The Academy's Time Stop Player

Sunday at 10 a.m.

"Ah..."

Hajoon let out a deep sigh.

He had expected to begin the operation on Monday, but the schedule had been moved up unexpectedly. As a result, even before returning to Korea, Hajoon had to travel directly to the United States from the UK through a game portal.

He had hoped to leisurely prepare (or rest) for at least one day...

"I'll leave it to you, Student Hajoon."

"Ah, yes..."

Emma, an agent from the American Heroes Association, bowed politely to Hajoon and began guiding him. Following her, Hajoon soon saw a familiar face.

It was the Seer, Joa Elliot, the world-ranked 5th hero he had met previously.

"It's been a while, Irregular."

"Yes. Are we entering today?"

"Yes. As soon as the operation briefing is over, we'll commence."

"But it seems the schedule was decided earlier than anticipated?"

"I'll explain that."

Responding to Hajoon's question was a middle-aged man with a white beard and neatly styled hair.

Hajoon looked at him with curiosity. "Who are you?"

"I am Andre Heut, the president of the American Heroes Association. It's a pleasure to meet you, Irregular."

The president of the American Heroes Association... He didn't recognize the face, but it somehow felt fitting. Just by his appearance, he seemed like someone of high status.

Andre Heut continued, "We initially planned the operation for tomorrow or the day after. However, an unexpected change occurred in the dungeon yesterday."

"What kind of change?"

"The dungeon's internal mana level has decreased."

Hearing this, Hajoon furrowed his brows.

That's odd.

A dungeon, especially one on the brink of a break, experiencing a decrease in mana was unheard of. It could increase due to heightened dangers, but decreasing was an anomaly.

Hajoon asked, "What type of dungeon is it?"

Naturally, the reason they hadn't immediately initiated the dungeon raid upon discovering a potential break was due to the need for preliminary research. The association would've concluded their research within a week, so they should at least know the type of dungeon.

"It's a Beast Dungeon. We will discuss the types of beasts during the operation briefing."

"A Beast Dungeon? And its mana level decreased?"

"Yes, from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like a good sign."

It didn't sound like one to Hajoon either.

A dungeon about to break wouldn't suddenly stabilize. Several possibilities came to his mind. Maybe the beasts possessing the mana inside died for some reason or something controlling the mana emerged.

'It feels unsettling from the start.'

Originally, this dungeon raid wasn't part of the original game storyline, meaning even Hajoon was unfamiliar with it. Based on the game's narrative, it seemed certain that Joa Elliot would die here... But there must've been a reason Hajoon was unaware of.

"I distinctly remember not hearing about Joa Elliot clearing the American Beast Dungeon in the game..."

All Hajoon knew was that news of Joa Elliot's death was reported in America a year later.

The American Heroes Association probably hid her death considering her influence and the deterrent effect on villainous crimes. But they might have had to announce it when they couldn't keep it a secret any longer...

Given the game's storyline, it seemed certain she would die during this dungeon raid.

However, since there was no mention of failing to prevent the dungeon break, the raid was likely successful.

Hajoon turned his head to look at Joa Elliot.

She had foreseen her own death.

She probably saw something happening inside the dungeon.

Hajoon asked, "What future did you foresee?"

Joa responded with a bitter smile.

She whispered, looking at Hajoon, "I can't tell you right now. I'll explain later."

He stared at her with a puzzled expression, but eventually nodded in acceptance.

Well, there must be a reason she couldn't say it now.

After their arrival at the destination, a swift tactical briefing commenced inside the erected tent.

The type of dungeon they were about to enter was a Monster Field.

As the name suggests, it's a dungeon exclusively inhabited by monsters, with the danger level of these monsters measured at 50. To put it simply, it was densely populated with creatures like the Ant King Antria that Hajoon had previously defeated on the artificial island.

"We deployed six top-tier heroes for reconnaissance inside. We'll begin the briefing on the information we've gathered during the exploration."

The dungeon was located not far from their current position, near the border. Within, wolf-like monsters such as the Beowulf, which includes the Black Wolf, coexist with creatures like the Giant Wolf.

What was peculiar was the term 'coexist'.

Even if monsters belonged to the same category, their inherent characteristics differed so much that they typically couldn't share the same habitat.

Yet, these creatures were living together harmoniously under one roof, a fact that left Hajoon puzzled.

And he wasn't the only one thinking that way.

A woman, who looked like a magician and was part of the assault team, expressed her skepticism, asking, "Are you saying they are truly coexisting?"

"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes," replied a lean man holding a bow, addressing the woman's question.

He was Aiden, one of the scouts who had explored the dungeon and now served as a guide for this assault mission. Following Aiden's response, the chairman of the association, Andre Heut, added, "We suspect there might be a dominant monster leading the pack."

Nothing else could really explain the unusual coexistence.

Otherwise, there was no reason for them to band together.

After another hour of discussion, the meeting concluded. They decided to have a brief preparatory period before commencing the operation.

Hajoon was outside, stretching, during this interim.

"Excuse me... You're the Irregular, right?"

At that moment, a group from the briefing approached Hajoon. There was a massive man assigned as the tank, the magician woman who had posed the question earlier, and the nimble-looking man with a bow.

They all stared at Hajoon with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

"Wow... I never thought the famous Irregular would join us. It's an honor," the tanky man said, extending a hand towards Hajoon.

A bit flustered, Hajoon shook his hand.

The other two also expressed their amazement and asked for handshakes.

Hajoon greeted each of them in turn and learned their names.

The hulking man serving as the tank was Grayson, the magician woman was named Violet, and the archer with the bow was the aforementioned Aiden.

