In the face of true power

Azrael called out for Mortimer, but his voice came out faint and received no response. He had been trying to summon Mortimer since he entered the soulless forest, as instructed, but despite his repeated attempts, nothing had happened.

The note left by Ryzel's Headmaster had warned Azrael that he wouldn't be able to summon Mortimer right away, but eventually he would. Although Azrael had many unanswered questions, he remained patient and tried to focus on honing his skills.

After two weeks of hunting stronger wolves and growing his dark ki, Azrael sat by the waterfall which had now become his favourite spot in the forest, trying to suppress his aura. He had noticed a decrease in the number of beasts around his cave, likely due to his increased strength, but he didn't care to hunt them anymore. Instead, he had found a greater challenge among the wolves deeper in the forest.

What troubled Azrael the most was the overwhelming aura he had felt recently. Its ki was incredibly strong, and he sensed it looming around him and watching him with a piercing gaze. It seemed like whatever it was wanted him to know that it was there and watching him closely.

After fighting with the wolves for days, Azrael had become accustomed to their tactics. He had realized that the wolves mostly moved in packs, but he always found one alone after looking for some time.

Also, whenever he managed to injure a wolf, it let out a deafening growl that not only distorted his senses but also called other wolves to the location. This had proven to be a major issue for Azrael as he couldn't handle taking on so many wolves at once.

As a result, he tried to finish off the wounded wolf as quickly as possible and then run away. However, after the great ki increase that he had obtained from his previous wolf kills, Azrael had become confident that he could take on every single wolf he encountered.

As Azrael moved through the forest, he could sense the presence of many beasts around him. Some were deep within the forest, which he knew he was better off not approaching. He also felt the familiar ki of the wolves.

Most of them were in packs, and Azrael had planned to take on one alone and only fight the others if the wolf called for them. He ignored the grouped wolves and searched for a single wolf. He figured this was the best way to increase his dark ki without overexerting himself.

After some time of searching, Azrael found one wolf alone by a small stream. He slowly approached it, observing its movements and waiting for a chance to deliver a lethal strike.

The moment the wolf started drinking from the stream, Azrael launched at it, going for a fatal strike to the head. However, the wolf quickly moved backward, evading Azrael's sword that was about to stab him. But that wasn't enough as Azrael quickly turned around mid-air, swinging his sword right at the evading wolf again, slicing right through its feet.

The sharp and ear busting growl of the wolf could be heard through the forest, the other wolves heard it as Azrael had expected and immediately headed for the source of the growl.

When the wolves got there they were met with a sight of Azrael sitting on the wolf which was now dead and his sword stabbed into the ground in front of him. Azrael's eyes glowed grey and around him was a dark mist that came with an aura that made these wolves hesitate as they watched Azrael, overflown by fear.

Azrael wasn't sure what happened. After he had killed the wolf and his dark ki rose, he noticed something else . His whole body felt like it would burst with energy. He wasn't sure what it was but he could feel it, the extreme amount of power he currently possessed.

"Good, now that you're all here," Azrael said standing up and grabbing his sword from the ground where he had planted it. "Let's test this power," Azrael said, his glowing eyes glancing at the wolves.

With that, all five of the wolves charged at him as fast as they could, even with the fear they had felt, they unrelentingly rushed at Azrael with the intent to kill.

It was only a moment, a very short moment even, and it seemed the wolves themselves had not noticed. They weren't aware Azrael was behind them nor where they aware they had been cut.

"Slow," Azrael said as he sheathed back his sword, right as blood splattered from the wolves behind him. They had been cut through, multiple times, and they only realized just before their deaths.

Azrael's aura blazed with power, surging through his veins like liquid fire. He stared at his palms, and for the first time since his 'death', a small smile crept across his face.

But in that moment, he forgot the most important task, the one thing required for his survival. His aura surged unchecked, and before he could react, a beast with a domineering presence appeared, drawn by his overwhelming energy.

Azrael had not sensed its ki until now, as it stood only twenty meters away, a towering ape with rippling muscles and a baleful glare.

The beast bellowed, a sound that would bring the strongest of warriors to their knees and make the bravest cower in fear. Azrael tightened his grip on his sword and whispered, "I messed up."