My Talent's Name Is Generator

Chapter 775  The Mystery Island

Rudy swallowed.

The pause stretched long enough that even fear seemed to hesitate.

Finally, he set the cloth down slowly and raised both hands, palms open, careful not to make any sudden movements.

”All right,” he said, voice low now, stripped of the bartenderʼs casual tone. ”Iʼll talk.”

The frozen room pressed in around us, dozens of unmoving figures caught mid-breath. Rudy glanced at them once, then back at me.

”The Hollow Star doesnʼt operate the way people think,” he began. ”Thereʼs no single office, no obvious headquarters you can just march into. What theyʼve built is… distributed.”

I tilted my head slightly, listening.

”In the center of the Rubble Maw Ocean,” Rudy continued, ”thereʼs an island. Most maps donʼt mark it clearly. Storm patterns blur it out, Essence currents bend perception. Locals call it Mystery Island.”

”An avian tribe lives there,” Rudy said. ”My tribe. Wings adapted for long-distance flight over water. Theyʼve been there longer than the current Feradros ruler, or at least thatʼs what they claim.”

”And thatʼs where contact happens,” I said.

Rudy nodded. ”For this planet, yes. Every major planet in our solar system has one such node. One tribe, one hidden settlement, one point of contact. Different tribes. Different cultures. Same function.”

”Hollow Star,” Knight murmured.

”Theyʼre not Hollow Star themselves,” Rudy corrected. ”Theyʼre intermediaries. When someone needs information, they go to them. When Hollow Star needs something done, instructions flow back through them.”

I leaned back slightly. ”So this entire system has been plugged into their network from the start.”

”Yes,” Rudy said quietly. ”And not just this system.”

”Did Shera Ranthor come to you?”

Rudy hesitated, then nodded. ”Almost a decade ago. He wasnʼt subtle. But Hollow Star already knew about Feradros long before that. Shera didnʼt introduce anything new. He just… formalized cooperation.”

”Mutual benefit,” I said.

”Exactly. Ferans shared military movements, political fractures, expedition data. Hollow Star shared news about other races too with the Ferans.”

”And the Eternals?” I asked. ”Were they aware you were working with them?”

Rudy let out a humorless breath. ”Everyone is aware. No one pretends otherwise. And no one cares.”

I stared at him.

”They all still use you,” I said.

”Yes,” Rudy replied. ”Because information is power. And power doesnʼt care where it comes from.”

I tapped the counter lightly. ”So what exactly is your service?”

Rudyʼs eyes flicked to my finger, then back up. ”Information gathering. Target tracking. Political destabilization. Removal of unwanted variables. Occasionally mercenary coordination. Occasionally… erasure.”

Knightʼs tail twitched once.

”And me?” I asked. ”What does Hollow Star have on me?”

Rudy swallowed again. ”Personally? Not much. Your origins are… unclear. That alone alarms them.”

”But,” he continued quickly, ”youʼve been placed on a hunting list.”

I smiled faintly. ”I figured.”

”Itʼs not just a list,” Rudy said. ”Itʼs a tiered system. You were low priority at first. A curiosity. After the demon incident and the rift closures, you jumped tiers.”

”How high?” I asked.

”High enough that bounties are being prepared,” Rudy said. ”Not public yet. Private circulation. Independent Transcendents.”

”Saints?” Knight asked.

Rudy shook his head. ”Not yet.”

I nodded. ”Do you know where Hollow Starʼs true headquarters is?”

”No,” Rudy said immediately. ”No one does. Or at least, no one whoʼs still alive.”

”What will I find on this Mystery Island?” I asked.

Rudy hesitated. ”A gateway. Not a permanent one. But when activated, it opens a passage to one of their forward bases.”

That was enough.

I straightened and snapped my fingers again.

The frozen world exhaled as motion returned. Sound rushed back into the room in a rush of startled gasps and clinking glasses. Patrons blinked, confused, some rubbing their temples, others looking around as if theyʼd missed something important.

Rudy slumped slightly, relief and terror mixing on his face.

I leaned in close.

”Youʼll keep running this bar,” I said quietly. ”Youʼll keep your mouth shut. And you wonʼt warn anyone.”

He nodded rapidly. ”I wonʼt. I swear.”

”You know what happens if you donʼt,” I added.

”Yes.”

I stood and turned away. Knight followed.

We didnʼt rush back to the guest residence. We walked, letting the night air cool the tension. Once inside, I sent my summons back to the core one by one, leaving only Knight.

Steve and North were already waiting when I gathered them in the hangar.

I looked at the two of them and said, ”All right. Weʼre heading out.”

Steve tilted his head. ”Heading out where?”

I smiled, the kind that made him sigh before I even answered.

”An island,” I said. ”Middle of the ocean. Supposedly very secret. Supposedly very important.”

North crossed her arms, studying my expression. ”That sounds like trouble.”

”Only if youʼre on the wrong side of it,” I replied easily.

Steve let out a short laugh. ”Let me guess. Someone told you not to go there.”

”More like they pretended it doesnʼt exist,” I said. ”Which usually means itʼs exactly where we should be.”

North shook her head, but there was a spark of interest in her eyes. ”So whatʼs the plan?”

I shrugged. ”We go, we look around, we ask a few questions. If they answer nicely, great. If not—” I spread my hands slightly. ”We improvise.”

I chuckled. ”We just came back from a party, Steve. Letʼs not make this feel like work.”

He grinned. ”Now that I can get behind.”

North stepped closer to my side. ”Then letʼs go. Iʼm curious what kind of place needs this much secrecy.”

I nodded, already turning toward the ship. ”Good. Because I have a feeling itʼs been watching us for a long time.”

We boarded the ship docked near the residence. As we lifted off, a few Feran patrol craft moved to intercept, lights flashing in warning.

I reached out casually and pressed down.

Every Feran in the ship in our path lost consciousness mid-flight, drifting harmlessly aside as our vessel passed through without slowing.

The ocean stretched ahead, vast and dark.

At its center, far beyond normal shipping routes, a distortion shimmered faintly.

The Mystery Island awaited.

Our ship slowed as we reached the outer perimeter.

I stood at the viewport, eyes fixed on the island ahead.

”Looks like weʼre knocking on Hollow Starʼs door,” Steve said quietly.

I smiled.

The ship descended, hovering just beyond the islandʼs shore.