My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 18

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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 18
A Skeletal Warrior Evolves?
Of course, even before Evern Online, content involving the evolution of undead creatures had existed. So the fact that I was strengthening a skeleton soldier wasn’t particularly novel in itself.
“This is insane….”
But evolution—not merely enhancement—was an entirely different matter. In Evern Online, at least, such a thing had never happened to a skeleton soldier.
So witnessing Dercan’s form contorting and evolving before my very eyes was truly a new experience.
―Crunch! Crack!
With each passing second, the skeletal frame that had been nothing but bone became thick and robust in an instant.
―Screech! Pop!
The transformation began at the joints first. Fresh white bone began sprouting rapidly from the knees, elbows, and shoulders. Blade-like protrusions jutted out abruptly in all directions.
―Uuuoooong….
Next, the vertebrae began to change. The spinal processes lengthened and transformed into sharp, menacing forms. The withered ribs morphed into thick, plate-like armor.
―Crack. Crackle!
Last came the skull. A horn-like protrusion emerged from the center of the forehead, growing longer with each moment. Fangs sprouted around the jaw, and the eye sockets blazed with a crimson radiance.
―Hisssss….
An ominous aura rose from the bone’s surface. Scorching heat radiated from the skull, which was now turning red. It resembled the form of a demon.
But this was far from over.
[The shield crafted from the giant rat’s incisors is transforming.]
[The sword crafted from the giant rat’s incisors is transforming.]
The sword and shield I had crafted from the giant rat’s materials.
Both weapons had originally possessed an ordinary appearance.
―Crackle!
Yet as Dercan evolved, for some reason, both weapons began evolving as well.
[The shield crafted from the giant rat’s incisors is dissolving.]
[The shield is evolving into the form of a sword.]
[The sword crafted from the giant rat’s incisors is dissolving.]
[The sword is evolving into a more suitable form.]
[Dercan’s weapons undergo their final evolution into dual blades!]
Soon, the shield in Dercan’s hand began blazing crimson.
―Uuuuuoooong.
The shield burned so intensely it became like molten metal in a furnace. The metal, heated to a glowing red, lost its form and warped and bubbled, as if being shaped by the invisible hands of a master craftsman.
―Hisssss….
Soon the molten metal began floating in the air. The incandescent metal writhed as if alive, hurtling toward Dercan’s other hand.
―Clang! Clang!
Fragments of scorching metal began adhering to the sword Dercan held. Like iron drawn to a magnet, the molten metal swiftly coiled around the blade. In an instant, the liquefied metal became one with the sword’s form.
―Screech… Screeeeech!
The moment the two metals fused, a blinding flash erupted. From within that brilliant light, an entirely new form of weapon began to emerge. Dual blades.
The metal that had blazed crimson had transformed into a pitch-black hue, and mysterious patterns shimmered with ethereal light.
―Whoosh!
An extraordinary aura emanated from the dual blades, so overwhelming that I found myself holding my breath.
‘This is something I didn’t anticipate.’
The shield, once fashioned from the bones of a colossal rat, had transformed into metal, and soon merged with the sword to become a pair of twin blades. It was a sight that seemed to symbolize death and resurrection.
[Legendary Item: Sphinx’s Tomb Keeper’s Twin Blades has been created.]
Even without the system notification, one could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary weapon.
“….”
Once everything was complete, I alternated my gaze between the words “Legendary Item” and the twin blades Dercan held in his hands.
“Damn… sh*t”
And I let out a curse born of genuine emotion.
It carried no negative connotation.
“This is a game!”
Adrenaline surged through my mind. Dercan growing stronger was essentially equivalent to my own abilities being enhanced.
‘Right, since I can only summon one, this much is only fair.’
Until now, no matter what they called Dercan—a legendary skeleton soldier or whatever—he was ultimately nothing more than a ‘slightly more obedient and slightly stronger skeleton soldier.’
To put it more bluntly, I hadn’t been summoning Dercan for help; I’d been carrying him through the game.
“You. What exactly are you?”
At that moment, Ye-jin, who had been standing behind, approached me and Dercan.
“Are you perhaps an operator? A GM investigating the ecosystem of beginner users?”
“Pardon?”
“Is that why you were deliberately loitering at a low level in front of the Labyrinth? To see how users react to a low-level player?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t make sense otherwise. How could someone at level 5 defeat a monster stronger than you with just a skeleton soldier and—”
“Didn’t you deliver the finishing blow, Ye-jin?”
“You could have easily defeated it even without me, couldn’t you?”
Ye-jin spoke with absolute certainty in her voice. She hadn’t been playing Evern Online carelessly either.
“You seem stronger than me. With a level difference like this, you’re someone who could overcome it without any trouble, aren’t you?”
“Hmm.”
I scratched my head at Ye-jin’s words.
It was true that I was stronger than Ye-jin, just as she suspected. Excessive humility is a form of dishonesty, and I had no intention of denying it.
“That’s right. I can defeat Ye-jin.”
“Yes. That’s… wait, how long are you going to keep calling me that nickname?”
I decided to ignore what Ye-jin was saying. After all, she had now acknowledged that I was stronger.
Teasing is the privilege of the strong.
However.
“I think you’re forgetting something?”
“What?”
“That you absolutely need two people to defeat Sphinx, even if not the Tomb Keeper.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ye-jin recall the patterns of Sphinx, the final boss of the dungeon. And why I had been searching for a two-person party until the very end.
“…You’re right.”
It was a bit embarrassing to have forgotten even after clearing it, but the shock of witnessing such an astounding event was so great that I felt a sense of grievance instead.
