Zero System: World's Only Classless Hunter

Chapter 1

The morning sun shone brightly over the grand plaza of Crowcrest.

Thousands of people gathered around the massive marble stage.

Streamers hung from high towers, and music echoed through the crowded streets.

Today was the Awakening Ceremony. Every young man and woman who reached eighteen years of age stood in line, waiting to touch the ancient Realm Crystal.

Eldon stood near the front of the noble section. His heart beat fast inside his chest.

He wore a fine white suit embroidered with golden thread, the proud colors of the Riftwarden house.

His fingers twitched against his thighs. For ten long years, while other noble children played in gardens, Eldon had spent every single day practicing basic sword craft. He had swung wooden blades until his palms bled. He had run up steep mountains until his lungs burned.

All of that sweat was for this single moment. Eldon wanted to unlock a rare Knight class to make his parents proud.

Behind him stood his parents, Lord Theron and Lady Vespera. Lord Theron stood tall with his chest puffed out, holding a silver cane.

Lady Vespera smiled softly, her eyes filled with high expectations. Next to her stood Aurelia, Eldon’s betrothed. She wore a stunning crimson dress, her long blonde hair braided with small mana crystals that glowed like embers.

"Do not embarrass our bloodline, Eldon," Lord Theron said, his voice cold and heavy.

"Your cousin unlocked an Imperial Spearman class last month. The Riftwarden family accepts nothing less than excellence."

"You will do wonderfully, my love," Aurelia whispered, giving Eldon a sweet smile.

"Once you unlock your class, our marriage contract will be finalized before the king."

Eldon took a deep breath and nodded. "I will do my best."

"Next!" shouted the High Priest.

He wore long golden robes and stood next to the Realm Crystal. The crystal was ten feet tall, floating gently above a black stone pedestal. It pulsed with a brilliant blue light that made the air feel electric.

The young man before Eldon stepped forward and pressed his hand onto the smooth surface.

SWOOSH!

A bright blue pillar of light shot into the sky.

A floating semi-transparent blue screen appeared right above the young man’s head.

[Class unlocked: Flame Mage]

[Initial Level: 1]

The crowd cheered loudly. The young man grinned from ear to ear and bowed to the High Priest before walking down the stage.

"Eldon of the Riftwarden Family! Step forward!" the High Priest called out.

The plaza went quiet. Everyone knew the Riftwarden family.

They were famous for producing top tier warriors and spellcasters. Hundreds of eyes locked onto Eldon as he stepped onto the stone stairs.

Eldon walked up to the crystal. He looked at the deep blue light reflecting in his own eyes.

This is it, Eldon thought. All my training comes down to this.

He raised his right hand. His fingers trembled slightly. Slowly, he pressed his bare palm against the cold surface of the Realm Crystal.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the warm rush of magical energy to fill his blood.

He waited for the blue light to blind his vision. He waited for the system interface to open in his mind.

One second passed.

Two seconds passed.

Three seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

The plaza remained silent. The air felt dead and still. Eldon opened his eyes. The Realm Crystal did not pulse. It did not glow.

In fact, the deep blue light inside the crystal seemed to fade slightly, turning dark and dull under his palm.

Above Eldon’s head, no blue screen appeared. Instead, a tiny, gray text bubble hovered in the air. The words were simple, harsh, and completely clear:

[Class: NONE / Unindexed]

[Status: Unable to register user]

The High Priest blinked in total confusion. He rubbed his eyes and adjusted his golden spectacles. He looked at the gray text, then looked at Eldon, and then looked back at the crystal.

"This... this cannot be," the High Priest muttered.

A low whisper started at the front of the crowd and quickly spread like wildfire across the entire plaza.

"Did you see that?"

"No class? Is that even possible?"

"The crystal didn't even glow for him!"

"He has no status screen! He doesn't even have a Level 1!"

Within moments, the whispers turned into loud, cruel laughter. The commoners laughed. The noble students pointed their fingers and sneered.

"A statusless cripple!" someone yelled from the crowd.

"The great Riftwarden family raised a defective useless trash!" another voice mocked.

Eldon felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head. His blood ran cold. His mind went completely blank as he stared at the words [Class: NONE].

He turned his head around slowly to look at his family.

Lady Vespera covered her mouth with her silk fan, her face pale with embarrassment. She quickly turned her head away, unable to look at her son.

Lord Theron’s face was dark with fury. The pride in his eyes was replaced by disgust and shame. He did not say a word.

Lord Theron simply turned his back on Eldon, adjusted his cloak, and walked away from the stage without looking back even once.

Eldon’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He turned his eyes toward Aurelia, hoping for a single look of comfort from his fiancée.

Aurelia stood frozen in her red dress. Her sweet smile was completely gone. Her eyes held pure disgust as she looked at Eldon's blank wrist, where a system crest should have appeared.

When Eldon met her gaze, Aurelia took a step back. She pulled out a white silk handkerchief, wiped her hand where Eldon had touched her earlier, and tossed the cloth onto the dirty ground.

She turned around and walked away to join her own family, leaving Eldon entirely alone on the elevated stage.

The laughter of thousands of spectators slammed against Eldon’s ears like loud thunder. His chest burned with a deep, sharp pain. Ten years of blood, sweat, and endless training meant nothing to them just because he did not get a floating blue screen.

No, Eldon thought, his hands clenching into tight fists until his short nails bit into his palms. There must be a mistake. The crystal must be broken!

Eldon gritted his teeth and reached out his hand again. He stepped closer to the Realm Crystal, desperate to touch the cold stone one more time to force a reaction.

Before his fingers could reach the crystal, a harsh hand grabbed his wrist.

The High Priest sneered, his previous respect completely gone. He shoved Eldon backward with raw force, causing Eldon to stumble onto the hard stone floor.

"Get your filthy hands off the sacred artifact!" the High Priest yelled, his voice echoing across the loudspeakers for everyone to hear.

"You have no system! You have no class! You are nothing more than a defective piece of trash!"

The High Priest turned toward the armed guards standing at the foot of the stage and waved his hand dismissively.

"Guards!" the High Priest ordered loudly.

"Drag this worthless cripple off the stage before he ruins the ceremony for the true nobles!"