Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

"Don’t forget the reason we are here."

Astron looked a little ’angry.’

"The point of this exercise is not to clear the dungeon the fastest," Astron said, his tone calm but edged with firmness. "It’s to practice the formation. That means staying in your roles, no matter how tempting it is to break away."

Irina’s fiery gaze flicked to him, irritation flashing across her face, but she nodded begrudgingly. "Fine. I get it," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Formation it is."

Jasmine exhaled heavily, nodding as well. "Got it. I’ll stick to my lane this time."

Layla, still catching her breath, looked up at Astron with a quiet determination. "Understood. I’ll hold my ground."

Sylvie didn’t say anything, but her faint nod and the glow of her mana were enough to signal her agreement.

Before anyone could say more, the chamber rumbled slightly, and the mechanical voice of the dungeon resonated through the space. "Final wave approaching. Sixty seconds until engagement. Boss monster and final wave initiating."

The low rumble of growls echoed ominously through the chamber, signaling the arrival of the next wave. The sound was deeper, more menacing than before, and the faint vibrations in the ground hinted at larger numbers.

The team quickly adjusted, taking their positions without further argument. Layla braced herself at the front, her shield raised, while Jasmine and Astron moved to the flanks. Irina stayed in the center, her fiery gaze sweeping the chamber, and Sylvie held the rear, her yellow mana beginning to glow faintly once more.

The mechanical voice echoed again: "Final wave initiating. Boss monster approaching."

The monsters emerged in droves, their snarls filling the air. Wolf-like creatures with glowing red eyes surged forward, joined by larger, grotesque beasts with jagged horns and thick hides. The ground shook as a towering figure emerged from the shadows—a monstrous creature with glowing veins of crimson mana coursing through its body. The boss monster had arrived.

Layla planted her feet, her shield raised high as the first wave of monsters slammed into her. The impact was thunderous, but she held firm. "They’re heavier!" she shouted, her voice straining with effort.

Irina unleashed a torrent of flames, her fiery attacks reducing several creatures to ash. "Keep them off Layla!" she commanded, her hands glowing with mana as she prepared another blast.

Astron and Jasmine moved swiftly, intercepting monsters that attempted to flank the group. Astron’s daggers flashed in precise arcs, striking down creatures with lethal efficiency. Jasmine, her sword glowing faintly with mana, struck down one monster after another, her movements fluid yet powerful. However, her eagerness to dive into the fray caused her to drift too far from her position again.

"Jasmine, pull back!" Astron called sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos.

"On it!" Jasmine replied, her cheeks flushed as she quickly retreated to her designated position.

Meanwhile, Sylvie fought off a group of creatures at the rear, her yellow mana glowing brightly as she alternated between ranged blasts and swift, mana-enhanced strikes. Despite her best efforts, the sheer number of monsters began to overwhelm her.

Astron moved to assist, his daggers carving through the advancing creatures. "Stick to your position!" he reminded her, his tone calm but firm.

At the center, Irina faced her own challenge as the boss monster began to close in. Its massive frame moved with surprising speed, its crimson mana radiating an oppressive heat. Irina unleashed a wave of fire, but the creature shrugged it off, charging forward with a deafening roar.

’Hmm….’

"Focus on the legs."

Astron’s calm voice came from the side, and affirmed what Irina was thinking.

She thrust her hands forward, unleashing a searing wave of fire that engulfed the smaller creatures in front of the boss while also engulfing the boss monster’s legs. The intense heat warped the air around the creature, causing its movements to slow. It staggered, its massive frame swaying as the fire licked at its knees and joints.

"Good," Astron called out, his sharp purple eyes fixed on the monster. "Keep it off balance."

Irina smirked, her fiery yellow eyes blazing with confidence as she shifted her focus. With a fluid motion, she redirected a smaller burst of fire toward the creatures swarming Sylvie’s position. The flames struck true, scattering the advancing monsters and giving Sylvie a brief reprieve.

"Thanks!" Sylvie shouted, her voice carrying a mix of relief and determination. She adjusted her stance, her glowing yellow mana surging as she struck down another creature with a well-placed blast. Her movements were steady, but the strain was evident in the faint tremble of her hands.

