Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 289 Noah's Ark (Part 2)

"The siege force is having a tough time, why not let Orlando lead the main force to advance?"

Isabel looked puzzled as she watched Isaiah counterattack with his Rock Armor.

It's not that they don't have someone who can withstand Isaiah; the elven dragon knight Orlando is one of them. Although he doesn't have Isaiah's powerful counterattack ability, his defensive capabilities are high enough that he won't cause too much damage.

If Orlando had led these tree-men in a fierce battle on the city walls, the casualties would definitely not have been so high.

Although commanding the Elemental Baptism units requires a lot of mana, Orlando can sustain it for a period of time.

Isabel looked up at the sky and saw Orlando riding Pegasus, floating in the sky without moving at all.

Levin glanced at the sky, calculated the time, and realized it was time to reveal some information.

"Orlando is not here. Yuna from Cloud Mist City is just a magical illusion. There is only one hero from the Green Leaf family on the battlefield right now, and that is Orlando!"

Isabel was taken aback, but instantly understood what Levin was thinking.

"You want Orlando to lead his troops to counter-encircle Conrad? But Conrad has more than 50,000 soldiers. No matter how capable Orlando is, he needs troops to fight a war!"

Isabel had fought Conrad and suffered losses at his hands, so she knew how formidable he was. Even if Orlando were as strong as steel, it would take 2 troops to encircle him.

But as far as she knew, there weren't that many people left in Cloud Mist City; at most, there were only 1.

"The absence of soldiers at the fortress does not mean there are no soldiers. Don't forget that Orlando is a hero who emerged from the Dragon Cliff Illusion; he holds the secrets of the dragons."

Isabel was somewhat surprised this time. She was aware of the power of illusions, but Esildor had not seen any dragons for many years. Even if Orlando was very talented, he could not change this situation unless there was a major change.

After a moment of silence, Levin spoke: "The Elder Council's Great Prophet of the Forest foretold that natural disasters would arrive ahead of schedule, the dragon's lair would be weakened, and the continent of Aether would enter an even more chaotic era. Fate is already in disarray, and it is impossible to see any further into the future."

This was truly earth-shattering news, and Isabel, as a member of the Elders, hadn't received a single whisper of it. Only Levin, as the frontline marshal and a military leader influencing decision-making, knew this secret.

"Is that why you're so eager to attack Sunset Fortress?"

They had assessed that Sunset Fortress's defenses were formidable, and the main force at the stronghold had been bogged down for a week, which was highly disadvantageous for their attack. However, Leven's final decision remained to attack, no longer waiting for reinforcements from the rear, aiming to secure victory in one fell swoop.

"If this drags on any longer, Bai Yu might return!"

"No one knows why this anomaly occurred, but it is very disadvantageous to us."

If we had to name a race whose level 7 units could defy fate, the Archangels would definitely be near the top. If humanity were to regain control of the angelic legions, no one could claim a guaranteed victory.

"While I still have the secret treasure, I'm prepared to take a gamble! Even if it doesn't work out, Lloyd has already made his move."

Humanity has mobilized its entire nation to defend the pass, and its frontline army has been decimated. Do they really think we don't know? This is a joint battle between him and me; Elton will surely suffer heavy losses!

Isabel looked at Levin's aged, tree-like face and was somewhat moved.

Rumors say that Levin and Lloyd, one ice and one fire, can't stand each other and are vying for military merit to prove their leadership of the Tree People tribe.

But when it comes to the greater good of the nation, there are no personal grudges, only the cooperation of the Tree Legion, all for the sake of Isildur.

The battlefield roared incessantly, filled with the shouts of warriors and the neighing of mounts. The sky was shrouded in the magic of the four elements: swift acceleration, slowing spells, protective stone shields, bloodlust, and exorcism. The cycle repeated endlessly, life and death alternating.

Levin was unusually cold-blooded, as if death was nothing more than a cold number, rather than a vibrant life that one had lived with day and night.

He took out a powerful magic book, and the surrounding space and time immediately resounded with a surging sound.

[Legendary Spellbook - Water (Level 4 Treasure): Allows the wearer to use all level 1-5 water spells (no Wisdom spell required), and can use the first 5 water elemental spells consecutively without loss of health. Subsequent water elemental spells consume half the health.]

Evaluation: A high archmage pleads for your protection. You agree, and he offers you a legendary elemental magic book as payment.

