The Academy’s Time Stop Player

Forbidden by the Magic Tower, the most destructive summoning spell.

A taboo magic itself, with a danger level rivaling that of an S-rank villain.

Koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kooong!

The colossal spell, Meteor, roared as it descended toward the ground.

"Uhm..."

Meteor, the grand magic spell.

Above Hajoon's head, a massive meteor with a diameter of about 30 meters was plummeting. He could easily dodge it if he tried.

However, if he simply evaded, the forest would be engulfed in flames, and even the training camp in the distance might feel the aftermath of the impact.

"Is there no other way?"

He had never tried this before, but he had no choice now. Hajoon rested the hammer, Maharazu, on his shoulder and stared intently at the falling meteor.

Then, he whispered a single word.

"Stop."

Irregular.

Among the villains, one name had quickly gained notoriety: a boy with overpowering strength who seemed barely of age. No one knew where this monster had come from, but the boy's power was undeniably astonishing.

"He's dangerous."

Even he couldn't detect the boy's movements. The boy's strength seemed no different than the Sword King he had faced previously.

"He must be killed."

Only after experiencing the boy's threat firsthand did he realize the grave danger. A power that even overwhelmed Karthon.

The boy possessed strength that rivaled, if not exceeded, the great heroes.

"I'll end him right here."

The roaring sound of a colossal meteor plummeting from the sky filled the air.

Then, it happened.

Suddenly, the massive meteor stopped in mid-air.

"What...?!"

His eyes trembled as if shaken by an earthquake.

"What on earth is happening...?"

Could the boy even wield magic? The situation that followed left him even more stunned.

A massive black hole appeared before the stopped meteor, rapidly pulling it in. The meteor vanished, and there stood the boy, proudly resting his hammer, Maharazu, on his shoulder, looking up with a look of disdain.

And with an annoyed expression, the boy warned him, "If you run, you're dead."

Hearing this, he stiffened, and chills ran down his spine.

Gazing down at the boy, he felt an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.

Fear.

Seeing the boy effortlessly block the forbidden grand magic, Meteor, invoked a deep, unfamiliar fear in him, a fear he had never even felt in front of the Sword King.

"I must escape..."

The moment he felt that emotion, he instinctively prepared to flee. A monster that surpassed the realm of talent. The boy's power was on par with, if not greater than, the great heroes.

Without hesitation, he turned to escape.

But then, a sharp, white line zipped past his neck.

Hajoon was deep in thought.

He had managed to block the meteor, but the challenge now was how to pull the soaring figure down from the sky.

'Is there a way...?'

Still, now that he had the chance, he wanted to deal with him. Using a ladder or any tool seemed infeasible, given how high up he was.

"Ugh, such a hassle," Hajoon muttered, glaring at the figure above.

Just then, a sharp flash streaked by, grazing the hovering figure.

Whoosh!

“Urk!”

In an instant, the scene unfolded.

The airborne figure, with a short gasp, was decapitated, plummeting from the sky, while the silhouette that had slashed him effortlessly landed on a tree branch, casually shaking off the blood on its blade and gazing down.

Soon after, as the shadow emerged from the darkness, it was bathed in moonlight, revealing its form.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, unveiling a middle-aged man in a pure white hanbok, his long white hair flowing behind him.

'...Who?'

Seeing his face, Hajoon's eyes narrowed in realization. He recognized him.

He wasn't supposed to appear at this point.

A hero renowned for her mastery of the sword.

It was the Great Hero, Sword King Han Junho.

Rustle-

Suddenly, a nearby bush shook as someone approached.

As Hajoon turned to look, Sword King Junho swiftly leaped from the tree, grabbed him as if shielding him, and quickly jumped back onto the higher branches.

With one hand over Hajoon's mouth and the other hand's index finger to his lips, the Sword King signaled for silence.

For now, Hajoon nodded in agreement, sensing the silent pressure in his stern gaze.

From the bushes, a young man emerged: Han Siyoung. With his sword drawn, he quickly scanned the surroundings before swiftly moving towards a particular direction.

It was only after Han Siyoung had disappeared from view that he released his hold on Hajoon's mouth, his eyes following Siyoung with a hint of longing.

"He's grown so much," he whispered, his eyes filled with complex emotions—nostalgia, affection, warmth—as he watched him.

Lost in thought, Hajoon just stared at him, and he, sensing his gaze, slowly turned to him.

"It seems there was trouble here," he began gently, nodding at Hajoon. "I'm sorry for intervening, young one."

With that, he gifted him a gentle smile, a stark contrast from earlier.

Hajoon, still in slight disbelief, finally spoke. "Why are you here, Sword King?"

"You recognize me."

"Well, there's no one but Sword King who could take down an S-rank villain in one strike."

"S-rank, you say..."

His gaze shifted to the lifeless body of the defeated foe.

He slowly nodded, opening her mouth to speak.

“The grand magic he wielded certainly had the risk level of an S-rank, but that doesn’t mean he himself is S-rank.”

At those words, Hajoon nodded in agreement. After all, it was a fact he already knew. The grand magic itself posed an S-rank threat, turning the caster into an S-rank villain.

“Still, he was a troublesome one. He fearlessly sought me out on his own, and I intended to kill him, but he had a knack for escaping.”

