###
[Drain essence.]
[You gained 600 essences.] x 5
[You gained 2500 essences.] x 1
Frail found more of the elites on his route back.
[You now have 4770 essences.]
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<td width="100%">
Corpse Extractor upgrade
-Allows you to extract boss/alpha level corpses
Costs 2000 essences.
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</table>
He peered at the alpha carcass. Might as well.
[You purchased the corpse extractor upgrade.]
[You now have 3,670 essences.]
Eight fresh corpses sprawled on the coarse crypt floor. No beast dared meddle a line of armored skeletons, no matter how alluring the corpses they hauled smelled.
Within seconds, all the corpses vanished into ashes.
A familiar line of messages flashed.
[Corpse extraction complete. You gained 2500 essences.]
[You now have 6,170 essences.]
[Extraction summary]
[5x sable furred dark beast. Total essence: 1500]
[1x sable furred dark beast - alpha. Total essence: 1000]
Not much…
He had too many checklists to clear before a 20,000 essences purchase wrestled its way up top. Defense-wise, Frail would be wise to focus on his domain lord—he had no plans on dispatching his constructs outside when the invasion came. His current formation proved sufficient in dealing with non-goblin-related enemies, even without the buffs of his domain.
Besides, his domain lord was two levels away from the tier-2 level threshold.
<table style="border-style: solid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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Skeleton Commander (Shielded) (Sword)| Domain lord
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Construct Level: 8
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Type: Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Strength: 35
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Dexterity: 9
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resilience: 25
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resistance: 12
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic: -
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Traits / Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skeletal Body
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undead Veil
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Commander’s aura(2)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Deadly charge
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Lord’s wrath
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Domain Skill : Warrior’s standard (D) (2)
</td>
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</table>
Frail opened its upgrade menu.
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Domain lord upgrade - Skeleton commander - level 8 - Tier 1 | Next tier: level 10.
</td>
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Attribute increase: Increases 1 attribute by 4. Costs: 800 essences. Raises level by 1. Can be upgraded twice.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Ability upgrade - Commander’s aura - 3 - Now adds +15 strength, dexterity, and resilience. Costs: 3000 essences. Raises level by 3.
Requires tier 2 construct.
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Ability upgrade - Deadly charge - 2 - Temporarily increases strength by 30% for 15 seconds after skill activation. Costs 1200 essences. Raises level by 2.
</td>
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Ability upgrade - Lord’s wrath - 2. Attribute increase is raised to 25%. Heals 10% integrity when activated. Costs 1200 essences. Raises level by 2.
</td>
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Domain Skill upgrade - Warrior’s standard - 3 - Changes spawn from Warriors to Guards, and archers to rangers. They are leashed to the floor the domain lord is assigned. Costs: 5000 essences. Raises level by 3. Requires tier 2.
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Upgraded weapons(1) - Strengthens the domain lord’s weapons. Next level provides + 8 strength, +7 dexterity. Costs: 1500 essences. Does not raise construct level.
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top">
Upgraded armors(1) - Strengthens the domain lord’s armor. Next level provides + 8 resilience, and +8 resistance. Costs: 1500 essences. Does not raise construct level.
</td>
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</table>
Attribute increases and ability upgrades were beneficial to him. Deadly Charge’s 30% strength buff complemented the other additional attributes it gained through its auras and lord’s wrath.
Lord’s wrath… Proper usage would end fights otherwise impossible. The heal was handy, too; ten percent wouldn’t turn the course of a battle on its own, but it would reverse the outcome of a close one.
He’d be lying if the tier-locked upgrades did not spark his interest. It spoiled the tier-2 upgrades of his current constructs—warriors turning into Guards, the archers into rangers—and Frail assumed they would come to his aid regardless of the respective construct’s unlocked status.
[You purchased the lord’s wrath upgrade.]
[You spent 1,200 essences.]
[You now have 4,970 essences.]
