The Academy’s Time Stop Player

"His power has fully blossomed," came the voice of Leanon.

Yet, Lain could only tremble, unable to move an inch.

'What on earth is this magical power...?'

She felt an insurmountable wall before her, distant and unreachable.

The overwhelming presence emanating from the boy immobilized Lain.

[Lain.]

At that moment, the boy called out to her.

Startled, Lain slowly began to back away, but Hajoon warned her.

[You're the last one. Stay there and wait.]

It was a warning she dared not disobey, certain that any attempt to flee would lead to her death.

"This can't be..."

Bahelia's gaze then shifted towards Hajoon.

Her expression began to harden.

Her pupils trembled, and her lips quivered slightly.

It was an impossible situation.

'He... he was supposed to be dead.'

"Horton..."

How could someone presumed dead emanate such a palpable presence?

Hajoon slowly walked towards Bahelia.

As he neared her, his expression twisted into one of anger.

[Are you one of the five kings?]

Death was inching closer to her side.

[With such pathetic power-]

Hajoon's magical power surged around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The space she created crumbled and fell apart under the force of his magic.

Hajoon looked at her, his words bitter.

[Pretending to be a king is laughable and disgusting.]

In that spectacle, she was unable to react at all.

Even as Hajoon stood right before her, and her created realm collapsed under his power, she couldn’t muster any response.

A primal fear, etched deep in her bones, began to surface.

"Gah!"

Whoosh!

Eventually, her choice was to flee.

Her instinct told her that she stood no chance against him.

She swiftly soared upwards, escaping towards the distant sky out of his reach.

But before she could get far...

Thunk! Thud!!

Something heavy struck her from above without a moment's notice, sending her plummeting downwards.

Thump!

"Argh!"

[Who said you could run?]

The aura of death loomed closer.

She envisioned her body shattering into pieces.

Regret filled her.

Instead of panicking at his appearance, she should have fled.

Thud-

She slowly knelt before Hajoon, feeling the vast gap in their powers.

Unable to win, unable to escape, she bowed her head to Hajoon. Her instincts warned her.

She couldn't escape from him.

"The new King of Kings."

She bowed her head to the boy who had inherited the power of their past king.

"I, Fairy King Bahelia, do not wish to fight you," she said.

Hajoon's indifferent eyes turned towards her.

Amidst the chilling silence, she continued, "Please, show mercy. Forgive my atrocities and give me a chance to fight alongside you against the other kings."

No response came from Hajoon.

In the quiet stillness, Bahelia's body tensed with anxiety.

Then, in that prolonged silence, Hajoon spoke. [Alright.]

The moment she lifted her head in hope at his response.

Whoosh!!

Maharazu, now enlarged, was raised above, emanating golden magical power.

Her expression fell into despair at the sight, but Hajoon spoke calmly to her.

[Block this once. Then, I'll consider it.]

"Gah!" She gritted her teeth.

Bahelia, now standing, unleashed her magical power in fury, shouting at Hajoon as if roaring.

"Are you mocking me?!"

She extended both hands towards Hajoon, from which numerous tendrils burst forth, rushing towards him.

Amidst this, Hajoon swung Maharazu, filled with magical power, at her.

Boom!! The tendrils disintegrated upon contact with the hammer's golden magic.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

"Agh!"

Following the vanishing tendrils, the hammer now headed towards Bahelia herself.

She extended her hands to block the massive hammer, but her hands began to disintegrate upon touching the golden magic.

"Arghh!"

Bahelia screamed in agony, her body starting to crumble.

In her final moments, she glared at Hajoon with eyes filled with hatred and began to curse.

"The other kings! They won't let you get away with this!"

[Not bad.]

Despite her curse, Hajoon merely smirked roughly, lifting one corner of his mouth.

[Your death will serve as a warning to the other kings.]

"Guh..."

Her final breath was quiet, signaling the end. Her body split apart, and her eyes, filled with terror, looked at Hajoon. He watched her turn to ashes in tranquility, then turned away with a comment.

[Worthless power.]

Hajoon released his magical power.

He sighed at the ensuing feeling of disconnect.

Tired and listless.

Especially using this power in the presence of a so-called king, Hajoon felt an indescribable disgust and rage boiling within him.

He barely managed to keep his sanity, nearly losing control over his emotions.

Apparently, this was the danger of power Philaten had warned about.

"Phew..."

Anyway, that aside, Hajoon approached Lain to deal with the remaining matters.

Hajoon, gathering his magical power and cloaked in golden energy, approached Lain and said,

[I thought I told you not to approach Liam.]

At his words, Lain quietly closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate, predicting her future.

Seeing her resignation, Hajoon lifted his hammer.

[It's your choice.]

Just as he was about to bring the hammer down on Lain,

“Wait, wait a minute, Hajoon!”

Liam suddenly stepped in front of Lain.

Surprised by his appearance, Hajoon let out a disbelieving laugh.

Hajoon spoke to Liam,

[Did you grow fond of her in just one day?]

“Give me a moment.”

Liam looked earnestly at Hajoon, trying to persuade him.

Hajoon just glared at Liam, but eventually, he lowered his hammer.

Taking that as his answer, Liam smiled slightly and thanked Hajoon,

“Thank you.”

With those words, Liam turned to face Lain.

Lain looked back at Liam with a strange look in her eyes.

Liam said to Lain,

“I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday.”

