I Became an Illegal Cheat User

142 – Demon Slayer (6)

The battle was incredibly fierce.

To be precise…, it was a fight against demons.

The fight with the demon slayer was…, so one-sided that I never wanted to think about it again.

“Spare no means at your disposal.”

With armor, I became a target for shotgun pellets.

“Even as you attack, do not stop moving.”

Caught in a massive hand, my body was torn in half.

“Utilizing weapons and abilities is good. But do not become overly reliant on them.”

After taking a couple of shots, the demon slayer, realizing the effect of super accuracy, used nearby demons as shields to block the attacks.

And then, head, shoulders, chest…, fists flew like cannonballs, bursting apart like balloons.

“Be aggressive, yet calm. Maintain a balance between rage and composure as you attack.”

Like a villain from some superhero movie, my feet were pinned down, and my body shattered along with the ground, ‘left, right, left, right.’

Yet, I did not die.

The demon slayer, just as he said, kept coming back to life.

Even with my body riddled like a honeycomb.

Even after experiencing the brutal dismemberment from the fallen and the monsters.

Skin, flesh, bones…, everything burst apart without exception.

I resurrected without dying.

As if time were being reversed.

Returning to my pre-death state, pristine.

Each time, the demon slayer refrained from attacking and hunted the nearby demons.

As if to give me time to think about how I should move.

Then, after about ten seconds, he would immediately switch his target from the demons to me and launch an attack.

In that not-so-kind consideration, I had no time to feel the fear of death; I had to keep thinking. At the same time, I had to keep moving.

Otherwise, I would die again.

Like demons shattered to pieces, horrifically, as if struck by a massive truck.

Thus, I continued to experience death.

I never counted exactly.

No, I didn’t even have the chance to count.

Dying, coming back to life, dying again, coming back to life once more.

A relentless cycle of death and resurrection.

Truly a brutal repetition.

A fear so profound that even an ordinary person, no… even a superhuman, could have their mind broken by it.

But I, more than any other superhuman, and with the highest mental fortitude among all my attributes,

Managed to endure the relentless visits of death that came at all hours.

As a result, at some point, the words of the demon slayer began to change.

“Yes, use every means—guns, bombs, your body. Do not fear the wounds.”

“You’ve improved your movements quite a bit. The wounds inflicted by demons are decreasing.”

“Weapons are just weapons, abilities are just abilities. If one weapon fails, use another. If one ability fails, use another. Keep adapting.”

“Exactly. Your attacks must be fierce. Think of destroying the enemy. And seek out their weaknesses, aiming to bring them down in one blow.”

Whether the demon slayer truly meant to teach me as a senior,

Even as he tore, exploded, and punctured me, he continued to impart his combat methods.

And as the successor of the ‘Demon Slayer,’ as a junior, I accepted his teachings alongside death.

Because of such brutal lessons, my combat style gradually transformed.

From a superhuman who relied on talent, skills, and weapons to avoid damage as much as possible,

To a ‘Demon Slayer’ who would use every means—guns, bombs, body—to annihilate the enemy, regardless of the damage taken.

I inherited that legacy.

As I began to show some semblance of the ‘Demon Slayer,’

“That should be enough.”

The demon slayer, who had been facing both the demons and me, stood tall, halting his movements.

Simultaneously, the bodies of the demons that had been charging at me with sharp, monstrous cries turned to ash, scattering into the air above.

In that cloud of ash, the demon slayer flung his shotgun behind him.

Then, with a huff, he crossed his arms.

“Just like a rag.”

The demon slayer looked at me, clad in tattered Atlas armor, and let out a sneer.

I barely held back the words, “You made me this way,” as I retrieved new clothes and the Atlas armor from my inventory, restoring my worn equipment.

The demon slayer silently observed me.

And not long after.

“Now I can finally sense the spirit of one who tears demons apart.”

From behind the helmet came a voice, not mocking, but rather quite satisfied.

At those words, I hesitated to release the combat stance I had been maintaining and asked, “…So, is the teaching over?”

“Hmm….”

Please let it be so.

With a sense of urgency, I looked at the demon slayer.

Perhaps my desperation was conveyed.

The demon slayer, who had been exhaling through his nose without a word, gave a small nod.

“Still lacking in some ways…, but with that much, you shouldn’t get beaten by demons anywhere.”

“…Ha, finally.”

At his words confirming that it was truly over, I let out a deep sigh and dropped the Thunderbolt I had been holding to the ground.

After all, it was a replicated item, not an original, so there was no need to treat it with care.

Thud.

I plopped down onto the floor. Then, rubbing my neck, I released the tension in my weary body.

Of course, with the infinite stamina cheat activated, I wouldn’t feel fatigue.

