I Became an Illegal Cheat User

104 – The Scheduled Assault (2)

A few weeks before the duel season began.

Lee Yu-jin had said it.

That during the duel season, the corrupt beings might launch an assault.

The number could be at least thousands, if not tens of thousands. It could be even more.

And he mentioned that one or two named entities might show up.

But… what happened was different.

“…Is this how the duel season ends…? Wait a minute….”

Something far worse than what I had heard occurred.

“The sky… has shattered?”

Arthur gasped at the sight that made him doubt his own eyes.

The sky was shattered, splintered like broken glass.

A world shrouded in darkness, visible beyond that sky.

It is truly an ominous and chilling sight.

Yet what sends a deeper shiver down Arthur’s spine is the environment hidden within that darkness.

‘…It’s almost destroyed, but it’s unmistakable.’

Thanks to the fairy sight, the darkness is laid bare before him, and Arthur recognizes what lies concealed within it—specifically, what the buildings are.

Familiar, no, inevitably familiar buildings.

It was none other than… Arena Academy.

What an utterly nonsensical scene. Yet considering the effects of the fairy sight he received from Vivian, it is an undeniable truth.

After all, the fairy sight possesses the ability not only to read the hearts of those who meet his gaze but also to see through illusions.

Thus, what appears before his eyes is not an illusion but reality.

But that very fact only adds to Arthur’s confusion.

‘…Is that world the future of this world? Or is it a parallel universe?’

He doesn’t know.

He cannot comprehend why there exists an environment so similar to this one.

Still, he understood this much.

The shattered sky.

That this phenomenon is more dangerous than a crack of extreme risk.

The dark world.

That this world and that world must not be connected.

And he wonders if he is the only one thinking this.

Srrng.

Lee Seoyeon and Asuka stood with tense, rigid faces, drawing their swords.

“…Oh God, grant us the strength to overcome this trial.”

Noah knelt on the ground, praying to the divine while gathering holy power.

Seeing this, Arthur gripped the trembling hilt of Excalibur at his waist and drew it. At that signal, his classmates above in the arena began to draw their weapons one by one.

Among them, the vice-principal, with a look of realization, pulled out a device with a red button from his robes.

The instructors who had been below the arena were now, he knew not when, calming the crowd in the stands.

“…So this is why the principal told us to prepare.”

The vice-principal muttered as he pressed the red button on the device.

Kugugugugugung….

Then, as if an earthquake had struck, the ground trembled.

In the distance, a sturdy-looking castle wall rose up from the outer wall of the academy.

And following that.

Flash─. Whaaam!

A brilliant light burst forth from the audience seats, barely kept in check by the instructors.

Judging by the light, which resembled that which occurs when moving from one location to another in the arena, it seemed to be a teleportation spell.

Arthur thought this for a moment.

The light pouring out from the audience seats began to fade.

The sight of all the citizens in the audience, except for the Great Saint and the Sword Saint, who were engaged in a serious conversation in the special seats, vanished.

The vice-principal let out a short sigh of relief upon confirming that every single citizen had safely evacuated to a secure location. And just as he was about to pull out another device from his pocket.

…Kuuurrrrrrrr─!

A tremendous roar erupted from the once-quiet sky.

Everyone looked up at the sound that felt as if the world was collapsing.

And they all widened their eyes in shock.

The scene before them was nothing short of staggering.

Crackling─!

A phenomenon of shattering rapidly expanding in scope.

Simultaneously, from beyond the broken sky, a dark world was spewing darkness toward this realm.

And within that darkness was nothing but… a black vortex.

A crack of extreme danger.

“…Everyone, stay in your seats!”

The vice-principal shouted as he pressed the button on the device he had pulled out.

Push, push, push!

“Damn it! Work, work already!”

But unlike just moments ago, no matter how many times he pressed the button, the teleportation spell did not activate.

The reason was simple.

The teleportation circles installed in the audience and arena by the principal, vice-principal, and production instructors to prepare for a possible attack today were designed to function even in the magic emitted by cracks of extreme danger.

