Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 873

A sharp, mechanical chime rang through the training facility, followed by a crisp, authoritative voice over the speakers.

"Building Simulation Exercise commencing in T-minus thirty seconds."

The room hummed with quiet anticipation as cadets adjusted their stances, some stretching, others rolling their shoulders to shake off the tension.

Astron, Asher, and Caden stepped forward toward the designated teleportation gate, a large, circular construct embedded into the ground, glowing with intricate mana runes. The air around it shimmered, charged with energy, waiting to transport them into the simulation.

"All assigned teams, prepare for deployment." freeweɓnøvel.com

Astron didn’t hesitate as he stepped onto the teleport pad, the others following close behind. The moment all three were inside the boundary, a low-frequency hum vibrated through their bones.

The world flickered.

Mana surged around them, folding space itself.

Then, in an instant—they were somewhere else.

As the light faded, the trio found themselves standing before a ghostly building.

The atmosphere was thick with an unnatural stillness, the air heavy with the scent of dust and damp stone. Around them, the entire cityscape felt abandoned—crumbling structures stretched into the misty skyline, broken windows gaping like hollow eyes. Some buildings still had half-standing walls, their interiors exposed to the elements. It was a ruin, a forgotten battlefield.

The architecture was old, twisted by time, with eerie remnants of past conflicts—scorched ground, shattered barriers, lingering mana distortions in the air.

This wasn’t just a simple mock battlefield.

It felt like a place where something had happened.

Something real.

Caden whistled low. "Damn… They really went all out on the immersion, huh?"

Astron’s gaze swept across their surroundings. He had seen places like this before.

Demon Contractor bases. Dungeons.

Most Artifact Wars weren’t conducted in clean, sterile environments. They happened in places like this—old strongholds, underground facilities, ruined cities swallowed by time.

The reason?

Because less populated zones meant fewer civilians caught in the crossfire.

Not that it was always the case—there had been plenty of instances where artifacts surfaced in crowded areas, forcing highly trained Hunters to engage in urban warfare. But those situations required a level of coordination far beyond what cadets were capable of.

This exercise was more grounded. More realistic.

They weren’t in a densely populated metropolis.

They were in a dead city.

And in a dead city, only the strongest walked out victorious.

Asher exhaled sharply, shifting his stance. "I see no other cadets."

Caden shrugged, stretching his arms behind his head as he scanned the empty streets. "Well, there’s a reason why the teams are divided. They must’ve started on the other side."

Asher exhaled through his nose, his stance shifting slightly. "Yeah. Figures." He didn’t seem too concerned. If anything, he was just waiting for the real action to start.

Astron remained silent, his sharp purple eyes locked onto the ghostly structure before them. Its worn-down exterior, the fractured windows, the barely-standing support beams.

This was where it would begin.

Caden, ever the casual one, tilted his head. "So… we’re moving as planned?"

Astron didn’t answer immediately, his gaze traced the building’s frame. Then, he nodded once. "Yes."

That was all they needed.

Without another word, the trio stepped forward, crossing the ruined threshold of the abandoned structure.

******

The air was still. Too still.

Julia shifted slightly on her perch, perched above the hallway like a cat watching its prey. The simulated environment around them flickered with occasional distortions—a reminder that, despite how real it felt, this was all just an advanced combat exercise.

Still, the tension of waiting was the same.

She could hear Adrian adjusting his grip on his weapon near the stairwell. Too tense. Guy really needed to relax.

And then—

"Ugh. I’m bored."

Rebecca’s voice crackled over the comms, making Julia smirk.

"Already?" Julia drawled.

"Yes, already." Rebecca groaned. "We’re just sitting here like statues. If someone doesn’t show up soon, I might just take a nap."

Julia snorted. "That’d be impressive, considering the incoming fight."

"Eh. It’s fine. I’m a light sleeper."

Adrian, ever the nervous one, clicked his mic. "Can we not joke about this? We don’t know when they’ll—"

"Relax, Langley," Julia interrupted, rolling her shoulders. "You’ll live."

Rebecca hummed. "Though, now that I think about it… isn’t it kinda weird?"