Yet, even though my body was not tired, it was still expressing fatigue.

A phenomenon that shouldn’t normally occur.

But I had a rough idea of why.

‘It must be a mental issue.’

More precisely, it was likely fatigue felt by the soul.

‘How many times does a person experience death in their lifetime?’

In a world where one could die once, or perhaps a few more times through special items or abilities.

Yet, even in a mental realm, I must have died at least a hundred times.

Experiencing that many deaths, it was inevitable that I would feel mental fatigue, even if my body did not feel it.

I made that judgment and exhaled deeply, as if to purge the fatigue rising within me.

As I opened the skill window, I checked the abilities of the evolved Demon Slayer.

No, before confirming that.

“Senpai, may I check that ability?”

I asked for a moment’s grace before the Demon Slayer did something else.

“Senpai, huh… It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that.”

With a voice that seemed to evoke memories of the past, the Demon Slayer let out a tone filled with nostalgia just from hearing it.

Then, nodding, they granted me permission to check my abilities.

“Thank you.”

As soon as I received permission, I immediately accessed the talents.

────────────────────

「Demon Slayer (S+)」

You shall rage, you shall hate.

Until these two hands sweep away all evil.

– Combat: 150% stat boost.

– When facing a ‘magical’ enemy, an additional 200% stat boost.

– When facing a ‘magical’ enemy, passive ‘Despise the Wicked’ activates.

– When facing a ‘dark’ enemy, an additional 250% stat boost.

– Upon encountering a ‘dark’ enemy, passive ‘Cold Fury’ activates.

– Upon encountering a ‘dark’ enemy, passive ‘Demon Annihilation’ activates.

– When health is below 30%, passive ‘Fierce Rage’ activates.

– When health is below 10%, passive ‘Unyielding Spirit’ activates.

– Upon entering a near-death state, passive ‘Indomitable’ activates.

– Vision is unobstructed.

– Unaffected by negative energies.

– Health and mana recovery increased by 100%.

– Health +45, Strength +45, Agility +30

────────────────────

…Oh.

‘Is this S+ rank?’

I marveled at the effects of the greatly changed abilities.

‘Isn’t this almost a new talent?’

The name of the talent remains the same, but the values and descriptions have all changed.

‘The ability adjustment value has increased by 100% overall.’

‘Vision is not obstructed by darkness’ now applies to all debuffs, simply stated as ‘not obstructed by vision.’

‘Not affected by magical energy’ has evolved from ‘magical energy’ to ‘negative energy.’

‘If it’s negative energy…, then death energy must be included as well.’

Of course, even so, As’ holy sword has no intention of lifting the buffs.

Even if it’s not affected by negative energy, that only applies to the ‘body,’ not the weapon.

‘Health and mana recovery now applies at all times, even outside ‘areas with magical energy,’ and… the ability enhancement value has tripled.’

Having roughly confirmed all the effects before and after evolution.

Now, let’s check the passives.

I moved my fingers and opened all the passive descriptions.

And I started with the very first passive, ‘Demon’s Despise.’

────────────────────

「Demon’s Despise」

Passive of the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+).’

Automatically activates when facing magical attribute ‘enemies.’

– Reduces the ability values of magical attribute ‘enemies’ by 30% within a 5 km radius.

– Applies the effect of ‘Fear of the Prey’ to magical attribute ‘enemies’ within a 5 km radius.

* Fear of the Prey.

= Instinctively instills fear in the talent holder.

(Note: The higher the rank of the enemy, the less effective the fear effect.)

────────────────────

‘Before evolution, it was written as Weakling’s Despise, but now it’s Demon’s Despise.’

This isn’t even a play on words; what is this?

I let out a faint laugh as I read the effect description.

‘Oh, the range has increased.’

It hadn’t been specified before evolution, and the actual range was quite limited.

‘The ability reduction value has increased by 10%.’

Hmm, not bad.

I nodded briefly and scrolled down the system window in my view.

────────────────────

“Cold Fury”

Passive of the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’.

Automatically activates upon encountering an evil attribute ‘enemy’.

– You are enraged. Until the evil before you disappears.

– You identify the fatal weakness of evil.

────────────────────

‘Ah, this is that one. The passive that triggers rage just by seeing a corrupter.’

Honestly, it’s impossible not to recognize it.

What does it matter if it says ‘cold’ in front?

The name still reads ‘fury’ behind it.

Moreover, the effect description has only one line added, yet it remains the same. There’s no way I could miss it.

I let out a small huff and moved my fingers.

────────────────────

“Demon Annihilation”

Passive of the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’.

Automatically activates upon encountering an evil attribute ‘enemy’.

