My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 126

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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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126
Inferno
I awoke as dawn broke, the first light of morning creeping across the sky. Today was the day I would move into my new home. Excitement coursing through me, I opened the front door in anticipation.
Before long, the doorbell chimed. The movers from the Moving Company had arrived. Four men greeted me with bright smiles.
“Hello. We’ll take great care of your move.”
I nodded in acknowledgment and welcomed them inside. With practiced efficiency, they began extracting boxes and packing materials, methodically working through every corner of my apartment. Books, clothing, kitchen supplies, appliances—soon the living room overflowed with moving boxes stacked high.
One of the men stepped into the small bedroom. His gaze locked onto the silver headgear resting on the table—a virtual reality gaming device. An involuntary exclamation escaped his lips at the sight of its elegant design.
“Wow…”
His eyes gleaming, he approached carefully and lifted the device to examine it. The refined exterior looked like something from the future itself. The premium materials drew another admiring breath as he turned to me with a question.
“How much did this cost?”
I answered casually, as if it were nothing.
“Around tens of millions of won.”
The man’s eyes widened in shock. He inhaled sharply, gazing down at the device with newfound reverence.
“Oh. We’d better be extra careful moving this.”
He spoke in a serious tone, setting the device down and calling over another worker. His colleague hurried over, and together they retrieved packing materials, spending considerable time wrapping the device with meticulous care. Layer upon layer of cushioning protected it, secured firmly within a sturdy case.
The pristine case was placed in the safest spot within the truck bed, surrounded by all the other belongings. Once everything was loaded, the Moving Company staff approached me and bowed respectfully.
“Thank you for your business. We’ll transport everything safely.”
They departed with courteous farewells, and soon the truck glided smoothly onto the road.
* * *
The Moving Company workers’ hands came to a stop as they finished unloading the last of my belongings. Empty boxes were neatly stacked to one side. Moving with coordinated precision, they approached me and bowed.
“Then we’ll be on our way.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
We exchanged brief pleasantries, and they quickly filed out. As the door closed behind them, silence settled over the apartment.
Alone now, I slowly surveyed my new space. The spacious living room flooded with sunlight, the cozy bedroom, the clean kitchen—everything felt more organized and expansive than before. A faint smile played at my lips as satisfaction bloomed within me at the sight of my new home.
My gaze soon drifted to the virtual reality gaming capsule positioned in one corner of the living room. The softly glowing device captured my attention. Moving slowly toward it, I murmured to myself.
“I’ve moved, but the game must go on.”
Speaking the words like a vow, I stood before the capsule. I gently opened the door and stepped inside. Lying flat, my hands slowly reached for the helmet and placed it on my head.
The familiar weight settled around my head. Blue light began to seep in from the darkness. My senses from reality gradually faded, replaced by the sensation of diving into the virtual world.
* * *
Upon logging into Evern Online, I found myself in familiar surroundings. Vast plains stretched endlessly, dense forests rose up, and in the distance, a colossal mountain loomed—the path that led to the Mine.
As I quickened my pace, an incantation flowed from my lips. Raising my arm, the earth split open and a chasm formed. From within, something writhed and began to crawl forth.
Skeletons. Corpses. Zombies. The Undead Legion soldiers that emerged knelt before me in unison. Hundreds, thousands. Their ranks stretched out in formation, inspiring awe itself.
“Let’s go.”
With a firm command, I led the way forward. The Undead Legion surged after me with thunderous steps. Thud-thud. The earth trembled beneath their feet. Clatter-clatter. The sound of bone and flesh colliding. Metal armor scraped against metal.
I came to a halt at the entrance to the Mine. Life’s essence had long since vanished from this place, leaving only an eerie silence hanging thick in the air. The dark cavern mouth welcomed me.
“Enter.”
At my command, the Undead Legion poured into the Mine in a torrent. The cavern, once crowded, was instantly filled with bones and armor. Immediately, the relentless metallic clamor began. Skeletal miners wielding pickaxes rushed forward, striking the rock face in eager succession.
In the pitch-black darkness, the Mine came alive once more with the movements of the undead. Stones shattered ceaselessly, resources were extracted relentlessly. Sharp and heavy sounds alike echoed through the cavern.
I stood with my arms crossed, surveying the Mine below. I was pleased with my subordinates, who silently carried out their assigned tasks.
“If they keep this up all day, I’ll be raking in massive profits, won’t I?”
Earning money had become a simple matter now.
* * *
After entrusting the mining operations to the Undead Legion, I strode forward with purpose. The path wound through verdant foliage, leading toward a small Village nestled some distance from the Mine. There dwelt Eltan, the Mine’s administrator.
Upon arriving at the Village via the forest trail, I took in the charming scene—smoke curling between colorful rooftops, the cheerful ring of hammers echoing from the Blacksmith District.
