’What? Why is she acting like that?’ Solomon hesitated for a moment before unbuttoning the lower half of his academy shirt, exposing his bruised midriff.

Lune stepped closer, the faint pink tint returning to her cheeks. She gently pressed her bare palm directly against the warm skin between his chest and navel, closing her eyes in deep concentration.

The stream chat immediately spiraled into absolute chaos.

[LazyCat: OH MY GOD??]

[User12: the tension is peak right now.]

[GoonLord: WAIT WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHY IS SHE TOUCHING HIS STOMACH?! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! I MEAN... KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF, SOLO MAN! DO NOT BREATHE ON HER!]

Oblivious to the chat’s meltdown, Lune attempted to push a thin, probing thread of her own aura into his meridian pathways.

However, the energy simply pooled at the surface. It met a solid barrier inside his core and failed to circulate through his body.

She opened her eyes and slowly pulled her hand back. "You haven’t fully awakened your aura yet," she confirmed, though an encouraging smile touched her lips. "However, you are incredibly close to a breakthrough. Your internal pathways are already primed and vibrating with latent energy. If you push yourself in just a few more intense fights, you will definitely awaken it soon."

’The paladin said that with my comprehension ability, I should be able to awaken aura in no time. I mean, I did train for fifteen years, even though it was just mentally.’

The floating interface lit up with a flurry of excited messages.

[ThrillSeeker: YOOOO early aura awakening?! Bro is insanely lucky!]

[NewbHunter: That is incredibly rare for a first-year without bloodline powers. Talk about hitting the genetic lottery!]

[BloodKnight: Are you guys actually blind? Luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. Did you not just watch his footwork and stamina? That breakthrough is the result of pure, agonizing hard work.]

[LoreMaster: BloodKnight is right. You don’t casually dodge an S-Rank boss through luck. That is pure dedication paying off.]

Solomon buttoned his shirt back up and looked down at the silver rapier in his hand. The pristine Mythril edge was visibly chipped, and the blade was slightly warped from repeatedly clashing against the Paladin’s massive executioner’s sword.

Guilt immediately washed over him.

"I am really sorry about this," Solomon said, carefully offering the damaged weapon back to her. "I completely ruined the edge. I will compensate you for the repairs. I do not have the money right now, but I swear I will pay you back fully as soon as I earn enough points from the academy."

"It is completely fine," Lune replied gently, reaching out to accept the hilt.

"It is absolutely not fine," Solomon insisted, his frown deepening. "A knight’s sword is literally an extension of their own body. Damaging another warrior’s personal blade is a massive insult to their pride."

Lune let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Did you forget what my actual innate talent is?"

Solomon blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

She ran her thumb lightly over the flat of the damaged silver steel. "To fully utilize my specific talent, my weapon must be in an absolutely perfect, one hundred percent pristine state. Whenever I enter dungeons, go on active adventures, or complete missions, my blade inevitably gets chipped and scratched from normal combat. Because of my strict requirements, I constantly have to get my swords repaired or entirely reforged anyway. So, please, do not worry about it. This is just a normal part of my routine, and it really isn’t an issue at all."

Solomon walked slowly across the cratered floor toward the spot where the ancient knight had fallen. The pristine white armor had completely vanished without leaving a single trace behind.

Just as the Paladin had explained, the armor was merely a physical manifestation of his inner World, an illusion of light and memory that dissolved the moment his soul faded.

However, the massive executioner’s sword remained firmly embedded in the broken cobblestones. It was a tangible, physical artifact.

Solomon bent down and wrapped his hand around the thick hilt. The very second his skin touched the steel, a violent, electrical shock ripped up his arm. The blade suddenly felt impossibly dense, as if the weapon itself was actively fighting his grip and trying to anchor itself to the earth.

He gritted his teeth, instantly remembering the Paladin’s warning. ’Because you lack the holy blood, the steel will violently resist your touch. It will attempt to reject your soul.’

Refusing to let go, Solomon tightened his grip and forcefully ripped the massive sword out of the ground. The very moment the heavy steel broke free from the cobblestones, a translucent blue system screen materialized directly in front of his eyes.

❖ [Item Discovered: Holy Relic - Eden’s Penance] ❖

⇝ Grade: S-Rank

⇝ Type: Heavy Greatsword

⇝ Description: The personal executioner’s blade of the last Paladin of Eden. Forged from divine steel, it actively rejects the souls of those without the Holy Bloodline.

⇝ Special Abilities:

≫ [Unlocked] Echoes of Eden: The blade recognizes your mastery. Grants a 200% damage multiplier when executing any form of the Eden Imperial Sword Arts. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

≫ [Sealed] Divine Cleave: (Requirement not met — Aura unawakened)

≫ [Sealed] Paladin’s Vow: (Requirement not met — Mana Core unawakened)

≫ [Sealed] Weight of the World: (Requirement not met — Concept of ’World’ unachieved)

Solomon’s eyes widened slightly as he read the glowing text. The sword was heavily restricted, but the single unlocked ability was absolutely devastating. A flat two-times damage multiplier on top of the already explosive Imperial Arts would make his strikes completely lethal.

He dismissed the screen, adjusted his stance, and randomly swung the heavy blade through the air a few times. He carefully tested its balance against the intense, electric resistance still pushing back against his mind.

"It is incredibly heavy," Solomon muttered, resting the flat of the giant blade against his shoulder, "but that is exactly what I need right now."

The floating chat interface immediately lit up with a mix of awe and jealousy.

[GamerGuy: BRO LOOTED THE BOSS WEAPON! THAT IS AN S-RANK DROP!]

[LazyCat: that sword is literally as big as he is lmao.]

[BloodKnight: A heavy weapon like that requires insane physical strength to wield properly. Let’s see if he can actually handle it outside of a boss fight.]

[User12: the loot goblin instincts kicked in immediately.]

Lune walked up beside him and inspected the massive slab of pristine steel. "It looks incredibly difficult to wield," she noted with a small smile, "but surprisingly, it actually suits you."

She then glanced toward the glowing archway at the far end of the ruined chamber. "The anomaly is officially cleared. Where are you planning to go now?"

"I am thinking of heading directly to the Eden Palace," Solomon replied smoothly, keeping the heavy sword rested on his shoulder.

Lune’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly stepped in front of him to block his path. "The Eden Palace ruins? You cannot go there. That entire sector is strictly off-limits to lower-ranked adventurers. Furthermore, there is absolutely no direct entry point to the palace from this section of the labyrinth."

She turned and pointed her finger directly at the glowing, fixed gate waiting at the edge of the boss room.

"The spatial anchors are resetting now that the boss is dead," Lune explained, her tone shifting back to a serious, informative register. "Because you are currently an unregistered hunter without an official guild license, that fixed gate will only allow you to do two things: transport you to the beginner’s floor of the dungeon, or send you directly back to your original entry point, which should be the academy grounds."

She gestured lightly to herself. "For me, since my signature is registered, stepping through that gate will automatically route me back to the main Adventurer’s Guild in my kingdom. You physically cannot use it to travel to a restricted zone like the palace."