– Reduces the stats of the evil attribute ‘enemy’ by 30%.

(The effect increases as rage grows. Maximum 50%)

I will eliminate all demons.

Until the flames I harbor are extinguished.

────────────────────

‘This too, like the disdain for evil, has merely changed its name from demon hunting to annihilation.’

The figure has increased by 10%.

But has the system been revamped for readability as the talent evolved?

I can see the previously unspecified maximum value now clearly stated.

I scrolled down, feeling a small satisfaction at the improved clarity of the effect description.

With a rustle, the scroll moved down at my gesture.

And then, instead of a name and figure that had changed, a newly created passive appeared in my view.

────────────────────

“Fierce Wrath”

The passive ability of the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’.

Activates automatically when health is below 30%.

– 500% additional stat boost for 30 seconds.

– 200% increase in mana recovery speed for 30 seconds.

– 80% reduction in mana consumption for all skills for 30 seconds.

– 70% reduction in damage taken for 30 seconds.

I shall eradicate evil.

────────────────────

‘…What is this?’

Am I seeing this wrong?

The numbers written here are not two digits, but three.

I squeezed my eyes shut at that number, then opened them again.

Yet, the numbers remained unchanged.

To calm my racing heart, I took a deep breath.

And when I had somewhat settled down.

I read the explanation again, this time carefully.

‘…Activates only when health is below 30%, and lasts for 30 seconds.’

A short passive that activates in a critical situation.

‘No, that’s not right.’

I immediately corrected the thought that had popped into my head.

Thirty seconds in a dire situation? That’s definitely not short.

Health below 30%.

That’s a serious injury.

And in such a state, this passive activates? For thirty seconds?

Then, it could provide not just recovery, but also a chance for a comeback.

It becomes, quite literally, a survival skill and a finishing move.

I scrolled down with a deeply satisfied feeling, chuckling to myself.

But amusingly enough.

A passive that delivers an even greater shock appeared in sight.

────────────────────

“Unyielding Fighting Spirit”

Talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’ passive.

Activates automatically when health is below 10%.

– 1000% additional stat boost for 10 seconds.

– 500% increased mana recovery rate for 10 seconds.

– 100% reduction in mana consumption for all skills for 10 seconds.

– 90% reduction in damage taken for 10 seconds.

– Activation of the annihilation sword ‘Exodium’ possible.

= Reuse activation time: 7 days.

Even if the soul burns to ashes.

────────────────────

“Huh.”

In the end, admiration burst forth from the training.

“1000%?”

Is this for real?

‘…Isn’t this a bit excessive?’

Seeing such an incredible figure, it goes beyond good; it’s frightening.

No, how can the stat boost be 1000 percent?

‘Even if this figure applies to my current level, it would still be among the top tier of the highest ranks, right?’

It’s limited to enemies with the evil attribute, but still, it demonstrates top-tier power.

To unleash the highest level of strength for 10 seconds by being in a near-death state with health below 10%.

On top of that, there’s no mana consumption for skills, and damage taken is mostly mitigated.

‘At this point…, it might be better to fight than to run for 10 seconds, right?’

Of course, if I’m up against an enemy I can’t possibly handle, or in a situation where I could take instant death damage, it would be wise to flee the moment the passive activates.

But if that’s not the case, it would be better to charge in with the intention of using this passive to kill the enemy.

Typically, an opponent who is in a near-death state would most likely let their guard down.

‘But what is this annihilation sword Exodium?’

It seems like a derived skill, akin to a sniper’s sharp senses.

I pressed my finger firmly and accessed the explanation.

────────────────────

『Exodium』

A derived skill of the passive ability ‘Unyielding Spirit’ from the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’.

The sword used by the previous Demon Slayer, the master of Pandemonium, to annihilate the Great Demon ‘Baal’.

However, it shattered into pieces during the energy explosion that occurred when Baal was destroyed.

Still, the energy inherent in the sword remains a lethal threat.

– Those harmed by this sword suffer direct damage to their souls, beyond mere physical harm.

= Fixed damage of 15% of maximum health.

= Health and mana recovery impossible. (Duration: 120 minutes).

= Ignores defense. (Applicable to skills, talents, items).

– Skill duration: 10 minutes.

– Usage count: 3/3

────────────────────

“…….”

Cooldown…, it’s quite long.

After reading the description of Exodium’s effects, I thought a reuse waiting time of 7 days was reasonable.

No, upon further reflection, it seems rather short.

‘It reduces maximum health by 15%, and I can use it 3 times?’

If I succeed in hitting all of those…

‘…I could deal a fixed damage of 45%?’

Isn’t that insane?

And if the opponent’s health is below 45%…, it’s basically instant death, right?

