My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 53

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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 53
Yet no matter how bizarre a forest might be, one cannot remain afraid of it forever.
Even the Forest of Death, with all its grotesque atmosphere, its hanging corpses, and its sickening stench, could not sustain terror indefinitely.
And so the gathered adventurers gradually regained their composure amid the horrors surrounding them. Though the White Guild and Black Guild continued their efforts to maintain heightened vigilance, even their own members visibly began to relax.
Yes—it was visible.
―Whoooosh!
A colossal greatsword lay embedded in the earth, and a massive crater had simply ‘appeared’ where it struck.
“A-an attack!”
Though it must have been Dalikssor who hurled it, not a sound of its passage had reached their ears.
“Damn it, they’re dead in one hit!”
“H-healers!!”
“What about detection skills?”
“Nothing was detected!”
From within the chaos, Aran’s voice cut through.
“This is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves!”
In the next instant.
―Kabooooom!
An explosion erupted from the embedded greatsword.
The shockwave uprooted and scattered the surrounding trees.
Dust and stone fragments erupted skyward.
Where the blade had struck, a massive crater now gaped open.
The scarred earth bore witness to the devastating power unleashed.
“Ugh…argh!”
“They’re gone….”
Screams tore through the air.
Those wounded by the initial impact were troublesome enough, but the rush of players attempting rescue only multiplied the casualties.
Caught in the explosion’s wake, countless players were forcibly logged out, their corpses scattered across the forest floor.
Nearly thirty players had lost their lives in a single strike.
In an instant, without even a chance to resist.
Considering the minimum level of those gathered here was 30, with an average exceeding 50, it was a shocking turn of events.
“Increase detection skill ranks and deploy protective barriers!”
As Aran commanded with composure, the members of the White Guild and Black Guild resumed their orders.
“Scan the perimeter!”
In that moment.
“Something approaches!”
The mage casting detection magic coughed blood—a backlash from detecting an entity far beyond normal parameters.
―Kuuuuung!
Then a colossal creature descended from the sky.
“It’s here!”
The demon Dalikssor had arrived.
And with his mere appearance, several players who had suffered severe injuries were logged out.
His very existence dealt damage.
“Wretched insects, how dare you.”
His form was far more overwhelming than before, and for some reason, he seemed consumed by rage.
Moreover.
[Demon ‘Dalikssor’ manifests an area-wide oppressive aura skill.]
[Successfully resisted perfectly with the power of Apep’s servant.]
[Demon ‘Dalikssor’ manifests an area-wide fear skill.]
[Successfully resisted perfectly with the power of Overload.]
Judging from the messages, it seemed to be affecting even the unharmed players quite significantly.
“No, no… The Master of Darkness was displeased, but fortunately this is good.”
Dalikssor remained consumed by rage, yet drew his greatsword with a somewhat composed voice.
“The sacrifices have walked in of their own accord. However….”
Dalikssor lifted his head and gazed toward something.
“The Master of Darkness is calling me.”
Then he raised his greatsword and pointed it toward the thicket.
“Very well, there’s no need for me to personally handle the offering of sacrifices.”
―Rustle… rustle!
At that moment, demonic beasts emerged from the thicket within. They were the demon servants Dalikssor had created.
“Kieeeek!”
“Grrrrrowl…!”
Their forms were grotesque, yet their equipment and attire seemed oddly familiar.
By infusing demonic energy into the corpses of players he had killed before and just moments ago, Dalikssor had transformed them into his soldiers.
“Kraaaaagh!”
As the undead corpses attacked the players, the battlefield descended into chaos.
No matter that it was a virtual reality game, the sight of former comrades becoming enemies and attacking was shocking.
“W-what is that?!”
“Could those be the ones who died…?!”
Voices trembling with terror leaked out from all directions.
Though not reality, the situation unfolding was enough to terrify anyone.
The blood-stained corpses evoked dread even within the game.
Players gripped their weapons tightly with trembling hands.
Cold sweat ran down their backs.
Terror welled up so intensely it was suffocating.
Yet there was no time for sorrow.
No room to be consumed by rage.
Now was the moment to focus solely on survival.
“Kraaaaaaaagh!”
The undead corpse lunged at a player.
The player instinctively raised his weapon to block.
The battle for survival had begun.
―Clang! Boom!
The clash of weapons and explosion of magic shook the battlefield.
The players fought back desperately against the undead’s vicious onslaught.
With every step backward, death crept closer.
‘Damn it, are we going to be wiped out like this?!’
‘They’re so much stronger than I expected….’
The players, driven to the brink by the terror of death.
They gritted their teeth and held their ground, concealing their trembling hands.
Caught in Dalikssor’s trap, they had no choice but to fight.
The corpse legion surged forward, overwhelming the players.
It was like a scene from a zombie movie—absolute chaos.
The battlefield, filled with screams and roars, spiraled deeper into pandemonium.
Even though it was a game, the terror felt viscerally real.
The lifelike graphics and sound amplified the sense of dread.
They couldn’t hide their trembling hands or the cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
They swallowed their fear and swung their blades.
Fighting desperately to survive, to clear the game.
Right now, survival was the only priority.
They set aside anger and sorrow, focusing solely on preserving their lives.
The brutal battle raged on.
The assault from the corrupted corpses showed no signs of abating.
