Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 986 230.1 - Exam prep

Under the soft veil of the approaching evening, the academy grounds carried a stillness broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant footsteps of passing students. The air was cool now, the warmth of the afternoon sun long faded, replaced by a gentle wind that carried the scent of grass and distant mana traces from the dueling halls.

Beneath one of the tall trees lining the outer courtyard, a girl stood-half in shadow, half bathed in the silver glow of the lanterns that lined the path.

She wore casual clothes this time, a light charcoal hoodie left unzipped over a fitted maroon tank top, the fabric hugging her form just enough to suggest ease without effort. Her black joggers sat low on her hips, tucked into combat boots that looked like they'd seen both training and style. Around her neck was a faint shimmer of a charm-small, reddish-gold, and old. Her long hair-fiery gold at the tips, deeper at the roots-was tied into a high, slightly messy tail that swayed with the breeze, and a few strands had slipped loose, framing her face with deliberate chaos.

Golden eyes glanced toward the path again, narrowed slightly, then rolled upward in clear annoyance.

"He is late," she mumbled, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

He wasn't. Not really.

But that didn't stop her from saying it.

She shifted her weight onto one foot, letting her boot nudge a fallen leaf aside as she stared up at the canopy above. The branches swayed gently, the moonlight filtering between them in broken fragments, dancing over her skin. All around her, the academy pulsed with low, controlled tension. Students passed by in small groups or alone, their steps quicker than usual, their conversations clipped and focused. No casual laughter, no lingering at the corners of the walkways-just muted chatter and the rustling of pages being skimmed on glowing tablets or folded papers.

Irina's sharp ears picked up bits and pieces.

"-Professor Lorne's adding spell formation matrices again. He never does that during mid-terms."

"Someone said last year's fourth-year exam was used for the second years this time. What the hell does that mean for us?"

"...and with all this tension in the academy, who knows what the faculty will do to weed people out?"

Irina tilted her head slightly, catching more voices on the wind. The atmosphere was changing.

The exams were next week.

And it wasn't just the usual panic of unprepared students. It was deeper than that-rooted in uncertainty, in the shifting politics and unease that had been threading itself through the academy's routines for weeks.

This year, the mid-terms weren't just going to be hard.