Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 739 168.3 - Jealousy

"Ah....."

Sylvie's attention snapped toward Jasmine's exclamation, startled by the sudden sound. "Ah..." Jasmine's eyes were wide, her hand hovering over her mouth as she stared ahead with something akin to shock.

"What?" Sylvie asked, her voice faint but tinged with curiosity. She followed Jasmine's gaze, her heart skipping as her eyes landed on the source of the commotion.

Even she couldn't help the faint gasp that escaped her lips.

"What?" Sounds like those continued to rain towards her....

There, walking down the central path, was Astron. But this wasn't the Astron she remembered from the previous semester.

SILENCE!

The garden seemed to fall into a hushed reverence, the lively chatter dissolving into a quiet murmur as the students turned to look. Astron walked with an air of quiet confidence, his strides unhurried but purposeful. The golden insignia on his uniform glinted in the sunlight, and his piercing purple eyes scanned the crowd with cool indifference.

He looked... renewed.

His once-pale complexion now seemed to glow faintly, as though touched by the sun. His black hair, always striking, now fell effortlessly into place, framing features so refined they seemed almost sculpted. Even his posture exuded an effortless regality, a sharp contrast to the reserved demeanor Sylvie had known.

And then there was the air around him-a faint shimmer of mana, subtle yet undeniable. It wasn't like the raw power Sylvie had sensed in others. This was different, almost harmonious, as if the very nature around him had chosen to favor his presence. The faint ripples of his mana danced in sync with the breeze, a delicate yet powerful display of control.

'He didn't look like this before... 'Sylvie thought, her heart pounding in her chest. 'This is...."

A warmth began to rise from her chest, spreading outward like the first rays of dawn. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed him until now, the flood of emotions catching her off guard. Relief, curiosity, awe-they all tangled together in a way that left her breathless.

'It's been so long since I've seen him.'

She clenched the strap of her bag, her gaze never leaving him. Astron's transformation

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wasn't just physical. It was in the way he carried himself, the quiet confidence that had replaced the unassuming boy she had once stood beside. And yet, beneath the awe and surprise, there was something familiar-something steady.

It was still him.

'But... what happened to him?" Sylvie's thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. The mana surrounding him felt almost alive as if it was responding to him, not the other way around. That faint shimmer, that connection to the environment-it was unlike anything she had encountered.

And yet, despite the questions swirling in her mind, she couldn't help but smile. The emotions bubbling in her chest weren't just surprise or curiosity-they were joy. For all the changes, for all the distance that had grown between them over the break, she was glad to see him again.

As Astron's gaze swept over the crowd, it lingered briefly in her direction. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, and Sylvie felt a jolt of something indescribable. His expression didn't change-calm and unreadable as always-but there was a quiet intensity in his gaze that left her rooted to the spot.

And then it was gone. He continued forward, the whispers and murmurs of the crowd trailing in his wake.

"Holy crap," Jasmine muttered beside her, breaking the silence. "Is that Astron?"

Sylvie didn't answer. She couldn't. The moment their eyes had met, something shifted within her a strange, unshakable feeling that left her both exhilarated and uneasy. A chill ran down her spine, but it wasn't the kind of cold that came from fear. No, this was different. It was as if something ancient and unknown had brushed against her very soul, leaving a faint echo in its wake.

Her body shivered, caught in the grip of conflicting emotions. Her chest felt tight, her breaths shallow, her heart hammering against her ribs like a war drum. Excitement and something else-something she couldn't name-coiled together in a knot that she couldn't untangle.

'What... is this?"

She couldn't look away, even as Astron continued walking, his presence like a quiet storm passing through the crowd. The mana that surrounded him, the way it resonated with the air-it was mesmerizing. Hypnotic. Her thoughts spun, her sense of time slowing to a crawl as the world around her seemed to fade into a distant hum. "Helloooo?" Jasmine's voice cut through her trance, accompanied by a light shake of her shoulder. "Sylvie? You alive?"

Sylvie blinked, snapping out of the daze, her breath hitching as she realized how tightly she had been gripping the strap of her bag. "Huh? What?"

Jasmine gave her a look of exaggerated exasperation. "You totally zoned out. Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost or something"

"I-I'm fine," Sylvie stammered, though her voice was shaky, betraying her nerves. She forced herself to take a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she relaxed her grip. "It's just... I didn't expect..."

"To see that?" Jasmine finished for her, nodding toward Astron, who was now nearing the stage. "Yeah, no kidding. Who even is he now? Did he find some kind of magical makeover spell over the break? Because I swear he didn't look like that last semester." Sylvie didn't reply, her thoughts too jumbled to form a coherent response. Her heart was still racing, the rapid rhythm refusing to settle even as she tried to calm herself. She pressed a hand lightly to her chest, hoping to steady the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

'Why am I feeling like this? It's just Astron. I've been with him so many times before. He's the same person. Right?'

