My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 6 6: Power-Up: The Birth of My Core (Or, How I Didn't Explode)

I decided to conduct a test using a high-speed sprint. If my theory regarding the Generator was correct, then simple physical movement ought to produce enough kinetic energy to trigger the accumulation of Essence.

Positioning myself at the edge of the gym's track, I inhaled deeply, grounding myself against the floor. My muscles coiled with tension, prepared to burst into a full-speed dash.

"Power Up."

The atmosphere transformed the instant the command crossed my lips.

A sharp, rhythmic throbbing began in the center of my forehead, right between my eyebrows. An eerie, emerald radiance flickered into existence. Suddenly, before I could even process the change, Essence began flooding toward me from every direction.

The very air seemed to vibrate. Invisible currents of Essence coiled and spiraled, pulled toward my body like iron filings toward a powerful magnet, all of it rushing—no, crashing—directly into my chest.

Then, my heart gave a violent tremor.

A massive THUMP resonated through my ribcage, sounding like a titan striking a war drum. My upper body went into convulsions as a shockwave erupted from my core, ripping my workout shirt into tattered rags. My vision swam as agonizing pain flared throughout my limbs, and suddenly, I began to hover.

The immense density of the gathered Essence lifted me off the floor, suspending me in midair while raw, unrefined power churned around me. My legs and arms shook violently. My veins felt like they were on fire. My physical vessel simply wasn't designed to contain this much force.

A second heartbeat thundered—wild and overwhelming. Then a third, followed by a fourth. Each pulse sent waves of torture through my chest. Something was going horribly wrong.

Then, my heart literally gave way. It ruptured like a water balloon filled past its breaking point, bursting instantly.

A level of agony I had never imagined possible tore through my soul. My consciousness flickered, and the world plunged into darkness.

The chaotic, wild Essence that had just destroyed me began to congregate in the void where my heart had once been. It swirled and compressed, forging itself into a brand-new organ.

It gave off a few pulses, glowing with a brilliant, vibrant green light before the radiance began to dim. Warmth flooded back into my limbs; my blood began to circulate once more, and my body stabilized as if no trauma had ever occurred.

The flow of Essence smoothed out, and I was gently lowered back onto the gym floor.

After what felt like an eternity, my eyes snapped open.

Lying flat on my back and staring at the ceiling, my mind struggled to process the phantom pain from the blackout. For a fleeting second, I was certain I had experienced death. It was terrifying.

I performed a quick self-assessment, flexing my fingers and testing my grip. Everything functioned perfectly. There was no lingering pain, no visible wounds, and no torn muscles, despite the sensation of being ripped apart moments ago.

With a groan, I pushed myself up, rolling my shoulders and running through a series of stretches. I performed a few test jumps and quick movements to confirm my motor skills were intact.

That was when I noticed my chest.

A tattoo the size of a fist sat directly over my heart, depicting an intricate arrangement of interlocking green gears. The design was complex, resembling the internal mechanics of a high-end motor, stamped permanently onto my skin.

"Whoa… this is definitely new." I ran a finger over the mark, but it felt no different than the surrounding skin.

"Did this crazy talent actually rebuild my heart?"

The gear remained motionless, looking as though it had always been a part of my anatomy. It hadn't bothered to ask for my consent before moving in.

An instinctive understanding suddenly clicked in my brain. Without a second thought, I issued the command again.

"Power Up!"

Ba-dump.

A heavy, resonant heartbeat echoed through my chest like a drum of war. A faint glow ignited in my eyes.

Then… silence.

I knew exactly what I had to do now.

I let out a sharp breath and launched into a sprint. My legs burned as I pushed myself to the absolute limit, circling the gym at a frantic pace.

I completed thirteen full laps before a subtle heat started to bloom in my chest. The sensation was unfamiliar, but rather than stopping, I accelerated. Gradually slowing my pace just enough to transition, I moved toward the heavy punching bag.

Coming to a stop, I took a deep breath and unleashed a barrage. My fists collided with the bag in a relentless rhythm, each hit landing with a heavy thud as I maintained the assault, fueling the growing heat in my heart.

I could feel my heart siphoning the heat and kinetic energy produced by my strikes and movements. The process was automatic, though I realized I could influence what was absorbed, even if I couldn't control the timing. I focused on channeling the absorption toward the heat rather than the kinetic force, allowing me to maintain peak performance without my muscles overheating.