But that was when there were only two or three cracks of extreme danger. Now, the cracks pouring from the shattered sky were beyond counting.

So it was only natural that the teleportation spell would not work.

“Goddamn it…….”

The vice principal looked up at the sky, cursing under his breath.

It was a sight that felt as if the world was coming to an end.

Frowning at the scene, the vice principal pulled a quill from his pocket.

Then he turned to the students and said,

“As you all can see, the teleportation circle is not activating. Therefore, we will have to walk to the safe zone. Is that understood?”

“Yes, we understand!”

At the vice principal’s command, everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their faces tense with anxiety.

“Then make sure to follow me closely.”

With those words, the vice principal turned his back. Just as he was about to step down from the arena,

“There’s no need for that.”

With a bright light formed by divine power, the High Priestess and the Sword Saint appeared above the arena.

“H-High Priestess! Sword Saint!”

The vice principal’s face brightened as he looked back and forth between the High Priestess and the Sword Saint.

The High Priestess gently patted the vice principal’s shoulder and said,

“That dimensional rift is something I, the Sword Saint, and…”

She trailed off, glancing at a specific spot. Suddenly, a blue light flashed, and the Headmaster, the Archmage, appeared.

“Leave it to the Archmage.”

With those words, the High Priestess vanished in a burst of light.

When she reappeared, it was beneath the sky known as the dimensional rift, in a space consumed by darkness.

Twinkle.

A small light flickered in the darkness.

Twinkle, twinkle.

The small light began to multiply, one by one.

And before long,

Countless lights emerged from the darkness, as if gazing at the night sky.

Hum, hum, hum.

The small lights gathered together.

The gathered lights gradually increased in size.

And the lights that grew in size,

Flashed.

With a single flash.

────────!!

It triggered a massive explosion. And from that explosion onward.

────, ────, ─────!

Explosions erupted in succession, driving away the darkness all at once.

But it didn’t stop there; it pushed the darkness and swirling shadows pouring from the dimensional rift back toward the rift itself.

– Oh, Goddess Theia, grant me strength.

A voice echoed, despite the distance. And as that voice faded away.

Whooosh──!!

A tremendous divine power surged forth from the High Saint, soaring upward.

And the divine power that ascended spread out like an inverted umbrella, covering a vast area of the dimensional rift.

The swordsman and the great mage exchanged glances and nodded at each other as they witnessed the spectacle.

Swish.

The swordsman drew his sword.

The great mage pulled a wand from his sleeve. Then, the great mage placed a hand on the swordsman’s shoulder and cast a teleportation spell.

And where they reappeared was beneath the dimensional rift.

Inside a rift of extreme danger, blocked by the High Saint’s divine barrier.

Boom, rumble! Boom!

As soon as the two entered the rift, it began to vanish at an alarming speed.

However, perhaps due to the sheer number of rifts pouring forth from the dimensional breach, the rate of decrease matched the rate of creation.

“Ah… this isn’t the time for that.”

The vice principal, who had been staring blankly at the sight of the rifts being sealed, snapped back to reality.

“I will activate the teleportation circle, so everyone, stay still.”

With the fall of the rifts halted by the High Saint’s divine barrier, the previously dormant teleportation circle was set to activate.

The vice principal retrieved the device he had put away when he took out his quill. And as he pressed the button firmly.

Whoosh!

The entire arena was bathed in bright light.

Simultaneously, a sensation enveloped his body, as if being drawn somewhere.

It was the prelude to the teleportation spell.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the phenomenon. And Arthur felt the same.

“Haah….”

Soon, they would be heading to a safe place.

As he sighed in relief at that thought, Arthur suddenly felt something was off.

‘…But why has Yoo-jin been staring at the sky this whole time?’

Unlike himself and the others, who had drawn their weapons in tension and anxiety, Yoo-jin stood there, armor activated, gazing intently at the shattered sky.

His stillness, like that of a statue, made Arthur uneasy.

