The Academy’s Time Stop Player-Novel

William Belhar knew exactly what was most needed in the present age.

Money, power, fame.

Those were essentials from a time before the Great Chaos. However, when the era of the Great Chaos began, introducing a mysterious power called magic and producing superhumans with unimaginable strength, it marked the dawn of a new age ruled by these superhumans.

He could have had money, power, and fame due to being the grandson of the great hero who prevented the Great Chaos, but he knew better than anyone that in this era, sheer strength was paramount.

And the boy before him was a symbol of that very strength.

Known as "Irregular," he was ranked sixth among global heroes. His strength was so renowned that it was said to rival the great heroes who had previously stopped the Great Chaos.

For this reason, William felt a palpable threat to his life at this very moment.

"This can't be happening..."

He was confronted with an unbelievable sight.

A massive golden pillar had appeared in the mansion's garden, connected to a long handle held by the boy.

Could it be that the boy planned to strike him with that colossal object?

Suddenly, a group of superhumans belonging to his family, all dressed in black suits, rushed into the reception room. Some held knives, others spears, and yet others aimed guns at Hajoon.

Yet, their faces betrayed their anxiety.

They knew all too well who they were pointing their weapons at.

"Irregular, would you mind putting down the hammer?" A man, seemingly their team leader, asked while pointing his blade at Hajoon, though his voice quivered.

Hajoon responded not with words, but by turning to look at the man. A suffocating silence ensued.

As cold sweat dripped from their brows, Hajoon, with a rough smirk, finally spoke, "If you don't like it..."

"Even for the Irregular, this kind of threat would be problematic."

Instead of answering, Hajoon took action.

Whoosh!

A massive black hole appeared on the ceiling of the reception room. All their weapons were immediately sucked into it, leaving them stunned.

They were disarmed in an instant.

The superhumans began to step back in bewilderment. Watching them, Hajoon slightly lifted the handle he held.

Thud!

The colossal pillar in the garden resonated with a booming sound, elevating slightly.

Of course, compared to its size, the hammer was light. It had been enlarged, but its weight had been reduced to a manageable level for Hajoon.

However, if he were to change its weight back just before striking, its destructive power would be unimaginable.

Hajoon fixed his gaze on the man who appeared to be the team leader, issuing a warning.

"Leave now while I'm still asking nicely."

"..."

"If you don’t want any trouble."

The man, seemingly the team leader, clenched his teeth in serious contemplation.

The situation was dire.

Sure, he had been forced to draw his blade against Hajoon, but he was well-aware of something.

Even if all of them were to attack at once, they wouldn't be able to protect William from the irregular.

The team leader finally made a decision.

He commanded the security agents behind him to evacuate everyone from the mansion.

Then, turning to Hajoon again, he pleaded earnestly, "At least let me stay here."

"..."

Hajoon eyed him for a moment, then nodded. Staying here would be futile anyway.

He shifted his gaze back to William, staring him down with a stoic expression, warning him.

"It would be best if you cooperated."

"Wh-what do you..."

"Everything you know."

Hajoon was demanding a choice.

Of course, he had already learned from Roban about what William had done in the past, but he wanted to hear it straight from the source. It would legitimize his actions.

Regardless of whether William would talk or not, the outcome would remain unchanged. However, hearing it from William himself would solidify Hajoon’s stance.

Just as William, having heard Hajoon's words, abruptly stood up and began yelling at him, "Even if you're an irregular! If you lay a hand on me-."

Thud!

Whooosh!!

Hajoon slammed down his hammer, Maharazu.

With a deafening thud, a staggering shockwave engulfed the mansion.

Every window shattered from the impact, and a thick cloud of dust enveloped the entire estate.

It was all because of the immense force the moment the massive hammer touched the ground.

Almost immediately, William's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.

As William stuttered in fear, Hajoon looked down at him, issuing another warning.

"There won't be a second time."

"..."

"Speak."

Faced with that warning, William finally closed his eyes tightly and spilled everything to Hajoon.

A heavy silence settled in the reception room after everyone heard the facts.

Even the President Lucas and the security team leader standing next to him stared at William with shocked faces.

"How could you possibly...?"

The President was clearly taken aback by what William had just admitted.

Soon after, Hajoon handed over a smartphone with a recording of everything to the President.

Accepting the smartphone, the President understood why Hajoon had handed it to him.

"You understand?"

"..."

"Release this to the media."

Hearing this, President Lucas simply let out a sigh and nodded. He had heard the entire story behind the Irregular's anger, and he could no longer protect William. Regardless of William being the descendant of a great hero, President Lucas was also a hero and had a conscience. Moreover, the justification for protecting William had disappeared.

