Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 843 - 195.2 - Report

Chapter 843 - 195.2 - Report

Layla blinked as both Astron and Irina stared at her in silence, their expressions unreadable yet oddly synchronized. It was like they had both decided to pause reality just to process her words.

"…What?" she asked, frowning slightly.

Neither of them answered. Astron remained as still as ever, while Irina's smirk widened ever so slightly, amusement flickering in her amber eyes. Layla looked between the two of them, her frustration growing.

"What?" she repeated, louder this time.

Irina exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. "You really are good at acting."

Layla's eyebrows shot up. "What does that mean?"

Before Irina could respond, Astron—without missing a beat—answered in his usual calm, measured tone. "She's not acting. She really believed what she said just now."

Irina blinked before leaning slightly forward, eyeing Layla with newfound interest. "…Really?"

"Yes," Astron confirmed simply.

"You can't be serious," Irina said, now looking back at him.

"Sadly, I am."

Layla's patience, already worn thin from her earlier conversation with Astron, snapped. "Hey! What are you two even talking about?"

Irina turned her gaze back to Layla, her expression somewhere between amusement and disbelief. "You actually think he came here at four."

"What? He said that?"

Astron remained as composed as ever, his sharp purple eyes unwavering as he countered, "I didn't say that. I said I wake up at four A.M. That doesn't mean I was here from that hour."

Layla blinked, her brain catching up to what he had just said. "…Wait."

Irina smirked, resting her chin on her palm as she leaned forward. "Yeah, he usually spends his mornings training. Then he comes here."

Layla opened her mouth, then closed it. And then it hit her.

They weren't calling her crazy for thinking four A.M. was early… they were calling her crazy for thinking Astron had actually been sitting in the library that entire time.

"Oh."

A beat of silence stretched between them before Layla cleared her throat and let out a weak, forced chuckle. "Ahaha… I was just joking." She waved a hand dismissively, trying to play it off.

Astron, of course, was completely unmoved. His gaze remained steady as he spoke. "You weren't."

Layla tensed slightly. "What? Of course I was—"

"When you joke, your lips curl slightly at the end of your sentences," Astron stated matter-of-factly. "You didn't do that just now."

Layla's breath hitched, her entire body stiffening.

Irina's smirk widened. "Ooooh, wow. He's calling you out, Layla. This is rare."

Layla's eyes darted between the two of them. She was cornered. Absolutely, completely cornered.

"Aaaaaah…." she groaned, slumping forward onto the table and burying her face in her arms. "Why are you guys like this?"

And that was all it took for Irina to start laughing. "Ahaha! This is priceless." She clapped her hands together once, unable to hold back her amusement.

Astron, as expected, didn't laugh. But Layla, still hiding her face in her arms, noticed something. The corner of his lips twitched. Just slightly.

Her eyes narrowed. They were messing with her.

With newfound determination, she shot her head up, pointing a finger accusingly at both of them. "You guys are totally teasing me!"

Irina grinned. "Oh, we absolutely are."

Astron didn't confirm nor deny, but the fact that he didn't refute it only made Layla more sure.

"…This is the worst," Layla muttered, dropping her head onto the table again in utter defeat.

Irina let out another laugh, while Astron returned to his notes, as if this entire conversation had been a minor detour in his perfectly scheduled day.

Layla, meanwhile, silently vowed revenge.

Just then, the sound of the library doors creaking open drew their attention. Two familiar figures stepped inside—Jasmine, her usual easygoing grin in place, and Sylvie, her green eyes scanning the room before settling on the group. Both carried their bags, looking slightly less enthusiastic about spending their weekend on an assignment but ready nonetheless.

"Morning, everyone," Jasmine greeted, her voice light as she approached the table.

The moment Layla saw her, she leaped from her seat and rushed toward her like a desperate survivor finding an escape route. "Jasmine… save me," she pleaded dramatically, grabbing onto her friend's sleeve.

Jasmine, caught off guard, blinked in confusion before glancing between Layla, Astron, and Irina, who were both watching the scene unfold with clear amusement. "Uh… from what, exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Layla whirled around, pointing at the two culprits like they were criminals caught red-handed. "These two! They ganged up on me!"

Jasmine's eyes gleamed with interest as she set her bag down. "Oh? Do tell."

Layla wasted no time launching into an exaggerated retelling of the past few minutes—the way Astron called her out without hesitation, Irina's merciless laughter, and the completely unfair way she had been cornered. She spared no detail, making her suffering sound as dramatic as possible.

When she finished, there was a brief silence.

