I Became an Illegal Cheat User

55 – Deputy Commander Gray (2)

It wasn’t just a resemblance; Gray’s words left me beyond perplexed and into confusion.

‘What is this… wasn’t my very existence a possession?’

Surely, the body I am using now must be the same as the one from the world before I possessed it, right?

‘Could it be that it only looks that way to me, and I’m actually in someone else’s body?’

As that thought crossed my mind, I asked Gray, who was still looking at me with fascination.

“Um, could you tell me what I look like?”

“…All of a sudden?”

Gray looked at me with a slightly flustered expression.

But that was only for a moment.

Let me know if you need anything else!

She crossed her arms and began to examine my features.

“Hmm… well, overall, you look just like your brother… no, your father.”

With a smile that seemed to reflect the joy of seeing a cute nephew, she continued.

“And your eyes and nose are sharp, just like your mother’s.”

It was clear that they were both her parents, and I added, “You mean I’m good-looking in a sharp way, right?”

I turned to Gray and asked again, “Is there any particular feature?”

“Feature? Hmm….”

Gray squinted as he scrutinized my face once more.

Watching him, I hoped that the characteristic I was thinking of would come from his lips.

That way, the body I was currently using wouldn’t belong to someone else.

It would be the body I had used in the world before I was possessed.

As I was thinking this, Gray’s mouth opened as he continued to examine my features.

“Oh, there is one thing.”

Gray reached out his hand toward my face.

And with his index finger, he gently tapped the end of my right eyebrow.

“There’s a very tiny scar here.”

“Ah… really?”

Ha, what a relief.

This body is mine.

It doesn’t belong to someone else.

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

A small scar at the end of my right eyebrow.

That scar was from the world before I was possessed.

When I was a child, I got into a fight with a kid at the orphanage who was eyeing my food, and I got hit with a tray.

‘The fact that I still remember that incident in detail means my memories are intact…’

But why does Gray talk to me as if I have parents?

‘…Could it be that this body is me from a parallel world?’

The possibility isn’t… nonexistent.

No, honestly, considering the current situation, that possibility seems quite high.

In the novels and comics I had read, there were often cases of possession in parallel worlds, where the possessed world was tied to one’s origin, among other things.

‘Certainly… those possibilities do fit the current situation.’

But I had no memories of this place at all.

As if the drive on a desktop had changed.

“Umm….”

Was it because I was overthinking the uncertainties?

My head felt hot and throbbed painfully.

I let out a sigh and pressed my hand to my forehead.

However, it seemed that this display shocked Gray, realizing that I had parents.

“Yeah, it’s shocking. To think you were an orphan for twenty years, only to find out you actually had parents.”

With a look of sympathy, Gray gently stroked my head.

“But I want you to know this: your mother and father…”

“Ahhh!”

“…Oh dear.”

Just as the conversation about my parents was about to unfold, a scream pierced the air.

At the sound of that scream, Gray scratched his cheek, looking flustered.

“I guess we’ll have to talk about this later.”

I nodded at his words and lifted the thunderbolts in both hands.

Then, leaning against the railing, I looked down at the place where the hostages were, from which the scream had come.

And I could see it.

Among the hostages, a citizen was being lifted into the air by the hair, held by a large Fallen.

“Ahhh! P-please, let me go!”

“Grraahh… I’m hungry. I’m going to eat you.”

“This b*stard said to hold on because the signal hadn’t come, but now he’s the one causing a ruckus.”

“So you’re not going to eat him?”

“No? I’m going to eat too! Hehe!”

Had they finally decided to eat people after waiting for the signal?

The lower Fallen, giggling, approached the citizen held by the large Fallen.

Seeing this scene, I turned to Gray, who was watching the situation beside me.

“You said they have bombs strapped to their bodies, right?”

“To be precise, it’s not implanted in the body.”

Gray said this as she pulled out a small portable telescope from her pocket.

Then, as if to prompt me to confirm, she handed me the telescope.

I took the telescope and looked at the lower degenerates.

And I could see that their bodies were filled with foreign substances presumed to be bombs.

“…Those b*stards.”

Gray agreed with my curse, which had slipped out like a bite.

“Is there any reason for degenerates to be degenerates?”

Yes, that statement is correct.

So all degenerates must be exterminated.

“Gray, can we….”

“Not ‘mister,’ but ‘sister.'”

“Gray sister, can you lift them up?”

“Your words are still a bit stiff…, but that can be changed gradually….”

Gray muttered this as she climbed up onto the railing.

“All we need to do is lift them high, right?”

“Yes, just enough so that it doesn’t harm the people.”

“That’s very simple.”

With a smile, Gray jumped off the railing.

Then, just like she had shown earlier, she kicked off into the air.

Swish!

Her body became blurry and vanished.

And the place where she reappeared was right in front of a citizen about to be devoured by the degenerates.

“What the…, krah!”

“You filthy… krah!”

“…Krah!”

The degenerates soared up to the height of the building where I was, propelled by Gray’s triple kick.

