Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 479 The Duel of the Wizards
When the Orling arrived on the battlefield, the Divine Sacrifice Cannon played an extraordinary role, with a long range and strong attack, making it very suitable for fighting grouped undead forces.

Both the Lich Legion and the Night Skeletons were very dense. After being bombarded by the giant cannons several times, hundreds of Liches were killed and thousands of Night Skeletons were killed. There were craters of bones everywhere, and the dense aura of light even burned on the spot, completely purifying the soul fire of the dead.

Left with no other choice, the undead forces began to disperse in order to minimize the damage from the giant cannon bombardment.

This put the undead army in a dilemma. If they ignored the sacrificial cannons and let Orling continue attacking, tens of thousands of troops would be wiped out quickly. But if they went to a distance to restrict Orling's cannons, they would have to abandon their current encirclement, wasting the advantage they had built up.

The flames engulfing Gaunt's body grew stronger and stronger, his anger beyond words. He was about to annihilate the enemy when a spoiler appeared and struck right at their weak point.

The Divine Sacrifice Cannon is so overpowered that it's not even as strong as it is against a different hero or faction, yet it's surprisingly effective against the Undead Legion.

Gunter knew this was not the time for impotent rage, and the necromantic fire of the undead quickly cooled his thoughts, transforming him once again into the cold and ruthless chosen lich.

"First, wipe out this cavalry regiment. Mlak is cursed by me and will continue to weaken."

"As long as we destroy their mobile forces, a dozen or so giant cannons won't be able to touch us!"

Even if Ouling is very powerful, he doesn't have enough troops. He can easily launch a surprise attack to eliminate these ballistae, but if he launches a surprise attack now, he will be playing right into the enemy's hands. What if reinforcements arrive later? Should they still fight?
Being transferred back and forth, and given Kuraki Hideo's strong individual combat abilities, he is likely to be defeated.

The immediate priority is to concentrate firepower to encircle and annihilate the entire legion. It's better to break one finger than to injure all ten. Gaunt was determined to wipe out the enemy before him.

With the help of the Death Knights, the outer army of liches was finally freed and began to gather a death cloud, which was then released directly into the vicinity.

The Lich's Death Cloud is the most unique among all ranged attacks. It is a group attack, but it will not damage friendly undead within the area. At such close range, it can be released without aiming and will always hit the enemy.

"boom!"

When dark clouds gather and death quietly erodes life, even a knight with such resistance will inevitably feel discomfort. Flesh and blood will rapidly drain away, and soon a skeleton will be left.

Being attacked by nearly a thousand liches at close range, the Champion Cavalry and Wind Erosion Knights were on the verge of collapse. Worst of all, they were also being harassed by Death Knights, a double blow.

Gaunt's thinking was clear: if they wanted to continue attrition, they'd have to pay with their lives. Liches weren't valuable to him anyway; with a high-ranking Chosen Lich King, he had a constant supply of troops. At worst, he could just wipe them out this time and collect more. As long as he could destroy the cavalry regiment, it was worth it.

Seeing that Goode and Murak were once again under siege, Gaunt dragged the dark prophet sword toward them.

"Let's go, take the Wind Erosion Cavalry Regiment and retreat. I'll be enough to hold Gaunt back!"

Murak was already severely injured, and the continued fighting worsened the curse. Now, a thin layer of ice had formed on his body, making him move increasingly slowly. Anyone who approached him would even be corroded by the frost and slowed down.

This curse is most likely related to curse power. After Gaunt absorbed the attribute, his curse power increased again, causing Murak to fall into a desperate situation.

Now he was just a burden, and the Champion Cavalry had suffered heavy losses. They would probably be wiped out after two more waves of attacks. At this point, Murak simply stopped thinking about escaping. He wanted to use his life to hold off Gaunt and buy time for Kuraki's army.

As the eldest prince, Gaunt should have been the hope of the kingdom. Even if he were to fall short, he could have remained a leisurely prince. Instead, he betrayed his own name, betrayed the Kingdom of Elton, and deceived his people with the ruins of Cloud City. This is simply unforgivable.

