—–

Bright blue and red neon lights moved rapidly within the interior of the largest metallic tree within the world of Bestia, sitting right above the sank continent of Pangea, where billions died after the Cataclysm. Although its masters had perished, the artificial intelligence left within their creations remained. It gathered information, resources, and knowledge, and continued to progress, evolve, and better understand its enemy.

Within its depths, a single artificial intelligence, a personality, a being, born from millions of different artificial intelligences fused together as a hive mind was browsing through all the new data gathered. Something had changed in this world, after the many decades since the end of the great war. Slowly, the mechanical invaders were slowly claiming the land, just as their masters have ordered them.

The strongest beings of this world, the Heavenly Empress and the Heavenly Demon, the only ones that could become a threat against them, had been neutralized already, too weakened to move a finger, and using most of their strength and resources protecting the last people of this world.

Slowly, it was planning to strike once these two entities grew too weak, to finally assimilate them into their Mother Matrix, and to become the sole intelligent rulers of the world and assimilate all of its powers and secrets.

However, things had suddenly changed.

Someone had arrived, someone that they could have never predicted within all of their databases. A person was summoned here, by the forces of something else, someone else. A higher being, just like their creators.

And this person, this being, this young woman which showed through the database of the hivemind constantly, it was ruining everything. With tremendous power, she destroyed every single mechanical beast on her path. She possessed relics and abilities never seen before within this world and used them to easily defy their strongest creations.

Even those that were assimilated into the Mother Matrix, becoming like them, enlightened and mechanic, were also defeated, despite possessing both the innate power of the inhabitants of this world and the mechanical abilities of the invaders.

“…”

The hive mind’s countless eyes flashed with bright red light, perhaps for the first time since its existence was created, they felt… frustration and anger. They even feared all of their efforts so far would soon become pointless against them.

“Must progress.”

However, only two words remained within their endless minds, to progress. Calculations were made, creations started to be printed within the gigantic 3D Printers that created all matter of mechanical parts. New metallic artificial life was being assembled.

“Destroy threat. Continue Mother Matrix expansion.”

A new creation was slowly being assembled, something specifically made to even face the dangerous Immortals of this world. A design that had been scraped after this world’s intelligent beings were driven almost to extinction, making its creation a waste of resources.

Until now.

.

.

.

(Anna’s POV)

Apparently, Lady Hue Xian was incapable of seeing any potential aside from her basic abilities within the Tigress girl. I think a being as strong as her should be at least capable of discerning Skill and more, right? She was able to see through my own abilities as well. But why not with Wai Tien? Could it be because Wai Tien has her Skills sealed or “non awakened” yet?

It is also strange, I’ve been wondering for a while now, if this world truly went through the Awakenings, why is nobody using Skills at all if they can? Everyone is only sticking to their own cultivated abilities. Usually when people Awaken, they do so by assimilating Mana into their bodies- Ah.

Or also by absorbing Monster Cores that come from Gates- Oh.

Wait a second, is this even possible?!

A world that was never able to assimilate Mana, an invasion of non-monsters whom the inhabitants cannot absorb their powers!

So that’s why everyone is not awakened at all, despite having so much potential!

Yet, despite that, they fought so much, and won.

Without a doubt, Bestia… This world.

It is an Apex World.

A world so powerful from the very beginning, that it was capable of fending off and defeating an invasion which might be several times stronger than whatever Earth will ever go through.

This only makes me admire the people here even more, especially the Heavenly Empress and the Heavenly Demon!

Anyways, this means that because their invaders didn’t seem to use Mana themselves either, they were never able to awaken their mana-related abilities. The abilities that Wai Tien has are such powers… I think?

Maybe they aren’t? I’ll have to check for myself. This world by itself doesn’t seem to be able to accommodate to Mana really well.

The Heavenly Empress did know about Mana and other energies though, but even then, the mechanical monsters had none.

Instead, they run by another special energy which might be like electricity, but it is also not? It is like a super powered version of it, produced by their unique cores.

After analyzing the cores I took from the carcasses of the mechanical monsters, I learned the blue jewel is in fact a material not seen anywhere.

It is what produces this large quantity of electromagnetic energy, and it is simply called “Electronium”, it also seems slightly radioactive, although not enough to affect me negatively.

Anyways, I’ll check on that later. After I brought Wai Tien and explained to the Empress everything I did, she nodded. However, I then had to explain to her why I even brought her here.

