I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 2

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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What could you say about Cheon Yoo-hak?

He was inherently selfish, a character who lived for his own superiority. However, surprisingly, I didn’t remember many readers disliking him thanks to his good family background, innate talent, and handsome appearance.

Well, things changed a bit later on, but for now, the important thing was that he was a guy who lived for his own self-importance.

So when this incident originally occurred, Cheon Yoo-hak decided not to intervene, saying he didn’t need to step up to deal with an Orc. He even mocked the protagonist, saying that taking care of lower-class monsters suited him.

After the incident was resolved, the novel’s early development involved him starting an argument with the protagonist’s group for not stepping up despite having the ability to do so.

But now, he ignored the original plot and attacked the Orc that was pushing the protagonist back.

Why?

“A mutated monster is not a bad first hunt for me at the academy.”

Ah, so he just wanted to show off by defeating the mutated monster that appeared at the entrance ceremony.

His love for showing off remained unchanged.

Hmm, I acted on impulse, but the plot had changed quite a bit more than I expected, hadn’t it?

There were two Orcs now, and they were being handled by an instructor and the protagonists, so they were probably going to be defeated without any problems.

The cadets who were supposed to die in the explosion had all survived.

Moreover, the other cadets who were supposed to be in chaos, shocked by the deaths and their first sight of a real monster, were strangely calm now. Some were even openly cheering for the protagonist and the instructor.

In other words, the terrorists’ plan had practically failed.

Well, of course, their original goal was to prove that the academy wasn’t an impenetrable fortress, and in that sense, they had succeeded. But considering the nature of the group that caused this incident, they would definitely be gnashing their teeth right now and consider this operation a failure.

“If you’re injured, don’t push yourself and stay back!”

Cheon Yoo-hak overtook Lilac and plunged his spear, longer than his own height, into the Orc’s head.

“Hmm, I thought it would be about mid-rank, but it turned out to be nothing special.”

Cheon Yoo-hak, who trampled on the dead Orc, looked at the onlookers with a haughty attitude, showing his skills off.

By the way, a person capable of hunting the monster Cheon Yoo-hak just easily defeated could make a living as a private hunter or adventurer.

Conversely, it meant that not just anyone could defeat that monster so easily.

Well, Cheon Yoo-hak wasn’t just anyone. He was a warrior born with the talent of Peerless Warrior, and one of the two protagonists of this novel.

Peerless Warrior.

An A-rank talent that granted him proficiency in all kinds of weapons and martial arts, and a crazy ability that made him stronger the more he fought and the more enemies he faced.

The description might not seem that impressive, but in this world where magic existed, perfected martial arts were not to be underestimated.

Almost simultaneously, the remaining Orc was also defeated by the recovered instructor.

Lilac was smiling, relieved that no one was hurt, and Cheon Yoo-hak was also smiling, seemingly pleased with his performance.

Perhaps it was due to seeing the corpses of the defeated monsters, or maybe it was the smiling protagonists, but the fact that they survived finally struck me.

I suddenly felt a strange pang of guilt for twisting the world my friend had painstakingly conceived and created, even if it was a failed novel.

It was really unpopular, but knowing how much effort he had put into making this world, I felt a bit bitter.

“Is it over?”

But then, someone among the onlookers started chanting a magic spell. I didn’t know who it was.

-The Creator is displeased with the alteration of the world.-

What the hell?

-Intervening and correcting the distorted event.-

Wait, so that means I was supposed to die…?

The atmosphere was cheerful. Judging by the fact that no one was expressing anxiety, this annoying voice seemed to be audible only to me.

The word “Creator” suddenly brought my friend’s image to mind.

What would he do if I meddled with his novel and changed it on my own?

If I knew him, he would try to get the novel back on track.

Or he might get spiteful and write an even bigger disaster to mock me. As if to say that my useless actions caused an even greater disaster.

Specifically, that meant there was a possibility that he might kill even more students out of spite.

-Correction complete. Exceeded authority. The Creator can no longer intervene in this episode.-

I saw another figure entering through the hole in the outer wall.

The professors who were almost freed from their confinement, and the two protagonists who had defeated the monsters at the forefront, all turned their attention to the figure.

“Haha.”

He glanced at the crowd as if enjoying their attention, then showed a displeased expression.

“I didn’t expect that no one would die. Is this truly Reilan Academy, the best among the academies?”

Wow, that line was so cheesy…

Despite the cheesy line, everyone in the auditorium was focused on the man who appeared.

Well, it was understandable to be interested when the apparent mastermind suddenly appeared after everyone thought it was over.

But this wasn’t the time for that.

Kongji, we’re screwed.*

No, Yoo-hak, Lilac, we’re screwed…!

Even though I couldn’t see his face because of the ridiculous rabbit mask and the robe he was wearing, I knew who he was.