The undead are indeed despicable, but this is hatred between opposing factions. Gaunt is a double curse; whether it's Murak or the Kingdom Legion, anyone with even a shred of affection for this country cannot forgive him.

Therefore, even at the cost of his own life, Murak was determined to perish together with Gaunt.

However, Good did not give up on him. He rode alone to the scene, used the power of the Crimson Curse to alleviate the frost, and then simply joined forces with Murak to protect him and deal with more and more enemies.

"What cavalryman under Conrad's Legion would abandon his comrades?"

"Besides, I am now the Knight Commander Kuraki, and I would never allow the Duke to be disgraced. If Gaunt wants to kill you, he'll have to step over my dead body first!"

Seeing how stubborn, even inflexible, Goode was, Murak didn't know what to say for a moment.

Those who know Goode are aware of his strong will and unwavering perseverance. Once he sets his mind on something, no matter what setbacks he encounters, he will never change his mind.

During the Knight's Trial, he stayed in the stables studying horsemanship, day after day, undeterred by the monotony. Yet, at the final moment, he pressed forward with unwavering courage, following his inner guidance even without a high-ranking warhorse or other assistance.

His chivalrous spirit is the foundation of his achievements, and Goode could never give it up.

Murak looked at Goode's resolute expression as he pulled off his mask, somewhat angry, but in the end he could only smile helplessly.

"Alright, in that case, let's have a go at Gunter!"

The two knights spurred their horses and charged forward, ignoring the enemies around them, aiming for Gaunt.

Both of them are speed-type heroes. Once they activate their riding skills, they are almost like lightning, completely unstoppable.

Seeing their commander charge, the Champion Knights and Wind Erosion Knights were greatly encouraged. No matter where they were, they turned around and charged towards the central army of the Lich Kings, each one a thousand men, crushing the enemies in front of them.

Upon seeing this, Ouling immediately opened fire, unleashing a barrage of cannon fire at the army of lich sorcerers.

Violent explosions echoed through the ranks, with bones and pieces of flesh flying everywhere, yet the cavalrymen weaved through the blasts unscathed.

What a joke! You think advanced spirit cannon technique is just for show? Even though it's thousands of meters away, Oling can hit exactly where he points without missing a beat.

If it's said that Death Knights are too spread out to be easy to fight, then surely it's easy to aim at Liches that are everywhere.

Just then, Ouling had a sudden inspiration, and his lips moved slightly, as if sending out some kind of signal.

Under the bombardment of the giant cannons, light enveloped the battlefield, and Gaunt could not even see what was happening a few dozen meters away.

Suddenly, a spear struck, aiming straight for Gaunt's back. But he was prepared. With the blessing of divine favor and the infusion of extra attributes, his defense was impenetrable, and even his back and the top of his head could be clearly observed.

Sensing the power of this elemental energy, Gaunt felt that the enemy was Goode, since Goode was not injured and was still at full strength, so it was normal for him to be the first to attack.

But what do they want? Do they think they can behead two Cavaliers captains?

He commands thousands of liches, and his life-sharing ability can withstand extreme damage. Unless the opponent launches an attack with more than 500 cavalry and inflicts damage on him simultaneously, it is impossible to kill him. Therefore, Gaunt remains as steady as Mount Tai.

Gunter raised the Prophet's Sword to block the fatal blow with his back. The spear and the sword clashed, sparks flying instantly.

However, to Gaunt's surprise, the enemy was the injured Murak, who suppressed his injuries and used all his strength to unleash this sword strike, drawing Gaunt's attention to him.

Then came Goode's charge, his spear hurtling towards him with lightning speed.

Gunter was not afraid at all. His arm transformed into a bone sword, blocking in front of his chest. Even with Goode's attack power, it could only press down on his chest, breaking a few pieces of his sternum, which was not a big deal.

"I thought you guys had some tricks up your sleeves, but you're just rushing here to die. Good riddance, saves me the trouble of looking for you!"

Gaunt launched a counterattack with a sneer, swinging his arms and knocking both knights away. He then leaped to Murak's side, wielding the Prophet's Sword, and stabbed it into the knight's chest.

