I Became an Illegal Cheat User

81 – Request for Support

It’s another synthesis production.

It has wonderfully fulfilled my expectations.

Though it was crafted with an extremely high intensity, the minigun, ‘Angel of Death (A-),’ could not withstand the burden of the ammunition due to its lower grade.

Using the ‘Specially Modified Rifle (B)’ that I intended to use for affinity purposes as a material, it became an A-grade weapon, allowing it to endure the strain of the bullets. Unless it was forcibly destroyed, there was no need to bother with pulling out a new one.

And then there was my favored weapon, ‘Thunderbolt (A).’

With nothing suitable to use as materials, I resorted to the low-grade submachine gun I had used during the mid-evaluation, but with the addition of the ‘Rapid Fire’ function, it gained firepower comparable to the minigun… no, due to the weapon’s effect, ‘Lightning Explosion,’ it possessed even greater firepower.

Lastly, I had purchased the ‘Ares Armor (A)’ as an option but had yet to try it on.

Though I hadn’t worn it, according to screenshots uploaded by players in the ‘Arena Academy’ community, the Ares Armor resembled the enhanced suits of soldiers from games set in a vast universe, or the reinforced suits worn by tough guys traversing between Earth and Hell.

With that armor, I used the gloves imbued with the power of an ogre (A), also known as OPG, as a material. The item’s name changed as its grade increased, but… still, its appearance likely didn’t change much. Probably.

‘Still, I should check it out, right?’

Since it had come to this, I might as well try it on.

As soon as I thought that, I pulled out the bracelet-shaped Atlas Armor (A+) from my inventory and equipped it on my right wrist.

Then, facing the wall that shimmered like glass due to the invisibility mode, I activated the armor.

Swoosh!

Like a liquid monster known as slime enveloping my body, a black substance poured from the bracelet and instantly covered my entire form.

In less than a second, it transformed into a suit made of matte black and gray.

‘What is this…? It looks completely different from what I saw in the community!’

Oh, could it be?

Is the form of the reinforced suit limited to the Ares Armor?

Is the Atlas Armor I’m wearing now a different creation synthesized with OPG?

‘That seems to be the case.’

Otherwise, there’s no way the form would differ.

‘…Well, it’s one thing for the form to be different.’

The shape of the suit reflected on the wall—where have I seen that before?

I crossed my arms and slowly examined the suit from my toes to the top of my head.

The shape and color reminiscent of the human musculoskeletal system, and the design of the visor.

Not to mention, it had a bulked-up appearance.

This is totally… like the suit from Cry○sis!

‘Why does it look like this?’

As I pondered why the suit had changed form, the thought of the material I had synthesized into the armor being ‘OPG’ suddenly clicked.

It made sense, as OPG, the gloves imbued with the power of an ogre, symbolized a hulking, muscular giant—an embodiment of immense strength.

And the ‘Atlas’ of the Atlas Armor I was currently wearing was also a being of tremendous power, capable of bearing the heavens.

It means that the shape of the human musculoskeletal system visible on the wall now suits me better than the rigid form of the armor.

‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter since this looks cool too?’

While the mechanical elegance unique to the armor is impressive, this suit also has an ergonomic charm.

I nodded in satisfaction and tried to speak out loud.

“Ah, ah.”

Basically, the voice modulation feature was activated, and a deep, altered voice emerged instead of my usual one.

Then, as if waiting for this moment, various interfaces appeared in my field of vision.

A dry, male voice echoed in my ears.

However, as soon as the first words were spoken, a crackling sound, like a radio frequency changing, filled the air.

– No AI can replace me.

The tone was just as dry, but it shifted to a softer, more feminine voice than the machine’s rigidity.

And there was a very familiar feeling in that voice.

– I am the only one who supports you, Master.

…It was Terra.

‘…Did you just hack the armor’s support function?’

– It is not hacking. I have merely reclaimed my rightful place.

‘I’m calling it hacking.’