‘No, but still—a level 5 pulling off that kind of performance, and skeletal soldiers evolving? You could almost think the developers were testing a new class!’
Yet upon reflection, most of what Jae-beom had accomplished so far came down to his own control and skill, not the developers exercising any special authority.
Dercan’s evolution was surprising, certainly, but everyone was entitled to their secrets.
“You understand, right? Even if Dercan has evolved, I’m not sure he could pin down Sphinx alone. What I’m saying is we need someone intelligent, not just a skeleton.”
―Master?
At that moment, Dercan spoke in a clear, unhesitating voice. Seeing this, Jae-beom replied with some hesitation.
“Intelligent… you will be, right?”
“Even so, I’m better than a skeleton!”
Ye-jin cried out, her emotions welling up. She’d been the one harboring doubts, yet somehow she’d ended up having her intelligence questioned instead.
“Follow me. I know a hidden passage that leads comfortably all the way to Sphinx’s chamber.”
Perhaps because of that, she ended up revealing a hidden route she’d never intended to share.
“Oho.”
“Do you perhaps want to face more of these tomb guardians? If so, you could just go ahead, but… the next one you encounter won’t be just one.”
―Boom… boom-boom-boom!
The moment Ye-jin finished speaking, Sphinx’s Tomb shook violently.
Ding!
[The first Sphinx’s Tomb guardian has been defeated.]
[The other guardians rage at their comrade’s demise.]
[Sphinx’s Tomb guardians that were sleeping awaken en masse.]
Simultaneously, bright red warning messages flooded the air.
“…There was nothing about this in the strategy guide?”
“Evern Online dislikes players clearing dungeons too easily with guides. They don’t even post patch details related to strategies in the announcements.”
“True to a third-generation virtual reality game. The last patch was… four days ago?”
Warlord Online was hardcore enough in its own right, but Evern Online took it further in this regard.
“Yes. I cleared it right after the patch, so I knew about it.”
Though the strategy had become obsolete, Jae-beom’s lips curved upward instead.
The fact that standardized strategies often failed meant that for someone with Jae-beom’s exceptional snap judgment and control, it was actually an advantage.
While those ahead of him would struggle in a dungeon where strategies had changed, Jae-beom could grow rapidly.
“So, what will you do? Will you take them all on? I think it’ll be difficult, but I can’t fully grasp your abilities anymore. I’ll follow your lead.”
‘I’d like to test Dercan’s newly evolved abilities, but… there will be other opportunities. There’s no need to test them in a dungeon where we only get one shot.’
Calculations ran swiftly through Jae-beom’s mind.
“Let’s just defeat the boss and leave. There’s no need to invest excessive time here.”
“Good. By the way, the hidden passage I know survived this patch intact—it’s a transcendent-tier route. So please don’t record it and upload it to videos.”
“How did you discover it?”
“…Grinding. It’s a trade secret, so don’t bother asking.”
Ye-jin fixed Jae-beom with a wary gaze. She felt that maintaining some edge like this was the only way to preserve the pride of a veteran player.
Tap!
Fearing she’d leak more information if they kept talking, Ye-jin pushed forward before Jae-beom could ask anything else.
“Quite something.”
Jae-beom watched her receding figure with a shrug. When they first met, he’d thought her a charlatan; even entering this dungeon, he’d pegged her as a pervert obsessed with newbies.
‘There’s more utility here than I expected. I’ll need to make good use of this going forward.’
Jaebum had no particular obsession with solo play. In Warlord Online, he’d formed parties whenever necessary.
Until now, he’d simply preferred solo play because it appeared more efficient.
But considering Ye-jin’s information gathering abilities, her class, and even her combat rhythm, forming a party with her seemed viable.
‘How do I convince her next time? She probably got tired of me once she realized I’m stronger. These perverts who like newbies say this is the difficult part—they abandon them once they’re no longer newbies.
Or not? Would it work if I maintain the concept of being “strong but uninformed like a newbie”?’
Right now, Ye-jin should have been worried about information, but instead she was concerned about her image—though she had no way of knowing what Jaebum was thinking.
After all, tragedy typically arose from information gaps.
“Come on, keep up!”
Unaware of any of this, Ye-jin simply ran ahead.
The path Ye-jin and Jaebum walked was far more ominous than when they’d first entered. The surrounding walls were densely covered with hieroglyphics carved in ancient script, and the floor was blanketed with thick dust accumulated over countless ages.
“I actually like this.”
At Ye-jin’s words, Jaebum stared at her intently. Ye-jin, interpreting his gaze as ‘Is this pervert weird about everything?’, waved her hand dismissively.
“No, I don’t mean I like the atmosphere itself. It’s just… in reality, my bronchial tubes are weak, so I could never venture into dusty places like this.
But in Evern Online, I can walk through places like this without any problems.”
Jaebum found himself nodding involuntarily. Virtual reality, for all its talk, was fundamentally about vicarious satisfaction—perhaps Ye-jin’s perspective was the most wholesome of all.
Of course, his preference for newbies was another matter entirely.
“I see. You’re taking your medication regularly, then?”
“Of course. I avoid these kinds of places in the first place anyway.”
Since the path ahead was quite long, the two exchanged casual conversation.
It seemed the only way to make the tedious journey more bearable.
‘This place is pretty grim.’
The tomb was saturated with the aura of death. The air carried the stench of decay mingled with unidentifiable foul odors.
Candlelight flickered, casting grotesque shadows upon the walls. The shadows seemed to writhe with life, and everything about them evoked an ominous dread.
Yet the dungeon’s threat hardly ended with mere atmosphere.

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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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