This legendary magic book moves on its own without wind, creating towering waves, as if there were a vast ocean inside.

This treasure was Levin's most prized possession, as Isabel knew, but it alone could not change the course of the battle.

Levin then took out a special treasure, an accessory hanging around his neck that resembled an ark.

Noah's Ark (Level 4 Treasure): When equipped by a hero, increases their Spell Power by 6, Attack, Defense, and Knowledge by 3 each, grants them the advanced special water magic Great Flood, and makes them immune to Great Flood damage. It is one of the components of Chaos Calamity.

Commentary: In ancient times, a great flood descended upon humanity, and living beings survived by drifting on arks for several years.

【Great Flood (Special Water Magic): Unleashes a massive flood, dealing water damage of 20 + 200 spell power to all enemies in the battlefield area. Enemies unable to escape the flood suffer continuous damage and have their attack power reduced by 5 points.】

Levin held up a crystal ball in his right hand, its interior reflecting endless waves.

Water Spirit Ball (Level 3 Treasure): Increases the effect of water-type damage magic by 50%.

Evaluation: A magician begs for your protection. You agree, and he offers you a strange elemental sphere as payment.

By this time, Isabel understood everything. Levin's so-called key to victory was not the Cyclops, siege weapons, or the strength of his army.

During the Demonic Moon, we'll use the Water Sphere, Noah's Ark, and the Legendary Spellbook to flood the fortress.

"This plan will require your cooperation. When the water overflows the city walls, the glaciers will freeze to form ice ladders, which will then be a melee to scale the walls."

Isabel glanced at the troops at the outpost: "Those Cyclopes are a bit of a shame."

Levin said coldly, "There must be sacrifices before the human legions can exhaust their war reserves."

At this moment, Sunset Fortress has raised a huge wind shield to block the Cyclops' ranged attacks.

The giant king Mogo's siege capabilities are simply too strong. The outer city of the fortress has been completely destroyed, and several sections of the central isolation wall have been breached. If they continue to attack like this, the fortress walls will collapse completely.

Left with no other choice, the magic circle raised the Wind God Shield to block the giant's ranged attack.

【Wind God's Shield (Town Defense Level 3 Magic Array): Creates a massive wind shield for a short time to protect the city from all catapults and ranged units. After a certain period, it reduces the opponent's ranged attacks by half until the magic disappears.】

All three magic arrays of the fortress have been activated: the Blazing Walls, the Void Barrier, and the Wind God's Shield.

It can be said that the defense was taken to the extreme, and the superior formations were used to establish an advantage, giving humanity the upper hand in terms of military strength for the first time.

But Leven did all this to unleash a great flood, and once humanity had exhausted all its means and the walls were breached, that would be the time for Isildur to truly exert his power.

Levin's massive body slowly floated into the clouds, surrounded by a spellbook, a water orb, an ark, and a long, withered wooden staff, forming ripples that spun continuously, tearing a hole in the sky.

【Druid Whisper (Bastion Special Tier 4 Treasure): When equipped by a Bastion hero, spell power *2 (base), magic effect duration is increased, magic damage +30%, requires a special building to infuse with the power of nature, otherwise the effect is -50%.

Verdict: Archdruid, your whispers unleash nature's fury, and the whole world listens!

This is a true imperial treasure; the Elders' Council spared no expense for this surprise attack. Without this item, he truly wouldn't be confident in unleashing the terrifying Great Flood.

Levin's movements were naturally observed by everyone, whether it was the fortress, the stronghold, or the human soldiers, none of them knew what he was going to do.

"What is Levin going to do? Is he going to use magic?"

"Why didn't you inform us as an ally? It looks like you're about to unleash a full-scale battlefield spell."

"To cast such magic during the Demonic Moon, does he really think he has a special talent for intelligence?!"

There were doubts, there were sarcastic remarks, but most were simply puzzled by the unknown.

What use is a little magic on such a large battlefield?
"Splash! Splash..."

The sky was pierced, a huge hole hundreds of meters long hung in the clouds, and countless drops of seawater fell from the sky, indiscriminately landing on everyone's heads.

At first, the soldiers only felt a few raindrops on their heads and didn't think much of it, assuming that Levin was joking.

But then five giant holes appeared in the sky, and endless seawater poured in, icy cold, quickly submerging the battlefield. Soldiers immersed in it felt powerless, their fighting ability drastically reduced.

