My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 26

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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 26
Jae-beom paused in thought before nodding to himself.
‘Right, this is what a hidden class should be like.’
Of course, I could no longer claim that Dercan was anything less than his own person. He was strong enough to warrant respect. But….
‘He’s the only hidden class user in the entire world, isn’t he?’
Not all hidden classes were truly unique. Some hidden classes had their acquisition methods exposed so widely that thousands of players possessed the same one, making the word “hidden” feel hollow.
However, Hell Mode was a difficulty I alone had cleared. Moreover, Count Heltema was an additional objective within that Hell Mode itself.
Obtaining a hidden class by defeating Count Heltema—only to have it be “slightly better than other classes”—felt genuinely disappointing.
‘So this was just a preview class until now?’
And my level could no longer be called beginner territory either. Starting from level 20, I’d officially graduated from the ‘beginner zone.’
‘I’m at Ye-jin’s level now.’
When I hunted with Ye-jin, even though my combat ability and Dercan’s were higher, I could distinctly feel that her overall stats surpassed ours.
The Sphinx that took her attacks even had its eyes roll back, drawing aggro toward her.
“Hah… seriously.”
I scratched my head in frustration. No matter how much my level adjusted to my current standard, gaining 15 levels all at once made all the grinding I’d endured feel utterly meaningless.
‘Well, I did obtain Achievements and items in the meantime, so it’s not completely pointless….’
Muttering to myself like this, I checked my status window for the first time in a while.
“Status window.”
[Player: Stagnant Water][LV: 20]
[Class: (S-Rank) Overlord]
[Strength: 13+3]
[Agility: 8+3]
[Mana: 5+3]
[Stamina: 5+6]
[Skills: Skeletal Soldier Summoning(1/1)]
[Achievement: Indomitable Hero(Effect: All stats +3)]
[Achievement: First Wolf Dominator(Effect: Movement speed increased by 5%)]
[Achievement: First Trial Passer(Effect: Stamina +3)]
[Achievement: Rat Slayer(Effect: 10% additional damage against rat-type monsters)]
[Achievement: Contributor to the Next World(Effect: All title effects stack)]
[Title: Slayer of Count Heltema(Effect: Immunity to all fear and intimidation debuffs)]
[Peerage: Baron]
[You have 30 unused stat points remaining!]
But my status window was far messier than expected.
There were Achievements I’d never seen before, and even an entirely different category had appeared.
‘What’s this title thing?’
As I frowned at the status window, an additional message appeared.
[Evern Online has advanced to the next stage!]
[New systems will be added based on the Achievements adventurers have earned in the previous stage.]
[You have successfully hunted Count Heltema in Hell Mode.]
[Title System has been unlocked.]
[Only the effects of one representative title will apply.]
[You have been granted the rank of Baron by the Kingdom.]
[Rank System has been unlocked.]
[You have obtained all fragments leading to the Demon Realm.]
[A gate to the Demon Realm opens.]
‘Wait? A title system? I defeated Count Heltema? Hold on… if I reveal that I defeated Count Heltema…!’
[Achievement: You have become the first title holder.]
[From this Achievement, you gain 8 additional free stat points.]
‘…if I reveal it, that’s actually perfect. I’m not even announcing that I defeated him myself.’
I gazed at the system carefully and nodded. There were far too many points to be upset about.
Free stat points, not forced distribution. The “Rapidly Circulating Third Stone” I’d obtained recently was an epic-grade item that only raised agility by 2 base and 3 from special events.
But 8 free points I could use however I wanted? It was like getting a legendary-grade item for free.
After examining my status window for quite some time with this in mind, I nodded in satisfaction.
‘This is broken.’
Even I had to admit it was a bit shameless. How could this possibly be a level 20 status window?
Usually when people forcefully level up, their foundation is lacking, but looking at my Achievements, my foundation wasn’t just solid—it was an impregnable fortress.
Out of the 38 stat points I’d gained, I invested 25 into Strength, 8 into Vitality, and 5 into Agility. My stats became…
[Strength: 38+3]
[Agility: 13+3]
[Mana: 5+3]
[Vitality: 13+6]
‘With this, if my equipment is decent enough, I could take down even a level 30… no, level 40 player.’
After making such a massive “jump” in levels, my status window was now excellent—the only shortcoming being that my equipment was slightly lacking for my level.
‘I’ll need to ask Arhenna for new equipment.’
“A-are you alright?”
At that moment, Mullen cautiously spoke to me.
“…Were you watching the whole time?”
“Yes, I didn’t understand everything, but something good seemed to be happening, so I kept watch.”
Mullen continued observing me. He hadn’t just seen me joyfully distributing stats and making a fuss.
His eyes gleamed with an intensity greater than before, and the aura surrounding him seemed noticeably thicker.
He hadn’t been reborn as an entirely different being. He still looked like a young human, and despite the violent transformation just moments ago, he maintained a serene expression.
Yet the power emanating from him was extraordinary.
“Congratulations. Something good must have happened indeed.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t bother denying it. There was no point—my newfound strength was so obvious that it showed on the surface.
“May I ask for one favor?”
Instead, I looked directly at Mullen and spoke.
“What would that be…?”
“I’d like to test out this new power. Is there a place where I can use my strength freely?”
I said as much, though I harbored little expectation. Mullen had a reputation, but as an archaeologist and judging by the shop’s shabby appearance, he hardly seemed capable of providing any impressive venue.
“I know someone in the Iron Light Knight Order.”
“You do?”
“Though they’re with the Black Iron Knight Order now.”
―Whoosh… rustle.
Mullen withdrew parchment from his breast pocket and began writing while muttering to himself.
“You weren’t the only one touched by the power of that mysterious pillar of light. Ever since the shop became the heart of this city, for some reason, information about countless people has been flooding into my mind…”
Mullen fell silent for a moment before continuing.
