The Academy’s Time Stop Player

Thud! Thump-Thump!

In the dim night sky, Hajoon was running across rooftops, heading somewhere urgently. His expression was grave. Just minutes before he had fallen asleep in his dorm, he received news from the Association: the Villain Alliance had attacked civilians near a residential area.

Moreover, there was information that Han Taehwan, a member of the National Assembly living nearby, was also being targeted by the villains.

*Thump! Thud!*

Upon hearing this news, Hajoon immediately activated Time Stop. He swiftly left the academy and raced towards the site of the terror attack.

Under the night sky, houses and buildings were emitting thick, black smoke as they burned. Beneath them, a purple toxic fog settled heavily, where Association agents and heroes were confronting villains wearing gas masks.

Looking at the chaotic scene unfolding below, Hajoon clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Tch-”

Gripping the golden hammer tightly, he stomped his foot, ready to confront them.

“Hang in there just a bit longer! Reinforcements from the Association will arrive soon!”

“Yes!”

Amidst the situation where villains were wreaking havoc and fires blazed in various homes, the heroes from the guild and Association agents were engaged in a standoff with the villains.

However, the damage continued to increase even in such circumstances. Villains wearing gas masks roamed around, setting fires to houses, and the S-rank villain Sacheol was spreading poison in the vicinity. The situation was desperate, like an inferno from hell itself.

“Damn it! Evacuate the civilians first! I’ll try to hold them off here alone!”

“Yes!”

The top-tier hero, Lee Taewoong, made a quick decision. He realized that trying to handle all the villains while delaying could cause civilian evacuation to lag, so he chose to confront them alone.

He dashed straight towards the villains who were blocking the way.

It was then.

Boom!! Bang!!

The loud explosions resonated all around. Civilians fleeing from the villains, the heroes engaged in the standoff, and even the terrorists causing the havoc all turned their heads towards the source of the commotion.

An extraordinary scene was unfolding.

“Aaagh!”

“Kuhuk!”

Horrific screams filled the air. These were not from the evacuating civilians, but from the villains themselves. The surrounding fog dispersed due to a forceful impact, and the attacking villains were thrown in all directions, crashing into walls, screaming in terror, and beginning to flee.

Seeing this, the expressions of the citizens and heroes began to brighten. They couldn't see him, but they knew who had caused this.

“Reinforcements have arrived!”

“It's the Irregular! The Irregular has come!”

Hearing this, Lee Taewoong's face brightened. He immediately followed the trail of the Irregular, raising his sword-shaped artifact high, and shouted to his fellow guild heroes.

“Mid-tier heroes, assist with the civilian evacuation! The rest, follow the Irregular and take down those villains!”

“Yes!”

After he thought he had dealt with most of the surrounding villains, Hajoon left the evacuation of the rest of the people and the villains to the agents and guild members, heading towards Han Taehwan's residence.

Hajoon quickly assessed the situation while Time Stop was in effect.

He thought he wasn't too late.

However, the moment he saw the condition of the mansion, Hajoon's face contorted in dismay.

The mansion's yard was drenched in blood, with guards lying fallen.

And there, lying amidst the strange figures, was Han Taehwan, vomiting blood on the ground. The moment Hajoon saw this, he realized, despite having activated Time Stop, it was already too late.

Immediately, Hajoon swung his hammer at the villains surrounding him and released Time Stop.

Thud!!

“Khek!”

“Kack!”

At that moment, the villains surrounding Han Taehwan twisted in agony, thrown in all directions.

As the situation unfolded, Han Taehwan, who was gasping for breath, widened his eyes in surprise.

Then, a weak smile formed on his lips.

He knew who had caused this situation.

“Hajoon… Young master…”

“Are you alright?”

Hajoon checked his condition and grimaced.

It was a dreadful state.

The villains' dagger had pierced his heart, as evidenced by the blood gushing from his mouth.

Hajoon immediately took a high-grade potion from his inventory and began to sprinkle it on him.

His body started to heal slowly, but Hajoon's expression crumpled as he saw the system notification that popped up.

[You are poisoned with Sacheol's Magic Poison (Kaiser's Poison).]

[Poisoner Sacheol's Poison and Magic Poison (Kaiser's Poison) have combined, making treatment with a high-grade potion impossible.]

[Poisoned State (95%)]

“Poisoner Sacheol. He’s the one who attacked.”

Poisoner Sacheol, an S-rank villain.

He was a villain whose ability and unique magic were toxic to superhuman bodies. But Hajoon still harbored hope that he could save him.

The Heroes Association had developed an antidote to counteract the poison of Poisoner, an S-rank villain.

“Just hold on. I’ll get the antidote.”

Just as Hajoon was about to activate Time Stop, Han Taehwan raised his hand and firmly grasped Hajoon's arm.

He wore a bitter smile and slowly shook his head.

“I know the state of my body. Even with the antidote, I don’t think I’ll survive.”

