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After helping everyone get stronger in the forge, I noticed new system notifications popping up, notifying me about fulfilled skill copy conditions.

It seemed that I'd finally gotten them; I had almost forgotten.

Ding!

[You have fulfilled Character: [Zero One] Skill Copy Conditions!]

[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.]

[Now, Zero One has surpassed her previous self, developing not only a {Heart} like before but even a {Soul}, which she used against her sister, Zero Three, to surpass her and completely overcome her within the Digital Space.]

[This {Soul} is the embodiment of her own Enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao, and the results of her efforts so far, and her unyielding perseverance, combined with her own energies, which have been completely formed upon the acquisition of additional supernatural energies through the {Demonic Stigma} and the {Celestial Mark} you've engraved into her body with the help of Samariel.]

[You can now choose one more Skill from her Skill List to Copy.]

[Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)]

[Instant Processing and Learning (SS)]

[All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core (SSS)]

Right, Zero One's copy conditions were very unique and quite… well, hard. But it allowed me to pick two skill as long as both were fulfilled individually.

And now, that's a reality, it seems.

"Okay, what should I choose then?"

All three seem interesting.

Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts and All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core seem like the most interesting, though.

Although the second helping me to think even faster and learn even more wouldn't be so bad either…

Argh! It's hard to choose again! Why does this always happen?

Okay, let's think about things pragmatically. What do I require right now?

Well, perhaps more power and… yeah, a way to trash machines even more.

A new core with that sort of energy-absorbing and saving function…

If it can truly create this energy machines have, which is very powerful, then maybe…

Yeah, let's choose the one with the highest Rank, screw it!

Ding!

[You have chosen to copy the [All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core (SSS)] Skill from Character [Zero One]!]

[The Skill has been assimilated, and its powers are being rapidly assimilated into your body!]

[Nanomachines inside the body detected.]

[Large sources of energy detected.]

[You're now beginning to develop an Artificial Vessel Core, your Nanomachines are rapidly gathering your energies and crystalizing them while fusing with it.]

FLUOSH!

"Uogh?!"

I cried a bit weirdly as everyone saw me react; I fell to my knees, feeling something quickly crystalize somewhere between my stomach and my chest.

It glowed bright blue, revealing itself through my damn skin as if I was Iron Man or something!

It resembled a big, blue-colored crystal, and it released sparkles of electricity.

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But then, it slowly was covered by my skin, becoming invisible.

However, the light coming from it could be seen through my skin…

Ding!

[You have fully absorbed and assimilated the [All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core (SSS): Lv1] Skill!]

[You have developed your own [All-Energy Artificial Vessel Core] within your body.]

[However, this Core cannot progress through Cultivation, but through the Leveling of the Corresponding Skill or through direct "Upgrades".]

[You can now harness Electromagnetic Energy, which can be used to power up all of your energy-based skills, techniques, and even magic, and also further empower all machine-related skills.]

"A-Anna? Are you ok?" Zero One asked.

"A-Ah yeah, I'm fine," I nodded. "I just got a new Skill… and it seems it worked well…"

I felt electrified; this electromagnetic energy was rushing through every single nerve of my body.

My senses became incredibly sharp, and even my hair was beginning to lift up weirdly due to the static effect of this energy.

"Woah, Anna, what happened to you? This energy you're releasing… It is as if you became a machine?!" Zero One asked.

"W-What's going on?!" asked Zero Two.

"Ah, okay… I'll tell you," I nodded.

I explained to them my ability to copy skills of those I sponsor and help fulfill their wishes and desires, making them surprised… and Zero One wasn't angry but happy.

"I see! I'm so happy! I thought it was always one-sided, but if you can copy my abilities and get even stronger, then that's definitely for the better!" She smiled adorably. "So you got the mechanical transformation skill and the core skill too?! I see! So that's why it feels like you're one of us… Maybe with this you could camouflage between machines a bit better."

