Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

4 Days Before School Starts

4 Days Before School Starts

—A strange rumor is spreading through Olympia Academy.

A weirdo (畸人) who does a run starting from the dormitories and all over the campus starting in the early morning.

After finishing the run, they go to the lake and crush weights as well.

Even a rumor spread that a magic student, not even a knight student, was doing it, and curiosity about who the hell was committing such bizarre behavior grew—

“So, it was you!”

One of those curious minds.

Helene spoke to me, eyes shining.

……Wait, why?

*

Act 1, Scene 1 of ＜Song of Sword and Magic＞, the entrance exam.

If Irina, the protagonist of the mage route, handled the magic ball.

The protagonist of the knight route proceeds with the exam differently.

‘Complete the entirety of Atenel Island the fastest, within the time limit.’

In other words, what I usually do on a daily basis *is* the exam content.

“Huff, one, huff, two.”

────────────────

【Strength has increased!】

【Stamina has increased!】

【Agility has increased!】

【Strength has increased!】

【Stamina has increased!】

【Agility has increased!】

────────────────

Today, too, those feel-good sentences pop up one after the other.

Yeah. I’m still continuing my exercise without change.

To win at the inter-year exchange competition.

The stats still have a long way to go before they hit 2, but even if I keep repeating this, I’ll get there soon.

While running like this, I hear moans from behind.

—Hah, huhh, shit. This person, damn, aren’t they… tired?

—Huu, huuu. Crazy, I heard they were a magic student, why are they faster than us, huuu.

—Hey, hey. Don’t talk. I’m losing my strength…….

The voices of the knight department freshmen.

The freshmen have been racing since the start line.

It was a coincidence that I started around the same time I usually did, so there were a lot of guys keeping pace with me.

Except for one glaring difference.

“Hup, two, hup, two.”

I wasn’t getting tired at all.

‘Tsk, tsk.’

If those guys aiming to become knights are that weak.

What’s so hard about running on an unpaved road for two hours without a break?

Ignoring the jealousy, shock, and envy echoing behind me, I keep walking, and they eventually fade behind me, the distance growing.

“Huff…”

Then it suddenly hits me.

‘I’ll be getting closer to the protagonist soon.’

I don’t know the exact route, but he’d be the furthest ahead, having taken the top spot in the Knight Department.

Since I’m using a physical cheat to catch up, I need to be careful.

“I should change course a bit if I want to avoid him.”

Just for today, let’s change up the routine.

I’m veering off course. If I’d kept running the normal path, I would’ve had to go around, but I’m shortening the distance by going straight.

I ran directly towards the lake shore in the southern part of Atenel Island.

‘This way I’ll get there faster than the protagonist.’

Even if he comes along the regular course later, I’ll already be at the lake.

Okay. I’m relieved.

I absolutely must not get entangled with the protagonist.

And so, on the path towards the lake shore.

A clearing near the forest, a place where no other new students of the Knight Department had reached yet.

I discovered a woman there.

A beautiful woman with radiant blonde hair braided down her back.

The heroine of *The Song of Sword and Magic,* Princess Helene, was waiting for me.

*

“Hello?”

Her bright smile is almost too welcoming.

Helene rises from her seat, dusting off her skirt with a couple of brisk pats. A bit unrefined for someone of her status.

My heart, though, couldn’t find that same ease.

‘Why is she calling me over?’

Helene’s first appearance. In the knight route, this is during the entrance exam.

The protagonist is stopped mid-race by her, who introduces herself while saying she was waiting for him.

‘Yeah, okay, that makes sense.’

＜Sword and Song of Magic＞ changes the protagonist’s gender depending on the route.

For instance, if you choose the knight academy, he becomes the male protagonist, and the magic academy route has a female protagonist.

… Ah, shit. What the hell! So annoying!

Considering I met Irina, the knight academy protagonist is a guy.

So Helene being here is also understandable.

I get that.

“… Do you have business with me?”

She should be talking to the protagonist.

Why me?

“Aha ha, no need to be so scared. I’m not someone who enjoys exploiting social status, you know.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“Hmm. You really won’t drop your guard, will you…”

Helene tilts her head, then finally explains why she’s standing here.

“I was waiting for my destined person.”

“… Destined person, you say?”

“Yes!”

Destined person.

In the original story, Helene says this to the protagonist.

You are my destiny, she says.

“I saw it in a dream. I can see the future. I had a vision that if I waited quietly in this spot, my destined person would appear.”

