Classless King: I Absorb Anything I Kill

Chapter 7

Aleric woke before dawn, his body aching in places he didn't know could hurt. The barracks were still dark, filled with the sounds of snoring and restless sleep. He sat up slowly, rolling his shoulders and wincing at the stiffness. His muscles were sore, but underneath the pain was something else. Strength. Real strength, building with every fight.

He pulled up his status window, the blue text glowing faintly in the darkness.

NAME: ALERIC SWORNE  

LEVEL: 2  

CLASS: CLASSLESS  

HP: 200/200  

MANA: 120/120  

ABILITIES: ABSORPTION (ACTIVE), NIGHT VISION (PASSIVE), ENHANCED AGILITY (MINOR)  

He dismissed it and swung his legs out of bed. The cold stone floor bit into his bare feet, but he welcomed it. Pain meant he was alive. Pain meant he was getting stronger.

The training yard was empty when he arrived. The sky was just starting to lighten, streaks of pale gray breaking through the black. Aleric picked up a practice sword from the rack and moved to the center of the yard. He tested his new agility, stepping through the combat drills Brock had drilled into them over the past weeks.

His movements were sharper now, faster. His body responded before his mind could catch up, instincts honed by hours of repetition now amplified by the skill he'd absorbed. He spun, slashed, pivoted, and struck again. Each motion flowed into the next like water.

But his mana channels burned with every activation. He could feel the strain, the fragile thread his body walked between power and collapse. He was stronger, yes, but still weak compared to everyone else. Still Classless in a world that valued classes above all else.

He kept training until the sun broke the horizon, sweat dripping down his face despite the morning chill.

"Not bad."

Aleric spun around, sword raised. Captain Brock stood at the edge of the yard, arms crossed, watching him with those sharp, calculating eyes.

"How long have you been standing there?" Aleric asked, lowering the blade.

"Long enough." Brock walked forward, his boots crunching on the gravel. "You've got speed now. But speed without control is just flailing. Let's see if you can actually use it."

Aleric's pulse quickened. "You want to spar?"

"I want to test you." Brock drew his own sword, a real one, not a practice blade. "If your Absorption is real, prove it. If you're just lucky, I'll find out now before you get yourself killed."

Aleric tightened his grip on the practice sword. "This isn't exactly a fair fight."

Brock's grin was cold. "Life isn't fair, Sworne. Get used to it."

He lunged.

Aleric barely had time to raise his blade. Brock's sword came down like a hammer, and the impact sent shockwaves up Aleric's arms. He stumbled back, his feet sliding on the gravel. Brock didn't give him time to recover. Another strike came from the left, then the right, each one faster and heavier than the last.

Aleric's night vision kicked in, sharpening his view even in the growing daylight. He could see the subtle shifts in Brock's stance, the way his weight moved before each strike. His enhanced agility let him dodge the worst of it, but Brock was relentless.

A strike caught Aleric's shoulder, and he grunted in pain. Another came low, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of his lungs.

Brock stood over him, sword pointed at his throat.

"Dead. Again."

Aleric gritted his teeth and rolled to his feet. "Again."

Brock's eyes gleamed. "Good answer."

They went again. And again. And again.

Each time, Aleric lasted a little longer. Each time, he read Brock's movements a little better. But each time, he ended up on his back, gasping for air, his body screaming in protest.

On the seventh attempt, Aleric managed to dodge three of Brock's strikes in a row and land a glancing blow on his ribs. Brock stepped back, nodding.

"Better. You're learning."

Aleric wiped blood from his split lip. "Learning isn't enough."

"No, it's not." Brock lowered his sword. "Absorption won't save you if you can't survive long enough to use it. Power without foundation is suicide. You understand that?"

Aleric met his eyes. "I understand."

"Good." Brock sheathed his sword. "You've got potential, Sworne. Don't waste it by getting cocky."

He turned and walked toward the barracks, leaving Aleric alone in the yard. Aleric stood there for a long moment, his chest heaving, his body battered. But inside, something burned brighter than the pain.

