Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 630 138.2 - A realization

Maya sat up straight, her gaze still on the moon, but her thoughts began to sharpen, shifting away from the emotional turmoil and into something more calculated. She was a mage, a genius elemental mage, and her mind worked best when it was focused. The ability to think through problems analytically had always been her strength, and tonight, she needed that clarity more than ever.

As her mind worked, she reviewed the past week, playing through each memory in meticulous detail. The moments with Astron, their time spent navigating the complexities of the banquet, the subtle challenges they faced together. She thought back to the small moments between them—the quiet exchanges, the tension that lingered in his eyes whenever she was close. It wasn't just attraction or the pull of her vampiric instincts. It was something deeper, something more dangerous.

She began to dissect the patterns, drawing connections between her own actions and his responses. She was excellent at this—taking emotions out of the equation and seeing the raw data, the facts laid bare. It was the same approach she used with her magic, the same one that had made her the top student at Arcadia Hunter Academy. Her talent wasn't just in her ability to control mana; it was her analytical mind that had also set her apart.

After all, being a mage was not something like being a Warlock.

Mages were mages for a reason.

'What have I been doing wrong?' she asked herself as if solving an equation. Her thoughts sifted through the memories, her mind calculating every interaction with precision. The late-night talks, the subtle glances, and the way her body reacted when she fed from him.

Her breath hitched as she came to a painful realization: she had been too dependent on Astron.

The evidence was clear now, cold and undeniable. She had allowed her need for him to cloud her judgment—whether it was the draw of his blood, his calm strength, or simply the sense of safety she felt in his presence. She had been leaning on him too much, more than she should have. And for someone like Astron, who already carried the weight of his own burdens, this was the last thing he needed.

Her fingers tightened against the fabric of her bedspread as she forced herself to face the truth. 'This isn't just about him,' she thought, her mind working through the logic. 'It's about me too. My weakness, my lack of control.'

She exhaled slowly, steadying herself. She was an accomplished mage, top of her class for a reason. She had always been able to solve problems—this was no different. She needed to fix this, to regain control over herself. The dependency, the obsession she had been feeling, whether it was fueled by her vampiric instincts or something else, was unhealthy. And if she kept letting it spiral, she would lose more than just her sense of self.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she recalled the way Astron had looked at her tonight—the quiet distance in his eyes, the way he carried himself with such careful control. He needed someone who could stand beside him, not lean on him constantly. If she wanted to truly help him, if she wanted to be the person he could rely on, then she had to be stronger.

'I need to be better,' she thought firmly, her mind clearing.

She couldn't let her emotions dictate her actions anymore. She had to focus, to improve. Not just for Astron, but for herself.

'That is right.'

Of course, this was not something that she could just change in a split second. It didn't work like that and she was very well aware of this fact.

If it worked in such a manner, everyone would change easily.

RING!

Just then, at that exact moment the sudden sound of her smartwatch ringing startled Maya, breaking through her thoughts and pulling her back to the present. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly reached for it, her fingers brushing against the cool surface of the device as it vibrated softly on the nightstand. She glanced at the name flashing across the screen.

Astron.

Her heart raced again, but this time for a different reason. She hoped—prayed—that this was the call she had been waiting for, the one that would tell her everything was fine. Her hands trembled slightly as she tapped the screen and brought the watch closer to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her.

There was a brief pause, just enough time for her heart to thud loudly in her chest, and then she heard it—Astron's voice, calm and composed as ever.

"Senior," he said, his tone even, without a hint of distress. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm safe. Everything went according to plan."

A rush of relief flooded through her, and she exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The tension that had gripped her for hours began to unravel, and she sank back onto the bed, her body finally relaxing as she processed his words.

"You are safe," she repeated softly, more to herself than to him, but she couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "I see."

"I'm fine," Astron assured her, his tone steady. "There was no trouble. Everything was handled smoothly."

Maya closed her eyes for a moment, letting the relief wash over her fully. For all her strength and composure, she had still been worried—more than she wanted to admit. But hearing his voice now, knowing he was unharmed, brought her back to herself.

"Thank you for calling," she said quietly, the sincerity clear in her voice. "I was… worried."

"I know," Astron replied, his tone softening slightly, though he kept the conversation practical. "I didn't want you to spend the night wondering. I knew you'd be thinking about it."

Maya couldn't help but smile again, her chest feeling lighter. He was right, of course. She had been worrying, even though she had tried so hard not to. But now, with this call, she could finally let go of that fear.

"Well, I'm glad you did," she admitted, leaning back into her pillows as she gazed at the ceiling. The moonlight still bathed her room in a gentle glow, and the serenity of the moment finally started to reach her. "I'm… relieved."

