End of Training

[ Somewhere in the Hunter Academy... ]

A man with a sharp face and broad shoulders was sitting in a sturdy wooden chair, his fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest.

While waiting, he glanced at the person sitting across from him, an old woman with wisdom etched into every line on her weathered face and a sense of quiet strength emanating from her. She was dressed in a flowing robe, the fabric complementing her distinguished, silver hair.

In the woman's hands she held a stack of papers, each filled with nimble handwriting and detailed information. Her eyes scanned the pages with a focused intensity, taking in every word and analyzing every piece of data.

Finally, she placed the stack of papers on the table and looked up at the man before her.

"It's quite hard to believe..."

Rubbing her temples, the woman let out a heavy sigh as she spoke. Her voice was calm, however, her crimson-red eyes were burning with subtle anger.

"What are you trying to pull here, Kyle?"

The mana in the room seemed to thicken and swirl, making even Kyle, an A- Rank Awakener feel the intense pressure from the woman's gaze. However, none of his emotions were shown on his stone-like face.

"I assure you, Headmistress, everything that is recorded in those reports is accurate."

Crossing his arms over his chest to hide the slight trembling of his hands, Kyle met the Headmistress's intense gaze with unwavering determination.

For a second, both figures locked eyes, a tense silence filling the room.

It didn't last long though, as the Headmistress leaned back in her chair and let out a deep, contemplative sigh.

"You do understand how unbelievable this sounds? Awakening while being sixteen years old, in the middle of the monster realm at that?"

She paused for a moment, her gaze softening as she continued.

"Kyle, do you truly comprehend the implications of what you're saying?"

Kyle nodded, his expression stoic yet filled with a flicker of excitement.

Seeing his expression the director could only shake her head.

"If that's true, then we might have a generational talent on our hands, someone who could potentially match the talent of the current prodigies from noble families... Where is that 'Kai' you are speaking of now?"

Tapping her fingers on the table in contemplation, the Headmistress's eyes narrowed as she awaited Kyle's response.

"..."

For the first time in a long while, a flicker of emotion crossed Kyle's face. It was a slight grin mixed with a hint of awkwardness.

"Don't tell me..."

Placing her hand on her face, the headmistress sighed and shook her head, unable to believe what she was about to hear.

"He's still within the monster realm?"

Lifting her head to meet Kyle's gaze once again, she could see the affirmation in his eyes and felt as if somebody had just thrown a bucket of cold water over her.

"You are telling me that you found a prodigy among prodigies and left him stranded in the monster realm?"

Heat rose in the director's cheeks as she finally grasped the situation.

"Go grab Alexandra and bring Kai from that forest immediately. If he is still alive, that is!"

Trying to hold back from smashing Kyle's head into the wall, she leaned back in her chair and watched as Kyle quickly left the room to fulfill her orders.

For a moment, she simply stared at the door before raising from her seat and approaching the window.

"Granddaughter... You might find a little competition in our academy."

Looking at the vibrant campus below, the Headmistress felt a small spark of excitement for the first time in a few decades.

"I wonder.. maybe he can even beat you."

***

Thud...

Swinging open the doors of the headmistress's office, Kyle quickly stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

As soon as the old woman disappeared from his sight, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"That witch is an SS- Rank Awakener for a reason..."

He muttered to himself while brushing the sweat off his forehead.

After a few more moments of collecting himself, Kyle straightened his posture and began making his way through the massive academy campus.

As he passed through crowds of students, most of them bowed in respect and greeting as they recognized him.

"Professor, Kyle."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Kyle returned the greetings with a polite smile and continued on his way.

Finally, he arrived at a massive training ground where a class of students were engaged in vigorous combat training. He quickly scanned through the students and spotted a woman with curly hair and a tattoo painted across her face.

"Professor, Alexandra."

Raising his hand, Kyle called out to get Alexandra's attention, making her turn towards him. Seeing his urgent expression, she quickly told her students to take a break and walked over to Kyle.

Before she could even ask what was going on, Kyle cut straight to the chase.

"The Director ordered to bring Kai back from the monster realm immediately."

Momentarily confused Alexandra processed Kyle's words before her eyes widened in realization.

"Didn't he say that he wants to stay there and continue his training until the academy starts?"

Alexandra raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, but the Headmistress doesn't seem to like this idea as well and we both know that she'll either send someone after him or bring him back forcibly if necessary."

Shaking his head Kyle closed his eyes.

'Sorry, Kai but your training will end faster than you expected.'