Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 28 Substituting One Thing for Another (Part Two)

The forest is dense with foliage, making it difficult for light to penetrate. Griffin troops fly in the sky in case of any danger.

It's hard for most people to understand why Su Mu would risk entering a battlefield fraught with danger alone. So many masters in Langlitburg had appraised the treasure, yet it was already unusable. Could Su Mu, a newly promoted hero, possibly know more about it than them?
To put it bluntly, it's all about greed.

Su Mu was indeed greedy, but what he coveted was not treasure, but an answer.

As they ventured deeper, they encountered the carcasses of several griffins on the ground, along with a thick fog.

After he used the dust from the ground to clear away a patch of fog, he discovered a blood-red bow and arrow floating not far away, pointing directly at him!
There was no arrow on the bow, yet it was drawn taut, aimed at the heart—a deadly danger.

It was still the same Tree Spirit Bow, but it had undergone a strange change.

【Tree Elf Bow (Burning Curse, Level 1 Treasure): Increases the hero's archery skill effect by 7%, requires the hero to have the archery skill.】

Characteristics: Obsessive, currently seeking promotion

The level of a treasure is not fixed; it may also undergo mutation and upgrade, gaining powerful abilities.

People know very little about this, or are unwilling to talk about it. After all, the methods required to carry out this are extremely bloody and violent, involving cannibalism, specifically cannibalism of people with magical powers!

It seems the bow got what it wanted; no wonder the seal couldn't last.

But Su Mu knew that ordinary people could not satisfy the appetite of powerful treasures, and even soldiers would find it difficult to satisfy them, unless they were heroes with special archery skills.

"Come out, what do you want to say?"

Su Mu spoke to the air, but a familiar voice came from within the mist: "You don't have any greed for him? Didn't you want him back in the Chamber of Commerce?"

“I wanted him in the Chamber of Commerce because I wanted my Earth Bow commander to control it. Now that he’s gone, what use is a bow that’s out of control?”

The mist gradually condensed, revealing a figure—the missing Ouling.

But he is not made of flesh and blood at all, but is just a mist emanation formed by magic. Simply put, he is a messenger. As for where his true body is, Su Mu cannot find out for the time being.

"The Griffinson family's greed for Kuraki is beyond your imagination. They will never give up just because this plan has failed. You must be careful."

Su Mu was unmoved: "There are plenty of wolves and tigers eyeing the forest farm. Are you going to give it up just because you're afraid? If Griffinson dares to come and forcibly take it, I'll make Cangmu a graveyard for griffins!"

This is very Su Mu's way of saying it. The lord may seem gentle and rational, but he is a tough guy. Anyone who dares to take his land will only face a fight to the death. The centaurs are a prime example of this.

The fog remained silent for a long time, and then said nothing more.

Su Mu asked, "How did you know about Griffinson's obsession with the forest? Was it because of this bow?"

Su Mu had some guesses about Ouling's condition, but he wanted to hear her explanation.

"When I was training archers for the Griffinson family, they offered me exorbitant terms to betray you. After returning to Kuraki, I planned to kill you from within and without, and then Pep would take over the forest farm under the guise of quelling the rebellion."

“I pretended to agree to their request, intending to secretly inform you, but I haven’t had the chance. However, I’m sure Sheen has already reminded you.”

Su Mu glanced at the blood-red longbow, then at the mist-formed Ouling, and concluded, "You've lost control!"

"Is this treasure that Griffinson gave you, saying he was confident it would help you become a hero?"

After a moment of silence, Ouling said, "They gave me the treasure, but that's not why I lost control."

Su Mu nodded: "Griffinson will definitely promise that after you kill me, you will become the commander of the castle archers."

But the hidden dangers of this bow haven't been resolved. They've only made empty promises, even treating you as a expendable resource, with no real intention of training you.

Ouling said admiringly, "I haven't been blinded by greed. Although I wanted to gain status through the Griffinson family, they were just using me and there was no point in cooperating with them."

And there's a biggest reason: I don't want to betray you!

These words sound somewhat sentimental now, but Su Mu neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Then how did you become like this? And what about the way you killed Rex's men inside the castle?"

After another long silence, Ouling finally spoke.

“I have told you before that I am loyal only to Garfield, and that is no exaggeration.”

I am the illegitimate son of Baron Lille, and I was sent here by my father in the hope of helping the daughter of an old friend.

The previous assassination attempt did indeed have shortcomings in security, and Garfield used this conflict to seize considerable power from his uncle.

Su Mu knew about this, but he really didn't expect that Ouling was actually Baron Lille's illegitimate son.

"When the sharpshooter and I were abandoned, I thought it must be because my status and ability were insufficient, and I hadn't done things properly, which was why my father ignored me. Therefore, I had to prove myself and be worthy of being his son."

Things went smoothly, and I became a guest of honor at Griffinson's court, instructing the Archers Guard. In reality, my true loyalty was still to Garfield, or rather, to my family.

