My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 1151: The Declaration

Darkness swallowed us.

For a brief moment, I felt neither my body nor my Soul Force. It was as though every sense had been stripped away before the world quietly returned around us.

The first thing I noticed was absolute silence.

Not the silence of an empty room, but the kind that seemed to absorb every sound before it could fully exist.

The second thing I noticed was the floor.

Smooth grey stone stretched endlessly beneath our feet, polished to such perfection that it reflected our figures like still water. Massive pillars disappeared into darkness on either side, their true height impossible to determine, while countless ancient lanterns floated overhead, illuminating the enormous hall with a pale silver glow despite possessing no visible flame.

The hall itself seemed endless.

There were no windows or decorations.

Only a single path leading toward the far end, where two stone monuments stood waiting.

Nobody spoke.

Even Kaelra’s usual confidence had quietened beneath the oppressive stillness surrounding us.

We slowly approached the larger monument.

It was another tablet.

Unlike the one that had descended behind me during my duel with Shade, this monument appeared almost ordinary. Time had weathered its edges, yet the countless inscriptions carved into its surface remained perfectly preserved.

Aelion stepped forward first.

His fingers gently brushed the ancient script before his emerald eyes narrowed in concentration.

"It uses the same language as the stingrays."

He closed his eyes for a moment before slowly translating each line aloud.

"Beyond this point begins the Trial of the Twelfth Current."

The hall seemed to grow even quieter.

"Those who cross this threshold do so by their own will."

No one interrupted him.

"Life, soul, authority and existence surrendered thereafter belong solely to the consequence of that choice."

Aelion paused briefly before reading the final line.

"Proceed."

Kaelra folded her arms.

"I somehow expected something grander."

Gerald chuckled.

"I didn’t."

He looked toward the inscription with unusual admiration.

"That’s exactly how someone who governs an entire realm would write."

Beside the larger monument rested a second tablet, considerably smaller and almost overlooked at first glance.

Unlike the first, it contained no warning or proclamation. Its polished stone surface held only a carefully arranged list of names, each carved with such extraordinary precision that not even the passage of countless ages had managed to blur their edges.

Some belonged to races familiar to us, while others bore titles and scripts that none of us recognized.

Sue studied the tablet in silence for a few moments before giving a thoughtful nod.

"I believe these are the individuals who reached this place before us."

No one offered another explanation. None seemed more plausible.

Standing quietly behind the two monuments was a second gate. Compared to the colossal entrance that had brought us here, it appeared almost insignificant, no taller than an ordinary doorway.

Its surface was perfectly smooth, devoid of engravings, inscriptions or decoration, yet there was something strangely inviting about its simplicity.

I lingered before the list of names for another moment before turning away.

"Let’s continue."

Nobody moved.

Kaelra glanced from the smaller tablet to me, a faint crease appearing between her brows.

"Aren’t we supposed to leave our names behind as well?"

I shook my head.

"If the Ruler intended us to write them, he would’ve left us a way to do so."

Without waiting any longer, I walked toward the second gate.

As I drew closer, the smooth stone surface began glowing with a faint silver radiance. Gentle ripples spread across it like rain falling upon the surface of a perfectly still lake, and before I had taken my final step, the doorway silently unfolded on its own.

Beyond it stretched nothing except absolute darkness.

There was no hesitation.

I crossed the threshold, and the others followed immediately behind me.

The doorway closed as silently as it had opened, leaving the ancient hall empty once more.

For several long moments, nothing happened.

Then, without a hand touching it or a chisel carving its surface, the smaller monument shimmered faintly. An invisible force slowly etched fresh letters into the weathered stone, adding a new name beneath the seventeen that had stood undisturbed for ages.

Billion Ironhart

*********

Darkness lasted only a heartbeat.

The next step carried us into an entirely different world.

A library.

Towering bookshelves stretched so high that they disappeared into the distant ceiling, while countless floating staircases connected levels that seemed to defy logic. Entire sections of the library drifted peacefully through the air, rearranging themselves without the slightest sound.

It wasn’t merely large.

It was...Infinite.

I had scarcely taken two steps before a cheerful voice echoed through the impossible library.

"Oh my visitors."

Every head turned simultaneously.

Standing behind an enormous wooden reception desk was...

An ape.

Roughly eight feet tall, with neatly combed silver-grey fur and a perfectly tailored black three-piece suit complete with a crimson tie and polished leather shoes. A pair of round spectacles rested neatly upon his nose as he calmly closed the thick book he had been reading.

He smiled warmly.

The smile of a librarian greeting guests. He adjusted his glasses before giving us a polite bow.

"Welcome..."

His smile widened ever so slightly.

"...to the Trial of the Twelfth."

For a few moments, nobody responded. The ape looked from one face to another before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Oh dear... have I become that frightening?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose it’s been quite a while."

His eyes drifted toward the endless rows of books surrounding us.

"Let’s see..."

He began counting on his fingers.

"One hundred thousand years... no... two hundred thousand? Hmm..."

He scratched the side of his head.

"I honestly stopped keeping track after the first few millennia."

Another cheerful smile appeared on his face.

"Regardless, it has been a long time since anyone reached this library."

He looked around at our group once more, and this time genuine excitement lit up his expression.

"And what a delightful surprise! So many visitors at once!" I don’t think I’ve ever had..." He paused to count us carefully, pointing at each person one by one before nodding in satisfaction. "...twenty-three guests arrive together."

He clapped his hands once.

"How wonderful!"

"My apologies."

"I’ve forgotten my manners."

He straightened his suit jacket with great care before placing one hand over his chest and offering another elegant bow.

"My name is Macaco Yana. I am the Librarian, Archivist, Receptionist, Curator, Examiner..." He paused for a moment. "...and, whenever absolutely necessary, the Caretaker of the Trial of the Twelfth."

He adjusted his glasses again.

"Those titles sound rather impressive, don’t they?"