The Academy’s Time Stop Player
chapter-143

A few days later, as the academy's break was nearing its end, the Korean Hero Association contacted Hajoon.

"Is Joa Elliot here?"

-Yes, she is. She says she has something urgent to discuss with you, Mr. Hajoon.

Joa Elliot, the world's fifth-ranked hero and seer from the United States. It had been a long time since Hajoon had heard that name, especially since the extinction dungeon incident.

Hajoon asked the association president, "Why is she here?"

-Apparently, she has something important to discuss as a member of ISU.

ISU... Could it be related to the letter I ignored and burned a few days ago?

However, he hadn't expected her to come looking for him personally. He thought maybe a few agents would show up instead.

-The... Well, it might be good to hear her out. It's a message from the International Superhuman Union, and we couldn't just refuse it. Since she came in person, it seems like it's not a trivial matter.

"Alright, let's hear what she has to say."

Hajoon nodded at the chairman's suggestion. It seemed important, especially since she was an executive of the Union and someone he somewhat knew.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang at Hajoon's house.

Ding-dong— The door flung open—

As the bell rang, Hajoon promptly went to the door and opened it.

There stood Joa Elliot, a familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time, and two superhumans who seemed to be agents affiliated with the Union.

"Hehe, have you been well?"

"Yes, I guess."

"Can we come in? It seems like we have a lot to discuss."

"Yes. Please come in."

After welcoming them with an indifferent face, Hajoon told Irian and Elaine, who were leisurely watching TV, to go upstairs.

Once they were seated around the table facing each other, Joa looked at Hajoon seriously and started speaking.

"Did you receive a letter from ISU?"

"No, I didn’t."

Although he had burned it a few days ago, Hajoon answered with a straight face. If he says he didn't see it, what can they do?

At his response, Joa sighed and continued.

"Ah... It seems there was a mistake at ISU."

"So, what’s so important that you had to come here personally?"

In response to his question, Joa gestured to one of the agents standing behind her. The agent respectfully handed her a bag containing some documents.

Joa spread the documents on the table, and Hajoon, looking at them curiously, asked, "What is this?"

"These are superhumans currently under close observation by the International Superhuman Union. Only those whose powers are deemed threatening have been selected."

Hajoon began to carefully examine the documents.

There were many faces he recognized.

For example, among the villains, there was Lain from Villante, the immortal superhuman Baron, recently deceased Saan, the S-rank villain Karthon, and other S-rank villains he hadn't seen yet. The problem was that not only villains but also heroes were included.

Notably, there were Haruna, who used Rune Language, and Han Siyoung, the disciple of the Sword King.

Hajoon carefully reviewed the documents again. Noticing one without a photo, he asked Joa, "What's this?"

"That's a superhuman whose identity ISU has yet to determine."

"A mythic artifact user of unknown identity from the UK...?"

After reading, Hajoon looked at Joa, feeling something was off. Joa just winked at him, visible only to Hajoon.

'She must have hidden it.'

She must know who the owner of this mythic artifact is.

After all, he was the one who told her.

Even though it's not explicitly written in the document, it meant she had kept it hidden.

Well, regardless, Hajoon internally thanked her for the gesture and moved on to the next document.

The next document contained a name Hajoon couldn't possibly be unaware of.

He looked at Joa and said, "That's me."

"Yes, ISU is also keeping a close eye on you."

"I don't recall causing trouble to the extent that ISU needs to monitor me."

Hajoon asked, his brows furrowed.

Joa calmly replied to his question, "ISU doesn't base their decision on the actions of superhumans but on the threatening power they possess. This is why both villains and heroes are included in the report."

At her words, Hajoon silently continued to examine the documents.

He hadn't thought much about ISU, an organization that appeared in Han Siyoung's episode, as they seemed to be friendly towards Siyoung. But behind the scenes, they were making such regulations.

"There are many young heroes, aren't there?"

"Probably because they are still students without a superhuman license. Nobody can predict the future, after all."

"So it's just because of their age?"

"Yes. That's right. In a way, all the hero associations spread around the world are under ISU."

"So, what's the purpose of your visit?"

At his question, Joa seemed to struggle with her answer, her expression turning troubled.

Hajoon calmly waited for her to speak, and soon she looked at him and began carefully, "There's talk at ISU that your power has exceeded national boundaries. It's not unprecedented, but more importantly, ISU considers your magic too dangerous."

"My magic?"

"Yes. So, the issue raised was that a few members of ISU's executive board think your power should be regulated."

"What, a young kid like me is considered to have a dangerous power?"

"Some members of the board might think so."

Hajoon's eyes narrowed with dissatisfaction.

He looked at Joa and said, "Are you proposing this agenda knowing the current situation in Korea?"

