Chapter 287: Sponsoring The Primordial Beasts And Zero One
-----
Among the many things I discovered about the little beasts were their names. Apparently, the Beast of Yin was called Wuyue Zhiye and the Beast of Yang, Yaoyan Taiyang. I had never bothered asking someone from this world if they still worshiped them as Gods or something, so it’s my fault for being surprised over their names.
-----
[Player Name]: [Wuyue Zhiye]
[Title]: [Primordial Martial Beast of Yin (Fragment, Recovering)]
[Sponsor]: [None]
[Potential Innate Skills (4)]: [Black Heaven Domain (SSS)] [Destruction (SSS)] [Wolf of the Moonless Night (SSS)] [Primordial Embodiment of Yin (SSS)]
[Overall Description]: [Wuyue Zhiye means “Moonless Night”, and it was the name given to the Primordial Martial Beast of Darkness, Death, the Moon, Yin, and Destruction. This is merely a small fragment of Wuyue Zhiye, the last remaining piece that existed within every fabric and fiber of the world, which had come together into a single piece through the power of Anna’s System.]
[Although it possesses tremendous primordial powers, it is rather weak compared to its former self, and it is growing stronger over time; perhaps one day it would eventually be able to regain its powers and restore the world alongside its partner.]
[Skill Copy Conditions]: [As a primordial beast, Wuyue Zhiye’s goals and dreams are rather mysterious, at times it seems erratic and wild, but it does feel like it is compelled to do something, and that its existence is not just in vain, but it has a purpose. And that purpose is the restoration of the world of Bestia, which it created through its battle against its partner and rival.]
[To copy one of their Skills, help them restore at least 50% of their power and at least 50% of the world of Bestia back to normal.]
[Sponsorship Price: 50.000 Plot Points]
-----
[Player Name]: [Yaoyan Taiyang]
[Title]: [Primordial Martial Beast of Yang (Fragment, Recovering)]
[Sponsor]: [None]
[Potential Innate Skills (4)]: [White Heaven Domain (SSS)] [Creation (SSS)] [Lioness of the Bright Sun (SSS)] [Primordial Embodiment of Yang (SSS)]
[Overall Description]: [Yaoyan Taiyang means “Bright Day”, and it was the name given to the Primordial Martial Beast of Light, Life, the Sun, Yang, and Creation. It is merely a small fragment of Yaoyan Taiyang, the last remaining piece that existed within every fabric and fiber of the world, which had come together into a single piece through the power of Anna’s System.]
[Although it possesses tremendous primordial powers, it is rather weak compared to its former self, and it is growing stronger over time; perhaps one day it would eventually be able to regain its powers and restore the world alongside its partner.]
[Skill Copy Conditions]: [As a primordial beast, Yaoyan Taiyang’s goals and dreams are rather mysterious; at times it seems erratic and wild, but it does feel like it is compelled to do something, and that its existence is not just in vain, but it has a purpose. And that purpose is the restoration of the world of Bestia, which it created through its battle against its partner and rival.]
[To copy one of their Skills, help them restore at least 50% of their power and at least 50% of the world of Bestia back to normal.]
[Sponsorship Price: 50.000 Plot Points]
-----
Their Skills, however, looked pretty amazing. If I sponsor them both right now, they will end up gaining an immense boost in power, gaining access to both Destruction and Creation, and even whole Domains.
And only for 50k PP each?! I couldn’t believe it!
However, there must be a trick, and the trick in question was that they were much weaker than the Venerables even now, in their weakened states.
Therefore, they’ll probably won’t be able to use their powers due to lacking their Primordial Ki powers, or they’ll be able to use them for only a small, brief time.
Because there’s no way they would ask for so little if there wasn’t some trick or flaw within them innately, they’re too overpowered.
But that’s fine by me anyways; they’ll still get stronger; at least one of the new Skills will be passive, or most of them will have passive effects, so that’s good enough.
Anyways, before sponsoring them, I wanted to check on Zero One’s information first.
Let’s see what secrets you’re hiding from me, heh.
-----
[Player Name]: [0-1]
[Title]: [The First Android]
[Sponsor]: [None]
[Potential Innate Skills (4)]: [Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)] [Mechanical Body Transformation (SS)] [Instant Processing and Learning (SS)] [All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core (SSS)]
[Overall Description]: [0-1, is the first creation of the Alien Mechanical Lifeforms that has been capable of imitating life, especially humans, in both appearance, speech, processing power, and emotional divergence and expansion. She is the first Android—someone capable of living on their own, eating and digesting food for energy, self-repairing, evolving, and even growing both mentally and physically.]
