I Became an Illegal Cheat User

64 – Midterm Evaluation (3)

Originally, we had no intention of actively participating in the midterm evaluation.

We simply focused on the goal of ‘survival’ and tried to avoid combat as much as possible.

In other words, we just wanted to avoid being eliminated.

However, we witnessed the instructors in the auditorium being humiliated.

Faces flushed with shame, heads bowed low.

In that moment, we felt anger for the first time.

Of course, we didn’t respect or like our instructors.

It was understandable; the instructors responsible for us were not famous heroes like Instructor Kang Cheol-soo from Class A.

They were just ordinary instructors, lacking in both strength and leadership.

But no matter how ordinary they were, they were still our instructors.

That’s why we felt disappointed and angry at the vice principal’s blatant humiliation of them in front of us.

Of course, we couldn’t protest to the vice principal or Instructor Kang Cheol-soo.

We were not in a position to do anything.

However, the students in Class A were different.

They were students just like us.

Thus, we formed an unspoken alliance to take down Class A.

As the midterm evaluation began, we were moved to a deserted island.

In line with our unspoken alliance, we refrained from attacking each other.

Instead, we banded together to eliminate Class A.

The size of our group gradually grew.

With that, our confidence soared.

Ah, if we keep this up, we can eliminate all of Class A.

We can unleash our pent-up frustrations on them.

That’s what we thought.

Thud, thud.

“It’s an ambush!”

“Where are you? Where’s the attack coming from?”

“I don’t know, I can’t tell! Where’s it coming from… *gack!*”

“This isn’t a raid, it’s a sniper… *gah!*”

Until the bullets began to rain down from the sky.

“It’s the top student! Top student Lee Yoo-jin is attacking!”

Park Soo-ho, ranked 101st in the entrance exam and leader of Class B, shouted as he raised the two large shields he held in both hands above his head.

At that moment, one of his classmates, who was also holding a round shield up to block the bullets, asked him.

“How do you know that?”

“A friend in Class A told me! The top student can shoot from long distances!”

“Are you talking about a sniper rifle? There are way too many bullets flying around for that!”

“Of course, it’s not a sniper rifle!”

As Park Soo-ho shouted this, he slammed the shield he was holding down onto the ground with a thud.

At the same time, he activated his skill, ‘Guardian of the Earth.’

*Boom!*

The ground erupted around the shield.

The ground shot up to a height of 5 meters, twisting and bending into the shape of a dome.

Park Soo-ho shouted towards his panicking classmates.

“Everyone, get in here!”

At his call, the classmates, who had been taking the brunt of the bullet storm, rushed into the dome he had created.

Then, the bullets that had been pouring down from above suddenly changed direction, as if they were alive.

They surged toward the classmates who had entered the dome.

In response, Park Soo-ho, with a look of horror on his face, hurriedly closed the entrance of the dome.

*Thud thud thud!*

A dull noise echoed from all around.

“Haah… we made it.”

“Wow, I thought I was going to die…”

“No, this isn’t some kind of disaster…”

The classmates, who had barely escaped death, let out sighs of relief.

Park Soo-ho felt the same way.

“Phew… that was close.”

I almost faced total annihilation.

“When I heard it from my friend in Class A, I thought it was just a joke….”

I never imagined bullets could actually change direction.

No, it wasn’t just changing direction.

“It felt almost alive….”

The bullets moved as if they were determined to hit their target.

Of course, they were rubber bullets, but the relentless downpour of them from the sky was enough to instill fear in Park Soo-ho.

“…It seems like the gunfire has stopped?”

“Did they run out of bullets?”

“Shouldn’t we check?”

The gazes of his classmates turned toward Park Soo-ho.

In that moment, he wanted to ask, why me of all people?

But as the leader of Class B, he swallowed his frustration and opened the entrance to the dome.

He picked up a shield that was stuck in the ground and stepped outside.

“Wow…, insane.”

The scene outside the dome was sheer devastation.

His classmates lay sprawled on the ground.

All of them had swollen foreheads, unconscious.

“…Did 80% of the power gathered here just get wiped out in that one barrage?”

Park Soo-ho looked up at the clear sky, devoid of clouds, his face pale.

“The top student… is he a monster?”

&

&

&

“Oh, just my luck, the effect ended right now.”

As the effect of Clairvoyance faded and I returned to my original vision, I let out a sigh of disappointment.

It was understandable, considering the newly loaded magazine in the machine gun was filled with ‘explosive rounds.’

“If only it had lasted one more second… no, two seconds.”

I could have shattered the dome and eliminated everyone inside.

