Raze stood perfectly still, letting his senses expand through the forest. The air smelled of damp earth and rotting vegetation, thick with moisture that suggested recent rain. Branches creaked overhead as wind moved through the canopy, creating a symphony of natural sound that would mask approach until something got close.
His hand rested on his katana's hilt, ready but not drawn. Bephe prowled in a tight circle around him, the creature's nostrils flaring as he processed scents invisible to human perception.
Then the undergrowth exploded.
A beast launched itself from concealment between two massive roots, all rippling muscle and bared fangs. Expert rank cultivation radiated from it, power enough to threaten most delegates if they weren't prepared. The thing looked like someone had crossed a wolf with a bear and given the result too many teeth, fur bristling with ambient mana that crackled across its hide.
