***
Watching Raynar and Cerbyss fend off several monsters, one of the Abyss Howlers let out a commanding howl, rallying the Frostbite Wolves to attack all at once. At the same time, it directed four of its kin to pursue the fleeing group.
"It seems that Abyss Howler standing on the ruins is their leader," Seth muttered, his gaze sharpening.
He noticed the four Abyss Howlers breaking away.
"Where are they heading?"
Scanning his surroundings, Seth looked to the right, spotting shadows moving swiftly in the same direction as the fleeing group.
"Looks like they're going after the bald guy's group. Thats a good news, fewer enemies for us to handle here."
His focus returned to the immediate threat as the Frostbite Wolves surged forward, closing in on the building's entrance.
"They're all charging in at once? Perfect. This is the ideal time to test Cerbyss' skill."
Seth turned to his companion. "Cerbyss, get ready to use Paralyzing Howl."
The Frostbite Wolves started sprinting toward them, barking furiously, "Not yet… not yet…" A few of the Frostbite Wolves leaped toward the building's entrance.
"Now, Cerbyss! Aim your skill at the entrance!" Seth shouted.
Cerbyss let out a thunderous roar, 'Rrroooaaarrr!' The sound echoed, paralyzing the Frostbite Wolves in their tracks. None of them could move as the paralyzing effect from Cerbyss' roar took hold.
"Good work, Cerbyss! Now finish them all off! Make sure to bite their necks or tear their bellies open with your claws!" Seth commanded, his voice sharp with urgency. "Raynar, use Umbral Strike Arrow on any monster within your reach. Don't waste this chance!"
Raynar and Cerbyss sprang into action, launching a brutal assault on the Frostbite Wolf pack. Their combined efforts turned the tide as they mercilessly annihilated the enemy forces.
Seeing its pack nearly wiped out, the Abyss Howler let out a guttural growl and began descending from the ruins, closing in on Seth's group.
"Their leader is stepping in. Only a few Frostbite Wolves remain. I'll need to pull back Cerbyss and Raynar to rethink my strategy," Seth thought to himself.
"Cerbyss, Raynar, fall back!" he commanded. Without hesitation, the two retreated to regroup.
The Abyss Howler snarled at Seth, then barked orders to the other Abyss Howlers, who immediately charged toward his team. Four of them broke into a run, their claws kicking up debris as they aimed for Seth's group.
"Cerbyss, get ready with your Paralyzing Howl. Raynar, can you manipulate the shadow lashing from your Umbral Strike like tentacles to bind the enemies?" Seth asked, his tone sharp with anticipation.
Raynar growled confidently, "Easy."
"Excellent. Just what I'd expect from you, Raynar. Prepare your Umbral Strike Tentacles and also ready your Umbral Strike Arrow," Seth instructed.
Raynar raised his body slightly, small tentacles forming and giving a mock thumbs-up, eliciting a rare smirk from Seth.
He watched the Abyss Howlers draw closer to the building's entrance, his mind racing. "They're probably expecting Cerbyss' Paralyzing Howl. I need to create another opening," he strategized silently.
"Cerbyss, don't use your Paralyzing Howl. Bite them instead. Act like you're going to use the howl, but surprise them. Do you understand what I mean?" Seth asked.
Cerbyss barked confidently in response.
"Good. That's my Cerbyss. Get ready."
The Abyss Howlers were now dangerously close, their snarls echoing as they reached the building's entrance.
"Now, Cerbyss!" Seth shouted.
Cerbyss lunged forward, growling fiercely as if preparing to unleash its Paralyzing Howl. The Abyss Howlers reacted instantly, leaping to split into two groups, one veering to Cerbyss' right and the other heading toward Raynar. Wasting no time, Cerbyss sprang toward one of the Abyss Howlers and sank its teeth into its neck.
"Good, one's down," Seth muttered as he assessed the battlefield.
Noticing that two more Abyss Howlers had moved into Raynar's range, Seth barked his next command, "Raynar, now!"
Raynar responded swiftly, summoning shadowy tendrils that ensnared one of the Abyss Howlers. With a decisive move, Raynar drove an Umbral Strike Arrow straight into its skull.
"Excellent, two down. So, what will you do now, leader?" Seth said, locking eyes with the Abyss Howler's leader. The creature growled furiously, returning Seth's gaze with a venomous glare.
Seeing his chance, Seth issued another command. "Cerbyss, Paralyzing Howl at the leader!"
Cerbyss obeyed, letting out a deafening roar aimed at the Abyss Howler leader. But to Seth's shock, the leader leapt into the air, its form shifting into a translucent, ghostly state, rendering it immune to the effects.
"Damn it, what the hell is that?!" Seth exclaimed, stunned by the unexpected transformation.
In his moment of distraction, Seth failed to notice another Abyss Howler closing in on Cerbyss. The creature lashed out, landing a vicious slash on Cerbyss's body. Cerbyss yelped in pain, staggering back from the blow.
"NO! Cerbyss, fall back here!" Seth shouted, his voice laced with urgency. Despite the pain, Cerbyss forced itself to retreat, limping back to Seth's side.
