OP Sister Chapter 435: The Flaws Of Your Ideals

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As Zero One talked, Yu couldn’t help but feel slightly conflicted about many things, expressing her thoughts without holding back.

“Ugh, I’m not used to all this corny stuff. Can’t we get over it already? We’ve got a world to save!” Yu Mingzhu complained. “Yeah, yeah, I mean, congrats and all! You did it! And I’m honestly still baffled. I always imagined we would end this by destroying all the damned machines, but I suppose that isn’t the case anymore. Like, seriously! Now we’re all forced to become friends! Maybe we won’t have much of a problem—I mean, we don’t have as many traumatic memories of them, right? But literally everyone else, do you think they’ll just accept it? What will you do if they want to kill your people, Zero One? Even when they’re begging for mercy, knowing full well they committed so many sins? Have you even thought about that?”

Yu went straight for the important question, confronting Zero One despite the happy moment. Wai Tian and Yin Sheng were left speechless over such an overly specific question, but they couldn’t help but agree deep down.

The anger of the elders and all these immortals wouldn’t be easily quenched with a little “I’m sorry.” Many would lack the patience to wait hundreds of years for the machines to fix the entire mess they left behind on the planet.

The only thing keeping them from destroying all machines, now that they were non-threatening, was the Venerables, whose almighty power made them recoil in fear of retaliation.

Perhaps there were some among the elders who trusted them, but the majority simply harbored immense hatred. 

“I-I…”

Zero One had not thought about that yet. She was simply happy things ended this way, never considering what could happen afterward, because doing this by itself was already an immense feat—one she didn’t think had a high chance of success. 

“I will take responsibility.”

Mother glanced at Yu with her bright white eye, and Yu suddenly fell silent for a moment. 

“How so?” 

“We machines will show you right now the true value of our strength and our existence. I know very well of the sins we’ve committed, and I know… that the only thing we truly deserve is being destroyed.” 

“…” 

“However, for my daughters, for the hope they have in me, and for these children, who have just learned to think for themselves and develop their own personalities, I must work hard. I know it will be hard, and I know it might bring a lot of hatred… but I want to give these children a second chance, as hypocritical as it sounds…” 

“So?” 

“Right now, there’s a threat bigger than anything that has ever happened here. We will join forces with everyone, and we will defeat it together. The machines will show the people and the world that we can help them. We will save their lives, we will save their world, and we will continue to protect them. I know of countless methods to bring back the continent we sank, to bring back life to it, and perhaps to even expand the land and make even more continents.”

“I can manufacture any piece of technology within my factories. And I will use the power of technology to make this world flourish with life once more… The elders, and their descendants who will come in the future, will once more walk over a continent, or several, and they will no longer suffer from past mistakes. I want… to create a future for their children.”

“I know the pain and hatred of the survivors cannot be quenched, no matter how many of us die… Those they lost cannot be brought back to life. But I want to at least guarantee a better life and future for their children, for those who have just been born, or for those who were born inside Inner Realms, and of course, for those who have yet to be born…” 

“So you’re promising a better future for the new generation? That is your bargain?” 

“Yes… we can only promise things in the end, and such things are only shallow words. That’s why we must prove to them that we possess worth in the battle that is happening right now.” 

As Mother finished talking, Zero One’s eyes widened. She was surprised that her Mother, a Supercomputer, had thought about so many things just now. 

“Well said. I agree with what she said as well,” Zero Two nodded. 

“We will work together with Zero One to make a better future for everyone here, both the machines and, of course, primarily, the inhabitants. This will be our atonement, and we will do it… until the end of times,” Zero Three said. 

“T-The end of times is a bit exaggerated. Perhaps after a few thousand years, we’ll reach some stability, and then we can level the field and become equals!” Zero One said hopefully. “I-I agree that we must pay, but… a future where machines are only the inhabitants’ slaves… it doesn’t sit well with me. I-I know it’s selfish and hypocritical of me. I know we deserve punishment, but… it… it just feels wrong. I’m sorry… I… even though I feel guilty, I just can’t… change the way I think about this.” 

“I know how you feel, Zero One,” Anna said through Bastet’s Avatar. “I might unfortunately not be present here to help, but… I will do everything in my power right now to convince everyone that there’s a better future. I have become the third Venerable, so hopefully, there’s some weight to my words for these people.” 

“Thank you, Anna!” Zero One cried a few tears, hugging Bastet, who patted her head tenderly. 

“It’s alright, you’re a good girl, Zero One,” Anna smiled through Bastet, combining the Cat Goddess’s motherly nature with her own kindness. “You are someone carrying the hope of machines and their greatest representative. You’re also, unlike the rest and your Mother, someone without their sins. The other immortals, all of them, know this. This is why they treat you differently. You’re special, and I think you might be able to build this ideal future with them and everyone else.” 

“Y-Yes! I will do my best!” Zero One nodded, filled with new determination. 

Anna and Bastet nodded, glancing back at the rest of their group, waving their hands to quickly infuse large quantities of Ki into the exhausted Immortals and Electromagnetic Energies into the machines, powering them up immensely. 

FLAAASH!

“W-Woah?!” Wai Tian was shocked. “I’m back at full power?!” 

“Incredible, young lady!” Yin Sheng said with fascination, wagging his long fluffy tail. “You have so much Ki you can share it and even fully refill our reserves?!” 

“Yeah, this is nothing too hard to do after I learned to refine Ki out of Hope and even Hatred,” Anna explained. “The Hope here is immense, and it has been refined into the power that has now revitalized you. The damage you suffered and the struggles you experienced have also made you stronger. Perhaps you cannot level up like I do, but the power of my sponsorship can help someone develop much faster over time, similar to leveling up, by overcoming great challenges.” 

She had seen that already with her friends, such as Dan Baihe and Annabelle, who had become much stronger after the battle inside the Demonic Castle. 

“Stronger?” Wai Tian wondered. “I don’t feel so different—Ah!” 

She suddenly realized she had changed, her body having become at least fifty percent taller and larger, and her Ki Aura was blazing with white flames. The power of her Skills seemed to have internalized within her Physique and Martial Core. 

“Me too… I also feel strange,” Yin Sheng said.

He had indeed become taller and slenderer now. His shadows were also within him, and he could even feel something within his very soul—a small pocket dimension, a realm of darkness he was developing. 

“Um, Anna! Is that you? I can also feel that I’ve grown differently…”

Sara stepped forward after finally arriving here slightly later than the rest. Her aura had also grown stronger, phantasmal energies surging from her, changing into all kinds of ghoulish forms. 

“Sara! I’m glad you’re alright too. A lot happened, it seems,” Anna said. 

“I can guess most of it, so the big machine is good now?” Sara asked. “That’s a relief! But there’s a lot going on outside, from the Demons invading to the Void Ruler going batshit insane. What do we do now?” 

“Demons invading?!” Wai Tian asked. “What do you mean by that?” 

“My former sponsor has employed a group of… let’s call them interplanetary mercenaries,” Mother sighed. “They are a group of otherworldly beings named Demons, and their leaders have come here with their powerful Avatars, wreaking havoc.” 

“The Heavenly Demon is currently fighting the King of all Demons as well…” Anna sighed. “We have to go help him! I’ll go with my real body there, alongside Mom and Song, and once we take care of that monster, we’ll come to help everyone else. So please, hold on until then.” 

“Very well, that is not an easy task, but it’s possible,” Mother nodded. “I shall now get serious.” 

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