Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 340 Lunar Eclipse
[Lunar Eclipse (Mars): A special celestial phenomenon of the astrological month that devours the power of fire and increases the chance of disaster.]

All unit types experience a 50% decrease in perception at night, dreams become closer to reality, and the dream world becomes extremely dangerous (an absurd ancient god will invade). There is a certain chance of failure when using fire element attacks/fire magic, and you may encounter an unknown being devoured.

Manic intent makes heroes and units more prone to anger, reducing morale by 2.

The moment Fao saw the lunar eclipse, he was overjoyed; it was one of the most beloved astrological lunar phenomena among the dead. Calamities might be bad for the living, but what could be worse for the dead?
As for the -2 morale, the undead don't need it at all. It's a pity that 2 morale points are a bit low, otherwise it would be better.

In particular, the undead have a natural advantage in nighttime perception, and even after being weakened, they are still stronger than most other unit types.

This time it was a super-enhanced attack. If they had known it was a lunar eclipse, Katherine wouldn't have needed to act as bait. They could have just lurked out at night and turned the fortress upside down.

Of course, there's another major characteristic: the dream world will closely resemble reality. Although there will be dangers, many incredible treasures and resources will appear in the real world.

Nightmare Beasts, for example, do not belong to this world; they live in a strange dream space.

The reason why the ancient ruins were able to recruit them was that they obtained special buildings during the distant lunar eclipse, which allowed the Dark Knights to advance.

Danger and opportunity coexist; that's what a lunar eclipse is.

Fao stared at the erupting volcano without any panic. He had already seen the unique illusion of Crimson Flame through the violent lava.

It appears to have gathered the fiery power of the entire astrological month, forming a powerful illusion at the moment of its end.

After some thought, Fao summoned a Nightmare Knight.

"Take a few people and go through the hills to the valley to meet the mysterious person. I'll head over there after I've dealt with the illusions here."

The Nightmare Knight nodded silently, and the Nightmare Beast beneath him gradually became ethereal, entering a special space.

He dared not delay in obeying the orders of the Undead Grand Duke, but it would be a pity to miss this opportunity.

Fao has already noticed that there is a treasure inside, which may be helpful for the next part of the plan.

So he led the remaining army and they all leaped into the volcano, walking along the mountain walls, completely unafraid of the scorching lava.

……

Su Mu and a large number of vampire troops flew towards the hills, only to discover an erupting volcano dozens of miles away. He immediately decided to change course and head to the volcano.

Astrological and lunar anomalies always indicate the appearance of a large-scale illusion. The current volcanic eruption, with its strong magical reaction, is most likely the cause.

According to Su Mu's estimation, this should be a fire-attribute illusion, containing corresponding treasures and creatures, and even special buildings that have been baptized by fire elements.

At this moment, the main force of the stronghold should have been transferred away and surrounded in the direction of the border city and the Far Forest, so they won't be chasing too closely.

He led the vampire legion to scout the area. If the illusionary power was too strong, they would retreat. If there were any benefits to be gained, they would take some along the way.

The Vampire Prince, a super-tier unit, cannot be baptized by ordinary mountain fortresses, which is why the strongest swordsman's supernatural baptism is considered abnormal. However, the Prince is not the end; the rest depends on the hero's development.

Even if a fire-elemental baptismal building appeared in the illusion, it wouldn't be very attractive; he couldn't possibly take over this place while surrounded by Isildur.

Su Mu preferred a fire element treasure so he could take it with him.

But when he arrived near the volcano, he discovered an even better gift than the illusion: the Nightmare Knight!
As Su Mu discovered the Nightmare Knight, Fao naturally saw the vampire as well. He immediately cursed, lamenting that the other party had arrived at the worst possible time.

He had arrived a step ahead of time and, braving the volcanic eruption, had already explored most of the illusionary realm.

This is a highly sophisticated fire-themed illusion that summons the Kingdom of Flame. It contains a large number of fire-elemental-baptized troops and special treasures.

