The Academy’s Time Stop Player
chapter-144

As Hajoon began to speak, a heavy silence fell over the meeting room.

Several members looked at Hajoon in silence, as if they had somewhat anticipated his remarks. Among them, the Grand Mage Halz Matildon sighed and spoke up.

"Ha... may I ask for your reasons?"

"Why don't you start by telling us why you want to regulate it?"

"The ISU has deemed your power dangerous. Would you care to look at the data?"

Hajoon glanced at the documents laid out on the table.

Indeed, he saw detailed records of the dates he had manifested his magic and the characteristics of that magic, information gathered without his knowledge.

After a brief examination of the documents, Hajoon looked up at her. Halz continued her explanation while looking at him.

"Irregular, your power is more of a unique magical trait than an ability, correct?"

"Yes."

"The nature of your magic is too alien and destructive. It might be the first time pure magic has shown such destructive tendencies. What we find threatening is the potential for a magic outburst. A normal superhuman's magic burst isn't much of a threat, but if the magic itself triggers some phenomenon, that's a different story."

"So, you're regulating it because you think I can't control it?"

"Yes, that's correct."

She said firmly, looking straight at Hajoon.

Hajoon glared back at her and spoke.

"Do you understand the current situation in Korea?"

"We believe it can be resolved even without magic."

"That's easy for you to say..."

Just then, Hajoon cut her off with a sharp glare.

Twisting his lips viciously, he retorted.

"First, try helping out before you say such things."

"........"

"Your country's villains are entering Korea illegally and wreaking havoc."

"Ha... Irregular, we didn't bring up this matter to be hostile towards you."

"It sounds more like you're trying to obstruct me. What about me?"

Ha...

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she glared at Hajoon and continued.

"If that's how you see it, then there's nothing we can do. If you refuse this proposal, your hero license will be revoked, including a ban on entering various countries. Is that still okay with you?"

"?!"

"Wait, hold on!"

Andre Heut and Joa Elliot were shocked at her words.

However, the boy's reply came too quickly.

"Yes, do as you please."

"Hmm... please wait a moment."

As that response was heard, Sakamoto Toshi raised a hand politely, furrowing his brow as he looked at Halz Matildon, attempting to mediate.

"It seems a bit presumptuous, don't you think?"

"This was a decision we had prepared in case the proposal was rejected."

"A decision made by executives who judged the Irregular's power dangerous. You haven't sought the agreement of other executives, have you? It's hard to see this as the opinion of the entire ISU."

"I agree with that statement."

Joa Elliot raised her hand in agreement with Sakamoto's words.

Upon witnessing this, Halz Matildon and Aranaap Mir began to frown in displeasure.

In the midst of this situation, Andre Heut looked at them and made a suggestion.

"Why don't we do it this way?"

After the meeting concerning the proposal had ended, Hajoon, guided by Joa, was on his way to the gate to return to Korea.

"It's a relief it ended this way."

Joa sighed in relief immediately after the meeting.

She looked at Hajoon and said,

"Honestly, I thought you were going to use force."

".......? Do I look that brutish to you?"

"It did feel that way until you came here. But it's good. I'm glad that the proposal passed safely."

Following Andre Heut's suggestion, both Hajoon and the executives who insisted on regulating Hajoon's power agreed to a simple compromise.

Considering Hajoon's age, they would observe and assess his control over his magic.

Of course, this included an agreement to ban entry into the countries of the executives who advocated for the regulation.

"In the case of the USA, it seems like it will be decided by state. But it's good that it ended well."

Hajoon nodded in agreement.

Of course, in his heart, he thought it didn't matter if he had the license or not.

That's when it happened.

Agents hurriedly approached Joa and Hajoon.

The agent whispered something to Joa, and her expression began to turn gravely serious.

"Hmm... It seems like something has come up. May I leave first?"

"Yes, go ahead."

Hajoon nodded calmly.

Given her unusual expression, it seemed like it was no ordinary matter.

He had no intention of asking about it either.

Getting involved would only be bothersome.

"Take care."

"Okay. See you later."

After parting with Joa, Hajoon took the gate prepared by the agents and arrived at his home in Korea.

"Oh, you're back, brother?"

"Looking at your face, it seems you resolved it well. Did you cause a scene?"

Arriving home, Irian and Elaine, comfortably seated in the spa, greeted Hajoon cheerfully.

Irian asked him playfully, and Hajoon, exhaling a tired sigh, sat down on the sofa next to him.

"No."

"Well, who would dare to mess with you? Those guys should leave you alone if they have any conscience."

"But how did you know about it?"

"I eavesdropped from upstairs?"

