Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 463 104.4 - Everchanging Glyph

As I was thrown into the orange water, an overwhelming wave of pain coursed through my body. It was as if every fiber of my being was being torn apart and reconstructed at the same time. My bones, muscles, arms, and skeleton – everything felt like it was being broken down and rebuilt anew.

The agony was incomparable to anything I had ever experienced before. It was far worse than the engraving process itself. The searing pain felt as though my body was burning from the inside out, similar to the intense burning sensation I had felt when consuming the essence provided by Senior Maya.

'No. That is even worse than that.'

It was so much that my vision blurred, and I struggled to maintain consciousness. The pain was relentless, refusing to let up even for a moment. It felt like an eternity, and my senses were overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the transformation.

Just as I thought I couldn't endure it any longer, the pain began to subside, replaced by a strange sense of clarity and strength. I could feel my body adapting, the Everchanging Glyph integrating fully into my being. Every muscle, every bone, every fiber felt different – stronger, more resilient.

After what felt like hours, the orange water lost its glow, and I was left floating there, exhausted but transformed. Slowly, I managed to pull myself out of the water, my body still trembling from the ordeal.

Thalia and her team were there, watching with a mix of concern and curiosity. Dakota stood at the edge of the pool, her expression unreadable.

"How do you feel?" Dakota asked, her voice steady.

I took a moment to gather myself, then replied, "Different. Stronger."

"How about the pain?"

"I am already used to it."

"Good," Dakota replied with a nod, satisfied with my response.

Thalia approached a tablet in her hand. "Let's go over how this glyph works and the direction you'll need to take moving forward."

She tapped the tablet, bringing up a series of charts and metrics. "First, let's look at your body parameters before and after the integration. The Everchanging Glyph is designed to optimize your physical state for any weapon or combat style you use. It will constantly adapt, ensuring that your body is always in the best possible condition."

Thalia showed me a detailed breakdown of my body metrics. The screen displayed various data points: muscle density, bone strength, reflex speed, and other vital statistics. I could see the significant improvements in each category, highlighting the transformation my body had undergone.

"As you can see," Thalia continued, "your muscle density has increased by 25%, your bone strength by 30%, and your reflex speed has improved by 20%. These enhancements will give you a significant advantage in combat."

She paused, looking at me with a serious expression. "However, it's important to note that the glyph is not a replacement for training. It enhances your abilities, but you must continue to train and push your limits to fully utilize its potential."

"Understood," I said, absorbing the information.

Thalia nodded. "Good. Now, let's discuss the direction of your training. The Everchanging Glyph will allow you to adapt quickly to different weapons and combat styles. You'll need to practice with a variety of weapons to ensure your body can adjust seamlessly. This means dedicating time to both familiar and unfamiliar weapons."

Dakota chimed in, "In the future, we'll be incorporating a diverse range of weapons into your training regimen. You'll need to become proficient with each one, understanding how the glyph modifies your body in response to different fighting techniques." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Thalia continued, "Additionally, you'll need to monitor your body's responses closely. The glyph is powerful, but it may require a significant amount of mana to function effectively in some states. Especially if you are not proficient and your body has not recorded the optimal state. In that case, the mana and the time will be used while your body searches it on its own. That is why you must not try a completely new weapon without training with it before. If you are doing so, you must deactivate your glyph. It will backfire otherwise."

"Understood," I repeated, my mind already processing the implications of the training ahead.

"Additionally," Thalia said, "you'll be given a special diet program to ensure your body develops at the optimal rate. The Everchanging Glyph requires a high level of nutrition to support its adaptive capabilities."

She glanced at a screen displaying my past records of eating and noted the combination of meals I had consumed, some of which didn't taste particularly good but were rich in nutrients. She nodded approvingly. "It's good to see you're not a picky eater. This will make following the diet program much easier."

I nodded, understanding the importance of proper nutrition. "I'll follow the diet closely."

"Excellent," Thalia replied. "The program includes a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals. You'll be consuming a lot of high-energy foods to support the intense training regimen and the demands of the glyph."

Dakota added, "Your meal plan will be updated regularly based on your progress. The chefs in the cafeteria have been briefed and will prepare your meals according to the plan. Make sure you stick to it."

"Understood," I said, appreciating the thoroughness of their approach. Every aspect of my training and development was meticulously planned and monitored, ensuring I had the best possible chance of success.

Thalia handed me a detailed meal plan outlining the specific foods I needed to consume and their nutritional values. "Keep this with you and follow it closely. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always come to me."

"Thank you," I said, taking the meal plan and glancing over it. The variety of foods was impressive, and while some items were unfamiliar, I was willing to try anything to enhance my abilities.

Dakota gave a final nod. "Rest and recover for now. Tomorrow, we'll start incorporating the new training elements. Be prepared."

As I left the chamber, I felt a weird feeling all across my body, but at the same time, I could not help but feel satisfied.

'After all this time, it seems my luck is finally turning to my side.' Whether or not this was a very good improvement. Something that came out of nowhere without any preparations from my side, yet something that was very welcome.