And that unease grew as the scenery around them began to change.

Just as the landscape was about to shift and the teleportation magic was about to activate, she saw it.

Something vaguely visible, something indescribable, standing behind him.

And the ominous sign that he had no intention of teleporting.

‘Ah… so that’s what the unease was about.’

As soon as he realized this, Arthur summoned his magical power. He released it, deflecting the magic of teleportation.

“What are you all doing…!”

The incredulous yet horrified shout of the homeroom teacher echoed.

But as the teleportation magic completed, the sound was abruptly cut off.

But why did he say “you all” instead of “you”?

The reason became clear in an instant.

“Yoo-jin!”

“Seok, wait!”

He saw Lee Seo-yeon and Asuka rushing toward Yoo-jin.

…He had thought those two would act like him, but he never expected it to be this way.

But that wasn’t the issue right now.

“Everyone, get back!”

Arthur shouted as he slammed his feet to the ground.

At the same time, he infused Excalibur with magical power, drawing forth the divinity embedded in the sword.

And just as he was about to swing it toward the something he saw behind Yoo-jin.

A void, an emptiness where nothing was visible, turned its gaze toward him.

– Hmm, a sword imbued with divinity, is it…

Simultaneously, a disquieting voice echoed in his mind, one that was both incomprehensible and yet somehow made sense.

Then, a sharp pain throbbed in my head.

…The world slowed down.

The steps I took forward.

The motives that belatedly noticed and moved.

The sword reaching out toward something.

Everything was affected by this slowed-down world.

But something was different.

– And one who can wield divinity… you will surely be a threat to them.

It moved freely, as if it were entirely unaffected by time.

– So die for them.

Something raised an arm.

From the twisted form of that being, fingers resembling tentacles shot toward my eyes, my mouth, my heart.

Crack!

Arthur bit down hard.

In a body that had slowed to a crawl, I poured all my strength into moving.

But my body had no intention of moving at all.

Just as five tentacles were about to touch me.

[The talent “Master of the Divine Sword (S)” fiercely resists.]

Wooong!

Excalibur resonated violently. It emitted a light imbued with divinity.

The tentacles that touched the light ignited, bursting into flames. In an instant, they turned to ash and vanished.

– ……!

Something recoiled in surprise.

Yet the golden flame infused with divinity seemed determined not to let go.

Whoosh!

It surged along the tentacles, racing toward the being with fierce speed. Without a moment’s hesitation, that something…

Splat.

With its other hand, it swiftly severed its own arm.

It looked down at the arm that had fallen to the ground… no, the mass of tentacles.

Then, it lifted its head and gazed at Arthur.

– …You’re still dangerous.

As if recalling something, Arthur muttered about his own danger, puffing out his chest.

Slowly, like insects crawling out, numerous tentacles emerged from someone’s body.

Seeing this, Arthur felt a sense of revulsion, as if his insides were twisting. At the same time, he felt an overwhelming urge to gouge out his own eyes.

In that moment…

“aaahhh…!”

“Siiiiiiiii…!”

“Ggggggggg…!”

The slowed-down screams of his comrades echoed in his ears.

In Arthur’s field of vision, everyone’s hands were stretching towards their faces.

The thin tentacles emerging from someone’s body were seen wrapping around his comrades’ fingers.

Except for a few people, including Lee Seo-yeon, Aska, Noah, and a few others, everyone’s faces were filled with terror.

Seeing this, Arthur poured all his magical power into Excalibur.

However, only the sword’s size increased, while the holy light within remained the same.

– Make a proposal.

Something whispered.

– Give up your fate. Then, I’ll preserve theirs.

A proposal that meant if he simply died, everyone else would be spared.

At that wicked proposal, Arthur withdrew the magical power he had poured into Excalibur…

“Nonsense.”

…Just as he was about to say that, a woman appeared, fluttering her long coat.

At the same time, a slicing sound echoed, and…

– Mu…

Someone’s body crumbled into dust and disappeared.