Of course, reality isn’t like a game where health or mana has fixed values.

However, the reason numbers are written for talents and skills is due to the convenience of a system that makes it easier for me to understand.

That doesn’t mean the numbers are incorrect.

They are written for convenience, but they can actually inflict that level of damage.

So what I want to say is….

‘…It’s insane.’

I mean it.

This derived skill is insane.

‘If there had been a skill like this back when I was playing the game…, I would have definitely tried to get it as my top priority.’

If that wasn’t possible, I would have sent a complaint email to the game company asking why such a skill even exists.

But this outrageous derived skill has appeared not in a game, but in reality.

And it’s my ability.

“Ugh…, ugh….”

Laughter escapes me.

No, honestly, it’s inevitable.

How could I not be happy after acquiring such a ridiculous skill?

I desperately held back my laughter to avoid the strange glances of the Demon Slayer.

‘Ah, I can’t take this anymore. I need to check the next passive quickly.’

If I keep looking at Exodium, I feel like I won’t be able to hold back my laughter and will burst out.

In that overwhelming feeling, I hurriedly scrolled down to check the last remaining passive.

────────────────────

「Indomitable」

Passive of the talent ‘Demon Slayer (S+)’.

Automatically activates upon entering a near-death state.

– Increases health recovery speed by 500% for 30 seconds.

– Immune to all debuffs for 30 seconds.

– Reuse activation time: 24 hours.

I cannot kneel before demons.

────────────────────

“Hmm, hmm.”

Ah, thank goodness.

This hasn’t changed much.

‘The health recovery rate has increased by 300%, though.’

Well, I don’t know.

Maybe it’s because I saw Exodium first, but this doesn’t seem all that surprising.

And the fact that only the numbers have changed played a part in that.

“Haah….”

I exhaled deeply.

The dopamine that had been bursting in my head began to settle rapidly.

The laughter that had been seeping through my lips gradually diminished, and my emotions stabilized.

And before long, I regained my composure.

‘This concludes the ability check.’

I closed the skill window.

As a result, the letters that had filled my vision disappeared completely.

“Have you confirmed all your abilities?”

The voice of the Demon Slayer came from beside me.

Turning my head toward the voice, I saw the Demon Slayer meticulously wiping a sawed-off shotgun with an oiled cloth, the origin of which was a mystery.

“Yes, I have confirmed everything.”

“Mm.”

At my response, the Demon Slayer nodded briefly and lifted the glistening sawed-off shotgun. Then, after looking around,

whoosh.

He tossed it back just like the shotgun he had used earlier.

Wait, if that was the case, why bother cleaning it so carefully?

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

Regardless, the Demon Slayer, maintaining his serious demeanor, crossed his arms and said,

“Lee Yoo-jin, it’s time for you to go back.”

“…Are you saying that?”

Before I could finish my sentence, I stood up. I chose one of the many thoughts swirling in my mind and asked,

“Are you telling me to leave the mental realm?”

“Yes.”

The Demon Slayer nodded.

“You’ve gained my recognition and learned everything you needed to learn, so there’s no longer any reason for you to stay here.”

He was right.

Having received both recognition and teachings from the Demon Slayer, I had become capable of handling my talents smoothly.

There was no need or reason to remain in this hell filled with ash and sulfur any longer.

“How can I go back?”

“You can leave the same way you entered this place.”

As the demon slayer spoke those words, I felt something appear behind me.

Turning to look, I saw a door shimmering with white light.

Creeeak.

The door opened on its own.

Beyond the door lay a dark space marked by a white line on the floor.

I moved my feet toward that space.

And just before stepping inside.

“Thank you.”

I turned my body and bowed my waist to the demon slayer.

“Mm.”

The demon slayer nodded briefly.

At that indifferent gesture, I let out a small laugh and straightened my back. Then, I trudged into the door.

There was no sense of regret.

Typically, when one receives guidance, a bond forms between teacher and student.

But perhaps because I had faced death countless times while learning from the demon slayer, there wasn’t much of that.

He probably taught me just enough to maintain his status as a senior, without any ideals of camaraderie.

After all, the original demon slayer, with that infamous name, was a solitary figure who charged into the demon’s lair and slaughtered them.

But was that thought wrong?

“Lee Yu-jin.”

The demon slayer called my name.

I turned slightly at the call.

“The shotgun feels good when it kills a demon.”

He said something incomprehensible.

But that was only for a moment.

“Of course, bare hands are even better.”

I realized that was just the demon slayer’s unique joke.

“Yes, I will remember that.”

So he could make jokes too.

I chuckled softly and resumed my steps, replaying his joke-like advice in my mind.

“A shotgun, huh… I should get one.”