According to my memory as one of the few readers who had read this disastrous novel to the latest chapter and mastered the character settings thanks to my friend-of-the-author privileges, there was only one person who would wear such a crappy rabbit mask in this novel.

The culprit of this terrorist attack and the main villain of the early part of the novel, the psychopathic pleasure-killer.

It had to be Choi In-ho.

“Are you the culprit?”

“Does it look that way?”

“Cadet Cheon Yoo-hak. Cadet Lilac. Thank you for your efforts in suppressing the situation and preventing it from escalating, but please step back for now. It’s too dangerous for you two.”

“Hmm, good. Talented children are always dazzling. With the talent to defeat a mutated monster at such a young age, how much stronger will you become over time? How much more will you be able to do given the chance?”

“Stop talking nonsense. If you surrender now, although your crime of targeting the students is serious, considering there were no casualties, we will show some leniency and spare you from execution.”

“Oh, that’s tempting.”

He was probably laughing hysterically behind that ridiculous rabbit mask.

“No need, so cut the crap.”

The moment he extended a staff from within his robe, a pre-prepared spell erupted.

It was a surprise attack, but more than that, the instructor’s body burst into flames from the powerful magic.

“…!?”

…Seriously! He’s an instructor, so how could he get hit by a surprise attack like that?

“Haha, well, my talent isn’t that great, so I don’t expect to kill him with this, but it should hurt quite a bit, right? At least he won’t be able to interfere with me for a while.”

As he said, his talent wasn’t that great.

A low-grade dark mage with the common talent of Dark Magic, and even then, only C-rank.

Dark Magic was a combat-type talent, but it wasn’t particularly rare, and it didn’t have anything special compared to other talents. It was a really common and easily found talent.

So, he was, in fact, insignificant compared to those born with A-rank talents like Lilac and Cheon Yoo-hak standing before him.

“Now then, let’s… Oh?”

He was about to face Cheon Yoo-hak and Lilac with a grin, but he then lost his composure.

Because the momentum of Cheon Yoo-hak’s spear thrust was sharper than he had anticipated.

“It seems my reputation will rise quite a bit if I catch you.”

“Huh, this is… Ugh…!?“

Before he could regain his stance, he rolled on the floor to avoid Lilac’s slash that came from the side.

“If you value your life, put out that fire and surrender now.”

“This is… Really, this is…”

He groaned while facing the two geniuses.

The surrounding people were cheering as the two geniuses cornered the villain, but I was the only one who knew how dangerous the current situation was.

In terms of pure talent, he was no match for the two protagonists.

But there was one thing he had that the protagonists didn’t.

Later on, no, even by the middle of the story, it wouldn’t matter, but right now, it was something that could allow even someone without talent to overwhelm the two protagonists.

It was practical experience.

What Choi In-ho hated the most.

Was strong talent.

It was natural, since he felt inferior for not having it and believed that all his failures were due to a lack of it.

In fact, the reason he committed this terrorist attack was to crush young talents.

How many people would believe him if he said he caused this incident simply to satisfy his own base desires?

It was then that his atmosphere changed.

“This is…”

“Stop repeating the same thing!”

“Wait…!”

Lilac, being the main protagonist, seemed to have sensed something strange, but Cheon Yoo-hak, thinking it was just a stalling tactic, thrust his spear without hesitation.

And that was his downfall.

“This is fucking annoying.”

At that moment, a second magic tool emerged from his robe, and a lightning bolt pierced Cheon Yoo-hak’s shoulder.

“Orb…!”

An Orb.

A treasure coveted by anyone with magic-related talent.

It could store several pre-determined spells, and although the power was slightly reduced, it allowed for instant casting without any calculations, making its value in actual combat undeniable.

“Ha, shit. I aimed for the heart, but he twisted his body to avoid it? Talented brats make me sick every time I see them.”

Although he avoided a fatal blow, Cheon Yoo-hak wouldn’t be able to move for a while since a lightning bolt had pierced his body.

No, it was more accurate to say that he was still alive because he was Cheon Yoo-hak. An ordinary person would have died the moment they were pierced.

Someone stepped forward to stop Choi In-ho, who seemed intent on finishing off the fallen Cheon Yoo-hak, as he raised the Orb.

Lilac.

The first protagonist of this novel and a character of absolute good.

The name of his talent was The Most Righteous Holy Sword, an A-rank talent just like Cheon Yoo-hak’s Peerless Warrior.

Unlike Cheon Yoo-hak’s simple but powerful Peerless Warrior, Lilac’s was quite unique.

All actions he performed with a sword received additional buffs, and any object he recognized and grasped as a sword could be used as a weapon imbued with holy and sword attributes.

“So, are you stronger than your friend rolling around on the floor?”

Lilac didn’t answer.

He was probably wary that even a response could trigger magic.

“Answer when an adult asks you a question, brat!”

