My Talent's Name Is Generator Chapter 973 Captured

The explosion had barely subsided when I began my move.

Propelling myself from the shattered floor, I burst out of the crumbling structure. Debris rained down around me as I reached the open street, my body already in motion before my mind could fully grasp the situation. The air outside felt different, as though the entire city had shifted its attention towards me. Even without the distant shouts, I knew I was already surrounded.

I attempted to move, to break into a sprint, but the space ahead seemed to twist.

Black smoke coalesced in mid-air, folding inward. In the next moment, three figures emerged from it, their forms solidifying as the smoke dissipated around them. They simply appeared, already positioned to block every possible escape route.

I halted.

My gaze shifted between them.

[Believer Gin – Level 85] [Believer Gin – Level 85] [Believer Gin – Level 90]

"…You've got to be kidding me," I whispered to myself.

They stood imposc, towering over eight feet tall. Their slender frames were concealed beneath flowing black robes, and their emerald eyes were fixed on me with an unsettling tranquility. One of them, the one directly in front – the Level 90 – took a deliberate step forward, its hand lifting slightly as if gauging the distance between us.

"You shouldn't have come here," it stated, its voice low and raspy. "Surrender, and you might still be of use."

I let out a soft breath, tightening my hold on the axe.

"Not happening."

The instant the words left my lips, they attacked.

A sphere of dark energy instantly materialized in one of their palms, condensing into a dense, pulsating mass before hurtling towards me without warning. I dodged to the side, the attack whistling past so closely I felt its pull. The moment it impacted the wall behind me, it detonated, expanding into a cloud of dark energy that corroded the structure like acid.

My turn to move.

"Radiant Drive."

Power surged through my body, lightning crackling along the yellow luminescence as I closed the distance in an instant. My axe was already swinging, descending towards the nearest opponent.

The blade struck, then stopped.

A barrier flared into existence just before impact, a translucent black shield shrouding the target. It absorbed the strike, the force rippling across its surface rather than breaking through. Simultaneously, the other two moved, their hands rising as they traced patterns in the air.

I pulled back immediately but was a fraction too slow.

The ground beneath me erupted as jagged spikes of black energy tore upwards. I was forced to leap back as another volley of projectiles formed behind them, launching forward in a tight spread. I deflected one, then another, but the third slipped through, grazing my arm as it detonated on contact. The energy briefly spread across my skin before fading.

I gritted my teeth and charged forward again.

"Radiant Slash."

The axe sliced through the air, lightning surging along its arc as the attack hurtled towards them. This time, however, they didn't block individually. Their shields merged, overlapping and reinforcing each other as my attack collided and fragmented against the layered defense.

"Persistent," one of them commented calmly, even as its hands continued their movements.

"Annoying," another added.

The third remained silent.

It acted.

A bolt of black lightning descended from above, striking towards me with speed that demanded an immediate reaction. I twisted away, the ground exploding where it landed, and used that momentum to close in once more.

I wouldn't win this fight from a distance. I needed to break through their defenses up close.

"Impact Burst."

The motion propelled me forward, my form appearing before the nearest Level 85 before it could fully react, the axe already mid-swing. The shield materialized again, but this time, I didn't cease my attack.

"Annihilator Cleave."

Energy condensed along the blade, lightning crackling violently over the yellow coating as the strike landed. The moment it connected, the energy detonated through the barrier, not merely pressing against it but tearing into it. The layered defense fractured under the combined onslaught.

It shattered.

The shield disintegrated, and the strike continued its path, biting deep into the target's arm. I didn't stop there. I stepped further in and swung again, the second strike slicing cleanly through, severing the limb entirely.

The arm fell.

The creature staggered back, a low, distorted sound escaping it as black energy poured from the wound in place of blood.

The other two reacted instantly. The space around me warped.

A wave of black fire surged forward, forcing me to retreat as the very ground began to decay under its effect. The heat was unnatural, not burning but consuming. I moved back, narrowly evading another strike as a spear of dark energy shot from the side, narrowly missing my shoulder.

"You were warned to surrender," the Level 90 declared, its voice now laced with sharpness.

"And you did not listen."

"Yeah," I replied, my breath coming in ragged gasps, the exhaustion from before still gripping my body. "That's kind of my specialty."

The injured opponent didn't falter. Instead, the dark energy surrounding it intensified, regenerating the severed limb and reshaping it into a functional appendage.

The trio subtly shifted, expanding their defensive formation.

I accelerated my movements, activating Berserk Mode for a swifter assault.

"Radiant Drive."

The surge propelled me forward, lightning crackling around my form as I closed the distance, once again focusing on the wounded adversary. Taking out one would ease the pressure. The instant I entered their effective range, the very ground beneath me distorted.

Black smoke erupted from the earth, engulfing me completely. It felt like struggling through a thick swamp, my movements becoming sluggish. It was the opening they needed.

The level 90 opponent slowly raised a hand, its fingers curling inward as if grasping an invisible object. The moment this gesture concluded, the surrounding space warped. A grey sphere materialized instantaneously, expanding just enough to engulf me before solidifying into a compact, impenetrable barrier.

I swung my weapon.

My axe impacted the barrier's surface with full force, lightning and yellow Qi surging along the blade. However, instead of breaching the defense, the energy was absorbed, only to be discharged outward. The resulting detonation rocked the ground.

I retreated slightly and attacked again, channeling even more power this time, driving the blade forward with all my might. Yet, the outcome was identical. The barrier remained steadfast, unaffected, as if my assault had never occurred.

"This is where it concludes," the level 90 combatant declared.

Disregarding their words, I attacked again, determined not to remain static. I pushed forward with another strike, lightning coursing along the blade, the Qi crackling ferociously across its surface as I hammered the barrier repeatedly. Each blow carried potent force and intent, but to no avail. The sphere remained unyielding.

Within the confinement, the space continued to constrict. Respiration grew increasingly difficult with each passing second, the air thinning and growing oppressively heavy, as if being systematically drawn away. I attempted to draw a deep breath, but it was shallow, incomplete, leaving my chest feeling constricted as I tried again.

My movements faltered as I sensed the depletion of oxygen within the barrier. Gritting my teeth, I summoned the strength for one final assault. Stepping in close, I drove the axe forward with my last reserves of energy. The impact resonated against the barrier, accompanied by a final surge of Qi, but even this proved insufficient. It held firm, just as it had before.

The air was nearly depleted.

My vision began to waver at the periphery, the clarity of the world diminishing as the lack of oxygen took its toll. Outside the sphere, the three opponents remained perfectly still, observing with unwavering composure as the effect reached its culmination.

"...Not terrible..." I managed to gasp, the effort of speaking immense.

My grip loosened. The axe shifted slightly in my grasp.

My legs buckled, and I sank to one knee, then further down, my body's strength draining away faster than I could resist.

The world began to spin.

Sounds grew muffled.

As everything descended into darkness, the final image imprinted on my fading consciousness was the smooth, unbroken, and unyielding grey surface, closing in around me.

Then, oblivion.