Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Illusions Are Dreams
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Illusions are dreams.
Sophia's whisper still lingered in my ears.
"That expression... show it only to me."
At those words, I felt an inexplicable shiver.
My heart raced.
My breathing grew shallow.
At that moment, as the distance between Sophia and me gradually closed—this time for real.
No, I really meant to do it.
Yeah. This is just an illusion, right? Not reality.
As Ha Yun-seok said, wouldn't it be okay to unleash my desires freely...?
I steadied my breath and repeated inwardly.
'Yeah... it's a chance that won't come again. I might not get to until I see the ending... in that case.'
And then, very slowly, I leaned forward toward Sophia's lightly pink-tinted lips.
Sophia's eyes widened slightly.
Her lips parted just a fraction.
"...Sunbae—"
"Sophia...."
It was the moment I was finally going to enjoy this world as the erotic game it was meant to be, for the first time since possessing it.
Ding—!
[Vow of Purity, Crisis Overcoming trait has successfully resisted the Profound Illusion Realm (A+) to some extent.]
"...No, fuck, wait—stop that. That's not it! Now's not the time to butt in!!"
Stunned by the Book of Restraints' sudden intervention for a moment.
I tried to hold it back right away, but it was already too late.
[Crisis Overcoming trait activates even more strongly. Sexual act blocking protocol executed regardless of user's will.]
"Stop—!! Please, just for today!! Exception just for today—!!"
[Rejection reason: User attempted to break self-imposed restraint through foul play.]
"Fuuuuck!!!"
And the worst possible finish.
Starlight mana began surging wildly from my body.
The illusory world itself couldn't hold onto me and started pushing me out.
Sophia gazed at my form in panic and reached out her hand.
"Sunbae!!"
"Ah... no!!"
Our fingertips seemed about to touch for real... right before that sensation hit.
The world burst apart like it was being torn in half.
My vision flipped.
Sounds vanished.
Air vanished.
I plummeted through empty space, forcibly ejected from the illusory world.
"Ha... fuck... In the illusion, the Vow of Purity torments me instead of the Oath of Indulgence!!!!"
"Arghhhhhhh!!!"
Back in the clubroom, I collapsed with a scream on the level of losing my parents.
"I could've done it!! I almost had it!!!"
My wail echoed with enough force to collapse the clubroom ceiling.
Ha Yun-seok quietly, very slowly, set down his cup.
"...You returned faster than expected... I figured your unique mana wouldn't let you last long, but..."
"Kuaaaah!!"
I clutched my head while slumped on the floor.
"I really could've done it, you know?! It was for real!! Almost there!!! If I'd just extended my lips a tiny bit—"
"But... you failed in the end."
"That's what I'm saying!! Why the hell did I fail!!!!"
"Your trait, probably."
Ha Yun-seok spoke while gazing at me with eyes devoid of any particular emotion.
"Like during that spar last time, and every time I analyzed your traits afterward... your traits are incredibly unique. And powerful."
"...Even in an illusion? Even though I dove in of my own will? Your skill's A+ rank."
"Yeah."
"This can't be..."
I stared blankly into empty space.
"Then... I can't enjoy it even in illusions? I have to carry this torment forever?"
"That's one way to see it."
Ha Yun-seok tapped the desk with his finger.
"More precisely... that unidentified trait of yours triggers a defensive reaction the instant your mind truly tries to cross the line, regardless of your will."
"...Not me blocking my own desires."
"Right. Not you—it was your vow that blocked it."
"......"
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Then in the end... I..."
"...Yeah."
"Have to bear all this pain and despair without resolving a damn thing?"
"...Yeah, pretty much."
I despaired once more, slowly and deeply.
"...This is the worst. It's a nightmare."
Ha Yun-seok quietly sat down beside me.
"Not sure if this helps... but flip your thinking."
"How?"
"It means your feelings are real."
"...?"
"The girls who like you. The way they look at you. And your... own wavering emotions."
His eyes looked truly serious, if only for a fleeting moment.
"That's no joke. It means the connections are real, not just scripted scenes."
I let out a silent breath.
"...So what? Whatever it is, it's heavier. More burdensome."
"Yeah. It weighs heavy."
A short yet interminable silence passed between us.
Then Ha Yun-seok leaned back against his chair and spoke.
"...Anyway. Means you can't handle your desires with illusions. Give it up."
"...Really give up?"
"Yeah. That's it for today... I've got stuff to do."
"...Okay, got it."
I slowly stood up.
"Anyway... thanks. Got a rough idea thanks to you."
"...Yeah. Next time, just emotion tuning."
I opened the clubroom door with heavy footsteps.
Click—.
The main building corridor's air suddenly felt oppressively real.
"...If I can't even in illusions, how the hell do I hold out from here? It's only the first semester."
It was right then, as I muttered to myself.
Familiar, rhythmic, precise footsteps echoed from the opposite end of the corridor.
I turned my head very slowly to identify the source.
"Oh? Running into Hyun-sol junior here again?"
And there, at the far end of the opposite corridor, stood Yoo Ji-an—Alchemy Club president,
current Student Council President, and genius transmutation alchemist.