But that day, while training in the inner city, he happened to want to tame the bow, so he went to a deserted place.

I saw a familiar face—the assassin who had framed me before. He was talking to another person I knew even better—the butler of the Lille family, and the trusted confidant who had always relayed my father's orders.

At this point, Orling Riel's voice was extremely calm, yet it was a deathly silence as oppressive as a storm.

"I apprehended them, interrogated them, and they confessed."

From the very beginning, this archer squad and I were a gift from Lille, intended to help Garfield maximize his profits. The previous poor defenses were simply part of the plan.

When I return, they can continue to use me as a bargaining chip, infiltrating my ranks. Then they can easily expose my disloyalty and Griffinson's 'being deceived,' regain control of the Sharpshooter, and gain the support of the old guard.

"The reason I did this, Your Excellency the Baron, is simply to allow my own brother, the eldest son, to marry the Marquis."

"I have become a cheap commodity, and no matter how hard I try, I am just a worthless piece of trash."

The man in the mist was consumed by rage, the tree spirit's longbow grew increasingly blood-red, and the power of the spell ignited his thoughts; what followed was not hard to guess.

No wonder Ouling said he wanted a title; what he really wanted was his father's approval.

What puzzled Su Mu was that it was one thing to discard Ouling when he was just an ordinary person, but now that he clearly had greater value and could even become an archery hero, why should he give him up?
"Because in the Baron's eyes, only my elder brother is the only suitable heir, and the others are just pieces in the puzzle for his great achievements."

Sad, deplorable!
When I first met Ouling, he was a prisoner trapped in a refugee camp, yet he still possessed a radiant confidence.

Perhaps he felt he had done his best to carry out his father's orders, and that Garfield was the one who was interfering. But did he have no doubts? Probably not. It's just that the source of meaning in his life was unshakable, and he dared not think too much about it.

Once they come into contact with the truth and can no longer deceive themselves, they will completely succumb to depravity.

The Ouling before me, formed from mist, was emaciated, lifeless, and filled with a sinister and bloody aura, almost indistinguishable from a vampire.

"How did you escape?"

"My soul merged with the longbow, and I went into a berserk state. When I awoke, I was already surrounded by griffins."

No wonder the Tree Spirit Bow's power was enhanced; it devoured the hero about to ascend and converted Orin's magical power into its own.

But Ouling's state is strange. If he were completely devoured by the treasure, he would at most become a vengeful spirit, a tool for the treasure to prey on, without much self-awareness. Unless, this is a trap!

The thick fog was eerily white, and a chilling cold filled the forest. The blood-red longbow bent even deeper, as if it were about to release an arrow at any moment.

"Don't worry, I still retain some consciousness and can control this longbow. It has bound my soul and inherited the characteristics of the Burning Curse. My mark will remain until I fully advance."

"I called you here because I wanted to confide in someone I could trust. But I don't know who I can trust anymore. I've just wandered here and am blocking your way."

Hearing Ouling's calm yet desperate words, Su Mu felt a slight stirring in his heart.

He had long been aware of Orling's obsession with the title, so he specially arranged for Orling to represent him and deal with the nobles on his way to Polanglit Castle.

People of low status yearn to be part of the upper class, while those with real talent feel they are qualified. Euling possesses both qualities, but he does all this in hopes of gaining his father's approval.

Baron Lille is a nobleman of the kingdom. If he gains the recognition of the other nobles in Langlit Castle, will he also gain his approval?
Su Mu hoped the competitive young man would have a smooth journey, but unfortunately, he didn't.

The griffins above the forest launched another attack, calling out Su Mu's name to urge him to retreat.

A long time had passed, but there was still no result, and the griffins lost patience.

"You go!"

As the mist gradually dissipated, the longbow turned blood red and sinister, and the treasure accelerated its feeding.

Su Mu slowly retreated, and just as his figure was about to touch the mist, he suddenly sprang up, the ground beneath his feet tumbling as he charged forward with all his might.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the longbow condensed the mist into archers, who all aimed at Su Mu.

【The Mysterious Soul Archer (Tier 1 Unit): Attack 4, Defense 1, Damage 1-2, Health 3, Speed ​​5, Small Size】

Soul Concealment: Before attacking, you can become invisible once (you will reappear after attacking or getting close to an enemy for a certain period of time, and are affected by area-of-effect magic).

Metamorphosis: The enemies they kill will serve as nourishment for their host, replenishing their magic.

However, mud appeared on the ground and in the air, sticking to the archer's arms and feet, greatly reducing his mobility.

At the same time, stone arrows pierced through the forest, accurately fixing the Soul Archer's soul fire and instantly annihilating him.

These undead souls, controlled by the mutated treasure, possessed high attack power and decent speed. Unfortunately, once exposed to the Qi Observation Technique, they had no chance of survival.

Feeling the pressure from Su Mu, the Tree Spirit Bow struggled desperately, trying to escape.

