Chapter 35: The Five Nightmares II

Cassian quickly went through the descriptions of the five creatures:

​[Dreadroot Stalker]

Classification: Special Elite

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: SS Grade

​Description:

A superior undead predator born from the fusion of countless Special Undead. Its major traits originate from the Shadow Treant and Duskmantle Panther, granting it the durability and regenerative properties of a treant alongside the speed, agility, and hunting instincts of a panther.

It actively hunts prey, using darkness and deception to isolate targets before delivering a fatal strike.

​"The forest does not chase its prey. The Dreadroot Stalker changed that rule."

​Skills:

​[Burst](Grade: Standard) — Rapidly accelerates the user’s body, greatly increasing movement speed and reaction time. Duration scales with mana supplied.

​[Dread Fog](Grade: Standard) — Releases a dark mist infused with death energy that disorients enemies, reduces visibility, and causes psychological distress and fear.

​[Nightfang Wydra]

Classification: Special Elite

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: SS Grade

​Description:

A fusion-born predator whose primary traits originate from the Shadowfang Wolf, Nightshade Serpent, and Umbral Bat. Possessing the speed of a wolf, the venomous lethality of a serpent, and the senses and flight capabilities of a bat, the Nightfang Wydra is an apex hunter capable of pursuing prey across land and sky.

​Its predatory instincts have been enhanced by undeath, making it relentless once it acquires a target.

​"Once the hunt begins, escape becomes merely a delayed death."

​Skills:

​[Shadow Dive](Grade: Standard) — High-speed aerial assault descending upon a target from above, dealing increased impact damage and briefly boosting penetration power.

​[Venom Fang](Grade: Standard) — Channels necrotic poison into its bite, inflicting poison damage and weakening enemy vitality. Highly effective against living targets.

​[Umbral Mothkin]

Classification: Special Elite

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: SS Grade

​Description:

A unique mutation born from the countless fusion cycles involving Bonecrawler Centipedes and various special undead species. Unlike most undead, the Umbral Mothkin has developed a humanoid form and an unusual affinity for shadows and soul energy.

​Its intelligence far surpasses ordinary monsters, allowing it to act independently and adapt quickly to changing situations.

​"Some creatures evolve through survival. The Umbral Mothkin evolved through death itself."

​Skills:

​[Shadow Wing](Grade: Standard) — Uses shadow-infused wings to maneuver through the battlefield, granting flight and enhancing aerial agility, stealth and combat capability.

​[Soul Dust](Grade: Standard) — Scatters glowing violet particles infused with death energy that weaken enemy concentration, reduce perception, and deal minor soul damage over time.

​[Gravewing Reaper]

Classification: Special Elite

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: SS Grade

​Description:

A higher lifeform born from countless fusion cycles. Its dominant traits originate from the Skull Vulture, a creature naturally drawn toward death and decaying battlefields.

​After undergoing Fusion, those instincts evolved into something far greater. The Gravewing Reaper no longer merely follows death—it embodies it. Wherever it appears, corpses become resources and battlefields become extensions of its power.

​"Death is not its destination. Death is its domain."

​Skills:

​[Bone Creation](Grade: Standard) — Manipulates death energy to create skeletal weapons and structures such as bone blades, spears, shields, and restraints. Shape and durability scale with mana supplied.

​[Death Touch](Grade: Standard) — Raises fallen enemies as loyal undead servants, animating up to three slain targets. Minion strength depends on the condition of the corpse.

​[Giant Bone Worm]

Classification: Special Elite

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: SS Grade

​Description:

A malformed creature created during the fusion process. The Giant Bone Worm possesses unique utility traits that allow it to function as a support organism.

​Its massive body is composed of countless interconnected segments, each capable of operating semi-independently.

​"Not every survivor becomes a king. Some become a swarm."

​Skills:

​[Swarm Division](Grade: Standard) — Divides its body into up to one thousand miniature Bone Worms that retain limited intelligence and can recombine into the original body.