As a result, the slowed-down world returned to its original speed.

“U, we’re moving!”

“S, shit… I thought I was going to die.”

The people who had been controlled by the tentacles regained control over their bodies.

“Ah, are you okay?”

And Arthur gazed at the woman who had appeared in the moment of crisis.

“Mu, Lord of the Gods…!”

The Lord of the Gods was gazing upon Baek Yu-hwa.

“You have endured well.”

The Lord of the Gods patted Arthur’s shoulder.

“Th-thank you.”

Arthur bowed deeply to the Lord of the Gods, his face filled with admiration.

In response to Arthur’s actions, the Lord of the Gods nodded and approached Lee Yoo-jin, who was still looking up at the sky, despite something having vanished.

“Hmm… It seems you have been quite thoroughly affected by the Apostle’s illusion.”

The Lord of the Gods reached out a hand toward Lee Yoo-jin.

He tapped her forehead lightly with his index finger. A stream of magical energy was seen flowing from his finger into her mind.

“Do not worry so much.”

As the Lord of the Gods spoke, he glanced between Lee Seo-yeon, Asuka, and Arthur, who were approaching.

“You will awaken safely.”

At her assurance, the three let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much.”

The three bowed deeply to the Lord of the Gods, expressing their gratitude.

In response to their thanks, the Lord of the Gods offered a small smile.

“Truly, it is a sight to behold—great individuals accompanied by great women.”

“Ah…”

At the Lord of the Gods’ words, the faces of the three turned slightly red.

Seeing this, the Lord of the Gods nodded with satisfaction.

But that warm atmosphere was short-lived.

Everyone lifted their heads at the unpleasant and chilling energy felt above them.

There, floating in the air, were four corrupted beings, spewing forth a monstrous amount of dark magic, remnants of something that had just been torn apart by the Lord of the Gods.

Just by their appearance, it was clear that they were not ordinary corrupted beings, but named ones.

“Hmm, as expected, they possess a tenacity for life, like insects.”

The Lord of the Gods clicked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively.

A light gesture, as if shooing away insects.

Yet the outcome of that light gesture was anything but light.

Swoosh.

The sound of something sharp slicing through the air echoed.

And then, following that.

Something, along with four named individuals, turned to dust and scattered… only to return to its original form.

The god of war frowned slightly at the sight.

“Disgusting things.”

He reached out his hand toward the void. And in that moment he grasped.

– God of War, this is not our stage.

Something with tentacle-like arms spread wide. Then, cracks of extreme danger appeared in the north, south, east, and west, above the academy.

Into each of those cracks, one named individual entered.

And with that as a signal, the cracks began to rapidly erode the surroundings.

“Foolish antics.”

The god of war, wielding a black blade that had appeared from nowhere, swung it toward one of the cracks.

At the same time, the crack split in half with a sharp sound.

But that was only for a moment.

Rumble.

The swirling vortex that had been split in two seemed to rejoin as if it had never been torn apart.

The god of war’s gaze turned toward something.

– As I said, this is not our stage.

The moment something spoke those words, it vanished.

And where it reappeared was outside the dimensional crack.

From there, it looked down at the god of war, as if beckoning him to follow.

“…Alright, I will do as you wish.”

The god of war lightly stomped the ground. In an instant, something appeared before him.

Wham!

Grabbing something by the neck, it vanished into the dimensional crack.

And a moment later.

Rumble, rumble!

Inside the dimensional crack, in the dark world, a tremendous noise erupted, and light flashed repeatedly.

Arthur, watching the scene, looked up at the crack of extreme danger, where magic poured down, and gazed at Noah.

“Noah, can you set up a divine barrier like last time on the uninhabited island?”

“Yes, it’s possible.”

At Arthur’s question, Noah immediately nodded and raised his sacred power. And at that moment, he was about to create a barrier around them.

– Bless these young lambs.

The voice of the Holy Mother echoed in his ear.

At the same time, a protective shield made of sacred power was created around everyone on the battlefield.

