My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 704: Conversing With Saleos

I didn't blink as I held his stare. "If you choose to unleash your full power and engage me here, I won't stop you. However, you should realize one thing first: you will lose everything."

My voice remained level. The implication of my statement was unmistakable. A total confrontation between us in this location would reduce the entire second layer to ash. With thousands of demons stationed here, not a single soul would survive the fallout.

That realization finally caused his surging aura to falter.

For the first time, Saleos truly observed me. His piercing gaze traveled from my expression to my stance, eventually settling on my hands. His focus then shifted toward Knight and Lyrate; though they remained shrouded in their cloaks and kept their presence suppressed, they were clearly lethal threats.

His aura didn't dissipate entirely, but it stopped intensifying.

"Where is Dravon?" he questioned once more, his voice growing even more frigid.

I tilted my head slightly to the side. "Why would I have any knowledge of Dravon's whereabouts? For that matter, who even is he?"

This provoked a visible response. The skin around his eyes tightened, and his posture shifted ever so slightly.

I spoke again before he had the chance to reply.

"Tell me something, Commander," I remarked casually. "Why do you seem so unsurprised?"

He remained silent.

Stepping closer, I continued, "Most individuals fall into a panic when they are snatched from a battlefield during a war. They usually erupt in rage, scream, or launch a reckless attack."

Keeping my eyes fixed on his, I said softly, "But you didn't react that way. That is what's odd. It almost seems as though you were expecting this outcome."

Saleos didn't offer an immediate response. His aura lingered—heavy and lethal—but it was no longer lunging forward. Instead, it coiled around him in a controlled manner, like a sword held inches from a target.

"Let me take a guess," I went on, my tone remaining firm. "You underestimated me. You likely assumed there was no way a Transcendent ranked in the low three hundreds could pose a threat to you, a demon who has surpassed the four hundred mark. You were aware I was observing. You knew I was coming. Yet, you didn't move."

I exhaled a short breath. "It was that very confidence that landed you here."

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

Then, Saleos gave a slow nod.

"Yes," he admitted bluntly. "I did underestimate you."

His voice carried no trace of resentment or wounded pride. It was merely a statement of fact.

"You possess great strength," he added. "And more significantly... you are an anomaly."

The moment he uttered that word, I sensed a change. His thought process shifted. His eyes grew sharper with calculation. He stopped viewing me as a foolhardy intruder and began reevaluating me as a critical variable.

I gave a single nod of acknowledgement. "That’s a fair assessment."

"What happened has happened," I stated. "You are here now, which was my objective. Dravon is out of harm's way; he had prepared an entirely different location, but I selected this spot instead."

I made a sweeping gesture with my hand. "This is the commander's room on the top floor of the second layer. It wasn't easy to isolate this area without triggering any alarms. I simply wanted a space where we could converse without the pressure of the battlefield hanging over us."

Saleos scanned the room briefly, immediately grasping the situation.

His eyes then drifted back to the cocoon standing next to Lyrate.

"Set Phegor free," he commanded firmly. It wasn't a plea.

I shook my head without a moment's pause.

"No, Commander."

His expression darkened, but I cut him off before he could protest.

"There is a specific reason I went to such lengths to bring him here," I explained. "And there is a reason I have sealed him so completely. We are going to talk first. Once we have concluded, I will justify his presence here."

For several seconds, the tension in the air was palpable.

Then, Saleos did something I didn't expect.

He relaxed his posture.

"You are either brimming with confidence," he said slowly, "or you are incredibly reckless."

A faint smile touched my lips. "Is it impossible for me to be a recklessly confident man?"

His heavy, sharp gaze remained fixed on me. "If your intent was to threaten me by bringing me here, it won't work. If you brought me here to negotiate, you should make sure the deal is worth the gamble you just took."

I met his stare head-on.

"I didn't bring you here to make threats," I clarified. "And I didn't bring you here to haggle over terms."

I paused for emphasis.

"I brought you here so we can find a way to shut down this rift permanently."

"There aren't 'ways,' only one way," he retorted. "Eliminate the Eternal and destroy his towers, and we will seize control."

I didn't back down as I met his eyes.

"That is the obvious solution," I said calmly. "Kill the Eternal, smash the tower. Everyone present understands that much."

Saleos let out a dry, mirthless chuckle. "And yet, it hasn't been accomplished. Not in decades."

"That is because every time a powerhouse emerges to try," I countered, "the opposing side retaliates with equal force. Saints intervene, and the field of battle is transformed into a mass grave. You might hold your territory, but you lose your people."

His jaw tightened, though he didn't argue the point.

I continued to hold his gaze firmly.

"Do you believe you're telling me something I don't know?" he asked. His voice lacked anger now; it was filled only with weariness. "We have plotted assassinations. We've led coordinated strikes and sacrificial charges. Every path leads to the same end. We fail, and more demons perish."

"I am aware," I said steadily. "From your perspective, the rift seems untouchable—like a wall you can only dash yourselves against. But that doesn't mean it has no weakness."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"So, you are asking me to take another gamble," he remarked.

"I am asking you to let *me* take the gamble," I corrected him. "You won't need to deploy a single battalion. I don't require reinforcements. I don't need your soldiers to die for my objective. All I ask for is access and silence. I want no interference from your forces while we take action."

"And what follows?" he questioned. "What happens if you fail?"

"Then the status quo remains," I answered. "You lose nothing more than you already have. The rift remains in place, and you return to guarding the front line just as you have for years."

"And if this is a lie?" he challenged. "What if you are working for them? What if this is merely a convoluted ruse to strike us while our guard is down?"

I exhaled slowly.

"Commander," I said, "if they truly intended to wipe out your forces, they wouldn't resort to such a complex scheme. You know that, and I know that. Look at the state of the war. Look at how they toy with your armies. They aren't the ones who are desperate."

Saleos fell silent.

For a long interval, neither of us said a word. The muffled roar of the battlefield thrummed through the reinforced walls, serving as a bleak reminder of the world outside.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

"And you truly believe you can change that."