He was getting stronger. And he wasn't going to stop.

That night, the barracks were louder than usual. The other trainees were celebrating their survival of the first dungeon dive, passing around rations and swapping exaggerated stories about their kills. Aleric sat on his bunk, sharpening his sword in silence.

Gareth was holding court in the center of the room, his voice loud and obnoxious.

"Did you see the way I took down three of those ghouls at once? Clean cuts, every one of them. Textbook Warrior technique."

One of the others laughed. "Yeah, right after you screamed like a little kid."

The group erupted in laughter. Gareth's face turned red, but he forced a grin.

"At least I didn't need a Classless freak to save my ass."

The laughter died. Eyes turned toward Aleric.

He didn't look up. He just kept sharpening his blade, the rasp of metal on stone the only sound in the room.

Gareth stood and walked over, his shadow falling across Aleric's bunk.

"Hey. I'm talking to you."

Aleric finally looked up, his expression flat. "I heard you."

"You think you're hot stuff now, don't you? Got a couple lucky kills and suddenly you're a hero."

Aleric set the whetstone down carefully. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to." Gareth leaned in closer. "Everyone saw you. Absorbing skills like some kind of parasite. It's disgusting. You're disgusting."

Aleric stood slowly, meeting Gareth's eyes. They were almost the same height, but Gareth outweighed him by at least twenty pounds of muscle.

"If you've got a problem with me, say it."

Gareth's sneer widened. "I've got a problem with freaks who don't know their place."

Before Aleric could respond, the door to the barracks slammed open. Another trainee stumbled in, his face pale and slick with sweat.

"Captain Brock wants everyone outside. Now. Monster breach."

The room went silent. Then chaos erupted as everyone grabbed their weapons and armor. Gareth shoved past Aleric, muttering under his breath.

Aleric grabbed his sword and followed.

The training grounds were lit by torches and emergency flares, casting long shadows across the dirt. Captain Brock stood at the center, shouting orders as trainees formed up into squads. Beyond the camp's low walls, Aleric could hear them. Growls, snarls, and the heavy thud of something massive moving through the trees.

Brock's voice cut through the noise.

"Corrupted Beasts broke through the dungeon barrier. Vanguard squads, you're on the frontline. Everyone else, defensive positions. Do not break formation, do not run, and do not die. Move!"

Aleric's squad rushed toward the eastern wall. His heart pounded, adrenaline flooding his system. He could see them now, shapes moving in the darkness beyond the torchlight. Twisted, hulking creatures with too many limbs and glowing eyes. Corrupted Beasts, warped by dungeon mana until they were barely recognizable.

One of them charged the wall, a massive wolf-like thing with matted fur and fangs the size of daggers. It leaped, clearing the wall in a single bound, and landed in the middle of the squad.

Chaos.

A trainee screamed as the beast's claws tore through his armor. Another tried to run and was cut down before he made it three steps. Aleric moved without thinking, his enhanced agility carrying him forward faster than his fear could stop him. He slashed at the beast's hind leg, his blade biting deep. Black blood sprayed, and the creature howled.

It turned on him, eyes burning with mindless rage. Aleric raised his sword, his muscles coiled and ready.

Then the beast lunged.

Aleric sidestepped, letting its massive body sail past him, and drove his blade into its exposed flank. The creature crashed into the dirt, twitching. Aleric yanked his sword free and brought it down on the beast's skull.

ABSORPTION COMPLETE  

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: ENHANCED STRENGTH (MINOR)  

SKILL INTEGRATED  

Power flooded into him again, hot and electric. His muscles tightened, his grip on the sword felt stronger, more controlled. He felt invincible.

Another beast charged from the left. Aleric met it head on this time, his new strength letting him block its attack without being thrown back. He countered with a brutal slash across its throat. It went down hard.

ABSORPTION COMPLETE  

NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: THICK HIDE (MINOR)  

SKILL INTEGRATED  

His skin tingled, toughening just slightly. Not armor, but better than nothing.

Gareth's voice rang out from somewhere behind him.

"Sworne! On your right!"