Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 396 Unstable Magic Lamp and Advanced Combined Magic

The Arcane Empire has sent no fewer than 10 heroes this time. Apart from the legendary hero Somra, the others are all lords who govern their respective regions, each with their own strengths.

In fact, given the Arcane Empire's resources, producing several sets of combined treasures would be no problem, but the empire has existed for too long and has experienced many upheavals.

Not only do the Void God Cult and the Wisdom God Cult check and balance each other, but even the Ring Tower and the regional governors are wary. Legends like Somra who have returned must slowly integrate into the core circle and prove themselves through their military achievements before they can return to the upper echelons of the empire.

This is why Somra was determined to attack Silvercap after losing the Battle of Winterfell; he had to prove his abilities.

Su Mu had a clear understanding of the genie's intentions, which is why he deceived everyone and mobilized all his forces to fight against Somra, resulting in a crushing defeat. If it were a different general, perhaps he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to act. Instead, he could have surrounded Silvertop City, besieged it for a year or two, and let Isidore cause trouble. Su Mu would have quickly exposed his weakness due to insufficient troops fighting on two fronts.

Often, war is a continuation of politics.

"Five heroes of the Arcane Empire perished in this battle. It's a pity they failed to capture Ovid and Yuna; the Thunder God's Pendant is still in their hands!"

Ivan examined the treasures and riches, and gathered information on the heroes. In the final pursuit, he also captured two heroes of the Arcane Empire.

The strongest swordsman first brought up a male alchemist. He didn't have many wounds, and it seemed that he was just trying to escape and was unfortunately captured.

"Spare me! Spare me. I'm not familiar with Somra, and I didn't want to attack the North, but I'm bound by the Tower of Circles, and I really have no choice."

The alchemist knelt and begged for mercy, showing no regard for the dignity of a hero.

However, at that moment, Cedrus walked out from the side.

“Lloyd, bishop of the Dark Void branch of Karius, is skilled in crafting Void items. He frequently tortures fairies, subjecting them to inhumane acts. He is a staunch supporter of the Void and is notorious within the cult.”

While others might not be entirely familiar with the Arcane Empire's heroes, Sederos, who had spent a considerable amount of time in the City of Wisdom, knew them inside and out. In battle, a mere glance at his opponent's features, combined with his True Sight, was enough to understand their abilities, allowing him to effortlessly decide when to unleash his Blood Burn spell.

Upon hearing this, Lloyd's expression changed, and he pointed at Cedrus: "You...you're talking nonsense..."

Su Mu glanced at the other person and waved his hand: "Drag him away and execute him!"

"Spare me! You villain have wronged me! Spare me..."

Lloyd was quickly dragged outside the tent, where the strongest swordsman carried out the execution, surrounded by arcane prayer masters. Immediately after the killing, magical destruction was carried out to ensure that no one remained.

After a scream, Lloyd's head fell to the ground, followed by a powerful surge of magical energy that blasted a large crater, leaving not even ashes behind, and his soul dissipated.

In the previous battles, Kuraki's fights were mostly life-or-death struggles, and he couldn't hold back at all, especially since his enemies were of no value.

The battle of Silver Peak City was too large in scale. Even after killing several heroes who put up fierce resistance, some people were still captured. However, the heroes' characteristics were quite obvious. Kuraki's side doesn't just take in any trash. If there are any suitable ones, they can recruit a group to surrender. If not, it doesn't matter. Better to have none than to have the wrong ones.

Next to be brought up was a familiar face, Vera Cyber, the Alchemist Guardian. She appeared during the initial probe, using her alchemical body and electrical spells to inflict considerable damage on Silvertop City.

She was the commander of the army group, and unexpectedly she was also captured. It just goes to show that the Jurchens were really not good at escaping.

"Vera Cyber, a disciple of the Void Master Yamal, strayed into the Dark Forest and had most of her body devoured. She was later infused with a gilded body and became a hero with the special talents of a golden man, making her a good match for a hero proficient in lightning magic."

This time, Cedrus's statement was more neutral, indicating that he has a good impression of Vera. As for the trouble caused by the fighting between the two armies, it actually demonstrates Vera's capabilities.

Ivan glanced at her: "You're willing to leave the Void and submit to Silver Peak?"

Vera gritted her teeth, glanced back at the desolate battlefield, closed her eyes, and remained silent. Although she was sometimes scheming, even ignoring the sacrifices of the Jurchens in order to curry favor with the powerful, from a commander's perspective, such heavy casualties coupled with a crushing defeat were simply unacceptable.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Su Mu waved his hand.

Just as Ivan was about to take her away, Cedrus stopped the soldiers and walked up to her.

“I’ve heard Beatrice talk about you and your mentor. You were supposed to be a promising alchemist, but you offended a descendant of a mage from the Tower of Circles and were lured into a dangerous area during the trial, where you lost your body.”

Your mentor exhausted his magical power to reshape your body in order to save you. However, he was already unpopular within the Cult of the Void, preferring to be a loner and unwilling to integrate. Before he had fully recovered, he was sent on an expedition and lost his life.

