Runes - A Tale Of The Abyss

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm still moving so it's pretty hard to concentrate as usual. I'm dropping this chapter as a time skip so we can start progressing with the plot more in depth after I gather my concentration again. Also: Currently we have 2 bonus chapters in stock. I haven't forgotten them. I'll mass release most likely 4-5 chapters after I'm done moving in so look forward to it!

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"Okay. First things first, we better start training our a.s.s off as a team if we want to be somewhere decent after we graduate."

As soon as the meeting was finished, Kato had called them together to discuss a strategy to steadily improve themselves.

"Well. We'll need practical experience as well. Only working on the theory might not be a good idea."

Lance added in to the conversation.

Jewels shook his head.

"On the contrary, I think we should hit the books. We can't have proper practical experience without knowing what we're exactly working with. I say we spend a few weeks mastering the curriculum of this year, improve our knowledge."

"Wow Jewels I didn't even guess you could speak that long."

Kato looked at Jewels in shock who simply shrugged.

"I don't want an incompetent team."

"Duly noted... as for practical experience, what should we do? We shouldn't go around challenging random people for a ranking match, that wouldn't be a wise choice."

Griff spoke up this time.

"Well... I think I have an idea. Why don't we work together with another team? One probably as strong as us with similar goals?"

Kato started to think but he suddenly realized what Griff was going at.

"Them? Oh no no. We can't work together with Ellen. She's not a team person."

"Well... I can work it out, somehow. I'm very good friends with Sylvie whose a part of her team! You guys can leave the practice partners to me."

"Well... fine, alright man go for it."

Kato said as he sighed with a slight smile. Griff was amazing him by the second with his magic and now he had befriended Ellen, a loose cannon.

"Alright then! See you guys at our meeting spot tomorrow! I'm going to go sleep."

Kato left abruptly.

"Uh... we have a meeting place?"

Lance also scratched his head at Griff's question and shrugged.

"Beats me man."

"Ugh... he's just talking about the library while trying to sound cool. I'll take you there tomorrow Griff."

"Thanks Jewels! What about Lance?"

Jewels sized him up for a second and shrugged.

"I dunno he can figure it out himself."

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-1 month Time Skip-

The next few weeks weren't any exciting as most of the class focused on their studies and learning the basics and theoretical applications of attributes and magic. The only action the class got during these next few weeks was when Sylvie and Ellen started to clash, and Griff tried to diffuse the situation... which mostly ended with him being sent flying by both girls.

Griff was hitting the library once a week to talk with his teammates, and also study more.

They mostly avoided the other students who looked at them with pity and remorse. The Phoenix Class was seriously disliked...

Griff didn't spend his time simply studying though... whenever he had time he talked to Caphriel.

And today was the last straw for Griff's stamina after all the intense studying in the day and the lectures from Caphriel in the night.

Griff was fast asleep sitting in a chair in the library with a book on his face. Caphriel had tried waking him up several times, but all for naught as he didn't even budge at all.

[Sheesh I can't be strict with him today. Even this idiot deserves rest...]

She smiled as she watched him fast asleep. She couldn't touch him due to being inside his origin, but she could easily see.

[...he's sure got a long way ahead of him, and he is definitely getting stronger, but... the world is too big, and I'm certain he'll find a different purpose for power later on. That's just how humans are, no matter how broken they are.]

She closed her eyes as she thought about the place they so called heaven... and the reverse side of the world they were in. Yeah... it was definitely going to be a perilous path for him.

[...why did I even take a liking to him... he's naive, stupid sometimes... but he does have his good traits I guess...]

She hummed to herself as she stopped watching Griff sleep and sat in the projected, fake grass plains.

[...I guess being locked up so long messed with my head too... I can't call him stupid anymore. Heh... amuse me Griff, for you're the only amus.e.m.e.nt for me in this world right now...]