Then Jasmine burst out laughing. "Pfft—oh no, Layla, not logic-based bullying," she teased.

Sylvie, who had been quietly listening, giggled as well, covering her mouth slightly. "It does sound like you walked right into that one."

Layla groaned, slumping into her chair again. "Et tu, Sylvie?"

Sylvie's smile was soft but unmistakably amused. "I mean… you kind of did."

Irina smirked, satisfied. "See? Everyone agrees."

Layla groaned again, placing a hand over her face. "This is the worst."

Jasmine pulled out a chair and patted Layla's back comfortingly. "There, there. We all knew you'd be the easiest one to tease."

"I hate this team," Layla muttered, but there was no real malice in her tone.

Jasmine grinned and stretched her arms over her head. "Anyway, I say we get some caffeine before we start this dreaded report."

"Agreed," Irina said, standing up. "I'll order for myself. You guys want anything?"

"I'm getting my own," Jasmine said.

"Same," Layla grumbled, still recovering from her humiliation.

Sylvie hesitated before speaking softly, "Um… just a caramel latte for me."

Astron, unsurprisingly, remained seated. "Black coffee."

Irina rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Jasmine chuckled. "That man drinks his coffee like he drinks his truth—completely unfiltered."

Astron didn't react, but Irina smirked at the comment before heading toward the café counter inside the library.

Jasmine turned to Layla with a knowing look. "You sure you don't need an extra-sweet coffee after today's suffering?"

Layla narrowed her eyes. "I will survive."

A few minutes later, everyone had their drinks in hand, and the lighthearted banter faded as the group finally turned their focus toward the real reason they were here.

Astron, who had remained quiet through the coffee detour, tapped his tablet and brought up the structured outline he had prepared. His sharp purple eyes scanned the group. "Now that we're settled, let's start."

The chatter died down as the team leaned in, ready to tackle the assignment.

As the group settled in, the lighthearted atmosphere gradually faded into something more focused. Everyone had a casual understanding of what they needed to do—after all, Astron had already gone over the report structure the last time they met. Still, the weight of Professor Kain's assignment lingered in the back of their minds.

Sylvie took a sip of her caramel latte, then set it down gently. "So… we're all on the same page, right?" she said, glancing between the others. "The report is basically an analysis of our experience with Kalthor's Method—what worked, what didn't, and why we were forced to use it."

Jasmine leaned back in her chair, lazily stirring her drink. "Yeah. And we get why the professor made us use it now." She exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. "Honestly? I didn't really think about it at the time. We were so caught up in the fight that I didn't stop to ask why we had to stick to the formation."

Layla hummed in agreement. "Same. During the battle, all I was thinking about was holding the line. Not why we had to hold it."

Irina crossed her arms, her amber eyes narrowing slightly as she tapped a finger against her arm. "It's frustrating in hindsight. There were so many moments where I wanted to break formation, to push forward, to fight how I usually do—but we were forced to stay locked into our roles." She sighed. "At the time, it felt like a restriction. Now? It makes sense."

Astron, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "Because we were trained to work as individuals."

The group fell silent, letting his words sink in.

Astron's gaze remained steady, scanning the faces of his teammates. "Kalthor's Method is outdated by modern standards, but it exists for a reason. It was designed to create disciplined team cohesion without needing a tactician to guide every step." He leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers against the table. "We were forced to train in a formation that didn't rely on improvisation, adaptation, or individual style—just pure teamwork."

Sylvie nodded slowly. "And that's why the professor didn't let us adjust it on the spot," she said thoughtfully. "He wanted us to feel the weaknesses in real time."

"Yeah," Jasmine muttered, resting her chin in her hand. "And the worst part is that we didn't realize it until after the fight. During the battle, we were too focused on surviving to notice the why."

Irina scoffed. "Tch. I hate that he got us like that."

Layla chuckled. "You sound like you respect it, though."

Irina rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point."

Jasmine smirked. "Nah, you totally respect it."

Astron ignored their exchange, his voice calm as he continued. "That's why the report is important. It's not just about analyzing our performance—it's about recognizing what Kalthor's Method was supposed to teach us."

Sylvie exhaled softly. "Right. So… let's break it down properly." She glanced at Astron's tablet, where the outline was neatly arranged. "We should probably start by listing what we struggled with first."

Layla groaned. "That list is gonna be long."

Jasmine laughed. "Then we better get started."

With that, the group finally shifted fully into work mode, their conversation becoming more structured as they dissected their experiences in the dungeon. While the fight had ended days ago, the real lesson was only now beginning.