Matthew made a rough count. More than fifty Long-Neck Lantern Demon Apes surrounded them. The sight of so many monkey-like creatures with glowing lanterns for heads hanging from the trees was spectacular. Their lanterns had brightened the whole area.
"There are quite a few of them. Watch out for their mental attacks! Don't stare at those lanterns, or you'll fall under their illusions," the lead wizard shouted. "Can anyone cast Mist Spell?"
Inside each Long-Neck Lantern Demon Ape's lantern was a mouthpart. Its light could cloud the mind, and once prey fell under its spell, the ape would extend the mouthpart to feed on their flesh and blood.
There were too many Lantern Demon Apes to avoid seeing their light altogether.
"I can." A young male wizard took a black sphere from his robes. Once he activated it, gray mist spread through the area.
The lanterns became faint glimmers behind the Gray Fog, too dim to affect the wizards' minds. Those glimmers instead revealed the Long-Neck Lantern Demon Apes' positions.
"Now!" the young wizard shouted. "Pin them down with area attacks!"
The wizards immediately cast their spells. Wind blades, lightning, fireballs, boulders, and all manner of magic shot out around them.
Fighting together, the wizards were like a battery of cannons. Shrill screams rang out from the Gray Fog, and many of the glimmers winked out. Matthew could sense that their first volley had killed several Long-Neck Lantern Demon Apes.
Harsh cries came from the Gray Fog. The Lantern Demon Apes leaped rapidly along the branches, closing in on the wizards.
The Long-Neck Lantern Demon Apes were terrified of fire. Matthew cast Burning Hand and seized two of them. Flames from the enormous hand ignited their fur at once, and before long, both were charred black.
The lead wizard noticed.