Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 324 Flame Advancement
Upon entering the canyon, a wave of intense heat hits you, making it difficult even for heroes to withstand.

This place has become almost like a giant furnace, where only special fire-attribute plants grow, making it difficult for ordinary creatures to survive.

The Crimson Moon covers a vast area; at least across the expansive lands of the continent of Aether, the climate is extremely hot.

This is beneficial for heroes who are proficient in fire and for units baptized by fire elements; it may even lead to the discovery of some exclusive fire-attribute treasures.

Liliana walked to the Stone of Wisdom and placed her hand on it. Instantly, a warm current flowed up her arm and back into her body, making her feel comforted. The usually raging fire element became gentler, allowing the hero to control it more precisely.

As you approach, the smooth surface of the wisdom stone begins to swirl, answering many questions that have troubled you for years. Then the stone suddenly comes to a standstill, but you have already benefited greatly.

Influenced by the astrological moon, the fire element is more concentrated and easier to control, flowing into your body and giving you a deeper understanding of it.

[Liliana gains +1 Knowledge, learns Intermediate Fire Elemental Mastery]

Liliana happily raised her hands, and crimson flames swirled around her, transforming into a bird. It was still in the form of an undead, without a single feather, only a skeleton formed of flames. It chirped a few times and then turned into sparks and scattered away.

Due to her undead role, Liliana didn't engage in many battles. In addition, she joined the game relatively late, so her development was naturally far less than that of other heroes. However, the addition of the Wisdom Stone and the acquisition of Intermediate Fire Elemental Mastery were still of great help to her.

"Your Majesty is truly gifted and possesses unparalleled wisdom! You can gain enlightenment with just a glance at the Wisdom Stone; you are truly a role model for us all!"

Uli immediately began praising her. As a wizard of his shrewdness, he had seen it all. Just by looking at the attitude of the Dark King beside him, he knew the status of this beautiful vampire noblewoman before him.

If it's a chess piece that's been carelessly discarded, or a vase that's just for fun, she's unlikely to use the Wisdom Stone first. Buildings or treasures that can enhance heroes are incredibly valuable, and no one would use them to do someone a favor unless they already possess them.

Looking at Liliana's excited expression after her promotion, and the way she glanced at Su Mu at first glance, it was clear that this woman had been won over. It was always good to say a few nice words.

Su Mu also stepped forward to receive the wisdom stone's infusion, but unfortunately, his bottleneck was too deep, and it was clear that this amount of knowledge was not enough to break through it.

You gained experience from the Wisdom Stone, but clearly didn't gain much.

This was to be expected, given that Liliana's foundation was still relatively shallow, and some experience would be enough for her to improve. Su Mu, on the other hand, had already made significant achievements on the path to becoming a governor, making further promotion much more difficult.

However, as long as he continues to accumulate experience, there will eventually be a time when he can unleash his full potential. He felt that the Chaos Wisdom Technique and the Money Luck Technique had already shown some signs of improvement. Perhaps by cultivating a few more outstanding heroes and winning a few more battles, he would be ready.

Compared to fighting wars, cultivating heroes obviously yields greater benefits.

People like Ivan and Orin are already very powerful, and advancing in rank is not easy for them. But people like Cedros, Forrest, and Liliana are relatively easier to advance in.

In particular, Cedros is needed by Silvertop City this time. With his potential, as long as he is not affected by the blood poison, he will shine brightly.

Su Mu turned to look at Uli: "You are a soul wizard, you must be very knowledgeable, have you ever heard of the curse of the genie?"

Upon hearing Su Mu's question, Uli revealed a ghostly fawning expression, his bones even forming a "shy" smile: "You flatter me, I only have a little knowledge of souls."

He then fell into deep thought, carefully recalling the curse. Uli usually studied black magic and soul magic extensively, so he was naturally familiar with curses, but the magic on the other side of the tower was very mysterious, and even he had rarely heard of it.