"After that, you lost your backer, and your personality changed drastically. You were no longer the clever and kind alchemist you once were. You became obsequious to the powerful and wealthy, single-mindedly wanting to climb the ranks and become a henchman of the Void God Cult, constantly strengthening yourself."

I don't believe you've been tamed. If you still harbor hatred and want revenge for your mentor, you can join Silvercap City, because I will definitely settle accounts with the Void Cult!

Upon hearing Cedrus's words, the gilded light in Vera's eyes turned scorching hot, her gaze turning blood red.

"Stop talking! Stop talking!"

The scars that had been suppressed deep within her heart were suddenly exposed, igniting a surge of inexplicable anger in Vera. She thought she had hidden them well enough, but she hadn't expected that the people of the Throne of Wisdom would still notice. But if that was the case, how could she possibly hide it from the powerful figures of the Cult of the Void?

"The void is merciless; they merely enjoy your suffering and play with you like a toy."

Once your usefulness is exhausted, that's when it's time to end.

Vera thought it over carefully and realized that the recent war had indeed made her appear more often, and she had even frequently done things that were detrimental to the Throne of Wisdom. Now that she thought about it, she was probably not far from being dealt with.

She stood up and looked directly at Cedrus: "Would you dare use someone like me?"

She thought Cedros would reply, but instead, everyone's attention turned to Lord Kuraki.

Su Mu glanced at her and said, "To be honest, your prized magic skills are nothing compared to mine."

But Cedrus believes you have value and will spare your life. You are all Avengers, and I respect the astrologer's wishes.

If anyone else had said that, Vera would have scoffed. Even if she had ulterior motives, the fact that the Church of the Void wanted to use her abilities shows that she was quite powerful.

But when the person in front of her said such a thing, Vera had no doubts. The other party was a human lord who had fought against Somra's 10-strong army with only a few thousand men. This battle had completely refreshed her understanding. Even if Su Mu said now that he could unify the continent, it didn't seem like bragging.

[Vera Cyber ​​(Alchemist Guardian): Attack 4, Defense 8, Spell Power 5, Knowledge 4.]

Loyalty: 0, Willpower: 86.
Characteristics: Alchemist body, enduring hardship and humiliation, with a hidden heart of revenge.

Advanced Alchemical Body, Intermediate Defense Technique, Advanced Electrical Spells, Advanced Air Element Mastery, Intermediate Water Element Mastery.

Su Mu had naturally used his Qi Observation skill to assess her; Vera's characteristics were indeed impressive, and paired with Cedros, she could expand the versatility of tower units. Silvertop City, as the only tower city, was indeed lacking in heroes; having another support character would be a significant improvement.

"You have high hopes for her!"

Su Mu didn't say much, letting Sidelos take Vera back. Surrendered generals naturally face initial sealing restrictions, and the Eight Kings Palace had similar methods, but Su Mu wouldn't waste the opportunity. He handed her over to Sidelos; astrologers also had their methods, and how to tame her was up to Sidelos's abilities. Besides the two captured heroes, there were some commanders, but most had been killed. Apart from a few of Vera's golden guards, the remaining troops lacked loyalty, and the alchemical creations had a weakness—they were controlled by the Arcane Empire and couldn't be recruited.

Su Mu also looked down on this group of puppets controlled by force; such a force would only lower morale if they joined.

After dealing with the prisoners of war, he and the heroes began to inspect the treasures, which was truly a great harvest.

Dragon Armor (Level 4 Treasure): Increases hero's attack and defense by 4 each. One of the nine components of the Dragon King's Divine Power combination treasure.

Evaluation: On your journey, you encounter an elderly weapon maker who previously received a favor from you. He then uses dragon scales to assemble a beautifully crafted breastplate.

The first thing you see is armor made of sturdy dragon scales, radiating a fiery aura and faintly containing a dragon's might, making ordinary creatures hesitate to approach.

In numerous battles, Kuraki has collected many parts of the Dragon King's Divine Power. The current problem is that the Dragon King's Divine Power requires nine pieces to be worn simultaneously, and ordinary heroes' curse power cannot be worn. Even if all the pieces are collected, it is difficult to obtain. Moreover, the difficulty of crafting and upgrading treasures is higher than that of ordinary combination treasures.

Of course, this is a happy problem. Who would worry about having too many treasures? They'll always come in handy someday.

[Politician Medal (Tier 4 Treasure): Enhances the effects of diplomacy, reduces surrender costs by 10%, reduces enemy hostility by 1, and increases city security by 1 (reduces the probability of enemy destruction).]

Evaluation: You helped the diplomat fix his axle. He presented you with a medal, saying, "It will help you persuade others."

This badge is dazzling and highly persuasive; it's practically an essential item for any diplomatic hero.

【Traveler's Ring (Tier 3 Treasure): Increases unit speed by 1 in battle and increases pathfinding effect by 20%. It is one of the components of the Windrunner Treasure.】

Evaluation: You visited a local wise man and recounted the hardships of your journey during your conversation. He turned around, took a strange ring from his pocket, and gave it to you.

