Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 17 Desperate Situation
The siege lasted for half a day, and the sharpshooters were in great agony.

After all, temporary fortifications are different from a solid castle; the enemy could rush up at any time.

The centaurs surrounded the defenders without attacking, but continued to harass them, remaining at the edge of their firing range and ready to swarm at any moment, leaving the defenders exhausted.

Ouling was at the very front, initially extremely nervous, but later becoming accustomed to it. If anyone dared to cross the line, he would use his archery skills to shoot them down as a warning.

War is the best training, that's for sure.

"If they get within firing range again, make them pay the price!"

Su Mu, standing below the flag, issued the commands.

The stalemate has lasted too long. They are waiting for Forrest's reinforcements, but what are the other side waiting for? It will definitely be the deciding factor in the outcome of the battle.

Su Mu's unease was spreading, but there was nothing he could do. Centaurs had the advantage of initiating attacks; when to strike was entirely up to them—that was the essence of cavalry.

As before, dozens of centaurs dispersed into the foot of the mountain to employ a strategy of attrition.

However, this time the Earth Bow attacked with all its might, unleashing a barrage of arrows that left the centaur no time to react before it was shot through the neck and met its end on the battlefield.

Centaur-34

The atmosphere on the battlefield immediately became tense. The centaur leader pounded his spear, glared angrily, and roared, looking ready to charge into battle.

Hillel stepped forward, protected by several guards.

"Druid, the enemy archer has a long range. Be careful within the range of his arrows!"

Hirel wasn't afraid. He picked up the bow and arrow to test them. Since the Earth Bow wasn't using earth-based abilities, he couldn't sense any elemental enhancement, and could only deduce that the opponent's archery skills were superb. However, he felt a vague unease, sensing that these fifty-odd people were probably not simple.

"What reply has the Silver Pegasus Legion given?"

"The first scouts to return said there was a quarry to the north with abundant resources, and they came to support it after they finished taking what they needed. However, the Silver Pegasus wanted to venture deeper into the interior, so they could only send 50 Pegasus units."

Upon hearing this, Hillel's expression darkened: "The Marshal had already decided on the targets for the harassment. They are simply greedy for resources; they are utterly foolish."

Since the main force could not come to the rescue, Hillel decided to launch an attack.

His request to summon the Silver Pegasus was merely a backup plan. The main reason for waiting so long was to recover his magical power.

He had used air magic several times during the forced march, and his mana was nearly depleted. Given his usually cautious nature, he was unwilling to fight a tough battle unprepared, especially since the enemy had already set up their formation.

But after half a day, his magic power recovered somewhat, and he still didn't see any enemy reinforcements or ambushes; there were really only these 50 people.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it?"

Sirell shook his head, his resolve hardening.

"The centaurs split into two groups, breaking out from the left and right flanks, while the centaurs launched a frontal assault, aiming straight for the enemy general!"

He raised the flag, and a gust of wind immediately enveloped the troops, making them feel as if they were walking on clouds, much lighter than before.

"Those who have rendered meritorious service will be reported to the Empire and allowed to enter the high-ranking stables to comprehend the power of nature."

All the centaurs perked up, eager to get started. Entering the superior centaur stables meant even the fodder was specially provided, and there were even beautiful mares specifically for breeding – that was their ultimate goal.

"Come on!"

Three and a half groups of men charged forward simultaneously, causing the entire hill to shake.

Looking at the high-spirited centaur legion, Su Mu felt no fear of battle. All the preparations and worries beforehand were just pre-battle planning. Once the battle started, there was nothing more to say, just kill.

"Bow of the Earth, crush them!"

A barrage of arrows rained down from the sky with incredible accuracy, severely damaging the first group of centaurs that approached.

The bravest among them, leading the charge, had their heads pierced, leaving a trail of yellow and white blood; the horses that raised their spears to defend themselves suffered broken legs and crippled bodies. Vast swamps appeared on the ground where they galloped, and no matter how swift the wind, they could only succumb to them, unable to accelerate.

Earth magic?

"How is this archer so powerful? He was actually baptized by the elements?"

Hirel was astonished to see the first wave of attack blocked. In his mind, even if the enemy had a high-damage counterattack, they would at most suffer some losses and charge forward in one exchange. At that point, the marksmen would be locked in melee combat, and even if they fought for kills, the enemy would be powerless to retaliate. He never expected to be in the worst possible situation, with the valiant centaurs stuck in the quagmire and becoming easy targets for slaughter.

Two volleys of arrows rained down, killing 80 centaurs and their leader 15.

Hillel felt a chill run down his spine. Since the start of the campaign, apart from the battle at the border city, he had never lost so many people. In a small town like Elton, so many people had died.

"Huh...huh..."

Hillel lay down, his waist arching like a bow, and when he raised his head again, he had transformed into a green leopard.

[Druid Polymorph - Forest Panther: Boosts the morale of the ruling legion and increases evasive maneuverability]

"Centaur leader, ignore the swamp and rush through the gaps to disrupt their formation!"

With the heroes joining them, the centaur leaders broke free from the chaos and leaped along the difficult mountain paths with the agility of flying over walls, quickly approaching the first defensive line of the Earthbow.

At this critical moment, Ouling stepped in.

The five most aggressive leaders were skewered like candied hawthorns by a barrage of arrows he fired. The stone arrows, as thick as an arm, struck like a spearman, creating a death trap. Furthermore, a hidden magnetic field was generated along the camp's only route, causing anyone who approached to feel an invisible dragging force, making it difficult to leave quickly.

