Heroes of Might and Magic: Grand Consul

Chapter 30 A small test of one’s skills
Su Mu led all the Earth Bows into the forest. After continuous trading and recruitment with the refugee camp, the troops in Cangmu Town had expanded to a level of 90 Earth Bows and 30 archers.

Due to the soaring price of logs, the refugee camps were eager to do business with them, and even set aside some people to specifically screen those with archery talent.

Even so, they had only managed to gather a little over a hundred people.

Forrest complained about losing money doing business with the other party, but Su Mu advised him to cultivate a good relationship. He knew that during times of war, the troop output of refugee camps would double, a characteristic of special buildings in the wild.

Kuraki currently has no soldiers or barracks and can only rely on the other side.

"After that, we need to find a new camp to train soldiers!"

It's naturally unpleasant to be controlled by others, and both heroes agreed, but the current environment is far from peaceful.

Even Su Mu frowned as he looked at the dense pack of wolves below the hillside.

Forest Wolf (Neutral Tier 1 Unit): Attack 2, Defense 1, Damage 1, Health 1, Speed ​​2, Small Size.

Pack Hunt: When the number of wolves attacking an enemy reaches 10 or more, damage is increased by 15%.

Evaluation: A wolf in the forest, a pack of wild beasts.

This thing isn't much better than the Six-One Layman, but once the numbers increase, it becomes terrifying.

【Forest Wolf 1580, Forest Wolf King 3】

In the center of this pack of wolves, three wolf kings with snow-white fur howled to the sky, controlling their subjects.

【Tier 1 Special Neutral Unit】Attack 4, Defense 2, Damage 2, Health 18, Speed ​​4, Size Medium.

Howl: Unleashes a howl, increasing the attack power of all forest wolves by 5% and boosting the morale of the pack.

If it were only a few dozen or a hundred wolves, a few volleys of the Earth Bow would be enough to take them down. But facing so many wolves, and with the wolf king in charge, it's not so simple.

Once the opposing team has a commander, they possess tactics.

"They gathered here for more than an hour, and the number quickly grew from the initial dozens to thousands. They were clearly up to no good."

The wolf king was still howling; its voice seemed to travel through the mountains, attracting even more wolves.

"We can't let it howl like that; we need to teach it a lesson!"

At Su Mu's signal, Ouling led all the Earth Bows forward.

Forrest was a little worried: "How about we stick to the previous tactics? I'll lead a force to draw fire in front, and let Orling fire arrows from behind. The casualties shouldn't be too bad."

Su Mu shook his head: "Don't worry, he can handle it."

Upon reaching a distance of several hundred meters from the wolf pack, the Earth Bows stopped, drew their bows, and aimed at the enemy.

The wolves seemed to sense the danger as well, baring their teeth and howling, preparing to charge.

"shooting!"

A volley of arrows from over a hundred archers was more powerful than a hundred heavy cannons. Wherever the stone arrows struck, swamps sprang and the earth roared. The wolves offered no resistance whatsoever, and over two hundred died instantly, their carcasses splattering everywhere.

Although it was an era of cold weapons, elemental magic provided enough firepower to cause incredible damage in an instant.

"Ouch!"

Seeing the situation was dire, the wolf king launched a coordinated all-out attack. Facing the ranged archers, the fast wolves charged forward. Their sheer numbers meant that a single charge could break the archers' formation. Furthermore, the wolves' pack hunting ability provided a damage bonus when outnumbered, making it one of the wolf pack's best tactics.

Hundreds and thousands of wolves ran, causing even the mountains to tremble, their bloodthirsty and cruel eyes sending chills down one's spine.

Ouling moved forward another hundred meters, his eyes fixed on the wolf king. When the wolf king howled and gave a command, it revealed its head, giving him a rare opening to exploit.

Drawing the arrow, pulling the bow, and shooting two arrows in quick succession—all in one smooth motion, without the slightest hesitation.

By the time the wolf king discovered this despicable attacker, the stone arrow was already upon him. He could only barely raise his paw to resist, but the heavy arrow pinned his forequarters and body to the grass, rendering him unable to move.

