Depthless Hunger

Chapter 53: The Truth of the Laborer Class

"How can my power not be a Class?" Kai asked. He refused to think about implications and simply watched the strange woman as he thought about the facts.

"I couldn't come close to telling you how it happened," she said. "Maybe one of your parents had foreign blood, maybe it's just a freak accident. But surely you've noticed there's overlap between the powers of this world, right? It doesn't matter if you use mana or qi to empower a sword, it cuts in similar ways. This is the opposite, an ability that acts close enough to a Class to be mistaken for one, but with key differences."

"So... it could have been awakened by the mana pool, but wouldn't develop the same."

"That's my theory." The woman folded her arms in front of her and leaned forward, a maneuver that seemed designed to maximize cleavage, yet she looked more serious than before. "Yes, I believe this could work. Let's start things off properly, shall we? I'm Anaelina, and before you ask, we don't have fancy second names where I come from."

"Kai Clanless, so I guess I don't either." It took some effort, but Kai kept his eyes on hers, especially since she was promising him a new route to power. "I understand how I might benefit from proper training techniques, but I don't understand why I can help you."

Anaelina shrugged carelessly. "It would take too long to explain everything, but in my home, our souls tend to convert... experiences into power, I suppose you could say. My theory is that your ability converts pain and suffering into strength. Mine works a little different, but if you gain enough strength, you'll be able to give me some of it back and I'll finally get past this barrier."

"Where's home? Are you from Cloudspire?"

"No, Rosemount. But does either name really mean anything to you?" Anaelina laughed and then looked guilty. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to make fun. But you should know that your home continent is called Deadwaste and it doesn't have the best reputation. There are a lot of things you'll need to unlearn. What do you say, would you like to unlock your true potential?"

It was a shock, but Kai found himself nodding. He'd seen how powerful people from other continents could be and Gunjin had essentially confirmed it. Since it was clear he'd already reached the limits of his Class and it had done him little good, it couldn't hurt to try something new.

"Wonderful! Let's find a better training location where we won't be observed." Anaelina pulled him from the tavern and clasped onto his bicep, just barely avoiding brushing against him by some feminine technique. "I have a camp a little further out, since this place smells so foul. I heard you had a serious monster problem here, but I didn't think it could be so bad."

"There are fewer monsters on the Rosemount continent?" Kai asked.

"We have more than a few, and some that are much stronger than yours, but they aren't nearly the endemic problem. That's one of the reasons that everyone here has been struggling to build things for so long. But put Deadwaste out of your mind! Your future lies in world-class arts."

"You really think it has that much potential?"

"It has amazing potential if I'm right, but I'm not going to share those secrets with you just yet." Anaelina cast him a playfully exaggerated wink. "If you can master your personal nature and help me break through, then maybe we can make a new deal. I have some fun secrets, but you need to prove yourself first."

They made their way out and Kai carefully examined anyone who looked toward them, just in case. Most continued to ignore him as they had before, while a few men either glowered or grinned at him. He wasn't completely sure, but he thought he could feel some opening their spiritual sight briefly to investigate Anaelina.

Once back in the wasteland, Anaelina disengaged from his arm and instead gestured for him to follow. Her Physique was lower than his, but given her F rank, she was able to move quite fast. They didn't encounter anything unusual until they reached a small river. Partially sheltered by a small outcropping, there was a dormant fire pit and a tent of rich purple cloth. Apparently this really was her camp.

"This is home for now!" Anaelina waved a hand over it carelessly. "A bit sad, but I don't mind roughing it if this gets me through. Thanks for coming with me, by the way. All the people here are so suspicious, always trying to control the environment... it's really very inconvenient."

"You implied I had a lot of work to do," Kai said. "How do we start?"

"First big test: seeing how well you can manage this." A heavy green potion swept out of one sleeve, which didn't seem possible. "After you drink it, try to draw in as much power as possible. Now, the average person in Deadwaste would let almost all of it trickle away. You need to retain at least 25% of it for this to work, but I'm hopeful you can do 50% or more."

Though far from an expert, after helping Juray with her potions Kai knew a little about them. He examined the mana and gave the liquid a sniff, but nothing seemed amiss. It actually felt remarkably similar to the types of potions that clan scions would be given. Deciding that there was little risk, Kai drank first a sip, then the entire container.

Almost instantly, he felt new mana flowing into his body. There was a surge of something else as well, something wild that made his heart race, but it wasn't harmful. He focused on letting his body absorb the energy by repeating the mana exercises that had never been useful to him because of his Class.

When the surge ran out, Kai was surprised to see that his Class had instantly increased by a level. It still didn't grant him any more strength, but he hadn't heard of anything that could cause jumps like that. Anaelina clasped her hands together enthusiastically.

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"You only lost a little over 10%! Being able to absorb 90% of one of those is considered exceptional even on Rosemount, so that's not bad for your first try."

"That's how we're going to proceed?" Kai asked.

"Well, I can't afford to give you those potions constantly, despite what this could be worth to me." Anaelina spun away from him, looking through her camp in an apparently random fashion. "You'll need to push most of the way yourself. Oh, but you won't be using the old exercises you just showed me. If you want to really awaken your ability, you'll need some new techniques."

Over several days, Anaelina was as good as her word. The techniques she demonstrated for him seemed odd, much more aggressive than normal mana manipulation. His Class didn't feel any more powerful, just... full to bursting somehow. Despite what she'd said, she gave him several more potions, each filled with raw mana and other sources of energy.

