I Became an Illegal Cheat User – Chapter 6

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The final entrance exam.

The ‘Strength Exam’.

An exam to defeat opponents with one’s own strength and skills.

The strength exam varies depending on the number of examinees.

The total number of students admitted to the academy is 300.

If the number of examinees is close to those 300, they have 1:1 matches in a tournament format.

And the principal and instructors give scores, and based on those scores, admission and ranking are determined.

On the other hand, if the number of examinees is not close to 300 but much higher, the exam is conducted in a battle royale format.

Just like now.

“Ah, I want to eat chicken.”

I really want to eat chicken.

And I want to be 1st place in this battle royale.

I looked up at the sky.

[Remaining: 477]

There was a huge hologram screen floating there, showing the ‘Remaining’ in real-time.

And below that, the scores of the examinees were also written.

It was a moment where we could see who eliminated the 23 examinees.

Oh, by the way, the reason I’m in 3rd place is…

Because I found two hidden items.

It hasn’t been long since the exam started.

So how was I, who was transported into a forest filled with trees, able to find the items the instructors had carefully hidden so easily?

My method was nothing special.

You just need to memorize the entire geography of the uninhabited island where the battle royale takes place.

‘It’s not like I’ve played for only 30,000 hours.’

Although it was a game, how many times have I come to this uninhabited island during my 30,000 hours of play?

I haven’t counted exactly, but it must have been at least 10,000 times.

And the characteristic of Korean veterans.

They upload the strategy they struggled to find out to the game community.

Thanks to that, I was able to gather various information and compile it to create a detailed map of this uninhabited island.

And of course, I also uploaded the map I had painstakingly made to the community’s strategy gallery.

‘Because that’s what a veteran does.’

Nod.

With that thought, I nodded my head.

Anyway, regardless of whether I was transported to the middle of the forest, an open field, or near the beach, it doesn’t matter to me.

By memorizing all of the geography, I know where the items are and where the monsters are.

But it was good to be transported to the forest.

Most of the items hidden in the forest are stealth-type items, like the one I’m wearing now.

So it was good if the starting point is in or near the forest.

There are many trees to hide in, and if you equip stealth-type items, it’s advantageous for surprise attacks.

And above all, it even increases the survival rate.

Of course… if you can find the items!

Murmur murmur.

Suddenly, I heard chattering from under the tree.

Hidden on a thick tree branch, I lowered my head to check the source of the commotion.

“…Where the hell are the hidden items?”

“I know, right. Can we even find them?”

“Forget about items, I don’t even see any monsters.”

Three examinees who seemed to know each other were standing under the very tree I was in and chattering.

Judging by the sweat on their faces and their drenched clothes, it seemed like they had been diligently wandering around trying to find hidden items or monsters.

But based on their complaints, it seemed like they hadn’t found a single one.

“Should we just hide?”

“…You think so? Even if we have points or not, as long as we don’t get eliminated, we can pass, right?”

“…Yeah, let’s hide. Those ranked kids on that hologram will reduce the numbers for us anyway.”

Hiding, huh.

‘Looks like they’ve given up on searching.’

The items were indeed carefully hidden.

‘Just search a little more.’

Even if not items, the monsters they’re looking for can be found just a little further from here, so I felt sorry for them.

But they’ve given up on searching any further and chosen to hide.

‘Well, surviving by hiding is also a method.’

As long as they move at least 1m every 10 minutes, they won’t be automatically eliminated.

But you see,

Are you the only examinees who thought of that?

And did the principal who hosted the exam not think of that?

Beep, beep.

“…What’s that sound?”

“Oh… it sounds like an alarm?”

“…Where is it coming from?”

The trio looked around at the sudden sound.

I turned my gaze away from them and looked at the smartwatch on my wrist.

[The set timer has ended.]

[Set timer time: 30 minutes]

The set time had arrived.

I turned off the alarm ringing from my smartwatch and got up from the tree branch to stretch my stiff body from hiding.

I’ll have to move diligently soon.

“Where is it! Where are you hiding!”

“Come out! Don’t hide and come out!”

“If you come out now, we won’t eliminate you, so obediently come out.”

Regardless of the trio searching their surroundings and shouting at the top of their lungs, I took out a small leather pouch containing something and a gas mask that covered the nose and mouth from my inventory.

What was the reason I set the timer as soon as the exam started?

And why did I set it to exactly 30 minutes?

Ding.

The smartwatch will tell you the reason.

