I Became the Academy’s Time-Stopping Villain – Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Can’t I Go Home?

Translated and Proofread by Vine
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Jet-black hair. A goddess—or perhaps a male god—sat upon a throne, gazing down with an air of profound boredom.

“You managed to defeat Mars, despite your frail body. No. As my apostle, wielding my divine power, your victory was inevitable.”

There was no need to praise the inevitable as if it were some grand feat. Irritation prickled at the self-congratulatory tone, but I held my tongue.

‘Silence is golden.’ There were a thousand questions swirling in my mind, but this was a time for restraint. Military wisdom: when you have much to say, shut up and listen. Most questions answer themselves.

“However,” the deity continued, “it would be unbecoming of a ruler to send their apostle into enemy territory empty-handed.”

‘Take this.’

Chronos extended a hand. A dark aura coalesced around their fingertips, solidifying into a large, ornate scythe.

“This is my scythe. Or rather, a fragment of it. Are you satisfied with this much?”

“Thank you, Lord Chronos.”

I bowed my head. Chronos chuckled, a sound like suppressed amusement.

“Clever. You know how to show gratitude, how to bow. A welcome change from those ungrateful wretches who tried to murder their own father with a scythe, forgetting him entirely.”

“Your kind words are an honor.”

Chronos seemed to be in a good mood. Tapping their fingers on the armrest of the throne, they continued.

“That Cyclops’s whelp was a disappointment. My ears still ring from their whining. You, however, have already defeated Mars. My father would be green with envy if he heard of this.”

“So, tell me, my child. What is your desire? Eternal life? Beauty that could launch a thousand ships? The power to rule the world? Whatever you wish for, I shall grant it.”

I paused, calculating. Were they serious?

My deliberation was brief, my conclusion swift.

“The honor you have already bestowed upon me, Lord Chronos, is more than sufficient.”

“Hoh?”

I bowed my head again. The reason was simple.

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“Tell me, child. Is that the truth, unburdened by a single lie?”

“Yes. Furthermore…”

The offer was tempting, on the surface. But I couldn’t forget. Even if I had, by some miracle, defeated Mars…

“…Zeus’s apostle still remains.”

Chronos fell silent. A reward offered before the story had even begun? It reeked of a trap.

I kept my head bowed as Chronos descended from the throne and approached.

“You understand your place.” Chronos’s hand rested on my head, stroking my hair like one would a pet.

“Had you asked for something, I would have deemed you a fool who takes a god’s authority lightly.”

Were they serious? I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Chronos spoke again, their voice low and thoughtful.

“And the fool I knew, ‘Timeless,’ was chosen precisely because he was a fool.”

“…!” My hair was suddenly yanked back, a sharp tug that sent a jolt of pain through my scalp. A chill ran down my spine.

“A fool. Greedy, cowardly, a mongrel who didn’t know his place. That is why I saw potential in him, why I chose him as my apostle. But you are different. Entirely different. The ‘Timeless’ I knew, the one I chose—he would have fled before even reaching the Academy. A spineless rat who would have cowered at the thought of raising a blade against Mars. Yet you fought. You stood your ground. You brought the Apostle of Ares to her knees.”

“Ah… ah…”

My scalp screamed in protest as my hair was pulled tighter, forcing me to meet Chronos’s gaze.

“Tell me. Where is ‘that fool?’ And why are you in his place?”

“Wai… wait! Let go of my hair…!”

“Is it Cyclops’s brat? Or Uranus? Or some filth that crawled out of the Abyss?”

“Ah—agh! Aaaaagh!!” My hair was being ripped from my skull! I raised my hands to pry Chronos’s fingers loose.

“Ugh… ugh… ugh…!”

“…Hmm.” Seemingly losing interest, Chronos released my hair. I hadn’t resisted. I couldn’t. Resistance would only fuel their rage. Instead, I clutched at their robes, clinging on as if for dear life.

“You are a strange one.”

“Hooo…!” I thought my entire scalp was going to be torn off.

