My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 117

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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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117
Inferno
Kim Jae-beom wandered through the Mine at an unhurried pace, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. There was an ease about him as he surveyed the space with curious eyes, moving deliberately as if appreciating a landscape steeped in the daily labor of miners.
The relentless sound of pickaxes reached his ears—a symphony unique to the Mine, where the clang of metal mingled with the crash of shattering stone. Rhythmic yet dynamic, the percussion spoke of someone working with fervent dedication.
Curiosity piqued, I turned my gaze toward the source of the sound. What greeted my eyes was the sight of Dercan laboring, sweat glistening on his form. The skeletal knight clad in obsidian armor wielded a pickaxe that burned with crimson light. With each powerful strike, stone shattered in a display of overwhelming force.
Dercan’s pickaxe work resembled a blade dance conducted on the Battlefield. The gleaming tool carved through rock, and fragments of ore scattered in all directions. Even within the rough movements lay an entrancing focus—for the Knight of Death, destruction was perhaps an art form unto itself.
Dozens of ore fragments lay heaped around Dercan. The shattered stone debris evoked images of fallen bodies from combat. Not the labor of a miner, but the slaughter of a warrior—this was the true nature of Dercan’s pickaxe work.
The sight of Dercan wielding the crimson pickaxe seemed incongruous with the Mine, yet somehow harmonized with the space. The act of extracting resources through destruction—it was a role befitting the Knight of Death, who reaped lives.
“Excellent.”
Kim Jae-beom watched Dercan with a satisfied smile.
―Clang! Clang!
My gaze shifted to the side. There stood Ye-jin, wielding a golden pickaxe and striking ore with unwavering determination.
Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead. Her brown hair clung damply to her skin, bearing the unmistakable marks of labor. Yet her eyes blazed with an unquenchable will. Without hesitation, she drove her pickaxe relentlessly into the stone.
―Thud! Thud! Thud!
As her pickaxe struck the ore, golden sparks scattered in all directions. The radiance emanating from the golden tool painted her face in an ethereal glow. Like a vessel touched by the sun’s very essence, her movements carried a brilliant and intense power.
Between the fractured stone fragments, glimmering metallic granules emerged—treasures born of sweat and effort. Ye-jin continued to swing her pickaxe toward them, renewing her resolve to earn 300 Gold, pushing forward until she reached her limit.
“Hmm.”
Kim Jae-beom gazed at Ye-jin, lost in thought.
‘300 Gold is certainly expensive.’
Everyone’s goals and circumstances differ. She must have her reasons and her values.
Turning my gaze, I spotted Arulan. The mage, draped in a black robe, stood beside me, silently observing the Mine. Within his mysterious eyes, mana writhed with potential.
“Summon skeletal soldiers.”
I spoke to Arulan with a brief but resolute tone—a command delivered as if foreseen.
Arulan nodded and raised both hands toward the empty air. His lips moved rapidly as he chanted an arcane incantation. The surrounding air grew gradually colder. Darkness began to converge around him.
A deep black radiance bloomed from Arulan’s form. It seeped into the crevices between shattered stones, engulfing the suspended dust. The entire space was steeped in an ominous aura.
―Whoosh! Whoosh!
Within the dark mist, something stirred—as if the grasp of death itself was reaching forth.
Gradually, forms took shape: skulls. The combination of bare bone and armor was terror incarnate. From their hollow eye sockets flowed an indescribable malice.
Clack! Clack!
The summoned skeletal soldiers began to move in unison. Gripping their weapons firmly, they charged toward the ore. Each creaking joint resonated with killing intent.
The skeletal soldiers, their eyes ablaze, began to strike the ore in silence. Stone crumbled with the sound of metal. Fragments scattered across the space.
I watched the skeletal soldiers summoned by Arulan’s magic. A subtle smile played at my lips.
“Good.”
I cast my gaze upon the summoned skeletal soldiers. My lips parted, and a firm command flowed forth.
“Strike the ore with your bare hands.”
Before the words had finished, the skeletal soldiers moved as one. They discarded their weapons and spread their bony fingers wide, charging toward the ore. Tightly clenched fists began to hammer the stone.
―Boom! Boom! Boom!
