Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 495  Chapter 113.3 - Rewards

After dealing with [Celestalith] and [Moonstone], it was time to check on the other things. With how the things related to my [Lunar Mana] had been sorted out, there was no longer any need for me to block the data that was going out of my room.

I reached out with my mana, carefully undoing the barriers I had set up, allowing the usual flow of data to resume. It was a precaution to avoid raising any suspicion from the organization. They might notice something if the data blackout continued for too long, and that was something I wanted to avoid.

With the surveillance back to normal, I turned my attention to the next item on my list: the essence that Reina had given me to upgrade my eyes.

The vial containing the shimmering liquid sat on the table, its crystalline surface catching the light. Reina had already explained the procedure to me—how I needed to use it and what to expect during the process.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the vial and uncorked it. The liquid inside had a faint, ethereal glow, almost as if it were alive. Without hesitating, I carefully tilted the vial and let a single drop fall into my right eye.

The reaction was immediate. A sharp, stinging sensation shot through my eye, causing me to instinctively blink. The pain was intense but not unbearable—not like the searing agony I'd experienced when receiving the [Everchanging Glyph]. This was more like a concentrated burn, localized and powerful, but it was something I could endure.

The essence spread across my eye, and I felt it seep into the very fabric of my vision. My sight blurred momentarily, colors shifting and warping as the essence worked its way into my ocular nerves and deep into my brain. The sensation was strange—like my eye was being reshaped from the inside out.

I gritted my teeth, holding still as the process continued. My eye throbbed with each beat of my heart, but the pain was gradually giving way to something else—clarity.

As the essence settled, my vision sharpened, becoming more precise than ever before. The faint details in the room, the texture of the walls, and the subtle variations in light and shadow all became more pronounced as if a veil had been lifted from my sight.

The process took only a few minutes, but it felt like much longer. When it was finally over, I blinked a few times, letting my vision adjust. Everything seemed sharper, clearer, and more vibrant. It was as if the world had come into focus in a way I had never experienced before.

I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them again, allowing myself to get used to the new sensation. The pain had subsided, leaving behind a residual ache that was more of a dull throb than anything else.

Compared to the excruciating process of obtaining the [Everchanging Glyph], this was almost a relief.

I stood up and walked over to the mirror, examining my reflection. My eyes looked the same on the surface, but there was a faint glow in the depths of my irises, a subtle hint of the power that now resided within them. The infusion of the [Skyfury Hawk's] essence had done its job, enhancing my vision to an extraordinary level.

"Not bad," I muttered to myself, pleased with the results. The upgrade had gone smoothly, and the pain was manageable.

"Though I still need to test it myself, for now, there does not seem to be any type of mismatch or anything. Just as Reina had said….The essence would integrate itself directly into my eye without any problems."

I leaned back, letting my thoughts drift to the possibilities this opened up. The concept of upgrading my eyes was intriguing, especially now that I understood how it worked. It seemed that the key to enhancing my vision lay in the [Essence] of monsters, specifically those with exceptional ocular capabilities. If I could find or hunt monsters with unique eye abilities, I could potentially extract their essence and integrate it into my own eyes, further enhancing my vision.

Of course, not every monster was compatible with this process. The essence had to be carefully selected to match the user's traits and abilities. A poorly chosen essence could lead to a failed integration or, worse, damage the eyes permanently. It was a delicate balance, one that required both knowledge and precision.

I recalled the time when I had first acquired my [Eyes of Hourglass]. At that time, I had thought it was a result of two familiar skills merging, forming a higher-rank one. But now, with this new understanding, I realized that it was something more. I had actually absorbed the essence of the [Time Guardian], the boss monster of the hidden dungeon whose control over time had been infused into my eyes. The essence had merged with my own abilities, giving rise to the [Eyes of Hourglass].

That experience had been a turning point, though I hadn't fully understood it then. The process of absorbing a monster's essence was far more complex than I'd initially thought. It wasn't just about gaining a new ability—it was about harmonizing with the essence, allowing it to become a part of you.

The [Time Guardian]'s essence had enhanced my perception of time, allowing me to see the flow of events in a way that others couldn't. It was a rare and powerful ability, one that had set me apart from others.

Now, with the infusion of the [Skyfury Hawk's] essence, I had taken another step forward, though I rather felt like this was more of an instruction and a display for me to infer how things worked for eyes.

'In a way, they are trying to guide me.'

I thought. But at that moment, I sensed a small change in myself.

