Classless Ascension

Ever played the game called: Try not to get impaled by giant arrows shot by very angry trolls? Josh was very intensely playing it right at that moment! 

Every other second, there would be an arrow barely missing him, penetrating the soil with massive force and destroying the earth by releasing magical red bursts of energy. It had ended up this way all because of that damn Troll chieftain! 

The creature was impossible to fool! It could track him just by smell alone! Then, it didn't help that Josh had lost the only allies that could serve as a distraction. 

"Pesky Human, no more running!" Garskan the troll bellowed savagely.

"Let's make a deal. Let me kill you guys, and I'll stop running!" Josh shouted in reply. 

"Human can try!" 

"How about you go fuck yourself! If you keep chasing me, I'll take one of these massive arrows and destroy your ass with it! Then, I'll chop your dick and—" Any other male would have been shivering hearing such curses, but they didn't care. They were trolls. 

Josh's current plan was as simple as pitiful. He would keep running until the mission was over. He couldn't even use Nightmare thanks to the uneven ground. That damn system had been so vague about the survival duration, but it was bound to end eventually, right?! 

After a while, all the parties got bored of shouting. All one could hear in the massive forest were deep grunts along with higher-pitched ones. It almost sounded like a bad porno. 

Just as Josh was seriously beginning to feel irritated, there was finally a change happening. Behind him, he heard a thud along with shouts of surprise. Turning around, he couldn't help but erupt in happy laughter.

The one that fell was the very first troll he had attacked. The poison was working! It just took about an hour or so… which felt very long when running for one's life. With a smile on his face, Josh patiently kept going. 

The chief obviously realized that something was wrong. "Scheming human did something!" 

"No shit! Do you think I was just going to let myself die, eh?!" 

"Human should give up."

"Troll should shut up!" 

"Troll invincible!"

"Josh Invinciblest!" 

"Human die!"

"Troll die first!" 

Anyone watching this exchange would have wondered if Josh's brain cells were fried. Who the fuck would argue with a troll?! 

Anyway, after a while, the troll creeps began falling like flies. Josh waited until they were all dead before heroically turning back and rushing toward his opponent! It was time for nuclear revenge! He would make it pay dearly!!

"Take this! AH!!!!" Josh screamed as he violently hacked at his opponent. An enormous gash deep appeared on the opponent….about the size of a little finger! 

Okay, considering the massive size of the enemy, perhaps it wasn't very life-threatening. In fact, Josh was pretty sure the enemy didn't even notice it. No, the monster was now busy swinging a gigantic runic scimitar at his body (all of it). 

Thus began a fight between titans! The troll was unable to hit the human, and the human was unable to seriously damage the troll. From time to time, the monster would try a feint, but that was child play to Josh! 

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Here is how the heroic fight went!: 

—Powerful slashes sending blood gushing and making the earth shatter!—

"Die Human!!!" 

"Die troll!!!"

—Slashes sending a bit of blood gushing and making the earth slightly shatter!—

"Die Human!" 

"Die troll!"

—A few slashes lazily exchanged!—

"Die Human…" 

"Die troll…"

—A few slashes lazily exchanged!—

"Die…" 

"Die…"

—A slash every other minute…—

"…"

"…"

—Still fighting—

"…"

"…"

—Still fighting?—

"…"

"…"

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Just as both fighters' motivation was at an all-time low, something happened! At first, Josh thought the mission would be over, but it was something else. No, an item had dropped! How?! 

Somehow there was now a glistering red ruby-like droplet that fell on the ground. Josh dodged another attack from the enemy and nimbly picked it up. He couldn't help but show shock! 

<Troll Blood Essence> 

- Effect unknown, poisonous… 

Instantly he cheered up! All the dullness of the fight was swept away, and his morale reached an all-time high! This ought to be some of the good stuff! 

The description clearly hinted at how dangerous it was. Obviously, no one sane would…eat it as Josh had just done! The troll could only look baffled. Why was the human suddenly drinking its blood?! Had he gone crazy?! 

As the droplet entered his throat, Josh could feel intense heat inundate his entire being. Then came the feeling of drunkenness. He felt as if he was savoring a delicious beer. 

But as suddenly as it happened, it ended. He was left with a deep feeling of loss. It was like drinking juice-flavored water. Upon consumption, it tasted the best, but then it left a weird flavorless aftertaste. 