As a commander, Orling's attributes are already comparable to those of the Crusaders. Add to that the marksman's inherent rapid-fire skills, and he is a reaper of lives.

But there were too many people on the other side. Despite the risk of injury, they managed to break through the swamp and gravitational field and get close to the defensive line.

The centaur leader, his face contorted with savagery, leaped into the ravine, raising his spear to stab the despicable archers to death, only to be met with a flash of silver light.

Heads flew, horses fell to the ground, and Su Mu stood guard at the forefront with his sword raised, ready to live and die with the sharpshooter.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's either death or killing!"

If you don't want to be killed, kill them!

Hot blood splattered on Su Mu's face, but he remained fearless and indifferent, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Eugen shot down a leader who rushed towards him with an arrow. The leader's spear was only centimeters from his skull, but Eugen's arrow was faster and had already pierced the leader's throat.

He severed the massive head of the centaur leader and laughed at his soldiers: "I told you long ago, as archers, you only have a chance of survival if you face the enemy head-on. If you leave your backs to them, do you think you can outrun four legs?"

Instead of retreating, he advanced, jumped out of the trench, and fought the enemy.

The commander-in-chief took the lead, rekindling the courage of the soldiers who were initially hesitant. Even though their hands, which were gripping the bow, were covered in blood, they still drew their arrows and fired at the enemy.

Thus, the melee took place on the first line of defense, temporarily consisting of Su Mu, Ou Ling, and more than ten Earth Bows.

Su Mu killed a centaur leader, wiped the blood from his face, and looked at Ouling, who seemed to have understood his battle plan.

The centaurs are too fast. If no one stops them, the leaders can easily rush to the Earthbow. Once their formation is disrupted, all the enemies can overwhelm them.

Therefore, they could only rely on themselves, Ouling, and the Earth Bow with its enhanced defense to form a human wall, providing range for the archers behind them.

The archers are still divided into two rows, front and back, but the front row has become a pure tank.

The enemy leaders were no pushovers either. They formed small battle formations upon approaching, catching the enemy off guard and easily killing the archers who were not skilled in close combat.

Fortunately, the Earth Bow's defense has been improved, allowing it to stall for a while longer. If it still had the previous base defense of 3 points, no matter what slogans Su Mu and Ou Ling shouted, it would have been wiped out by a single wave of attacks. Now, it can barely maintain its position, which is already the best it can be.

With the resistance from the front, the approximately 20 Earthbows in the rear had a chance to unleash their power. With the help of the archers and their ability to slow down the enemy, they quickly reaped the life of the leader.

In less than ten minutes, all the centaur leaders had been killed.

Unfortunately, even more centaurs surged forward. Despite suffering heavy losses, the opposing side still had nearly 200 fresh troops.

Meanwhile, half of the Earth Bows, which served as meat shields, had already died.

"Quickly, shoot into the crowd!"

The centaurs were not as swift as their leaders, and were slowed down considerably by the swamp and force field. However, the vanguard led by Hirrel had already arrived. Instead of taking the opportunity to assassinate the commander, he ordered the centaurs to bypass the fortifications from the edge and break through the Earth Bow behind them.

Su Mu is a hero, and Ouling is the commander; both are tough and resilient, unless dozens of centaurs continuously surround and attack them. However, the Earth Bow in the rear still has plenty of ammunition, so attacking like this would also cause significant damage to themselves, making it not worthwhile.

They had already lost many men, and Hillel didn't want the camp to be full of wounded soldiers, otherwise they wouldn't be able to participate in the subsequent raids.

Just as the centaur approached the Earthbow, a massive tent was erected behind it, unleashing powerful holy energy to heal the wounded centaur. Even with severed limbs, the wounds healed slowly, a truly miraculous feat.

Hillel laughed triumphantly.

Fighting a war isn't just about being brave; you also need good equipment and manpower. If you can wear down the Earth Bow through melee combat, and then have healing tents providing support from the rear, they will be invincible.

Su Mu and the others also saw the tent. Ou Ling intended to shoot down the enemy with a sure-hit arrow, but Su Mu stopped her.

Hirel was too cautious. He only used the healing tent when the situation became clear, and he placed it far away to only treat the soldiers in the rear.

This was not only beyond Ouling's range, but the healing tent also had considerable defensive capabilities; he probably couldn't shoot it down with one arrow.

Su Mu's eyes shifted to Xirel, gesturing for Ouling to come closer.

The enemy is plotting against his troops, but he wants the commander-in-chief dead!

Although the troops commanded by the hero are still there and have the ability to share damage, if combined with a guaranteed hit arrow and one's own surprise attack, it will definitely throw the enemy's morale into chaos.

Just as the two head coaches were getting closer and closer, a whooshing sound came from afar.

A pristine white winged horse, carrying a powerful spirit, weaved through the clouds and hurriedly landed at the forest.

The reinforcements from the fortress arrived on horseback, albeit somewhat late, but they were still able to get a sip of the leftovers.

Hirel looked at Su Mu triumphantly; even in his leopard form, one could still see the upward-curving stripes on his skin.

His eyes were arrogant and brutal, as if to say, "Watch how I kill you!"

Even someone as resolute as Ouling would find himself exhausted in such a desperate situation. All the planning and fighting had been for naught, yet enemy reinforcements arrived first – fate had dealt him a cruel blow!
Ignoring Sirel's taunts, Su Mu glanced at the horizon and watched the Pegasus descend at breakneck speed, then suddenly burst out laughing.

A desperate situation?
not necessarily!

(End of this chapter)