Chapter 4: The Power to Give
Ethan barely waited for the ceremony to end before excusing himself. He had faked exhaustion, claiming the awakening process had drained him, but the truth was far simpler—he just couldn't wait any longer.
He needed to see his system's abilities.
The moment he stepped into his room, he shut the door behind him and let out a deep breath. His heart was racing.
"Alright… first things first."
As much as he wanted to check the system, he still had to look at his talent's abilities. It was his first real power in this world, after all.
[Talent: Heart of Benevolence (C-Grade)]
Talent Description: You are a being of kindness, of love, of trust, of selflessness. You are weak in combat, but you don't need to fight your battles—because you will always have allies by your side.
Skills Unlocked:
Aura of Trust (Passive): People instinctively trust you, feeling at ease in your presence. Even the most doubtful and skeptical individuals will find it difficult to suspect you.
Blessing of Reciprocity (Active): When you give, purely out of kindness, an item, skill, or resource, the recipient receives an enhanced version of what was given. (Cooldown: 24H)
Benevolent Shield (Active): Create a barrier around a target, absorbing damage based on how much goodwill you have for them.
Ethan whistled lowly.
"Damn. The passive is crazy. If even skeptical people have trouble doubting me, that's already broken in its own way."
But then he frowned.
"The other two, though… They're all about helping other people. What am I, some saint?"
He sighed, leaning back in his chair. It wasn't that he minded helping others. In fact, he actually enjoyed it. But if all his powers were just about supporting other people, then what about him?
His eyes lingered on Blessing of Reciprocity for a moment longer.
"An enhanced version of what was given… I need to test that immediately."
And Benevolent Shield was another mystery. How much goodwill did he need to make it strong? Did it scale based on emotions? Thoughts? He had too many questions.
But all of that could wait.
Because now, it was time for the real reason he had rushed back to his room.
Ethan took a deep breath, then grinned.
"Alright. System—show me what you can do."
At once, glowing golden text appeared before his eyes.
[Welcome back, Host.]
[Displaying System Abilities:]
Heavenly Reciprocity – Whatever you give out of pure goodwill, you will receive 10,000 times the value back.
Karmic Resonance – Helping others generates karmic energy, which can be converted into divine skills, artifacts, or blessings.
Blessing of the Benevolent Sovereign – The more people you uplift, the more your strength, luck, and influence grow.
Ethan blinked.
Then again.
His brain completely shut down for a solid five seconds.
"…What?"
He read Heavenly Reciprocity again, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
Whatever you give out of pure goodwill, you will receive 10,000 times the value back.
"That's…"
He sucked in a sharp breath.
"That's ridiculous."
No, ridiculous wasn't even the right word. This was completely and utterly broken.
He sat there, staring at the golden text, his fingers gripping the armrest of his chair.
His mind raced with possibilities.
If he gave someone one gold coin, he'd get 10,000 in return.
If he gave away a low-grade potion, he'd get 10,000 of them.
If he gifted someone a skill book, he'd get 10,000 copies.
And if he handed over an artifact…
"Oh."
His breathing slowed. His lips curled into a smirk.
"Ohhhhhh."
Then—he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha! I KNEW IT!"
He threw his head back, cackling like a madman.
"HAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS TOO MUCH! I'M A DAMN CHEAT CHARACTER!"
For a good minute, Ethan just sat there, shaking with laughter. This was better than anything he had expected. 10,000 times was an absurd multiplier. No matter what he did, he couldn't lose.
He eventually wiped his eyes, still grinning.
Then, his expression sobered slightly.
"Wait…"
His fingers tapped against his desk as he thought about it more deeply.
"It has to be out of pure goodwill."
That phrase wasn't just decoration. It was a condition.
He exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair.
"Giving without expecting anything in return, huh?"
That wasn't actually a problem for him.
In fact, he had always believed in that kind of giving.
"A gift isn't a gift if you're expecting something in return. That's just a disguised trade."
He had always found it ridiculous when people acted generous, only to get angry later because they didn't get repaid.
If you truly wanted to give something, you shouldn't need repayment.
And now, the system itself rewarded that exact mindset.
His grin returned.
"Perfect. This is made for me."
He looked back at his system abilities.
If Heavenly Reciprocity let him gain 10,000 times whatever he gave… and Blessing of Reciprocity already enhanced whatever he gave before it even reached the recipient…
Then…
"This isn't just a good ability. It's an infinite power loop."
His grin widened further.
"I see. I get it now."
He wasn't just a support character.
He was a kingmaker.
He could create monsters out of his allies. Warriors stronger than anything the world had ever seen.
And in return?
He'd be at the center of it all. The one person they would all protect at any cost.
His eyes gleamed as he thought of the future.
His family. His household. The knights and servants.
They would be his first test subjects.
"I'll make them powerful. So powerful that no one will ever dare to touch them."
He stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Well, that settles it."
It was time to stop being lazy.
For real this time.
First, he would grow the people around him.
Then, he would step into the Tower.
And after that?
He would keep giving.
And in return—he would become unstoppable.
His title wasn't just for show.
He would become the Kind Noble that they see in him.
But behind that kindness?
Would be absolute power.
A power to protect and preserve.
—End of Chapter 4—
A/N:
If you like it add it in your library.
Thank you for reading.