My Skeleton Soldier Is Strange - Chapter 96

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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 96
A sharp, hissing sound pierced the air—
From the tips of Arulan’s fingers, an eerie aura began to bloom.
The dark mana that summoned death gathered at his fingertips.
His eyes gleamed with a hunger for the forbidden power that defied life itself.
A low, rhythmic chant escaped his lips.
The power woven into his murmured incantation was terrifyingly potent.
Arulan extended his arm, pouring black energy over the corpse.
The dark mana began to flow into the dead Undead Frog.
A wet, squelching sound echoed repeatedly—
The Undead Frog’s body, engulfed in murky darkness, underwent a grotesque transformation.
Its lifeless eyes grew clouded, then slowly began to hollow out from within.
Blood and bodily fluids oozed through the empty eye sockets.
Flesh peeled away damply, slipping from bone and falling to the ground.
Muscle and organ tissue melted, pooling on the floor.
Liquid mixed with crimson blood surrounded the Undead Frog’s corpse, forming a gruesome puddle.
Where all the flesh had dissolved away, only white bone remained, gaunt and skeletal.
The skull, stripped of muscle tissue, was a chilling symbol of death itself.
Rattling joints and hollow eye sockets were terror incarnate.
A rustling, crackling sound filled the air—
Arulan raised both hands, beginning to trace circles above the corpse.
Black mana spiraled along his fingertips, wrapping around the skeleton.
The swirling dark energy seeped into the bone, forming something entirely new.
Gradually, the skull compressed and was drawn into a small black sphere.
The spiraling dark mana converged around the sphere, beginning to emit a powerful aura.
The small black orb pulsed like a heartbeat, as though it had gained life.
That vessel, containing the very essence of death, resembled a crystallization of evil.
A sharp, hissing sound pierced the air once more—
As Arulan chanted again, the dark energy enveloping the sphere convulsed violently.
A deranged force, blending death and resurrection, erupted outward, shaking the surroundings.
The pitch-black sphere began to expand, gradually reclaiming its form.
Thin bones sprouted from the small dark orb, taking on the shape of a skull.
The sphere twisted grotesquely, forming limbs.
Gaunt ribs and spine stretched outward, forming a precariously standing skeleton.
A deep, resonant sound rumbled repeatedly—
The undead creature, reborn as a skeleton, took its first step.
Dark energy coiled around bone that gleamed with an eerie, bloodless white.
From the hollow eye sockets, a blue flame flickered and danced with the appearance of life.
A sharp, creaking sound echoed—
The skeleton, risen from death itself, opened its maw with a chilling gape.
Its jawbone dislocated downward, revealing long, razor-sharp fangs.
The blazing eyes and gaping maw were nightmares incarnate.
Thump… thump….
The resurrected Undead Frog towered before Kim Jae-beom.
Stripped of flesh and reduced to skeletal bone, it was saturated with the power of darkness.
In its lifeless eyes, the madness of destruction writhed and coiled.
Ssshhh.
A sinister smile twisted across the skeleton mage’s lips.
His eyes beholding the rebirth of his new minion burned with desire.
An undead born from the price of transgression.
It was proof of Arulan’s power.
* * *
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The undead frog lumbered into the Underground Cave with heavy, deliberate steps.
Its skeletal frame retained every ounce of the massive bulk it possessed in life.
Though muscle and flesh had vanished, each movement of bone radiated tremendous force.
Boom… boom….
With each footfall of the skeletal frog against the cavern floor, the earth itself convulsed.
Every time its weighty frame pressed downward, the surroundings trembled.
Vibrations rippled outward in all directions as if a minor earthquake were unfolding.
Crack… crack….
Debris and stones crumbled beneath the skeleton’s feet.
Its hardened claws raked across the ground, leaving grotesque gouges in their wake.
The sickening clatter of bone striking bone echoed through the cavern.
Fissures began spreading across the cavern walls and ceiling.
Along the cracks, smaller stones tumbled downward.
Crumbling rock and dust scattered around the Undead Frog’s massive form.
“Damn, I like this.”
Satisfaction gleamed in Kim Jae-beom’s eyes as he observed the skeletal frog.
The destructive power emanating from that massive frame exceeded all imagination.
Even in undeath, the creature retained its formidable strength.
It would undoubtedly prove a reliable asset in battles to come.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The cavern shook violently with each movement of the frog.
The fissures across the walls grew deeper and wider by the moment.
Debris cascaded from the ceiling, raining down overhead.
Yet the Undead Frog pressed forward without hesitation.
The falling stones shattered into fragments upon striking its unyielding skeleton.
Neither crumbling walls nor trembling earth posed any obstacle to the creature.
“Croooooak!”
Kuuuuung―
The Undead Frog unleashed a resonant, thunderous cry.
The echoing screech reverberated deep through the Cave.
The rocks, trembling as though seized by terror, quivered with minute vibrations.
The Underground Cave, oppressed by the undead’s overwhelming presence, held its breath.
A sinister aura drifted through the darkness that swallowed the creature.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The Undead Frog pressed forward, tearing through the gloom.
