Eight months have passed in the training Crypt, and they began their day as they usually do, with light exercises to get the blood flowing and then the training.

Each of them has methods that they train with, and they call on Little Bird to show them some techniques or explain better. But all they were still training was the basics level.

They’ll do personal training for about two hours, and then they switch to the one where the whole team will participate. Azaroth came with this, it’s a training method where the three of them will face only him with their weapons and skills.

Azaroth blurred forward, body covered in reddish essence as he did a full body forge instead of focusing on specific body parts. The fight had just begun, and he planned to end it before they had time to organize themselves.

But they reacted to his speed with equal swiftness, and just when Azaroth was about to reach them, he shifted all his essence to his feet, and his movement turned lightning-fast.

He kicked Catena in the chest and sent him flying before he could activate that annoying skill of his. Then he clashed sword with Stallus, going for rapid slashes that drove her back and gave her little space to use her skill.

This also means Alex couldn’t use his skill as well for fear of not hitting her but he could swing his sword, it sloped downward to conner him but since Azaroth’had essence in his feet, he jumped up, leaping high enough to avoid the swing but also close enough to smash his feet on Alex’s surprised face.

Now he had given Stallus enough time to use her skill, and crystals came flying towards him while Catena, who had regained his feet, charged him as well. Since all his essence was in his legs and he didn’t have the time to change that, he made a risky decision that kill two birds with one stone.

Catena was too far but would get to Azaroth by the time the crystals exploded, so Azaroth faced the crystals and then flung himself at them. With the essence in his legs, he was so fast he left an echo image of himself behind.

Avoided all the crystals and landed just in front of Stallus with his sword pressed against her neck while an explosion of blue fire shook the air with a small boom! Behind him. "You’re out."

Now he only had to face Alex and Catena, who were cursing because of the explosion. Azaroth faced him, his attention also on Alex, who had picked himself up and was scowling at him.

The two of them looked at each other and then met, Alex and Catena whispered to each other while keeping their eyes on Azaroth. They began to move closer as if they were walking in the territory of a beast.

Then they attacked! Catena’s ball chain led as it snapped in the air like a whip, the two balls coming together from the sides to pinch him in. Azaroth crouched to avoid them, and the two balls slapped together with bone-shattering force.

Azaroth’s neck tingles and his eyes widen. "Where is Alex!" He didn’t have to search long because he found a sword pointed at his neck with a grinned Alex. "You win."

He thought to himself. ’Maybe I should have used the Chaos core then everything might have ended earlier’

Alex laughed and punched the air. "That was clever Catena! You made him focus on only you with that attack of yours! We win again! This is the second time we have won this week!"

Stallus shook her head. "And we only won against him once last week. Are we getting used to your fighting style, Azaroth?"

A little bird popped into being in front of them. "It’s impossible not to adjust to his fighting style! You’ve all been fighting each other for months now. Who are you guys going to fight next?"

"Stallus I think?"

That’s how they do it, one person against the three of them and it has helped them in honing their battle senses. Fighting monsters of their ranks will not benefit them in that aspect because monsters like that just throw themselves at their weapons.

"What are you here for Little bird," Stallus asked. Because sometimes he’ll just come to them and ramble for hours.

The little bird frowned. "Well, Master said I should tell you guys that there’ll be a test in the following month. And the test might be hard and long. So prepare yourself!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Azaroth ears picked at that and thought ’A test? What for? I thought we were just to keep hunting crypts’

Stallus spoke. "Why are we doing some kind of test? And if we fail do we get punished?"

"Will we be rewarded? Then I’ll ask for spices." Catena said.

The little bird shook his head. "I don’t know. That’s just what Master said I should tell you. You’ll have to ask him all that yourself!" With that, he was gone again.

"Let’s postpone today’s fight," Azaroth said, already sitting. He rested his head against the ship’s edge before anyone could say anything and closed his eyes.

When he opened it, he was covered by rolling darkness, and a purple tree stopped in front of him with a one-eye Crow standing on one of the branches.

"So you remember me today," Corvus said.

"Corvus," Azaroth said simply. It’s been almost a month that he’s been here after immediately his chaos core began working. "Your tree is now purple."

Red eyes blinked at him. "Well, the more you grow the more this space will grow. You might even have an entire world here."

Azaroth couldn’t tell if Corvus was just exaggerating, but he decided not to drag it since he’d grow stronger and would know what would happen to his inner space, as he called it.

"Why are you here?" Corvus asked. "You’ve been steadily filling and cultivating both of your cores."