My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 66

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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 66
Kim Jae-beom followed the front desk staff’s guidance, moving alongside Aran down a long and majestic corridor. The sight was so ornate and dignified it evoked the grandeur of a royal palace.
‘Just how much money did they pour into this place?’
On both sides of the corridor, brilliant white marble walls stood in perfect alignment. The pristine marble gleamed with a texture as smooth as the finest silk. Intricate carvings adorned the walls, adding an artistic splendor to the space.
―Whoooosh!
Mysterious magical circles glowed throughout the walls. Enchantments in crimson, azure, and gold cast a soft luminescence, creating an atmosphere of wonder. The touch of ancient mages seemed to linger here, filling the space with an air of classical mystique.
“This carpet alone costs five hundred thousand won.”
“….”
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
A crimson carpet stretched across the corridor floor. The thick velvet material softened each footstep. Adorned with elaborate patterns, the carpet exuded a grandeur that seemed to embody the guild’s very symbol.
“That’s a gift from the Dwarf race.”
Golden tassels hung lavishly on either side of the carpet. With each step, they swayed elegantly, enhancing the air of luxury.
Clang!
At the end of their walk, a colossal iron door appeared. As Kim Jae-beom and Aran reached the terminus of the majestic corridor, an imposing iron gate revealed itself before them. The overwhelming structure stood with commanding authority, a symbol of the guild master’s power.
“Impressive.”
The iron door rose to a height of two meters. Forged from solid metal, it resembled an impregnable fortress in itself. It radiated an air of such weight and solemnity that one dared not approach it carelessly.
‘The design is absolutely incredible.’
The surface of the heavy iron door was covered entirely with intricate and mysterious magical circles. Enchantments in blue, red, and green light glowed softly, pulsing with ethereal movement. It was a wondrous sight that seemed to bear the touch of ancient mages.
“This is… a defensive magical circle that even high-ranking mages would struggle to dispel.”
Aran murmured in a voice tinged with reverence. As he focused his gaze on the door, the complexly interwoven magical symbols came into view. A powerful barrier’s force enveloped the area around the gate.
‘Breaking through would be difficult.’
The meticulously installed magical circles transformed the iron door into an absolute domain. An impenetrable defense that no unauthorized intruder could ever breach. Truly, only the guild master could open this door.
At the center of the iron door lay a keyhole. It was a lock adorned with an intricate pattern reminiscent of the sun. The mechanism was so elaborate that an ordinary key would never suffice.
Whoosh.
Then Aran inserted the key into the hole. He was using the key they had received from the front desk.
Click, clack.
As the key fully entered the lock, a strange sound began to echo. A loud mechanical noise, as if some massive machinery were activating, filled the corridor.
Hummmmm….
The iron door trembled slightly, then began to open slowly. The heavy metal scraped against the floor as it moved inward. The movement was deliberate, like the raising of a castle’s portcullis.
Creeeeeak….
As the iron door opened, a continuous metallic grinding sound persisted. The heavy, dull noise struck the ears and heightened the tension.
Boom!
Finally, the iron door opened completely, and the space beyond came into view. As it swung open, a cold current of air swept across their faces.
The passage beyond the iron door appeared dark and deep. Within that heavy darkness, I could sense the presence of the guild master. Standing at the threshold, I imagined the absolute authority that awaited within.
“Let’s go.”
Aran gestured to me with his eyes. I took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly. The moment I passed through the heavy iron door, I had already entered the chamber of destiny.
Thud, thud….
With each of my footsteps, the corridor echoed. My vision shifted as I crossed beyond the iron door.
Click, whoooosh―
As Kim Jae-beom vanished completely through the iron gate, it began to close of its own accord. The massive metal slab moved with deliberate slowness, swallowing him whole like the gaping maw of some primordial beast. With a heavy, resonant clang, the gate sealed shut.
CLANG!
The deafening noise faded, and silence descended. Now only the Guild Master and Kim Jae-beom remained—alone together.
* * *
Light seeped through the darkness, and the hidden space gradually revealed its true nature. The sight that unfolded before my eyes was nothing short of miraculous.
As my vision adjusted to the brilliant luminescence, a grand and colossal Temple materialized before me. An ancient structure of breathtaking majesty rose up, commanding reverence at first glance. The mystical aura emanating from the Temple stirred an involuntary sense of awe within me.
“A genuine Temple.”
The pillars were crafted from marble. Pristine white columns soared from earth to sky with magnificent grandeur. Mysterious engravings adorned their surfaces, displaying an otherworldly beauty.
The Temple’s walls were likewise composed of dazzling marble. Elaborate frescoes covered the surfaces, depicting the history and legends of Evern with vivid, breathtaking detail. These paintings adorned the entire Temple.
“Hmm…”
The ceiling stretched impossibly high. A golden dome reminiscent of the sun crowned the Temple’s apex. At its center, an enormous stained-glass window transmitted an ethereal, mysterious light.
At the Temple’s heart stood an altar. The colossal marble structure was supported by four pillars, standing with imposing presence. Upon it, an intricate magical circle blazed with radiance, inspiring profound reverence.
