Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

"You're early."

Ethan scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit awkward at Eleanor's remark. He couldn't exactly admit that he came early out of fear of upsetting her, right? That wouldn't exactly help his image.

So, instead, he did what anyone would do in his situation—he made something up. "Well, you know," he said, forcing a casual grin, "figured it wouldn't hurt to get familiar with the place before we start."

Eleanor turned from the console, finally removing her sharp gaze from the screen to look at him directly. "That is a good attitude."

Ethan laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Well, that worked better than I expected.

With Eleanor's gaze now off him, he let his attention wander back to the facility. The more he looked around, the more questions flooded his mind. This place wasn't just big—it was cutting-edge, packed with high-grade equipment that even the academy's standard training halls didn't have.

His curiosity won out. "Professor," he started, glancing back at her. "What is this place? I mean, I've been at Academy for a while now, and I've never even seen this building before."

Eleanor studied him for a moment before responding. "That's because it's not part of the standard curriculum."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "So it's special, then?"

For a split second, Ethan could have sworn he saw a faint smile tug at the corners of Eleanor's lips—subtle, almost imperceptible, but there nonetheless.

"Indeed, it is a special place," Eleanor said, her tone composed yet carrying an edge of something unreadable. "It is quite durable."

Ethan blinked. "Durable?"

Eleanor didn't elaborate, simply turning back to the console and continuing her work as if that answer was sufficient.

And that was when Ethan felt it—a vague, creeping sense of unease. Why would she specifically mention durability? He had a bad premonition, like something very unfortunate was about to happen to him in this room.

He glanced around again, his hazel eyes sweeping over the high-tech combat arenas, the reinforced plating on the floors and walls, the faint hum of mana-infused machinery. Just how intense is this training going to be?

Still, pressing Eleanor for details felt like a bad idea. She's not going to explain anything unless she wants to. And if she wants to keep it a mystery, that means it's better for my sanity not to know.

So, instead of dwelling on it, he decided to pass the time with some safer questions.

"This whole mentorship thing," Ethan started, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It all feels kind of sudden, doesn't it? Like, one day we're just cadets, and then next thing we know, we're personally chosen by the Eleanor White."

Eleanor didn't look up from her console. "The Academy regularly selects cadets with potential for specialized training."

Ethan tilted his head. "Yeah, but normally, students apply for mentors. We weren't exactly given a choice here."
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Eleanor glanced at him, her sharp gaze unreadable. "Does that bother you?"

Ethan paused, then grinned. "Nah, not really. Just curious. It's not every day someone gets thrown into an elite program without warning."

Eleanor didn't respond immediately, but there was something in her gaze—something measuring, as if she was deciding how much to say.

Finally, she replied, "Potential is wasted without guidance. Whether you applied or not, the decision was made because you and Astron showed results."

Ethan absorbed that, the weight of her words settling in. It wasn't just about recognition—it was about expectations. They weren't chosen because they were lucky. They were chosen because someone expected something from them.

Before he could respond, the heavy doors behind him slid open again.

Astron had arrived.

Ethan let out a small chuckle. "Took your time, huh?"

Astron ignored him, his sharp purple eyes scanning the facility just as Ethan had before. But unlike Ethan, he didn't ask questions. He simply observed, his expression calm but unreadable.

"This place," Astron said after a moment, his voice steady. "It's different from the other training halls."

Eleanor finally turned fully to face them both. "Because it is different," she confirmed. "You'll both come to understand that soon enough."

Ethan exchanged a glance with Astron before looking back at Eleanor. "Alright then, Professor. What exactly are we about to get ourselves into?"

Eleanor's slight smile returned—but this time, there was something undeniably dangerous about it.

"You're about to find out."

And for the first time since stepping into this place, Ethan felt his bad premonition solidify into real concern.

********

Eleanor's sharp gaze swept over the two cadets standing before her. Two different breeds of talent—one raw and instinctive, the other honed and calculating. Both had been chosen, not because of chance, but because they had shown results. Because they had potential that could be sharpened into something exceptional.

Her lips curled slightly, almost imperceptibly, as a flicker of anticipation passed through her. These two were different from the others. And soon, they would come to understand what that meant.

She exhaled slowly, then checked the time on her smartwatch.

The mentorship block had officially begun.

"Now," Eleanor said, her voice crisp and commanding.

Ethan tensed slightly, standing a little straighter. Astron remained composed, though Eleanor didn't miss the sharpness in his gaze, the way he was already trying to piece things together before they even started.

She locked eyes with them both, assessing, measuring. And then, she licked her lips slightly, a flicker of excitement barely restrained.

"Let's begin."

With a small motion, Eleanor tapped the console beside her, and immediately, the room came to life.

The lights dimmed, the hum of mana-infused technology growing stronger. The walls of the facility shifted, reinforced barriers rising from the floor, restructuring the space into something more fitting for combat. The polished floors, the faint shimmer of enchantments woven into the environment—this was a place built to withstand true power.

Ethan swallowed hard. That bad premonition he'd had before? Yeah, it was feeling very justified now.

Astron, for his part, remained still, his sharp gaze flicking between the shifting structures, already analyzing the space. Calculating.

Eleanor turned to face them fully, her presence towering, suffocating. "When you walk into this facility, you are not cadets," she stated, her voice cool but unwavering. "You are not students under the academy's protection. Here, there are no professors to shelter you, no structured lessons to guide you step by step."

She raised a single finger, and the mana in the air grew heavier, pressing down on them like an unseen force. Ethan clenched his jaw, instinctively adjusting his stance to brace himself against it. Astron merely narrowed his eyes, his fingers twitching slightly in reaction to the shift in atmosphere.

"In here," Eleanor continued, "you are warriors in training. You are stepping into a world where hesitation means failure. Where control over your abilities is not a matter of grades, but of survival."

Ethan let out a slow breath, trying to keep his composure. "Alright," he said, forcing a grin. "So… what's the first step? You gonna have us do drills? Some kind of mana-control exercise?"

Eleanor's eyes gleamed with something unreadable. Dangerous.

"No," she said simply.

Eleanor's sharp gaze flickered between the two cadets, analyzing every subtle shift in their posture, the way their muscles tensed, the way their expressions shifted ever so slightly in anticipation. Then, a slow, dangerous smile formed on her lips.

"We will first see your level," she said simply.

With a casual flick of her hand, something shot from the right side of the room, skimming the air in a smooth arc before sliding to a stop behind her. A small, unassuming box. Without breaking eye contact with them, Eleanor sat down on it, crossing one leg over the other with effortless ease.

Ethan blinked, momentarily thrown off by how relaxed she seemed. "Wait… you're just going to sit there?" he asked, wary.

Eleanor's expression didn't change.

"Just endure this for as long as you can."