Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 807: 187.3 - Sylvie is here too

Irina’s fiery eyes narrowed slightly, her annoyance bubbling beneath the surface as she studied Sylvie. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her; in fact, Sylvie was generally someone Irina found tolerable, even respectable. But this sudden assertiveness—this push to change the plan—was entirely out of character for her.

’This girl Irina thought, her jaw tightening as her irritation simmered. Sylvie rarely spoke up like this, much less in a way that challenged others so directly. And now, she was pushing back against Irina, something that sent a faint warning bell ringing in her mind.

It wasn’t just annoying. It was suspicious.

’What’s her angle? Why does she care so much about meeting earlier? She never does this kind of thing. Is she… one of those?’

Irina’s smirk softened into something sharper, more calculating. There was a possibility here she couldn’t ignore. But instead of pressing Sylvie further, she decided to pivot.

Her fiery gaze shifted to Astron, standing calmly beside her. His sharp purple eyes were as unreadable as ever, his posture steady and unbothered by the tension in the room.

"Well then," Irina said, her voice carrying an edge of exasperation. "What do you think?"

Astron’s eyes moved to hers, calm and deliberate. "About what?" he asked evenly, his tone devoid of any urgency.

Irina raised an eyebrow, her annoyance flaring briefly. "About whether we should meet earlier or not."

Astron’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Irina caught the faintest flicker of something in his eyes—amusement. His lips quirked slightly, as though he were holding back a smirk.

"Which type of answer do you want?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying a faint undertone of mischief. "The logical answer, or the answer you want to hear?"

Irina’s jaw tightened, the corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily as she glared at him. She could see it now—the faint, barely-there glint of amusement in his sharp eyes. ’This bastard

Her fingers drummed lightly against her crossed arms as she steadied her voice. "Logical," she said firmly, her tone carrying a warning edge.

Astron tilted his head slightly, his sharp purple eyes steady as he spoke, his tone calm but deliberate. "Logically, it’s better to meet earlier," he began, his voice cutting through the lingering tension in the room. "The team has been formed, yes, and we have a rough idea of everyone’s roles. But that’s not enough. We don’t truly know each other—our strengths, our tendencies, how we approach challenges."

His gaze shifted slightly, encompassing both Irina and Sylvie. "For the sake of achieving a better grade, taking the time to align expectations and build some cohesion is important. It’s not about over-preparing but ensuring we’re not caught off guard when the session begins."

Irina’s fiery eyes narrowed as her irritation flared. ’He’s taking her side.’ She crossed her arms, her fiery hair swaying slightly as she straightened her posture. "So, you’re saying we should waste extra time on something we can handle in an hour?" she said sharply, her tone edged with defiance.

Astron’s gaze returned to hers, calm but with a subtle undertone of warning that made her pause. "As a ranked-2 student of the academy," he said evenly, his words deliberate, "you should understand the importance of even a single grade."

Irina’s breath hitched slightly, her fiery confidence flickering as his words struck a nerve. Her mind immediately flashed back to the first semester—one of the choices she’d made, the way she had underestimated certain tasks and certain someone, thinking her natural abilities would carry her through. And then the results had come in: Seraphina overtaking her to claim the second rank, pushing Irina to third.

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, sharp and unyielding. "Grades aren’t just numbers, Irina. They’re your reputation, your future. Everything you do reflects on this family."

Irina’s fingers drummed against her crossed arms, her fiery gaze softening slightly as her thoughts raced. ’He’s right,’ she thought begrudgingly, the edge in her stance giving way to a quiet resolve. ’Sylvie’s words make sense, and if this can help secure better results, then

She exhaled softly, her lips curling into a faint smirk, though the fire in her eyes had tempered. "Fine," she said, her tone calm but laced with reluctant agreement. "We’ll meet earlier."

Sylvie blinked, clearly surprised by Irina’s sudden shift in tone. "Really?" she asked cautiously, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief.

Irina glanced at her, her smirk sharpening slightly. "Yes."

Then her fiery gaze flicked to Astron, a sharp retort forming in her mind. She wanted to say something—anything—to call him out for siding with Sylvie so calmly, so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But as her eyes shifted to Sylvie and the others watching them, she thought better of it. ’Not here,’ she decided.

Instead, she stepped closer to Astron and pinched his arm, her nails digging in just enough to make her point.

Astron turned his head toward her, his sharp purple eyes narrowing slightly, his expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. It was as though he were silently asking, ’What are you doing?’

