Chapter 5: You, Become My Comrade
Translated and Proofread by Vine
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During that first spar with Mars, despite the overwhelming odds—a skinny guy with a dagger versus a powerhouse with a greatsword—I’d somehow managed to stop her. More than that, I’d pressed my advantage, rushing in while she was off-balance and landing a blow. Sure, a dagger offered speed advantages over a greatsword, but even so…
“This is… strange.”
Blocking Mars’s attack had been improbable, bordering on impossible. No, calling it a “block” was a misnomer.
In the recording, I’d desperately raised my dagger against the descending greatsword—and it had rebounded as if striking an impenetrable barrier. It wasn’t a block; it was a deflection. As if it had bounced off a solid wall.
My follow-up attack had been impossibly fast, even for me.
“It only looks normal at half speed…”
A speed that defied logic. Could this scrawny body truly possess such explosive strength and agility?
No. Impossible.
It was more likely Chronos’s power, not my own.
“Time… time…”
Stopping time. Freezing the dagger in place. Thus, the greatsword, striking the temporally locked dagger, wouldn’t break it, but be deflected by its immobility, fixed in space. That was the most plausible explanation.
“The correlation between time and space.”
Something clicked. The fact that I appeared normal in the recording at double speed could be interpreted another way.
“One second for others feels like two seconds for me?”
If I could squeeze two seconds into one, I could move twice as fast as anyone else.
“…Hmm.”
After careful consideration, I arrived at a single, inescapable conclusion.
Why did the original “Timeless” waste such a potent ability on chasing heroines?
‘I guess he was given that blessing because that’s the kind of person he was.’
He was a villain in an erotic game, after all. What else could you expect? If he were too strong, the story wouldn’t progress.
Armed with this new understanding of my powers, I practiced whenever I could in the privacy of my dorm room.
“After being unconscious for days, I now have two broken hands.”
“Ahaha…”
And this was the result. Amplifying the pistol’s power. Not amplification, per se. I’d simply shortened the bullet’s travel time from one second to something infinitely close to zero.
‘Acceleration is also a variable of time…’
Think of it this way: If it takes twelve hours to travel from Incheon Airport to Jeju Island by car and ferry, you can get there in under an hour by plane.
A simple calculation revealed a more than twelvefold increase in speed. In other words, an increase in acceleration.
Increased acceleration, combined with mass, equaled force. So…
“Still, your efforts have borne fruit. You’re the first cadet to achieve an S rank in Power, with a total score of 16 points, earning you an A rank overall.”
“…There’s an S rank?”
“Guns generally score higher in Power, but even considering that, your result is off the charts.” The school nurse showed me a picture on her phone.
“The test scarecrow was completely obliterated. That should tell you something.”
“…Wow.”
My efforts hadn’t been in vain. A small swell of pride filled my chest. The nurse, however, continued, her tone tinged with concern. “But Cadet Chrono, why did you do that?”
“Huh?”
“Your ability. You were clearly controlling it perfectly during the clay shooting.”
“Ah…”
It was true. During the clay shooting, I’d felt a sudden shift, as if the world had slowed down around me. I must have unconsciously used my ability. Since I’d accelerated both the gun and myself, control hadn’t been an issue.
However, I couldn’t do the same during the power test because…
“I… I barely had enough power left. I thought accelerating myself would decrease the bullet’s power.”
“…I see.”
Accelerating both myself and the bullet would only have resulted in a twofold enhancement, at best. Only double. Would that have been enough to win? No. Absolutely not. That’s why I’d disregarded my own safety and focused solely on the bullet.
‘Because Chronos said so.’
Time is relative. If I accelerated time for both myself and the bullet, the limit was a twofold increase, adding one second to another. But if I treated myself as an object and focused solely on the bullet, I could approach infinite power, as one second approached zero.
Of course, not truly infinite, but…
“Cadet Chrono, injuring yourself on the battlefield is reckless. Especially for someone like you, who operates from the rear.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
The nurse gave me a gentle scolding and turned away. “I’ve set your bones, so you’ll be able to attend classes tomorrow. But be careful for a few days. You might experience some phantom pain or discomfort.”
