Charging in blindly was how people died. He had learned that the hard way. If the examiners wanted to test them, then staying calm and waiting until everyone was in peak condition was the smartest response.
So they waited.
Twilight bled into the forest, turning the world a deep indigo. When the shadows grew long and heavy, Ray climbed a tall tree and surveyed the endless canopy.
Then a howl tore the sky apart.
The sound struck like a hammer. Leaves shook loose, birds burst into the air in frantic swarms, and for a brief instant, even Ray's blood ran cold. His blood essence surged on its own, burning away the fear before it could settle.
He froze, breath locked in his throat.
That howl was nothing like anything he had ever heard.
Even the ten-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Ape that had once nearly killed him had not sounded so overwhelming.
He slid down the tree and rushed back.
Raziel's face was already pale. "W-what was that? My heart nearly jumped out."
