That made them twitched because they felt like they should just keep building all their technique. All in all they all chose their techniques and then they kept meditating on it all through the weeks in the last month of their first year in the training Crypt.

They feel their cores and know it’s already full, all they are waiting for is the inspiration and then advancement into the next level.

The crypt Master looked at them from afar and said to little bird. "They sure are impressive."

His clone, little bird nodded his head. "But I feel sorry for them, they don’t know what await them in the next level. What you have planned for them."

The crypt Master laughed, speaking with clone almost felt like taking to himself. It’s basically is. "They need the experience gap and it will either firm their resolve or break them. Come, little one. Don’t you think it’s time to let them advance?"

The crypt Master disappeared and appeared floating above the students his dark eyes watching them as they sat in a lotus position and process the essence but no matter how much they take its not affecting their core and that’s because it’s already on the way to advancement. All they need is a trigger.

The crypt Master smiled. "A trigger eh."

Then the crypt Master gestured and the floor beneath them disappeared and the shocked students fell into what looks like the abyss of rolling darkness that threatened to choke them. Azaroth looked up and saw two eyes that almost even more red than his own.

He and the others felt one thing. Something that Azaroth haven’t felt in a long, long time. Fear! What’s happening? Why are they just falling?

The eyes shone with mockery and when they looked around they saw that they are inside the palm of the creature in the abyss. Is that why the eyes is looking down on them?

Azaroth was frozen with fear as he stared up at the eyes. This...is one of his old silent fears. That he’ll always be helpless and weak and those who are powerful will look down on him as if he’s a dirty thing that managed to crawl it’s way up.

Azaroth eyes shone. And he felt a wave of anger, disgust and shame so strong it drowned out his fear. He gasped. "So what? You are powerful. And so will I! I will stand above!"

He heard the creature’s laugh. "Above? You are a toad in the well who think the sea is not big enough! Do you think you see the peak of the peak you worm!"

Azaroth smiled coldly, he didn’t know how he got here how the blasted thing was here with him but right now he’s beyond angry and not at the creature. But at himself for free so much fear because some powerful entity is standing in front of him. So what? It’s powerful, so will he! That’s the promise he gave himself so why let a creature who stand on what Azaroth plan to use as stepping stone made him cower in fear?

And explosive anger will not help him either so he shoved it aside since it won’t serve him. He demanded. "Who are you?"

The creature laughed. "The one who will crush you in its palm."

Azaroth smiled. "You can try." He said and although he didn’t move or do anything an image of a wolf formed around him, made of red oppressive aura that grew so large it met the monster eye to eye.

"Why don’t you try." Azaroth said mildly.

Just then the darkness cracked like the surface of a glass and then shattered to thousands of pieces that rolled together and then everything was covered in once again.

When Azaroth came back to his senses he realized he was back at the training Crypt. He never left, he was still in the lotus position with the cold earth beneath him. "What..." he said in surprise and blinked.

He looked to the left where Stallus was starting at him, her blue eyes steady on him. She pointed uo where the crypt Master and little bird are still floating. "It’s an illusion created by then."

Azaroth frowned. Does that mean she broke out of it way before him? Strange. But unlike them, Alex and Catena are still twitching from their place.

Azaroth was thinking to himself ’that’s an illusion? But isn’t that too strong? Because it felt so real to me’

Eventually the other two also came out of it but their eyes are wide and it took some time for them to stabilize.

The crypt Master came closer to them. "You guys are sure tough. What I just did is mirror illusion. It’ll show you your biggest fear and then trap you inside. The best way to stop it and get out is a strong will that goes against your fear."

"What? You could have killed me!" Alex said. He’s still shuddering from what he saw.

"But your fear will eventually kill you if you don’t learn to leash it. Maybe not now but you are already on the way of conquering it."

"Maybe a little warning next time because I almost belive that all the food and the best place to sleep with stop existing!" Catena said.

They turned to him, surprised. That’s Catena greatest fear?

But what was the one person’s fear that Azaroth wanted to know is that of Stallus. He wasn’t the only one interested in it either, the crypt Master all felt their illusion and the most twisted and brutal is that of Stallus.

Surprisingly she was also the first one to get out of there and she was unfazed. Just what type of fear is that? And what strong will!

"This is not just for fun. To break into the next stage you guys need something to push you. And learning about your fears and how to overcome them is just part of it." The crypt Master explained calmly.