‘The heroes of the White Guild?’
Arranged around the altar in all directions were the Guild’s sacred relics. Portraits of heroes, gleaming armor, and legendary weapons created an atmosphere of sanctity. It was a majestic space that seemed to condense the White Guild’s illustrious history.
The Temple floor was laid with marble tiles. The ornate pattern of intersecting red and gold evoked the grandeur of a royal palace. Each footstep felt reverent, almost ceremonial.
Tap… tap… tap.
A solemn and hushed air permeated the entire Temple. The vast emptiness echoed with silence that was sacred itself. The atmosphere was so profoundly reverent that even a whispered word felt like sacrilege.
Thus I surveyed the Temple’s interior.
“Welcome to the Temple of the White Guild.”
Then a man appeared behind me.
“I am Barcode, the Master of the White Guild.”
“Barcode?”
“Yes. My actual codename is lllll, so I’m called Barcode.”
“Ah.”
He then introduced himself.
I observed the llll symbol floating above his head and understood his explanation.
‘Extraordinary presence.’
True to his name, his codename was displayed above his head as a series of vertical lines—llll—arranged in a row. At first glance, the symbol resembled a barcode, seeming to embody his very identity.
‘Pure white.’
The Guild Master Barcode was clad entirely in white armor. The brilliant, pristine white plating fit his imposing frame perfectly, showcasing impeccable craftsmanship. Intricate patterns were etched into the armor, proclaiming his status as Guild Master.
‘His weapons…’
His shoulders were remarkably broad and solid. A physique reminiscent of living stone was evident even beneath the armor. His forearms, corded with thick muscle, appeared to be weapons in themselves.
‘Three blades.’
Three massive greatswords hung from Barcode’s back. These weapons radiated an overwhelming presence through their sheer size and weight. They were colossal blades that would prove impossible for an ordinary person to wield.
‘Any one of those would match five steel staves.’
Yet despite bearing three such enormous swords, Barcode showed no sign of strain. His posture seemed perfectly at ease, as if the weapons were weightless. The sight testified to his extraordinary strength.
Barcode’s face exuded arrogance. The charisma befitting a Guild Master and the bearing of an absolute ruler emanated from his very presence. The smile playing at his lips concealed a sharp, penetrating intellect.
His gaze was as cold as a winter wind. His piercing eyes seemed to see through all deception, radiating an icy ruthlessness. He commanded an oppressive aura that no one dared approach carelessly.
Gulp.
A frame like a mountain, muscles harder than steel, and an icy charisma—everything about Barcode befitted his title as Evern’s greatest Guild Master.
‘So he’s the Guild Master.’
Barcode radiated the aura of an absolute powerhouse. The force emanating from him was formidable beyond measure. His massive frame, encased in pristine white armor, resembled an impregnable fortress.
[Shhk.]
As Barcode slowly removed his helmet, the weathered visage of a seasoned elder emerged beneath. The face, etched deeply with the passage of time, seemed to embody the wisdom and experience of a lifetime lived. The profound wrinkles carved across his features spoke of a long and arduous journey. The deep creases around his brow and eyes felt like the scars of countless battles and hardships overcome. It was a face that bore the full weight of years.
“I’ve always preferred old man characters.”
His beard, white and silvered with age, was long and luxuriant. The facial hair cascaded down his chest, thick and robust, while his mustache was equally prominent and coarse. The snowy whiskers evoked the image of a venerable sage, commanding reverence from Barcode.
The lips visible between the beard were pressed firmly shut. From that resolute mouth, sealed by sheer willpower, emanated an unwavering strength—a steadfastness so absolute it seemed capable of grinding steel between his teeth.
His eyes were dark as a storm-battered sea. A piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate the hidden layers of the world fixed upon his opponent.
“You know, no matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like an ordinary novice player….”
Kim Jae-beom stared intently at Barcode’s face. Suddenly, the visage of someone he’d encountered in the first-generation virtual reality game flickered through his memory.
‘Could it be.’
That person back then had also preferred old man characters and deliberately customized themselves to operate as an elder.
“Does spending real money make you three times stronger?”
So, on a whim, I called out the old nickname I’d remembered from back then.
[Flinch.]
In that instant, Barcode’s entire body went rigid.
“How do you know that name…!”
At the nickname that suddenly spilled from Kim Jae-beom’s lips, Barcode’s pupils dilated sharply. His composure shattered, and his face twisted with a mixture of shock and bewilderment.
“How could you possibly know that name?”
Barcode asked in a trembling voice. His lips quivered slightly.
A secret from years past, buried and concealed, had been carelessly exposed—he couldn’t help but be thrown into confusion.
“…!”
Barcode’s pupils wavered. As if confronted with a reflection of himself from a distant memory, his gaze was consumed by turmoil. Complex emotions surrounding a long-forgotten memory bloomed in those eyes.
“Could it be. Newbie Sir?”
And Kim Jae-beom’s old name tumbled out.

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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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