Regardless of the opponent's intentions, killing a low-health enemy first is always the right thing to do.

In that critical moment, Murak endured excruciating pain and swiftly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Gaunt's fatal blow. But the bone-chilling curse intensified; Murak could no longer even feel his own body temperature, relying purely on willpower to stay alive.

In the distance, the roar of galloping cavalry could be heard; they had gathered all their remaining cavalry and were charging toward Gaunt.

This made Gaunt waver; if the enemy really wanted to behead him, such a large number of cavalry was indeed a threat.

He raised his longsword, unleashing a dark water curtain. His advanced water elemental mastery allowed him to teleport, instantly gathering nearly 1000 liches and the mutated lich king beside him. Now, even if the enemy had twice as many cavalry, they wouldn't be able to break through this impenetrable wall.

"Wishful thinking! I'd like to see how you're going to kill me!"

"Hahahaha!" Gaunt, holding the Prophet's Sword, looked at the two knights who had been repelled and laughed arrogantly.

He had heard about the Battle of Silvertop City; it was Goode who led the cavalry charge at the last moment, ending Somra's defeat. He wouldn't be so foolish as to give the enemy a chance.

With thousands of lich protectors, even if Goode and Murak were several times stronger, they would have no chance of harming him.

"What era are we living in? Why are we still playing the heroism card?"
"A large army and many generals, commanding thousands of troops—that's the true meaning of a hero. You call yourselves knights and heroes, yet you want to emulate assassins."

"ridiculous!"

After the lich surrounded them, the dozens of troops in the inner circle launched a direct attack on the two knight heroes. At such close range, they could only engage in melee combat, but so what? Facing the weakened Murak and the burdened Good, they had the upper hand.

Even the enemy cavalry might not be able to break into the inner circle. With the generals and commanders separated, there might be a real chance to kill these two heroes.

Just when Gunter thought his opponent had run out of tricks, Murak suddenly laughed, a bright laugh that made him look at Gunter as if he were a fool.

"Since you know we can't take you down, why are you so afraid?"

"Cowardly fellow, you've already fallen into the dead, why bother treasuring your life so much?"

Gunter was somewhat bewildered. He couldn't understand where Murak's confidence came from. Did Murak still think he could kill him? Dream on!

“You will die because of your stupidity and ignorance. After you die, I will refine your soul and seal it in a cold coffin, where you will never be free.”

"You arrogant fool, I'll make you taste the pain I've endured!"

Gaunt was completely enraged. He stepped closer and closer, riding on the ghostly flames, determined to kill Murak first.

These despicable nobles, who constantly proclaim loyalty and courage, yet ignore the kingdom's master. He, a once-powerful human prince, has been transformed into a lich, his soul constantly tormented by the bitter cold—a torment he will repay tenfold.

"Die!"

Gunter didn't hesitate and charged straight at Murak, but he was too late.

Murak raised one hand to the sky, and rings of water spread from his palm, enveloping all nearby allies and displaying a familiar fluctuation.

Just before the cavalry was about to collide with the lich legion, they split into two streams, veering to the side and entering the spellcasting range.

"Teleport!"

Using the same spell as Gaunt, Murak, though with slightly lower spell power, was still more than capable of transferring the remaining few hundred people.

Murak was prepared to die with Gaunt, even if it meant certain death, but at the last moment, Goode sent a message from Orling, telling them to find a way to gather the liches more densely while they tried their best to retreat.

So Goode devised this plan: feign a charge to decapitate the enemy, but in reality, use a diversionary tactic to lure the enemy into regrouping. What better bait than a hero's rear end?

In fact, given Gaunt's attributes and the number of troops he commands, even if surrounded by cavalry, he could not be killed immediately.

But the other party was simply afraid—afraid of something going wrong, afraid of what might happen. He had already transformed into an undead, so he already lacked the courage to die, and now it was even less likely that he would take any risks.

At the slightest sign of trouble, Gunter will inevitably return to defend.

