Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 481 Combined Special Magic
Killing Gunter also marked the end of this campaign to quell the rebellion.

This eldest prince of the Kingdom of Elton, believing himself to be on a journey to ancient ruins, was controlled by Stuart and turned into a ghost. He was then chosen by the gods, betrayed his own country, set fire to the altar, and slaughtered his homeland, truly committing heinous crimes.

From his perspective, having witnessed countless heroic tales and historical legends, he too longed to be the one to turn the tide. But reality delivered a harsh blow, turning him into a pawn in a deceptive system, fighting against his own kingdom.

Given Gaunt's status, if he hadn't been deceived, he might very well have sat on Elton's throne later on, but now all of that has vanished.

Prince Gaunt will be forever nailed to the pillar of shame, never to rise again.

His soul was chosen by the divine artifact, and his divided soul could not withstand the powerful curse. Therefore, his death was final, and Stuart could not possibly resurrect him from the ancient ruins. Unless a legendary necromancer used the artifact and left behind the Horcrux, he could not be resurrected. Such conditions were too demanding and virtually hopeless.

Although the sacred bone required royal blood, and Gaunt fit the bill perfectly, Sumu still did not spare his life.

After all, he was a hero who had deceived the chosen ones. Who knew if he harbored any hidden dangers? Even with the Eight Kings Palace, it was impossible to continuously suppress a living chosen one. To avoid endless troubles, Su Mu still had him executed. This was also an explanation to the kingdom and the people.

As for the bloodline of the sacred bone, the royal family has so many people; they can always find collaborators.

Gaunt's treasures included not only the Prophet's Sword, but also the Hell Crown and the Diamond Armor; the rest were destroyed in the war.

【Crown of Hell (Tier 3 Treasure): When worn by a hero, grants +5 Knowledge. If the hero commands Hell faction troops, grants +1 Morale; otherwise, -1 Morale.】

Evaluation: Your troops were ambushed by a group of orcs, but you easily routed them, scattering them in all directions and obtaining a beautiful horned helmet.

The original crown was enormous, with crimson flames spewing from its eye sockets; it was clearly not meant for a human. It would be most effective if worn by a Hell hero. However, Su Mu already had a suitable candidate; he directly handed the crown to Liliana, who was flattered and overwhelmed.

"My lord, I have not made great contributions in this battle. Should we let the other heroes be chosen first?"

"Your leadership of the vampire legion in sweeping away the surrounding forces of the undead and the Crimson Rebels greatly delayed the enemy's advance, which can be considered a key factor."

Besides, regarding the distribution of treasures, whoever I say gets them, that's who. Is there any room for disagreement?

"Duke Xie!"

Liliana didn't say much, her eyes filled with joy, her pale face flushed crimson, as if she were drunk. Perhaps she was thinking about how to make the Duke relax, even though she knew he was still human.

Maggie and Valentine are, after all, human, and sometimes they can't let go of their pride due to their aristocratic upbringing and understanding. Liliana, however, doesn't care about such things. As long as she can make the Duke happy, she is willing to do anything.

Seeing their queen so trusted, the vampire army felt reassured. Akasa nodded silently, quite satisfied with his queen.

The War of Timbers has been going on for so long; unless someone's blind, they should have already figured out who the chosen one is. The fact that the vampire army has gained Duke Kuraki's favor is practically a blessing.

Akasha no longer mentions independence or expansion. What she often discusses with the Queen is how to get the Queen to attract the Duke, or how to unleash the power of a vampire to help Kuraki.

She felt the Queen was too conservative. Humans didn't do it because they had established personas, but as a vampire, even if the Queen went too far, she could simply blame it on being uneducated or adhering to barbaric traditions—what did it matter? Capture some dark elves, wood elves, beast girls, and centaur female knights, give them dragon blood, and have the Queen bring them into the camp. Maybe the Duke would enjoy these wild game?

Unfortunately, Liliana had her own sense of propriety and dared not act recklessly. Or rather, a certain lady had warned her, and Liliana dared not be too presumptuous, after all, she still had to survive in this circle.

Su Mu was fully aware of the vampire's thoughts.

