My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 121

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

121
Inferno
As the fierce battle concluded, a deathly silence descended upon the Corridor. Shattered bone and flesh lay scattered in every direction. The colossal corpse of the Green Ogre lay sprawled in a pool of blood. Flesh torn asunder, skin ripped away. Deep wounds carved across its entire body. The massive frame now hung limp, drained of all vitality.
Kim Jae-beom, who had witnessed the spectacle, began to move forward with deliberate steps. His tattered cloak billowed behind him as he advanced toward the fallen Ogre. Treading upon the remains of undead soldiers scattered about, he moved as though walking toward the throne of death itself.
The floor, slick with moisture. Marble fragments caked in blood and bodily fluids. Armor plates and bone shards clinking softly. Over all these remnants of death, Kim Jae-beom’s footsteps echoed with a chilling resonance.
Standing before the limp form of the Ogre, I fell into silence. With lifeless eyes, I gazed down upon the corpse of the green giant. There was no reverence for life in that gaze. Only the hollow stare of one confronting death itself.
Arulan stood within the blue darkness. I turned my head to regard him. A dark sorcerer who commands death. My loyal servant, my apostle of oblivion. Arulan’s pallid complexion wavered strangely in the blue firelight.
“Reanimate it.”
My lips parted slowly. The command emerged cold and arid. There was no trace of emotional inflection—merely a colorless, odorless tone. Yet within it lay an irresistible force.
“….”
Arulan, who had fallen silent for a moment, nodded. Without hesitation, he extended his hand toward the Ogre’s corpse. His pale, elongated fingers trembled above the dead flesh.
―Whoooosh―
A grotesque aura began to emanate from Arulan’s body. A black mist saturated with killing cold. Shadows twisted with sinister intent. It slowly took form and poured down upon the dead Ogre.
The darkness seeped through the corpse’s wounds. It crawled into the green flesh along the gaping lacerations and severed sinews. The black mist devoured blood and tissue, slowly consuming the monster’s entire body.
The corpse swelled grotesquely. The green giant’s flesh became drenched in an eerie aura. It was as though the body itself were inhaling darkness. The black, damp mist grew increasingly dense.
―Thud, thud.
Accompanied by a grotesque groan, the flesh consumed by darkness began to tremble. Limbs twitched slowly into motion. Slack muscles convulsed as though drawing breath once more. The great heart, stilled by death, began to beat with an ominous rhythm.
“Grrrrgh….”
A horrifying sound erupted. A moan that seemed to resonate from deep within the throat. A distorted noise that could scarcely be called life. With the sound came the heaving of the chest. The pulse of the reanimated heart transmitted throughout the entire body.
Slowly, creakingly….
The eyelids, which had been closed, slowly opened. Within the bloodshot eyes burned a brilliant blue light. Pupils drained of vitality. Yet within them writhed a bizarre hunger. The gaze, stained with murderous intent, wandered about the chamber.
―Crack, crack.
The sound of crumbling bone and flesh. A sharp ring like chains snapping. Grotesquely bending joints and contorted muscle movements. As the Ogre slowly rose to its feet, not a trace of life’s warmth could be felt.
It was no longer a green giant.
An undead radiating an eerie blue aura. A monster with rotting entrails exposed and skeletal bones jutting forth. It had been reborn as an entity that embodied death itself.
Bleeding black ichor from its body, the undead Ogre knelt before me. Its joints clattered, its neck hung slack. Yet within its eyes burned a light of frenzied servitude.
A submission acknowledging defeat. An obedience that had accepted even death. Now it had but one master—the undead Ogre knelt before the Lord of Death.
* * *
Deep within the Mine, Ye-jin swung a yellow pickaxe with all her strength. Sweat trickled down her forehead, yet her movements never ceased. Breaking solid stone was no simple task. But having purchased such an expensive pickaxe, she had to produce results worthy of the investment.
―Thud, thud, thud.
The rhythmic sound of pickaxe strikes filled the Cave. Each time the yellow pickaxe struck stone, bright sparks erupted. Golden flashes scattered ore fragments in all directions. It was a sight as magnificent as starlight pouring down.
Brushing back her sweat-dampened brown hair, Ye-jin paused for a moment. Even as she caught her breath, worry flickered in her eyes. The image of Kim Jae-beom, who had disappeared into the depths of the Cave, kept returning to her mind.
‘He should be fine, right?’
Ye-jin murmured to herself. She knew well that Kim Jae-beom was no ordinary opponent. The strength and accomplishments he had demonstrated thus far. His power was an undeniable fact. Surely he could manage alone.
