The Academy's Time Stop Player

"Hehe, it's been a while, you two."

Hajoon and Han Siyoung sat on the sofa in the principal's office, across from Choi Jungwon.

Choi Jungwon, with a warm smile, started to explain why he had invited them.

"I need a favor, that's why I called you here."

"A favor?"

"Yes, could you first look at this paper?"

With these words, Choi Jungwon put a document on the table.

Hajoon and Han Siyoung started reading the paper given by Choi Jungwon. Soon Hajoon understood what Principal Choi Jungwon was asking for.

'This is... a joint episode 'Potion of Youth'?'

[1-1 Joint Episode 'Elixir']

The main character changes depending on the player's choices.

The rough story was as follows:

The player characters, at the request of Principal Choi Jungwon, join Student Council President Lee Joohee to find a man known as 'The Broker' in the shadowy market 'Del Her,' who makes a strange potion. Their job is to get the potion he sells.

The reason was as follows:

"Right now, among the lower-class first-year students, a weird rumor is going around."

A unique rumor was spreading among the lower-class first-year students.

There was a rumor that if one drank a potion sold by a Broker in the famous interdimensional marketplace 'Del Her,' they could quickly grow as a superhuman.

"As you can see in the paper, several of the lower-class first-year students have grown very quickly. Of course, we have to wait and see if it's because of the rumored potion or if these kids' skills have blossomed, but if it's because of the potion, we need to look into it."

He was likely worried about the potion's side effects.

After all, unless it was a legendary growth item, potions like this often had serious side effects.

"So, I'm sorry to ask you this, but could you get one of those potions that the Broker sells? I heard he only sells the potion to kids."

"We understand."

"............"

At Choi Jungwon's request, Han Siyoung quickly nodded, while Hajoon seemed thoughtful with a slightly puzzled look.

He wasn't considering saying no.

He was just confused about one thing.

'Why did he call me, and where is Senior Lee Joohee.........Ah!'

Then Hajoon realized why the episode had changed before it even started.

It occurred to him, President Lee Joohee should be resting in the hospital because of injuries.

'So, did he call me to fill in for Senior Lee Joohee?'

She should be in the hospital because of the injuries she got in the Dimensional Dungeon episode, so it seems he called me to fill in for her.

Then, considering the punishment he would face due to the changed episode from the beginning, Hajoon spoke up.

"Yes, I understand."

For a moment, Choi Jungwon seemed taken aback by Hajoon's answer, but slowly began to smile warmly at him.

"Hehe, thank you."

He was taken aback because he noticed a small change in Hajoon.

Choi Jungwon also had a good understanding of Hajoon's personality.

So even though he expected Hajoon to say no, he was surprised that he accepted so quickly.

"I'm not sure why, but it seems you've made a decision."

And Choi Jungwon was half right in his guess.

As he thought, Hajoon decided to be a little more active.

The reason he accepted, despite considering the punishment, was simple.

He just decided not to worry about the punishment.

As long as he existed in this game world, he was confident that the future would change and punishments would be given, whether he did something or not.

So even if it diverged a bit from the normal flow, he decided that he must find a way to handle the situation.

"Now, before we go to 'Del Her', you can't go looking like that. You guys are quite well-known in the world."

With that, Choi Jungwon handed two ring boxes to Hajoon and Han Siyoung.

Choi Jungwon spoke.

"Disguises made with magic, including magic tools, can be easily found out, so I brought artifacts. These are simple disguises, so try them."

On hearing that, Han Siyoung immediately took a ring out of the ring box and put it on his finger.

Soon, the color of Han Siyoung's hair and pupils started to change drastically.

While his sharp nose and jawline remained the same, his black hair turned blonde, and his deep black eyes started to turn blue.

Soon, a foreigner with a sharp impression was sitting next to Hajoon.

'Hmm............'

Hajoon also put on the ring to use the artifact, following Han Siyoung.

Then, a problem happened.

Buzz- sizzle-

"............?"

"Uh............"

"............"

The three people in the principal's office lost their words, and quiet filled the room.

Even the cool-headed Choi Jungwon was taken aback because an unexpected situation happened.

"Uh............, that artifact is at least of Rare grade............"

It was a Rare-grade artifact, known to be usable by most supers.

When Hajoon tried to use the artifact, a recoil phenomenon happened.

Han Siyoung began to look at Hajoon with disbelief in his eyes.

And Hajoon also stared at the artifact in a daze, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Is this a joke?"

The globally famous market, the 'Del Her'.

It's the world's largest superhuman market, which can only be accessed through an invitation made with the main magic artifact. And there were two key rules that must be followed within Del Her.

'No one should start a fight using superhuman powers within Del Her.'

'Never break a deal.'

These were the rules set by the superhuman who made the place, and everyone who entered Del Her took these rules seriously and followed them.

Of course, as a result, a black market had formed in the dark corners of Del Her.

And the owner of Del Her also quietly let this black market exist.

The reason was simple.

Firstly, because this space isn't part of any country, it's a place outside the law, and secondly, because those who do illegal deals in the black market follow the rules of 'Del Her.' As long as no one makes a fuss, it means that everyone, including villains, can use it.

And with Choi Jungwon's help, Hajoon and Han Siyoung were able to get an invitation to Del Her. According to Choi Jungwon, he got help from a friend, and Hajoon had a rough idea of who that friend might be. Maybe, the owner of Del Her.

"Well, shall we go?"

After class in the afternoon.

Hajoon and Han Siyoung were standing in a big field within the academy.

