Chapter 29: Heart Of The Living Dead

Cassian immediately decided to proceed with the fusion.

​The Graveheart Sap numbered five in total, meaning he could obtain one higher-grade version. The Bonepiercer Bows numbered six, which was more than enough for two separate fusions.

​A grin spread across his face, and he even rubbed his hands together for good luck, though deep down he knew he didn’t need it.

​With a thought, he activated his primary blessing.

​Fusion.

​Brilliant golden light erupted from within the Vault. Three Elite ★★★ Graveheart Saps floated into the air as streams of emerald and crimson energy were violently pulled from their cores. The dual energies intertwined before collapsing inward toward a single point.

​Cassian watched attentively, but his expression soon shifted.

​"...Hm?"

​Something was different. Normally, fusion took only a few seconds, three at most. Yet thirty seconds had already passed, and the process was still ongoing.

​The light intensified as the energies condensed further, yet the transformation remained incomplete.

​Cassian’s eyes narrowed. "It’s crossing into a new stage."

​That was the only logical explanation. Like Lords, monsters, summons, and virtually every entity within the Lord’s Domain, items possessed a strict hierarchy: Common, Refined, Elite, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythical, Divine, and Eternal, with each grade containing three stars.

​Beyond individual grades, however, lay Major Stages. Every three grades represented a qualitative leap in existence:

​First Stage: Common, Refined, Elite

​Second Stage: Rare, Epic, Legendary

​Third Stage: Mythical, Divine, Eternal

​The moment the Graveheart Sap surpassed the Elite grade, it was leaping into an entirely different realm of existence, a fundamental transformation. It wasn’t merely becoming stronger; it was becoming something inherently greater.

​Cassian’s gaze remained locked on the swirling light.

​One minute passed. Two minutes. Three minutes.

​Finally—

​The golden light exploded outward, illuminating every corner of the Vault.

​[Fusion Successful!]

[Elite ★★★ Graveheart Sap ×3 > Rare ★★★ Graveheart Sap ×1]

​Cassian exhaled slowly. Even though he had anticipated it, witnessing the breakthrough personally still felt surreal.

​The fact that his blessing could achieve such heaven-defying feats simply by gathering three identical components reminded him once again just how monstrous Fusion truly was.

What other Lords spent years, fortunes, and endless luck pursuing, he could replicate with enough raw materials and patience.

​The blessing wasn’t merely powerful, it was a force capable of overturning the fundamental laws of the world.

​After recovering from the initial awe, Cassian immediately turned his attention to the six Bonepiercer Bows.

​They floated into the air, engulfed by a blinding golden aura. Unlike the sap, the bows took even longer to transform.

​Four minutes passed. Then five. Then six.

​The skeletal frames melted apart before reforming repeatedly, each reconstruction growing more intricate than the last. Dark death energy condensed into visible runes as mana gathered around the fusion like a swirling storm.

​Finally, the process completed.

​[Fusion Successful!]

[Elite ★★★ Bonepiercer Bow ×3 > Rare ★★★ Bonepiercer Bow ×1]

​[Fusion Successful!]

[Elite ★★★ Bonepiercer Bow ×3 > Rare ★★★ Bonepiercer Bow ×1]

​Cassian stared at the system prompts. Two Rare ★★★ bows and one Rare ★★★ Graveheart Sap.

​Even after everything he had accomplished today, the sight caused his heart to race. Rare Grade was a tier of equipment capable of making established veteran Lords green with envy, let alone novices.

​Slowly, he opened their information panels, his anticipation reaching its absolute peak as the new descriptions materialized before his eyes.

....

The information panels unfolded before Cassian’s eyes.

​The moment he read the first one, his brows shot upward.

​[Bonepiercer Bow]

Grade: Rare ★★★

Type: Attack

​A superior evolution of the Bonepiercer Bow forged through the convergence of immense death energy and refined mana pathways.

​The bow possesses the ability to continuously generate its own arrows by consuming mana, eliminating the need for physical ammunition. The arrows formed are composed of condensed death-aspected mana and possess tremendous penetrating power.

