Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 337

Chapter 337 Chapter 78.4 - Crossing Tables

As Julia and Ethan retreated, their figures blending into the distance, the atmosphere around Maya and Astron subtly shifted, now stripped of its earlier tension and curiosity. Maya glanced around, ensuring they were indeed alone, before her gaze settled back on Astron. She noticed how the departure of the others seemed to bring a more serene calm to their surroundings, a private bubble in the vastness of the campus.

"What are your plans?" Maya asked, her voice pondering.

"I am planning to resume my training."

"I see…."

Taking a small step forward, reducing the physical gap between them, Maya ventured, "Junior, if you don't mind... would you like to train together?" Her voice was a mix of hopeful and uncertain, an unusual tone for someone who usually exuded confidence.

Astron looked surprised for a moment, raising his eyebrows, but his expression quickly smoothed. "I don't mind at all, Senior Maya. It would be my pleasure." His response, delivered with genuine amiability, hid none of the respect he felt for her. "But….No, never mind…"

Just as Astron was about to ask her if she was going to be okay since she was a mage, he remembered that Maya was also a vampire. Her physical attributes were no longer something that could be measured by a human standard.

Maya felt a wave of relief wash over her, accompanied by a flutter of happiness. The prospect of spending time with Astron, without the distractions of others, made her heart light.

She had always found his presence comforting, and the opportunity to share a simple activity like running seemed suddenly invaluable. It was a chance to reconnect, to understand how the days had stretched into months since they last spoke earnestly.

"Then, let's start?" Maya suggested, already moving towards the track, that her posture be relaxed. Astron nodded, falling into step beside her.

As they began their run, the rhythm of their footsteps became a sort of quiet conversation. The early discomfort that had hovered around Maya dissipated with each stride, replaced by a growing sense of ease.

There was a lot she wanted to ask, to say, but for the moment, the shared silence was comfortable, speaking volumes of their mutual respect and understanding.

Astron matched her pace effortlessly, his presence a steady constant by her side. Maya found herself glancing at him occasionally, appreciating the way he seemed genuinely content to be there with her.

'It makes me feel somehow nostalgic.'

It reminded her of their earlier days, the simplicity of their interactions, and how much she had missed this. It hadn't even been half a year, but she still remembered the times when she had taught Astron how to control mana.

'He doesn't seem to have any intention of hiding it.'

Initially, she thought Astron would hide what he had learned from her, as not knowing how to control mana itself was an abnormality. But on the contrary, he didn't. Whether it was because he didn't care or he trusted the two, she wasn't sure.

'Or maybe he wants to show it, like me? No, no, no…That is not the case, right?'

However, as they ran, the silence started bothering her. At first, it was fine, but even for her, such silence was bound to be uncomfortable, especially for her heart, which had started beating a lot faster for some reason now.

"Cough…." She was about to open her mouth to start a conversation, but suddenly, she felt her saliva stuck in her throat, making her reflexively cough. "Cough, cough, cough…." And, somehow, she wasn't even able to fix it immediately.

"Cough….Cough…."

"….."

Seeing her struggling, Astron stopped in his tracks as well, and he slightly approached her and gently tapped her neck.

"Hick." With a hiccup, Maya felt the obstacle returning to its desired place once again.

Embarrassment washed over Maya in waves, her cheeks burning hotter than the exertion from their run could account for.

The simple act of Astron tapping her neck to alleviate her discomfort felt intensely personal, leaving her flustered in a way she hadn't anticipated.

His concern, however natural, pierced through the casual facade she tried to maintain, highlighting a moment of vulnerability she wasn't prepared to show.

'No.'

It also ignited something; the hunger she was trying to suppress appeared more and more.

Astron, noticing her struggle, suggested, "We can take a breather if you want," his eyes flicked briefly to her mouth, which was salivating more now.

'It had been a while, hadn't it?'

He also realized the reason for Maya's situation.

Maya, desperately trying to regain her composure, shook her head, the redness of her cheeks betraying her embarrassment. "No, no, it's fine. We can continue," she managed to say, her voice steadier than she felt.

She didn't want to seem fragile or weak in front of Astron, so she forced herself to snap out of it and keep going.

Eager to divert the conversation away from her embarrassing hiccup incident, Maya found herself grasping for a topic that would put some distance between her current state and their conversation. "So, I heard something unusual happened in the recent mine exploration. Were you affected?" she asked, her curiosity genuine.

The mine explorations were not common, as, in general, they were hard to access. Thus, abnormally, when the freshmen went there, she naturally heard about it. It was mainly because of Amelia, who had been attending more meetings.

Maya knew she had rejected Amelia, but she always wanted to be honest about such things.

Astron nodded, a flash of memory crossing his face as he recalled the event. "Yes, an evil spirit appeared, and some of the tunnels collapsed. But it wasn't much; the situation was dealt with easily," he explained, his tone casual, as if recounting a minor inconvenience rather than a potentially life-threatening scenario.

Maya couldn't help but smile at his response, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. The pride she felt for Astron swelled within her, reinforcing her belief in his capabilities. "Of course, for you, such a thing shouldn't be hard," she said, her tone laced with pride.

In her mind, Astron was exceptional, someone who could handle any challenge thrown his way since he had been hiding his power.