As he spoke, he began to extend Mirtain towards Lain.

At that moment, both Hajoon and Lain's eyes widened.

Hajoon twisted his lips roughly, moving to stop Liam’s action, but then,

Ding-

[● Liam Martel (Progress 98%)]

A system window appeared, blocking Hajoon’s path.

After staring blankly at the system window for a moment, Hajoon decided to observe Liam’s actions.

Liam continued,

“Can you tell me what your relationship is with Harson?”

“He… was my grandfather.”

“I see... then promise me.”

As he handed Mirtain to Lain, Liam said,

“I’ll return Mirtain to you. In exchange, quit being a villain. This was your goal, wasn’t it?”

“...”

“Promise me.”

Lain lifted her head and looked directly into Liam's eyes.

His eyes showed a straightforward and clear determination.

The boy chosen by Mirtain, the most famous mythological weapon in America.

Liam, known from a young age as a prodigy in the United States, was casually laying down the weapon that made him famous.

“Why…”

“Mirtain is special, not me. And Mirtain isn’t my strength.”

After meeting Han Siyoung and other children with special powers, and finally meeting Hajoon, Liam realized this.

His talent wasn’t Mirtain.

Of course, he had already received permission from Mirtain.

“Mirtain, are you okay with this?”

Lain asked Mirtain.

To her question, Mirtain just sighed and said,

-Hah… I can't force this guy's choice. If you keep your promise, I’ll follow without a word.

“...Is that so?”

Lain’s head slowly dropped.

Closing her eyes as if reminiscing the past, she soon looked at Mirtain again.

With a decisive look in her eyes, Lain spoke up.

“Mirtain.”

-What is it?

“Was everything you said yesterday true?”

-It was.

“I see…”

With those final words, Lain faced Liam with a subdued, bitter tone.

“…No, I give up.”

With that declaration.

Ding-

[● Liam Martel (Progress 100%)]

Liam’s progress reached 100%.

Hajoon’s eyes widened, turning towards Lain.

Lain simply looked at Liam and calmly answered,

“I will give up on Mirtain.”

“Huh…?”

Liam looked at Lain with a stunned expression.

However, Lain calmly walked past Liam towards Hajoon.

Approaching Hajoon, Lain extended her hands and said,

“I surrender.”

“…You don’t plan to kill Liam anymore?”

“There’s no more intent left. I gave up. And my grandfather chose him.”

Lain replied with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Hajoon looked at Lain’s outstretched hands for a moment, then raised his head to scan her face.

Despite her calm expression, there seemed to be a sense of relief.

‘Was it because of this?’

Liam’s episode had significantly changed.

Originally, the end of Liam’s episode was supposed to be Lain attacking the American Hero Association, causing significant casualties, and dying in a confrontation with Liam.

But the future had changed.

Lain chose to give up on her ultimate goal, Mirtain.

More than anything, Hajoon knew why.

Probably, his actions had caused a significant change in the episode.

Now Hajoon seemed to understand why the system had previously prevented him from killing Lain.

The main villain herself had given up on her goal, thus concluding the ending.

Hajoon looked at Lain’s offered hands.

Then, he looked up at Lain and said,

“No handcuffs, so just follow me.”

Hajoon had no desire to kill her now that she had no intention of killing Liam anymore.

At least, since she admitted her guilt and surrendered, he was willing to grant her the freedom of her last walk.

The three of them returned to the association via a gate operated by an agent waiting near the Myeolji area.

Through the gate, the head of the American Hero Association, Andre, Joa Elliot, and other agents were waiting.

“Ah, this is… Quickly to the emergency room!”

A few agents rushed towards Liam, seeing his bloodstained condition, obviously in bad shape.

However, despite his appearance, he wasn’t severely injured.

He had been treated with a strange potion passed to him by Hajoon while passing through the gate.

Liam waved off the approaching agents, insisting he was fine and unharmed.

“I’m okay. More importantly…”

Then, Liam and Hajoon’s gaze shifted towards Lain, who stood quietly behind them.

Following their gaze, Joa and Andre also looked at her, and Hajoon answered their unspoken question calmly.

“She surrendered.”

“Surrendered... you mean?”

Andre looked at Lain with disbelief.

Lain approached him, her expression calm as she extended her hands.

Andre gazed at her with a complex expression, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

Silently, an agent approached and quietly fastened handcuffs made of black iron around her wrists.

“...Let's go.”

Andre spoke to Lain with a tone tinged with bitterness.

Without a word, Lain was escorted by agents on either side, following the head of the association.

As they entered the association building, Andre, walking quietly in front, didn't turn around but asked Lain in a bitter tone.

“Lain. Do you still resent me?”

“...”

Lain looked at the back of the association head.

She observed his aged, stooped shoulders and his hair turned white, different from the past.

To his question, Lain silently reminisced about the man who had once asked her grandfather to stop the breach in the Boundary Dungeon.

The head of the association who had handed Mirtain, her grandfather's relic, to an unknown boy.

And the man who had become her only father figure after she lost all her kin.

“Yes.”

Lain responded without hesitation.

At her straightforward answer, Andre's head slowly bowed.

Then Lain continued,

“But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

At those words, Andre's eyes wavered for a moment before he slowly turned his head to look at Lain.

She still wore a neutral expression.

However, in that expression, the head of the association felt, somehow, that the resentment had dissipated, leaving a sense of ease.