Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 651 143.1 - Voidborne

As Astron's body collapsed to the ground, his strength utterly spent, a strange pulse rippled through the air. From the fallen Void Dragon, a bubble of chaotic, purplish energy began to seep out, twisting and spiraling, moving with a malevolent intent toward him. The energy crackled, dense, and overwhelming, carrying with it the fury and essence of the defeated Primordial Demon.

Just as the dark energy neared Astron, a soft glow emanated from the necklace resting against his chest. From within it emerged the faint, ethereal form of Estelle, appearing more solid and composed than ever before. Her expression was a blend of sadness and faint regret as she regarded her unconscious brother, who lay battered and drained beneath her gaze.

"Brother…" she whispered, her voice gentle yet filled with an almost maternal warmth. Estelle reached out, brushing her hand softly along his face, her touch ghostly but filled with affection. "You're working really hard…" Her fingers trailed along his forehead, smoothing away the traces of strain and weariness that marred his features. A tender smile graced her lips, though sadness lingered in her eyes. "I'm sorry for not being able to show myself… yet."

She looked up, her gaze shifting to the chaotic energy hovering ominously in the air. The remnants of the Void Dragon's essence pulsed within it, wild and untamed. Estelle raised her hand, her fingers weaving through the currents of power as she steadied its chaotic flow.

"You've managed to conquer yet another one," she murmured, almost to herself, admiration and pride flickering in her gaze as she studied her brother. Then, with a calm resolve, she raised her hands, tracing intricate symbols in the air. "I shall guide this energy for you," she whispered, her voice laced with determination.

With each delicate movement of her fingers, Estelle directed the Void Dragon's energy toward Astron's body, guiding it with a practiced grace. The purplish aura wove through her hands, now refined and tempered, as she funneled it gently into Astron. The energy merged with him, its chaotic nature softened by her touch, flowing seamlessly into his body and intertwining with his essence.

As Estelle channeled the Void Dragon's energy toward Astron, a faint glow began to bloom above them. A small moon materialized in the air, illuminating the pair with a soft, mystical light. The colors shifted gently from green to red, from purple to blue, then to a muted grey before becoming a shimmering, translucent hue, casting an otherworldly glow that ebbed and flowed with her chants.

Her voice was low, melodic, woven with an ancient rhythm that seemed to resonate with the light itself:

"Vires lunaris, effunde mihi,

Ad fraternum cor, in unitate tua,

Fluere tranquillus, sanguine fortis,

Infunde potentiam, manere victoris."

With each phrase, her hands moved delicately, guiding the pulsing energy into Astron's body. The raw essence of the Void Dragon, once chaotic and wild, now flowed gently, tempered, and refined under her careful touch, weaving itself into Astron's very being. Estelle's face held a soft smile, but she whispered to herself, her voice a faint murmur carried by the glow of the moonlight.

"If you take on too much, you'll burst, little brother," she sighed softly, almost chiding yet fond. "You're pushing yourself so hard… try to be more careful."

Despite her gentle reprimand, her expression was one of unwavering affection. Her fingers traced along his chest, weaving patterns to guide the energy into his core, allowing it to settle without overwhelming him. The moon above them began to pulse with each color, echoing her words, her essence, and her love for him, infusing him with the strength of the Void Dragon while leaving him intact.

Her smile softened as she brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "You're not alone, brother," she whispered, the light around them dimming as the final remnants of energy settled within him. "Please seek our home…..You are now ready to continue our legacy….And to learn the secrets of our kin." With a final, gentle, kiss on his forehead, Estelle allowed her form to dissolve back into the ethereal realm, leaving only the faintest glimmer of moonlight as a reminder of her presence, and the lasting power she had woven into his spirit.

*******

"You are working really hard…."

It was a voice that I could never forget.

The voice of a certain someone haunted me for quite a while. But for some reason, this time, the memory will be fresh. Much fresher than how it would be. For some reason, I felt a warm sensation in my head. Then, I blinked my eyes open, staring up at the familiar, dim purple sky that stretched endlessly above. I took a deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs easily, invigoratingly. The exhaustion, the sluggishness—the oppressive weight of the hibernation state—had vanished completely. Instead, my body felt revitalized, stronger than before, as if every cell hummed with newfound energy.

I lifted a hand, flexing my fingers, testing the range of motion. No pain, no weakness—only a deep, simmering power flowing through my veins. Whatever had happened during that blackout had left me in a state far beyond what I'd felt even before the battle began.