“…and strangely, so many people have begun listening to my words. Even the adventurers who came to investigate this shop—the knights drove them away of their own accord.”
Human connections that never existed before had suddenly materialized, and friends who once were had become subordinates who obeyed his every word. Faced with such circumstances, Mullen appeared quite…
“Truly a wondrous thing, is it not! What exactly has happened to this city? How long will it last? And how readily will people comply with my requests…”
…quite delighted.
―Crinkle.
Mullen sealed the parchment simply and handed it to me.
[You have obtained Mullen’s Letter.]
“Show this paper to the Guard Soldier at the Fortress. Then you’ll be guided to the Training Ground.”
“Thank you. I will repay this kindness someday.”
Though Mullen’s helmet had been reinforced, he had almost always given generously to me whenever possible.
“Ah, repay kindness, you say? Then might I be the one to decide how you repay it?”
“Yes, of course.”
This was a rare request from Mullen. Uncertain how great the favor might be, I answered with some nervousness.
“Should you ever discover the true nature of this power, could you inform me of it?”
“…I will.”
‘That’s hardly a request at all.’
It was something I would have to uncover anyway. Mullen surely knew that too, yet for someone who had initially seemed so difficult, he was truly a good man.
“When that time comes, I shall purchase all the antiques piled up here.”
“Yes, thank you.”
With those words, I left the shop. When I returned next time, much would have changed.
* * *
Just as Mullen had said, the matter proceeded smoothly once I showed the letter.
“Please follow me.”
The Guard Soldiers opened the castle gate without hesitation upon receiving Mullen’s letter. Given that a fortress should naturally maintain strict security, their attitude was peculiar.
As the heavy iron gate slowly swung open, the interior of the Fortress gradually revealed itself beyond.
After hearing Mullen’s words and becoming conscious of it, things certainly appeared different.
Bone decorations that didn’t belong in a typical castle, an oddly light weight emanating from several of the knights.
And even statues that resembled monsters, entirely out of place in a fortress.
‘No… those aren’t statues.’
“Do those statues hold some special significance?”
I probed carefully with my question, and the Guard Soldier answered immediately.
“They are understood to express the beliefs and values that the Fortress has upheld throughout the ages.”
‘Hmm, I have no idea.’
That wasn’t a statue at all—it was a gargoyle. For now it merely pretended to be stone, but the moment danger threatened the castle, it would spring to life without hesitation.
Jae-beom glanced around cautiously before muttering to himself once more.
“Just how ancient is this Fortress, anyway…?”
The Guard Soldier answered as if he’d been waiting for the question.
“It must be at least several centuries old. We never forget our sacred duty to preserve this place through all its tumultuous history.”
‘Right, your fortress was born today.’
The newly spawned NPCs seemed to have distorted memories, unlike those who had originally inhabited Osirius Castle.
Jae-beom ran his hand along the Castle Wall, examining the traces left behind as he turned the matter over in his mind.
‘…Or perhaps this Fortress and Osirius Castle truly merged from some ancient time.’
Yet Jae-beom wisely kept such thoughts to himself. Instead, he simply waited patiently for the tour to continue.
Sometimes narrow, elongated corridors greeted him; sometimes vast open spaces. Along every passage, antiquated candelabras and fixtures cast their gentle glow, while solemn doors carved with heavy iron patterns stood like sentinels.
“That is the Dark Plain.”
In one particularly long corridor, the Guard Soldier pointed beyond the railing.
When Jae-beom turned his gaze, he understood why he’d been made to stop here.
Stretching vast beneath the towering Castle Wall lay the Dark Plain, and beyond it, a crimson sky dimly visible and mountains shrouded in shadow.
The pitch-black Fortress stood resolute in that desolate, boundless expanse.
“The Dark Plain… even the name sends chills down one’s spine.”
‘This place feels like it existed from the beginning.’
If Osirius Castle had become the Fortress for those entering the Demon Realm, then the Demon Realm itself must have existed originally.
As Jae-beom organized his thoughts, the Guard Soldier continued his explanation.
“The mountain range visible ahead is the Shadow Mountain Range. They say even humans and most monsters avoid it.”
‘That’s a fitting name.’
The mountains were so intertwined with darkness that one couldn’t discern where the stone ended and the shadow began.
Within that darkness, something indescribable occasionally rippled, giving the mountain range the unsettling impression that it was ‘alive.’
“We’ve arrived.”
As Jae-beom walked while conversing with the Guard Soldier, they had reached the Training Ground before he realized it.
“I’ll guide you to the innermost section.”
Elite knights within the Training Ground were engaged in rigorous drills, beads of sweat glistening on their brows.
Some knights had discarded their cumbersome armor and trained with wooden swords….
―Clang, clang! Clang!
Yet many still trained while clad in full armor.
The difference between the two groups was unmistakable.
‘Perhaps for the undead, armor is an integral part of their body and cannot be removed.’
Or perhaps they always wore their armor, never knowing when a guest might arrive. For the undead, this was feasible—they didn’t sweat.
“The knights appear to be of considerable skill.”
In that instant, the Guard Soldier guiding him came to an abrupt halt.
“You must not speak to those wearing armor.”
He spoke in an eerie, drawn-out tone.
“…Pardon?”
The Guard Soldier stared directly at me without flinching, opening his mouth once more.
“You’re wearing armor.”
Then he suddenly glanced up and down at me before returning to his usual demeanor.
“…Ah.”
And with a slight smile, he spoke.
“That rule doesn’t apply to you, Stagnant Water.”
“….”
‘Did I ever tell him my nickname?’
It seemed the castle’s integration with the game wasn’t as seamless as I’d thought.

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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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