Chapter 56: Skeleton Alchemist &Blacksmith

Support units were broadly divided into two distinct categories.

​The first category was Battlefield Support, units like the Death Chanters and Death Speakers whose purpose was to influence combat directly through broad buffs, crippling debuffs, spatial control, and tactical utility.

​The second category was Production Support. Unlike battlefield units, their true value wasn’t measured by how many enemies they could slay, but by what they could forge.

​Blacksmiths, Alchemists, Architects, Enchanters, Runesmiths, and dozens of other specialized crafts all fell under this umbrella.

The Skeleton Blacksmiths and Skeleton Alchemists Cassian had just synthesized belonged to this elite group.

​After running through all the initial fusions and class advancements, he had obtained 33 S-Grade Expert Alchemists and 31 S-Grade Expert Blacksmiths.

​Cassian studied them for a moment before making his decision.

Unlike the Death Chanters, he didn’t intend to fuse everything down to the absolute minimum unit count.

Production inherent to a territory required raw manpower, a single master craftsman was invaluable, but a functioning workshop still required skilled experts to operate at scale.

​Fortunately, Cassian already had the ideal structural layout in mind.

​"Fusion."

​Death energy surged violently across the stone as the blacksmiths and alchemists merged together.

Moments later, the blinding light dissipated, leaving his new industrial core standing in formation.

​Blacksmith Division

​1 S-Grade Expert Blacksmith

​7 SS-Grade Expert Blacksmiths

​1 SSS-Grade Master Blacksmith

​Alchemist Division

​8 SS-Grade Expert Alchemists

​1 SSS-Grade Master Alchemist

​Cassian immediately inspected their updated panel details, a sharp smile spreading across his face.

​As SSS-Grade Production Supports, both the Master Blacksmith and Master Alchemist possessed the capability to consistently produce equipment, weapons, consumables, and concoctions up to the Elite Grade, despite originating from Common Grade base summons.

​The strategic significance of that threshold could not be overstated.

​This wasn’t a probability-based gamble, nor was there a tiny percentage chance of success dependent on luck.

It was simply the baseline level of craftsmanship they had achieved; anything forged by their hands would naturally reach that standard.

​Of course, it still couldn’t rival the raw power of Fusion, a Divine Blessing and a miracle granted directly by the Lord Domain.

Yet from a long-term economic standpoint, the value of production units was astronomical.

​No longer would every single weapon need to be purchased off the Trade Market. No longer would every recovery potion require burning through precious Lord Coins.

​He could forge his own armaments, sell them on the market, fuse the excess to skyrocket their tier, and resell them for massive profit margins.

The economic possibilities were virtually limitless.

​More importantly, he could now commission custom creations: specialized weapons tailored to his Special Elites, unique defensive gear, rare combat elixirs, and experimental alchemical concoctions.

As long as the raw materials existed, his production corps could craft them.

​Cassian looked over the silent blacksmiths and alchemists. There was literally zero downside to holding such a workforce.

​"I’ll need to construct an Arcane Forge and an Alchemical Sanctum," he muttered, his grin widening.

​Those specific facilities were completely unavailable to standard Tier I Territories, in fact, they normally only unlocked after a territory reached Tier III.

The Lord’s Domain never anticipated a newly awakened Lord acquiring production units of this caliber, especially not on their very first day.

Yet here they were, standing before him and ready to manufacture the very weapons, armor, and treasures that would normally arm kingdoms, sustain dynasties, and serve as the foundation of an empire’s military might.

​Cassian nodded in quiet satisfaction before shifting his focus away from the production division.

His support forces were fully optimized, leaving only one final category to process.

​His gaze landed upon the last group among the fused ranks.

​The frontline soldiers.

....

Cassian stared at the 666 S grade Elite Troops standing before him.

​The sight was enough to inspire absolute confidence in any Lord, a regiment standing in perfect, unbroken formation, their blue soul flames burning brightly within countless eye sockets.

​Among their ranks were:

​123 Elite Skeleton Assassins

​177 Elite Skeleton Knights

​201 Elite Skeleton Archers

​165 Elite Skeleton Tanks

​Factoring in his original veterans shifted the total unit counts slightly.

​The original Elite Knight joined the Knight Battalion, bringing its total to 178. The original Elite Tank bolstered the Tank Battalion to 166, while the original Elite Assassin raised the Assassin Battalion to 124.

​As for the archers, their original Elite had already evolved into the Deathmark Commander, leaving the Archer Battalion at 201 Elites, though the total count of ranged specialist units technically stood at 202.

​Cassian folded his arms as he meticulously studied the legion before him.

​It was a powerful, terrifying battalion, yet something vital was missing.

​Leadership.

​An effective army required far more than raw muscle; it demanded operational structure, tactical command, and absolute battlefield discipline.

Someone needed to coordinate hundreds of individual elites amidst the chaotic fog of war.

​Fortunately, Cassian already possessed the solution.

​Through countless iterations of Fusion, he had uncovered a fundamental mechanic: when troops reached S-Grade Potential, fusion produced Elite-Class Troops.

​Likewise, once troops attained SS-Grade Potential, the odds of synthesizing Commander-Class Troops increased dramatically.

The Death Speakers were living proof of this rule, as Master-Class Support Units equivalent to Commander-Class Soldiers, they had manifested at both S-Grade and SS-Grade Potential during earlier fusions.

​That precedent alone proved the mechanic’s viability.

​Cassian’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. If Commander-Class Support Units could be synthesized through fusion, then Commander-Class Soldiers could be produced through the exact same logic.

​Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to sacrifice his entire frontline standing army in a reckless gamble to force commanders into existence.

Raw headcount still mattered, and tomorrow’s campaign would pit his forces against an Orc horde exceeding one hundred thousand warriors. Reducing his own ranks excessively would be pure strategic suicide.

​No, he only intended to fuse just enough elites to form a commander who can properly lead his tactical battalions.

​As for General-Class Troops, Cassian didn’t even entertain the notion.

General-Class units were equivalent to First-Order Champions, and the resource thresholds required to synthesize one through fusion were undoubtedly absurd.

He was certain that even with a base pool of two hundred thousand summons, the success odds would be laughably low.

​With those calculations settled, Cassian turned his attention toward his original Elite Squad, the first elites he had ever forged, and the loyal veterans who had fought for him since the beginning.

​They stepped forward without a moment’s hesitation: the Elite Knight, the Elite Assassin, the Elite Tank, and the Deathmark Commander.

​Cassian’s gaze swept over them before shifting back toward the massive battalions standing behind them.

​A sharp, expectant smile spread across his face.

​"Let’s see if fate is willing to grant me a few commanders."

​The Lord Seed blessing stirred deep within his soul, and Fusion activated once more.

​Groups of designated Elite Troops stepped out from their respective formations in perfect unison.

Dark death energy erupted across the stone as the soul flames of the selected elites flared with blinding intensity, interconnected streams of raw power weaving them together into a blinding sphere of light.

​The surrounding battalions watched in dead, expectant silence. Even the master craftsmen among the support units turned their attention toward the glowing center of the clearing.

​Everyone present understood the gravity of the ritual: the warriors that emerged from this light would become the supreme commanders of Cassian’s army.