Irina didn’t answer. She just straightened her posture, let out a soft "Humph," and turned her head away, her fiery hair swaying with the motion.

The expression on Astron’s face was a small curvature of lips….it was subtle but unmistakable, though he wisely chose not to comment.

Before Irina could say anything more—or act on the simmering annoyance still bubbling in her chest—another figure approached. Jasmine, Sylvie’s deskmate and another member of their team, walked up with a determined expression. Her dark green hair was tied back neatly, and her sharp, calculating eyes locked onto Irina.

"I agree with Sylvie," Jasmine said, her voice steady and confident. "Meeting earlier is the smart choice."

Though as her eyes met with Irina’s….

"Ehm….We need to go over our strategies and roles properly. Waiting until the last minute could leave us vulnerable."

Irina glanced at Jasmine, her fiery eyes narrowing slightly.

’This vixen.’

This behavior…It was something she could see and understand.

Irina crossed her arms, exhaling sharply. "Fine," she said, her tone edged with reluctant acceptance. "If that’s what the team wants, we’ll meet earlier."

Sylvie looked slightly relieved, though she tried to mask it with a nod of agreement. "Thank you," she said, her voice steady but quieter now. Though Irina could understand that, she was quite happy.

The smile on her face was telling Irina everything she needed to know.

’Tch….’

And it was annoying, though it was Irina herself that had brought it to herself, so there was nothing she could do about it.

"Sigh…"

She could only release a sigh while glancing down at her smartwatch, the display showing the dwindling time left before the practical session. She let out another quiet sigh, her fiery amber eyes narrowing slightly. There wasn’t much time left already, and her irritation at the situation wasn’t helping her focus.

She turned her attention to Astron, who stood calmly beside her, his sharp purple eyes watching the exchange with his usual unreadable demeanor. "Let’s meet later then," she said, her tone casual but deliberate. Her fiery gaze flicked briefly to Sylvie and Jasmine, ensuring they noticed the exchange.

Astron nodded once, his voice calm and even. "I’ll be prepared."

Satisfied, Irina gave him a faint smirk before turning on her heel, her fiery hair swaying with the motion. She strode toward the classroom door with her usual confident gait, exuding an air of authority that left little room for challenge. As she passed by Sylvie and Jasmine, she caught the subtle exchange of glances between the two, but she chose not to acknowledge it.

’Let them talk,’ she thought, her smirk sharpening slightly as she reached the door. ’If they’re going to speculate, I might as well give them something to speculate about.’

Behind her, Astron remained still for a moment before gathering his belongings and moving toward the exit as well. His movements were deliberate, his posture straight and unbothered. "I’ll see you all at the meeting," he said simply, his tone as neutral as ever.

And then, they left, Sylvie and Jasmine alone.

*******

The moment Irina and Astron had left, Jasmine let out a long, exaggerated sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she slumped into a nearby chair.

"Whew," she muttered, brushing a stray lock of her green hair out of her face. "Whatever it is about her, our leader is really scary. Did you see those fiery eyes? I felt like I was about to get scorched just standing there."

Sylvie didn’t reply immediately, her gaze lingering on the door as her thoughts churned. She still felt the faint weight of Irina’s gaze on her—a gaze filled with intent, sharp and deliberate, as though Irina had been sizing her up, calculating her every move. It was a side of Irina Sylvie had never experienced before, and now that she had, it was impossible to ignore.

Jasmine tilted her head toward Sylvie, her tone teasing but edged with curiosity. "What about you? You were standing right in front of her. I thought she was going to set you on fire for daring to question her."

Sylvie blinked, snapping out of her thoughts as she turned to Jasmine. "It wasn’t… that bad," she said softly, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her uncertainty.

"Heh….."

Jasmine laughed softly, the sound light and teasing as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Sylvie’s shoulder. "But you did well," she said with a grin. "Who would have thought that our little Sylvie could go toe-to-toe with the Irina Emberheart?"

Sylvie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden praise. Her lips curved into a faint smile, though a touch of embarrassment lingered in her expression. "I wouldn’t exactly call it ’going against her,’" she murmured, her voice modest.

"Oh, please," Jasmine said, giving Sylvie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You stood your ground, didn’t you? That’s more than most people would dare to do. I mean, the way she looked at me—I thought she was going to turn me into ash on the spot."

Sylvie let out a soft laugh, the tension in her chest easing slightly. "I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be," she admitted, her voice growing steadier. "But… she’s definitely intense."

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