Listen While Reading: Refined and Crude in Turn

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Zero One’s reveal left me speechless for a couple of seconds… However, she quickly calmed me down, telling me that it still wouldn’t be very easy.

“The way I’ve found out can only be done through the help of the Mechanical Tree,” she said. “We’ll need its assistance, as it is the only thing enormous and powerful enough to extract the nanomachines without harming them. However, we’ll first need both their approval and also their cooperation. Because… well, I would first need them to go there inside, naked.”

“Oh.” I quickly understood why she was so nervous. “Alright… I get it now.”

Venerables were incredibly proud, so telling them to strip naked and enter the base of their former enemies with only their feathers covering their body…

Yeah, it would indeed make them feel very uncomfortable.

“But I think they would understand once we explained them,” I said. “Also, are you 100% sure it will work?”

“Not so sure; I’ll tell the mechanical tree to run some tests. We’ve already agreed to do this,” Zero One said. “Zero Two’s mother is… surprisingly nice. I guess the injection of emotions has changed her for the better. Much like everyone else.”

“I suppose it’s nice we raised you to be such a good girl,” I nodded. “So whenever your emotions are shared, the robots also end up turning into good kids!”

I patted her head happily as she smiled.

“W-Wait! No! Don’t treat me like a kid, Anna…” Zero One was enjoying it until she suddenly realized she shouldn’t. “Some tests will be done first on living beings infected with nanomachines. But the Venerables have very powerful bodies… So although some tests could give us some insight, it’s still in the dark if it’ll work at 100% or not. At most… I think the chances wouldn’t be beyond sixty percent success.”

“And if it doesn’t succeed, then what happens?” I asked.

“I… don’t know, the nanomachines could either go crazy and begin trying to infect them even quicker, or something else,” she said. “We’ll need your help too. The Nanomachines that infected them are fueled by cosmic energy after all!”

“So I’ll have to donate it?” I asked.

“Yes, most likely…” she nodded. “F-For now, we should return to master’s Inner Realm anyways.”

“Yep, let’s go.”

We passed through the portal with Zero One and Zero Two, and once we landed in the garden in front of master’s palace, I noticed a new notification.

Ding!

[Excellently done! You have completed the {Special Quest}: {The Last Battle for the World of Bestia Begins: Act 1}!]

[Rank: SSS]

[After finally clashing against the machines, you and your allies have made your way into the Mechanical Tree, where you had to fight a similar model to Zero One, allegedly calling herself Zero Two; she is a second model of Zero One with “improvements” that seemed to only amount to greater battle prowess but poor foresight.]

[After swiftly dealing with her, you’ve not only helped Zero One fully hack through the first of the three Mechanical Trees, but you’ve also managed to ally Zero Two after Zero One decided to forgive her and become closer.]

[With every machine within this island now injected with Emotions by Zero One, fulfilling her original purpose as a machine made to “feel” emotions, you’ve gained a large quantity of allies, including not only Zero Two, a powerful Android, but also the Mega Computer, “Mechanical Tree #3”, who will prove to be valuable allies.]

[With the first out of the three Mechanical Trees conquered, there are two more left, but you’ve given one step into the grand finale. The Trial’s end is finally in sight, but do you think you’re capable of fulfilling its conditions and save Bestia?]

[Completion Rewards]: [+100.000 Plot Points] [Black Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x8 [White Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x8 [Random Martial Arts Scroll (A Rank)] x5 [Primordial Yin Crystal Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x5 [Primordial Yang Crystal Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x5 [Mechanoid Themed Treasure Chest (S Rank)] x1]

The quest completion notification…

The rewards seemed really good, but what with all that wall of text?

It truly feels like someone is documenting what I’m doing or even writing it for me.

Is the System documenting and registering my story in real time to strengthen me as a constellation later or…

Or is it someone else speaking to me through the Quests?

Hmm.

Well, for now, time to concentrate on the present.

Once we reached the interior of the Palace, my two masters and Song were already there.

Song came running to me, hugging me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Amazing Anna! Congrats! You did it!”

“We sure did! It was… not as hard as I imagined; I thought it would be harder.”

“Oh, really? Then we’ll save the world in no time now!”

Song was optimistic, and so was I!

However…

“Don’t let that get to your head,” said the Heavenly Demon. “You never know when a true threat will arrive, Anna. Don’t be confident just because you had an easy win. There might always be a stronger foe lurking around.”

“O-Oh… I understand, master,” I nodded. “Sorry, we will not underestimate our next foes, right guys?”

“Not a chance,” nodded Fang Shuan. “I’m always expecting a foe stronger than me, so I will never be caught off guard. The world- no, the cosmos is vast. Learn that well, young lady.”

“Of course,” nodded Yin Sheng.

“Next time though, we want to enter the Mechanical Tree with you Anna,” said Wai Tian. “We don’t want to be left behind, please.”

“We’ll only grow stronger if we face challenges after all… Wai Tian’s not wrong,” said Sara, nodding.

“Alright, don’t worry about that,” I said. “And-”

“However, it is also not too bad to be proud of your growth,” suddenly the Heavenly Empress said, making the Heavenly Demon click his tongue in slight annoyance. “It was easier than you imagined because of your incredible efforts so far, my dear disciple. You’ve grown stronger. So much stronger than when you got here that you’re almost unrecognizable. Your Martial Arts had been polished, and you’ve also managed to successfully inherit and almost master our two unique martial arts. For all of that and more, you make me proud. Be proud too, of your strength, of your achievements, and of the Hope you bring to people.”

“Master…”

She really just has the talent to move people’s hearts with her words. By just saying that, she already made me feel much happier and better with myself, and indeed, proud too.

“You’re right, thank you,” I nodded. “I’ll take both of your words to heart. Now, there’s someone we needed to introduce you to.”

