in human skin, so she couldn't guess just what in the world the devil was thinking.

***

Siegfried made his way to the river on the outskirts of Garnet City with his Head Crusher Guild members in tow. This river was a branch of the Piaro River that flowed through the continent, and the tail end section of it was connected directly to the sewage outlet of the munitions factory, Iron Cradle.

Of course, infiltrating through the sewage network wasn't a simple task at all.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Splash! Splash!

The sewage pipe connecting the Iron Cradle to the river was gushing out tons of gallons of filthy sewage, polluting the river with it.

“O-Owner punk…?” Hamchi muttered, looking up at Siegfried. Then, he stared back at the foul water gushing out from the sewer pipe and pleaded, “I-I don’t think I can do this. I suddenly feel really sick!”

“What?” Siegfried grumbled, raising a brow.

“Kyuu! Hamchi will wait here! You go on ahead, owner punk!”

“You little rascal. You dare back out on me?” Siegfried growled, grabbing Hamchi by the ear.

“K-Kyuuuu! Kyuuu! This is animal abuse—no, spirit abuse!”

“Get in there!”

“Kyuuu!”

Siegfried dragged Hamchi to the entrance of the sewer and threw him into it.

“...”

The Head Crusher Guild members were left speechless as they stared at Siegfried pressing forward through the deluge of filthy sewage. No matter how unwilling they were, they had no other choice but to dive into the disgusting waters.

They grimaced, pinched their noses, and jumped in one by one.

Shwaaa!

The sewage was a terrible blend of waste, such as food scraps, urine, and even feces, mixed together to concoct an overpowering stench.

Occasionally, a brutal current of sewage would rage through the pipes, forcing them to brace with their mana just to maintain their footing or hold their breath and grit their teeth when the sewage water rose up past their faces.

After what felt like an eternity, Siegfried, Hamchi, and the rest of the guild members finally reached a massive septic tank, filled with filthy waste and lined with dozens of branching sewer paths.

“Ugh…”

“Bleurgh!”

“W-What the hell is this?!”

“Bleurgh! Bleuuurgh!”

The guild members gagged and vomited. It could not be helped, as they were covered from head to toe with sewage.

“Ughh…! This is so disgusting!” Siegfried yelped, peeling off what looked suspiciously like a rotting piece of bean sprout stuck to his face. He had an idea where this bean sprout could have come from, but he decided not to pursue the matter any further.

“Kyaaaah!” Hamchi shrieked in disgust before proceeding to shake the sewage from his fur, causing it to fly all over the place.

“H-Hey!”

“Don’t do that!”

“Gross!”

After a moment of misery, Siegfried finally pulled himself together and examined the branching sewer paths. Each of these routes undoubtedly led to a different part of the Iron Cradle.

‘It should be a piece of cake from here,’ Siegfried thought as he activated Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance.

Wooong!

The map of the underground sewage network popped up in front of his eyes, including the map of the Iron Cradle. Siegfried used the search function to locate Ninetail and began making his way toward her.

“This way,” Siegfried said confidently.

Hamchi and the guild members followed him without a hint of hesitation, as they were already aware of his map hack-like ability.

***

A few hours later.

Creak…!

Siegfried carefully lifted the manhole cover on the outskirts of the Iron Cradle and peeked out. A pair of women’s heels and elegant legs were standing right above him.

“Sigh… so you really came, Your Majesty,” Ninetail said with a sigh, looking down at him. Then, she asked, “But how in the world did you find your way here?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I can always find my way around. I never get lost,” Siegfried replied with a grin.

“You’re impossible…”

“Hehehe!”

“Anyway, what is the plan now?” Ninetail asked with a grimace.

“What else? I’m here to shoot some birds down,” Siegfried replied, grinning like a fox.

“What does that even mean…?”

“Let me explain,” Siegfried said. Then, he whispered his plan to Ninetail and watched her face turn pale as he continued.

“Are you… serious? I-Is that even possible…?” Ninetail muttered, her face ghastly pale.

“You get the gist, right? So just stay put and wait for my signal. Ah, don’t forget to stay safe, too,” Siegfried said. Then, he ducked back down into the sewer and closed the manhole cover.

“Is he a genius when it comes to mischief… or is he just a menace…?” Ninetail muttered. She could not help but marvel at his unparalleled ingenuity when it came to schemes.

***

A few hours later, darkness fell upon the entire place.

“Hey, do you wanna grab a quick bowl of soup after duty?”

“Sounds good to me.”

The Zavala soldiers exchanged small talks as they patrolled the inner parts of the Iron Cradle. Of course, they were not alone, as there were hundreds of pairs of soldiers patrolling, ensuring that every corner was covered.

Unfortunately, even the tightest nets were bound to have holes at some point.

“Hey, do you know Jessie from the cafe up front?”

“Duh? Who doesn’t know her?”

“I was thinking of asking her out this weekend—”

It was then.

“...!”

“...!”

Swoosh!

The two soldiers suddenly fell underground as if the ground beneath their feet had caved in. Well, the ground didn't cave in or anything; the Night Stalkers hiding beneath the manhole had pushed the cover open and yanked the patrolling guards down before reaching up with their elongated arms to close the cover again.

Ten minutes later.

Creak…!

The missing soldiers emerged from the manhole.

“I have to go back to duty.”

“Me, too.”

With calm, steady steps, they resumed their patrol as if nothing had happened.

However, "something" had happened to them.

Sseuuuu…!

Their eyes had a faint ominous green glow to them, but the ominous glow faded away almost instantly.

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