The Academy’s Time Stop Player

Tadak- Tadak-

Suddenly, the god's screams stopped and vanished.

Where the god once stood, there was only a burning book left, tadak- tadak- turning to ash.

[The Book of Revelation.]

Her essence and the medium through which she gained people's belief and lived in this world.

It burned in the blue flames, turning to ash and disappearing.

“…….”

Haruna stared blankly at the scene before turning around.

With feeble steps, she staggered down the stairs.

As she stumbled and was about to fall, Hajoon reached out to catch her.

Haruna looked at Hajoon blankly for a moment.

Hajoon then spoke to her.

“…Is it all over?”

“Yes.”

Haruna replied quietly, her head bowed low.

Hajoon watched her silently for a moment.

Honestly, he had many questions.

Why did she suddenly choose to destroy the god herself? What was her reason for such a decision?

Or had she heard the entire conversation with the god?

However, seeing her expression, Hajoon decided not to ask any questions.

Her face looked extremely tired.

He observed her lifeless face and trembling legs, as if she might collapse at any moment.

“Hya!”

Hajoon then lifted Haruna in his arms.

Without a word, he turned back the way he came to leave the place.

Startled at first, Haruna gazed up at Hajoon and then entrusted her body to him. Somehow, she felt safe in Hajoon's embrace.

A few minutes later, standing in front of the gate to leave the place, Hajoon looked at Haruna.

At some point, she had quietly fallen asleep, softly breathing in his arms.

Hajoon watched her for a moment and then turned to look at the space known as the sanctuary.

He then released his golden magic, spreading it around.

Boom!!!

The sanctuary, affected by Hajoon's magic, vibrated loudly as rocks fell and the structure began to collapse.

The pillars that supported the ceiling had already been brought down by Hajoon's magic.

It should be enough by now.

Hajoon withdrew his magic and indifferently turned away from the crumbling sanctuary.

The next morning.

Hajoon was in the principal's office of the academy.

"So, the Altar has disappeared…"

After leaving Haruna at the hospital and catching a brief rest in the dormitory, Hajoon came to the principal's office, summoned by Riella.

He felt he needed to explain what had happened to her.

After hearing everything Hajoon had to say, Riella sighed with a complex expression and asked about Haruna's condition.

"How is Haruna Ruel?"

"She's resting at the hospital."

"Well, that's fortunate. You found her safe and sound."

Hajoon nodded in response to her words.

Honestly, this entire incident hadn't gone according to plan.

It was purely a matter of chance and luck.

The only thing that had given Hajoon peace of mind in that situation was the increasing progress of Haruna Ruel's quest.

After taking a sip of tea, Riella, with a somber expression, reminisced and spoke to Hajoon.

"Do you know the saying that a child who can read Rune Language is cursed with misfortune?"

"No, I haven't heard."

"That power is different from magic, strange and vast. Many children who understood it couldn't survive past the age of 10. Hence the old saying, 'A child who can read Rune Language is doomed to misfortune.' Probably because they couldn't handle the power. Even now, I don't fully understand its nature."

Hajoon listened in silence to her words.

"But when I saw Haruna, even after all these years, it amazed me. It was the first time I saw a child who carried that bizarre energy and lived past the age of 10. However, it seems that in another way, that child too was unlucky. It's truly a pity."

“…….”

Hajoon silently looked at her after hearing her words.

Riella, with a bittersweet smile, then spoke to Hajoon.

“Was she badly hurt?”

“You mean me?”

"I'm talking about Haruna. Can't you follow the conversation? And I don't even consider the possibility of you getting hurt anymore.”

Riella chuckled at Hajoon's question.

Though the words felt a bit disappointing, Hajoon didn't make a retort, sensing the trust behind them.

Hajoon responded to her question.

“She just fainted due to exhaustion.”

“That’s good… I'm glad.”

Her words came out like a sigh of relief.

“Yes, well. I'm glad it's all resolved.”

“…….”

“...Well, it's done now, yes?”

Hajoon agreed with her words.

But.

● Haruna Ruel (99%)

A slightly concerning notification window floated before Hajoon's eyes.

The god was dead, and the sanctuary, the heart of the Altar, had disappeared.

It meant that no more threats existed for Haruna.

Yet, he couldn't understand why Haruna's progress had stopped at 99%.

“Hmm……, for now, yes.”

Hajoon simply nodded in agreement to her words.

There were some lingering concerns, but it seemed, as she said, everything had been resolved for now.

Ring-

Just then, Hajoon's phone rang.

Puzzled by the unknown caller ID, Hajoon answered the call.

After hearing the content of the call, Hajoon slowly rose from the sofa.

“Huh? What's up?”