From what he has sensed so far, there is a Fire Spirit Orb, a Sulfur Ring, a Flame Pendant, and a special dragon treasure.

Fireball (Level 3 Treasure): Increases the effect of fire-type damage magic by 50%.

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

The Fire Orb is a very useful treasure, a boon to any hero proficient in fire elemental magic. The Sulfur Ring is a rare resource treasure, while the Flame Pendant can resist fire magic. As for the last treasure, Faol estimates it to be one of the components of the Dragon King's divine power.

Of course, the Kingdom of Flame can also perform fire element baptisms, which greatly enhance the strength of its troops, but he doesn't need to use them for the time being.

The land of fire also underwent changes due to the lunar eclipse.

【Dreamfire Kingdom: A mysterious place where magical power converges. You can upgrade your troops here, and there is a chance to be baptized by fire elements. There is also a small chance of experiencing dream mutations.

Medium Illusion: The illusionary realm that gathers fire elements undergoes a mutation, and can be used to baptize level 3-6 troops. The number of times it can be used is limited.

[Undergoing formation: Not yet fully completed; the nation will only be able to unite after the lunar eclipse ends.]

If this were near ancient ruins, Faol would absolutely have to take it over, which would be a huge boost for Nightmare Knight.

Even now, he wants to try to mutate the Nightmare Knight, but the kingdom is not yet fully completed.

Su Mu was also surprised to see the Dream Flame Kingdom, but he was even more worried. Giving the barrier such a powerful upgrade structure meant that the opponent's strength would likely increase once again.

If it's just a simple baptism of fire elements, it's nothing special. But if there's a dream-related mutation, then the troops might receive a new boost.

For example, the strongest swordsman and the vampire prince are special sequences of soldiers, and the dream world also has its own unique sequences.

Speaking of kingdoms, the most famous in the world of heroes is the Dragon Kingdom, which possesses a powerful dragon bloodline. Of course, not every unit can inherit it, but as long as there is a certain affinity, the advancement is extremely powerful and extraordinary.

If possible, Su Mu would rather forgo the treasure than leave such a special building for the stronghold.

Fortunately, the nation-state has not yet fully formed, so there is still room for maneuver.

The priority now is to eliminate Faol and his Nightmare Knight, seize the treasures here, and cause as much damage as possible.

"Who exactly are you? It's impossible for two vampire kings to exist at the same time. You stole the characteristics of the Night Queen; do you intend to devour her?"

"Stop trying to sow discord, let's finish this quickly. None of us want the stronghold to benefit from this, so let's settle things once and for all!"

Seeing the Nightmare Knight disappear into the Void Dream Realm, preparing to launch a sneak attack, Su Mu didn't want to waste any words. He directly took out the Titan's Arrow and activated a thunder spell.

Liliana had fought against Fao before and was quite familiar with the enemy's characteristics.

A powerful Nightmare Knight with abilities to counter vampirism and gather spirits, boasting exceptional attribute bonuses.

These methods might work against the Dark Queen, but they're not enough against Su Mu.

Even amidst raging flames and flowing lava, Titan's Arrow descended from the sky, cleaving the flames and shattering the terrifying knight of the dream world.

With a single blow, six Nightmare Knights were blasted into dust.

It was extremely surprising that six of Fao's strongest dual-element baptism troops, numbering only about a hundred, were so easily wiped out.

More importantly, he instantly recognized Su Mu's magic.

"Titan's Arrow!"

However, this is not the most terrifying thing.

Faced with the powerful Death Knight, Su Mu personally led these more than 1000 vampires.

With his attributes and skill bonuses, he can increase the vampire's attack by 36 (58) points, defense by 36 (57) points, and health by 180 points.

Is the Nightmare Knight very powerful?
That depends on who you're competing against.

Before the Dark King, they are utterly vulnerable!
(End of this chapter)