Kuraki is, after all, a human force. As its power continues to grow, the vampires inevitably worry that they might be abandoned one day. Even Liliana harbors reservations.

This battle clearly shows that Liliana didn't even sweep through the Crimson Rebels and convert new vampires as usual. Instead, she went wherever Kuraki told her to attack, even at the cost of some troops, without hesitation, being very obedient.

After all, even the chosen undead heroes were wiped out. They were just a group of wandering vampires with no camp and no resources. If they did not submit, they could face annihilation if they were to encounter a few idle words.

Now that a new batch of heroes has emerged from Kuraki's ranks, even if Liliana is very confident, she wouldn't dare say that she is irreplaceable, and she can't help but feel worried.

Su Mu witnessed all of this, and thus, in front of the vampire legion, he directly handed the Hell Crown to Liliana, accepting her gesture of goodwill. Firstly, this expressed his trust, assuring them that as long as they obeyed the Duke, they would be rewarded; secondly, the Hell Crown was indeed suitable for Liliana, as it would be detrimental to other heroes.

Given Su Mu's prestige, he can decide who gets the treasure with a single word, and no one can question it.

The undead army definitely needs a city; Liliana's contribution is needed for its future development. They are the most useful force in many situations where humans are hesitant to intervene.

Once Silvertop City is promoted to Parliament, we should consider building a cemetery city. The best way to avoid danger is to take control of it.

Liliana had mentioned it several times, both openly and subtly, and decided to take this opportunity to agree.

Su Mu then moved on to the next treasure, a suit of armor that shimmered with brilliant light and was studded with diamonds, dazzling and eye-catching.

【Diamond Armor (Level 4 Treasure): When worn by a hero, it grants +7 Spell Power. When garrisoning a city or building while wearing this armor, there is a chance that the production of Diamonds will double.】

Evaluation: Armor forged from diamonds, incredibly strong and imbued with magical energy.

This is considered an upgraded version of the Golden Armor. The +7 spell power is quite impressive among level 4 treasures. Its special effect can increase the production of diamonds, making it very suitable for Cedros.

Once Silvertop City was able to recruit diamond people, Cedros, with this treasure, felt as if he had divine assistance.

After collecting the treasures, Su Mu prepared to return to the battlefield. After all, having obtained the Prophet's Sword, he would definitely want to synthesize it into the Angel Alliance, the strongest combination treasure of the righteous faction, which he had long admired.

Liliana reaped considerable rewards in this great battle; although she didn't participate in the main combat, she swept away many troops in the early stages.

Liliana displayed her prowess in the pursuit, slaying tens of thousands of rebels and undead. +1 Knowledge, learned Basic Earth Element Mastery.

It was bound to happen eventually. As an undead hero, the lack of earth elemental magic felt like something was missing. Liliana had been working on improving in this area, and after much research, she finally achieved her goal in this advancement.

She used her newly acquired magic to construct a thick cloak that covered her entire body; it had to be earth magic, otherwise it wouldn't be able to conceal her impressive figure.

So the vampire army found a cave to rest, and Su Mu and Liliana returned to the main battlefield.

When he returned, the area had been largely cleaned up. The Light Priest burned away all the filth, preventing the dead from being resurrected.

Large battlefields must be handled specially, otherwise plagues and cholera can easily break out, and some wizards may even use battlefield ruins to resurrect a large number of ghosts.

The kingdom's legion also arrived, having truly given their all this time, arriving only about a day later than the main force. However, unexpectedly, by the time they reached the battlefield, everything was already over, and the priests of light could only clean up the battlefield, needing to do nothing at all.

Murak has been sent to the nearest magic guild for treatment. After Gaunt was killed, the Ice Curse was basically ineffective, and Murak's life was not in danger. However, in order to avoid any potential problems, it was best to treat him as soon as possible.

The kingdom's commander-in-chief was Dennis O'Connor, who led a large number of Light Swordsmen and Light Priests to their destination in time, only to find that there was no evil to be exorcised. Many of these soldiers were supported by the Church of Light. After hearing about Duke Peter's deeds, the Church was also furious and immediately sent out its most trusted followers. Humanity was united like never before, and could handle even the most powerful enemy.