​[Telepathy](Grade: Standard) — Establishes a mental link with allied units, enabling long-distance communication and instant information sharing for reconnaissance and tactical coordination.

....

Cassian was more than pleased.

​He had exhausted all his summoning cards, yet the gains far exceeded his boldest expectations.

At this moment, twenty-six summons stood under his direct command.

​Subtracting the eight worker units left eighteen combat-capable summons.

​Eighteen. The number sounded insignificant on paper, yet Cassian knew better than anyone just how terrifying that force truly was.

​The ordinary Elite Skeletons were already capable of contending with Advanced ★★★ mana beasts.

The Deathmark Commander had demonstrated combat power that easily reached the threshold of an Elite ★ existence.

​As for the five Special Elites... Cassian’s gaze swept across them. Calling them monsters felt like an understatement; they were nightmares given form.

Each possessed SS-Grade Potential and battle power comparable to Elite ★ mana beasts despite being Common Grade themselves.

​Then there was Nyxara. His First-Order Champion had yet to recover completely, but she was already standing at the doorstep of Elite ★★★ in pure combat capability despite her Common Grade classification.

Once she ranked up, her combat output would undergo another qualitative leap.

​Cassian folded his arms, sinking into deep introspection.

​’Will this force be enough to conquer the Kragmar Dominion?’

​The answer that surfaced in his mind was immediate and absolute: no, at least not yet.

​The Bonefang Wastes had nearly annihilated his elite squad despite being a lower-threat zone.

The Kragmar Dominion was the final, most fortified region of the Death Zone, it was impossible for it to be weaker, and if anything, it would be exponentially more dangerous.

​Fortunately, Cassian had zero intention of attacking immediately.

​The true strength of his summons was only beginning to bloom. Their grades could still be elevated, their equipment upgraded, and most importantly, he could acquire far more summons.

​His current wealth was already growing at a ridiculous rate. Once the remaining listings sold out on the Trade Market, he intended to purchase massive quantities of low-grade resources, gear, and summoning cards, then run them all through Fusion.

​The thought alone caused the corners of his lips to curl upward. Others spent fortunes to obtain high-tier summons; he merely needed raw materials and patience.

​However, before any of that... there was something he required first.

​Information.

​Cassian’s gaze shifted toward the newly summoned Umbral Mothkin. The humanoid undead stood quietly nearby, her dark wings folded behind her back while her glowing violet eyes observed everything with eerie intelligence.

Unlike the other Special Elites, she possessed a distinctly analytical presence, almost as if she had been born to gather secrets.

​Cassian rubbed his chin.

​A single battlefield could be conquered through raw strength, but an entire dominion?

A dominion required absolute intelligence: enemy troop numbers, leadership structures, boss-tier monsters, potential resource nodes, danger zones, and viable escape routes.

​The reason his forces had nearly been wiped out in the Bonefang Wastes wasn’t because they lacked physical power, it was because they lacked information.

​That mistake would not be repeated.

​A slow smile appeared on Cassian’s face as a tactical concept materialized in his mind.

​His eyes moved from the Umbral Mothkin to the Giant Bone Worm. One excelled in stealth and high-altitude flight; the other possessed [Telepathy] and could divide its massive body into a thousand smaller reconnaissance units.

​Separately, they were useful. Together... they were the ultimate, flawless intelligence network.

​The moment that realization struck him, Cassian’s smile widened into a sharp, expectant grin.

****

A/N: I never imagined I’d write this much. It might not look huge compared to veteran authors, but it’s a massive personal milestone for me! To celebrate, we’re doing a Mass Release Event!

​The Goal: Reach 10 reviews before the end of the month.

The Reward: A whopping 5-Chapter mass release!

​Not two, not three, not four, but five whole Chapters!

Thanks so much for the support so far and I can’t wait to read your reviews.