The security team leader felt the same. He bowed slightly to Hajoon, as if apologizing for his rudeness, and then quietly exited the reception room.

"I'm grateful for your mercy, Irregular."

He genuinely felt thankful to Hajoon. If they had all rushed at Hajoon to protect William, the damage could have been much greater. Without Hajoon's leniency, likely more than a hundred people would have been down by now.

After the team leader left, a lingering silence filled the room.

Initially, Hajoon thought these annoying individuals had come to disrupt his daily life, but the underlying story turned out to be more profound and significant.

'So, this is Liber's main episode.'

Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman.

The survivor of a once-great family.

Hajoon, by intervening, had perhaps seen his ending sooner than expected.

"Now, then."

Hajoon reduced the size of Maharazu, which he had placed in the garden.

Shortly after, Maharazu slowly began to return to its original size. Having obtained a confession from him, Hajoon knew what needed to be done next.

Hajoon approached William, who was slumped on the ground with a defeated expression.

For a moment, William looked up at Hajoon, his face awash with fear.

"W-Wait! I've told you everything! Why?"

"Things need to be wrapped up."

The only reason Hajoon had him verbally confess everything was to secure a solid justification.

A justification so concrete that even if he dealt with this descendant of a great hero, there would be no repercussions.

"If you lay a hand on me, my aunt won't let it slide!"

Helen Belhar.

Hajoon thought of her, the great hero who left England to wander the world.

He then chuckled. From William's reaction, it seemed he was unaware.

Unaware of the reason she had left England.

Unfazed, Hajoon continued his approach. Standing right in front of William, he raised his hammer above William's head.

"No, stop! Don't!"

William would pay the price today, and it was going to be a long night.

Whoosh! Thud!

The next morning.

Various UK media outlets unveiled a recording that sent shockwaves across the nation. It was a tape revealing the misdeeds of William Belhar, the grandson of the UK's national hero. Moreover, the British Hero Association officially verified the authenticity of the recording, so no one doubted its veracity.

Amid the nationwide uproar over the incident, Hajoon sought out Elaine as soon as morning arrived.

There were numerous questions he wanted to ask, and he needed to find out about the vault located beneath the family mansion.

"Brother."

When he visited the hospital room where Darham was admitted to see Elaine, for some unknown reason, her face was tearful as she gazed at Hajoon.

Hajoon patiently waited for Elaine to speak, sensing she had much to say.

Elaine, wiping away her flowing tears with her sleeve and with a defeated expression, hesitantly opened her mouth.

"I want to go somewhere."

"...Where?"

"Our home."

Upon hearing "our home", Hajoon recalled the mansion where Liber had once lived and nodded in understanding. He had intended to go there anyway.

Together, they left the hospital and drove to the Ehrman family mansion where they had been the day before. However, once there, Elaine didn't head straight for the mansion.

Instead, she took a path around the vast gardens, heading towards the back of the mansion. Hajoon silently followed her.

After walking for a few minutes, Hajoon began to realize where she was leading him.

Whooosh.

A cool breeze brushed by them.

At the back of the mansion stood a massive tree, its leaves rustling in the wind. Beneath the towering tree, three gravestones were erected.

One was the tombstone of a past Ehrman family head. The other two, Hajoon had a gut feeling about whom they belonged to.

"Brother."

Elaine gently bowed her head in front of the gravestones, then turned her gaze to Hajoon. Her eyes glistened with moisture.

"I saw the news today..."

Elaine had so much she wanted to express, but her throat constricted, and her heart raced, preventing any further words from escaping her lips. Everything she had wanted to say seemed to evaporate in that moment.

She simply uttered her heartfelt sentiment in a few words.

"I'm sorry..."

Elaine's head drooped, and clear tears trickled down her cheeks. She felt breathless, struggling to voice her regret.

No words seemed adequate to convey her remorse.

And Hajoon, watching her, remained silent.

While Liber's body was in motion, the mind driving it was unmistakably that of 'Kim Hajoon'.

For that reason, he couldn’t completely understand or fathom Elaine’s feelings... But at least he could act like a dependable older brother for her.

Hajoon looked at Elaine and gave a slight, teasing smile.

Walking up to her, he affectionately patted her head.

"Why's a grown-up like you crying?"

"Sniffle- Oppa..."

"Let's pay our respects and head out."

"Mhm..."

Hearing that, Elaine silently nodded.

Using the sleeve of her clothes, she wiped the tears that had formed at the edges of her eyes.

Silently, she turned back towards the gravestone, closing her eyes, offering her prayers once more.

Hajoon stood beside her, mirroring her actions, praying silently to the gravestone as well.