My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 118

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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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118
Inferno
The Dwarf Merchant handed Kim Jae-beom a hefty pouch. Five hundred gold. The substantial weight settled in his palm, and the distinctive metallic jingle tickled his ears. Kim Jae-beom accepted it with a faint smile playing at his lips.
He placed the pouch of gold into his inventory. In that instant, a blue light enveloped the pouch before vanishing. It was the moment when physical coins transformed into virtual data. Along with the pouch’s disappearance, five hundred gold glimmered in Kim Jae-beom’s inventory window.
A satisfied smile curved across his lips. A fortune earned in a single stroke. His face radiated the contentment of reaping the fruits of his labor. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he gave the Dwarf Merchant a casual nod.
“I’ll be back.”
Having offered his parting words with ease, Kim Jae-beom led the skeletal soldiers back toward the Mine. The gazes of other players trailed after him, yet he paid them no mind. He simply pressed forward, eyes fixed ahead.
The darkness of the Mine swallowed Kim Jae-beom and his skeletal soldiers once more. Damp, cool air rushed into his lungs. Upon reaching the depths of the cavern, Kim Jae-beom turned to face his undead laborers. A new command gleamed in his eyes.
“Once more.”
At his terse instruction, the skeletal soldiers stirred into action. Yet this time, what they extended toward the ore was not their bare hands. Mana Pickaxes—gifts from Arulan—were now clasped in their bony fingers.
Luminescent pickaxes that radiated with otherworldly light. They were weapons forged from pure mana itself. Emitting a hazy blue glow, they readied themselves to carve into the stone. Armed with these upgraded mining tools, the skeletal soldiers’ hollow eye sockets flickered with an eerie luminescence.
―Crash! Crash! Crash!
As the Mana Pickaxes struck the ore, a wondrous sight unfolded. Blue flames engulfed the stone, scattering in all directions. The magical force embedded within the pickaxes shattered the ore in a single blow.
Clang!
With a deafening screech, the ore fractured into countless shards. The mana surging from the pickaxes pierced through the mineral vein. Amid the brilliant blue flashes, stone crumbled, and precious minerals cascaded forth.
A spectacular shower of gleaming crystals. It was a paradoxical landscape born from magic and death. Kim Jae-beom nodded at the accelerated mining pace. His smile brimmed with anticipation.
“…Impressive.”
Ye-jin, observing from the sidelines, could scarcely contain her admiration for Kim Jae-beom’s power and abilities.
* * *
An hour had elapsed. Through the relentless labor of the skeletal soldiers, the Mine was being excavated at a breathtaking pace. These undead laborers wielding Mana Pickaxes carved through stone with mechanical precision and speed. They were like tireless machines.
As a result, a long passage descending deep into the Underground had been carved out. The narrow, profound Mining Tunnel resembled a descent into the very depths of hell itself. This excavated corridor stretched downward into the earth’s hidden recesses.
Kim Jae-beom stared intently at the skeletal soldiers disappearing into the darkness. They did not pause; they continued downward, toward the deepest reaches of the Mine.
The skeletal soldiers burrowed into the earth’s entrails. The sound of their pickaxes grew fainter and fainter. An unfathomable darkness swallowed them whole.
―Crash! Crash! Crash!
Then, at some point, the mining sounds echoing from the Mine’s depths abruptly ceased. Along with the metallic clang, the skeletal soldiers’ movements halted.
The undead laborers stood motionless in unison. They began to retreat slowly, backing away from the Mining Tunnel. It was as though they had discovered something—or sensed a threat.
“What’s wrong?”
Puzzled by their strange behavior, Kim Jae-beom spoke up. Seized by curiosity, he moved toward the passage the skeletal soldiers had been excavating. Pitch-black darkness greeted him. A deep, damp odor assailed his nostrils.
As I descended the passage with cautious steps, something glimmering caught my eye. A red ore shining with unmistakable clarity even within the darkness. It pulsed like a beating heart.
Illuminated by the blue fungal glow, the ore’s appearance was wondrous. A crystalline structure ablaze with crimson light. It radiated a scarlet radiance, dyeing everything around it in blood-red hues. Like a fragment of the sun imprisoned beneath the earth, it commanded an awe-inspiring and overwhelming presence.
Holding my breath, I gazed upon it. I could feel an enigmatic aura emanating from the ore. A sensation both vital and magical, indescribable in nature. It was enough to ignite my curiosity.
“What is this?”
My hand slowly extended toward the red ore. With eyes mingling curiosity and desire, I reached out and touched the luminous crystal. The moment my skin made contact with the cold mineral, something extraordinary occurred.
