Xin approached the group.
"Report!" Xie Taowei ordered.
"I cut the root off, the materials are enough to boost the breakthrough even further. He began the process, should take half an hour or so." Xin had a deadpan expression.
"No questions about the mantis?"
"What's there to ask? It will destroy the barricade, emerge in the thin tunnel, we'll shower it with fiery arrows and other attack methods. Hopefully, it will be enough."
"Brother Xin, I've been strategizing while you were away. Please, judge my plan. You seem to have a knack for this sort of thing, I am more of an improvisation kind of guy." Rui Ming addressed him.
Xin felt a subtle warmth in his chest. It was nice, being recognized. Especially by a talent like the Windsplitter.
"Alright, tell me what you have."
"So, there is going to be a certain window when we can damage the iron mantis, this is correct. We've assembled our most relevant attacking methods that can damage it into a list."
"Right. Let's hear it."
"Number one is Lei if he gets a breakthrough. His Lava Spit should be a perfect counter. Then we have Tu Qiang's borrowed rank two stone toss dao shard, if he activates it. Then, it's me showering fiery arrows at the thing. Next on the list, it's master Taowei, Yao Nang and Tu Qiang using blunt weapons to damage it physically. It's extremely dangerous, though."
And not very useful.
"Can master Taowei drop a stone on it, just like when he crashed the ceiling? What's your strength now, master?" Xin asked.
"I have already prepared a crack on the ceiling, but I'll only be able to do it once, and I don't think it will be strong enough to seriously damage the creature. Using the environment of the cave gives me a massive advantage, but this attack will still be only around the peak of rank one in power, and hard to deliver." Master Taowei explained.
"Noted, master." Xin nodded. Even as a mortal, master Taowei's qi control and experience make him a valuable asset. "So, what's our defensive strategy?"
"In case the first line of defense breaks, we let the iron mantis in and retreat into the hub. We try and fight there, if we are overwhelmed by the swarm, we retreat into one of the thinner tunnels. What do you think?"
"It makes sense, we need to move some water inside the smaller tunnel in advance, and we need to pollute the leftover water as we retreat. This way, he'll either have to abandon the swarm to bring the supplies in, or shepherd them outside. This gives us a chance."
"I'll take care of the water, brother." Wu Xiaoyun said. Xin didn't respond.
"And if he barricades outside, and we have no water reserves? Don't we just thirst to death then?" Murong Zhan asked. It was a necessary, if pessimist question.
"Then we didn't fight well enough and were outplayed. We'll have to surrender ourselves into slavery, if he agrees to it. Or die. Don't you dare think about it. We are killing him." Xin was genuinely determined not to survive this, but also to crush their opponent.
Clang. Clang. The sounds slowly approached, becoming more defined and loud. Unnerving.
"I have an idea, by the way. The cauldron, with the fiery liquid. Think we overthought the whole thing." Rui Ming rubbed his sharp jaw. "Remember when you joked about pouring the liquid all over Lei? How about we do this with the mantis?"
"How will you achieve this, brother?"
"Someone climbs the wall and sits above the mantis, or around the corner. Or I deflect its ranged techniques with my wind path method and someone just runs up to it with a cauldron."
"Sounds great!" Yao Nang was elevated.
"Shitty idea. No offense." Xin disagreed.
Rui Ming wasn't offended.
"Explain."
"How do you think we got detected? The giant mantises and the mantis yaoguai probably have a detection method themselves. Probably the antennae that grow on their heads. We aren't sneaking up on them with our mortal methods. You're also forgetting about one other ability that he has — swarm herding."
"I don't really understand it, can you explain?" Yao Nang asked.
"Haven't you noticed? Several times in our fight, the bugs started acting in a more organized manner. Their movements became more refined, they avoided mindlessly running into us, and the yaoguai himself was just standing behind the lines. Think he was scared of us? Think he was just lazy? He was controlling them. Now, imagine if he overtakes the control over the iron mantis, all while sensing our ambush? We'll have a corpse on our hands, and no cauldron. And no cauldron means no fiery arrows."
