My Talent's Name Is Generator

Chapter 255: Lily’s Shopping List: One Phantom, Please

I shook my head.

“No. If attacking the Holts was that easy, we would have done it already. As for the Nagas, I don’t really know what our relationship with them is, so it’s hard to say.”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“What I want from you is simple: just let them know the Ferans are working with the Holts. Tell them not to attack the Holts directly. I’m going to sabotage things from inside the realm.

When they start scrambling to figure out what’s going on, that’s when we strike hard—but we have to be careful. We need to keep in mind reinforcements from the Ferans, Peanu, or any other third party.”

I looked him in the eye. “But leave all the planning to the Empire. The only thing I’m asking is to keep the army ready and wait for my signal or message.”

Steve stared at the communicator for a few more seconds, silent. Then, to my surprise, he spoke in a low voice.

“I feel useless.”

The words hit me unexpectedly. I blinked, caught off guard.

But then I smiled.

“No,” I said gently. “We’ll change that.”

Steve looked up and met my eyes. For a moment, something unspoken passed between us—shared pain, shared resolve.

He nodded. “Yeah. We’ll have to.”

I turned back to Lily.

“Can you send him a little distance away from the Holts’ coordinates? Just to be safe. We don’t want him landing right in their base.”

Lily’s large head dipped in a slow nod.

“Come,” she said.

Steve took the communicator from me and stepped forward. Lily lowered her head toward him.

“Place your hand on my head,” she said.

Steve obeyed, placing his hand gently on her head. The air around him shimmered. Light danced along his body, pulsing like waves in a quiet lake.

And then, in a blink—he was gone.

Lily slowly raised her head and stared down at me. The vast hall had fallen completely silent.

I met her gaze and asked, “So, what happened to Azalea’s fragments?”

Lily’s voice was calm as she answered, her deep, echoing tone filling the space.

“The fragments that were being guarded by Rose and Iris were devoured by the Deathmist.

They’re gone—lost forever. As for Dahlia, she had to sacrifice a part of her own fragment to seal the Deathmist inside the mountain range. That’s why she’s in slumber.

She used up too much of her power. You could say… I’m the only one left with a complete and intact fragment of Azalea.”

I nodded slowly, taking it all in. Then I asked the next question that had been building inside me.

“So… what do you need from me?”

Lily let out a soft, rumbling laugh at that.

“And why do you think I need something from you, child?”

I looked at her, not backing down.

“You said you see everything in this realm. That means you know who I am, what I’m capable of. Then you told me Azalea’s story, piece by piece, with care—like it mattered. I don’t think you’d go to all that effort without a reason. So yes, I think you want something.”

Lily tilted her head slightly, thoughtful.

“Or perhaps,” she said gently, “I simply wanted to pass the time. I’ve been alone here for longer than you can imagine. Talking to young ones like you… brings a change.”

I frowned. That didn’t sound like the full truth, not to me.

“Is that so?” I replied. “Then how about we make a deal instead? You help my people get into this realm, and in return, we’ll owe you a favor—any favor.”

She shook her head slowly.

“No. I can’t open portals from this side. I’m not capable of pulling people in. The only thing I can do is send someone out, and even that comes with limits.”

I nodded again. That made things harder, but I wasn’t ready to give up yet.

“Alright then,” I continued. “How about this—you come with me and hold off that Hugh guy for a while. Just long enough for me to reach the portals and get my people in.”

Lily’s expression didn’t change, but her voice grew more serious.

“I can’t leave this space, either. This pocket realm is what keeps the island afloat. If I leave, it will collapse. The island will fall into the forest below—and if that happens, the two pieces of Deathmist will come together and then neither Dahlia nor I would be able to stop what comes next.”

That settled that. I gave another slow nod.

“Then tell me,” I said quietly, “what can you do? What would you like in return? You know what I need—time. A distraction.

A way to keep the grandmaster, maybe even the Ferans, tied up long enough for me to get to the portals and bring my people in.”

I stood there quietly, my eyes locked with Lily’s, waiting—hoping—she’d meet me halfway.

She chuckled.