While the players grew increasingly exhausted, the undead legion never tired.
The ultimate struggle for survival was unfolding.
“Ye-jin. Stay close to my side.”
“Yes…!”
Kim Jae-beom and Ye-jin stood back-to-back, facing the undead horde.
They fought desperately against the corpses pressing in from all directions.
“Uuuaaaagh!”
A snarling undead creature lunged forward.
Kim Jae-beom swung his steel staff at the enemy before him.
―Whoosh! Whoosh!
The spinning staff, cutting through the air, struck the corpse’s head with tremendous force.
―Thud!
The undead collapsed as if its legs had given way.
But moments later, it struggled to rise again.
Against an immortal monster, retreat was not an option.
―Swish! Swish!
Arrows flew like lightning from behind Kim Jae-beom.
Following a precise arc, they pierced through the undead’s forehead.
It was a devastating blow that felled the creature in a single strike.
“I’ll support you from behind.”
Ye-jin drew her bowstring taut, her face tense with concentration.
She maintained her composure perfectly, steadfastly protecting Kim Jae-beom’s back.
“Good. At this pace….”
Before I could finish speaking, another wave of undead crashed down upon us.
―Uaaaagh!
The corpses rushed forward, shrieking with a sound that threatened to split eardrums.
They surged like a tidal wave, reeking of blood so thick it choked the air.
―Thwack! Crack!
Kim Jae-beom swung his steel staff, tearing through the enemy ranks.
The weighty impact sent corpses flying.
Yet the fallen undead clawed their way back up and attacked again.
―Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ye-jin’s arrows streaked through the air in rapid succession.
Lightning-fast volleys targeted the creatures’ vital points with precision.
Each shot was perfectly placed, dropping the undead where they stood.
The endless tide of undead kept coming.
We stood back-to-back, protecting each other as we fought desperately. My melee combat and Ye-jin’s arrow support formed a perfect harmony.
―Boom… Boom-boom-boom!
Then the ground trembled.
Crash!
“Roooaaarrr!”
A massive ogre erupted from beneath the earth.
* * *
The ogre that tore through the ground had been twisted into a grotesque form, as if blessed by demons themselves.
Its enormous frame dwarfed humans many times over. Bulging muscles were crisscrossed with dark veins.
It emanated a chilling aura, as though demonic blood flowed through every vessel.
Its face was twisted into a nightmarish visage.
Its forehead was deeply sunken, caved inward grotesquely.
Its eyes were obscured by bloodshot vessels. Its nose was crushed beyond recognition.
―Screech!
But the most horrifying feature was its mouth.
Three mouths gaped along its jaw, dripping with foam-flecked saliva.
Sharp teeth gnashed as it unleashed a roar.
With three throats, its howl was all the more deafening.
“Roooaaarrr!”
It wielded two massive axes in its hands, their blades scarred and chipped as if from countless self-inflicted wounds, blood dripping steadily. Skeletal wing bones jutted from its back—the wings themselves had been torn away, leaving only a demonic silhouette.
“It has a demon attribute.”
“Something like that actually exists?”
A thousand curses seemed to dwell within the wing bones that wept blood.
An ogre blessed by demons.
Its form was power incarnate, yet also the pinnacle of grotesqueness.
“I don’t think we can win this….”
Everyone was gripped by terror at the sight that seemed to have crawled forth from hell itself. Virtual or not, the ogre’s appearance was more than enough to make the players flinch.
―Boom… Boom-boom… Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Then the ogre charged toward the players. The demonic ogre’s assault drove straight toward the center.
“It’s. It’s coming!”
“Run!”
The nearby players who saw it screamed. But not everyone fled in terror.
The raid’s core members gritted their teeth and resolved to stand and fight.
“Coordinated attack! Target its vital points!”
A warrior raised his club and shouted.
The mages and archers responded to his call.
They believed that if they found its weakness and concentrated their attacks, they would have a chance.
―Whoosh! Whoosh!
The mages unfurled their spell circles toward the ogre.
Searing lightning sought to pierce the demon’s heart. Meteors rained from the sky, engulfing its massive frame.
―Shriek!
Sharp arrows poured down in a barrage.
Tracing precise arcs, they targeted the demon’s eyes and weak joints.
―Crack! Boom!
Meanwhile, the warriors charged in recklessly.
Heavy clubs and greatswords lashed at the ogre’s legs.
They surged forward without regard for their heavy armor.
―Roooaarrr!
But all of it was nothing but a gentle breeze to the ogre.
It didn’t flinch even when struck by lightning or pierced by arrows.
Not a single scratch appeared even when battered by blades and clubs.
Instead, the players who had charged in found themselves in mortal danger.
An axe swung like lightning, unleashing merciless slaughter.
―Splurt!
A warrior was cleaved in two with a single blow.
His armor tore like paper.
Blood fountained high into the sky.
―Whoosh! Squelch!
An archer’s neck snapped backward as if unhinged.
His body flew through the air before crashing down.
His bow shattered into fragments scattered in all directions.
Splurt-splurt-splurt-splurt!
Even the mages were shredded by the blade.
The black robes grew damp and heavy with blood.
They were swept away in an instant, without even a moment to chant their spells.
No matter how strategically we attacked, the ogre didn’t budge an inch.

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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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