I Became an Illegal Cheat User

102 – Duel Season (8)

“……”

“……”

An uncomfortable silence lingered.

At the same time, a suffocating tension enveloped the room.

Clink.

The swordsman lifted the teacup.

After inhaling the aroma of the tea, he savored the taste.

Then, with a decisive thud, he set it back down on the saucer.

Yes, up to this point, it seemed like an ordinary tea ceremony. Anyone would see it as a moment of enjoying tea.

But that was merely the surface.

Sitting before the swordsman, I wanted nothing more than to escape this place.

And who could blame me, especially after hearing the greeting, or rather, the death threat.

Of course, the swordsman’s gaze never left me.

Gooohhh.

An intangible energy filled with rage poured over me.

In the midst of this, Lee Seoyeon, who sat beside me rather than next to the swordsman,

Sipped her tea, savoring it.

Fidgeting.

She was gently toying with my hand, hidden beneath the table.

From her demeanor, it seemed that Lee Seoyeon didn’t sense the swordsman’s overwhelming presence.

‘As expected of a transcendent. Their control over energy is incredible.’

The pressure directed solely at me, without a hint of spillover. And the swordsman, acting as if nothing was amiss, behaving normally.

I barely suppressed a laugh as I lifted my teacup.

At that moment, the swordsman’s brow twitched slightly, his gaze fixed on me. Simultaneously, the pressure bearing down on me intensified.

It seemed that my nonchalance surprised him, even as it displeased him.

With a sigh inwardly at such childish behavior, I took a sip of my tea.

‘Oh… this tea is delicious?’

Indeed, being a high-end tea house, it suited my taste, even as someone who preferred refreshing and sweet drinks like cola.

“…Ahem.”

The swordsman let out a sound that suggested discomfort.

Lee Seoyeon, who had been focused on toying with my hand, turned her gaze toward the swordsman.

“Dad, is something bothering you?”

The swordsman, who had been looking at me expressionlessly, turned to Lee Seo-yeon and offered a slight smile as he spoke.

“It’s just a momentary lapse, so don’t worry about it.”

‘…A lapse?’

Not just an ordinary person, but a superhuman? A transcendent being, no less?

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Yet, upon hearing such a ridiculous statement, Lee Seo-yeon responded.

“Be careful, Dad.”

She believed him.

No, she went beyond belief, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket and offering it to the swordsman as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Thank you, as always.”

And the swordsman, too, accepted the handkerchief with familiarity, wiping his mouth that bore no trace of anything.

Watching this scene unfold, it seemed that the swordsman was accustomed to pretending to have a lapse even at home.

‘Oh, how much must he crave Lee Seo-yeon’s attention?’

I felt a slight sense of disgust at the genuine doting father he was.

‘Ah, I want to get out of here quickly.’

Thinking this, I took a sip of my tea. Just as the cup was nearly empty.

Tap.

The swordsman set down his teacup.

“I’ll ask you directly.”

With those words, he looked at me with a very serious expression, one that seemed to be holding back anger.

‘…What is it? Why is he looking so serious? What could he possibly want to ask?’

Could it be that we were about to have a repeat of earlier?

I recalled what Gloria had asked me and felt a surge of tension.

And just as I set down my teacup, swallowing the last of the tea in my mouth.

“Are you dating my daughter?”

“……!”

The question that sprang from the swordsman’s lips was completely different from what I had anticipated.

‘No, was that what he wanted to ask!’

Unlike the swordsman’s earlier pretense, I nearly found myself genuinely at a loss for words.

Honestly, when he said he would ask directly, I thought he would inquire about the foreign energy I was harboring, just like earlier with Mama… no, with Gloria.

So I was on edge, but… the question turned out to be about my relationship with Lee Seo-yeon.

But that thought was fleeting.

Upon reflection, it is indeed an important question for the Sword Master.

The Sword Master before me is not only a transcendent being but also Lee Seo-yeon’s father.

“Dad.”

Lee Seo-yeon called out to the Sword Master, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Yet in her gaze directed at me, there was a glimmer of expectation.

As if she were silently urging me to say just that.

‘…This is maddening.’

It’s a very awkward situation.

How should I phrase this to navigate through this crisis?

I hurriedly racked my brain.

I needed to come up with an answer that would satisfy both the Sword Master and Lee Seo-yeon.

‘…Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if I spoke the truth.’

Lee Seo-yeon, along with Arthur and Asuka.

