My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 123

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

123
Inferno
A new dawn broke. Sunlight pierced through the Cave’s mouth, gilding the Mine’s landscape in gold. Yet that tranquility was fleeting. Soon the Mine awakened to the cacophony of machinery.
Dozens of excavators roared to life in unison, their engines bellowing. Thud-thud—heavy bodies resonating with vibration. Hisss—steam erupting from vents. The Mine was swiftly consumed by the movements of colossal machines.
Massive drills began rotating in synchronized fury. Clang-clang—sharp rhythms gouging through rock. Crack-boom—the thunderous shattering of ore. Excavators of varying sizes and shapes surged forward, their teeth sinking into the cliff face.
Ore dust scattered like snow. A suffocating cloud so thick it stung the eyes. Air so acrid it choked the lungs. Yet the excavators never ceased. They wielded their drills as if grinding through veins of ore itself. Those metal monsters devoured stone without pause, insatiable.
The Mine had become a sea of debris. Shattered rock fragments crunched beneath my feet. Glimmering metal granules and gem fragments sparkled in every corner. Wherever the drills had passed, the mineral’s entrails lay exposed and raw.
Between this colossal spectacle, black specks moved with diligent purpose. They were Undead Legion soldiers. Skeletal frames hauled ore without rest. They gathered scattered treasures, lifted broken boulders.
Skulls caked in dust. Bony hands gripping minerals with rhythmic precision. Sometimes they climbed atop the excavators, tending to the machines as if caressing them. Flesh and blood had vanished, yet the passion for labor remained. The slender silhouettes of bone ceaselessly breathed movement into the excavation site.
Above them, the drill’s roar thundered like lightning. Blades endlessly scraping ore. An endless harvest of cascading stone. A procession of resources born from death and machinery. With each passing moment, the Mine swelled with tremendous wealth.
I watched the ore accumulate, a satisfied smile playing at my lips. Towering heaps of minerals, Undead Legion soldiers moving between excavators. Everything meshed like gears turning in perfect harmony.
The Mine now possessed a flawless extraction system. Within my grasp, the wellspring of wealth and power flowed endlessly. An infinite abundance stretched before me. I had claimed my own goldmine to satiate ambition.
―Boom….
The roar flowing from the excavators tickled my ears. As if the Mine itself blessed my victory, echoing in triumphant cries. A thrill coursed through my skin toward tomorrow. The pride of wielding power to shake the world. My ambition expanded endlessly alongside the Mine.
* * *
A week passed. In that time, the Mine underwent a transformation almost beyond belief. It was thanks to the excavators and the Undead Legion’s relentless efforts. Colossal drills turning ceaselessly, skeletal soldiers moving with purpose. Like a single living organism, they burrowed deeper into the Mine.
And finally, a wondrous sight revealed itself. In the Mine’s heart, deep underground, a massive chasm yawned open. It resembled a giant’s footprint, or perhaps a rift to another dimension—a landscape of breathtaking grandeur.
The circular excavation was staggering in scale. A person standing at its edge would appear no larger than an ant. Following the sheer cliff face downward with one’s gaze, the abyss’s end seemed almost visible, yet remained tantalizingly distant. An endlessly deep and dark void. One misstep would mean never returning.
“This should suffice.”
I spoke, gazing into the chasm. My eyes gleamed with profound emotion. The satisfaction of possessing immeasurable wealth, the thrill of wielding power to shake the world. It all radiated through the smile spreading across my face.
“Wow….”
Ye-jin, standing beside me, couldn’t suppress her amazement. Eyes wide with wonder, she stared transfixed into the void. Even in the cold underground air that scattered her hair, something hot pounded against her heart. An exclamation overwhelmed by an unimaginable scale. A new world seemed to breathe from those depths.
The other players too stood speechless, their gazes fixed upon the chasm. Awe rippled across the faces of those gathered at the circular cliff’s edge.
“My god, what is all of this?”
“It’s not a Mine—it’s like another planet….”
“It must be hundreds of times larger than what we’ve excavated.”
Players murmuring among themselves. Their voices mingled with wonder and longing, fear and excitement. The massive chasm piercing the Mine’s heart. They were captivated by that indescribable landscape.
Pitch-black darkness. Yet within it, something glimmered. Crystals of remaining ore perhaps, or the light of unknown mysteries. In eyes gazing into the abyss, the flame of curiosity ignited. The instinct to explore, pushing back fear. Their minds had already soared toward what lay beneath.
