Chapter 9: Fusing Undead Soldiers

[Skeleton Soldier]

Classification: Basic Undead Troop

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: D Grade

​The most common soldiers of the Undead Legion. Skeleton Soldiers are reanimated remains infused with necrotic energy from the Nether World. Though individually weak, they are tireless warriors that know neither fear nor pain.

​Unlike living troops, Skeleton Soldiers require no food, water, rest, or morale. They will continue fighting until every bone in their bodies is reduced to dust.

​While their combat ability is unimpressive, their true strength lies in their numbers and unwavering loyalty.

​"A single skeleton is insignificant. A legion is another matter entirely."

​Skill:

​[Slash] (Grade: Standard) The Skeleton Soldier swings its weapon in a straightforward attack. Though simple and lacking technique, repeated strikes by large numbers of Skeleton Soldiers can prove surprisingly deadly.

​Effect: Deals 100% of normal weapon damage. Low mana consumption. No cooldown.

"Crude. Simple. Effective."

​Cassian read through the status window as he stared at the organized formation of skeletal soldiers.

​’So this is the limit of what I can achieve with my current Lord Seed.’

​Because he possessed a D-rank Lord Seed, his summons were locked to D-grade potential.

Troops with D-grade potential could only grow as far as the Elite rank, meaning Cassian himself would eventually hit a ceiling at the Noble Lord stage.

​Across the cosmos, the hierarchy of Lords and summons was divided into nine distinct tiers.

​For Lords, the ranks progressed from Novice, Established, and Noble, to Grand, High, Archlord, Sovereign, Divine, and ultimately Eternal. Summons followed a parallel progression: Common, Advanced, Elite, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythic, Divine, and Eternal.

​Under normal circumstances, a D-rank Lord Seed meant Cassian was permanently hard-capped at the third rank. Not even Infinite Mana could bypass that fundamental law.

​But that was where Fusion came in.

​Cassian stared intently at his troops as a critical question surfaced in his mind.

​’Would fusing them increase their inherent potential, or would it only improve their current rank?’

​This was a question he desperately needed answered.

​If Fusion only raised a troop’s rank while leaving its potential untouched, then his D-rank Lord Seed would remain a heavy shackle.

No matter how powerful a soldier became, its ultimate growth would always hit a wall. A D-grade entity could only go so far before plateauing completely.

​If that were the case, he would eventually face the exact same bottleneck that had halted his progress in his previous life.

​’But if Fusion can upgrade potential itself...’

​Cassian’s eyes gleamed with intense anticipation.

​If Fusion could break those boundaries, then even the lowliest Skeleton Soldier standing before him could one day ascend into something cosmic.

​Cassian had never heard of a treasure capable of upgrading a Lord Seed, though he knew one had to exist somewhere within the vast expanse of the Lord’s Domain.

For now, however, his entire future hinged on the true limits of his Divine Blessing.

​Focusing his gaze on the front row of skeletons, Cassian spoke in a firm, commanding tone.

​"Fuse."

The Blessing responded instantly.

​A faint golden light descended from the heavens, enveloping three of the Skeleton Soldiers standing in the front row.

The skeletons remained motionless as countless strands of luminous energy began pouring from their frames, bones, soul fires, and necrotic essence drawn outward and suspended within the shimmering glow.

​The three skeletons began to dissolve, their forms breaking down into streams of radiant particles.

Yet, rather than scattering into the night air, the particles converged toward a central point, like three rivers merging into a single, roaring current.

​Bone fragments fused together. Necrotic energy compressed. The three distinct soul fires combined into a larger, far brighter flame.

​The golden cocoon hanging in the air shrank and refined, as if an invisible cosmic hammer were repeatedly forging the gathered essence into something superior.

​A few seconds later, the light trembled before bursting outward.

​A single Skeleton Soldier stepped out from the radiance.

​Its frame was noticeably taller and sturdier than before. The bones possessed a dense, polished sheen, and the pale blue soul fire within its eye sockets burned with fierce intensity.

Even the rusted sword in its hand appeared sharper, free of corrosion.