[30 minutes have passed since the exam started.]

[Remaining: 452]

[Confirmed that a large number of examinees are still surviving]

[Activating the ‘device’ for the quick progress of the exam.]

A message flew on to the screen of the smartwatch.

And at the same time as the message saying the ‘device’ had been activated disappeared,

A huge dome made of an electric field the size of the island was created.

And soon after…

Zap zap zap!

The dome, flowing with blue electricity, began to contract with a menacing sound.

“Wh-What is that!”

“…No, there was nothing about this in the exam guide!”

“Hey, you bastards! Stop blabbering and run inside!!”

Seeing the menacing approaching dome, the trio gave up on finding the source of the alarm sound and tried to run away.

But unfortunately, they won’t be able to escape.

Because I will make sure of that.

“Where do you think you’re running to?”

“”…!””

Startled by my voice, the trio quickly raised their heads.

And upon discovering me on the tree branch, their eyes widened.

Watching their reactions, I threw the leather pouch I had taken out from my inventory towards the ground with all my might.

Poof!

The leather pouch burst open, and green powder spread in all directions.

The trio, without any chance to react, were completely covered in the green powder.

“Wh-What is this…!”

“M-My body won’t move…”

“Y-You… cowardly…”

The trio collapsed with their bodies stiffly paralyzed.

What was the green powder that made them fall and unable to move?

That’s right.

It was poison.

A locally produced paralytic poison.

And I made it myself.

On this uninhabited island, the battle royale area, there are special things besides hidden items.

Listing them all would be too many, so to limit it to the forest where I’m standing,

There are various ingredients such as plants and mushrooms used to make potions scattered around.

Even now, if you look around carefully…

You can find in this place this poisonous mushroom that instantly paralyzed the trio.

The spores that burst out from the leather pouch were near me too, but…

I had no problem.

Hiss… hiss…

Because I was wearing a gas mask.

And it was one engraved with a purification spell.

Snicker.

“Cowardly, my ass.”

Talking about being cowardly in a battle royale.

What a ridiculous guy.

I looked at the guy with contempt.

“P-Please spare us.”

Perhaps imagining something from my sneer, the trio begged for their lives with frightened faces.

“…”

What the hell are these guys saying?

“Oh, geez.”

Feeling absurd, I let out a hollow laugh and came down from the tree branch.

Those guys were getting more and more terrified.

I approached the trio.

And squatting down in front of one of the guys, I said,

“Hey, why are you asking me to spare you? I have no intention of killing you guys.”

If they were Fallen Ones, that was another story.

But why would I kill kids who were no different from ordinary extras?

When I spoke with the intention of reassuring them, the guys’ expressions somewhat eased.

But their fear-stricken faces remained the same.

I wondered why, but then…

“…Th-That electric field is closing in.”

“R-Right. If we’re paralyzed like this, we, we won’t be able to avoid the electric field.”

They thought they might die from the dome’s electric field that was gradually approaching.

“…”

What the, these bastards.

Are they saying that seriously?

“You guys don’t actually think you’ll die if you touch the electric field, right?”

“…I-Isn’t that so?”

“Look at that menacing electric field. It looks like it’ll fry us to a crisp if we touch it…”

…They were being serious.

‘What were these bastards thinking when they tried to enter the academy?’

Even though the academy’s exams changed every time, they took the exam without any information.

“Sigh.”

Sighing deeply at their pathetic state, I kindly informed them as I stood up.

“That electric field of the dome only depletes the HP of the protection magic on your bracelets, you know? It doesn’t pose any harm to your life, so just lie there comfortably.”

As I turned my back after saying that, the guys shouted,

“No, but still, untie us!”

“That’s right! Untie us!”

“What the hell.”

I ignored those guys’ cries and ran forward.

While running, I opened my inventory and took out a leather pouch containing the same bomb mushrooms as before.

Two in each hand, for a total of four.

Holding the pouches, I threw them at every person I saw while running.

Bang! Bang! Poof!

“Ack! What is this!”

“Sh-Shit! My body!”

“Which bastard did this─!!”

Screams and curses were rampant from all directions.

The green powder spread quickly in the forest.

Swatting away the green powder, I kept throwing the pouches.

Throw. Refill.

Throw. Refill.

Continuously until all the pouches I had stored in my inventory were gone.

‘I have a lot of bomb pouches prepared.’

And other things too.

But for now, with just these bomb mushroom pouches…

It will be enough to reach the center where the main and supporting characters will gather.

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