Chapter 1004: Something Odd
His shouting snapped everyone's attention off the tunnel, and they realized it wasn't over. A battle was still imminent.
Kary turned away from the tunnel, getting ready to take command of them, and felt a slight dizzy spell hit her, almost losing footing for a second. But Alex was quick on his reaction, grabbing her shoulder and holding her up.
"You used too much mana in one spell. Try not to do that too often. That can be deadly in battle," he admonished her.
"I'm fine. I'll be more careful from now on. But I wanted to test out that mana lobe a bit. I'm satisfied with the results," she replied softly.
Saying her piece, Alex let go of her shoulder, and she gazed at the rest of their allies amassing close to her.
"Same line as earlier. Winston is up front, this time with Alexander and David's undead. The mages in the center and the physical ranged on overwatch. Rì-Chu, can you make them some platforms?"
The young man nodded, slapping his hands to the ground as he focused on his new mana lobe, pulling out more power than before and quickly erecting three pillars four feet off the ground for Aapo, Jin-Sil, and Killian.
"Done!" he called out as the stone stopped rumbling.
"This won't be a battle of attrition. Anything that comes around that bend needs to die. We can advance once the tide of kobold stops," Kary said, getting ready.
"What about me?" Cory asked, unsure if he should head closer to the frontline since they wouldn't take as many wounds in the back this time.
"Stick close to the center, but I want you to focus on Alex and Winston. If we get hurt in the back lines, I'll call for you," Kary replied.
With clear instructions, everyone got ready for the enemies they could hear roaring up ahead. The battle cries got louder and louder at the tunnel's mouth until the rumbling of stone shook the ground under the humans' feet, and the first enemy turned the bend.
But he could tell there was something more to it now that time had passed.
It was almost like the kobolds were never-ending...
Turning his head to the back, Alex noticed Kary was also frowning. Not far behind her, even David had a strange look on his face.
"This isn't normal, right?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer to his question.
Kary shook her head while David opened his mouth to reply.
"I doubt a dungeon like this one would have this many enemies inside it. There is also this strange mana in the air," David replied, looking around them.
Alex could see some strange particles of mana all along the tunnel, dancing around abnormally. They looked no different from normal mana if it wasn't for how they were moving.
It was almost like they were following a soft tune and dancing to it, but he couldn't hear or see anything affecting the mana particles.
"I think we should start advancing in the tunnel," Alex said, looking at Kary for her consent. She hesitated momentarily, slinging another fireball into the kobolds before nodding. "Frontline advance ten steps. Once they stop moving, casters forward. Archers, stay on your perches for now until we can make new ones further ahead. Advance!" she ordered, her voice carrying over the explosions and thunderclaps.
Alex grinned, locking step with the already advancing Winston, who was already thinking about getting some action of his own.
As they moved ahead, they finally got to smack some kobolds around as the casters stopped firing this close to them, and Alex immediately frowned, as did Winston, stopping ten steps
forward.
"You feel it too, right?" Winston asked.
"Yeah... These enemies... They aren't real."