My Charity System made me too OP

"Leon, I swear you're going to make us bankrupt," Aeron muttered as he finalized his selections. "But I'll admit—this is worth it."

Ragnar nodded, cracking his knuckles in excitement. "I'll need to sell a couple of commissions back at the guild, but with these upgrades, I'll make it back tenfold."

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Vanessa sighed, staring wistfully at the Frost Princess Tears. "I'm practically donating my savings to you, Leon."

Leon leaned back, his smirk never leaving his face. "Oh, come on, you all act like I'm robbing you. This is an investment in your survival and power. Don't forget that Legendary items are priceless in the Tower."

Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you're not the one setting the price."

Leon chuckled. "Exactly. I set the price—fairly, of course. I even let you buy on installments. Try finding that kind of deal anywhere else."

Aeron, finally deciding on the Phantom Veil Mask and the Eye of the Prophet, waved a hand. "Alright, I'm in. Let's get this deal over with before I start regretting it."

Leon tapped a few buttons on the shop interface, finalizing Aeron's transaction. The chosen items vanished from the list and materialized in front of Aeron in a shimmering burst of light.

"Pleasure doing business," Leon said.

Vanessa and Ragnar followed suit, each selecting their desired items. Vanessa opted for the Frost Princess Tears and the Everfrost Cloak, while Ragnar chose the Stormbreaker Knuckles and Unyielding Grip. Each time an item was purchased, Leon's smirk grew wider.

"Well, that's that," Aeron said, holding up his newly acquired mask. "Now, let's see if these Legendary items live up to the hype."

Leon stood, stretching slightly. "Oh, they will. Just remember—it's not about the gear, it's about how you use it. Though in your case, Aeron, maybe the gear will finally carry you."

"Funny," Aeron said, rolling his eyes. "Let's see how far you'd get without all your fancy merchant tricks."

Leon's grin sharpened. "Anytime, anywhere, Aeron. Just say the word."

Vanessa stepped between them, adjusting her cloak. "Alright, boys, save it for the Tower. We still have a long climb ahead, and we're going to need every bit of strength we can get."

Ragnar flexed his fingers, feeling the power surge through his new knuckles. "With these, I'll be punching my way to the top."

Leon waved them off as they left his room, laughing to himself. He leaned back against the wall, summoning his Miracle Eyes again to scan the remaining participants.

"They're going to need those items sooner than they think," Leon muttered, his gaze locking onto a shadowy figure in the distance. A faint smirk crossed his lips. "The Tower isn't kind to the unprepared."

He dismissed the shop interface and closed his eyes, planning his next move. Whatever was waiting on the higher floors, Leon intended to face it with all the power his so-called "merchant tricks" could muster.

The following day was uneventful for most, but not for Leon. Someone had seen him selling Legendary items, which led to a flood of participants rushing to buy from him. Even his own director purchased a few to distribute among the most promising youths from his orphanage. By the end of the day, Leon's entire stock was completely sold out, leaving him with a fortune in earnings.

"Hm," Leon muttered, sitting in his room, deep in thought. "Is this the true usage of the Charity System?"

It was almost like an infinite cycle—he donated items, received even better ones as a rebate, sold those items for profit, used the money to buy more, and then donated again, triggering another wave of superior items.

"Dammit, this system is basically designed to make someone the richest man alive," Leon mumbled as he lay back on his couch.

Though he had no intention of abusing it that way, he couldn't help but marvel at its potential.

"Anyway, now I have to keep acting as a merchant and keep my identity as Fang hidden," Leon mumbled.

In the Tower, rumors were already circulating that he was a Trident user with destructive magic. If he used it in this tournament and someone linked him to Fang, it would spell disaster for the orphanage. His sheer power might bring unnecessary trouble to them—something Leon wanted to avoid at all costs.

That place may have been an orphanage, but to him, it was a true home. Everyone there treated each other like family, all thanks to the great Director who had created such a warm and loving environment.