The White Crane Lady wasn’t really too fond of strangers entering her property and was already looking down at the tigress with a slightly menacing look.

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She was that type of “cold beauty” that I’ve seen a lot on novels, huh? I am shocked she doesn’t specialize on ice element but on light element instead.

Because she was still polite and her respect for me had grown a lot after I did her trial, she accepted Wai Tien and let me explain to her why I brought her with me while having tea.

Wait Tien was constantly sobbing and saying she was sorry for coming here though, which made me feel slightly bad I dragged her where she didn’t want to come.

But there’s only one way for me to help her blossom her abilities.

“So you’re saying she has tremendous talents that I cannot see, but you can?” The Empress asked while gently sipping tea with the long tip of her black beak. “How does that exactly works, Anna?”

“It is part of the abilities I naturally possess.” I explained. “When I woke up from my coma back in my original world, someone, a benefactor, gifted me a powerful ability, a System. It allows me to collect points from Constellations and use them to help others grow stronger.”

“An ability that helps you make others stronger, but not you?” She asked.

“No, no, I can also grow stronger with it too.” I nodded. “But that’s besides the point. I think there are a few things that you don’t seem to be aware of, great Empress. Powers that other worlds in the situation yours went through usually gain.”

“Powers?” She asked intrigued. “I do know of your Abilities and Skills; are these the powers you talk about? And this Mana energy, I’ve detected it from the Avatars of the Constellations I killed.”

“Yes, such powers. Well, nobody here has them, isn’t it? It is something normal that people gain when their world undergoes Awakenings. Yet your Awakening was very different and unique.” I said. “The monsters that invaded your world were mechanical creatures from a different world that perhaps didn’t had Mana either, or very little of it. In my world, we were invaded by dungeon gates full of monsters, not just creatures made of metal. When we defeat them and open their bodies, we can obtain their magic cores, which we can naturally absorb to gain Mana and other Stats randomly, with a low chance to obtain a Skill from the monster.”

“I see… Such a thing never happened here.” She explained. “There were no such things as Dungeons, the invaders didn’t create any sort of thing. They simple appeared through portals endlessly. We’ve tried many times as well, to absorb or analyze their powers. But it was always futile as well. I suppose we were rather unfortunate, compared to other worlds. But I am sure now, that perhaps we got the hardest trial because our world alone was too strong, isn’t it? Compared to your own.”

“You’re not wrong.” I nodded. “Fang Shuan, come.” I summoned him with Familiar Summon.

“Yes, master.” He kneeled before me. The empress and the tigress looked at the man made of gold with a bit of surprise.

“This is one of your familiars?” Asked the tigress, finally daring to speak. “Wow, he’s truly made of golden metal, is he some sort of living martial formation?”

“No, he’s something close to an Undead, do you have them in your world?” I wondered. “Fang Shuan, you can stand up. Can we talk about your world? I’ll need you to explain some things to the Heavenly Empress.”

“Oh? Sure, it is an honor to meet a powerful Venerable such as yourself, Heavenly Empress. I am the Young Master Fang Shuan, heir of the Supreme Golden Sun Sect from another Murim.” Fang Shuan bowed before her. “My father too, was a Venerable like you.”

“I see! How interesting, sit down, let’s talk. The best way to know one another is through words.” She nodded.

Like that, I was able to explain her that her world was judged differently by the Constellations, the High Administrators, and most likely the Void Rulers. When worlds are so strong, they create an imbalance, such imbalance is balanced by giving them greater and more harder trials through the Awakenings.

Just like how Fang Shuan’s Murim was invaded by those Void Creatures summoned by one of the Void Rulers, the same happened here to a lesser extent, I believe. Also, he revealed to me that their world was also unable to awaken Skills and Mana, and that nobody ever became a Constellation’s Avatar either.

The same happened here, nobody ever was chosen as a Constellation Avatar, there’s something within these Constellations that makes them usually reject worlds that are qualified as Apex. Maybe because their mortals are so strong, they feel like they cannot properly control them, or maybe because they can’t easily fool them.

Nevertheless, I learned a lot as much as everyone here as well.

“S-So, Lady Anna, you’re saying I possess Innate Skills, that I was never able to Awaken because this Apocalypse… Never had the desired conditions?” Wai Tien was rather devastated by knowing the news. “T-That’s… it is indeed quite disappointing.”

