The Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Want’s to Retire

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

‘Ugh, my head.’

He managed to land safely, but Hans immediately collapsed, clutching his head. The headache from the Time Deceleration penalty was stronger than he imagined.

He only used it for a short time, but the headache was this bad… he didn’t know how he managed to use Time Deceleration for so long before.

Hans sighed and got up.

Perhaps because he hadn’t used Time Deceleration for very long, the headache didn’t last too long. That aside, how was he supposed to escape this forest?

Hans clicked his tongue.

He knew the orcs were crude, but he never imagined they would drop him like this. Had everyone who participated in the Warrior’s Festival until now been treated like this?

Hans felt his already low first impression of the orcs drop even further. But he didn’t have time for this kind of escapism.

“The forest of Aberka, huh.”

Hans didn’t just ride the wyvern here. He asked Dezra various questions, and Dezra, who seemed to like Hans, readily answered them.

Using that valuable information, he would escape this forest and make the orcs his allies.

Of course, he also had to consider mediating between the 12 Tribes and the orcs, but that was a story for later.

According to Dezra, this forest was death itself. Literally, all the creatures inhabiting this forest were hostile to intruders. For example, the sap from that vine over there.

Even if that vine was the same type as the edible one outside, it couldn’t be eaten here. Because it was poisonous.

Dezra called it the “will of the forest.”

In other words, Hans was essentially surrounded by enemies. Even obtaining basic food was difficult, so naturally, escaping the forest would be challenging.

“Fuck. Did I think this was too easy?”

Hans couldn’t deny that he had been out of his mind. At this rate, it would be better to fight and win directly. That’s how hopeless it seemed.

But he quickly swallowed that thought. It was no use crying over spilled milk. Regret wouldn’t change anything.

So, he would move forward. That was the one thought that had brought him this far, and he would continue to move forward.

Hans took a step.

Despite being surrounded by trees and grass, the cold north wind continued to blow. It wasn’t offering any protection.

Well, if the forest rejected intruders, this wasn’t surprising.

Hans looked around.

Surprisingly, everything around him looked similar.

It was as if he was walking through a maze made of mirrors.

He had no idea where he was. He didn’t know if it was because of the snow piled up in the forest, or the intense light that was almost white. He couldn’t pinpoint the cause, but he knew it was dangerous.

He had once heard that if a person stayed in a room with only white for too long, they would go mad.

He didn’t know if it was true or not, but… experiencing it firsthand, Hans thought it might be true. He didn’t know where he was or how much time had passed.

In the end, Hans used his ability.

“Gasp… gasp…!!!”

His head ached. Even though he hadn’t used Time Deceleration, Hans was staggering from the intense headache. It was because the forest environment was attacking him. If he hadn’t used his ability, he might have fainted here.

Was this what Dezra was talking about?

He said that if your mental strength was weak, you would be quickly consumed by the forest.

Certainly, he was far from mentally strong.

Unlike others, he couldn’t help but know. While training together, he had seen how weak he truly was.

Every time, he would think, If I didn’t have this ability, what would I be?

Nothing, probably.

I hate myself for relying on this disgusting ability.

That’s why I wanted to give up the Commander position…

…What was he thinking about?

Hans blinked.

He couldn’t continue the thought.

It was partly due to the forest’s influence, but more importantly, the surrounding scenery had suddenly changed.

Just a moment ago, Hans had been in the forest. But the moment he used Time Stop, the trees and grass that made up the forest vanished, replaced by an old temple.

No, it couldn’t even be called a temple. The foundation was crumbled, and the place was filled with broken stone fragments and remnants of shattered statues.

It was more accurate to call it the ruins of what was once a temple.

Hans could only blink, stunned by the sudden change. He had just used Time Stop, and the forest scenery had changed?

There was a limit to how powerful magic could be…

No, no. This is beyond magic.

The veteran gamer knowledge in Hans’s head clicked. This game had places called “ruins.”

They were similar to dungeons, and if you entered them and defeated the boss, you would obtain legendary items and a power-up, essentially a strengthening system for the player.

This was one of the reasons why this game, despite being an erotic game, was also considered an RPG. It had a proper growth system.

Compared to other erotic games that treated it as a side element, this game had implemented it as a core gameplay element. There were even sex scenes where you fought and won to then rape the heroine.

However, the ruins had to meet certain conditions to be unlocked.

According to the game’s lore, they were power crystals left behind by ancient sages who foresaw this situation, intended to train the chosen one.

‘But is it okay for me to do this?’

Hans pondered.

To put it simply, the ruins were power-up events prepared for the game’s protagonist.

If he didn’t properly utilize the growth content, including the ruins, and if he couldn’t unite the alliance, the only outcome was an ending where everyone was defeated by the Demon King, the final boss.

Even if it wasn’t that, it would be a boring normal ending.

Well… even the good ending wasn’t that different, but…

Hans changed his mind.

Aberka appeared as a region in the game, and he could actually visit it, but the game didn’t implement any ruins in this region. But that created a contradiction in the lore.

The ruins were prepared by the sages who foresaw this situation for the chosen one.

In fact, as you progressed through the game’s story, you would naturally encounter the ruins.

Putting aside the hassle of clearing them, he remembered the 17 ruins prepared for the protagonist.

This meant that this wasn’t a ruin prepared for the protagonist. But then why was this ruin here?

Hans’s head was filled with confusion.

“I have no choice but to try it now.”

“What do you think is the hardest thing to overcome in this world?”

Hans looked up.

He saw it rising from the crumbled ruins as it gradually took on a human form. However, before it could fully materialize, it spoke.

“Strength? Or fear?”

His vision blurred.

Just facing it, Hans felt like running away.

Fear? Terror? No, those were not the words to describe it.

It was something primal telling him to run away now. If he didn’t want to die.

But paradoxically, that fear rooted Hans to the spot.

Soon, it appeared before him.

Its two arms looked as if they were covered in flesh. Its face was massive like a rock, and it was even wearing glasses. Not only that, but its belly protruded.

It was the very image of a middle-aged man.

“The most fearsome thing is myself.”

“…”

“So, what do you think? Are you ready to kill your… ”

“Die!! You trash!!!”

It was instinct.

The trauma of being betrayed by something he truly loved. That trauma drove Hans’s body to move. Even if it was just a game.

He had truly loved it. That game. Everything he had done. And now the cause of it all was right in front of him. He couldn’t help but be enraged.

Hans instinctively moved.

It tried to move as well. It was a being that tested others, copying everything about them and making it its own. But even it couldn’t grasp the true nature of its current opponent.

Of course, if the opponent was someone else, there might have been a chance of winning.

The power of Time Stop was that great. But unfortunately, his opponent was himself. Time Stop wouldn’t work on him.

Hans’s sword pierced through its heart.

Shattered fragments scattered across the ground.

And in the end, all that remained was a single sword.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[Translator Notes]

[Your Text Here]