"This is a bad idea." Arthur muttered to himself once again. Even saying that, he was not moving away, he was not changing his plan. Instead, he began to strike the metal flask of the pommel of his kris. The enchanted poison kris had a wooden handle with a full tang that stuck out the end, the wooden handle coming in two parts and having been joined to the tang before being shaped. Thin wire laced along the handle itself helped keep the handle from slipping during fights as liquids were an issue in most fights.
The clanging of the metal echoed through the ruins, definite to draw attention. Standing right outside the opening of the temple, he figured he would lure something out.
If he was lucky, just a few. But considering he had nothing to light the inside of the rather dark building out, he had no intention of walking in and getting ambushed. Better to draw whatever monsters there might be out, especially since he was willing to put the two foot hot foot tactical withdrawal option into play at any moment.
A dozen strikes, over and over again and then he stopped, slipping the flask back into its tied pouch. He locked it down and waited, ears straining for the slightest noise, cycling his breathing slowly and deeply. His eyes stayed still even as he turned his head from side-to-side slowly, keeping his gaze unfocused as he tried to catch movement.
No movement, nothing...
And then, something inside the doorway. Another humanoid, then another. His eyes widened, at the numbers that slipped out, showcasing themselves to him. Hairy, large creatures that were over six feet tall for the shortest. Bristly fur, with faces that looked like a mix between human and animal and their most characteristic feature - their large, large mouths with teeth that looked like knife blades. Hands that looked like claws too, small tipped fingers on them.
"Santu Sakai!" Arthur breathed the name of the creatures. He made a count, even as he made the decision to strike first.
The Refined Exploding Energy Dart flew out, moving forwards to strike the one that had led the way. It moved, fast, dodging the attack. Others next to it stepped away too, moving aside from the fast flying attack, leaving the one at the back to take the attack. What they probably did not expect was the explosion that came when the Dart exploded, throwing the group into disarray.
Immediately after his attack, he was running. Moving forwards as quickly as he could, pulling the energy for that Yin Aura to him. He needed to get the group slowed down, for them to suffer from the effects of the poison. Six, no, there was a seventh though that was the one with the large gaping hole in its chest right now. It was still struggling up, but Arthur wasn't going to pay attention to it.
Rather, he focused on the one that had dodged. It was the largest, nastiest one. Smartest perhaps, certainly the leader but he wasn't sure it was enough to dissuade him from this. There was just enough of them to make this a challenge, maybe kill him. But at the same time, humanoid monsters meant treasure. It was a Tower given, pretty much, especially at these floors.
Another step, then another, then he dodged to the right as the creature lunged. Damn thin was fast, a fast moving explosive monster that Arthur took care of by putting his spear in the way. It could lunge at him all it wanted, but Arthur had a spear and rather than impaling itself, it threw itself away, allowing him to track and get an easy strike in.
Blood splashed, filling the air with ruby droplets. Just as precious to its previous owner, if not more so as it lost its crimson lifeblood in droves. How apt, that we only missed what we had when we have less.
He drew his blade back, feeling trickles of power flow through his body and release into the air. The Yin Aura was no cloud, no diffusion of energy, though he had once thought of it like that. Only discussing the matter with Jan had he come to understand that the aura was a living thing, a projection of power and personality.
Once he began to understand that, he'd learnt to push his own aura outwards to cover the necessary space around him. It had been slow growing, for locating his aura in truth had taken him days. After that, if he pushed it too far, the entire thing snapped back to its immediate surroundings around him. Nowadays, he thought of it akin to filling up a balloon with his Yin energy, diffusing the surroundings with the poison.
Turning sideways, he spotted the group. They had neared him once again, clustering a little rather than spreading out. Rather than let them get away with that, he released the Refined Exploding Energy Dart he had stored within his second dantian. It flew through the air, too close for them to dodge successfully and caught his target in the arm. It unleashed its fury, tearing the arm off and sending goblets of flesh and blood through the air, the explosion itself throwing those nearby to the side and sending the target crashing into another by its side.
In the confusion, he darted in.
The slowly expanding aura took a bit to reach maximum potential, and even more for it to be effective but as he swept within, his body shifting through the spear forms to slice, stab and sweep, he could feel portions of his energy leeching out as it came into contact with his opponents. Small trickles of power, enterring other auras, other bodies. Those that were wounded, the distracted were the easiest to harm.
He fought not to kill, but to injure. Oh, he prefered and targeted fatal attacks when he could; but these were smart creatures. They protected the vitals, the parts of the body that would end them immediately. Heart, throat, head. Everything else, gut shots, slices along the inner thigh to take out a femoral artery took longer. Even a shot into the lungs, with sufficient strength could be pushed through for a bit.
Everyone who dabbled in martial arts had heard that hacksaw of someone dropping after seconds when you cut the femoral artery or cartoid. All of that, from what was an urban myth. Ask any actual doctor and they'd point out that if that really happened, not even the most gifted surgeons would be able to save as many as they did.
No, the human - and in this case, the Santu Sakai - were built to protect themselves. They had ways to survive fatal attacks, from veins and arteries literally pulling into themselves to reduce blood flow to the body going into shock and reducing the pressure. All of which meant that creatures could - and would - fight longer than you'd think.
It was why his Tsifu had pushed them to learn defense, to always watch for the afterblow, to go for the clean kill and retreat. Never to expose oneself for the follow up, because there would be. Especially in the Tower. Especially with creatures that were not fully human, whose lungs or guts or kidneys might just be a little further away or sideways than you'd expected.
Defense, striking long cuts, pushing with his spear to slow them down. Dragging them to a stop, always moving, always backing away. Arthur was glad he was fighting out here, where he had space to move rather than inside, where he couldn't see as well, couldn't be sure he had enough place to move.
Two, flanking out wide, the leader coming up and gesturing them to attack. They kept trying to back him up, to encircle him. The moment they did, he was in real danger. Aura continued to pulse, but he shifted his second weave, pulling at another of his techniques for the inevitable.
Unfortunately, the damn alpha Santu Sakai was willing to sacrifice its own people to ensure he couldn't break free and run. Backpedal as fast as he could, he still had to watch for the steps that descended, for missing footsteps and broken ground. He had to move carefully, pushing his opponents back with his weapon. Sliding his feet, shifting down carefully.
They came around, fast, loping into attack. He wanted to back off, but a Santu Sakai pushed forward, stumbling a little was too good an opportunity to pass up. Spear tip pushed into neck, tearing a hunk of meat and blood as it exited. The foul smell of old, wet dog and blood filling the air, the musky scent making Arthur gag a little as he retreated.
Knowing he was too late, as the other two managed to make it to his back. Creeping up from the ground, hands lowered, head leading the charge a little as they gnashed sharp, knife-like teeth.
Surrounded and outnumbered.