My Charity System made me too OP-Chapter 291: Void Walker III

Leon, listening to them banter, allowed himself a rare smile. Their fire hadn't dulled—even in the face of something as terrifying as a war against Void-touched gods.

He turned toward the portal again. Its surface rippled like oil over starlight.

"Let's not forget," he said, his tone quiet but firm, "this isn't just about us getting stronger. The higher we climb, the more people we can protect. The more futures we preserve."

Roselia nodded. "Then let's make sure we keep climbing."

"Okay then, let's go and clear this floor, level up to Limit, and then we'll dive straight to Floor 250," Leon said as they all nodded in agreement.

Leon then looked at the Deep Ancient Depths information about this floor. "There are six hidden Dungeons on this floor—powerful and rare. If we can clear them all, it'll be worth the effort. Let's go and clear them and grow stronger."

She nodded, determination in her eyes.

The team gathered at the staging platform just outside the entrance to the Deep Ancient Depths—a sprawling zone covered in dense, mist-laden jungle and partially submerged ruins. The atmosphere was thick with arcane humidity, and even the air shimmered faintly with residual energy from ancient battles fought long before any of them had entered the Tower.

A soft hum resonated from the ground as they activated the region map, revealing six glowing markers scattered across the vast terrain—each one representing a hidden dungeon.

"Each of these has its own guardian," Liliana read from the floating glyphs. "And some are keyed to specific elements or intentions. They won't open unless we meet the right conditions."

Leon cracked his knuckles, his aura pulsing faintly with destructive intent. "Then we'll meet them. One by one."

Dungeon One: The Cradle of Thorns

The jungle leading to the Cradle of Thorns was not silent—it breathed.

Dense fog slithered between titanic trees whose bark pulsed with faint bioluminescence. Vines thicker than a grown man's torso twisted in endless knots, some seeming to shift slightly when unobserved. The air was thick with floral scents—sweet at first, then sour—like nectar fermenting in moonlight. The whole forest gave the impression of a living, watching presence.

"Looks like it's aware of us already," Roselia said, narrowing her eyes.

Liliana scanned the area, her Resonance Lens shimmering over one eye. "It's more than aware. This entire dungeon is semi-sentient. It reacts to emotional states—especially fear."

Millim snorted. "Then lucky for us, I'm not afraid of a bunch of angry vines."

Leon's voice was steady, but serious. "Keep your mental barriers up. Don't let it read your fear signature. The last thing we need is a dungeon that anticipates our next move."

First Layer: The Vine Labyrinth

As they entered the dome, the flora closed behind them like a jaw snapping shut.

The entrance gave way to a shifting maze of thorn-covered vines. The walls grew taller as they walked, cutting off the light. Thorny tendrils reached out at random, testing their reactions, brushing against skin and armor like curious fingers.

Naval drew her rapier and slashed one such vine cleanly in half—only to have it regrow within seconds.

"It regenerates," she muttered.

"Not just that," Liliana added, placing a hand on the vine and closing her eyes. "It learns. Every time we cut or burn one, it stores the method of attack."

Roselia traced a pattern in the air and ignited a thin line of silver flame, burning a path ahead. "Then we'll need to keep changing our tactics. No repetition."

Millim, however, surged forward with a burst of chaotic energy, cracking the ground beneath her. "Let it adapt to this!"

Her chaotic aura disrupted the pattern-sensitive vines, throwing the labyrinth into disarray. For a brief window, the path ahead unfolded like petals.

They ran.

Second Layer: The Carniflora Basin

The path opened into a circular basin, lined with thorny lilies the size of wagons. Pollen filled the air in thick golden clouds, and every breath tugged at their senses with subtle hallucinogenic effects. Illusions started forming—whispers, familiar faces, painful memories.

Roman stood still, blinking slowly. "I… hear my sister."

Leon immediately cast a veil of null-resonance around the group. "Don't listen. It's a lure."

From the lilies rose the Carniflora, massive flower-beasts with snapping maws hidden beneath petals. They struck with vine-tentacles, each attack guided by the team's faltering emotional states.

Millim took point again, laughing as she shattered one with a spinning punch that released a shockwave of raw force. Naval weaved through the attackers like a dancer, her blade slicing vines before they could fully emerge. Liliana hummed a short, powerful phrase, encoding a sharp emotional dissonance that temporarily stunned the predators.

When the last Carniflora collapsed, their remains dissolved into pink mist. A spiraling stairway of braided vines emerged, leading down.

Third Layer: The Grove of Judgment

Darkness. Total and unnatural.

This layer was silent and pitch-black, save for glowing nerve-like roots pulsing beneath the translucent ground. The path ahead was uncertain, and every step weighed heavier than the last.

Then the Thornbeast arrived.

It didn't emerge—it formed from the grove itself.

A towering monstrosity of bark, muscle-vine, and thorns, with an almost humanoid face grown from twisted flora. Its eyes glowed with green psychic fire, and its presence pressed on their thoughts like a hand squeezing the skull.

"Fear-based psychic pulses," Roselia hissed. "It's trying to induce panic."

Leon gritted his teeth. "Fall into formation."

The Thornbeast roared—a scream of nature scorned—and lunged.

Millim surged forward, striking its shoulder with a chaotic-enhanced fist, but the blow only staggered it. Its vines slammed into Roman's shield, throwing him backward into a wall. Naval tried to pierce its core, but the creature split its body around the blade and reformed behind her.

Liliana snapped open her spellbook, glyphs of emotional reinforcement wrapping the team in psychic armor. "Focus! Lock your minds!"

Aqua's voice came faintly through Leon's comms. "Papa… don't lose your harmony."

He closed his eyes briefly.

Then opened them—burning with Voidbreaker light.

He whispered a single invocation.

"Ruin Conjuration: Scourgelight Wolf."

A rift opened, and a massive black-and-silver spectral wolf burst forth, its eyes glowing violet. The Thornbeast turned—hesitated.

The wolf pounced.

While the Thornbeast wrestled with the conjured guardian, Leon and the others closed in. Millim struck its legs, Naval pierced its central nerve stalk, and Liliana overloaded it with a harmony rupture.

Leon leapt high and drove his fist—charged with destructive energy—straight into the Thornbeast's head.

It shattered like glass.

Dungeon Core Chamber

The grove trembled. Vines pulled away to reveal a crystalline heart—green and gold—suspended in a cluster of glowing roots.

[Vineheart Core — Claimed]

[Artifact Gained: Vineheart Pendant]

[Effect: Amplifies life magic and plant-based control abilities by 150%]

Millim stepped forward, yanking the glowing pendant free with a satisfied grin. "Now that was fun."

The dome of the Cradle of Thorns slowly receded, revealing the jungle sky above once more. Fresh sunlight poured into the cleared basin, and the heavy pressure lifted.

"One down," Leon said, adjusting his coat. "Five more to go."

Roselia smiled faintly, brushing a few thorns from her cloak. "Let's not make them wait."

The team turned as one—toward the second dungeon.