Aqua-blue ponytail. Beige alchemy coat cinched at the waist. Transparent glass flasks swaying at her hip.
And on her lips, an innocent smile that seemed oblivious to everything—but hid depths far from innocent.
The moment I saw her, I knew I was in deep shit.
"Perfect timing? I was just about to track you down—you dodge my messages as usual, and today you even read-ignored me..."
She glided right up to me with utmost gentleness, utmost familiarity.
Then she glanced at the nameplate of the clubroom I'd exited before continuing.
"I was wondering if you'd been playing around with other juniors and ignoring me... but looks like not? Almost disappointed~"
"Uh... well, first off..."
"Shh."
Yoo Ji-an pressed a finger to my lips and drew even closer.
"You know excuses don't fly, right? And that bad deeds deserve punishment... of course you do?"
"...Sorry."
My heart pounded like mad.
An ominous feeling hit at the same time.
'Totally screwed. Me from 30 minutes ago, why'd you do something you'd regret...'
Not just 30 minutes ago.
The whole damn day felt cursed.
Nothing had gone right since morning.
"Let me check."
Yoo Ji-an glanced at the time on her smartphone and beamed with worldly brightness.
"Plenty of time till afternoon classes? Shall we have some fun in the clubroom?"
"Uh... no declining, I take it?"
"Didn't I just say? Sin demands punishment."
"Understood. But please... go easy."
And so, without a shred of resistance, I let her lead me by the hand to the Alchemy Clubroom.
"Why do you keep zoning out? Something up?"
"Huh...? Oh, sorry. I'll focus."
I snapped out of briefly recalling my horrific time with Yoo Ji-an and refocused on magic training with Sophia.
"Let's definitely hit 2nd circle today! I'll help you from the side."
Sophia patted my shoulder twice, pumping me up.
Her usual bright, energetic expression. Utterly clueless—no, an expression of genuine faith in me.
"...Yeah. Let's do it."
I sat up straight again.
And inhaled very slowly.
Recalling the first time I'd formed a circle.
Don't force external mana into the body all at once—instead, accept it naturally, like breathing.
Then gather the permeating mana flows toward the heart, linking them into lines,
perfectly resonating with the existing 1st circle.
Sip... whoo...
Mana from the air to skin.
Skin to bloodstream. Bloodstream to heart.
'...Good. Different from before. Crystal clear from the start this time.'
For the first time, I felt the second mana line flow unbroken.
I connected it into a circle.
One.
Two.
A slowly linking blue trajectory.
But
Snap—!
The flow snapped once.
"Urk!!... Hack."
"It's fine! You did great!"
Sophia knelt right beside me and placed her hand atop mine.
"You've got the path now. Just now—just a bit more!! Thinner mana thread, but not fragile!"
"...Yeah, one more time."
Her palm was warm.
Thanks to it, the pain from the break and my racing heart stabilized somewhat.
I closed my eyes again, slowly drawing in the high-purity mana filling the mana training room while focusing on my internal flow.
Form the circumference from the heart and link it into a circle.
One.
Two.
And the instant the third connection point met.
Thud—!
"?!"
My heart pounded massively in my chest once.
Vision flashed brilliantly for an instant.
Right above the heart—an invisible but distinctly felt mana ring.
A new circle, intersecting and beginning to rotate with the original one orbiting the heart.
I'd succeeded in reaching 2nd circle.
"...Did it. Finally."
I slowly opened my eyes.
Then spread my palm and formed a small mana sphere.
Bigger and firmer than the 1st circle version.
Proof that my total mana and density had clearly increased.
Seeing it confirmed visually, my lips loosened on their own.
Sophia's face lit up just as brightly at the sight of the sphere.
"You did it!!! You really did it!! What'd I tell you!! You could do it!!"
"...?"
Sophia beamed and pulled me into a tight hug.
Warmth seeping through our clothes. Close enough to hear each other's heartbeats.
Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, I simply felt her warmth without reacting,
then she realized what she'd done, jolted back in surprise, and apologized.
"Uh... sorry, got carried away with the excitement."
"Uh... no, it's fine. Happens."
Especially after all that in the illusion world—training had felt uneasy from the start...
Even pulling off the hug I couldn't there, I nearly lost my grip on sanity.
Somehow holding it together, I cleared my throat and smoothly shifted the topic.
"Ahem. So, now that I'm at 2nd circle, wanna learn a few 2nd circle spells?"
"No way!"
"...?"
Sophia flatly refused and stood.
"You always stabilize the circle first before spells. I told you before."
"Ah... right. Forgot. Sorry."
"I get wanting to learn spells quick and power up, but rules are rules—or it's dangerous. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. But we succeeded at 2nd circle anyway, so how about a celebration party tonight?"
Sophia asked as she gathered her things from the corner of the mana training room.
I thought for a moment, then nodded.
"...Celebration party's always welcome."
"Then let's go! Curfew's almost here."
"Yeah."
And so we left the mana training room, dumped our stuff in the dorms, and headed straight out of the academy for the party.
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