With that, he chuckled softly, a smirk forming as he looked at Hajoon.

“Thanks to you, I could deal with him. I appreciate it.”

“Ah, yes…”

“But, it seems you’re no ordinary kid either. You single-handedly blocked that Meteor.”

Immediately after, he began examining Hajoon from head to toe with narrowed eyes.

'Fascinating...'

The reason he found Hajoon intriguing was because of his current condition. It was surprising that he wasn’t gravely injured, even after confronting someone wielding S-rank destructive magic.

“Kids these days are truly remarkable.”

However, he didn’t pry any deeper into Hajoon. He refrained from asking out of respect, but it seemed he had a different question on his mind.

“Do you happen to know that kid?”

He gestured towards the distance, where Han Siyoung was still seemingly searching for Hajoon.

Hajoon immediately responded, feeling that he understood his intentions.

“Yes, we’re classmates.”

“Hmm… Is he doing well in school?”

He gazed at Han Siyoung with a calm demeanor, asking Hajoon. In his eyes, Hajoon could sense a hint of longing.

Having realized why he was keeping her distance from Han Siyoung, Hajoon promptly replied,

“He’s doing well.”

“Any friends?”

“Probably around three?”

“Heh, that blunt kid making friends… He’s grown a lot.”

With a gentle smile, he turned his head back towards Hajoon.

“Are you one of his friends?”

Hajoon hesitated momentarily but nodded. It felt impolite to deny.

Suddenly, he covered her mouth, laughing softly.

With a tender smile, he looked at Hajoon, saying,

“Seems you’re not exactly friends.”

“Well… It’s a complicated relationship.”

“Yes… I was worried as it’s been a while since I saw him, but he seems to be growing up well.”

With that, he slowly rose from his seat. Gazing in the distance where Han Siyoung was pushing through the bushes searching for Hajoon, he closed his eyes, pulling his gaze back.

He turned her gaze back to Hajoon and began to speak, “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. Would you be willing to befriend that child?”

Hajoon took a moment to ponder, silently observing him.

He looked back at him, a bitter smile on his face, and slowly continued, “Despite appearances, he's rather fragile on the inside. I wish he had someone by his side to look out for him.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

It seems that the world might not be aware of Han Siyoung's current reputation.

While Hajoon wasn’t sure how Han Siyoung could be considered fragile, he nevertheless nodded. He felt he grasped the essence of her request.

“Would you be content leaving without meeting him? After all, he's your disciple.”

At Ha-joon’s words, his bittersweet smile returned, and he simply shook her head. “I'd prefer not to interfere in his life any longer. His path has already been greatly distorted because of me.”

Hajoon was aware of Han Siyoung's story and of the secrets surrounding the Sword King, Han Junho.

He could understand his sentiments, but he was certain that he shouldn't involve himself in this particular matter. And so, he simply nodded in agreement.

“I can't stay here for long, so I must be on my way.”

With those words, he effortlessly lifted Hajoon, jumping from the tree branch to land gracefully on the ground. Setting him down, he spoke once more, “If you see that old man from the academy, pass on my regards. Take care now.”

With that, he leaped into the air, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The figure of Sword King Han Junho swiftly moving past the trees and heading elsewhere was left in Ha-joon’s sight.

Watching the Sword King's retreat, a deeply exhaled sigh escaped Hajoon. “Let’s head back.”

To think that two characters, who shouldn’t have appeared in the event episode, showed up simultaneously.

Was this luck in some twisted way?

He had expected to struggle because of the intruder who emerged due to a penalty.

However, the timely appearance of the Sword King resolved the situation, making it seem as if everything was smoothly settled.

Hajoon activated Time Stop (SSS) again, approaching the spot where Han Siyoung stood.

He then released the Time Stop near Han Siyoung, who slowly turned his head sensing Hajoon's presence.

“Kim Hajoon? Was that person…”

“Let’s just say everything’s been sorted out and go back.”

Han Siyoung gave him a slightly puzzled look before asking, “Kim Hajoon, were you just with someone?”

“…”

That guy truly has an uncanny intuition...

After a brief silence, Hajoon lowered his head and responded, “No.”

“...I see,” Han Siyoung said, turning away.

Without further delay, he was headed back to the training center.

Well, Hajoon understood the Sword King was still on everyone's mind, but he wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

After all, it was inevitable that Han Siyoung would meet Sword King Han Junho again.

Soon after their arrival at the training center, they saw instructors, assistant instructors, and trainees bustling about.

Hajoon and Han Siyoung subtly joined the crowd, naturally merging with the special class. Hajoon immediately turned to Anna, who was next to him, and asked what was going on.

"Hey."

"Huh?! Oh, Hajoon! Where have you been? And Han Siyoung, where were you?!"

"Never mind that, what's happening?"

"The full training was stopped. Some villain nearby used a grand spell. It seems there's an emergency at the association."

"…What?"

With a puzzled look, Hajoon asked again.

"So, we're returning to the Rokia Academy immediately?"

"Ha... Yes, it seems that way."

At that, the corners of Hajoon's mouth subtly curled into a smile.

Unexpectedly, he thought this situation might not be so bad after all.