Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 658

Chapter 658 144.6 - Finally

"Ah….."

With a slight shift, Irina tilted her head upward, her curiosity pushing her to confirm the faint hint of a smile she thought she'd heard in his tone. Her heart raced as she looked up, fully expecting the familiar, calm expression she'd come to know so well.

But the moment her eyes met his face, her breath caught, a split second of shock rippling through her.

The face before her… it was still Astron, undeniably him, but somehow, subtly, everything about him had sharpened, deepened.

His purple eyes, once enigmatic, had grown impossibly alluring, their depths pulling her in with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

His nose, now more refined, angled perfectly in a way that suited his features. His cheekbones were more pronounced, his eyelashes longer and darker, framing his eyes with an almost mesmerizing effect.

His lips… slightly fuller, with an edge of softness that made her stomach twist.

'What… happened?' she thought, feeling a wave of warmth spread across her cheeks. He had always been handsome, but this?

This was different, magnetic in a way she hadn't expected. She found herself lost, her gaze lingering over each detail as if committing it to memory, unable to tear her eyes away. Words abandoned her, and she simply stared, her usual composure crumbling under the sheer impact of his presence.

Astron raised an eyebrow slightly, the faintest hint of amusement glinting in those impossibly captivating eyes. "Speechless?" he murmured, his voice holding that familiar, calm resonance, though now she felt it more acutely than ever.

She managed a shaky breath, realizing how long she'd been staring. Her lips parted, but no words came, only the slightest sound of disbelief as she continued looking at him, mesmerized. She knew she should say something, anything to break the spell, but all she could do was hold his gaze, awestruck by the transformation.

Astron's lips curved into a beaming smile, the kind that was so rare it left her utterly stunned. "Indeed, you are…" he said, his voice low and teasing. "The expression you're making right now… it's priceless."

Irina's mouth fell open, her breath catching once more. That smile of his—no matter how many times she'd seen it, it never failed to disarm her completely. But as she gazed at him, a sudden, cool sensation rippled through her, as if an invisible force was pulling her back to reality. Her focus sharpened, and she felt the faint, familiar hum of her artifact pressing against her skin, the one she wore as a precaution against enchantments and charms.

'Wait… what?' she thought, blinking as her mind scrambled to process. Her artifact had activated? Her artifact, which only ever reacted to strong enchantments. Did her own reaction just… count as someone who was charmed?

Heat flooded her cheeks, and she tore her gaze away from his smile, pressing her lips together as her mind raced. 'No… No way. There's no chance he just… charmed me, right?'

She shot him a narrowed, accusing look, hoping it would mask her embarrassment. But Astron merely looked back, his expression as calm as ever, though the faintest spark of amusement danced in his eyes as if he knew exactly what had just happened.

"This… This is absurd," she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists slightly as she tried to compose herself. 'How did I let my guard down so completely? And over… him?'

But no matter how hard she tried to push the thought away, the memory of his smile lingered, igniting that spark of warmth all over again. It seemed that no matter how much she prepared herself, this bastard still knew how to leave her completely off-balance.

Whether it was intentional or not….

But then, Irina froze, her face heating up as she heard his question. "What is absurd?" he asked, an innocent look on his face, though his eyes betrayed a glint of mischief. "Also, that surge of mana just now… did you do something?"

She could feel her face turning even redder. How was she supposed to explain this? Her artifact activating because she had reacted too strongly to his presence? This was a nightmare. If he found out, she'd never hear the end of it. He'd have more ammunition to tease her for ages, and by the look in his eyes, he already suspected something.

'Does he know?' she thought, noting the way his gaze lingered knowingly, almost as if he was waiting for her to crack. She clenched her fists, swallowing down the wave of embarrassment that threatened to spill over.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, her voice a touch sharper than she intended. With a quick motion, she pushed him back, her hands firm against his chest as she forced some space between them. She needed the distance to breathe, to regain some semblance of control.

Astron didn't resist, his eyebrow quirking with that infuriatingly calm expression as he stepped back, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. She tried to ignore the warmth in his eyes, the hint of laughter that seemed to be lurking there.

Without meeting his gaze, she turned to compose herself, desperately trying to shove down the lingering traces of flustered excitement. She took a deep breath, determined not to let him get the better of her.

'This was a mistake,' she thought, fighting the blush that refused to fade. 'Next time, I need an artifact to guard against him, specifically.'

Just then, Esme stepped forward, breaking the tension with her calm, composed presence. "Welcome, Sir Astron," she said, inclining her head respectfully. Her voice was soft but carried the steady tone of someone who'd been through her share of dignified introductions.