Zoro, Miro, and Vlad navigated the scattered debris and reached the mountain of shattered bones. Zoro extended his hand and pulled Solomon to his feet.

"That was an incredible display," Zoro said, offering a genuinely impressed smile. "Your Convergence talent is absolutely amazing. Wiping out a thousand enemies completely alone is a monumental achievement."

Solomon scratched the back of his head and let out a tired sigh. "I actually haven’t awakened my talent yet. I just relied entirely on physical sword techniques and basic aura projection."

[LazyCat: Bro awakened aura a few hours ago and already mastered it!]

[GoonLord: ARE YOU A REINCARNATOR OR A REGRESSOR?!!!]

Zoro stared at him in complete disbelief. He processed the absurd reality that the massive shockwaves came strictly from unrefined energy and sheer bodily exertion.

Miro stepped forward and looked directly into Solomon’s eyes. "You fought exceptionally well," she said, speaking to him for the very first time. Her voice sounded incredibly clear and melodious. "Your combat endurance is highly commendable."

Zoro and Miro simultaneously turned their heads toward Vlad. They clearly expected Vlad to offer a compliment after witnessing such an entertaining and destructive battle.

Vlad scoffed dismissively and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do not let their praise inflate your ego," he insulted, looking down at Solomon. "Your technique is completely reckless. You would have died multiple times during that chaotic mess if I had not intervened to cover your massive blind spots."

Solomon bent down to retrieve Eden’s Penance from the rubble and hoisted the massive S-Rank blade onto his shoulder. "I purposely left those blind spots open because I knew you were secretly eager to help me," Solomon replied with a sarcastic smirk. "I figured you needed something to do besides standing around acting superior."

[GoonLord: LMAO HE JUST ROASTED A WORLD RANKER!]

[LazyCat: Solo Man has absolutely zero respect for authority.]

[SteelFang: Vlad looks completely furious.]

[BloodKnight: I see a rivalry booming. That is a form of brotherhood.]

Vlad glared piercingly at Solomon, choosing to completely ignore the taunt. He turned on his heel and marched directly toward the colossal palace gates looming at the end of the precinct.

Solomon stretched his aching muscles and followed Vlad, while Zoro and Miro walked closely behind to resume their trek toward the palace.

The iron gates of the Eden Palace stood completely ruined. Time and decay had stripped the gold plating from the stone walls. Solomon stared at the structures piercing the black sky. He shifted Eden’s Penance on his shoulder and bit the inside of his cheek.

The interior of the compound clearly stretched for miles in every direction. Finding a hidden vault inside this sprawling maze without a map would easily take several weeks of blind searching. He desperately needed a valid excuse to break away from Zoro, Miro, and Vlad to hunt for the crown.

"So, what exactly is the plan now?" Solomon asked, stepping over a fallen gargoyle to keep pace. "You mentioned earlier that your guild master sent you here to deal with an anomaly. Do we just kick the front doors open and start swinging?"

Zoro stopped walking and ran a hand through his hair. "That is the general idea. We are here to eradicate the source of the mutated monster spawns. The focal point of the dimensional corruption is sitting somewhere deep inside the main throne room."

Miro kept her gaze entirely locked on the entrance. She subtly adjusted her bangs while Vlad simply rested his hand on his silver hilt and ignored the conversation entirely.

Solomon pointed the tip of his greatsword toward the ruined wings of the palace. "This place is an absolute maze of collapsed hallways and buried basements. How do you actually plan on tracking down a single source of corruption in all of this wreckage?"

Zoro grinned and ignited a small flicker of fire over his thumb. "We do not need to track anything down. We just need to make enough noise to force the target to come directly to us."

Vlad stepped forward and kicked the iron gates. The rusted hinges shrieked as the doors crashed backward into the entryway.

"We slaughter everything in our path until the anomaly reveals itself," Vlad stated, marching straight into the dark corridor. "Keep up, or stay outside."

Solomon watched Vlad disappear into the shadows. He quickly calculated his next move. If they were heading straight for the throne room, he could easily use the chaos of their battle to slip away, but his destination also happened to be the throne room.

[GoonLord: They are literally going to blow up the palace!]

[LazyCat: solo man is plotting something right now, I can see the gears turning.]

[BloodKnight: Following them is the perfect cover for a solo mission.]

Solomon dismissed the floating chat interface with a quick swipe of his hand. He tightened his grip on his blade and followed the group into the darkness. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Solomon stopped near the shattered entrance. He recalled the specific coordinates the Paladin had given him inside the mental void.

The crown sat safely sealed inside a hidden vault deep beneath the palace ruins. The reinforced doors required Eden’s Penance to function as a master key.

He mentally mapped out the route.

Zoro, Miro, and Vlad were heading directly to the throne room to deal with the anomaly. Solomon needed to reach that exact location before them to secure his prize.

"What is your exact pathing from here?" Solomon asked.

Zoro pointed down the central corridor. "We are walking straight to the throne room. The source of the corruption should be waiting for us there."

Solomon chuckled and pointed his thumb toward a collapsed eastern hallway. "I will take this route."

Vlad glanced over his shoulder. "Do whatever you want. We are not holding your hand."

Zoro frowned slightly. "Are you sure? Wandering alone is extremely dangerous."

"I will manage," Solomon replied. "I am injured and my body feels heavy. It’s better if I don’t engage in any battle unless I have somewhat recovered."

He turned his back to the group and walked into the eastern wing.