Chapter 479

The orang utan boss, the OUB, was faster and closer to Jan than Arthur was to it, having been forced to shift position to cover the bomoh and attack their assailants earlier. As such, Jan had to save herself first before he could reach her. Not that she needed much help, as she threw herself to the side and triggered her movement skill, skating to the side as though on ice. It was not water walking, exactly, but a variation on the movement technique that let her act as though all surfaces were water that could be skated upon.

It meant that she slid to the side with complete ease and when she blocked the curved scimitar that leapt out for her sideways, she spun like a top when she blocked. Rather than waste the momentum, she kept the motion and sliced with her own parang at the extended arm, a rising cut that left a twisting wound along the monster’s arm but failed to cause it to drop its weapon.

Arthur on the other side thrust his own spear forward with a Focused Strike only to find the creature somehow managing to notice and parry his spear. He landed on the ground awkwardly, his spear’s point turned aside as he brought the haft of his weapon and the backend to strike the returning upper arm of his opponent. Lifting it higher, he released the second weave he had been pulling forth, the Refined Exploding Energy dart homing in on the underside of the creature’s arm to impact just below the targeted spot on the lip of the armour.

The explosion still injured the creature, causing it to howl and spin towards Arthur as the major threat. He backpedalled, already discarding both Focused Strike and the Refined Exploding Energy dart weaves in his meridians to draw upon the Heavenly Sage techniques. First, came the Great Sage’s body, that strengthened him as he blocked the sudden rain of cuts that he backpedalled away from.

Next came the Heavenly Sage’s Beating stick, as he magnified his own attacks so that they could harm the monster better. Though this creature was more physical than discorporeal, Arthur could not help but note that his Refined Exploding Energy dart had not left portions of the creature discarded through the surroundings, instead the wound and the ‘blood’ floated into the air as ectoplasm that slowly decayed and dispersed into the air.

All of which helped him ward of the creature's initial attacks, though it was not sufficient to block all of it. He swung and block, his spear spinning around him as it forced the monster back. Even though the weapon gave him greater natural reach, the monster was huge and had extremely long arms, such that his reach advantage was negated.

That left him having to battle two weapons with his one, and only the ability to utilize the Heavenly Sage's Beating sticks' extension of his weapon allowed him to stop the swinging sabers from slicing deep into his body. As it stood, he missed a curving block, watched as the boss managed to twitch their wrist just enough that it slipped under his elbow as he raised his left hand and felt the hard impact of the strike on his armour.

The sides of most armours, the area right beneath the armpits were one of the most vulnerable locations due to the construction and necessity of movement and equipping. As such, the leather armour that Arthur wore bent at the edges on impact, portions of it digging directly into the cloth gambeson he wore beneath - light and barely padded to help Arthur manage the weather better - and pushed it all into his sides, leaving red marks and bruises beneath.

Forced sideways, Arthur slid along the ground, one side of his body growing half-numb from the attack. He backpedalled as best he could, his left leg dragging a little on the ground as he cursed, wishing he had enough energy to wield a third weave. Then, he could utilize his refined exploding dart to give him some distance.

Luckily, as he recovered, Jan slipped in to aid him. Small swirling flames covered her weapons as she swung at the monster, managing to score a long line along its back, striking and crisping the edges of the armour. Like them, the OUB was protected from basic attacks, able to shrug off such blows - though the impact of the flames, her aura, seemed to cause the monster to snarl in anger.

Arthur eyes narrowed in thought, as the boss turned its attention on Jan. She woved a defensive net around her, blocking the massive swings and dodging them when she could. 

The OUB needed yang energy to give itself form, but at the same time, was particularly vulnerable to widespread yang attacks like her aura. It burnt the creature and caused it additional harm, but at the same time, Arthur wondered if his own Yin Aura might drain its very life essence faster.

It was hard to say, and the conflict of his own aura and hers would be dangerous. It likely would not be the best choice to allow both to combine, not without further testing. Discarding the option, along with his Heavenly Sage's body, he began to weave a Refined Exploding Energy Dart and stepped close, throwing a long-range thrust at the back of the monster's leg.

Almost as though the creature had forgotten entirely about him, it never moved the leg or turned to regard Arthur. The attack managed to sink all the way in past the leaf of his spear, only yanked out moments before Arthur planned on sending the refined energy dart inwards by the creatures reflexive movement.

It howled, barrelling forwards into Jan and taking a deep cut in an arm to slam the hilt of its raised pommel into her face. It threw her back with the attack and her Yang aura, burdening and injuring the monster with each moment flickered out. Unconscious or just concussed, Arthur was not certain; but he did know that he could not let the monster continues its pursuit.

Good thing that a quick sideways step, a second stab, this time with both hands tore into the back of the UOB's leg, such that it was forced to go to a knee. Already, he could ectoplasm moving to cover the wound, to reknit it even as ghost blood dripped and disappeared away.

That crippling attack, however, did managed to do one thing - it caught his opponent's attention. Entirely and fully, as the OUB spun to him, the extended end of its sabre barely missing Arthur as he leaned away. He jerked his own spear upwards, letting the movement of his spear and the moving hand to slice alog the backend of the unarmored arm, continuing to triy to delimb the creature further.

Back, back again. Arthur could feel the swirl of figures around him, most of those not involved in the fight directly. Various attendants, the remaining living members of the coterie that had formed the ritual. At the same time, with the meridian ready, he slipped the technique into his Pocket Simpanan before starting a second.

He kept shifting positions, utilizing his greater reach on the boss. After its first rushing series of attacks, Arthur began to realise the creature had attack patterns. Not a lot of them, but sufficiently regular enough that he could find time in-between to land light attacks on its arms. Each moment he shifted position, he looked about, for he knew his attackers were coming. In a few minutes, they arrived; the other orang utan from outside; creatures charging forwards through the few guards left behind.

Making a quick decision, Arthur stepped sideways again and then again, shifting the direction of the battle to let the OUB would be joined by the others. Then, as he feinted an attack with his spear to the boss's face, he released the Refined Exploding Energy dart he had formed at the add, immediately starting a second. 

The explosion ended the life of one of the three adds, injured a second and threw the OUB off its motions for a second. Long enough for Arthur to conduct a quick drop step at an angle to drive his spearpoint into the unarmed second add. He felt his weapon sink in and ripped it out, moments later.

First set of adds, mostly done. 

Unfortunately, if he could not kill the boss; these adds would keep increasing while his energy, his stamina faded. This was not the kind of attrition battle he could win. Which meant that Arthur was going to need to take some risks to win.