Chapter 332: Heavenly Ascension

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I looked at Zero Two’s description and information after Zero One requested me to sponsor her. I was doing this ONLY because my friend asked me to, although perhaps even then it was a bit too much; sponsoring isn’t cheap after all…

But let’s see…

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[Player Name]: [0-2]

[Title]: [The Second Android]

[Sponsor]: [None]

[Potential Innate Skills (4)]: [Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)] [Mechanical Body Adaptability (SS)] [Machine Blade Arts (SS)] [Nanomachine Colony (SS)]

[Overall Description]: [0-2, is the second 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 second Android after 0-1, someone capable of living on their own, eating and digesting food for energy, self-repair, evolving, and even growing both mentally and physically.]

[Her purpose was to protect her “Mother,” the Mechanical Tree. She had been, therefore, conceived differently than Zero One; she was designed as a fighting unit, imbued with the ability to produce and control her own Nanomachine Colony, and with amazing ability and dexterity with swords, she was created to defend the Mechanical Tree from the powerful threats of the world of Bestia.

[However, after having been defeated by you and then having had her mother freed from the mainframe’s control, her purpose had changed from someone destined for battle to someone that has yet to even figure out her own footing in life.]

[Her life, unlike Zero One, didn’t start with wondering what life was, but wondering what her purpose was after having been created and made to fight. The concepts of {Heart} and {Soul} are too distant for her to even comprehend at this stage. However, she’s still trying to learn, for the sake of her “mother” and her sister.]

[Skill Copy Conditions]: [Zero Two’s wish is to find a new purpose for her life and to make her mother and her sister happy. Despite not saying it out loud, she wishes to learn the way of mortals, about their culture and what they do with their lives. While also improving on her own abilities. Ultimately, all of these things are only means to find a purpose.]

[To copy one of Zero Two’s Skills, find a purpose for her life, not only to just find it, but to give her a purpose where she can finally put to use her fighting abilities while not questioning herself anymore over what’s good and bad.]

[Sponsorship Price: 25.000 Plot Points]

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It was crazy how different she was from her sister! Also, her Plot Point cost was much less at 25k instead of Zero One’s 45k! Is it because of her abilities or perhaps her potential? She does seem weaker than her sister, to be honest. Maybe it might also have to do with the fact that Zero One allows me to copy two skills instead of one.

Nonetheless, she doesn’t seek things like having a Heart or a Soul like Zero One, who was designed and made specifically to seek these things. Zero Two is much simpler; she’s a warrior at heart, and the only thing she wants is to find someone that would give her a new purpose that puts her fighting abilities to good use.

I guess we could give her that very easily, and her abilities… Well, two of them are like her sister, but the other two are very different. Machine Blade Arts and Nanomachine Colony are the Skills that made her so tough and strong when we fought her, without a doubt.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having that Nanomachine Colony at all, actually! It could be life-changing for my growth, power, and strength…

“Okay, looks like she’s rather cheap; I can sponsor her no problem,” I nodded.

Zero One became so happy she hugged me tightly.

“Yaaay! Thank you, Anna!” she said. “Mooch!”

She even kissed my cheek out of happiness for some reason.

“Wait, why am I cheaper? What does that mean?” Zero Two glared at me while squinting her red eyes.

“Nothing, it means nothing, don’t worry.” I patted her head, but she glared angrily.

I spent the Plot Points and rapidly sponsored her.

Ding!

[You have exchanged 25.000 Plot Points to sponsor [Player Name]: [0-2]!]

[0-2] Stats have increased greatly!]

[0-2] has awakened the Skills: [Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)] [Mechanical Body Adaptability (SS)] [Machine Blade Arts (SS)] [Nanomachine Colony (SS)]

[More Skills can be awakened after [0-2] grows stronger.]

FLASH!

Her Aura instantly grew stronger as she gasped, noticing her Electromagnetic Energies, which were of crimson color, flared up, overflowing across her body, filling her with new strength.

“Feeling good now?” I asked her.

“W-What is this power? And these abilities? Huh? Did I ever have such power before?” she wondered. “It is as if new information and capabilities were directly installed into my body! Is this because of your strange supernatural abilities?”

“Yeah, it’s called sponsorship,” I nodded. “I’ve sponsored you, pretty much. You feel stronger? That “information” you feel are your Skills, you got four of them.”

“I see…” she nodded. “Did my sister also get this?”

“Yep,” I nodded.

“Wait, can you… Can you sponsor my mother as well?!” asked Zero Two. “Maybe like this, she could become stronger and recover faster… and she could also help your Venerables faster, right?”

“I… had not thought about that,” I said. “But my pool of Plot Points is limited, so I can’t just go freely sponsoring everyone, especially when I got some more sponsorships planned, so calm down a bit.”

“Hmm, ok…” she sighed. “But consider it! Ple… ease?”

She was trying her best to say “please”; it was both adorable and a bit dumb.

“Ok, ok, I’ll try if I can,” I nodded. “Though, if copying her skill is too hard, I might reconsider it… And we’ll do that later. There’s another sponsorship I want to prioritize, actually.”

“Others?” wondered Zero One. “Like what?”

“It’s part of my plan,” I said. “A plan to make my masters a little bit stronger… If it works like I imagine it could work, then it could even help them recover more of their powers before we attempt to take out the nanomachines from them.”

“Really? Is such a thing possible?!” Zero One gasped. “How?”

“I’ll explain later how I’ll do it to them, then I’ll explain to you guys,” I said. “After all, I’ll need their approval on all of this… Anyway! I hope you can help your sister grow strong, Zero One. Teach her everything you can about using Skills.”

