Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

221 Chapter 49.1 - Lilia Thornheart

The training grounds were eerily quiet as I stepped into a secluded one-person training room belonging to the Archery Club. The familiar scent of wood and the twang of bowstrings greeted me.

"Not enough."

This place had been one of my favorite places to train my marksmanship skills.

Equipped with an assortment of weapons, the room allowed me to explore the full extent of my abilities. My focus shifted from daggers to the elegant curve of bows and the swift release of arrows.

With a bow in hand, I seamlessly moved around the room, shifting from cover to cover. Each shot was a testament to precision and control as the arrows found their mark with deadly accuracy.

THUD!

The targets, strategically placed to mimic unpredictable enemies, were punctuated with the thud of arrows embedding themselves into the surface.

'I need to be as swift as I can.'

The reason why I was here training my marksmanship was the fact that, with the weapons I had in my arsenal, thanks to Celestalith.

'I need to learn more weapons.'

To do that, I needed to perfect the five core weapon forms of Celestalith to make sure I could utilize it to its utmost potential.

I was good at using daggers and bows, but I knew for a fact that I didn't use chakrams and the grey threads to their full potential. I could do a lot better than what I was doing now.

'Especially the vastness of mana.'

This world wasn't only about skills or arts. Any exceptional Awakened who learned how to manipulate their mana would become a powerhouse. Not all the mages had a Trait or Skill related to being a mage, but they still held a lot of power. It was because they learned how to control mana properly and able to utilize it.

'I should integrate all those techniques into my combat as well.'

Limiting myself purely on my weapons and arts was not an ideal thing to do. Starting from [Mana Observation], there were countless different formulas like [Haste], [Compress], [Fusion] and [Diffusion]. Many of those actually referred to the physical interpretation of actions, but they were all basic and important since they formed the base for the further construction of the skills.

That was why, switching to throwing knives, I continued my dance, honing my accuracy with every swift and calculated throw. The metallic rings echoed through the room as the knives found their intended destinations. I reveled in the fluidity of movement and the seamless transition between ranged and close-quarters combat.

'I need to make use of chakrams as well.'

My control was yet to be precise enough, and there were countless possibilities I could make.

'Even utilizing wind and other psions becomes helpful.'

Chakrams, circular blades with deadly edges, became an extension of my will as I twirled and released them with expert precision.

'Maybe even the [Telekinesis] is a possible choice.'

Though it would take a while, the idea of using the telekinesis to control chakrams orbiting around me made sense.

'I will take a look at it later.

"Start the stage five."

[Understood, Student Astron. Access is given.]

The training room transformed as the stage five simulation commenced. Holographic images of various monsters materialized, simulating a dynamic battlefield. The monsters, each designed to test different aspects of combat, started to pour in.

And just like that, I lost myself in the training.

*******

'He might be interesting.'

Lilia, who had been constantly working with her family's guild, thought about Astron. To be perfectly frank, she didn't have much interaction with him aside from that one time. Therefore, he naturally didn't take too much place in her thoughts.

Though, the others in the group didn't let it go like that. Julia, in an attempt to tease Ethan, always talked about Astron, and Irina's whining also didn't stop either. So, at the end of the day, she couldn't help but have at least one thought about him, and that thought would be annoying.

After all, she hated those who acted without any sense of responsibility, and those who were lazy were the people she hated the most. The ones who had the potential to be awakened but wasted that chance. In her eyes, Astron was such a student. He was at rock bottom; his attitude was not good, he always talked back to his teachers, and he lacked manners.

'Truly expected from a slacker,' she mused, her lips curving into a slight frown. 'I wonder if he even cares about his future. Some people are just too carefree for their own good.'

That was what she initially thought. However, because of both Ethan's and Carl's worlds, she couldn't help but change her evaluation a little bit more.

'Maybe….Just maybe…'

There was a chance that he might have changed, and if everything was just as Ethan and Carl said, things would certainly get interesting.

'I had already scored three deals with future prospects, and I have one more slot.'

As an executive of Olympus' Vanguard Guild, she was given the right to recruit four students.

Though different from how it looked, that right to recruit was actually a preparation for a clash between the factions inside the Guild. It was a tradition that was passed from generation to generation. To increase the creativity and strength of the guild, the family always believed that competition was essential and one's individual strength was different from one's management skills.

