She needed to get her hands on some crystals, or she might actually end up dead before they even start hunting. And if this was a beginner crypt, how would she survive the real danger?

Actually, Stallus was the one assuming this was a beginner crypt. She had no idea if all the crypts were the same or if there was a higher level for later. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But the fact remained that she must get her hands on some crystals, even a small one, to just try out her technique for the first time.

Catena walked over to her, nudged her with his shoulder, and she smiled at him. He saved her life today, and she vowed to repay him, but still, it stung.

Not him saving her life but the reason. She could not save herself and had to depend on someone else. The circumstances that she found herself in needed saving. She didn’t like it.

"Are you not picking anything?" Catena asked her. He wasn’t hacking the wood from the wardrobe monster, storing it in his storage space. Nobody asked him what he needed it for.

Stallus looked around. What could she take? She had no idea, and in the end, she chose a knife like Azaroth. She put it away in her storage space.

The thing was, crypts were supposed to offer some people enchanted objects. But it’s totally random, and there was even a rumor that only high-level crypts can produce them. Stallus had no idea what an enchanted object even looked like.

"Hummmm... I thought we’d see enchanted objects for sure," Alex grumbled as he looked under the bed. He was also looking for something to pick. He looked at the pillow; it was solid and had a huge hole in the middle. "Maybe we’ll see one in the coming days. We have a long time to spend here anyway."

Azaroth looked at his fingers. This storage ring is also an enchanted object. But this one was self-made. Those found in the crypts were unique and always more powerful.

He had never actually thought he would find an enchanted object here, but why not? This is a crypt, and having an enchanted object to use offensively would always be a good thing. Besides, if he could not use it, then he could sell it.

Enchanted objects sell for a lot of money. And Azaroth was going to need a lot when he was finally ready to carry out his plans. He sent his aura spinning over all the objects in the room, but he found no enchanted tools.

With nothing else to do, Azaroth turned to the door. Maybe he’d find something downstairs. He began walking away, and the others followed him.

Since they already cleared the crypt, they saw no reason why they should be that careful. Big mistake. Because they were in the middle of the stairs when the whole thing shuddered, and the stairs suddenly grew a giant mouth.

Azaroth was the one leading, and he froze when he saw it. A tongue covered in spikes lashed out of the mouth and headed straight for him.

Azaroth dodged, and the tongue slammed into Catena, sending him back. Stallus shouted and ran after him, leaving only Alex and Azaroth alone to face the tongue that was the size of a grown man.

Alex clenched his sword tight. "I think this is the real boss." Alex did not like his position. His core was empty, and even the essence that was covering him was so thin it was barely noticeable.

Azaroth was also in the same situation. His fire core was almost empty and could not power any skill. He was even pushing his luck with the essence that covered him. But to think the real boss had allowed them to pass and waste their power elsewhere.

Now, they were nearly empty. The raw essence they gathered when they fought the monsters was still unprocessed. They needed time to direct it to their cores.

Time they didn’t have.

Cunning. Very. Azaroth brought out his sword and then directed essence to his legs. What he needed here was speed and not body strength.

The tongue hovered, the spikes gleaming, then it suddenly lurched at him. Azaroth met it with his sword, and the two slammed into each other with enough force to make Azaroth’s body shudder.

This close to the monster, Azaroth used his chaos thread on his sword and cut into the tongue. It recoiled quickly and straightened, preparing for another attack.

Azaroth wondered if it would come at him again, but the tongue had another idea. The spikes on it shot forward at high speed, scattering around.

Azaroth cut down the ones that came to him, his sword a black blur.

"How do we defeat it?" A stony voice asked beside him, and Azaroth didn’t have to turn to know it was Stallus.

He shook his head. "Nothing to do but cut it down."

And isn’t that the truth. But to do so, they needed to get close to it, but that thing’s strength is not something to scoff at, and the spikes that it was shooting stopped them from getting closer.

"See." Stallus pointed at the base of the monster. "It is thinner there. Do you think you can cut it?"

Azaroth tilted his head. "Maybe? But I won’t be able to because of the spikes that keep shooting."

Stallus nodded. "Come after me. I’ll strike them out of the air for you. Prepare yourself for the cutting. I will show this monster what speed is."

Then her essence divided, one went to her right hand and one to her left leg. And then a tiny thread of essence connected the two parts of her body.

"Now." Stallus said, and in a blur that left a blue shadow, she was gone. The spikes fired as predicted, and it was as if Stallus was at three places at once as she smacked them out of the air as she said.