Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 819

Ethan and Astron continued walking, their steps echoing in the long, empty corridor. The silence between them was comfortable, the kind that came with familiarity, though Ethan’s mind was far from quiet. He glanced at Astron again, studying the faint tension in his stride, the sharper edge to his presence. Finally, he broke the silence.

"You look like you’ve changed," Ethan said, his tone casual but probing.

Astron didn’t turn his head, his sharp purple eyes fixed straight ahead. "What do you mean?"

"I don’t know." Ethan shrugged, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Just a feeling. Nothing concrete."

Astron’s reply came without hesitation, his voice calm but clipped. "Then you’re just spitting nonsense."

Ethan chuckled, undeterred. "I wouldn’t call it nonsense. I trust my senses, you know?"

"Is that so?" Astron replied dryly, finally glancing at him. "The senses you’re so confident in—do they give you the correct answers in exams as well?"

Ethan’s grin faltered, and he groaned. "...We both know that doesn’t work like that."

Astron raised an eyebrow, his tone unbothered. "I don’t know what works like what."

"Now you’re just being difficult," Ethan said, shaking his head, though his grin returned quickly. "But seriously, you do seem different. Maybe it’s the way you carry yourself or how people look at you now, but it’s there. You’ve changed."

Astron was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. "People look at me because they think they know something. That doesn’t mean I’ve changed."

Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing slightly. "You don’t believe people can see something real about you?"

Astron glanced at him again, a faint flicker of something in his sharp gaze. "I believe people see what they want to see. That doesn’t mean it’s real."

Ethan thought about that for a moment, his hazel eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Maybe. But sometimes, people notice things even we don’t realize about ourselves."

"Like you?" Astron asked, his tone almost teasing, though it carried his usual bluntness.

Ethan laughed lightly. "Exactly. Who better to call you out on things than me?"

Astron didn’t respond immediately, his gaze returning to the hallway ahead. "If you’re so sure of your senses, then tell me—what is it you think has changed?"

Ethan paused, considering his words carefully. "You seem… sharper. Not just in how you fight or how you carry yourself, but in how you hold your ground. Like you’ve settled into something."

Astron tilted his head slightly, his expression thoughtful but still guarded. "And what makes you think that?"

Ethan shrugged again, his grin softening. "

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Ethan’s grin widened as he continued, leaning slightly toward Astron as they walked. "Like how you act with Irina, for example. If this were before, you wouldn’t let her—or anyone—get close to you. But now? You even play along with Julia’s teasing sometimes."

Astron didn’t respond immediately, his expression remaining stoic, but the faintest shift in his gaze hinted at a flicker of annoyance—or perhaps something else.

Ethan smirked, taking the silence as permission to push a little further. "I still remember the ’Don’t talk to me’ times, you know?" His tone was teasing, though there was genuine warmth behind it.

"...Tch," Astron clicked his tongue, the sound soft but sharp enough to cut through Ethan’s words. "Just be quiet. You’re being annoying."

Ethan laughed outright, clearly enjoying himself. "Ooooh… Even you can get embarrassed sometimes, huh?"

Astron’s sharp purple eyes cut to him briefly, his tone steady but tinged with irritation. "I am not embarrassed. You’re just making pointless noise."

"That is—"

"That is not what an embarrassed person would say," Astron interrupted, his calm tone now carrying the faintest edge of exasperation. "Now, just shut up. We’ve arrived."

Ethan blinked and looked ahead, realizing they were standing in front of Eleanor’s office. The door loomed before them, its polished wood gleaming faintly under the corridor lights. He hadn’t even noticed how close they’d gotten, too caught up in his banter with Astron.

"Well," Ethan said, still grinning as he reached for the door. "This should be fun."

Astron said nothing, his expression returning to its usual calm as he waited for Ethan to open the door. But as they stepped inside together, Ethan couldn’t help but notice the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of Astron’s lips. It was subtle—barely there—but it was enough to tell him that, despite his protests, Astron wasn’t entirely immune to their back-and-forth.