"There are two ultimate concepts you must grasp if you wish to survive the true horrors of this universe," the Paladin explained, his raspy voice dropping to a serious octave. "The first is the concept of a ’World.’ A World is not just a physical location. It is a personal domain forged entirely from your accumulated knowledge, lifelong experiences, and deepest memories. It continuously expands as your soul grows."

The Paladin gestured to the endless white void surrounding them. "If a warrior can compress their entire World and wield it directly into their own body, they transcend mortal limits. That is the exact power required to slay divine beings and obliterate enemies who exist on entirely different planes of reality."

Solomon absorbed the profound information, his mind racing to understand the sheer scale of such a technique.

"The second concept is ’Will,’" the Paladin continued, tapping his gauntlet against his chestplate. "Will is forged from raw emotion, unyielding desire, and absolute conviction. When you learn to channel your pure Will directly into your blade, your strikes will shatter boundaries that physical strength alone could never scratch."

The ancient knight shook his head slightly. "I cannot physically teach you how to manifest your World or ignite your Will. You must discover those triggers entirely on your own. However, simply knowing these concepts exist grants you a massive advantage. Given your terrifying level of comprehension, I am confident you will eventually reach that pinnacle."

’My comprehension?’ Solomon thought, glancing down at his calloused hands. He had managed to master the absolute highest form of swordsmanship from scratch. "Wait. Is this finally my awakened talent? Did my SSS-rank ability help me learn all of this?"

"It did not," the Paladin replied softly. "That was actually my talent at work. I simply passed everything down to you."

Solomon snapped his head up, his brow furrowing in deep confusion. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"My innate talent was called ’Inheritance’," the Paladin revealed, looking down at his own armored hands. "I spent my entire mortal life completely unaware of how to actively use it. Because of the vague name, I always assumed it merely helped me inherit the abilities of others or comprehend complex combat techniques at a faster rate."

The Paladin looked back at Solomon, a hint of nostalgia bleeding into his tone. "I was exactly like you during my youth. I could understand, learn, and comprehend incredibly difficult concepts simply by dedicating myself to extreme hard work and endless repetition. I believed my talent was just a passive boost to my learning speed."

"It was only much later in my life that I experienced a true revelation regarding its nature," the Paladin continued, resting his gauntlets on the pommel of his greatsword. "The talent did not allow me to inherit anything. It allowed me to force someone else to inherit my entire existence."

"Hmm?" Solomon raised a brow.

"All of my accumulated knowledge, my refined techniques, and my lifelong experiences. However, the activation required an absolute sacrifice. If I ever used it, my soul would instantly extinguish. I would die."

Solomon widened his eyes, fully processing the sheer weight of the suicidal ability. A talent that demanded the user’s life was completely unheard of in the modern era.

"The ability was entirely useless to me during my prime," the Paladin explained, looking down at the unseen floor. "It was clearly designed to be activated on my deathbed, or when I eventually grew old enough to pass the torch to a worthy successor. Unfortunately, I never received the luxury of growing old. I did not die the way I wanted, and the divine corruption forced me into a hollow, undead shell."

The ancient knight lifted his head, the corrupted light flickering gently inside his white visor. "But now, my mind is completely free from the physical rot. I will use my talent to make you inherit everything."

Solomon froze completely still. The words echoed in his mind, slowly clashing against the agonizing memories of his endless training. He abruptly lowered his silver longsword and pointed a finger at the pristine armor.

"Hold on a second. Are you telling me you could have just used this talent on me from the very beginning? You could have simply dumped all this combat knowledge directly into my brain and saved me from years of endless physical torture?"

"Yes," the Paladin answered without a single ounce of hesitation.

Solomon dropped his jaw. "Then why didn’t you? Why make me suffer through thousands of duels and millions of practice swings if you possessed a magical shortcut the entire time?"

The Paladin pulled his executioner’s sword from the void and planted it firmly by his side. "If I had simply forced the knowledge into your mind, it would not have been something you truly learned. You would not have worked for it."

Solomon gripped his hilt, his frustration bubbling up. "I still would have known the techniques!"

"Talents are merely blessings handed down by the world," the Paladin countered, his raspy voice echoing with absolute authority. "They are not something a person truly earns through their own blood and sweat. You must understand a harsh truth about this universe. Something that does not belong to you can easily be taken away. Blessings can simply disappear."

The ancient warrior looked around the white expanse, a deep sorrow lacing his tone. "I refused to let you rely on a fragile talent. If the blessing ever faded or shattered, you would lose the arts entirely. I needed your physical soul to memorize the exact weight of the blade. I needed your very being to understand the suffering required to achieve absolute mastery."

The Paladin gripped his hilt tighter, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. "And above all else... I did not want the legacy of the Kingdom of Eden to be forgotten so easily. You earned these arts, Solomon. They belong to you now, and no god or monster can ever take them away."

The Paladin rested his hands over the pommel of his sword. "What exactly is the name of your Talent?"

"It is called Convergence," Solomon answered, leaning his weight against his own blade.

The Paladin shook his head slightly. "I have never heard of a talent by that name. However, there is a guaranteed method to force an awakening."

"How?" Solomon asked, immediately standing up straight.