The Academy’s Time Stop Player

"Of course, this is a request in the form of a student mission, so it's entirely up to the students to decline. I came on behalf of Japan's request, but the safety of Korean talents is our top priority. Instructor Riella emphasized this point as well."

The female envoy believed that it would be best to take student Kim Hajoon, but she prioritized the choices of the students.

After all, this involves an S-rank Unchained Villain.

If things go wrong, two inexperienced students could lose their lives on this mission.

On the other hand, Hajoon was more curious about where Sage Choi Jungwon had gone.

Where did the principal go, leaving the envoy in charge?

I'll have to solve the case first and meet him later.

For now, Hajoon nodded vaguely.

He was actually wondering how to get involved in Han Siyoung's mission, so this situation alleviated his concerns.

"I'll accept it. What about you?"

Hajoon looked at Han Siyoung and asked.

Judging by his expression, he seemed to have already made up his mind.

"I'll accept as well."

"Hmm..."

Kim Hongwan, witnessing their decision, let out a sigh filled with a hint of surprise.

After all, it was a mission to subdue an S-rank villain, and their easy acceptance made him feel a bit uneasy.

"Are you both sure about this?"

"Yes."

"We're good."

"Sigh... Alright. You'll be collaborating with two of Japan's top heroes for this mission."

As Kim Hongwan continued with the operational details, Hajoon was lost in his thoughts.

'Japan...'

Hajoon had never been on an overseas 'trip,' and naturally, this would be his first time in Japan.

He felt a sense of anticipation.

Once the job was done, maybe he could visit places like Tokyo or Osaka.

"Now, as for the compensation. Japan is considering about 100 million yen..."

100 million yen was roughly equivalent to 1 billion Korean won.

However, both Hajoon and Han Siyoung showed no particular reaction to the amount.

Of course, Hajoon already had more than enough, and Han Siyoung didn't have a significant desire for money.

Seeing their indifferent reactions, Kim Hongwan cautiously asked, "Is that... insufficient?"

In response to his question, Han Siyoung just shook his head, seemingly content with the offer.

But Hajoon, crossing his arms, seemed deep in thought.

More than the money, he wondered if there was a better condition on offer.

After a brief pause, an idea came to him, and he spoke up.

"Can I ask for something other than money?"

"Is there something specific you want?"

In response to that question, Hajoon honestly stated his desired compensation.

Upon hearing that, Kim Hongwan started to look a bit flustered.

The same was true for Han Siyoung.

Or rather, should we say their expressions were one of disbelief?

"So, you're asking to borrow a Gate user who's familiar with Japanese tourist sites?"

Until here, the conditions seemed somewhat reasonable.

However, the following request was a bit preposterous.

"And you'd want them every time you travel to Japan for the rest of your life?"

"Yes."

While he had always wanted to travel abroad, the preparation process was tedious.

And the thought of traveling by plane or train during that journey seemed undoubtedly boring.

How wonderful would it be to leisurely tour as he did with American tourist sites in the past?

Hearing this, Kim Hongwan seemed contemplative, crossing his arms and letting out a sigh before speaking.

"Well... After resolving the request, I'll try my best to negotiate. After all, Gate users are valuable superhumans..."

Indeed, back then, it was feasible since the superhero Adrian Heights had made the request, and the US being a powerhouse of superhumans. However, expecting such flexibility from Japan might be a stretch.

Still, considering the importance and risk of the matter, he was willing to discuss it.

"By the way, when are you thinking of traveling? Didn't the vacation just end?"

"I'm planning to go right after catching him."

"Huh? Ah, right... I forgot to mention this. Actually, you don't need to go to Japan."

"Excuse me?"

"That guy, Sandman, is currently in Korea."

"Korea?"

Upon hearing this, Hajoon narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

[You will receive a penalty for altering the future.]

[The difficulty of the episode will increase.]

As the announcement concluded, Hajoon chose to disregard the system notification and instead focused intently on the continuation of Kim Hongwan’s words.

From Kim Hongwan’s explanation, it was evident that, just as the system notification suggested, the future had changed.

Kim Hongwan began, “Currently, the villain Sandman is regarded as a disaster waiting to happen in Japan.”

Understandably so, as he had awakened incomparable power from his past, being designated as an S-rank Unchained in terms of threat level. But the true issue was the level of terror he had caused.

“He built his own fortress?” Hajoon asked.

“Yes, exactly,” Kim Hongwan affirmed, then solemnly handed over a photograph.

The picture displayed a colossal fortress seemingly made of dirt or sand.

Apparently, this madman had caused the collapse of an entire apartment, leading to extensive casualties, and then constructed this sand and dirt fortress on the same site.

Despite committing such an act and establishing his stronghold, the Japanese Hero Association had been powerless against him, primarily because they didn’t have a way to eliminate him.