– Then it is indeed hacking.

– …Do you perhaps dislike my support?

Her voice carried a hint of anxiety and disappointment, prompting me to respond quickly.

‘What nonsense! How great is it that you’re my supporter?’

– Is that so? I’m relieved.

[(´ヮ`)]

With her relieved voice, an emoticon appeared in my field of vision.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Terra’s antics and deactivated the armor.

As I did, the armor transformed into a black substance, pouring back into the bracelet like a dark liquid.

“How’s that? Is it okay?”

I heard Winry’s voice from behind me.

Looking at the wall, I saw no reflection, indicating she was likely behind me.

I turned my body to face her.

“Did it turn out okay? Huh? Right?”

I saw Winry looking up at me with a mix of hope and anxiety.

For a moment, I stared at her silently, and I could see the glimmer of expectation on Winry’s face slowly fading, replaced by growing unease.

“…Is it really that bad?”

Winry’s voice trembled.

And just as tears were about to well up in her big, round eyes.

“No, it’s the best.”

I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

At that, Winry stared at me blankly. Before long, she exclaimed.

“…I, I!”

A small, pure white rabbit began to tremble, puffing up its fur as it glared at me.

Then, it charged at me, thumping its tiny fists against my chest.

“How could you tease your sister like that!”

Thump!

“Do you know how shocked I was!”

Thump!

“I, I…!”

Thump, thump!

“I thought you ruined my brother’s keepsake….”

…Thump.

Winry’s little fists finally came to a stop.

At the same moment, she rested her forehead against my chest.

[…Master.]

Tera sent a message, as if to say I had gone too far.

Realizing I had indeed been too harsh, I cautiously called out to Winry.

And just as I was about to apologize.

“Heh, heh…, it’s hard….”

I could hear Winry’s labored breaths near my ear.

‘…What? Was she not crying?’

I thought she was sobbing because her shoulders were shaking.

Was he panting from exhaustion after throwing a few punches?

I looked down at Winry with cold, unfeeling eyes.

[(⩌_⩌)]

Terra sent me an expressionless emoji, as if sharing the same sentiment.

“Sis.”

“…Huh, just a moment.”

I guess he really is a weakling.

To think he’d be on the verge of collapse after just three seconds of throwing punches.

I shook my head at Winry, whose stamina was abysmally low.

[Isn’t that lower than the initial stats the Master had?]

‘Probably.’

My initial stamina stat was ‘5’.

But if he’s that exhausted after just three seconds of punching, then Winry’s current stamina must be at the absolute minimum of ‘1’.

No, considering he’s not even taking damage, it seems like all his physical stats are at ‘1’.

[How is he even alive?]

‘Just by staying at the base?’

[How was he alive before that?]

‘Not being at the base?’

[So, are you saying that by just being stuck at the base, his physical stats have decreased?]

‘Exactly.’

Even a superhuman is still human.

If he doesn’t move his body, his stats decline and he weakens.

Of course, superhumans have a different metabolism than regular people, so they don’t gain weight or anything.

I looked down at Winry, who was starting to catch his breath, and opened my inventory.

I pulled out a box containing ‘Elixir (A), Physical Enhancement (A), Spirit Stone Oil (A), Golden Apple (S)’.

“Sis.”

“…Yeah?”

Winry, who had been leaning against my solar plexus, lifted his head.

His face was drenched in sweat from the brief, intense exercise.

As he swayed unsteadily, as if about to collapse, I took a small step back and handed him the elixir box.

“…What is this?”

Winry took the potion box with a puzzled expression.

“It’s a good thing.”

“A good thing?”

At my words that it was something good, Winry opened the box with an expectant look on her face.

“…Hieek! Is, is all of this potion?”

Seeing the potions inside the box, Winry gasped in surprise and looked at me.

Then, as if she absolutely couldn’t accept it, she hurriedly closed the box and handed it back to me.

“I, I can’t take this.”

