Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

The moment Ethan used his last strike, his vision turned blurry. Breathing was hard; his body was in tatters. He was on the verge of losing consciousness. However, his body forced him to stay awake.

It was because of the intent that was being released from the newly appearing figure, as well as the explosion that had just happened. After all, such an explosion would force everyone to wake up.

Clad in pitch darkness, the figure emanated such a strong killing intent and hatred that Ethan couldn't help but feel scared.

'Who is this?'

Ethan asked himself. Where did this person come from? Was there always there? He hadn't noticed at all.

However, what was more impressive was the fact that the flying chakrams around the space. The newly arrived dark figure dealt with the assassin, who was injured thanks to his attack.

The figure's moves were clean and practiced. The way they utilized the chakrams and the mana surrounding them showed their expertise.

However, it was evident that Master Assassin was still able to deal with the assailant to a certain degree.

After a bunch of blow exchanges, the fight between the two finally met their end.

THUD!

The head, belonging to the master assassin, fell to the ground. However, the dark-clad assailant also suffered some losses from the clash as now there was a hole in their chest.

Blood was dripping from the injury as the flesh corresponding to the surface was being devoured and deteriorated by the position disgustingly.

"Burghk-!"

The dark-clad assailant coughed blood, their body injured and shaking.

At that exact second, the disciple who had been locked in combat with Emily realized the fate that awaited him if he didn't act swiftly.

CLANK!

With lightning-fast reflexes, he deflected Emily's sword attack, his movements fluid and precise.

But instead of pressing his advantage against Emily, the disciple's attention was drawn to his fallen master.

With a solemn expression, he checked the body and realized that his master was no longer her. Then, his gaze fixed on the severed hand that still clutched something tightly.

'FUCK!'

Realizing that he was no longer in a position to complete the mission safely, his mind started working.

SWOOSH!

With a quick slash, he threw a crescent blood wave to Emily, who was breathing heavily from the constant fighting.

Even though her mana had undergone a change, she didn't have the necessary time to accommodate the feeling; thus, she was unable to use her potential to the max.

And the Assassin that she was facing was not an easy opponent as well. His speed and his abilities were quite troublesome to deal with, thanks to his blood magic.

CLANK!

However, she forced herself to stand up just to give Ethan the free time. Though the appearance of the dark-clad assailant caught her off guard, she knew her job hadn't changed.

CLANK! CLANK!

She deflected the rapidly approaching crescent blood waves while also constantly reminding herself to check her body so that no ailments were spread inside. She was once struck by the ailment, and that almost cost her life.

On the other side, utilizing his blood manipulation abilities, the disciple reached out with his own blood, manipulating the severed hand that once belonged to his master.

From the blood and flesh that corresponded to the severed surface, a bunch of threads began to form, weaving together to create a makeshift connection.

–SWOOSH!

With careful precision, the disciple manipulated the threads, guiding the severed hand to himself. And as the hand drew near, he reached out and plucked the ring from his master's finger, his actions swift and deliberate.

With the ring in hand, the disciple's expression hardened as he looked at the people responsible for the death of his master.

With that, while gritting his teeth, he channeled his mana into the ring and followed.

Emily realized what was happening, and in an instant, she attempted to leap and shorten the distance.

"You are not going anywhere!"

However, she was too late, as the spatial mana around the assassin fluctuated. Following that, the guy was slowly sucked into the portal appearing.

But at that exact second, that portal also removed his mask and his cloak, revealing the face of the assassin.

It was a young man with his head shaved.

His dark-tanned skin contrasted sharply with the intricate tattoos that adorned his body, each one telling a story of its own.

Upon his shaved head, countless tattoos covered his scalp, depicting various symbols and images in a ritualistic manner. Serpents intertwined with worms, forming a mesmerizing yet eerie pattern. But it was the tattoo on his forehead that drew the most attention—a star with five-pointed edges, with a man depicted hanging from a cross within its center.

The details of the tattoo were chilling, as if the man hanging from the cross was reaching out to the young man, his hands elongated and stretching towards the young man's eyes. It was a disturbing image that sent shivers down Ethan's spine.

The young man's gaze was intense, his eyes reflecting a mixture of anger and determination. He clenched his fists tightly, his resolve evident as he faced Ethan and Emily with unwavering determination.

"You…..You are all going to pay for everything…I will make sure of it….." his voice was low and menacing, filled with an air of vengeance. His brown eyes shone red for a split second as blood poured from his eyes.

"We never forget our promises."

Following that, with a surge of spatial mana, the young man was slowly pulled into the portal, disappearing from view.

And in that fleeting moment, Ethan caught a glimpse of the young man's expression—a distorted expression that even he could not help but flinch.

It was a haunting sight that would stay with Ethan long after the young man had disappeared into the unknown.

But things didn't end here, and Ethan knew that. At that moment, Ethan's attention was forced to be drawn to the figure whose face was obscured by a mask. Despite the mask, Ethan could sense the intense gaze directed at him, causing him to flinch involuntarily. The intent emanating from the assailant was palpable, filling the air with an ominous presence.

