Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Use your mana."

Ethan blinked. For a second, his mind felt sluggish, but then realization hit him. Mana. Of course. His body wasn't just fighting against physical pressure. This was mana manipulation—a presence, a force beyond mere weight.

Gritting his teeth, he focused inward, drawing from the well of energy within him. His mana flared, a golden hue crackling around him, wrapping his body in raw power.

And yet—

Nothing changed.

Ethan's body still screamed under the weight. The pressure still crushed down on him just as much as before. His legs still wobbled, his muscles still burned, and his bones still felt like they were on the verge of snapping.

"What…?" Ethan choked out, sweat dripping down his face. "Why isn't it—?!"

Eleanor sighed.

A slow, unimpressed, exasperated sigh.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she asked, her tone edged with something almost disappointed. "Dumping mana into your body like a blunt instrument and expecting it to work?"

Ethan flinched at her words. "But you said—"

"I said to use your mana," Eleanor corrected sharply. "Not to waste it."

Her gaze sharpened as she gestured subtly towards Astron.

"Look at him."

Ethan glanced at Astron again—really looked this time.

Astron was using mana. But it wasn't radiating wildly around him. It wasn't flaring or being forcefully pumped into his limbs like Ethan's. It was controlled. Refined. His mana wasn't fighting the force—it was adapting to it.

And that was the difference.

Eleanor's voice carried across the room with finality. "Mana is not a shield. It is not just a weapon. It is part of you—an extension of yourself. Brute-forcing it will never work."

She leaned forward slightly, her golden eyes glinting. "Control it, or it will control you."

Ethan coughed violently, more blood splattering onto the polished floor beneath him. His arms trembled, his muscles burning like fire, but he forced himself to listen. He had no other choice—if he wanted to get rid of this hellish pressure, he had to work for it.

Taking a ragged breath, he obeyed.

This time, he didn't just dump his mana into his body. He didn't just force it to resist the weight pressing down on him. Instead, he tried to do what Astron was doing—control it.

His mana, instead of flaring wildly, began to flow.

And immediately, he felt it.

It wasn't like before. It wasn't a desperate push against Eleanor's overwhelming pressure. No, it was something else entirely. His body itself was countering the force, not through brute strength, but through a natural, instinctual flow of mana.

Like a river bending around a stone, his mana wasn't colliding with the pressure—it was guiding it away from his core.

The sensation startled him. The once unbearable weight shifted, as though his body had suddenly found a way to disperse it. He was still under immense strain—his muscles still ached, his lungs still burned—but for the first time since Eleanor had unleashed this training on them, he could move.

Not easily. Not comfortably. But he could move.

His hazel eyes widened, his breath coming in slower, more measured gasps. "I…" He swallowed, barely able to speak. "I can feel it. It's… different."

Eleanor observed him, her golden eyes gleaming with quiet approval. "I am surprised," she mused, "that no one in your family taught you this."

Ethan blinked, still focusing on maintaining his control. He didn't look at her, but her words dug into his mind.

"But I suppose," Eleanor continued, her voice level, "they didn't feel the need to."

That made Ethan grit his teeth, but he didn't argue. Of course, they didn't. Though he had been subjected to the training with his Aunt, even Kaya Hartley herself didn't have an aura like Eleanor.

Something was fundamentally different.

Eleanor watched his expression carefully. "Just as you're beginning to feel it now, your body will adapt." Her voice was steady, instructive. "Sometimes, you don't need to actively give input for everything."

She gestured toward Astron, who was still maintaining his stance, though the faintest sheen of sweat now covered his skin.

"Most of the time, your body already knows what to do."

Ethan clenched his fists. He could feel it now. His body did know what to do. It wasn't about fighting the pressure—it was about allowing his mana to guide his reactions, about trusting in what was already inside him.

Ethan felt it—the shift.

The once unbearable pressure was still there, still pressing down on every fiber of his being, but… it was changing. Not because the force itself had lessened, but because his body had finally started adjusting.

His mana wasn't just a blunt force wrapping around his limbs—it was flowing with the pressure, redirecting it, countering it without resistance.

And for the first time since Eleanor had activated this test, his body wasn't on the verge of breaking. His breaths, though still heavy, weren't choked gasps. His muscles, though still burning, weren't screaming for relief.

It was getting… a little more comfortable.

Eleanor's golden eyes gleamed as she observed his progress. "Not bad."

Ethan exhaled slowly, shaking off the last remnants of his earlier struggle. His legs were still weak, but he was standing.

That was when Eleanor's voice rang out again—sharp, unwavering.

"Now, let's increase the intensity."

Ethan's stomach dropped.

Before he could react, Eleanor's mana surged. The weight pressing down on them doubled, then tripled, forcing both cadets to their limits once again.

Ethan hit the ground immediately.
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Astron remained standing.

For a moment.

Even he staggered, his footing shifting slightly as the gravity warped again, the unpredictable shifts forcing his body into constant micro-adjustments.

Ethan clenched his teeth. Dammit—again?!

But he wasn't the only one struggling.

For the first time, even Astron was feeling it.

Yet, despite the overwhelming force, despite his trembling fingers and the tension lining his usually calm face—he was still adapting.

Faster. Always faster.

Ethan forced himself back up, struggling to match the pace—but Astron was always a step ahead.

"Why…" Ethan panted, his arms shaking, "why is he adjusting so fast?"

Eleanor answered with a questioning tone as well.

"That is also something that I am curious about. Care to elaborate, Astron?"

Ethan scowled but didn't argue. He could see it now. Astron wasn't just enduring—he was learning.

His adjustments weren't just reactionary—they were calculated.

Even through gritted teeth, Astron's voice finally came out. "It's… different now." His purple eyes narrowed slightly. "The weight isn't just pressing down—it's shifting unpredictably, making stability…" He sucked in a breath. "Impossible."

"Hmm? Not bad." Eleanor's smirk widened slightly. "Good. You're finally paying attention."

Astron's mind worked through the sensation. He was analyzing how the pressure moved, how it coiled, warped, pulsed in waves.

"There's a… rhythm to it," he muttered, shifting his stance slightly.

Ethan, still struggling, forced himself to listen, watching how Astron was reacting.

The moment he saw it, his instincts clicked.

It wasn't random. It only felt that way because he was trying to react without thinking.

Ethan exhaled sharply, shifting his stance just as Astron had.

The next wave of pressure came—and this time, he braced for it properly.

For a brief moment, both of them were enduring together.

And then—

They collapsed.

First Ethan. Then Astron, only seconds later.

Their bodies hit the ground, breathless, shaking, drained of everything they had.

The silence in the training hall was broken only by their ragged gasps.

Eleanor remained seated on her small crate, watching them with cold, precise eyes.

Then, she clapped her hands.

A single, deliberate motion.

"Now," she said smoothly, rising to her feet. "I see your level."

Her voice wasn't mocking. It wasn't disappointed.

It was evaluative.

Because now, she truly knew what she had to work with.