"I see." Rui Ming rubbed his chin again. "That's a good explanation. Still, spilling fiery liquid over it might be an option at some point during the fight."
"I agree. So, our trap cards are: Lei and his Lava Spit, a stone drop, one rank two stone toss, a cauldron pour and your arrows. Got any wind path arrows left?"
"Yes. Those are good at killing the grasshoppers. Together with normal arrows, I only have twenty left in total."
"That's... not a lot. I have a full quiver of bolts for my arbalest."
"The arbalest bolts are big enough for me to use as arrows, I'll just have to adjust a bit."
"Shooting bolts from the bow wastes a lot of their power, though."
"If the purpose is to deliver the fiery liquid as it melts the metal, it's not a big deal. And I am only speaking about the case where you can't shoot all the bolts fast enough."
"Hmmm..." Xin fell into his thoughts amid the clanging. "I'd rather keep the bolts, it's important to have the ammo for after we retreat, if this happens."
"There is something that we haven't discussed yet. The rank two yaoguai master." Murong Zhan intervened again.
Xin looked at him, and then at Rui Ming again. An interesting dynamic, Rui Ming, who everyone says is weird and distant, is actually reasonable and grounded, with a flexible mind. Murong Zhan focuses on the negative, but most of his comments are on point. He doesn't get tunnel-visioned like the others. And master Taowei barely speaks. Is he still testing us? Or does he have nothing to add, despite being more than twice our age?
"Xin? I'm talking to you."
"Huh? Right, I am thinking about it." Clang. Clang. "That master doesn't have a strong defensive method. He relied on his umbrella artefact and his ability to hide in the abdomens of his allies. We've exposed both. He might still have strong attacking or movement methods, and I suspect he'll be able to transform. Someone will have to deal with him."
"That's what this whole group is for. Not everyone will be hurting the iron mantis, someone could focus on the yaoguai." Wu Xiaoyun said.
"Easy to say, girl. Something tells me that he'll drop you like a fly." Xie Taowei said.
"No heroism, I remember the incident in the last fight. Keep your composure, poke at the exposed opponents, heal those that require it. Everyone — remember, you should exert yourself just right. Push your limits, but don't get killed for nothing. Make your sacrifice worth it, if you intend to die. Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes." A group of voices responded somewhat calmly. Everyone's mood was slightly detached, it wasn't their first near-death experience this week. Not even the second.
Xin reflected on master Taowei's words and what they meant for him. He had so many minor abilities, but none of these elevated him above the status of a small fry in this fight. His only useful abilities were his perception, be it his own or his totem's, his infused crossbow shots and his Woodcutter's Downswing.
Oh, how I wish I broke through already!
Clang. Clang. The iron mantis will emerge soon.
How do we survive this? Our tactics? Seems like we took everything into account. Our abilities, our strength and weaknesses, our equipment. Our morale? It won't get any better. It's already quite elevated by the treasure Lei found, and by a somewhat realistic plan that we have. The only thing that we need now is luck.
He remembered the conversation about luck he had with Lei.
As a backline fighter, I have to rely on spotting the right opportunities. Standing in the back, I'll see the whole battlefield, and it would be wise to communicate the needs of the group to everyone involved as we fight. Communication is our key advantage over the swarm.
I also need to let go of illusions of control. Being carried by those stronger than you, knowing when to shine and when to step aside, is also a skill. Create too many problems for them — the group collapses. Underperform — we all die. Every group has two foundations — its frame and its pillars, and both have different functions. Sadly, right now I am a pillar. I'll embrace this role, even if I hate it!
Wait, this metaphor makes no sense. Aren't pillars...
Clang! Clang! Crash! The stones were crashing loudly, echoing through the cave.
"It's almost there. Marksmen, get ready! Everyone else, take your positions in the hub! Zhan, move the cauldron!" Master Taowei ordered.
A few minutes later, the final rock of the barricade was pushed aside. It rolled menacingly,
deeper into the tunnel, and amid the light from the torch the group hung on the wall in advance, a head emerged — an iron mantis, its eyes glowing white in the twilight, its head covered in a shining blue liquid!