Chapter 43: Speedrun the Trials (2)
"Please, Savior, help my people. Grant me the strength to battle these wretched monsters!"
The king—Lucius II of Castria—knelt before Ethan, his head bowed low.
The entire royal court followed suit. Their expressions were tight with pain, fists clenched in frustration. It was humiliating to see their king in this position, to rely on a stranger for salvation. But what choice did they have?
Ethan scanned the room. The strongest among them was the king himself—a mere B-rank. The rest? A mix of D-ranks, a few C-ranks, and some unfortunate E-ranks like himself.
But unlike them, he was built differently.
"Your Majesty, what type of monsters are we dealing with?" Ethan asked, keeping his tone polite.
Lucius lifted his head, eyes glinting with desperate hope. "They are many—goblins, orcs, trolls, wolves. And they are working together."
That was unusual.
"We suspect someone is controlling them, but we have no idea who."
"Do you know where they're coming from?"
"Yes. The forest bordering our kingdom. That is where they emerge."
Ethan's lips curled into a grin. "And there are no humans living there, right?"
"None," the king confirmed.
Perfect. No worrying about collateral damage.
Ethan called upon his Infinite Return System.
'System, buy some S-grade rune explosives. A hundred should do.'
[DING! 100 S-Grade Rune Explosives purchased. 100 million karmic points deducted.]
Instantly, hundreds of glowing rune explosives materialized in the middle of the royal court.
"WHAT—?!" The nobles staggered back in shock, eyes wide with panic.
"Calm yourselves," King Lucius said, steadying his people. "This is the work of our savior."
Ethan grinned. "Exactly. Come closer."
Hesitantly, the court approached.
Ethan distributed the explosives—five per noble, twenty for the king.
"The plan is simple," he declared. "We burn the entire forest to the ground. Monsters, their master, everything—gone."
Silence.
"…Burn the forest?" someone whispered in disbelief.
A murmur spread through the court. Destroying the forest meant destroying their resources, their hunting grounds, their future. Without it, starvation could be just as deadly as the monsters.
King Lucius clenched his teeth. He hated this—hated being weak, hated relying on another man to protect his kingdom.
But he would not let his people die.
If they had to sacrifice their livelihood to survive, so be it.
He took a deep breath, then spoke.
"My people… let us go. We have monsters to burn."
His voice was hoarse, but filled with resolve.
His people hung their heads but followed him.
Half an hour later—
BOOOOOOOM!!!
Explosions tore through the sky, shockwaves rippling through the land.
Ethan stood on a balcony, arms crossed, watching the forest burn to ashes.
His expression?
Indifferent.
⸻
Lucius and his men returned, victorious.
The forest was gone. The monsters were dead. And the true mastermind—a B-rank Mind Demon—had been obliterated.
Yet, not a single one of them looked happy.
They had won the battle, but at what cost?
Ethan sighed. He knew that look.
"You're worried about food, right?" he asked.
The court snapped their heads toward him, startled.
Ethan smirked. "Relax. I won't let you starve."
Lucius hesitated. "Sir Ethan, I do not doubt your generosity, but—"
"I need you all to sign this first."
With a wave of his hand, SSS-grade Soul Contracts appeared in front of each noble.
They stared at the floating contracts, confusion flickering in their eyes.
"The only rule is this: If you reveal what happens next, you die. Whether intentional or accidental, you die."
The room fell silent.
Ethan understood now. He didn't forget the additional rewards of the last trials.
This wasn't just a trial.
This meant something beyond his understanding. So he will take some precautions.
One by one, they signed.
Ethan smiled. Smart choice.
'System, create a talent that enhances farming, restores nature, and boosts crop quality. Make it SS-grade.'
'Create an SS-grade swordsmanship talent too.'
'Give me a Legendary bloodline with nature affinity.'
'And a bunch of random B-grade talents.'
[Total cost: 300 billion karmic points.]
Take it. I'll earn it back soon.
[DING! You have created the talent: Nature's Blessing (SS-Grade).]
[DING! You have created the talent: King of Swords (SS-Grade).]
[DING! You have created the bloodline: Blessed by the Spirit of Nature (Legendary).]
[DING! You have created B-grade talents: Flight, Superhuman Strength, Telekinesis…]
Glowing orbs of energy filled the room, floating like celestial stars.
Ethan pointed at Lucius.
"You take these," he said, handing him the SS-rank talents and the bloodline.
The rest? Distributed randomly.
The moment the nobles received their talents—
[DING! 10,000x Return Activated!]
[You have gained the talent: World Tree's Blessing (Supreme-Grade).]
[You have gained the talent: Monarch of Swords (Supreme-Grade).]
[You have gained the bloodline: Lover of the Queen of Nature Spirits (Mythical-Grade).]
Ethan's grin stretched wider.
This system is a fucking cheat.
He could probably create a Paragon-grade talent if he kept doing this.
While Ethan was secretly celebrating, the nobles were losing their minds.
"I… I think I just awakened a B-rank Talent—Flame Fist…"
"Wait, seriously? I got Eagle Eyes!"
"I awakened a talent too—Storm Steps!"
One by one, they realized what had happened.
They all had one more talents now . B-rank talents, just like that.
They stared at Ethan in shock.
Lucius remained silent, gripping his newly strengthened body, feeling the power of his SS-rank talents and Legendary bloodline.
He didn't speak his thoughts aloud.
But in his mind, only one thing echoed:
Who is he?
Lucius clenched his fists.
This was no ordinary man.
No, he was something higher.
He is divine.
The nobles' gazes shifted.
Awe. Reverence. Worship.
Ethan didn't react. He was getting used to this.
"Use your power well," he said. "Do not abuse what I have given you."
And just like that—
{The Fifth Trial has been completed.}
{Spectacular performance, O Giver.}
{You have gained the title: Savior of the People.}
{You have gained the loyalty of the Castria Kingdom and its king.}
{Your methods are beyond understanding.}
{Achievements Unlocked!}
{You have gained the title: The One Whose Mysteries Elude the Tower.}
{Your soul has been greatly strengthened.}
{Your presence has been greatly strengthened.}
{The Tower's Will is fascinated by you.}
{The Tower's Will is… interested in you.}
{The Tower's Will is pleased.}
{You have obtained: Tower's Protection.}
{Impossible achievements!!!}
{You have gained the title: The One Protected By The Tower.}
Ethan barely had time to process the words before—
FWOOOSH!
He was teleported away.
⸻
Lucius watched the spot where Ethan had vanished.
Then, slowly, he turned to his people.
"Create a church."
Silence.
"Name it the Church of the Giver."
"We shall worship Sir Ethan, who has granted us salvation."
"YES, YOUR EXCELLENCY!"
—End of Chapter 43—