Meanwhile, Jasmine maintained her position on the left flank, her sword flashing as she intercepted a creature attempting to circle around Layla. Her instinct was to press forward, to take the fight to the monsters rather than wait for them to come. But Astron’s earlier reminder echoed in her mind, and she reluctantly held her ground.

’Stick to your position. That’s the point of this exercise,’ she thought, exhaling sharply as she focused on the task at hand.

At the center, Layla stood firm, her shield glowing faintly with reinforced mana as the boss monster’s claws slammed against it with relentless force. Each strike reverberated through her arms, the sheer power of the creature nearly driving her to her knees. "I can’t… hold this much longer!" she cried, her voice strained with effort.

"Just a little longer." Irina called from her position, briefly glancing toward the tank. "We’ve got your back. Just keep it together a little longer!"

The boss monster roared, its crimson mana surging as it tried to push through Irina’s fire. The heat slowed its movements, but its raw power was undeniable. Each step it took sent tremors through the ground, and its glowing red eyes burned with fury.

Irina stepped back slightly, her fiery gaze locked onto the towering boss monster. Her hands began to glow with an intense, otherworldly heat, flames coiling around her like living entities.

She inhaled deeply, steadying herself as she began to channel her mana. The fiery aura around her pulsed with growing intensity, the temperature in the room rising as if the dungeon itself was reacting to her power.

"I’ll need a moment," she said, her voice steady but focused. "Hold them off while I prepare."

"Go ahead," Astron replied, his tone calm. "We’ll handle it."

Jasmine gritted her teeth, her sword flashing as she intercepted another wave of smaller monsters. The arc of energy she created pushed them back, but the strain was evident in her movements. "No pressure, Irina!" she called, forcing a wry grin as she held her position.

Sylvie, meanwhile, unleashed a rapid volley of mana blasts, her yellow energy striking down creatures attempting to breach their formation.

At the front, Layla continued to bear the brunt of the boss monster’s relentless assault. Each strike against her shield reverberated through her entire body, her legs trembling under the sheer force. "I really can’t!" she cried, her voice strained.

"Just a little longer." Astron called, his daggers flashing as he intercepted a creature attempting to slip past Layla.

"You really are improving."

Irina’s fiery aura intensified, the flames around her forming intricate, glowing patterns in the air. The heat became almost unbearable, but she stood firm, her fiery yellow eyes blazing with determination. "It’s ready," she said, her voice carrying an edge of finality.

She thrust her hands forward, and the flames coiled tighter, compressing into a glowing cubic structure that shimmered with pure, destructive energy.

"[School of Emberheart, Cubic Expansion!]" she declared, her voice echoing through the chamber.

"You don’t need to shout."

"Shut up."

The spell erupted with a deafening roar, the cubic structure expanding outward in a cascade of blazing fire. The flames consumed the boss monster, wrapping around its massive frame and igniting the crimson mana veins coursing through its body. The oppressive heat and brilliance of the attack illuminated the entire chamber, forcing the team to shield their eyes.

The boss monster let out a final, piercing roar as the flames engulfed it completely. Its massive form trembled, the glowing veins flickering erratically before it collapsed to the ground, the fire reducing it to a smoldering pile of ash. The smaller monsters disintegrated alongside it, their shadowy forms dissolving into the air as the dungeon fell silent.

Layla collapsed to the ground, her shield slipping from her grasp as she gasped for breath. Her body trembled, and sweat dripped from her brow. "It’s… it’s over," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Jasmine leaned against a nearby wall, her sword hanging loosely in her hand as she exhaled heavily. "That was… intense," she said, her grin faint but genuine. "Good job, team."

Sylvie lowered her glowing hands, the yellow mana dissipating as she leaned on her knees, trying to steady her breathing. "We did it," she said softly, her green eyes flickering with relief and exhaustion.

At the center of it all, Astron stood calmly, his sharp purple eyes fixed on the smoldering remains of the boss monster. His daggers were sheathed, his posture steady and unbothered by the heat or the chaos that had preceded the quiet.

"This...." Irina mumbled, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing as she gazed at the smoldering remains of the boss monster. Her hands were still trembling from the sheer mana expenditure, but her expression was one of frustration rather than satisfaction. "This was not the performance I expected."

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