My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 1178: Aftermath

The moment my feet touched the earth, blood rose into my throat.

I turned my head and spat a mouthful of crimson onto the shattered ground.

I wiped the corner of my mouth and frowned slightly. The injuries weren’t surprising. I had pushed my body far beyond what it was currently capable of enduring, especially when I had used the full manifestation of my Domain and then forced the Null Core and Dawn Core to contain an existence as powerful as Viserys. My body was repairing itself, but the process would take time.

I was about to take my first step toward the others when a violent disturbance suddenly came from within the Dawn Core.

I stopped.

Deep inside my inner world, the black ocean churned violently.

A gigantic claw suddenly erupted from its surface and swung upward, tearing through the air as though attempting to escape the isolated region entirely. The surrounding mountains trembled beneath the force, and billions of trapped souls screamed as the ocean surged around them.

Before the claw could break through, the suppressing formations I had established throughout the region activated.

Crimson runes illuminated across every mountain and riverbed.

The entire containment formation came alive.

A vast network of crimson chains formed across the isolated region, wrapping around the enormous claw and forcing it downward. The black mass struggled violently, but the combined suppression of millions of runes pushed it back beneath the surface.

The screams continued.

Billions of souls thrashed within the black ocean, their voices merging into an endless tide of anguish, but none could escape the boundaries I had established.

I observed the disturbance for a moment before deciding there was nothing more I needed to do.

The containment was holding.

I turned my attention away from the Dawn Core and looked toward the others.

They were gathered across the ruined battlefield, most of them either sitting or leaning against whatever remained of the surrounding terrain. Nobody looked victorious. Their bodies were battered, their clothes torn, and their Soul Force was so depleted that even standing seemed like an effort.

Gerald noticed me first. He stared for several seconds before letting out a long breath.

"I thought I was going to die. And then I thought you were also going to die."

A tired laugh escaped me.

Gerald shook his head and looked me up and down before adjusting his glasses.

I chuckled despite the exhaustion weighing on my body. "It’s fine. We pushed through everything that came at us, and we achieved what we came here for."

I expected at least some relief.

There was none.

The words hung between us, but nobody celebrated.

We had entered this place with a large expedition, confident that the combined strength of our civilizations would be enough to overcome whatever waited inside the prison of the Twelfth. Now the battlefield was scattered with the consequences of that confidence. Too many people had died during the trials, and even more had fallen during the battle against Viserys.

Sue sat several meters away, completely silent.

Her head remained lowered, her golden clock-like eyes fixed upon the ground. The revelation of Dream’s betrayal seemed to have affected her more deeply than the injuries she had suffered.

Evelyn eventually walked toward her and crouched beside her.

"It’s all right," she said gently.

Sue didn’t respond.

Evelyn continued after a moment, her voice calm and understanding. "The heart of a being is fickle. There are decisions people make that we may never truly comprehend, no matter how long we have known them. Sometimes all we can do is brace ourselves for that possibility and, when it comes, accept it and move forward."

Sue finally shook her head.

"I was his mentor."

Her voice was quiet.

"He stayed beside me for so long. I watched him grow. I taught him, trusted him, and fought alongside him. I thought I understood him."

She lowered her gaze again.

"But I never imagined that this would be what he chose in the end."

Kaelra, who had been sitting nearby while one of her daughters remained unconscious beside her, scoffed softly.

"You don’t need to blame yourself for that man."

Sue glanced toward her.

"He isn’t the first traitor we’ve encountered, and I’m certain he won’t be the last. The lure of the Eternals is simply too heavy for some people to resist. They offer power, freedom and a life beyond this realm. For someone who has spent eternity trapped here, that temptation can become stronger than loyalty."

Kaelra’s expression gradually became serious.

"But none of that changes what we accomplished."

She looked toward me.

"We came here because we needed a chance against them."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"And now we have one."

The surrounding Saints slowly turned their attention toward me.

Kaelra smiled.

"Boy, after everything I’ve seen today, I’m looking forward to your fight against Verilux."

I nodded.

"So am I."

Before anyone could respond, the space several hundred meters away suddenly rippled.

Everyone immediately became alert.

A massive circular gate materialized in the air, its edges shimmering with runes. The sight was familiar enough that several Saints instinctively reached for their weapons.

Then the gate opened.

A familiar figure stepped through.

The ape was dressed in his immaculate three-piece suit, his spectacles sitting neatly upon his face. He emerged with an enormous grin and immediately began clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

He adjusted his glasses as he looked across the ruined battlefield.

"Well done! Truly, truly well done!"

Macaco Yana spread his arms as though welcoming guests to a grand celebration.

"I watched the entire thing, you know."

He pointed toward the enormous crater where Viserys had once stood.

"And I must say, I have seen many attempts at facing the Twelfth, but yours was certainly among the more entertaining ones. Not necessarily the most elegant, mind you. There was quite a lot of screaming, exploding, collapsing, bleeding and general destruction."

He paused thoughtfully.

"Actually, now that I think about it, there was an impressive amount of bleeding."

Macaco smiled brightly.

"But you survived!"

He clapped again.

"That is the important part."

His gaze traveled across the wounded Saints before settling on me.

"And you, Lord Billion, are particularly impressive. You managed to drag that troublesome lady into your own inner world and somehow make her your... what was the word?"

He snapped his fingers.

"Ah! Your summon!"

His grin widened.

"That is certainly one way to solve a problem."

I raised an eyebrow. How did he know about what I did?

Macaco adjusted his glasses again and leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Although, between you and me, I think the Twelfth has always been rather unpleasant company. Very loud. Terrible temper. Constant screaming. Absolutely dreadful manners."

He glanced toward the black ocean that remained contained within my Dawn Core, despite having no way of actually seeing it.

"And she really should stop eating people."

He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Very poor hospitality."

Despite everything that had happened, Gerald actually let out a tired laugh.

Macaco immediately brightened.

"Ah! Finally! Someone appreciates my humor."

He straightened his suit and looked around at the survivors.

"Anyway, congratulations, everyone. You have successfully completed the Trial of the Twelfth."

His smile became even wider.

"And somehow, against all reasonable expectations, you are still alive."

He paused.

"Most of you, at least."

The surviving Saints exchanged weary looks.

Macaco simply chuckled and adjusted his spectacles.

"Come now. Don’t look so miserable. You have survived the impossible, defeated the unthinkable, lost a perfectly respectable number of people, exposed a traitor, imprisoned the Twelfth and walked away with something that could potentially change the balance of the entire worlds."

He spread his arms dramatically.

"Surely that deserves at least a little celebration."

No one answered.

Macaco looked around at the exhausted faces and sighed.

"Fine. We can celebrate later."

His smile returned immediately.

"Now, shall we discuss what happens next?"