Irian said this with a brazen expression.

It wasn't exactly a secret, but it was annoying how smugly she bragged about eavesdropping.

"You think that's something to be proud of?"

"Oh! Right. Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"I just saw it on the news. Villante's Lain-"

Hajoon's expression turned annoyed as he heard the rest of her sentence.

"Did she escape from prison?"

"?"

"Ha... I'm at a loss for words."

In the meeting room of the American Heroes Association.

There, Andre Heut, the president of the association, hung his head low and let out a heavy sigh.

In front of him, Joa, who had just finished the ISU meeting, carefully began to speak to the president.

"What happened?"

"Shall we start by checking the video?"

Andre handed her a phone and showed her a video.

The footage was from a CCTV camera.

It showed Lain of Villante, restrained behind bars made of 'Black Iron', a metal that absorbs magic, in a black cell.

"..... This is..."

That's when it happened.

The CCTV screen suddenly went off, and three seconds later, when it came back on, Lain was no longer behind the bars.

Joa sighed after watching the video, feeling no need to speculate on who was responsible.

"It's Elly's doing."

Elly, the monster harbored by Villante, who had tamed the mysterious sea behemoth, the Leviathan.

"The Black Iron couldn't block the Leviathan's magic after all."

"I should have strengthened the security. It's my fault."

"Where is she now?"

"Andre Heut immediately went to the scene and followed their trail, but they lost them."

"Ha... For now, finding her location is the priority... Wait, just a moment."

A certain energy swirled around Joa, and she calmly closed her eyes.

Information flowed into her mind.

Her ability, which had earned her the title of a prophet, suddenly manifested.

Soon her eyes opened.

She looked serious for a moment, then turned to the president and spoke.

"I've found out where they're planning to strike."

"A strike?!"

The president looked at Joa with a shocked expression.

The idea that they were preparing to strike immediately after breaking out made Andre look serious too.

"Where exactly..... "

"They're going to attack the National Treasury."

"The National Treasury?"

The president made a troubled face upon hearing this.

He guessed why they would attack the National Treasury of all places.

"They're after the American National Treasures."

"The mythical artifacts... But how..."

However. Even though they were a group of superhumans with threatening powers, they didn't have the strength to attack the National Treasury.

That's why their previous attempts to attack the National Treasury had failed. Joa, with a stern expression, turned to Andre and answered.

"Her power has grown stronger than before. Something must have happened during the short time she was in prison."

"Ha... I'll strengthen the security at the National Treasury. Can you see any further into the future?"

Joa shook her head in response.

The information gleaned from the recently manifested foresight was only a brief part.

While they had discovered that Villante would attack the National Treasury, they couldn't ascertain exact details like the outcome of the attack.

Of course, even if they could ascertain it, the information would be used to prepare for the attack and take different actions, so there was no need to confirm the exact outcome.

"We need to come up with a plan now."

The president began to contemplate.

Andre Heut and Joa Elliot.

They planned to deploy numerous heroes for security, but the biggest problem was the date of the attack. Without knowing the exact date, they couldn't indefinitely keep two heroes representing America at the location.

But there was not a complete lack of options.

Andre sighed as if resigned and turned to Joa.

"We have no choice. We'll have to ask Liam."

"Are you thinking of using a mythical artifact to respond?"

"Given the circumstances, I think it's safer to strengthen the security at the National Treasury and entrust Liam with a mythical artifact."

Joa nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll call Liam right away."

The next morning.

Liam, who had been dragged to the American Heroes Association the very next morning after hearing the news of Lain from Villante's escape, sighed.

"What's all this about?"

He understood the situation from what he had heard, but that didn't mean his mind had caught up.

Korea was already in a state of unrest, and now this chaos in his homeland...

"But maybe I'll get to see it after all this time."

However, Liam felt a sense of longing at the thought of seeing that artifact again, which he had used in the past and had to relinquish due to circumstances at the Academy.

Knock-knock -

Then there was a knock at the door of the reception room.

Liam's gaze turned towards the door, and soon after, it opened and the association's agents respectfully addressed him.

"Liam Martel, the mythical artifact is ready."

"Yes, let's go."

With that, Liam stood up and followed the agent.

He followed the agent, feeling a familiar energy as he approached a certain location.

Upon entering a room at the agent's lead, Liam's lips curled up in pleasure.

-It's been a while, Liam Martel.

A familiar voice sounded.

The mythical artifact that had recognized him as its master in the past.

Mirtain, the Sacred Lance with its own ego.

She spoke to Liam in her typical blunt manner.

-Were you happy when you abandoned me, Liam?