Chapter 49: Prelude To Conquest

​Far away from the staging area, Cassian stood before the silent cemetery.

​Rows of tombstones stretched beneath the pale moonlight, and the soul links connecting him to his recovering summons had finally stabilized into steady, pulsing beacons.

The deep healing process was complete, and a layer of soil had formed over the grave to stabilize their recovery.

​Cassian smiled softly. "It’s time."

​The cemetery reacted instantly to his command.

​The ground trembled as a pale, skeletal hand burst through the dark soil. The Elite Skeleton Knight pulled itself cleanly from the earth, the fractured bones that had previously covered its frame now completely restored, while brilliant blue soul fire burned brightly within its eye sockets.

​Moments later, another grave parted. The Elite Skeleton Assassin emerged next, the arm it had lost during the brutal battle with the Bonedevourer fully regenerated, without a single hairline crack remaining on its frame.

​The third grave opened with a heavy thud, and the Elite Skeleton Tank stepped out. Its massive, armored frame rose from the dirt like an ancient colossus awakening from slumber.

​The final elite grave stirred shortly afterward as the Deathmark Commander slowly climbed from the earth.

Its evolved frame appeared even more imposing beneath the moonlight, its elongated arms, reinforced skeletal structure, and razor-sharp intellect radiating an aura completely distinct from ordinary undead.

​Then... the central grave parted.

​A slender, pale hand emerged from the soil, and moments later, Nyxara pulled herself from the grave pit.

Her dark violet hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, the severe wounds that had covered her body completely erased, while the violet glow within her eyes shone brighter than ever before.

​For a brief moment, absolute silence blanketed the cemetery.

​Cassian looked over the assembled vanguard, five powerful, elite summons standing before him, fully restored and overflowing with battle aura.

​A sharp, satisfied smile spread across his face.

​"Welcome back."

​His voice carried the absolute, unshakeable authority of a sovereign.

​The Deathmark Commander immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply. Behind it, the Knight, Assassin, and Tank dropped to one knee in perfect unison, while Nyxara placed a pale hand over her chest and lowered her head gracefully.

​"My Lord," Nyxara spoke softly.

​"Lord," the Deathmark Commander echoed immediately afterward.

​Cassian nodded slowly as the silver and crimson moonlight illuminated the gravestones.

​The elite vanguard of Lord’s Hollow had finally returned.

....

Cassian observed the healed summons in silence.

​Compared to when they had first dragged themselves back from the Bonefang Wastes, the difference was unmistakable.

Their soul fires burned brighter, their auras felt sharper, and even their posture carried far more confidence than before.

​At first glance, it might have seemed as though they had somehow grown stronger simply from surviving a near-death experience.

But Cassian knew better, this wasn’t some special bloodline that granted explosive power after every brush with death like a certain legendary primate race from ancient stories.

​No, this was experience, pure and simple.

​Battle was the ultimate teacher.

​The elites had pushed themselves past their absolute limits during the conquest of the Bonefang Wastes.

They had fought while hopelessly outnumbered, clashed against superior foes, and fought until their bodies could barely hold together.

​The rewards of those desperate struggles had accumulated quietly beneath the surface, and their severe injuries had merely masked the growth.

Now that they were fully restored, the truth was plain to see.

​They were all standing on the absolute precipice of advancement.

​Perhaps one more battle. Perhaps one more high-tier enemy. Whatever the trigger, their next rank-up was right around the corner.

​Cassian nodded in quiet satisfaction. The timing couldn’t have been better.

​His gaze shifted toward the small Bone Worm resting on his shoulder, and the tiny creature immediately straightened up.

​’My Lord?’

​Cassian folded his arms over his chest, his eyes locking onto the dark northern horizon, toward the Kragmar Dominion.

​"Gather the others."

​The Bone Worm blinked its glowing eyes.

​A cold, sharp smile spread across Cassian’s face. "It’s time everyone understood what comes next."

​The Bone Worm immediately acknowledged the order and established telepathic links with every scattered summon across the domain.

Within seconds, a direct mental summons rippled throughout Lord’s Hollow.

​The Special Elites, the worker legion, the support units, every single summon received the exact same mental directive: their Lord was calling for a total assembly.

​Cassian remained standing before the silent cemetery as he waited, the twin moons hanging high in the sky above.

The midnight wind swept across the territory, carrying faint traces of rich death energy.

​One by one, his forces began to gather.

​The Dreadroot Stalker emerged first, slipping ghost-like from the tree line. The Nightfang Wydra followed shortly after, its serpent tail swaying gently behind it.

The Gravewing Reaper descended silently from above, landing without a sound.

​The Umbral Mothkin and the Giant Bone Worm arrived together, joining the vanguard, while behind them filed the worker skeletons and support units.

​Soon, every single summon under Cassian’s command stood in perfect formation before him.

​Absolute silence blanketed the territory as all eyes locked onto their sovereign.

​Cassian slowly swept his gaze across the assembled lineup. Twenty-six summons, a number that would have sounded laughable to most established Lords.

​Yet every single unit standing before him possessed absurd, terrifying potential.

​A sharp grin touched his lips.

​"Tomorrow...!"

​That single word instantly commanded absolute, rapt attention.

​Cassian pointed a hand directly toward the north. "... We march on the Kragmar Dominion!"

​The atmosphere across the clearing shifted instantly, taut with electric tension.

​"The enemy boasts over one hundred thousand Orcs," Cassian stated, his voice calm, steady, and utterly unshakeable. "They possess elite warlords, a powerful hybrid Chief, and a domain far larger than anything we have conquered so far."

​His smile widened, a predatory glint flaring in his blue eyes.

​"But they possess something far more valuable than all of that."

​The summons listened intently, not a single bone rattling in the quiet night.

​"They possess a territory that belongs to me."

​A suffocating, sovereign pressure slowly radiated from his frame as his gaze swept over every summon present.

​"So rest well... because tomorrow..."

​A dark, confident smile spread across Cassian’s face.

​"...we begin a conquest that will shake the entire region."

....

A/N: Please consider sending Power Stones and Golden Tickets, and don’t forget to leave a review, it really helps the book grow! Thank you all so much for the ongoing support. Huge shoutout to Nike and Darkest for the Power Stones, and a massive thank you to Mayor for the book’s very first Golden Ticket!