"It seems... they believe the situation in Korea could have been resolved without magic."

At that, Hajoon let out a derisive laugh, seemingly incredulous at the idea.

Honestly, she was right, but it essentially meant telling Hajoon to struggle more without using his magic.

Therefore, Hajoon asked Joa in a cold tone, "Who is it?"

"Excuse me?"

"The person who suggested this."

At his question, Joa sighed. It seemed she had anticipated this.

However, there was no reason not to tell him.

"It was Great Mage Halz Matildon, the current head of the World Mage Tower Association and the chairman of the Magicians' Association. Several members of the board agreed with this proposal."

"Is that so?"

At her words, Hajoon cracked his neck and shoulders, then stood up from his seat.

Feeling an inexplicable unease, Joa asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"They invited me by mail for this agenda, right?"

"You read it..."

"Well, since I was invited, I think I'll go."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Hajoon continued, his expression twisted in rage, "I have to see if they dare to say such things to my face."

At the ISU headquarters near New York, USA.

Inside the building's conference room, four influential superhumans from around the world had gathered.

"I heard the Irregular is coming here."

One of them, a middle-aged woman, spoke.

She wore a blue robe and had long white hair, her cold gaze notable. It was Halz Matildon, the current head of the World Mage Tower Association.

A man politely responded to her statement, "I heard Joa Elliot is bringing him here. However, I didn't expect him to accept the invitation. Considering his personality, it doesn't seem like he would attend such a meeting."

The man, with robust muscles and a commanding appearance, was Andre Heut, the world's top-ranked hero.

Other renowned heroes from various countries were also present.

Sakamoto Toshi, the chairman of the World Alchemists Association.

Aranaap Mir, the hero who conquered the extinction-level dungeon in India.

Then, Aranaap Mir, a woman with a calm expression and closed eyes, spoke up, "It seems we are the only ones gathered."

"Well, it was a sudden affair, so it can't be helped. And I believe this number of people is enough to decide on this matter," responded Sakamoto Toshi, a middle-aged man with combed-back hair and glasses, in a deep voice.

He leaned his chin on his hands, looking at them, and started speaking, "It’s a peculiar kind of magic power indeed. So strong it can influence objects..."

"That's why it needs to be regulated. His power is too dangerous."

"I find it regrettable. If we could receive his assistance to study the characteristics of magic, we could develop magical tools beneficial to humanity."

"I've judged that it's a power humanity can't handle. We should regulate it before his magic has any significant impact."

"I agree with that opinion. His power is too dangerous."

Indian hero Aranaap Mir supported Grand Mage Halz Matildon's statement, echoing her agreement.

She continued, reinforcing Halz Matildon's point, "His magic is too dangerous. Honestly, I can hardly believe it myself, but the phenomenon caused by a certain power I experienced in the extinction dungeon is similar to his."

"Are you talking about magic?"

"Yes, it was magic that reached from kilometers away to right beside me. Everything touched by that magic rotted and disintegrated. I suspect that this magic might have originated from the Immortal Dungeon at the center of the extinction."

"So, are you suggesting that the boy might be a demon or a magical beast?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. My point is that we need to be alert to the dangers of the boy's magic."

Aranaap Mir looked at Sakamoto Toshi as she said this.

Sakamoto readily agreed with her point.

"Yes, that's a valid point. However, shouldn't we first hear what the boy has to say? Before imposing any regulations, we should find out if he can control his power."

Everyone nodded in agreement at his suggestion.

Thud-

At that moment, the door to the conference room opened, and a woman and a boy walked in.

It was the seer Joa Elliot and Hajoon, walking side by side.

"He's here."

As Grand Mage Halz Matildon spoke, their gazes turned toward the boy.

His face, initially obscured by the power of an artifact, became visible as the door closed, and he unwrapped the bandage around his arm, revealing his face.

His expression was calm but carried a faint trace of anger.

"Please, take a seat. We might have a long conversation ahead," said Halz, maintaining a composed demeanor.

Hajoon obediently took a seat, as he too had much to discuss.

As everyone, including Joa, settled in their seats, a few agents entered and distributed documents regarding the meeting to the seated participants.

Once preparations were complete, Grand Mage Halz looked around and began, "Let us start the meeting. Irregular, did Joa tell you why you were invited here?"

"Yes, I am aware."

"That will make things quicker. We at ISU have determined your magic to be a threat to humanity and are considering implementing certain regulations. Do you agree with this?"

"No."

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

At that moment, everyone who had been looking at their documents turned their attention to Hajoon.

Even Halz Matildon, who had sought his agreement, began to look at Hajoon with a slightly perplexed expression.

In this situation, Hajoon simply stared back at them and stated firmly, "I cannot agree."