[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:52:33]
"Run!"
I ordered my comrades as I pointed to a path. My glowing orbs of light soon rushed there to illuminate our surroundings.
The echoes of the undead came in rapid waves as I sounded the command.
Once my comrades and the prince were well on their way toward the path I determined, I used telekinesis to bring down the rest of the other tunnels in the catacomb to seal them.
Crash!
Seeing the other paths were now blocked by huge rubbles, I hurried to rejoin my party.
"Keep going till we find the second turn to the left! We need to reach the next catacomb before the infected catches up to us!"
I told my comrades once I regrouped with them.
Darius nocked an arrow to his bow.
"Where are they coming from?!"
"Everywhere!"
Despite having sealed the paths behind us, the echoes of the infected was still resounding strong throughout the sewers.
It did not help that they were sounding louder by the second.
By the time we found the turn I mentioned, shadowy figures emerged from ahead of us.
Darkened spotted skins. Rotting flesh. Fracturing bones.
[Mad Undead Lv.10 x32]
"Go!"
I urged my comrades to make the turn and keep on going.
As the infected horde was about to chase after us, I raised my hands and sent a pillar of flame toward them.
Whoosh!
The living corpses burned to ashes against my spell.
But plenty more of the undead were coming from where they came from.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x68]
I did not waste any more time to block them and chased after my party.
Boom!
Ahead at the new turn, Darius and Jonah were blasting with their explosives another horde of infected that was charging at us from the opposite side.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x51]
"Break through them! We must move forward!"
I said as I sent a stream of destructive wind to the enemies.
Dozens of them were shredded to pieces in the assault.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x13]
With most of the infected ahead of us obliterated by our attack, my party continued charging on.
Shanny, Jonah, and Devisha led the charge, followed by the prince, while Darius and I at the rear.
Our vanguards cleared the remaining infected with ease and we continued treading through the sewers.
Kroaahh!!!
More echoes of the infected.
If we do not resurface soon, we would get buried with the living corpses down here.
I dispensed my detection field once more and extended them as far as I could.
No use trying to hide now. The enemies had found us.
"Where to, Fina?!"
Jonah asked as we were running through the path we were on.
"There's a four-way intersection up ahead. We'll take a right there and keep going straight till we find a catacomb."
"Are there any infected there?"
Shanny asked.
"Yes!"
I answered blatantly.
Kroaahh!!!
A great echo came right behind us.
"Pursuers!"
Darius announced, turning his gaze back.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x136]
A horde from earlier had caught up to us.
If we let them be, we would get surrounded when we reach the next catacomb.
"Don't stop! Keep going!"
I ordered my party.
As we kept on running, I enchanted the ground behind us and made it roll back like ocean wave toward the horde.
Crash!
A huge mound of rock and dirt was now sealing the narrow passageway.
Few infected managed to slip past through the crevices, but the bulk of the horde was blocked right there.
We kept on until we reached the four-way intersection.
Kroaahh!
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x27]
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x15]
Two hordes were coming at us from the path ahead and to our left.
Darius and Jonah quickly stepped up to intercept.
Shinggg!
The enchanted rings shined brighter in their fingers, summoning a crimson-streaked arrow and red-streaked throwing spear to their grasps.
The two then sent their explosives to both undead-infested paths.
Boom!
With the enemies intercepted, we made the turn to the right and dashed on toward the next catacomb.
My illumination orbs gave glimpses of what lied on our path ahead.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x103]
A huge horde had gathered. More were coming in from the catacomb.
But we had to press on.
"We'll break through the enemies! Make sure His Highness stays protected!"
I grabbed an enchantment stone from my pouch and activated the spell instilled inside, readying ourselves for the great battle ahead.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is casting temporary enchantment.]
[Elemental Attribute, Penetration]
[Party 1's strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 12 for the next 10 minutes.]
It was a potent enchantment I prepared for short battles.
By sacrificing the duration of the enchantment, my comrades gained tremendous boost in their abilities.
Krooaahh!!!
The infected finally noticed us and started charging.
In response, I faced my palms toward the enemies and sent a strong gale which ripped a great number of them to shreds.
Fire would be more effective to eradicate the undead.
But I was concerned of the prince being surrounded by intense fire in this enclosed underground space.
