Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest-Chapter 846 - 196.2 - Gaze

Astron remained silent for a moment before finally responding, his tone as dull as ever. "We’re not talking about our own abilities," he stated flatly. "This is just a randomly assigned profile, remember?"

Lucas blinked, before letting out a small chuckle. He caught that fast. Most students simply treated the exercise as a way to compare real strengths and weaknesses, but Astron had immediately pointed out the intended nature of the lesson. It wasn’t about themselves—it was about assessing a theoretical profile.

Without missing a beat, Astron continued. "But if we’re following the assigned profile…" His violet eyes flickered to the tablet again, scanning over the statistics before speaking. "This individual has a strong affinity for combat adaptability and physical reinforcement but lacks a refined mana signature. That means his reinforcement ability likely prioritizes raw strength over efficiency. If that’s the case, artifacts that optimize mana flow would be beneficial. A mana circuit optimizer or an attunement glyph would reduce energy loss during reinforcement."

Lucas watched him closely, his smile unfaltering, but inside, he was quietly impressed. Huh… not bad. Even though this wasn’t a particularly difficult exercise, Astron’s ability to assess and pinpoint optimizations with precision stood out. Unlike other students who might have just thrown out generic suggestions, Astron had considered the logical next steps, showing a surprising level of insight.

Lucas let out a laugh and waved his hand playfully. "Well, if that were really me, then yeah, I’d definitely pick those up. Wouldn’t want to be inefficient, after all." He winked before leaning back again, as if he was completely at ease.

But his mind wasn’t at ease at all.

He was thinking.

About the timeline.

Astron wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to die in the final exams after becoming a demon contractor. That was the sequence of events Lucas had seen in his visions. That was the truth that was supposed to unfold.

Yet, it hadn’t happened.

Not only had Astron avoided his fate, but the entire attack during the final exams had somehow been exposed and prevented.

That wasn’t something that could just… happen. Not naturally.

Maybe someone else notified this guy?

Lucas frowned inwardly. The butterfly effect was real, yes—but this wasn’t just a minor ripple in fate. The villain organization, Vanguard, had been planning that attack with precision. The Demon Contractors had moved carefully, ensuring their infiltration was undetected.

Yet, someone had managed to predict the attack. Someone had changed the course of events.

Someone else saw the future.

Lucas was sure of it.

But there was no one in the academy—no one even remotely connected to Astron—who could fit that role. He had checked, investigated, turned over every stone in the break period. The results weren’t bright. Astron’s history was clean. Just an orphan, adopted by a hunter named Garrett, admitted to the academy likely through connections. Nothing about him screamed ’chosen by fate’ or ’harbinger of change.’

Yet, Lucas couldn’t deny it—Astron was one of the most changed variables. If there was someone who had interfered with the timeline, they must have influenced Astron in some way.

That was why Lucas had been keeping an eye on him. Searching for clues.

Could it be him?

It was possible. But at the same time, the change was too drastic.

Lucas sighed internally. The more he thought about it, the more complicated things became.

Even if Astron had somehow seen the future, it didn’t explain the stark difference between the person in his visions and the one sitting before him now. The Astron of the vision was weak—far too weak. It was precisely because of his lack of talent that he had been driven to desperation, to the point where he had chosen to become a demon contractor.

But the Astron before Lucas?

He was different. Stronger. More composed. Even his presence was subtly different, no longer the easily ignorable, quiet student he once was. It didn’t make sense.

Maybe a regression? Lucas considered, his fingers absentmindedly tapping against the edge of the desk. But even that theory didn’t fully hold up. If Astron had regressed, shouldn’t there be signs? Awareness of events that had yet to come, an unnatural level of skill, something to indicate that he was trying to change his own fate?

But there was nothing.

No clear-cut signs, no obvious advantages that a regressor should have.

Then what the hell is it?

Lucas hated uncertainties. He had spent two months thinking, investigating, searching for clues—and Astron remained an enigma.

