The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

Schedule: N/A, just catching up to the previous tl

Illustrations: Here

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Ever heard of the elegant swan gliding on a lake?

That’s me, I tell you.

"So tiresome..."

I wish someone would value my effort.

As the hotel descended into darkness, I quickly grabbed a flashlight and started looking for the circuit breaker, down the stairwell.

For now, I decided against using Time Stop (SSS) and chose to grind instead.

There was no other way.

I’m not like a typical person or even a superhuman, I don’t have any extraordinary senses.

Aside from Time Stop (SSS) and my mental state, I’m just like any ordinary person.

So, naturally, finding the circuit breaker wasn’t easy for me.

Of course, it’s not that I had no options.

"Is it here?"

Nope... Next floor then.

"Damn it!"

Curse you, Philaten.

Still, she was quite useful.

When I asked if she could locate the circuit breaker, she gave a somewhat hopeful answer.

’It’s surely between the 40th and 50th floor...’

In the game too, the location of the circuit breaker was randomized.

Surely, I could make a rough guess as to where the circuit breaker might be.

Even though it was random, in the game, the circuit breaker was usually found between the 40th and 50th floor.

Found it.

"Did you spot it?"

If you dig into that flower pot, you should find the circuit breaker.

"Ah..."

The circuit breaker was about the size of a hand.

With circuit breakers of this size tucked away everywhere, you’d have to dig up flower pots or break things to locate them.

Naturally, I couldn’t trigger Time Stop (SSS) in a frozen space. Inside such a space, only I, or anything hovering, can move.

"At last... I’ve found them all."

Hajoon pulled out the remaining nine circuit breakers he’d stored in his pocket.

A total of ten circuit breakers.

He placed them on the ground, and then Hajoon struck them with Maharazu.

Bang! Crack-

Fragments turning into dust.

Hajoon, who had smashed them into dust, quickly called out to Philaten.

"Philaten."

-What is it, master?

"See you later."

Hajoon triggered Time Stop (SSS).

-That is-

Tick- Tick- Tick-

The ticking of the second hand.

Space slowing down.

Click-

And with the stop of the second hand’s ticking.

Time stopped.

"Now then......"

Hajoon walked down the central staircase and reached the main hall on the ground floor.

As expected, despite the security guards, the ground floor was already overrun by the Villain Alliance. Of course, it was somewhat expected.

The Villain Alliance had applied too much force.

Hajoon’s eyes moved towards a burly man with a black hood pulled over his head.

The most notorious S-rank villain in England.

The Hero Killer, Karthon.

The villain destined to end Anna in this red quest.

"I’ll handle you later."

With time stopped, he was somewhat at ease.

Hajoon promptly left the hotel through the main entrance, half shattered by their assault.

What followed was a sight of a menacing purple gate, shimmering ominously.

Hajoon stopped before the gate, momentarily lost in thought.

’Hmm... this is a first...’

The space beyond was something he hadn’t experienced even in the game.

If only the place beyond was the Villain Alliance’s base...

But avoiding it wasn’t an option.

There was another girl he needed to save after Anna.

Hajoon cautiously stepped into the gate.

Once he confirmed there was no anomaly, he entered without hesitation.

"Wow~"

The sight that greeted him upon entering the gate was a wide, open space filled with an abandoned factory.

Inside the deserted factory, countless villains waited.

Regrettably, it didn’t seem to be the Villain Alliance’s base.

But he still had a task to accomplish.

"Hmm... I wonder if she’s somewhere around here......"

Hajoon’s primary reason for stepping through this gate was to locate Yoo Seolah’s younger sister. Undoubtedly, her younger sister’s kidnapping would have been completed before the plan to abduct Yoo Seolah was executed.

"Ah, there she is."

While making his way through the crowd and passing them, in mid-stride.

Hajoon spotted an unconscious young girl being carried over the shoulder of a villain.

A girl with pristine white hair, appearing to be about 8 years old.

Without a doubt, it was Yoo Seolah’s younger sister, Yoo Soona.

In the game setup, Soona was a girl with a leg disability.

Once a normal girl, she lost feeling in her legs due to abnormalities in her magical circuit that occurred upon awakening. The Villain Alliance seized Soona, in her debilitated state, planning to use her as a hostage to obtain Seolah’s healing magic.

"Tsk- there are too many of them."

Hajoon surveyed the surroundings, lifting Maharazu in his hand.

Hundreds of villains encircled Hajoon.

Stationed in their midst, Hajoon gripped Maharazu firmly and began his operation.

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Raei Translations

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In the fog of her consciousness, Soona gradually regained her senses and opened her eyes.

All Soona could do was tremble in fear.

"W-who... are you?"

She saw a man carrying her on his back, moving towards a destination.

Just as she was shuddering in an indistinct fear of this stranger she was encountering for the first time,

The man spoke.

"A friend of your sister."

"M-my sister?"

"Yes."

Taken aback, Soona looked at Hajoon for a moment before she started to survey her surroundings.

The hordes of villains that were once in number now clung to walls or laid on the ground.

Looking blankly at the scene, Soona realized she was being carried in a comfortable position.

"Ah! Are you really a friend of my sister’s?"

"Yes."

"Then where are we going?"

"To your sister."

Hajoon was calm in answering her curious inquiries.

But his nonchalant response reassured Soona.

The fear she had felt a moment ago started to dissolve.

She felt safe.

Soona closed her eyes for a moment, nestling her head into Hajoon’s back.

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Raei Translations

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Meanwhile, in the taken over central main hall of the first floor.

