Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 848

"Only yours…."

Julia’s grin widened.

"This guy ignores the questions or others most of the time and doesn’t let other people enter his personal space. But he doesn’t do that with you? I guess those pictures were there for a reason."

Irina’s cheeks flushed the faintest shade of pink, her expression stiffening at Julia’s pointed words. "It’s because you guys are always messing around with nonsense," she retorted quickly, her voice sharper than necessary.

"Eeeeh? Really?" Julia drawled, her grin only widening at the rare sight of Irina’s slight fluster.

Before Irina could shut down the conversation further, Julia smirked and smoothly stood up from her chair, striding over to Astron’s desk with all the confidence of a predator closing in on prey. She propped herself up onto the edge of the desk, legs swinging slightly as she tilted her head at Astron with exaggerated curiosity.

"Then, Mister Cool, would you mind if I joined the discussion?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Astron, who had already predicted this outcome, barely spared her a glance. He simply rolled his eyes, adjusting his tablet. "Everyone here knows you don’t like theory. Don’t take me for a fool."

Julia placed a hand on her chest in mock offense. "Wow. Harsh."

"It’s not harsh. It’s the truth," Astron said plainly. "I know you. You avoid theory like the plague."

Julia huffed. "So what? Just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean I—"

"Just because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean you can’t do it, indeed," Astron interrupted, his voice as even as ever. "But knowing you, you will definitely not do something you don’t like."

Julia froze, her mouth slightly open as if she had been about to continue her argument—but then she closed it.

From across the table, Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "He figured you out."

Lilia smirked slightly, watching Julia’s expression shift between denial and reluctant acknowledgment.

"Admit it," Ethan added, clearly enjoying this moment. "You got cooked."

Julia groaned, dragging a hand down her face dramatically. "I did…"

Lilia chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "That might be the first time I’ve seen you get outmaneuvered in an argument."

Irina, now fully composed again, let out a small scoff, crossing her arms. "Told you it was nonsense."

Julia, still pouting in defeat, glanced at Astron with narrowed eyes before sighing in exaggerated frustration. "Fine, fine. Mister Cool wins this round."

Astron, of course, remained entirely indifferent to his supposed victory, already shifting his attention back to his reading.

Irina, watching all of this, exhaled quietly. But despite herself, she found it slightly amusing. She had known Astron for a while now, but even she hadn’t expected him to shut Julia down so thoroughly.

Julia slid off Astron’s desk with a dramatic sigh. "You know, Astron, for someone who ignores people most of the time, you sure don’t hesitate when it comes to making very specific observations."

Astron didn’t even look up. "I only state what is obvious."

Julia shot a glance toward Irina, her smirk making a slow return. "Ohhh, I bet you do."

Irina immediately tensed. "What now?"

Julia only winked before stretching her arms behind her head. "Nothing, nothing~ Just making a note for later."

Irina narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but Julia merely hummed, already moving to her next train of thought.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Lilia exchanged a glance before shaking their heads in amusement. This group never changed.

The conversation gradually shifted as the group settled back into a more relaxed rhythm. Julia, having recovered from her minor defeat, swung her legs idly as she leaned back against Astron’s desk.

"So, any bets on who’s getting which mentor?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity. "I mean, let’s be honest, this whole mentorship program is probably rigged for the top-ranked cadets to get the strongest hunters."

Ethan shrugged. "Not necessarily. I heard they try to match students based on their skills and potential rather than just ranking."

Lilia tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully. "Yeah, but let’s be real. If someone like Victor Blackthorn doesn’t get a high-profile mentor, I’ll be shocked."

Irina leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "It depends on the mentor too. Some of them might prefer to train someone with raw potential rather than someone already expected to be at the top."

Julia smirked. "So, what, are you expecting a ’mystery underdog mentor’ situation? Because that would be fun to watch."

Lucas exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "I just hope I don’t end up with someone who’s going to make my life hell."

Julia shot him a mischievous grin. "Lucas, every mentor is going to make your life hell. That’s the whole point."

Lucas groaned. "Yeah, yeah, but there’s a difference between training and torture. Some of these pro hunters are psychopaths."

Ethan nodded. "True. Some of them have reputations for being relentless. Remember last year? Some poor guy got assigned to an ex-military hunter who made him run ten kilometers every morning before training even started."

"Could be worse," Julia mused, glancing toward Irina with a teasing look. "You could end up with her mom."

Irina shot her a glare, her golden eyes narrowing. "My mother doesn’t take students."

Julia laughed. "Yeah, yeah, but if she did? You’d probably be the only one walking out alive."

Irina rolled her eyes. "I’m not even entertaining that thought."