My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 175

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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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Chapter 175
Kim Jae-beom nodded at the Knight Commander’s words.
“Come quietly.”
His tone was blunt, yet Kim Jae-beom seemed unbothered. He simply followed the Knight Commander with measured steps, his confident gait betraying an undercurrent of curiosity.
As they passed through winding corridors and ventured deeper into the fortress, a grand hall revealed itself. Chandeliers suspended from the lofty ceiling cast their ornate light across the space. Banners and heraldic emblems adorning the walls elevated the Knight Order’s prestige. A thick carpet blanketed the floor, lending the atmosphere an air of gravitas.
The Knight Commander’s imposing throne-like chair dominated the chamber. Before it stood a massive round table, its surface gleaming with ornate goblets and silver platters. This was clearly where the true powers of the Knight Order convened.
As the Knight Commander took his seat, Kim Jae-beom settled into the chair opposite him. A weighty silence flowed between them, broken only when the Knight Commander spoke.
The Knight Commander exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed upon Kim Jae-beom. Worry and contemplation etched themselves across his features. After a heavy pause, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I have a request to make of you.”
His low, resonant voice carried an undertone of desperation. He withdrew a weathered scroll from his garments. The yellowed parchment bore tears along its edges, its surface bearing the deep imprints of countless years.
The Knight Commander carefully unrolled it upon the table. As the brittle scroll unfurled, the illustration within came into view—a colossal dragon, wings spread wide in terrible majesty. Hooked talons, teeth sharp as lightning, a tail honed like a blade. It was terror itself given form.
“A dragon….”
The exclamation escaped Kim Jae-beom’s lips. Wonder gleamed in his blue eyes. A mighty being that ruled the heavens, the legendary creature from ancient tales now lay before him. Every scale rendered with meticulous precision, the illustration radiated an overwhelming presence.
The Knight Commander pointed at the dragon with a trembling finger. Tension emanated from his quivering hand. His firmly set face bore the weight of grim resolve.
“I need you to slay this beast.”
“Why should I?”
A brief question, yet laden with meaning. Why should he involve himself in something unrelated to him? What reason compelled him to risk danger for another’s cause?
The Knight Commander sighed. His dark eyes bore into Kim Jae-beom’s with intensity. His low, heavy voice reverberated through the chamber.
“If we do not slay it now, the entire Continent may face annihilation.”
It was a warning. Desperation saturated his words, hinting at the severity of the dragon’s threat.
“Hmm….”
Kim Jae-beom fell into thought. He raised his hand to his chin, his expression contemplative.
‘Even if the Continent falls, it’s not my concern.’
After all, this was a game.
In that sense, there was no need to force himself to accept a Quest.
Sensing his hesitation, the Knight Commander pressed forward with renewed determination.
“Should you slay the dragon, all of its power and authority shall become yours.”
A tempting proposition. The promise of claiming the dragon’s might and dominion. The Knight Commander had read Kim Jae-beom’s desires with perfect clarity.
At those words, Kim Jae-beom’s eyes transformed. Ambition flickered within his blue gaze. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. With his resolve hardened, he answered.
“If I slay it, then.”
A concise response, yet one that carried the weight of acceptance. He had agreed to the Knight Commander’s proposal.
Relief seemed to wash over the Knight Commander’s stern features as a faint smile bloomed across his face. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. Though his expression appeared serene on the surface, deep within, concern still stirred.
The Knight Commander rose slowly from his seat. His heavy armor impeded his movements, yet he paid it no mind. He began walking deliberately toward the rear of the chamber.
Where his gaze fell, an old, dilapidated box sat waiting. Crafted from ancient wood, it bore countless scratches and dents, adorned with tarnished metal fixtures that looked utterly unremarkable. Though the object appeared worthless, the Knight Commander handled it with reverence. He then made his way slowly back to where Kim Jae-beom sat.
Creak….
The Knight Commander carefully opened the box. The aged wooden lid groaned as it swung open, and a soft emerald light spilled forth from within. He slowly extended his hand and grasped the source of that radiance.
What lay in the Knight Commander’s palm was a ring that shimmered with exquisite beauty. Crafted from what appeared to be pure metal, it gleamed smooth and unyielding. Mysterious runes were inscribed across its surface, and above them, a brilliant green gemstone blazed with dazzling brilliance. The luminous artifact seemed suffused with arcane power, radiating an otherworldly mystique.