"Now, how does a merchant fight?" Leon mumbled, trying to come up with a strategy.

Finally he came with one, as he decided on it " this way people will really think I am an Merchant" he thought. " by the way lets go and meet Fatty" , He mumbled as he stood up and walked towards the Shops area.

He walked into Locks Trade Shop, one of the biggest brands in New Earth, controlling over 40% of the market under their name.

"Welcome, guest!" A chubby man rubbing his hands together greeted him.

"Yo, fatty, how are you?" Leon asked casually.

The man's smile widened in recognition. "Leon, is that you?"

Leon smirked. "Who else, fatso?"

Max, the chubby man, laughed and pulled Leon into a hug.

"I missed you too, bud," Leon said, patting Max on the back.

Max was also from the orphanage, though he was two years older than Leon. Unlike Leon, he had only awakened a common ability called Night Vision, leading him to abandon his Tower ascension and find work in the real world. Back then, he had started as a simple clerk in the store, but now, the Manager name tag on his chest showed he had climbed to a high position.

"Why is the Manager personally taking care of a customer?" Leon teased.

Max smirked. "Why else? You know what people are calling you here? The Legendary Merchant! I had to come in person to welcome such an esteemed guest!"

"But I didn't know it was you, you have really grown a lot"

Max gestured for Leon to sit down with him.

"So, you came for the Battle Arena Tournament, huh? Well, the reward is great after all," Max said.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "What's the reward?"

"Wait… you mean you don't even know? Then why are you here?" Max asked, surprised.

Leon shrugged. "I just came to donate my stock to the orphanage, and the Director asked me to fight in the tournament."

Max sighed. "You really didn't bother to check the rewards, huh?"

Leon smirked. "What could a small city even offer?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, normally, a small city's reward might not interest you…" He then grinned. "But what if it's an Ability Crystal of Common or Uncommon rank?"

"What?!" Leon stood up in shock as he heard the words Ability Crystal.

"So, you know what it is, huh? Amazing, right? It can grant you an ability—something we always thought was innate," Max said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

But Leon's expression darkened. Something about this didn't sit right with him.

"What happened to you?" Max asked, noticing Leon's serious face.

Leon took a deep breath before replying, "Are you sure it's an Ability Crystal and not a Core?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a Crystal… but why do you look so disturbed?" Max asked, frowning.

Leon took a deep breath and replied in a serious tone, "Because the production method of Ability Crystals is extremely cruel… outright evil."

Max's expression shifted as he sensed the weight behind Leon's words.

Leon had learned about Ability Crystals in the Alchemy Academy Dungeon. There were ancient records detailing many forbidden alchemical practices, and Ability Crystalization was one of them.

The process was first developed by an alchemist—desperate to help his daughter, who was born without an ability despite being past the usual awakening age. In his obsession to make her "normal," he conducted countless experiments…

…At first, the alchemist tried artificial methods, using mana-infused herbs and alchemical elixirs, but none worked. Desperation drove him down a darker path.

Through forbidden research, he discovered that abilities weren't just mystical gifts but had a tangible essence—something embedded deep within a person's soul. He theorized that if one could extract this essence, it could be crystallized and implanted into another.

And so, the nightmare began.

To create the first Ability Crystal, the alchemist captured ability users—some were criminals, but many were innocent. He experimented on them, trying to forcibly extract their abilities. The process was excruciating, often leaving the victims as mindless husks or killing them outright. Even when successful, the Ability Crystal was highly unstable, requiring multiple refinements.

His daughter, unaware of the horrors behind his research, eventually received a perfected crystal, awakening to a powerful ability. But when she learned the truth, she was devastated. She turned against her father, condemning his methods. However, by then, it was too late. His research had spread, and greedy forces sought to replicate and refine it.

In the end, the alchemist was executed for his crimes, but his invention lived on, hidden in the shadows of history.