The Academy’s Time Stop Player

In the principal's office at the academy.

Hajoon returned through the tunnel to the principal’s office.

Upon his arrival, Riella, who had been waiting for him, spoke.

“You’re back.”

“......”

“It seems Choi Jungwon has told you everything.”

Without a word, Hajoon sat on the sofa opposite Riella.

After quietly observing her for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“Won’t you be going, Riella?”

“I have to protect the Academy. He asked me to.”

Riella raised a hand into the air, waving it slightly.

A paper cup flew towards them, landing in front of Hajoon on the table. Leisurely, Riella poured tea for him.

Staring blankly for a moment, Hajoon spoke to Riella.

“You know the location, don’t you?”

“......”

“Tell me.”

“Kid......”

Riella, with a stern, hardened expression, glared at Hajoon.

With a warning tone, she spoke.

"Do not get involved."

“......”

“Regardless of your strength, this is our generation's problem to solve.”

"The principal might die, you know."

“Even so, it is not your place to interfere. It is our problem to resolve.”

“So, you have no intention of telling me?”

With those words, Hajoon rose from his seat.

Sensing something in his movement, Riella clicked her tongue, reaching out her hand towards him.

“Tch-”

Whoosh!

A transparent barrier materialized in an instant, enclosing Hajoon.

Hajoon merely gazed at Riella with a stoic expression, while Riella, watching him, could only exhale a sigh.

“Ha...... I didn’t want it to come to this...... you intend to go, don’t you?”

“......”

“Remember this, kid. He is someone we have to deal with. An enemy, a traitor. It's not an issue for someone uninvolved like you to step into.”

At that, Hajoon fell silent.

He only communicated through his actions.

Crash!!

The barrier Riella created shattered, scattering in all directions.

Riella’s eyes widened in that moment. Hajoon simply passed by her with an impassive face, Maharazu in hand.

“If you won’t tell me the location...”

“You......”

“I’ll find it myself.”

Whoosh!

With those words left behind, Hajoon’s figure disappeared in an instant.

Riella, momentarily wearing a bewildered expression, soon sighed, sinking back into the sofa.

“Ha...... This has become a headache.”

Having stopped time, Kim Hajoon immediately exited the academy and began searching for a tall building nearby.

Shortly thereafter, Hajoon entered a building that appeared somewhat tall and proceeded directly to the rooftop.

Upon arriving on the rooftop, he released the Time Stop.

While holding Maharazu, he spoke to Philaten.

"Philaten."

-What's the matter?

"Search for the principal’s magical power."

-······It may take a while.

Simultaneously with his words, a faint golden light began to circulate around Maharazu.

And at Philaten’s reply, Hajoon simply waited with a serene expression.

Time passed, and it was 6 PM.

In a certain forest where the sunset began to cast its glow, Choi Jungwon was headed toward a location, walking serenely through the woods, a massive staff made of tree wood in hand.

And at one moment, upon arriving at a spacious clearing near the forest, Choi Jungwon stopped his steps, gazing at an old man standing boldly there, wearing a black hood.

"You've come."

The old man spoke.

Emitting a faint, ominous aura from his body, he looked at Choi Jungwon, who merely returned his gaze with a stoic expression.

"Bringing the World Tree's timber, I see."

With that said, the hood-wearing old man, referred to as 'Saan,' lifted his hood and looked at Choi Jungwon.

An old man with long white hair and a thick beard. The moment he saw Choi Jungwon's face, Saan's eyes began to narrow slightly.

He spoke while looking at Choi Jungwon.

"The Sage's power has vanished. Did you pass it on to that child?"

"Unlike me, the power of the Sage chose that child. The power simply returned to its chosen master."

"I still do not understand."

A faint purple aura began to ripple violently from his body. Despite his expression, the movement of his magic power conveyed his emotions.

"Why Lord Rokia chose you, not me. Why he gave you, the weakest among us, both the Sage's power and the World Tree's timber."

Choi Jungwon simply quietly listened to his words, maintaining a peaceful expression.

Saan continued.

"If I had inherited that power instead of you, I could have stopped the Great Chaos sooner."

"And you would have become someone unstoppable."

"No one knows the exact future. Even if they thought they did, it changes."

"Is that so..."

“However, I no longer desire that power. I have no need for it.”

Choi Jungwon and Saan looked at each other in a moment of silence.

However, the aura emanating from Saan became increasingly wild as time passed, but there was no discernible energy coming from Choi Jungwon.

Saan spoke upon observing this.

"Has the power completely vanished?"

“I'm merely waiting for the child I'm concerned about.”

At that, the corners of Saan's mouth twitched upward roughly.

His eyes began to stain a deep purple.

“I'm curious about the child's face. Worth killing, I presume.”

At those words, Choi Jungwon could only chuckle.

"Hehehe! To confront that child, even you should be prepared to die."

"Be worried about your own safety first."

With those words as the last, he stretched out his hand towards Choi Jungwon.

In that moment, from behind Choi Jungwon's back, the space began to twist...

A sonic boom erupted from the sky as something plummeted towards Saan.

Crash!!! Boom!!

It struck directly at Saan, seizing his cloak, and began to thrust forward.

Boom Boom Boom!!

With a massive roar, it swept through the surrounding trees.