Arthur felt his body become stronger within that shield. And his breathing, which had been uncomfortable due to the magic, returned to normal.

“Mother has bestowed her blessing upon us.”

Noah’s bright face announced the effects of the Holy Mother’s blessing.

Physical strength enhancement, earth resistance enhancement, mental strength enhancement, and finally, magic resistance.

The effects would last for about 48 hours, they said.

By the way, the magic resistance was an effect that would allow them to move freely even in extremely dangerous magic environments.

Arthur nodded at Noah’s explanation and looked at Yoo-jin.

Still, there was no response.

Arthur let out a short sigh at Yoo-jin’s vacant expression, staring blankly at the sky.

‘As the gods said, he will wake up safely.’

Arthur thought, and until then, he would protect this place.

As soon as Arthur thought that, he looked around.

There were only about thirty people left, excluding those who had used teleportation magic to escape.

On the other hand, the number of monsters and corrupted beings pouring out of the growing crack was immeasurable.

Could they really hold out until he woke up?

For a moment, a doubtful thought crept in, but Arthur gripped Excalibur tightly and denied it.

‘Can we hold out? It’s not a question.’

We will hold out.

As Arthur thought that, the people who had formed a defensive line, ready for battle, spoke up one by one.

“Holding out until the captain wakes up is a piece of cake.”

Park Sung-woo boasted, placing his sword on his shoulder.

“As soon as the captain wakes up, the situation will be resolved quickly.”

Im Da-hee showed her unwavering faith in Yoo-jin, slamming her electrified sword into the ground.

“Yeah, that’s right. Our captain is amazing, after all.”

Park Garam summoned gray magic, casting a protective barrier of mana around everyone.

In the midst of a desperate situation, Arthur nodded thoughtfully at the reliable figures igniting their will to fight.

– Kieeeek!

– Kyaaak!

– Krrraaak!

“The Lord of Greed has spoken! Kill everyone except that Yoo Jin!”

“Kihahat! I will tear you limb from limb!”

“Fresh meat! Fresh souls!”

Then, he shouted as he watched the monsters and the corrupted charging toward them.

“Hold on!”

Arthur raised his sword.

Whoosh!

Flames of mana ignited along the blade of Excalibur.

“Until Yoo Jin awakens!”

With those words, Arthur swung the blazing sword fiercely.

Kwaaa─!

A wave of golden flames surged toward the monsters and the corrupted.

And as the wave crashed down upon them.

Bang, Kwang, Kwaaang!

The battle had begun.

&

&

&

How long had they endured, burning with will?

Even with the blessing of the Great Saint, Arthur felt his body growing weary.

He could see the blade’s aura on Excalibur thinning.

That meant he had nearly exhausted his energy and mana.

Yet the onslaught of monsters and the corrupted showed no signs of stopping.

Yoo Jin had still not awakened.

So he would hold on. Until he awoke, he would keep enduring.

Arthur, reflecting on his resolve, cut down the monsters and the fallen charging at him.

But that was only for a moment.

Crack!

“…What the!”

One of the fallen, collapsing to the ground and turning to ash, suddenly grabbed Arthur’s ankle.

In that single action, Arthur found himself momentarily exposed.

And the monsters and fallen, seizing the opportunity, rushed at him with a deafening roar.

“Damn it, if this goes on…!”

Arthur summoned the last of his magical power. Just as he was about to release it all at once.

KWA-aaahhh──!!

A familiar, explosive sound of fire echoed through the air.

At the same time.

PERVERVERVERVERVERVERVERVENG──!!

The monsters and fallen charging at him, as well as all the enemies rushing toward him from the arena, erupted in bursts of white flames.

At that sight, Arthur—no, everyone—turned to look at Lee Yu-jin.

Then, they saw Lee Yu-jin, who had just been gazing up at the sky, now armed and unleashing a hail of bullets at the enemies.

“Lee Yu-jin…!”

Arthur shouted her name with a bright face.