My Charity System made me too OP

Arkhe City – Lower Quarter, Hours After the Storm Duel

The platform shimmered to life as Leon stepped back onto solid ground. His clothes were scorched, one shoulder wrapped hastily in cloth. The Storm Fragment pulsed faintly in his hand—unstable, but not threatening.

The others were already waiting.

Roselia met him with a short nod, her shield still strapped on. Naval and Roman looked him over for injuries, but said nothing.

Milim ran up first. "So? Did you kill him?"

Leon shook his head. "Draw. But he gave me this."

He opened his palm. The Storm Fragment crackled—lightning arcing between his fingers and vanishing into the air.

Kael whistled softly. "That's not a souvenir. That's a power key."

Naval tilted his head. "You planning to bind it to your Shell Core?"

Leon nodded. "If I can stabilize it. Reinh said when I've mastered it, I'll be ready to take his place."

Roselia crossed her arms. "You know that fragment could destroy you if it's not merged right."

"I'll manage," Leon replied simply. "I'm not here to climb fast. I'm here to climb solid."

Private Chamber – Later That Night

Leon sat cross-legged in a shielded mana room, the Storm Fragment hovering before him. Shell Reverb energy surrounded him in calm pulses.

Each wave touched the fragment.

Each time, it rejected him.

Lightning flared, once—hard enough to split the air and crack the surrounding floor. Leon didn't flinch. Instead, he activated Karmic Loop—slowing the moment just enough to read the pulse beneath the Storm Fragment's energy.

It wasn't rage.

It was motion. Memory. Fury caught in place.

He whispered, "You're not meant to be bound. You're meant to move."

And for a brief second, the lightning stilled.

That's when Leon activated Shell Reverb: Echo of Origin.

His core pulsed, and the fragment responded—absorbing into him, not like a weapon, but like a rhythm learned. Not tamed. Understood.

His body trembled, muscles straining, until the system's voice finally came:

[Storm Fragment Integrated]

• Shell Pulse Variant Unlocked: Storm Sync Pulse

• Effect: Layered kinetic tempo infused with electrical chaining

• Sync %: 12% – Improper use may cause internal backlash

• New Status: Fragment Bearer (1 of 7)

Leon slumped back, gasping.

He could feel it now—power moving across his skin like wind over steel. Not just speed. Not just power.

Storm rhythm.

And he hadn't even reached 50% sync yet.

Arkhe City – Sparring Grounds, Following Day

The moment Leon stepped back into the open, several figures turned.

The arena was full of new faces—some of them Sovereigns who hadn't paid attention before. They weren't smiling. They weren't mocking.

They were watching.

Irn Valek stood beside one of the dueling boards and gave Leon a sideways glance. "Still breathing?"

Leon raised his arm, where a faint lightning scar now glowed just beneath the skin.

Valek smirked. "Then I guess you're ready for the next."

Roman walked up, tossing Leon a cold drink. "So… who's it going to be?"

Sovereign Board – Current Available Ranks to Challenge

Rank 97 – Aru'Maz the Dread Horn

Rank 96 – Lunestra, Pale Star Priestess

Rank 95 – Garridan the Iron Requiem

Note: All three currently active. All may refuse. Initiating a challenge will cost a formal Marker.

Leon studied the names.

Aru'Maz was known for brutal, long fights—half-beast, half-warlord. Lunestra wielded mental domain fields and controlled duels through spirit pressure. Garridan was a former Duel Saint turned Sovereign, with unmatched counter-attack skills.

Leon finally spoke.

"We go for Rank 95."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Skipping two?"

Leon nodded. "Lunestra's pressure control is better handled later. And Aru'Maz is brute strength. But Garridan… I want to test myself against someone who reads tempo."

Milim smiled. "Because he fights like you?"

Leon smiled faintly. "Because if I beat him, I'll know for sure—this Shell Reverb path isn't just rare. It's relevant."

Arkhe City – Departure Point: Argent Conduit

A special transport awaited them near the edge of Arkhe's southeast platform—one not powered by mana or spirit ore, but by tuned resonance lines, long-forgotten tech from the Tower's ancient builders. It shimmered in place, hovering just above a fractured sound node etched into the earth.

"Garridan doesn't allow direct approach," Naval explained as they loaded into the floating capsule. "His domain rejects standard mana flows. We have to reach him by riding the path of resonance—basically, following a melody only he can authorize."

Leon stepped aboard last. "Then let's not miss the beat."

Location: Harmonia Crater – Domain of Rank 95

The capsule dissolved into light as they reached the crater. It wasn't teleportation in the usual sense. It was like being dissolved into rhythm and rebuilt on the other end. The moment their feet touched solid ground again, sound took over.

It wasn't music—but it wasn't silence either.

The very air hummed. Every breath echoed faintly. Every step had a tone. Beneath them, the stone pulsed like a tuning fork struck by giants.

The arena itself was massive—circular, floating, and constantly shifting with layered platforms rotating like a spinning music box. Metallic petals hovered above it, each shaped like keys on an organ.

In the center stood a figure wearing dark robes lined with silver notes and armor that resembled forged tuning hammers. His beard was short, face lined with age, but his back was straight and his eyes were focused.

This was Garridan, Iron Requiem, Rank 95.

He opened his eyes as Leon stepped into view.

"You climbed from the lower rhythm," Garridan said, his voice deep and calm. "But you carry something old… Shell Reverb."

Leon nodded. "You know it?"

"I forged an echo once," Garridan replied. "I broke it… and buried it. Never thought I'd hear its rhythm again."

Leon stepped onto the central platform, letting his blade rest against his shoulder.

"I've made it my own," he said. "And I came to prove that its song still matters."

Garridan raised a baton carved from pure Harmonia metal. The floating arena stilled.

"Then conduct your duel," he said. "And let's see if your music is worth remembering."

[Sovereign Duel Initiated – Rank 95: Garridan the Iron Requiem]

Rules: No timer. Duel ends by knockout, collapse, or surrender.

Terrain: Resonance Shift – Sound amplifies motion, intention, and emotion.

Field Penalty: Improper tempo will cause self-disruption.

Unique Mechanic: Tempo Lock