There was a brief pause on the other end and then Maya opened up her mouth. "Junior. Get some rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."

Maya waited, her heart still lightened by the calmness in Astron's voice. After a brief pause, he replied, "I will."

Maya smiled, the tension of the night fully easing out of her as she lay back on her pillows, comforted by his words. "Good. Just… make sure you do."

There was another small silence before Maya felt compelled to ask, "Do you need anything, junior? If you do, I can send someone over."

Astron's response came swiftly, his voice steady but with that familiar tone of quiet independence. "I don't need anything, Senior. I'll be fine."

She knew he meant it, and she had expected the answer. Astron wasn't one to ask for help easily, and even though she still had the urge to make sure everything was perfect for him, she respected his space. She understood him enough to know when to step back.

"Alright," Maya said softly, her voice carrying both her care and her acceptance of his need for solitude. "Then get some rest. Goodnight, Junior."

"Goodnight, Senior," he replied simply, and with that, the call ended.

Maya lowered her hand, placing the watch back on the nightstand, the lingering warmth from their conversation still in her chest. She lay back once more, gazing at the moonlit sky outside her window, the peacefulness of the night finally reaching her.

For the first time that evening, her mind felt at ease. With a small, contented sigh, she closed her eyes, letting the serenity of the moment lull her into a restful sleep.

*******

After ending the call, I slipped my communicator back into my pocket and turned toward the boy. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, quietly eating the meal I'd ordered for him. His movements were slow, almost mechanical, but at least he was eating. That was something.

I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching him for a moment longer.

Though the thought barely lingered before my mind shifted back to more practical matters.

'Let's see today's hauls.'

Now that I had a free time finally, it was time to check the hauls that I had gotten from today's hunt.

'Status.'

I called in my head and immediately following that, the panel showed up right before me.

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▶Name: Astron Natusalune

▶Occupation: Weapon Master (Level 4)

▶Talent Limit: 12

▶Passives:

Vengeful Bane

Bloodline Resonance

Psychic Cognizance

▶Attributes:

Variable Attributes:

Strength: 6.02 (previously 5.79)

Dexterity: 6.04 (previously 5.81)

Agility: 6.12 (previously 5.89)

Constitution: 6.03 (previously 5.80)

Intuition: 6.20 (previously 5.96)

Magical Power: 6.61 (previously 6.36)

Mana Capacity: 6.70 (previously 6.44)

Invariable Attributes:

Charisma: 11

Vitality: 10

▶Traits:

Perceptive Insight (Epic)(Unchanging)

Lunar Enigma (????)(Growth Type)(Stage 1)

Shadowborne (Legendary)(Growth Type)(Stage 3)

▶Arts:

Lethal Arsenal Ascendancy (????)(35%)

▶Skills:

Eyes of Hourglass

▶Body Imprints:

Everchanging Glyph

▶Bonds:

Aurora Raven (Rare)(Growth Type)

Celestalith, The Transcendent Eclipse Nôv(el)B\\jnn

--------------------

'Not bad,' I thought as I observed the numbers, noting the increase in my variable attributes. The boost was small, but noticeable—expected, considering the intensity of today's battle. The passive [Vengeful Bane] had likely contributed to the growth, siphoning strength from the demons I'd killed and amplifying my capabilities as a result.

The most significant gains, of course, came from my magical power and mana capacity. They had climbed steadily thanks to the nature of Zharokath's demonic essence. With a powerful opponent like that, absorbing traces of his mana always yielded results, especially when combined with my own talent and growth path.

'6.70 for mana capacity... that's higher than I expected.'

I felt the familiar hum of magic within me, stronger now than it had been before the hunt. My progression through the levels was steady and methodical. There was still much to unlock, especially with traits like [Lunar Enigma] and [Shadowborne]—growth-type traits that I knew would only reveal their true potential in due time.

But patience had always been part of the game. Every step, every victory, was another piece added to the larger puzzle.

'Though, this time, there was no passive ability.'

Looking at it back, it partially made sense.

'Zharokath was not a high-ranking demon.'

While a demon is a demon, at the end of the day, even demons do have their own hierarchy amongst themselves and Zharokath was not the strongest amongst them.

Even though he belonged to the Void Clan, his void abilities were not even that strong, thus it made sense that I wouldn't get any passive ability from him.

'But the increase in the stats is much more.'

From how it looked, it seemed that it rather increased my stats which was something that I did not mind.

Satisfied with the numbers for now, I closed the status window with a thought, the glowing panel fading from view.

'Now the second part.'

The most important part did not even start.