The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

Schedule: N/A

"Damn it."

My reflection in the mirror had me laughing in disbelief.

Silver hair, piercing eyes, and a young face with red irises – it was like seeing a stranger stare back at me.

Then the all too familiar status window blinked into my vision.

Name: XXX

Level: 1

Job: XX

Fame: 0

HP: 10

MP: 0

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Stamina: 10

Defense: 0

Magic Resistance: 999 (Max)

Spirit: 999 (Max)

Skills: [Time Stop] (SSS) [Indomitable Will] (SS) {Always active}

This was the status window of Roa Young, Rokia Academy’s legendary hero, whom I’d played for a year.

"Damn!"

Who could’ve guessed?

Something that only happened in novels was happening to me.

"This can’t be..."

I scrunched my eyebrows.

At first, I thought I was losing my mind, but slowly, the truth dawned on me.

Yes. I’d entered the game.

And I wasn’t just any character, but a side character from the game I loved playing.

"Sigh..."

A shadow passed over Hajoon’s face.

One thing was clear: I was in someone else’s body.

The loading window had showed a sync process, stuck at 99% for a while.

When it finally crossed that last 1%, Hajoon’s body began to change.

"Huh?"

His hair turned black and the red in his eyes faded away.

While his appearance didn’t change drastically, the striking silver hair and red eyes were gone.

Simultaneously, a new window opened before me.

[Synchronization with Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman has been completed 100%.]

[Please set a ( ) name.]

"Liber?"

Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman.

I knew the name well.

He was the successor to a fallen noble family.

And the only character I’d never finished and then deleted.

"But what’s this?"

[Please set a ( ) name.]

What do they mean by synchronization, and setting a name?

Are they asking me to name my character?

That wasn’t a feature in the game, was it?

Regardless, I decided to enter my name.

"Kim Hajoon."

[Once set, the name cannot be changed.]

[Do you wish to proceed? (Yes/No)]

"Yes."

[Name: Kim Hajoon.]

[Setting has been completed.]

Name: Kim Hajoon

Level: 1

Job: Unemployed

Title: None

Fame: 0

HP: 10

MP: 0

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Stamina: 10

Defense: 0

Magic Resistance: 999 (Max)

Spirit: 999 (Max)

Skills: Time Stop (SSS) Indomitable Will (SS) {Always active}

As soon as I entered the name, changes followed.

The previously displayed name and job of XX became my name and unemployed.

However, I didn’t feel any different.

"Sigh... Now, where am I?"

The house was slightly larger than the one Hajoon used to live in.

The house showed no signs of another occupant.

The lone toothbrush in the bathroom confirmed it.

That’s when Hajoon spotted something on the table.

A letter, with strangely familiar words.

"Oh no..."

Just as he reached for the letter,

A new window appeared in front of him.

[Main Quest]

Available Characters for Quest: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Description: Enroll in Rokia Academy.

Reward: 100P

[※ The main quest cannot be declined.]

[※ If declined, forceful measures will be initiated.]

"How can I enroll in the academy with these stats– Ahhh!"

Thump-

Hajoon found out firsthand what ’forceful measures’ entailed.

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Raei Translations

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"Are you candidate number 257, student Kim Hajoon?"

"Yes."

On the day of the entrance exam,

Hajoon boarded the bus for exam candidates, his face twisted in discontent.

Despite the clear dissatisfaction on his face, the officer simply frowned and shook his head.

’Sigh, if he stays like this until the exam, he’s screwed.’

"Driver, all students are on board. You can start now."

"Ah, yes. Understood."

The bus set off and Hajoon began gazing out the window, chin on his hand, wearing a sour expression. It was a cruel system. The intense pain, like his body being torn apart by force, almost made him pass out.

But aren’t these things supposed to happen when you obsess over a game and some god decides to intervene? Hajoon hadn’t been playing that much.

He barely played at all, just now and then to kill time.

’Sigh... Complaining won’t help now...’

He was already on the bus.

It felt like heading to the Nonsan training center back in the day.

His mood was as gloomy as it was then.

"Excuse me, candidate, is something wrong?"

Hajoon looked up to see the man who’d spoken.

The man was responsible for the bus’s safety.

"No, I’m fine."

"Hmm..."

Unsatisfied, the officer sighed and sat next to Hajoon.

"Student, may I ask you something?"

"Oh, no, it’s okay."

"Have you been having troubles recently?"

Troubles?

There had been plenty.

Waking up in a game with a torturous system and pathetically low stats? And then being told to pass the academy’s entrance exam? Of course Hajoon was upset. But he couldn’t say that out loud.

He just nodded.

At least it didn’t look like the officer would pry.

"Yes, we all have hard times. But now, you need to manage your emotions, especially with the entrance exam coming up."

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. I’ve seen students like you before, they all failed. But honestly, I hope all the promising future students on this bus pass."

The officer said this with a warm smile.

