Chapter 270: The Heavenly Golden Tower Of Trials

Listen While Reading: 15. Where Lotuses Bloom-----

“Today you’re all going to work together on a special mission, which will become part of your training, of course! Everyone had become slightly stronger yesterday, and now it's time to showcase that power,” said the Heavenly Empress. “You’re all going to form a whole group and work together as a team; I’ve prepared a very special Trial.”

It was already the morning of the next day; after a quick breakfast, bath, and some chat with my fellow disciples, we moved to the terrace where our master instructed us with a new mission.

It looks like Master was finally giving us some action!

“What trial, master?” I wondered.

“Do you see that golden pagoda tower in the distance?” she asked us, pointing behind us.

We all looked into the distance. Right behind a huge volcano, there was a large golden tower, of several floors, so big we could clearly see it from here with ease.

“That… It wasn’t there yesterday!” said Wai Tian. “Did master put it there just now?”

“T-That would be incredible… She built that whole building within a night?!” asked Ying Shen.

“Yes, more or less,” she nodded. “The pieces were already made; I simply assembled everything together through a special Spatial Formation. That is the Heavenly Golden Tower of Trials. There are a total of five floors in there. Each floor is a very big challenge you must complete together as a team. I’ve designed it to be your training for the rest of the two weeks you’ll be staying with me.”

“The whole two weeks for only five floors?” I wondered. “Ah, it’s going to be harsh, isn’t it?”

“Of course it will be. I’ve specially designed it to be an immense challenge for all of you,” she said. “It will force all of you to not only improve, grow, and surpass your limits, but also to become closer with one another as a team and work together, complimenting each other’s abilities. As you can see, with Anna’s limited time here, we don’t have much time. I designed this trial for that very purpose, to accelerate your growth and training in exchange for making things very hard.”

If she’s saying it’s not going to be easy, I better believe her.

But that somehow also excites me; a good challenge is not bad at all!

“So we have two whole weeks to complete it?” wondered Wai Tian. “If it’s that much time… It will surely be harsh, yes.”

“As long as young master Anna is there, I will be by her side,” Ying Shen nodded.

“Well said,” nodded Fang Shuan. “Let’s make sure to serve her with all our might.”

Wai Tian looked at the two guys and then slowly walked my way, whispering to me.

“Hey Anna, you’re not a bit creeped out by how devoted they are?”

“A-Ah… Hahah! Nah, I mean, there’s a reason why they are like that. And it’s nothing sexual or romantic; they’re just men of their word and honor, Wai Tian.”

“I-I didn’t mean in such a way either- S-Sorry…”

She sighed a bit, feeling flustered. I thought she meant it that way.

Then what did she even mean with that?

I thought that as an inhabitant of Murim she would think of their actions as normal.

Perhaps it’s because she doesn’t like men that much, based on her past traumas…

“Don’t worry about it; I know they’re good people.” I patted her shoulders. “I know you must be a bit concerned about having them around, but I can assure you that they’re hard-working warriors just like you.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Sorry again, I don’t know why I even said that… It’s like you’re the only person I’ll be able to talk to. Ugh, and don’t even get me started with the machine… She gives me a really bad vibe.”

“Zero One? Ah, well, I can’t blame you…” I sighed. “Machines did many things to the world and… Well, I just… Try to think of her as someone unrelated, if possible. Just like you’re different from the people that raised you, who were aggressive and discriminated against you because you wanted to be a female warrior, it’s kind of similar to her. Her family might have done things to this world, many horrible things… But she’s someone who shouldn’t carry their blame. Every person is their own individual, to carry the sins and guilt of their ancestors… It’s just not right.”

“Anna…” Wai Tian’s eyes widened for a bit. “Maybe… I guess…”

“Think of it like this,” I said. “If a man kills an innocent person, is he a murderer?”

“Of course,” she said. “Especially if the person was innocent.”

“Then what about their child? His wife? His family?” I asked. “They’re related to him, but they didn’t do anything. Do you think it’s fair to also make them pay for what he did? To call their son an assassin and their wife a murderer?”

“N-No… It wouldn’t make sense- Ah…” Wai Tian realized what I was trying to tell her. “I suppose… That’s not something I thought about that deeply. This world is full of this though; it has been ruined beyond belief now, but in the past, this society… It was all about blaming a person for what their ancestors did. And always, always doing and saying what their ancestors told them to do. Tradition was everything; anything new would always be rejected and destroyed.”

“This world might have gone through a lot of hardships so far… But this society built in traditions remains within those that are alive,” I said. “It is now your duty to change it, to use this tragedy, this crisis… as an opportunity to rewrite the world of Murim and make it a better place for those that survived and all their future descendants, Wai Tian. Do you get it?”

“I get it, haha.” She giggled a bit, her tail rubbing on my forehead. “You sure like to talk a lot about so many philosophical things, Anna. You remind me of my grandmother.”

“Am I a granny to you?!” I gasped. “You’re so harsh…” I said half-jokingly.

“Hahah! Sorry, sorry!” she giggled.

I guess I managed to lift her spirits and make her feel more relaxed if she laughed like that.

I noticed Zero One was on her own now, looking at the sky with a dreamy expression.

She wasn’t around for dinner last night, nor for today’s breakfast. And she used to enjoy eating a lot.

I don’t know what happened to her, but I was a bit worried.

“Very well, my disciples, let’s get moving. You’ll go by foot to exercise and prepare for what’s to come. What is just a few hundred kilometers  anyway?" master smiled.

“Ah, I suppose it’s not so bad…”

As we made our way there, I tried to go talk with Zero One.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Hm?”

Zero One seemed completely absent-minded, admiring the trees and even the grass beneath her bare feet.

