My Talent's Name Is Generator

Chapter 21 21: Dodge, Punch, Repeat: How to Not Becoming Dog Food

After giving the checkpoint one last look, I turned and ran back to Logan. My mind kept circling around the sheer number of hounds gathered there. I could have taken on the Level 10 hound in a one-on-one fight, but the lower-level ones were too many, they wouldnʼt let that happen.

That left me with only one real choice: find a way to either thin out the lower-level hounds or take them all on at once.

I reached Logan soon enough and quickly explained what I had seen at the checkpoint. After asking him to keep watch, I climbed a tree, settling onto a thick branch before closing my eyes in meditation.

I needed to explore my options.

The first was the most straightforward: hunt the stragglers, level up to 10, and then take my shot at the checkpoint.

The second was riskier but could be worthwhile, try increasing my talent to Level 2 and hope it unlocks something useful.

And finally, the last option… use Essence in a way I hadnʼt tried before.

After considering all my options, I decided the best approach would be to level up to 9, raise my talent to Level 2, and experiment with Essence to see if I could do something useful.

I was on a tight timeline, I had no idea how long the pillar and its lightning defenses would hold against the hounds. If they managed to snatch whatever Arkas had left on it, that would be a serious problem.

Keeping my eyes closed, I focused on the Essence swirling in my heart.

Then, I activated [Essence Manipulation], separated a chunk of Essence, equivalent to one unit and guided it through my body, starting from my left side and moving to my right. I continued circulating the Essence throughout my body for another hour, letting it seep into every muscle and fiber.

Once I was done, I stood up and climbed down to Logan. The sun was still bright, past noon. I wanted to hit Level 9 before nightfall. After explaining my plan to him, I took him along, Iʼd need as much help as possible when it was time to target the checkpoint.

Our goal was simple: hunt whatever we could find. I knew finding high-level prey wouldnʼt be easy, but with the hounds moving toward the valley checkpoint, we could intercept them along the way and maybe squeeze out a level from the hunt.

Soon, we were moving through the forest, careful not to attract too much attention. A pack of five hounds came into view, heading toward the checkpoint. I gave Logan a nod and gestured for him to take on the two Level 3s while I handled the other three—all Level 5s.

Normally, a single punch would be enough to burst their heads, but I wanted to experiment.

I whispered.

”Power Up.”

The Generator roared to life.

I activated [Essence Manipulation], channeling chunks of Essence into my legs. The moment I did, I felt them ignite with power—muscles contracting, compressing, hardening.

My constitution could handle this much Essence with ease. I dug my bare feet into the soil and launched forward, faster than my normal burst speed.

The first Level 5 hound was within range.

Shifting the Essence from my legs to my fist, I backhanded the beast across the jaw. I felt the bone crack and dislocate as the hound was sent flying into a tree, smashing against it with a dull thud.

The other two lunged at me.

I redirected the Essence back to my legs and focused entirely on evasion. My perception sharpened, and I weaved between their attacks with precise, fluid movements. They werenʼt fast enough to keep up.

But something felt… off.

They were too weak.

A sigh of disappointment left me as I ended the fight, crushing their heads with ease.

After checking my reserves, I still had 3/5 Essence left. I glanced at Logan, he had already finished dealing with his hounds.

I stared at the ground, deep in thought.

If I wanted more energy, I needed a tougher fight.

If I wanted to refine my skills, I needed a tougher fight.

If I wanted to level up, I needed stronger enemies… or a lot more weak ones.

Either way, I needed a challenge to progress from here.

Logan approached me, excitement written all over his face as he grinned.

”Letʼs keep going. I feel like just a couple more kills, and Iʼll level up.”

I stared at him, lost in thought.

”Billion?” He waved a hand in front of my face.

”Huh? Oh… yeah.” I snapped out of it and took a deep breath.

”Actually, Logan, thereʼs a change of plans. You want to level up? Iʼll help you with that, but first, I need your help with something.”

***