My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 112

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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112
Inferno
The Guardian’s body exploded into countless fragments. Shattered debris scattered in all directions. The raging flames extinguished, leaving only ash in their wake.
Arulan walked slowly forward and grasped the scattered remains from the ground. He began chanting an eerie incantation. A sinister aura poured from his hands, and black mist coiled upward.
From the air, the shattered body fragments—so destroyed they were barely recognizable—began crawling toward one another. The pieces converged as if sucked into the vortex of black fog, congregating in a single point.
Within the pitch darkness, the form of a living creature took shape. What emerged from the gloom was a massive, heavily built figure. Its skin writhed with an eerie violet flame.
The hollow eyes held not a shred of life’s vitality. Instead of crimson lava, an ominous violet phantom flame flickered from its mouth, emanating a desolate aura. The resurrected undead Guardian was so grotesque it seemed to embody death itself.
The essence of the living had vanished, leaving only darkness in its place. The corpse pulled from death had become something utterly different from its living form—a terrifying abomination. The birth of an undead monster granted new life through dark magic.
Eyes blazing crimson fixed upon Kim Jae-beom, brimming with murderous intent. The gaze burned like a raging phantom flame. The undead Guardian harbored no loyalty toward Kim Jae-beom whatsoever. From those grotesque eyes poured forth bloodlust and hatred. The hollow, merciless gaze burned with an insatiable thirst for vengeance.
Eyes flickering like phantom flames. Pallid eyes drained of life’s warmth. Within them, hostility toward Kim Jae-beom kindled. The undead Guardian was not entirely enslaved by Arulan’s dark magic. Though the body had been resurrected, the will to obey Kim Jae-beom remained absent.
Flames darker than darkness itself enveloped the Guardian’s form, writhing with intensity. Violet mana trembled as it coiled around the massive body. The roiling darkness emanated an uncontrollable rage.
A voice like shattering bone tore through the air.
“Die!”
With an eerie curse-like shriek, a colossal fireball erupted from the Guardian’s fingertips. A nightmarish violet flame sphere tore through the air, hurtling toward Kim Jae-beom. Scorching heat engulfed his entire body, clinging to his skin.
The fireball descended with overwhelming force, as if to consume Kim Jae-beom entirely. Suffocating heat and savage flames billowed forth. Scorching breath whipped across his face, scattering his hair.
Boom—!
The fireball collided with Kim Jae-beom’s body in a violent explosion. Crimson flames erupted in all directions with a bone-chilling roar. In that moment, everyone held their breath. Kim Jae-beom had clearly been consumed by the inferno. There was no doubt—he was dead.
Yet an inconceivable sight unfolded.
The flames vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind. The fire dissipated without leaving a single mark. Not even a wisp of ash remained as it scattered into the void.
Before this unbelievable spectacle, even the undead Guardian appeared bewildered. Something that should have been impossible was happening before their eyes. No one could have imagined Kim Jae-beom emerging unscathed.
Despite being engulfed in scorching flames, Kim Jae-beom stood completely intact—not a single burn mark. His armor and skin bore no trace of charring. He faced the undead Guardian with a calm expression, as though nothing had occurred.
A power beyond comprehension. An existence wielding unimaginable strength. From Kim Jae-beom emanated a dominance that transcended human limits. Before such overwhelming presence, the undead Guardian was seized by confusion and dread.
[How is this possible!]
The Guardian recoiled in shock, glaring at Kim Jae-beom.
Then Arulan smiled wickedly and flicked his skeletal fingers toward the Guardian. With that sinister gesture, the Guardian’s massive body began to creak and move.
Its right arm extended slowly toward the sky. Then its left arm pointed upward as well. The limbs moved independent of its will—a bizarre spectacle. Arulan manipulated the Guardian like a magician controlling a puppet with his fingertips.
Crash!
The massive upper body tilted forward. The Guardian plummeted toward the ground without resistance. The earth, unable to withstand the falling weight, fractured and split. Dust scattered, and cracks spread in all directions.
It resembled a defeated warrior shamefully prostrate in surrender. Dishonorably kneeling with bowed head.
[Ugh…]
A grotesque groan escaped the Guardian’s mouth. It struggled desperately against Arulan’s dominion. Pain wracked its heart as if being squeezed. It felt strength draining from its trembling limbs.
Rrgh!
The Guardian barely managed to push itself up on its elbows, but Arulan’s piercing gaze pierced through it. With a flick of his fingers, black mana engulfed the Guardian. An eerie aura strangled its soul and clouded its consciousness.
In that moment, the Guardian’s body swayed like a puppet suspended by strings. Its joints bent grotesquely, twisted into an immobile position. It was suppressed like a dog on a leash.
[You… dark sorcerer… how insolent….]
The Guardian gnashed its teeth and gasped for breath. Rage surged at the humiliation of helpless suffering. It writhed again with anguished groans, but bound by the pitch-black aura, it could only tremble.
A cruel smile spread across Arulan’s lips.
As he opened his palm, it seemed the Guardian’s lifeline was clutched in his grasp. The Guardian’s will was merely form. He toyed with the undead’s existence, manipulating its very soul.
