My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 249
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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 249
Kim Jae-beom watched as Ullan’s greatsword neutralized every one of his attacks. His crimson eyes blazed with intensifying brilliance, and a smile spread across his lips—not a simple expression of amusement, but the calculated grin of a player preparing his final, decisive strike.
“I shall unleash my ultimate skill.”
His voice carried a different timbre than before.
Kim Jae-beom slowly extended both hands into the empty air. From his fingertips, dark crimson energy pulsed and thrummed. He gradually spread his hands wider, then suddenly drove them downward with tremendous force.
In that instant, the floor of the Throne Hall began to transform. At first, hairline fractures appeared.
Crack!
In moments, their size and depth expanded exponentially. The fissures radiated outward in concentric circles from the point where Ullan stood.
Crimson light seeped from the cracks.
As the red glow intensified and the fissures widened, the floor of the Throne Hall began to crumble and collapse.
Ullan attempted to respond to this sudden catastrophe. He moved with practiced speed, leaping toward safety, but the fissures expanded far too quickly. The ground beneath his feet gave way entirely, and he tumbled halfway into the abyss.
The depth of the chasm defied imagination. It was no mere hole.
Its interior churned with crimson mist, its depths unfathomable.
As the fissure widened sufficiently, something within began to stir. At first it was merely a shadowy silhouette, but gradually its form became distinct. It was incomprehensibly massive, its very presence overwhelming.
A Pit Demon.
It was no creature of legend, but a nightmare made manifest before his eyes. Though its body was not fully visible, what lay exposed was enough to gauge its immense scale.
The Pit Demon’s most striking feature was its mouth—a gaping maw at least ten meters in diameter, its rim lined with hundreds of teeth. The teeth were a mixture of black and crimson, each one sharp as a blade. The interior of its mouth appeared as an endless abyss, within which crimson mist swirled in violent eddies.
The Pit Demon’s skin was black, yet its surface was crisscrossed with intricate patterns resembling crimson veins. These markings moved ceaselessly, pulsing like a living organism. Ancient demonic power radiated from its flesh, heating the surrounding air to scorching temperatures.
Though the demon’s eyes were invisible, it was unmistakably aware of Ullan. Its massive mouth slowly opened wider, a gesture that resembled a smile. Ullan was already half-submerged in the chasm, desperately using his greatsword to pierce the surrounding floor in an attempt to anchor himself.
The Pit Demon’s mouth suddenly snapped shut at tremendous speed. Ullan resisted until the final moment, but the demon’s power was overwhelming. His body was completely sucked into the maw, and the creature’s jaws sealed shut.
Kim Jae-beom observed this in silence, hovering in midair with his hand extended toward the Pit Demon. Crimson lightning crackled from his fingertips—not ordinary electricity, but something far denser, far more intense, infused with complex patterns of demonic power.
The crimson lightning made contact with the Pit Demon’s body. At first it seemed to flow across the creature’s skin, but soon it was completely absorbed into its form. The crimson markings on the demon’s body began to glow with increasing intensity, and its size visibly expanded.
From within the Pit Demon’s mouth came Ullan’s scream.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
His voice was a mixture of agony and fury. A golden explosion erupted within the demon’s gullet, but it failed to damage the creature’s interior. Kim Jae-beom’s lightning pierced through Ullan’s body, gradually sapping his strength.
Kim Jae-beom continued to channel the lightning. His face was etched with concentration, his eyes blazing with ever-greater intensity. He poured every ounce of his power into this assault.
Time passed.
The Throne Hall was now nearly completely destroyed. Most of the ceiling had collapsed, the walls were fractured, and the floor had become a gaping chasm. Within that chasm lay the Pit Demon, and trapped within its mouth was Ullan.
About ten minutes had elapsed when change began to manifest. The crimson markings pulsing across the Pit Demon’s body grew progressively more vivid. What had begun as mere brightening soon transformed into the creature’s entire form shifting toward a deep red hue.
