Chapter 12: Value Of A Good Infrastructure

Now that Cassian had formed his starting force, it was time to develop his domain.

​He stared across the barren wasteland assigned to him. The only structures currently standing were the Summoning Gate and the shimmering, translucent dome of the seven-day protection barrier, which spanned a five-hundred-meter radius.

Aside from those, there was nothing but dark dirt, dead grass, and twisted, blackened trees.

​"A Lord’s territory reflects its ruler," Cassian muttered softly, watching the faint violet light flicker across the landscape. "To reflect what I represent, I must forge a dominion worthy of the Undead."

​Accessing his Lord Ledger, Cassian selected the [Infrastructure] tab.

​Every territory featured a specific list of structures a Lord could construct, dictated by the territory’s Tier and the Lord’s troop lineage.

Infrastructure was vital for a Lord’s growth, advancing the domain naturally strengthened the territory’s core, which in turn empowered the Lord and their troops.

​Cassian reviewed the available Tier I blueprints available for construction.

​[Cemetery]

Tier: I

Classification: Infrastructure

​A field of weathered tombstones and shallow graves infused with necrotic energy. Unlike living troops, the undead do not require sleep or shelter. Instead, the Cemetery serves as a place of restoration where damaged undead may slowly repair fractured bones, replenish soul fire, and recover from injuries.

​Effects:

​Allows undead troops to recover from damage.

​Increases soul fire restoration rate.

​Improves undead recovery speed by 10%.

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×30

​Stone ×50

​Iron ×10

​"The dead do not rest here. They recover."

​[Ossuary Vault]

Tier: I

Classification: Storage Infrastructure

​A storage facility constructed from black stone and reinforced bone. The Ossuary Vault securely stores resources gathered by the territory. Death-affinity resources are preserved naturally, while ordinary materials slowly absorb necrotic energy, gradually transforming into undead-compatible variants.

​Effects:

​Resource Storage Capacity: 5,000 Units

​Preserves Death-affinity resources.

​Small chance to corrupt normal materials into undead variants.

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×40

​Stone ×40

​Iron ×20

​"Even resources decay in service to death."

​[Graveyard Fields]

Tier: I

Classification: Resource Gathering Infrastructure

​A designated gathering area where undead laborers harvest and process nearby resources. The deathly environment allows harvested materials to gradually adapt to necrotic conditions.

​Effects:

​Resource Gathering Speed +10%

​Increased chance of obtaining Death-affinity materials.

​Unlocks basic territory resource production.

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×50

​Stone ×20

​Iron ×10

​"Where life sees wasteland, the dead see opportunity."

​[Bone Roads]

Tier: I

Classification: Transportation Infrastructure

​Simple roads formed from compacted dirt, gravel, and crushed bones. Bone Roads improve movement throughout the territory, increasing the efficiency of both workers and combat troops.

​Effects:

​Movement Speed within Territory +10%

​Logistics Efficiency +10%

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×20

​Stone ×60

​Iron ×0

​"Every empire begins with a road."

​[Gravewall]

Tier: I

Classification: Defensive Infrastructure

​A crude defensive perimeter made from sharpened stakes, gravestones, and piled bones. Though basic, it provides the territory’s first line of defense against wandering monsters.

​Effects:

​Territory Defense +10

​Slows hostile units entering the territory.

​Defines territorial borders.

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×80

​Stone ×50

​Iron ×20

​"The living build walls to keep death out. The dead build walls to keep prey in."

​[Necrolord’s Crypt]

Tier: I

Classification: Lord Residence

​The seat of power for an Undead Lord. Constructed from dark stone and infused with territorial authority, the Crypt acts as the administrative center of the domain and houses the Territory Core.

​Effects:

​Serves as the Lord’s Residence.

​Functions as the Territory Administration Center.

​Death Energy Density +5%

​Unlocks Territory Management Functions.

​Construction Requirements:

​Wood ×100

​Stone ×120

​Iron ×50

​"Every kingdom needs a throne. Every undead kingdom needs a tomb."