“Oh, the girl,” said the heavenly empress.

“Is she like Zero One?” the heavenly demon wondered.

“Yes, she’s like me,” Zero One said. “Her name is… well, Zero Two; she’s like my sister. In a way. She’s a machine born from my own specifics. My own… blueprint, for a lack of a better term. However, she’s been slightly modified and altered; her appearance is a bit different, and her abilities too. She’s amazing with using swords and also much more talented than me in the manipulation of nanobots.”

“Ah… You’re the Venerables,” Zero Two glared at the two, furrowing her black eyebrows. “The powerful beings that our kind could never defeat no matter how hard we tried. Beings that defied all logic. Terrifying monsters that simply could never be conquered…”

“Hoh, so that’s how you machines know us as?” The heavenly demon smiled, rubbing his beaked chin. “Hahaha! I like that! Yes, indeed! I am that terrifying monster! Nice to meet you, bold machine girl! You have talent. Your body’s full of fragments of Black Heaven… I would have torn them off your body already… if it wasn’t because my disciple is such a softie. Be grateful; if it was up to me, you and your entire kind wouldn’t even get a second chance!”

“A-Ah…” Zero Two stepped back. “What a barbarian! Is this truly the master of your friend, sister?!” She glared at Zero One.

“Yes, he is mister Heavenly Demon!” said Zero One. “I have only met him for a week, but he’s… Err, well, he’s a unique individual!”

“Stop scaring the children all the time, Han Zhenye!” sighed the empress. “For how long do you plan to keep this up? Be nicer and learn to have manners! Have you already forgotten everything I taught you?”

“W-What? I… I haven’t!” He groaned, crossing his arms. “I’m nice, aren’t I? I was worse.”

“He was?!”

I gasped; in fact, everyone had a similar reaction.

“Out of his own words,” sighed Master. “Anyways, it is nice to meet you, Zero Two. I heard you were first an enemy. Is that true?”

“Yes but… I’ve been defeated, and I accept my defeat,” she sighed. “Mother decided to ally them now, and so I shall do the same as well… I only worked towards my protocol and my mission. But now that such a thing is non-existent, I’ve come to the realization of how futile existence might be. I am trying to seek a new purpose, if anything.”

“I see, you’re indeed different than our clumsy Zero One; you’re very serious,” said master. “And there’s a strong determination within your red eyes. Anna said you were good at swordsmanship. Perhaps I could teach one or two things regarding that. I am also proficient in the blade.”

“I… see…” Zero Two was confused. “But why? Only a few minutes ago, we were enemies. Why do you seek to teach me how to become stronger? Wouldn’t this affect you in the future? What if I decide to betray you and use the power you taught me to kill you? And why invite me to your base? What if I am simply pretending all of this? What if I am a spy?”

“Fufu, so many questions! Goodness, if you were all of that, I doubt you would have ever said that!” laughed master. “My Eyes can see through all things. Even machines cannot escape. I can see sincerity, curiosity, and fear within you. I want to impart upon you a small piece of my teachings as a gift of goodwill. As it is worth more than any treasure in this world. In this world, when former enemies become allies, we usually gift one another something important. A secret cultivation technique, swordsmanship arts, meditation techniques, artifacts, and so on, as goodwill. I am doing the same to you.”

“Then… do you expect a gift from my part?” Zero Two wondered. “What gift do you desire?”

Master then patted her shoulders.

“I merely want your sincerity as a gift, dear,” she said. “And a promise.”

“My sincerity…?” Zero Two was confused. “And what promise?”

“Promise me that you will help us rebuild this world together,” said the heavenly empress. “That is all I want.”

“Such… a simple yet intricate request,” sighed Zero Two. “Indeed, you Venerables are as cunning as you are powerful… I… I will consider it. But for now, I have yet to completely learn my purpose.”

“That’s what we’re here for!” I said. “R-Right guys?”

“Yeaaaahh…”

Although they wanted to cheer together, they looked like they were about to melt away due to how exhausted they were.

“Alright, well done everyone! You get to rest for a couple of days before moving on to the next destination,” said Lady White Crane. “Come with me! I’ve already prepared you plenty of delicious meals! You need to eat and then rest! Good children that rest early can wake up energetic in the morning after all!”

We were already sitting around the table, enjoying her delicious food. Zero Two was also there, sitting down and staring blankly at everything. She was questioning her entire life right now, most likely.

“This is… food, right?” she wondered. “Biological lifeforms place these things inside their mouth orifices, bite them into paste, and then swallow them. Then they’re digested and their nutrients absorbed for their biological functions. Hence, why are you giving this to me? I am a machine; I don’t require food to function.”

“Because it’s tasty, sis!” Zero One smiled. “There you go!”

“Hmgh?!”

Zero Two groaned as her sister placed a meat dumpling in her mouth; she ended up being forced to bite on it and swallow it.

“Guh…! Such a strange sensation! What horror have I gone through now?! T-There is only one thing in my mind now!” she screamed. “Disgusting! Why did you do that?!”

“Hahahaha!”

We ended laughing; it was hilarious how she reacted to everything—even more funny than Zero One.

“Ah! You laugh at my misfortune! Typical of biological lifeforms…” she sighed, crossing her arms.

“I did that so you could try a new experience, sis!” Zero One smiled. “If not, how else do you plan to understand your new purpose? A purpose is… something we decide ourselves after admiring the world, living in the world, meeting people, and loving people. Then something emerges. A spark of light! That is purpose.”

“To think you would subject yourself to such horrors, sister…” Zero Two sighed. “But this experience… Was indeed interesting to go through. I shall repeat it with different meals.”

I guess she still kind of liked eating!

——

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep