I Became an Illegal Cheat User

12 – Chief (3)

“As I mentioned earlier, the sparring will be conducted as a tournament. The brackets will be sent to each of your smartwatches now, so check them.”

As Kang Cheol-su spoke and manipulated his smartwatch, alarms rang on the smartwatches of those, including me.

Everyone opened the hologram of their smartwatches to check the brackets.

But something was strange about the brackets.

I squinted my eyes and carefully examined the brackets.

However, even upon rechecking, my name was not on the brackets.

I immediately raised my hand and called the instructor.

“Instructor, my name is not on the brackets.”

As I spoke, Asuka sitting next to me also raised her hand.

“Instructor, I’m not there either!”

“Me neither.”

“…Neither am I.”

Hands raised from all around.

Confirming the faces of those who raised their hands, claiming their names weren’t on the brackets like mine, they were all familiar faces.

“You guys will have a separate set of brackets. We’re creating them now, so wait a moment.”

Saying that, Kang Cheol-su manipulated the hologram of the smartwatch here and there.

And after a while, a new set of brackets arrived on the smartwatches of those who raised their hands, including me.

I immediately opened the hologram to check the new brackets.

[A]

[01] [Lee Yujin]

[07] [Park Seongwoo]

[B]

[03] [Lee Seoyeon]

[04] [Shuhei Asuka]

[C]

[02] [Arthur Pendragon]

[08] [Kim Woomin]

[D]

[05] [Noah]

[06] [Park Garam]

The lead characters: Arthur, Lee Seoyeon, Asuka, Noah.

Not to be outdone, the supporting characters with exceptional talents like Park Garam, Park Seongwoo, Kim Woomin, and others.

It was a dazzling tournament bracket, a crucial event at the Arena Academy, determining the rankings in the duel season.

But why is the match order like this?

At that moment of contemplation, Kang Cheolsu chuckled and said, “Why, does the match order seem odd? Their faces suggest they don’t quite understand.”

Seems like I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

“The random match order is intentional,” Kang Cheolsu explained, manipulating his smartwatch.

As he did, a transparent blue dome perfectly fitting the circular arena appeared.

This dome, powered by magic, served to protect spectators outside the arena.

All the staff working at the Arena Academy and the students attending are supernaturals.

Given that supernaturals fighting could result in shockwaves, magical fragments, or even stray spells escaping the arena, it was a precautionary measure against unforeseen incidents.

While sitting on the tiered seats, observing the arena, I realized even though the kids were supernaturals, there was always that ‘what if,’ hence the magical dome to prevent any potential mishaps.

By the way, breaking the dome is impossible; not even Arthur or Lee Seoyeon could manage that.

To shatter the training arena dome, one would need at least the strength of Kang Cheolsu, if not more.

Indeed, made by a Grand Magus.

The effect is undeniable.

“The match order was deliberately left random. While admission rankings are determined, the matches held here are not official; they’re merely to assess your abilities,” added Kang Cheol-soo, with a wry smile playing on one corner of his mouth.

He continued, “Honestly, you all may not have said it out loud, but it’s disconcerting, isn’t it? After all, we all took the same test, and admission rankings are decided by just a mere score.”

In response to Kang Cheol-soo’s words, a significant number nodded in agreement.

Truthfully, there was discontent, just as the instructors had pointed out.

It was the best academy in the world, so they kept their expressions to themselves.

They all took the same test and passed.

Yet, it seemed unreasonable that admission rankings were determined by the scores obtained in the third test alone.

After all, the score in the third test was not just about eliminating fellow test-takers to gain points; it also involved finding hidden items or capturing demons for additional points.

If lucky, one could find items, gain points, and since they were skilled enough to take the third test, capturing demons should also pose no problem.

If the rankings were determined through a tournament style rather than by scores, as it is now, they would have understood.

So, the admission rankings were flawed!

…would be their thoughts.

“Pathetic fools.”

I scoffed at those who fell for Kang Cheol-soo’s speech to ‘boost their spirits.’

Wasn’t it absurd to determine admission rankings based solely on the scores of the third test?

Could one not gain a significant number of points by finding items and capturing demons if lucky?

It was truly a foolish and pathetic thought.

‘Luck is also a skill.’

They still didn’t understand.

In the life and death battles of combat, luck is as much a skill as my own abilities.

In the life-and-death struggles of combat, luck is just as much a crucial force that can determine whether one lives or dies, especially in fights where life is at stake.

To call that ‘mere’ was a judgment too quick.

Hence, those with lower rankings.

“Heh, fools.”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

Asuka, sitting beside me, looked at them with a scornful expression rather than the usual cheerful one.

And not only Asuka, but all the main characters were shaking their heads as they looked at them, as if they were pitiful, and even the supporting characters with talent almost equal to that of the main characters had uncomfortable expressions.

“As far as I can tell…”

The top 30 students seem to have no complaints about the criteria for determining admission rankings.

That means everyone from 31st to 100th place has complaints.

“Then, Instructor, don’t you need to rearrange the tournament bracket?”

One of the complainers said while looking at me.

“The top and second place, and up to 8th place. It’s not the same bracket as us.”

“That guy, he’s ridiculous.”

Am I lucky to have gotten the top spot by chance?

And even if I did get the top spot by luck, would Arthur and the other main characters still look down on me?

“You just lucked out, you idiot.”

While I was thinking that, Kang Chul-Soo raised his head and said.

“No, we’re not changing the bracket.”

“…Why not?”

The complainer questioned with doubt at Kang Chul-Soo’s firm answer.

Kang Chul-Soo personally answered the question.

“The top to 8th place are stronger than what you guys think. I didn’t make a separate bracket for no reason.”

