Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 437 100.2 - Watchers of Arcane

In a world where mana exists, you are bound to see things that don't completely make sense on Earth or things that look like they came out straight out of the movie.

I mean, I myself, had seen the world go completely white, the skies rumble and thunder bow down, or someone making a complete nuke. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

All of them were made by just young people at the age of 16. So, it is clear that this world is completely extreme on many ends.

But, even then.

'This is…..'

It was enormous.

The vast underground complex stretched out before me, its sheer scale taking me by surprise. It was a labyrinthine expanse of corridors, rooms, and open areas, all interconnected with a meticulous design that spoke of advanced planning and engineering.

The ceiling, far above, was lined with an intricate network of support beams and conduits, their surfaces gleaming under the ethereal light that seemed to permeate the entire space.

This light, though artificial, felt strangely natural, casting a soft, even glow over everything.

Directly below the platform where I stood with Reina, the complex teemed with activity. People move with purpose, and their actions are coordinated and efficient. Groups huddled around holographic displays, their faces illuminated by the glow of data streams and maps.

Countless different psions were flowing across the place, whose attributes didn't make sense to me.

My eyes that could see the psions themselves were getting overwhelmed by the raw information they were receiving.

Even when I was under the mine, where countless different mana veins were spread across the ground, the number of psions was not even close to this.

'Urghk!'

As the immense amount of headache struck me, I instantly forced myself to turn down [Perceptive Insight].

If I hadn't done that, I was sure my brain would turn itself off, and I would lose consciousness right here, right there.

'What was that?'

Yet, of course, I couldn't help but ask myself. How come such a dense amount of psions were spread across the place, and their attributes were unknown?

'Unknown...'

"Impressive, isn't it?" Reina's voice cut through the ambient noise, her tone laced with pride. "This is the heart of our operations. Every mission, every strategy is planned and executed from here."

I nodded, my mind still reeling from the sheer scale of the place. The maze of corridors, the bustling activity, the overwhelming density of psions—it was unlike anything I had ever encountered.

"You seem to have already figured out how to control your eyes," Reina said, turning to look at me with a knowing smile.

I narrowed my gaze at her, curiosity and suspicion mixing in my mind.

'Eyes….' It was evident what she was talking about, but it was still important to understand what she meant.

"What do you mean by that?"

Reina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gestured towards the vast expanse of the base below us. "This whole place is a base for agents across the world. But how do you think they communicate?"

I furrowed my brow, thinking hard. That was what I had been thinking about as well. Since from the start, this place was another dimension. Thus, using something physical like electromagnetic waves would not be possible to transmit the information.

After all, even though electromagnetic waves can travel on the empty space, that doesn't mean they can just cross dimensions. For such a thing to happen, one would need something that can act as a bridge.

And what would that be?

The answer is evident.

Mana.

After all, if something can create a space rupture or a pocket space, why can't it pass through some space holes?

'I see.'

The sheer number of positions with unknown attributes that I had seen earlier began to make sense. I realized what those positions were.

"They are psions attributed by an [Authority]," I said, the pieces falling into place. "The Authority of Information."

Reina's smile widened, impressed by my deduction. "Very perceptive. Yes, these psions are indeed attributed by an Authority. They facilitate instant communication, data transfer, and real-time surveillance across the globe. They are the lifeblood of our operations."

I recalled bits and pieces of information I had come across before in the game. Those lore diggers had some hypotheses about this mysterious organization/

Some of them thought that the Watchers of Arcane had connections with a forgotten god, one who was said to have dominion over knowledge and information.

And if that were to be true, it could possibly explain how this worked.

"But why am I seeing these now? I've never encountered them in such density before," I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Reina nodded, acknowledging my question. "This base is a central hub, a nexus of information. The psions you saw are concentrated here to ensure seamless operations. It's rare to find such a density of them elsewhere."

"But isn't it dangerous to have such a concentration in one place?" I asked, thinking about the potential vulnerabilities.

