Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Another Name for the Vow of Purity
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Evening of the day the artificial dungeon evaluation ended.
I was walking through the park near the dormitory, organizing my thoughts.
"Haa..."
Today, I'd gone through so many unexpected events in a single day.
From being grouped with Yoon Seo-rin and Sophia, to Wol Ha-yeon's sudden appearance.
Honestly, now that the game world had become reality, nothing changing in unexpected ways should surprise me anymore.
This wasn't the world where characters followed fixed paths any longer.
But today's events felt so unnatural that I couldn't help wondering if someone was deliberately controlling the situation.
As I pondered what could be causing all this,
I wondered if it might be the side effects of using the Book of Restraints, one of the world's three forbidden tomes.
I immediately pulled up the details of one of the constraints I'd applied—the Vow of Purity, which I'd skimmed over before—and read it carefully again.
Vow of Purity (SS)
- Until seeing the world's ending, you cannot form relationships beyond a certain level with any woman.
- The more you refuse, the greater the growth rate and SP acquisition.
- Upon violation, the constraint immediately disappears, and all compensation is reclaimed.
- There is unconfirmed information.*
"...There's unconfirmed information?"
I'd checked it without much expectation, just in case, but sure enough, new content had appeared.
Convinced this was connected to recent events, I cautiously clicked the information.
Backlash: The higher the constraint's rank, the more correction phenomena occur according to the Law of Balance. (The power trying to break the forbidden.)
Oath of Indulgence (SS): Until seeing the world's ending, trials endlessly descend to break Kang Hyun-sol's vow. (Immediately upon indulgence, the constraint disappears, and all compensation is reclaimed.)
Vow Reinforcement: If a woman designated by the world reaches a certain favorability level, the constraint itself begins to waver, gradually strengthening the backlash.
"...Fuck, the Book of Restraints had this shitty side effect?"
Before possessing this body, I had no need to use a forbidden tome, so I'd only noted its existence without digging deeper.
As an item equivalent to SSS-grade, info on it was scarce anyway, but what I knew about the Book of Restraints was...
Simply that the more restrictions you placed on your actions, the stronger your character became.
I never imagined it'd backstab me like this...
Was it utter despair? Or sheer absurdity? I didn't know how to react.
"...Wait, does that mean the others are all being controlled?"
Staring at the system screen, a ominous hypothesis suddenly struck me.
If the Oath of Indulgence meant the world would endlessly intervene to break my constraint,
didn't that imply it could puppet people like marionettes?
Hoping this was just paranoia, I read the remaining text more closely.
That's when I noticed a new button next to the Oath of Indulgence: [View Details].
"Please..."
Causality Constraint: It can intervene to some degree to break the constraint, but cannot directly crush absolute free will.
Intervention Method: To make contract holder Kang Hyun-sol violate his constraint, it naturally instills emotions like 'curiosity', 'jealousy', 'inferiority', and 'interest' in those around him, subtly adjusting situations.
Control Limit: Forced action directives are impossible; choices must stem from the target's free will.
Balance Correction: As Kang Hyun-sol grows stronger, the backlash intensifies, with greater effects on closer individuals.
"Haa... Should I call this a relief?"
At least the Book of Restraints couldn't freely puppet people like marionettes. That was fortunate.
Yoon Seo-rin bashfully lowering her head at a single compliment.
Sophia stepping up to protect me with unnecessary resolve...
Even Wol Ha-yeon's absurd obsession with me—all of it.
"The backlash of the Oath of Indulgence... That was the cause of the side effects."
It wasn't outright control, which was a relief, but...
Girls who wouldn't have spared a glance at an extra like me were now paying attention, feeling curiosity, and becoming aware of me. That wasn't good.
With Chapter 1 of the main story over, and things this intense already, the odds of maintaining the constraint long-term were even lower.
Besides, being cautious wouldn't let me avoid it entirely.
"...This is annoying."
I tore at my hair and flopped onto a bench in the corner of the park.
My chest felt tight.
Suddenly possessing into the game I'd been playing was frustrating enough, and into a nameless extra, no less.
Still, I'd resolved to push forward, even shackling myself, solely for the ending.
But this felt like tripping before the race even started.
"...Haa."
I hung my head, staring blankly at the ground.
Maybe from absorbing too much info at once? I didn't want to think about anything.
The possession, the constraint, the world's intervention... It all felt like a joke.
What had I done wrong to deserve this backstabbing?
"Damn it... If it's gonna be like this, why summon me here?"
Even as an extra, I hadn't despaired or given up—I'd tried hard... And this was the result?
A hollow emptiness washed over me, like my insides were gutted.
It felt like the reset button had been force-pressed before the real game began.