“Oh, Anna! Ah, yes, I am fine… Did it feel otherwise to you?” she wondered.

“Um, kinda… Well, I mean, you weren’t there for dinner or breakfast,” I said. “And you haven’t even interacted with anybody; you were very talkative and suddenly became so silent. Is something happening to you?”

“Ah, well… When I tried to cultivate, I gained some sort of… Well, something, an enlightenment?” And memories I thought I had forgotten resurfaced. It made me… Think many things, and I no longer had any appetite. I think it’s because I absorbed those materials. Um, sorry… Am I being awkward?”

“Nah… Well, if you want to be by yourself, there’s nothing wrong with that,” I patted her shoulders. “But in the Trial we’ll need to work together, so I would appreciate that by then, you could… Well, be more talkative, at least?”

“Oh, of course!” she nodded. “I’m very sorry, Anna! Did I worry you too much? I am just dumb, I guess; it’s not your fault; you’re so nice with me… I’m sorry, I’m fine, really!”

“You’re not dumb; you’re just learning; I think that’s fine too.” I nodded. “I’m glad you’re ok, but if you need to talk about something, just tell me.”

“Ah, yes! I will take those words into consideration from now on. Thank you, Anna,” she smiled cutely. “I… Well, is it okay to talk about it? I was admiring the plants and the sky; they’re so pretty. Living beings, they are so frail yet so beautiful, so...  "natural." The more I see them, the more it feels like my own body is cold and heavy, while the world around me is so harmonious.”

“Huh? I-I see…” I nodded. “Your body is fine too, Zero One; you’re totally amazing as you are!”

“Heheh, thanks,” she smiled. “But… I just pale in comparison to life’s beauty.”

“Um…”

I didn’t know what to say to that, honestly. I didn’t want to agree with her because that would be like agreeing she’s nothing compared to nature, but I would also agree because I do like nature.

It’s a hard choice of words.

“Nature is beautiful, yes, but so are you, Zero One,” I said. “There is harmony in both nature and your own body. The circuits that make you, the artificial heart you have, that pumps electricity across your body, your senses, your brain, your muscles, your skin, and your bones. Although you might think it’s all artificial, cold, and heavy, it has a harmony, a mechanical harmony, a song. And that song, the combination of their movements, the combination of your electricity, of your thoughts… I think that’s your soul.”

Did I do good?

She opened her eyes widely and then looked down in the grass.

“Um, Anna… A-Are you flirting with me?”

“Eh?! N-No! It wasn’t that! Oh my gosh, was it cringy?!”

“Hahaha! It was very beautiful; nobody has ever talked to me in such a way… Thank you; I get it now, a bit! A soul, just like the consciousness of living beings, is the amalgamation of all their neurons’ working together, an intangible existence, perhaps… A soul, my mechanical soul, is something like that too.”

Her Aura surged with new power, shining with an azure color.

“You’ve given me a valuable piece of enlightenment, Anna… I kind of… understand it, the harmony. There’s harmony everywhere, even in what one may perceive as artificial.” She said.

“Yep!” I nodded. “You good now? Don’t say weird things like being below nature or something again. After all, everything that made you belongs to nature itself too. The ores from the mountains and everything else. Technically, you were born in the mountains, maybe?”

“Ooh! I hadn’t thought about that either! So true! You’re so smart, Anna!” she clapped. “Thank you!”

She changes moods very quickly; is it because she’s an android?

Well, whatever the case…

“Come here now; let’s talk with Wai Tian; she wanted to be your friend,” I said.

“W-Wai Tian?” Zero One wondered as I dragged her towards the tigress. “H-Hi…”

“Hey…” Wai Tian said uninterestedly, looking elsewhere as she crossed her arms.

Ah gosh, these girls are so bad at communication!

Zero One gets all timid out of nowhere, and Wai Tian just… remains silent.

I know she’s stoic, but come on, are you a Moai now?

“Kyuuh!”

“Woof!”

“Chuu…”

At least I got you guys; Violet, Snow, and Shiro are cute enough to make me happy by just having them around. Maybe I could use them to connect everyone too? Pets just have that magical power on them.

“Snow, aren’t you a good boy?” I patted my cute wolf. “Do you like Zero One and Wai Tian?”

“Woof!” he wagged his tail adorably.

Then he walked towards them.

“A-Ah…! Snow! You’re a magic wolf from another world, right? How fluffy you are!” Zero One petted his head. “Ooh, so soft! So soft! Oohhh!”

“Hm…” Wai Tian looked at the dog.

And gently petted him too.

She smiled a bit.

“He’s soft, yeah… I’ve never seen a wolf this tame. Usually they’re just rabid beasts,” Wai Tian laughed.

“The wolf people or wolf beast?” wondered Zero One.

“Both,” Wai Tian giggled to herself.

“Eh?” Zero One didn’t get the joke.

“Nevermind…”

Oh my god, really? You were almost there!

At the end, we arrived in front of the tower after an hour and a half of just walking.

It sure did wonders for my legs.

At least they are not going to tell me that I skipped leg day.

“And here we are,” the master said. “Once you step into that tower through the large door, you’ll be transported into a completely different scenery. Be careful and cautious. And be prepared for everything. You’ll only have one shot at each floor; if you fail even now, you’ll be teleported out, or you could even die. If you’re teleported out, you can try again, but if you die… Well, there’s no new opportunities.”

We stood in front of the door as I pushed it open.

“Let’s do it.”

As we stepped forward, master waved her hand.

“Be careful! I will be watching you, so do your best. And make sure to use your abilities to polish them the most!”

FLASH!

And as we entered together, a bright flash of white light engulfed us.

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