Therefore, rather than directly clashing with others physically, the heirs would clash using their factions.

Her father, who now held the head position of the guild, also became the head in the same manner, and that was also the main reason why she was in this academy instead of operating the guild.

For her, who viewed most of the things in the academy as child play, building connections was the most important, which was also another reason for her to join the archery club.

The club room was situated in a quiet corner of the academy, away from the hustle and bustle of the main building.

As Lilia walked toward the club room, her thoughts lingered on Astron. She couldn't escape the voices of Julia and Irina in her head, constantly pestering her about him.

"Ugh, that lazy guy. I can't believe he's even in the same academy as us."

"Don't talk to me."

Irina's opinions echoed in her mind, reinforcing her initial annoyance. Yet, a small part of her resisted jumping to conclusions. Ethan and Carl's perspectives had planted a seed of doubt, making her consider the possibility that Astron might have hidden depths.

'I'll judge for myself,' she decided, entering the Archery Club room with purpose.

As she pushed the door open, the rhythmic twang of bowstrings filled the air. The archers focused on their targets, each lost in their own world of concentration.

Indeed, the club was just the same as before.

"Ah, Miss Lilia."

Immediately, a student noticed her while training. She was a girl whom Lilia remembered as someone who had tried to impress her to join Olympus' Vanguard.

Lilia couldn't help but feel a hint of amusement at the familiar attempt to gain her favor, but at the same time, she felt a little bored.

It was always amusing to see young students trying to gain her favor by showing their skills.

The girl continued, undeterred. "Ah….I am glad." The smile on her face didn't even waver for a second, as if she had practiced it countless different times. "I was just thinking about how good it would be if a high-ranking student was here to show us how it's done."

Lilia nodded, acknowledging the well-rehearsed flattery. "I'm sure the club is doing just fine without me."

The girl's eyes widened, and she quickly added, "Oh, no, Miss Lilia, you misunderstand. With your guidance, the Archery Club could reach unprecedented heights. I've always admired your skills and leadership. Your presence here would be an inspiration to all of us."

Though Lilia liked getting compliments, she got annoyed when it came in the form of empty and excessive flattery.

'Tch. Pathetic.'

Her mood, which was alleviated for a second, became worse, and she got into the mood of destroying things for some reason.

Lilia's lips curved into a faint but cold smile, a mix of amusement and skepticism. "Flattery will get you nowhere. Archery is a skill honed through practice, not through someone watching over your shoulder. If we were looking for tongue warriors, we wouldn't hire from the 'Hunter' Academy."

The girl's smile remained intact, but there was a subtle shift in her demeanor. "Of course, Miss Lilia, you're absolutely right. I just thought having you here would be a tremendous privilege for the club members. We could learn so much from you."

Lilia decided to cut through the flattery. "What's your name?"

The girl's eyes were immediately lit by the mention of her name. She pretended to be hesitant for a moment but then replied, "It's Sophia Carter, Miss Lilia."

Lilia's eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as she noticed it right away. "Sophia, right. I'll keep that in mind. Your enthusiasm for your career is duly noted."

Sophia beamed, thinking she had successfully won some favor.

'Really pathetic.'

Lilia, however, had other plans as she put her name into the corner of her mind.

"Then, if you allow me." She gestured to the girl that she wanted to leave.

Sophia's smile faltered for a moment, sensing a shift in the dynamics. Lilia, feeling somewhat satisfied with the small act of control, excused herself from the conversation.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but shake her head at the lengths some would go to gain recognition.

She opened her smartwatch as she walked through the corridors of the club room.

[Benedict, blacklist Sophia Carter. Also, look into her family background.]

[Bennedict: Understood, Miss Lilia. Blacklisting has been initiated, and I will commence with the investigation.]

[Good.]

Lilia continued to walk, her thoughts swirling. Sophia's persistence in joining Olympus' Vanguard had set off a twinge of suspicion.

It was not uncommon for students to express interest in joining prestigious guilds, but Sophia's determination seemed peculiar, and she got a hunch that the girl had something hidden. And that hunch was something that made her one of the contenders of the guild despite being that young.

After walking for a little longer, she reached her destination inside the club territory. A special training room where she could train in isolation.

'Hmm?'

However, there she noticed certain someone training.

It was the student whom she decided to observe with her own eyes.