My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 78

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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 78
The Inner Chamber had transformed into a desolate wasteland after an hour of relentless combat. The floor was carpeted with the corpses of undead monsters, stacked in grotesque heaps. Shattered skulls, severed limbs, and putrefied entrails lay tangled together in a scene that resembled the very depths of hell itself.
The acrid stench of decay assaulted my nostrils. The ground, drenched in blackened blood and bodily fluids, had become a sickening mire. Decomposed flesh accumulated in repugnant sediment across the floor.
Bone fragments and teeth scattered haphazardly among shattered helmets and corroded armor plates. The sight resembled a colossal tomb where countless corpses had been gathered and abandoned.
Deep lacerations and charred marks visible throughout the chamber testified to the ferocity of our battle. Torsos cleanly bisected by blade and corpses incinerated by magic stood as monuments to our devastating combat prowess.
The warehouse walls were splattered with what appeared to be blood-drawn crimson stains. Droplets falling from the ceiling had created a macabre red carpet across the floor. Kim Jae-beom and the skeletal soldiers traversed this grim battlefield.
“Hah…”
As we finally pushed through to the end of the warehouse, another door materialized on the innermost wall. Yet this door bore no resemblance to the ornate and magnificent entrance we had encountered earlier.
What stood before me was a simple iron door. A metal plate covered in rust and deep scratches presented itself in all its unsightly glory.
The door bore no elaborate decorations, carvings, or mysterious patterns. It was nothing but a crude iron slab forged from heavy metal.
A faint reddish hue characteristic of ancient metal emanated subtly from the door’s surface. The scratches and dents suggested it had endured countless ages.
The cold, smooth iron surface radiated an overwhelming presence that seemed to demand silence. Even a powerfully built adult would struggle to simply tear this door from the wall.
Occasionally, a chill emanating from around the door’s edges pierced through my fingertips. Surely, the deepest secrets of this warehouse lay concealed beyond this steel barrier.
“…”
I stood before the door. The rusted iron door faced me like a silent sentinel. An ordinary yet imposing presence.
What could possibly await me beyond this door? Curiosity and caution kindled simultaneously in my eyes.
The moment my hand touched the cold iron door, ancient power seemed to awaken. The metal surface began to glow a brilliant red. Crimson radiance poured forth from the corroded door, illuminating the surrounding area.
Uuuuoong—
A deep vibration accompanied streams of red light flowing into my body. The power seeping through my skin was intense, yet not burning. Rather, a cold, metallic energy enveloped my entire form.
Thud!
The iron door began to move of its own accord, emitting a sound as though it possessed life. Like something awakening from a long slumber, it slowly pushed inward and opened. The rusted hinges shrieked in protest, creaking as though they might snap at any moment.
Skreeeee—
As the heavy metal slab scraped across the floor and opened, the interior beyond the door was revealed. A thick, stagnant air peculiar to a long-sealed space flowed outward from the warehouse.
A heavy, damp odor and the musty atmosphere of prolonged confinement drifted on the breeze. That sensation evoked an almost reverential awe, as though I were opening an ancient, sealed tomb.
Whiiiing—
What reached my ears was a silence that seemed to hold its breath. A single thin beam of sunlight cut diagonally through the deep darkness within. An invisible wave of power seemed to vibrate through the air.
As the iron door opened completely, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me.
A space enclosed by cold stone walls, and in the center, a stone platform standing tall.
Upon the stone platform lay ancient artifacts arranged in perfect order. Untouched by the ravages of time, they gleamed with an ancient power preserved within them.
* * *
I stepped cautiously into the Inner Chamber. The sound of my slow footsteps echoed off the stone walls. Before my eyes lay ancient artifacts arranged in orderly fashion.
Swords, spears, shields, armor—various weapons and defensive equipment came into view. Yet these appeared more like decorative pieces than functional equipment.
The surface of the artifacts seemed rough and brittle, as though weathered by countless ages. The metallic luster that would normally gleam in sunlight was nowhere to be found. Instead, a dull gray texture covered the weapons.
Upon closer inspection, the weapons appeared to be fashioned from stone rather than steel. The corroded, weathered surface and crumbly texture made it clear these were ancient stone sculptures.
“…”
I surveyed the chamber and tilted my head in confusion. Something felt off about this armory. Weapons crafted from weak stone instead of sturdy metal? They seemed utterly impractical.
[This item cannot be used.]
I reached out to touch one, but the system’s response was unequivocal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as I was examining the weapons carefully, a powerful shockwave suddenly shook the warehouse. It was as though an earthquake had struck—everything trembled violently. The walls and ceiling began to crack and fracture.
Boom! Boom!