​Before Cassian could inspect its attributes further, a glowing system prompt materialized.

​[Fusion Successful.]

​[Skeleton Soldier (D Grade) ×3 > Skeleton Soldier (C Grade)]

​[Potential Increased.]

​For a brief moment, Cassian simply stared. Then, his eyes widened.

’​Potential!’

​It was the potential itself that had been elevated, not merely its current level or raw statistics. Its very growth ceiling had been shattered and raised.

​A slow, breath-stealing grin spread across his face.

​He had expected Fusion to be powerful, but he hadn’t anticipated it being this broken.

The difference between a D-grade entity and a C-grade entity wasn’t just a matter of numbers, it was a completely different evolutionary path.

​Looking out over the silent legion waiting before him, Cassian felt his heart pound against his ribs.

​If three D-grade soldiers created a C-grade soldier... then three C-grade soldiers could create a B-grade soldier. And from B-grade to A-grade...

​The possibilities were endless. The Fusion Blessing was far more terrifying than he had dared to imagine.

​Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, Cassian cleared his mind.

​’No time to waste. Let’s keep going.’

​Cassian resumed the process. The golden light flared again and again across the barren ground as he systematically fused his forces.

​His initial army of 360 D-grade soldiers condensed to 120 C-grade soldiers.

Then to 40 B-grade soldiers.

Then to 13 A-grade soldiers.

​Finally, after one last synthesis, four imposing skeletal figures stepped forth from the blinding light.

​Though they were only four, the oppressive aura emitting from their frames was far greater than all 360 original soldiers combined.

[Elite Skeleton Knight]

Classification: Elite Soldier

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: S Grade

​An elite skeleton specializing in direct combat. Unlike ordinary Skeleton Soldiers, Elite Skeleton Knights possess remnants of martial instincts carried over from their former lives. They serve as the backbone of an Undead Legion’s front line, excelling in both offense and defense.

​Their bones are denser, their soul fire burns brighter, and their combat prowess far exceeds that of ordinary undead.

​"Even death could not strip them of their skill at arms."

​Skills:

​[Aura Blade] (Grade: Standard) Channels necrotic aura into a weapon strike, increasing damage.

​[Aura Parry] (Grade: Standard) Reinforces the weapon with aura, allowing the Knight to deflect incoming attacks.

​[Elite Skeleton Archer]

Classification: Elite Soldier

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: S Grade

​Elite ranged combatants capable of delivering accurate fire from great distances. Their skeletal frames are lighter than those of Knights, allowing them to maintain remarkable precision while conserving energy.

​Many enemies perish before ever reaching the Undead lines.

​"Death often arrives from afar."

​Skills:

​[Rapid Shot] (Grade: Standard) Fires multiple arrows in quick succession.

​[Lone Shot] (Grade: Standard) Focuses all power into a single arrow, increasing penetration and accuracy.

​[Elite Skeleton Tank]

Classification: Elite Soldier

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: S Grade

​Towering undead warriors built for defense. Their bones possess exceptional durability, allowing them to endure punishment that would shatter lesser undead. They excel at protecting allies and holding strategic positions.

​"A wall of bone that refuses to fall."

​Skills:

​[Reflect] (Grade: Standard) Uses reinforced bone armor to partially reflect incoming damage back to the attacker.

​[Taunt] (Grade: Standard) Draws the attention and hostility of nearby enemies, compelling them to focus their attacks on the Tank.

​[Elite Skeleton Assassin]

Classification: Elite Soldier

Race: Undead

Grade: Common

Potential: S Grade

​Masters of stealth and silent execution. Elite Skeleton Assassins move with unnatural silence despite their skeletal forms, excelling at eliminating high-value targets before disappearing back into the shadows.

​Among the undead, they are the embodiment of sudden death.

​"The dead make no sound when they hunt."

​Skills:

​[Stealth] (Grade: Standard) Conceals the user’s presence, reducing the likelihood of detection.

​[Backstab] (Grade: Standard) Delivers a devastating strike against an unaware target, greatly increasing damage when attacking from behind.