The sound of its skeletal frame resonating was terror incarnate.
Following the undead frog deeper into the Cave, I ventured nearly thirty minutes into its depths.
“A door?”
Then it appeared before us.
What materialized before Kim Jae-beom’s party was no ordinary door.
Standing sentinel at the threshold leading deeper into the Underground Cave, it was nothing less than a colossal barrier of stone.
Though it resembled a sculpture wrought by nature itself, an enigmatic power seemed to dwell within it.
The Stone Door rose to a height that nearly touched the cavern ceiling.
Wide enough for three to stand abreast, the massive boulder of rock barred the passage.
Its smooth surface, reminiscent of a sheer cliff face, bore deep traces of moss and weathering.
Strangely, intricate patterns were carved into the Stone Door’s center.
Mysterious glyphs resembling ancient hieroglyphics covered the stone.
More than mere carving, the patterns—imbued with magical power—emitted a faint azure glow.
The subtle vibration of mana it radiated revealed this was no simple decoration.
“Croooooak!”
Sensing the danger beyond the Stone Door, the creature released a frog’s cry laden with warning—a sound meant to convey the terror lurking beyond the darkness.
“Ribbit! Ribbit!”
Its eyes, once blazing crimson, now brimmed with fear. Even an undead that had transcended death could not suppress the primal terror that gripped it before whatever lay beyond that door.
“Hmm….”
Witnessing the frog’s reaction, Kim Jae-beom let slip a meaningful laugh. His upturned lips brimmed with challenge and confidence.
“Dangerous, you say?”
“Ribbit!”
“You’ve never ventured beyond it yourself?”
“Croooooak!”
“Right. That’s what I thought.”
Screech!
My hand seized the steel staff at my waist and drew it with tremendous force.
The sound of the weighty metal shaft cutting through the air filled the Cave.
The muscles of my forearm bulged taut, and raw power flowed into the weapon.
―Whoosh!
The tip of the steel staff descended upon the Stone Door.
A devastating impact reverberated outward as solid stone was struck with terrible force.
With a thunderous boom, stone fragments scattered wildly into the air.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Kim Jae-beom poured more force into the hand wielding his staff.
Steel striking the Stone Door with violent, relentless speed.
The staff burrowed into the rock, trailing azure flames in its wake—a sight both terrible and wondrous.
The door warped and twisted as though melting under superhuman force. Fissures spiderwebbed across its surface; collapse was imminent.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
Kim Jae-beom roared, swinging his staff with frenzied abandon.
I felt my blood churning through every fiber of my being, drawing in breath after ragged breath.
Blood beaded on my palms and sweat poured like rain, yet I could not stop.
An endless, manic obsession. A will to obliterate burning white-hot within me.
Crack!
At last, fissures began spreading across the Stone Door.
Gray dust swirled in all directions as shattered stone cascaded downward.
The Stone Door crumbled pitifully, surrendering before overwhelming force.
A massive chasm opened, and in an instant, a gaping hole had been torn through.
“Croak…?”
From a face reduced to bare bone, emotion was difficult to discern.
Yet the bewildered croak of the Undead Frog spoke volumes about its state of mind.
Its hollow eye sockets seemed to widen in shock, and its voice—tinged with alarm—echoed through the Cave.
Not long ago, this creature had trembled in fear, but now it was utterly transformed.
Terror had instantly metamorphosed into awe.
Before Kim Jae-beom’s overwhelming might, even the creature seemed to have lost its voice.
“Croak… croak….”
The Undead Frog stared intently at the shattered Stone Door.
Its eyes reflected confusion at the unbelievable sight.
Though it had deemed the sorcerer who resurrected it formidable, this human’s raw power transcended imagination.
Reverence seemed to seep from between the skeletal jaws as they opened.
Did memories from its intelligent life persist within this undead form?
An instinctive compulsion to submit stirred within it.
The Undead Frog took a step back, now humbly following in Kim Jae-beom’s shadow.
Even by beast instinct, it understood.
This human was the true embodiment of power itself.
To resist such an absolute force would be foolish.
“Hmm.”
A satisfied smile played at the corners of Kim Jae-beom’s mouth. Watching the creature that had once been a formidable foe now submit to him kindled an inexplicable sense of superiority. His sharp gaze softened.
Even as an undead, the Undead Frog instinctively bowed to strength, and I found this both amusing and endearing. I remembered how savage and violent the creature had been when flesh still clung to its skull. To see such a monster now meekly trailing behind me—it made me reflect anew on how unpredictable the world truly was.
“Let’s go.”
With those brief words, I stepped forward, my smile fading as my gaze sharpened once more. My grip on the steel staff tightened with renewed resolve. As I strode into the darkness with shoulders squared and purposeful steps, an indomitable will radiated from my very being.
The Undead Frog’s croaks followed behind me. The sight of the loyal creature trailing its master was almost comical. And the ponderous footfalls of the skeletal soldiers echoed in turn.
The moment they passed through the collapsed Stone Door, the group vanished into an unknown space.

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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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