Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 133 Star Axis
As Austin ran, he buffed his soldiers with health and status effects.

Swift acceleration is naturally the first choice, but Austin doesn't have air element mastery, so he can only increase the unit's speed by 3.

Although he managed to shake off a large number of shield soldiers, the Thunder Swordsman was too fast, and the Diamond Man with the ultimate skill couldn't shake him off at all, and was chased for more than ten miles.

Ivan was clever enough to know that his opponent was a water elementalist, so he didn't need to use any magic to restrict him. He simply led the Thunder Swordsman in a relentless pursuit, sticking to his opponent like glue.

The Thunder Swordsman skipped the Diamond Man's ultimate attack and went straight for Austin. Luckily, Austin possessed high magical power and knowledge, and was also proficient in water elemental magic, using healing techniques to avoid being killed.

Several times, Austin couldn't resist trying to use the same tactic on Ivan. But Ivan's abilities were purely skill-enhanced, and his defense was already incredibly strong; the diamond man couldn't damage him at all.

Left with no other choice, Austin could only rely on magic attacks to flee, his army dwindling with each battle.

Even more desperately, his mana was about to run out.

The ultimate technique consumes a lot of mana, and even with his high intelligence, Austin was starting to feel the strain after being chased all the way.

"Where did such a powerful defensive hero come from?"

Austin was in a truly difficult position. He had dominated the Arcane Empire for decades with few rivals, and had even joined the Void Cult, receiving divine enlightenment. He had thought that everything would go smoothly from then on, allowing him to cultivate until he approached sainthood. He never expected to be forced into this situation by an unknown human hero.

In his mind, even heroes specializing in defensive techniques had to undergo decades of training to elevate their skills to a state of perfection before they could even approach physical immunity. Heroes capable of reaching that level were all renowned figures on the continent.

The person opposite him was in his early twenties, and his four main attributes were pitifully weak. In another location, he could easily wear down his enemies with magic, but here he was stuck in a stalemate and had run out of mana.

In fact, Austin was already somewhat regretful. If he hadn't activated the Arcane Descent at the beginning and had instead used magic to exchange blows, he could have worn down the Thunder Swordsman and killed the enemy.

After all, with his knowledge of spellcasting, his magical damage was still quite strong.

Unfortunately, he lacked sufficient understanding of the Thunder Swordsmen, and it took him a while to gradually grasp the unit's information. Furthermore, he misjudged the duration of Ivan's skill, believing he couldn't outlast him, leading to this crucial misjudgment and the current situation.

Now, even if he wanted to change his tactics, there was nothing he could do.

When the last two Arcane Diamonds shattered due to their life link, taking the damage in place of Austin, the warlock from the Empire was truly left alone.

At this point, Ivan's mana was almost depleted, as maintaining top-tier physical resistance had taken a huge toll on him.

However, he gritted his teeth and persisted, convinced that his opponent couldn't outlast him, and sure enough, Austin was the first to give up.

Austin fell onto the mound, his magic robes ripped apart, revealing the sturdy and imposing silver armor beneath. Though worn by a warlock, its true purpose belonged to the giants, and only the strongest and largest Titans could unleash its power.

A precious crown lay on the ground, emanating an aura of chaos.

"Whose subordinate are you? Today I have been defeated by you, and even if I die, I want to die knowing why."

"I? A descendant of the Stuart family, I will journey to the underworld with fear!"

Without hesitation, Ivan led his swordsmen forward and delivered a fatal blow. The righteous often die from excessive talk; he was extremely wary of powerful sorcerers and had no intention of giving them even the slightest chance to breathe.

However, Austin's armor was too powerful, forming a giant magical shield that withstood the slashes of dozens of thunder swordsmen. Even with severe internal injuries, he barely managed to survive.

Ivan raised his sword again, intending to decapitate the sorcerer. Unexpectedly, a vast star map suddenly appeared behind him, the stars outlining a door that was just a step away from the sorcerer.

With his last ounce of strength, Austin charged toward the stargate.

Ivan only had time to deliver a powerful blow, but he was still a little off-target and failed to cut off Austin's head, only knocking off the crown that the other had just put on.

The star map emitted a dazzling light, transforming into a vortex of starlight before disappearing into the void. Ivan, having lived so long, had never witnessed such wondrous magic; it was utterly beyond his comprehension.

This spatial magic is very similar to a level 5 Dimensional Gate. However, the Dimensional Gate is much larger, capable of not only teleporting heroes but also taking troops with it.

The stargate before us is incredibly powerful, yet it's passively activated, affecting only heroes, and is related to that mysterious armor. Through the starlight, we can glimpse the shimmering portal on the other side; it might be a special structure belonging to the opposing faction.

Regardless, Ivan ultimately triumphed, successfully slaying over forty Diamond Warriors and seizing a treasure.

【Crown of Chaos (Tier 2 Treasure): Grants +3 Hero Knowledge when worn, and has a chance to gain Chaos Knowledge.】

Evaluation: This crown, imbued with the power of magic from chaos, seems to connect to some mysterious gate.

If we're talking about who's most lacking in mana, it really seems to be Ivan right now. He even wants Sumu to change his governing attribute and increase his knowledge.

After all, one can max out their defensive spells on their own, but insufficient mana is a major limiting factor.

Shaking his head, Ivan returned to the aurora area to check on the special structures.

When he entered the illusion, he encountered a special wild guardian species called the Golden Men. The illusion seemed to have learned of the great battle and used the star axis to project the best guardian warriors.

【Golden Man: (Tower Tier 3 Super Tier Unit): Attack 11, Defense 12, Damage 8-10, Health 50, Speed ​​5, Size Medium or Larger.

Element: None.

Extraordinary Spell Resistance: Resists 85% of magical damage.

Seeing the group of golden phantom guards, Ivan couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't even afraid of diamond men, so why would he be afraid of this downgraded version of the troops?

So he charged forward with the Thunder Swordsman, using his sword energy to sweep away the enemy and win the illusion.

Congratulations on passing the trial. You are now qualified to meditate on the Star Axis and receive blessings.

The aurora illusion temporarily dissipated, and a giant axle slowly rotated in the air, observing the laws of the stars' movement, filled with magical properties.

[Star Axis (Illusionary Building): At the Star Axis, you will see images of some of the best astrologers. They teach you how to use the sun, moon, and stars to enhance your spellcasting abilities, granting +1 spell power. (Each hero can only receive this enlightenment once).]

Heroes who obtain the pass can freely visit, with 1/16 of their attempts.

Unfortunately, the illusionary architecture was never materialized; otherwise, the Hillin Plains would have had an eternally enhanced building.

But this time the illusionary structures were noticeably more solid, and there were quite a few instances of them.

Ivan had double good news: after gaining the rarest magical power, he also mastered new combat techniques.

[After a grueling melee battle and a fierce battle within the illusion, you have gained +1 Defense and learned Advanced Defense Technique.]

[Advanced Defense: Reduces the physical attack damage taken by units by 15% (60%).]

Ivan's magic finally ran out, and he collapsed wearily onto the grass. He immediately contacted Su Mu, wanting to inform him of the Star Axis and the enemy's situation.

With a combination like Austin and Diamond Man, the opponent must be quite formidable, and we must be careful.

Unfortunately, the shackles of war are bound to Ouling. If Su Mu were to change the ownership of the sealed treasure next time, Austin would definitely not return alive.

(End of this chapter)