Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 807

Irina’s fiery eyes narrowed slightly, her annoyance bubbling beneath the surface as she studied Sylvie. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her; in fact, Sylvie was generally someone Irina found tolerable, even respectable. But this sudden assertiveness—this push to change the plan—was entirely out of character for her.

’This girl…’ Irina thought, her jaw tightening as her irritation simmered. Sylvie rarely spoke up like this, much less in a way that challenged others so directly. And now, she was pushing back against Irina, something that sent a faint warning bell ringing in her mind.

It wasn’t just annoying. It was suspicious.

’What’s her angle? Why does she care so much about meeting earlier? She never does this kind of thing. Is she… one of those?’

Irina’s smirk softened into something sharper, more calculating. There was a possibility here she couldn’t ignore. But instead of pressing Sylvie further, she decided to pivot.

Her fiery gaze shifted to Astron, standing calmly beside her. His sharp purple eyes were as unreadable as ever, his posture steady and unbothered by the tension in the room.

"Well then," Irina said, her voice carrying an edge of exasperation. "What do you think?" freewebnovel.cσ๓

Astron’s eyes moved to hers, calm and deliberate. "About what?" he asked evenly, his tone devoid of any urgency.

Irina raised an eyebrow, her annoyance flaring briefly. "About whether we should meet earlier or not."

Astron’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Irina caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes—amusement. His lips quirked slightly, as though he were holding back a smirk.

"Which type of answer do you want?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a faint undertone of mischief. "The logical answer, or the answer you want to hear?"

Irina’s jaw tightened, the corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily as she glared at him. She could see it now—the faint, barely-there glint of amusement in his sharp eyes. ’This bastard…’

Her fingers drummed lightly against her crossed arms as she steadied her voice. "Logical," she said firmly, her tone carrying a warning edge.

Astron tilted his head slightly, his sharp purple eyes steady as he spoke, his tone calm but deliberate. "Logically, it’s better to meet earlier," he began, his voice cutting through the lingering tension in the room. "The team has been formed, yes, and we have a rough idea of everyone’s roles. But that’s not enough. We don’t truly know each other—our strengths, our tendencies, how we approach challenges."

His gaze shifted slightly, encompassing both Irina and Sylvie. "For the sake of achieving a better grade, taking the time to align expectations and build some cohesion is important. It’s not about over-preparing but ensuring we’re not caught off guard when the session begins."

Irina’s fiery eyes narrowed as her irritation flared. ’He’s taking her side.’ She crossed her arms, her fiery hair swaying slightly as she straightened her posture. "So, you’re saying we should waste extra time on something we can handle in an hour?" she said sharply, her tone edged with defiance.

Astron’s gaze returned to hers, calm but with a subtle undertone of warning that made her pause. "As a ranked-2 student of the academy," he said evenly, his words deliberate, "you should understand the importance of even a single grade."

Irina’s breath hitched slightly, her fiery confidence flickering as his words struck a nerve. Her mind immediately flashed back to the first semester—one of the choices she’d made, the way she had underestimated certain tasks and certain someone, thinking her natural abilities would carry her through. And then the results had come in: Seraphina overtaking her to claim the second rank, pushing Irina to third.

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, sharp and unyielding. "Grades aren’t just numbers, Irina. They’re your reputation, your future. Everything you do reflects on this family."

Irina’s fingers drummed against her crossed arms, her fiery gaze softening slightly as her thoughts raced. ’He’s right,’ she thought begrudgingly, the edge in her stance giving way to a quiet resolve. ’Sylvie’s words make sense, and if this can help secure better results, then…’

She exhaled softly, her lips curling into a faint smirk, though the fire in her eyes had tempered. "Fine," she said, her tone calm but laced with reluctant agreement. "We’ll meet earlier."

Sylvie blinked, clearly surprised by Irina’s sudden shift in tone. "Really?" she asked cautiously, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief.

Irina glanced at her, her smirk sharpening slightly. "Yes."

Then her fiery gaze flicked to Astron, a sharp retort forming in her mind. She wanted to say something—anything—to call him out for siding with Sylvie so calmly, so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But as her eyes shifted to Sylvie and the others watching them, she thought better of it. ’Not here,’ she decided.

Instead, she stepped closer to Astron and pinched his arm, her nails digging in just enough to make her point.

Astron turned his head toward her, his sharp purple eyes narrowing slightly, his expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. It was as though he were silently asking, ’What are you doing?’

Irina didn’t answer. She just straightened her posture, let out a soft "Humph," and turned her head away, her fiery hair swaying with the motion.

The expression on Astron’s face was a small curvature of lips….it was subtle but unmistakable, though he wisely chose not to comment.

Before Irina could say anything more—or act on the simmering annoyance still bubbling in her chest—another figure approached. Jasmine, Sylvie’s deskmate and another member of their team, walked up with a determined expression. Her dark green hair was tied back neatly, and her sharp, calculating eyes locked onto Irina.