Chapter 60 : The Price of Power

“No, you must try it.”

“Yes, thank you for your advice. I’ll… give it a shot.”

Iris narrowed her eyes and nodded.

She’d given a hint—now it was up to Rainbow Girl to decide.

And if she didn’t even bother to try swinging her sword?

That would mean her fate ended there.

There was nothing more Iris could do.

‘I gave her permission to learn a skill, so this much of a hint is fair. Please, go home and try swinging the sword.’

Before she realized it, they had reached the entrance to the cave.

Rainbow Girl tapped Iris.

“Since I said I’d teach you a skill, I’ll show you my abilities here. The queen spider’s been captured, so no more monsters will appear in the cave today. It’s a perfect spot for a demonstration.”

“Sounds good.”

“Thanks to you, Angel Girl, I feel energized. It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone so passionate… Makes me feel like I should start living with more drive, too.”

Unlike before, Rainbow Girl’s voice was brimming with energy.

After meeting Iris’s gaze, she demonstrated a buff skill.

A rainbow-hued glow surrounded both of them, and Iris could feel strength surging through her body.

“This is a skill called Ilan. As you probably know, sometimes a skill name just pops into your head when you use one…”

“Aha…”

“It boosts strength and skill. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems to also increase stamina. I don’t get tired as easily when I use it.”

After Rainbow Girl finished explaining, a message appeared before Iris’s eyes:

You can learn Rainbow Girl’s skill.

This is a buff skill and is not bound to any category.

Would you like to learn it?

‘Oh, nice.’

Unbound?

Exactly what she wanted.

Without hesitation, she nodded. But—it was a trap.

Learning skill.

While it is normally incompatible, since permission has been granted, the skill is adapted to match .

You can now use  LV.1. Practicing the skill before you forget it will make it your own.

‘Excuse me? I thought it wasn’t bound? But this is clearly a chastity belt buff skill. Why does everything have to come out like this? Did you have to take it that far?! Are you happy now?!’

She couldn’t despair openly in front of Rainbow Girl, so she screamed internally.

Once the rainbow glow faded, Rainbow Girl asked cautiously:

“Were you able to learn it? I guess… probably…”

“J-just a sec. Let me check…”

She had to try the skill now if she wanted to learn from others.

Iris awkwardly forced a smile, sweating profusely.

She’d already embarrassed herself enough—firing webs like a desperate passenger who couldn’t hold it on a highway bus, shaking her hips against barbed wire like some perverted alley dweller.

After putting on all those shameful displays, there was no reason to hesitate now.

But the fact that she had to activate Rainbow Girl’s skill using this damn chastity belt was agony.

She had to endure… had to bear the weight of the crown.

Iris held her fading sanity together, took a deep breath, and shouted inwardly to activate the skill.

That now-familiar chilling sensation rose between her legs, and a chain peeked out.

Then it shot upward like a sprouting vine and spun like a sprinkler, scattering rainbow-colored light.

Shhhhhh—

“Uh…”

“Haha…”

True to the skill’s name, the chastity belt transformed into a rainbow sprinkler, showering brilliant light above their heads.

It would’ve been an awe-inspiring sight—if you ignored the sprinkler emerging from between her legs.

“Uhhh…”

Rainbow Girl’s eyes trembled like a candle in the wind.

It wasn’t jealousy toward Iris for instantly learning her skill, nor awe at the skill’s power—it was confusion.

Why do all of Angel Girl’s skills come from between her legs?

Realizing Rainbow Girl’s gaze had locked onto the chastity belt poking out from under her skirt, Iris’s face turned bright red.

Still, she had learned a valuable buff skill.

Wasn’t that enough?

Iris checked the skill’s detailed info:

LV.1

A buff skill.

Temporarily increases strength and stamina.

The rainbow glow emanates from the chastity belt’s sprinkler, spreading in all directions.

‘It’s a great skill… multiple buffs, just like the name suggests. The only flaw is how it’s activated.’

Enduring shame meant getting stronger. Iris let out a big, enlightened laugh.

It was a laugh filled with the tangled emotions of extreme humiliation and the joy of acquiring a powerful skill.

“Hahaha…”

“It’s… incredible.”

“Yes, indeed… Thank you.”

Completely resigned, Iris bowed in thanks.

The sprinkler turned toward Rainbow Girl and sprayed the remaining light.

Rainbow Girl scrambled to dodge, frantically waving her hands, then hurriedly composed herself.

She didn’t want to be rude to her savior.

“Oh no, oh dear! I—I just meant it’s amazing that you learned the skill right away! Don’t misunderstand!”

“Of course.”

Iris, still dazed, straightened up again.

The sprinkler shot up into the sky once more, glowing.

Rainbow Girl forced herself to remain composed and spoke in a calm tone.

She meant it—being able to instantly learn someone else’s skill really was an extraordinary talent.

“Truly, I’m so jealous. The name ‘Angel Girl’ really suits you. Heaven must’ve blessed you with an incredible gift.”

“Haha, all thanks to the Lord’s grace. Truly.”

Iris, who didn’t follow any religion, nodded vaguely and smiled.

Honestly, this chastity belt felt more like a demonic artifact than a divine one—but as long as it made her stronger, she didn’t care.

“Hyah!”

A moment later, Iris chopped at the sprinkler with a karate hand, shoving it back between her legs.

It was her petty revenge—smacking the chastity belt with force.

Rainbow Girl, momentarily shocked, then stammered with a mix of envy and inspiration.

Angel Girl’s new skill may have been grotesque enough to make her lose her will to live, but seeing her learn a skill instantly made Rainbow Girl reflect on her own past idleness.

“T-then, I’ll show you the rest. After seeing you, Angel Girl, I suddenly want to go home and swing my sword! I want to try everything! I’ve learned that to gain power, you have to take risks—uh, I mean, be proactive!”

“Hehe, yeah… Right? I’d be grateful if you taught me more. I’ll be an eager student.”

After Iris composed herself, Rainbow Girl demonstrated another skill—this time, a debuff.

She reached out to the ground, and a dark light spread across the floor.

You can learn Rainbow Girl’s skill.

This is categorized as a  skill. Would you like to learn it?

‘I have to. After showing her this, I can’t back out now!’

Learning skill.

While it is normally incompatible, since permission has been granted, the skill is adapted to match .

You can now use  LV.1. Practicing the skill before you forget it will make it your own.

Iris checked the name of the newly learned skill and sighed in relief.

She had feared it would be something even more grotesque—but it seemed this debuff skill was cast in the same… awkward way as before.

Curious about its range, she targeted a distant rock.

The sprinkler shot out like a flash, sprayed dark light on the rock, and returned.

‘Okay, this one’s not bad. Maybe it’s just because the last one was so traumatizing… Let’s see the details.’

LV.1

A debuff skill.

Decreases target’s strength and mana to 0.7x using a cursed black light.

It was a surprisingly solid debuff skill.

As Iris instantly learned another skill, Rainbow Girl stared in awe at the space between her legs.

Iris understood her feelings, but the intense gaze was making her uncomfortable.

She cleared her throat and turned her body.

‘Well, she looks envious, so I feel good about that. Yeah, it’s hideous—very hideous—but super useful.’

Rainbow Girl showed her more skills, but maybe the system didn’t like Iris getting too strong.

All the other skills were marked as incompatible. Still, gaining one buff and one debuff was a big win.

The demonstration ended.

Rainbow Girl, drenched in sweat, gratefully drank the mana potion Iris handed her.

Even then, her gaze couldn’t pull away from Iris’s crotch.

But unlike before, her eyes now held admiration and envy, not shock or horror.

They sparkled with genuine respect.