“That’s a mistake.”

Quick counter.

Right now, Helene is mistaken.

The one she’s waiting for is the protagonist of the Knight’s Route. Definitely not me.

“I’m not mistaken? In my dream, I clearly met someone running all around this academy. That was you.”

“I didn’t do it because of the entrance exam. I was doing it anyway.”

“……???”

I calmly continue my explanation.

Helene is mistaken. In the main storyline, Herak won’t come here.

It’s just a misunderstanding because I possessed this body.

She even based her belief on rumors that somehow spread around the academy, which I didn’t even know about, so let me correct her mistake—

“So, that was you!”

Rather, Helene’s eyes shined even brighter.

“I’ve been so curious about you for a while. A mage who exercises! You are definitely my destined person.”

“That’s not it.”

At this point, I’m getting annoyed.

I won’t show it in front of the princess, but it’s that troublesome.

‘Why is she mistaking me for the protagonist?’

Helene is undeniably the heroine of ＜The Song of Swords and Magic＞.

Naturally, she has a large role in the story, so I must not get involved.

The possibility of her mistaking me for the protagonist shouldn’t exist.

“If you’re so sure, then wait and see. Her destined person will arrive soon.”

“Oh, come on. You’re not listening to me.”

You’re the one who isn’t.

I plop down onto a seat.

Originally, I should be heading to the lake to pump some weights, but in this situation, it can’t be helped. I have no choice but to play along with Helene.

‘Destined person.’

The reason why Helene falls for the protagonist in the Knight’s Route.

Like me, who possesses 【Ultimate Physique】, she is the owner of a ‘unique’ attribute.

Helene’s unique power is 【Heaven’s Secret】.

A special power that could be described as foresight or seeing destiny.

In the original story, it was set that Helene used Heaven’s Secret to meet her partner.

‘I don’t know why you’re mistaking me for someone else.’

If you’re going to leak secrets of the heavens, at least do it right.

How can you confuse the protagonist with an extra?

“You said you’re in the magic department, Mr. Herak?”

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing! You’re a magician but you work out so hard. It’s really something I never imagined.”

“I hear that often.”

Despite the lukewarm reaction, Helene doesn’t give up.

It’s a rude thing to do, considering she’s a princess, but she doesn’t care, thanks to her background.

“I went to the magic department’s new student orientation recently, and the atmosphere was terrifying.”

“It often is.”

“But the top student this year, Irina, wasn’t even fazed. She really is amazing!”

“That’s just how she is.”

Even though she’s a woman now, she’s still very much the protagonist.

Irina will have to navigate the story as the female lead and face many incidents.

‘And the knight route’s male lead will be there to help.’

That’s why the double protagonists are different genders.

Making one a man and the other a woman makes the story easier to develop.

The core of it all is the conflict and friendship that blossoms between them.

‘Ultimately, the male lead will inevitably be the main character though.’

Since the player needs to get immersed in the protagonist they choose, the male lead takes on the leading role.

Especially in taking down the Act 1 boss, the combined power of the male and female leads is needed.

The male lead is the one leading, but ultimately, both the male and female protagonists are essential.

Anyway, it seems like the male lead of this world is a knight, so let’s leave Helene to him and get out of here.

Then this misunderstanding can be corrected too.

“Oh. Who might that be? They’re running towards us.”

Speak of the devil, and there he comes; a new student is running over from afar.

There’s only one person who runs that fast.

‘The protagonist.’

I stood up immediately.

“That’s him. The person of destiny the Princess has been waiting for.”

“Huh? Are you still mistaken?”

“We’ll see who’s right by watching.”

Let’s hurry and end this awkward situation and go hit the weights.

I stepped forward without hesitation, entering the course.

Just as I was about to stop the protagonist running towards me and take him to Helene—

“Huh?”

Frozen.

My body stiffens. My mind stops, unable to comprehend the situation.

Shimmering silver hair, a ponytail tied at the back of her neck, brushes her nape.

Her small frame compared to others her age is, therefore, agile, and she continues her swift dash.

The modest swell of her chest is visible through the shirt she wears over top.

It’s the appearance of the Knight Route protagonist from ＜Song of Swords and Magic＞.

…To be precise, it’s the appearance of the female protagonist.

“…She’s a girl?”

The truth that has just been revealed.

There is no male lead in this world.

—Therefore, defeating the Act 1 boss with the cheat code is impossible.

“Shit.”

I’m fucked.