My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 115

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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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115
Inferno
Shaking off my hesitation, I finally grasped the Pickaxe of Darkness in my hand. In that instant, something bizarre occurred. The shadow flowing from the pickaxe writhed like a living creature, spreading from my arm across my entire body. The darkness burrowed into my skin, coursing through my veins, and soon engulfed me completely.
That was when I heard a whisper at the edge of my ear.
“Take me.”
It was a voice of darkness emanating from the pickaxe. Startled by that eerie whisper, I glanced around nervously.
But no one seemed to be watching me or noticing anything amiss with the pickaxe. Everyone remained absorbed in examining their own tools.
Concealing my confusion, I held up the pickaxe and asked Ye-jin.
“What does this look like to you?”
Ye-jin, whose attention was drawn to another pickaxe, answered.
“Just an ordinary pickaxe?”
The Pickaxe of Darkness in my hand appeared to her as nothing more than standard equipment.
Just then, a Dwarf Miner approached me slowly, his face covered with a thick, unkempt beard. He gazed intently at the pickaxe in my hand, then opened his mouth with a sinister tone.
“That’s a cursed pickaxe.”
His words, delivered with a cold gaze, felt like a warning.
‘Is this really okay?’
My heart plummeted. The pickaxe’s whisper that only I could hear, unnoticed by Ye-jin and everyone else. The ominous claim that it was cursed. My head spun as the situation spiraled into chaos.
―A deep hum resonated.
Then a crimson light poured forth from my body. It writhed like a living thing, undulating through the air like a serpent before lunging toward the Pickaxe of Darkness. The red light consumed the pickaxe like a predator seizing its prey.
In that moment, a horrific scream erupted from the pickaxe. “Krraaaagh!” It was a desperate, agonized wail. The dark power was being incinerated by the crimson light. The darkness enveloping the pickaxe melted away helplessly, and the malevolent aura within it transformed into ash.
As the darkness vanished, a familiar voice resonated within my mind.
“Now this power is mine.”
It was Count Heltema, who had been defeated by me in the initial tutorial and had his very soul absorbed. Now a part of me, he had used his power to dispel the pickaxe’s curse.
Enveloped in crimson light, the pickaxe soon reverted to ordinary equipment. The dark aura disappeared, and it regained its original form. I gazed down at the pickaxe in my hand. What had moments ago whispered such unsettling words now felt like nothing more than an inanimate object.
Looking around, I confirmed that no one had noticed anything unusual about me. The Dwarf Miner and the others remained absorbed in their own tasks, as if nothing had happened at all. Only I could hear the voice of Count Heltema whispering within my soul.
‘Indeed, with him around, even situations like this are easily resolved.’
I thought to myself. A faint smile played at the corners of my mouth. Count Heltema, dormant within my soul, had become a powerful ally. His strength—capable of even slaying darkness itself—would surely be a reliable support for me going forward.
Of course, he would want something else in return.
―A deep hum.
That was when it happened.
Count Heltema’s power began seeping into the pickaxe. As if gaining life, the pickaxe glowed crimson and trembled violently. The light that had consumed the darkness spread across the entire weapon, and patterns began etching themselves along its surface.
Within the flickering crimson light like flames, mysterious and beautiful patterns came alive, inscribing themselves upon the pickaxe. Like the rune letters of ancient magic, they emanated an otherworldly mystique. They seemed to be symbols of Count Heltema himself, radiating an overwhelming presence.
As the patterns completed, the pickaxe was reborn into an entirely different form. Its original dull and crude appearance vanished without a trace, replaced instead by the radiant, artistic grace of a work of art. Patterns flickering like flames and a surface glowing fiery red. A pulsing vitality seemed to emanate from the pickaxe as if it were alive and breathing.
I gazed upon the transformed pickaxe in wonder. My expression was one of utter astonishment. The object in my hand no longer felt like a mere weapon, but rather a masterpiece of art. A tool meant for destruction had now acquired beauty itself.
“This is incredible…”
I couldn’t help but marvel. Count Heltema’s power had infused the weapon, bringing about changes beyond imagination. It seemed to have transcended mere amplification of strength, fundamentally altering the very essence of the pickaxe.
The overwhelming presence emanating from the luminous patterns. An aura flickering like flames enveloped the surroundings. It was as if the power dwelling within me was being revealed to the world. In this moment, I held not mining equipment, but a weapon of the Battlefield.
I slowly swung the pickaxe through the air. The weapon danced, leaving a crimson trail in its wake. With each swing, the air seemed to split and the earth to tremble. A pickaxe beyond imagination—a harmonious blend of destructive power and beauty—rested in my hands.
