Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 380 Heart of the Gale
Hearing the strange meowing of a cat and seeing the ring fall out, distant memories flooded Su Mu's mind. He then remembered that he had obtained this special ring during his last meeting with the wandering scholar.

"It seems we are indeed destined to meet. This deal wasn't originally yours, yet you've been dragged into it. Not bad!"

After speaking, the scholar gently waved his hand, adding some special functions to the ring.

【Cat's Ring (Unknown Level Treasure): Divine Luck +1, a special attribute. If you really can't understand it, you can treat it as Luck.】

Comment: It won't take up a treasure slot; it seems the so-called growth of a hero simply means gaining the favor of certain people.

Since this treasure did not require any space to be occupied or consume any magical power, Su Mu did not take it seriously and simply carried it with him as an ornament.

At first, he did have some expectations, perhaps that it would trigger some special events, but as time went by, nothing happened, so he forgot about it. He didn't expect it to suddenly pop up today.

However, Su Mu couldn't care less about the ring right now; he was more focused on the treasure that was being prayed for.

"Could the Heart of the Gale mentioned at the altar be a lie?"

The scholar was somewhat displeased and said sullenly, "How could that be? I'm not that kind of guy, hiding my true colors and pulling any tricks."

"If you can make the choice, you may choose any of my knowledge and treasures!"

After saying that, he pointed to the box next to him.

Su Mu stepped forward, opened the treasure chest, and saw a heart-shaped pendant formed from a raging wind.

【Heart of the Gale (Tier 3 Treasure): Immune to level 1-4 air elemental magic damage and increases resistance by 50%. Heroes can use this to allow troops to cross obstacles, the length of which is affected by spell power.

Evaluation: The Heart of the Gale, formed from concentrated wind element, is rumored to be a component of a powerful artifact.

Su Mu held the Heart of the Gale in his hand, feeling a rare sense of exhilaration.

Who says you have to find the Thunder God's Pendant to deal with Somra? The Heart of the Gale is also a very good treasure, and Sumu can reuse it. The Altar of Gold Elemental Recruitment is only missing it.

Of course, Su Mu wouldn't exchange the Heart of Gale at such a crucial moment in dealing with the Arcane Empire; that would be tantamount to being a fool.

Although Su Mu dared to confront the Arcane Empire, he would not underestimate his opponent. As a power with a history of tens of thousands of years, the enemy might have internal conflicts and be unable to exert its full strength, but its foundation was still sufficient.

Since Somra used his clone to participate in the battle last time, he will most likely have obtained information about Kuraki Hideo. Unlike previous battles, the opponent will definitely be very well prepared. Even with a combination treasure like Titan's Arrow, he will look for something to counter it.

But the last battle against Somra didn't showcase Su Mu's full strength. Ivan's Crimson Curse Armor hadn't been revealed yet, nor had the Holy Blood Vial appeared, allowing for further advancement. And the new Wind Erosion Cavalry and Crimson Knight were his trump cards.

The enemy's understanding of Kuraki may still be based on the last battle, but in reality, the development of his territory and heroes is extremely rapid, which may give Somra a surprise.

Having obtained the Heart of the Gale, Su Mu was naturally relieved and even asked the wandering scholar, "What exactly is hidden in the Void Cave? Could the great scholar from another world reveal some information?"

The wandering scholar waved his hand: "Don't try to flatter me, I don't fall for that! But I might as well tell you now."

In fact, this void portal wasn't opened for you; it was a trap set by someone from the Arcane Empire targeting Kuraki.

However, he has something to ask for, and you happen to have something to ask for as well. I'm always fair, so I'll give you two a chance to clash.

Hearing the wandering scholar's words, Su Mu instantly understood that the heroes of the Arcane Empire had likely played a role in the void cave. As for the difficulty? It was simple: the monsters that came to challenge them!

In a sense, they were monsters sent out by the wandering scholars, but unfortunately the guardians of the Void Caverns failed to hold them, and the construction of the portal naturally fell through.

Su Mu asked with some doubt, "You didn't also get the Heart of the Gale from the Arcane Empire, passing it around from one hand to the other, with the middleman making a profit, did you?" The wandering scholar was momentarily embarrassed, coughed a few times tactically, and then said righteously, "How could that be? If the Arcane Empire had such a treasure, they would have used it against you long ago!"

Thinking about it that way, it seems to make sense. If someone has such a special treasure, they would definitely use it to deal with him. Although it cannot withstand Titan's Lightning, it can defend against many air elemental magics.

After that brief moment of confusion, Su Mu's mind quickly returned to the present. Not taking it from the Arcane Empire didn't mean he wouldn't take it from elsewhere. In any case, these things definitely didn't belong to the wandering scholar himself. He had accepted multiple promises, but due to the risks of making choices, he would only succeed in one of them. From this perspective, it was practically a sure-fire way to make a profit.

Now, Su Mu sees wandering scholars as nothing more than unscrupulous merchants.

He bypassed the other party, walked straight to the broken connection, stepped over the ruins of the poison pool, and arrived at one side of the void cave.

Goode and the injured Wind Erosion Knight were lying on the ground, too exhausted to get up.

It was indeed a fierce battle, and Goode had done his best to complete the mission. Without his desperate efforts, the situation in the Poison Cave would likely be much worse. It just goes to show how deadly the trials of the Wandering Scholar truly are.

"You did a great job!"

Su Mu stepped forward, patted his subordinate on the shoulder, and began his reincarnation.

The Wind Erosion Knights have high health points, making them difficult to revive, but their numbers are small, and Su Mu's magical power is barely enough to handle them.

After casting a spell, the Wind Erosion Knight emerged from the shattered earth, touching his intact body with an incredulous expression.

Even the most resilient warrior will gain new insights after walking on the brink of death.

This legion will face even more brutal battles in the future, and hopefully they will gain experience from them.

"Completely destroy the foundation of the teleportation array!"

Upon hearing the lord's order, Goode and the knights immediately carried it out, smashing the foundation of the Void Array's magic circle to pieces, making it impossible to restore.

The wandering scholar floated to the side, somewhat regretful: "Such a good teleportation array, you could have entered the Arcane Empire if you had stayed. Why aren't you even reluctant to leave?"

Su Mu was speechless. Did they really think Cang Mu was so strong that he could easily crush an ancient empire? He only fought against the Arcane Empire to seek peace through war. Otherwise, the other side would never have let them go. As long as they could withstand one of the other side's attacks, they would have the leverage to negotiate. Otherwise, the other side would not even give them a second glance.

Actually, Su Mu really didn't want to fight if he could avoid it.

He spent the entire night pondering the consequences of Conrad's death, fully aware of the immense risks involved.

But if he could be ridden on by the Arcane Empire without putting up any resistance, then Elton would truly have no hope left. Therefore, even if things collapsed, he would still fight.

But for this great battle, he needs to be fully prepared.

So Su Mu looked at the wandering scholar and took the initiative to make a request: "I remember you offered astrology as a condition last time. I happen to have an astrologer under my command who needs your guidance."

The wandering scholar looked at Cedrus, nodded, and then laughed, "My business... cough cough, knowledge is priceless, you'll have to offer something good in exchange!"

Su Mu's eyes were firm: "Don't worry, as long as it's not too outrageous, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

The wandering scholar clapped his hands and cheered: "Great! I like guys like you!"

After saying that, he pulled Cedros and Sumu into the void. With a wave of his hand, the sun and moon changed, the stars shifted, and the astrological art outlined dozens of constellations in the sky, changing unpredictably.

(End of this chapter)