I’m not in a relationship with any of them yet.

Of course, to outsiders, it might look like we are dating.

After all, unless we’re training, sleeping, or have other commitments, we’re practically inseparable.

However, even though their physical affection has increased and we’ve confirmed our feelings for each other,

we maintain an ambiguous relationship—neither friends nor lovers, a lukewarm situation often referred to as “something.”

So, it wouldn’t be a problem to tell the Sword Master that we’re just friends.

But… I really don’t want to do that.

I don’t want to hear Lee Seo-yeon say she’ll wait for me.

‘Alright, let’s be honest.’

I made up my mind, resolved my thoughts. Then, looking directly into the Sword Master’s eyes, I spoke.

“We’re not dating.”

“Ah….”

Lee Seo-yeon let out a voice tinged with disappointment and a hint of hurt.

“But I want to date you officially.”

“Um….”

Lee Seo-yeon’s expression shifted, breaking her previous neutrality.

She looked at me with an expression that seemed to question whether what she had heard was truly real.

I offered her a slight smile before turning to the swordsman.

“…….”

A blank expression.

The swordsman’s face, fixed on me, was the very embodiment of coldness.

Yet, despite the expression, in his eyes, which were locked onto mine, there was a terrifying fury contained within.

‘I want to kill this b*stard right now.’

I exhaled a tense breath in response to that gaze and continued speaking.

“Of course, I have no intention of dating right now.”

“Ah.”

Lee Seo-yeon let out a sound of disappointment once more. But this time, it lacked any sense of hurt.

Having confirmed my desire to date, her disappointment, along with her impatience, had vanished.

“…What do you mean by saying you have no intention of dating right now?”

The swordsman asked, and at the same time, the pressure bearing down on me intensified significantly.

My body felt not just tingly but creaked under the weight.

I gritted my teeth. Glancing at Lee Seo-yeon, I noticed she still remained oblivious.

She had not realized that the swordsman was pressing down on me with his energy.

Once again, I marveled at the swordsman’s meticulous control.

Of course, if I showed any signs of struggle, Lee Seo-yeon would understand what the swordsman was doing.

But right now, I needed to earn the swordsman’s acknowledgment. Therefore, I couldn’t afford to show any signs of difficulty, no matter how hard it was.

If there was any silver lining, it was that this level of pressure was bearable.

‘I managed to withstand the chairman’s pressure, so this much is nothing.’

I chuckled inwardly and answered the swordsman’s question.

“As you know, swordsman, the world is in a precarious state right now.”

At my words, the swordsman nodded slightly, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

“…I don’t know how you know this, but as you said, the world is indeed in a precarious state. But what does this fact have to do with your earlier question?”

What does it have to do with it? Of course, it’s related, which is why I mentioned it.

Muttering that to myself, I pulled the answer from my mind.

“The God of War said this: In the future, the foreign beings that the apostles uphold will invade this world.”

“…What?”

“…Really?”

Though they understood the world was in peril, they hadn’t anticipated an invasion by foreign beings; the swordsman’s expression broke.

And it was the same for Lee Seoyeon, who stood beside me. To both of them, I spun a tale of how the God of War had revealed future events to me.

It didn’t matter if they didn’t believe it.

Instilling a sense of urgency about the possibility of such events, while also providing a reason for why we couldn’t be together right now, was my aim.

However, the lie of “the God of War told me” proved to be quite effective.

“…The guardians chased away the foreign beings, and now they are invading again.”

“It can’t be… that such a thing will happen in the future.”

Both the swordsman and Lee Seoyeon believed me without a shred of doubt.

Ah, even if the chairman finds out that I lied using the name of the God of War, it doesn’t matter.

If she trusts me, she will likely say it’s fine. And since the events that will occur in the future aren’t lies, she might even commend me for it.

‘This level of buildup should suffice.’

With that thought, I revealed the real reason we couldn’t be together to the swordsman, who wore a very serious expression.

“So, we will only be together after the foreign beings and all the corruptors that are gnawing at this world are gone.”

“……”

“Lee Yujin….”

The swordsman looked at me with a complex gaze.

At the same time, Lee Seoyeon called my name with a voice full of emotion.

Then, as if she understood, she nodded and sent me a tender look.

“…Are you serious about that?”

“Yes, I am serious.”

As soon as I said that, the pressure that had been weighing down on me vanished in an instant.

“Hmm.”

The swordsman crossed his arms and stared at me intently.