“……”

Hajoon couldn’t respond to that.

He couldn't be certain that the antidote would work.

If what the system indicated was true, then the magic poison he carried and Poisoner Sacheol's poison were mixed.

“Young master Hajoon.”

That's when it happened.

Han Taehwan looked at Hajoon earnestly and grasped his arm.

Strength gradually filled his hand holding Hajoon's arm.

He slowly opened his mouth towards Hajoon.

“Please save the others. No need to save me.”

“……”

Hajoon's expression hardened at those words.

He immediately understood what he meant.

He was hoping to save others over his own life.

Aware of his impending death, Han Taehwan's expression gradually cast a shadow over Hajoon.

Han Taehwan gave Hajoon a faint smile and calmly continued, “I have lived enough. I had a happy week. I have no regrets. So......”

As he spoke, the strength in his hand, which was holding Hajoon's arm, gradually began to wane.

The light slowly faded from his distinctive eyes.

It was as if he was conveying his last words, looking at Hajoon and whispering quietly.

“Please… save the people.”

Thump-

The hand that was gripping Hajoon's arm slowly fell onto the soft grass.

“…….”

A shadow fell over Hajoon's face.

He gently closed Han Taehwan's eyes and stood up.

A faint golden aura began to flicker around Hajoon.

This man...

He wasn’t meant to die like this.

Whoosh! Fwoosh!

The flickering aura began to agitate violently.

Rage...

An uncontrollable fury was welling up inside him.

Boom! Fwoom!!

Soon, as if reflecting Hajoon's emotions, a golden radiance soared into the sky.

The magical energy in the atmosphere vibrated.

The clouds in the dark night sky split apart and the ground began to shake.

“Arise, Philaten.”

A deep voice, unlike Hajoon's, came from his mouth.

As the voice sounded, Maharazu began to shake violently.

Boom!!

At that moment, a golden light burst from Maharazu, taking the form of a person.

The light transformed into a woman cloaked in a white robe, who then knelt before Hajoon and spoke respectfully.

“I greet the king.”

Philaten.

She had awakened from a long slumber to appear before Hajoon.

Soon, she could see the expression on Hajoon's face.

‘The king…’

His face twisted in rage.

She knew the king was angry.

[Find the person who caused this situation!]

The person responsible for this situation.

She immediately sensed the magic made of poison around her.

Soon.

Whoosh!

A massive wave emanated around her, spreading out into the surroundings.

She was to find the culprit who enraged the king, as per his command.

Having located the person responsible for this mess, Philaten respectfully bowed to Hajoon and spoke.

“I have located him. Please give your command.”

Hajoon's eyes, holding Maharazu tightly, flashed with fury.

[Lead the way.]

Hajoon commanded as he looked at her.

[I will not let him die easily.]

Poisoner Sacheol.

Having turned a place into a battleground and killed the former chairman Han Taehwan, he was now infiltrating the Heroes Association with his accomplice Eraser Yoon Heean.

Even for S-rank villains like them, it wasn't easy to enter the well-guarded Heroes Association. However, fortunately, due to the chaos they had caused, the security at the Association's headquarters was weakened, allowing them to sneak in undetected.

In fact, their real target was the current chairman of the association, Kim Jeongyong.

If they could kill the leader in this situation, it would undoubtedly cause chaos within the association.

“Eraser. Have you located Kim Jeongyong?”

“He’s on the top floor of the building. He's with a superhuman.”

“Is it Joa Elliot?”

Joa Elliot, the world's fifth-ranked hero.

Of course, they had prepared for this.

They knew he was guarding the association.

But they were confident in their own strength.

Right now, they believed they could take on Joa Elliot.

“More importantly, this is incredible magical energy. This is…”

Poisoner Sacheol spoke in admiration.

He smiled contentedly, feeling the magical energy emanating from his body.

A strange man they had met in an abandoned factory.

He had made a deal with them, S-rank villains.

It was a simple trade.

He would increase their power a bit, in exchange for a favor.

Following the deal, they received strength, and with his power, their superhuman abilities had grown.

They were confident.

With their current power, even Joa Elliot wouldn't be a difficult opponent.

That’s when it happened.

“?!”

“What is this…”

A sudden wave of immense magical energy.

As Eraser's face began to tense up seriously from the magical energy spreading from afar,

Thump-

Unlike Eraser, Poisoner Sacheol suddenly knelt down, beginning to groan in pain.

“What’s the matter, Poisoner?”

Eraser asked, puzzled by his behavior, but Poisoner couldn’t respond.

His face began to turn ashen.

Naturally, there was a killing intent that only Poisoner could feel.

‘What is this…’

Something pressing down hard on his body.

A non-human entity was conveying a massive will to him.

‘I’m going to die…’

Killing intent.

The immense will to kill him began to suffocate his body.

A non-human entity.

Something colossal was approaching him.

His face gradually became filled with terror as he broke into a cold sweat.