Orion stood in front of the bathroom mirror.
Today was the first day of his academy class and he was covered in bandages. Both his arms were wrapped completely, and a large bandage covered his neck.
The Furballs had done their work well.
He pulled on a long-sleeved shirt slowly, his arms protesting as the fabric dragged against the bandages. He adjusted the sleeves, making sure they covered the worst of it.
Good enough.
He grabbed the suppressant from his bag and went to his mother's room. He had already administered two of the doses he got from the pharmacy, and this would be the final dose. She was still asleep, her breathing quiet and even. Whenever she was asleep it meant she wasn't in pain, so he was relieved even though he knew it wouldn't last.
He knelt beside her bed and uncapped the suppressant, finding the injection site on her hip that he'd used so many times he didn't need to think about it anymore. He pressed the needle in and pushed the plunger, then set the empty vial on her nightstand.
In the kitchen he found one potato in the cabinet and nothing else.
Better than nothing.
He wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven while he got ready, and by the time it was done the sun was starting to come up outside.
He ate it on the way to the door. It tasted bland and dry, but at least it was food. He finished it before stepping outside and locking up, leaving his bag and knife behind since the doctors said he couldn't ride his bike for two weeks. Walking was easier with his hands free anyway.
The academy sat right next to the hunter's office, close enough that he could see the containment zone gateway in the distance. Unlike the office's plain concrete, the academy was built from red brick and looked solid, like it had been there a long time.
The entrance had a card reader that said INSERT HUNTER ID. He pressed his card against it and the lock clicked, then the door opened into an empty lobby with just a bulletin board and a hallway leading deeper inside.
Am I that early?
The lobby was empty and quiet. He found the class listings on the board and saw his name under Class C with about fifteen other names.
He followed the signs until he reached a door marked C, checked that his sleeves covered the bandages, then pushed the door open and went inside.
The room was small, with benches arranged in rows. Fourteen people sat scattered across them, all roughly his age. They turned to look at him when he walked in, some of them looking as though they had seen a ghost.
He walked to the back and sat down in an empty seat while people kept staring.
Is there a stain on my shirt? He checked his clothes but couldn't find anything.
He pulled out his phone and tried to ignore their lingering stares until class started.
A large man walked into the room. He was massive, easily over six feet with broad shoulders and arms that looked like they could break stone. A scar ran from his temple down across his jaw and neck, pale against his skin.
He picked up a marker and wrote VIKTOR STEELE on the whiteboard, then turned to face the class with his arms crossed.
"I am your professor, teacher, mentor, trainer, whatever you want to call me."
His voice was high-pitched and light, almost cheerful, like it belonged to someone half his size. The contrast was so bizarre that Orion almost laughed, and he saw a couple other students fighting smiles too.
"This is not a high school class. If you're going to cause disruptions you can leave now, because I won't tolerate it."
He waited, looking around like he expected someone to walk out.
"Otherwise they will not be tolerated."
"This class runs from seven in the morning to seven at night." A few people shifted in their seats. "If you don't like that then become a high schooler."
He paused.
"Also, as long as you're in my class, you're forbidden from hunting outside of class."
A kid in the front raised his hand, but Professor Steele ignored it.
"I know it's not a guild rule, but it's my rule. If you don't like it you can pay to transfer. But if you break this rule, I won't let you become a hunter."
The doctors had told Orion to wait at least two weeks because of his injuries. Now the professor was adding another two on top of that. A full month without income.
"There's no attendance because the academy is optional," He continued. "You can hunt without it, but if you don't want to die like dozens of new hunters every few months, this is a good choice."
His eyes swept across the room.
"We don't care about your abilities—we teach you how to hunt. How you use your ability to assist you is up to you."
He leaned against the desk, then straightened and pointed at the first row.
"Let's start with introductions. You first."
The first student stood up.
"My name is Marcus, and my ability is enhanced reflexes," he said.