Then came the next scene: the two commanders launched a feint attack, and all the cavalry regiments regrouped and entered the spell's range. Murak then used his advanced water elemental mastery to teleport away from the core area.

The cavalry units were originally scattered throughout the formation, making it difficult for them to escape. However, by being teleported away by magic, they could instantly evade the enemy's entanglement.

Of course, this is on the premise that Ouling can severely damage the gathered liches; otherwise, the lich army, without restraint, will be able to launch long-range attacks with terrifying power.

But as I said before, I still believe in Kuraki's heroism.

Just as Orling knew that Goode had a way of doing it, Goode also believed in the abilities of this Soul Archer.

In the blink of an eye, the cavalry regiment and the two commanders moved to a distant hillside. Then, ten beams of light appeared in the sky, growing brighter and brighter, almost like the sun falling and crashing down on the lich legion.

Gunter stared wide-eyed at his empty eye sockets, a look of disbelief on his face.

However, regardless of his feelings, he could not escape the barrage of cannon fire.

The Divine Sacrifice Cannon increases damage against undead and demons (based on a 10%-50% increase in hero's spell power), and deals additional area damage when attacking them.

When all the liches gathered together, they suffered even more severe damage.

Ten suns fell, then ten more followed. Before the remaining liches could react, another ten suns appeared. The entire snowfield was overturned, the snowmelt and flesh evaporated together, and a full 1000 liches were instantly annihilated.

With Su Mu's attack power, even if Gaunt could increase the Lich's defense, Ouling was no match for him. The entire legion melted instantly, and the entire battlefield shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

Orling didn't choose to fire multiple crossbows at once because the lich was somewhat scattered. Now that Gaunt has personally gathered the legion, he can't be expected to be ruthless.

Advanced Spirit Spell Artillery greatly increases the number of ballista attacks and damage, with a 100% chance of a double critical hit in 3 attacks. Combined with the abnormal attributes of the Orling, it is simply devastating.

As the light gradually faded, Gaunt crawled out from underground. He barely survived the volley of ten crossbow bolts thanks to the life force shared by the nearby lich. But his body had shrunk by half, and his soul fire was dim and lifeless, a truly pitiful sight.

He had no time for anger; his eyes were filled with fear. Gaunt had probably never imagined that an undead could have such a rich variety of soulfire variations.

Is this Kuraki hero even human?

He's a chosen hero, so he should be dominating the battlefield and causing enemies to retreat in droves. How come the opponents are all so fierce? It's one thing for Cedros and Good to be honest, but this Orling is so strong even without archers, it's just outrageous.

After fighting for a while, he began to understand why Rod was so afraid; it really wasn't Rod's fault.

Thinking of this, Gunter realized that Rhodes's presence had disappeared; he didn't know whether he had hidden himself or escaped, but he couldn't detect him at all.

As for Katherine, he was still charging forward with all his might, still dreaming of the inherited treasure and wanting to give it his all. With the main Arcane Prayer weakened, there was indeed a possibility of a prolonged and exhausting fight.

But just then, the northern sky was shrouded in black feathers; a large number of demon-hunting griffins had arrived, and yet another legion of Kuraki's army had come.

Forrest was still far away, so he first cast a protective shield to increase the resistance of the praying ones, and then led the griffon legion toward the snow cliff.

As a result, Katherine also backed down, abandoning the Snow Mountain Skeleton and quietly leading the remaining core troops down the mountain.

"Rhodes, Catherine!"
You two traitors!

Gunter could only rage helplessly, unable to change anything.

In fact, even before Su Mu arrived, the undead army was already showing signs of defeat. Facing the hero Kuraki, the three undead "heroes" were in a sorry state.

To say there was no chance at all wouldn't be an option; the undead and the Scarlet Legion actually held the upper hand. However, the heroes were each harboring their own agendas and unable to cooperate, which was the source of Gaunt's anger.

Unfortunately, the outcome could not be changed; with Rhodes and Catherine gone, Gaunt was doomed sooner or later.

This counter-insurgency campaign, which began in the heart of the region, is drawing to a close.

(End of this chapter)