Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 396

Chapter 396 91.4 - Duels [2]

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The crowd erupted into applause, the arena filled with cheers and admiration for the display of skill and determination. Ethan stood tall, his spear still crackling with the remnants of the storm, his expression one of calm triumph.

In the stands, Kaya and Jane watched with pride, their hearts swelling with admiration for Ethan's performance. "Brother Ethan is too cool…" Jane whispered, her eyes wide with awe.

"Indeed he is," Kaya agreed, her voice filled with rare warmth. It was rare to witness such a fight, even in her experienced life.

Honor, pride, dignity….

These types of values had been far long lost in the Hunter Society where everything became about money and selfishness.

Seeing these youngsters who still had those values, one of them being her nephew….

She couldn't help but smile, knowing how much effort and dedication Ethan had put into his training.

Around them, people were letting out satisfied exclamations.

"That was incredible!"

"I've never seen such control over lightning before. Ethan Hartley is truly a prodigy."

"The way he moved, it was like watching a storm in human form."

The judges and scouts in the audience were equally impressed. They exchanged glances, nodding in approval of Ethan's exceptional display of talent.

"He's remarkable," one scout murmured. "If only he didn't have the Hartley name attached to him. It's unfortunate that we can't touch that talent."

Another judge nodded in agreement. "The Hartleys are untouchable. But if we could find someone with his skills without the prestigious surname, it would be a dream come true."

As the applause continued, Ethan and Samuel left the arena, both looking weary but satisfied with their performance. They made their way toward the backstage area, where they could catch their breath and reflect on the duel.

Samuel had already been treated by the healing department. His inner injuries were no longer present, and he was finally able to relax.

However, his expression wasn't that good. After all, he had lost. Even though he put in his all, he was surpassed.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The fact that all of his efforts were stamped upon by another person….A person of a lower rank is on top of that.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

'Maybe I had this kind of talent….'

He couldn't help but think.

Ethan glanced at Samuel, a genuine smile on his face. "You fought well, Samuel. You should be proud of yourself."

Samuel, still catching his breath, managed to nod and express a slight smile. "Thanks. You were incredible out there. I gave it my all, but you're on a different level."

Ethan shook his head modestly. "We both have our strengths. You showed a lot of heart out there. Keep pushing yourself, and you'll reach new heights."

'Easy to say as a winner, isn't it?' A pang of resentment, strangely uncharacteristic of him. Somehow, he didn't notice, but his feelings were slowly swinging to a darker side.

Samuel's eyes shone with determination as well as with a smile. "I will. I'll keep training hard…." But then, he stopped abruptly, as if to want to say something.

'I want to know. How did he know?'

Ethan noticed the hesitation and raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Samuel?"

Samuel took a deep breath, then asked, "How did you know?"

Ethan looked confused. "Know what?"

"About my internal injuries," Samuel clarified. "You don't strike me as someone who's just good at observing things like that."

Ethan beamed a smile, understanding what Samuel meant. "Ah, that. It's because I've experienced them firsthand."

Samuel's eyes widened in surprise. "You've experienced them?"

Ethan laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Talking about things like these is a bit embarrassing, but yes. When I was younger, I pushed myself too hard during training and ended up with some pretty serious internal injuries. It took me a while to recover, and during that time, I learned a lot about the signs and symptoms. At that time….Well, I wasn't strong like this."

Samuel listened intently, his respect for Ethan growing even more. Suddenly, he remembered something he had read about Ethan. He took everyone seriously, regardless of their rank. Thus, he studied Ethan before the duel. For him, that was the basic respect that needed to be shown to his opponents and fellow academy students.

While he was researching Ethan, he came across some articles written about him.

Hartley's Dark Horse.

Hartley's Scapegoat.