The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

NOTE: previously the paragraphs explaining who yoo seol-ah was were missing but they have now been added! thank you to RyC for telling me o(*￣▽￣*)o

Schedule: N/A, just catching up to the previous tl

Illustrations: Here

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When I came to, I felt completely crushed.

All my efforts to resist the game system’s control had been wasted.

"Ah...this is driving me crazy."

The high-risk red quest that had suddenly appeared was the issue.

’I never imagined a GAME OVER quest would target me...’

Every main character faces death at certain points, and the red quest window appears at those times.

Failing the quest here translates to a [GAME OVER] in the game, which essentially means death in real life.

Of course, having played all the main characters, I was well-versed in when the red quest would show up and how to tackle it.

’The real trouble is the main villain...’

Each playable character has a main villain posing a threat.

The ’Villain Alliance’, the chief villain of Han Siyoung’s story.

The ’S-Class Villain Karthon’, the primary antagonist in Anna’s story.

’The Altar’, the main villain in Haruna Ruel’s story.

’The Criminal Group Villant’, the chief villain in Liam Martel’s story.

These villains inevitably show up when the red quest for each main character emerges.

From the beginning, it would be odd if the main villain, who holds a substantial influence over a main character’s death, didn’t appear.

"Tch-"

Frustrated, I checked the system window reflected on my retina.

[Warning! An error has occurred.]

[Warning! An error has occurred.]

[The main quest will not appear due to a system error.]

At least it wasn’t a complete catastrophe.

It seemed the annoying main quest wouldn’t show up for some time.

Of course, this resulted in the bracelet breaking.

’So, I have to face it if I want to stay alive.’

The circumstances had changed.

Unlike before, when I attempted to stay uninvolved, now it was different.

Now, my life was at stake.

The silver lining? The coercive force was gone, and a clear goal had been set.

Of course, there was the severe consequence of death.

’So, the most immediate one is... Anna?’

Anna Elizabeth Hartel.

Initially, I didn’t mind whether they lived or died, but with the life-threatening red quest now in play, I had no choice but to get involved.

’Right... it was the joint external training, wasn’t it?’

The joint external training scheduled in two weeks.

A rigorous training like experiential learning where they would get to try out various superhuman jobs by visiting external organizations.

And it was the episode where Anna’s first red quest showed up.

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Raei Translations

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Time sped by, and training day arrived.

In front of a vast square, I stepped onto the iconic winged bus of Rokia Academy, which had sapphire orbs instead of wheels.

Just to be clear, this bus flew through the sky, not on the ground.

It was a product of magical engineering, a blend of magic and technology.

’Hmm...’

I looked out the window at the landscape zooming by.

I had never flown before, so it was a bit exciting, but I didn’t have much else on my mind.

Maybe it was due to anxiety or worries.

’I wonder how it will turn out...’

During this joint training episode, Anna had to make a decision.

A crossroad choice where even one wrong selection would immediately trigger a [GAME OVER].

First-time players typically progressed quickly by saving and loading repeatedly, or memorizing all the choices, but now, it was real life.

Of course, Anna’s decisions wouldn’t align with my preferences.

’Well... it would be problematic if she dies, wouldn’t it?’

It might be more than just problematic.

It’s hard to predict where the story would veer off to.

I’d prefer the future not to change beyond my control.

It’s already troubling enough to consider my variable, let alone who might fill Anna’s place.

’But maybe this is a kind of compromise?’

I thought this was the best compromise.

Perhaps the abrupt appearance of the red quest was a difficulty the system had created.

’Well... this is better anyway. Yes, it should have been like this from the beginning.’

[Main Quest]

Possible quest characters: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Description: Graduate from Rokia Academy safely with your companions

● Han Siyoung (On Hold)

● Anna Elizabeth Hartel (On Hold)

● Haruna Ruel (On Hold)

● Liam Martel (On Hold)

Failure: Death

Having a clear goal was better than facing an uncertain conclusion.

That’s when I feel motivated to make an effort.

"Eh, eh? Could it be, Hajoon?"

Hearing my name, I turned around.

A girl with a familiar face was staring at me, surprised.

"··········Lee Jooah?"

"I didn’t expect to be on the same bus as Hajoon."

Honestly, I hadn’t expected it either.