He watched his domain lord shiver. It didn’t increase in size, yet it felt instantly more threatening than it used to be—a change Frail couldn’t quite describe.
[Skeleton commander can now be upgraded to a tier 2 domain lord.]
[To upgrade to the next tier, it will require:]
[2000 essences.]
[Commence tier-2 evolution?]
Yes.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
The skeleton commander shuddered. Its bones crumbled under its weight. What once was a tall, imposing commander shrank into a pile of armor pieces.
[You now have 2,970 essences.]
A blob of liquid ash coalesced from his domain floor beneath the remains of his domain. Pale lines stretched from its diameter and rooted into the cold, coarse slab surface, forming the basic silhouette of a monstrous humanoid.
[Two upgrade paths found.]
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Brute Skeletal Lieutenant (Shielded) (Sword)| Domain lord | Tier 2
</td>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Construct Level: 10
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Type: Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Strength: 65
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Dexterity: 25
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resilience: 65
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resistance: 25
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic: -
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Traits / Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skeletal Body
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undead Veil
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Brute’s aura(2)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Brute charge(2)
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Brute lord’s wrath
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Crushing Blow
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Domain Skill : Brute’s standard (D) (2)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
[Skill evolution - Brute lord’s wrath]
[Raises all attributes by 20% for 30 seconds. Further boosts strength by 10% and all its attacks heals itself by 10% of the damage dealt. Cooldown: 1 minute.]
[Skill evolution - Brute charge]
[Grants a physical barrier to the domain lord once the skill is activated. Barrier health: 1x(resilience).]
[Skill evolution - Brute’s aura - 2]
[Grants all undead constructs in the same room +8 strength, +8 dexterity, and +8 resilience. Grants 5% lifesteal to all nearby constructs.]
[Domain skill evolution - Brute’s standard - 2]
[All attacks of constructs within the domain receive a 30% damage buff. Spawns 5 (D)skeletal Warriors and 3 (D)Skeleton Hounds that are leashed on the floor the domain lord is assigned to. They do not count toward the construct limit. They retain all your associated construct upgrades. They respawn in one day upon death when your domain is not attacked.]
[Evolution into Brute Skeletal Lieutenant unlocks the tier-2 Skeleton Hound construct.]
[New skill - Crushing blow]
[Generates a shockwave that cleaves through enemies on its path. Deals purely physical damage based on 5x strength. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
The term brute described its attributes well—sky-high strength and resilience paired with decent speed to enhance its effectiveness in combat. Frail had no complaints in terms of its abilities and its attribute spread. It had no magic to speak of, but it didn’t need it to be effective.
Brute lord’s purpose changed from its tier-1 counterpart. Its speed granted it the option to go purely offensive. Its lifesteal effects ensured its and its brethren’s longevity in fights. Should the time come when Frail battled a singular, robust enemy, then Frail could count on this variant to finish the job.
With physical dominance, its total attributes reached a number Frail could only dream of.
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Construct - Skeleton Hound | Combatant | Tier - 2
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Construct Level: 10
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Type: Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Strength: 20
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Dexterity: 15
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resilience: 10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resistance: 5
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic: -
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Traits / Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skeletal Body
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undead Veil
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Crushing bite
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Beastial regeneration
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
[Crushing bite: The following bite deals 2x damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds.]
[Beastial regeneration: Heals 0.5% integrity per second.]
This option replaced the free archer constructs with hounds. Fast, monstrous, deadly creatures perfectly suited for the domain lord’s strengths. Being tier-2, they were marginally stronger than his warriors, but not by much.