At last, having savored the torment, Arulan released his grip. The Guardian, freed from his grasp, collapsed helplessly. Like a broken doll, it lay limp—a pitiful slave trampled and crushed beneath merciless power.
Though a remnant of will still writhed within it, the outcome was already decided.
* * *
Guardian had no choice but to acknowledge his complete defeat before Arulan’s overwhelming power. Gathering the shattered remnants of his pride, he slowly lifted his gaze to face Kim Jae-beom.
There was something fundamentally altered in Guardian’s bearing as he accepted his loss. The arrogance had vanished, replaced by deference. The eyebrows he had once held aloft with contempt now settled in humble submission. He stood like a vassal before his liege.
[Ahem….]
Guardian cleared his throat awkwardly. He struggled to his feet from where he had fallen, swaying slightly. Though shame did not flush his face crimson, all trace of his former confidence had evaporated. He averted his gaze, as if to conceal the humiliation of his position.
Yet an unextinguished flame still burned within Guardian’s eyes. Though his body had surrendered, his spirit remained defiant. A fragment of pride still upheld what remained of his dignity.
The embers of his suppressed pride smoldered in secret, kindling beneath the surface. An incompletely broken will writhed within the fierce glimmer of his gaze. He could not easily abandon the pride that came with being Guardian.
However, the hostility that once colored his regard for Kim Jae-beom had vanished. Hatred and rage retreated into shadow, leaving only cold rationality. He had withdrawn his malice and assumed the posture of acceptance.
Guardian, barely managing to rise from his kneeling position, carefully opened his mouth. Discomfort still etched itself plainly across his features, yet he strained to infuse his voice with utmost formality.
[I… shall submit to you.]
Guardian declared his surrender with solemn dignity.
As Kim Jae-beom watched Guardian’s declaration of surrender, a satisfied smile played across his lips. Witnessing his once-arrogant adversary kneel and yield kindled a surge of triumph. The exhilaration of punishing such presumption—daring to challenge him—enveloped his entire being.
“Yes. That’s how it should be.”
Kim Jae-beom’s words, delivered in a leisurely cadence, carried both the superiority of one looking down upon another and the oppressive weight of coerced submission. With his relaxed tone trailing off, he savored the fact of Guardian’s subjugation.
“Now then, let’s see what we have here.”
Having finished speaking, Kim Jae-beom turned his gaze toward Arulan. In that fleeting moment of exchanged glances, an unspoken understanding passed between them—a silent dialogue of mutual comprehension and recognition.
Reading Kim Jae-beom’s eyes as if divining them, Arulan began to chant an incantation. Eerie words accompanied the rising of dark mist. Formless substances became visible in the air.
They were fragments that had been torn from Guardian’s body. From tiny crystalline shards to enormous chunks of stone, each differed in form and size. Yet every fragment blazed with crimson flame.
Within those fragments dwelt an energy akin to the lifeforce itself. Guardian’s tremendous power had been compressed, and even the smallest piece carried devastating might. These fragments of life burning like flames—the aura they radiated inspired reverence.
―Whoosh.
Kim Jae-beom gazed upon the fragments with curious eyes. Feeling his regard, the crystalline forms trembled and quivered. As if recognizing their master, they seemed drawn toward him.
Kim Jae-beom strode forward and extended his hand into empty space. Immediately, brilliant light erupted forth. With blinding radiance, the fragments began to dance wildly. Swaying and undulating as if caught in a frenzy, they were soon drawn into a vortex spiraling toward him.
―Whoooosh―
The fragments vanished into Kim Jae-beom’s fingertips as if being sucked in. Tiny crystals burrowed into his skin while massive stone chunks melted into his armor. It was the moment Guardian’s power transformed into his own.
―Crackle crackle―
Brilliant scarlet flames engulfed Kim Jae-beom’s equipment. Searing fire licked across his pitch-black armor. Within the roaring inferno, his silhouette loomed even more imposingly. Flames adorning his form like the perfect finishing touch—his body now harbored yet another tremendous power.
[No…!]
A cry of despair tore from Guardian’s lips. He seemed shocked to witness his lifeforce being plundered by Kim Jae-beom. Guardian stood dazed, staring blankly at the sight. His breath caught in his throat before this incomprehensible reality.
Power torn away like spilled blood. Fragments that betrayed their master against his will, absorbed by Kim Jae-beom. The pain and shame of having his very essence pillaged by his enemy mingled into anguish. Guardian’s expression, consumed by a sense of loss, was utterly desolate.
“Krahaha!”
Kim Jae-beom burst into delighted laughter. Amused by Guardian’s resentful gaze, he curled his lips into a sharp smile. He looked down upon the ancient spirit, now reduced to weakness, with mockery.
“Your power is confiscated for the time being.”
Kim Jae-beom’s words, delivered with ease, brimmed with the confidence of a victor. He flaunted his overwhelming dominance, strangling Guardian’s very breath, and took pride in his submission.
As one completely stripped of initiative, Guardian had no choice but to swallow this humiliation. Along with the agony of his shattered pride, his vacant eyes could only stare blankly into the void. It was the pathetic self-portrait of the defeated.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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