Returning to my room, I noticed that Kael and Lyra were already asleep. They hadn't sensed my movements, a testament to my improved skills in erasing my presence. I moved silently, careful not to disturb them, and entered my room, shutting the door quietly behind me.

With a sigh of relief, I threw myself onto the bed, feeling the comfortable mattress beneath me. The events of the day played through my mind, the pain of the engraving, and the transformation I had undergone. Exhaustion washed over me, and despite the lingering discomfort, I felt a sense of accomplishment. The Everchanging Glyph was now a part of me, a powerful tool that would help me reach new heights.

As I lay there, I let my thoughts drift, feeling the weight of the day's training and the promise of tomorrow's challenges.

But before that, there was something that I needed to do, something that I needed to check.

'Status.' I thought in my head, and following that, the panel appeared right before my face.

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

▶Name: Astron Natusalune

▶Occupation: Weapon Master (level 3 --> 4)

▶Talent Limit: 9 ▶Passives:

Vengeful Bane Bloodline Resonance Psychic Cognizance

▶Attributes:

Variable Attributes:

 Strength: 3.87 --> 4.85

 Dexterity: 4.3 --> 5.13

 Agility: 4.64 --> 5.20

 Constitution: 3.89 --> 4.88

 Intuition: 4.70 --> 5.26

 Magical Power: 5.01 --> 5.61

 Mana Capacity: 4.02 --> 4.88

▶Traits:

Perceptive Insight (Epic)(Unchanging)

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

Shadowborne (Legendary) (Growth Type)(Stage 2)

▶Arts:

Lethal Arsenal Ascendancy (????)(%29 --> 35)

▶Skills:

Eyes of Hourglass

▶Body Imprints:

Everchanging Glyph

▶Bonds:

Aurora Raven (Rare)(Growth Type)

Celestalith, The Transcendent Eclipse

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

Seeing my updated status, I couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. My level had increased, and my attributes had made significant leaps. The Everchanging Glyph was already making a noticeable impact, boosting my physical and magical capabilities. The progress in my arts and the stability of my traits and skills were promising signs of my development.

"Looks like all the hard work is paying off," I muttered to myself.

I began to analyze my parameters in detail. My strength had risen to 4.85, a substantial increase. This, combined with my enhanced dexterity and agility, meant my overall combat efficiency had skyrocketed.

My agility was now at 5.20, making me quicker and more responsive in battle. Dexterity, now at 5.13, would enhance my precision and control, crucial for a Weapon Master.

With the way my stats were right now, I could fight toe-to-toe against the top 200 students at Arcadia Hunter Academy based on parameters alone. I clenched my fists, feeling the newfound strength coursing through my body. Finally, my endurance and strength had closed the gap between them and my other stats. My physical parameters were a lot more stable thanks to the enhancements from the Everchanging Glyph.

My constitution, now at 4.88, meant I could endure more in combat without tiring as quickly. The increase in my intuition to 5.26 would enhance my perception and reaction times, which are critical for anticipating and countering enemy movements. My magical power and mana capacity had also improved significantly, now standing at 5.61 and 4.88, respectively. This would allow me to harness more mana for extended periods, crucial for both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Feeling a surge of confidence, I flexed my muscles, testing their responsiveness. Every movement felt more precise, every action more controlled.

Curious about the Everchanging Glyph and its full potential, I opened its description on my status panel. Another screen appeared, filled with intricate details about the glyph and its workings.

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

Everchanging Glyph

Description: The Everchanging Glyph is an ancient and powerful rune that continuously adapts the wielder's body to optimize the use of any weapon. It ensures that muscles, tendons, and bones are always in an ideal state, enhancing strength, dexterity, and agility based on the current weapon and combat style.

This glyph consumes a steady flow of mana to function, with increased consumption during combat or weapon switching. Though it provides significant enhancements, it requires the user to maintain rigorous training and proficiency with various weapons.

Originally crafted by ancient weapon masters to transcend physical limits, the glyph's secrets were lost for centuries before being rediscovered and refined.

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

Reading the panel, I nodded. This was exactly what I had been informed of. But at the end of the paragraph, one sentence took my attention.

"Originally crafted by ancient weapon masters to transcend physical limits, the glyph's secrets were lost for centuries before being rediscovered and refined."

I read it aloud, the words resonating in my mind. An image flashed before my eyes: a certain blacksmith who had made my weapon—Celestalith.

"Could it be...?" I murmured to myself. The familiarities between the description of the Everchanging Glyph and the unique attributes of Celestalith were uncanny.

I remembered the blacksmith, Vorgvir. He mentioned ancient techniques and forgotten arts when forging Celestalith, but at the time, I hadn't fully grasped the significance.

"Haha…..It is pretty ironic, is it not, old man?" I shook my head as I remembered the face Vorgvir made when I mentioned his vengeance.

"Finding another one of your legacies."

The life was filled with coincidences indeed. Just like that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.