Touch the edge of the Master rank? What Kael Hound just told them casually was that they would be a few steps away from breaking into the Master rank.

The rank that most people spend their whole life chasing. It was absurd. It should be. Because even the Captains themselves are in Master ranks.

In other places, Master rank is enough to set you up for life. It meant you are already at the top. It’s insane. You command people with that rank.

The Captains of the Hounds might not look it, but they are one of the most powerful people in the Inferno Legion and in the whole world. That’s how powerful the rank is. Of course, there are a lot of ranks above that, but the Master rank is considered as the true beginning of the Awakeners.

Azaroth could only imagine what he could do should he get to that rank.

But five years? "It’s impossible," Azaroth said flatly.

"Yes, it is very much impossible," Alex frowned.

"Why don’t you explain to us what you mean?" Stallus asked.

Kael opened another door. "The Master rank is the rank that all Awakeners are expected to reach. And the majority of Awakeners reach it in their lifetime if they lived long enough. With time, you will reach it and sufficient essence you will reach it."

"Some can reach it faster than the others. And some, not at all. But you can also reach it at a young age. That is if you have the massive resources to do so."

"Resources?" Azaroth asked.

"Potions. Essence-filled environments. Essence fruits. Chaos beasts. Good techniques."

"So what. You’re going to use all this to make us Master rank in five years?"

"Yes," Kael said.

"Why don’t they do it for all the Hounds then? It will make the Inferno Legion more powerful," Azaroth said.

Kael stopped and turned to them. "Do you know how the Inferno Legion is set up? To answer your question well, you must know this."

Azaroth shook his head to this.

"At the top we have the Leader of the Inferno Legion. He controls the whole of the Inferno Legion, his words are law. Under him, we have the Arch-Generals, there are only three of them. East Doomhaven is split into three regions and these ArchGenerals control it. Then we have the Generals and then Commanders," Kael said.

"What about the Captains? Are you not included?" Stallus asked.

"That is exactly what I mean," Kael focused on them. "I’m a Hound. We are not included. We are glorified slaves. The chain of commands stop counting us. And between those people I mentioned are the free Awakeners who don’t wear the mask. Who are not Hounds."

"The Inferno Legion has a lot of fighting forces. Hounds are the least of them. No, they won’t waste resources on us but maybe they are trying to create another set of Hounds. The Yama."

"You mean us?" Alex asked.

Azaroth tuned them out a little as he thought about what Kael said. And most importantly, what he didn’t say. The Hounds are slaves and it was made of those the Inferno Legion does not trust.

They are given the mask and forced to serve.

Kael soon led them again and Azaroth wondered how far they must have gone from the training building. He couldn’t say exactly but he knew they were still in East Haven, just far below it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that East Haven is a city, a place with people who lived here safely.

Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that there’s more out there than the Hounds.

"This is the last Door." Kael Hound stood in front of the massive stone door and pushed. And they entered into a small room. A table stood in one corner with different instruments on it but it wasn’t what caught their attention.

A portal was spinning on the far side, opposite them.

"The training is a crypt?" Stallus asked, baffled.

"No. It’s built in a formal crypt. It’s built around a massive crypt."

"It must have really cost a lot," Alex frowned. Owning a crypt, even looted ones, is almost impossible for an individual. Well, this one still belongs to the Inferno Legion.

"It did. I had to upgrade it two years ago when we heard about the Yama project. Just know, your sponsor wanted you to pass too."

"And the other team? Did the sponsor want them passing as well?" Azaroth asked. "Or did they have a different sponsor?"

"Actually, no. The sponsor wants the two of your teams to pass." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"So the same sponsor?!" Stallus spluttered. "That means they are also getting the same resources as ours and will probably want the same result too."

"Calm. They don’t have a training crypt like you do. But they might also get another resource that I am not aware of. The truth is, the sponsor wants a strong team from East Haven."

"And so will invest in two teams. Put them against each other and let the stronger one come out on top," Stallus narrowed her eyes. "Probably because they want us for something. Something they cannot do themselves. Something related to the Yama project."

It was times like this that Azaroth was reminded how smart his teammates were. And why he could understand the reason for the Inferno Legion’s decision when they made the mask. Some slaves are too smart to serve.

Kael Hound thought the same too as he paused. "Keep that to yourself if you know what’s good for you. Keeping your head low is the same as keeping your head. But you are right because right after the elimination here. There will be more. Much more and you must be ready by then."

"What do you mean much more?" Alex asked.

"Exactly what I said," Kael said. "You might want to take this training seriously. If you don’t want to end up dead in five years’ time."

"But that’s only if training doesn’t kill you. It’s made to do so. To kill you."