Seeing the assassins that had dangerously closed their distance to my comrades, I casted a spell to slow them down.
[Davah Shashanam]
It was difficult casting telekinesis on moving person, especially if they were as strong as you were, and more especially on multiple such person at once.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Telekinesis has levelled up to level 9!]
But I managed to impede the assassins' movement to an extent that mattered.
['Shanny (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Darius (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Devisha (★★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Jonah (★★)' has been inflicted with bleeding. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
Given the proximity between them, all my spell did was slowing the assassins just enough for my comrades to dodge with minor injuries.
None of the assassins managed to land a killing blow thanks to my spell and my party's quick reaction.
Having evaded the fatal strikes, my comrades immediately launched counter-strikes of their own.
"Sneaky bastards!"
Shanny cried as she thrusted her sword at the same time as her comrades did with theirs.
Slash! Pierce!
['Shanny (★★)'s Savage has levelled up to level 4!]
['Jonah (★★)'s Composure has levelled up to level 3!]
['Jonah (★★)'s Basic Spearmanship has levelled up to level 8!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Basic Dagger Technique has levelled up to level 6!]
['Darius (★★★)'s Basic Dagger Technique has levelled up to level 5!]
Both Darius and Shanny each claimed one. While Jonah struck two. And Devisha three at once.
The remaining enemies quickly leaped back upon their failed ambush.
[Sun Shadow Assassin Lv.15 x5]
My comrades did not let them get away.
Darius and Jonah promptly sent arrows and spears toward the assassins, setting the rogue fighters jumping about to dodge the projectiles.
Devisha and Shanny then swiftly charged forward and struck down two mid-flight.
The Tsahanam mercenary proceeded to throw her daggers to the rest of the three that were now fleeing the two women.
Another two fell as they were caught in a sudden barrage by Darius and Jonah's projectiles.
The last one tried to escape in the chaos, but Shanny ambushed him as he was preoccupied with my other comrades.
With all the enemies killed, I turned to the prince.
"Are you unharmed, Your Highness?"
He nodded to me reassuringly.
"I'm fine. What about your friends?"
Having been injured, Jonah and the others were in the middle of recuperating by pouring advanced health potions to their wounds.
The solution rapidly healed their injuries, though not as fast as I expected it should.
Devisha, at the same time, was examining the assassins' attires.
They wore varied armors and equipment, but they all bore the same medallion of a black eagle flying over the sun.
"These assassins. I heard of them. They're part of the Sun Shadow Corp which operates throughout the continent."
The Tsahanam mercenary then pointed to the medallion and went on.
"There're rumors of them using magic artifact which suppressed their presence."
"That explains how they managed to get so close to us despite my detection field."
I said.
Devisha's eyes suddenly squinted at the assassins' crescent daggers scattered around the ground.
I took notice of them and realized the weapons were all coated with greenish-black liquid.
"The assassins used poison in their weapons!"
The Tsahanam mercenary announced.
['Shanny (★★)' has been inflicted with poison. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Darius (★★★)' has been inflicted with poison. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Devisha (★★★)' has been inflicted with poison. Her stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
['Jonah (★★)' has been inflicted with poison. His stamina will be reduced for a period of time.]
That would explain why the health potion was not working as effectively as they should be.
I immediately pointed to my comrades' belt pouches.
"Use the antidote! Quick!"
Upon my instruction, my comrades immediately snatched the antidote vial they brought with them among the advanced health potions.
We never knew when we would be needing an antidote. So I had instructed my party to bring the vials upon entering the Quintal Trial.
Each of them gulped the cure-all solution till the last drop.
There was no telling how fatal the poison was. Better be safe.
Fortunately, the complexion around my comrades' closed wounds began to turn for the better.
['Shanny (★★)' is no longer poisoned]
['Darius (★★★)' is no longer poisoned.]
['Devisha (★★★)' is no longer poisoned.]
['Jonah (★★)' is no longer poisoned.]
The antidote I brewed apparently was enough for the poison the assassins used at least.
Kroaahh!!!
A huge cry of infected suddenly echoed to the empty square we were in.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x981,147]
From the east of the city, a raging ocean of undead were making their way to us. Likely the rest of the infected in the city.
Seemed like the infected had discovered us once again.
Our commotion with the assassin earlier had likely caught their attention and led them back to us.
"Tch! They can't let us rest, can they?"
Shanny said as she dumped her empty antidote vial.
Upon her comment, I turned to the little window hovering at the edge of my vision.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:27:48]
"It's not like we got time to rest anyway. Let's move!"
I ordered our group.
Retrieving another enchantment stone, I activated its spell to prepare us for the next stretch of our journey out of the city.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is casting temporary enchantment.]
[Elemental Attribute, Penetration]
[Party 1's strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 12 for the next 10 minutes.]
We exited the square and proceeded west, toward the shore of the city, where the harbor was located.
