"What are you planning to do? Should we look for Aoi?" Jason asked Xenon as they left the large hall at the top of Erythros' tower.

They had just been informed by a senior that Mr. Hakym was busy and would not be able to take them today. Aoi had still not appeared.

"Nah, I'm going to my room to study runes. Aoi would come out of where he's hiding when he wants to, don't bother to search for him." Xenon replied with a yawn, there were bags under his eyes.

"Okay. But what are you studying runes for, it's not like we have an exam ahead."

"Did you forget that old man said there would be a test." Xenon forced out as he was very tired to the point where speaking was becoming a chore.

"Oh shit! I forgot about that. Aoi was supposed to hel-p..." Jason eyes widened in realisation, then became subdued in disappointment. "You do you, I'll head to the library. Let's meet at your cousin's room in the evening."

Xenon nodded and walked away. He reached his room shortly and proceeded to collapse onto his bed. He struggled to keep his eyes open and mind clear.

'Sta-tussss.' Xenon uttered groggily in his mind.

_________________

NAME: XENON PRASEDYMUM

AGE: 15

LEVEL: 11| EXP: 26641/51200

STATE: Exhausted

HP: 35/35

OUSIA: [<]

Stage: 2 (Transitional)

Progression: 95%

Àse: 300/300

Spirit Contract: 1 (Kusin)

ATTRIBUTES: [<]

|Strength: 21| |Agility: 27| |Endurance: 21|

|Intelligence: 25| |Senses: 21|

[Fatigue: 90% | Vitality: 52%] Stat points: 2

SYSTEM SKILL: SCAN (Lvl 3)

QUESTS: [<]

SIDE QUEST: Gain full mastery over HYPERCELERITY.

CHAINED QUEST: Stage 1, Progress 30.6%.

DAILY QUESTS:

▪︎Meditate for 2 hours. Reward, 50 exp.

▪︎Drink 4 litres of water (0.7/4). Reward, 50 exp.

_________________

'Sho-ow chained quest... info.'

_________________

Chained Quest, Stage 1(Progress 30.6%);

Read, understand and memorize

30%, reward +1 intelligence [Completed]

50%, reward +2 intelligence

70%, reward +3 intelligence

Of Chapter one of 'The Runic Language: Book 1' before next week.

Complete higher requirements for better rewards.

_________________

'Finally!' Xenon sighed.

He had been awake all night reading the runes textbook and had eventually fallen asleep close to dawn, only to be waken up by Jason two hours later for Mr. Hakym's briefing.

He had had an hurried breakfast and rushed to the hall, only to be informed the class was cancelled. He had not any time to check on the mission's progress before now as he had unconsciously fallen asleep and had started running around the moment the woke up.

Xenon was extremely pleased and relieved with the mission's progress. He managed to kick off his shoes and climb up the bed properly, but that was the last thing he did before his body succumbed to exhaustion and heeded the call of sleep.

— — —

Jason's head whipped to side immediately as he heard the door creak open, he frowned as he looked at a familiar face walk in through the door.

"Where have been?" Jason asked, glaring at the familiar intruder.

"In my room." Xenon's reply was followed by a loud yawn.

"I thought we agreed to meet in the evening, it's already sunset!" Jason was upset.

"Yeah I know, but it isn't my fault. I fell asleep immediately I got to my room and woke up around four in the evening. Then I had to take a bath and eat something before heading here." Xenon explained as he grabbed a seat at the other side of Jeage's bed.

"Hey Jeage, I see you got your legs back." Xenon turned to his cousin who was not trying to obscure his newly generated legs from view.

"Yeah. Only my arms and face left." Jeage replied.

"Which one are you doing today?"

"Today is a break for me to recover – mentally. My arms and face will be done tomorrow and if all things goes well, I'll be discharged on Monday." Jeage's hand brushed by his stomach and subconsciously winced.

"Great. You've missed a lot." Xenon grimaced.

"Oh yeah, Jason told me."

"Oh! By the way, how was the library?" Xenon turned to a still upset Jason and asked.

"I started to doze off after about a minute, so I abandoned the textbook and slept. I came here after waking up and have been waiting for you since." Jason replied. "And now I'm leaving, goodnight." He stood up and left.

"I brought you sourlums!" Xenon put his hand into his pocket and pretended to draw something out.

