My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 821 Surrounded In A Dome

The heavy quiet that fell upon the battlefield, interrupted solely by the piercing wail of sirens, weighed down oppressively on me. It was hard to pinpoint right away what disturbed them the most—the abrupt arrival of an outsider among them, the three restrained Upper Transcendents floating behind me, or my calm stance amid their triggered defenses. Perhaps my reputation had preceded me to this realm.

Before I had a chance to examine it more, a protective dome enveloped me.

It sprang up right away from the earth, crafting a solid gray wall made purely from stabilized deathmist. As soon as it closed overhead, the mounted armaments shifted their aim to its exterior rather than straight at me.

I stayed rooted in place, my awareness stretching further out past the dome's boundaries. The deeper I looked, the graver my face grew.

This wasn't some concealed advance base.

It wasn't merely a short-term takeover.

It represented a thriving society. Phantoms moved freely along the avenues, their bodies infused with deathmist. I detected Eternals too, their presences clear despite being toned down.

If anything, this realm seemed flourishing.

And thus I bided my time.

'Is this your headquarters?' I inquired of the Feran.

She managed a weak, forced laugh in spite of her wounds and bindings.

'Yes,' she answered, her voice forcing through clenched teeth. 'Surprised, right? You won't escape this place.'

Rage flared openly in her stare, yet underneath lurked something more—a firm belief that my end would come here.

I chose not to reply to her anymore. Instead, I raised my eyes.

A few silhouettes had positioned themselves over the gray dome, floating just outside its edge. They watched me leisurely.

In the middle hovered an aged Naga male. Years etched lines near his eyes and dulled his scales, which covered his face thickly and trailed down his throat, but he exuded no frailty. His level reached 499.

To his right drifted a Naga female in a plain, blank mask hiding all but her gaze. Her stance stayed rigid, controlled.

Close by them loomed a lofty insectoid creature, its armored legs tucked orderly, numerous eyes locked on me unblinking.

On the opposite flank floated an Aqua race female, her bottom half a smooth mermaid tail that swayed gracefully even in mid-air, upheld by faint law control.

Next to them positioned three Eternals.

Yet my focus turned straight to the masked Naga female.

Her presence.

I recognized it from earlier.

'Igza Nag,' I stated, letting a small grin appear. 'Never imagined I'd encounter you in this spot.'

She matched the Naga female who'd presented herself to me during the Feran assembly. At that point, she'd seemed minor, a weak entity overshadowed by bigger figures. Now she ranked with Upper Transcendents, her level nearing the upper four hundreds, her demeanor utterly transformed from my memory.

For several moments, silence reigned.

Then she raised her arm. The shrill alarms halted at once. She reached up steadily and took off the mask covering her features.

It was indeed Igza.

'We cross paths once more, Billion Ironhart,' she declared, her tone even, laced with light humor. 'I warned you our destinies would intersect again.'

I nodded faintly.

'Indeed, you warned me,' I responded. 'Sorry for dismissing you back then.'

'I've noticed you've harmed our allies badly,' Igza noted evenly, though her glance darted briefly to the three captive forms behind me. 'Such behavior isn't fitting for someone of your status. Does the Order of Absolute intend to wage war against Hollow Star?'

'War?' I echoed, stroking my chin as if truly pondering it. 'Against you? Not at all. Your group isn't significant enough yet for my faction to issue an official challenge. I arrived solo.'

Her grin faded slightly. She held back her reply for a beat. Meanwhile, the senior Naga male next to her advanced a step. He donned dark robes that draped weightily over his build, with a dark blade sheathed at his hip.

'Mr. Billion,' he started in a deliberate voice, 'you let me down. You hold great promise, but you've picked a route clashing with ours.' His stare stayed locked on mine. 'I'll make this proposal just this one time. Join Hollow Star.'

'No,' I shot back instantly.

He showed no visible change, but a keen edge entered his look.

'Are you sure?' he pressed. 'We've done our homework. We understand more about your background than you realize. Does Vaythos ring any bells for you?'

My gaze tightened a bit.

I'd long anticipated that eventually, somebody would connect the dots to my roots. I just hadn't figured it'd occur so soon.

He went on, his speech calm, nearly casual.

'For now, that realm stays whole, calm and growing.' His eyes grew subtly firmer. 'However, that status can shift. It all hinges on your decision right here.'

'Honestly, I fail to see how issuing threats would convince me to side with you, but fine,' I remarked casually. 'I was hunting for your hideout, and looks like I've found it. Time to start.'

I raised my foot and struck the earth lightly once.

Each silhouette above the dome stiffened right away, their focus intensifying as they braced for the opening blow.

I merely grinned.

The very next instant, the terrain underfoot quaked.

This place wasn't a barren waste choked with deathmist where each step demanded precise filtering. No, this was a vibrant planet, rich with raw Essence coursing via its dirt, its skies, its energy veins. It throbbed softly below, overlooked by the majority.

Essence forever heeds intent. And it bent to my intent swifter than for others. I skipped ripping into the dome barrier head-on. I avoided striking the airborne group initially.

Rather, I projected my intent deep into the soil.

Fissures radiated from the spot my foot met, speeding across the turf and earth in expanding circles. They pushed past the gray dome's rim. The deathmist wall wavered as the splits ran under it, since I wasn't assaulting the barrier. I was directing the base it relied on.

The Essence woven into the terrain altered.

At first, faintly.

Then unmistakably. The surface warped just a touch. Power streams under the settlement shook as the innate Essence currents realigned to my orders.

I issued a straightforward command.

React.

And the planet complied.

Out of those splits, verdant Essence started ascending.

It rushed skyward in heavy surges, compact and glowing, resembling a massive wave bursting from the world's arteries. Close by, the earth parted and massive pillars of jade light shot up, swirling and cresting like animated seas. The dome barrier spasmed wildly as the Essence amassed below it, shoving upward from all sides at its foundation.

Beyond the dome, the event spread.

Over the wide meadows, emerald flows exploded in repeated bursts. Further away, past the close borders, the same rush swept into the urban area. Essence poured up amid structures, down boulevards, following utility paths.

The atmosphere thickened as the concentration soared. Even ordinary folk who'd pulled back to secure spots halted in shock as the ground they occupied obeyed a foreign will.

The elder Naga's calm at last shattered.

'How can this be…' he whispered to himself, his scales clenching along his chin.

His eyes darted to the rest.

'Strike immediately!'

The devices fixed on me reacted first. Their hearts blazed as Essence poured into their launch bays, the buzz spiking before release.

The stone Elemental trailing me cried out in warning.

'No!'

Yet Hollow Star showed no pause on their account. The armaments kept their paths unaltered to protect their side.

Fourteen rays launched together from all angles, focusing on the dome's heart where I positioned with the three tied Upper Transcendents.