[Her purpose was to learn from intelligent beings and reach a new stage in the evolutionary process of all Mechanical Lifeforms, to create true and sincere bonds that are not artificial, and to develop a {Heart} and a {Soul}, to become a {Human}.]
[However, at one point, she had begun to question her true purpose and the reason why her Mother even created her to begin with. The suffering of the living is great, and to endure it feels like torture to her.]
[Yet every time she endures it, she becomes more human, because to live is to suffer, and to have emotions is to always question yourself. Whatever decisions she takes in the near future might shape the entirety of the two Colliding Worlds.]
[Skill Copy Conditions]: [As a Mechanical Lifeform in the shape of a human, 0-1 wishes for nothing else than to become a Human herself, to achieve a {Heart} and a {Soul} through the convergence of bonds, emotions, and existential perspective through the eyes of an artificial human.]
[To copy one of their Skills, help her achieve either a {Heart} or a {Soul} to become human, or at least close to it… If you can manage to help her develop both, you can copy not one but two Skills.]
[Sponsorship Price: 45.000 Plot Points]
-----
Wow…
I did learn a lot from that, more than I thought.
To get a {Heart} and a {Soul}?
Like, metaphorically or literally?
Doesn’t she already feel quite lively? How much would she need to develop to get to this point?
I might not even be here by the time she gets there… What could help her accelerate that process?
It did say something about… Bonds, Emotions, and “Existential Perspective”, whatever that even means.
Anyway, her Skills look pretty strong; this could give her a HUGE upgrade to her strength! It’s like upgrading a robot, in some way.
Though that last SSS Rank Skill…
“All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core”, what does this mean?
Is it a core that’ll materialize in her?
And that it can absorb… Any Energy? All Energies?
If it is that simple, then it would be boosted to no end; no wonder she costs almost 50k.
“So how is it, Anna? Do I have any talents?” Zero One wondered. “You’ve been staring at me for a while… Am I pretty?”
“Ah? Eh? R-Right, I guess you can’t see it,” I said. “There’s a status screen in front of you with your information, like a hologram; only I can see it though, apparently.”
“Ooh… So I’m not pretty?” she wondered.
"Well, you were modeled to look after a girl from the machine's original world, right?” I asked. “She was indeed cute, so you’re also cute.”
“Muh, that’s a bit of a stretched compliment…” She seemed slightly disappointed.
“Come on, do appearances really matter at the end of the day?” I asked with a smile. “I think everyone has something beautiful about them; as long as you are a person of good heart, you’ll always be beautiful in my mind!”
“Anna,” she muttered. “A person of good heart… Am I… a person of good heart?”
“Of course you are! You’re a very good person, Zero One,” I smiled, nodding. “You’re a good girl, and you work hard and always do your best; you deserve a lot of head pats and hugs.”
I petted her head and hugged her.
“Head pats and hugs…” Zero One felt them for the first time. “They’re nice. Is this how the people show affection? By gently touching one another’s bodies?”
“Umm, if you put it that way, it sounds kind of creepy!” I said. “But kind of… But not too extreme; only that, don’t go further than that, okay?”
“Okay!” she nodded and then giggled. “You’re funny, Anna! Heheh!”
Her laughter was very cute.
Damn, it feels like I’m raising an adoptive daughter here…
“You’re a good girl, Zero One, and I’m sure you’ll always be now,” I said. “You’ve already become your own self, and you have a defined personality, emotions of your own, memories… And friends too. Although there’s still a lot for you to learn, I would say you’ve done a great job becoming a person, because without a doubt, you are one now, at least to me.”
“Ooohh,” her eyes glowed as small sparkles of azure electricity emerged from her. “A person… I see… I… do feel kind of like one, yeah. So this is how it feels to be myself? It’s a bit weird! To be recognized as an individual… But I do feel slightly lacking; I need more knowledge; am I like a child still?”
“Well, maybe… Yes,” I giggled. “You’re like a girl I’m teaching, like a little sister.”
