They followed Kael Hound as he took them into one of the largest buildings and down the stairway until they reached a door painted with a red dog breathing fire. He spoke a few low words and the door opened.
The door opened to a passage with two more doors, and it was lit with glowing red light.
Azaroth and his fellows had been dressed in their training clothes, their weapons sheathed on them.
"I will tell you a few things. When you slay a monster, its essence clings to you. It does not automatically enter your core. You have to intentionally move it there, and if you do not, it goes away." Kael beckoned them close. "Let me show you a trick. When you take essence and advance you get stronger and heal faster, but you can make a fast burst one."
Kael put up his hand and red energy warped around his fist in threads. "This is the most basic way you can use your core energy. You can punch with twice your natural strength with this. Of course, at your level it is useless unless you are fighting weak monsters."
Azaroth watched intently. What would happen if he did it with his two cores? He would very much like to find out.
"You have to imagine your energy leaving your core and slowly warping around your hands, not inside but outside. Also add it to your legs and you become faster and kick harder."
Azaroth nodded, noticing that Stallus's eyes had lit up at the mention of becoming faster.
"I'll advise you to kill at least thirty monsters and get your core activated to finish the rest." With that Kael turned to the door and spoke the password.
The door swung open and revealed a darkness like the mouth of a cave. The difference was that this one was glowing with blue and green light.
"A portal crypt. Not all crypts have portals, but most do. Go in."
Azaroth was the first to enter. The portal felt like nothingness and his feet hung in space for five seconds before touching a solid floor.
Azaroth looked around. His feet were planted on rough stones and the wall was made of the same rough stones. He realized he was in a cave of sorts. He looked behind him and met the solid wall.
The wall rippled and Catena dropped into the ground, followed by Stallus and Alex.
So this was a crypt, Azaroth thought.
"Let's get going. We have a lot to kill," Alex said, already moving forward.
"This cave is going to limit my weapon fighting," Catena grunted, ignoring Alex.
"You should use it short range," Stallus said, her hands already on the hilt of her saber.
Catena grunted again, weaving his chains around both hands and gripping the spiked metal. Azaroth thought he looked ridiculous carrying that much weight.
"We should think of a formation and..." Stallus began.
"We go our separate ways," Azaroth cut her off. It was not like they were fighting together against an enemy. They were each fighting for their own advancement.
Alex stopped and looked back. Catena only shrugged, his chains clinking. Stallus nodded slowly and looked at Azaroth as if she could not figure something out.
"That made a lot of sense," Stallus said.
Alex furrowed his brows. "Don't you think we should fight together? We stand a better chance together than not."
Azaroth said nothing, already making his way to one of the big holes that lined the cave.
"Kael Hound said this was a test," Azaroth heard Stallus say.
Alex said something but Azaroth was too far to hear it. Azaroth paused then. If this was a cave, why was there not total darkness? It was as if the inside of the cave was lit by a yellow light, but Azaroth could not see the source of the light.
The cave was surprisingly cool, and the hole Azaroth had chosen led down a long tunnel big enough to fight with his sword.
He took painful care with his steps on the rough ground. He saw the first sign of a crypt when he was further in. A half eaten skeleton with its clothes still on lay on the floor. It wore the same training clothes as Azaroth. One of a previous Hound, maybe?
Azaroth's hand went to his sword, then he slowed down, looking around carefully. Nothing. Something had killed this skeleton. He looked at the bones carefully; the head had been bashed in.
Azaroth looked up and saw a blur of green hurling down. He threw himself sideways and drew his sword. The stone meant for his head clattered uselessly away.
A green creature the size of a big dog hunched down before him. Its claws were long, sharp, and brown, and its teeth were yellowed and pointed.
Its green ear was pointed and its green body was supple. It wore nothing, and as it snarled at Azaroth he could see its male part.
Azaroth readied his sword and tensed. The creature's dark eyes narrowed and it lurched forward. Azaroth brought his sword up fast, aiming for the neck, but the creature twisted in midair and his sword bit into its shoulder.
It leaked green blood and opened its mouth to start clacking.
It was laughing, Azaroth realized. This horrible creature was laughing.
Azaroth attacked next. His sword was fast and cut the creature from groin to neck. It dropped with a wet thud. Its green blood smelled like a human's but thicker and stronger.
Its essence lifted and settled on Azaroth and he smiled his wolf smile. "One down, seventy four to go."
A clacking noise filled the tunnel and the thundering of clawed feet disturbed the air. Ten green monsters appeared before him, snarling and giggling.
"So it had called its fellow and not just simply been laughing like a dumb animal. That's smart." Azaroth pointed his sword at them. It was still covered in the creature's blood and it seemed to anger its fellows.
"Unfortunately, I will have to kill you all. I need seventy five of you guys and another seventy five. Let's make it quick." He did not wait for the creatures to attack. He went first.