Professor Steele nodded and pointed to the next person, but before they could speak, the door swung open and three girls walked in, all three of them were beautiful. Two of them were clearly twins, identical down to the way they moved, both with blonde hair pulled back in ponytails. The third girl walked behind them. She had long straight black hair flowing freely.
The professor gestured for them to come forward.
One of the twins spoke up. "Sorry we're late. I'm Elena Marlowe, and my ability is sound." The other twin spoke. "I'm Aria Marlowe, and my ability is also sound."
Then Elena placed a hand on the third girl's shoulder. "And this is Serra. I am pretty sure everyone related to the hunting world knows about her."
A few students nodded like that made sense. Orion had no idea who she was.
Even the professor seemed surprised.
He announced, "Everybody welcome Serra from House Opera. She is one of the only few sentinels in the world, and she has a unique ability: full body regeneration."
The group led by the twins sat in front of Orion.
He'd seen hunters use magi-tech before on the streams. Weapons, armor, and drones powered by monster cores and engineering. But he'd never seen hunters use magic directly, like it was part of them.
It was news to Orion that people could have abilities like that. Actual magic, not just enhancements.
Maybe he had something like that too. Something he just hadn't unlocked yet. He pictured himself with an ability like Serra's, something rare and valuable. Healing people, charging by the hour. No more hunting, no more risking his life for scraps. Just easy money.
The thought made him feel stupid almost immediately. If he had magic, it would've shown up by now.
The professor's voice cut through his thoughts.
"You. In the back."
Orion stood up quickly as everyone turned to stare.
"My name is Orion." For a moment he forgot the ability he had declared on the forms. "Um, I have... I have enhanced vision."
Professor Steele's eyes widened for just a second before going back to normal.
"So not only do we have a Sentinel but we also have the miracle boy," He said.
Miracle boy?
Orion didn't know what he meant by calling him a miracle boy, but that was the most ironic thing he had heard.
"I don't understand what you mean?"
"Tell me, what do you know about Furballs?"
"They're D-rank monsters," Orion answered, going off what he'd learned from the streams.
"So you don't know how they work."
Orion shook his head.
"Furballs live in colonies," He explained. "They send out a scout as bait. The scout lures prey back, then the whole swarm attacks. Low-level hunters never hunt Furballs alone. Even experienced ones bring backup and gear."
He looked directly at Orion.
"You were lucky it was a small colony. Or you wouldn't be here."
Lucky.
He had gone through hell just hunting those critters and yet he was lucky, but he didn't understand how the professor knew about his hunt.
"How do you know about my hunt?" Orion asked before he could stop himself.
Professor Steele laughed, short and humorless.
"A guild issued drone streams every hunter's hunts to the world. You've been named the miracle boy because nobody thought someone as unprepared as you would survive."
That meant that everyone had heard him scream and cry for his mother. They'd all seen him at his worst. Every pathetic second of it.
Orion felt his face heat up as people stared.
"What do you know about hunters?" The professor's voice was sharper now.
"They hunt monsters for money," Orion said slowly.
"Is that why you became a hunter?"
Orion nodded.
Professor Steele's expression hardened. "Then you're in the wrong profession, kid." His high-pitched voice made the insult sting more. "It's best if you stop before it's too late."
He gestured toward the door.
Orion stood there, staring at the professor.
The silence stretched for a moment before professor Steele's jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he just shook his head and turned back to the class.
Orion sat down slowly. As he did, he noticed all three girls in front of him were looking directly at him. When his eyes met theirs, they turned their faces away.
"Now that we're done with that," he said, "let's talk about what this class actually teaches you."
He picked up the marker and started writing on the board, his handwriting blocky and quick.
SURVIVAL
COMBAT
STRATEGY
"These are the three pillars of hunting," he said, underlining each word. "You can have the strongest ability in the world, but if you don't know how to survive you'll die. You can survive anything, but if you can't fight you'll die the second something decides you're prey. And you can be the best fighter alive, but without strategy you'll walk into situations you can't walk out of."
He turned to face them, his scar making his serious expression look even harsher.
"This class will teach you all three."
He gave a slight smile.
"Then let's begin."