Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 881

The air in the locker room was heavy with silence.

The once-tense battlefield had been replaced by the dull hum of flickering lights, the quiet rustling of cadets changing, and the occasional clang of metal lockers being shut. The simulation was over. They had won.

And yet, Asher still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He sat on one of the benches, running a towel through his hair as his gaze flicked toward Astron. The guy was as unreadable as ever, calmly unstrapping his equipment, moving like he hadn’t just walked into hell and come back with a trophy.

And that—that was the problem.

Asher hadn’t stopped thinking about it since the second the notification hit his ears. How?

He needed answers.

Caden, sitting on the bench across from him, was still processing everything himself, shaking his head as he muttered, "I swear, if I have to fight Rebecca again anytime soon, I might just sit that one out."

Asher ignored him. His focus was on Astron.

And before he even realized it, the words left his mouth.

"How did you get it?"

Astron, mid-motion, glanced at him. "Get what?"

"The artifact." Asher’s voice was sharp, clipped. "We learned that Julia was there."

For the first time, Caden looked up. He hadn’t asked, hadn’t pried—but hearing Asher say it aloud made it real.

That was the question. That was what had been bugging all of them.

They all knew the pecking order. And Julia Middleton was at the top.

Astron wasn’t supposed to beat her.

And yet—he did.

Asher exhaled sharply, leaning back against the locker. His muscles were still tense, his heartbeat not quite settled from the fight. But it wasn’t from exhaustion. It was from frustration.

Because no matter how many times he replayed it in his head, none of this made sense.

Astron was already an enigma. That much, Asher had begrudgingly accepted. But this? This was different.

’First, he devises a quick plan that’s just enough to make things work. Then, in the middle of it, he decides to act on his own and completely bypasses my senses?’ frёewebnoѵēl.com

That was what bothered him the most. Asher prided himself on reading people, on being able to anticipate movements, strategies, shifts in behavior. It was how he survived. How he thrived.

And yet, he hadn’t sensed Astron moving at all.

By the time he had realized Astron was gone, it was already too late.

Asher stole a glance at Caden, and—judging by his expression—he was thinking the same thing.

Because Astron wasn’t just faster than them.

He was operating on a completely different level.

Asher narrowed his eyes, voice flat. "So? What happened?"

Astron finished unstrapping the last of his equipment, then glanced up, seemingly unfazed. "The objective of the exercise was clear from the start."

His voice was even, calm—as if this was obvious.

Asher didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue.

Astron didn’t beat around the bush.

"I didn’t beat Julia in a fight," he said. "I just took the artifact and ran."

Silence.

Caden blinked, his towel halfway to his face.

Asher stared at him, expression unreadable.

Then, he let out a sharp breath—almost a laugh.

’That’s it? That’s his answer? He just ran?’

He sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees, studying Astron more carefully now.

"You ran," Asher repeated, his voice laced with skepticism.

Astron nodded once.

"And she just—let you?"

That’s what made zero sense.

Julia Middleton wasn’t just one of the strongest in their class—she was one of the strongest cadets in the entire academy.

Asher had always thought of Irina Emberheart as the untouchable one. The kind of monster you could only pray to be on the same side as.

But Julia?

Julia was different.

She wasn’t just powerful—she was relentless.

She didn’t just win—she crushed.

There was a reason why the Middleton family sat at the top. It wasn’t just because of their swordsmanship. Their talent as Awakened was borderline unfair.

And yet, Astron sat there, calmly saying he ran.

’How the hell do you run away from someone like Julia?’

Caden finally spoke up, shaking his head. "Nah, see, that’s the part that doesn’t make sense. You didn’t just run. You got away."

Asher’s gaze didn’t waver. "He’s right. If it was that easy, everyone would just run away from her. And yet, no one does."

They had seen her in fights. Julia didn’t let people run.

She was fast. Too fast.

Her raw stats were ridiculous, second only to Viktor. Physically, there was no one else close to her.