Unlike when we were underground, despite Tsuchi's labyrinth-like streets, we managed to make our way swiftly given the many hours we had spent studying the lay of the city.
Kroaahh!
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x79]
Unsurprisingly, some infected numbered in dozens managed to catch up to our fleeing party.
They were either emerging from another street or jumping down from the top of the buildings flanking our path.
Darius and I made sure to strike down the ones that would pose as our immediate obstacle.
Jonah and Devisha would also aid us with their throwing spears and daggers.
Shanny kept herself at the forefront, striking down the few infected that slipped past us. Together with Jonah and Devisha, she would keep the prince remained protected at the center of the formation.
Kroaahh!!!
"What is that?!"
The young prince suddenly shouted.
Ahead of us, at the end of the street, stood tall a giant creature as large as an ogre.
It had a bulky torso and bulging clawed limbs composed completely of rotting flesh.
Its head resembled that of a human. But the image had leaned toward beastly and monstrous.
[Mutated Undead Lv.23 x1]
"Kill the beast!"
I ordered my comrades.
With haste, I sent a pillar of fire crashing to the gigantic infected, charring its bulky rotting flesh.
Kroaahh!!!
Surviving the inferno, the beast stomped its feet and began charging toward us.
Jonah and Darius promptly launched explosives toward its legs.
Boom!
The giant crashed to the ground, paralyzed.
Shanny took this as an opening.
['Shanny (★★)' has gone berserk!]
The woman immediately rushed forward to the downed beast. Aiming to slay the creature.
Crash!
[Mad Undead Lv.10 x7]
Several infected suddenly burst out from the buildings around the street. They were all set to intercept Shanny.
But Devisha dashed ahead of the enraged woman and struck down the lesser undead, clearing the way for her comrade.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Basic Dual-Swords Technique has levelled up to level 7!]
The giant infected tried to rise to its knee, but Shanny had reached the creature.
The woman leaped and poised her sword to strike.
[Ring of Malaikat (A) is taking effect!]
['Shanny (★★)'s strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 20 for a period of time!]
['Shanny (★★)'s Berserk has levelled up to level 3!]
['Shanny (★★)'s strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 23 for a period of time!]
With one clean swing, Shanny cleaved the giant's head off, causing streams of dark blood fountaining from its headless stump.
['Shanny (★★)'s Basic Sword-Shield Technique has levelled up to level 8!]
Having slain the creature, the intense aura dissipated from Shanny's surface. Sense of reasoning returned to her eyes.
['Shanny (★★)' is no longer berserk!]
As the mutated infected was drowned in its own pool of blood, our party rushed on through the city.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:22:48]
We arrived at another square intersected by three roads.
One leading west, to another square. One leading to the east, deeper into the city. And the northern one where we came from.
Kroaahh!!!
[Mutated Undead Lv.23 x4]
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x97]
More infected charging in from the road to the east.
We could not let the eastern horde keep chasing us. Those giants would prove troublesome given their number.
I produced five brown stones from a satchel I hid within my dress.
Once I activated the spells instilled within them, the stones glowed with bright light.
[Elemental Attribute, Activation]
I threw the glowing stones to the eastern street.
Rocks and rubbles floated off the pavement and merged around the stones. They immediately formed into five large humanoid figures.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Golem Summoning has levelled up to level 2!]
With a swish of my hand, I sent the golems charging toward the infected horde and intercepted them.
Our party continued on to the next square.
It was a four-way intersection.
One leading southeast. One leading straight south. One leading uphill to a small enclosed square with the watchtower. And the one we came from.
Kroaahh!!!
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x297]
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x334]
More hordes coming from the southeast and the south.
Engaging them would only waste our time for the west was our goal.
"To the watchtower!"
I told my party.
The young prince suddenly frowned.
"But that's a dead end!"
"Trust me, Your Highness!"
I told him as I raised a stone wall on the eastern and the southern roads.
My comrades did not question me for they trusted I had a plan. And, certainly, I had one.
As we were running up the sloping road toward the watchtower, I looked back and saw the infected got over my roadblock easily by climbing the surrounding buildings.
The rabid living corpses then began traversing through the city through rooftop to rooftop, as agile as Devisha. They quickly gained their grounds on us.
"Hurry!"
I urged my party.
As we were nearing the watchtower, a glint came from its peak.
Whoosh!
An arrow swiftly flew down from top of the tower. Its trajectory was aimed straight at His Highness.
Clang!
I easily intercepted the arrow with my shield.
"Keep going!"
I told my comrades.
We then made it to the enclosed square, at the base of the watchtower.
The infected were not far behind us.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x534]
Hundreds of them were running through the top of Tsuchi's high-rises. Many spilled to the street and resumed dashing uphill toward our party trapped at the watchtower's square.
In seconds, this entire area would be flooded with living corpses.
I immediately casted an enchantment to our party, stepped my feet on the tower's wall, and began walking on its steep surface.
"Run to the top of the tower!"