Four against one. His heart hammered against his ribs. The level-up had restored his body, but it hadn't erased the phantom pains of his previous fights. He knew what even one of those Scuttlers could do. Facing three at once, plus a monster that looked like their alpha, was suicide.
He pressed himself back against the corner of the building, his mind racing faster than it ever had before. The swordsman's echo was a cool, analytical presence in his head, assessing the battlefield. Direct assault is death. They guard the entrance. Find another way. Or make one.
As if on cue, a new set of blue boxes appeared, confirming his fears.
[Gutter Scuttler - Level 2]
[Gutter Scuttler - Level 2]
[Gutter Scuttler - Level 2]
[Scuttler Broodguard - Level 5]
Level 5. The number felt like a physical blow. He was only Level 3. The Broodguard was a hulking beast of dark green chitin, its pincers large enough to shear through a fire hydrant. It was mostly stationary, its massive form a living barricade in front of the apartment building's glass doors, while its three smaller kin patrolled a tight perimeter around it.
He couldn't fight it. Not yet. But the little ones... he had a chance against them, if he could separate them.
His eyes scanned the area. An alley ran alongside the building. It was choked with overflowing dumpsters and trash, but it might offer a way to the back. A fire escape, perhaps? It was his only option.
He took a deep breath and darted from his cover, sprinting across the street to the mouth of the alley.
The movement immediately drew the attention of one of the Scuttlers. It let out a sharp chitter and broke from its patrol, its legs a blur as it charged after him.
One down, he thought, a grim satisfaction cutting through his fear. He ducked into the alley, the stench of rotting garbage hitting him like a wall. He didn't slow down, hurdling a pile of black trash bags and sliding over the grime-slicked lid of a dumpster.
He needed to create distance, and then turn the tables. He glanced back. The Scuttler was just entering the alley, its form silhouetted against the street's gray light. It was faster than him in a straight line, but the enclosed space was an advantage.
Kai spotted a heavy, discarded wooden pallet leaning against the brick wall. An idea, born of desperation and the echo's tactical calm, sparked in his mind. He scrambled up onto a dumpster next to the pallet, his newly enhanced Agility making the movement surprisingly easy. He got his footing, the thin metal groaning under his weight, and waited.
The Scuttler skittered into the narrow space below him. Just as it was about to pass, Kai kicked the top of the pallet with all his might. The heavy wooden structure tipped and fell, crashing down directly onto the monster.
There was a sickening crunch of chitin and a wet shriek that was cut short. The pallet pinned the Scuttler to the ground, its legs twitching feebly. Kai didn't give it a chance to recover. He leaped down from the dumpster and drove the point of his saber through a gap in the wooden slats, silencing the creature for good.
[You have slain a Level 2 Gutter Scuttler.]
[XP Gained: 25]
[XP: 45/150 to Lvl. 4]
He absorbed the core that appeared, not even bothering to check the notification. Two Scuttlers and the Broodguard remained.
He crept to the end of the alley. It opened into a small, concrete parking area behind the building. As he'd hoped, a rusty metal fire escape zigzagged up the brick wall. Freedom.
But his hope died as soon as it was born. Another Scuttler was there, sniffing at the base of the fire escape as if it knew it was a potential point of entry.
It hadn't seen him yet. Kai ducked behind a large generator unit, his mind racing. He couldn't use the same trick twice. He needed a new plan.
He looked down at his saber. The swordsman's echo whispered a suggestion, a fundamental tenet of combat: Control the ground.
His eyes fell on a spatter of oil on the concrete, leaking from an old, rusted barrel. An idea, reckless and dangerous, took hold. He found a discarded glass bottle, uncapped it, and carefully scooped up the viscous, black liquid.
He crept along the wall, his movements slow and deliberate. When he was about twenty feet away, he threw the bottle. It shattered on the wall just above the Scuttler. The creature shrieked in surprise as the thick oil rained down on it and the concrete around it. It shook its head, disoriented.
That was his opening. Kai charged.
The Scuttler, recovering its senses, hissed and lunged at him. But when its legs hit the oil-slicked concrete, its charge became a comical, uncontrolled slide. It lost all traction, its legs scrambling uselessly.
Kai didn't slide. He had anticipated the slick, adjusting his footing as he ran. As the monster slid past him, he pivoted, bringing the saber around in a powerful slash that severed one of its legs at the joint.
The creature crashed onto its side. Before it could right itself, Kai was on it, his saber plunging into its vulnerable underside. The fight was over in seconds.
[You have slain a Level 2 Gutter Scuttler.]
[XP Gained: 25]
[XP: 70/150 to Lvl. 4]
He absorbed the core and turned his attention back to the street. Only one Scuttler left, still patrolling around the unmoving Broodguard. He could repeat the process, lure it back here.
But as he looked, the final Scuttler suddenly stopped. Its head tilted, and it let out a series of sharp, questioning clicks. The Broodguard stirred, its massive head turning slowly. It looked directly down the street, then its gaze swung towards the alley.
It knew. It knew its guards were gone. A low, guttural hiss, like stones grinding together, echoed from its massive form. It took a heavy step forward, leaving the entrance unguarded, and began to crawl toward the alley.
The last Scuttler fell in line behind it. They were coming for him.