I Became an Illegal Cheat User

118 – Fifth Cheat (2)

[‘Infinite Mana’ has been activated.]

In the center of my vision.

A message appeared above the cheat tool.

And below it, the cheat tool, now semi-transparent, underwent a transformation.

It was none other than.

[●] Infinite Mana [ON / OFF]

As the cheat was unlocked, a light illuminated the round dot.

“There will be no more worries about running out of mana.”

Even if I transmit large objects.

Even if I expand my vision to 392 km, the limit of my clairvoyance.

Even if I move 33 or more objects with telekinesis.

There will be no pain in my heart from a lack of mana.

No more dizziness from overdosing on mana potions.

“Good, very good.”

I feel satisfied.

A smile escapes my lips.

And indeed.

While the reward settlement is quite enjoyable,

Unlocking the cheat feels even better.

As I thought this, I brought my finger to the message obscuring the cheat tool to activate the cheats. And the moment I closed the message.

Ding.

As if it had been waiting, another message appeared alongside the system alarm.

[Confirmation: Five cheats have been unlocked.]

But somehow.

The message felt strange.

[According to the input process, I will check the eligibility for the next cheat unlock.]

“…What?”

Wait a minute.

Eligibility check?

“Suddenly?”

It felt as if they were about to impose restrictions.

I looked at the ominous message with anxious eyes.

At the same time, I felt an unknown, intangible energy wrapping around my body.

And not long after.

The intangible energy that had been scanning my body disappeared.

[Verification complete.]

And beneath that.

As if to confirm my foreboding feeling.

[Eligibility for the next cheat unlock: Not met.]

[Due to unmet eligibility, the granting of cheat usage rights (choice rights, random rights) will be suspended from this moment.]

“…….”

The shocking message about the suspension of cheat usage rights occupied the center of my vision.

No, why?

Why?

I stared at the incomprehensible message with eyes full of questions.

But the message seemed to be a one-sided notification.

It didn’t appear again. It didn’t provide me with any answers.

So I asked.

“…Tera, what’s this message? Why is the granting of usage rights being suspended?”

To a being who seems to know about this notification.

[Master, please wait a moment. I will check and return shortly.]

Tera.

If she is a kind of system, she should know.

I waited quietly and calmly for her to return with the information she promised.

And shortly after.

[I have returned with the confirmation.]

The message from Tera, who had vanished to verify, reappeared.

I immediately asked her the reason behind it.

“What’s the reason?”

[Upon checking the applied values in the process, there was a ‘confirmation of your rank.’]

Confirmation of my rank?

So that intangible energy scanning my body earlier was for that.

And that means…

“My rank is too low, so the cheat usage rights have been suspended?”

[Yes, that is correct.]

“So to receive the usage rights again, I need to raise my rank?”

[Yes, that is how the values are applied in the process.]

“……”

I need to raise my rank, huh…

From upper-tier to top-tier, no less.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escapes me.

“How long has it been since I became upper-tier?”

Hoo, a sigh involuntarily escapes.

Even though my infinite energy is activated, I feel exhausted.

“Tera, if I may ask… is it possible to change the process?”

Before I could even finish my question.

[It is not possible.]

A message filled with denial came straight from Terra.

“…Yeah, I suppose so.”

Well, it makes sense.

No matter how much Terra is a kind of system, a true copy of Gaia.

It can’t change the processes set by the real Gaia.

“Sigh.”

It can’t be helped.

With no other options, I have no choice but to comply.

Still, since it wasn’t stopped without reason, my dissatisfaction isn’t that great.

After confirming the level, the usage rights were suspended.

The fact that the real Gaia set the system’s processes like that means.

It indicates that the next cheat unlock is dangerous for me.

So, for now, I’ll shake off the disappointment of not being able to unlock cheats.

“…I should look into the infinite mana effect.”

Activating the newly unlocked cheat.

I decided to enjoy this moment.

Thinking that, I tapped my fingers rapidly.

Close, close, I closed the messages visible in my view.

As all the messages disappeared.

And as the cheat tool, which had turned translucent, became clear, I immediately touched infinite mana.

I switched the toggle from ‘OFF’ to ‘ON.’

Then, with a thump, my heart raced violently, and the magical energy within me vanished.

No, to be precise…

“…Should I call this a connection?”

It merged.

My magical energy with the energy in the air.

“So this is what infinite mana feels like.”

What a fascinating sensation.

To describe this feeling… well.

I feel like a water bottle plugged into a dispenser.

A water jug that never runs dry.

I nodded thoughtfully at the fitting image that popped into my mind and opened the status window.

And then I checked how the magic power had changed.

[Magic Power: 93(+150)(+???)]

Next to the value that had risen from the item, a new figure appeared.

It seems that the ‘???’ value is infinite mana.

“…By the way.”

Throb, throb.

A pulsing sensation felt in my heart.

Is there nothing I can do about this?

I grimaced at the pain that had been present since I activated the infinite mana.

It’s not as severe as the pain when magic consumption skyrockets or when my mana is completely depleted, but it’s still annoyingly bothersome.

“Could it be that using skills makes it worse?”

I decided to test it right away.

I opened my inventory.