Nevertheless, even in this moment, Saan’s pupils dazzled, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

The man pushing against Saan was no different.

"Giant Adrian."

"Hahaha!! It's been a while since I moved like this!"

As he spoke, Adrian, who had been pushing against Saan, hurled him upward, tightly clutching his cloak. The moment Saan, like a doll, was thrown towards the sky, a stark white line zipped past his neck.

Whoosh! Zing-

"You came too, Sword King."

Even with half of his neck slashed, Saan emitted a sardonic smile, watching the woman who bent his neck.

A being emitting a brilliant light descended toward Saan.

A middle-aged woman with pale blonde hair and pumpkin-colored eyes.

Helen Belhar, the great hero known as the King's Champion in England.

She, radiating a bright light all over her body, drove her heavy lance into Saan’s chest as she crashed to the ground.

Boom!!!

Trees were swept away as she collided with the ground.

As the dust billowed out all around,

Helen, who had leaped back into a huge pit due to the shock, began to stare at its center with squinted eyes.

"Hmm... he's not dead yet."

"You’re getting old, Helen. Making mistakes."

Then, Adrian, Choi Jungwon, and the Sword King Han Junho, approached her.

Adrian, relaxing his shoulders, asked Helen, and she simply lowered her head in response.

"I pierced his heart accurately. But his magic is still active."

Whoosh!

The moment her words ended, the dust covering the pit was gently blown away by a light wind, disappearing in an instant. From the center of the pit, Saan, expelling ominous purple magic, floated into the air.

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen these faces."

Sensing Saan's magic, the Sword King’s eyes began to severely narrow.

He spoke to Saan.

"Why do you have that magic, Saan?"

"So, you know this power, Sword King," Saan spoke.

His mouth began to stretch into a wicked smile.

However, his condition did not seem good at a glance.

His partially severed neck dangled, and his heart was clearly...

Whoosh! Koo-kung!

Immediately, Saan lifted his left hand.

From his hand, a black orb arose, and he swiftly flew toward Choi Jungwon, extending the orb he created with his left hand toward Choi Jungwon’s chest.

In that moment, the orb suddenly increased in size, starting to engulf both Choi Jungwon and Saan, who created it.

"No matter how strong I am, I cannot handle all of you," he stated.

“Choi Jungwon!”

Adrian yelled toward Choi Jungwon.

However, Choi Jungwon merely nodded his head, showing a reassuring smile.

With that as the last moment, both Choi Jungwon and Saan were sucked into the dark, spherical space.

Within the black, spherical space.

It was a pristine white space in contrast to the exterior blackness.

Choi Jungwon and Saan stood there, facing each other.

Saan, while gazing at Choi Jungwon, simply curled the corners of his lips.

"Now, it's just the two of us."

With those words, and the moment he looked at Choi Jungwon, Saan's smile gradually began to fade.

He spoke, eyes fixed on Choi Jungwon.

"Aren't you afraid of death, Choi Jungwon?"

Choi Jungwon's expression remained unchanged.

Still tranquil and composed.

He responded to that question.

"Why should I be, Saan?"

With that, Choi Jungwon extended his hand.

From it, a clear blue orb, exuding a pure and dignified aura, revealed itself.

Choi Jungwon merely held out the blue orb, and responding to it, a stem extended from his staff, beginning to envelop the orb.

Saan, looking at the orb, spoke.

"So that is your original power."

"Even if the Sage's power is gone, my power, magic, and knowledge will not disappear."

Thud!

With those words, Choi Jungwon slammed his staff to the floor.

Starting from the staff that touched the floor, a massive magic circle formed.

And Saan, even amidst that spectacle, calmly opened his mouth towards Choi Jungwon.

"Many things will change with your death."

Boom!! Thump!! Whoosh!! Bang!!

The black, circular curtain began to violently sway.

Three great heroes struck, sliced, and pierced at the curtain in an attempt to destroy it.

However, the curtain remained unscathed.

"What the... What kind of magic is this?"

"He’s gathered more strength than we anticipated."

"The longer we delay, the more danger Choi Jungwon is in."

Those were Helen’s words.

Agreeing with her, all three nodded their heads and immediately began to gather their magical power.

"We have one chance. Helen and I will create an opening; Sword King, you go in first."

Adrian said.

With those words, his hand began to enlarge significantly and a rough magical power began to emanate from his body.

Similarly, Helen was doing the same.

A brilliant light burst from her body, enveloping the gigantic spear she held.

With that as the starting signal, Helen charged towards the curtain first.

Boom!!

She thrust her spear into the curtain with all her might, creating a hole. After pulling it back and stepping back, Adrian, with his gigantic fist, reached towards the holed section, enlarging the opening even further.

At that moment, the Sword King moved quickly, trying to jump through the hole. Unfortunately, the hole closed up at a speed faster than the Sword King could approach.

"Ugh!"

"This is..."

"..."

While Adrian and Helen wore serious, tight expressions, the Sword King, sensing something for a moment, began to stare at the sealed hole.

It was not visible, but she could feel it.

Her transcendent senses, which had already surpassed the limits of superhumans, made her feel something.

"Who is it...”

"...What?"

"In that brief moment, someone entered through the hole we created in the curtain."

“?!”

At those words, Adrian and Helen's gazes turned toward the curtain.

With peculiar expressions, they simply stared at it.