The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

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Sage.

In this era, the title "sage" has a unique meaning. While it usually referred to wise individuals with vast knowledge, here, a sage was more like a heaven-sent prodigy.

‘I can do this,’ she convinced herself, her blue eyes glowing brighter than ever. As if reacting to her determination, the magic in the air gathered around her eyes, pulsating. A magical formula, unknown to her until now, flooded her mind.

Ruler of magic.

The sage’s left eye drew the airborne mana into magic and channeled it to her. Her right eye, meanwhile, broadened her understanding and offered her a fresh formula.

The potent magic that had previously shielded her from Karthon began to evolve, taking on a more magnificent form.

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Raei Translations

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Elsewhere, on the first floor’s main hall,

"I really... wish time could last forever!" Karthon was ecstatic.

Before this battle-obsessed maniac stood an adversary that refused to die, even under his full strength. It was a sight to thrill him.

On the contrary, Hajoon felt irritated to the point of despair, his annoyance evident on his face.

"What nonsense."

Karthon’s extraordinary strength, of course, was somewhat comprehensible.

The main villain.

He was the final boss that the players had to overcome. Unlike other primary villains who were part of a group, he stood alone, signifying he held the power of an entire group.

"Ugh...."

Regrettably, a method to end him here and now didn’t happen to Hajoon.

I paused, catching my breath and recuperating from fatigue, sighing heavily.

That’s when I heard it.

The static from a walkie-talkie broke the silence, followed by a voice.

-Are you still alive?

"Anna?"

The voice belonged to Anna.

She quickly resumed speaking.

-I’m about to cast a spell. Can you come up here right now?

Upon hearing those words,

A slow smile spread across Hajoon’s face.

Simultaneously, although he couldn’t sense it, Karthon felt a significant shift in magical power from above.

"Ugh... This is..."

A powerful surge of magic began to focus in one spot.

As he observed the spectacle, a past memory flashed in Karthon’s mind.

The mighty magic manifested by an eight-year-old girl.

The moment his power had been stopped by that grand magic.

The biggest mistake he had made.

"Ugh!"

Karthon’s body began to inflate rapidly.

As Karthon, his body now swollen, was about to leap towards the ceiling,

Hajoon swiftly activated Time Stop (SSS).

The moment time started again,

Whoosh!

"?!?!"

A look of confusion appeared on Karthon’s face.

Simultaneously, the countless puppets that had appeared froze, mirroring his shock. Karthon was unable to understand the abrupt changes happening to his body.

"This is..."

Slowly, Karthon lifted his right arm and began inspecting his own eye.

A flood of blood was gushing out.

His vision blurred, clouded by the relentless flow of blood.

In an instant, everything darkened.

"You..."

Karthon started to snarl at Hajoon, as though demanding an explanation.

But Hajoon wasn’t looking at Karthon.

He was signaling Anna, pointing up at the ceiling.

"Activate it."

But, you are!

"Just do it quickly."

Understood.

After leaving that message for Anna, Hajoon shifted his attention back to Karthon.

Immediately, Karthon’s face twisted in fury.

"What have you done?!"

Lowering his stance, Karthon lunged at Hajoon.

In response, Hajoon’s voice came out, icy and firm.

"Stay put."

Boom!

Suddenly, Karthon’s massive body started to buckle forward.

"Cough!"

A pained groan escaped Karthon’s lips for the first time.

He clenched his teeth and gripped his lower body.

A fierce surge of magical energy swirled around Hajoon, but he merely looked down at the figure lying on the ground, his words echoing calmly.

"If you move, I’ll kill you."

"You, you!!"

There wasn’t a way to kill the bastard, but there was a method to hold him down for a moment.

It was a last-resort measure.

It would be a crippling blow for a normal person, but given his superhuman abilities, if he powered through the pain, it was certain he could demolish a hotel in a blink.

That’s why Hajoon had waited until Anna’s grand magic was activated.

In the real world, it was only a few hours, but within the frozen time, a month had passed.

His boundless mental strength had allowed him to endure.

Now, there was no need to hold back anymore.

Even as the hotel crumbled around them, Anna’s protective barrier would undoubtedly hold firm.

"I don’t need to deal with you anymore."

With those final words, Hajoon turned his back.

With indifference in his eyes, Hajoon started for the staircase.

Clop- Clop- Hajoon’s footsteps echoed as he walked away.

It was a jab at Karthon’s pride, but Karthon was immobilized.

Blindly, Karthon swiveled his head in search of Hajoon, but there was no trace of him to be found.

And the one left behind was Karthon.

"Grrr!! How dare you!! How dare you!!"

Why couldn’t he move?

Was it the pain?

No.

He could endure the pain and still move.

It was simply... fear that held him back.

The moment that realization dawned on him,

"Aaaaahh!!"

A scream, filled with pain and rage at his first ever defeat, rang through the hotel. As expected by Hajoon, Karthon began to thrash around in a fit of destructive rampage.

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Raei Translations

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Meanwhile, on the central staircase at the 45th floor.

"Has Hajoon not arrived yet?"

Anna’s desperate voice asked Yoo Seolah, but her face was filled with concern.

"Just... Let’s wait a little longer, Miss Anna."

"......"

Yoo Seolah’s voice was choked with worry, but Anna was already braced for the worst.

She remembered his last words.

Activate it.

But, you are!

It’s fine, do it quickly.

Understood.

