My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 149

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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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149
Inferno
I descended deeper into the Mining Tunnel alongside the Undead Legion. The clash of rusted armor and bone, the groans of ghouls and zombies—it was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. The damp, musty stench assailed my nostrils,
After trudging through the darkness for what felt like an eternity, something writhed in the distance. It resembled a heap of corpses bathed in a sickly blue luminescence. Drawing closer, I discerned the tattered forms of humans. Their skin was bruised purple like rotting leather, riddled with gaping holes and fissures. Putrid entrails spilled from their wounds. These were the undead Players.
“Guuuuh….”
A guttural moan—as though their throats had been torn asunder—assaulted my ears. Hundreds of crimson eyes snapped toward me in unison.
“Dea… th….”
With those words, their bodies erupted with magical power. Scarlet flames, pristine ice, violet lightning—spells of varying attributes cascaded from all directions.
“Impressive.”
I marveled at the display.
“Annihilate them all!”
The zombies shrieked in unison. Skeletal soldiers gnashed their teeth. Ghouls with ash-gray skin clenched their talons. They surged forward as one. Swords, spears, and iron mauls clattered against one another; shattered shields skittered across the ground.
That was when it happened. A foul miasma erupted from every inch of the Undead Legion’s bodies. Black droplets began seeping through their skin. What started as a trickle swiftly became a torrent. A dark, swamp-like liquid poured forth.
The liquid writhed as though alive, surging into the air. In moments, it descended upon the horde of undead Players. Black tendrils ensnared them, hardening as they coiled around their forms. Viscous slime bound their bodies, and their movements began to slow.
“Now!”
I seized the opportunity without hesitation. The moment my command fell, the Undead Legion accelerated. They charged forth like arrows, their heavy mauls shattering the sluggish Players’ skulls.
Blood fountained between the thrashing corpses. Severed limbs and gore-soaked armor tangled together. The Undead Legion roared triumphantly over the blood-drenched floor of the Mine.
* * *
I led the Undead Legion, now drenched in the dark liquid, deeper still. My feet squelched against the slick, muddy ground.
After descending further, we finally reached the deepest point of the Mine. There, a massive, imposing iron door stood sentinel.
“Hmm.”
I regarded the door with curious eyes. Then, wielding the steel staff in my hand, I brought it down against the barrier.
―Boom!
The door shuddered with a heavy sound. But a translucent barrier materialized before it, deflecting the staff.
“Damn.”
I cursed under my breath, clicking my tongue. Yet a faint smile soon crossed my lips.
“Well, there’s always another way.”
I turned to the undead soldiers arrayed behind me.
“Attack, all of you!”
A guttural roar struck the stone walls. The Undead Legion surged toward the iron door as one. Hundreds of blades and spears descended in a torrent.
The skeletal mage Arulan raised both hands, his fingers glowing with pristine radiance as necromantic incantations flowed forth. A scarlet fireball struck the door. Dercan stepped forward in his wake.
The assault was relentless. The barrier enveloping the door trembled violently. At first, it merely rippled. But as time wore on, its appearance transformed. Cracks began to form.
They started as hairline fractures. But their number multiplied, and their width expanded.
“Just a little longer.”
I gritted my teeth. My eyes, burning with desire, fixed upon the door.
The door convulsed. But under the relentless barrage, it finally gave way. With a thunderous crash, the barrier shattered into countless fragments.
The transparent shield fell away in glittering shards.
In that instant, a mist erupted from within the door like blood from a wound.
The mist billowed, consuming my entire body. My blue steel armor was instantly drenched in crimson.
Before I knew it, my body was enveloped in red light and lifted into the air. An immense, invisible force was drawing me into the door. I thrashed desperately, but resistance proved futile.
My eyelids, which had been shut as if I’d lost consciousness, trembled faintly before sliding open. What greeted my vision was a scene like a masterwork painting. Against a pitch-black canvas, stars gleamed with crystalline brilliance. It resembled a mural depicting the flow of the Milky Way.
