Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 410 The Destruction of the Celestial Realm

No wonder Zeke was so shocked; there's always been a legend about Elton.

When war rages, territories fall, the land is scorched, and humanity's people are driven to desperation, the Chosen One will bring the will of light, seeking out the most reliable and trustworthy warriors of ancient times to fight alongside humanity, eradicate all heresy, and restore peace to the world!

While there are many legends, this one has been proven true. The last time Bai Yu was born, it was the human ancestors who led the angel legion to establish the Kingdom of Elton in the chaotic battlefield.

Thousands of years later, Elton is once again facing a crisis of national annihilation, and everyone naturally hopes for the arrival of a new hero.

Before this, the most favored were naturally the Kingdom Twins, who were superior to other heroes in terms of both achievements and strength.

But after the Battle of Silver Peak City, Su Mu, with his overwhelming strength, became a candidate for the Chosen One. After all, defeating 10 with only 8000 and winning so decisively gave all of humanity hope. Such a feat is rare even in epic stories, let alone in reality. If he isn't the Chosen One, then who is?
This prophecy was crucial in explaining why so many nobles in Congress sided with Sumu. Many believed Sumu would be the hero who saved Elton, and naturally, they couldn't possibly be his enemy. Even if there were past misunderstandings, they had to let bygones be bygones; otherwise, would they really want to fight against the chosen one?
There are true gods in the world of heroes!
However, Su Mu's only flaw is that he has not yet taken command of the angels.

Kuraki's troops are powerful, but angels are the only true proof of humanity's legitimacy. If one day Kuraki builds a city in the clouds and recruits lost angels, then even Phinexia would likely have no choice but to step down, and the parliament would unanimously support him without any objections. That is the meaning of angels.

However, there is now another twist. If the eldest prince, Gaunt Finaxia, really discovers the City in the Clouds, then is he the true chosen one?
A royal son turns the tide and saves the kingdom from peril? This scenario seems quite fitting for a chosen one.

"Let's go in and scout ahead. The Crusaders will hold the line, and the Demon Hunter Priests will keep a close watch on the surroundings. We can't let our guard down!"

The legion of several hundred men entered the illusory void. The moment they stepped inside, Zeke felt a pang of fear. Having spent years hunting demons in Highgarden, he had dealt with countless terrifying monsters and possessed extraordinary intuition.

Although the green fields stretched out before him, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, for some reason, he felt that this place was full of deception, and that everything seemed unreal.

However, this concern was not enough to stop his troops. Cloud City had disappeared for thousands of years, and even if it reappeared, the path to explore it would be fraught with setbacks. Zeke had anticipated this. His purpose in coming to the ruins was first to confirm the veracity of the Cloud City news, and then to analyze the situation. If it was too dangerous and beyond their capabilities, they would call for a large force.

"Where is Prince Gaunt? Is he still inside?"

"The prince is just ahead, leading a group of disciplined ascetics, and he is standing on the mountaintop."

The fact that the eldest prince discovered these ruins indicates that the royal family still has some clues about Cloud City, and he wanted to hear their opinion before exploring it.

Furthermore, Speaker Quentin specifically instructed them to check if the eldest prince showed any unusual behavior, since he had disappeared for several months and then suddenly reappeared, which might indicate that he had been controlled and abducted by someone with ulterior motives. Also, Gaunt's decision not to return to the capital but instead wait at the ruins, while plausible, was still somewhat strange.

There is too much magic in the world of heroes, so we must be careful. Witchers have a keen intuition for special conditions, so Zeke is the best choice for this mission.

When Zeke reached the summit, the first thing he saw was Gaunt, surrounded by ascetic monks. Gaunt's skin had darkened, as if he had been exposed to the sun and wind for a long time. His once handsome appearance had become somewhat sinister, and his eyes looked cloudy.

But these are minor details. The eldest prince had been living a life of luxury before, and it's understandable that he wandered outside for a while and had a fortuitous encounter with Cloud City. The real test will have to be observed by the demon hunters.

Zeke's eyes instantly turned pitch black, like viscous ink, staring directly at Gaunt. The other's entire body, even his shadow, was imprinted into the Witcher's eyes. All the tiny pieces of flesh were shattered and transformed back into the most basic elements.

Zeke examined each of these elements, scrutinizing every detail. He noticed that the eldest prince's life force seemed somewhat weak, like an old man flickering in the wind—a condition that shouldn't exist in a robust young man. Just as he was about to continue observing, the flesh and blood elements reconverged, swept away by the shadows on the ground, transformed into a white feather, and coalesced into Prince Gaunt.