“…..”

Even though Kang Chul-Soo spoke like that, the complainer who asked the question and other complainers still had expressions of dissatisfaction and doubt.

In response, Kang Chul-Soo scratched the scar on his cheek, not his forehead.

“That’s a motion you make when you’re angry or annoyed.”

But even without the motion, Kang Chul-Soo’s expression was one that anyone could see as saying, “Are you talking back to me?”

“Honestly, although Kang Chul-Soo was trying to get the students to participate enthusiastically in the class by asking, ‘Do you have any complaints about the admission rankings?’….”

If he continues to talk back and not grasp the atmosphere, even if he is a good and kind instructor, I would get annoyed.

“Sigh….”

Nevertheless, as the instructor in charge of the students, Kang Chul-Soo calmed down his anger and offered an alternative to the complainers.

“In that case, I’ll do this. Let’s start with the top students for the tournament.”

Kang Chul-Soo’s gaze turned towards me.

“We’ll start with Group A, and the top student and 7th place come down.”

“…..”

No, where does the Chief go to watch the matches first?

“Hey, Chief, 7th place. Don’t dawdle, come down quickly.”

“……Yes.”

In the end, I descended to the stadium.

&

“The match format is free.”

Between me, who entered the stadium, and 7th place, Kang Cheol-su explained the match format.

“It doesn’t matter how you fight.”

However, Kang Cheol-su added, looking at me.

“Chief, most of the weapons you have are long-range firearms. You need to match the fairness with the weapon chosen by 7th place.”

Park Sung-woo chose a weapon – a cold bottle.

Among them, it was a sword, a close-range weapon.

Just one sword.

Kang Cheol-su continued.

“You are limited to one reload per firearm.”

“…Yes.”

What a waste.

I have filled my inventory with magazines in addition to the magazines in the tactical vest.

Still, I have three guns.

And the number of bullets in the guns.

17 rounds for the pistol.

6 rounds for the revolver.

6 rounds for the shotgun.

A total of 29 rounds.

And since I can reload once.

I can fire a total of 58 rounds.

“Is it enough?”

Honestly, it’s not just enough, I feel like I can easily win.

I not only have bullets, but also non-lethal grenades and flashbangs.

And I brought one sword to use when I run out of bullets.

“But why are you only choosing one weapon?” Park Sung-woo, ranked 7th, asked, unlike me who had brought four different weapons.

“Is it a matter of practicality?”

Still, it would be more advantageous to bring more weapons.

I couldn’t understand from my perspective.

“Now take ten steps back,” Kang Cheol-soo said.

In response, Sung-woo and I turned around and took ten steps back.

Then, we turned around again and faced each other.

“Now, as the match begins, get ready.”

Sung-woo held the sheath with his left hand and tightly gripped the handle of the sword with his right hand.

While doing so, he extended his right leg forward and slightly bent his waist.

A typical stance of pulling out the sword.

Seeing that, I recalled that Sung-woo was the disciple of the top-tier hero, Sokgeom, just like Aska.

“That’s right. Sung-woo, he was Sokgeom’s disciple. A supporting character who becomes almost as strong as the protagonist.”

Although he may be a supporting character, Sung-woo, who had mastered Sokgeom’s swordsmanship, had a strength comparable to Aska.

Of course, that’s in the later part of the story.

“The current Sung-woo…”

As he ranked 7th in admission, he is considered strong among the students.

“But completely absorbed in baldoe.”

Falling deeply into the anime ‘Sword of the Wind,’ Sung-woo was focused on training specifically in baldoe within Sokgeom’s swordsmanship.

And once you pull the sword out in baldoe, you should fight with it as it is, but he has the strange habit of sheathing the sword again and doing baldoe.

“I should fix his habit while I have the chance.”

As the story gets tougher in the later part, and since this match has been arranged, I have decided to break Sung-woo’s love for baldoe.

With that thought in mind, I prepared myself to shoot my right-hand gun directly.

“As long as I am here, don’t worry about receiving a fatal blow.”

Kang Cheol-soo said that and stepped back between me and Sung-woo.

And…

“The match begins.”

He announced the start of the match.

Clang.

“Watch closely.”

Park Seongwoo spoke in the tone of a sage, gripping the handle with strength.

“This is the way of the sword.”

As Park Seongwoo spoke, a glint of light flashed from his waist.

Clang!

The sound of friction as the sword emerged from its sheath filled the arena, and the crimson blade revealed itself.

Bang!

A gunshot echoed through the arena, filling the silence.

“…….”

“…….”

A stillness flowed.

In that silence, Park Seongwoo looked at his sword with a perplexed expression.

He had certainly exerted strength.

He had unsheathed the sword.

And he had clearly seen the blade emerge from the sheath.

However… it seemed as if it was not lodged back in, like a dream.

Park Seongwoo snapped out of it.

What had just happened he thought was merely in his imagination.

“…Watch.”

He exerted strength once again.

He tightened his grip on the sheath, put strength into his feet.

While doing so, he exerted strength in the hand holding the sword’s handle.

“This is the way of the sword!”

And with a powerful motion, he drew the sword.

Swoosh!

The hot friction sound of the blade being drawn from the sheath resounded.

It was visible.

The sharp gust of wind created by the drawn blade touched the body of the chief official.

But even such faith was fleeting.

“Bang!”

Gunshots echoed once again.

And…

“Ting!”

A metallic click.

“……”

The blade concealed itself again.

Park Seongwoo stared at me with a vacant expression.

I spoke, meeting his gaze.

“Why?”

First time seeing me?

Matching a knife handle with a bullet?

Saying that, I chuckled softly.