Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

As soon as Professor Kain left the room, Julia groaned dramatically, slumping forward onto her desk. “Ugh, another report? Seriously? I’m so done with this!” she whined, her voice carrying over the murmurs of the other students. “Why do we always have to write these stupid things? We’re hunters, not writers!”

Ethan chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. “I mean, she’s got a point. Writing reports after every exercise does get old.”

Lucas, sitting nearby, smirked faintly as he adjusted his tablet. “You’re acting like this is new. It’s the academy. You had to know there’d be another report coming.”

“Expected or not,” Julia said, shooting Lucas a glare, “that doesn’t make it any less annoying. I’d rather be in a dungeon fighting something than stuck in my room analyzing formations.”

Lilia, who had been quietly packing her things, raised an eyebrow. “We’ve been writing reports since the start of the semester. You should’ve gotten used to it by now.”

Julia shook her head vehemently, crossing her arms. “Getting used to it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Irina, seated a few rows behind them, smirked faintly as she listened in on the conversation. “You could always delegate it to someone else,” she said dryly, her fiery yellow eyes glinting with amusement.

Julia spun around to face her, her blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Are you volunteering?”

Irina chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “Not a chance. You’d probably ‘critique’ my writing style the whole time.”

Julia groaned again, flopping back into her seat with exaggerated defeat. “I’m not cut out for this academic stuff. Can’t we just skip the reports and prove ourselves in the field?”

Ethan shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “You know that’s not how it works. Kain’s right—reflecting on what we did helps us get better.”

Julia shot him a look, her lips pursing. “You’re starting to sound like a professor, Zeus. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Lilia chuckled softly, her tone light but teasing. “Don’t worry. He’s just trying to keep you from complaining the whole week.”

Julia huffed, shaking her head as she grabbed her bag. “Fine, fine. I’ll do the stupid report. But don’t expect me to enjoy it.”

The group laughed, the tension of the assignment easing into their usual camaraderie as they gathered their things and prepared to leave. Despite Julia’s grumbling, they all knew she’d get it done—probably with a few more complaints along the way.

Julia, unable to sit still in her frustration, spun back toward Irina, a mischievous glint sparking in her blue eyes. “You know what, Irina?” she said, crossing her arms on the back of her chair and leaning toward her classmate. “How did your practical lesson go? With your ‘Mister Cool’ here, you should’ve had quite a lot of fun, right?” Her tone was laced with playful mockery, each word exaggerated for effect.

Irina raised an eyebrow, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing slightly as a faint smirk played at her lips. “Mister Cool?” she repeated, her voice calm but edged with warning. “Are we giving Astron a new nickname now, or is this just your way of fishing for gossip?”

Julia grinned, undeterred by Irina’s sharp tone. “Oh, I’m not fishing. I’m hooking. Come on, Irina, you’ve got to admit, partnering up with someone like him must’ve made things… interesting.”

Irina’s smirk deepened, but her tone remained steady. “If by ‘interesting,’ you mean him silently doing his part without much fuss, then sure. Fascinating stuff.”

Julia wasn’t about to let up, her grin widening as she draped her arms over the back of her chair like a cat preparing to pounce. “Oh, come on. You’re telling me you didn’t notice the way everyone in the dungeon was sneaking glances at him? The silent brooding, the impossible precision—classic ‘Mister Cool’ energy. Bet you were swooning the whole time.”

“Indeed. The guy has a way of making everything look effortless. It’s obnoxious.” Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

“Exactly!” Julia said, pointing at Lilia as if she’d just solved a great mystery. “Obnoxiously cool. So, Irina, what’s the verdict? Did he swoop in to save you at the last second, or were you too busy trying to keep up?”

Irina leaned back in her chair, her expression as calm as ever, though her narrowed gaze carried a subtle edge. “First of all, I don’t need saving. And second,” she added, her tone dripping with mock sweetness, “if you’re so fascinated by Astron, why don’t you ask him yourself? I’m sure he’d love to entertain your endless curiosity.”

Julia gasped, her hand flying to her chest in mock offense. “Irina Emberheart, are you suggesting I’m the one interested in him? How scandalous! I’m just here to make sure you don’t miss your moment with our resident enigma.”

“Moment?” Irina repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Please. The only thing Astron and I have in common is the desire to finish assignments without dealing with nonsense like this.”

Julia’s grin widened, the glint of mischief in her eyes turning almost predatory. She leaned forward, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone. “Heeeeeeh… Really? Are you sure you two didn’t share a steamy moment in the heat of battle?” she teased, dragging out the words as if savoring every syllable.