But the Wolf King is the Wolf King after all. Its Level 1 special unit status grants it formidable vitality. While its attack and defense might not be top-tier, its survival skills are unparalleled. Leaning against a rock, it closed its eyes and feigned sleep, pretending to be dead. The surrounding wolves desperately guarded it, instantly forming layers upon layers. However, Ouling's second arrow arrived, cutting through the wolf pack and creating a whirlwind before striking the Wolf King's head. The wolves then heard a sound like a watermelon exploding. When they looked up at their king, all that remained was a pile of red and white flesh; even his bones were scattered everywhere.

"Roar!"

With the wolf king dead, the pack's rage surged, yet a hint of fear flickered deep in their eyes.

Upon seeing that the enemy could threaten their lives from 500 paces away, the remaining two wolf kings immediately retreated, placing their hopes on the large charging legion.

Forrest looked at the battlefield and sneered, "A beast is a beast. Although it is cunning, as long as you hurt it, it will not dare to go forward again. The Earth Bow is much stronger than before!"

Su Mu thought to himself that it was certain; the Soul Archer, with the buff from the Intermediate Governor, had been upgraded to the level of an ordinary Intermediate Archer.

The reason he chose to buff Ouling with attack power instead of the highest attribute, magic power, was because he considered the Soul Archer's ability to kill and absorb magic. Against a large number of fragile wolves, Ouling was practically a perpetual motion machine on the battlefield, and no matter how many Earth Bows he manipulated, it wouldn't affect him.

It's a pity that Orling hasn't learned air magic yet, otherwise he would be the nemesis of human wave tactics.

"Alright, it's time to give the wolves a taste of despair."

After Su Mu finished speaking, he stepped down from the high platform and used the Slowing Technique. Instantly, the entire plain turned into a swamp, and the swift forest wolves were like tortoises dragging a hundred-pound load, becoming nothing more than sitting ducks.

Another volley of fire reaped more than 200 wolf cubs, and the entire battlefield reeked of blood.

Seeing this, Forrest couldn't help but scream, "My lord, the Slowing Technique?"

My goodness, you've actually mastered this magic! Combined with the Earth Bow, you're practically invincible!

Although Forrest is a self-taught hero, his analysis of the battlefield situation is quite good. The Earth Bow already has a slowing effect, and when combined with the Slow spell, going into battle is like practicing archery. Ordinary troops are no threat to them at all.

With the help of the Slowing spell, the Earth Bow became even more unrestrained, pushing the front line forward again and again, killing wave after wave of wheat.

[Forest Wolf - 221, Forest Wolf - 187, Forest Wolf - 148]

It wasn't that the Earth Bow had become lax, but rather that the wolf pack had been utterly terrified. They were surrounded by the blood and flesh of their comrades, which had carpeted the grass with red flesh, and they couldn't even get close to their enemies. How could they possibly fight them?
They are wild wolves, not stupid dogs!

The low morale caused the wolves to stop moving forward, and no matter how the wolf king howled to urge them on, it was to no avail.

After the archers advanced another hundred meters, the wolf pack completely collapsed and scattered, with the wolf king also retreating.

Seeing this, Ouling immediately grabbed a horse, jumped on it, and headed straight for the Wolf King.

"Cover the way for the adults!"

Arrows rained down, blasting the wolf king's formation, turning those who dared to resist into dust.

Several loyal guards tried to stop it, but were instantly turned into a rain of blood.

Oling spurred his horse forward and, without a word, fired two arrows at the wolf king's head. Without any fancy maneuvering, before the wolf king's mouth could even close, the arrows pierced its upper jaw and went straight to its head. The other arrow traveled down its throat and through its heart.

He drew his dagger, found the gap in the wolf king's neck, and severed the wolf's head with one stroke. The beast stopped convulsing and died completely.

"Woo! Woo!"

Behind them came the thunderous shouts of the archers, charging into battle and slaying generals—a performance that has always been the most admired by warriors.

Ouling's bravery as an archer stirred the hearts of all the soldiers.

Following the same pattern, Ouling chased after another wolf king. Since Su Mu's magical power wasn't strong enough, the effect of the slowing spell had worn off, and Ouling chased the wolf pack to another small hill, only returning after a long time.

He carried two wolf heads, his armor was badly damaged and covered with claw marks, the wounds revealing bone, yet he didn't even flinch.

Ouling rode his horse to the high slope, jumped off, and slowly returned to the command camp. He knelt on one knee and presented the heads of the two wolf kings.

"Fulfill the mission!"

(End of this chapter)