His discontented gaze remained, but the anger within it had dissipated.

“Alright, I understand.”

“Dad.”

As the swordsman uttered his affirmation, Lee Seoyeon’s eyes sparkled.

“Of course, as you mentioned, I will not allow any courtship as long as the foreign press and all the corrupt individuals remain.”

However, the swordsman added, pausing for a moment.

“I will acknowledge the friendship we have now. And in the future….”

The swordsman stopped speaking.

He frowned, as if he was very displeased with the words that were about to follow.

But that was only for a moment.

With a short sigh, the swordsman finally continued.

“In the future… if, as you say, all dangers have disappeared, I will permit you to court my daughter.”

“Dad!”

Lee Seoyeon looked at the swordsman with a bright smile.

In response to her expression, the swordsman wore a complex look, one that was both pleased and displeased.

He felt good seeing a smile that was rare, especially such a radiant one, but he disliked that it was because of me.

“Haah.”

The swordsman let out a deep sigh, as if trying to suppress his anger.

At that moment, a beep sounded from the smart watches worn by Lee Seoyeon and me.

Checking the notification, I realized there were only ten minutes left until the start of the third match.

I relayed the message to the swordsman.

“Is that so? Then let’s get moving.”

With a creak, he stood up from his chair.

“You should come with us.”

The swordsman said as he exited the café.

Seeing him, Lee Seoyeon smiled softly and said, “Did you know? Dad never lets anyone in his car except for Mom and me.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Lee Seoyeon took my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine, just like usual.

But somehow, I felt a slightly different sensation than usual.

It was as if the faint thread connecting us had grown stronger.

I wondered if I was the only one feeling this way.

“Yujin, let’s hurry.”

She called me ‘Yujin’ for the first time, not ‘Lee Yujin.’

&

&

&

The third match was a boss rush in the Tower of Trials, just as I had hoped.

Climbing the tower was surprisingly easy, just as I had imagined. At the same time, it was incredibly fast.

“To have made it this far, you must be a strong child, huh?”

As expected in virtual reality, the target for annihilation appeared the moment I stepped onto the next floor.

But perhaps because this was the 50th floor, unlike the previous floors where hordes of corrupted beings and monsters emerged, only one named corrupted being appeared.

And that named corrupted being was none other than—

“…Hehe, I really like strong children.”

It was ‘Illusion,’ the one I had faced on the deserted island.

“Now, why don’t you come over here? I’ll make it a pleasant experience….”

“No, I don’t need that.”

Cutting off Illusion’s words, I activated Live Focus.

The world began to flow slowly. I could see Illusion speaking in a sluggish manner.

Watching that, I activated the cheat, releasing the speed limit.

Then, I triggered Thunderbolt, annihilating the Aegis that adorned my ten fingers.

Flash.

The world turned a brilliant blue.

As I witnessed that scene, I deactivated the speed limit and ended Live Focus.

The world, which had been flowing slowly, regained its original speed.

At the same time, the light that had dyed the world blue vanished, returning to its original colors.

And Illusion, who had been speaking to me,

was cleanly annihilated, without the unique regenerative ability of the corrupted beings.

Ah, but the feet remained, so perhaps it wasn’t entirely clean.

[Passed the 50th floor]

[Generating stairs to the next floor…, canceled.]

[Reason: The student no longer needs to ascend the tower.]

[The student is awarded the rank of ‘1st place.’]

The Third Match, Tower of Trials.

This time, I achieved first place quite easily.

&

The Final Match, Point Capture Battle.

Though not as intense as the Tower of Trials, it was a match taking place in the city.

“…Ugh, aaah! Where did you come from?!”

“Kyah! P-Please, save me!”

“No, damn it! Why are there so many traps?!”

Of course, the A-class students who had trained under me moved like they owned the place, eliminating the B and C class students with ease.

They ambushed from hiding.

They sniped from a distance.

They set traps and explosives.

They displayed a level of skill that was hard to believe for mere students.

I felt a genuine sense of satisfaction watching them.

Steel Soo, who was likely watching this match, must have been quite pleased as well.

But that feeling of satisfaction was short-lived.

“Look, it’s the top student!”

“Let’s take out the top student first!”

“Uwaaa! Let’s get the top student!”

As soon as the B and C classes were eliminated, the A class students banded together to charge at me.

Well, I had expected this. They prioritized taking me out over their own rankings.