But even as she tried to convince herself, the sensation lingered. That strange mana, the connection to the environment, the quiet intensity in his gaze-it was all new, unfamiliar, and impossible to ignore. And yet, beneath it all, there was still something about him that felt comfortingly familiar.

She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply as she tried to center herself. When she opened them again, Jasmine was still watching her, one eyebrow raised in playful

suspicion.

"You sure you're okay?" Jasmine asked, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Because you were staring really hard. Like, almost creepy levels of hard."

Sylvie's checks flushed. "I wasn't staring," she muttered, her voice a touch defensive.

"Uh-huh," Jasmine teased, crossing her arms. "Whatever you say. But seriously, Sylvie, what happened to him? He looks like he stepped out of some epic fantasy novel. Did you know about this?"

"No," Sylvie admitted quietly, her gaze drifting back to Astron. Her chest still felt tight, her heartbeat refusing to slow. "I... I didn't know."

Jasmine studied her for a moment, her smirk softening into a knowing smile. "Well,

you've got some catching up to do, huh? He's in our class, so you'll have plenty of time

to figure it out."

Sylvie nodded absently, her mind still clouded with questions and emotions she

couldn't quite name.

Indeed.....Emotions that she couldn't name....

Since she had realized something.

Sylvie's gaze drifted back to Astron.....She tried to focus, to find something to anchor

herself in the torrent of feelings, but it only led her deeper into confusion.

As her [Authority] stirred faintly within her, a realization struck her like a cold slap.

'That..."

The color palette. The swirling hues that always accompanied her perception of a person-the emotions, the intentions, the faintest echoes of their soul. It wasn't there.

Astron was a void.

There was no soft blue of calm, no fiery red of passion, no golden hue of confidence. Not even the muted greys she had often associated with him before. There was nothing. Just an absence that defied her understanding.

'What's going on?' Sylvie blinked, her heart pounding harder. She willed her [Authority]

to sharpen, pouring a small pulse of energy into her vision. Usually, this effort would bring clarity, allowing her to see the faint threads of vitality, the emotional ripples of

those around her.

But with Astron, there was nothing.

It was as if a wall stood between her and him, blocking her sight entirely. She could sense the mana that shimmered faintly around him, could feel the weight of his presence in the air. But when she tried to delve deeper, to find the essence of who he was, she was met with... void.

'Why can't I see him?' Her chest tightened as unease crept up her spine. This had

never happened before. Even when Astron had been closed off, his emotional palette tinged with grey and faint hints of exhaustion, she had been able to sense something. But now? Now, it was as though he had been erased from her perception. Her fingers curled against the strap of her bag as she tried again, concentrating harder this time. She pushed her [Authority] further, letting it hum through her senses like the Headmaster had taught her. And still-nothing.

It wasn't just a lack of color. It was a barrier. Something was actively keeping her from

seeing him.

'Is he... doing this on purpose? The thought sent a ripple of uncertainty through her. She didn't even know if such a thing was possible. But whether intentional or not, it was unnerving. She had relied on her [Authority] for weeks now, trusting its ability to reveal truths others couldn't see. To have it fail her so completely-especially with someone she thought she knew-left her reeling.

"Sylvie?" Jasmine's voice broke through her spiraling thoughts, light and teasing but tinged with concern. "You're staring again. Seriously, what's going on?" Sylvie shook her head quickly, tearing her gaze away from Astron. Her pulse was still racing, and her hands felt clammy against the bag's strap. "It's nothing," she said, though the words felt hollow even to her.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Well, if you say so. But if you're planning to figure out what's up with him, you might want to do it soon. The semester's starting, and you don't want to spend the whole day looking like you've

seen a ghost."

Sylvie forced a faint smile, nodding absently. "Yeah... I'll figure it out." But as Jasmine turned her attention back to the murmuring crowd, Sylvie couldn't shake the gnawing sense of unease that had taken root in her chest. She stole another

glance at Astron, who stood near the front of the gathering, his posture calm and unaffected.

He didn't even seem to notice the way the crowd whispered and stared, their curiosity

and awe evident. And why would he? Whatever had happened to him during the break, it had left him more untouchable than ever.

But for Sylvie, it was more than that. The absence of his palette, the barrier that keptNôv(el)B\\jnn

her from seeing him-these weren't things she could ignore. They weren't normal.

'Huh?"

But aside from that, there was also something else....

Something else that she had noticed...

'Irina?'

The color palette that she could see on Irina's soul.....

There was a pinkish color, something that she didn't expect to see in her...

And Irina was looking at Astron as well.

"No way....."