Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 128 Thunder Swordsman
When Ivan followed Su Mu to the training ground, he finally saw the new generation of swordsmen after their training.

Most of these people are beginners, learning the combat experience accumulated in the training grounds. They are taught by the swordsmen who survived the previous great battle, with the old and new generations taking turns to inherit the mantle of the strongest swordsmen.

As Ivan looked, he saw a bolt of lightning that instantly pierced through a hundred-meter obstacle, slashing horizontally and splitting a mound in two, the force extending for dozens of meters.

If it were a soldier standing here, at least a dozen people would be cut in half.

"100 meters is not their limit. If they add a rapid acceleration, with the level of this lightning strike, they can run at least 300 to 400 meters. However, it puts a great strain on their bodies and can only be used once in a short period of time."

If you wish to use it again, you will need to rest for a while.

Su Mu pointed at the Thunder Swordsmen in the training ground, his face full of pride.

"How about it? Not inferior to your Burning Crusade, right?"

Ivan was too excited to speak. He had thought that the broadsword swordsman he had seen last time was already one of the best among level 4 soldiers, and that Kuraki could dominate the plains with such a powerful army. Who would have thought that in just one month, the swordsman would advance another level, becoming an even more monstrous Thunder Swordsman.

He carefully examined the swordsmen's basic attributes, and the more he looked, the more alarmed he became.

Thunder Swordsman (Special Super-Tier Unit): Attack 16, Defense 16, Damage 8-10, Health 40, Speed ​​9, Medium to Strong physique.

Element: None. Sword of Piety for Cultivators

Combo Slash: Allows you to swing your greatsword twice in a short period of time.

Greatsword Swing: Wield the greatsword to sweep across the battlefield, the sword energy enveloping enemies in a semi-circular area in front of it, ignoring 50% of the enemy's base defense (inheriting combo effects).
Lightning Strike: Unleashes a swift movement technique, transforming the body into a bolt of lightning, striking the enemy and instantly appearing before them, dealing 130% of attack power as physical damage (requires a certain distance, within a range 1.5 times the speed required to reach the enemy). This attack inherits the greatsword swing, is immune to counterattacks, and cannot be used again for a certain period.

One of the biggest weaknesses of melee fighters is their slow movement speed; they are often exhausted before they can even get close to the enemy.

The Thunder Swordsmen perfectly compensate for this weakness, being able to launch a lightning-fast attack from almost the full attack range of most ranged attacks, directly engaging in close combat. Coupled with their knight-like offensive and defensive attributes, they are simply monstrous.

If there's anything lacking, it might be its damage output and health points, but for a level 4 unit to have such skills and attributes, what more could you ask for?

"Enough! That's enough! Give me 200, no, 100 Thunder Swordsmen, and I can cut my way from White Rock City to the North!"

This isn't bragging; the Thunder Swordsman, combined with Ivan's defensive magic, is virtually invincible. If the opponent doesn't have a hero with high magical power, regardless of their unit type, they will be destroyed by Ivan.

Su Mu smiled and said, "I don't have that many people. I've been saving them up for a long time and I've only managed to gather 50 Thunder Swordsmen. I'm handing them all over to you!"

This was only possible thanks to the support from the barracks in Langlitburg, who sent people to the strongest swordsman training institute for further training; otherwise, they wouldn't even have been able to gather this many people.

While advanced units are indeed good, their production rate is extremely low, and it takes a considerable amount of time to train them.

Because extraordinary cities have a special cap on magical power, they can't support more troops once they've recruited a certain number. The main city level is the primary means of upgrading, but it's usually the most difficult to upgrade. Therefore, most nobles choose to cultivate advanced troop types to gain a relatively advantageous army composition.

Su Mu has no such worries at the moment; he is only concerned that he doesn't have enough soldiers.

After successfully advancing in the training grounds, one can look forward to the next stage of swordsman training. However, this time it requires much more experience accumulation, at least several times that of the previous time, and the resources consumed are also enormous, so it may not be so easy to achieve.

【Strongest Swordsman Training Grounds (Advanced Barracks Auxiliary Building, Tier 4): Increases the speed and damage of Thunder Swordsmen, and teaches the Lightning Strike special effect.

Next Tier: Significantly increased damage output, gain Unyielding Will. [Additional building costs 60 logs and 30 gems]

“If you train this force well and let it gain more experience on the battlefield, it can go even further in the future. It will be no worse than the Knights Legion.” Ivan was overjoyed to hear this and no longer missed the Burning Crusade.

While the Crusader baptized by the elements is powerful, it is still far inferior to the Thunder Swordsman.

Having taken command of the unit, Ivan was eager to try: "How about I take this unit to the border and teach the Northern nobles a lesson?"

Su Mu waved his hand: "The Knight Commander just left, and I didn't want things to get so ugly. But the other party is being so aggressive, I have to respond."

The northern region has already been allocated to the nobles, so it's not advisable to interfere. You take this force, along with 100 shield-bearers, and guard the main western road. Under the guise of bandit suppression, stop everyone heading to Graystone City. Without a pass from Longlet Castle, don't allow them to pass. Let's see how their caravans transport their goods then!

If Salman does the first thing, then don't blame Sumu for doing the fifteenth.

Since Graystone City is still within the control of Longlitburg, it's perfectly fine for Ivan to lead his troops to block their path.

As for the situation in the north, it is up to the king underground to handle it, and it is best not to leave any evidence.

Considering the Argyll family's stance, Su Mu temporarily had Ivan conceal his identity, allowing him to work as a tax collector in Longlitburg. He would negotiate with the other party only after fully understanding the situation behind the Three Dukes.

After making arrangements for Ivan, Sumu summoned Wayne.

This newly crowned hero brought over a hundred thieves with him, but the meeting place was rather unusual: a chaotic tavern teeming with thieves and bandits who were lawless and committed numerous atrocities.

But as soon as Wayne made a move, everyone immediately went into battle mode, obeying the bandits' orders.

It has to be said that, apart from a thief hero like him, it's unlikely that anyone else would be very effective leading this group of thieves.

When Wayne arrived at Longlet Castle, he not only unified the various underground gangs but also used the inherent advantages of thieves to gather intelligence. Under his management, the castle's security improved considerably.

Many criminals that sheriffs cannot find can be located by underground gangs the next day and sent to prison.

Wayne had his own set of methods; he clearly distinguished between what he could and couldn't do. He understood the needs of these underworld figures, and his combination of kindness and severity yielded remarkable results.

Now, it's time to test his ability to fight in the wild.

Under the leadership of Sumu, Wayne has 13 attack points, which can increase the attack power and critical hit rate of the thief troops by 24, which is quite considerable. However, if they encounter the core troops of the North, they will still be a bit overwhelmed.

After all, thieves are a level 2 unit, with very low health and damage output.

However, Su Mu did not want him to launch a direct attack. The thieves, in cooperation with Wayne, could disguise themselves as bandits and plunder wave after wave, targeting the enemy's weak points.

Salman had so many caravans; if even a few were robbed, he would be in serious trouble.

When Wayne received the order, he led his team to the North. To this day, the thieves still don't know who they work for, but as long as there's money to be made, they'll take the job, even if it's with a ducal family.

Having made these two moves, Su Mu returned to Cangmu Town, intending to check on the construction progress.

Salman's expressions must have been quite interesting in the coming weeks.

(End of this chapter)