As fists of bone struck the ore, a rigid sound erupted. Yet the skeletal soldiers pressed on without pause. Within their forceful movements, cracks began to form in the stone.
Strengthened by Arulan’s power, the skeletal soldiers’ attacks carried far more than mere physical force. The essence of death and darkness infused their fists, multiplying the destructive power against the stone.
―Clang!
The moment the skeleton soldier’s fist struck the ore, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded. The stone that had seemed so unyielding shattered like glass, fragmenting into countless pieces. Mineral shards scattered in all directions—a testament to how nothing could remain whole before the power of death.
―Thud! Thud!
With each successive blow, the ore lost its form helplessly. Debris accumulated and fragments fell away. Like a mighty cliff face crumbling, the ore was being pulverized in the skeleton soldiers’ grip.
Something glimmered in the crevices of the stone embedded with bone fragments. Exposed mineral particles spilled forth, their dark surfaces gleaming. It was a paradoxical sight—extracting resources through destruction.
* * *
I led the skeleton soldiers out of the Mine. The darkness-filled Cave receded further behind us. Bright sunlight from outside tickled my face. The crisp air, so different from the damp atmosphere of the Mine, rushed into my lungs.
Each skeleton soldier bore an enormous sack across their shoulders. The bulging pouches surely contained dozens of ore fragments. Despite their heavy burden, the skeletons maintained their steadfast posture as they marched in formation.
A smile played across my face as I led them forward. My gait toward the Exchange Shop was buoyant with confidence. My silhouette, commanding these laborers of death, appeared both eerie and assured.
The entrance to the Exchange Shop came into view. I pushed through the door without hesitation. The massive forms of the skeleton soldiers following behind filled the doorway. Four skeletons, shoulders aligned, their bare bones and rusted armor, their hollow eye sockets—all created an unsettling atmosphere within the Exchange Shop.
Every eye of the other players snapped toward this peculiar group. Whispers rippled through the crowd, expressions of shock flickering across faces. Some whispered excitedly, others retreated in fear. All these reactions buzzed behind me.
Amid the overt curiosity and wariness, I remained utterly unperturbed. Rather, a confident smile graced my lips. As if savoring the attention, I walked leisurely toward the Exchange counter. The skeleton soldiers following behind only amplified my composure.
―Thump!
The skeleton soldiers and I strode to the center of the Exchange Shop. As the sacks we carried dropped heavily to the ground, a weighty sound filled the space. Ore fragments spilled from the bags, scattering across the floor.
The Dwarf Merchant operating the Exchange Shop approached and peered into the sacks. His bulging eyes swept across the pile of ore. The glimmer of metal and the brilliance of gems filled his entire vision.
“My goodness!”
In that instant, an exclamation of astonishment burst from the Dwarf Merchant’s lips. The quantity of ore exceeded his imagination. From thick chunks to fine fragments, an enormous amount lay scattered before him.
“How much can you exchange this for?”
I posed the concise question, gesturing toward the Dwarf Merchant. My gaze urged him to answer.
“Hmm… at this amount, I’d say 500 gold.”
The Dwarf Merchant, hesitating briefly, answered while assessing the ore pile. 500 gold. Those words shook the very air of the Exchange Shop.
Exclamations rippled among the surrounding players. Voices chattered ceaselessly. Gazes mingled with amazement, jealousy, and resignation turned toward me and the ore pile.
Some players swept their pockets and clicked their tongues. 500 gold—a fortune most of them would need months of labor to earn.
“That’s incredible….”
“He’s incredibly lucky.”
Admiration flowed through the players’ whispers. My sudden windfall had become a source of shock and envy for them.
Countless eyes gathered in the Exchange Shop fixed upon me. Holding their breath, ears perked, eyes wide open. Each in their own way absorbed this spectacle. Murmurs encircled me.
Yet I at the center appeared indifferent. While savoring the attention around me, I remained unattached to it—a composure that suggested I cared only for my earnings, focused solely on the transaction with the Dwarf Merchant.
Standing alone amid the crowd. A figure of a different caliber from ordinary players. Or rather, something that evoked the presence of something beyond human. The skeleton soldiers looming behind me further emanated an extraordinary atmosphere.

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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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