He wasn't sure what to make of her behavior. It seemed wildly flirtatious to him, and she wasn't shy about touching him. Her praise for his progress was effusive and more than would be necessary if all she wanted was his help. Yet there was something untouchable about her that made him try to think about her as the person training him instead of a woman.

"You're really doing very well," Anaelina said at the end of one day as he settled down on a newly purchased bedroll. "What number is your spiritual sight telling you?"

"Laborer is at 17," Kai answered automatically. Nothing else had changed, so he had basically been watching the number slowly roll up for days.

"Hmm... by those standards, I think you'll reach your peak at about 25. It's a bit like the Novice Classes I've seen here, where the power needs to reach a certain point to evolve. There will be some trouble at that point, of course, but I'm sure you'll be able to get through it."

Despite all her compliments, Kai wasn't so sure of himself. His Class didn't feel like it was going to evolve, it was more like mana was surging up against a mountain. Moving from G to F Physique had felt like breaking through floodgates, but his Class only seemed overloaded. He would have to hope that when the moment of truth came, fate wouldn't stop him from taking the next step.

"Why so quiet, Kai?" She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in closer. "Don't worry, you'll more than repay me after this. If you're really that worried about it, just try to be in the best of health. You are healthy, right?"

"Pretty much." Nothing he couldn't tough out, but Kai realized that it might be critical to his development, so he should be more honest. "I guess my gums hurt. The other aches and pains could just be training, but I'm not sure why."

"Gums as in your teeth? How odd... wait, how long have you been living in the wilderness and eating monsters?"

"It really depends on how you count. It's been over a month since I was banished."

"Then eat some fruit and vegetables, silly!" Anaelina shook her head at him. "Poor man, raised among barbarians. You can't live on meat alone."

Insulting as that seemed, Kai bought some more diverse food the next day and was surprised when he did feel better. It didn't seem to have any impact on his training, but Anaelina had suggested that breaking through would require him to be in peak condition: physically, spiritually, mentally. Since this might be his last chance, he tried to do everything right.

And yet his progress began to slow. For a time he'd been gaining at least one Class level a day, but eventually it failed to rise for an entire day even after a potion. Stuck at 21, still far from his goal. He considered using the one remaining enhancement scroll still in his belt, but worried that it wouldn't match the exotic techniques from Rosemount. Kai ended up staying awake after Anaelina had disappeared into her tent, staring into the fire and hoping that he wouldn't disappoint her. If this didn't work...

There was something off that made it hard to rest. The closest thing he had ever experienced to it was the reality distortion he had felt at the Frontier, but it definitely wasn't that. Like there was something buzzing all through his body and soul. Even if it meant progress, it made him restless, so he got up to take a quick walk.

"Don't give up now, Kai." Anaelina reemerged from her tent with a smile and floated behind him, her fingers tracing over his shoulders. "I know you must be feeling frustrated, but even geniuses don't break through barriers in a day. I've been stuck for over a year. So just sit back, relax, and let it happen."

Kai settled back down, distracted by how her fingers felt when they brushed the skin of his neck. "I just feel a bit strange. Like there's-"

"Your body hasn't experienced this before and it's struggling to adapt. Everything will be fine if you relax, Kai." Anaelina slowly wrapped her arms around him, pressing her breasts against his back. "You've been working so hard for my sake... would you like me to help you relax?"

Part of him, one part in particular, desperately wanted to say yes. Instead he found himself thinking about Juray. That didn't make any sense, because she had always been clear that she had never expected loyalty. No doubt she would want him to be happy, and he could honestly say that he hoped that she found the satisfying relationship that she wanted.

Perhaps that was exactly the problem. He had always known that Juray cared deeply for him, even if she didn't love him, and he just wasn't sure about Anaelina. It was possible, even likely, that she would have sex with him solely to persuade him to train more. For all her flattery, he wasn't sure how much she really liked him and how much she just wanted a mutually-beneficial arrangement.

That decided it. She was stunningly beautiful, but he wouldn't accept any proposition unless she offered it after she had broken through her own barrier.

"That's flattering," Kai said, "but... I don't know, I feel like I don't know you well enough, and I want to concentrate on training until I break through."

"Men. Always nothing but training on their minds." Anaelina plopped down beside him and dropped her head to one hand to pout.

"Sorry." Her offer had only made him even more tense, so he stood back up. His legs actually hurt a bit, despite doing only his basic physical training. Perhaps he had been sitting and processing mana for too long. A walk would work out the kinks and also let him cool down.

Just as he started to move away, Anaelina spoke up quietly. "I was born in a tiny village near the heart of Rosemount." For once, she didn't act coy or even look at him. "Not everyone can be a warrior, the way you do things here. When I grew up, everyone said they knew exactly what I was suited for."

Kai frowned and sat back down opposite her to listen.

"You know, some say that power is always inborn. Anyone can work hard, so the only ones who will succeed are those who have power in their blood, their soul, or their fate. So they say that real strength ultimately comes down to luck in the end."

He wanted to agree, but his mouth was unusually dry. The tingling feeling had spread through his entire body now and he was beginning to feel strangely fatigued.

"I actually agree about the luck part." Anaelina finally looked up at him and flashed a bright smile. "But it isn't luck in where you were born. In my experience, it's finding an opportunity and capitalizing on it. Discovering an ability that lets you upend the rules of this world and conquer the rubble."

Something was wrong. Kai jumped to his feet and began moving back on instinct. An instant later, a hand closed around his throat and he began to feel his strength draining away.

"Then those who found their own luck can steal power from those who were born with it." Anaelina stared up at him, her eyes and teeth as silver as starlight. "Now it's finally time to begin."