Chapter 88: Locked Potential

Cassian decided to leave Nyxara to her habits.

​At this point, correcting her every single time she referred to an orc as a pig would likely be a battle far more exhausting than conquering an entire dominion.

​His attention returned to the [Warhowl Commander].

​The new officer undeniably resembled the skeleton of the behemoth Nyxara had killed, that part was understandable.

What surprised Cassian was the sheer extent of the resemblance: the skeletal frame, the immense stature, and even the lingering aura of pure savagery mirrored the fallen behemoth to an uncanny degree.

​Cassian had indeed used the behemoth’s undead as part of the fusion process, but he had expected it to simply contribute raw stat weight to the final result.

Instead, the behemoth’s skeletal structure had completely dominated the fusion, overriding many of the traits from the other materials.

​A thoughtful look appeared on Cassian’s face.

​This revelation exposed another crucial mechanic of [Undead Summoning].

​With his baseline [D-Grade Lord Seed], even if he found the corpse of a legendary existence and used the skill upon it, the resulting undead would inevitably return with reduced potential and diminished strength.

His Lord Seed simply lacked the inherent quality necessary to perfectly replicate such transcendent beings at full power.

​However... [Fusion] changed everything.

​If he summoned a low-potential undead from a legendary corpse and then used that unit as primary fusion material alongside ordinary skeletons, the legendary traits appeared fully capable of surviving the process.

​Not only surviving, dominating.

​That meant he could potentially preserve the unique characteristics, talents, bloodlines, and combat instincts of extraordinary figures through targeted, repeated synthesis.

​A cold smile slowly spread across his face.

​If a single behemoth skeleton could influence a commander to such a degree, then what would happen if he acquired the remains of truly terrifying existences?

​Ancient dragons. Legendary heroes. Forgotten kings. Divine saints. Demon generals. Creatures whose names had been etched into the very fabric of history.

​And what if he fused the undead skeletons of multiple formidable figures together?

​The result would be completely unpredictable.

​No, unprecedented.

​Even Cassian couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of horror would emerge from such a synthesis. The mere thought caused his heartbeat to quicken with dark anticipation.

​[Fusion] had always been powerful. Now, combined with [Undead Summoning], it had evolved into something far more terrifying: a direct path to constructing legends with his own hands.

​Cassian shelved that thought for the moment as his gaze shifted to a particular corpse resting in the distance: the body of Morghanna, the fallen Chief of the Kragmar Dominion.

​A warrior who had forcefully broken through into the Grand Circuit Realm during battle. A martial genius capable of manipulating gravity itself. A monster who had survived twenty-seven [Aura Slashes] before finally succumbing to death.

​She hadn’t been automatically raised during the mass cast of [Undead Summoning] because the system had flagged her as a Champion Candidate.

​It made complete sense. If there was anyone among the hundred thousand corpses scattered across this ruined battlefield worthy of becoming a Champion, it was her.

​And unlike ordinary undead summons, Champion Candidates operated on entirely different laws.

Their ultimate potential wasn’t constrained solely by his Lord Seed, instead, it depended heavily on the quality of the sacrifice provided during the summoning process.

Cassian turned toward Nyxara.

​During her summoning, he had used an A-Grade undead as the sacrifice, resulting in her awakening with A-Grade potential.

At the time, he had considered it a wise decision, after all, he had needed every single soldier he could gather.

The conquest of the Graveshade Expanse had depended on overwhelming force, and sacrificing multiple high-tier undead for a single champion had seemed wasteful.

​But now?

​Now he felt differently.

​The more he understood the true value of [Fusion], the more he realized how shortsighted that decision had been.

Quantity was important, and maintaining a massive army was essential, yet for someone with his Divine Blessing, raw quantity was never truly an issue.

​Potential was.

​And by using a lesser sacrifice, he had unknowingly placed a ceiling over Nyxara’s future growth.

​Cassian felt a faint trace of guilt, not enough to hopelessly dwell on the past, but enough to remember the lesson. He had zero intention of leaving his first champion behind.

​If anything, Nyxara had proven her absolute loyalty repeatedly since her summoning.

From the harrowing battle against the Shadow Treants to the final assault on the Kragmar Dominion, she had always stood at the very forefront of danger without a second of hesitation.

​A champion like that deserved better.

​Cassian’s gaze softened slightly. He would find a way to break her potential limits in the future, one way or another.

​Nyxara noticed him staring. The elven champion tilted her head slightly in confusion, a motion that was surprisingly innocent for someone who had spent the last few hours enthusiastically slaughtering orcs.

​"My Lord?" she asked softly.

​Cassian smiled warmly. "When all of this is over, I’ll introduce you to my mother and daughter."

​Nyxara froze completely.

​Genuine, unadulterated shock appeared across her pale face.

​Multiple chaotic thoughts flashed through her mind in rapid succession:

​The Lord has a family? He has a daughter? What kind of people are they? Will they approve of me? Why does my Lord wish for me to meet them? Should I bring a gift? What do humans consider an appropriate gift? Would a legendary monster’s severed head be too much?

​The questions multiplied rapidly in her mind.

​Yet despite the frantic storm raging beneath her stoic exterior, none of it showed on her face. The elven champion simply straightened her posture and gave a crisp, respectful nod.

​"As you command, my Lord."

​Cassian chuckled softly. "Good."

​Nyxara nodded again, though internally, she was already drafting an intense strategic plan to ensure she made a flawless first impression.

​Cassian, thankfully, remained completely unaware of her internal panic.

​His attention shifted away from her, locking onto the imposing corpse lying in the distance amidst the ruined battlefield: Morghanna.

​Even in death, the former Chief radiated a terrifying, heavy presence. The shattered, cratered earth surrounding her corpse stood as silent testament to the desperate battle she had waged.

​A martial genius who had forcefully broken through into the Grand Circuit Realm. A legendary warrior who had survived twenty-seven [Aura Slashes]. A woman whose iron will had remained unbroken until her very last breath.

​If anyone among the fallen deserved to become a Champion, it was her.

​Cassian’s sky-blue eyes glowed with brilliant cerulean soul-fire. Mana stirred within his core like a sleeping leviathan, and the air around Morghanna’s corpse began to violently tremble.

​A dark, expectant smile spread across his face.

​It was time to raise his second Undead Champion.