Who would have thought Lee Jooah, from the famous Lee family renowned for their swordsmanship, would be in the support class.

The joint support training is essentially a blend of combat and support classes. Each class chooses a team and sends them to external organizations, much like job shadowing.

In essence, it’s a course designed to give students a taste of a day in the life of a real hero.

"Why the formality? We’re all youngsters here. Just speak casually."

"Can, can, can I?"

Lee Jooah, suddenly blushing.

She naturally took the seat next to me.

While I was blankly looking at her, I shifted my gaze to the window and asked.

"But you’re in the support class?"

"Yes··········. I don’t have talent like my sister."

I stared at her in silence for a moment.

Then Lee Jooah blushed and lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed.

’Hmm··········, she says she has no talent··········?’

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah."

"You don’t seem like it··········."

"Huh?"

I shifted my gaze back to the window.

Then, Lee Jooah started to look at me with a puzzled expression.

’Hmm·········, I wasn’t aware of this.’

Lee Jooah.

A character that should have died long ago if I hadn’t saved her.

Naturally, as a character who didn’t appear in the game, I didn’t know much about her.

However, one thing was clear.

She seemed oblivious of her own power.

-Hooh~ This child·········, a child chosen by the divine water··········.

Ego Philaten had been raucously assessing her, huffing and puffing.

’Divine water?’

-The master lacks magical power, so she wouldn’t be able to see or feel it. Of course, it seems better not to see it.

"What do you see?"

-A massive aura is visible. A starving wolf. Its gaze alone exudes a tremendous pressure that erodes the mind. This is not an exaggeration.

Master, if that creature grows, it could become a monstrous beast that could devour the world, or a divine beast that could protect it.

A massive aura...

That gave me an idea of her potential.

At least, she’s not a swordsman, but that doesn’t mean she’s suited to be a healer in a support position either.

"I never thought a summoner would emerge from a family known for their swordsmanship."

There was one familiar beast that sprang to mind at the mention of a massive wolf.

Fenrir, the wolf that devours the world.

This creature is at the pinnacle of what summoners can summon.

If she has talent as a summoner, the beast that would respond to her summon would undoubtedly be that monster.

"Did your mother happen to be a summoner?"

"Wha, what?! How did you know?"

"Have you ever tried summoning before?"

At my question, Lee Jooah gave a bitter laugh and looked down.

She nodded weakly in agreement.

"Yes. I’ve tried... but I had no talent for it."

"You didn’t happen to test it with a low-level summoning circle, did you?"

"Huh? Yeah, I did."

"Tsk- Even with all your money... Get a top-tier summoning circle and try it out."

There’s no way a girl chosen by Fenrir could summon a beast with something like a low-level summoning circle.

Rather, the lower-level creatures would probably run away in fear of Fenrir.

"Do, do you think that’ll work?"

"Give it a try. If it works, I’ll reward you."

"Wha, what?"

For a moment, Lee Jooah looked puzzled at my words, but she soon smiled at me.

"Okay. I’ll do that."

She must think this is just hollow encouragement.

Of course, whether she believes it or not is her decision.

If she’s contemplating joining the combat department, it will be her choice.

’Well, time for a nap...’

Just as he was about to close his eyes with a relaxed mind...

The wing bus gradually decelerated, hinting at its descent.

Actually, it wasn’t a hint - we were indeed landing.

I noticed Lee Jooah rising from her seat, signaling our arrival.

"Special Class 1 and Advanced Support Class 1, prepare to disembark," a voice commanded.

I stood up, ready to step off the bus.

As I mentioned earlier, different groups support different locations.

We primarily assist at institutions that the Villain Alliance might target, like branches of the Heroes Association, banks, and famous guilds’ headquarters.

Although villainous terror isn’t a daily event, we’re there under the pretense of experiential learning. On-site working heroes don’t expect much from us students. They usually assign menial tasks or simply have us observe.

"Ah... well then, I’ll go...?" I said, slightly bewildered.

"Uh... It seems we’re in the same group."

I glanced at Lee Jooah, my expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

We were not only on the same bus but also in joint training...

Something seemed off.

’Is she the student council president?’

If my hunch was correct, this could be complicated...

Especially if she was unwittingly using her younger sister as a pawn.

