Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 166 Unexpected Visitor

When Sumu returned to Bear Fortress, Ivan and the others had already cleaned up the battlefield, burning or burying the remains to ensure that no plague would occur.

There are also priests inside Bear Fortress. Although they are not as good as the priest heroes, they still have religious knowledge and can handle some post-war matters.

The battle eliminated a huge number of enemies, and with the added benefit of the Governance Technique, all three participating heroes were promoted.

Moreover, the Thunder Swordsmen fought valiantly, slaying thousands of skeletons, as well as hundreds of vampire counts and howling spirits. They were responsible for eliminating most of the high-level undead units, making them a pillar of the force.

With the combat experience gained this time, we might be able to upgrade the strongest training ground to another level.

When Su Mu met Maggie, they all gathered together to discuss their next objective.

"Soya has been placed under a Soul-Binding Curse by the undead and is unconscious. Marquis Tony Argyle was seriously wounded on the battlefield and is recuperating at the Magic Guild. Ivan is currently in charge of all matters at Bear Keep."

Ivan was the second in line to the Argyll family, and naturally he would manage the family while his father and brothers were away.

Su Mu summoned him and told the generals about the Ice Lake Fortress on the border. They were all delighted to have found a new place for baptism.

"Wild griffins are primarily defensive, and can be combined with earth elemental magic to enhance their resilience. I now possess advanced defensive spells under the rule of the ruler, which allows me to remain largely unscathed. It would be better to lead a group of high-speed griffins or griffins capable of unleashing ice attacks, which would make our combat strength even greater."

"Once I've amassed enough troops, I'll march on the ancient ruins and make the undead pay the price!"

Ivan looked somewhat weary. He had to handle matters concerning his family and the castle. He had taken on the mantle of Argyll, ready to avenge his father and brother. But he wasn't blinded by hatred; he still prioritized Kuraki's interests.

Judging from the current strength displayed by the ancient ruins, their strength is still much weaker, and it would be very dangerous to rush over directly. He is willing to wait.

As the commander of the ranged archers, Orling wasn't particularly interested in the monks' baptism, since the Arcane Prayer was already quite well-rounded.

"We have too few monks, and we already have the Mystic Sanctuary, so we don't need elemental baptism. Instead, we should think of a way to build a horse training ground. If we can get cavalry baptized by the element, no one in this area can defeat us."

Maggie was the happiest. She puffed out her chest, looking both proud and coquettish: "I've now mastered the advanced Dream Financial Management Technique. With Su Mu's help, the two of us alone can earn 28000 spell power coins every week. Add to that the income from building, and it's more than enough to cover the cost of recruiting troops!"

Maggie is right. Although the other heroes were also promoted in this battle, she was the one who experienced a qualitative change.

To grow a powerful force, one must maintain an army, and the core of maintaining an army is the economy. Maggie is now the undisputed wealthiest woman in the Marquisate, and she certainly has the confidence to back it up.

Su Mu listened to everyone's suggestions, which were basically the same as his own thoughts. All the heroes had a clear understanding of their own roles.

He smiled at Maggie and said, "Don't worry, as soon as there are any gold coins or other treasures, I'll give them to you to take care of. You'll still be the richest woman in the Marquisate!"

Everyone burst into laughter, which eased the tense atmosphere.

Su Mu looked at Ivan: "Now that Soya has been rescued, we are not in a hurry to fight the ancient ruins. Although the seal has loosened, there are still restrictions on sending troops out. We should develop for a while longer and be confident enough to deal with Stuart."

Su Mu and the hero shared their suspicions about the Tower of Oblivion, and upon hearing that it was possible to forget skills, they immediately became alert.

After all, the reason they were able to win so many battles with fewer troops was not because they were so powerful that no one could defeat them, but more because of the advantages of their governance skills. They still had this much self-awareness.

If the governing bonus is lost, more troops will probably have to be deployed to fight, since war is not a game, and a defeat can mean the end of your life.

After finalizing the strategy, Orling took several griffins from Griffin Cliff in Bear Fortress to Ice Lake Fortress for baptism. He was proficient in both high-level air element and mid-level water element, making him the most suitable person to baptize the griffins.

With a mastery of the elements, the process is much smoother and the success rate is much higher.

