My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 244
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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 244
A fragment pierced through a Demon Warrior’s chest. He froze momentarily, his eyes widening as black blood spilled from his lips. His trembling hand reached toward the shard embedded in his chest, but before his fingers could even touch it, his entire body began to turn transparent.
“This is…”
His final words remained unfinished as he logged out completely. In his place, only a lingering azure afterimage danced for a moment before the wind scattered it away.
Similar scenes unfolded across the Battlefield. The Demon Players who suffered fatal wounds from the golden fragments couldn’t recover and logged out one by one. With each disappearance, the morale of the surrounding Demon forces wavered.
“What… what kind of attack is this? The healing won’t work!”
A Demon Mage cried out in confusion. He attempted to cast a healing spell on the hole that had appeared in his arm, but the magic’s effect seemed to be nullified. Cracks continued spreading from around the wound, and his body grew increasingly unstable.
The Volcano Monster also suffered damage. Multiple fragments struck his massive body, and those sections hardened instantly. One of his legs turned completely to stone, and several of the craters on his back were sealed shut. The Volcano Monster stumbled, losing his balance as he released agonized roars.
I quickly evaded from the Volcano Monster’s shoulder. Suspended in the air, I rapidly assessed the surrounding situation.
That was the moment.
Ziiiiing!
A second attack was being prepared. The golden chariot’s cannons began charging once more, and this time, far more intense light swirled within them. Steam erupted more forcefully from the entire vehicle, and the gears rotated at accelerated speeds.
I acted without a moment’s hesitation. I extended both hands forward and rapidly traced circles through the air. Crimson energy flowed from my fingertips, leaving trails across the sky. As the circle completed, it rapidly expanded into a colossal circular shield.
A crimson barrier materialized before me. It was no mere energy barrier, but a sophisticated defensive apparatus inscribed with complex magical runes. The shield’s surface was intricately woven with patterns symbolizing flames, lava, and volcanoes, continuously moving and circulating energy.
Immediately after my barrier was complete, the golden chariot’s second attack fired. This time, a more powerful and concentrated beam of light erupted from the vehicle. It flew directly toward me, splitting into dozens of smaller rays mid-air to completely surround me.
But my crimson shield blocked every attack. As the golden rays collided with the red barrier, a violent impact erupted with a tremendous explosion of energy. The shield’s surface rippled and vibrated momentarily, but it didn’t collapse entirely.
I advanced slowly from behind the barrier. Even within the storm of light obscuring my path, I maintained perfect composure. My eyes remained fixed on the golden chariot, and my mind was already planning my next move.
As the attack subsided, I lowered the barrier slightly. I surveyed my surroundings briefly. A significant number of Demon Players had logged out, and those remaining were in disarray. The Volcano Spirits’ numbers had dwindled considerably, and the Volcano Monster suffered in agony, half-transformed to stone.
My eyes suddenly gleamed. I had conceived a plan. I reinforced the barrier once more, then shouted loudly.
“Charge!”
My voice carried immense magical power. It wasn’t merely a shout—it was a command and an encouragement. As the sound resonated across the entire Battlefield, the Demon Players’ eyes turned toward me in unison.
After a brief moment of hesitation, the most valiant Demon Warrior took the first step. He raised his weapon high and rushed toward the golden chariot. Other Demon forces, inspired by his courage, began moving one by one.
“Uaaaah!”
The Demon Players’ cries echoed across the sky. They charged toward the golden chariot in unison. Those on the ground ran with all their might, while winged Demon forces dove from the air. Those riding Demonized Griffins soared upward alongside them.
The Volcano Spirits joined the assault as well. The surviving spirits flowed swiftly along the ground, while some launched skyward in parabolic arcs toward the chariot.
I took the lead. I advanced slowly toward the golden chariot, my crimson barrier held before me. The chariot’s cannons turned toward me once more, but my shield blocked every attack.
“Concentrate all your strength on one point! Attack the left tread!”
My second command rang out. The Demon Players immediately changed direction, swarming toward the chariot’s left side. They began concentrating their attacks on a single point, and the left tread gradually sustained damage.