It would be best to use the fire spells to eliminate pursuers behind us.
Anyway, thanks to my wind magic, we managed to exit the narrow pathway and into the open catacomb, which was already flooded with more living corpses.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x147]
Slash!
Shanny struck down the first infected that made contact with our line.
Jonah and Devisha quickly came to her flanks and repelled the enemies charging from the side.
Darius and I whittled down the enemies beyond using arrows and spells while covering our rear.
The prince remained safe at the center of our formation as our party engaged the rabid corpses.
"Where to now?!"
Shanny asked as she was pushing through the dense rows of undead in front of us.
While turning a group of infected into chunks of flesh with my wind magic, I scanned the sewers with my detection field, which was still as overreaching as I could make it to be.
Sensing every surface my mist of mana detected, I tried to find us a way out from this underground space.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Mana Detection has levelled up to level 5!]
"Take the left path! There's a manhole along the way that can take us to the surface!"
Upon my instruction, Jonah and Darius summoned another explosive to their hands and sent them to a group of infected blocking our designated route.
With our way slightly clear, my comrades and I quickly rushed out of the catacomb.
The rest of the infected tried to give chase but I brought the ceiling down using telekinesis and sealed the path behind us.
All that was left was the remaining ones ahead.
[Mad Undead Lv.??? x278]
"Don't let them get in our way!"
I shouted as I sent a raging whirlwind toward the corpses.
Darius joined me by raining the horde down with explosives.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Wind Magic has levelled up to level 5!]
['Darius (★★★)'s Basic Archery has levelled up to level 7!]
With my spells and Darius's arrows killing most of the enemies, our party managed to break through the horde swiftly.
We soon found the manhole I was referring to.
It was a square-shaped opening on the ceiling covered in iron bars. Soft moonlight was penetrating through the slits of the barrier.
Promptly, I used telekinesis to tear the iron bars away while my comrades were pushing the infected away from our position.
Crash!
With the barrier removed, I noticed a statue of a winged-fish jutting out right by the manhole. It was likely a fountain.
Seeing there was no ladder that could take us up to the surface, I created threads of mana and attached one ends to each of my comrades and I, including the prince.
I threw the other ends to the fish statue and tied them there.
Using the statue as an anchor, I catapulted us through the manhole, out of the sewer, back to the surface.
"Whoah!"
The prince shouted as he was flung out of the sewer.
We all landed in the middle of an empty square, decorated with a dry fountain of a winged-fish at the center.
Krooahhh!!!
The infected belowground shrieked at us and tried to jump through the manhole.
Seeing their effort, I quickly dissipated the mana threads and tore the fish statue. I used the rubbles to block the manhole completely.
[Enchantment over!]
[Party 1's strength, agility, and stamina have returned to normal!]
Now that we had escaped the sewers, and hopefully the infected for the time being, I examined my party.
No injuries on my comrades. They were just slightly exhausted from running around and facing those huge number of infected.
The prince was also spent. But also woundless.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:31:56]
Half an hour left for us to escape the city.
We must make every second counted.
"Where are we now?"
Jonah asked, examining the square.
"Near the edge of the Welena New Quarter. There's the watchtower that bordered the quarter with the Sagonda Plaza."
Darius said while pointing to a towering structure to our west.
I nodded to the archer.
"We're closer to the harbor. If we hurry, we'll be able to get there in less than—ENEMIES!"
I shouted as I sensed something vague in my detection field.
My comrades quickly made a blockade around the prince and I, raised their weapons, and faced the empty square around us.
"Where?!"
"I don't see anyone!"
I quickly accumulated a bundle of mana at both of my palms. Modifying the magical energy so it would resonate highly with another magical force.
Once the bundles were plenty enough, I clapped my hands together, sending a buzzing shockwave which rippled throughout the square.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Enchantment has levelled up to level 7!]
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Mana Shockwave has levelled up to level 4!]
My wave of mana swiftly travelled through our surroundings.
Distortions instantly manifested in the environment. Humanoid distortions.
The selective mirages then vanished and revealed multiple hooded figures charging toward my party.
They were just two steps away from cutting down my comrades with their crescent daggers.
[Sun Shadow Assassin Lv.15 x12]