Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 335 78.2 - Crossing Table

\'One needs to take care of one\'s own mind first so that one can live clearly in this world.\'

\'Certainly an interesting phrase. The author is quite intelligent in this aspect.\'

Looking at the book and reading its context, that was what I thought. As a person born from a supernatural merging, I knew from the start that my state was not normal.

My psyche and the way I think is twisted. There are two sides that are extreme. One that only operates like a robot devoid of any emotion and the other whose sole fuel is emotions.

Thus, I am still in the process of learning. This was the assessment that I gave to myself.

While dealing with the Mind and Psychic Magic, one needs to be very well aware of one\'s own mental state. The reason for that was that the more one dove into this magic, the more they would get further away from themselves. In essence, mind magic is about reading other people\'s minds, memories, and characters.

But, the more you read other people, the more you need to know yourself, or else you will lose your identity. Losing one\'s identity often results in many mental health problems.

In any case, this assistant, Professor Mitchell Brady, seems to be a very good author in Psychic Mage. The fact that his theory about manipulating the Cognitive Process alone is worth taking note of.

And now that I am in chapter 2, I can easily say that I am allowed to use stage-1 Psychic Magic to some extent without messing up.

「Surface Level Memory Reading」

For instance, this one is one of those. I can read the memories of other people by connecting their Collective Subconscious to mine. Of course, it is on the Surface level because those memories are not integrated deep into the subconscious, making them easily accessible.

To read deeper memories, I need to have a more profound understanding of Psyche, which is making it a lot harder for me now.

DING!

However, my concentration was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of my smartwatch. With a slight frown, I glanced at the device, noting the notification from the app I had developed to connect with the other smartwatch.

\'Hmm? A notification came up from Fred\'s smartwatch?\'

Curious about the reason for the notification, I closed the book and stood up, my mind already racing with possibilities. The app I had created allowed me to constantly monitor the other smartwatch, providing me with real-time updates and notifications.

After all, I certainly wouldn\'t be able to check the smartwatch constantly, but I also couldn\'t bring it outside all the time as well. Considering it belonged to a Demon Contractor, even the fact that I own something like this was discovered, that would spell trouble.

Therefore, I created such an app. Since my Moon Mana was unique, there wouldn\'t be many people who could observe it, making it a good intermediary to connect them.

Quickly making my way back to my room, I settled in front of my desk and activated the app. A holographic display flickered to life, revealing the notification from the other watch.

-----------------------

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Missions][1]

[Currency]

------------------------

There, I could see a mission issued.

\'Hmm….A mission that was assigned to Fred….No, that wouldn\'t be the case since I hadn\'t contacted anyone about this watch. Therefore, they must have assumed that Fred is dead. If that is the case, this is a general mission issued by someone with a relatively high rank.\'

I thought. If this was the case, then it would make sense.

With a sense of intrigue, I tapped on the mission tab, my curiosity piqued by the exclamation mark that indicated a new and urgent task. As the mission details unfolded before me, I couldn\'t help but raise an eyebrow.

-------------------

Mission: Gather Information on Ethan Hartley, Hartley Family, and Arcadia Hunter Academy

Type: Non-combat

Description: This mission requires the gathering of comprehensive information regarding Ethan Hartley, his family, and the activities within Arcadia Hunter Academy. Focus on obtaining details such as Ethan Hartley\'s daily routine, places he frequents, the strength of his allies and associates, any notable aides or companions, as well as any significant events or incidents involving him or Hartley\'s family.

Objective: Provide detailed intelligence reports on Ethan Hartley, the Hartley Family, and Arcadia Hunter Academy to the employer.

Reward: Generous compensation upon successful completion of the mission.

--------------------

As I read through the mission brief, a wave of unease washed over me.

The task at hand was no simple matter—it required delving into Ethan\'s personal affairs.

\'Who could be behind this mission, and what are their intentions?\' I pondered, my mind racing with possibilities. \'An enemy of Hartleys? No, that wouldn\'t be the case. There is no reason for someone to directly target Ethan if they are aiming at Ethan….Hmm…Is it because he is now showing potential? Certainly, his prowess is not normal, but isn\'t it still too early? For some reason, this doesn\'t feel like a mission issued by another family.\'

I thought, yet because of the lack of information, I couldn\'t say much. In any case, one thing was clear from this mission alone.

\'Things will get troublesome from now on.\'

With such attention being gathered on Ethan earlier than usual, the already messed up storyline would be messed up further.

********

As the winter morning chilled the air and snow petals fell to the ground, a figure could be spotted running. On his wrists and ankles, there were unseen bracelets limiting his movements.

With each breath he let out, the white steam rushed out of his mouth, showing how cold the weather was.

