Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 796

The crisp evening air greeted Sylvie as she stepped out of the dormitory, her damp hair swaying slightly with each step. The weather had turned chilly as the day wound down, the faint breeze sending a shiver down her spine. She pulled her jacket closer, her thoughts steadying as she spotted Astron waiting by the courtyard.

As usual, Astron seemed completely unbothered by the cold, his calm posture and steady gaze making him look as though he had all the time in the world. His purple eyes flicked toward her as she approached, and he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Hey," Sylvie greeted, her voice light but tinged with a nervous edge.

Astron nodded again, his expression unreadable. "Sylvie."

She fought the urge to fidget under his gaze, the frustration of not being able to read him simmering quietly in the back of her mind. ’Why is it always so hard to tell what he’s thinking?’ she wondered, though she quickly pushed the thought aside. This wasn’t the time to let her own nerves get the better of her.

"Mind if I walk with you?" she asked, gesturing toward the path that led through the courtyard.

Astron tilted his head slightly, then turned to start walking without a word. Sylvie took that as an agreement and fell into step beside him. The faint crunch of their footsteps on the gravel path filled the silence for a few moments before she spoke again.

"So… how was your day?" she asked, keeping her tone casual. "Anything interesting happen?"

Astron glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the path ahead. "Nothing out of the ordinary," he replied. "Classes, some training. The usual."

"Ah, right," Sylvie said, nodding. "That makes sense. I guess everyone’s still trying to settle back into the semester. It always feels a bit chaotic at first, doesn’t it?"

Astron gave a faint hum of agreement, his posture relaxed but his expression as composed as ever. Sylvie found herself blabbering a little more, the weight of the earlier tension pushing her into a stream of casual chatter.

"And Professor Eleanor’s classes, huh?" she continued with a small laugh. "She doesn’t waste any time, does she? Two blocks right at the start of the semester—I thought half the class was going to fall over by the end of it. How did you manage?"

"By paying attention," Astron said simply.

Sylvie let out a soft laugh, brushing her hair back as she glanced at him. "Well, you make it sound so easy," she said lightly.

"Why?"

Sylvie let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she found herself falling into the rhythm of their walk. The casual conversation felt like a balm to the tension that had been building inside her all day. But as they walked, a thought bubbled to the surface, and before she could stop herself, she began speaking.

"You know," she started, her voice softer now, "it’s been harder for me to focus lately. On my tasks, my studies, even in class. It feels like my attention just keeps slipping away."

Astron glanced at her, his purple eyes calm but inquisitive. "Do you use social media a lot?" he asked, his tone matter-of-fact.

Sylvie blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Uh, I mean… when I’m on breaks from studying," she admitted. "Not a ton, though."

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"Do you watch short content often?" Astron continued, his gaze steady as he turned his head slightly toward her. "Videos that condense everything into a minute or less?"

Sylvie tilted her head, thinking for a moment before shaking it. "No, not much. I usually watch longer videos if I watch anything at all."

Astron studied her for a second, his expression thoughtful. "If that’s the case," he said slowly, "then your attention span isn’t being disrupted by external factors. It’s not because of messed-up brain timers or an addiction to quick dopamine hits."

Sylvie blinked, a small, confused laugh escaping her lips. "Messed-up brain timers?" she echoed. "What are you even talking about?"

"Short-form content trains your brain to expect constant stimulation," Astron explained, his tone calm and deliberate. "It can make it harder for people to focus on things that require sustained attention. But if that doesn’t apply to you…"

He paused, his sharp gaze meeting hers with a precision that made her heart skip a beat. "That means there’s something in the classroom that’s taking your attention."

Sylvie felt her breath hitch at his words, her grip tightening on the strap of her bag. His statement felt so matter-of-fact, so accurate, that for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond.

’It is you.’

The thought rose unbidden, sharp and insistent, but she bit her tongue before it could escape. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she forced herself to look away, focusing instead on the gravel path beneath her feet.

"Maybe," she said finally, her voice light but strained as she tried to deflect. "Or maybe I’m just tired. You know how it is at the start of the semester—everything feels overwhelming at once."