My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 239
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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 239
As time passed, the airship continued to climb and accelerate. Now they flew above the clouds, and below stretched the endless territories of the Empire. Vast plains, dense forests, and scattered villages and cities dotted the landscape.
Kim Jae-beom’s gaze fixed upon the distant northwestern horizon. There, beyond sight but within his ambition, lay his target. Kronheim. The Imperial Capital and seat of the Emperor. To conquer it was to seize the entire Empire.
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Time flowed onward.
The sun descended fully, and stars emerged across the night sky. Flames erupted from the airship’s mana boosters, painting the darkness crimson and illuminating their journey. Lanterns mounted along the hull ignited one by one—not ordinary flames, but enchanted fires infused with mana.
After approximately two hours, the colossal silhouette of a city appeared on the horizon. Kronheim. It dwarfed Nibelheim by several times over, far more magnificent and resplendent. Towering Castle Walls encircled the metropolis, and within them stood countless structures.
Despite the late hour, the city blazed with light. Magical lanterns illuminated every street, and major buildings gleamed with decorative illumination.
As the airship arrived above the capital, I rose slowly from my seat. I walked to the railing and gazed downward.
Citizens still moved busily through the capital’s streets. Though the night was deep, the Empire’s heart never ceased its activity. Merchants organized their wares, and people made their way homeward. They remained oblivious to the threat descending upon them.
The airship descended gradually. Yet this was not for landing. The vessel still hovered above the clouds, now positioned at the optimal vantage point to survey the entire city.
I turned to regard the Demon Players. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation and excitement. They already gripped weapons in their hands, and the Mages channeled their mana.
My lips parted slowly. My voice was quiet, yet every soul heard it with perfect clarity.
“Bombard them.”
The moment those words fell, cannons concealed along the airship’s flanks revealed themselves. Doors opened along both sides of the hull, and black metal cannons emerged. These were no ordinary gunpowder weapons—they were specialized devices that fired pure mana.
Crimson light began charging within the cannons’ barrels. At first merely faint sparks, they rapidly transformed into intense concentrations of energy. Once fully charged, the cannons fired in unison.
Whiiiiing!
Mana bombs launched from the cannons descended toward the city.
The first bomb struck the city’s outskirts. A brilliant crimson flash erupted, followed by a colossal explosion. The shockwave obliterated surrounding buildings in an instant, and flames erupted skyward.
Other bombs fell in succession across the city.
Chaos consumed the interior. Citizens jolted from sleep and rushed into the streets. Guard Soldiers desperately attempted to comprehend the situation. Yet they possessed no means to defend against bombardment from above.
The airship continued launching fresh bombs. Mages charged the cannons with mana, while other Demon Players transported ordnance. Every process executed swiftly and efficiently.
The bombardment persisted. Several districts lay in ruins, and flames spread across ever-widening areas. Smoke ascended to obscure the night sky, and screams mingled with the thunder of collapsing structures throughout the city.
Then it came.
Sudden movement erupted near the Fortress at the capital’s center. Initially mere dozens of small points, they rapidly ascended and revealed their forms. Griffin Knights. The Empire’s aerial elite had mobilized to counter the bombardment.
The Griffin Knights wore gleaming armor and wielded long lances or swords.
They climbed higher. The griffins’ powerful wingbeats tore through the air, propelling them toward the airship. What began as dozens swiftly multiplied to roughly a hundred. They advanced in formation toward the vessel.
The Demon Players aboard recognized this new threat. Alarms sounded, and all moved to battle stations. The cannons now aimed not at the capital but at the approaching griffins. Mages gathered near the railings, preparing defensive magic, while warriors drew their weapons.
As the Griffin Knight Order’s vanguard approached, the Demon Players launched their first assault. Crimson mana bombs erupted from the cannons in succession, and Mages unleashed varied offensive spells. Fire, ice, and lightning poured toward the griffins.
Yet the Griffin Knights evaded most attacks with practiced precision. They executed astonishing aerial maneuvers—spinning, diving—to dodge magic and ordnance. Some griffins fell to strikes, but the majority pressed steadily closer to the airship.
In an instant, the first griffin landed upon the deck. Its weight shook the entire platform, and nearby Demon Players lost their footing. The knight leaped from his mount, drew his blade, and began attacking the surrounding demons.
More griffins landed across the vessel. They seized positions on the main deck, near the masts, and even clawed their way up the hull’s sides. The Griffin Knights attacked in unison, and the entire airship transformed into a Battlefield.
One Griffin Knight hurled his lance at a Demon Player. The weapon pierced the demon’s chest with remarkable precision, and he fell screaming. Another knight, remaining mounted, used his griffin’s razor talons to assault nearby demons.
The Demon Players fought back desperately. They countered with claws, fangs, magic, and weapons. One Demon Magician hurled a fireball at a griffin, striking its wing and sending it into a tumble. Another Demon warrior raked his claws across a knight’s armor, tearing it asunder.
The battle intensified. Every deck filled with one-on-one combat between knights and Demon Players.
Then the Griffin Knights revealed their hidden strength. Brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from their bodies.
The same radiance poured from the griffins. Their wings and talons blazed with golden luminescence, and their attacks became far more lethal. Holy power proved especially devastating to demons.
A Demon Player struck by a Griffin Knight’s holy-infused blade fell. Black smoke rose from his body as he screamed in agony and logged out. Others met similar fates. Their mana weakened dramatically before holy power.
The battle’s momentum shifted decisively in favor of the Griffin Knights. Demon Players fell back one by one, and some had already logged out. Portions of the airship now lay under the knights’ control.
In this critical moment, all eyes turned toward me. I remained standing upon the uppermost deck.
A sharp breath escaped.
I slowly raised both hands. Unique energy began to gather in my palms. Crimson mana condensed in my left hand, while golden holy power coalesced in my right. Two opposing forces swirled and spiraled within my grasp.
I brought my hands together.
In that instant, a brilliant light erupted explosively. It spread outward with such intensity that it engulfed the entire sailship.
The energy wrapped around the bodies of the Demon Players. At first, it danced around them like fine particles of luminescence, then gradually began to absorb into their skin. Transformation rippled through their forms.
I had bestowed holy power upon them. Yet this was no ordinary divine force. It was a new form of strength—a fusion of mana and holy power, a synthesis where darkness and light coexisted.
Black and golden light intertwined and radiated from the Demon Players’ bodies. The same aura infused their attacks. Their magic became far more potent, their physical strikes devastatingly lethal. Most critically, they had now developed resistance to the Griffin Knight Order’s holy power.
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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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