Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 450

Chapter 450 102.5 - Examination [Interlude]

"Final mission completed. Elapsed time: 11 minutes, thirty-eight seconds." Dakota announced. But she was not finished.

"The total time elapsed in missions: forty-three minutes and thirty-four seconds."

Dakota paused, letting the weight of her words sink in before continuing. Well, it was not like she did not want to speak, but the reactions of the trainees here were just too fun to see.

Many of them were talented on their own to be sent to the missions in the future. But, of course, none of them had seen such scores on their first try.

That was just…..Not normal, even amongst the abnormal.

"The Intelligent Grading System of our AI assistant has ranked Astron as follows: First in investigation, seventeenth in stealth, and first in judgment."

The trainees exchanged murmurs of surprise and admiration. Ranking first in both investigation and judgment was a significant achievement, and even his rank in stealth, while not at the top, was highly respectable given the complexity of the tasks and the high-ranking wards he had faced.

And he also did it without using any type of stealth-related skills. The cadets that were ranked higher than him in terms of stealth all either had a [Trait] that was related to stealth or a [Skill] that would make it convenient for them.

But, he had none of those aside from using the [Mana Suppression] to erase his own presence, which was something everyone here could do if they wanted and was not something that was related to their traits.

Dakota stepped forward, her expression one of approval. "Trainee Astron has demonstrated exceptional skills across all categories. His investigative abilities are unparalleled, and his quick thinking and judgment in crucial scenarios are exemplary. His stealth, while slightly less impressive, still shows great promise and adaptability."

The trainees turned their attention to Reina, noting her satisfied expression. Though she wasn't overjoyed, the look of approval on her face spoke volumes about her confidence in Astron's abilities. Without a word, Reina slowly turned and began to leave, her presence having made its impact on everyone present.

Dakota continued, "With this examination, a specialized training program for Trainee Astron Natusalune will be created to optimize his development. This program will be ready by tonight, and training will commence tomorrow. This is the classic way we do things here, and Astron will be no exception."

The trainees, all of whom had experienced this process themselves, nodded in understanding. They knew the rigorous training that lay ahead for Astron and respected the process that had shaped their own abilities.

Dakota then turned to Astron, her expression serious but supportive. "Astron Natusalune, from this moment on, you are officially a trainee. I will now update your smartwatch status."

She took out her own device and tapped a few commands. Astron's smartwatch vibrated, indicating the update. "Before, your access to some of the functions was limited. Those limits have now been removed. As a trainee, you will have broader access, though there will still be some restrictions. All trainees here share these limitations."

Dakota concluded, "Welcome to the team, Trainee. Train hard, stay focused, and you will achieve great things."

With that, she turned to take her leave, but before she did so, she stopped.

"To all trainees present," Dakota's voice carried a tone of authority, "today's schedule will start in five minutes. Everyone should get ready immediately."

The trainees, upon hearing this, immediately realized the limited time they had left. There was a brief moment of hesitation; then, they quickly dispersed to prepare for their respective training sessions. Some of them threw a last glance at Astron, curiosity and respect evident in their eyes.

*******

I watched as the trainees hurriedly moved to get ready, feeling their gazes on me. Every action and decision I make from now on will be under scrutiny. 'Not that it is important.' In the first place, I was never a man of an impression, as I did not care.

Before I could do anything more, my smartwatch vibrated, indicating a new message. I glanced at the screen and saw it was from Reina.

"Meet me in this place, 3rd floor, south wing. – Reina"

The location was clearly marked on the map displayed on my smartwatch. I pondered for a moment about what this meeting could be about.

'She's most likely going to discuss my performance.' I was pretty satisfied with how I had handled the examinations. I had shown enough of my capabilities to make an impression without revealing everything. Though it would be evident that they would have questions and possibly some understanding, I did not care.

'Garrett already knows about that day….To some extent.'

Regardless of how cursed that day was for me, the evidence was there, and they would know about it. Thus, they can also understand my motives to some extent.

As I was about to leave, I noticed Lyra and Kael approaching. Lyra, in her childish form, was jumping around happily.

"You did so good, Astron!" Lyra exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Kael nodded a small smile on his lips. "Indeed, you've shown remarkable talent. Your performance was impressive." But there was something weird that I was feeling from the two.

Why?

As if their impression of me had changed. Now, there was something different. Lyra in particular.

'Her illusion abilities are really annoying.' It was hard to picture what exactly was there, as her face illusion was much more potent than others.

Still, I decided to play along. "Thanks," I replied. "I just did what I had to do."