Many people were knocked down by the waves and never floated up again. These waves seemed to have a special magic, and even superhuman forces could not escape them.

The fortified army was also submerged by the flood, but a radiant light shone beneath them, and the flood transformed into giant ships that lifted them to the surface.

An ark made of water, sailing on the water with clear distinctions between the two, is simply magical.

The troops at the outpost also encountered the flood. Isabel used her water-controlling magic to barely withstand the attack of the flood. Taking advantage of this time, the giants ran towards the higher ground.

Towering waves crashed against the city walls. Although the walls were hundreds of meters high, they had been damaged in the previous battles, with many cracks and huge holes appearing. Seawater poured in and instantly filled the walls with waves.

The worst off were the swordsmen legion that attacked from below the city. They offered almost no resistance and were pushed underwater, where they were continuously eroded by water magic and remained there forever. "Quick! Climb the city walls! Find high ground and retreat temporarily!"

Isaiah called out loudly, urging the human warriors to seek refuge.

Although the human heroes immediately used their water-controlling magic, they could only stop part of the incoming floodwaters, and had no good solution for the inundation.

Unlike the fire magic Doomsday Judgment, the Great Flood has weaker damage but sustained output. If it is submerged in water, it will be eroded by powerful water magic, and even the most resilient units will find it difficult to survive.

On the contrary, flying units don't take much damage. Even with the bonuses from various treasures and the Demonic Moon, it's just one wave of damage, and once they get through it, they're fine.

Isaiah's greater concern now lies with the large number of halberdiers and spearmen, most of whom are stationed below the city walls as reserves, ready to replace the swordsmen in fierce battles. Now that the city is completely submerged, the halberdiers' health won't last more than a few minutes, and they could be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Although Sunset Fortress has undergone a large-scale troop reinforcement, most of the troops are low-level soldiers. Halberdiers and their upgraded units account for a full third of the force, totaling more than 30,000 men.

Originally, with the city walls providing protection and advanced troops charging ahead, they only needed to guard the city gates. Now, however, they have all become drowned ghosts.

"Exorcism Spell! Hercules Shield, quick!"

The floodwaters are not invincible; exorcism magic can dispel standing water in a certain area, creating clean landing spots. Meanwhile, the Hercules Shield can absorb the floodwaters, confining them to a specific area and creating a buffer zone for the surrounding area.

Human heroes are desperately using magic to try and mitigate the effects of the flood.

However, the five giant holes in the sky were too powerful. The speed of the flood was beyond everyone's imagination. It submerged Sunset Fortress in almost a minute. With the seawater pouring down, no one could resist.

Everywhere there were screams and wails, as well as the drowning sounds of "coo coo coo".

The relentless waves of the great flood completely obscured the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving only deathly silence.

This flood wiped out at least half of the troops at Sunset Fortress, leaving only a handful of Cyclopes at the stronghold.

With the area nearly flooded, humans had already found refuge.

Isabel then activated her dual-elemental water and air magic, Glacier Freeze, instantly freezing the raging torrent and connecting the three city walls as if walking on flat ground.

Upon closer inspection, one could see the frozen human corpses beneath the ice, mostly halberdiers, with a small number of archers, as well as swordsmen and cavalry. Ranged units primarily attacked from the city walls or towers, thus avoiding being engulfed by the massive flood; at most, they suffered direct damage and were knocked off the walls.

Countless soldiers shivered from the cold, their morale plummeted, and misfortune struck. They gazed at the white, desolate battlefield, their eyes filled with despair.

"Soldiers, stand up! We haven't lost yet!"

"The scum of Isildur have not yet breached the fortress; victory will ultimately belong to us!"

Long live the kingdom!

Isaiah raised his longsword and roared loudly. His sword gleamed silver, as if it could foresee the future, giving everyone a glimmer of courage.

【Prophet's Sword (Level 4 Treasure): Hero Attack, Defense, Spell Power, and Knowledge +5 each. One of the six components of the Angel Alliance combination treasure.】

Review: On your journey, you encounter a ranger engaged in a fierce battle with a horde of zombies. The ranger is on the verge of death and asks you to take his sword. When you wield the sword, the zombies all collapse to the ground, and you obtain a powerful weapon.

The renowned Sword of the Prophet, the most legendary weapon in the vast history of the human kingdom, was used by Isaiah to inspire his soldiers, and it clearly had some effect.