I surveyed my surroundings with a smile playing at my lips, savoring the players’ reactions of shock and exhilaration.
‘At this rate, I don’t need to covet the Crystal.’
Originally, I’d planned to strip the Crystal while excavating the Mine. But thanks to unexpectedly high efficiency, my coffers had grown substantially.
‘Should I do some shopping for once?’
And so I decided to invest in myself in the real world.
* * *
I slowly removed the VR headset. As the familiar weight left my head, reality flooded in like a tide. Before me lay nothing but my Studio Apartment—an unmade bed, a cluttered desk, a lone cup of instant noodles. A reality far removed from the game’s splendid world, utterly shabby.
Yet a faint smile lingered at my lips. Even the twisted fatigue coursing through my body was bearable. The precious accomplishments achieved in the game. Though intangible, their weight resonated vividly.
I shook off the encroaching drowsiness and rose. Stretching my stiff legs, I moved toward the door. I passed the creaking floor and dim Corridor, stopping before the worn entrance. After a deep breath, I grasped the doorknob and pulled.
Whoosh―
Bright sunlight struck my face. Light so intense it stung. Eyes accustomed to artificial illumination smarted. Squinting, I slowly stepped outside.
The heat from concrete walls and asphalt enveloped my skin. Dry air scraped my throat. The thick smell of exhaust, the scent of sweat-soaked pavement, food aromas drifting from somewhere. The City’s reality was a jumble of disparate odors.
“Should we start by checking out the Department Store?”
In this situation, there was only one place Kim Jae-beom would go.
* * *
With measured steps, Kim Jae-beom approached the entrance of the Department Store. Beyond the massive glass doors, brilliant lighting and crowds of people pressed together. After taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
As he passed through the gently rotating revolving door, the air transformed entirely. The oppressive heat and stuffiness of the street vanished, replaced by the cool caress of air conditioning against his face. Subtle nostalgia mingled with the artificial coolness. A fresh, verdant fragrance drifted from the potted plants arranged neatly at the entrance.
Lifting his gaze to the ceiling, he beheld a dazzling chandelier glittering overhead. The Marble Floor gleamed softly beneath the lights. Rows of upscale boutiques stretched left and right, adorned with lavish decorations throughout. The first floor of the Department Store was opulence incarnate.
Kim Jae-beom wandered through the interior at a leisurely pace. A world entirely different from the Mine in the game unfolded before his eyes. People carrying shopping bags of every color moved in and out of stores, their laughter unhurried and carefree. They spent their time browsing aimlessly, without particular purpose. It was a glimpse of peaceful, ordinary life in reality.
Couples resting on sofas positioned along the side. Friends selecting clothes with excited faces. Even mothers gathering gifts for their families. From the sight of people pursuing their small happinesses, a peculiar warmth emanated.
The warm smiles lingering on their faces and their relaxed gazes. Such emotions were worlds apart from the desperation within the game. Far removed from a life of fighting desperately against the Undead Legion. Reality, though unforgiving, felt like a peaceful sanctuary.
Kim Jae-beom stopped in his tracks, listening to the subtle jazz melody floating through the air. Unlike the sharp, metallic clang of objects colliding in the game, it was a soft and serene melody. The music, harmonizing with the refreshing air enveloping his entire body, conveyed a strange solace.
Though memories from the game remained vivid, his heart was gradually easing. The taut tension that had filled the Mine quietly dissipated. Within the peaceful reality he had returned to, he felt as though he could finally obtain a moment of sweet respite.
Ding!
Kim Jae-beom, who had been listening to the leisurely classical melody, found his hand drifting toward his pocket. The smooth sensation of a smartphone against his skin. A cool metallic object settled into his palm.
As he unlocked the screen, his eyes gleamed. The moment the display illuminated, a new notification message seized his attention.
[Deposit: 25,000,000 won]
A single line of text, yet it carried enough force to resonate deeply. Sweat beaded on his palms. His breathing grew ragged. It was the amount of wealth he had accumulated in the game, converted into cash.
Heh.
A smile spread across Kim Jae-beom’s face as he gazed at the message.
Now it was time to use this money to purchase the items available in the Department Store.

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