I Became an Illegal Cheat User – Chapter 2

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The long-awaited entrance exam day had finally arrived.

“That was a close call…”

I almost couldn’t obtain the items needed for the exam.

In the game, it was easy to move around and get items.

But in this reality, I had to run around on foot and find people selling the items.

Fortunately, I knew the general locations, so I managed to find them somehow…

“Who would have thought the prices would be different?”

The prices that used to be fixed had changed.

But luckily, I had just enough money.

As a bonus, I also learned about the inventory function.

Well, if there’s a status window, there must be an inventory too.

Murmur murmur.

“There are a lot of people.”

Even saying there are a lot is an understatement.

There were many during the exam registration, but just looking at the number of people here, there must be at least a few thousand.

Still, the inside of the academy looks spacious.

It was a testament to how vast Arena Academy is.

‘…It feels a bit lonely.’

Sitting on a bench and looking around at the people, I saw a variety of individuals.

People who came with their parents.

People who came with relatives, friends, or lovers.

Seeing people gathered in small groups here and there, I felt a strange sense of loneliness.

I was alone even before entering the game.

And I’m alone here too.

But it’s okay.

Most of these numerous people will fail anyway.

As I was consoling my loneliness with such thoughts, a commotion broke out somewhere.

“Hey, hey! Look over there!”

“Oh, oh…! That’s him. The one who’s famous in England…”

Turning my gaze to where the commotion was happening, I could see why it started.

Someone was gathering everyone’s attention.

‘That person is…’

Brilliantly shining golden hair.

Blue eyes that resembled a clear lake.

An androgynous appearance that could captivate both men and women.

‘A descendant of the Knight King.’

A main character.

Arthur Pendragon.

That’s right.

It’s that Arthur.

The owner of ‘Excalibur’, who often appears in comics, movies, or games.

That sword on his waist must be Excalibur.

Glance.

Perhaps because I was staring too intently at the sword, Arthur’s gaze suddenly turned towards me.

‘…!’

I was startled by Arthur’s sudden gaze, but I naturally turned my head and avoided eye contact.

‘I almost made eye contact.’

Others might think, why act like that over a mere gaze?

But among Arthur’s talents, there’s one called ‘Fairy Eye’.

The S-grade Fairy Eye allows him to read the opponent’s inclinations and inner thoughts just by making eye contact.

Without certain mental-type talents or skills, it’s impossible to resist the Fairy Eye’s ability.

It’s truly an unfair talent.

‘I can’t make eye contact with him yet.’

Although I don’t have the evil inclination that Arthur extremely dislikes, if he finds out that I know the secret of him possessing the divine sword Excalibur…

I would probably be killed immediately, regardless of whether this academy was being watched over by transcendents or not.

‘Or I might be silently eliminated without anyone knowing.’

The whereabouts of Excalibur was still a secret known only to a very few, excluding him.

As I avoided Arthur’s gaze like that, another commotion broke out.

“Oh, ooh!”

“It’s Lee Seo-yeon!”

The commotion was like that of a famous celebrity appearing, and as I turned my gaze there, I saw someone receiving everyone’s attention like Arthur.

Long black hair reaching down to her waist, deep black eyes reminiscent of black jade.

A balanced figure that seemed to have trained in martial arts for a long time.

And crucially, a beautiful woman with large breasts.

She was both a main character and one of the heroines.

‘I knew the character illustration was pretty, but…’

Seeing her in reality, she was incredibly beautiful.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m interested.

It would be nice to have a connection with such a woman, but the moment a connection is made, it becomes very tiring.

As the people’s cheers suggest, Lee Seo-yeon has a lot of fans.

And she is the daughter of Lee Jung-baek, known as the Sword Star, who is one of the transcendents of Korea and the guild master of Mirinae, one of the three major guilds in Korea.

By the way, the Sword Star, Lee Jung-baek, cherishes his daughter very much.

Very much so.

If you just become friends with Lee Seo-yeon, you’ll get nitpicked and interfered with from all directions, so it’s better to avoid contact with her if possible.

Just recalling the things I did to achieve the challenge related to Lee Seo-yeon made me shudder.

‘Still…’

She is a pitiful person.

Because she never had a proper friend due to the excessive attention from her surroundings and her father’s excessive affection.

But that’s that and this is this.

Although her circumstances are unfortunate, I don’t particularly want to form a connection with her.

Considering the survival of all main characters for the ‘Ending Quest’ clear, I do need to make contact.

But there’s no need to be close, right?

‘I should just secretly help her from time to time.’

I’ll just watch from afar and help when she’s in danger.

With that thought, I turned my gaze away from Lee Seo-yeon and started walking towards the exam hall to begin the test.

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“…”

Lee Seo-yeon’s gaze turned towards the back of a man heading to the exam hall.

‘It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.’

Lee Seo-yeon, had been sensitive to people’s emotions since birth, although it wasn’t a talent or skill.

Amidst the chaotic and uncomfortable waves of emotions from the surrounding crowd, that man unusually didn’t give off such feelings.

As if…

‘A feeling of pity?’

…Why?