But there was no point in overthinking if he wasn’t getting anywhere. He needed to start somewhere, even if it was just through conversation.

Lucas leaned forward slightly, his usual playful smile still in place. If Astron noticed the flicker of curiosity in his gaze, he didn’t react.

"You know," Lucas started, "I don’t think we’ve actually talked much before."

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Astron didn’t respond right away. His violet eyes remained unreadable, as if he were evaluating whether the conversation was worth engaging in. Finally, he gave a small nod. "No. We haven’t."

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah, can’t say I’ve ever really had a reason to bother you. You’re, uh… not exactly the most approachable person, you know?" He said it casually, as if it were just an observation and not something he had spent days analyzing.

Astron didn’t seem fazed by the statement. "I prefer it that way."

Lucas let out a mock sigh, shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment. "Man, and here I thought we could have a friendly little chat. But nope—just an icy wall of indifference." He placed a hand over his heart, feigning deep hurt. "Astron, buddy, you wound me."

Astron simply stared at him, utterly unamused. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke in the same flat tone, "It’s better than…"

Lucas immediately caught the implied insult but had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting into laughter. Oh? This guy actually knows how to retort? He twitched his mouth, his grin threatening to break wider. "Better than what, huh?" he pressed, leaning forward slightly, fishing for more reactions.

Astron just continued looking at him, unimpressed and unreadable.

Lucas exhaled through his nose, amused. Alright, fine, I’ll let that one go. He folded his arms and tilted his head, deciding to shift the conversation. "Well, since we’re already talking, let me ask you something that’s been on my mind…" His tone remained casual, almost lazy, but his words were deliberate. "How exactly did you get close to Irina? Close enough to be, you know… like that?"

He emphasized the last part with a knowing smirk, subtly referencing the pictures that had surfaced—ones that depicted Astron and Irina together, looking far more familiar with each other than anyone would have expected. Irina wasn’t just any student; she was one of the strongest in their year, someone who carried a certain level of distance from others.

Astron didn’t react immediately. His violet eyes remained locked onto Lucas, and for a moment, the air between them grew heavier.

He’s trying to gauge my intentions.

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Lucas masked his curiosity well, keeping his grin easy and playful. He even shrugged, as if it was all just harmless gossip. "What? I’m just curious," he added, his tone full of innocent mischief. "Irina’s not exactly someone who lets people get close to her. So, what’s your secret?"

Still, Astron said nothing right away. His gaze remained steady, unyielding, as if he was deciding whether or not Lucas’s question was worth answering.

Lucas kept smiling, but inwardly, he was watching closely.

Let’s see what you say, Astron.

Lucas didn’t break eye contact, but inwardly, he noted every second of silence, every microexpression Astron might have unconsciously given away. After all, each interaction was a data point, another piece of the puzzle.

Finally, Astron looked down at his tablet and answered, his tone as dry as ever. "It sort of happened."

Lucas blinked. "Sort of happened?"

"Yes."

Lucas let out a small laugh, tilting his head. "Is that supposed to be an answer?"

Astron glanced back up, his gaze unreadable. "What did you expect? An analysis of how our relationship evolved?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I expected something more."

A pause. Astron didn’t respond immediately, simply staring at Lucas with that same flat expression. Then, after a moment, he looked back down at his tablet and said, "Let’s focus on the exercise."

Lucas exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head in amusement. This guy…

He let it go, at least on the surface. But in his mind, he noted something important—Astron had deflected, but not in the usual way. He hadn’t brushed it off with indifference; he had chosen not to answer.

And that meant there was something worth hiding.

Or well….it may also be his personal preference. That was also a possibility, but that wasn’t that important.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, giving a small, playful shrug. "Alright, alright. I’ll drop it… for now." His smirk remained, but inwardly, he was already planning his next move.

Because one way or another, he was going to figure Astron out.