The Knight Commander extended the ring toward Kim Jae-beom. Their eyes met.
“This ring shall reveal the dragon’s location to you.”
His tone was grave, yet hope lingered beneath the surface. Expectation that this would prove instrumental in locating the dragon permeated his words.
“Hm.”
Kim Jae-beom exhaled in admiration as he accepted the ring. Examining it with keen interest, he unhesitatingly slipped it onto his pinky finger.
In that instant, something miraculous unfolded.
A verdant glow erupted from the ring, flowing through the air and suffusing the chamber with its gentle luminescence.
The ring radiated with vibrant, pulsing energy.
Soon the light began to converge at a single point. The focused beam pointed with absolute precision toward the North—a long, tapering emerald arrow blazing like a compass, revealing the direction where the dragon dwelt.
“North, then.”
Kim Jae-beom murmured softly to himself.
Thirty minutes elapsed. Kim Jae-beom hastened from the City, and as he passed through the heavy iron gates, a landscape like a painting unfurled before his eyes. The Blue Grassland stretched to the distant horizon, swaying in the wind like silk rippling across water.
With long, purposeful strides, Kim Jae-beom was momentarily lost in the expansive vista.
‘The graphics are incredible.’
“Ah.”
Kim Jae-beom quickly composed himself. He cleared his throat lightly and drew a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and loosening his neck before murmuring quietly.
“Arulan. Summon the army.”
His voice was sharp as a blade cutting through air. Even the gentle breeze circling nearby seemed to recoil before it.
With the command, a dusky shadow coalesced beside Kim Jae-beom. A skeletal figure in a skull mask tore through the void and rose to its feet. With sleeves billowing and head bowed in deference stood the loyal servant—Arulan.
Without hesitation, Arulan extended both arms forward. Pristine palms reached toward the heavens. In that moment, a swirling vortex of energy began to bloom around Kim Jae-beom—undulating darkness.
Shiiiiiek!
With a chilling sound, mist erupted from Arulan’s fingertips. Malevolent and sinister, it was so oppressive it seemed capable of devouring the very souls of the living. The mist rolled across the soft grass, spreading in all directions.
The aura of death engulfed the earth. Wherever the mist drifted, grass withered and died, flowers drooped their heads. The sight of life withering was breathtakingly horrific. The wind held its breath, the air froze solid. The land itself seemed to tremble in terror.
As the mist cleared, an unimaginable sight revealed itself.
Hundreds, thousands of skeletal soldiers formed an army of the dead. A grotesque legion composed of nothing but bleached bone. A thousand faces staring at the world through hollow eye sockets. Some wore shattered helms, others bore remnants of desiccated flesh. All were the undead risen from death.
Hands gripping swords, spears, and scythes. Bodies clad in sturdy armor. Their forms suggested they had once been soldiers in life. Yet now not a trace of vitality remained in them. They were nothing but animated corpses. In eerie silence, they gazed upon Kim Jae-beom.
Behind the skeletal soldiers, an enormous shadow blanketed the earth. The very sky seemed to tremble at its presence. A massive undead Ogre stood motionless, towering above all.
Covered in rotting flesh, it was overwhelming terror incarnate. Eyes bloodshot and chilling to the soul. A hideous face with tusks bared. From its corrupted, peeling body emanated a putrid stench. The iron maul it wielded seemed capable of shattering mountain peaks.
Beside the Ogre stood the Giant Scorpion. Its compound eyes blazed crimson, as if plucked from the depths of hellfire itself. Its blade-like pincers seemed capable of severing anything. A sinister red radiance shimmered across its carapace, radiating terrifying power. From within its scarlet exoskeleton pulsed the aura of death.
A ghastly smile spread across Kim Jae-beom’s lips as he commanded these monsters. Intoxicated by the tremendous power now in his grasp, he gazed upon the emerald ring and exhaled slowly. With this invincible army, even the dragon could be felled.
North. The light pointing toward the enemy’s lair made Kim Jae-beom’s eyes gleam. His grin, baring his teeth, was so sinister it seemed touched by madness. For one who had honed the blade of vengeance so carefully, the preparations were complete. It was time to begin the march of death.
“Forward.”
With an emotionless command, Kim Jae-beom took his first step. Across the vast grassland, the army of death began its slow advance.
Thud, thud, thud.
The footfalls of thousands of soldiers thundered across the earth. The sound of boots crushing withered grass was desolate and ominous. As if a death knell were sounding, they marched onward through suffocating silence.

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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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