Those were Hajoon’s final words…

He was clearly planning to sacrifice himself to buy time.

Someone needed to stall Karthon until the Grand Magic was fully activated.

And Hajoon had taken that role upon himself.

Therefore, her duty now was not to waste his sacrifice.

"I’ll... I’ll cast the... spell......"

With gritted teeth and streaming tears, Anna activated the magic.

A huge magic circle took shape around her and a blue curtain began to unfurl, encompassing the surroundings.

The activation of the Grand Magic.

A Grand Magic which began to manifest its power, designed to save everyone but one person.

"......I’m sorry."

Anna, after activating the Grand Magic, slumped onto the floor, her strength drained.

The harsh reality that someone had to be sacrificed to save others was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I’m......"

"......"

In front of the two women, lost in a world of sorrow as if they had lost something dear,

"......"

Hajoon stood on the 45th floor, looking at them with an incredulous expression.

His eyes roamed their faces and a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

"Huh......."

From their conversation, one would think someone had died.

Although Hajoon was stunned, he was too exhausted to respond to their words.

The real world time that had passed was two to three hours.

But in the stopped time, he had been battling for over a month.

It was time to rest.

"Hey."

"......Huh?"

"……Ha-joon?"

At the sight of Hajoon, both women gaped as if they had seen a ghost.

Hajoon looked down at them, shaking his head in disbelief, and spoke.

"Keep the barrier up. They’re still alive."

At Hajoon’s words, the women, who had been momentarily teary-eyed, ran over and embraced him.

Hajoon looked contemplative for a moment as he watched them.

Yoo Seolah then spoke.

"Thank you... really. I heard that you saved my sister."

His eyes fell on her tear-streaked face.

Hajoon found himself hesitating, unsure of how to react.

The sensation was foreign to him.

In all honesty, this was the first time he had received such heartfelt gratitude.

Still, the situation hadn’t been fully resolved yet.

"Maintain the barrier until morning. By then, the association should have noticed something’s off."

At Hajoon’s instruction, Anna steadied herself and nodded.

She had many questions and words tumbling around in her mind, but just as Hajoon had said, they would have to wait until the crisis was over.

The situation wasn’t over yet.

"Understood."

After quickly regaining her composure, Anna began focusing on the barrier again.

Had it not been for Hajoon, many people, hostages included, could have perished.

She couldn’t waste the precious opportunity he had created.

"Just leave it to me now. I won’t waste the time you’ve bought us."

The battle against time had begun.

Anna had to keep the barrier up until sunrise.

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Raei Translations

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Boom––––!! Crash––––!!

Loud sounds echoed through the hotel.

At least 300 of Karthon’s puppets clung to the barrier, while the enraged Karthon himself hurled his body against it, trying to break through.

“Krraaaaak!! Come out!!”

Each time Karthon charged, the barrier wavered noticeably.

The whole hotel trembled as if it was in the grip of an earthquake, testament to Karthon’s overwhelming power.

Honestly, the resistance was greater than he’d expected.

In the game, it wasn’t this intense.

However, unlike in the game, many people had survived Karthon’s onslaught and now, with bloodshot eyes, Karthon was furiously thrashing about.

Sure, my intervention has made them more stubborn, but there’s no cause for concern.

The barrier was as resilient as Hajoon had anticipated.

Only a magic spell potent enough to withstand his power and Anna’s endless magic could sustain such a barrier.

As time went on, the barrier became even more unyielding, making it virtually impossible for Karthon to shatter it.

And so time went by.

The shouting dwindled and the tremors subsiding, the hotel grew quiet.

By the time dawn approached,

The dark curtain that had shrouded the entire hotel began to lift.

In that moment,

The people who had been cowering in fear began cheering, their eyes brimming with tears of joy.

“It, it’s over!”

“We survived! We survived!!”

The survivors began shouting and cheering.

They had all made it through an attack by an S-rank villain, a catastrophe on par with a natural disaster.

And the boy who had saved them all?

“Krrrr......”

Basking in the warm morning sunlight, he was asleep on the sofa, his face relaxed and peaceful as he snored.

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Raei Translations

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The Nephertem terror incident executed by the Villain Alliance had turned South Korea upside down.

News that Karthon, the notorious S-rank villain from Britain, had led the large-scale assault carried out by the Alliance sent shockwaves around the world.

At the same time, the event occurred during an external joint support training session of Rokia Academy, leading many to question whether the Villain Alliance specifically targeted this event.

Naturally, there was widespread concern for the students’ safety, and the Academy faced a storm of criticism. However, strangely, the media reported that there had been no casualties, except for four security guards.

Initially, the astonishing reports were met with disbelief.

The fact that there were survivors was surprising enough, but the revelation that the savior was a student was even more shocking.

Yet, as soon as the student’s name was announced, the public seemed to accept it.

The future sage.

It was none other than Anna Elizabeth Hartel.

Inevitably, Anna’s reputation soared in the wake of the incident. Media outlets and YouTube channels were filled with stories about her heroics.

However, whispers of another student who had aided in the rescue efforts began to circulate online. The rumors originated from one of the guests who had experienced the events first hand.

These whispers never reached mainstream media and the source of the rumors was murky at best. Consequently, they slowly started to fade away.

Then, about two days after the incident, a video appeared on YouTube that sent shockwaves through the public.

A video that candidly captured the events of that night.

Just that single video was enough to stir the world.

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