“I never thought there would be a hidden power, a talent beyond our own realm’s powers.” Said the Heavenly Empress. “Something we could have awakened and obtained to fight this Cataclysm better, yet we were denied to because… we were too strong? When almost all of the Immortals died, were we still too strong of a world? Those hypocrites… Even if it might be considered a victory, what we went through was nothing but horror and nightmares.”

“I’m sorry…” I sighed, apologizing to her for having brought such bad memories.

“No… It’s fine, this is not your fault, Anna.” She smiled back at me. “You’re nothing but a survivor, just like us. I wonder though, can you see if I also possess such powers? The abilities I was denied?”

“I can try.” I said, trying to check her status. “{Divine Eyes of Truth}”

FLASH!

My eyes flashed with bright golden light, as I attempted to decipher the strength and talents of the Heavenly Empress.

[You have activated [Divine Eyes of Truth]!]

[You have attempted to decipher the Talents, Story, and Abilities of the {Heavenly Empress, Hue Xian}!]

[ERROR]

[Due to the tremendous difference in power between Hue Xian and you, it is possible to showcase her information, as it cannot be properly deciphered.]

[Showcasing what can be shown at the moment…]

—–

[Player Name]: [Hue Xian]

[Title]: [Heavenly Empress Of The White Heavens]

[Sponsor]: [None]

[Potential Innate Skills (?)]: [White Heaven’s Domain Of Radiance (SSS)] [Venerable’s Authority (SSS)] [White Feathers Of Heavenly Judgement (SSS)] [White Crane’s Immemorial Divine Beast Bloodline Legacy (SSS)] […?]

[Overall Description]: [The Heavenly Empress of the Murim World of Bestia. Belonging to the weak White Crane Tribe, she lived her entire life struggling to survive and become stronger. Yet, through endless perseverance and thousands of years of countless battles, she reached the pinnacle of the World.]

[She has grown very exhausted and tired after having saved Bestia from the invasion of the Mechanical Beings. She is slowly dying because the Mechanical Beings have infected her with Nanomachines, growing greatly weakened due to her Immortal Meridians being blocked, almost completely halting her fluctuation of Inner Essence.]

[Skill Copy Conditions]: [To copy one of her Skills, help Hue Xian fulfill one of her forgotten dreams, something she left behind, which even now, she laments tremendously.]

—–

“Y-Yes! I can see something! Though, most of it seems blocked because you’re very strong, Master.” I laughed. “However, let me show your own information.” I showed her the system window, which I made visible at will.

“T-This is my power?! Such Abilities… How odd!” She gasped. “However, they all sound so strong… And what is that? [White Crane’s Immemorial Divine Beast Bloodline Legacy (SSS)]? A bloodline legacy I was never able to truly refine! How is this possible?! Anna, tell me how I get this!”

“C-Calm down, please.” I laughed a bit. “It can be done as long as I use my Plot Points. Now, let’s see how much I’ll need to invest for you and Wai Tien…”

[Wai Tien’s Growth Package Price]: [30.000 Plot Points]

That’s rather expensive, but not too much I think.

[Hue Xian’s Growth Package Price]: [1.000.000 Plot Points]

“EH?! One million?!”

I almost had a heart attack.

I don’t even have enough Plot Points for that!

“What’s wrong? Can you do it?” She asked me with bright eyes, full of hope.

“I’m sorry, I can’t afford it, I lack the funds.” I sighed. “But maybe, if only I could do something like… paying on quotes?”

[It is possible to pay for Growth Packages on quotes.]

[You pay 100.000 Plot Points for now, and then you’ll be left on a debt of 900.000 more Plot Points, which can you later pay on a quote-by-quote basis.]

[No interest for the first year!]

It seems this System is rather malicious.

“I can pay, but I will be left with a great debt though.” I said.

“Then, no, forget it. You don’t need to go that far, Anna.” Hue Xian smiled.

“But this… It might be one of the last hopes to save you, Hue Xian!” I said. “I am sure I can get them back later anyways; those Constellations are filthy rich.”

“Wait, Anna, you don’t need to go that far for me!” Hue Xian panicked, but I just clicked the button anyways, sponsoring a Venerable white crane and the almost immortal tigress.

Also, if I want to eventually copy one of her overpowered Skills, I have to do it anyways!

“Don’t worry! I’ll become your sponsors!” I smiled. “I can’t believe those dumb Constellations missed out on such powerful Incarnations!”

FLASH!

—–

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep