The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

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Hajoon's brows furrowed involuntarily.

It was an unpleasant sensation.

It felt as if all the spirits, the owners of the bones existing within his mental world, were pouring their grudges towards him.

Although he understood that the anger and resentment swirling around were not directed at him, but rather it felt like they were clinging stickily, asking him to avenge them on their behalf.

Until now, Hajoon had never heard the voices of those existing in his mental world.

Leanon watched Hajoon closely as he spoke.

He opened his mouth towards Hajoon as if he knew something Hajoon himself was unaware of.

"You must listen to what they desire, if you are to be their 'king'."

With those final words, he spread his wings and turned away, leaving.

Hajoon watched him go with a furrowed brow and then left the spot.

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Raei Translations

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That night.

Sitting on the bed in the quiet house after Elaine and Irian had left, Hajoon was talking to Elaine on the phone.

-Brother, are you okay?

"Yeah… How about you?"

-I'm fine thanks to you. Elaine unnie and I evacuated safely… But don't overdo it, okay? If it gets too hard, make sure you run away.

At her words, Hajoon found himself chuckling without realizing it.

"Okay."

-I'll contact you again later. Take care, brother.

Click-

With those words, the call ended, and silence returned to the quiet house.

It was already late at night, 10 PM.

Many heroes, including agents from the association, were preparing for the dimensional dungeon, but the chairman did not want Hajoon's help in that process.

Was it better for him to rest as much as possible?

It was a consideration given, knowing that he would be the one suffering the most in this situation.

Hajoon accepted that consideration willingly.

That's why he could rest alone at home while other heroes were preparing.

"Should I sleep…"

Hajoon flopped down onto the bed.

Soon, the system's countdown appeared in Hajoon's view.

[33 : 24 : 22]

The time indicated by the system was slowly passing.

In a way, only two days were left.

In two days, the numbers would hit 0, and the gate to the dimensional dungeon would open.

Of course, it wasn't entirely leisurely, but there was enough time to enjoy a day of relaxation.

Hajoon closed his eyes, thinking of tomorrow.

That was when.

"……"

Sensing something odd, Hajoon slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around.

At some point, the plush bed had transformed into a space filled with bones.

Lying still for a moment, only turning his head to survey his surroundings, Hajoon soon heard the familiar spirits around him spewing out their grievances.

-Wooooo.

At the outcry filled with their grudges, Hajoon frowned and clicked his tongue.

Though he couldn't understand what they were saying, their emotions were clearly conveyed.

Resentment and hatred.

Although he didn't know exactly what the full-throated wails of resentment were saying, it was clear they wanted something from him.

Crackling!

Soon, their hands emerged from the ground, ensnaring Hajoon.

As if asking him to resolve their grievances, they wrapped around the lying Hajoon's entire body.

Hajoon, annoyed, grimaced as he tried to shake off their hands and stand up.

Nevertheless, the hands continued to emerge, beginning to cover his entire body.

That was when.

The moment the spirits' hands covered Hajoon's face, obscuring his vision, they began to show him a scene within the abyss of darkness.

‘This place…’

The surroundings became distinctly visible.

A sky filled with blood-red clouds and thunderstorms.

Under that sky, countless corpses were piled up like mountains.

At the center of this place filled with corpses stood an old warrior.

The warrior's body was drenched in blood, and he stood firmly, leaning on a hammer planted in the ground.

Also, five beings quietly observed the old warrior.

A few faces were familiar.

Fairy King Bahelia, Merfolk King Orgon, Human King Zahart.

Then, the remaining two must undoubtedly be the Elf King Hermorus and the Giant King Gigantmakia. Except for the Giant King, all the kings were in a battered state when the Giant King spoke.

"It displeases me, Horton."

Gigantmakia, the Giant King, looked down at the old warrior.

His face was contorted with an angry expression.

"Even in the moment of death, you did not kneel."

Hajoon's gaze shifted to the steadfast old warrior.

And Hajoon understood what the Giant King meant.

No movement was seen from the firmly standing old warrior's body.

Hajoon could tell that he was already dead.

Even in death, the old warrior's posture was solid and radiant.

He looked so vibrant that it was hard to believe he was dead.

"But now, it ends."

That was when.

The Giant King, with a madness-filled smile, opened his enormous maw.

"Devouring you will make me a true 'god'."

He began to reach out slowly and menacingly towards the old warrior.

Before his giant hand could touch the warrior,

At that moment, a frenzied light burst from the center of the corpse mountain, whitening the surroundings.

Hajoon's gaze then turned to the source of this light.

There stood Philaten, a familiar face, holding a staff pointed towards the sky, loftily looking down upon the kings.

Thump!

That was where the memory ended.