"Your Excellency the Duke is a master strategist, capable of winning battles from afar; you are truly a pillar of the kingdom!"

Influenced by the Witcher Marshal, Dennis had always admired Su Mu, but what he saw today still exceeded his expectations.

Before Su Mu arrived, the rebels and undead who were wreaking havoc on the kingdom were annihilated by Kuraki Hero, and Kuraki's troops were even at a disadvantage.

Of course, battles in the world of heroes aren't solely about numbers; the heroes' performance is also crucial. However, the enemy soldiers were no pushovers either—they were all high-ranking rebels and undead, and the heroes themselves were chosen undead. Even so, they suffered a crushing defeat, which speaks volumes. Having resisted the Arcane Empire in the north, annihilated the Bastion Legion, and now quelled the rebellion in the heartland, Duke Kuraki's prestige has reached its zenith. If anyone in the council dares to slander this duke again, the heroes will be the first to object.

Su Mu handed a box to Dennis: "Inside is Gaunt's shattered skull. Please inform Congress that the eldest prince has been executed."

Dennis stared at the urn, his eyes practically spitting fire. It was this reckless prince who had betrayed his country, slaughtered humans, and caused chaos in the heartland. Now, being killed by Duke Kuraki was a fitting end.

"I will report this to Congress."

This was undoubtedly a major achievement, but most people probably wouldn't dare claim it. Even though the eldest prince had committed a grave offense and incurred public wrath, he was still a member of the royal family, and his elimination served as a way of establishing authority. However, since it was an arrest warrant issued by Parliament, the royal family dared not say much after the killing.

Duke Kuraki is a man who fears neither the Diet nor the royal family.

Leaving his allies to clean up the battlefield, Su Mu summoned the remaining heroes.

Rhodes escaped after all. That guy is elusive and carries a special concealment artifact, making him difficult to catch. According to Wayne, Rhodes has gained a new ability: he can temporarily store his skills after stealing fire for future use. It's unclear whether it's an artifact or a skill.

This guy is becoming increasingly dangerous, and his behavior is quite different from before, which has caught Su Mu's attention.

"Rhodes, could it be him? But the era doesn't match up!"

Su Mu recalled a hero and became even more cautious. Although some details didn't quite match up, he had already listed Rhodes as a dangerous individual, intending to kill him decisively if given the chance, denying him any time to grow stronger.

Stealing fire is still too dangerous. If he really becomes a legend, the risk would be too great.

Aside from Rhodes, Katherine was also tracked down. Goode and Forrest joined forces to stop him and had a chance to kill him, but then Uller arrived. The Nightmare Knight and the Frost Skeleton delayed them, and the two fled to the Burning Altar and disappeared into an unknown passage.

However, Goode charged at Katherine, severely wounding him and likely preventing him from causing trouble for some time. As for the other Crimson Marshals and undead heroes, they were all annihilated.

Liliana leaned forward from behind, as if she had something to say, but in the end she didn't speak.

She possesses necromancy, and now that her vampire transformation has reached its limit, she intends to cultivate an undead hero with skeleton soldier specialties to command the excess troops.

However, the heroes of the ancient ruins are indeed untrustworthy. Killing them is fine, but it would be better for her to personally train a new hero. There are so many down-on-their-luck wizards, finding a suitable one wouldn't be difficult.

In this great battle, Kuraki Hideo gained another batch of advanced practitioners. Fighting is indeed the fastest way to learn skills. Cedros persisted from beginning to end in this battle and was also the biggest beneficiary.

[Sederos resisted fiercely, standing firm against the onslaught of the Crimson Rebels and the undead. +1 Defense, +1 Cursed Power, learned Intermediate True Sight, learned Advanced Water Elemental Mastery]

[Intermediate True Sight (Governing): Before battle, there is a high chance to peek into the enemy's spellbook and understand the magical abilities they can use.]

Grants buildings or units true vision, the ability to see through stealth and camouflage (special buildings can be permanently fixed), and reveals the enemy's magical weaknesses. After a unit attacks an enemy, it reduces the enemy's magic resistance by 5% (20%), which can be reduced to negative resistance. It also grants the special magic ability Eagle Eye.