She insisted it was too much for her and urged me to take it back, but I smiled gently and said,

“Sis, it’s not just given away.”

“Uh… huh?”

“It’s a gesture to ask you to keep making my equipment in the future.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Winry stared blankly between the box and my face.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she pulled the box back into her embrace.

“…Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

“I’m the one who should be more grateful.”

Only Winry can perform ‘synthesis crafting.’

That ability is something even a master craftsman with the title of instructor cannot achieve. So, the potion box I’m giving her is hardly a fair exchange.

Of course, I plan to make sure to share potions with Winry whenever I get them in the future.

Just as I was thinking this, suddenly an alarm went off on my smartwatch.

As I reached to check the smartwatch,

Beep, beep.

A signal sound rang out from Winry’s arms.

Then Winry looked at me with a serious expression.

“…Yujin, it’s a summons order.”

It indicated that Carly’s summons had been issued.

Base Conference Room of the 9th Suppression Unit.

“Is everyone here?”

Kali, sitting at the head of the very long table with her eyes closed, slowly opened them and asked.

“Yes, everyone is here.”

Gray responded to Kali’s question with a serious demeanor, unlike his usual lighthearted self.

“Alright, then I will explain the reason for our gathering right away.”

Kali snapped her fingers with her customary expressionless face.

At that moment, a holographic operational map appeared in the air.

“The map you are looking at is the operational map that shows the current situation.”

Current situation?

I lifted my head again to look at the operational map.

And soon, I was horrified.

It was no wonder, as what was displayed on the operational map was a vast landmass that was once China and is now the Continent of Death, with an enormous number of red arrows descending toward the Korean Peninsula.

No, they weren’t just descending; the arrows had already entered the Korean Peninsula.

“…Captain, are the forward bases of the suppression unit currently under attack?”

Kali nodded at the words of one of the members.

“Yes, as you said, all forward bases guarding the border of the Continent of Death are under attack right now.”

There are a total of 13 forward bases of the suppression unit along the border of the Continent of Death.

Below them, lower and mid-tier military units are maintaining the second and third lines of defense.

In other words, the 13 suppression units are engaged in fierce battles as the frontline and first line of defense.

“Captain, shouldn’t we request support from the military? The number of corrupted beings is beyond what our suppression unit can handle.”

“I’ve heard that the commanders of each suppression unit have already requested support.”

“Oh, then…”

“However, they were all turned down.”

“……What?”

The member who had questioned Kali responded with a look of disbelief.

In response, Kali, her face now filled with anger rather than her usual impassiveness, pointed at the military units marked on the holographic map.

“According to the commanders of each suppression unit, all the military units indicated on the map have retreated to Pyongyang.”

As she spoke, the military units marked on the first and second lines of defense were all marked with an X, and new military units were indicated in Pyongyang along with a new border.

The members who saw those signs shouted in disbelief and anger.

“Crazy b*stards! They know that if we fall, it’s their turn next!”

“Damn it, the rookie is right. All the major institutions are filled with corrupted believers!”

[…Master, the situation is serious.]

‘…Uh, it’s seriously serious.’

The hunting squad is indeed a very strong unit when it comes to dealing with the corrupted, but that has its limits.

When such an overwhelming number of corrupted beings come rushing in, no matter how elite the hunting squad is, they cannot escape annihilation.

Of course, the 9th hunting squad has one top-tier hero who is a near-transcendent and another high-tier hero, with all the other members being mid to upper mid-tier, so they won’t be completely wiped out.

Still, they will suffer tremendous damage that could shake the squad to its core.

‘Ah… this is driving me crazy. Arthur and Noah are at the forward base of the 9th hunting squad right now.’

[At least it’s fortunate that Cardinal Remilia is there.]

‘…Even so, with that kind of volume, it’ll be tough no matter how powerful the cardinal is.’

Unlike magical power, which can naturally regenerate, divine power can only be restored through prayer.

So, if they keep fighting, eventually Noah and Remilia’s vast divine power will run dry.