“Still, well… I nearly wiped out the largest group gathered here.”

There’s no need to feel too disappointed.

And anyway, I can use my clairvoyance again in five minutes, so I can eliminate the rest of the kids then.

“If it’s just our class left, can we start camping from that point?”

The goal of the mid-evaluation is ‘survival,’ but is there really a need to struggle for it?

I have an inventory and an infinite item cheat, don’t I?

I don’t think so.

Of course, the instructors monitoring us will be flabbergasted.

But that has nothing to do with me.

The skills they wanted to assess during the mid-evaluation?

I’ve shown them enough today.

Survival knowledge?

The very fact that I’m on this island is survival knowledge.

With that thought, I opened my inventory.

And I pulled out a bowl filled with spicy pork stir-fry.

At that moment, an alarm rang from my HP bracelet, and a voice echoed.

– Chief Lee Yu-jin, you have violated the external food usage prohibition, thus you are disqualified…

“I didn’t violate anything. Look here.”

I said, pointing to the edge of the bowl.

There, the phrase ‘Arena Academy’ was elegantly engraved.

– …….

The voice fell silent.

But only for a moment.

– …I acknowledge the bowl. However, the food is…

I anticipated this and prepared accordingly.

I took out a recorder from my inventory.

Of course, I made sure to confirm that this was also an academy product before playing the recording.

– Wow, this ‘spicy pork stir-fry’ is really delicious. Who made this?

– …Haha! That ‘spicy pork stir-fry’ was made by me.

– No way, really? So that’s why it’s called…?

– Ah, let me introduce myself. I’m Chef Woo Jae-sung, in charge of this restaurant.

– Ah, so it’s Chef Woo Jae-sung.

There was more to say, but this was enough, so I turned off the recorder.

– …….

No voice came from the HP bracelet.

He was probably flustered right now.

‘Well, they should have specified that in the guidelines.’

I chuckled softly and pulled out a spoon from my inventory.

Then, the voice returned.

– External items….

“This is also an Academy product.”

I showed the handle of the spoon.

Just like the bowl, it too bore the inscription “Arena Academy.”

– Haah…, pass…….

In the end, the instructor, whose identity remained unknown, let out a deep sigh and ended the communication.

‘Hmm…, I feel a bit sorry.’

The instructors monitoring me must be scratching their heads by now.

What I was doing was almost a violation of the mid-evaluation goal of ‘survival.’

But there was no clause I was violating that would warrant disqualification.

Did I bring external food?

No, it’s food made by the Academy.

Did I bring external items?

No, it’s items produced by the Academy.

Literally, the instructors had no choice but to watch me due to the exception clause stating that “Academy-produced goods and supplies are permissible.”

‘The instructors probably want me to gather food myself.’

Hunting monsters or fishing in the sea, procuring food in this deserted island setting aligns with the survival theme.

But isn’t the pork over rice I’m eating right now also a form of procurement that fits the survival theme?

‘Since I had it ready from when I received the mid-evaluation notice, it counts, right?’

Of course, I had only prepared for the mid-evaluation; I had no idea the evaluation goal would be ‘survival.’

And if the mid-evaluation guidelines had stated ‘on-site procurement’ instead of ‘external food,’ I would have hunted monsters or fished as the instructors hoped.

But the specifications aren’t properly set, are they?

Therefore, I have done nothing wrong.

Thinking this, I leaned my arms on the lighthouse railing.

And while gazing at the blue sea, I savored my pork over rice.

“Mmm… it’s delicious.”

Eating a rice bowl while looking at the scenery from the lighthouse.

It was nothing short of a delicacy.

&

– Day 1.

50% of the total participants from Class B and Class C have been eliminated.

Lee Seoyeon, Asuka, and Arthur have joined.

In response, I came down from the lighthouse and set up four tents.

Since the tents were also ‘Academy products’ made by the production department, there were no restrictions.

– Day 2.

70% of the total participants from Class B and Class C have been eliminated.

Noah and 30 of my peers have joined.

In response, I gave Noah a personal tent and three 10-person tents to the 30 peers.

And I distributed ‘pork over rice’ to everyone.

Of course, there were no restrictions this time either.

– Day 3.

90% of the total participants from Class B and Class C have been eliminated.

The remaining 10% decided to spare us under a treaty that they wouldn’t interfere.

50 peers have joined.

I gave the peers five 10-person tents.

And I distributed ‘bulgogi over rice’ to everyone.

Once again, there were no restrictions due to the ‘recorder.’

– Day 4.

I enjoyed ‘camping’ in ‘survival.’