The terrifying tremors sent everything in the Warehouse tumbling and rattling. Weapons stacked on shelves began crashing to the ground. The stone-forged arms shattered into fragments the instant they struck the floor.
Crack! Crack!
Armor and helmets crumbled into ash. Shards of swords and spears scattered in all directions. Gray dust erupted into the air like an explosion.
Boom boom boom!
Weapons that appeared so formidable were nothing more than sandcastles before such violent tremors. Stone statues that seemed to have endured a thousand years crumbled to dust in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
With each tremor of the earth, stone fragments pelted down from all sides like a hailstorm. The air grew thick with suffocating dust. The Warehouse continued to crumble within the murky haze that obscured all vision.
Boom!
An enormous impact brought down a section of the wall. Stone chunks cascaded from the ceiling. The violent tremors felt as though the entire structure would collapse.
―Screeeech!
A monster’s cry echoed from within the Inner Chamber. Boom… Boom…
Sand flowing from the shattered weapon debris began streaming toward the Inner Chamber. As if possessed of life, the grains of sand gradually gathered toward the center.
Whoooosh… Whoooosh…
The sand’s movement resembled a massive serpent crawling across the ground. Pulverized weapon fragments flowed in one direction, forming a small sand dune.
Shhhhwoosh―
Suddenly, an intense crimson radiance erupted from the center of the sand pile. The blazing scarlet flash seared my eyes. The red beam of light shot skyward, struck the ceiling, and scattered in all directions.
Crackle… Crackle…
As the radiance enveloped the sand dune, the sand began moving unnaturally. The undulating surface gradually took on a defined shape.
Writhe… Writhe…
The sand twisted and writhed as if alive, transforming into something else. A grotesque and eerie form began revealing itself from within the sand.
Screeeee―
A colossal claw formed from compacted sand grains slashed through the air. Muscular limbs followed. A torso took shape from sand drenched in crimson radiance, and above it, the hideous face of a monster emerged.
Thud… Thud…
A massive sand golem stood towering within the Warehouse. Eyes burning with crimson fire, a mouth baring sharp fangs. The grotesque creature loomed over Kim Jae-beom and unleashed a threatening roar.
[The sand guardian of the Warehouse has been revived.]
[Defeating this creature will grant you spoils of war.]
At that moment, the system conveyed to Kim Jae-beom that he would receive rewards if he defeated this monster.
“Spoils of war?”
Upon hearing this, Kim Jae-beom’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
I could actually obtain rewards from this mysterious sand creature!
Whoosh!
The moment I realized this, I quickly grabbed my staff. Then I issued commands to Dercan and Arulan.
“Attack it, you two!”
Boom!
And I charged at the sand monster alongside my two skeletal soldiers.
Slash slash slash!
As the distance to the monster closed, Dercan launched the first assault. Moving with lightning speed, he carved through the sand dune and approached the creature, slashing at its legs with his twin blades. The blades sank into the sand pile, disrupting the monster’s balance. Simultaneously, purple magical energy erupted from Arulan’s staff, striking its head with tremendous force.
Boom boom boom―!
Yet sand merely flowed from the wounded area, dealing no significant damage. Instead, the scattered sand reconnected as if magnetized, and the monster rebuilt its massive form. A creature of sand possessed regenerative power beyond imagination.
Whoosh… Whoosh!
The sand monster, consumed by rage, swung its colossal arms in a vicious assault. Tendrils of sand stretched through the air like whips, lashing toward the group. Arulan quickly evaded into the sky, but the sand grazed Dercan’s armor, leaving deep gouges in its wake.
Kim Jae-beom sensed the danger and pivoted away. He narrowly avoided the sand tendril and surged forward once more.
Boom! Boom!
The sand monster unleashed another barrage of attacks. Two massive arms tore from the ground and shot upward. A towering wave of sand, like an enraged tide, crashed down upon Kim Jae-beom and his companions.
Whoosh!
By the narrowest margin, Kim Jae-beom evaded the sand wave and drove his steel staff deep into the monster’s torso. Dercan, withdrawing his blade from the creature’s grasp, unleashed a flurry of dual-sword strikes that tore through the golem’s chest in a frenzy of slashing fury.
Crackle!
Arulan’s mana surged like lightning, piercing through the monster’s eyes. The crimson glow faded from its pupils as they caved inward, leaving gaping voids.
Roooaarrr!
The golem’s furious roar reverberated through the Warehouse. Its massive form twisted under the onslaught, then seized a fleeting opening to mount a counterattack.
“!”
In that instant, an incantation flowed from Arulan’s lips.
[Arulan absorbs a portion of the sand monster’s power.]
The force the creature had gathered for its counterattack was stolen away by Arulan.

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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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