My Charity System made me too OP

Roselia handed Leon a pale blue stone, pulsing faintly. "This is an Arcane Catalyst. It can enhance effects... or destroy your potion if misused. Time it wrong, and the whole mixture will explode."

Leon took a deep breath and carefully monitored the bubbling potion in front of him. The moment the mixture stabilized into a deep purple, he dropped the catalyst in—only for the cauldron to burst into a cloud of thick smoke.

Coughing, he waved the fumes away. "What the hell happened?!"

Roselia chuckled, unfazed. "You dropped it too early. Catalysts react to elemental balance. Learn the right timing."

Leon wiped his face and started over.

Day 7: The First Tier IV Elixir

A week passed, and Leon finally felt the shift—from struggling to control alchemical forces to shaping them at will. The moment of truth arrived when he attempted his first Tier IV Elixir—The Elixir of Iron Will.

Carefully, he combined the Silverleaf Extract and Troll Bone Marrow, both known for enhancing stamina. The mixture turned a murky gray. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he carefully infused his mana, stabilizing the conflicting energies.

"Now, the final catalyst..." He reached for the Heart of a Thunder Wasp, crushed it between his fingers, and let the electrified dust fall into the potion.

The cauldron pulsed, glowed—then settled.

Roselia leaned over, inspecting the elixir with an approving nod. "Looks like you finally made it."

Leon grinned. "So, does this mean I'm Tier IV now?"

"Not yet." She tossed him another list of ingredients. "Tier V is next."

Leon sighed but smirked. He was getting closer.

Day 14: The Final Trial—Tier V Mastery

Two weeks had passed. Leon had lost count of how many potions he had brewed, how many times he had failed, and how many sleepless nights he had endured. But now, standing before the cauldron, he felt different.

He wasn't just following formulas anymore—he understood alchemy on an instinctive level. He could feel the elements, the mana, the reactions.

Roselia handed him the final recipe. "To complete Tier V, you must craft the Philosopher's Draught—a potion that enhances the mind, sharpening magical perception to its limit. One mistake, and it will turn into poison."

Leon nodded and began.

This time, there were no second-guessing, no mistakes. His hands moved with certainty, his mana weaving through the mixture like an artist painting on a canvas. As the potion neared completion, he added the final ingredient—Celestial Nectar.

A soft, radiant glow filled the room. The potion shimmered like liquid gold.

Roselia took a deep breath and smiled. "Congratulations, Leon. You've officially reached Tier V."

A notification from his Alchemy King's Legacy book appeared:

[Alchemy Tier V Mastered!]

[New Pages Unlocked!]

Leon exhaled and smirked. "Now... it's time to find the Alchemy King."

As soon as the golden glow of the Philosopher's Draught faded, Leon's Alchemy King's Legacy book trembled in his hands.

A new page materialized out of thin air, ink forming words in elegant, ancient script.

[To claim the second piece of my legacy, one must prove their mind is as sharp as their hands. True mastery of alchemy is not in brewing potions, but in understanding the very nature of transmutation itself.]

[Solve this puzzle, and the path shall reveal itself.]

[I am a key that turns without hands, a door that leads without walls, a path walked but never seen. What am I?]

Leon frowned, reading the riddle aloud.

Milim crossed her arms. "A key that turns without hands? That makes no sense."

Roselia tapped her chin. "A door that leads without walls… it's definitely metaphorical."

Roman murmured. "This sounds like something the Alchemy King would come up with. It's testing how we think, not just what we know."

Leon reread the words, his mind racing through possibilities. A key that turns without hands… A door that leads without walls…

Suddenly, he froze.

His eyes widened as he murmured, "A question."

Roselia raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"A question is like a key—it turns the mind, unlocking understanding. It leads to answers, yet it has no physical form, no walls, no hands to turn it."

[Correct. You have unlocked the path to the next trial. Now, let the second challenge begin.]

[Well, at least you have something most people lack—a brain.]

[Now that you have answered my question within ten seconds, I will give you your next trial.]

[Create an entirely new kind of potion. I don't care if it is Tier 1 or Tier 5—you just have to invent something completely original.]

[You have one year. Good luck.]

Leon stared at the glowing text in the book, his expression shifting from excitement to deep contemplation.