Su Mu, however, beat it to the punch, trapping the longbow with a quicksand trap and then using earth magic to build a wall, firmly restricting it.

At that moment, the forest was also cleaved open by the wind blades, and sunlight shone in, dispelling the gloomy fog. The griffins' attacks rained down from the sky, all striking the longbow. The Earth Bow was nocked again, unleashing a barrage of arrows, paying the archers the highest tribute.

Even if it was a level 1 treasure, even if it went out of control and absorbed a half-hero, it couldn't withstand such an attack and became shattered.

Previously, Griffinson had been unable to subdue the griffin because he wanted to suppress and subdue it. Su Mu did not have such an obsession, so suppressing it was no longer a problem.

Su Mu slowly stepped forward, pulled away the soil and stones, and grasped the broken longbow.

It has two reddish feathers at the top, and the second one is about to take shape.

Feeling the hero's powerful hand, it once again conveys the allure of divine archery; whoever possesses it will have powerful archery skills!

Unfortunately, Su Mu wasn't buying it.

He gripped the longbow, pulled the bowstring taut, and stretched it outwards relentlessly. Even though there were no arrows, the air was compressed into a visible whirlwind, and the bow creaked as if it were about to collapse.

"Crack!"

With a deafening roar, the obsession was shattered completely, and the air arrow struck the ground beneath their feet, creating a huge crater.

The griffins soared through the sky, watching as the precious longbow vanished into dust.

The griffin trainer captain wanted to stop Su Mu, but was blocked by the quicksand and didn't have time.

As he sensed the treasure's aura fading and nearing disappearance, he said resentfully, "I invited you here to help seal and suppress it, but now, because of you, the treasure is destroyed. Griffinson will demand compensation from you."

Su Mu laughed indifferently, "It's better to have more debts than nothing. If Griffinson wants to collect his debts, he can come to Kuraki."

"you!"

The captain wanted to launch an attack, but he didn't really have a good reason, since Su Mu was also one of the parties helping them suppress the treasure.

Although he understood some of the family's thoughts, he didn't completely break off relations.

Hearing that the vanguard of the Esidor Empire had launched another attack, Su Mu was only there to take the fall for them on his return trip, and it was uncertain whether he would even survive. Why bother getting angry with them?

So he uttered a few harsh words and then led his team away. How could the powerful Griffin Guard care about a group of archers!

As the griffins departed, the Earthbows spat in disgust.

They had long disliked each other. They might have been somewhat intimidated by the reputation of Level 3 troops before, but today, seeing that they couldn't even seal the treasure properly and were ungrateful after being suppressed by Su Mu, the soldiers of Langlit Castle were truly a bunch of useless trash!
Su Mu nodded. It was right that his troops had such momentum. No matter what kind of griffins or eagles they were, or even dragons, wherever the stone arrows went, they were indiscriminate in slaughter!
It is said that once a battle-hardened elite force has killed enough dragons and phoenixes, it will be permanently afflicted with a bloodthirsty nature, and it seems that this is not unfounded.

[Slaughter-Dependent: Increases unit attack power by 8 against dragons, phoenixes, behemoths, and hydras]

Of course, we are still a long way from such a legend. To cultivate a master archer, we should start by cultivating an archery hero!
Su Mu stepped into the pit and stomped heavily on it. The soil and rocks instantly crumbled, revealing the body of a living person.

He was buried here, his nose and mouth filled with mud. If it weren't for the protection of the curse, he probably would have suffocated long ago.

Treasures can devour people to perform a ritualistic advancement. Conversely, people can also devour the magical power of treasures to perform a ritualistic advancement.

Once this process begins, it is irreversible and never-ending, just like Forrest's.

The same is true for Ouling.

The Tree Spirit Bow's gluttony extends far beyond just tasting souls.
Su Mu's Qi-gazing technique had already seen through everything. The missing Ouling was buried below. Once Chang Gong reached the final step, he would devour Ouling's flesh and blood whole, creating an even higher-level treasure.

For an ordinary person, unless they are an alchemist, there is no way to save it. But Su Mu's newly comprehended intermediate Qi Observation technique is an exception. Since the Tree Spirit Bow is out of control and needs to rely on burning spells to advance, it can also be regarded as a quasi-hero, guiding the master hero to advance better. This is his most essential magic.

He then came up with the idea of ​​substituting one thing for another to bring Ouling back to life!
Ouling, who had absorbed the magical power of the treasure, slowly opened his eyes, spat out the dirt, cleared his nose, and returned to the human world.

At the same time, elemental power gathered in the forest, and the broken wood chips transformed into a sharp arrow that struck Orling's arm.

The prisoner's brand had disappeared, replaced by a blood-red longbow.

Obsession vanishes, hero emerges.

A strong, powerful hand grasped his forearm and pulled him up.

"So, have you seen clearly what kind of charity the nobles are giving?"

(End of this chapter)