Navigating through the narrow alleyways, I quickly located Eltan’s modest Shop. A heavy door of thick oak stood before me, bearing a weathered sign that read “Eltan’s Mine Supplies.” As I pushed the wooden door open, the scent of aged wood and metal wafted toward me.
Inside, a familiar landscape greeted my eyes. Mining equipment lined both sides of the Shop, pickaxes and shovels hanging from the ceiling. At the center stood a massive stone counter.
“Eltan. It’s me.”
“Welcome back, you old fox!”
From behind the counter, the Dwarf Merchant greeted me warmly. It was Eltan, his hunched frame crowned with a magnificent beard.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I’m looking to acquire more Mines.”
Without hesitation, I laid bare my intentions. The words flowed as naturally as if I’d rehearsed them countless times.
At this, Eltan leaned back and burst into hearty laughter. His cheerful, resonant laugh filled the Shop.
“Ha ha ha! Just as I expected. I knew you’d say something like that.”
Eltan murmured to himself in a subdued voice, his gaze drifting into the distance as if lost in profound thought. Then his eyes returned to me, warm and knowing.
“Wait here a moment.”
As Eltan turned and disappeared behind a curtain deeper within the Shop, the old wooden floorboards creaked. Moments later, the floor slid open with a soft scrape, revealing a narrow Staircase ascending from the earth below—a secret passage descending into darkness.
―Thud-thud. Boom.
Heavy footsteps and the sounds of searching echoed from the Underground. The dull crack of stone being broken, the sharp ring of metal, the creak of wood—even the flutter of aged cloth reached my ears.
Time passed.
At last, heavy footsteps ascended the Staircase. Eltan emerged, wiping sweat from his brow. But what was he carrying?
A scroll far larger than himself. Aged and faded paper was tightly wound into a heavy, substantial roll.
“Here it is.”
Eltan’s hands unfurled the scroll across the table. The dry paper crackled as it spread wide, revealing a strange map densely covered with dozens—hundreds—of peculiar drawings, symbols, and incomprehensible characters.
“Look at this.”
―Whoosh.
Eltan’s weathered finger traced across the map. Following the strange symbols, he paused and spoke.
“This contains information about abandoned Mines.”
My eyes widened at those words. I leaned forward, staring intently at the map. Incomprehensible hieroglyphics filled every space. Tangled lines like a labyrinth, arrows extending in all directions—a bewildering array of symbols that defied interpretation.
“Do you happen to know what this means?”
I asked with anticipation, but Eltan shook his head regretfully.
“We cannot decipher these characters either. All the recorder told us was that this was a map of abandoned Mines.”
Disappointment washed over me. I sank into contemplation with a deep sigh.
‘Hmm….’
I studied the map intently with a careful gaze, then suddenly lifted my head. My eyes brightened as if something had occurred to me.
“Wait a moment.”
Then I offered Eltan a meaningful smile, my eyes gleaming with possibility. My voice, resolute and commanding, rang through the small Shop.
“Arulan.”
A simple utterance, yet one that resonated with power. Darkness swirled, and black mist rose from my right side.
From within the mist emerged a skeleton. Deep blue flames flickered within the hollow sockets of its eyes. Draped in a long black robe, it exuded an ominous presence. It was Arulan, my subordinate and undead sorcerer.
―Thud!
Arulan, the skeletal sorcerer draped in a black robe, knelt before his master and prostrated himself. The sound of bone striking the cold Marble Floor echoed through the chamber.
“Click-clack.”
Arulan’s jaw bones clattered together in a gesture of fealty. Kim Jae-beom, standing before him, nodded. His weighty voice cut through the silence.
“Rise.”
At the command, Arulan lifted himself upright. As the skeleton straightened its spine, the hem of the lengthy robe swept across the floor. Only blue flames flickered within the vacant eye sockets, devoid of any spark of life.
Kim Jae-beom pointed to the ancient map upon the table.
“Decipher the text on the map.”
Arulan nodded quietly, his movements bearing that distinctive skeletal clatter. He stepped forward slowly and extended his right hand over the map.
In that instant, something extraordinary transpired.
Darkness began to emanate from Arulan’s form. Murky shadows coiled around his arm, seeping between the bones.
Whisper.
An eerie wind stirred. A gentle breeze that tickled like rustling paper. Yet its source was the energy flowing from the lifeless skeleton.
Swish.
The shadows danced across the map as if possessed. They wove between letters and illustrations, tracing patterns.
Hisss.
The ancient ink responded to the darkness, luminescence blooming. Characters began to emerge upon the darkening parchment.
A mysterious spectacle unfolded in serene silence. Eltan watched, holding his breath. Kim Jae-beom observed the decipherment with an expressionless face.
Soon the swirling darkness subsided. The fading shadows vanished from the map. Arulan slowly withdrew his hand.
[Map decipherment complete.]
The moment of resolution had arrived.

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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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