Once he heard Luna walk away, Lucas turned his attention back to the loot. He set the card and the suit aside and fixed his gaze on the long, black wooden box, his eyes burning with excitement.


The ebony box weighed a ton. It took Lucas a serious amount of effort just to pry it open, but once he did, the weapon inside made it worth the struggle.


The Sky Halberd.


It was disassembled into two halves, which was a relief. If it had been one solid piece, it would have been massive—way too big to hide in his room.


"Well, at least I can put it together," Lucas muttered.


He examined the weapon under the white glow of his room lights. The spearhead was lethally sharp, gleaming with a cold, menacing aura. Flanking the tip were two crescent-moon blades, curved and wicked.


Without thinking, Lucas reached out to brush the metal. Ouch. A sharp sting made him flinch as a drop of fresh blood welled up on his finger.


"Okay, note to self: extremely sharp," he whispered, heart racing a little.


A weapon this long gave you a massive advantage in a fight, provided you didn't accidentally chop your own foot off. It required a high level of skill—years of practice, usually.


Fortunately, Lucas had a cheat code: The System.


"But seriously... why is this thing so heavy?"


He groaned, straining to lift the pieces out of the box. By the time he screwed the two halves together, he was panting like he'd just run a marathon. The Sky Halberd had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. It was basically a barbell with a knife on the end.


He tried to give it a cool, heroic swing, but the weapon barely moved.


"Nope. Not happening."


He managed a few pathetic wobbles before his arms gave out. He carefully leaned the halberd in the corner. He wasn't exactly ready for the battlefield yet.


Inside the ebony box, sitting innocently where the weapon had been, was a Bronze Combat Art Card. This was the instruction manual—the basic techniques for halberd users.


Lucas sat cross-legged on the floor and slapped the card onto his forehead. It looked ridiculous, but it worked. He focused, releasing his Origin Force. The energy surged from his head into the card, causing it to glow with a soft light.


Whoosh.


A flood of information downloaded directly into his brain. Stances, strikes, blocks—he instantly understood the theory of halberd combat. The knowledge was there, but his muscles were still clueless. He needed practice.


He checked his internal interface. The System projected a line of text in his vision:


[Basic Halberd Mastery: 0/1000 (+)]


Lucas rolled his eyes. "That proficiency requirement is insane."


He hesitated for a split second, then mentally shrugged. Whatever. He dumped 1,000 Credits into the skill, instantly maxing out the proficiency.


"Great. Now I know how to use it, but I can't lift it," Lucas sighed, rubbing his sore arms. "I need more arm strength. A lot more."


He'd been a bit naive, thinking he could just pick up a legendary weapon and start swinging. He was still too young, too scrawny.


"Guess today is arm day," Lucas muttered to himself. "And every day after that."


He downed an Origin Elixir and a Spirit Enhancing Pill, then tossed back three Fortification Elixirs for good measure. He closed his eyes and began to cycle The Art of Cultivation.


As the technique activated, he pulled Essence from the air while directing his internal Origin Force straight into his legs. He was starting the Tempering process.


Since it was his first time tempering his legs, the pain was immediate and intense. It felt like his muscles were being knitted together with hot needles. Cold sweat dripped down his face, but he gritted his teeth and refused to stop.


First, the skin and flesh. Then, the bones.


He lost track of time. By the time the sky outside his window turned a pale, fish-belly grey, the pain had faded. Lucas opened his eyes.


It was Monday. School. Joy.


"Phew. Leg tempering complete," Lucas said, a small, satisfied smirk curling his lips. "Tonight, I start on the torso."


He took a deep breath, running The Art of Cultivation one last time to replenish the energy he'd burned through the night. Thanks to the System's optimization, his recovery speed was insane. Within minutes, his tank was over half full.


He checked his stats. His Origin Points had hit a new max: Thirty-one.