"Typical," Arthur groused, as he hefted his spear. The trio of lightning wasps weren't moving, just hovering there in the middle distance blocking the way into the village, with its high log walls. Which, of course, were utterly useless at keeping out flying attackers, but Tower logic likely kept the trio from going in.
Or maybe just general self-preservation, since there were a couple of guards watching everything, bows out but not loosing anything at the trio.
"Couldn't be easy, now could it?"
"Of course not," Dovgrey said, pulling on Porta's lead as he cinched the sides of his scalemail breastplate tighter. "Just so you know, neither Porta nor I are particularly defended against lightning."
"Sama-sama..." Arthur let out a long sigh. "I'll take them down, or at least bring them over to one side. You just get in."
"I do not believe the guards will open the door until the creatures are dealt with," Dovgrey said, but continued as Arthur angrily opened his mouth to just keep moving and continued, "but we will not be in your way, Climber Arthur."
"Thanks." Arthur trotted forward, putting some space between the two. He debated which skills to use, what he would need. Bark Skin had some minor resistance effects to lightning, but the keyword there was minor. Heavenly Sage's Mischief would give him extra speed, which would be useful against the wasps. Especially if he was going to be shocked. On the other hand, with three of the mini-Bosses, this might be quite the long fight which meant he needed to deal with them via Yin Aura and just wearing them down.
Lastly, of course, was his favorite quick shot attacks - the REED and Focused Strike. Either of the two would be enough to land a fatal blow via surprise or just good targeting, but there was no guarantee. Of course, that didn’t mean it would happen.
He’d have to make a choice of what to run and utilize, and do it quickly. Some, like the Yin Aura only worked if he pushed it onwards from the start of the fight. Which, if he thought of it that way, and the need to end this fast, saw it discarded. Same with Imbued Strike. Neither worked for mass battles, not just yet.
Eventually though, he hoped to make the Yin Aura so powerful he could knock out lower level monsters with ease. It was getting there – even the mass swarms of leeches or hornets weren’t as much of a danger as before, especially coupled with good armour.
Which was the other side of the equation. He had good armour. Not perfect, but good enough that he didn’t need Bark Skin. Anyway, if one of those stingers got through a gap, he doubted the short-term and specific boost of the defensive technique would save him from getting stung. Their poison was the major concern here.
On the other hand, the goal was not to get hit. So Accelerated Healing – with its constant drain on his Refined Energy – was also a non-starter.
Options dancing through his mind, moments before he clashed with the trio. Two flew upwards, darting out of range, moving to surround him. The third lunged forward, butt and stinger leading the way. A quick sidestep took him out of direct line, the haft and spear tip shifting at the same time to deflect the attack while putting his own spear on target.
Focused Strike helped him punch through the defences, the creature’s lack of stable footing making it easy for him to take the line. Problem was, before he could dig his spear all the way in, Arthur was already shifting directions, dodging the attacks coming in from the sides.
He spun sideways, focused and released the REED he’d been holding back to slam into the body of the already injured wasp. Moments later, even as the first explosive dart was sending goblets of flesh and chitin through the air, a second impacted the same spot. A giant gaping cavity where its torso was, forcing the creature to fall as nerves around wings failed, blood pumped out of the body and the wasp twitched.
As it died, it lashed out. Lightning, ignored till now as painful but not entirely crippling exploded forth. Dancing between the dying body, the living wasps and Arthur’s body. It dropped him, muscles locking up and twitching.
Only a last desperate lean to the side had him fall out of the way of another attack and take the second on the edge of his armour, bouncing him off. He struck the ground hard, pain coursing through his side, unable to fall or roll with it, head bouncing off the ground a little and making him see stars.
The overpowered attack died off, though not before a wasp darted down and stabbed him with its stinger. Targeting just below the edge of his breastplate that had ridden up and exposed his stomach/groin region as he thrashed around, it managed to impale him in the side above his leg.
New pain coursed through his body as toxins pumped into his muscles and blood stream. Fresh agony as lightning, now given a direct entry to his body, poured itself through him. Arthur was regretting his lack of defence or healing now, as the barbed stinger tore out of him with a disgusting schlurp noise.
Even so, the Climber had enough energy and control to roll out of the way of the next monster, barely avoiding the tip as it stabbed at his open faced helm. Over and over again, leaving a trail of blood behind as Arthur tried to pull together the last edges of his techniques, to replace them.
Buzzing high above, recovering from punching into the dirt and coming up, the wasps hovered around Arthur. The Climber managed to get up on one foot, released the REED only to see the damn creature dodge his dart in what was an obvious feint.
Good news was that it bought him time, enough that he managed to block the darting stinger of the other monster as it came for him, slashing with the kris as he finished the motion. He didn’t manage to hit the body, angles all wrong, but the fast moving wings on one side were torn up a little.
Not enough, not by far, to cripple it. But realizing he might be stuck on his knees, as lightning arcs danced through his body and the poison robbed him of fine control, he changed tactics. No more trying to finish this off.
Instead, Arthur used his skinning knife, the bracers on his arms, his armour to block the darting figure. Threatening them, waving his weapon, targeting the wings. The creatures were wary of him too, the explosive dart that could potentially kill them with just a look keeping the creatures wary.
Pain, coursing through him as he dropped the Heavenly Sage’s Mischief. No more time to worry about being stronger or faster, not when he was immobile. Keeping his movements tight, his blocks and defences close and not falling for their occasional feints. Threatening them with a bad look…
All the while, the Accelerated Healing ran through his body, clotting the wound in his stomach, restoring destroyed nerves and flushing poison.
A small part of Arthur’s mind pointed out what he was doing – soloing not one, but two mini-bosses at the same time. Even if they were first floor bosses, that would have been insane but the fact that he managed all three and these were from the fifth floor?
Insane.
The buzz of the wings, the swinging dagger-like attacks. He leaned sideways, tore at the wing, pushing off just enough to rise up, screaming in pain as his wound, closing now, tore open. Dried blood, scabs, fresh burns.
Pain.
But the kris cut, tearing into the wing. Crippling the creature, sending it bobbing sideways. From the other side, he straight armed the wasp darting in, feeling the hornet stinger slam into his chest plate bruising his ribs and sending him over onto the side. He fell, rolled over, free arm pointed upwards as though to ward against the descending attack.
Not willing to give up its opportunity, the wasp darted down, gathering lightning into its stinger. Hand, meant to block or slow, jerked upwards towards the curled up face.
Too late, the wasp realized there was a light, a glow in the palm. Moments later, the REED exploded outwards, catching it in the face, throwing it sideways as momentum and gravity took it down towards Arthur. He twisted, plunged the kris in and taking the body with him, kept rolling to get away from the crippled other wasp.
Didn’t take long to kill this last one, and then, staggering over to get his spear, finish the last. Leaving him standing before the gates, victorious and bleeding and shocked.