I Became an Illegal Cheat User

96 – Duel Season (2)

Visible from the arena, yet hidden from the general seating.

And the VIP seats, where one could only sit upon the invitation of the chairman or principal.

Sitting in the special seats at the top of the audience, Lee Jung-baek looked down at the arena, where his daughter would soon appear. He felt a noble divine presence emanating from the door behind him, and he stood up.

“Hero of the Sword.”

A gentle, melodious voice reached his ears.

As soothing as ever, the voice alone brought comfort to Lee Jung-baek, who bowed respectfully to the Grand Saintess approaching with a divine aura.

“Grand Saintess, I hope you have been well.”

Lee Jung-baek inquired politely.

In response to his demeanor, the Grand Saintess, Gloria, also slightly bowed her head and spoke.

“Yes, I have been warmly embraced by the goddess. How have you been, Hero of the Sword?”

“I have been doing well, thank you.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

Gloria smiled softly and affectionately ruffled Lee Jung-baek’s hair.

It was a scene that would astonish anyone.

No matter how transcendent she was, it seemed almost absurd for a being of such stature to be patting the head of a middle-aged man.

“…….”

Lee Jung-baek quietly inclined his head further, making it easier for her to pet him.

Seeing his behavior, Gloria smiled and said,

“This reminds me of the first time I met you, Hero of the Sword.”

“…Those were foolish times.”

Memories that ran wild like a reckless horse.

The memories that resurfaced made Gloria’s face contort into a wry smile.

“It was an age where one didn’t have a sense of reason, but that was natural for that age, right? I was… fifteen, wasn’t I?”

“You were fourteen.”

“Ah, right. Second year of middle school.”

Gloria, who was stroking Eojinbaek’s hair, clapped her hands together as if remembering something.

“Back then, in Korean slang, we called it ‘middle school second-year disease.’ And Geomseong was afflicted with that disease.”

“…Hmph.”

A dark history he wanted to forget.

But the Transcendent had a memory that was so good it could recall even the memories from when he was a baby, so he couldn’t forget even if he wanted to.

So Eojinbaek let out a dry cough, as if to say “stop talking about it.”

“But Geomseong, who followed his father to the temple, said to me…”

“…Hmph, hmph!”

She showed no signs of stopping, her face nostalgic, her voice cheerful as she continued.

“You, you’re really pretty. The successor of this Mirinae will take you as his wife, so why don’t you come with me to Korea?”

“…….”

“It was really cute back then. Ah, of course, you’re still cute now.”

In the end, Eojinbaek, who had his dark history dug up, let out a deep sigh and thought to himself.

“I should’ve just watched it on TV at the guild.”

But that thought only lasted for a moment.

“No, no way. I can’t watch my only beloved daughter’s game on TV.”

It had to be seen with his own two eyes, not on a TV screen.

Thinking that, Eojinbaek suppressed his urge to escape from there immediately.

And he told Gloria, who was continuing the story of how she cured his “middle school second-year disease” and arrogance with her violent (therapeutic) methods, that it was time for the kids to come out.

“Ah, is it already that time? Then let’s talk about this later.”

Talk about this dark history again later?

“Yes, let’s talk about it later.”

Absolutely not.

“As soon as this tournament is over, I’m going back to the guild.”

Eojinbaek thought that as he sat back down in his chair.

And the moment Gloria sat down in her chair.

The first-year students emerged, accompanied by the flow of magical energy in the arena.

– Waaah─!

Cheers erupted from the general audience.

The children, startled by the applause, looked around in surprise.

And among the kids, Noah was seen waving his hand towards her.

“Ahh…, Noah.”

Gloria waved back with a face full of emotion. Then, she saw Noah break into a gentle smile.

Seeing that, Gloria felt a surge of joy welling up inside her.

“To think that a child who rarely expressed emotions would smile like that, truly…, truly, it fills me with indescribable feelings.”

Her own child, who had never genuinely smiled before.

But the smile she saw now was not empty; it was filled with heartfelt emotion.

“This must all be thanks to that child.”

Gloria’s gaze shifted to Lee Yoo-jin, who was near Noah.

“Lee Yoo-jin…, the first friend our child has made.”

Once a month, her son wrote letters just for her.

Yet, every letter consistently mentioned his name.

“His skills are amazing, his performance is outstanding, he’s truly a friend I like.” And so on.

Along with her own well-being, his achievements were detailed in every letter.

“I’d like to meet him once.”

No, she had to meet him.

It was a mother’s duty to check on her son’s friend.

&

Meanwhile, Lee Joong-baek.

“Hmm, Seo-yeon is cute as ever today.”

He was watching his precious daughter, Lee Seo-yeon, who wouldn’t hurt even if placed in his eyes.

“I wish Seo-yeon would take a look around here.”

He noticed students searching for their families, glancing around.

But his daughter was simply focused, quietly checking her equipment.

Excellent. She is doing well, just as I taught her.

Yet, at the same time, I feel a twinge of disappointment.

If only she would cast even the slightest glance in my direction.

“…Should I try sending a telepathic message?”

Telepathy, in other words, a form of mental communication.

I considered using my magical power to convey my voice and capture my daughter’s attention, but—

“No, that wouldn’t do.”

I shook my head, erasing the thought that had popped into my mind.

I couldn’t disrupt my daughter’s preparations for the upcoming match.

With a short sigh, I crossed my arms. I silently observed her equipment check.

And finally, upon seeing what she held in her hands, I clicked my tongue and frowned.

“…She’s still using that, huh?”

My daughter was inspecting a gun with remarkable skill.

How much had she practiced to handle it so naturally, as if it were a sword?

I found that I was not pleased at all.

“A child born into a family that wields swords, handling a gun like that….”