"Pray!" "Rejoice!" "God of Fortune!"

"Pray!" "May the Holy Spirit protect you!" "Healing magic!"

Both sides unleashed powerful support magic, initiating the final melee battle.

The castle troops desperately needed to restore morale and luck, so most of them cast healing spells. Meanwhile, the bastion army was in high spirits, maximizing their damage output and launching melee attacks.

The densely packed army climbed the fortress walls along the icicles and began their bloody grinder.

Even the human troops who didn't drown suffered water magic damage and were in poor condition, no longer as energetic as before.

The human heroes have tried their best to exorcise the demons, but they cannot exempt all the troops from the debuffs.

The scales of victory were gradually tipping toward the fortress, and the signs of the city's fall were becoming increasingly clear, with gaps and breaches appearing everywhere.

Once the sharpshooters are engaged in close combat, they become ineffective and are quickly slaughtered.

The priests persisted on the front lines, using their superior hand-to-hand combat skills to fight against the fortified troops, but it was all in vain.

The Tree Man army suffered heavy losses in the previous siege battle, and very few remained.

However, the main forces of centaurs, dwarves, silver pegasi, and unicorns remained. They concentrated their strength and stormed into the city, engaging in fierce battles, and basically had an overwhelming advantage.

After half an hour of chaotic fighting, the human forces suffered tens of thousands more casualties, mostly wounded and killed. Meanwhile, the stronghold still had a full 70,000 troops. The unicorn army moved with impunity, blinding the humans in the intense light.

If the fighting continues like this, the defending forces will soon collapse.

Isaiah felled a silver winged horse and looked anxiously at the horizon. At this moment, he could only rely on outside help.

He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected that Leven would flood the fortress and then use his troops to lure them into using the Great Formation to bolster his ground forces. He was truly treacherous.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; there's nothing more to say. The shattering of his invincible record is a minor matter; if Sunset Fortress were truly lost, the capital would be in imminent danger.

"Hopefully Conrad can make it!"

Levin used his spellbook to unleash as much water magic as possible, amplifying the army's attack power. Under the influence of the Demonic Moon, few heroes could use magic as recklessly as he did.

We must eliminate the defenders of Sunset Fortress as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to defeat them once reinforcements arrive.

But fear always comes as promised.

A thunderous roar came from the distant horizon, a thousand riders surged forward, and a silver figure brandished his lance, arriving a little earlier than scheduled.

The speedy knight Murak, as the vice commander, demonstrated his greatest role.

The cavalrymen were stunned as they stared at the frozen Sunset Fortress. They hadn't expected it to fall so quickly.

It is unknown how many commanders remain in the city, or whether the human forces are still capable of fighting.

In the cavalry's view, the icicles in the snow were filled with Isildur's soldiers.

Can we still fight a war like this?
The knight commander stepped out from the ranks, mounted his warhorse, and addressed the enemy at the front.

"After overcoming countless hardships to return to the heartland from the north, we are met with a shattered city. Perhaps there are no reinforcements, or perhaps our comrades inside the city have already given up. What awaits us is a fierce battle."

I know that all of you, including myself, are mortal beings and cannot be invulnerable.

"I'll be afraid, I'll feel pain, I'll die!"

"But our mission is here, and the people of the kingdom who need our protection are waiting and looking to us."

Think of the beautiful meadows of our hometown, the sweet river water, and our beloved family. If we don't stand up, tomorrow they will be the ones drowned—our wives and children, our fathers and mothers!
Why do we fight? Not for nobles, kings, or even the chivalrous spirit we've upheld since we started learning horsemanship.

We raise our swords for this day, so that we can personally continue the hope, instead of helplessly watching our loved ones being slaughtered.

"Tell me, cavalryman, are you willing to charge with me?"

The cavalrymen were panting heavily, their visors barely concealing their burning red eyes and brows. They were like explosives compressed to their limit, ready to blast a giant hole in the earth at any moment.

Draw your spear, spur your horse, and charge forward!

All in one go.

The ice on the earth was trampled into fragments, and the water holes in the sky were pierced by the gleam of armor.

charge! charge! charge!

The glory of the cavalry, the hope of the kingdom, is embodied in this moment.

The wind whistled past my ears; I cast aside everything else, focusing only on the enemy ahead.

The Iron Curtain, which reigns supreme in the fear of humanity, returns to the battlefield.

(End of this chapter)