The Traveler's Ring gleamed with golden light, even surrounded by a whirlwind. It was unexpected that the other party carried such a treasure. Fortunately, Cedrus altered the astrological moon; otherwise, given the speed of the Tower troops, they could probably have gathered even more forces.

Water God Boots (Level 4 Treasure): Allows your hero and the troops under your command to float on water, but the destination must be land (requires action points).

Evaluation: You visited a local wise man and recounted the hardships of your journey during your conversation. He turned around and took a pair of strange boots from his pocket.

The other treasures were one thing, but Su Mu was genuinely pleasantly surprised to see the Water God Boots.

This is no ordinary treasure; it is a treasure of considerable strategic value. With the Water God Boots, one can walk on rivers, lakes, and seas as if they were on flat ground.

Ordinary heroes might be worried about their mobility being affected by the environment when carrying treasures. But Kuraki has the bandit Wayne and the high-speed Wind Erosion Knights. If Su Mu inherits the logistics skills and leads the Wind Erosion Knights, and wears the Water God Boots, crossing a small sea area should not be a problem.

Moreover, the valley is crisscrossed by rivers, and if Isildur were to fight in this area, the Water God Boots would be an absolute blessing.

The surprises didn't stop there; they discovered a special gold pouch among a pile of gold coins.

【Golden Pouch (Level 4 Treasure): Provides 1000 Spell Power Gold Coins daily.】

Evaluation: On your journey, you find a leather bag filled with gold. It once belonged to a king who could turn everything he touched into gold.

Kuraki already possessed the gold bag and the gold pouch, and now he had acquired the most profitable gold pouch. Maggie, who was present, was beaming with joy.

With her dream-like financial management skills, Maggie alone can generate the equivalent of the converted gold coins of several cities. As the mistress who manages Kuraki's money bag, she is naturally the mistress in name and in fact.

To be honest, these two treasures were somewhat unexpected, since they weren't particularly relevant to increasing combat power. However, as their most prized possessions, many heroes carried them with them, since attacking Silver Peak City was just a side trip. No one expected such a crushing defeat, leaving Kuraki to reap the benefits.

In addition, they also seized some individual pieces of the combined treasures, but these were all treasures that Kuraki already possessed.

[Thor's Helmet, Crown of Wisdom, Crimson Dragon Sword, Black Magic Sword]

With the Arcane Empire's resources, producing a few loose pieces would be easy. Some were destroyed on the battlefield, but these are what remain, which can be used to equip the heroes.

However, besides these, there is a most powerful treasure, which is also the foundation upon which the genie relies.

Unstable Lamp (Level 4 Treasure, Evolving, Damaged): Before battle, you can choose one of two lamp prayers.

Prayer 1: Hero's attack, defense, spell power, and knowledge increase by 3-7, and the speed of the troops under his command increases by 0-3.

Prayer 2: Can continuously enhance one (1-3) types of magic for friendly troops (automatically released at regular intervals; the magic must be mastered by the hero).

Evaluation: After being sealed for many years, this magic lamp appears somewhat unstable, but it is gradually regaining its power.

A near-level 5 treasure! For evolution-type treasures, the appearance of unstable affixes indicates that they are accumulating power to advance, and since this magic lamp is the foundation of Somra, it must have received the greatest investment of resources.

In this battle, the buff magic fluctuations were perhaps relatively small, so Somra opted for an all-attribute enhancement, without showcasing any particular power. However, if Su Mu were to equip it, with the enhancements from Chaos Wisdom and Money Luck, it would be virtually invincible.

The only problem is that the magic lamp has been damaged and corrupted by dreams, so it needs to be dealt with.

Su Mu glanced at the broken lamp, which was filled with crimson mist and a trace of golden light, which should be the remaining soul of Somra.

This is a hot potato; if used properly, its power can be greatly increased. I still need to take it back and study it carefully.

That's basically all the treasures we've acquired, along with some gold coins and resources.

[Gained 85000 Cursed Power Coins, 75 Logs, 98 Primal Stones, +24 of various rare resources, and +15 Alchemy Dust]

Hero promotions, treasure acquisitions, and a surge in resources—all these are the glorious achievements of the governor.

[Due to a series of combined effects, your talents as governor have become increasingly prominent, +1 Knowledge, and you have gained access to advanced magic.]

【Advanced Combined Magic: Increases the damage of attack magic by 20%. Triggers an additional effect when using area-of-effect magic (for every 3 points of spell power a hero has, the magic effect is increased by 50%, that is, if a hero has 6 points of spell power, the magic damage is increased by 40%).

When casting a group spell, there is a low chance of jumping (power reduced by 50%, maximum 1 jump).

Rating: Your magic is unstoppable!

This time, Su Mu can also call himself a top-notch mage. Magic Leap still needs to wait for a high-level skill combo, but he is still very strong for now.

What a glorious victory!

(End of this chapter)