The star players didn’t step in this time either. I could see them watching me from a distance.

Seeing that, I thought they would team up against me like in the second match, and I watched as the students charged toward me.

….

…….

[The Point Capture Battle has concluded.]

[Revealing the rankings.]

[1st Place – Yoo Jin]

[2nd Place – Lee Seo Yeon]

[3rd Place – Arthur Pendragon]

[4th Place – Noah]

[5th Place – Shuhea Asuka]

[6th Place – Park Garam]

[7th Place – Lim Dahee]

[8th Place….]

[…….]

[….]

There was no anomaly.

Once again, we claimed the top spot.

&

All the matches have concluded.

From the first match to the fourth, we achieved first place in every single one.

Not only did we complete the main quest, but we also maintained our position at the top with excellence.

“Everyone did a great job.”

As we returned to the arena, the vice principal welcomed us.

“…And with this, the duel season comes to an end… wait a moment.”

The vice principal paused mid-sentence, looking up at the sky.

Then, as if witnessing something forbidden, a look of horror crossed his face.

Seeing that, I thought to myself, here it comes, and activated my armor. I pulled Astra from my inventory and gazed upward.

But then.

“Huh?”

What’s this?

Why is that rift appearing already?

I stared blankly at something that shouldn’t be showing up right now.

The sky shattered like glass. And within it, another world was visible.

In stark contrast to the bright atmosphere of this world, beyond the sky—specifically, beyond the rift—lay a realm shrouded in darkness, overrun by demons.

“…Damn it, a dimensional rift.”

I had anticipated the appearance of rifts as the corrupted ones launched their attacks.

But a dimensional rift, this late in the story!

I cursed under my breath, glaring at the rift that illuminated the other world.

Suddenly, I felt an intense gaze from within the crack.

At the same moment.

Chill!

An indescribable energy swept over me.

In that energy, I realized something was wrong.

Just as I was about to tell the homeroom teacher to evacuate everyone.

– Strange.

…Something appeared before me.

At the same time, everything came to a halt.

It wasn’t as if time was flowing slowly like in a live focus.

It was as if time had stopped; everything froze, except for me.

– Master, you must escape now! That one is…

Tera spoke in a very urgent tone. And just as she was about to mention the thing that appeared before me.

– Strange.

– Sa…

Something unidentifiable waved its hand lightly toward the void.

Crash! The sound of shattering glass echoed.

…And Tera’s voice fell silent.

Yet, I couldn’t move from my spot.

It felt as if something had wrapped around my body, rendering me completely immobile.

The only thing I could move was my face.

That indescribable thing around me moved slowly, with a gait? A float? An unknown motion.

And it tilted its head repeatedly, gazing at me with a face that existed only in emptiness, where nothing was visible.

– Why do I sense them from you?

A voice flowed into my mind, no, it burrowed deep inside.

I couldn’t comprehend it. Yet, at the same time, I understood.

Creak, creak.

I clenched my teeth. I bit down so hard it felt like they might shatter.

I had to do this, or it felt like my head would explode.

[The activation conditions for the derived skill ‘Calm Mind’ from ‘Strong Spirit (A)’ have been met.]

[‘Activating ‘Calm Mind’…, currently deemed unavailable for direct user activation.]

[‘Calm Mind’ will be activated automatically.]

As ‘Calm Mind’ took effect, my head felt clear.

And I was able to move my body.

With that, I kicked off the ground, creating distance between myself and the creature.

‘The duration of Calm Mind is 10 seconds.’

Within that time, I needed to either escape this place or eliminate the creature.

As that thought crossed my mind, I activated the mimicry effect of Astra that I held in my hand….

– You…, possess the essence of ■.

…just as I was about to act, suddenly, a finger of the creature—no, a tentacle?—appeared before me, something I couldn’t comprehend.

It seemed to stretch out as if to gouge out my eyes.

– Hmm?

As if sensing something, the creature’s hand halted.

It tilted its head and looked up.

At that moment.

…Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr──!

A terrifying roar echoed, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing.

Following that, a series of cracking sounds, like eggs breaking, filled the air.

Clang─!

With the sound of shattering glass, someone fell from above.

Thick, black hair.

Eyes that seemed to be embedded with obsidian, yet glimmered with a red hue.

A white dress shirt, black pants, and a black coat draped over it.

“Lee Yu-jin, are you okay?”

And a gentle voice calling me.

– …Mushin.

It was Baek Yu-hwa.