Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 920

Chapter 920 212.3 - Shifting Pillars

Ethan and Jane spent the next while in quiet company, talking about anything but the obvious problems looming over them.

It was simple. Comfortable.

Jane didn't try to force conversation, and Ethan didn't press her to talk more than she wanted to. Instead, they sat together, occasionally throwing jabs at each other, shifting the mood back into something lighter.

But after a bit, Jane finally sighed, stretching her arms before fixing him with a look.

"Alright, you've wasted enough time on me."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Wasted?"

She smirked. "Yeah. Don't you have things to do? I know you don't just sit around all day."

Ethan leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "I can spare time."

Jane shook her head. "I'm fine now. Really."

He frowned, not entirely convinced.

She must have noticed because she let out a breath before reaching forward, poking his forehead lightly with her finger. "I mean it, Ethan. You don't have to babysit me. Go do whatever big, important things you were supposed to be doing before you called me."

Ethan huffed, swatting her hand away, but there was no real annoyance in his expression.

"...Alright. But if something happens again, call me."

Jane smiled softly. "I will."

Still, Ethan lingered for another second, studying her face, making sure she wasn't just saying that to get him to leave.

Jane just rolled her eyes playfully. "Go already."

With a final shake of his head, Ethan finally stood. He gave her a last glance before heading toward the door, stepping out of her dorm and into the hallway.

The moment he exited the girls' dormitory, the air outside felt cooler against his skin. The shift from the enclosed space to the open corridors of the academy grounds was almost refreshing.

He started toward his own dorm, his pace unhurried.

But then—

His senses flared.

Something was wrong.

The shift was subtle—so subtle that most people wouldn't have noticed it.

But Ethan wasn't most people.

The air changed.

The world around him seemed to bend, just slightly.

Like a shift in perception.

His steps slowed, his hazel eyes narrowing as he scanned the area.

Then, in the corner of his vision—

A flicker.

A distortion.

Ethan's breath steadied as he instinctively braced himself. The mana around him shifted—pulsing, coiling, thickening like unseen tendrils weaving through the air. It wasn't an attack. Not yet. But it was enough to put him on guard.

Then, a voice.

"What were you guys doing in there? You made me wait a lot."

The tone was casual, almost playful, but there was something underlying it—something deliberate.

Ethan turned, his hazel eyes sharpening, and the moment he saw her, his expression turned cold.

Melaine.

A senior. One he remembered well.

The one who had made Jane's life miserable.

She leaned against the nearby wall, arms crossed, her posture relaxed as if she had all the time in the world. A smirk tugged at her lips, but her gaze held a sharp edge, assessing him, waiting for a reaction.

Ethan didn't give her one.

Instead, he stood there, unmoving, his hands slipping into his pockets as he met her gaze without a word. His mana settled around him, no longer shifting wildly but still present—controlled, restrained.

Melaine tilted her head, her blonde hair catching the dim hallway lights. "No greeting? That's rude, you know."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Didn't realize I owed you one."

She chuckled, pushing off the wall, stepping closer. "Touchy." Her eyes flickered past him, toward the dormitory doors. "Jane seemed fine. I guess she really does bounce back fast."

Ethan's fingers curled inside his pockets, a subtle motion, but enough to ground himself as the quiet rage settled deep in his chest. His breath remained even, his expression blank, but beneath the surface, his patience was fraying.

Melanie was baiting him, and she knew it.

"We warned her, you know," she said, stepping closer, her smirk widening. "But she didn't listen. Stubborn, that one." Her tone was light, almost casual, but the satisfaction in her eyes told a different story. "Surely, you don't hold a grudge, right? You do understand how the rules play out here."

Ethan's eyes darkened.

He had already suspected it. Suspected that people like Melanie—ones who thrived off their status, their influence—were behind Jane's bullying. But Jane hadn't said anything. She hadn't asked for help.

And Ethan…

He had waited.

Because as much as he wanted to act, it wasn't his place to do so unless Jane let him.

But now?

Now, Melanie had chosen to bring this to him directly.

"Rules?" Ethan repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. "You mean the ones that let cowards like you get away with this kind of garbage?"

Melanie's smirk twitched, but she didn't lose her composure. Instead, she let out a small, amused hum.

"Oh, Ethan," she sighed dramatically. "I was hoping you wouldn't be this predictable. But I suppose I should've expected it."

Then, she lifted a hand, snapping her fingers once.

Two figures stepped out from the shadows behind her.

Bigger. Older. Both of them sophomore- second years, by the looks of it. Built like trained fighters, their gazes cold and calculating. One cracked his knuckles, while the other simply rolled his shoulders, as if testing his flexibility.

Ethan barely spared them a glance.

Ethan tilted his head slightly, his hazel eyes locked onto Melanie. He wasn't in a rush to move. Not yet. Instead, he studied her, waiting for her next move.

Calm. Controlled.

Then, in a measured voice, he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

For a second, Melanie didn't respond. Her smirk remained, but something flickered in her eyes. And then—

Her expression twisted.