Yet a small anxiety gnawed at her heart. The dangers lurking in the Mine’s depths. An incomprehensible dread dwelling in the darkness. All of it cast shadows upon her mind.
―Boom!
In that instant, a tremendous impact shook the entire Cave. Stone fragments tumbled from the ceiling, and the walls trembled as though boiling. The ground beneath her feet shook violently, making it difficult to maintain balance.
Screams erupted from the Dwarf Miners scattered throughout. Eyes wide with terror turned toward the depths of the Cave. Everyone held their breath, staring in that direction.
―Thud, thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps drew steadily closer. The approach of something could be felt. Yet these were not the footsteps of a human. Something massive and ponderous. An entity that advanced with great strides, emanating a threatening aura.
“W-what is that?”
Someone muttered in a trembling voice. All eyes snapped toward the Cave entrance. In that moment, everyone’s breath caught.
A towering silhouette loomed before them. A massive frame that seemed to fill the entire Cave. It was an ogre, its skin a sickly green. Standing thirty meters tall with muscles that rippled across its grotesque form, it bared its fangs and opened its maw wide.
“An ogre!”
At someone’s cry, the Dwarf Miners’ panic intensified. Their eyes were wide with terror and dread. Fists clenched, muscles tensed. They braced themselves as if ready to charge at any moment, their bearing grim with the weight of impending combat.
But before they could strike, something unexpected unfolded.
A figure emerged from deeper within the Cave. Tattered armor fluttering behind him, he strode forward with commanding presence. His silhouette was unmistakable to all.
It was Kim Jae-beom.
He positioned himself between the Dwarf Miners and the ogre. His crimson cloak billowed as he walked with casual confidence toward them. Behind him, the undead ogre loomed—its body caked in blood and gore, radiating an eerie blue luminescence.
“Rest assured.”
Kim Jae-beom spoke in a measured tone, then gestured toward the ogre and continued.
“It is my subordinate.”
His words reverberated through the gathered Dwarf Miners. They stared at him, breath suspended. Their eyes widened in disbelief at such an impossible claim. Gasps of astonishment erupted in the silence. No one dared speak.
A subordinate? A being commanding a powerful boss monster?
Questions and shock flickered through their minds. How was such a thing possible? A human dominating a monster? The unimaginable was unfolding before their very eyes.
“Ogre, hand.”
Kim Jae-beom spoke casually, as naturally as one might command a pet. At his word, the colossal ogre stirred sluggishly.
The undead ogre, wreathed in blue essence, lumbered forward. Its massive frame shifted as it slowly extended its arm. The sight made the Dwarf Miners’ hearts clench.
A grotesque palm extended before Kim Jae-beom. A hand of terrifying proportions—large enough to swallow a person whole. Its thick veins and scarred flesh were deeply unsettling. Yet Kim Jae-beom didn’t flinch.
The Dwarf Miners watched in breathless silence. Wonder bloomed across their frozen faces. A player standing defiantly before a terrifying monster. A master of death commanding an ogre. The sight inspired awe itself.
―Thud, thud, thud.
Then, heavy footsteps echoed from deeper within the Cave. Something was approaching behind the ogre.
The Dwarf Miners held their breath once more, tensing. What new threat awaited them now? Their fear-stricken eyes peered into the Cave’s depths.
And what unfolded before them was nothing short of horrifying.
A tide of undead surged behind the ogre. Skeletal gargoyle soldiers lined up in formation. Blue flames flickered in their hollow eye sockets. Their hands gripped spears and swords caked with blood. Their bodies were shrouded in dark essence.
A massive rat-like creature appeared as well. Its flayed corpse reeked of blood and decay. A black heart pulsed between its exposed ribs.
An undead toad, its body riddled with wounds. Its dripping tongue flicked in a way that sent chills down their spines.
Centipede legions crawled forward on dozens of legs. Venomous stingers lashed out like lightning, their eerie shrieks piercing the air. They were the embodiment of terror itself.
An endless wave of undead poured forth. Corpses steeped in darkness surged ahead. Faced with this accursed army, the Dwarf Miners involuntarily retreated. An absolute dread that left them speechless. It was a sight from the depths of hell itself.
“W-what is all this?”
“Could all of these really be…?”
Someone muttered hoarsely. Among the glances exchanged, a terrible realization dawned.
All of these undead were Kim Jae-beom’s subordinates.

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