[Intermediate Eagle Eye Insight (Special Spell): Casting this spell grants the hero the ability to see through enemy magical vulnerabilities, causing a 40% chance for the enemy to fail to cast buff spells and costing 10 mana (can only target one spell at a time, and can be dispelled)]

It has to be said that being an astrologer is a really powerful profession; you either don't advance in rank, or you advance in rank with powerful skills.

Once True Sight reaches the intermediate level, it becomes a nemesis of magic-resistant units, and can even weaken the enemy's magic resistance. As a result, many area-of-effect spells can unleash their full power.

With Cedros having mastered advanced water elemental mastery, there was no magic resistance against him.

Silvertop City, as the main force for interception, not only saw the promotion of its key player, Cederos, but also an improvement in Vera Cyber. She acquired advanced defensive techniques, which can be considered a gain.

As a knight commander, Goode fought with all his might in this great battle, never abandoning his comrades even in the face of dire straits. He also used his wisdom to defeat the enemy's main force at a crucial moment. +1 Spell Power, +1 Knowledge, mastered Advanced Horsemanship Mastery, Intermediate Air Element Proficiency.

【高级马术大师：能够培养最高阶的战马（7阶），骑兵获得+3（12）速度，且能够增幅马匹30%（120%）的效果。】

[Due to the combined influence of the Advanced Crimson Knight and the Advanced Equestrian Master, heroes can travel to the Dream Realm Racecourse to train higher-tier warhorses (Tier 4 and above) and obtain the special magic Dream Rider Activation.]

【Dream Rider Activation (Special Magic): Designates a warhorse in the Dream Realm to enhance a specific ability.

First choice: Add an extra 20% lifesteal effect.

Second option: Add an extra 30% chance of mental magic resistance.

Third option: Damage the enemy, reducing their resurrection efficiency by 40%.

Evaluation: The warhorses galloping in the dream realm possess power that belongs to no mortal being.

Good also made some good gains. Unlike Sedros and other heroes in Kuraki, he had great potential for improvement, so his promotion was well-deserved. However, skill-based magic is still extremely rare, and not every hero can master it.

Goode's ability to glean the inspiration for the Dream Rider from this demonstrates his truly exceptional talent in knighthood and warhorses.

Apart from them, the remaining heroes have all received some minor buffs.

[Oling +1 Knowledge]

Ouling arrived later, and although he had eliminated quite a few liches, it was clearly not enough. Perhaps he was planning something big.

Forrest gains +1 Spell Power and learns Intermediate Recruitment Technique.

[Intermediate Recruitment Technique: Increases the weekly production (base production) of creatures within the castle: Tier 1 units +5, Tier 2 units +4, Tier 3 units +3, Tier 4 units +2, Tier 5 units +1. The hero must remain within the castle during the weekly spell power iteration.]

As expected of Kuraki, the second-in-command, it's even more satisfying to mass-produce troops now.

[Wayne +1 Attack, Learned Advanced Confusion and Disguise]

[Advanced Concealment: Your troops are completely hidden and mysterious. The enemy cannot know their exact numbers or characteristics, nor can they detect the hero's attributes or treasures. They also gain special magical disguises.]

[Disguise (Advanced Confusion/Camouflage Bonus): Temporarily transforms a unit into the appearance of another unit type and grants it certain abilities (must be an enemy previously fought against; failure is possible; ability values ​​are related to level/rank difference). Conceals movement, deceives enemy vision, and deals 200% damage upon breaking the disguise and launching an attack. The chance of deception is slightly reduced when encountering heroes with high spell power or those who possess Eagle Eye or Reconnaissance abilities.]

Wayne's transformation, enhanced with advanced Confusion and Disguise, granted him special abilities that broadened the range of roles available to thieves.

Of course, we still need to carefully consider which type of military unit to imitate.

After reviewing Kuraki Hero's promotion, Su Mu gave some instructions, retrieved the components of the Angel Alliance, and returned to Kuraki.

He didn't want to wait a moment longer.

Open the furnace and forge the combined divine weapon!

(End of this chapter)