The Academy’s Time Stop Player
chapter-162

"But where am I?"

It was a dark, deserted night, yet it somehow didn't feel like Korea.

At least, the streets exuded a distinctly foreign vibe.

Haruna's curiosity soon turned towards her grandfather.

"Where is he going?"

With a face full of wonder, Haruna followed her grandfather.

Where was her grandfather taking these suspicious people?

Still, she was happy to see a familiar face after so long.

It had been a while since she last saw her grandfather, as there had been no contact lately.

Of course, this seemed like a memory from the past, so a conversation was unlikely.

"Where is this……?"

Following her grandfather, Haruna arrived in front of a house.

Looking at her grandfather with a puzzled face, she saw him engaged in a conversation with his companions.

"This is the place, where the Child of Everything resides."

The Child of Everything?

Haruna looked at her grandfather, puzzled.

What was the Child of Everything?

Reflecting on it, she realized there was much she didn't know about her grandfather.

He never taught much about himself.

Nor about his work, and he never mentioned anything about her mother or father……

"Ah!"

Something suddenly dawned on Haruna.

God had promised to fulfill her wishes.

Could her parents be somewhere around here?

As this thought crossed her mind, Haruna's gaze shifted towards the house.

"……."

With eyes filled with anticipation, she gazed at the house.

Unable to contain herself, Haruna entered the house before her grandfather.

There was no need to open the door.

Passing through it as if she were a ghost, she could wander in and out of the house.

Inside, Haruna looked around.

And there they were.

"Ah……."

She saw a mature woman with a face similar to hers and a man.

And there was Haruna, much younger than now.

A little her, probably only 6 or 7 years old.

Looking at her younger self, Haruna smiled tenderly.

"……Dad, Mom?"

After observing the scene for a while, Haruna approached the two with a dazed expression.

A memory from six years ago, when she was 11, surfaced.

She had asked her grandfather, curious about who her mom and dad were.

She had expressed a desire to see them.

Her grandfather had replied in a voice heavy with sadness.

Her parents were no longer in this world due to an unavoidable accident.

But he would do his best to fill their roles.

Despite her grandfather's caring words, Haruna had felt an inevitable void.

But now, Haruna's lips slowly curved into a smile.

Her family, whom she thought she would never see again, was right before her eyes.

Of course, it was just a scene from the past, so she couldn't talk or touch them, but Haruna felt profoundly content.

And she felt a tickling warmth in her heart.

It was as if the emptiness that had never been filled was now brimming over.

Haruna gazed at them with a serene smile, savoring this familiar warmth for as long as she could.

Then it happened.

Her parents' gaze turned towards her.

"……?"

In that moment, Haruna's eyes widened.

Could they actually see her?

As this thought crossed her mind,

Her father looked at her and spoke.

"……Who?"

"Eh, what?"

Haruna's expression turned to utter confusion.

Could they really, truly see her?

"It's that child, the Child of Everything."

As she pondered, a familiar elderly voice came from behind her.

Turning slowly, Haruna saw him.

Her grandfather had entered at some point, his smile chilling, holding a staff charged with magic.

"……Grandpa?"

From her grandfather, a powerful magical aura surged, striking the staff to the ground.

Then, the situation escalated.

Boom, Boom, Boom!!

A massive earthquake erupted.

Cracks spread across the walls, including the ceiling, as the building began to crumble.

At that moment.

Lying in his dormitory bed, Hajoon wore a grave expression.

"What's this now?"

Ding-

● Haruna Ruel (75%)

The alert sounded, and Haruna Ruel's progress rapidly increased.

● Haruna Ruel (78%)

And it was climbing too fast.

Sensing something wrong, Hajoon slowly got up from the bed.

The progress bar was actively rising.

That meant something was happening to her without his knowledge.

'Philaten, where is Haruna?'

Hajoon asked Philaten.

Philaten promptly responded.

-I have located her, my king.

"Where?"

-At a place you know well. The house of the old man named Zehar, whom you once killed.

Realizing something grave was unfolding, Hajoon immediately activated Time Stop.

He quickly dashed towards Zehar's house.

"Why……."

Haruna's face slowly sank into despair.

"Why……, why would Grandpa……"

A faint light faded from her eyes.

Her gaze was fixed on her grandfather.

In the center of the collapsed house, her grandfather was holding a child, smiling as if it was the happiest moment in the world, but to Haruna, that smile was terrifyingly eerie.