However, in a split second, the direction of the assailant's intent shifted, letting Ethan relax without the pressure.

"ETHAN!"

Just as Emily shouted a warning, believing the assailant was targeting Ethan, the gravity around her suddenly intensified, rendering her unable to move.

She was trapped, immobilized by the oppressive force exerted by the assailant. The dark-clad figure's hand was now shining black-purple.

With a raised hand, the dark-clad figure demonstrated their mastery over telekinesis, causing the blood that had spilled from their own wounds to rise from the ground and vanish into thin air.

"Grrrr…."

Emily gritted her teeth and tried to move her body, but gravity did not let her do so. Yet, she didn't give up and tried her best.

Ethan finally managed to gather a bit of his strength managed to utter.

"W-who are you?" His internal injuries made it very hard for him to speak, but he still forced himself.

"….." The dark-clad assailant didn't say anything as the shadows swirled around them.

SWOOSH! And following that split second, the assailant disappeared, leaving the two.

RING!

At that second, the sound of a police car siren rang in both Ethan's and Emily's ears. The curtain that disconnected them from the outer world was now lifted, letting them finally have their way.

"Kughk-!"

As Ethan coughed a little bit more blood from his mouth, Emily came to his side and grabbed him from his cheeks, letting his head rest on his thighs.

"Here, drink this."

She slowly poured the potion into his mouth, letting him digest it without damaging herself.

At that moment, the people on the street, who could now see the destruction caused by the fight, gathered around both Ethan and Emily with their mouths agape.

Right before their eyes, such a fight occurred, yet none of them felt anything, and this made them understand the dangers of their world once again.

As for Ethan, his mind was a mess with thoughts about the dark-clad assailant and the assassins.

Yet he knew one thing, and that was the fact that he had grown from this fight.

*******

"Hrrrrr..."

My voice is now hoarse. It was something that could be expected from my body. After all, there is a complete hole on the right side of the belly. My liver is possibly fractured, as well as the ribs that were covering it.

'I really didn't think they would already have those capsules.'

There was a slight miscalculation on my side. The fact that the assassin held the [Destruction] capsule in his mouth was something that I momentarily overlooked.

'Or maybe his Dream Ailment caused it.'

That was possibly the case. There was a chance that I could still be affected by the mind-type attacks, although I am pretty confident in my mental strength.

External influences are not always something that one can deal with just by having a high mental strength.

"Cough-!"

Blood continued to threaten my mouth to spill out, but I was not going to let it do so. My world was shaking, and the potion I had just taken didn't seem to have any effects.

Of course, with the poison that is constantly dripping inside my body, that would be the case. There is nothing I can do about that.

THUD! Leaning on the walls of the building that was in the process of being built, I could only try to get my energy. I came here after dealing with the assassin since the police and officers were already on the way.

This place was already covered by the mana of concealment, the artifact that I had taken from the assassins.

'It went as I planned, but the hunt was still hard.'

No matter how hard I tried, the speed of my improvement was still lacking. I already knew the answer, but just by training, I could not get strong fast enough.

The increased limit of talent is just as much, and it is not enough.

'But, no need to think about these right now.'

As my trembling hand gripped the dagger, I focused on channeling my remaining strength into steady precision.

With a slow, deliberate movement, I poured the narcotic liquid onto the affected area, feeling the numbing sensation begin to spread.

"Huff….huffff….huffff….."

Despite the agony raging through my body, I suppressed the urge to cry out, determined to endure.

"Haaaaaaah...Haaaaaah...."

With a sharp intake of breath, I positioned the dagger over the infected site, the blade glinting in the dim light.

The right side of my liver, weakened and battered, awaited my desperate attempt at salvation.

The moment I noticed that the assassin's attack contained poison, I forcefully created a barricade of my own mana to momentarily stop the spread. But that was only a temporary solution since that also meant my body wasn't getting supplied with energy. Even now, some of my muscles are protesting against me.

Steeling myself against the searing pain that awaited, I pressed the blade against my flesh and began to cut.

"Grrrrrr….."

The sensation was overwhelming, a wave of agony crashing over me as I sliced through the tissue tainted by poison.

Every nerve screamed in protest, but I clenched my jaw tightly, refusing to let even a whimper escape my lips.

Blood welled up from the wound, dark and viscous, but I pushed through, my vision swimming with tears, showing my body's protest to my own actions.

But there was nothing I could do. I needed to deal with this before returning to the academy, or I would already be dead by that time.

With a trembling hand, I grasped the torn tissue and pulled it free, my muscles trembling with exertion. Despite the blinding pain, I forced myself to maintain a steady grip, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I fought to stay conscious.

With the infected tissue removed, I wasted no time in administering the high-ranking potion directly to the raw, exposed wound—the liquid seared against my flesh, a fiery agony that threatened to consume me whole.

But I gritted my teeth and endured, pouring every ounce of my willpower into sealing the wound and purging the poison from my body.

As the potion took effect, I felt a surge of renewed strength coursing through my veins, the pain gradually subsiding to a dull ache.

"Haaaah….."

With a shaky exhale, I leaned back against the wall, my body trembling with exhaustion.

'I hunted an executive.'