Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Stealth Training, 1.12 P.M., Tenth day of training

"Are you ready to take the exam for the sixth stage?" Kennet asked, his voice carrying a note of seriousness as he studied Astron.

"I am," Astron replied.

This time differently, Kennet gave a curt nod, stepping aside to allow Astron to begin.

'He is now good to go.' Astron's body finally had mastered it.

The room was silent, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Astron moved with calculated precision, his presence nearly imperceptible as he navigated the complex obstacles of the sixth stage.

Each step was deliberate, and every movement was harmonized with the ambient mana. Kennet observed closely, noting how Astron's body and mind were now working in complete unison.

There was no hesitation, no faltering—just a fluid execution of the skills he had honed over the past days.

At least, while it looked like that, there was a slight change in his movements. In a way, Astron looked strangely in control of everything.

Kennet asked himself.

Astron continued through the course, his presence so finely tuned that it seemed as if he was manipulating the very environment around him rather than just adapting to it. It was as if he had crossed a threshold, reaching a new level of understanding.

When Astron finished the course, Kennet stepped forward, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Astron," he began, his voice measured, "it seems like you've experienced something… different. A breakthrough, perhaps?"

Astron met Kennet's gaze, his expression calm but with a certain light in his eyes. "Yes, Instructor," he replied with a nod. "That was the case."

Kennet's suspicion was confirmed. "That is what I thought."

"You can tell? That easy?"

"Of course…I have been training you for ten days. I can see the changes in my teachings."

"I see." Astron nodded, his head thoughtful. It was expected from the Instructor, especially Kennet, who had once belonged to a special stealth organization; at least, that was what Astron speculated.

"The thing you are doing….It reminds me of old times…." Kennet mumbled.

"Old times?"

"That's right," Kennet confirmed. "The way you're controlling your mana… that's where you broke through, isn't it?" Kennet remarked, his eyes sharp, observing every subtle nuance in Astron's demeanor.

Astron hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, Instructor. That's exactly where it happened."

Kennet's gaze softened as he continued, "The way you're handling your mana now… it reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago."

Astron's interest was piqued. "Someone like me?"

Kennet nodded, his expression distant, as if he were looking back into his memories. "Yes, someone who was also exceptionally talented at using mana. He had a natural affinity for it, much like you. He could sense and manipulate mana with a finesse that most could only dream of."

"Where is he now?" Astron asked, his curiosity deepening.

Kennet paused, a shadow crossing his face. "Somewhere far away," he said quietly, his tone indicating that the subject was not one he wished to delve into further.

"I see." Astron nodded without prying any further. But in his mind, he had already filled some places from the words and mimics alone.

Kennet gave a small nod, his eyes returning to the present. "You've come a long way, Astron. This breakthrough is as significant as it looks. You only have one course left, which is the seventh course. After completing that, your Stealth Training will be over, and another instructor will be assigned to you."

"Understood."

"Then, let's start."

Just like that, Kennet made him take his position and started displaying to him what he needed to do.

*******

Astron sat in his quarters, mentally preparing for the day's training. He expected the usual routine—a message with the password to enter Reina's training room. But today, there was no message.

His communicator chimed softly, and a new notification appeared on the screen. It wasn't the usual password prompt but rather a set of coordinates and a short message from Reina:

[Today's training will be at a different location. Follow the coordinates. Be prepared.]

Astron raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.

This was the first time in his training that they would be changing locations.

'Something different,' he thought, standing and grabbing his gear. 'This should be interesting.'

After all, that was what Reina had promised him yesterday, as she had said that all of the training of deciphering and filtering that he had done for the past ten days would now become helpful.

He quickly followed the coordinates, navigating through the complex corridors of the facility. The location led him to a secluded part of the building, an area he hadn't explored before.

The atmosphere felt different—more intense, as if the very air carried weight.

'Weight?'

Thinking that he sensed something. The air was now a bit pressured, different from last time.

'The mana here is the reason why I feel like this….Just what?' Finally, he arrived at a large, reinforced door with intricate patterns etched into the metal. It was clear that this room was designed for something far more advanced than the training he'd been doing up until now. As he approached, the door slid open silently, revealing a vast, dimly lit chamber within.