Next…
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Eldritch Skeletal Lieutenant (Sword) (Staff)| Domain lord | Tier 2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Construct Level: 10
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Type: Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Strength: 45
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Dexterity: 10
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resilience: 45
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resistance: 35
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic: 45
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Traits / Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skeletal Body
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undead Veil
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Eldritch’s aura
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Eldritch charge
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic blade
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Eldritch blast
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Domain Skill : Spellblade’s standard (D) (2)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
[Skill evolution - Eldritch charge]
[Covers the lord in a veil of magic. It charges toward the target location, dealing 1x(magic + strength) damage along its path. Afterwards, it teleports back to its original location. Increases strength and magic by 15% after skill activation.]
[Skill evolution - Eldritch’s aura]
[Grants all undead constructs in the same room +8 strength, +8 dexterity, and +8 resilience. Imbues them a magic barrier, which shatters after taking 0.5(magic) damage. The magic shield will reappear after 1 minute if constructs do not take any damage afterward.]
[Skill evolution - Magic blade]
[Imbues the lieutenant’s sword with magic. It deals extra magical damage based on its magic attribute. Buffs all of its attributes by 15%. Lasts for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute.]
[Domain skill evolution - Spellblade’s standard]
[All weapon attacks of constructs within the domain receive a 10% magical damage buff, its values derived from The domain lord’s magic attribute. Spawns 5 (D)skeletal Warriors and 3 (D)Skeleton Wights that are leashed on the floor the domain lord is assigned to. They do not count toward the construct limit. They retain all your associated construct upgrades. They respawn in one day upon death when your domain is not attacked.]
[Evolution into Eldritch lieutenant unlocks the Skeleton Wight construct.]
[New skill - Eldritch Blast]
[Fires a bolt of eldritch mana using the lieutenant’s staff. Deals magical damage based on the unit’s magic attribute. Cooldown: 1 seconds. ]
Magic and strength. It wielded a sword and a staff—a combination of weapons Frail was quite unfamiliar with. The mastery in magic came with a slight cost; this option removed its shield, which robbed a chunk of its previous tank utility.
However… if he played his cards right… the ceiling of its potential reached higher than its other option. Eldritch blast supplemented Frail’s ranged needs, and its magical imbuements allowed Frail’s formation to cover a broader berth of damage types. His experience with necrotic damage taught him a valuable lesson—that there would come a day when mere physical attacks wouldn’t cut it.
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Construct - Skeleton Wight (Staff) | Combatant | Tier - 2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Construct Level: 10
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Integrity: 100%
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top" width="33.3333%">
Type: Undead
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Strength: -
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Dexterity: 5
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resilience: 10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Resistance: 15
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Magic: 20
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top" colspan="3">
Traits / Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Skeletal Body
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Undead Veil
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Eldritch blast
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top">
Eldritch mending
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
<td style="vertical-align: top"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
[Eldritch mending: Heals an undead construct. Heal amount is derived from this construct’s magic attribute. Cooldown: 10 seconds.]
The wights replaced the three free archers his domain skill imparted. If he must compare them; wights were archers that dealt magical damage with minor healing capabilities.
Two difficult choices… Both solved a different problem. If Frail needed pure force, then he’d go for the first option. If he wanted utility and versatility, he’d go for the second.
Ultimately, he found the eldritch knight a better fit for his needs. Magic had always eluded him since his first domain lord option. Now, it eluded him no more.
The blob formed into a hulking skeletal humanoid once he confirmed his decision. What replaced his previous domain lord was an entirely different beast: a fully armored skeleton wielding a blade and a staff, with gems adorned on its helmet and chest plate. A long azure cape swayed as it rested its feet on the crypt. Two pairs of glowing blue embers flickered within its eye sockets, peering through the darkness of its weathered helmet. Its armor pieces rasped and clattered as it moved about.
Its staff embedded a dark, clouded gem. Frail swore he felt a spark of magic whenever he turned his gaze away from it.
His Domain archers dissipated into ashes. Three staff-wielding skeletons with a tiara fastened on their skulls took their place. Their staffs mirrored the one grasped on his domain lord’s hand, albeit smaller.
The domain lord’s imposing stature relieved much of Frail’s worries.