Accordingly, I hunted for monsters and grilled the meat.

The monster meat was tough and tasteless.

But since I provided the food directly as the instructors wished, they must have been somewhat satisfied.

Or not.

&

“Yawn… finally, it’s day five.”

Is it because today is the fifth day?

I woke up early in the morning and, wanting to get some fresh air, climbed up to the lighthouse.

“Ah, it feels uncomfortable not being able to use a cleaning agent.”

Of course, the cleaning agent is ‘spiritual essence.’

‘Should I sneak a bite?’

I could probably manage it through transmission like this or that.

But that thought was fleeting.

I shook my head.

‘The instructors are probably on high alert; I shouldn’t do anything reckless.’

I had nearly botched the mid-evaluation.

The moment I show even a hint of weakness, the instructors would immediately disqualify me.

So I mustn’t let my guard down until the very last moment.

“But how do I return to the academy?”

Do the disqualified kids activate the teleportation from their bracelets?

Or do they travel by boat?

I looked around, trying to find a port in this place.

“Hmm… I don’t see one.”

It’s not visible to the naked eye.

“This is when clairvoyance comes in handy.”

I activated the effect of clairvoyance right away.

With the sensation of my consciousness floating upwards, everything on the deserted island began to come into view.

‘Are the kids from Class B and Class C doing okay?’

Thinking that, I searched for their locations.

‘…They’re all gathered in one place?’

There were red and blue dots clustered together at the beach where I had been transported on the first day.

“It seems like they’re doing well.”

I had confirmed the survivors of the two teams, so I was about to end my surveillance… for a moment.

“…What’s that?”

Just as I was about to end my surveillance, I discovered something between the red and blue dots.

“…A black dot?”

It was indeed a black dot.

So I zoomed in on my surveillance scope.

As the scope zoomed in, the distance rapidly decreased.

And soon, I could see the kids from Teams B and C standing on the beach…

They all had blank faces, not doing anything.

And among them, a woman was wandering around.

Her appearance made me feel uneasy.

“…This doesn’t feel right.”

I zoomed in a bit more.

At that moment…

“……!”

The woman, who was saying something to the kids, suddenly turned her head.

And our eyes met exactly.

I immediately recognized her identity.

The black dot’s identity was none other than the Named Corruptor.

“…Hyun-hok?!”

It was Hyun-hok (眩惑).

“…….”

Hyun-hok’s lips moved, but since I couldn’t hear her, I couldn’t tell what she was saying.

However, Hyun-hok seemed to think that I could understand her, and she repeated the same words several times.

I zoomed in on Hyun-hok’s lips and read her lip movements.

“Find… found… all…?”

At that moment…

– I’ll be right there, so wait for me.

A sultry voice echoed in my ear.

That voice sent an indescribable chill down my spine.

In a hurry, I pulled out a machine gun from my inventory.

And just as I was about to pull the trigger—

Whoosh!

The effect of my clairvoyance ended.

“Of all times!”

I shouted nervously and pressed the emergency rescue button on my smartwatch.

But then…

[Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error……. ]

“Error? An error?”

An error message appeared on the smartwatch screen, rendering it useless.

Not only could I not send an emergency request, but I also couldn’t make a call. I tapped my HP bracelet in desperation.

“Instructors! This is an emergency! A named corrupter, Seduction, has appeared on the island!”

Fortunately, a voice crackled through the HP bracelet.

– Crackle! …This! Over here… Crackle! Named…, corrupter! Crackle! …Present! A bit… Crackle! …Tear! Crackle…!

“…….”

It seemed that the academy was under attack as well.

“…Those named b*stards really came prepared.”

There were no transcenders in Korea right now.

The same went for the academy.

Well, there was a deity left, but she was occupied with blocking the ‘Apostle’ that served an alien entity, so she couldn’t move.

To sum it up, I had to hope that the academy would quickly resolve the situation and come here.

“…I knew the storyline was tangled, but.”

It was tangled beyond belief, wasn’t it?

Could they really invade during the mid-evaluation and not the duel season?

I let out a bitter smile as I raised the machine gun.

And then I fired into the air.

Tatatatatatang─!

The gunfire echoed like thunder.

“…What, what is it!”

“What’s happening!”

The kids, who had been sound asleep, burst out of the tent.

At the same time.

…Krrrrrrrrrrr─!

A sound echoed from above, as if the heavens were collapsing.

I looked up at the sky.

And there it was.

Kwa-ji-ji-ji-ji-ji-ck─!

A pitch-black crack was tearing through the fabric of space.

…It was a crack of extreme danger.