Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 750

Sylvie’s thoughts swirled, Astron’s words replaying in her mind with quiet insistence. If you keep being swayed by other people, you will always be in shackles. The weight of the statement gnawed at her, even as she followed him through the cafeteria line. She barely noticed when it was his turn to order.

"I’ll take the grilled wyvern flank," Astron said, his tone calm and measured, as if he were reciting from memory. "With blackgrain rice and the spiced thornroot soup. Add the forest greens salad on the side."

The staff member behind the counter raised an eyebrow but quickly nodded, noting his order. The precision and specificity in his request stood out against the usual quick, casual orders from other students. Astron paid no mind to the looks he garnered, stepping to the side to wait for his tray.

Sylvie blinked, her attention pulled back to the present by the unfamiliarity of his meal choices. Wyvern flank? Thornroot soup? Most students just went for the standard fare—simple pasta dishes, grilled meats, or a bowl of soup. Astron’s order, on the other hand, sounded like something straight out of a high-end restaurant, and yet he requested it with a nonchalance that made it seem perfectly ordinary.

Her curiosity piqued, Sylvie found herself wondering about him again. Did he always eat like this? Or was this just another sign of how much he’d changed over the break?

She hesitated, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her own choice. Her usual go-to—a simple chicken and vegetable dish—suddenly felt embarrassingly plain in comparison. Still, she forced herself to focus as the server turned to her expectantly.

"Uh, I’ll have the… herb-roasted chicken," Sylvie said quickly, glancing at the menu board. "And a side of steamed vegetables. Oh, and a mana-infused tea, please."

The server nodded, moving efficiently to prepare her tray. As Sylvie stepped aside to wait with Astron, she stole another glance at him. He stood there with the same calm poise he always carried, his attention seemingly elsewhere.

The silence between them stretched again, but this time, Sylvie didn’t mind. She found herself watching him quietly, wondering how someone could be so composed, so utterly unaffected by everything happening around them. And yet, as she replayed his words in her mind, she realized there was more to his calmness than indifference—it was a choice, one she wasn’t sure she knew how to make herself.

Their trays were handed over in quick succession, and Astron turned, gesturing toward an open table near the corner of the cafeteria. Sylvie followed, her thoughts still heavy with his earlier statement and the strange sense of admiration she felt for his ability to remain so steady amid the chaos.

As they sat down, she couldn’t help but glance at his plate again. The neatly arranged wyvern flank, the dark, nutty aroma of the black grain rice, and the earthy scent of the Thornroot soup all seemed so deliberate, so purposeful—much like Astron himself.

Astron glanced up from his tray, catching Sylvie’s lingering gaze. "Curious?" he asked, his tone even, with just the faintest edge of amusement.

"A little," Sylvie admitted, leaning slightly over her tray as she poked at her vegetables with her fork.

"It’s part of my new diet," he said simply, starting his meal with a slow, deliberate sip of the Thornroot soup.

"New diet?" Sylvie asked, tilting her head. She couldn’t hide the note of surprise in her voice. From what she remembered, Astron wasn’t someone who ate much in general. He was the type to grab something quick and simple, often skipping meals if he was too focused on his training or studies. This change, like everything else about him, seemed so… deliberate.

"Yes," Astron replied, his calm tone carrying a faint edge of practicality. "It’s important to get the nutrients that are necessary. Most people only consider the macros—proteins, carbs, fats—but for us Awakened, the micros matter even more. There’s a much wider scope of vitamins, minerals, and compounds to account for when managing the strain of combat and mana usage."

Sylvie blinked, a little caught off guard by his matter-of-fact explanation. She had heard about the importance of balanced diets for Awakened before, but she hadn’t really thought about it in this level of detail. "So… you did a lot of research?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.

"Not on the level of a scientist," Astron said, his lips quirking slightly in what might have been a half-smile, "but I read quite a few articles."

Sylvie nodded, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of her chicken as she considered his words. "That does sound like you," she said softly, more to herself than to him.

Sylvie hesitated, her fork hovering over her plate as she glanced at Astron. She had been holding onto the question for a while now, debating whether to ask. But the curiosity bubbling inside her, mingled with the faint uncertainty she couldn’t quite shake, finally won out.

"How was your break?" she asked, her voice light but laced with genuine curiosity.

Astron paused mid-bite, his eyes lifting to meet hers. His gaze was steady, unreadable, and for a moment, Sylvie felt as though he was assessing her, deciding how much to say. The silence stretched just long enough to make her shift slightly in her seat, her pulse quickening.

"It was fulfilling," he said at last, his tone calm and measured as always.

Sylvie blinked, raising her eyebrows slightly. Fulfilling? she thought, the word echoing in her mind. What did that mean? Was he talking about his training, his newfound focus and growth? Or… was he talking about something else?

Like Irina?