Lee Junho, Head of Security Team 1, who was being held back by the villain, surveyed his surroundings.

"I didn’t expect that guy to show up..."

The central main hall was filled with many people, including security guards, who were held back.

There were guests who were heroes from the association, but due to the identity of the invading villain, they were in a situation where they could not easily move.

Before their eyes stood the S-rank villain, the Hero Killer Karthon.

One of the most feared villains in England stood before them.

Even if all the security personnel in this place charged him, it seemed unlikely they could win.

Despite this, Lee Junho had no intention of giving up.

After carefully gauging the villains’ reactions, he quietly spoke to Jang Hyun, the Head of Security Team 2.

-"Hey, Team 2 leader."

-"Yes. I know. We’ll move simultaneously."

-"Don’t say such foolish things. You focus on evacuating the guests."

-"But alone..."

-"Please."

Jang Hyun, gritting his teeth, understood the kind of resolve Lee Junho had made.

Following that, Lee Junho began to quietly count down.

-"One, two, three!"

Just as he counted to three.

Thud- thud-

A young boy entered through the front door.

The boy, with a girl on his back, was slowly walking towards the hostages.

All the eyes of the guests, security personnel, and villains began to focus on the boy.

It was an uncanny moment.

The situation was so bizarre that even the villains stopped in their tracks.

Then, the boy headed straight to Lee Junho.

And Lee Junho was able to recognize the boy.

"You, you’re definitely!"

A student who had been assigned to his team.

His name was Kim Hajoon.

Though he was a top student, the boy lacked ambition, and he was stationed in the main hall.

The boy approached him and handed over the girl he was carrying on his back.

"Can you look after her?"

"Huh! Miss Soona?!"

"And give me a walkie-talkie."

For a moment, Lee Junho, unable to gather his thoughts, began to look alternately at Hajoon and Yoo Soona.

Following that, Hajoon began speaking into the head of security’s radio.

"Ah~ Ah~ There are villains taking hostages in the main hall on the first floor. I’m going to rescue them."

"What?! But how did you get the radio!"

"Listen carefully. I’m going to create an opportunity. Take the guests and head to the top floor."

"Wa, wait! What are you sa......"

Those were his last words before he disappeared.

At the same time.

BOOM––––––––! WHOOSH! CRASH!!

The situation exploded in an instant.

Karthon, who had been standing calmly, was abruptly flung far away and crashed into a wall, and the villains who had been surrounding the hostages began to scatter and vomit blood.

In a blink, amidst the chaos,

Lee Junho and Jang Hyun, having witnessed this horrifying scene, were left speechless.

After that.

"Gasp! Qu, quickly, you must go up the stairs to the upper floors! Quickly!"

The heads of Security Teams 1 and 2, who had finally recovered, quickly guided the guests towards the upper floors.

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Raei Translations

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Meanwhile, having regained his senses, Karthon slowly began to rise, clearing away the rubble.

"Hmm…"

He fell silent, lost in thought for a moment.

"I didn’t see it. I didn’t feel it either, it was just a moment…"

His solemn voice echoed throughout, followed by a man in a suit entering through the hotel’s front door.

It was the Puppeteer.

He opened his mouth to speak to Karthon.

"All the personnel who were on standby to kidnap her were defeated."

"So it seems... I let my guard down."

Despite the unexpected situation, the Puppeteer didn’t show any signs of panic.

On the contrary, he exuded a composed air.

Because he knew what kind of man Karthon was.

"Are you going to move?"

At his words, the corners of Karthon’s mouth began to slowly rise.

This was indeed an overwhelming force for such an operation.

Because he was prepared for any contingencies, he didn’t entertain the thought of failure.

"I suppose you didn’t think I’d get involved."

"I didn’t anticipate that either. Furthermore, they took Yoo Soona, who was a hostage."

"I saw it too. I was so flabbergasted that for the first time in a long while, I was taken aback. Hahaha!"

With his hearty laughter, the entire first floor, no, the entire building began to vibrate.

An ominous energy, hard to describe, started to ripple from Karthon’s body.

Following that, the Puppeteer continued to speak.

"You can’t destroy the entire hotel, Karthon. Remember, our priority is capturing Yoo Seolah and Yoo Soona alive."

"I know… All I have to do is kill everyone else. If anything goes wrong, just kill everyone."

"… I’d prefer to capture them alive if possible… but it seems the opposition also has an immense power."

Whether to kill them here to prevent Yoo Seolah from using her abilities at the Hero Association, or kidnap them and use Yoo Soona’s life as leverage to exploit Yoo Seolah’s abilities, there were only two options.

"Hehehe! Whatever works! It’s been a while since I found someone worthy to face."

Following that, a boy with a leisurely stride was approaching the two.

The boy, who had been carelessly scanning the two, clicked his tongue as if irritated.

"Tsk- you survived that hit, huh?"

Excluding the Puppeteer, whose main body wasn’t present, the force of his attack on the S-rank villain, Karthon, was beyond imagination. He had spent 5 days trying to blast him away.

Sleep, wake up, hit, sleep again, wake up again, repeat the hit.

Fortunately, in the stopped space, he felt tired both physically and mentally, but he didn’t feel hungry.

So, he spent a total of 5 days hitting him, but there was not a single bruise on his body.

It was clear that he was indeed a monstrous creature.

"It’s going to be a long night..."

Following this, Karthon’s subdued voice could be heard.

Contrary to his words, the corners of his mouth were chillingly raised.

Hajoon agreed with his statement, sighed, and then picked up Maharazu.

"That’s what I’m saying."

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