Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

28th Gang

28th Gang

A notice came from the academy.

A letter stamped with Vice-Principal Chiron’s seal contained several sentences.

About the results of the inter-grade tournament victory and,

About the true intentions behind the request to meet the Chairman.

‘I have to go.’

It was a letter sent by the Vice-Principal himself.

There was no way to refuse, and especially if I could get information about the Chairman, it would be beneficial.

That was while walking towards the Vice-Principal’s office, located in the lecture hall.

“Oh? Herak.”

“Hmm?”

A woman with braided black hair.

Berry, who I knew, greeted me as she saw me in the same building.

“What are you doing here? Got business?”

“A bit with the Vice-Principal. What about you?”

“Me? Don’t even ask. I’m being unfairly suspected.”

Suspected?

When I looked at her with a questioning gaze, Berry slowly explained.

“Recently, they’re picking on me, saying my skills have improved so much. Accusing me of using sorcery or doping, all sorts of suspicions are flying around.”

“……Isn’t that similar?”

“No!”

Berry’s sudden skill improvement was thanks to the 【Werewolf’s Blood】.

I’d almost finished the 【Werewolf Processing】 I’d commissioned.

So, she’d harvested and ingested it to boost her stats.

Therefore, in a way, the professor’s suspicion is pretty accurate, but…

“Isn’t it ridiculous? I just ate the byproducts of item alchemy legitimately, absolutely not with any malicious intent…”

“Okay, you can stop talking.”

Her words, tumbling out like a torrent, held not a shred of shame.

She genuinely seemed proud of drinking the 【Werewolf Blood】.

No, more accurately, it felt like she was proud that *I* gave her the item.

‘I don’t get it.’

It suddenly felt like her evaluation of me had gone up.

“Anyway, that’s why I came. I’m gonna go now.”

“Okay. Good work.”

“Oh, wait a sec. Right now…”

“?”

She trailed off mid-sentence.

Berry reached into her pocket, then shook her head and left.

“Never mind. See ya later.”

“Okay.”

I roughly said goodbye and started walking towards the Vice Principal’s office.

A thought suddenly struck me.

‘…See ya later?’

When and where did she expect to see me?

*

“Welcome.”

Vice Principal Chiron greeted me with a business-like demeanor.

Ice floated in the simple coffee placed on the table.

It was nearing early summer, a time when cold things become appealing.

I sat down and took a sip of coffee as Chiron began.

“First, congratulations on winning the inter-grade exchange. Thanks to that, your expulsion crisis has also been averted.”

“Well, I’ll do what I have to. So now no one can dispute my continued enrollment?”

“Right. If anything, since you’ve created this new concept of a battle mage, the academy will probably try to keep you enrolled.”

For the first time, the whole battle mage thing was actually appealing.

Good thing I don’t have to worry about getting expelled and dying now.

Kiron paused there, then picked up a crystal ball from the desk.

The blue-glowing crystal was used for communication.

“And about your recent request… I heard from Ruby that you wanted to meet with the headmaster. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

“I heard she was the one who got me into Olympia. I’d like to hear the reason directly from her.”

“Hmm…”

Kiron swallowed a groan.

He put the crystal ball back down, taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee.

He seemed to have something to consider.

“Your enrollment was a year ago now. I was quite surprised when the headmaster enrolled you back then too.”

“Did she give you a reason?”

“She said you were fated to die if you were outside the academy. Something about your body being unable to withstand it.”

“……”

A clue about Herak’s past actions had surfaced.

I already knew I’d die if I was outside the academy.

That’s a setting mentioned in the original story.

So the key phrase is, “your body being unable to withstand it.”

‘It’s definitely linked to the mana insensitivity.’

Considering the physical cheat came with my possession of this body.

Since Herak was originally just mana insensitive, this is likely the direct cause of academy expulsion equalling death.

“Could you elaborate more?”

“No. You’re a student personally brought here by the headmaster. I can’t reveal everything. You’ll have to ask her directly.”

“…I see.”

This is the end of it, I guess.

Still, this alone is a big gain.

I need something to bring up during a conversation with the headmaster.

Kiron, seeming relieved by my agreement, scratched at his temple and muttered,

“I was truly surprised. The Chairman is so busy securing magic stones, I thought you had something urgent.”

“But didn’t he already find the magic stone? There shouldn’t be any need to worry so much.”

“……Hm? Why do you think so?”

Kiron froze for a moment.

His gaze sharpened, piercing into me.

‘Damn it.’

The magic stone at the Olympia Academy’s central tower.

The one that fosters the environment for growth, now aging, and why the Chairman was on a business trip searching for a replacement.

And that at this point, he’d found one.

This wasn’t common knowledge among all students yet.

I clicked my tongue inwardly, quickly making up a reason.

“I heard recently that the ‘Monster Festival’ is being held. While there’s always a festival at the end of the first semester, this is the first time they’re collaborating with an outside group that trains monsters.”