In their hands, they held a ticket, and they were about to head to Del Her.

"But why am I dressed like this?"

Before actually getting ready to leave, Han Siyoung asked Hajoon with a disgruntled look.

Han Siyoung was dressed completely in a black suit.

It was a powerful outfit to say the least.

On the other hand, Hajoon's outfit gave off a lively feel like a rich person's casual wear.

A black trench coat, a brown fur scarf, and sunglasses.

Also, costly accessories that were worth a lot of money.

Since Hajoon couldn't hide his face with a mask, he changed his style with these pricey clothes. At least, unlike Han Siyoung, Hajoon's face wasn't widely known to the public.

Hajoon said.

"You look so serious that you need to disguise yourself like this."

"··········."

Han Siyoung looked a bit uneasy and unhappy, but he accepted Hajoon's view. It meant that a broker selling Elixirs targets only less advanced students, implying that he provides Elixirs only to weaker superhumans.

"Do you remember your role and name? Hanbier Anzureong?"

"··········Yes."

Han Siyoung and Kim Hajoon's names are well known to the public, so they decided to use false names.

Han Siyoung was Hanbier Anzureong, a bodyguard from overseas for Hajoon.

And Hajoon was Isahan, the child of a rich family.

"If you're ready, let's go."

Hajoon handed a money bag full of cash to Han Siyoung and spoke.

Han Siyoung nodded his head and tore the ticket they were holding together with his hand.

Just then.

Whoosh!

When he blinked and opened his eyes, he had moved to a different place.

Tall buildings and a wide square with a fountain in the center.

Hajoon looked around to see if Han Siyoung had also arrived and gave a warning.

"Just to let you know in advance, never draw the sword that's strapped to your waist."

There are two rules that exist in the Del Her Space.

One of them is that fights using superhuman power are strictly forbidden in this place.

If the rules are broken, you will instantly be put on the blacklist and will be thrown out from this space, never to return.

"Alright, understood."

Surprisingly, Han Siyoung nodded without any objections.

"You seem to have been here before."

"Well... That's true?"

Of course, this is the first time he's come here in real life, but he's visited this place hundreds of times in the game. He knew exactly where to find the place to sell the elixir.

Hajoon led the way, speaking to Han Siyoung.

"Alright, let's go."

"Do you know the place?"

"Well, I have a rough idea of where it is."

In the hidden corners of Del Her.

Contrasting with the lively scene they had seen before, Hajoon and Han Siyoung found themselves in front of a worn-down shack, immersed in a damp atmosphere.

Hajoon and Han Siyoung opened the door of the shack and walked in.

However, the inside of the shack was suspiciously empty, without anything.

"There's nothing here."

"Well, just wait a moment."

As Han Siyoung was looking around the empty room, Hajoon examined the wooden floorboards and lifted one. Beneath it, a staircase leading downstairs was uncovered.

"A staircase? How did you know?"

"If it's not in the four main directions, you should check up and down. In an empty house like this, where else could an entrance be other than underground?"

"..."

Hajoon casually answered and went down the stairs.

Persuaded by Hajoon's oddly indirect yet somehow logical explanation, Han Siyoung followed him downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, there was a door. Upon opening the door and stepping in, an old man with his face hidden by a brown robe was sitting in a chair, waiting for Hajoon.

"A customer has arrived."

The man's voice was strange.

Echoing as if he was standing in a cave, his voice was mysteriously deep, inspiring a feeling of eeriness.

He removed the hood of his robe with his thin, twisted hand, revealing his face.

A thin old man with prominent cheekbones.

He looked over Hajoon and Han Siyoung once before speaking.

"Where did you come from?"

In response to his question, Hajoon quietly showed him his student ID.

It was a student ID bearing his alias and the mention of the academy's lower division.

"I heard you sell Elixirs, how much do you want for it?"

"I see, you're a student of the academy, right?"

Ha-joon was getting annoyed and wanted to wrap things up quickly.

Well, for now, he couldn't use his Time Stop (SSS) to steal the man's Elixir.

The reason was simple. The man would create the Elixir on the spot during the transaction.

Soon after, the man's eyes turned pitch black and he began to scrutinize Ha-joon and Han Si-young.

Suddenly, Ha-joon had a bad feeling.

What's this? Did he have such a power?

The reason was immediately made clear by a system message.

[A penalty will be applied for the altered future.]

['Naked Eye,' a skill that measures strength and weakness, is given to the Elixir selling broker.]

As the alert popped up, Ha-joon's expression started to harden.

At that moment, a chilling laughter resonated in the small space.

"Hehehe! The Elixir I create is only for the weak. I solely created them for such people."

He then turned his empty, pitch-black eyes towards Ha-joon, and the corner of his mouth started to curve upwards.

"But what about you? Can the power of a wealthy young master be considered weak?"

Ha-joon's expression turned increasingly annoyed while Han Si-young slowly reached out for his sword.

That's when it happened.

"Wha?!"

Suddenly, the man let out an astonished cry and began to tremble, his lips and hands shaking uncontrollably.

He stared at Ha-joon in disbelief, as if he had seen something impossible.

"This, this, how could this be..."

"..."

"..."

While Ha-joon and Han Si-young were staring at the broker with puzzled expressions, a tear rolled down the man's cheek.

"In this world...such a thing..."

Immediately afterward, he carefully held Ha-joon's hand with his shaking hands.

He shed tears repeatedly and cautiously opened his mouth to speak to Ha-joon.

"C-could it be...that there was a superhuman so weak...?"

[---]