The Academy’s Time Stop Player
chapter-176

TL/Editor: looloo

Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Here

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Hajoon got into the car with Association President Kim Jeongyong. Sitting in the seat next to Hajoon, Kim took a moment before turning to Hajoon with a serious expression and speaking.

"Actually, a few days ago, I received a message from the great hero, Helen Belhar."

Helen Belhar.

The world-wandering British hero had contacted the Korea Hero Association President, which left Hajoon with a puzzled expression. Helen wasn't known for casually contacting people or revealing her presence.

Hajoon asked with a curious expression, "Why her?"

"I only heard a simple request from Helen, so I don't know the exact reason. However, she said she would like to meet Student Hajoon soon."

"Soon? As in, you don’t know exactly when?"

"Yes."

At that, Hajoon scratched his cheek with a somewhat sour expression.

Maybe she was coming because of some troublesome matter?

"There's one thing, though..."

"......?"

"She asked that you come with Han Siyoung."

A few days later.

Having received a message from Association President Kim Jeongyong, Hajoon and Han Siyoung stood in front of a hotel room door.

"Is Helen really here?"

"The Association President said she would be here."

Han Siyoung looked doubtful as she faced Hajoon.

Well, honestly, it's understandable to be skeptical since Helen is one of the hardest heroes to meet face-to-face.

Without hesitation, Hajoon knocked on the door.

Soon, a familiar voice came from behind it.

-The door is open, come in.

Without hesitation, Hajoon and Han Siyoung entered the room.

Helen, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, was leisurely enjoying tea, sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"It's been a while."

"It has indeed."

"Sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

At that, Hajoon immediately sat on the sofa opposite her.

Han Siyoung sat next to Hajoon, though with a slightly reluctant expression.

Helen, looking at Han Siyoung for a moment, smiled warmly and said, "You're Han Siyoung, right? It's been a long time."

"Do you know me?"

"You wouldn't remember, but I saw you once when you were just a baby."

Upon hearing this, Han Siyoung made an unusually subtle expression.

Helen just smiled wryly at her expression.

Listening to their conversation for a while, Hajoon looked at Helen and asked about the purpose of their meeting.

"So, why did you call us here?"

"Ah... well, a troublesome matter has arisen," Helen sighed, sounding almost like a complaint.

Then she looked at Hajoon and Han Siyoung with a serious expression and spoke of her concern.

"The Sword King has gone missing."

"......"

"......?"

At those words, Han Siyoung furrowed her brows, and Hajoon looked incredulous.

It seemed like a minor issue to Hajoon, despite the gravity with which it was presented.

"His whereabouts are usually unknown, aren’t they?"

Hajoon remarked.

Helen shook her head in response and continued, "He contacts me occasionally. As fellow wanderers, you know. But then, suddenly, the contact stopped."

"Since when has he been out of contact?"

"A few days ago. After you met the Sword King. Since then, there has been no contact."

Han Siyoung glared at Hajoon with a dumbfounded expression.

Ignoring her gaze, Hajoon continued to question Helen, "So, the contact just suddenly stopped?"

"Yes, I've been looking for him for a few days now… I came to ask if you knew anything about it."

After a moment of thought, Hajoon shook his head and replied, "I don't have any guess."

There was one thing he suspected, but it wasn’t information that could help find the Sword King’s current location.

Then, Helen's gaze shifted to Han Siyoung.

Han Siyoung also seemed deep in thought but merely shook her head in response.

"Hmm... well, the last contact and disappearance were in Korea, so he must be here somewhere... But since you don’t know, there’s nothing we can do."

With those words, Helen slowly stood up from her seat.

She draped a brown leather cloak over her shoulders and spoke, "For now, I'll look for him in Korea. What about you two?"

"We'll look for him too."

"Alright, then. See you later."

With those words, her figure faded into a faint light and vanished.

After Helen had left.

Hajoon stood up from the sofa, preparing to leave.

When he turned to look at Han Siyoung, he noticed he was deep in thought.

The next evening, after classes at the academy had ended, Han Siyoung visited Hajoon's accommodation.

Considering the late hour, Hajoon opened the door and, with an annoyed expression, asked the abruptly visiting Han Siyoung, "Why?"

"I think I know where the master might be."

"…Huh?"

Hajoon looked puzzled.

How could he know that in just one day? Especially since they had classes together in the morning and afternoon.

"How did you find out?"

"I remembered a place where I went with the master in the past. I'm not sure, but he might be there."

"Is that so? Then let's go tomorrow. It's late now."

"No."

Han Siyoung shook his head in disagreement.

With a calm expression, he said, "Let’s go now."

"At 9 in the evening?"

It was Hajoon's usual bedtime.

