Chapter 183
The Academy’s Time Stop Player
While they were talking to each other.
Hajoon was also immersed in the aftermath.
"It's over..."
Hajoon's gaze turned to the quest window that appeared before him.
A long time ago, a life-threatening red quest he received due to his hasty mistake.
[Main Quest]
Quest Eligible Character: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)
Description: Safely graduate from Rokia Academy with your allies.
● Han Siyoung (Completed)
● Anna Elizabeth Hartel (Completed)
● Haruna Ruel (Completed)
● Liam Martel (Completed)
The status of the playable character's episodes had all changed to completed.
In other words, Hajoon had seen the endings of all the children in just one year.
"It's really over..."
Hajoon's eyes wandered into the void.
It was a novel feeling.
Of course, he had completed all the episodes, but the final graduation from the academy was still pending.
However, the graduation from the academy itself was a problem that time would solve.
It was practically no different from completing the quest.
"Hey."
At that moment, after finishing their conversation, the two approached Hajoon.
The Sword King opened his mouth towards Hajoon with a kind smile.
"Thank you for your help."
"It was a promise I made before."
"Yes... that's right."
He looked at Hajoon with a smile for a moment.
The Sword King, having many thoughts while looking at Hajoon before him, then spoke to both Han Siyoung and Hajoon.
"So... I guess I can rest now too."
His expression seemed somehow liberated and refreshed.
"I'll be going now."
"...Where to?"
Hajoon asked.
There was no reason for him to leave Han Siyoung's side now.
With a grin, the Sword King spoke in a light tone.
"I'm thinking of going on a journey. With an old friend."
"With the great hero Helen?"
"Yes. I disappeared without contacting her, after all."
After a brief silence, he paused to look at Hajoon before leaving and continued.
"Hajoon, you will become the greatest hero among those I have seen."
"I have no plans to become a hero."
"...What?"
"?!"
At his words, both Han Siyoung and the Sword King's eyes widened.
They were at a loss for words at the sudden bombshell statement.
"Then, what do you plan to do after graduation?"
The Sword King asked with a puzzled face.
After pondering for a moment, Hajoon looked at the Sword King and replied.
"Maybe I'll go on a world trip like you, Sword King?"
"Ha, really... you are so optimistic and carefree. Well... yeah."
Hearing that, the Sword King looked at Hajoon and grinned.
"That wouldn't be too bad."
Thinking of the young boy's achievements, it seemed possible.
After all, this child deserved a rest after all his hardships.
"Then I'll be on my way. Take care."
With those words, the Sword King leaped off the cliff of the mountain.
He gracefully descended the mountain, gradually disappearing, and after he was gone, Hajoon and Han Siyoung also lightly kicked off the ground and descended the mountain.
During the descent from the mountain.
Running beside Hajoon, Han Siyoung opened his mouth to speak.
"Was what you said earlier true?"
"Yes."
Hajoon nodded in response.
It had been his goal all along, determined long ago.
To graduate quickly and then leisurely enjoy himself, resting and eating well.
He intended to savor the leisure he couldn't enjoy in his previous world, now in this one.
"If not a hero, then what do you plan to do?"
After pondering for a moment, Hajoon replied to Han Siyoung in a light tone.
"Be a freelancer."
Time flowed like a stream.
Since the completion of all the children's quests, no major episodes had occurred.
Naturally, Hajoon had wiped out the villain alliance representing Korea, and his very existence had become a 'symbol of peace' in Korea, drastically reducing the villain crime rate.
Of course, not all were gone, and occasional villain terror incidents did happen, but they were not significant enough to require Hajoon's intervention, so he was enjoying quite a bit of leisure.
"It's quite strange..."
The academy episodes, where villains should have appeared according to the original storyline, passed peacefully.
Naturally, since the main villains who were supposed to appear had disappeared.
In any case, it was not a bad situation for Hajoon.
Well, it would have been nice to continue living peacefully at the academy and then graduate, but unfortunately, the peace did not last.
"What's the matter?"
One day, Hajoon came to the association headquarters after receiving a call from Kim Jeongyong, the president of the Hero Association.
Kim Jeongyong, with a somewhat serious face, greeted Hajoon in his office.
"It's been a while, Student Hajoon. There's something urgent I need to convey..."
"What is it?"
Hajoon asked, sitting down on a sofa near the president's office.
At that question, the president showed a troubled face and began to speak.
"It's a matter received from the American Hero Association. Do you remember a sea creature that spoke human language a few months ago?"
He was referring to the King of Merfolk, Orgon, who had appeared off the coast of Ulsan.
Hajoon nodded.
Continuing in a serious tone, he said.
"In the waters off the coast of America, a magical beast with the same magical power level as that sea creature has appeared."
Hajoon's brows furrowed at this.
The beasts called kings.
Although all the children's episodes had ended, Hajoon still had unfinished business.
"Has its location been pinpointed?"