That's when he turned toward the troll once more, with incredible greed in his eyes. For the first time in his life, the troll chieftain gulped in worry as it felt fear. Then began a very unfair fight. 

Josh was extremely hyper and energetic, showing the prowess of a legendary berserker! Meanwhile, the troll was doing its best to survive! No, it could easily survive, it could barely feel the attacks even! But, this was too strange! 

Since when were humans hunting trolls?! It should have been the other way around!" 

"Human crazy?!" 

"Come here! Just shed a bit more blood! Just a tiny bit, it won't hurt too much, I promise!" Josh "reassured" the troll who fought for its life! 

"Crazy human!!" 

"Come here! Let's play!"

"Noooo!" 

For the first time ever on this Floor, cries of despair of the troll Boss resounded all across the forest. No matter how well it fought, Josh used his mana mastery to boost his physical capabilities and then outmaneuver it. 

How long did this continue? Just a short— no, a very long while! Josh was determined to get as many blood droplets as possible. Every time there was a new one, he would gulp it akin to the thirstiest of dogs! 

He was akin to an addict getting his fix. The more he consumed and the more he wanted! He could feel the energy building inside his body, but he couldn't use it in any way. It was a torturous feeling! 

Eventually, hunting horns resounded to signify that the event was over. It was the moment that all trolls hated. Any surviving human past this moment would get to remain alive. But, just this once, the troll was fucking glad. 

"Hunt Over! Me leave!" The troll warned.

Without any hesitation, it bolted back toward its village. So what if the human was still alive?! It had played enough with this freak! But then came a now disturbingly familiar voice. 

"Where do you think you're going?! You have more blood, much more blood! I need more, More, MORE!!!!" Josh screamed akin to a devil as he chased the troll. 

[Mission accomplished! Rewa—] 

"Shut it! I don't care. I'm hunting right now!" Josh screamed at the system. 

[Mission—] 

"SHUT UP! Mission this, mission that! I'm fucking busy!" Once more, he completely denied the Tower Protocol that was just trying to do its job. 

Josh's eyes were bloodshot red, glowing red, and showed that he had lost any semblance of reason! He would never give up! 

That's when the troll realized that there were many levels of despair. It had just reached a new low. It wanted to cry, it wished to give up, and it wanted it to stop. It just wanted the horrible human to go away! 

This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Troll hunted humans! Trolls hunted humans! Trolls— no, this one wasn't human. This one was a monster! Monster hunted trolls. Monster devoured trolls! Help!...

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On Floor 19, there was a silent forest, a devastated troll camp, and a sobbing troll. Garskan had stopped fighting. It was all useless. The creature just laid there, wanting to end it all. 

Josh kept piercing its body and collecting the precious blood…all until the troll really couldn't stand it anymore. With one last sigh, as heavy as the creature's despair, it took its last breath. It had turned off its regeneration passive through sheer will. 

[Hidden mission accomplished! Pushed Troll Chieftain Garskan to suicide!—] 

"This can't be. This can't be. This can't be!!!" Josh could be seen shaking as if in withdrawal. He would overcome it, but it was such a damn shame! He had been so fucking close! But then the system finally finished its sentence. 

[Special reward issued!] 

Josh couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as a huge blood-red droplet appeared in front of him. It looked mystical as it emitted heat and seemed to be pulsating. 

<Potent Concentrated Troll Blood Essence> 

- Great unknown effects, greatly poisonous… 

Josh gulped it directly without an afterthought. Finally, he felt complete! He was drinking the pure juice now! It was tasty, rich, full of incredible energy, and euphoria-inducing. Then after a few seconds, it stopped, but he didn't feel any sense of loss. He felt great! 

Had anything even changed? Josh carefully inspected his status and couldn't help but grin happily. It was a very subtle change but one that was incredibly welcomed nonetheless. 

U (E—>E+) Gluttony Bloodline: Endless Stomach, Devouring+

Now that this was done, he figured he might as well run it again, and so he did! But, there was an issue. Josh spawned in the same cage as earlier and waited for the trolls to open the prison. 

But, any troll that looked at him would just start sprinting away in fright. What?! That's how Josh completed the mission once more but this time while remaining stuck inside an invincible cage….What the fuck?! 

Just as he was about to enter Floor 20, he heard a conversation that he couldn't ignore. It was about his school…