Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Irina stepped out of the restroom, her expression composed despite the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. The air outside was crisp, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere inside the classroom.

She scanned the hallway, her eyes landing on Astron, who was leaning against the wall, waiting for her.

'Well, I knew he would get the sign.'

He looked calm, as always, his demeanor unruffled by the exam they had just completed.

As she approached him, he straightened, meeting her gaze with an unreadable expression. Irina, ever the competitor, couldn't resist the urge to probe his performance, even though this wasn't the exam they had bet on.

"How did you do?" she asked, her tone casual but with a hint of curiosity.

Astron shrugged slightly, his eyes reflecting a calm confidence. "It went well enough," he replied. "And you?"

Irina narrowed her eyes, searching for any sign of uncertainty on his face. "I did fine," she said, her voice steady. "I just wanted to see if you were feeling the pressure yet."

Astron mumbled. "Pressure? From Dungeon Theory 1?" And then he looked into her eyes. "Hardly. But it's always interesting to see who's paying attention in class."

Her lips twitched into a smile, acknowledging his point. "You seem very sure of yourself," she noted, crossing her arms. "But we'll see how you handle the rest of the week."

"Indeed we will," Astron agreed, his tone light. "Though, I suppose the real test will be on Thursday."

"Introduction to Mana," Irina said, a glint of determination in her eyes. "The hardest one, and the one that I am going to crush you on."

Astron shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure."

"If I am not sure, how can I show my best?"

"Interesting approach. Is this your way of trying to put pressure on me? Or do you want to soothe yourself by appearing strong before my eyes? Which one of these is true, I wonder."

The calm confidence in Astron's voice and the penetrating gaze he fixed on her made Irina shudder internally. It felt as though he could see through her, reading even the deepest parts of her thoughts. But she refused to let any sign of doubt show on her face. Instead, she met his eyes with a smirk.

"You think you've gotall figured out," she said, stepping closer to him. Her body leaned slightly forward, bringing her face closer to his. The proximity allowed her to catch a subtle whiff of his scent, something clean and faintly woodsy. She focused, not letting it distract her.

Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said in his ear, "If I put something into my mind, I can achieve it, no matter what."

With that, she pulled back and turned on her heel, leaving him with a lingering sense of her presence.

Her steps were quick and purposeful, her heart pounding not from fear but from the thrill of the challenge.

Yeah, because of the thrill of the challenge.

Surely.

However, for Astron, who was able to notice the redness in her ear, her words didn't mean anything.

********

The second half of the theoretical exams are oral exams. It is being conducted like an interview.

The students will sit in their halls, and once their nis called, they will enter the room in which they will perform their oral explanations.

In the game, it was shown as a cutscene, but the real world was, of course, different.

I walked into the room shown on my table.

Contrary to written exams, oral exams were to be conducted in random rooms. As for the reason why?

I have no idea.

Not that it is important anyway.

Entering the room for my oral exam, I immediately noticed that a few students were already waiting there.

I quickly scanned the room, checking for the familiar faces, which was zero.

There was a palpable tension in the air for the students, though, an extension of the written exam in the morning.

I made my way to an empty seat by the window in the third row.

"I can't believe how tough that Dungeon Theory exam was," one student muttered, running a hand through their hair in frustration. "I thought I was prepared, but sof those questions were insane."

Another student nodded in agreement. "Yeah, especially that last question about the mana flow variations in different dungeon environments. I totally blanked out. If I don't nail this oral exam, I'm screwed."

I couldn't help but nod inwardly.

The exam questions had indeed been challenging, but I believed that those who had put in the effort could manage them.

The difficulty lay in the complexity of the calculations and the need to grasp a systematic approach to dungeon theory. In essence, the academy had already provided the methods to solve certain problems, and it was the student's job to implement those techniques to their own methods.

"It was tough but not impossible," a student with glasses interjected, drawing the attention of the students around him. He had a confident aura around him. "If you understood the core principles and how to apply them, it was doable. The key was to stay calm and think through the problems methodically."

It seemed he was one of those who figured out the method to get better grades from the academy. But, well, the academy has the oral exams for this reason.

And him acting like all-knowing madethink.

'I wonder if he is the first type or the second type.'

The first type was those who acted like this because they had already internalized the concept in their minds and could implement it with utmost proficiency. This type is the one that pushes any industry further and develops it.

The second type is those who act like this not because they internalize the concept but because of the problem-solving algorithm. This type can only shine in the academy and only knows how to copy from others. These are the ones that regulate the industry.

They got the methods from the first type and then implemented them in their works and repeatedly created things.

However, the second type has a weakness. They don't develop their creativity and are only bound to other's ideas. And when faced with situations that they have never seen before, they can not achieve anything.

CREAK!

Just at that moment, while I was thinking about this, someone entered the room, and all the eyes were drawn towards her. Considering her beauty and presence, it made sense.

Lilia, with her red eyes, looked around for a second and then noticed me. Seeing the smile appearing on her face, I knew what she was about to do.

"Sigh…"

"Why are you sighing?"

"You are drawing attention to me."

"Isn't that good?"

"It is not."

"Why?"

"Because it is bothersome."

"Not really."

Seeing the smirk on her face, I somehow wanted to erase it for a split second but then took control of the feeling instantly.

"Is that so?"

I then turned my attention to the window once again, ignoring her. Even if she wants a reaction from me, not giving her is the best way of revenge.

"Hey, don't sulk. I was just joking."

"I am not sulking."

"You are."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I am not."