"Raynar, hold them off if they try to attack!" Seth commanded, quickly turning his attention to Cerbyss. He knelt down, guilt evident in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Cerbyss. I got distracted," he said, his voice tinged with regret.
As Seth examined Cerbyss' wound, Lyra, the girl they had saved earlier, stepped forward. "I... I can heal your monster's wound," she offered softly.
"Can you really do that?" Seth asked, a flicker of hope in his voice.
"Yes, I still have one bottle of monster healing potion with me," Lyra replied confidently.
"Monster healing potion? What's that?" Seth asked, his curiosity piqued.
Lyra smiled gently. "Oh, you must be new to having monsters. As the name suggests, it's a potion used to heal external wounds on tamed monsters. You can find it at a shop that specialty on monster supply."
"Alright, please use it. I'll make sure to repay you when we get back," Seth promised.
Lyra shook her head. "No need. This isn't nearly enough to repay you for saving my life."
"Alright then. Please, help Cerbyss," Seth said sincerely.
Without another word, Lyra uncorked the bottle and poured the healing potion over Cerbyss's wounds. The effect was immediate, Cerbyss stood tall once more, letting out a powerful howl to signal its recovery.
Seth straightened up, his eyes locking onto the Abyss Howler leader. "Alright. Let's start round two," he declared, his voice resolute.
The Abyss Howler leader glared at him, still in its ghostly form, an eerie aura radiating from its translucent body.
"Raynar," Seth called, turning to his companion. "Can your Umbral Strike affect that Abyss Howler while it's in its ghost form?"
Raynar growled in response, a low and confident, "Definitely. Dead."
Seth chuckled. "Wow, your confidence really is unmatched," he said, smirking. "But that's what I like about you."
Seth cast a sharp glance at the Abyss Howler that had injured Cerbyss earlier. "Cerbyss, it's payback time," he said, pointing at the creature. Cerbyss growled, its voice filled with both fury and determination.
"That's the spirit," Seth said with a nod of approval. He quickly formulated a plan. "Alright, let's go for a frontal assault. Since Raynar is so confident, it's likely the Abyss Howler leader's level is lower than his. I'll leave the leader to Raynar to keep it occupied while Cerbyss takes care of that one."
"Raynar, hold off the Abyss Howler leader for a bit. I'm giving your little sibling a chance to settle the score," Seth said.
Raynar growled in response, "Leave. To. Me."
"Good. Cerbyss, get ready," Seth commanded. Cerbyss locked its gaze on the offending Abyss Howler, snarling as it slowly advanced.
The Abyss Howler, exuding confidence, lunged toward Cerbyss. Seth's voice rang out with precision, "Cerbyss, dodge to the right and use your strongest claw strike on its head!"
Cerbyss leapt to the right with agility, its right claw slashing across the Abyss Howler's head in one swift motion. The creature recoiled, shaking its head to fling off the blood now pouring from the wound.
Seeing the opening, Seth seized the moment. "Now! Paralyzing Howl!"
Cerbyss roared ferociously, the sound paralyzing the Abyss Howler where it stood. Wasting no time, Cerbyss darted forward, claws ripping into the creature's body. Then, with a feral growl, Cerbyss sank its teeth into the Abyss Howler's neck and tore through it, ending the fight with a victorious howl.
"Aaaawwoooo!"
Seth watched in awe as Cerbyss acted on its own, capitalizing on the opportunity. "Wow, Cerbyss can make decisions on its own." he thought, then praised aloud, "You were amazing, Cerbyss!"
Cerbyss lifted its head high, pride gleaming in its eyes, as if basking in its own accomplishment.
"Looks like Cerbyss is starting to catch Raynar's confidence," Seth said with a chuckle, the tension in his voice easing.
"Alright, now it's just you left, leader. I'm sure you've realized by now that you can't defeat my companions here," Seth said, pointing at Raynar with a confident smirk. "So, make your choice: surrender or die."
The Abyss Howler leader let out a furious howl, its pride clearly wounded. Instead of backing down, it charged straight toward Seth.
"Whoa, you're attacking me because you know you can't beat my companions? That's a big mistake," Seth said, calmly stepping back. "Raynar!"
Without hesitation, Raynar lashed out with his shadow whip, slamming the Abyss Howler leader into a nearby wall.
"Cerbyss, Paralyzing Howl!" Seth commanded.
Cerbyss leaped forward, roaring directly in the leader's face. The Abyss Howler froze, unable to move under the howl's paralyzing effect.
"Finish it, Cerbyss," Seth said coldly.
Cerbyss lunged, its powerful jaws locking around the Abyss Howler leader's neck. The creature glared at Seth with hatred, but as Cerbyss crushed its throat, its gaze faded into lifelessness.
The remaining Frostbite Wolves, witnessing the fall of their leader, yelped in fear and scattered, fleeing into the wilderness.
"Finally, it's over!" Seth shouted triumphantly, his voice echoing across the battlefield. Cerbyss howled in victory, and Raynar punctuated the moment by striking the ground with his shadow whip.