"That's the thing..."
At that question, President Kim Jeongyong scratched his cheek with a troubled face.
Hajoon assumed they hadn't pinpointed the location, but the real reason for Kim Jeongyong's troubled expression was something else.
And the reason came across to Hajoon as utterly nonsensical.
"We have pinpointed its location and captured it."
"...?"
"It wasn't captured by the American Hero Association, but by the mages of the Mage Tower."
"Alive?"
"That's... yes."
Hajoon was so dumbfounded that he was momentarily at a loss for words.
So, they didn't just capture that monster but captured it alive?
And it was done by the mages of the Mage Tower?
Of course, considering the abilities of those mages, they were widely known to possess skills comparable to the top heroes, but that didn't mean they were capable of capturing a king.
When Hajoon was looking at Kim Jeongyong in disbelief,
Kim Jeongyong handed over a photo to Hajoon.
"This is the magical beast captured by the Mage Tower."
Hajoon examined the photo handed to him by Kim Jeongyong.
Something with a massive shape, seemingly taken from the air above.
Something made entirely of stone, reminiscent of a golem.
Its entire body was humanoid but gigantic, and made of brown rock.
However, this creature, with its eyes closed, was tightly bound by blue chains made of magical power.
"During the capture of this magical beast, 50 mid-level mages and 32 high-level mages of the Mage Tower died. I don't know the details of the capture process, but currently, the beast is sealed in the basement of the Mage Tower for investigation."
Hearing this, Hajoon furrowed his brows and examined the photo.
He still couldn't believe what President Kim Jeongyong was saying.
At that moment, Philaten, who had been examining the photo with Hajoon, spoke up.
[This is?!]
Her voice was trembling with shock.
Hajoon asked Philaten, thinking it might be.
'Is that him?'
[It is Gigantmakia, the king of giants.]
She could not hide her astonishment after seeing the photo.
However, she also knew it was impossible, wondering how it could have happened.
[He would not be so easily captured by humans. Among the kings, he is the most dangerous.]
The king of giants.
Philaten had mentioned him as the only entity equal to Horton.
"This one is currently in the Mage Tower?"
"Yes, and regarding that, there's something I need to convey. The Mage Tower in America has invited Student Hajoon. They said they need the help of Student Hajoon, who defeated a magical beast alone."
At that, Hajoon nodded.
Well, in a way, it was fortunate.
Hajoon wanted to see what had happened, and since they were inviting him, there was no reason to refuse.
"When?"
"You can go right now if you're ready. If you plan to move immediately, I'll open the gate for you."
At that, Hajoon nodded.
Upon seeing this, Kim Jeongyong immediately contacted the Mage Tower and the American Hero Association, then looked at Hajoon and continued speaking.
"Let's go, the gate is open. The American Hero Association will guide you from there."
In New York City, USA, there existed a building that soared even higher than the Empire State Building, known as a skyscraper.
This was the Mage Tower, where the history and lineage of magic survived.
Heading towards this towering Mage Tower were Hajoon, Andre Heut, the president of the American Hero Association, and Emma, an agent of the association, driving in a car.
"As is well known, it's impossible to travel to the Mage Tower via gate, so we have to drive there," President Andre said, looking at Hajoon.
He spoke in a calm tone, showing respect for Hajoon.
"The entire Mage Tower is surrounded by protective magic, blocking external magical forces. Once a year, they remove the protective barrier to absorb the magical energy floating in the air, replenishing the energy for the constantly active protective magic."
During the drive, Hajoon looked at the gigantic tower visible in the distance.
The tower, taller than the Empire State Building, was a structure made entirely of magic.
Additionally, anyone other than the mages of the Mage Tower would be expelled immediately if they caused any magic to happen inside the tower.
To be precise, a type of gate magic that instantly transports them outside the Mage Tower is activated.
Anyway, the use of magic inside the Mage Tower was prohibited for anyone except its affiliated mages.
"That magical beast is currently in the basement of the Mage Tower, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Do you know, President, how they captured that magical beast alive?"
It was truly astonishing.
It seemed impossible to kill, let alone capture it alive, and Hajoon still couldn't believe it.
And to such a question, Andre also showed a puzzled expression similar to Hajoon's.
"I haven't received precise information myself. It seems the Mage Tower is treating it as classified, so I haven't heard the explanation of the capture process. Of course, after entering the Mage Tower, Halz Matildon, the current president of the Mage Tower, said she would explain."
It seems the details are treated as classified within the Mage Tower, but they plan to share the information with Hajoon and President Andre.
More surprisingly,
"I didn't expect the Mage Tower to invite me."
At the ISU conference, Halz Matildon, the owner of the Mage Tower they were heading to, had deemed his presence dangerous and opposed his entry.
Her inviting him to the Mage Tower was unexpected.
Upon Hajoon's response, Andre spoke with a grave expression.
"I don't know the reason, but it must mean that the Mage Tower is desperate."