The crux is that we still don't know what the cheats even ARE, how they can be taken and what was the purpose of setting the cheat system in such a manner that still allows choice.
It looks like some form of energy or power that is shaped into a cheat to standardize them and disable the crazier outcomes. But then Junko was able to get two without needing the supply extra energy herself, so that doesn't quite fit. Or maybe the energy needed to create a cheat is far smaller than what is removed.
Do legitimate code holders power the ancient devices? As a pure energy source alone, that's pretty incredible. It's unlikely to be mana since Hinako has had no effect on Elis' magic, but something else that shapes the world with Hinako's will rather than the spirit's.