“……”

“They’re mainly focused on entertainment like circuses, which is far from Olympia’s educational policy. And yet they were specifically invited, meaning…”

“……There must be a reason we had to work with them, yes. You caught on well. Impressive.”

Kiron sighed.

He then took a sip of his coffee, looking quite troubled.

“Yes. The Chairman made inquiries, but to no avail. It’s hard to find a magic stone powerful enough to cover the entire academy.”

“……”

“But the group hosting the Monster Festival, ‘Monstease,’ made a preemptive offer. They’d give it to us for this price, if we let them host the festival.”

It was a plot point mentioned in ＜The Song of Swords and Magic＞ as well.

The Monster Festival, an event in the final act.

That this kind of situation was tangled within it.

“However, in exchange, they asked to use the academy grounds for the festival and for the instructors to take leave to avoid interference, which is troubling. …Well, it’s not something I should be telling you.”

Kiron cut himself off there and stood up.

It must mean he wanted me to leave.

Just as I was about to open the door and leave, Kiron said as if he had just remembered,

“……Come to think of it. You were going to duel with Apollo, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You sure about this?”

“……”

Kiron’s eyes, as he spoke, held a profound seriousness.

How many student duels had he witnessed until now?

He’d surely seen his share of dirty tricks in the process.

“It’s not just a fight between two of you. It’s about the pride of the departments, and that means intervention from other students is common. You…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I cut him off, opening the door.

Kiron’s concern is pointless.

Would I, who’s played the original 10,000 hours, not know that?

“I know it all.”

I’d assessed it all, and even considering that, I saw a chance of victory.

*

────────────────

【Herak Leonhardt】

s*x: Male

Age: 21

Status: 2nd Year, Olympia Academy

※ Stats

Strength: 2.28

Stamina: 2.31

Agility: 2.26

Mana Capacity: 10

Mana Efficiency: 10

Mana Sensitivity: 0

※ Unique

【Ultimate Physique】

【Twelve Constellation Fist】

────────────────

Strength, Stamina, and Agility keep rising.

It’s still a bit before the stat reaches 3, but at this rate, it’ll get there soon enough.

If I can get it to 2.5 before the duel with Apollo, it should be enough to hold my own in a brawl.

Before that, I can focus on ‘elemental infusion’ and squeeze in some training whenever I have time—

“…….”

Clomp, clomp.

The main building, empty of students, was pretty desolate.

I walk down the hallway, only the sound of my footsteps echoing, and focus on my surroundings.

“……Tch.”

Even with enhanced vision, they’re hard to spot.

But hearing is different.

My eardrums, consciously heightened, hammer the interior of the building into my mind.

‘Two on the left, two on the right, one around the corner straight ahead.’

There are a lot of them.

No need to ask who they are.

Who else would be so much bigger than a mage, and gathering in packs like this, waiting for me?

“Couldn’t even wait and started messing with me?”

I shout loud enough for them to hear.

I finish my sentence and wait silently, and the guys emerge from the end of the hallway, one by one.

Students from the Knight Department.

Apollo’s goons.

“Isn’t this a bit much? We haven’t even dueled yet and you’re already interfering?”

“It’s unavoidable. We’re just following Apollo’s orders.”

“What remarkable loyalty.”

The student who answered looks pretty strong.

His name was probably Sybil.

He’s 4th place in the Knight Department’s second year, so just dealing with him alone won’t be easy.

And with all the lackeys here, it’s become quite a nuisance.

Crack—

They crack their knuckles.

As if they’re threatening me, or just warming up.

I clicked my tongue, watching them approach.

“You sure you can handle the consequences? Sure, this kind of tactic is common, but going this big? You won’t be able to handle it.”

“It doesn’t matter. Ultimately, it’s Apollo’s victory that counts. We who get punished aren’t important.”

“…….”

So, they were disposable pawns for Apollo’s victory.

They knew it, yet remained so indifferent, probably out of resignation.

Whether it was for grades.

Or because Apollo held some kind of leverage over them.

Unable to resist, they followed orders.

In a way, they were pitiful.

‘But that doesn’t mean I should go easy on them.’

Work is work, personal life is personal life.

Even if they didn’t want to be on the battlefield, the moment they faced me, they were enemies.

Whatever their circumstances, they still posed a threat to me.

Clench.

I made a fist.

The guys wielding wooden swords formed a semicircle around me.

I met their eyes one by one, calculating their strength.

They were top-tier opponents, starting from 4th place.

Compared to Jackson, some were weaker, but if they came at me as a pack with the intent to kill, I wouldn’t win without taking some damage.

I could tell just by their eyes.

Their fierce gazes held a willingness to break their own limbs if it meant they could cripple one of mine before dying.

So, thinking coldly, it might be smarter to avoid this confrontation.

It’d be difficult to win perfectly, without hampering my chances in the tournament.

But.

“Come.”

It was worth a try.