The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

Illustrations: Here

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"Tch-"

Once the ordeal was over, Hajoon tutted in annoyance.

That could have ended in a catastrophe.

Had he been a fraction late in using Time Stop (SSS), it would have been [GAME OVER] for sure.

"Why is this creature here?"

By its look, it was unmistakably the king of magical beasts, ’Antria’, typically found within a magic boundary.

Magical beasts are ranked by threat level, and the creature before him had a level of at least 50. It had no business being in this place.

A threat level of 50 implies that a minimum of two elite heroes are needed to barely defeat it.

Fortunately, the Antria in front of him was a young specimen that had yet to reach maturity.

If it hadn’t been for the creature’s youthful curiosity, it’s certain that Liam and the others would have perished.

"Whew... That was close."

Thankfully, the moment he woke, he activated Time Stop (SSS) just in the nick of time.

There was a slight delay, but the absence of casualties was a stroke of luck.

"Hey. You okay?"

I gently tapped Liam’s cheek.

He seemed to be unconscious, but his breathing indicated he was alive.

After confirming Liam’s status, I surveyed the surroundings.

As expected, with the increase in quest difficulty, the count of magical beasts had spiked dramatically.

Under normal circumstances, Liam would have fended off the wave of magical beasts and then left this tunnel. Given the circumstances, his unconscious state was somewhat understandable.

The number of magical beasts present had increased manifold compared to the original story.

Considering the significant increase in magical beasts and an approximate seven-hour struggle, his fainting was not surprising.

All things considered, the situation didn’t turn out too badly.

After such a battle, it was clear that Liam had grown stronger.

"Well, then..."

Preparing to leave, Hajoon tried to activate Time Stop (SSS).

But at that moment,

As Antria’s corpse abruptly turned into black ash and vanished, a violet, glimmering crystal materialized.

Upon seeing it, Hajoon’s eyes brightened.

"Could this be...?"

A deep violet crystal the size of a fist.

If his memory was correct, it was unmistakably a ’Magic Crystal’.

A resource in this game world equivalent to oil.

Moreover, the deep color of the crystal suggested it held an immense amount of magical power.

"Not bad."

A smile began to form on Hajoon’s face.

Magic Crystals are often used as alchemist’s material, an enhancer of a magician’s power, or a natural resource that replaces oil. However, acquiring a Magic Crystal of this much power is no easy feat.

In the marketplace, the price of these crystals was determined by the quality of the power they contained, so it would be a good means to earn money.

For the moment, I pocketed the Magic Crystal, planning to decide on its use later, and turned my attention to the children.

"Now, what to do with these kids..."

I had already formulated a plan to transport these four.

Just like how I had relocated Liam, my plan was to use Time Stop (SSS), pick the children up during the pause, and float them along like balloons.

As I was about to activate Time Stop (SSS) to execute this,

Philaten, who had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke.

Master, add one more.

"Huh? What?"

Add that one to your trials.

At the same time...

[Job Change Quest]

Quest available character: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Description: Defeat the Magic Beast. (51/100)

Reward: The title of the former owner of Maharazu, Dwarf King Horton, will be given.

Title: Destroyer

The count in the job change quest increased by one.

Staring at the increased count, Hajoon frowned in annoyance.

’Damn it... what a pain.’

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Raei Translations

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Two days later.

The final day of training.

"Where am I......."

Liam, who had been unconscious for two days, slowly opened his eyes.

The ceiling that greeted his gaze was unfamiliar.

Holding his throbbing head, Liam sat up.

Soon, he recognized the place.

It was the cave where he last saw Kim Hajoon.

"Are you awake?"

A girl’s voice prompted Liam to slowly turn his head.

Yoo Seolah.

She sat peacefully, eyes fixed on Liam.

"Huh? Don’t tell me you treated me?"

"Yes. Well, there wasn’t much to treat. You’ve been sleeping all day, mostly because you were exhausted."

"............ Where is he?"

"Hajoon? He’s probably at the cave entrance....... Ah, wait, just a moment!"

At her words, Liam immediately got up and walked towards the cave entrance.

Yoo Seolah tried to stop him, but Liam kept moving in silence.

Before long, the sound of something sizzling and the scent of roasting meat started wafting from the cave entrance.

And there at the entrance, Liam found Kim Hajoon cheerfully roasting meat over a bonfire, using his spear as a spit.

"Oh? You’re awake? I borrowed this for a bit."

Hajoon waved his hand at Liam, with a smile on his face.

Yoo Seolah, unable to bear the sight, hid her face, an expression of impending disaster plastered across it.

’So he ended up seeing it after all............’

Truthfully, Yoo Seolah had tried to prevent it.

Who would be okay with seeing their weapon being used to roast meat?

’I told him it wasn’t right!!’

Yoo Seolah could only inwardly scream, her face filled with indignation.

It seemed that she hadn’t conspired with him in this after all.

She should’ve just dismissed Hajoon’s earlier comments.

-No, no matter what, that’s a bit...

-It’s fine, he is...

-No, it’s not fine at all!

"Sigh... I should’ve put my foot down."

Despite her pleas, Hajoon remained unyielding, leaving her exasperated.

There’s no other headstrong individual like him around here.

When he suggested using her rapier as a spit if she wasn’t pleased, Yoo Seolah was left speechless.

Slowly, she turned her head to gauge Liam’s reaction.

"Huh?"

"Hahaha!"

But Liam, contrary to her expectations, broke into laughter, seemingly amused by the situation.

Following this, he walked towards the fire, plopping down across from Hajoon.

After staring blankly at the fire for a while, Liam addressed Hajoon.

"Where are the kids?"

"I sent them back yesterday. They were eating up all my food, that’s why I’m doing this."