Ye-jin, who had been watching me wield the new pickaxe, opened her mouth.
“Do you like it?”
Her eyes held curiosity tinged with a hint of concern.
“Yes.”
Kim Jae-beom’s answer was resolute. In his gaze fixed upon the glowing crimson pickaxe, I could sense an intense attachment. A weapon that had conquered darkness and gained new power. It carried special meaning for him.
The Dwarf Miner approached Kim Jae-beom and offered a word of caution.
“That pickaxe is cursed. Are you sure about this?”
Concern was evident in the dwarf’s voice.
But Kim Jae-beom replied with composure.
“It doesn’t matter.”
A subtle smile played at his lips. His self-assured demeanor made it clear he paid no heed to the Dwarf Miner’s worries.
The Dwarf Miner sighed and spoke.
“Take it for free. It was nothing but a burden anyway.”
His tone was as if he were offloading a troublesome burden.
“Thank you.”
Kim Jae-beom nodded. Holding the darkness-infused pickaxe in hand, he no longer appeared to be an ordinary miner.
Meanwhile, Ye-jin was also selecting her own pickaxe. What she chose was a tool with a subtle golden glow. The gleaming golden crystals shimmering across its surface radiated a mysterious aura.
“I’ll take this one.”
Ye-jin spoke with confidence. The ornate yet warm-feeling pickaxe seemed to suit her personality perfectly.
“Of all things, you picked that one.”
The Dwarf Miner examined the pickaxe Ye-jin had chosen closely. Then he clicked his tongue. His expression seemed to blend surprise and admiration.
Seeing this, Ye-jin’s face contorted. She asked in a voice tinged with tension.
“Don’t tell me this one is cursed too?”
But the Dwarf Miner shook his head.
“No.”
Ye-jin was about to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet at the Dwarf Miner’s next words, her expression hardened once more.
“It’s expensive.”
The Dwarf Miner held up three fingers with his weathered hand.
“I have 30 gold!”
Ye-jin said confidently.
The Dwarf Miner chuckled at her words, then slowly shook his head.
“300 gold.”
Ye-jin’s eyes widened. She looked back and forth between the pickaxe and the Dwarf Miner in disbelief.
“Plus 10% tax.”
The Dwarf Miner added. A cold merchant’s smile hung at the corners of his mouth.
* * *
Ye-jin ultimately trudged toward the Mine, golden pickaxe in hand. Her gait carried a resolute determination, as if she had made a decision. It was clear she was resolved to achieve results worthy of the steep price she had paid.
Kim Jae-beom watched her from beside him and chuckled softly. Unlike before, her confident silhouette struck him as endearing.
“You ended up buying it.”
Kim Jae-beom spoke slowly.
At his words, Ye-jin stopped walking and turned her head. Swallowing hard, she faced him with a serious expression.
“I need to earn at least 300 gold.”
Her tone was resolute. There was no mistaking the gravity of her determination.
The two of them had arrived at the Mine Entrance without realizing it. Standing before the gaping cavern, awe washed over them. A deep and shadowed passage descended into the Underground. Kim Jae-beom and his companions walked into that darkness.
Tap tap….
As they entered the narrow corridor, damp and clammy air pressed against their lungs. Moisture seeping from the stone walls clung to their skin. Mud carpeting the floor dragged at their feet. That viscous sensation was the very texture of the subterranean world.
Unfamiliar scents wafted from all directions. The smell of ancient weathered stone, the musty odor of corroded metal, and the stench of mold mingled with sweat. All of it blended together, creating the distinctive atmosphere of a Mine. With each breath, it felt as though the air penetrated deep into their lungs.
Jagged stone walls lined both sides of the passage, as if exposing the earth’s inner organs. Layered rock formations told the story of geological history accumulated over countless ages. Within that overwhelming grandeur, one could truly grasp how insignificant human beings truly were.
In the darkness, blue light flickered occasionally. Luminescent mushrooms stretched in long rows, emanating a soft glow. The undulating light created a surreal atmosphere. Around the mushrooms, ethereal mist rose upward. The blue-tinted fog wove a mystical veil.
Within that fantastical landscape, figures of players glistened with sweat as they extracted ore. People swinging heavy pickaxes to strike the stone walls. The bulging muscles of their arms radiated indomitable will. Beads of sweat flowing from their foreheads mixed with ore dust, creating muddy streaks.
Clang, clang. The sound of pickaxes shattering rock echoed through the cavern. Sparks erupted as minerals were exposed. Glimmering metal fragments, brilliantly colored crystal gems. These were nothing less than the fruits of the miners’ blood and toil.
‘We’ll have to work like that too.’
Now it was time for Kim Jae-beom and Ye-jin to transform in the same way.

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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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