My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 727: Observation

"We've advanced deeper than ever before," he finally declared. His tone remained firm, yet an undercurrent of intensity lingered. "The second layer is crumbling apart. Their arrays are fracturing. Even their retaliatory strikes show no unity anymore."

I gave a nod. "They've forfeited their mainstay."

His eyes at last turned toward me. "What about the reinforcements?"

I understood his implication. "Two Eternals emerged via portals close to the tower," I answered. "I obliterated both. Afterward, I demolished the portals. No further ones will pass through this rift."

Saleos's eyes tightened a bit. "That's the reason the tension shifted," he whispered. "I sensed it. As if a bond had broken."

"It snapped," I stated plainly.

He examined my features for an instant, seemingly deciding if he should probe further. Then his focus returned to the rift, his fists gradually clenching by his sides.

"How can we bring this to a close?" he inquired.

Not inquiring about victory. But termination.

I directed my complete focus at him. "You inform me. You've battled in this place longer than any soul."

Saleos held back his response for a beat. His stare wandered to the immense edifice beside the rift, known as the Eclipse Anchor, partially veiled in churning deathmist and multiple barriers. Even amid the surrounding turmoil, the tower endured solidly, resembling a backbone thrust into existence itself.

"That tower holds the secret," he stated. "It has from the start. While it remains upright, the rift maintains its balance. More troubling, it repels external meddling. Not only from our side, but from..."

"The System," I interjected.

He inclined his head. "Correct. It stays hampered as long as the tower persists. Toppling the Eclipse Anchor would grant it entry once more."

"What follows?" I questioned.

"The rift turns volatile next," Saleos responded. "The System could seal it outright. Or dispatch an entity equipped to handle it."

I arched a brow. "An entity such as?"

He paused, then uttered the term softly. "A Saint."

Saleos emitted a brief, mirthless chuckle. "Over decades, it was mere hearsay. A tale to spark illusory optimism in weary warriors. Yet now..." He shot another look my way. "Following today's events, doubt creeps in."

Quiet lingered on.

His stance altered then, shoulders easing a touch.

"You must understand this," he declared. "None of this would have transpired without your aid. We've forfeited leaders. Young ones. Whole lineages. My own son fell here." His jaw clenched, yet his eyes held steady this time. "I had begun to think this rift would claim me as its tomb."

I refrained from breaking in.

"Your arrival," he pressed on, his voice growing gruffer, "accomplished in mere days what decades failed to achieve for us. You slew an Eternal. You severed their bonds. You rekindled hope among my kin."

He dipped his head in a slight bow.

"Thank you."

A pang gripped my chest upon hearing that, though I shoved it down. "The fight isn't over," I remarked. "We can't afford to falter in our drive."

A intense gleam reignited in his gaze. "Indeed. Conclude it right here. Wipe it out for good."

I nodded sharply.

"My allies have penetrated the tower," I announced.

With that, my awareness broadened, fixing on known presences buried inside the Eclipse Anchor.

North, Lyrate, and Primus progressed as a unit, dropping level by level. Their route plunged deeper, well past the observable floors, aiming for a nucleus concealed under strata of fortified substance.

Lyrate led the way.

Her face held a tranquil, nearly peaceful look, yet her actions carried no softness. Each stride she made unleashed roots from the ground and surfaces, robust and shadowy, charged with the Law of Creation warped for combat.

These roots pierced metal, rock, and bodies without mercy. Whatever creature crossed their route got skewered, smashed, or ripped to shreds prior to any response. No delay occurred. No moment for assessment. No separation of barrier from foe. All ahead of her vanished utterly.

North trailed right after her, holding the center spot. She had already ascended to the summit of Grandmaster Rank.

Primus guarded the back.

His pace was deliberate. Assaults from the rear collided with his steadfast figure and crumbled upon impact.

As one, they pressed downward via the tower akin to a squad of enforcers, sparing no life behind them.

In another part of the tower, Knight, Steve, and Mazikeen ascended, branching into varied areas. Knight's shadows glided past barriers and overheads, charting routes and evading snares. Steve advanced with greater wariness, his sight keen while he examined each carving and device, hunting the rune lore required by the System. Mazikeen clung near Steve, her instincts alert to threats, her weapons always within grasp.

Saleos tracked my line of sight despite his inability to perceive it. "The operation has commenced," he noted.

"Affirmative," I confirmed. "We secure the field of battle. They claim the tower."

"Excellent," he replied. "I'll ensure no disruptions occur."

The conflict blazed beneath us.

Demon troops charged via the shattered central stratum, their bellows shifting from despair to rage and vitality. Silver ferried whole arrays ahead, placing them further into hostile ground before ascending once more to assault from on high. Ragnar blazed a trail of ruin amid the lingering specters, his guffaws resounding across the emptiness like peals of thunder. Aurora's bolts rent Eternal arrays with unyielding accuracy.

Still, my focus kept drifting back to the tower.

Within, North's team arrived at a fortified crossroads and halted for a moment. The atmosphere thickened as they delved deeper, the surrounding laws morphing, turning thicker and more antagonistic. This building was far from mundane. The lower they ventured, the fiercer the tower's opposition grew, as though it sensed its core nearing.

I observed them breach yet another barricaded tier, surfaces inscribed with glyphs that throbbed subtly with deathmist. Lyrate's demeanor stiffened while she projected her awareness, offsetting the taint through measured surges of Essence and formation.

Proximity loomed.

Extremely near.

Saleos rose tall next to me, flames of law igniting more vividly about his frame. "I'll sustain the assault," he vowed. "Should the tower retain defenders, outside aid will elude them."

I tipped my head. "I'll remain positioned. Should trouble arise, I'll step in."

He offered a crisp acknowledgment, then pivoted and propelled himself toward the fray anew, his aura flaring like an additional star as he merged into the clash.

I held my post, suspended facing the rift, my detection extended to utmost bounds.

Though I'd addressed all I could, uncertainty lingered if this encompassed a full Grade 4 rift's arsenal. And should a concealed element persist, one designed to sway the scales at the final instant, I aimed to be the barrier against it.

Thus, I lingered beyond.