My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 127

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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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127
Inferno
Eltan stared at the completed map, his voice trembling with astonishment as he muttered under his breath.
“Good heavens…”
Wonder gleamed in his eyes. His mouth hung agape for a long moment, leaving him speechless—a sight that seemed utterly bewildered.
Then, suddenly, he turned his head to gaze upon Arulan standing beside him. Eltan’s gaze lingered for quite some time upon the skeletal mage’s form.
The oppressive aura emanating from Arulan was so overwhelming that even a dwarf who had lived for countless ages found himself utterly dominated by it.
“It’s fine.”
At that moment, Kim Jae-beom’s voice broke the silence.
At his calm, matter-of-fact words, Eltan’s gaze shifted toward him.
“He’s someone who follows my orders without fail.”
Kim Jae-beom nodded toward Arulan as he spoke.
Relief washed over Eltan’s face, erasing his anxiety.
“That’s truly fortunate.”
Eltan nodded, murmuring to himself.
With a reassured and more relaxed expression, he gazed upon the map. As he reached out and brushed his hand across the parchment, he spoke once more.
“This map is yours to keep.”
His voice was soft yet resolute.
Eltan carefully rolled up the map and handed it to Kim Jae-beom. The heavy scroll settled firmly into his grasp.
“I don’t refuse gifts, after all.”
Kim Jae-beom flashed a playful smile at Eltan and winked.
Then he tightened his grip on the map with both hands, clutching it so firmly that it could never slip away. His strong hands held it with an unbreakable hold.
He then turned his gaze to Arulan beside him and issued an instruction.
“Keep this map safe for me.”
The skeleton silently nodded in acknowledgment.
His fingers, composed of white bone, twitched slightly.
Then a peculiar sight began to unfold.
A violet mist rose before Arulan, swirling slowly as it levitated into the air.
What gradually revealed itself was a deep, dark space.
A pocket-like form—an alien dimension unlike anything ever witnessed before.
It was Arulan’s personal dimensional storage pouch.
Whoosh.
Arulan carefully received the map from Kim Jae-beom and touched it.
Strange energy swirled across the worn and faded parchment.
In that instant,
Arulan’s fingers twitched.
A sinister black light began to flow from the map.
It was as if darkness itself was rising forth.
The eerie radiance stained the parchment before gradually consuming the entire map.
Before their eyes, the map was transforming into black particles.
Moments later, the particles spiraled inward, drawn into the spatial pouch like water down a drain.
The ancient map vanished into the darkness that bloomed like mist.
“Ooh…”
Eltan, standing beside me, gasped at the wondrous sight.
It was a spectacle that drew forth involuntary exclamations.
“Hmm.”
I too could not suppress my admiration.
I nodded my head with a light sense of surprise.
Soon, a soft murmur escaped my lips.
“My power has grown stronger.”
I smiled faintly, as if having grasped something profound.
Arulan, who had been observing me,
―clicked, clicked.
produced the sound of dry bones striking together, signaling agreement with my words.
Then Arulan extended his hand toward the empty air.
With an otherworldly motion, shadows began to bloom from his fingertips.
The shadows, scattering like pitch-black mist, gradually took on form.
Soon the shadows coalesced, taking on the shape of mines.
They seemed to faithfully recreate the abandoned mines depicted on the map.
Dozens of miniature mine models floated into view in mid-air.
Each possessed its own distinctive appearance.
From sheer, jagged cliffs to caves traced by gentle curves.
Some had mining tunnels twisted like labyrinths, while others bore massive cavities.
Even within the scaled-down models, each mine’s individuality breathed with life. The shadow-formed replicas, guarding the secrets of the mines, emanated solemnity before Eltan and me.
As I surveyed the models, an unexpected sight unfolded.
―zzzziiing.
With a strange sound, a red light began to burst forth from one of the mines.
A crimson radiance illuminating the surroundings.
In that instant, text materialized above the mine.
[Heltema’s Resources.]
Red characters wavered in the air.
“Hmm?”
An ominous premonition caused me to release a low groan.
My gaze fixed upon the mine model where the red characters shimmered.
My eyes held a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
“Is there something there?”
Eltan, watching from beside me, asked carefully.
Sensing that my reaction was unusual, he too examined the mine intently.
“Do you happen to know anything about the Badtaran Mine?”
Suddenly, I posed a question.
A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.
His expression was as if he were trying to resurrect a forgotten memory.
“How do you know that name…!”
Eltan cried out in great surprise.
He stared at Kim Jae-beom with his eyes wide open.