Reina stood in the center of the room, her stance relaxed but her presence commanding. The chamber was different from anything Astron had seen before—massive, with walls lined with intricate runes that pulsed with a faint, eerie glow.

The air was thick with a powerful energy, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Welcome to the next stage," Reina said, her voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber.

'Huh?'

But she was nowhere to be seen. He activated his [Perceptive Insight], and in an instant, an immense amount of information flooded his head.

The chamber's energy patterns, hidden psion lines, and intricate mana flows all bombarded his senses at once, threatening to overwhelm him.

His vision swam, and the world around him blurred as the deluge of data assaulted his mind. Astron gritted his teeth, instinctively anchoring himself to stabilize his thoughts. He focused on a single point within his consciousness, grounding his mind and preventing the overwhelming information from fracturing his focus.

Slowly, the world around him began to stabilize, though the chaotic mass of data still pressed against his senses, relentless and unyielding.

Then, suddenly, he heard it—a calm yet commanding voice cutting through the chaos. "Filter everything aside from what your normal gaze will perceive without closing your [Eyes]."

Astron recognized the voice instantly—Reina. But the meaning behind her words hit him a moment later.

She wasn't talking about simply closing his physical eyes; she was referring to his [Perceptive Insight]. She wanted him to filter out the overwhelming influx of information and focus only on what his normal vision would perceive, but without shutting off his ability completely.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead. 'Focus,' he thought, 'filter out everything that isn't necessary.'

He began the painstaking process of narrowing his focus, filtering out the extraneous details his [Perceptive Insight] was picking up. It was as if he was trying to silence a deafening roar in his mind, reducing it to a manageable whisper.

But as he did so, an intense headache began to spread across his temples, sharp and unrelenting.

The pain intensified, his head pounding as if a vise were tightening around his skull. But Astron refused to let it break his concentration.

He continued to filter, blocking out the unnecessary layers of mana patterns and energy flows, focusing solely on what his normal gaze would perceive.

His vision cleared, the overwhelming flood of information receding into the background. It was a vastly different style of training compared to what he had experienced before—more challenging, more intense.

But as the chaos in his mind settled, Astron realized that this was exactly what Reina had intended. She was pushing him to a new level of control, teaching him how to harness his abilities without being consumed by them.

Gradually, the headache dulled to a throbbing ache, manageable but ever-present. Astron's vision stabilized, the world around him coming into sharp, clear focus.

He could see the chamber for what it truly was now, the intricate designs, the subtle energy flows, all within the realm of his perception but not overwhelming him.

"Good," Reina's voice echoed once more, this time with a hint of approval. "You are really good at getting rid of the information entering your head right now."

Astron allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction, but it was cut short as Reina continued. "But this is not the end," she said, her tone growing more serious. "Can you see where I am right now?"

Astron scanned the room with his [Perceptive Insight], but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find her. "No, I can't see you," he replied.

Reina's voice carried a slight amusement as she responded, "That's to be expected because I'm not in your direct line of sight right now. At least, not in a way you can perceive normally."

Astron's brow furrowed. "Normally? That means I could see you by doing something different?"

"Exactly," Reina said, her tone shifting into that of a teacher about to impart an important lesson. "In this world, our eyes perceive the environment by using light as the medium. Light reflects off objects, and we register that reflected light as visual information. But just because we perceive light doesn't mean we see everything. There are countless moments when light hits an obstacle, and what we perceive is that obstacle, not what lies beyond it."

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing, "Just like what's happening here. I'm somewhere behind an obstacle, and because of that, you can't perceive me with normal sight."

Astron's mind raced, connecting the dots. "But... does the same hold true for mana?" he asked, the realization dawning on him.

Reina's voice held a note of approval. "Exactly. Mana doesn't behave like light. It isn't bound by the same physical rules. While light can be blocked or reflected, mana can flow through, around, and even within objects. It's not constrained by the same limitations."

She stopped for a second, and then the engravings around Astron changed a little. "But at the same time, that does not mean the mana does not interact with the physical world or the living beings."

When she said that Astron indeed understood what she meant, just before he had entered this place or after he did, there was a weird weight in the air even while it was the same. The change was due to the mana in this place.

"And each interaction leaves a trace."

"And those who can read those traces and fetch the information can see the world beyond the eyes."

Astron now understood what Reina was trying to do here.

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