"It's a lie."

Haruna shook her head in denial.

It all had to be a lie.

This couldn't be true.

That god, or whatever it was, must be showing her an illusion.

Haruna chose to believe that and didn't doubt it.

Until she heard that voice.

-Don't deny it.

“…….”

-The brainwashing is already undone. You already know.

With those words, the scene shifted again.

To a place that looked like a department store.

Many people lay unconscious around her, and she saw her grandfather, gasping for breath, collapsed on the floor.

And in front of her grandfather, there stood Hajoon, calmly looking down at him with a hammer in hand.

But her grandfather, seemingly unable to contain his rage, wore an angry expression.

It was the first time she had ever seen such a fierce look on her grandfather's face.

-You also want the 'Child of Everything'!

Her grandfather shouted at Hajoon.

And with every word he said, Haruna's expression hardened.

-The child is mine! No one else can have her!

With each word he spoke, a tremor of emotion ran through Haruna.

Unbelievable words kept pouring out of her grandfather's mouth.

-I've endured ten years to become that child's family. You don't have the right!

Why did he say he endured those days?

Those days were her most precious memories...

More precious than anything...

Drip- Drip-

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

The tears rolling down her cheeks fell to the floor.

Then, a magical and foreign energy emanated from her body.

Drip- Whoosh!

As the tear drops hit the ground, they created ripples like on a calm lake, sending a massive wave across the floor.

Fragments of memory shattered, scattering like glass in every direction.

Remnants of the space sparkled like a rainbow as they floated around her.

When the silent, white space reappeared, a quiet magical and foreign energy burst from her body.

With a face that seemed to transcend everything, she spoke.

“I remember now…….”

She was recalling memories from her childhood, memories she couldn't remember before.

The precious memories of her parents.

Thinking of the happy times of her childhood, her head slowly drooped.

-It's all true. I cannot indulge in lies.

Wishes.

The salvation people seek from a God.

Such feelings and beliefs had come together to create her.

She couldn't indulge in the false wishes of people.

Therefore, the deity longed.

To know what she wanted to know, what she desired and wished to achieve.

Looking at Haruna, the deity said,

-I can make what you want come true.

“What I……, want?”

-Yes. Tell me what you want.

Hearing that, Haruna's expression gradually fell.

Her heart ached.

It was a terrible pain, as if she were drowning.

In the midst of these confusing emotions, one feeling surfaced.

“I want revenge.”

-…….

Haruna's words echoed solemnly in the space.

As she spoke, the energy emanating from her body violently surged.

“I want to take revenge on those who did this to me.”

Haruna's eyes began to shimmer in rainbow colors.

The magic of the Rune Language, unique to her.

Watching her, the deity spoke in a subdued tone.

-I will help you.

With that, the deity slowly extended a hand towards Haruna.

-I can grant your revenge and your wishes. That is my purpose for existence.

Because the source of a deity is such.

A being that fulfills people's wishes and desires.

This is her 'origin', and her existence is validated by faith.

To become the only god in this world.

"Is this the place?"

When Hajoon arrived at Zehar's house, he could feel Haruna's powerful energy.

An indescribable magical force.

No, not magic, but an alien energy.

The power of the Rune Language.

Hajoon immediately entered the house.

When he walked into the living room, he saw Haruna with a downcast face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hajoon approached her.

Sensing his presence, Haruna slowly turned her head towards Hajoon.

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she slowly moved closer to Hajoon.

She then buried her face in his chest, gripping his waist in a tight embrace.

"Thank you."

“…….”

Haruna, with her face still buried in his chest, expressed her gratitude.

Hajoon could feel her hands trembling as she held on tightly.

Haruna slightly lifted her head to look at Hajoon.

Her face was a mess with tear stains.

Initially, Hajoon didn't understand why she was thankful, but her next words made it clear.

"For stopping Grandpa."

“You…….”

Hajoon's expression hardened at her words.

He realized that at this moment, she had come to know the truth.

“But this has nothing to do with you…….”

As she spoke, her body gradually began to fade.

Her entire body slowly transformed into particles of light and started to disappear.

All she could do was smile bitterly and mutter her final words with hesitant lips.

"Thank you."

Her voice trembled with sadness.

Her voice, echoing like an echo in his ears, was the last thing he heard before her body dispersed into particles and vanished.