[Advanced Demon Hunter Insight: Grants knowledge of enemy weaknesses and dark attributes, increasing damage dealt to normal enemies by 15%; against enemies from Hell, Necropolis, Dungeons, and those with dark attributes, it increases damage by 20-50% (the higher the enemy's level, the greater the damage; maximum damage is applied to level 7 and above enemies), and has a 50% chance to disrupt enemy resurrection magic, purifying their soul.]

Demon Hunter Insight is specifically designed to target humanity's most powerful enemies and eradicate heretics.

Generally speaking, even a level 7 demon can be instantly identified by a demon hunter, revealing its weaknesses and dispelling any concealment. Unless there is a divine artifact-level concealment, Zeke is quite confident in his skills.

However, he rarely showed doubt in front of Gunter. Although the eldest prince was weak and did not seem to be under control, his condition was somewhat strange.

“Cough cough cough…” Gunter stepped forward.

"So it's Lord Zeke. A few days ago, while I was investigating clues about Cloud City, I was attacked by the undead and cursed by the cemetery. I haven't fully recovered yet."

Fortunately, they received help from Duke Peter, defeated the undead, obtained the blueprints left by their ancestors, and, following the royal guidance, discovered the ruins.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"I informed the Minister of Trade immediately, and Duke Peter also knew about it, so he specially sent a group of ascetics to provide support. But I dared not publicize it, because there seemed to be a hidden heresy in the capital."

This city in the clouds is very well hidden. It had been drifting in another world for a long time, and even when it occasionally appeared, it was difficult to catch.

I was only able to barely build a ladder to the heavens, leading to the unknown world, by relying on the bloodlines of Bai Yu and Finaksia.

While I can't be 100% certain of the Cloud City's authenticity, based on my innate senses, there's a 50% chance it's real!

Zeke nodded after hearing the eldest prince's explanation.

It turned out he had been attacked by the undead, and coupled with the bloodline exploration, his weakened state was understandable. Moreover, he had the support of Duke Peter. As the leader of the Disciplinary Ascetics, the Duke was the only divinely ordained duke, and would likely be more acutely aware of heresy. If Gaunt could gain the Duke's approval, there would be virtually no problem.

Zeke gradually lowered his guard and asked, "Cloud City doesn't seem to have entered the illusion yet. How should we explore it?"

Gunter said, "I only learned about the angel legion thousands of years ago after obtaining clues about the ruins. It wasn't that the angel legion suddenly disappeared, but rather that it gradually faded from human sight after a great battle with the evil god legion from another world."

The battlefield isn't in the world of heroes; it connects to outer space. We need to ascend the Heavenly Ladder, reach the ancient ruins battlefield, and find the lost spatial coordinates to rebuild the Cloud City with the resources we need.

This answer wasn't surprising; Zeke hadn't intended to acquire Cloud City directly—it wasn't that simple. On the contrary, Gaunt's point was quite reasonable: to recruit angels, one must first overcome a series of challenges.

Gunther reached the summit, taking the lead as he ascended the seemingly ethereal ladder to heaven, with the ascetic monks following closely behind.

They drew closer and closer to the magnificent rainbow city in the sky, and could even hear sacred hymns.

Seeing this, Zeke no longer hesitated and led his men up the ladder. The seemingly illusory steps were actually very sturdy, so there was no need to worry about falling.

After walking a few hundred meters, Zeke suddenly stopped. He smelled a decaying odor in the ruins above, filled with deathly silence and desolation. Even if Cloud City was in ruins, it shouldn't look like this, right? This made him hesitate.

Gaunt and the ascetic turned around and asked with a smile, "Lord Zeke, are you afraid? The ruins are indeed full of dangers. If you really can't handle it, you wait outside while I explore the area!"

That's a bit insulting. As a demon hunter hero, Zeke has seen all sorts of strange monsters. Even if the ruins ahead are dangerous, he's confident he can escape. Moreover, he has special means of communication and is sure he can get firsthand information.

"Go! Keep going!"

After walking several hundred more steps, the human army gradually disappeared into the vast sea of ​​clouds.

At this moment, the holy prayers become even louder, but if a devout priest were here, he would be filled with panic if he listened for too long.

For these sacred prayers are blasphemous!

(End of this chapter)