My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 729: Runic Inscription

The higher sections of the tower differed vastly from the lower depths.

The bottom levels had felt oppressive, stifling, and overwhelming, but the top part seemed keen and vigilant, resembling a vigilant consciousness unaware that its core had long ceased beating. Endless hallways split off in all directions, along with gaping voids that overlooked the battle-scarred heavens outside the central zone.

Steve led the way, his sword slung loosely over his shoulder like he was just taking a casual walk rather than invading a hostile fortress.

"So," he remarked as he rounded a bend at top speed, "anyone care to wager how soon we'll unintentionally destroy something crucial?"

Mazikeen scoffed. "You're already something crucial. Regrettably."

Knight remained silent. His form darted in and out of nearby rooms in search of the runic carvings and guidelines for the anchors.

They weren't creeping about stealthily.

They were on the prowl.

Phantoms materialized from the hallways. The initial one had scarcely fully appeared when Steve sprang into action.

Lightning crackled along his sword as he advanced and swung.

The phantom divided neatly in half, its form dissolving into dark vapor before it could touch the floor.

"Still fresh," Steve grumbled. "Any takers?"

Three others charged forward. Grandmasters.

Mazikeen chuckled.

Flames burst from her hand, dense and ferocious. The fire twisted like it had a life of its own, gnawing into one phantom's midsection and scorching right through. She whirled around, her horned outline slicing the atmosphere, and drove her elbow into the face of a second phantom. Flames erupted on contact, reducing its skull to cinders.

The last one didn't get close.

Knight materialized in its rear.

His talons pierced its torso, darkness engulfing the phantom completely before it had a chance to respond. He faded away once more.

Steve let out a whistle. "You know, for a guy who doesn't chat a lot, you're pretty blunt."

Knight's tail twitched once before he replied, his tone steady and composed. "Babysitting demands tolerance. I'm training."

Steve clutched his chest in mock agony. "Ouch. That stings." He flashed a smile moments later. "On the other hand, perhaps that's the reason I end up with these crazy missions. Isn't it 'cause I'm constantly hanging with your husband?"

Knight halted in mid-stride.

Mazikeen came to a stop too, the pair of them swiveling their gazes simultaneously.

"Husband?" Mazikeen echoed.

"Yeah," Steve replied offhandedly. "He sticks to Billion like his shadow."

For an instant, Knight stayed quiet. Then he shook his head slowly and purposefully, as though deeming the topic unworthy of further thought. His figure melted into darkness and disappeared without a further utterance.

Mazikeen tsked and gave Steve a gentle tap on the nape. "Pay attention, moron. If this tower buries us, it's on you."

Steve chuckled, massaging his scalp while trailing behind them.

They pressed ahead.

Level upon level sped by in their quest. Warehouses packed with damaged artifacts. Viewing areas wrecked by prior blasts. Control rooms long deserted. The item they sought wasn't designed for simple discovery.

"This tower's scheming," Mazikeen murmured softly while incinerating yet another phantom into oblivion. "It's steering us away."

Steve scanned the surroundings. "Wonderful. I despise clever structures."

They arrived at a hallway that seemed off.

The atmosphere grew chillier. Motionless. The Essence circulation in this spot flowed so evenly it bordered on unnatural, akin to a serene facade concealing depths below.

Knight halted at once.

He lifted a talon just a bit.

"Right there," Steve noted, giving a nod. "See? The silent type concurs."

Mazikeen advanced and pressed her palm to the surface.

Runes glowed dimly, responding to her aura.

Her gaze sharpened.

"This isn't a storeroom," she declared. "It's for holding memories."

Steve blinked. "That sounds... pricey."

They forced entry.

The room ahead formed a circle, enclosed entirely by see-through shields of stacked principles. At its heart hovered scores of gems, each cut with facets and emitting a soft inner light. Visions danced within them. Icons. Designs. Runes merging into more runes.

Mazikeen drew in a sharp breath.

"Memory crystals," she stated right away. "Top quality."

Steve approached nearer, his intrigue overpowering wariness. He extended a hand and brushed one.

As soon as his fingertips connected, his frame went rigid.

A alert popped up in his sight.

He smirked.

"Oh," he uttered deliberately. "Yeah. Jackpot."

Mazikeen whipped around. "Certain?"

Steve inclined his head and withdrew his fingers. "Directions. Steps. Insertion techniques. Protections. Defenses. Everything's inside."

Knight edged nearer, tendrils of shadow coiling tighter about the space.

Steve accessed his storage ring and gestured through the air.

The gems disappeared sequentially, drawn smoothly into the ring.

The room responded at once.

Silent sirens wailed. Runes blazed crimson. Reality warped.

"Let's bail," Steve announced brightly.

Beams of deathmist shot from every direction in the area. Dense and weighty. Phantom barriers emerged sequentially. Puppets.

Mazikeen surged ahead, inferno raging about her as she confronted the initial assault directly. Blazes ripped apart phantom lines, yet replacements filled in without delay.

Steve positioned himself next to her, his blade igniting with electricity while he carved routes through foes, his blows precise and effective. Every stroke held purpose, bolts and gloom intertwining as he synced with the combat rhythm.

Knight vanished completely.

Phantoms started disintegrating from within, darkness bursting from their hearts as he attacked repeatedly, striking different spots each time. The fight's balance swung their way in a flash.

Yet the tower resisted fiercely.

The roof fractured. Pull of gravity altered. Whole corridor segments buckled inward.

Mazikeen growled and released a blaze surge so fierce it liquefied the ground into molten residue, opening room nearby.

"Steve," she yelled. "If you're finished browsing—"

"Bill settled," Steve shot back, beaming at her.

Knight materialized amid them.

"Way out," he uttered plainly.

They advanced.

Knight ripped a rift in the shadows, dimension curving sufficiently for their escape. The area they'd left caved in as containment rules broke, smashing phantoms and memory devices together.

They surfaced on a broad ledge close to the tower's summit, emptiness yawning vast outside. Far beneath, the conflict continued, though a shift had occurred.

The tower was perishing.

Steve eyed the storage ring and let out a breath.

"Quest done," he whispered.

Mazikeen eyed him. "Youngsters nowadays."

He grinned regardless.

"Totally worth it."

Knight faced the brink, readying for departure.

Steve trailed, his sword back on his shoulder.

"Hey," he called while entering the gloom. "Next round, no more babysitting from you."

Mazikeen burst into laughter as the tower quaked in their wake.