"An entirely new potion, huh?" he muttered, rubbing his chin. "That means I can't just modify an existing formula. I have to create something from scratch."

Roselia smirked, arms crossed. "This is where true alchemists shine. You have the knowledge, but do you have the creativity?"

"Alchemy isn't just about memorizing recipes," Naval added. "It's about understanding the essence of materials and pushing boundaries."

Milim, lounging on a chair nearby, scoffed. "Sounds like a pain. Why not just mix a bunch of random ingredients and see what happens?"

"Because that's not alchemy, that's chaos," Roselia replied dryly.

Leon let out a deep breath. "Alright, first things first. To create something new, we need to break down what we already know. We need a base, catalysts, and an effect that hasn't been seen before."

Roselia nodded approvingly. "Now you're thinking like a true alchemist. Let's start with brainstorming unique effects. Do you want a healing potion? A combat enhancer? Something utility-based?"

"A potion that allows you to breathe underwater? Already exists. A potion that enhances mana? Also exists," Leon mumbled, pacing.

Lilian tapped her chin. "What if it's a potion that allows you to temporarily wield an element you normally can't?"

"Interesting idea," Roman admitted. "That could be useful for people who have no affinity for certain elements."

"It already exists. It's called the Affinity Shifter Potion," Roselia said, pouring cold water on their thoughts. "And it's also a Tier X potion, so you guys can forget about making it," she added.

Leon just shrugged. "No hurry, we've got a whole year to make it," he said.

She glared at him. "Yeah, but an alchemist takes decades to come up with a new formula," she pointed out. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Leon looked at her with a sigh. "Can't you at least give me some confidence by cheering me on?"

Roselia shrugged. "Will it help?"

"It will," Leon replied.

Roselia shook her head.

"I think we should just put it aside for now. We should go and do a quest. I got an interesting one anyway," Roman suddenly said as he showed them a paper.

They looked at the quest, and it was an S-Rank mission.

[Nightmare Forest: Weird Sightings]

Quest Rating: S

[Find out why everyone is dying when they spend the night in the Nightmare Forest.]

Reward: 1000 Ascender Points.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Sounds ominous."

"Yeah," Milim agreed. "But it's a high-reward quest. That means it's not gonna be easy."

Roselia smirked. "A challenge is always welcome."

"Then it's settled," Leon said. "Let's head to Nightmare Forest."

The group made their way toward the Nightmare Forest, following the directions provided on the quest board. As they approached, a dense fog loomed over the entrance, and the air grew unnaturally cold. The towering trees twisted in eerie formations, their branches resembling clawed hands reaching for the sky.

"This place is definitely cursed," Lilian muttered, rubbing her arms as a chill ran down her spine.

Leon nodded. "The name 'Nightmare Forest' isn't just for show."

They passed by an abandoned campsite near the entrance. Tents were torn apart, supplies scattered across the ground, and deep claw marks lined the trees.

"Looks like whoever was here didn't make it through the night," Naval observed grimly.

Roman knelt beside the remnants of a campfire, sifting through the ashes. "This wasn't long ago. Maybe a day at most."

Roselia touched one of the trees, channeling a small pulse of mana. Her expression darkened. "There's residual energy here… and it's not natural. Something was definitely hunting them."

Leon frowned. "Then we need to find out what it is before it finds us."

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the fog thickened, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. Shadows moved unnaturally through the mist, and every so often, a whisper-like sound echoed between the trees.

Milim suddenly stopped. "Wait."

Everyone froze.

"What is it?" Leon asked.

Milim narrowed her eyes and pointed ahead. "The trees… they're shifting."

The group watched in horror as the trees slowly twisted and rearranged themselves, altering the path they had taken. The way they had come from was now blocked, and new pathways had formed.

"A shifting forest?" Roman muttered. "That explains why no one makes it out alive."

Leon nodded. "We need to mark our path somehow. If we don't, we'll just keep wandering in circles."

Roselia nodded. "I can leave magical traces, but something tells me whatever is in here won't make it easy for us."@@novelbin@@

As if in response, a low growl echoed through the trees, followed by multiple pairs of glowing red eyes appearing in the fog.

Lilian tightened her grip on her staff. "Looks like we're not alone."

Leon smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Good. Let's see what we're dealing with."