"If they are just ordinary gods and monsters, they can cast buff or debuff magic, and they only exist on the battlefield. If they are stronger Protoss, their blood has the property of eternity, and can be made into special poisons or curses, which can be fused with alchemy to erode the hero's magical power."

But a curse that even you cannot break is likely related to magic lamps that have existed for thousands of years. These lamps are sealed in a special area, unable to return to the cosmos, and leave behind a special toxin similar to mind magic. Essentially, it's a curse combining the soul and magical power, and once tainted, it's very difficult to break.

However, this thing isn't very powerful; if a hero's individual attributes are high enough, they can't be invaded.

Su Mu recalled the situation of Cedros and found that it did indeed fit this characteristic. As a novice hero, he was not strong in terms of defense and physique, which is why he was unable to resist the infection of the toxin.

The person who created this toxin is now obvious; there is no other possibility but Somra. The Arcane Empire is also divided into factions: the Throne of Wisdom is relatively peaceful, mainly focusing on magical exchange and academic discussion; the Void Cult, on the other hand, is much more domineering and filled with a thirst for war.

The anti-war protests in China, and the subsequent forceful crackdown, might very well have been a power struggle between two factions. Meanwhile, a genius has emerged on the Throne of Wisdom side, and some people, not wanting him to grow, have resorted to despicable means.

Geniuses are indeed rare, but if they cannot be used for my purposes, they are my enemies.

Moreover, the genie disregards worldly rules and doesn't care about them; he only cares about fulfilling his master's wish.

“Is there any solution?”

"The best way is naturally to use a treasure that can strengthen the soul, making its power stronger, so that it can manipulate curse power. Improving curse power alone is the least feasible, because his magic and curses are bound together, and the stronger the energy, the faster he will die."

If you have a strong enough physique and resistance, that's a good option, but ultimately it's not sustainable.

Su Mu glanced at Uli, nodded, and said nothing more.

The Soul Wizard is exceptionally cunning, and it's hard to tell whether this advice is true or false. He said that soul treasures are crucial, but these kinds of treasures are the easiest to tamper with, and by emphasizing his own importance, he's even more untouchable.

However, they did mention some factors related to physical constitution and resistance, which are indeed effective.

It's hard to tell what's true and what's false, but this Uli does have some substance.

Liliana approached and asked, "I encountered the Nightmare Knight while I was on the run, and some of my men were captured by him. Do you know anything about their situation?"

Uli paused for a moment, then hurriedly jogged and led them into a cave where hundreds of people were lying dead. Most of them were troops from the stronghold, but there were also some monsters captured in the wild.

"They did send over a few vampires, but I'm not sure if any of them are the ones you're looking for."

Liliana stepped forward and examined them one by one. There were several princes and several counts. Among the last few vampires, she found Akasha, who had lost an arm and a leg. This royal guard's face was covered in blood, and she was seriously injured.

However, for vampires, these are basically minor injuries. As long as they are alive, they can make up for their physical damage by drinking blood.

"Akasha!"

After a jolt, the Queen's guards did not wake up from their coma. Indeed, if they were so easily awakened, it would be impossible to leave this group of extraordinary troops here.

"They have been poisoned by a special soul poison from the ancient ruins, and an antidote needs to be made using a soul crucible."

Liliana was about to ask him to refine it, but she held back and turned to the lord instead.

Su Mu said, "Take the unconscious vampire away, kill the rest, and turn them into skeleton soldiers."

Even with the Soul Cauldron, which could transform higher-level undead, Su Mu did not fall into the trap of greed. He had not forgotten that the current crisis was not yet over.

Upon hearing the lord's words, Liliana did not hesitate and made a kill gesture to her subordinates. Soon after, the entire cave was filled with blood.

Uri witnessed this from behind. Bones' expression remained unchanged, but he was definitely not at ease.

The Soul Wizard knew that encountering such a calm lord would not be an easy way to escape.

(End of this chapter)