Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 871

Astron took the small tablet handed to them by an instructor, his sharp purple eyes scanning the screen as the briefing loaded.

A dimly lit, wireframe representation of the urban complex flickered to life—a sprawling multi-leveled structure with broken corridors, collapsed ceilings, and interwoven staircases. The artifact’s location pulsed faintly on the map: Third Floor, West Wing.

Everything else? Unmarked. No exact team placements. No routes. No layouts of enemy fortifications.

They were given just enough information to make a decision—nothing more.

’Realistic, indeed.’ Astron narrowed his eyes.

The academy wasn’t holding their hands. A real mission wouldn’t provide enemy blueprints or detailed guard rotations. A Hunter needed to assess, adapt, and execute within minutes.

They had ten.

Two teams infiltrating. Two teams defending.

Which meant there was only one real certainty—resistance was guaranteed.

Asher leaned in slightly, eyes flicking between the map and Astron’s face, gauging his reaction. "Well? We going in loud or quiet?"

Astron tapped a finger against the tablet’s frame, letting the silence stretch for a moment as he processed the information. His first instinct? He could handle this alone.

A fast, precise approach would get him in and out before anyone had the chance to fully react. But there was no need for that. He didn’t have anything to prove—not here, not to them.

Instead, he was more interested in them.

How would Asher and Caden handle this? What insights could they offer?

Astron glanced up, his expression unreadable. "Thoughts?"

Asher’s brows lifted slightly, as if caught off guard by the question. His initial instinct had likely been that Astron would just dictate a plan outright.

Caden, however, took it in stride, rubbing his chin as he peered at the wireframe map. "Alright, let’s see… Third Floor, West Wing. If we assume the defenders are smart, they won’t just bunker down around the artifact. That’d make them too easy to surround and pick off."

He traced a rough route with his finger. "So, they’re probably setting up in layers. First line of defense here—stairwell access points, maybe some barricades. Second line would be closer, something tighter around the artifact itself."

Astron tilted his head slightly, listening. Half-right.

Asher nodded slowly, arms still crossed. "If they know what they’re doing, they won’t waste their strongest fighters on the outer defenses. Those are meant to stall, buy time. The real threat will be positioned inside the artifact’s perimeter."

Astron gave a slow nod, but his eyes remained on the screen. "If they’re competent, yes."

Asher’s brow furrowed. "And if they’re not?"

"Then this is over in five minutes." Astron didn’t say it as a boast, just a fact.

Caden chuckled. "Kinda hoping they put up a fight, though. Wouldn’t be fun otherwise."

Astron ignored that and refocused on the map.

"They’ll have two main priorities: control the bottlenecks and limit sightlines." His voice was calm, measured. "If they’re smart, their first defensive point won’t be at the stairwells. It’ll be just past them, where we’d think we’re clear after breaking through."

Asher’s head tilted slightly. "Ambush positioning?"

Astron nodded. "If I were setting up defenses, I’d let the attackers push up, make them believe they’ve secured ground—only to collapse in on them from the flanks once they’re committed. Stairwells and main hallways are obvious choke points. But what’s more dangerous are the rooms directly adjacent."

Caden’s eyebrows raised slightly. "Huh. Didn’t think of that."

Asher exhaled through his nose. "Makes sense. If we rush up, we’re walking into a death trap."

Astron tapped the map again, this time highlighting the West Wing’s upper balcony.

"Their best sniper, or anyone with ranged proficiency, should be stationed here. It’s got a clear line of sight toward the primary entry points. If they’re competent, they’ll have someone watching it—either to pick off infiltrators or call out movements."

Asher crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. "There aren’t many rangers in this batch." His gaze flicked to Astron, almost challenging. "Not many archers like you."

Astron didn’t react to the statement—he simply nodded. "Indeed." His voice remained calm, even. "I’m just reminding you—if they have any, they would be positioned there."

Asher exhaled through his nose, but he didn’t argue further.

Caden, watching the exchange, smirked slightly. "So, worst case scenario, we’ve got someone with a bow watching that balcony. Best case, it’s empty, and we don’t have to worry about a surprise arrow to the skull."

Astron’s eyes flicked back to the tablet. "That’s not the only position they’ll use." He traced his finger down to a section just beneath the artifact’s location—a wide, but seemingly unremarkable hallway leading into the West Wing’s storage area.