Chapter 133

CRASH!

With a deafening roar, the arm of the giant crumbled, scattering in all directions.

For a fleeting moment, everyone gazed in astonishment at the spectacle. However, the giant, seemingly unfazed by the loss of its right arm, swiftly began to swing its remaining left arm towards Hajoon.

WOOSH! CRASH!

Yet again, the outcome remained unchanged.

Cracks appeared on its remaining arm, causing it to crumble and scatter everywhere. Shortly after, Hajoon raised his great hammer, Maharazu.

WOOSH!

In a blink, the head of the hammer expanded to a size large enough to envelop the entire body of the giant. With seemingly minimal effort, Hajoon let the weight of the colossal hammer fall upon the giant.

WOOSH! BOOM! WHOOSH!

A massive explosion ensued, accompanied by a shockwave that dispersed the surrounding sand. The giant crumbled, turning back into mere dirt, but it was evident that it hadn't been defeated yet.

SWISH!

Dirt began to rise around Hajoon and his companions, surging like tentacles of an octopus, aiming to pierce through them like sharpened stakes. Hundreds of these earthen spikes lunged at them, but the group wasn't just standing idly.

“Renka!”

“Yes!”

At Yukio's signal, Renka extended her arms towards the oncoming stakes.

From her palms, a torrent of water with an incredible destructive force gushed out, drenching the earthen spikes. At that moment, Yukio activated her ability.

Her body emanated coldness, and the drenched land began to freeze solid.

CRACK! SNAP!

True to their reputation as top-tier heroes, they had managed to freeze the ground deep enough to prevent more dirt from rising.

However, the terrain beyond their frozen area was still under the dominion of the Sandman.

RUMBLE!!

The ground vibrated with a loud noise. Excluding the area they had frozen, the surrounding land began to undulate like ocean waves. Trees were buried in the soil, tilting over. Shortly, the group realized the intention behind the Sandman's machinations.

Soil began to rise around them, attempting to bury them.

"Perish!”

As the Sandman uttered these words, a colossal figure began to rise, its upper body emerging, arms spread out. It then lunged at the group.

Their pupils dilated in horror.

Even as top-tier heroes, they couldn't possibly freeze such an immense volume of dirt in an instant. Setting aside the rest, Hajoon stepped forward.

Surveying the area, he softly uttered just one word.

“Stop.”

A mere, calm command.

Yet, the phenomenon he triggered left them in sheer disbelief.

“What... What?!”

“Unbelievable...”

Everything around them came to a stop.

The turbulent ground, the massive pile of earth rushing towards them, even the gigantic figure – all froze as if time itself had come to a standstill.

In that space, only a serene stillness prevailed.

"?!"

At the exact moment the phenomenon occurred, Sandman's eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn... He's truly a monster."

A spectacle that greatly surpassed any phenomenon a superhuman with awakened powers could produce. Even though he had been identified as an 'Unchained' in Japan and had reached an S-rank, he couldn't help but be shocked by the boy who had just unleashed this extraordinary event before him.

Yet, even if he had stopped all the sand in this vicinity, he could simply gather sand from elsewhere.

Deciding this, Sandman activated his ability to attract nearby sand.

"?"

But not a single grain moved.

Perceiving something wrong, Sandman's eyes began to shake vigorously.

"It couldn't be...!"

He tried to attract sand from a slightly farther distance and even beyond that, but there was absolutely no movement.

It was then that Sandman realized the boy hadn't merely stopped their immediate surroundings.

He had immobilized the entire mountain.

Given the operation was carried out in Korea, President Kim Jeongyong of the Association likely already knew about the Sandman hunt.

Of course, he probably hadn’t expected the situation to get this chaotic.

Thankfully, they managed to block reporters swiftly.

“Hero Yukio, can you explain the situation later?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Yukio nodded. Initially intended as a quiet surprise operation, the mission had escalated unexpectedly. An agent standing next to the president then opened a gate.

They first opened a portal to the hospital to move Kato, who was severely injured. With Renka's help and a few Association agents, he was transferred to the hospital.

Of course, Yukio decided to go to a different location with the president to explain the situation.

Before closing the hospital portal, President Kim Jeongyong addressed the group, "Has anyone been hurt? It’s best to get even minor injuries treated...”

“I'm fine. Thanks to someone's help, I wasn't hurt too badly.”

Yukio flashed a warm smile, glancing at Hajoon.

“That's good to hear. Han Siyoung, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Alright then. Let’s all rest for now and discuss later. You’ve all truly worked hard. I’ll have you guided to a nearby hotel. Let’s go.”

The next morning.

After spending the night at a nearby hotel, Hajoon and Han Siyoung returned to the academy, leaving the task of explaining the situation to Yukio. There was no need for all three of them to be present for that.

Meanwhile, in the comfort of his dormitory bed, Hajoon checked his status window for the first time in a while.

Name: Kim Hajoon

Level: 19 (+4)

Job: Student

Title: Destroyer

Fame: Immeasurable

HP: 40 (+10)

MP: 0

Strength: 95 (+18)

Agility: 60 (+15)

Stamina: 80 (+15)

Defense: 5 (+3)

Magic Resistance: 999(Max)

Spirit: 999(Max)

Skills: Time Stop(SSS) Indomitable Will(SS) {Always Active}

“It's increased quite a bit.”

The status window, which he hadn’t checked in some time, had undergone significant changes. Above all, both his level and his stats had greatly improved. Though his fame had shifted from a number to words, he decided not to fuss over it.

However, what caught Hajoon’s attention was his strength stat.

‘I've reached a strength of 95 already.’

No wonder he felt so tireless even after extensive physical activity. Would he soon be able to run up trees like some superhumans or jump to a height of about 5 meters? Well, he hadn’t tried yet, but it seemed very possible.

With that thought, Hajoon got up from his bed. He hadn’t moved around much due to his Time Stop skill and was curious about his current physical condition. Just as he was about to jump and test his strength...

Knock- Knock-

A knock sounded at his dormitory door.

"Hajoon! Are you in?"

It was Anna’s voice.

With a slightly puzzled expression, Hajoon approached the door and opened it. Anna stood before him, seeming a little hesitant.

“What is it?”

“Um, well... Can I ask you for a favor?”

“I have something to do, so I’m not sure.”

In reality, he had no such plans. He had merely taken the day off after defeating Sandman, intending to relax. In other words, he was simply not in the mood. Anna, having known Hajoon for some time, caught the hint. His face all but screamed his reluctance.

With a sharp look, Anna said, “Come on, just help me this once.”

“Sigh... What do you want?”

“Can you spar with me?”

“...What?”