As soon as I saw that, I pulled the trigger of the Thunderbolt in both hands.

Boom, bang, bang!

The sound of gunfire echoed as if real lightning was striking.

Creeeak─!

Three bullets, enhanced by Thunderbolt’s effect (lightning, perm), surged toward the three fallen ones, tracing blue trajectories.

And then.

Kwaaang─!

With an explosion that seemed to shake the very atmosphere, their existence was obliterated.

“Whew, just like his brother, that guy’s got some serious skills with a gun.”

As the fallen ones were lifted, Gray, who had come up alongside me, whistled in admiration of my shooting prowess.

I couldn’t help but let out an awkward smile at the compliment.

‘…It’s all thanks to the cheat.’

Ah, but I couldn’t say that.

‘By the way, it seems like my father’s weapon was a gun, huh?’

Both father and son wielding the same weapon…

…Could this really be a coincidence?

“Your father was that good with a gun?”

At my question, Gray’s eyes sparkled as he replied.

“It wasn’t just that he was good; every time he fired, not only the fallen ones but the enemies’ heads would explode.”

“…Their heads exploded?”

No, how?

How could he pierce through magical power and magic with a gun?

Could it be that he had a cheat like I do?

My curiosity about my father and mother began to grow.

And then, my head started throbbing again.

‘…Not this again.’

It’s strange.

Every time I think of the keywords ‘father’ and ‘mother,’ my head starts to throb.

As if to say, “Don’t think about it.”

“I’m telling you! Even when he shot at random places, the bullets would curve and hit their heads. It was so amazing.”

Gray chattered on, as if sharing his star.

And with each word, my brain felt like it was heating up.

In that moment, I realized.

Ah, this is a constraint.

For some reason, it seems they’re trying to prevent me from hearing anything about “Father, Mother.”

“Why?”

Why is there a constraint?

Why are they blocking information about my parents?

…Why?

A chain of questions, one leading to another.

I squeezed my eyes shut against a headache that felt like it might burn me up.

And as I steadied my churning stomach, I asked,

“Um, what abilities does Mother have…?”

“…Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine. So, about Mother…”

Stop it.

A voice echoed in my head.

For some reason, I felt a sense of longing and worry in that voice that was trying to stop me.

But I gritted my teeth and asked Gray for information about my mother.

And the moment her lips parted to utter the word “magic…”

Crack!

I heard something snap in my head.

At the same time, darkness enveloped my vision, and I felt a sense of detachment.

[The activation conditions for the derived skill ‘Calm Mind (A)’ have been met.]

[Attempting to activate ‘Calm Mind’… Currently, the user is deemed unable to activate it directly.]

[‘Calm Mind’ will activate automatically.]

The mental recovery skill activated automatically.

In that moment, it felt as if someone was pulling me up, lifting my spiraling thoughts from the abyss.

“…Hah!”

As if my blocked breath had finally cleared, my mind began to feel clearer.

“Are you really okay? Your face is so pale right now.”

Gray supported my swaying body as if I might collapse.

Then, slowly bending my legs, she carefully helped me sit down on the floor.

I expressed my gratitude to her and asked again about my parents.

No, the moment I was about to ask.

Zziiiing…….

A chilling sensation enveloped my entire body.

At the same time, I had a terrifying premonition that if I asked even a little more, my head would explode.

With that premonition, I… kept my mouth shut.

Then Gray, realizing this couldn’t go on, pulled out a vial from his pocket.

It was… an antidote… oh no! Not that!

I shot up from my seat.

For a moment, dizziness spun around me, and my body swayed, but I opened my eyes wide and held onto my senses.

“…Do you have to drink that?”

“It’s fine! I don’t have to drink it!”

I was very grateful for his concern.

But it’s not an antidote!

“You’re still pale, you know?”

“Haha! It’s just my face that’s pale; I’m perfectly fine!”

I moved around, showing that my body was healthy.

Of course, I felt like I was going to vomit, but I resolved that with the determination not to drink the antidote.

After showing for a moment that I was okay, Gray tilted his head and put the antidote back into his coat.

Seeing that, I let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the railing.

Then I looked down.

“Is everyone okay!”

“There are people here!”

“Quick, contact the association! We’ve found the hostages!”

We’ve caught all the corrupt ones, so there are no hostages left.

Well, the association will handle it.

Just as I thought that and was about to lift my head.

I spotted Arthur among the association members.

“Looks like Arthur was fighting somewhere too.”

He had no injuries, but his clothes were torn and covered in dust.

That means she was also saving people by dealing with the fallen.

I looked up at the sky.

The once blue sky had transformed into a crimson sunset.

After seeing that sky, I raised my wrist adorned with a smartwatch.

And I operated the smartwatch to send a message to Asuka.

I might be a little late, so she should eat first.

A reply came immediately.

[Asuka]

– Ugh! ・(｀ヘ´ )・

“Haha!”

I felt a bit sorry for breaking our dinner plans.

But I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.