“Understood.”
The nurse drew the privacy curtain and returned to her station. I lay back, staring at the ceiling.
[Limit: 0s]
“…Ha.” I’d used it all up.
I adjusted my bracelet and opened the stat window.
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Name: Chrono (Class B)
Rank: —
Strength: 9 (+2)
Stamina: 14
Agility: 14 (+1)
Intelligence: 32 (+1)
Divinity: 20
“A slight improvement.” My Strength had likely increased from nearly tearing my hands apart while gripping the pistol. Agility probably went up during the clay shooting. And Intelligence… likely from messing with time.
At least they hadn’t decreased. ‘This game has a strange system.’ In most MMORPGs, stats rarely decreased, but it was a common occurrence in NTR Academy. They said it was the natural consequence of specialization. While the protagonist could be built as an all-rounder, everyone else benefited from focusing on specific stats.
And I would likely follow the same path.
“Which direction should I go…?”
My stats were so low that I could specialize in anything. My Intelligence seemed relatively high, so becoming a holy mage was an option, but Chronos wasn’t exactly suited for holy magic.
‘Then, I guess…’
An agility build seemed like the best option. There was no need for excessive Strength if I was fighting from the back lines. Enough to handle the recoil of a gun would suffice. Average Stamina should be enough to get by. As for Intelligence and Divinity, those would increase naturally as I used my powers. Normally, prayer or meditation would boost those stats, but…
Being an apostle, ‘missions’ were far more efficient than prayer or meditation—
—which presented a problem. I peeked through the curtain, surveying the infirmary. ‘No one’s around… and the nurse seems to be out…’ Perfect. I’d get this over with quickly.
“…Prayer.”
I clasped my hands together. The nurse hadn’t been lying; my hands weren’t hurting too badly. Just a faint tingling sensation. Manageable.
“…Prayer.”
“…Hmm.” My only religious experience was attending church a few times with a friend. What was I supposed to do? Recite the Lord’s Prayer?
“…Alright.”
My true feelings, without pretense. I closed my eyes and prayed.
“Oh god, I am weak.”
Weak and frail, pathetically so.
“My strength is so lacking I can barely handle the recoil of a gun. My stamina fails me constantly, leaving me reliant on your mercy. My feet are slow, my mind dull.”
Weak in every conceivable way. Weak, frail, and utterly incapable.
“If I have accomplished anything, it is solely through your glory, your blessing. The credit belongs entirely to you.”
So, oh god, I pray with all sincerity,
“Lead me not into temptation.”
Every time I try something, I end up in the infirmary.
“Suffer me not to succumb to my weakness.”
This time, I’d shattered the bones in both my hands.
“Always think of me, love me, and have pity on me.”
Please, just think. Think of me, just a little.
“I do not possess the unwavering courage to face every challenge, to overcome every obstacle.”
Just today, I’d wanted to run. I’d begged for my life countless times. I’d wanted to abandon the academy, abandon everything.
“So, oh god, I implore you,”
Lord Chronos, you know my stats. You know how truly pathetic they are. So please, I beg you,
“When I falter, when I am about to crumble, support me. Be my strength.”
Please, no more sudden missions. Please…!
I tightened my clasped hands, praying that my desperation would reach Chronos.
“…Phew.” Was that enough? It had to be. Judging by the fact that Chronos had only smiled after my heartfelt plea, they probably hadn’t been listening before. If they assigned another sudden mission, I might actually cry.
I released my hands and collapsed back onto the bed.
“Waaaaah…”
“…Mars?”
“You’re more serious than I thought, huh?”
“…” Why was she lying next to me?
“No, I had a fight with Utopia or whatever and got tired, so I skipped class and came to lie down. You were already unconscious when I got here.”
Well, I wouldn’t have known if I was unconscious. “By the way, you got an A rank in Ranged Combat, right? Hmm…”
“…What are you looking at?” There was a strange glint in her eyes.
I cautiously pulled Chronos’s scythe (in pistol form) from under the blanket and gripped it.
“Become my comrade.”
“…?”
“Refusal is not an option.”
“No, but…” Why? How?
What a funny thing to say