A violent light erupted from the ore. A blinding crimson flash filled the passage, pushing back the darkness. In an instant, the entire space was drenched in blood-red light. The radiance shook the Mine like the anguished cry of a living being.
―Boom!
A thunderous roar reverberated through the air. The earth trembled, and the walls seemed to boil and surge. The passage convulsed from the force of the explosion. Debris and dust scattered in all directions.
The light bursting from the ore consumed my body. A scorching crimson force enveloped me. Intense heat and overwhelming power. The ore’s energy surged wildly, threatening me.
Yet I remained unscathed. The armor I wore shielded me from the explosion’s impact. Indestructible metal and unbreakable barriers. The magical armor deflected the red light, protecting its wearer.
Even amid the roiling waves of searing crimson fire, I gripped the red ore tightly. I clenched my teeth and faced the explosion head-on. It was a display of unwavering resolve.
―Flare! Flare!
Energy surged from the ore, drawn toward Kim Jae-beom’s armor. Flickering crimson light streamed into the metal, absorbed completely. The breastplate drank in the energy as though it were a living creature, thirsting for power.
The ore’s radiance dimmed progressively, its brilliance transferring to Kim Jae-beom’s armor. The metal rippled with blood-red luminescence. The breastplate, now infused with the ore’s strength, pulsed as if alive.
“Hah…”
Kim Jae-beom breathed heavily, slowly withdrawing his hand from the crimson ore. Drained of energy, the mineral lost its luster, becoming dull and lifeless. It tumbled to the ground like a stone robbed of vitality.
What blazed now was Kim Jae-beom’s armor. The metal burned with scarlet fire, breathing with newfound power. The breastplate, cradling the ore’s essence, seemed to grant him extraordinary strength.
“Let’s see what this can do.”
Kim Jae-beom extended his hand, summoning his pickaxe from his inventory. Crimson light bloomed in the void before materializing in his grasp. The sensation of cold metal against skin, the weight transmitted through his fingertips—a smile played across his lips.
The pickaxe in his hand was transformed. The pitch-black weapon now rippled with blood-red hues. The crimson essence absorbed from the ore had infused the tool itself. The weapon pulsed with life, radiating newfound power.
Eyes gleaming with curiosity, Kim Jae-beom raised the pickaxe high. He drove the weapon downward against the ore. A devastating blow unleashed a spectacular sight.
Crimson spheres erupted from the pickaxe. Scarlet energy orbs hurtled toward the ore. Like meteors colliding with a cliff face, sparks scattered in all directions. The spheres ravaged a vast area, obliterating stone.
―Boom! Boom! Boom!
Colossal explosions detonated in succession. Energy fragments swept through the tunnel like a tempest, shaking walls and ceiling violently. Red flames and rubble tore through the mine in a maelstrom.
Kim Jae-beom watched the ore shatter into hundreds of fragments under the crimson spheres. A faint smile graced his face. Wonder and satisfaction at the power of destruction. His heart raced with the exhilaration of newfound ability.
The force unleashed from the pickaxe devastated the ore completely. The once-solid rock crumbled like sand. Broken stone fragments accumulated across the tunnel floor. The immense destructive power born from the crimson essence revealed infinite possibilities to Kim Jae-beom.
―Thud. Thud. Thud.
As the explosions subsided, silence returned to the mine. A crimson pickaxe gleamed in the darkness. Kim Jae-beom, holding it, resembled a general standing on a blood-soaked battlefield. One who stood at the boundary between destruction and creation. He tightened his grip, savoring the power dwelling within his weapon.
“Hm?”
―Crash!
The sound of ore collapsing echoed through the passage. The shockwave fractured the rock wall, revealing what lay hidden. Between the fissures, an ancient door emerged. Stone tablets inscribed with archaic patterns had endured the ravages of time.
Kim Jae-beom approached slowly, examining the door. Mysterious energy flowed from the cracks in the ancient stone. Running his palm across the surface, he felt the accumulated weight of countless ages. Beyond the rough texture, he sensed the breath of ancients.
The door was covered in intricate, bizarre patterns. Geometric shapes tangled like a magic circle. They emanated an indescribable sense of alienation. Unknown characters and symbols were densely carved into the surface. Whether ancient incantations or forbidden language, their true nature remained elusive.
Kim Jae-beom furrowed his brow, studying the magic circle. Lines writhed like serpents. Rune characters flickered like unsettling eyes.
The magic circle was so grotesque that merely gazing upon it induced vertigo.
Yet Kim Jae-beom felt no fear.
‘Hidden content discovered!’
The door looked far too suspicious to ignore.

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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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