Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 943

Chapter 943 216.3 - Overachievers

"Why should it be different?"

The question hit harder than expected-not sharp, but weighty. Astron didn't wait for an answer. He stepped closer, his voice low and unwavering.

"You may feel talented, Ethan. And you are. You work hard, and you believe that with enough effort, you can shape the world around your own rules."

His pale violet eyes locked with Ethan's, unblinking.

"But you should start to understand this by now: no matter how strong you become, no matter how righteous your intentions-there will come a time when you feel the limits of your ideals."

Ethan stood still, frozen in place as the words settled over him like slow-falling ash. "And when that moment comes," Astron continued, his tone quieter, colder, "it's not always you who pays the price."

He tilted his head slightly, just enough to shift the weight of his words.

"It's the ones closest to you who bleed for your convictions."

Ethan's throat tightened. He wanted to argue-wanted to say that wasn't how it had to be. That strength and principle weren't mutually exclusive. That justice could be clean, even if the world wasn't.

But he couldn't speak.

Because he knew what Astron was saying wasn't wrong.

He remembered Jane, her hands trembling.

He remembered the silence that followed the sound barrier.

He remembered how helpless he felt-even after he'd fought back.

Astron stepped back slightly, giving him space again.

"Remember that well," he said.

Then he turned, resuming his walk down the hallway as if nothing more needed to be said.

Ethan didn't move at first.

His heart still beat hard in his chest, and something within him stirred-something caught between resistance and understanding. Between the boy who wanted to protect people the right way...

...and the man the world might force him to become.

****

The door to the facility hissed open with a quiet thunk, releasing a wave of cool, artificial air. Ethan stepped through first, his boots echoing against the polished floor, followed closely by Astron-silent as ever, his sharp gaze already sweeping across the dimly lit hall.

It had been a few days since the incident. Since that conversation in Eleanor's office. Since Ethan's temporary suspension. And now, this place the same cursed training ground where they had been pushed to the brink-was to become their new normal.

Ethan exhaled slowly as the familiar chill of the building settled over him. "Back to hell," he muttered under his breath.

Astron didn't comment, but the slight twitch of his eyebrow suggested he agreed. From the far end of the hall, a familiar presence stirred.

Eleanor stood beside the console, arms folded neatly behind her back. Her long coat fluttered slightly from the ambient currents of mana in the room. As they approached, she turned to face them fully, her expression unreadable-but her eyes, as always, were sharp. Calculating.

"You're here. Good."

Her tone was neutral, businesslike, but Ethan immediately tensed. That same feeling crawled up his spine-the one that said something unpleasant was about to begin. Eleanor didn't waste time.

"I know this isn't the usual mentorship block," she began. "But from now on, this is where you'll be training."

Astron's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Why now?" he asked, voice calm.

Eleanor met his gaze without flinching. "Because both of you are being targeted."

The words hung in the air, colder than the temperature around them.

"Targeted?"

Eleanor nodded once, her tone clipped and precise. "The incident with Grayson. The sudden escalation. The way information was twisted, and how quickly it spread through the academy..." Her gaze narrowed. "It wasn't spontaneous. Someone is watching you. Both of you. And they're not just looking to slow your progress. They want to break it."

Astron's gaze sharpened as he studied her. "You're certain?"

Eleanor nodded. "Too many threads point to the same conclusion. You're rising too fast. You're becoming threats to the wrong people." She turned slightly, her voice lowering. "And out there-your every move is being watched. Twisted. Used against you. Here, at least, I can control what happens."

She glanced back at them. "You're safer here."

Ethan's jaw clenched slightly. "So what-this is our shelter now?"

"No," Eleanor said, eyes glinting. "This is your forge."

That silence again-tight, thick, unrelenting. Until-