"Stubborn."

"You are no different."

"Well, I guess that is right," Lilia mumbled. But then, seemingly getting bored from this recurring conversation, she decided to change the topic.

"How was the exam?"

I glanced at her, noting the genuine curiosity in her eyes. "It was challenging but manageable if you prepared properly. Sof the questions were definitely designed to test our deep understanding and application skills."

Lilia nodded thoughtfully. "I found it tough, too. The question about mana flow variations was a real brain-teaser."

"Yeah, that one caught a lot of people off guard. But it's all about how well you've internalized the concepts. If you understand the principles, you can work through the complexity."

She smiled, a hint of admiration in her eyes. At least that is how it looked, but knowing Lilia, I knew she was trying to winover.

"You always seem so composed, Astron. It's like nothing ever fazes you."

I shrugged. "It's all about focus. Panicking doesn't help anyone. Just take it one step at a time. Also, this is coming from you."

"T-"

Before Lilia could respond, the proctor entered the room, clipboard in hand. "Alright, everyone," she announced, "we'll be starting the oral exams shortly. When I call your name, please followto the examination room. Remember, this is your chance to demonstrate your understanding and analytical skills. Good luck."

We nodded, and the room fell silent as we waited for our names to be called.

But I could see sstudents' faces contorting. And the reason for that was obvious. They got the tough luck to draw.

The blonde hair and the stern expression on the instructor's face were famous already.

"Really, it really needed to be Eleanor."

Lilia whispered.

After all, Eleanor was known as the Interviewee Butcherer in the academy.

"Tough luck."

I can only respond like that.

One by one, the students were led into the examination rooms. Finally, I heard my name.

"Astron Natusalune."

I stood up, fixing my posture.

"Good luck." I heard Lilia, and with a nod, I followed the proctor out of the waiting room

Entering the examination room, I was greeted by a panel of instructors seated behind a long desk. Eleanor was among them, her presence as commanding as ever.

'She is the one in charge of this session.' They all looked up as I approached, and I felt a brief but intense scrutiny.

"StudentNatusalune, please take a seat," Eleanor said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk. "We'll begin with your explanation of the primary dungeon classifications and the creatures that inhabit them. You have thirty seconds to prepare yourself and two minutes to talk."

I nodded, taking my seat and focusing my thoughts. The room fell silent as I gathered my thoughts, the ticking of a clock in the background marking the passing seconds. When the twas up, I took a deep breath and began.

"There are three primary dungeon classifications: Natural, Artificial, and Anomalous. Natural dungeons form naturally over time, often in areas with high concentrations of mana. Creatures in these dungeons are typically adapted to the mana-rich environment. Examples include the Mana Wolves and the Crystal Spiders, which have evolved unique abilities to harness ambient mana."

I paused for a moment, making sure to maintain eye contact with the panel. Eleanor's gaze was intense, but I remained composed.

"Artificial dungeons, on the other hand, are created by human intervention, often for training or research purposes. The creatures here are usually placed intentionally, such as the Iron Golems and the Training Drones, designed to challenge specific skill sets."

I could see a flicker of interest in Eleanor's eyes. I continued, "Lastly, Anomalous dungeons are the most unpredictable. These dungeons form under rare and often chaotic conditions, leading to a variety of unusual and often dangerous creatures. Examples include the Shadow Fiends and the Chaos Serpents, which thrive in the unstable environments of these dungeons."

As I finished, I noted the instructors watchingclosely. Eleanor leaned forward, her expression stern but with a spark of expectation in her eyes.

"Very well, Mr. Natusalune. Now, consider this situation: You are leading a team through an Anomalous dungeon when you encounter a Mana Rift, a phenomenon where mana flows erratically and can disrupt magical abilities. Your healer's spells are failing, and your tank is struggling to maintain defenses. How would you handle this situation to ensure the safety of your team?"

I took a moment to think, recalling the details from our lessons on handling unexpected dungeon phenomena.

Eleanor's question was crafted to test not just my memory but my ability to apply knowledge in a practical scenario. This question madeunderstand why she was called Interviewee Butcherer. After all, the question was really hard.

There was a certain glint in her eyes, though. It felt like she was expecting something.

'First in the Sword Practice, and now this. I guess she changed my evaluation.'

There were pros and cons for her to change her assessment of me, but at that point, I didn't care too much. Since theoretical knowledge and skill were rather different.

'I will satisfy you this time, but you better showgood results for that.'

With that thought I began.

"To handle a Mana Rift, the first priority is to stabilize the team. I would instruct everyone to fall back to a safer zone away from the Rift's immediate influence. Next, I would have our mage attempt to use mana-dampening spells to reduce the Rift's impact, something we've practiced in our drills."

I noticed a slight nod from one of the other instructors, encouragingto continue.

"With the Rift's influence mitigated, I would then focus on reorganizing our formation. The healer should switch to using physical remedies, like potions, to sustain the team temporarily. Meanwhile, our tank would be reinforced with physical barriers, such as enchanted shields or barricades, to hold the line until the Rift stabilizes or we can move around it."

Eleanor's stern expression softened slightly, a hint of approval in her eyes. I pressed on, "Finally, constant communication is key. Keeping everyone informed of their roles and the situation ensures that no one panics and that we can adapt swiftly to any changes."

Eleanor leaned back, a thoughtful look on her face. "Very well, Mr. Natusalune. Your approach is thorough and shows a clear understanding of dungeon dynamics and team management."

She stopped, revealing a slight smile.

"Well done."