【Frost Griffin (Water Elemental Baptism): Attack 11, Defense 9, Damage 4-8, Health 30, Speed ​​9, Medium Size, Flying Unit. Element: Water (The griffin's feathers are covered in frost, giving it a 40% chance to be unaffected by enemy water magic).

Frost Fury: Surrounded by magical icy blades, unleashing endless counterattacks against malicious enemies. Each counterattack deals additional frost damage (Griffin Attack Power/4 + Speed/4) and has a chance to freeze the enemy.

The Frost Griffin's special ability is resistance to water magic and strong counterattack capabilities. Its most distinctive feature is its immunity to exorcism spells; once the status effect is stacked up, it cannot be dispelled, making it a formidable force.

【Gale Griffin (Baptism of Air Element): Attack 11, Defense 9, Damage 5-8, Health 25, Speed ​​11, Medium Size, Flying Unit】

Element: Air Element (Units are amplified by 1/2 by air-based buff spells; after a certain time limit, hero mana is required to maintain its effect)

Gale Strike: Surrounded by magical wind blades, gain +1 speed while flying, and launch endless counterattacks against enemies with malice. When encountering an enemy in the air, if the enemy counterattacks, the griffin will launch a counterattack in advance (this effect will not trigger if the enemy does not counterattack or has a skill that prevents counterattacks).

Airborne Overlord: As the Griffin takes flight, a violent storm arises around it, reducing the speed of enemy air units by (Griffin speed/3).

The Gale Griffin's special characteristics are higher attack and speed. With the Swiftness buff, it can even gain a speed of over 20, making it a terrifying first-strike unit. If Ivan commands it, upon entering the battlefield and spotting enemy ranged archers, he can send the griffons charging in. Combined with Ivan's physical immunity, they are practically invincible.

To be honest, Orling was very satisfied with both of the griffins that had been baptized by these two elements; it was hard to say which was better.

But the real mastermind is Ivan. Tell Ivan the information and let that kid enjoy the bittersweetness of happiness.

Following the lord's orders, Orling did not exterminate the ice bears, allowing the wild troops to remain stationed in the valley to better maintain secrecy. Orling even actively drove some animals to feed the bears.

The Ice Lake Fortress project is just setting the tone. Currently, the griffins in Kuraki City have all been baptized and there are no extra troops. It will take at least a month or two to build up a new force. Ivan has enough time to consider.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Bear Fort is now basically under Ivan's control, and the military output of this county town will become part of Kuraki's troops.

Previously, the best unit in Bearhold was the Burning Crusaders, but they were still far inferior to the Thunder Swordsmen.

The Gryphon troops suffered the most casualties, losing over 100 of them, while the Shieldbearers also suffered nearly 100 casualties, mostly killed by the shrieking sonic waves generated by the Screaming Banshees. In contrast, the Earthbow suffered very few losses, with only over fifty killed by the Shadow Chariots, and the Arcane Prayers suffered almost no damage.

Bear Keep's current defenses rely heavily on shield infantry and wild griffons. Furthermore, the Judgment Priests' forces have finally arrived, driving away the remaining undead in the wilderness while purifying the entire area, preventing the enemy from resurrecting more dead souls.

To resurrect the dead through necromancy, one needs resources from the living or to utilize dark lairs such as graveyards. The priests of the Church of Light have cut off the path ahead, so the enemy would have to prepare for much longer if they wanted to mobilize such a large-scale army of the dead again.

The reason the trial priests took so long was that they first went to White Stone City, but couldn't find a good way to deal with the Blood Poison Zombies, so they turned north. It wasn't that they had no solutions at all, but they would lose a lot of priestly troops, which was not worth it.

So the priests set up a protective barrier to prevent the zombies from leaving the seal, and then rushed to Bear Fortress.

Su Mu had long regarded these zombies as a whetstone for the Thunder Swordsman. He, along with Ivan and the Thunder Swordsman, used the Anti-Magic Technique in conjunction with Ivan's physical immunity to clear the monsters like chopping down wooden stakes, and quickly cleaned up White Stone City.

Unfortunately, the city was no longer habitable. All the buildings were damaged and the soil was polluted, so Ivan used fire magic to burn it all down.

The history of White Stone City has come to an end.

Maggie led the remaining Thunder Swordsmen back to Kuraki City to prepare for upgrading the training grounds.

However, upon their return, Su Mu and the others encountered an unexpected visitor.

"What? Gabe Suliman has escaped to Bear Keep?"

(End of this chapter)