His face was filled with bewilderment, as though confronted with something unbelievable.
The fact that Kim Jae-beom knew a name that had been forgotten for so long seemed to be a shock to Eltan.
Seeing Eltan’s startled reaction, Kim Jae-beom’s lips curved upward slightly.
He opened his mouth slowly, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“I need to go to the Badtaran Mine.”
His voice carried an unwavering resolve.
“Hah…”
Eltan exhaled a sigh tinged with astonishment.
He regarded Kim Jae-beom with a puzzled gaze.
His expression questioned whether this was truly sincere.
Knowing it was a perilous place that few could venture to, Eltan could not easily consent. Kim Jae-beom placed a hand on Eltan’s shoulder and smiled.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be coming back dead.”
His voice was playful yet brimming with confidence.
An assurance emanated from him—as though he feared not even death itself.
“I understand.”
After deliberating for some time, Eltan reluctantly acquiesced.
He had come to realize that he could no longer dissuade Kim Jae-beom’s determination, even if it meant courting danger.
“I’ll help you depart for the Badtaran Mine. Traveling by carriage will be far more convenient.”
Eltan offered his cooperation and counsel.
He believed a carriage would be necessary for such a treacherous journey through harsh terrain.
Kim Jae-beom nodded at his advice.
The time had come to make all preparations and set forth toward the mine of destiny.
* * *
Kim Jae-beom boarded the specially prepared carriage that Eltan had arranged.
Its sturdy and robust frame, its wheels designed to traverse even the most treacherous mountain paths with ease—this carriage could overcome any difficult terrain without issue.
As the whip cracked, the sound of hoofbeats rang out briskly.
Feeling the jolting of the carriage, Kim Jae-beom advanced toward the mine.
The carriage accelerated along narrow and perilous mountain paths, driving between sharp cliffs and sheer precipices.
Thanks to the specially crafted carriage, Kim Jae-beom was able to traverse the mountain roads at an almost unbelievable speed. The carriage cut through the wind and pierced through the mountains.
Winding and steep paths, deep and desolate valleys—all were traversed in an instant.
Time passed, and after one hour, Kim Jae-beom finally reached his destination.
The Badtaran Mine revealed itself before his eyes.
A colossal cave emanating a crimson glow was shrouded in an eerie aura.
Descending from the carriage, Kim Jae-beom surveyed the mine’s expanse.
Save for the ominous red light, nothing else was visible around him.
In the desolate and eerie atmosphere, the Badtaran Mine yawned open in silence, as if the Mining Tunnel stretched endlessly into the depths below.
“Hmm….”
Kim Jae-beom, who had been gazing at the Badtaran Mine, exhaled a short sigh.
The strange aura emanating from the mine caused my shoulders to tense.
“I need to summon them.”
I slowly turned my head and called out the names of my two subordinates.
“Arulan. Dercan.”
My voice pierced through the silence, resonating clearly.
In response to that call, the air began to ripple.
From the darkness, the dark sorcerer Arulan and the dual-blade warrior Dercan revealed themselves.
Arulan, emanating an eerie presence, and Dercan, his eyes gleaming with killing intent—the two undead knelt reverently before their master.
I issued a resolute command to Arulan.
“Summon the legion.”
It was a brief and concise order.
Arulan nodded silently.
The sound of dry bones clacking against each other echoed out.
Arulan extended his hand toward empty space.
From his fingertips, pitch-black mist began to pour forth.
Tingling surges of magical power crawled through the gaps between bones, and in that instant, the earth trembled and fissures began to form across its surface.
Through the cracks that appeared in the earth, my Undead Legion emerged into view.
Hundreds upon hundreds of undead monsters.
They were the creatures that had once mined ore from this very mine.
Rusted armor encasing decaying flesh,
Skeletal skulls with bones laid bare.
They were armed with swords, spears, and blunt weapons, emanating an unsettling aura.
The sight of them slowly crawling out from the mine was horror incarnate.
―Kuooooooh!
Among them was a towering ogre.
Its massive frame and bumpy skin,
Its crimson eyes flickered with murderous intent.
The heavy iron club it wielded was menacing enough to shatter boulders in a single blow.
Hundreds of the legion lined up before the mine.
Skeletal bones and weapons clattered against one another.
Zombies with severed necks,
Skeletons with gaping holes through their chests,
Ghouls dragging rotting entrails behind them.
A sinister and ghastly horde.
They all bowed their heads in unison toward their master.
The Undead Legion, knowing no fear, stood ready to obey any command.

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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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