Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 849 - 197.1 - Mentor

Chapter 849 - 197.1 - Mentor

As the room buzzed with excitement and scattered murmurs of disbelief, Eleanor stood firm at the front, arms crossed, awaiting any formal complaints.

She didn't have to wait long.

A few cadets hesitated before stepping forward, their expressions ranging from reluctant to outright frustrated.

One particularly bold student, Jake Dreamgone, approached first. His tall frame carried an air of entitlement as he cleared his throat sharply.

"Professor," he began, his tone carefully restrained, "I'd like to formally request a reassessment of my mentorship assignment. I believe my skillset would be better suited under Callum Graves or Amelia Lake rather than my assigned mentor."

Eleanor tilted her head slightly, studying him. "You believe?"

Jake hesitated but nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Eleanor tapped her tablet once, glancing at his file briefly before looking back at him. Her gaze was sharp, calculating.

"Your mentor assignment was based on evaluations from multiple instructors, including real-time performance reviews from your dungeon simulations," she said, her voice calm yet edged with finality. "You were assigned to someone who is most likely to challenge you in areas where you are lacking, not where you are comfortable."

Jake's jaw tensed. "With all due respect, Professor, I—"

"—am free to decline participation in the mentorship program altogether," Eleanor cut in smoothly. "However, that would mean forfeiting the additional credits and hands-on training. The choice is yours."

Jake clenched his fists, visibly biting back his frustration. After a moment, he exhaled and stepped back without another word.

Eleanor didn't so much as blink.

Two other students came forward, each with less confrontational concerns—one asking about schedule conflicts, the other inquiring about a possible swap.

Each request was swiftly denied.

"Your placements are final," Eleanor reminded them. "There will be no changes."

As the complaints settled, the shrill sound of the bell rang, signaling the end of the class period.

The cadets began shifting in their seats, preparing to leave, but before anyone could stand, Eleanor's voice cut through the noise.

"Remain seated."

A hush fell over the room as all eyes snapped back to her.

She scanned the class with her usual authoritative gaze before speaking.

"Each of you will receive designated time blocks for your mentorship sessions, which can be found in your academy portal."

She tapped her tablet once, and a notification pinged across every student's device.

"Most freshmen will be assigned either one or two-hour sessions, depending on the mentor's discretion," she continued. "Be aware of your assigned time slots, and do not be late."

She paused for emphasis.

"Missing a mentorship session without an official excuse will result in penalties, including possible removal from the program. Furthermore, each mentor will be grading your performance, and this program will reflect as a 3-credit course on your academic transcript."

A faint ripple of realization moved through the class.

Julia groaned. "Wait, we're getting graded for this? I thought this was just 'bonus training.'"

Lilia smirked. "Of course it's graded. Did you really think they'd let us get away with just showing up?"

Eleanor gave them one final sweeping glance before finishing, "That is all. You are dismissed."

The cadets sprang to life instantly, pushing back chairs and rushing to check their time slots as they exited the classroom.

For some, anticipation burned bright.

For others, a storm of uncertainty loomed ahead.

As the students poured out of their seats, the classroom filled with the rustle of shifting bags and the excited hum of conversation. Everyone had their eyes locked onto their academy portals, eager to see which mentor they had been assigned and what their schedules looked like.

Julia leaned against a desk, squinting at her tablet as she pulled up her assignment. "Alright, let's see who the academy gods have cursed me with…"

A second later, her eyes widened. "No way."

Ethan, standing beside her, glanced over. "What?"

Julia slowly turned her screen toward him.

Ethan blinked, then let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"Excuse me?!" Julia nearly dropped her tablet. "That woman is insane! She trained you! Have you seen yourself, Mountain Boy?! I—I'm going to die."

Lilia smirked. "I mean, she is one of the best mentors here. You should feel honored."

Julia groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. "I don't want to feel honored—I want to survive!"

Ethan only shook his head, clearly amused. "What's your schedule look like?"

Julia tapped her screen, then frowned. "…Huh. It's still empty."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "That's odd. The others already have their time slots assigned."

Irina, who had been scrolling through her own portal, nodded. "Yeah. Mine's with Amelia Lake. I've got a two-hour block every Thursday and Saturday."

Lilia looked up from her tablet. "I got Selena Vayl. One-hour block, Tuesdays and Fridays." She exhaled. "Not bad, actually. She's an elemental combat specialist. I'll learn a lot from her."

Carl whistled from across the table. "Jared Falkner for me. Dude's a beast. Two-hour blocks on Mondays and Wednesdays."

Lucas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "I got Callum Greaves. Two hours, too. He's supposed to be one of the best tactical mentors."

Julia, still staring at her blank schedule, muttered, "And I've got a woman who turns mountains into training grounds and no idea when I have to face my impending doom."

Lilia smirked. "Sounds like she's personally deciding your schedule."

Irina crossed her arms. "Which probably means she's assessing you before she makes a plan."

Julia groaned. "Great. That just makes it worse. She's going to custom-tailor my suffering."

Lucas laughed. "Oh, this is going to be fun to watch."

Julia shot him a glare. "Not for me, it's not."

Just then, Astron, who had been silent, finally tapped his screen. His face remained as unreadable as ever.

Lilia, ever curious, glanced over at him. "What about you?"

Astron's gaze flicked toward Ethan, and for a moment, the two shared a silent look. There was no need for words—Ethan already understood what Astron was about to reveal.

Ethan let out a quiet exhale and turned his tablet around, showing his schedule to the group. "Well, we might have a bit longer time than you guys."

Lilia frowned. "What do you mean?"

Julia, always the quickest to investigate, leaned forward and squinted at his screen. The second she saw the details, she burst into laughter.

"Four hours under Eleanor?!" she gasped between cackles. "Oh, Ethan, buddy, you're dead. There's no coming back from this."

Lucas whistled. "Yeah, man. Four hours? That's not training—that's a full-blown survival test."

Even Irina's eyebrows raised slightly. "That's… excessive."

Ethan sighed, clearly already resigned to his fate. "It's not that bad."

Julia wiped a fake tear from her eye. "Not that bad? Not that bad?! You're under Eleanor, the woman who makes students drop from exhaustion in regular classes. What do you think she's going to do with four hours? Tea and cookies?!"

Ethan didn't respond, merely glancing at Astron again, who remained impassive. It was obvious Astron knew exactly why Ethan had that much time under her, but as always, he wasn't the type to say more than necessary.

Julia was about to keep going, her amusement at Ethan's suffering endless, when suddenly—a chill ran down her spine.

She felt it before she saw it—the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

Slowly, ever so carefully, she turned her head toward the classroom entrance.

There, just about to step out, was Eleanor.

And she was looking right at her.

Cold, sharp, unreadable.

Julia froze, her previous bravado draining in an instant.

"Ahaha…ha…." She swallowed hard. "It was a joke, Professor. Just a joke…"

Eleanor's gaze lingered for a second longer before she turned and exited without a word.

The entire group remained silent for a beat.

Then Lucas smirked. "I think she just mentally added you to Ethan's sessions."

Julia's soul left her body. "No no no no no—"

Lilia chuckled, standing up. "Welp. If that happens, we all learned an important lesson today."

Julia groaned, collapsing dramatically onto her desk. "Lesson? What lesson?"

Lilia's smirk deepened. "That we should all pray we never end up in Ethan's shoes."

Ethan simply shook his head. "Thanks for the moral support, guys."

Irina, arms crossed, exhaled. "You'll need it."

"Shut up."

As the group gathered their things and left the classroom, one thought lingered in their minds:

This is going to be interesting for sure.