My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 4 4: Vaythos, the Rayleigh Royal Family, and Other Headaches

As Steve and I strolled along the pavement toward his residence, my mind was entirely preoccupied with the elite units.

I was determined to get in.

Securing a spot in an elite unit, proving my worth during the trial period, and—most crucially—surviving the ordeal would serve as a golden ticket to apply for the Empire's special forces.

I was confident in my placement. For the last four years, I had poured my heart and soul into my training, obliterating every existing academy record along the way.

If I wasn't qualified for an elite unit, then nobody was.

The real mystery was the specific assignment.

A hundred elite units existed, each comprised of a hundred graduates and ranked from Elite Unit 01 down to Elite Unit 100. Naturally, I aimed for the pinnacle: Elite Unit 01, the gathering place for the Empire's most formidable graduates.

Steve’s voice suddenly disrupted my train of thought.

"What do you think are the chances of us ending up in the same unit?"

I took a moment to stretch before responding.

"Quite high, actually. They prefer to keep bonded comrades together. Since I took first place and you ranked fourth, our odds are looking good."

Steve gave a slow nod.

"You know, my mother mentioned that the top ten graduates from our academy usually stand a chance at entering one of the top five elite units."

That piece of information piqued my interest.

I shifted my gaze toward him.

"What about Elite Unit 01?"

Steve let out a heavy sigh.

"That’s going to be a struggle. You know the deal—the majority of those seats are reserved for the capital's graduates."

I threw my hands up in sheer frustration.

I couldn't stand those capital brats.

Over my years at the academy, I had encountered plenty of them during sports, drills, and various competitions. To put it bluntly, they were total trash. Their arrogance was so thick you could smell it from a mile away. Just because of their birthplace, they acted as if they were superior to everyone else.

It was true that the capital concentrated the strongest individuals from across the empire, but what gave these kids the right to be so condescending when they hadn't accomplished a single thing on their own merit yet?

Steve offered a shrug.

"Other than the capital, Astra, our city of Cairo is one of the largest in the empire. Avenue Academy holds a rank of fifth or sixth overall. While we might miss out on Elite Unit 01, we have a solid shot at 02 or 03."

His logic was sound. Cairo remained a major hub in our world.

I began to reflect on the dire situation our world currently faced.

Our planet, Vaythos, was under the singular rule of the House of Rayleigh. Under their banner, our nation was known as the Rayleigh Empire.

In this society, awakening wasn't merely a personal milestone; it was a mandatory obligation.

The very moment you awakened, you were conscripted into service.

Whether you ended up in the regular army or a specialized military branch was determined by your performance during your probation.

The entire empire was on a permanent war footing, constantly hungering for fresh recruits.

However, three centuries ago, our world hadn't been in such a desperate state. People used to awaken spontaneously while going about their daily lives, sometimes as late as their thirties or forties. They lived with freedom. Back then, the empire didn't even exist.

Instead, Vaythos was a patchwork of various kingdoms and federations, each managing its own land.

Then, everything was upended.

Our universe fell under attack by an external force—an invasion spearheaded by an ancient race known as the Eternals. They sought to subjugate every world in their path, claiming total dominion over the cosmos.

The war consumed countless planets across the universe.

Initially, our world was spared the worst of it. We weren't on the frontlines, and for a period, we remained largely untouched.

That peace shattered when a more technologically advanced world took notice of us. They gifted us new tech but imposed a brutal deadline: we had fifty years to prepare for combat. Once that time was up, we were forced onto the frontlines.

This sparked the Throne War. Rather than uniting against the external threat, the kingdoms and federations tore each other apart in a savage bid for supremacy. Every monarch wanted total power, hoping to curry favor with the higher-level worlds.

Following millions of casualties and widespread devastation, the Rayleigh family emerged as the victors. Their triumph gave birth to the Rayleigh Empire, which has ruled our world for the last two centuries.

The first hundred years of their reign were a living nightmare. We were treated as mere cannon fodder, fed into the meat grinder by superior worlds. Our losses were measured in the millions.

Then, the war reached an abrupt standstill. The frontline battles ceased, and the dying stopped. Just as the populace began to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking the horror had concluded, the Eternals deployed the Phantoms.

The staggering death toll from the first century of war hadn't been a waste—at least not for our enemies. The Eternals had harvested every fallen soul, forging them into emotionless, animated armors designed solely for slaughter.

Next came the Abominations—monstrous beasts twisted by the lingering spirits of the deceased. They struck in relentless waves, horrifying fusions of flesh and ghost that sowed chaos on every planet.

The frontlines vanished. Every corner of every world became a war zone.

For the past century, our universe has been trapped in a losing struggle against Phantoms and Abominations. Every soldier we lose only adds to their ranks. The harder we fight, the more we empower the enemy.

***

We finally arrived at Steve’s house. He turned the key, and we entered. He was living by himself for the time being, as both of his parents were currently serving in the army.

We made our way to the living room and collapsed onto the sofa.

I looked over at him, a playful smirk dancing on my lips.

"So?"

He blinked, looking confused. "So?"

I cleared my throat and leaned in closer.

"How was your awakening? Did you manage to awaken a talent?"

"Talent? No, I didn’t," he replied simply.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide. He stared at me intensely before the realization hit him.

"Wait, don’t tell me—did you awaken a talent?"

I let out a wide grin. "Yes, I did."

He blinked several times, took a sharp breath, and suddenly lunged toward me. I barely managed to roll off the couch and onto the floor just in time.

"Hey! What’s the big idea?" I yelled.

He scrambled over the furniture, charging at me again.

"This is total garbage! Why did it have to be you, of all people?"

I retreated toward the kitchen, pulling a chair out to use as a barrier between us.

"What do you mean 'why me'? Are you suggesting I’m not worthy of a talent?"

Steve began to circle the chair, his eyes fixed on me like a hunter tracking prey.

"That’s exactly what I’m saying! Out of everyone on Earth, it had to be you? The guy who was already crushing us in every single category?"

I chuckled. "That sounds like pure jealousy to me."

"Oh, I’m way past being jealous," he growled. He suddenly kicked the chair out of the way and Made another dive for me.

Laughing, I bolted around the kitchen island.

"Come on, Steve! Don't act like this changes the status quo. You weren't going to catch up to me even before I got a talent!"

"You—!" He snatched an apple from the counter and chucked it at my head.

I ducked, and the fruit hit the wall with a loud thud.

I laughed harder. "Missed me!"

He reached for a kitchen knife. "Stay still and see if I miss a second time!"

I sprinted back into the living room, vaulting over the back of the couch.

"No thanks! I’m not interested in being murdered by my best friend just because of a bit of luck."

He stayed hot on my heels. "It wasn't just luck! You're already the guy who's perfect at everything, and now you have a talent on top of it?"

"That’s just how the world works, buddy," I teased, continuing to dodge him.

He let out a groan and finally slumped onto the couch, breathing heavily.

"Fine. Whatever. I’m over it."

I smiled and perched myself on the armrest of the sofa.

He looked at me with his trademark lazy expression and asked,

"So… what kind of talent did you actually awaken?"

I let the silence hang for a moment to build the tension before finally speaking.

"My talent's name is Generator."