I also noticed the efficiency wasn't perfect. Some energy was still bleeding off, and the entire mechanism felt unrefined and raw. It didn't discourage me, however. I knew that once my talent leveled up, the process would become more polished. It was only a matter of time before it reached perfection.

Nearly an hour later, I finished, exhaling deeply as I loosened my arms. My muscles felt like they could keep going, but I had collected enough data. It was time to see the fruit of my labor.

I summoned my status window. My eyes immediately went to the Essence count.

3/5.

"Hell yeah."

That result was far better than my initial estimates. The talent was only at Level 1, yet it had successfully stored a significant amount of energy. By my guess, only about 10% of the energy I generated was actually being captured.

I couldn't help but grin. One day, when this talent reaches its zenith…

I imagined myself suspended in the clouds, watching a massive meteor plummeting toward me at terminal velocity. Instead of moving out of the way, I would simply absorb the entire impact like it was nothing.

The thought made me laugh out loud.

"People would lose their minds. A massive space rock set to wipe out everything, then boom… it just stops. Hanging in mid-air. Just floating there because I decided, 'Nah, I'll take that energy.'"

I shook my head, still smiling. That was a distant dream, but the fact that it was theoretically possible was enough to drive me forward.

"Maybe another hour of high-intensity training will top off the Essence."

I grabbed a water bottle, took several long gulps, and wiped the perspiration from my brow.

I knew there wasn't a moment to waste. If I could maximize the core's charge now, I could finally experiment with Essence Transfer—and perhaps push my Dexterity to the 10-point threshold.

With my eyes on the prize, I rolled my shoulders, took a breath, and returned to the grind.

After another hour of grueling exercise, I stood panting, sweat pouring down my face. My focus was locked on the status screen.

Essence: 5/5.

I could feel it was full; a soothing warmth radiated from my heart, and the glow in my eyes had vanished—a clear sign the Generator had entered a standby state.

At last, it was time for Essence Transfer.

I commanded the activation. All 5 units of Essence surged into my Dexterity stat, and I checked the update.

Essence: 0/5Dexterity: 14

A subtle transformation washed through me. My muscles adjusted, my nerves felt sharper, and my movements became incredibly light and responsive. It wasn't a massive explosion of power, but the difference was palpable.

I was well aware that this surge was temporary.

Only 10% of those 5 units would stay permanently, resulting in a mere 0.5 increase.

However, if I utilized this boosted Dexterity to train even harder, I could generate more energy and refill my Essence faster. It was a self-sustaining loop that would allow me to push my attributes far beyond the limits of a normal human.

I reactivated the Generator once more.

"Power Up!"

Without losing a second, I dived into high-speed combat drills. I shadowboxed at a blistering pace and performed rapid-fire sprints across the gym, testing my reaction times and agility to their absolute peak.

My punches became a blur, and my feet barely seemed to touch the floor before I was moving again. Throughout the session, I watched as my Dexterity stat slowly ticked back down. By the halfway point of my workout, the temporary boost had been entirely depleted.

Two hours passed in a flash.

By the end, I was completely drained. The Dexterity buff had allowed me to move with incredible speed, but my current stamina wasn't quite ready for that level of exertion. Regardless, I had pushed myself to the brink.

I let out a sharp exhale and called up my status one last time.

[Status]----------------------------------------------------Name : Billion IronhartRace : HumanClass : N/ALaws : N/ALevel : 0Talent :- Generator 1- Essence : 5/5Attributes :- Strength: 8- Constitution: 7- Dexterity: 9.5- Psynapse : 7Unused Stats: 0----------------------------------------------------

I saw that my Dexterity had climbed from 9 to 9.5—a permanent gain of 0.5—and my Essence was once again topped off. Without a second thought, I transferred it back into Dexterity, bumping the active stat up to 14.5. A fresh wave of fluid control and heightened coordination surged through me, though I knew it was fleeting. Finally, I took a breath and let myself relax.

According to my math, in one more hour, as the temporary buff faded, I would gain another 0.5 permanent boost. That would bring my Dexterity to the peak value of 10.

I grinned to myself.

I was almost there.