Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 842

The academy library was quieter than usual, the weekend keeping most students away from the usual hum of study sessions. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden streaks across the long wooden tables. The faint scent of aged paper and ink filled the air, blending with the distant, muffled conversations of a few other students scattered throughout the vast space.

Astron was already seated at one of the large study tables near the back, where the lighting was soft but adequate, and distractions were minimal. A sleek tablet rested on the desk before him, his sharp purple eyes scanning through the notes he had compiled for the report. His posture was relaxed yet composed, his expression unreadable as always.

He didn’t glance up when the library door creaked open, but he registered the approaching footsteps without difficulty. A moment later, Layla appeared, her dark brown hair slightly tousled from the wind outside. She was dressed casually, her usual armor replaced by a simple fitted sweater and leggings. She spotted Astron almost immediately, her green eyes lighting up with recognition.

"Morning," she greeted, her voice light but carrying a faint undercurrent of weariness.

Astron finally looked up, his sharp gaze meeting hers for a brief moment before he nodded. "Morning."

Layla hesitated for a second before pulling out the chair directly across from him. She settled into her seat, setting down a notebook and a pen before leaning forward slightly. "You’re early."

Astron shrugged, shifting his tablet slightly. "Figured I’d get started."

Layla huffed a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. "Of course, you did," she said, amused. "You probably already have half the report written."

"Not quite," Astron replied evenly. "Just structured some notes."

Layla leaned forward slightly, tilting her head as she glanced at Astron’s tablet. Instead of the densely packed paragraphs she had expected, there were only a few structured bullet points and fragmented observations. Nothing was fully written out—just key notes, quick thoughts, and reminders about what needed to be addressed in the report.

She hummed in mild surprise. "Huh. So you really haven’t written much yet."

Astron didn’t look up. "Told you."

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Layla leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms behind her head. "That’s good. I don’t want to be a freeloader."

At that, Astron finally lifted his head, his sharp purple eyes regarding her for a brief moment. "That’s a good attitude."

Layla blinked at him, not sure whether to take that as praise or just a neutral observation. His expression, as usual, gave nothing away. She exhaled through her nose, shifting her weight in the chair.

’This guy is really hard to talk to,’ she thought, drumming her fingers against the edge of her notebook. It wasn’t that he was cold—he just didn’t offer much. He didn’t open up topics, didn’t throw out idle comments, didn’t create any kind of conversational flow. Layla was used to casual banter, but with Astron, it felt like every interaction was deliberate, precise, and brief.

And maybe that was fine for some people, but Layla disliked silences more than awkward conversations.

Determined to fill the air with something, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You always this early to things?"

Astron blinked, as if the question had mildly surprised him. "Yes."

"Always?"

"Always."

"Hmm….What hour do you wake up?"

Astron blinked, his sharp purple eyes meeting Layla’s as if she had just asked him something trivial. "At 4 A.M.," he replied simply.

Layla froze. "At four—?!" Her voice came out louder than she had intended, drawing a few sharp glances from the other library-goers. She cleared her throat, lowering her voice with an awkward cough. "Ahem… That early?"

Astron didn’t react to her outburst, only tilting his head slightly as if considering whether her surprise was justified. Layla, however, caught the way he was looking at her now—like she was some strange, uncomprehending creature.

"What?" she asked, crossing her arms. "It’s not that weird, right? Who even wakes up that early?"

"Those who have goals," Astron replied evenly.

Layla blinked, his words catching her off guard. She narrowed her green eyes at him. "...You make it sound like I’m lazy."

"I did not say that," Astron said, still calm. "I simply answered your question."

Layla huffed, tapping her fingers on the wooden table. "But it did make me feel like that."