Hajoon let out a sigh, taking a big bite from the skewered meat.

In the midst of his feast, Liam called out to Hajoon.

"Kim Hajoon."

"Hmm? What’s up?"

"Can I request another duel?"

At those words, he wondered if he had been worrying unnecessarily.

Without missing a beat, Hajoon frowned and peered at Liam.

However, Liam’s face wore an expression more tranquil and serious than ever before.

Even Hajoon, who wouldn’t hesitate to rebuke a smiling man, would find it challenging to do the same to such a face.

"Sigh... I already said I would just hand it over. Why do you keep asking for a duel?"

"Please, I’m asking you."

Judging by the tone, it appeared he wouldn’t back down even if refused...

"Alright. Fine."

He figured it would be better to give him a thorough thrashing.

Hajoon shoved the remaining meat into his mouth, and passed the skewer to Liam.

Immediately, Liam, who had received the skewer, stood up slowly. Following suit, Hajoon also rose, drawing out his Maharazu.

"Hey, wait, if you push yourself too hard..."

However, Yoo Seolah’s words fell on deaf ears as Liam assumed his stance without a reply.

To begin with, Liam was currently beyond the reach of any external sounds.

’If only... I could achieve that state once more...’

The moment he committed his whole being to that sensation and focus, a new world unfolded before his eyes.

Liam aimed to relive that feeling once again.

Before long, Liam started concentrating all his senses on Kim Hajoon’s movements.

He stopped his thought process and began to trust his instincts.

Within that slowed down world.

Liam moved his body gradually and approached Kim Hajoon.

What started as an incredibly slow pace started to pick up gradually.

As soon as he came within the reach of his spear, the tip of Liam’s spear targeted Hajoon’s throat.

In an instant.

Bang!!

Liam, caught off guard by the overwhelming force, was sent hurtling backwards before he had a chance to react.

Without any chance of slowing down, he rolled and skidded across the ground.

Boom! Crash!!

He crashed into a tree, and as it is, was embedded into its trunk.

Immediately after, the tree, unable to withstand the force, began to tilt sideways with a heavy thud.

"Aaah!! What are you doing!!"

Taken aback by the spectacle, Yoo Seolah dashed towards Liam.

Having witnessed the scene, Hajoon scratched his head ruefully, wondering if he had perhaps used too much force, and approached Liam.

But upon reaching him, Hajoon fell silent.

"Hahaha!"

Liam was laughing heartily.

Despite the multitude of injuries that marked his body, despite the blood streaming down his forehead, he was laughing so brightly that it seemed to pierce the hearts of the onlookers.

For a moment, the expressions of both Hajoon and Yoo Seolah turned serious.

Yoo Seolah began to whisper softly into Hajoon’s ear.

Did you hit him in the wrong place? I can’t heal a head injury with my ability.

...Did I hit him in the wrong place?

I’m sure I targeted his abdomen, but it seems he must have injured his head while rolling.

The blood streaming down from his forehead confirmed this.

Wearing an extremely grave expression, Hajoon started worrying.

At that point, Liam, appearing to be unharmed, stood up and approached Hajoon.

With a gentle smile on his face, Liam extended a hand to Hajoon, offering a handshake.

"Thank you, for facing me with sincerity."

"........?"

Hajoon responded with a look of surprise, but eventually shook Liam’s hand.

Shortly after, Liam turned around.

Leaving Hajoon and Yoo Seolah behind, Liam walked away, sporting a carefree and contented smile.

"It was a stupid worry."

Was it because he was defeated so easily without even putting up a fight?

His desire to prove himself without relying on the artifact vanished.

He felt as if all the efforts he had made up until this point had been in vain.

Of course, he had no regrets.

Because those efforts were also valuable experiences.

And somehow, he felt as if he now understood the answer to the question that had plagued him so far.

The worry that had fueled his ambition until now.

’Would I still be exceptional if I wasn’t able to wield a mythic-level artifact?’

In a way, it could have been an unwillingness to accept his own self.

Because there never was an answer to that worry in the first place.

Merely having the ability to use that artifact was a talent in itself.

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Raei Translations

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Liam Martel.

A young man entangled in complex emotions, questioning whether the selection of a Mythic Artifact was truly a testament to his power.

Although he often exhibited a cheerful and jovial attitude around the children, he must have been deeply troubled inside.

That is, whether he was on par with those children.

But well... judging by his expression, it seems he has come to a resolution about his concerns.

’Has it been resolved well for now?’

Honestly, I was worried about his mental state after hitting him somewhat excessively, but he seems fine judging by his demeanor.

Since it seems to have been resolved well for now, I returned to the cave and began organizing the supplies I had brought with me.

Shortly after, Yoo Seolah, who had followed me into the cave, began looking at me with a puzzled look.

"What are you doing?"

At her question, Hajoon glanced back at her with a befuddled expression.

Without expressing a word, Hajoon tapped his wrist, and Yoo Seolah, picking up on his gesture, slowly shifted her gaze to her own wristwatch with a confused expression.

Upon checking, the time displayed was 12:00 PM.

"Ah!"

It was the signal to end the training session.

Yoo Seolah’s head began to tilt slowly, as if malfunctioning.

She turned her aggrieved gaze onto Hajoon.

"What? Why?"

"You’re the one who told me to tend to the three kids and Liam, so I didn’t have any time!"

"Ah, um... well..."

Caught off guard, Hajoon shut his mouth tightly and averted his gaze.

Come to think of it, weren’t there penalties for those who didn’t meet the average score?

"Um, er... good luck. I’ll come to cheer you on when I have the time."

"............"

Yoo Seolah, seemingly shocked by Hajoon’s words, could only glare at him in disbelief.

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