After ending the call, Hajoon turned to Riella and spoke.

“Haruna has woken up.”

When Hajoon arrived at the hospital, Haruna was not in her room.

The doctor said she went to the rooftop garden for some fresh air, so Hajoon headed there to see her.

When Hajoon arrived on the rooftop, a refreshing breeze greeted him.

Looking around, he saw Haruna sitting on a bench, staring blankly at the sky.

Noticing her, Hajoon slowly approached and spoke.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“...Yeah.”

Haruna hesitated for a moment before nodding in response to Hajoon's arrival.

Soon after, she bowed her head, deep in thought. Though her body had recovered, her expression still seemed drained of energy.

“Listen…”

She hesitated before finally speaking to Hajoon.

“Do you think my grandfather really came back to life?”

“…….”

Faced with such a question, Hajoon remained silent for a moment.

Zehar.

Whether he had truly come back to life or not was something beyond Hajoon's knowledge.

It was unclear whether that was truly Zehar or just a puppet with Zehar's memories.

And then Hajoon seemed to understand why Haruna's progress rate was still at 99%.

This moment was likely a crossroads and a time for decision for Haruna.

But Hajoon felt he already knew how to answer.

Whether that being was real or fake didn’t matter.

The necessary response was clear, without the need for further contemplation.

Hajoon spoke.

“It was fake."

Haruna must have been contemplating the last words of the god.

Wondering if it was really possible to bring back her family.

Yet, despite hearing those words, she had made her choice.

Whether she had overheard the conversation with the god or not, the reason for her choice was unknown, but at least she must have believed that the god should not exist.

Then, a little white lie to affirm her decision wouldn't hurt.

“There’s no way a dead person could really come back to life.”

“...Yeah.”

Haruna quietly responded, her head slowly sinking lower.

Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Clear teardrops rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground, drop by drop.

Despite the tears, her expression seemed somewhat relieved and comfortable.

As if a heavy burden that had been stifling her heart had been lifted.

“I thought so.”

Ding-

That's when it happened.

● Haruna Ruel (100%)

A notification window displaying Haruna Ruel's progress rate appeared before Hajoon's eyes.

The figure had risen from 99% to 100%.

This moment was precisely the ending Haruna Ruel had been heading towards.

“Hajoon.”

Haruna slowly stood up from the bench.

She wiped her tears with her sleeve and looked squarely at Hajoon.

Her eyes and expression slowly softened.

With a bright smile, Haruna spoke to Hajoon.

“Thank you.”

Tears continued to stream down her face, but this time, Hajoon could tell they weren't tears of sorrow. He just smiled back lightly.

Meanwhile, at the same time in Tokyo, Japan, inside an abandoned building.

There, Japanese heroes were staring in awe at a scene unfolding before them.

"Truly... this is remarkable."

"It's hard to believe he's just a kid."

The object of their attention was a young boy.

Armed with a sword, he stood silently after having just dispatched a villain, his swordsmanship having left the heroes astounded.

The idea that such a display of skill came from a 17-year-old was almost unbelievable.

"That strength isn't just the result of an ability."

"Indeed, the disciple of the Sword King is truly remarkable."

The boy who had amazed them was Han Siyoung.

He had been brought in by Japan to capture foreign villains hiding in Korea, specifically those with transformation abilities classified as Unchained.

Though he was still a student, the plan had been for him to assist the professionals and handle the finishing touches. However, Han Siyoung's combat prowess far exceeded their expectations.

"To think he would single-handedly take down an Unchained-class villain..."

Han Siyoung, after all, had defeated an A-grade dangerous villain all by himself, making the professional heroes seem more like his support.

How could someone so young achieve such a level of mastery?

Moreover, his abilities not only included sheer martial prowess but also countered the transformation abilities of the Unchained class.

It seemed like nothing less than a divine gift.

As of now, the only ones who could stand against Unchained-class villains were Han Siyoung and Korea's famous hero, the Irregular.

Then, Han Siyoung, having finished dealing with the villain, approached the heroes.

He appeared relaxed and composed, showing no sign of the strain from his recent breathtaking display of skill.

Han Siyoung approached the heroes, who had been staring at him blankly, and spoke.

"It's done."

"That's great. We're very grateful for your assistance, Han Siyoung. Let us escort you to the hotel. You must be tired."

Han Siyoung shook his head in response.

"I'm sorry, but I need to return to Korea urgently. I have some matters to attend to."

"Matters, you say?"

"Yes."

With that, he nodded and turned his gaze to his phone.

A text message.

It was from Lorelei Hills, the guild master of the world's largest information guild, Hermes.

-I've found what you were looking for. Contact me later when you see this message.