I summoned 100 mini-guns, the Angel of Death, around me.

I didn’t feel any sensation of magic being consumed.

And I didn’t feel any increase in pain.

So this time, I tried using telekinesis.

Whoosh─, clatter, clatter.

The 100 mini-guns sprawled on the floor floated into the air.

Again, there was no sensation of magic being consumed.

At the same time, there was no feeling of increased pain.

“…It seems this throbbing is just a constant state.”

Having confirmed that there was no change even when using skills, I placed the floating guns back into my inventory.

Ding.

And to understand the feeling when I deactivate the cheat, I decided to turn off the infinite mana.

The magic that had vanished while merging with the ambient mana returned to its original state.

The pain, the throbbing felt in my heart, completely disappeared.

“Surely, is this the limit of pain?”

It can’t be.

When I think of the cheat to remove the speed limit, it can’t possibly be just this.

With a gaze full of doubt, I activated the infinite mana cheat again.

Ding-dong, with the sound of the cheat activating, my magical power vanished once more.

And then, throb, the pain that had disappeared began to return.

Feeling that pain, I moved my body.

A light stretch, perhaps.

I turned this way and that, spinning around to look at my surroundings.

Nothing seemed amiss.

My heart didn’t race any faster, nor did I feel any life-threatening danger like when the speed limit was lifted.

No such problems arose.

“Is this really the end of the limit?”

…That would be amazing, right?

Even if the pain was a bit bothersome.

If the limit is just this, it’s quite good….

Pachin.

…Just as I thought it was a cheat, I heard something shatter above my head.

I looked up at the sound.

Pachin, pachin, pachin.

One by one, the protective magic circles that the principal had set up at my request were being destroyed in my line of sight.

In the face of such a sudden phenomenon, I thought, could it be? and deactivated the infinite mana.

As if waiting for that moment, the destruction of the protective magic circles came to a halt.

“…….”

Seeing that scene, I realized what the true limit was.

But just to be sure.

Ding-dong.

I activated the cheat again.

Pachin, pachin!

The destruction had stopped.

The protective magic circle, which had been riddled with cracks, began to shatter once more.

Ding.

It was deactivated.

Silence returned.

“Ha.”

This cheat is just like the speed limit removal.

“…I can’t use it where there are people.”

Especially not in a battlefield; it seems even more impossible there.

No, I could use it. Just like last time at the outpost, if I were alone.

“Still…, it’s not as dangerously extreme as the speed limit removal.”

I should think of it positively.

I let out a short sigh and checked my smartwatch.

The timer I had set was running low.

I should probably get out of here soon.

“Principal…, just a moment.”

Now that I think about it.

There’s still something I need to check.

“I almost left without confirming the cheat.”

I reopened the inventory I had closed.

And inside, I found the upgrade I had made.

A golden spear adorned with a red flag.

I took out the ‘Singing Spear of Courage (S).’

Vroom, vroom.

The spear in my hand resonated.

At the same time, waves of scarlet and purple mixed and spread out in all directions.

Feeling my strength surge, I swung the spear in short, powerful arcs.

“Oh.”

As expected, an S-rank item.

It fits in my hand like a glove, just like the Volg, and I really like that.

But then.

“I can’t hear the ego voice.”

Astra responded right away.

Why can’t I hear this one?

“Is it because the level is too low?”

Despite being limited by the same level.

Some are heard, while others are not.

For a moment, I found this puzzling,

but I understood once I thought of Iseryeon and Asher.

It’s only natural, considering they’re upper-tier even without hearing the ego voice of their weapons.

And Astra is unique from other S-rank weapons, so it makes sense.

Thud.

As I swung the gitter this way, pondering,

I put the sword away in the inventory as is.

Then, I reached out to ‘Levatain,’ which was taking up one slot in the inventory,

but stopped midway due to a sudden thought.

“…Is this okay here?”

Even though it was only briefly exposed in the dorm,

all the items in the room, as well as the cleanliness and protective magic circles, were completely destroyed.

What if I take out the weapon completely?

For a few minutes?

“Won’t the entire Infinite Library burn down?”

I looked up at the protective magic circle of the headmaster.

“Swoosh… I’m worried.”

The protective magic circles, which were fine just a moment ago, now have gold all over them.

Due to the limitation and drawback of infinite mana,

they’re on the verge of destruction.

Seeing those protective magic circles, I looked around.

“It should be fine.”

The headmaster’s treasured books have already been taken care of,

so it should be fine to take out Levatain, right?

Ah, I want to check.

I want to know how good the grip of Levatain is.

I pondered for a moment.

But such pondering didn’t last long.

“It should be fine.”

Even just before the protective magic circle shatters.

The sheer number of them is staggering, as they replace books and shelves.

So it should be fine. And even if all the protective magic circles were to be destroyed, the books in the Infinite Library had already been collected by the headmaster.

It should be fine even if the flames of Levatein swirl through this place.

With that thought, I reached into my inventory.

And pulled Levatein out into the open.

Then.

As if it had been waiting.

Fwoosh──!!

A massive form made of fire bloomed forth.

Following that.

Chachachachachachachachang──!!

In an instant, all the protective magic circles shattered.