Irina didn’t flinch, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing slightly, though the faintest twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her growing irritation.

“And,” Julia continued, her grin practically splitting her face now, “your team consisted of all women, right? Tell me—did Mister Cool somehow manage to land himself a harem? I mean, just picture it: our resident enigma, brooding in the middle of a group of women. That would be priceless.”

Lilia snorted, barely suppressing a laugh as she glanced at Irina, clearly enjoying Julia’s relentless antics. “You have to admit,” she said with a faint smirk, “it is a funny image. Astron, the silent protector of his harem.”

“Exactly!” Julia said, her excitement building. She twisted in her chair, throwing a wink in Astron’s direction. “Hey, Astron, how does it feel being surrounded by adoring fans? Got any insights for us?”

Astron, seated a few rows away, didn’t even bother looking up from his tablet. His calm, indifferent demeanor remained unshaken, as though Julia’s teasing didn’t exist in his world.

Julia turned back to Irina, throwing her hands up in mock exasperation. “See? He’s too cool to even acknowledge me! The audacity!” Her dramatic flair earned a round of chuckles from the group.

Irina, however, remained still, her composure seemingly unshaken—until a subtle pause in her movements betrayed her. It was brief, barely noticeable to anyone else, but Julia caught it immediately, her grin widening triumphantly.

Irina exhaled quietly, leaning forward with deliberate calm. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was as sharp as the edge of a blade. “Julia,” she began, her tone light but edged with steel, “if you have so much time to fantasize about Astron’s social life, maybe you should channel that energy into your report. Who knows? You might even manage to turn it in on time for once.”

Julia feigned a wounded look, placing a hand over her chest. “Ouch. Low blow, Irina. But I’m just saying, it’d be a shame if someone as interesting as Astron got all this attention and didn’t even notice.”

Irina’s smirk returned, this time tinged with a hint of menace. “Don’t worry, Julia. I’m sure he notices plenty—he’s just selective about what’s worth his time.”

The group laughed, the playful banter easing the tension in the room. Even Julia had to admit defeat, though the glint of mischief in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t done poking fun at Irina just yet.

RING!

The shrill sound of the bell echoed through the classroom, signaling the end of the break. Julia let out a dramatic groan, slumping forward onto her desk as though she’d just been dealt a mortal blow. “That’s it? That’s all the time we get? That wasn’t a break—it was a glorified blink!”

Several other students murmured in agreement, their voices carrying a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

“Shortest break ever,” Julia grumbled, sitting back up and throwing her arms in the air. “I barely had time to complain about how much I hate reports!”

Lilia, already organized with her tablet neatly placed on her desk, arched an eyebrow at Julia. “It felt short because Professor Kain went over time. He’s not exactly known for his impeccable time management.”

Julia turned toward Lilia with a mock glare. “You’re really going to defend this travesty of a break? Traitor.”

Lilia smirked, leaning back in her chair with a casual shrug. “I’m not defending it; I’m just stating facts. Besides, maybe if you spent less time teasing Irina, you’d feel like you got more out of the break.”

Irina, who had been quietly reviewing her notes, glanced up with a faint smirk. “She has a point. Though, I doubt you’d be able to resist your usual antics, Julia.”

Julia crossed her arms, pouting. “You’re all ganging up on me now, huh? Fine, I’ll just sit here in silence. No jokes. No teasing. Just a perfect, studious cadet.”

The group exchanged skeptical glances before bursting into laughter. Julia’s mock indignation quickly crumbled into a grin as she joined in.

The door opened suddenly, and the laughter died down as all eyes turned toward the entrance. Professor Eleanor stepped into the room, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she made her way to the podium. She carried her usual stack of papers and tablet, her sharp eyes immediately scanning the room to ensure everyone was settled.

“Good morning,” she said, her voice crisp and commanding. The room instantly fell into a respectful silence, the students straightening in their seats.

Eleanor placed her materials on the podium, her gaze briefly lingering on Julia, who sat with an exaggeratedly serious expression as if to prove her earlier declaration of studiousness. A faint quirk of Eleanor’s brow suggested she wasn’t entirely fooled.

“Let us begin,” Eleanor continued, her tone leaving no room for delay. She tapped her tablet, and the classroom screen flickered to life, displaying a detailed diagram of mana flow and elemental interactions. “Today’s lesson will focus on advanced applications of elemental synergy. Open your textbooks to page 78.”