“Given his ability to manipulate sand and dirt, even top-tier heroes would find entering his fortress tantamount to suicide,” Kim Hongwan added.

“So you're saying now's our chance since he's ventured out of his fortress?”

“Exactly.”

Yet for some unknown reason, the villain suddenly left his fortress and entered Korea in a vulnerable state. This was perceived as a window of opportunity by the Japanese side.

However, Hajoon had a separate train of thought.

‘He used his power to build a fortress?’

Or should it be called a castle?

Regardless, hearing this, Hajoon was certain that a significant shift had occurred. The villain's power had amplified considerably.

In the game, the villain wasn’t capable of creating such a sophisticated structure from sand or dirt. Nor could he control such a vast amount of sand.

“Where is he now?” Hajoon asked.

“He’s in Busan. We're still pinpointing his exact location,” Kim Hongwan informed.

As he spoke, Kim Hongwan glanced at the agent standing behind him, who proceeded to activate a portal.

“Let's proceed to our rendezvous point. The representatives from Japan are likely awaiting your group.”

Contact was established in a hotel room in Busan.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, as soon as they arrived at the rendezvous point, brief greetings were exchanged with Japan's top heroes, and they immediately delved into the strategy meeting.

"It's a pleasure. I am Nanase Yukio, in charge of this operation."

A woman with sharp eyes and silken long hair spoke up. She was the top-tier hero from Japan, assigned to lead the operation against Sandman. Amongst the heroes in Japan, she was one of the few who had confronted the Sandman.

Through her experience, she had gleaned insights into the Sandman's weaknesses.

Having quickly introduced herself, Yukio began briefing about the operation.

Given the Sandman's ability to control sand and earth, she began laying out a plan tailored to counter and neutralize him.

"My ability is cryokinesis. In the past, when I teamed up with Renka, we managed to freeze and immobilize the sand he manipulated. Of course, he converted part of his body back to sand and escaped."

For reference, the woman known as Renka, with her brown bobbed hair, was another top-tier hero from Japan. Her real name was Shizumiya Renka, and her ability allowed her to manipulate water.

"It's fortunate, senior. Now, we have a chance to defeat him."

"Yes, this time, he must be stopped."

With those words, Yukio's eyes became more piercing, visibly grinding her teeth.

For context, Hajoon knew the reason for her anger.

From the memories of the game's episode, the Sandman had recently orchestrated a terrorist attack on an apartment complex. Both women had tried to capture the Sandman but failed, resulting in significant casualties.

"Have we pinpointed his location?"

At that moment, Han Siyoung raised his hand and asked politely.

Notably, like Hajoon, he wore a magical device for translation in his ear, enabling him to converse.

Yukio promptly replied, "I have a friend who once confronted the Sandman alongside Renka and me. Though he's critically injured and couldn't join us now, his awakened ability is 'Attraction'. He can mark his suit and pinpoint its location."

As she spoke, Yukio presented a torn piece of fabric.

The small piece of cloth in her hand was subtly moving in one direction.

"Now, let's continue with the briefing."

She continued detailing the plan, "Using this fabric, we'll trace and locate him, then carefully choose a place to ambush. Don't worry about the tracking; we have a hero skilled in surveillance on it."

The strategy wasn't much different from what had been carried out in the game.

Considering Sandman's unique abilities, they needed to meticulously select an ambush site. If the Sandman was near mountains or sandy beaches, an ambush would be practically impossible.

"Even with a minute amount of sand or dirt nearby, considering the abilities Renka and I possess, we can temporarily neutralize him. So don't be overly concerned."

Indeed, with the abilities of water and ice manipulation, the two could momentarily incapacitate the Sandman, whose body was made of sand. And emphasizing a crucial point, Yukio turned to Han Siyoung and said,

“That's when you step in, Han Siyoung.”

With those words, Yukio turned his gaze to Han Siyoung.

However, Han Siyoung looked slightly worried, as if there was something on his mind.

“Is there a problem?”

“I'm not yet accustomed to activating my ability. It might take some time.”

It wasn’t that Han Siyoung couldn’t activate his ‘Mark of Sanctity’ ability, but rather, he wasn't fully accustomed to it.

Well, it had been only a week since he first awakened to his powers, so it was understandable.

“So, you can activate it, just that it might take some time?”

“Yes, I can activate it; it will just take a while.”

“Alright, that’s good enough. Now, as for you...”

Yukio then shifted his attention to Hajoon.

Renka did the same.

Surprisingly, both of them were looking at Hajoon with an expectant expression.

“You're Kim Hajoon, right? I've heard a lot about you.”

“You know of me?”

“The name Kim Hajoon is quite famous in Japan too. But I never thought I’d see you in person, let alone see you participate in this operation. Any questions?”

At this, Hajoon pondered for a moment before responding candidly.

"Do we not need more people?"