Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 445

Chapter 445 101.5 - Dakota Hellen

'Let's see.'

As Dakota settled into her stance, her presence exuded a powerful and predatory aura. Her body was coiled like a spring, ready to unleash explosive force at a moment's notice.

This was one of the stances that she used against beginners like the kid before him. It was to test their explosiveness and the reaction time.

Many people would not know this, but most of the time, people's attention range was lower right at the start.

It would reach its peak after the fight had started for a while.

This phenomenon is often referred to in neuroscience as the "warm-up decrement." The warm-up decrement is the initial period during which performance is lower due to a lack of immediate readiness or focus before reaching an optimal level of performance as one becomes fully engaged.

'This is going to be challenging,' Astron thought, feeling the thrill of anticipation.

The moment she gave the command, "Begin," they both launched forward simultaneously.

–SWOOSH!

Dakota moved while moving her limited body to utmost precision. Even if she had limited her strength to some point, the power that she could exert was much higher than any type of trainee.

–THUD! Therefore, while she was parrying and exchanging blows, she was able to continue with her observation.

'His reflexes are sharp, but his form still needs refinement,' Dakota noted. 'He's relying on instincts and agility, but there's a lack of flow in his movements.'

–THUD! THUD!

Her blows were relentless; each strike aimed to exploit any weakness in his defense. She felt the impact reverberate through his arms as he blocked her punches, his muscles straining against the force.

'He's strong, but he hasn't yet mastered the integration of mana with his physical movements,' she observed. 'He's treating them as separate entities rather than a cohesive force.'

THUD!

A swift kick to his side sent Astron staggering back, but he quickly regained his balance.

'He's resilient. That's good,' she thought, observing his tenacity. 'But resilience alone won't be enough. Maybe he can show the same thing in this one as well.'

And it happened just as he thought it would.

When they continued, Dakota noticed Astron's efforts to synchronize his movements with the flow of mana within his body. She recognized the struggle in his eyes, the difficulty of managing the intricate dance of mana and muscle.

Just as she expected. He was learning how to do it while he was fighting. It was the same when he did it with the sword and the spear or other weapons.

'He's trying to adapt, but it's a complex process,' she mused. 'Circulating mana while controlling your body requires a heightened level of awareness. He needs to learn to synchronize his internal and external movements.'

Every movement, every breath, had to be synchronized with the flow of mana within. Dakota watched as Astron adjusted, trying to find that balance.

'He's learning, but it's still rough. His strikes are becoming more precise, but he needs to control the flow better,' she analyzed. 'Each punch, each kick... it's like recalibrating his entire combat style.'

Of course, just as she thought that, he stopped for a split second, his eyes widening slightly. Something had changed, as it seemed, and he came to a realization.

'That is good, but discipline needs to be installed.'

She didn't know what kind of student life he had when he was in the academy, but she wanted to make sure that things like these would not be tolerated here and he would know about it.

–SWOOSH!

"It seems you are finally getting onto something. But, you must never forget your opponent is right here." Dakota moved in again, her body blurring with speed and precision.

THUD!

She felt her strike connect, and Astron raised his hand rapidly to block it.

–DING!

The shockwave from her attack rang out, and she saw Astron momentarily lose his balance and fall to the ground.

"Or things like this may happen."

As Astron lay on the ground, Dakota prepared for another attack. She noticed the slight glow in his eyes, a sign of his ability activating.

'Indeed, he has one of those eyes.'

Being in this organization for more than a decade, she was now familiar with the concept of special eyes.

Since her rank was not as high as some certain people, she was not a core member or a [Chosen]. Thus, she did not have access to the information regarding Eyes.

But she still knew they existed, and she even trained two of [Holder]s before.

As the fight continued, Dakota's keen observation skills picked up on a unique trait in Astron. Beyond his quick reflexes and adaptability, there was something more profound at play.

His ability to internalize the things he observed and rapidly integrate them into his fighting style was exceptional.

'He's not just observing; he's assimilating,' she realized. 'This goes beyond simple mimicry. He's using a form of "observational learning," but at an accelerated rate.'