How shocked I had been during her internship.

When the sound of swords clashing was supposed to fill the training ground, the sharp crack of gunfire rang out.

And when I realized that the owner of that gunfire was my own daughter.

At that moment, I felt a shock as if the world was crumbling around me.

“Haah….”

I let out a deep sigh. Then I followed the gaze of Lee Seoyeon, who was staring intently at one spot while checking her gun.

“…Lee Yujin.”

Clack.

My furious gaze turned toward Lee Yujin.

“Because of that brat… my daughter….”

Using a gun, no less.

And not even speaking to me about it!

Of course, I had been the one to tell her not to use such trashy weapons in the first place.

But still, how could she send such a cold look toward her father!

“I, did I really teach you that way, Seoyeon…!”

It’s heartbreaking! It’s so heartbreaking that it’s unbearable!

Lee Joong-baek sighed repeatedly, overwhelmed by emotions that could not be calmed even by a clear mind.

Then, feeling that he could no longer endure it, he closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts.

“Huuh, huuh….”

His heart, which had been burning as if it had swallowed something hot.

That heart began to settle quickly through the clarity of his mind.

And after a while, it had calmed down to some extent.

When he opened his eyes again.

“That, that guy…!”

The calmness of his heart was rendered meaningless.

As soon as his gaze met Lee Yu-jin’s, it felt as if his insides were igniting with heat.

And for some reason, the moment he saw her nodding, he felt a tightness at the back of his neck.

&

&

&

────────────────────

【Time Attack】

The first match is ‘Time Attack’.

Objective: Reach the designated location.

※ The location changes every 10 minutes.

────────────────────

“I knew it would be Time Attack.”

Beep.

In a forest filled with trees.

There I stood alone.

Of course, one might think that this looks more like survival than a Time Attack.

But since this is a competition that determines rankings, it’s necessary to proceed quickly, so survival, which takes a long time, is not an option.

And above all, there are only four matches in my memory.

1. Arena – Super Smash.

It’s a full-blown brawl, quite literally.

Everyone is fighting and clashing until the final victor is determined.

2. Virtual Reality – Tower of Trials (Boss Rush)

In a virtual reality space where modern science and magic intertwine, we ascend the Tower of Trials.

And on each floor, we take down the corrupted, villains, and monsters.

3. Urban Area – Point Capture Battle.

It’s akin to the battle royale we had on the deserted island during the entrance exam.

4. Forest – Time Attack.

We must break through a forest teeming with various monsters and reach the designated location faster than anyone else.

Recalling all the game mechanics and locations from memory, I set an alarm on my smartwatch and activated my clairvoyance.

With a surge of energy coursing through me, my field of vision expanded.

‘…There are quite a few monsters, huh?’

Monsters visible from a minute’s distance.

Ah, of course, these monsters aren’t real; they’re artificial creatures created by the academy.

And while I might get seriously injured here, there’s no need to worry about dying.

If I sustain a fatal injury or shout for surrender, I’ll automatically be transported to the healing center.

Anyway, perhaps it’s because I’m the top student, but there are quite a few monsters visible in the forest.

Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t break through.

With that thought, I searched for the target location. About 20 seconds later.

‘Look at how the colors match the forest.’

I spotted a place marked by a green flag.

I deactivated my clairvoyance.

Now that I had found the target location, there was no need to maintain it any longer.

“Then let’s move quickly.”

I concentrated my magical energy in my legs and feet.

And as the energy gathered to a certain extent.

Thud─!

I stomped the ground with force and leaped upward.

I shot into the sky at an incredibly fast speed.

My chin grazed the ceiling, which was broadcasting a blue sky like a TV screen.

At the same time, I propelled myself through the air with telekinesis, flying toward my target location.

No, to be precise, I was running.

‘I practiced this since my internship.’

Running through the air using telekinesis. Commonly known as “air stepping.”

The method of air stepping is simple.

Thump, thump!

Like Gray, who manipulates the wind, I stepped on the air.

I created a telekinetic floor beneath my feet, wherever I aimed.

That’s the end of it… Ah, there is one more thing.

The telekinetic floor I stepped on must be erased.

If not, the consumption of magical energy increases exponentially, making it essential.

‘Once my telekinesis reaches S-rank, I’ll be able to fly like Kali, right?’

At first, I had intended to fly like Kali, not just step through the air with telekinesis.

But perhaps because I wasn’t at S-rank, my flying speed was noticeably slow.

So, the method I acquired was the air stepping I was doing now.

– Kyaaa─!!

The roars of monsters echoed from the forest.

At the same time, a prickling sensation coursed through my body.

A red line appeared in my field of vision.

Shushushushushuk─!

Various projectiles came flying at me.

A green liquid that looked poisonous.

Sharp thorns.

Blunt stones.

I deftly dodged the projectiles while pulling a Thunderbolt from my inventory.

I evaded what I could and fired my gun to eliminate what I couldn’t avoid.

As I maneuvered and ran through the air, I began to see the spot marked by a green flag in my line of sight.

With a surge of energy, I concentrated my magical power in my legs and feet, stomping down on the telekinetic floor as I would on solid ground.

Boom!

The sound of air bursting echoed.

My body flew toward the target like an arrow. And not long after.

Boom─!

I arrived at the destination.

[Impressive, Master. After all that practice with the superhero landing pose, you finally succeeded.]

At the same time, a message from Terra appeared in my view, leaving me unsure whether it was praise or sarcasm.

And then, following that.

Ding.

The alarm on my smartwatch rang, and a hologram displaying the time and ranking appeared.

And what was written on the hologram was:

[Time Attack Record]

[Lee Yu-jin: 1 minute 32 seconds – 1st place]

[ — : — : — ]

Only my time was listed.