“Haha, in truth, because Irregular is so famous, it's hard to approach him. But, as we're on the same raid team, shouldn't we at least exchange greetings? I also know why Irregular has joined this raid. Thinking of that, I wonder how to even express my gratitude."

With that, the man named Grayson, who was responsible for tanking within the raid party, spoke up.

At Grayson’s words, Hajoon looked puzzled and replied.

“You know the reason? Are you acquainted with Hero Joa?”

“All of us here are familiar with Hero Joa. There was a time in the past when we owed our lives to her. So, wouldn't it be all the more reason for us to participate in this raid?"

Is that why they decided to support this dungeon raid?

No matter how top-tier a hero might be, there wouldn't be many superhumans willingly supporting a raid of such a perilous dungeon.

“In any case, I’m counting on you for today's dungeon raid."

"Yes, I'll do my best."

“Oh! And I have a favor to ask."

“A favor?"

"Yes."

With that, Grayson carefully took out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket.

Extending the pen and paper to Hajoon, he flashed a warm smile and cautiously asked,

"I hope you don’t mind... could you give an autograph? My daughter is a big fan."

“...”

The magical energy in the Ruins is dense.

The concentration of magical energy in the surroundings is so profound that it feels like it's from another dimension. In some areas, the energy intertwines and spirals, causing magical phenomena.

That's why it's impossible to use gates within the Ruins.

Not only does the gate magic require a vast amount of energy, but it also necessitates intricate energy modulation.

Thus, Hajoon and the raid members were now flying toward the dungeon they planned to conquer.

Thanks to the flight magic of Violet, one of the raid members, they could travel with ease.

"How long do you think it'll take to get there at this speed?"

"Hmm... probably about 11 hours?"

Aiden, their guide, answered Violet's question. Even if the dungeon was located near the boundary, the sheer expanse of the Ruins meant it would take that long.

Hearing the answer, Violet sighed.

"Looks like we're definitely camping out tonight."

"Well, if we force ourselves to travel overnight, it could affect our dungeon raid."

They flew safely, and about six hours later, as the sun began to set, they landed in an area that seemed suitable for camping.

It was risky to continue traveling when the darkness made it impossible to see. Violet also needed to rest and replenish her magical energy. They began setting up their camp.

While Grayson and Aiden kept watch, Violet immediately cast magic for camping. At a glance, it looked like a simple magical curtain surrounding them. However, upon question, it was revealed to be an original spell she created.

"It's a combination of the basic magic 'Silence' and the intermediate magic 'Sight Block'. From the outside, we'll probably be invisible. And our voices won't leak out either, so you can talk freely."

Having seen mostly offensive magic till now, Hajoon felt the convenience of her spell anew.

This made him feel a slight regret for not having magical abilities.

Thanks to her magic, setting up tents was a breeze.

Once they finished their preparations, Grayson spoke.

"How about we each take turns and stand guard for two hours?"

Even with Violet's protective barrier, this place was still the Ruins.

Being prepared for any unexpected events meant they needed to stand guard. Grayson suggested they take turns, but Hajoon shook his head in response.

"I'll keep watch by myself, so you all should get some rest."

"Wh-what? No, that's too much..."

"It'd be better for you, Irregular, to restore your stamina, right?"

Of course, he understood their concerns, but Hajoon felt it was crucial for them to recover their strength.

He could simply pull out a sleeping bag from his inventory, activate Time Stop (SSS), and rest deeply.

Moreover, if they were fully recharged, wouldn't it make his time in the dungeon more manageable?

“I have my own way to rest, so please sleep comfortably.”

The strategy team members, who exchanged puzzled glances at his remark, soon nodded in agreement. It seemed they believed he genuinely had a different method.

After settling their dinner with simple preserved food, nightfall came.

Hajoon sat by a fallen tree nearby, kindling a campfire and gazed up at the night sky.

Although the surroundings were desolate, the view itself was spectacular.

"But aren't you two sleeping?"

While gazing at the night sky, Hajoon turned his attention to Joa and Grayson, who were sitting across from him, looking back. Violet, the magician, and Aiden, the guide, had already crawled into their sleeping bags and drifted off. However, these two seemed to be having trouble falling asleep and were momentarily admiring the night sky alongside Hajoon.

Responding to Hajoon's question, Grayson and Joa replied.

“I feel like I won't be able to sleep immediately if I lie down now. I plan to rest a bit later.”

“I thought I’d admire the night sky for a while before sleeping. It’s a sight not often seen in this wasteland.”

Indeed, even to Hajoon, the view was breathtaking.

Due to the high density of magical power, peculiar climatic occurrences were frequent in the wasteland, and one of them was the aurora in the night sky. Ironically, the most dangerous places had the most stunning scenery.

At that moment, as Grayson was admiring the night sky, he slowly pulled out something from his pocket. It was a photograph of a young girl.

He gazed at the girl in the photograph, a fond smile on his face.

Joa, sneaking a glance at the picture, also wore a pleased smile and commented.

“Heh, Ellie's grown a lot.”

“Yes, it’s a picture from our last trip together. I was planning another overseas trip with my daughter once we safely completed this dungeon exploration.”

“...”

Hajoon looked at him with a slight unease, wondering why he would bring up such a topic at this moment.

Noticing Hajoon's gaze, Grayson approached with a warm smile.

“Would you like to see? This is my daughter.”

With that, he extended the photograph to Hajoon.

Hajoon gazed at the girl in the photo, Grayson's daughter.

“Isn't she pretty?”

“...”

Hajoon hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Unfortunately, she bore a strong resemblance to her father.