“Of course, leave it to me!” Zero One nodded.

“Also…”

I quickly approached my face to her ears, whispering to her.

“We have to find her a new purpose so I can get one of her skills,” I said, with all honesty. “Do you think we could let her join us in the next battles? Would that be enough of a purpose?”

“Hmmm, so that’s how it is…” she nodded. “I don’t know; we would have to experiment first. She’s indeed very different from me, so whatever would work for me might not work for my little sister… But we can try! I’m sure she’s eager to help.”

“What are you two talking so secretively about?” Zero Two approached us while squinting her eyes. “I hope it’s nothing like some plan to… do something weird.”

“A-Ahahah, of course not!” Her sister laughed.

“Why would we ever do that…” I looked elsewhere.

“Anna, are you done?”

Suddenly, the voice of the Heavenly Empress echoed behind me.

“Almost!” I said.

“Alright, hurry, we’re moving to the formation; prepare yourself to eat your pill,” she said. “I let you eat first so you wouldn’t get indigestion by eating that pill with an empty stomach, but don’t eat too much, though.”

“Sure!” I nodded.

After that, she went outside with Song and the Heavenly Demon, as I sighed.

“Alright then, I’ll get going. You guys train and do your best! See ya!”

I waved my hand and ran outside the palace, flying into the skies and following the family towards the formation, which had been placed in a large, empty, and flat area, resembling a wasteland made of stone.

There, there were large runic engravings placed over the ground made out of many martial treasures. The entire formation had the shape of a yin and yang.

But instead of magecraft, they probably used something similar to Feng Shui to build it and arrange the elements, which was very interesting.

Something small was also floating above the formation, the [Divine Heavenly Yin and Yang Primordial Pill (??? Rank)] I had created through alchemy before.

I had to sacrifice my cauldron and put a lot of effort into making this, but it worked in the end, and I even got the Alchemy of Murim at Tier 3, insane.

“And so we are here,” said the Heavenly Empress, or, well… mom.

It's still embarrassing to call her that, but it also kind of makes me happy.

Corny, right?

“My daughter, it is time for you to ascend further than we ever did,” she said. “This pill, which you’ve refined with the essence of Yin and Yang in their primordial forms, it’s yours.”

“A-Ascend further than you two?” I wondered. “I doubt it, and I still have a lot to learn as well!”

“We know! But let her put it more dramatically: That pill is something that we’ve been trying to make all our lives, Anna,” said the Heavenly Demon. “A small ritual would come naturally. Our culture is more religious than you think.”

“It is? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound offensive…” I apologized.

My mom smiled gently.

“No problem, dear, I know you were saying that because you didn’t want to insult us,” she said. “But fear not; take that pill and ascend. It’ll help you reach a new height… to literally evolve your own Spirit Body.”

“So that’s what it does…” I looked at the pill. “Alright then.”

I walked towards the center of the formation, as I felt its heavenly powers encompass me entirely, reinforcing me to new levels of power and toughness.

“This formation’s amazing; it feels like I’ve grown several times stronger?!”

“Yes, it took a lot to make,” Mom said. “Hurry, though; its effects will only last… fifteen minutes from now, since it just activated.”

“Hurry, big sis!” Song said.

“S-Sure! Alright!” I nodded.

I quickly reached the pill.

It had the circular shape of Yin and Yang combined together.

Alongside that, there was a small gold circle in the middle between the intersection of Yin and Yang.

This pill, the [Divine Heavenly Yin and Yang Primordial Pill (??? Rank)], I opened my mouth and put it in there, swallowing it.

It was a bit hard to swallow a dry pill like this, but after putting some more energy into it, it was completely gone.

For a moment, I felt nothing… really.

“Hm? Nothing changed?”

“Pills usually take some time to take effect,” Father said. “I would say… now, it should start working.”

“Hm? But—AAH!”

RUMBLE!

The ground and the heavens trembled as I felt my entire body erupt with tremendous amounts of energy. Heavenly Ki of Black and White color surged like a pillar connecting the heavens and the earth below.

I felt energy constantly passing through my entire body, as if electrocuting me! It was painful, but I gritted my teeth, relying on my Physique and my various Skills plus my Stats to reinforce my body; I resisted the enormous quantity of power.

Black and gold lightning started striking my body several times in a row. I felt a burning sensation spread through my body; the formation made me tougher and also regenerated my body quickly.

BOOOM!

One thunderbolt hit me.

BOOOM! BOOOM!

Then two at the same time.

BOOOM!

Another came and electrocuted me; it was pure Ki, making all my internal body break apart.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Then three at the same time, making me almost pass out.

I resisted, concentrating, meditating even amidst the agony.

At one point, I ended up floating in midair, cross-legged.

I delved my mind into these millenary and ancient energies of primeval origins.

My mind, soul, and body melted into one, drowning in an endless sea of primordial forces.

“I can’t believe it; she’s undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation?!” Mother cried.

“It seems she is indeed ascending! So she wasn’t an immortal as we thought this entire time! I can’t believe it!” father screamed.

“Big sis! You can do it!” and my little brother cheered for me, trusting me.

I won’t disappoint you.

I will get through this Heavenly Tribulation, no matter what!

RUMBLE!

And then… as I made my resolve, the heavens gave me one last challenge.

“ROOOAAARR!”

Black and gold lightning merged into a gigantic dragon made of thunder.

“Ah, shit…”

Opening its jaws, it engulfed me in endless agony.

BOOOOMM!!!

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