Lee Seo-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off that man, experiencing that unfamiliar emotion for the first time since birth.

‘Who could it be?’

Who is he to pity me?

Lee Seo-yeon became curious.

About that man.

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– All examinees, please take your seats.

As soon as I entered the auditorium where the exam was being held, I heard a voice over the PA system.

At that sound, the examinees who were outside began to flood in.

I sat roughly in the back and observed the examinees.

Everyone had a clearly nervous demeanor.

But not everyone was nervous; there were some people with confident expressions here and there.

Looking at such people, I opened my inventory to double-check the items I had bought and review my plan once more.

As I was examining the items and thinking about the upcoming exam…

Someone sat down next to me.

“…?”

Out of the many seats, they sat next to me?

I turned my head towards the person who sat next to me, feeling strange.

“…!”

And I couldn’t help but be startled.

“Seo-yeon…?”

Lee Seo-yeon, who should have been sitting in the very front, was sitting next to me.

‘Why?’

Why is she sitting here?

“…Hello.”

Regardless of whether I was puzzled or not, Lee Seo-yeon stared at me and greeted me.

“Oh, oh… Hello.”

And that was it.

After exchanging greetings, Lee Seo-yeon turned her head forward as if she had finished her business.

I couldn’t erase my puzzled feeling at that sight.

She sat next to me just to greet me?

That Lee Seo-yeon?

‘Where did the Lee Seo-yeon I knew go?’

The Lee Seo-yeon in the game.

She was the heroine whose favorability was the hardest to raise.

Perhaps due to the excessive attention from people or the influence of Lee Jung-baek’s excessive protection, she tended to find contact with strangers uncomfortable.

To be precise, she didn’t know how to form connections with others.

So, regardless of whether it was a man or woman approaching her with interest, she rejected their approach with a cold expression and tone.

That’s why her nickname was ‘Ice Princess’.

For some reason, that Lee Seo-yeon took the initiative to approach me and greet me.

Personally, it was good.

But for the situation, it wasn’t good at all.

“Lee Seo-yeon greeted him first?”

“Who is that guy?”

“I’ve never seen him before…”

‘…Oh no.’

This is what happens.

People’s attention was drawn.

I can hear whispers from various places.

Just the fact that Lee Seo-yeon greeted me first has already made people start to take an interest in me.

‘Not good.’

It’s unwanted attention.

I was trying to quietly stay like a common extra since I can’t use the cheat tool yet.

This might make the exam a bit more difficult.

‘But well…’

Does it matter?

It might become a bit harder, but I won’t have a problem passing the exam.

More importantly…

‘Can’t she hear the whispers around her?’

I glanced at Lee Seo-yeon next to me, only moving my eyes.

Lee Seo-yeon, who had been steadfastly looking forward since greeting me.

Judging by that expressionless face with a hint of coldness, she didn’t seem to care at all about the whispers or stares from others.

‘Seeing her like this, she seems like the Lee Seo-yeon I knew.’

Based on the earlier greeting, I’m not sure.

But I do know one thing.

The Lee Seo-yeon from the ‘Arena Academy’ that was a game and the Lee Seo-yeon sitting next to me now are somewhat different.

Well, entering a world that was originally a game is already nonsensical in itself.

Even if Lee Seo-yeon’s behavior is a bit different, I should just accept it.

With that thought in mind, I turned my gaze forward.

– Those who are seated, please put this watch on your wrist.

As the guide holding the microphone said that, a watch that looked like a smartwatch appeared in front of not only me but everyone sitting on the chairs.

As I was putting it on my wrist, someone suddenly appeared in the auditorium with a flash.

“Oh… oh! That person is!”

“The, the Grand Wizard!”

Everyone’s gaze turned upward.

An old man with white hair floating in the air.

Wearing a fluffy white robe like Dumbledore from Harry Potter and having the appearance of a benevolent old man, his name was Yoo Baek.

Like Lee Seo-yeon’s father, the Sword Star, he was one of the transcendents of Korea and had earned the title of Grand Wizard.

And he was also the principal of Arena Academy.

Appearing to start the entrance exam, he brought the wand he was holding to his neck and spoke.

“I welcome all the examinees gathered here.”

As if using magic, his voice was clearly audible despite not speaking loudly.

“I am Yoo Baek, the principal of Arena Academy.”

Who wouldn’t know?

The transcendent and principal of the academy.

The Grand Wizard, Yoo Baek.

Still, as the principal, he introduced himself and warmly welcomed us who wanted to enter the academy.

“We will now begin the exam.”

As the principal said that, he waved his wand once towards the air.

Then, the people sitting on the chairs began to emit light.

“Mass Teleport?!”

“As expected of the Grand Wizard…”

The light emanating from the examinees, including me, was a sign of teleportation.

To simultaneously teleport not just one person, but what seemed to be 3,000 people.

It was indeed a performance befitting a transcendent.

“Everyone, do your best.”

With those words, the scenery changed in an instant.

A ceiling with no sky in sight.

Walls too high to climb without flying.

And multiple branching paths.

The first exam, navigating the maze, had begun.

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