Cassian stared at the blueprints for the Tier I infrastructure before reaching into his Vault to open the basic material kit, which granted him 100 units each of wood, stone, and iron.

Every structure was crucial for his domain’s advancement, but with such a limited supply of materials, he couldn’t afford to build them all at once.

​He carefully reviewed the list of available choices. Every building had its purpose, but with only one hundred units of wood, stone, and iron, every decision carried weight.

​The first structure he considered was the Ossuary Vault. Storage was important for any territory, but storage was only useful if there was something worth storing.

At the moment, his entire stock of resources could practically fit in a single corner. Building a warehouse for items he didn’t yet possess was a waste of precious capital.

​Next came the Bone Roads. Improved logistics and movement speed were undoubtedly useful, but his territory was currently tiny.

Furthermore, the novice protection barrier would remain active for another seven days. There would be no invasions, no urgent troop deployments, and no reason to invest in transportation infrastructure so early.

​The Gravewall suffered from a similar issue. Defensive structures were essential for long-term survival in the Lord’s Domain, yet for the next week, the territory was shielded by the system barrier granted to all newly awakened Lords.

Any enemy attempting to breach it would simply be repelled. Constructing defenses now would provide little immediate benefit.

​As for the Necrolord’s Crypt, Cassian could only shake his head. The structure was simply too expensive. Its administrative and energy benefits were impressive, but he lacked the materials to construct it even if he wanted to.

​After eliminating the impractical options, only two choices remained: the Cemetery and the Graveyard Fields.

​One would provide a place for his undead to repair themselves, replenish soul fire, and recover after battle. The other would unlock basic territory resource production, ensuring a steady stream of materials for future expansion.

​Both were essential, both would yield long-term returns, and together, they formed the true foundation of an undead domain.

​Cassian didn’t hesitate. With a thought, he selected both structures.

​The required materials vanished from his Vault, and construction began instantly.

A low rumble spread through the ground as the territory itself responded to the Lord’s will.

​Then, the construction began.

​The first patch of land darkened as pale gray light gathered above it, descending like mist.

​The earth trembled. Cracks spread across the ground as chunks of stone rose from beneath the soil. One after another, weathered tombstones emerged from the earth as though they had been buried there for centuries.

​Twenty-five tombstones stood in total, forming neat rows beneath the purple sky. Each tombstone was carved from dark gray stone and bore faded runes infused with death energy.

​In front of every tombstone was a freshly dug grave, six feet deep and perfectly rectangular. Stone steps descended into each pit, allowing undead troops to enter and leave with ease.

​Wisps of pale necrotic mist drifted from the open graves, causing the surrounding soil to darken further.

The area quickly became unnaturally quiet, and even the wind seemed reluctant to pass through it.

​The completed structure resembled a small cemetery from a forgotten age, a place where the dead gathered rather than rested.

​Not far away, another patch of land began to transform.

​This time, emerald-green light mixed with dark violet energy as it descended upon the ground. The dead grass covering the area withered completely before sinking into the soil, causing the earth beneath to soften and shift.

​Rows of dark wooden stakes rose from the ground, marking the outer boundaries of the newly formed Graveyard Fields.

Within the enclosed area, the soil turned a deep, obsidian black, with faint veins of purple energy pulsing beneath the surface.

​Several gathering plots materialized throughout the field. Some resembled small mining pits where ore-bearing rocks protruded from the earth, while others contained clusters of twisted plants whose leaves glowed faintly with death energy.

Scattered throughout the field were bone-rich patches where skeletal remains protruded from the ground.

​The entire area radiated an aura of faint decay. Yet unlike ordinary rotting, this decay felt productive, purposeful, as though the land itself was slowly converting the surrounding wasteland into useful materials.

​A system notification materialized before Cassian.

​[Infrastructure Constructed Successfully.]

​[Cemetery ×1]

[Graveyard Fields ×1]

​[Territory Development: 33.3%]

[Basic Resource Production Unlocked.]

​Looking at the two completed structures, Cassian nodded in satisfaction.