A small bag of sourlums did appear, but he had removed it from the system's inventory and not his pocket. He passed it to Jeage who was delighted.

'What a weirdo.' Xenon thought as he remembered how awfully sour those things were. He tasted one on his way here and regretted it.

"Thanks! But unfortunately what I eat is being strictly monitored till I'm discharged." Jeage replied sadly.

"Oh..."

"Yeah. That mannequin's arm is nothing ordinary. But I'd eat it again if I have the chance." Jeage said.

"Are you really so eager to die?" Xenon looked at him in disbelief.

"No. And I don't plan to eat it anytime soon, but maybe later when my ousia is at a higher stage."

"Why can't you just stay away from it?"

"I can't. Excluding the life threatening part, what I felt when I absorbed that piece of the mannequin was more than amazing. It had so many characters that I couldn't even tap into, that was the best thing I've eaten in my life." Jeage turned to Xenon with fire burning in his eyes.

'I'm surrounded by crazy people!' Xenon exclaimed inwardly.

"You just gimme a few years, I'm confident that I'd be able to completely tame the mannequin before we graduate. I have had a glimpse of what the peak of my powers should be and I am definitely gonna reach it." Jeage grabbed Xenon's shoulder and said enthusiastically.

"Just don't die in the process, and if you do wanna die, don't die around me, explaining to your mom that you choked on some enchanted wood wouldn't be very funny." Xenon brushed his hand off and reclined into his seat.

"Funny. Don't you have anything you're looking forward to surpassing?"

"Oh I do. For one there's that giant boat that brought us here,"

"Those large sea vessels? Jason's father has one."

"Yeah I know."

"Anything else?"

"Well, there also flas-hmmn hmmn, Arnetta, yes, Arnetta." Xenon swiftly corrected himself.

"Why her?" Jeage looked at him suspiciously.

"Her powers are like a direct counter to mine, it will be bad if I have to fight her at any time." Xenon explained.

The cousins continued their chat for a few hours more before Xenon was sent away, but instead of going back to the dormitory, he went to the beach.

Xenon sat at the beach alone, watching the tides come and go. It was already ten at night and almost no one was wandering the academy grounds so everything silent and peaceful. Xenon enjoyed how the light, cold breeze brushed against him in the dark, almost silent night – except for the sound of water splashing.

The darkness was peaceful, but also strange. Xenon head turned up very quickly that his neck cracked, he just noticed something very strange, there was no moon.

He searched into his memories and realized that ever since he got to this world, he had never seen a moon of any sort.

"How am I just noticing it now." Xenon shook his head. "But this redefines everything. For one, how is the-"

Xenon heard footsteps, he halted his words and looked at who was approaching. He saw nothing but two green oval shaped things hovering in air and approaching him.

His heart skipped a beat and his fist crackled with faint white lightning before he realised they were part of a familiar person.

Xenon sighed in relief. "Could you not do that. Can't you turn off the glow or at least announce that you're a person when you're approaching someone in the dark." Xenon said furiously at Regina who walked past him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you look like a mon... um, your eyes look like a... you know what, forget it." Xenon gritted his teeth in anger, but there was no way he could describe what he saw the Regina without sounding offensive.

"You wanted to say you mistook me for a monster?" Regina turned back and fixed her eyes on him.

"Ye-no, I didn't mean it that way. I'll just go now." Xenon face palmed himself in his mind and attempted to stand up from the large stone he was sitting on.

"You don't need to. I was actually trying to scare you." Regina chuckled lightly and sat down on a smaller stone very close to the shore.

"I should have punched her when I had the chance." Xenon muttered.

"I can hear you you know. I have enhanced senses, greater than an average human's. And your punch would have had little effect, I'm resistant to all elements."

"Uh, I am still very fast though, could beat you to a pulp before you realise it." Xenon retorted.

"I would at least bite one of your arms off." Regina replied indifferently.

"Hmmn. Why are you talking to me?" Xenon asked slowly.

"Pardon?"

"You have either ignored or been rude to me since that night so I'm surprised."

"Oh, that, I forgave you some time ago."

"So, you believe me?"

"No! But I have no reason to keep grudges with you."

"Uh, great." Xenon stood up. "I off to sleep, goodnight." Xenon zoomed off.

"Goodnight." Regina whispered and turned back to the sea.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.