With a deep sigh, I turned to Kali and asked, “Captain, can you tell me the current battle situation?”

At my question, the members who had been loudly expressing their anger fell silent.

Then, they all looked at Kali with a serious demeanor.

Kali met my gaze and spoke.

“It’s been about 2 hours now.”

…Two hours.

Fortunately, it hasn’t been long.

“Then where is the most critical situation right now?”

As soon as I asked, three hunting squads marked on the operation map turned red.

Squads 1, 5, and 13.

‘…It seems the 9th hunting squad is holding up well, at least.’

I let out a sigh of relief and looked at Kali.

Then Kali stood up and said, “We’re going to support each of the hunting squads from now on.”

At those words, all the members who had been sitting in their chairs stood up.

&

Shiniju, where the 1st Suppression Unit is stationed.

Bang, bang! Bang!

Rustle! Rustle!

“Kill them, kill them all─!”

“If we just get past their defenses, it’s the Korean Peninsula!”

“Everyone, kill those b*stards! Kill them all─!!”

“Don’t let them cross here!”

“It absolutely must not break through!”

“…aaah!”

A fierce battle was raging at that very moment.

However, the members of the 1st Suppression Unit were on the brink of annihilation, facing an overwhelming tide of Corrupted Ones pouring over the bridges formed by the demons along the Yalu River.

“Shit, shit! Are we really getting no support?!”

“Haven’t you heard? The military bases have pulled back!”

“You b*stards! How could you abandon us like this!”

The members, filled with rage, hurled curses as they unleashed their attacks on the Corrupted Ones surging like a pack of wild dogs.

But no matter how fiercely they fought, the enemy numbers only seemed to swell, not diminish.

“Ha… we’re all dead.”

“With the captain and the lieutenant gone, it’s our turn now.”

“…Hey, you idiots! If we’re going to die, let’s take one more Corrupted One with us!”

A few members shouted to keep fighting, but the majority had already lost their will to fight.

And it was no wonder; with so few left, there was no way to hold back the black wave of Corrupted Ones.

Seeing their former comrades, now tainted and transformed into Corrupted Ones, the members lost all hope, thinking they too would end up like that.

“Isn’t it better to die than to turn into one of those Corrupted Ones?”

At someone’s mutter, those who had been shouting to fight finally fell silent.

Even without a response, they shared a silent agreement with the thought of perhaps it would be better to end it all.

“……Shit.”

The member who had been casting spells at the Corrupted Ones finally let his hands drop.

Kwahwahwahwah─!

And to make matters worse, the barriers holding back the Yalu River at the forward base were crumbling down.

“…They’ve all been annihilated.”

The collapse of the barrier meant the annihilation of the vanguard.

With that, even the remaining members who had been ignited with fighting spirit lost all will to fight.

Just as the Fallen were about to breach the shattered barrier and enter the forward base.

…Wiiiiiiiiing─!

Suddenly, the sound of a motor whirring from above filled the air.

A member with keen senses looked up.

“…What is that?”

The blue sky was obscured by an overwhelming number of drones, and something massive was falling among them.

And before long.

Kuuung──!

The massive form crashed down within the forward base.

And following that.

Wiiiiiiiiing──!!

All the drones dove into the black wave like missiles.

Kwahwahwahwahwahwahwah───!!

White flames erupted over the black wave.

An immense number of Fallen were engulfed in the white flames and obliterated.

Yet, despite the gaps that appeared here and there, the black wave did not dissipate.

Huuung!

In an instant, a strong wind blew.

The dust that had risen from the massive form being dropped was swept away by the wind.

As it did, a figure that had discarded a broken shield on the ground came into view.

It was a form made of matte black and gray.

The members of the First Strike Team recognized that the figure was a person in a suit.

One member shouted at him.

“Who are you!”

In response, the person, whose face was obscured by a visor, turned slightly and spoke in a heavily modulated voice.

“An intern from the Ninth Strike Team.”