A fire lit up within Abel's eyes as he looked at the diminished numbers of Gnolls. At their peak, they had numbered at least forty, but now, after their clash with Audu, they were barely over a dozen in number. Audu had massacred the most of them when he had saved Abel, and they had lost their former leader, so their strength had surely declined. Even if they were able to find a replacement, it would surely be weaker than Breeze.
The Gnolls let out low growls as their hackles raised, trying to threaten Abel into leaving, but he had no intention of doing so. He had made up his mind to end this entire pack of creatures. Although it would do little in the grand scheme of things, at least, it would lift the invisible shadow that had settled over his heart since his near death experience.
"Breeze, how do you feel about helping me take revenge on your former pack?" Abel asked without taking his eyes off the cluster of alert creatures.
"As long as it helps further your goals, I have no objection to it, Master." Breeze replied and Abel nodded, his blades already out and glinting under the light. With a deep breath, he steeled his mind before taking a pose.
The Gnolls in his line of sight felt an acute threat to their lives the moment he got into the pose, baring their teeth and scrambling to attack him. They dared no turn their backs on such a threatening foe, or else, they would not even have the luxury of knowing how they died.
As soon as Abel let out the breath, he opened his eyes and dashed forward. Compared to his earlier movements when hunting Ground Rats, Abel was even more of a phantom. In a single beat, he had already appeared before the foremost Gnoll. Its eyes widened with surprise as it felt an extremely dense killing intense bursting from right before its eyes, scrambling to raise its arm to block the strike from Abel.
Thump.
A thick limb fell to the ground as blood sprayed into the air. A choked scream of pain erupted from the Gnoll's throat as it felt intense pain travel through its body. It hurriedly brought down its other hand to smash Abel, but it was already to late. The Dragon's Wrath had neatly tucked itself under the jaw of the creature, its eyes staring hopelessly at Abel as they slowly lost the life within them.
With a grunt, Abel dislodged his weapon from the Gnoll, sending the body slumping down. By this time, Breeze had already dashed further ahead to clash against the other Gnolls. He held two Gnolls by their necks, his thick muscly hands squeezing at their necks mercilessly. The brutal sight brought back the memory of how Breeze had brutally killed Nick and Hank. Abel's vision swam and his feet stumbled as the memory rampaged through his head. He blinked, trying to recompose himself.
When he managed to regain his bearings, he noticed that the Ground Rat he used as a mount had come to his side, standing in a protective stance with its long, brown tail wrapped around his middle. It looked up at him, its beady eyes seeming to probe into him, asking what the problem was.
"I'm alright." Abel murmured and patted its head. He still had to give the big guy a name.
He turned to face the struggle between the Gnolls once again. Breeze truly deserved his name, proving it as he nimbly maneuvered through the ranks of the bloodthirsty creatures. His incredibly sharp claws raked through the arms and legs of the other Gnolls, spilling blood and leaving them injured. His eyes briefly flicked to Abel, a barely noticeable glint of concern showing in them before turning back to its foes and hardening once again.
Steeling his mind, Abel gripped the Dragon' Wrath and Widow's Kiss tighter. Although he was eager to kill them, he still remembered that they had nearly killed him. That shadow that hung over him remained daunting. His newfound strength did little to thwart it.
'If I can't handle this, then I'm never going to be able to clear this Tower someday." A fire lit up within his eyes as he gazed at his clenched fist before raising his head to gaze back at the Gnolls. With one final pat to the mount's head, he dashed forward, throwing himself at a pair of Gnolls that sought to pounce on Breeze's back.
Startled grunts burst from their lips as his blades slid over their throats, a moment barely passing by before he was gone again. By the time their bodies dropped to the floor, he was already stabbing the Widow's Kiss into the side of a Gnoll that was nearly as large as Breeze before he became a Beast Soul. It howled as a black network of poison spread through its body, coloring it an unholy purple color. The poison effect of the Widow's Kiss was at work.
As Abel moved onto the next victim of his wrath, the poisoned Gnoll dropped to the floor, writhing and scratching at its own skin, and dragging its claws through its body as though trying to fish out the source of its agony. Breeze noticed this scene, a cold shiver running down his spine as he thought of the first time he faced off against Abel. What if Abel had used it on him? He was sure that it would have been pure agony, agony that was enough to drive him mad, regardless of his mental fortitude.
'At least I'm on his side now...' Breeze thought as he carried on with his rampage. The pair of them methodically mowed down the opposition of rabid Gnolls. It was too long later that the last Gnoll finally dropped as Abel pulled out his dagger from the side of its head. His purple eyes scanned the area where the fight had taken place. The dull gray rocks had been colored with the red blood of the Gnolls.
The Ground Rat mount had wandered towards them, occasionally using its foot to probe a downed Gnoll for life signals. It's sand colored fur coat shifted under the breeze that blew over the rocks.
"I think I finally found a name for you, buddy." Abel spoke as he placed a hand on its head. "Dust."