Zero System: World's Only Classless Hunter

Chapter 7

Before the razor-sharp steel blade could reach Eldon’s throat, a heavy wooden staff slammed down with a resounding CRACK! directly onto the flat side of Valen’s weapon.

The sheer force of the blow shattered the steel blade into three jagged pieces.

The metallic shards clattered harmlessly across the damp arena floor.

Valen stumbled backward, clutching his stinging wrist.

He looked up in fury, ready to scream at whoever had interrupted him, but the words froze in his throat.

Standing in the archway of the arena was Instructor Black.

He was a veteran battle mage with silver-streaked hair, dark robes, and a stern, weathered face.

A glowing blue emblem of Sol-Caelum Academy rested on his chest, marking his authority.

"That is enough!" Instructor Black’s deep voice echoed through the high-ceilinged room.

He lowered his heavy oak staff, his sharp eyes darting between the soaked, mud-covered noble student and the calm cleaner holding a broom. "Drawing a lethal steel weapon against an unarmed civilian on academy grounds is a severe violation, Student Valen."

Valen’s face flushed red with humiliation. He pointed a trembling, muddy finger at Eldon.

"Instructor! You don't understand!" Valen yelled, desperate to shift the blame.

"This statusless trash destroyed academy property! Look at the Ironwood dummy! It's shattered into splinters! When I confronted him, he attacked me and pushed me into the dirty water!"

Instructor Black turned his gaze toward the pile of shattered Ironwood on the floor.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

He stepped closer, picking up a piece of the broken oak with his gloved hand. He inspected the clean, sharp fracture line. No spell burns. No magical resonance.

Just sheer, unbelievable physical impact.

The instructor looked at Eldon for a long moment. Eldon met his gaze calmly, his expression unreadable, holding his broom without a hint of fear or guilt.

Instructor Black tossed the piece of wood aside and turned back to Valen.

"An Ironwood dummy subjected to hundreds of magic spells every day eventually suffers structural decay," Instructor Black said coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"It was bound to break. As for your current state, Valen... a Level 12 Fire Warrior who ends up face-down in a cleaning bucket has only his own carelessness to blame."

"Instructor!" Valen protested, his voice cracking.

"Silence," Instructor Black cut him off sharply.

"Go back to your dormitory and clean yourself up before I issue you a formal demerit for conduct unbecoming a noble student."

Valen gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

He cast one final, murderous glare at Eldon before spinning on his heel and storming out of the arena tunnel, leaving a trail of wet, muddy footprints behind him.

Instructor Black turned to Eldon.

"Pack up your cleaning tools and leave the grounds for the night, boy. The academy is closing."

Eldon nodded politely. "Yes, Instructor."

Ten minutes later, Eldon stepped out through the iron bars of the academy’s heavy back gate.

The night air was crisp and cool, a sharp contrast to the humid arena.

He adjusted the strap of his worn leather satchel, carrying his rusted iron blade concealed beneath his dark tunic.

"Eldon! Wait!"

A soft, breathless voice called out from the shadows of the stone alleyway.

Eldon stopped and turned his head.

A young girl stepped out into the dim light of a streetlamp. She wore the plain grey dress of an academy kitchen servant, her brown hair tied back in a neat apron knot. It was Lyra, a seventeen-year-old orphan who worked in the main dining hall.

"Lyra?" Eldon asked, surprised to see her out so late.

"What are you doing here? The servants' quarters locked twenty minutes ago."

Lyra ran up to him, her cheeks flushed red from sprinting.

She looked around nervously, checking the dark corners of the alley before leaning in close.

"I saw Valen storming out of the arena," Lyra whispered anxiously, her hands tightly clutching her apron.

"He was screaming at his lackeys, telling them to track you down. Eldon, you have to leave Crowcrest! You can't stay in your basement room tonight!"

Eldon remained calm. "Valen is just angry because he made a fool of himself in front of an instructor."

"You don't understand!" Lyra said, her voice shaking with genuine concern.

"Valen isn't just an arrogant student. He is the younger brother of Balthazar!"

Eldon’s eyes narrowed slightly at the name. Balthazar.

Everyone in the city knew that name. Balthazar was the top student knight at Sol-Caelum Academy—a Level 20 powerhouse who led the prestigious Golden Lion squad.

He was cruel, powerful, and favored by the high nobles.

"Valen went straight to Balthazar's private quarters," Lyra continued quickly, her words tumbling out in a rush.

"Tomorrow morning is the grand public assembly in the main courtyard.Balthazar and Aurelia are holding their official engagement party in front of the whole academy and the visiting guild scouts!"

Eldon felt a subtle shift in his chest at the mention of Aurelia, but his face remained a cool mask of stone.

"Valen promised his brother that he would make you pay," Lyra warned, grabbing Eldon's sleeve. "They plan to use the public assembly to call you out in front of thousands of people. Valen wants Balthazar to publicly ruin you—to strip away your cleaning job, brand you as a thief, and drive you out of the realm entirely so you can never show your face again!"

She pulled a small, worn leather pouch from her pocket and pressed it into Eldon's hand. He could feel the heavy shape of a few copper coins inside.

"Take this," Lyra urged, tears welling in her eyes. "It's not much, but it's enough to buy a carriage ride to the neighboring town tonight. If you stay here tomorrow, they will destroy you."

Eldon looked down at the small pouch in his palm, feeling the genuine warmth of her kindness. In a city filled with arrogant nobles who treated him like dirt, Lyra was one of the very few who treated him like a human being.

Slowly, Eldon closed her hand back around the coin pouch and gently pushed it back toward her.

"Keep your money, Lyra," Eldon said softly, a calm, dangerous gleam igniting deep within his dark eyes.

"You need it more than I do."

Lyra blinked in confusion, her breath catching in her throat. "Eldon... did you hear what I said? They are setting a trap for you tomorrow!"

Eldon adjusted his rusted blade at his waist. He looked toward the high stone walls of Sol-Caelum Academy rising against the starry night sky.

"Tell me, Lyra," Eldon asked calmly, a cold, sharp smile curving the corner of his lips.

"Are common servants allowed to stand in the back to watch the public assembly from the main courtyard tomorrow?"