​Having transcended the limitations of its previous grade, the bow now possesses additional abilities that make it a terrifying weapon on any battlefield.

​Effects:

​Automatically generates mana arrows.

​Does not require physical ammunition.

​Greatly increases armor penetration.

​Significantly enhances ranged attack power.

​Maintains endless offensive capability so long as mana is supplied.

​Additional Abilities:

​Scattershot: The user may split a single fired arrow into one hundred identical projectiles mid-flight. Each arrow retains a portion of the original arrow’s power and automatically seeks nearby enemies. (Uses: 3 Times Per Day)

​Death Pursuit: Any target marked by the bow becomes locked onto by its mana arrows. Once released, the designated arrow will relentlessly pursue the marked target until impact or destruction. Ordinary evasive maneuvers are largely ineffective against the pursuing arrow. (Uses: 1 Time Per Day)

​"The prey may outrun the hunter, but it cannot outrun the arrow that already knows its name."

​Cassian slowly lowered the panel, then immediately opened the second one.

​The moment he finished reading the description, his expression froze.

​[Graveheart Sap]

Grade: Rare ★★★

Type: Consumable

​A rare treasure formed from the condensed vitality of ancient death-aspected world trees.

​Upon consumption, the sap stimulates an undead’s soul core and significantly reduces the amount of experience required for rank advancement for a limited period.

​However, its true value lies not in accelerating growth... but in granting the dead something they should never possess: Life.

​Effects:

​Greatly reduces experience required for rank advancement.

​Accelerates evolution and rank progression.

​Enhances the efficiency of experience absorption.

​Particularly effective when consumed before major battles or prolonged campaigns.

​Granted Ability:

​Heart of the Living Dead: A miraculous ability capable of causing the still heart of an undead to beat once more. Each heartbeat generates genuine life force rather than the imitation vitality normally possessed by undead creatures. For every heartbeat generated, all attributes and capabilities increase by 10%. This enhancement stacks with each successive heartbeat.

​Effects of Heart of the Living Dead:

​Generates authentic life force.

​Increases Strength, Agility, Endurance, Mana Efficiency, and Soul Power.

​Grants enhanced compatibility with life-affinity effects.

​Allows undead creatures to retain the benefits of both the living and the dead.

​Maximum Heartbeats: 7 Heartbeats (Maximum Enhancement: 70% Increase to All Capabilities)

The effects persist until the generated life force has been completely exhausted.

​"For a fleeting moment, the dead remember what it means to live."

​Cassian stood completely still, his mouth slowly forming a silent ’O’.

​He read through both descriptions again, then took another glance, just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

​A Rare-grade bow capable of creating tracking arrows and splitting single attacks into a hundred projectiles... and a consumable capable of granting true, authentic life force to the undead.

​The more he studied the details, the more absurd the stats seemed.

​Then, a faint smile appeared on his face. A second later, that smile widened into a broad grin, and a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

​Then another.

​Soon, rich laughter echoed throughout the quiet stone Cemetery. The sour mood brought about by the harrowing battles in the Umbralwood and Bonefang Wastes gradually faded into the dark air.

​For the first time since their narrow victories, Cassian felt genuinely, profoundly optimistic.

​Fusion.

​This blessing truly was ridiculous.

​Nearby in the grave pit, Nyxara slowly opened one violet eye, staring at her Lord laughing to himself while watching his glowing Ledger interface.

​"..."

​The Champion remained silent, but then she felt it again, that strange, unfamiliar sensation stirring within her chest.

​Her violet brows furrowed slightly. ’What is wrong with me...?’

​Unable to comprehend the emotion, Nyxara quietly closed her eyes once more, allowing the Cemetery’s restorative death energy to continue knitting her battered body back together.

....

Author’s Note: Well, today’s Chapter made it out on time, so I’m counting that as a win! As for the hospital visit, it turned out to be nothing major. A quick procedure was all it took to deal with the main issue. The area still aches a bit, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was before. Thank you all for your continuous support, and a special thanks to Nikelate for the well wishes!