I sprawled on the bench, staring at the sky for a while.
About five minutes of blankly sky-gazing later, I belatedly remembered I hadn't claimed the main quest clear reward.
[Reward: SP equal to the number processed, Heroine Gift Package, 1 F-Grade Skill Draw Ticket]
"Yeah, I can't just mope over some weird Oath of Indulgence or whatever. All I can do is endure somehow and survive to the end."
I immediately summoned the system window.
Flicking my fingers, I dug through my inventory and pulled out the trait draw ticket from the rewards.
Possessed Item: F~A Grade Trait Draw Ticket × 1
"...Alright, at least give me something good. Use Trait Draw Ticket."
The ticket I pulled out emitted a soft glow and floated into the air.
At the same time, a system message appeared.
Would you like to use the draw ticket?
[YES / NO]
"YES."
Clicking YES on the screen, the ticket shattered into countless light fragments and scattered.
With a dazzling light, a roulette wheel appeared and began spinning rapidly.
'...Please. Just give me something useful, at least C-grade or higher.'
If I got C-grade or above, I could grow a bit stronger before facing the demons proper.
Tension gripped me; I clenched my fists and held my breath.
Dozens of trait names flashed by on the spinning list.
[Body Enhancement], [Herb Classification], [Adaptive Eyes], [Sharp Insight], [Endless Endurance]...
After spinning for a while, the wheel finally stopped with a ting!.
Congratulations! You have acquired the B-Grade Trait [Mental Resistance].
"...B-grade? For real?"
Honestly, I'd have been thrilled with a decent D-grade over a useless C.
C-grade or higher had less than a 10% chance, so I hadn't expected it.
And not just any B-grade—it was exactly what I needed most.
"Trait details."
[Mental Resistance (B)]
Greatly increases resistance to mental attacks, confusion, charm, fear, etc.
Can partially nullify or weaken effects from external interventions directly targeting the mind.
"...This is huge."
Reading the full description eased the tightness in my chest a little.
Of course, it wouldn't fully block the world's direct intervention, but if it protected my mind,
I wouldn't be helplessly swayed by the damn Oath of Indulgence's side effects.
Plus, since most demons used mental attacks, its B-grade rating belied A-grade performance.
"Heh, so the system isn't completely heartless after all."
Having obtained the info I wanted and a solid trait, I glanced at the sky once more before heading back to the dormitory.
Thursday morning.
I woke early as usual, finished stabilizing my circle, and headed to the training room where Wol Ha-yeon would be waiting.
Of course, I'd agonized endlessly on the way whether to meet her or not.
Her level of interest felt borderline obsessive, you could say.
I figured I needed some distance for a while.
But with no real choice if I wanted to grow fast, I swallowed my reluctance and opened the training room door.
"You're here? I thought you might skip today."
"Well... gotta do what needs doing."
I shrugged nonchalantly, and she smirked as if amused.
"So, when do you plan to start making your aura core?"
"...Dunno. Thinking of stabilizing at least three mana circles first before trying... Too late?"
"Depends on what you want. If you're aiming to hit S-rank hunter ASAP, starting now might not even be enough."
"..."
Magic and aura.
Both absorbed external mana into the body for use, but handled it differently, you could say.
Magic absorbed mana flowing through the world, then formed intricate circuits inside the body for activation—requiring knowledge, theory, calculation, and focus.
Aura absorbed mana similarly but synchronized it with one's life force, enabling physical enhancement, weapon reinforcement, etc.
So, as someone preparing for the magic swordsman class, beyond the unstable mana circle in my heart, I needed an additional aura core in my dantian.
But with 1-circle spells still beyond me and early Flowing Sword techniques unmastered, creating an aura core felt daunting.
"...I get you're impatient for some reason, but I know the dilemma. Even with your magic talent, struggling now—adding an aura core must seem tough."
Seeing me lost in thought without responding, she spun her twin swords and spoke.
"But instead of agonizing over it, why not just dive in?"
"...Huh?"
"You know, 'pull the ox's horns off while it's fresh'? If you're this urgent despite time on your side, just try it."
"..."
Hearing Wol Ha-yeon, I lowered my head and looked at my calloused palms.
'...Yeah.'
No time to bask in the current peace.
Even if changes so far stemmed from the Oath of Indulgence's side effects,
there was no guarantee heroine-unrelated events would proceed as I knew.
In a situation that could crumble anytime, all I could do was grow stronger.
I took a deep breath, met her blank gaze, and nodded.
"Then, can you help me make the aura core?"
"Of course."
'Right, effort's the only answer anyway. I'll grit my teeth, endure, grab everything I can. Oath of Indulgence or whatever... I'll use it all.'
With renewed resolve, I began creating the aura core in earnest.