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Raei Translations

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The location we were assigned to assist was Nephertem, a famous hotel in Korea where high-ranking officials gathered, including Korean politicians, chaebols, guild masters, and top-tier heroes.

Was it because of the game?

Despite being touted as the best hotel in Korea, it was exceptionally large and expansive.

While that might seem obvious for a famous hotel, the extent I’m talking about was beyond imagination.

It was so tall that it rivaled the height of the 63 Building - quite astonishing for a hotel.

However, the most surprising part was yet to come...

"You’re here."

A girl with unnaturally white hair and pale skin for a Korean approached us as we disembarked from the wing bus.

Dressed in a black outfit, her beauty contrasted sharply with her appearance.

She seemed to be around our age.

"Hello. I am Yoo Seolah, the general manager of Nephertem."

Yoo Seolah was the fourth-generation heiress of the Yoo Group, one of Korea’s leading conglomerates.

At a young age, she had shown incredible awakened abilities and a sharp mind, earning her the position of general manager.

She was also a prime target of the Villain Alliance due to her awakened ability.

"It’s been a while, Miss Anna Elizabeth Hartel."

"It’s been a while, Miss Yoo Seolah."

Their conversation flowed naturally, hinting at a previous familiarity.

Shortly after, a wave of excitement swept through the students.

-Wow... I can’t believe we’re actually meeting Yoo Seolah.

-I know, this is the first time seeing her in person.

-She’s already registered as a hero due to her extraordinary awakened ability.

-I can’t believe she’s the same age as us. Our worlds are truly different.

Each of them gazed at Yoo Seolah, their eyes brimming with admiration.

As the conversation came to a close, Yoo Seolah turned her attention to the students loitering at the back.

She scanned the group, seemingly searching for a specific individual.

"Huh? That’s strange. Where is Han Siyoung?"

"Han Siyoung is in a different group," replied Anna.

"Huh? But surely there was a top scorer among the students who applied..."

"Han Siyoung is the runner-up."

"What? It’s not you, Anna?"

Yoo Seolah asked, slightly confused.

Anna pointed at a boy.

A boy who seemed exhausted simply by existing.

Dark circles haunted his eyes, his hair was disheveled.

With an overt yawn, the boy wore his fatigue like a badge of honor.

Upon making eye contact with him, Yoo Seolah darted her gaze between Anna and the boy, perplexed.

"Is that, really true?"

"Yes. He’s the top scorer."

Yoo Seolah looked at Hajoon with disbelief in her eyes.

Then she approached Hajoon and asked, "May I ask your name?"

Hajoon responded nonchalantly, "Kim Hajoon."

"Judging by the fact that you won the top spot, you must be quite skilled."

"I was just lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yes. At that time, Han Siyoung probably wasn’t in the best condition. I guess his stomach might have hurt."

Yoo Seolah paused, trying to imagine Han Siyoung suffering from a stomachache.

But she couldn’t. Was he messing with her?

His brazen response left her flabbergasted.

"Well, if you say it’s luck..."

She decided to disregard Kim Hajoon’s comment. If he insisted it was luck, then so be it. But she knew that Kim Hajoon was no ordinary individual, and not necessarily in a good way. She sensed trouble if they were to get involved.

Despite Han Siyoung’s temporary setback, she couldn’t imagine him losing.

Yoo Seolah knew the strength of Han Siyoung and Anna Elizabeth Hartel as well.

’Well, luck is a form of skill, too. I should do some investigation.’

Regardless, he was the one who surpassed Han Siyoung and clinched the top spot.

Yoo Seolah resolved to secretly investigate Kim Hajoon.

"Alright, students, this way please."

She then led them forward.

As they trailed after Yoo Seolah into the hotel, Lee Jooah muttered, "She seems a bit scary..."

"She is a scary woman."

"Huh?"

Indeed, she was a scary woman.

A person who measured others by their value.

She wouldn’t hesitate to discard anyone she deemed useless.

Her personality had sociopathic tendencies, so naturally, I had no desire to catch her attention.

In fact, it would be less troublesome to be disliked by her.

"Be careful, too. Don’t draw unnecessary attention from her."

"Ah, alright..."

Lee Jooah’s response was timid, her cheeks once again flushed.

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