As the eye had integrated itself into me, I felt a weird feeling, as if something inside me was changing.

I pulled up my status window, ready to check the changes after everything I had been through. The familiar panel appeared before me, and I scanned the details carefully.

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

▶Name: Astron Natusalune

▶Occupation: Weapon Master (level 4)

▶Talent Limit: 9 --> 10.5

▶Passives:

Vengeful Bane

Bloodline Resonance

Psychic Cognizance

▶Attributes:

Variable Attributes:

 Strength: 4.85 --> 5.34

 Dexterity: 5.13 --> 5.64

 Agility: 5.20 --> 5.72

 Constitution: 4.88 --> 5.37

 Intuition: 5.26 --> 5.79

 Magical Power: 5.61 --> 6.17

 Mana Capacity: 5.68 --> 6.25

▶Traits:

Perceptive Insight (Epic)(Unchanging)

Lunar Enigma (????) (Growth Type) (Stage 1)

Shadowborne (Legendary) (Growth Type)(Stage 3)

▶Arts:

Lethal Arsenal Ascendancy (????)(%39)

▶Skills: n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Eyes of Hourglass

▶Body Imprints:

Everchanging Glyph

▶Bonds:

Aurora Raven (Rare)(Growth Type)

Celestalith, The Transcendent Eclipse

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

The training that I had been doing in the past few days had shown its effects. With my body adapting to the ever-changing glyph, my physical attributes increased rapidly.

Right now, I am pretty sure I am on par with Ethan in terms of growth. While it is hard to surpass that bastard who has the main character buff, I am pretty sure that with my stats alone, I can now go head-to-head with the top 100 of the academy or maybe even the top 50.

It is very hard to judge just from the ranks because the academy also includes the theoretical grades when ranking the students.

'But still….Now, I am really strong.'

I was not satisfied with my growth before, but by integrating my [Everchanging Glyph] into my body, it seems my talent limit had also increased.

'As for how I had increased my Magic Power and Mana Capacity….'

I had used one of my rights to request a special essence—[Essence of the Arcane Conduit]. It was a rare and highly sought-after essence known for its ability to enhance a user's mana-related attributes. The essence wasn't easy to come by, but it was worth every bit of effort it took to obtain it.

The [Essence of the Arcane Conduit] had a profound impact on my Magical Power and Mana Capacity, increasing both by an impressive 10%. The boost wasn't just in the raw numbers, but in the efficiency and control, I could now exert over my mana. This was crucial, especially considering the unique nature of my [Lunar Mana].

The essence worked by harmonizing with the user's mana pathways, strengthening them and allowing for a more potent flow of energy. For someone like me, who relied heavily on specialized mana for both combat and stealth, this enhancement was invaluable.

'It's a significant leap forward,' I thought to myself. 'With these improvements, my ability to manipulate [Lunar Mana] has reached new levels.'

The reason for that is clear.

It is because I had finally passed the threshold of 6 in terms of my magical power.

'From that point on, the quality of one's mana is supposed to increase.'

Though that did not happen for me for the time being, it was bound to happen one way or another. What was important was the fact that, now, one of my stats had passed the threshold of 6.

Even Julia or Irina must have only two or three stats that had reached 6. And that alone shows how much of an improvement mine was.

'Coming to this stage when I had started with the parameter of 1 for each stat…..I really came a long way….'

Well, it was mainly thanks to the recent breakthroughs, as these types of things can not be used consistently, but still, reaching the parameter of 6 from 1….

It was really a long way.

Well, long or not, I was here now.

Just as I was reflecting on my growth and the progress I had made, my smartwatch chimed with a new message. The notification pulled me from my thoughts, and I quickly accessed the message.

[Message: Congratulations, Astron Natusalune. Your status within the organization has been officially updated. You are no longer a trainee. From this point forward, you will hold the rank of 'Adept' and will be assigned missions in line with your new standing.]

I read the message, letting the words sink in. The transition from trainee to Adept was significant.

It marked the end of my initial training and the beginning of a new phase—one where I would be tested in real-world scenarios, where success and failure carried real consequences.

'So, it's finally official,' I thought, my mind already shifting to the tasks that lay ahead. As an Adept, I would no longer be confined to the training grounds.

I would be out in the field, executing missions.

The message continued with a list of protocols and guidelines for Adepts, detailing the expectations, resources, and support available to me in this new role. It was clear that the organization had high standards for those in my position, but I was ready to meet those expectations head-on.

[Your first mission has been sent.]

And it seems my first mission was here as well.