“Hmph…!”

A holy aura enveloped the sword in his hand, bisecting the incoming fire magic.

“No, what the hell? There are two of these monstrous brats? One survives a lightning strike and glares back at me, and the other cuts magic with a sword? Are these guys crazy?”

Actually, I didn’t like Lilac’s character very much.

The embodiment of self-sacrifice that couldn’t exist in reality.

A hero who never crumbled despite hardships, who always rose again even after failing and being criticized, and who would ultimately defeat the enemy.

But at the same time, because of his creator, he was a character who couldn’t properly save anyone and who could only reflect on himself in despair until the very end.

I didn’t like that aspect of him.

It was the same now.

He was struggling to save his rival in front of an enemy he couldn’t defeat yet, but he wouldn’t be able to save Cheon Yoo-hak in the end.

Even if he somehow managed to save him, he won’t be praised for it.

This novel was originally structured that way.

It was unlikely that one of the two protagonists would be retired so early, but if left alone, wouldn’t that handsome face end up with a big scar?

He was doing a good job defending against the magic, but that was all.

Choi In-ho still had a hidden card.

He had a second Orb hidden inside his robe.

The magic contained within it was Hellfire, a 5th-tier fire spell.

Orbs normally wore down with use, and the more powerful the sealed magic was, the faster they broke. So people would normally refrain from sealing such a spell. But Choi In-ho was a crazy guy who committed terrorist attacks just to relieve his stress.

In other words, he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to do such crazy things.

The problem was that Hellfire was a level of magic the current protagonists couldn’t defend against.

At best, they would only be able to save themselves.

Choi In-ho created some distance.

“You held on pretty well, but it’s time to end this!”

Lilac’s face crumpled as he saw the second Orb in Choi In-ho’s hand.

He must have sensed the ominous energy.

If Lilac dodged, depending on the strength of the magic, the auditorium could burn down, injuring not only the instructor and the Cheon Yoo-hak, but also the other students.

Was that why? Even though Lilac instinctively realized he couldn’t block this magic, he gripped his sword even tighter.

Again, I didn’t like Lilac’s character.

A virtuous person who didn’t expect any reward for his actions, and a hot-blooded man who wouldn’t tolerate injustice even if he lacked the ability to prevent it.

He wasn’t exactly a popular character type these days, was he?

So, I remembered often giving my friend advice about Lilac when he was writing the novel.

Nevertheless, my friend never changed the concept of absolute good that formed the basis of Lilac’s character.

So.

That was enough reason for me to step in.

Kang So-hyun.

The character I was possessing, the character modeled after me.

A character who, like the protagonists, possessed an A-rank talent, but it had such severe penalties that it was rarely usable, making it a double-edged sword.

However, rarely usable also meant that it could be used at least once.

I didn’t know what my friend would think about my actions, but I didn’t want to see the character he had painstakingly created despair and be resented right before my eyes.

Besides.

“I told you, half-baked depressing stories aren’t popular.”

Cheesy? So what if it was cheesy? Cheesy clichés were more popular than half-baked depressing stories.

“It’s too late! Burn and die…!”

An unstoppable attack.

“Don’t worry, you can block it.”

It was a rather blunt thing to say to the protagonist who was about to close his eyes and accept his defeat, but it was enough since it wasn’t meant for him to hear.

He wouldn’t be able to hear it anyway, with the distance between us.

For a brief moment, I wondered if I could really use the power of a character in the novel, but talent was talent because it could be instinctively understood and used.

My perception of time slowed, and the blood in my body began to circulate rapidly.

The sensation of severing a part of the vast energy contained deep within my body.

A fatigue akin to pain washed over me, but the power I gained in return was not to be underestimated.

Enhancement.

An ability close to omnipotence that allowed one to draw out a higher level of power from anything, regardless of the target, settled upon The Most Righteous Holy Sword.

Perhaps it was because I felt that sensation.

Even facing the flames that were said to burn even the soul, I felt no fear.

The light dwelling within the holy sword became a slash that cleaved the hellish flames.

With that sight being the last thing I saw, the world spun and gradually darkened.

It was because I had consumed my innate Qi, my life force, as the price for using my talent…

“Ah, shit. This really… fucking hurts…”

It hurt a hell of a lot more than I thought.

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T/N – Dang, what an opening scene for an academy novel! Still, my wish to punch the MC’s friend in the face grows with each chapter. “Creator” seems to suggest that the MC’s friend is the one behind the scene making things difficult for the MC. With a friend like that, who needs enemies?

*Literally translates to “Kongjwi, we’re screwed”. I tried to search up what this was referencing but all I saw was the Korean folklore about Kongjwi and Patjwi which is basically Korea’s version of Cinderella. You guys can check it out if you’re interested. I still have no clue why the MC is referencing it in this context though.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.