I rose to my feet, brushing dust from my coat, feeling as though the crash of the [Overdriving Pill] had never even happened. Whatever surge of energy I'd absorbed from the dragon had not only revitalized me but had completely eradicated the effects of the hibernation debuff.

Looking around, I took in the cavern again. The Void Dragon's carcass lay a few meters away, massive and unmoving, its dark form stark against the dim glow of the cavern. Its once-pulsing veins of void energy had dimmed, and its terrifying presence was now reduced to a lifeless shell. The dragon lay in absolute stillness, its primal force dissipated, and I felt an odd stillness settle within me too—one born of the quiet finality of the victory.

I took a moment to examine the Void Dragon's carcass, and it struck me just how massive it truly was. In the game, it had always looked enormous, filling the screen with a dark, fearsome presence, but standing here, facing its real-life scale, was something else entirely. The sheer size of it was staggering, almost surreal, and it hammered home the reality of what I'd just accomplished.

'Even after all this time, seeing something this large up close... scaling it from a screen to the real world is a different feeling altogether,' I thought, a sense of appreciation for the art mixing with the residual pulse of adrenaline.

A part of me itched to test my newfound strength, to feel the extent of what I'd gained from this battle, but I quickly shook the thought. There was no telling how much time had passed while I was here. This was a different dimension, a place cut off from the normal flow of reality. Time could be running faster here, or maybe even slower. Either way, I couldn't afford to gamble on it.

'This is no place to linger. There's a chance someone noticed the Void Dragon's death,' I reasoned. Killing a Primordial of the Void wouldn't go unnoticed forever, and it was only a matter of time before someone came to investigate. I'd stirred up enough trouble for one day.

I glanced around, my mind already planning my exit. There was no room for distractions, not even to check my own status window. I'd have to trust that the gains would be there when I needed them.

'Time to go,' I decided, one final look at the fallen dragon sealing my resolve. I had survived, come out stronger, but staying any longer would only invite new dangers.

Without wasting a moment, I reached into my coat and pulled out a newly acquired storage ring—a large-capacity one I'd invested in recently, bought for exactly this purpose. The Void Dragon's carcass was a treasure trove of valuable materials, and leaving it behind was out of the question. Dragon scales, bones, organs—all of it could be crafted into rare artifacts or used to study the unique properties of Void energy.

With a thought, I activated the storage ring, channeling mana into it. The dragon's massive form shimmered and, piece by piece, vanished into the spatial storage, leaving only faint wisps of residual energy where its body had once been. Satisfied, I slipped the ring back onto my finger, feeling the weight of the dragon's remains securely within.

Turning, I took hold of the necklace, feeling its familiar weight in my palm. I focused, and the mana within me responded. This energy wasn't like any I'd wielded before; it was deep, consuming, a darkness that thrived in silence. The [Voidborne] trait had settled naturally within me, instinctive, its presence pulsing in rhythm with my own mana. Although I hadn't yet seen the full details in my status window, I could feel an innate understanding of how to control this Void energy.

As I channeled Void mana into the necklace, it began to glow, its surface radiating with an otherworldly light. The space around me warped, the dimensions bending and folding with each pulse of energy I fed into the artifact.

WARP! In an instant, the air twisted, and the familiar pull of spatial displacement seized me. The cavern, the dragon's grave, and the eerie sky vanished as reality bent around me, transporting me back to the world I'd come from.

The world settled around me, and I felt the familiar, solid weight of the ground beneath my feet. The oppressive mana of the dragon's lair was gone, replaced by the more neutral energy of the dimension I'd returned to.

I blinked, allowing my senses to adjust as I took in my surroundings. I'd emerged just outside the entrance to the hidden tunnel I'd entered earlier, the faint glow of the teleportation magic fading from the space around me. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, the cavernous pathway deserted and untouched, as if no one had been aware of the Void Dragon's existence or its death.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself. My body felt alive, every fiber humming with the new, potent power coursing through me. With the Void Dragon's carcass securely stored and the [Voidborne] trait now a part of me, I had achieved everything I'd set out for.

After a quick assessment of the surroundings, I knew I had to leave this place immediately. The Void Clan, the Federation—any number of groups could have sensed the disruption, and it wouldn't be long before someone came to investigate. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Adjusting my coat, I set my sights on the distant exit, stepping into the shadows as I prepared to make my way out of this place.