Ten minutes passed in this manner, minute by minute, until Ray finally met the requirement for a passing score. He had endured for a full ten minutes, earning the minimum six points. Even then, he did not collapse. He continued to fight on, teeth clenched, eyes sharp, stubbornly refusing to yield.
As time dragged on, the girl's astonishment grew.
She had never expected her opponent to be this difficult to put away. He reminded her of a fragile-looking boat caught in a raging storm, battered again and again by towering waves, yet somehow still afloat. That tenacity unsettled her. However, she did not dare to rush in blindly.
Ray was a control-type soul master, and one careless misstep could turn the entire situation against her in an instant.
So she chose patience.
Allowing him to pass the trial was acceptable, since it would merely cost her a potential reward.