“Sister… So I’m a family member?” Zero One nodded. “Wow… Family too? So warm… sparkles all over my core now. Wow… Ooohh?”
She was talking to herself for a little while, touching her chest, and feeling some sort of warmth.
Perhaps her mechanical heart indicated her happiness, or something like that.
Her electromagnetic energies fluctuate based on her emotions, similarly to how our neurons also do the same as we think and act.
“Hahah, alright, I’ll sponsor all of you guys and be done with this.”
I waved my hand, pressing [Yes] to all three notifications.
Ding!
[You have selected [Character: 0-1] for Sponsorship!]
[You have exchanged 45.000 Plot Points!]
[You have selected [Character: Wuyue Zhiye] for Sponsorship!]
[You have exchanged 50.000 Plot Points!]
[You have selected [Character: Yaoyan Taiyang] for Sponsorship!]
[You have exchanged 50.000 Plot Points!]
145.000 Plot Points, goodbye!
FLAAASH!
At the same time, their bodies overflowed with powerful white auras, fusing with their powers and then merging with their Souls, awakening innate powers within them that they had never shown before.
“Woof! Graaarrghh!”
Wuyue barked cutely, his body suddenly growing larger and overflowing with new dark and divine powers.
“Nyaaah~ Mereooow!”
Little Yaoyan also underwent the same changes, becoming a beautiful giant lion, yet still making cute cat noises.
I guess one is more serious than the other?
And about Zero One, well, she was…
“Bbbrrrrhhhhh! Babababababahhh!”
She was trembling, and her entire system was rumbling as her energies overflowed; her core began shaking and then was refined.
A white light surged from her mouth and eyes; it scared me a bit…
Is she okay?!
“Uwawawawaaaahhh!”
FLAAASH!
She suddenly almost fell, but I managed to grab her in time.
“Zero One!” I cried, panicking. “Oh nononono, did I fuck it up?! Are you ok? Hey!”
She slowly opened her eyes, which were formerly blue, now gaining a glint of gold color.
“Phew,” she sighed in relief. “I’m okay; don’t worry, Anna. I just… went through a whole upgrade! I can’t believe it! Your miraculous powers forced a new upgrade on my entire body, and I’ve never felt this strong before!”
She quickly stood up again, flexing and stretching and then generating blue electricity from her hands, shaping it into weapons and even other shapes.
“Oh wow…” I muttered. “So you can do that now, huh?”
“Not only that!” she said, laughing. “Watch, watch!”
Clank, clank, CLANK!
FLUOSH!
Her mechanical body transformed, as if she were a transformer, quickly taking upon a completely different shape, resembling a huge mechanical bird, something like a phoenix with feathers made of blue electricity.
“Holy shit, that’s so SICK!” I gasped, clapping. “Amazing!”
“Hahahaha! Right?!” She was celebrating too, flying around. “Thank you, Anna! This is amazing!”
“No problem! We’re buddies after all!” I giggled.
Ding!
[You have become the Sponsor of [Character: Wuyue Zhiye]!]
[Character: Wuyue Zhiye] has Awakened the Following Skills: [Black Heaven Domain (SSS)] [Destruction (SSS)] [Wolf of the Moonless Night (SSS)] [Primordial Embodiment of Yin (SSS)]
[Character: Wuyue Zhiye] Stats have increased greatly!]
[You have become the Sponsor of [Character: Yaoyan Taiyang]!]
[Character: Yaoyan Taiyang] has Awakened the Following Skills: [White Heaven Domain (SSS)] [Creation (SSS)] [Lioness of the Bright Sun (SSS)] [Primordial Embodiment of Yang (SSS)]
[Character: Yaoyan Taiyang] Stats have increased greatly!]
[You have become the Sponsor of [Character: 0-1]!]
[Character: 0-1] has Awakened the Following Skills: [Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)] [Mechanical Body Transformation (SS)] [Instant Processing and Learning (SS)] [All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core (SSS)]
[Character: 0-1] Stats have increased greatly!]
[You have fulfilled one of the Skill Copy Conditions: Help Zero One develop a {Heart} of her own!]
[You can now copy one of the following Skills]:
[Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)]
[Mechanical Body Transformation (SS)]
[Instant Processing and Learning (SS)]
[If you can help her achieve a {Soul}, you will be able to copy another Skill, including Skills at SSS Rank and above.]
Wait, what?
Already?!
-----