Hajoon softened his expression and bowed his head in apology, showing his regret.

He realized he had overreacted earlier.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, I’m fine."

"Good. Don’t stress too much. It’s better to fail after giving it your all than to fail because of a bad mindset. And if you pass, that’s even better."

Hajoon nodded in agreement.

Sure, the officer was a bit old-school, but not everything he said was wrong.

Now, he needed to focus on passing, not complaining about his current situation.

Who knew what the system might do if he failed the main quest?

"Yes, thank you for the advice..."

Suddenly,

Vrrrroooommm―――――!!

The bus was passing through a long tunnel when a loud horn caught Hajoon’s attention. In front of them, a massive man in a black hood was blocking the road.

"Holy shit!!"

The bus driver yelled, and

Squeeeeek――――! Bang!

"Ahhh!!"

"Huh? What’s happening? What’s going on?"

Even though the driver slammed on the brakes, the man astonishingly stopped the bus with his hands and began to lift it. The bus jolted before settling back on the ground, and the man casually ripped open the bus’s iron door.

"Gasp!"

"Damn it! It’s a villain! Everyone run!"

Understanding the situation, the officer tried to hit the villain, but,

The villain effortlessly caught the officer’s fist and began to crush it with a cruel smile.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!"

The officer fell to the ground screaming in pain.

"Ghhh!!"

Still, the officer didn’t surrender.

As he lifted his head to get up,

His expression hardened.

He had seen the man’s face under the hood.

"The Full-Power Man......"

An A-rank villain, The Full-Power Man.

When the officer recognized him,

The determination in his eyes faded, and his trembling legs gave out, causing him to collapse again. He was terrified, and The Full-Power Man simply smirked.

The exam candidates, hearing the officer’s words, cried out,

"It’s... It’s the Full-Power Man!!"

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

"No, I don’t want to die!!"

Panic broke out on the bus.

The Full-Power Man was infamous for tearing people apart like paper and crushing their heads like fruit.

"Quiet down. Anyone who moves, dies."

The Full-Power Man’s cold, threatening voice echoed in the bus.

The candidates froze in fear.

No one dared to speak or move.

The Full-Power Man continued, seemingly unperturbed.

"Is there someone named Lee Jooah here?"

Hajoon’s eyebrows knitted at these words.

’Damn it! What rotten luck.’

Lee Jooah.

She was not a playable character, but a side character who made a brief appearance in the game’s prologue. She was the younger sister of the current student council president and the youngest daughter of the Lee family.

According to the original storyline, Lee Jooah was supposed to die here.

And all the exam candidates on this bus would be slaughtered along with her.

Hajoon scanned the bus and spotted a girl shivering in the back seat. She had long hair reaching her waist and a face as beautiful as a sculpture.

That girl must be Lee Jooah.

"Tch..."

Hajoon clicked his tongue in frustration, and that’s when the Full-Power Man shifted his gaze to Hajoon.

"What’s your deal?"

He seemed puzzled why Hajoon wasn’t showing any fear.

Hajoon himself found it curious.

The bus ripped open, the sudden appearance of an A-rank villain, the fallen officer.

In the middle of this chaos, Hajoon was more composed than ever.

He wasn’t affected by the surroundings.

Instead, since the Full-Power Man’s appearance, he had been thinking rationally and looking for a way out.

’Could it be because of this?’

[Indomitable Will]

Your inner mental strength becomes iron-clad. Any disturbance disappears, maintaining calmness. Endless concentration and tenacity surpass human levels.

You are immune to mental magic.

It was probably why he felt more annoyance than panic when he first woke up in this world.

When he received quests, he was more annoyed than panicked.

It was clear that this single skill had significantly influenced his personality.

"Hmm... I’ll deal with you later."

The Full-Power Man then shifted his gaze towards Lee Jooah, who was still trembling in the back seat.

The moment he took a step towards her,

Hajoon rose to his feet.

No, he was forced to his feet.

Because a new quest window popped up in his field of vision.

[Main Quest]

Playable Character: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Description: Defeat the A-rank villain, Full-Power Man.

Reward: 250P

’Damn it! What a devilish system.’

As Hajoon cursed the system inwardly,

The Full-Power Man squinted his eyes at him.

He seemed confused, unable to understand Hajoon’s actions.

"What are you doing? You’re not thinking of stopping me, are you? Me? You?"

Hajoon only glared back at the Full-Power Man, not expressing a word.

At this, the Full-Power Man burst out in derisive laughter.

"Hahahahaha! There’s no crazier guy than this one. Hahahahaha!"

’I’ve never used it before...’

But this was the only solution available right now.

"Hahahaha!!"

Hajoon looked at the Full-Power Man.

"Stop."

Just a second ago, the Full-Power Man was laughing heartily, completely confident in his superiority. And in the next second, he was doubled over, blood spewing out of his mouth.

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