The Pit Demon’s body gradually became transparent.
Its outline blurred, its form destabilized. Ullan, trapped within the demon’s mouth, became barely visible. He scarcely moved now, his golden aura completely extinguished.
Suddenly, the Pit Demon transformed entirely into crimson light.
For a moment, the entire Throne Hall was flooded with that radiance. Then, in the next instant, the light exploded outward in a catastrophic burst, and the demon’s form completely annihilated.
As the light faded, the space where the Pit Demon had been was empty. The chasm remained, but contained nothing. Ullan had vanished completely. His greatsword, his armor, even the faintest trace of his existence—all were gone.
Kim Jae-beom descended slowly to the ground. He stood at the edge of the chasm, peering into its depths. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes, and a smile played at his lips.
“It is finished.”
His words echoed through the empty Throne Hall—a declaration of victory, a bell tolling the dawn of a new era. The Emperor of the Empire, Ullan, existed no longer. His throne would be claimed by Kim Jae-beom, leader of the Demon Clan.
The traces of demonic transformation began to fade from Kim Jae-beom’s body. His horns shortened, the scaled patterns on his skin disappeared, his claws returned to normal size. Only his eyes continued to glow crimson—a sign that he would never fully return to human form.
He turned slowly and walked toward the exit of the Throne Hall. His stride was unhurried, his expression serene.
Kim Jae-beom passed through the long corridors of the Imperial Palace, leaving the devastated Throne Hall behind. The walls on both sides were adorned with paintings depicting pivotal moments in the Empire’s history, though most were now scarred and charred by the Demon Players’ assault. Fallen knights and soldiers lay scattered along his path, their bodies strewn across floors stained crimson with blood.
As I passed through the great gates of the Imperial Palace, a vast Imperial Plaza unfurled before me. An almost unbelievable multitude of Demon Players had gathered there. Thousands of Demons filled the Plaza to capacity, and above them, Demonized Griffins circled through the Sky. Volcano Spirits were scattered throughout, and Chariots of Death ringed the outer edges of the Plaza.
The Demon Players’ appearances varied greatly. Some, like myself, bore forms nearly human, yet far more possessed the complete visage of true Demons. Those with horns, those with wings, those with tails—Demons of every conceivable physical characteristic stood united in this place. Their armor and weapons too were diverse, yet all radiated an aura of darkness and destruction.
I ascended the platform prepared at the center of the Plaza. Behind me, the burning ruins of the Imperial Palace loomed, and black smoke churned across the Sky. I slowly raised both hands to draw the attention of the Demon Players. In an instant, all sound ceased, and silence engulfed the entire Plaza.
I raised my voice.
“We have achieved victory!”
My cry carried clearly to every corner of the Plaza. The moment those words fell, an explosive roar erupted from among the Demon Players.
“Uaaahhh!”
The simultaneous cry of thousands of Demons thundered like a tempest. They raised their weapons high and shook them, and some unleashed magic, sending flames soaring into the Sky. The Demonized Griffins shrieked sharply as they circled overhead, and the Volcano Spirits spewed molten lava in celebration.
After the cheers had continued for some time, I raised my hand once more to request silence. The noise gradually subsided, and all eyes fixed upon me.
My expression suddenly grew grave. My eyes burned with an even deeper crimson, and a blood-red aura began to swirl around me.
“Now we must advance to the Heavenly Realm.”
At those words, gasps of astonishment rippled through the Demon Players. The Heavenly Realm was known as the world of the gods, a domain of light. It was believed to be a place that beings of darkness, such as Demons, could never approach. Yet my declaration presented them with a new objective, a greater challenge than any before.
I extended both hands into the void. Intense crimson light began to emanate from my fingertips. The light converged into a single point in the air, and from it, a subtle vibration arose.
The vibration intensified, and suddenly the very fabric of space began to tear. What began as a small fissure rapidly expanded until it was large enough for a person to pass through. From the rift flowed a strange energy where darkness and light intermingled.
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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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