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As I rubbed my throbbing head, Chronos snapped their fingers.

“…Huh?”

Snap. An itch, then a cooling sensation, and the pain vanished.

“I turned back time,” Chronos explained simply, their gaze fixed on me. “Who are you? Reveal your true identity.”

“…Well…”

“No need. You are the one who crossed dimensions.”

“…Yes.”

I confirmed Chronos’s words. They nodded, as if expecting my answer.

“I read the time of your soul. You entered that body with no prior connection, lost and adrift. I attempted to peer into your past, but it is shrouded. All I can discern is that you are a drifter from another dimension.”

“…Were there others like me?”

“Not none.” Just like Zeus’s apostle, a ‘regressor,’ someone who had traversed the currents of time. My suspicions were confirmed.

Chronos continued, “Considering your circumstances, your actions have been remarkably wise. Changing your name to avoid recognition by the regressor. Altering your appearance to deflect suspicion. Concealing your time-related abilities to mislead your enemies. I initially suspected you might be a regressor like ‘that fool,’ but you are not. Even if one regresses, the essence of their soul remains unchanged. Yours, however, is entirely different. Its past is invisible to me. Possession? Reincarnation? The cause is irrelevant. The fact remains: you are far more capable than my previous apostle. If you wish to be my child, my apostle, then I, too, shall accept you.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

I bowed my head. Chronos, seemingly satisfied, returned to their throne.

‘Phew…’ The oppressive pressure in the air dissipated. “What is it that you desire?” Chronos asked.

“…”

“It is the apostle’s contract. Now that your soul has changed, we must amend it. The previous child only ever spouted vulgar desires, ‘Sex! Only sex!’ I am curious to hear yours.”

“…Then—”

“—I cannot fulfill a wish to return you to your original world. Matters of dimensions are beyond my purview. And consider this: even if I could, once our contract is fulfilled and your wish granted, do you believe you could truly return to your previous life?”

“That’s…”

“Unlikely. You will see blood. You will do things you do not wish to do.”

Could I truly forget what I had experienced and return to the way things were? Chronos’s words resonated deeply.

‘…Life.’ Being possessed in a game was absurd enough, but like any good story, there should be a way back. But there wasn’t. Wasn’t this too cruel? Give me a sliver of hope, at least.

“Hope? Don’t be absurd. Certain despair is often more beneficial than false hope.”

“…Sigh.” I exhaled, a mixture of resignation and frustration. Whether Chronos intended it as comfort or not, it was true. If there was no going back, and even if there were, I couldn’t return to the life I once knew…

“There are two things I desire.”

“Two things. Speak.”

“I desire a long and peaceful life with a wife who loves me.”

“A mundane desire. And?”

“And… when I falter, when I am about to crumble, I ask that you support me.” Even as I spoke the words, I wondered if they made sense.

“…Strange. You desire not wealth, not beauty, not power, but ‘support when you falter?’ You desire my strength, then?”

I shook my head. “No. I understand that even if I asked, you would not grant it to one who is unworthy.”

“Then what is it you ask of me?”

“…I am an adult, yet I have unexpectedly lost my parents. Without warning, without preparation, I lost my family, my friends, everything. And now I find myself in a foreign land, with unfamiliar customs, values, and history. I ask for your pity, Lord Chronos. Have mercy on me.”

Chronos gazed down at me in silence. Finally, they spoke, their voice soft yet firm. “I do not wish to be betrayed again.”

“I will not betray you.”

“Of course. The moment you do, your power will be revoked. Besides,” Chronos added with a dry chuckle, “what fool would declare their betrayal to a god’s face? Likely only that imbecile, Zeus, would be so audacious.” Chronos took a deep breath and nodded. “Very well. I accept your desires.”

“Ah—?” My vision swam. Strength drained from my limbs, and I collapsed. Chronos’s voice, calm and resolute, echoed in my ears.

“In exchange for fulfilling your desires, you will carry out my will. Vengeance against that bastard, Zeus. A vengeance steeped in blood. You ask much of me, child, especially against a regressor.”