Yet, even though the weather was cold, the figure was constantly sweating. His breaths were rough as if he was pushing himself. And in fact, he was doing exactly that right.

Since it was way too early in the morning, Astron was trying to train his endurance.

"Hufff….Hufff….Hufff…."

Yet, at the same time, he was also training his lung capacity and breathing.

\'Perceptive Insight is really limitless. Just by observing Eleanor\'s video from her past as a trainee, I had improved this much.\'

With his form and breathing improved more, he now even mixed mana into this. Subconsciously, he was trying to circulate his mana while also running.

It was called Consecutive Mana breathing, and it was a more advanced concept for Hunters.

As Astron continued his early morning run, his senses heightened from his training; he suddenly sensed two familiar presences approaching rapidly. Not slowing his pace even slightly, he turned his head to see Ethan and Julia swiftly closing in on him.

Ethan was the first to greet him with a warm smile. "Morning, Astron," he said, his breath visible in the chilly air.

Astron nodded in response, acknowledging Ethan\'s greeting without a word.

Of course, Ethan wasn\'t alone.

Julia, always full of energy, joined in with a cheerful wave. "Hey there, Astron! Training hard as usual, I see?"

Astron looked at Julia for a second. "As you can see."

"Hmm…But it is a bit cold, right?"

"A bit? Not everyone is thick-skinned like you." Julia said with a smile on her face. Yet, as the two were talking, suddenly they noticed something.

He was missing!

"That guy…." Julia sighed, seeing Astron running without waiting for them.

"Cough….It was my fault, thinking he would stop."

"Well, he is certainly not the type. But, this makes me want to bother him more?" Julia smirked, seeing Astron already running away. Though that guy was somehow cold because Ethan constantly pursued him, she was also somehow getting closer to him as well.

As Julia felt the mischievous urge rising within her, she channeled her mana and propelled herself forward with a burst of energy, closing the distance between her and Astron in a flash.

Ethan shook his head, knowing all too well the antics Julia was capable of.

With determination in her eyes and a playful grin on her face, Julia matched Astron\'s pace effortlessly, her footsteps light on the snow-covered ground.

Ethan, trailing behind, chuckled to himself as he watched the scene unfold. He knew firsthand how difficult it could be to keep up with Julia once she set her mind to something, and he couldn\'t help but somehow feel happy that he wasn\'t the target of her antics.

As they ran side by side, Julia began bombarding Astron with questions about his personal life, his study habits, and his training routines.

She was relentless in her inquiries, firing off one question after another with her trademark enthusiasm.

"How do you study Astron? Do you have a strict schedule, or do you just wing it?" Julia asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Astron remained silent, his expression stoic as he focused on his running.

"And why do you always train so hard? Is it fun to act all edgy and mysterious all the time?" Julia continued, undeterred by Astron\'s lack of response.

Still, Astron remained silent, his attention fixed on the path ahead.

"Come on, Astron, don\'t be so quiet! Is this just your natural demeanor, or are you intentionally being this way?" Julia persisted, her questions coming one after another.

"Is it fun to be edgy?"

"Do you like being rude to others?"

"How do you make your hair?"

"Why is your skin this pale?"

"Do you play games?"

"Do you have any hobbies?"

"Is there anyone you like?"

She continuously bombarded him with questions.

Yet, despite Julia\'s efforts to engage him in conversation, Astron remained silent, his expression unreadable.

But Julia, undeterred by his lack of response, assumed that he was simply getting irritated, even though he showed no signs of it on his face. This was how she had usually dealt with others, the people she wanted to annoy.

She would usually do this to Lucas, annoying him. But because he had been acting somehow differently, she couldn\'t do it anymore, and doing such things to Ethan had been way too easy for some reason.

"Come on, don\'t you see, he is not responding."

Even Ethan was tired of her questions. \'What a mental strength….\' And he couldn\'t help but feel that Astron\'s mental strength was way too strong. \'If I were him, I would have answered them already.\' Of course, Ethan already knew Julia wasn\'t that interested in Astron. She didn\'t even want to know the answer to these questions. She just wanted to annoy someone.

Also, it wasn\'t that Astron didn\'t want to get away from Julia. It was just that whenever he tried, Julia would effortlessly close the distance.

After all, being a high ranker wasn\'t a joke, and she was a physical type on top of that. And this made her a lot harder to shake off.

Just as Julia was about to fire off another round of questions, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught her attention. A chill ran down her spine as she sensed the presence of another person approaching.

A figure emerged before them, exuding a strong aura that commanded attention. Her purple hair cascaded down to her shoulders, framing her elegant features as she looked at them with a serene smile.

"Junior," she greeted Astron with a nod, her voice gentle, yet the eyes looking at Julia were somehow cold. "Who is this?"

"Senior Maya."