“Where in the world am I?”
Kim Jae-beom, cradling his head, murmured as if in pain. Mustering every ounce of strength to escape this predicament, he staggered to his feet.
―Boom!
That was when it happened. Torches erupted into flame with a thunderous roar, igniting in unison. Surging flames consumed the darkness in all directions. As the shadows receded, the vast expanse of the space became apparent. Before me lay a colossal chamber reminiscent of a palace’s Grand Hall.
As my gaze shifted, my eyes abruptly froze. At the center of the Grand Hall, directly before me, stood nothing less than a magnificent throne. That crimson-hued seat seemed to writhe as if possessed of life itself.
The scarlet throne radiated an overwhelming presence. An indescribable aura emanated from it.
I instinctively gripped the staff in my hand. Drawing a deep breath, I maintained my vigilance without faltering.
Then it happened.
Something unexpected unfolded. A crimson aura began pouring forth from my body. Scarlet mist pierced through my skin and rose into the air.
As the mist grew denser, a silhouette emerged from within it. A man of imposing stature draped in a crimson robe. With pointed ears and eyes burning with crimson fire, he was none other than the Demon Lord, Count Heltema.
“Krahahahaha!”
A sinister laugh echoed through the Grand Hall. Count Heltema, wearing a grotesque smile, slowly advanced toward the throne. The hem of his crimson robe dragged across the floor with a resounding noise.
Facing him, I remained in place, merely observing.
―Click.
Count Heltema reached the colossal throne. After savoring the sight of the seat for a moment, he strode up the Staircase and settled into the chair.
―Rumble.
In that instant, the wall behind the throne split open of its own accord, creating a gaping chasm. And through that fissure, something slowly revealed itself.
A coldly gleaming metallic object. It was none other than a greatsword. The enormous blade, towering well above human height, emanated an eerie presence.
Count Heltema, seated upon the throne, extended his hand and seized the hilt of the greatsword. The immense strength coursing through his forearm allowed him to lift it effortlessly with a single hand.
Pointing the blade into the void, Count Heltema opened his mouth. His eyes, burning with crimson intensity, fixed upon me.
“I am the true master of this land. Only by striking me down will you claim my legacy.”
His voice, though hoarse as if emerging from the depths of hell, carried undeniable power.
At Count Heltema’s provocation, my lips twisted upward into a grin.
“Ha. How amusing.”
Responding with a hoarse voice, I gripped the steel staff. The cool sensation of the weapon made contact with my skin.
I surveyed my surroundings. Arulan, Dercan, and the Undead Legion were nowhere to be seen. There seemed to be no way to summon them. Yet I shrugged nonchalantly as if unbothered.
“Don’t worry. I’m more than capable of killing you alone.”
At those words, Count Heltema let out a derisive snort.
“Impressive, I’ll grant you that.”
The Demon Lord rose from the throne. His crimson robe billowed dramatically. Grasping the formidable greatsword, he slowly walked toward me.
“Come now, let’s see what you’ve got, whelp.”
He taunted with arrogant eyes. My complexion paled, yet my gaze burned with intensity.
“As you say. I’ll show you how a whelp brings you down.”
My voice carried more exhilaration than fear.
The two of us slowly converged toward the center of the Grand Hall.
The air grew taut with tension.
A moment of silence stretched between us.
Then Count Heltema moved first. His speed was lightning-swift. The massive greatsword cleaved through the air. A whistling sound echoed in its wake.
I ducked agilely and immediately counterattacked. My steel staff met the crimson blade.
Clang!
The metallic shriek of steel rang out deafeningly across the battlefield.
The exchange of blows had begun. My weapon and Count Heltema’s clashed together, sending brilliant sparks cascading through the air.
Hiss.
And as I plunged into combat, a smile spread across my face.

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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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