The golden chariot resisted desperately. Dozens of small turrets protruded from its surface, attacking nearby Demon forces. Compact yet powerful golden beams poured toward them, and several logged out on the spot.
But the Demon forces were too numerous. They surged forward like a tidal wave, advancing despite their losses. The Volcano Spirits clung to the chariot’s surface, attempting to melt the armor with their scorching bodies.
Dozens of small Volcano Spirits covered the chariot’s sides and top, drawing their body heat to maximum capacity. Wherever the golden armor made contact, it glowed red-hot, and gradually the metal began to melt.
Paaat!
The Demon Players’ attacks were proving effective as well.
“Destroy it!”
The concentrated assault on the left tread caused gears and connecting mechanisms to break down one after another.
Warning alarms blared loudly inside the golden chariot. The operators manipulated controls frantically, but they couldn’t keep pace with the concentrated external assault. The chariot gradually lost mobility, and the tread’s movement became irregular.
“Cracks are forming! Attack harder!”
A Demon Player shouted. True to his words, fine cracks began appearing on the chariot’s side. Initially no larger than a fingernail, the continued assault caused them to expand rapidly. Golden energy leaked through the cracks.
The Volcano Spirits seized this opportunity. They concentrated more heat on the cracked section, causing the gap to widen further. The Demon Players also focused their assault on that area. The Mages cast powerful shadow magic, while the Warriors wielded their weapons with all their strength.
“Attack the chariot’s core! Target the energy core!”
As Kim Jae-beom’s command descended, all attacks converged upon the center of the war machine. The fissures expanded ever wider, revealing the intricate mechanical apparatus and mana conduits within. At its core burned a sphere of brilliant golden light—and I instinctively knew it was the source of the machine’s power.
The Volcano Monster marshaled his remaining strength and joined the assault. From his maw erupted a colossal mass of molten lava, which traced a parabolic arc before striking the war machine’s center with devastating force. The lava melted through the armor, seeping inward and ravaging the mechanical systems within.
At last, the decisive blow fell. A Demon Assassin hurled himself through the widening cracks and plunged his dagger directly into the energy core. The blade thrummed with potent shadow magic, and the moment it made contact, a violent reaction erupted.
In that instant, a tremendous explosion thundered from within the war machine. The entire structure convulsed, steam venting from countless ruptures. The panicked screams of the operators echoed faintly through the chaos.
“Loss of control! The core is destabilizing!”
“We must evacuate immediately!”
“It’s too late… it’s going to explode!”
Then came a far greater detonation. The upper hull tore away completely, and the internal mechanisms scattered in all directions. The transparent dome shattered into countless fragments, and the operators’ forms flickered into view before vanishing.
The war machine’s armor plating separated into multiple sections and crashed to the ground. The treads were utterly destroyed, leaving only the skeletal frame standing precariously. The energy core at its heart still radiated light, though its luminescence steadily waned.
Kim Jae-beom seized this moment. He ascended into the air and positioned himself atop the devastated war machine. Both his hands extended forward, and from his fingertips pulsed a crimson energy.
“Now it is time for you to become ours.”
From Kim Jae-beom’s fingers erupted a torrent of crimson lightning. It resembled ordinary lightning, yet far denser and more intense. The current tore through the air, streaking directly toward the war machine’s core—that destabilized energy sphere.
The moment the crimson lightning touched the core, a wondrous transformation began. The golden radiance of the sphere gradually darkened, then shifted to a deep crimson hue. This was no mere change of color—it was a fundamental transmutation of the energy’s very essence.
The core’s transformation rippled swiftly through the remaining structure. One by one, the surviving golden plates began to stain with a blood-red tint. At first, crimson patterns emerged across the surface, but soon the entire coloration shifted. The brilliant luster of gold faded away, replaced by the hues of shadow and blood.
Alongside the chromatic shift, the war machine’s form itself began to change. The collapsed sections stirred as though alive, reassembling themselves and returning to their original positions. Yet the result was wholly transformed. The edges grew sharper, and the surface became inscribed with patterns evoking bone and skull.
The transformation was complete.
The golden war machine that had once symbolized the Empire was now something entirely different—a chariot of death. It no longer moved by steam and machinery, but seemed instead to be driven by shadow magic and the spirits of the departed.
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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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