Suddenly, the surroundings darkened again, ending the memory.

As the hands binding Hajoon released him and his vision cleared, he could see Philaten holding a wooden staff.

With a bitter look in her eyes, Philaten observed the bone-formed hands that had ensnared Hajoon's body and slammed her staff onto the ground with a thud.

Simultaneously, a white light emanated from her body, spreading outwards, and the risen hands gradually retreated back into the ground.

She looked at the retreating hands with a somber gaze for a moment before speaking.

[I understand your feelings. But, please wait.]

As if mourning the hidden spirits, she closed her eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them to look at Hajoon.

Philaten approached Hajoon slowly and said,

[Please understand. It seems they couldn't contain themselves as the battle with the Giant King draws near.]

"…Philaten."

Hajoon looked at her for a moment.

He had something he wanted to ask.

"You heard what Leanon said, right?"

[…Yes, I heard.]

With that, she gently closed her eyes, bowed politely to Hajoon, and continued,

[I know what he meant.]

"What is it?"

[It's the 'Origin of Dwarves'.]

With those words, Philaten slowly raised her head to look at Hajoon.

[My king, the power of Destruction, the power to destroy everything, is derived from the essence of the Dwarves.]

"…Derived?"

[It's the power long desired by all Dwarves. After a thousand years in our world, where the Dwarves were considered a weak race, one Dwarf was born. Dwarf King Horton. A great being born with the essence of all things Dwarf.]

However, Philaten's head soon drooped weakly.

[But in the end, he closed his eyes in defeat to the Giant King, betrayed by the other kings.]

"…"

Hajoon quietly observed her.

Then, staring blankly at her, Hajoon slowly opened his mouth.

"Why tell me now?"

He asked why they had hidden this power until now.

And Philaten readily answered his question.

[A hundred years ago, after coming to this world, I met many humans. I passed Maharazu to humans who, like you, followed Horton's will and possessed strong power. However, those who inherited Maharazu either failed to receive the power of Destruction or lost their lives to the betrayal of the Elf King or because they couldn't handle the power of Destruction…]

At her words, Hajoon recalled the first time he met Philaten.

It seemed he wasn't the first.

Indeed, considering Hajoon's physical condition at that time, it somewhat explained why Philaten was so radiant.

[I couldn't reveal the existence of this power to all who were sacrificed. Above all, the Giant King desired this power. The moment it was devoured by the Giant King, the power would transfer to him. I couldn't tell them because they couldn't even use the power of Destruction.]

Many successors of Maharazu had died at the hands of the Dwarf King without inheriting its true power. Therefore, Philaten was searching.

Despite the passage of 100 years, she was searching for a human worthy of fully inheriting this power.

With a tender smile, Philaten looked at Hajoon.

The human who had awakened the power of Destruction on his own.

Looking at him, Philaten said,

[However, my new king, you are worthy.]

"…"

[You are the only human to have inherited the king's power.]

With those words, countless hands once again emerged from the ground, slowly reaching out towards Hajoon.

But this time, Philaten did not stop them.

Hajoon also did not pay any attention to the hands reaching out from behind him.

He just calmly looked at Philaten in front of him.

[To inherit this power, you must also be recognized by them.]

"Haven't I already become the master of the mental world?"

[The master of the mental world that has inherited Maharazu is indeed you-]

Soon, Philaten's gaze shifted towards the countless hands reaching out towards Hajoon.

Without averting her gaze from those hands, she continued,

[They are the deceased who have not yet forgotten King Horton.]

With that, Hajoon understood.

The owners of these bones existing in this mental world had not yet recognized him as their king. They merely knew him as an entity cooperating with them.

They only wished for him to avenge their king by killing the other kings who led him to death. They were merely vengeful spirits.

And…, realizing their intent, Hajoon's face twisted in anger.

Suddenly, Maharazu was in Hajoon's hand.

"Disappear."

Whoosh!!

With those words, Maharazu, enlarged in size, swept away all the hands reaching out towards Hajoon. Among the swept away bones, the resentful wails of the spirits subsided, and calm returned.

The deceased who had reached out towards Hajoon fell silent, and Philaten silently observed the process, but her eyes trembled visibly.

She momentarily couldn't understand why the king was angry.

And with the following words, she, and the deceased, understood the rudeness they had shown towards the king.

"I get what they want."

Hajoon intended to kill the Giant King as they wished.

It wasn't for them.

Naturally, considering the current situation, the villains were threatening the world.

However, he was angered upon realizing a certain desire within the spirits' emotions.

It was the emotion of the deceased existing in this mental world wanting to use him.

Hajoon turned around and opened his mouth with a voice filled with harsh and serene anger towards them.

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