am-books Chapter 216: The Lurking Machines
Chapter 216: The Lurking Machines
Chapter 216: The Lurking Machines
-----
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.
[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!
-----