"That's interesting…" I said. "But I'm not a machine! I'm a girl made of flesh and bones… Also, we're literally going to fight them, so I don't know if infiltrating could work if we're going head-on to the battle and everything."

"Hmm, it could help you infiltrate in other ways," said Zero Two. "Like entering the data banks of foes or hacking them more easily. It's strange though; with your other powers, it could quite possibly develop in a myriad of other strange ways."

"Huh…" I nodded. "Alright, that got me a bit pumped up… Okay, next are your Skills, let's see…"

"Wait, you're inheriting one from me too?" Zero Two asked. "But you haven't helped me fulfill anything!"

"Hehehe, but I did?" I giggled. "I gave you the purpose you craved as a machine lifeform, didn't I? This fight and everything else, it is your new purpose, so the conditions were fulfilled."

"N-No way, was I that easy?!" She gasped.

Wow, this was unexpectedly funny. I never thought that telling people I helped them fulfill their desires would end up like this.

I guess it is within human nature to simply not realize when something you really want is finally given to you and in front of you.

Mostly because we're always focusing on what's next, what else we can get; it's never enough. We always have to wish for more, desire more, and have more dreams and hopes.

I suppose it is one of humanity's strengths and also our weakness in a way.

It can be what could drive the human spirit to surpass its limits.

And at the same time, it could be what drives us mad with power and greed.

But enough about philosophical mental ramblings.

Ding!

[You have fulfilled Character: [Zero Two] Skill Copy Conditions!]

[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.]

[You have successfully helped Zero Two find a new purpose in her life, giving her the purpose of both helping her sister and saving this world. She has grown to love its people through her many interactions, and through her talk with her big sister, she has learned about life and slowly has developed a {Heart} of her own.]

[You can now choose one more Skill from her Skill List to Copy.]

[Electromagnetic Energy Manipulation Arts (SS)]

[Mechanical Body Adaptability (SS)]

[Machine Blade Arts (SS)]

[Nanomachine Colony (SS)]

She doesn't have an SSS Rank one, but it doesn't matter; SS Rank is already super overpowered anyways!

What's important are these Skills though; they look great!

I could finally choose electromagnetic energy manipulation arts…

Or just learn it on my own anyways.

Mechanical Body Adaptability could further mechanize my body or help me transform machines I control, most likely the second.

Machine Blade Arts is… eh.

And Nanomachine Colony?!

YES! YES! YES! YES!

I want my own colony of Nanomachines, dammit!

Gimme!

Ding!

[You have chosen to copy the [Nanomachine Colony (SS)] Skill from Character [Zero Two]!]

[Your body already contains Nanomachines, which have become part of your Nanomachine Colony.]

[To create more Nanomachines, you must provide your existing Nanomachines with materials to duplicate.]

[There's a certain limit to how many you can have depending on Skill Level and Rank.]

[You have fully assimilated the [Nanomachine Colony (SS): Lv1] Skill.]

"So?" wondered Zero Two. "What Skill did you copy?"

She crossed her arms, glaring at me as if I had done something bad already…

"Hehe."

And I giggled at that!

"Let me show you!"

I spread my arms as something surged from my body.

FLUOSH!

A massive cloud of tiny robots, colored silver and blue, as small as the tiniest flies.

They made a big swarm of roughly three hundred.

"W-What the hell?! You got a Nanomachine Colony too?!" Zero Two almost dropped her jaw into the floor. "Not fair! T-That's my own ability…! Mother designed me specifically to both control nanomachines and have swords and… Haaah… Well, I guess you did help me awaken the skills to begin with; you deserve it… I suppose."

"Wow, she really changed, huh?" I wondered, nodding. "That's some great character development. Alright, let's go. The final battle is finally here, everyone. Let's do our best."

We regrouped with everyone else, as I summoned several of my Egos to accompany the various teams.

We glanced into the distance, the gigantic mechanical tree, and what dwelled within it.

"Song… Just wait a bit longer."

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