My Charity System made me too OP

The group made their way down the mountain path and through the enchanted forest that led to the nearest city—Virelles, a neutral trade city nestled between several tower floors and known for hosting powerful adventurers, merchants, and crafters alike. Its tall silver walls shimmered with protective runes, and a great crystalline tower in its center pulsed softly with mana, giving the city its peaceful, dreamlike glow even during dusk.

As they passed through the gates, the guards stepped back instinctively, recognizing Leon's aura—and Milim's chaotic pressure. No one questioned their entry.

"Finally, civilization again," Naval yawned as she sheathed her daggers. "My shoulders are stiff."

"You didn't even take a hit," Roselia said dryly.

Naval winked. "Exactly."

Leon glanced around, eyes scanning the clean streets, glowing lanterns, and rows of busy inns, shops, and magical stalls.

"We'll rest here for the night," he said, nodding toward one of the larger, high-class inns just down the main road—The Silver Ember Inn. Its exterior was adorned with celestial sigils, and a faint magical warmth rolled from its walls, warding off fatigue and mana depletion.

"Oooh fancy," Milim grinned as she floated a few feet ahead, already kicking the front door open and announcing, "VIPs coming through!"

Inside, the innkeeper—a gentle elven man with silver hair and starry eyes—instantly recognized them. "Ah, Lord Leon and company. Your usual suite is ready."

"Usual?" Roman asked with a raised brow.

Leon shrugged. "I've stayed here a few times during my earlier climbs."

They were soon guided to the top floor where a luxurious multi-room suite awaited them. Plush carpets, enchanted hot water baths, food trays refilling themselves with exotic delicacies, and beds softer than clouds welcomed the group.

As they each found their own spots, Liliana quietly wandered to the balcony, watching the mana-rich city glow beneath the twilight sky. The legacy she'd received still shimmered faintly across her soul, as if whispering something she couldn't yet fully grasp.

Roman dropped onto a couch. "Now this is what I call a proper rest."

Milim had already summoned a giant feast and was halfway through a roasted beast leg. "We should crash here for a couple of days. Maybe check the market tomorrow. I heard Virelles gets rare gear and spell scrolls that can't be found anywhere else."

Roselia leaned against the windowframe, arms crossed. "Wouldn't hurt. Let the tower cool down from our rampage."

Leon nodded, his gaze distant. "We rest tonight. Tomorrow… we'll plan our next ascent."

The next morning came quietly, sunlight bleeding through enchanted curtains that shifted with the time of day, gently rousing each of them from deep, well-earned rest.

Leon was the first to rise, already dressed and reviewing the city's quest board via a floating crystal screen hovering above the inn's private table. One particular mark caught his attention—"Dungeon Dive: Heart of the Verdant Labyrinth"—a Tier IV High-Risk Quest that had remained uncleared for over a decade. It was said to be alive, breathing, constantly shifting… with a final floor that held a "World Fragment", an artifact capable of enhancing an entire realm or granting a boost to one's own domain.

When the others woke and trickled into the lounge area of the suite, Leon shared the details.

"A living dungeon?" Roman asked as he stretched, cracking his neck. "Sounds like a headache."

Milim grinned. "Sounds fun."

Roselia raised an eyebrow. "A fragment that can empower a world, huh? That'd make Zharacia even stronger."

Naval flipped a dagger between her fingers. "I'm in. Could be a good warm-up."

Liliana, her violet eyes reflecting calm determination, simply nodded. "Let's do it."

***

By midday, they had gathered at the teleportation gate outside Virelles, their names already whispered again in the crowds as high-level adventurers. The gate shimmered to life and transported them several floors up the tower—to a moss-covered temple entrance, half-swallowed by vines and surrounded by dense jungle.

The Verdant Labyrinth exuded ancient mana, and even the air felt humid and thick, alive with the sound of distant howls and rustling leaves. The forest itself shifted as they watched—trees subtly moving when no one was looking, vines rearranging themselves, and pathways twisting unnaturally.

"The dungeon… it's breathing," Naval muttered.

Leon nodded. "It's sentient. It doesn't want us to reach the core."

Without hesitation, they stepped inside.

Inside, the dungeon felt even stranger—walls of vine-covered stone, roots moving like veins, and fog that didn't quite behave like natural mist. Enemies ambushed them frequently—Verdant Beasts, Thorn Wraiths, and Chlorospawn Ogres—all mutated by the dungeon's living energy. But none could withstand the combined force of Leon's group.

Roselia incinerated entire groves with a flick of her spear and a muttered incantation. Roman broke through enemy lines with explosive charges and molten fist strikes. Milim laughed like a wild child as she suplexed a 30-foot treant. Liliana moved like a shadow in the fog, weaving magic and steel in harmony. And Naval darted like a whisper, blades silencing ambushers before they could even scream.

Leon walked at the center, calm and composed, his summoned spirits and constructs tearing through threats with brutal precision. Occasionally, he whispered a word—and entire chambers twisted to his will, the World Ruler aura forcing the living dungeon to hesitate.

After several floors and hours of navigating through illusions, false doors, and ambushes, they finally stood before a set of massive jade-green doors, pulsing with an eerie heartbeat.

"The core," Leon said.

Roselia grinned. "Let's finish it."

And with a push, the doors opened to reveal a wide chamber of glowing roots, floating spores, and a massive cocoon at its center. The cocoon split open—and from within emerged the dungeon's core guardian…

A massive Verdant Queen Dryad, her body covered in living armor, eyes glowing with primal rage.

"It's been a while since anyone got this far," she hissed.

Leon's eyes narrowed, his sword appearing in his hand in a blink.

"Then let's make it worth your time."

The Verdant Queen Dryad unfurled her arms, and the entire chamber responded. Roots surged from the ground, vines whipped through the air, and spores exploded into clouds of illusion and paralysis. She didn't just control the dungeon—she was the dungeon. Her body shimmered between physical and ethereal, part spirit, part elemental, with her presence warping space around her like a dream turned hostile.