Chapter 30: Deathmark Commander

Cassian closed the information panel and carefully stored the newly fused treasures within his Vault.

​He already knew exactly who would receive them.

​One of the Rare ★★★ Bonepiercer Bows would go to his newly evolved Deathmark Commander. With its ability to generate endless mana arrows, split shots, and pursue marked targets, it was practically tailor-made for the undead archer.

​As for the Rare ★★★ Graveheart Sap... that would belong to Nyxara.

​Not only would it accelerate her advancement by drastically reducing the experience required for her next rank, but [Heart of the Living Dead] would provide a staggering boost to her combat capabilities.

A seventy percent increase to all attributes at maximum output was an absurd enhancement.

​With those two key rewards assigned, Cassian turned his attention toward the remaining fused items. He would retain whatever was directly useful to his squad and list the rest on the Trade Market.

​After all, Lord Coins could be converted into bulk quantities of low-grade items, and low-grade items could be fused into high-grade treasures.

​Which meant limitless profit.

​"That’s right," Cassian murmured, a sudden thought striking him. "I wonder if anything has actually sold from my previous listings."

​He opened the Trade tab on his Ledger interface. The moment the total balance materialized, Cassian raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.

​[Current Lord Coin Balance: ∆201,090]

​"Oh?"

​He stared at the six-figure balance for a brief moment. Over two hundred thousand Lord Coins.

​A little over half of the equipment and materials from his initial Fortune Wheel haul had already sold off.

​Under normal circumstances, holding over two hundred thousand Lord Coins on Day 1 would have been enough to make even a veteran Lord lose their composure. Yet Cassian merely stared at the number for a few seconds before giving a casual shrug.

​Fusion had already shattered his expectations too many times today.

​Compared to creating Rare ★★★ game-changing treasures out of thin air, seeing a coin balance roughly double the entire wealth he had accumulated during his years as a Noble Lord in his past life didn’t feel quite as mind-blowing anymore.

​Even though half of his current liquid wealth was enough to purchase an Elite ★★★ item outright on the market, Cassian had zero intention of doing so.

​That would be a terrible investment. Why spend tens of thousands of Lord Coins on a single high-grade item when he could buy hundreds of Common or Refined components and fuse them into something worth ten times as much?

​That was the true, game-breaking economy of Fusion:

​Buy cheap.

Fuse.

Sell high.

Repeat.

​Cassian couldn’t help but smile. In a single day, he had transformed a mere 1,000 Lord Coins into assets worth well over 100,000, and those assets were already generating massive compound profits.

​If another Lord learned of his economic loop, they would probably stare at him in silent, jaw-dropped disbelief, not because the strategy was complicated, but because no one else possessed the Blessing required to replicate it.

​Without Fusion, the loop was impossible.

​Cassian leaned back against the grave wall. For now, he would wait for the remaining market listings to clear out. Once the Vault was empty of surplus gear, he would begin purchasing low-grade materials, resources, and weapons in massive bulk orders.

​Then he would fuse them all. And sell them again.

​He was already visualizing the terrifying snowball effect:

One thousand becomes ten thousand.

Ten thousand becomes one hundred thousand.

One hundred thousand becomes a million...

​Cassian’s eyes gleamed with cold ambition. He quickly closed the Trade tab before his imagination ran completely wild. There was still plenty of practical work to handle.

​Just as he dismissed the Ledger interface, however, a sudden pulse rippled through his core.

​The sensation was deeply familiar, it was a soul connection. Several of them, in fact.

​Cassian’s relaxed expression hardened into focus as his gaze snapped toward the entrance of the Cemetery.

​"They’re back."

​His four undead elites had finally returned from the Bonefang Wastes.

The moment Cassian stepped out of the Cemetery, he was greeted by a rather miserable sight.

​To say the elites were beaten up would have been a gross understatement.

​The Skeleton Tank was carrying both the Knight and the Assassin over its shoulders. The Elite Skeleton Knight’s body was riddled with fractures, cracks ran across its ribcage, arms, and skull, while its soul fire flickered weakly like a candle nearing extinction.

​The Assassin was in even worse condition. One of its arms was completely missing, deep fractures covered its body, and several ribs had shattered entirely.

​Only the Tank appeared relatively intact, though even that was deceptive. Its shield had been reduced to little more than a bent slab, while dents and cracks covered nearly every inch of its frame. Cassian could only attribute its state to its absurd durability.

​His gaze eventually shifted toward the final member of the squad.

​The newly evolved skeleton. The former Elite Archer.

​Now... a Deathmark Commander.

​Even it wasn’t in good shape, bearing numerous fractures and impact marks from the battle. Yet unlike the others, it had walked back under its own power, a detail that spoke volumes about the improvements granted by its evolution.

​Cassian studied it carefully. The changes were immediately noticeable.

​Its frame had become leaner, yet at the same time larger, as the proportions of its body had shifted dramatically. Its limbs were longer, its torso narrower, and its posture straighter.

Its arms in particular had become noticeably elongated, allowing for greater draw strength and range when wielding a bow.

​The skeletal structure itself appeared denser and more refined, transforming the rough, uneven bones of a standard Elite skeleton into something resembling polished ivory.

​Yet the most striking change wasn’t physical; it was the soul fire burning within its eye sockets.

​Before, the flames had been little different from those of the other elites. Now, there was thought behind them, awareness, presence, and a faint intelligence. It wasn’t enough to rival a living person, but Cassian could easily tell this undead was no longer operating solely on instinct and raw commands.

​The Deathmark Commander noticed its Lord’s gaze and bowed respectfully.

​Cassian smiled. "Good work."

​The four undead nodded. Without requiring further instructions, each moved toward an empty grave.

​The Cemetery immediately recognized them as members of the territory and activated. Death energy surged from the surrounding tombstones as restorative power enveloped their damaged bodies.

​Satisfied that they would recover, Cassian turned his attention toward the Deathmark Commander’s status interface.

​[Deathmark Commander]

Classification: Commander

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: S Grade

​Description:

A unique undead commander born from extraordinary circumstances. Originally an Elite Skeleton Archer, this undead underwent an abnormal evolution after receiving a newly created skill from its Lord.

​The fusion of battle experience, accumulated comprehension, and the authority of its Lord allowed it to break past the limitations of a standard elite unit and ascend into a Commander-class existence.

​Deathmark Commanders excel at identifying weaknesses, directing ranged assaults, and executing high-priority targets with ruthless efficiency. Possessing greater intelligence than ordinary undead, they are capable of independent tactical decision-making and battlefield leadership.

​While individually powerful, their greatest strength lies in amplifying the effectiveness of allied ranged units under their command.

​"A soldier fires where the enemy stands. A commander fires where the enemy will die."

​Skills:

​[Death Shot](Grade: Advanced) — A lethal archery technique that condenses death-infused mana to drain life force directly from the target upon impact.

​"The arrow does not seek flesh, bone, or armor. It seeks the life hidden beneath them."

​Cassian stared at the panel for several moments.

​A Commander-class unit with S-Grade potential and an Advanced-grade skill capable of slaying enemies far above its own level.

​A slow smile spread across his face.

​The battle in the Bonefang Wastes had nearly ended in disaster, but looking at the results now... it had produced something truly extraordinary.