At that, Han Siyoung looked at Hajoon with a stern gaze and continued, "Tomorrow is the weekend anyway. And you slept all day during class."

With no excuse to make, Hajoon sighed resignedly.

Tiredly nodding, Hajoon followed Han Siyoung out of the academy grounds, albeit reluctantly.

Walking side by side on the road, Hajoon asked Han Siyoung, "So, where are we going?"

"To the mountains."

"……?"

Han Siyoung had a specific reason for not going alone and taking Hajoon with him.

Well, he probably thought Hajoon would run away if he went alone, so he used me as a shield, or something like that.

Anyway, like his master, the disciple is also quite bothersome.

However, the reason Hajoon willingly (?) followed Han Siyoung was because of this darn progress rate.

● Han Siyoung (60%)

Han Siyoung's episode progress rate started to increase after the news of the Sword King's disappearance.

This made him wonder.

Hajoon's thought about it for a long time, but how would this boy's final ending play out?

After the 'Villain Alliance,' the main villain organization in Han Siyoung's episode, disappeared, and especially after Saan's death, it was hard to predict how Han Siyoung's ending would unfold.

In other words, the future after that was unknown to Hajoon as well.

If he had known in advance, he might have done something...

'Could meeting the Sword King be the final ending?'

It was a sudden thought.

In any case, in Han Siyoung's last episode in the game, he eventually meets his master, the Sword King.

'Should I have just let him meet him then?'

Of course, Hajoon knew it's too late for regrets.

Hajoon quietly followed Han Siyoung, who was walking ahead.

However, the more they walked, the less clear it became where they were going.

He had heard we were going to the mountains, but they had been climbing a nameless mountain for hours.

Unable to bear it any longer, Hajoon asked Han Siyoung, who was leading the way, "Where are we going exactly?"

"……."

To that question, Han Siyoung remained silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

"……It’s my hometown."

"Your hometown?"

"Yes, I don’t remember it, but the master told me."

Han Siyoung recalled a memory from the past.

It was a memory from the time he spent with his master.

-This is your hometown, Siyoung.

It was the memory of the first time he visited that place.

An old memory from when he was only 6 years old.

Han Siyoung remembered the expression of his master back then.

Every time the master looked at that place, he wore an expression drowned in sorrow.

The master had taken him to that place several times to remember it, but after being separated from him and several years passing, he had completely forgotten about it.

"We'll arrive soon."

Han Siyoung spoke when they started to descend after crossing over a mountain.

A village not in some hidden location, but between mountains...

Nonetheless, Hajoon felt relieved at the news of soon arriving.

Honestly, Hajoon was curious too.

About Han Siyoung's hometown, which had never appeared in the game.

That was when it happened.

Suddenly, Philaten spoke to Hajoon.

-My King.

She continued in a serious tone.

-There is a faint aura of a human king beyond here.

Hajoon's brow furrowed at Philaten's words. Hearing her, he quickened his pace, moving past Han Siyoung and through the underbrush towards the location.

When he arrived, Hajoon's eyes widened in shock.

"......"

Hajoon lost his words for a moment, looking around.

He had expected to find a village deep in the mountains, but contrary to his thoughts, there was nothing at the arrived location. Only a gigantic pit in the center, unimaginable in size, as if a meteorite had fallen decades ago, altering the landscape.

Arriving belatedly beside Hajoon, Han Siyoung gazed at the spot with composure and said, "Here."

With a longing look in his eyes, as if recalling the past, he continued, "This is my hometown."

In the center of this wide space located between mountains, there was a gigantic pit, seemingly formed from an ancient impact.

Grass had likely grown over the pit over time.

Hajoon and Han Siyoung lit a bonfire to ward off the cold.

Incredulous, Hajoon asked Han Siyoung, "This is your hometown?"

"Yes."

"In a pit?"

Was he born in a pit?

Hiding such thoughts, Hajoon looked at Han Siyoung with a puzzled expression.

Hearing Hajoon's words, Han Siyoung slowly stood up.

"Follow me."

"……?"

"I have something to show you."

At that, Hajoon quietly followed Han Siyoung.

Leaving the pit, Han Siyoung stopped at a certain place and began to search the ground. He soon crouched down and extended his hand.

After touching the underbrush for a while, he drew his sword from his waist and swung it horizontally.

The force of the swing cleared the surrounding dense underbrush, revealing the ruins of a building.

"It was just hidden by the underbrush because it's an old place."

The ruins were of a wooden structure.

A collapsed house.

The remnants of a long-collapsed building were merely covered with underbrush.

"I don't know the original appearance of this place, but..."

As he said this, Han Siyoung looked around.

Hajoon followed his gaze and soon realized.

The things covered by the underbrush were the remnants of buildings.

With a bitter expression, Han Siyoung continued, "The master said there used to be a village here."