Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 888

"Lucas isn’t the type to fight stealthily. He’s fast, but he’s a swordsman. His movement is always direct, always with intent. How did he bypass your senses?"

Irina’s lips parted slightly before she closed them again, thinking.

Because that was the exact thing that had been bothering her too.

"Yeah," she muttered, crossing her arms, her expression tightening. "That’s what I thought, too."

Astron remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

Irina exhaled through her nose, her frustration bubbling back up—not just at Lucas, but at herself for not figuring it out sooner.

"I don’t know how he did it," she admitted. "But I do know that for a while, I couldn’t tell he was there. And I should have been able to."

Astron’s gaze flickered. "Go on."

Irina pressed her lips together briefly before speaking. "There was something off. When I was fighting the other two, my mana perception should have picked up any movements near me, especially someone as fast as Lucas. But I didn’t notice him at all—until the very last second."

Astron’s fingers twitched slightly at his side. "That’s not normal."

Irina nodded. "Exactly. And then, right before he took the artifact, I saw something."

Astron remained silent, listening.

"It was faint, but… there was an illusion."

That got a reaction.

Astron’s sharp gaze flicked to her. "An illusion?"

Irina’s jaw tightened. "Yeah. It wasn’t strong—I didn’t even realize I was seeing it until it was too late. But for a second, the air shimmered, and then—he was there."

Astron’s expression didn’t change, but Irina could tell he was processing everything.

Because this changed things.

Lucas wasn’t a magic user. He was a swordsman through and through, one of the most direct fighters in the academy.

So how the hell did he use an illusion to move undetected?

Irina scoffed, looking away briefly. "Tch. I don’t know what he did, but it worked. I didn’t even know he was coming until it was too late."

She clenched her fists slightly.

"And that," she muttered, "pisses me off the most."

Astron didn’t respond right away. His sharp purple eyes remained fixed on Irina, but there was a flicker of thoughtfulness beneath the usual calm.

’He’s thinking about it,’ Irina noted.

But then, after a brief pause, he exhaled lightly and—just like that—the topic was dropped.

No conclusion. No further prodding.

’Huh. That’s unlike him.’

She narrowed her eyes slightly but didn’t question it. Instead, they continued walking in silence, the night air cool against her skin. She could feel his presence beside her, steady and composed, as always.

Minutes passed, the rhythmic sound of their footsteps filling the quiet between them. And then—

"As expected, you were trying to bring me to your grounds," Astron said suddenly, breaking the silence before she could.

Irina blinked. "What?"

Astron’s sharp gaze flicked toward the grand building in front of them. His voice was calm, but there was a clear edge of certainty in it. "Your dorms."

Irina smirked, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Oh? So you figured it out?"

Astron tilted his head slightly, his eyes scanning the area. "It wasn’t hard."

They stood before the elite cadet dormitory section—an entire sector of the academy reserved only for the top ten ranked students. Unlike the standard dorms, which were communal, each of the top ten had their own private residence, complete with customized facilities.

And, of course, Irina Emberheart—rank two—had one of the best.

The grand structure before them was more like a private manor than a simple dormitory. Tall, sleek, and adorned with subtle mana-imbued carvings, the building exuded both elegance and power. The entrance was flanked by runic pillars, their soft glow pulsating in a steady rhythm, acknowledging her presence.

Irina turned toward him, her smirk widening. "Did you come here before?"

"I did not," Astron answered smoothly.

Her brow arched. "Then how did you know?"

His eyes didn’t waver. "I know important places in the academy."

Irina let out a short laugh. "So you’ve scouted this place before?"

"Better to be familiar."