Chapter 52: Steps to Unlock the Secret Chamber

Solomon rested his chin on his leather gloves while staring directly into the floating camera lens. The decorative sword remained planted firmly against the marble floor between his boots.

The blue projection screen instantly filled with a chaotic flood of text of colorful donation icons and messages.

[LazyCat: we are literally witnessing the birth of a supervillain.]

[GamerGuy: 10/10 aura farming. bro thinks he owns the place.]

[User12: someone get this guy a throne immediately.]

[BloodKnight: A true king needs a crown.]

[LoreMaster: The Crownless King returns to Eden.]

[System: 1Fizzy has gifted 5 Golden Thrones (10,000 Points)!]

Solomon smirked at the scrolling comments and shifted his posture against the dusty cushions. "I appreciate the points, 1Fizzy. You guys keep asking about a crown, so maybe I should actually go find one hidden around here to complete the entire look."

He kept his true intentions entirely hidden behind a casual joke. He genuinely needed the specific holy artifact to awaken his Convergence talent. He simply could not broadcast his actual objective to thousands of viewers.

[Skeptic: you just want more donations for playing dress-up.]

Solomon squinted his eyes at the owl. "I am providing top-tier entertainment while completely risking my life in an unexplored ruin. You should be throwing your entire bank account at me just for the privilege of watching."

[GoonLord: TAKE ALL MY MONEY!]

[LazyCat: the ego is out of control right now lol.]

Solomon maintained his seated posture for exactly three full minutes. The blue projection screen constantly scrolled with new comments and flashing icons as the audience completely bought into the theatrical display.

He finally released his grip on the pommel and pushed himself off the dusty cushions.

He lifted the decorative sword from the floorboards and walked down the marble steps. His boots slapped against the ruined stone until he reached the bottom of the dais. He turned around and stared at the empty royal seat one last time.

Tightening his grip on the ornate hilt, Solomon aligned his spine perfectly with his wrists and snapped his hips forward. He brought the brittle blade crashing down through the empty space.

Eden Imperial Sword Arts: First Form.

The vertical strike unleashed a violent kinetic shockwave directly ahead. The invisible force slammed into the throne and cleanly bisected the entire structure. The two perfect halves split apart and crashed onto the dais, kicking up a massive cloud of dust across the chamber.

The sword in his hand dissolved into ashes.

The chat immediately exploded with frantic messages.

[LazyCat: WAIT WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!]

[GamerGuy: bro just destroyed a priceless historical artifact for absolutely zero reason.]

[User12: why did you break the throne? you were literally just posing on it!]

[Skeptic: completely unhinged behavior.]

Solomon swatted the dust away from his face. "That throne has no king left to sit on it. It already served its purpose." He kicked a stray piece of rubble across the room and shrugged. "Besides, the stone is far too massive for me to carry out of these ruins. Since I cannot haul it back to the academy shop, it is entirely worthless to me."

A bright banner flashed across the upper corner of his vision.

[System: 1Fizzy has gifted a Silver Sword! (500 Points)]

[1Fizzy: nice swing. do it again on something bigger.]

Solomon tapped the floating screen and nodded. "I appreciate the sword, 1Fizzy. I will definitely cut something larger if the opportunity presents itself."

A loud grinding noise suddenly echoed from deep beneath the floorboards. The ancient mechanism hidden beneath the ruins finally registered the destroyed throne.

Solomon wiped the lingering ashes of the decorative blade from his gloves and reached over his shoulder. He closed his hands around the thick hilt of Eden’s Penance. The divine steel immediately sent an electrical jolt up his forearms.

He overpowered the resistance and pulled the giant blade free.

[User12: did you guys hear that?]

[LazyCat: the entire room is shaking.]

[GoonLord: YOU BROKE THE THRONE AND NOW THE CEILING IS GOING TO CAVE IN!]

"The structural integrity of this place is entirely ruined," Solomon told the hovering drone. "We need to secure a safe path forward before the whole palace collapses on top of us."

Solomon walked through the crumbling eastern courtyard with Eden’s Penance resting in his hands.

According to the Paladin’s inherited memories, a sacred font used for royal baptisms sat directly in the center of this specific garden. He spotted the stone basin half-buried under fallen debris.

He approached the ruined font and tightened his grip on the giant executioner’s sword. Aligning his boots with the cracked tiles, he twisted his core and snapped his hips forward. The pristine steel sheared through the surrounding space in a perfect horizontal sweep.

Eden Imperial Sword Arts: Second Form.

The sheer force bisected the stone basin cleanly as the top half slid off and crashed into the dirt.

[GamerGuy: why do you hate ancient plumbing so much?]

[LazyCat: bro is playing fruit ninja with historical landmarks.]

Solomon stepped over the broken stone. "These old structures are completely unstable. I am simply clearing out potential hazards before they collapse on me."

[GamerGuy: bro just cut solid marble like butter.]

[LazyCat: he is definitely just destroying public property for fun at this point.]

Another loud groan reverberated from the foundations.

[GoonLord: PLEASE STOP BREAKING THINGS AND FIND THE EXIT BEFORE YOU GET CRUSHED!]

Solomon wiped a streak of sweat from his chin and smiled at the owl. "I am just making sure the path is clear. You guys wanted entertainment, so I am providing it."

He stepped over the crushed pebbles and continued down the cleared corridor. The grinding noise from the ancient gears finally faded into silence. The floorboards at the very end of the hallway split apart.

A hidden staircase spiraled down into the darkness.

With each steps, he was getting closer to the location of the secret chamber, and the grinding noise upon performing a step was the proof of it.

He was just two steps away from reaching the crown, which would finally awaken his talent.