"Indeed, it is," Reina admitted. "That's why we have multiple safeguards in place, both magical and technological. The security measures here are among the most advanced in the world. And as for why you're seeing them now, your unique ability allows you to perceive things others can't."

I took a deep breath, processing the information. The implications of this were vast. The sheer power and influence the Watchers of Arcane wielded through this network of psions were staggering.

However, aside from what she had shown and explained, there was one thing that needed to be addressed since she was trying to change the subject.

"But you still haven't answered my question."

I replied, looking at her.

"What did you mean by 'Eye'?"

Reina smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. "Why do you think the organization took note of you and decided to send you to one of the most prestigious academies in the world? What could make you different? How did we determine that? What is your connection to us? Haven't you thought about that before?"

"Of course, I've thought about it before," I said, my gaze steady.

I had been thinking about him for a while already. Even in the game, Astron must have been chosen by the Watchers of Arcane since that was the basic layout for him to be sent to the academy.

That made me think.

Was there something that they knew about Astron that I didn't? Even though he died before he could show himself to them.

That question was hard to answer since, in the game, Astron was just an extra, and I didn't know about the abilities he possessed at all.

As a boss, he was more of a demonic human than a normal hunter. Thus, his abilities as a normal human were unknown.

Therefore, referencing the game was basically impossible. Or at least it was harder compared to the other characters.

But, still, I remembered something.

'In the boss fight between Astron, his input reading was far too strong. Most of the players would have a hard time dealing with him since even if he was not a strong boss, he constantly interrupted the player, dodged the attacks, or blocked them. If not for the player being too strong than him, the fight could turn differently.'

Why was this important, one would say?

The answer lay somewhere else.

All people of this world, whether they belonged to high-ranking families or not, would always have one trait at the start when they awakened.

Yet, for me, it was different. At least, the moment when I somehow merged into one, I had more than one trait.

To explain this, I had always considered [Perceptive Insight] stemmed from my other part of the soul.

But was that possible?

Did I contain two souls in one body, or did I just complete my imperfect soul?

The answer was the latter. Then, why did I have two traits?

Was I special? Was it simply because of that?

Or was there another reason for such a thing happening?

For instance, an external factor?

What if I had initially just had one trait, [Lunar Enigma]?

'Perceptive Insight….What if….'

Yeah, what if there was some outside interference? What if something had affected me and had chosen me?

If that was the case, I could easily say that [Lunar Enigma] was something related to me since I knew that she also had powers of the moon.

Then where did this [Perceptive Insight] come from?

If [Perceptive Insight] came from an outsider's influence, that could also explain why this organization took an interest in me. They could have recognized their own energy.

After all, the Watchers of Arcane are oddly related to observing and interfering with things, just like my [Perceptive Insight] ability.

'That also explains how the game version Astron was able to see through the movements of the players that easily. He must also have his initial traits awakened….Because of the Demonic Energy that filled the missing parts of his soul temporarily.'

Slowly, the pieces were sitting together.

I had initially thought that they took me in because they knew something about [Lunar Enigma], but from the looks of it now, that may not be the case.

'Though, it is better to not be sure.' I looked at Reina after finding the answer to my questions.

"Your perceptive abilities are not just a coincidence, Astron. They are the reason when you were found, we took an interest in you."

"I see." I nodded my head as she answered just as I had expected. However, I still showed a surprised face just to make her think I didn't speculate about it.

After all, my trait coming from them didn't mean I could trust them. And it is always better to downplay your capabilities a little just to make sure.

"So, does this answer satisfy you?"

"A little. Though I have many questions."

"You need to keep them to yourself. I will not answer any other questions. You will need to get them yourself after increasing your rank."

"….."

This was the usual way things worked in any type of organization, so I did not mind.

"Yet, let me tell you one thing," Reina said as she started walking, her tone carrying a hint of intrigue.

I followed her, curious about what she had to say.

"As you increase your rank and complete missions, you will be able to evolve your eyes more. The evolutions you had previously on your own are just the beginning."

It seemed that being here wouldn't be too bad.

"And also, there is no need to hide your capabilities here."