My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 708: First Phase

Saleos remained quiet for a time.

He observed Ragnar with the calculating gaze of a commander surveying a battlefield before deploying his forces—slow, methodical, and allowing the silence to linger. Ragnar stood with an easy posture, his club resting on the ground. He appeared relaxed yet immovable, possessing the presence of a mountain that required no words to prove its mass.

Saleos finally broke the silence after several breaths.

"Do you truly comprehend the weight of standing at my right hand?" he questioned.

Ragnar paused to reflect. "It means you intend to place me where things first collapse," he answered. "Where the pressure is greatest. Where every choice carries life-altering weight."

Saleos gave a subtle nod. "And where the casualties are tallied."

Ragnar held his stare. "That as well."

Saleos moved closer, his aura bearing down with a sharp, searing intensity—the accumulated weight of a thousand wars. Ragnar did not flinch.

"The commander on my right does not pursue personal fame," Saleos declared. "He does not desert his post for the sake of a thrilling duel. He does not reduce everything to ash simply because he possesses the power."

Rather than becoming defensive, Ragnar looked contemplative. "That is acceptable," he remarked. "Slaughter is simple. Anyone with enough strength can manage that."

Saleos shifted an eyebrow upward.

"What truly matters," Ragnar added, "is the wisdom to know when to stay your hand. Knowing how to maintain a formation so others can reposition. Knowing how to remain motionless even when every instinct screams at you to strike."

Saleos scrutinized him with renewed focus. "Tell me then," he said, "is your knowledge limited to destruction... or do you understand how to safeguard something?"

Ragnar adjusted his hold on the club. "I defend whatever I am assigned to protect," he stated flatly. "Be it people, strategic points, or paths of retreat. If you place something behind me, it stays there unless you provide a different command."

A heavy quiet filled the room.

"And to whom do you answer?" Saleos inquired.

"Billion," Ragnar spoke without hesitation. "On the field of war, you."

Saleos let out a slow breath. "And if those directives should ever conflict?"

"Billion," Ragnar repeated.

Saleos eventually turned away. "Take the position I assign you," he commanded. "Guard what needs guarding. For the moment, that is all I require. Should you stumble, I will send you back."

A small smile touched Ragnar’s lips.

Saleos shifted his attention toward me. "Provide me with the names of those you have identified," he said, his voice regaining its steady tone. "I shall convey my strategy to you through Ragnar."

I gave a single nod in response.

He then addressed the others. "Mazikeen, you will remain with the Order. The rest of you, follow me back."

There was no delay. With one last nod in my direction, he disappeared in a sudden burst of flame and spatial distortion. Dravon, Korvath, and the third demon followed his lead at once, their movements reflecting sharp discipline.

The hall grew still.

Only our group remained... along with Mazikeen.

For a brief moment, the air was silent.

"That went quite well," Aurora remarked brightly, shattering the quiet as she approached Mazikeen and took the demon's hand between her own palms.

Mazikeen blinked, clearly startled by the gesture.

"Don’t be concerned, dear," Aurora added with a radiant grin. "I will look after you very well. If anyone in this group tries to bully you, just come to me." She leaned forward slightly, whispering in a conspiratorial tone, "Just stay clear of Lyrate. She’s a bit—" Aurora tapped her temple with a knowing look.

"Aurora," Lyrate said in a deadpan voice, her eyes fixed on her.

Aurora stopped her gesture and turned her head just enough to glance back. "Yes?"

"I can hear everything you're saying," Lyrate noted calmly.

Aurora nodded, as if that were a perfectly natural conclusion. "That just means those pointed ears are functioning as they should," she praised.

Lyrate’s eye gave a small twitch.

"Why does it seem like you are desperate for my attention?" she asked flatly.

"Hm?" Aurora tilted her head, looking genuinely perplexed.

"You are obviously trying to provoke jealousy by clinging to that demon," Lyrate continued, her words sharp and clinical. "Are you attracted to women, Aurora? Let me be perfectly clear: not in a million years would I ever accept you."

Aurora stared at her in silence for several seconds.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked, completely bewildered.

Lyrate clicked her tongue. "It seems your soft brain is failing you."

With those words, her form dissolved into a crimson mist, fading into the atmosphere as she exited the hall without another word.

"Hey! Come back here!" Aurora yelled.

In the next breath, her body transformed into a bolt of lightning, surging after Lyrate and leaving a faint crackle in the air.

The hall returned to silence once more.

I slowly turned my attention toward Knight.

He was already watching me.

Neither of us looked away.

After a long pause, Knight let out a weary sigh.

"Fine," he muttered tiredly. "I suppose I am a babysitter now as well."

Shadows swirled around him, and he vanished from sight.

I was left standing alone in the empty hall, listening to the distant echoes of lightning and the vanishing traces of crimson mist.

I let out a long breath.

War was already a complex matter.

But this... this was somehow more exhausting.

Mazikeen let out a soft chuckle, the sound cutting through the stillness.

"How did you even manage to assemble this group?" she asked, her eyes searching mine as curiosity broke through her composed exterior.

I looked at her and grinned. "Oh? Does that mean you want to join us?"

"No," she replied instantly, her voice firm and flat.

I gave a dramatic sigh. "That is a pity. You know, Steve actually likes you."

Her head whipped toward me. "What?"

"It's true," I went on casually. "I caught him whispering your name while he was asleep."

She stared at me as if I had finally lost my sanity.

"I don't have time for this," she said, crossing her arms. Her expression sharpened, and her eyes grew cold. "I have a duty to perform."

I raised an eyebrow. "All this... what exactly?"

"All this pointless nonsense," she answered. "The jokes. The teasing. These distractions."

I shrugged, entirely unaffected. "When did I claim you had to participate? I'm simply sharing data. Whether it matters to you is your own concern."

She clicked her tongue but remained silent.

I turned away, stretching my limbs. "Come on. Steve has already finished the list of traitors."

I glanced back at her with a smile and a quick wink.

With a simple wave of my hand, the space around us folded.

The environment shifted.

And we vanished, heading toward the third layer.

The atmosphere changed the moment we arrived.

The residence was still, sealed tightly against the distant roar of the war. The heavy resonance of Essence from the outside was dampened here, sounding like muffled thunder through stone walls. Within the hall, Primus and Steve were seated cross-legged on the floor, immersed in deep meditation. Their breathing was rhythmic and disciplined. They didn't open their eyes as we appeared, though I knew they felt our presence.

North was nowhere to be seen.

Mazikeen moved to the side without speaking as I stepped forward. I waited for a moment. Steve was the first to conclude his session. He exhaled slowly, opened his eyes, and stood up. Primus followed shortly after, offering a brief wave to Mazikeen.

"Did things go smoothly?" Steve inquired.

"Smoothly enough," I answered. "Can you give me the list?"

He nodded, reaching into his storage ring to produce a bundle of papers.

I took them from him. As soon as my hands touched the parchment, I scanned the contents entirely and sent the data.

Through our mental link, the information moved with speed and clarity—every name and detail was transmitted straight to Ragnar. I felt his confirmation a moment later.

I looked over at the group. "The first phase is straightforward. We eliminate the traitors. We do it quietly and cleanly. No sound must reach the ears of the Eternal."