OP Sister Chapter 485: Don't Make Shallow Promises

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“Now… Um, Mother, I need to talk with someone,” I said. “It’s… you know where she is, right?”

“You mean that ancient Dokkaebi woman?” she asked. “Yes, I know where she is. She was watching the funeral, actually.”

“She was? I didn’t even detect her!” I gasped.

“Well, she’s a shrewd and stealthy woman,” my mother sighed. “But I know where she is. Why do you want to talk with her, though?”

“I need to…” I said. “We’re still unsure about what she’ll do. At the very least, I believe we should negotiate with her.”

“Negotiate?” Song asked.

“Yeah, just trust me,” I said. “Can we go?”

“Sure thing. Let’s go, then. We’ve finished dinner anyway,” Mother nodded. “Song, stay here.”

“Eh? But I wanted to go!” Song protested.

“Just obey your mother, young man,” the Heavenly Empress said grumpily, as Song lowered his head and nodded. “Alright, let’s go, Anna.”

“Sorry…” I apologized to my little brother before we flew with my mother into the skies. I used my new white-colored crane wings for that, which made her smile lightly.

As we reached higher and higher, we nearly touched the newly formed nine heavens, which were still very premature.

“So, where is she?” I asked.

“Just wait a bit,” Mother said. “She’s coming.”

RUMBLE!

The clouds parted, and a ray of cosmic light emerged. From within, a figure descended. Yes, I recognized that majestic appearance of hers from my other Egos that had seen her.

This was indeed her: the Ancient Venerable, the first Constellation this world ever birthed, an ancient Dokkaebi, perhaps the very last one surviving until now.

“Well, hello~! I had no idea I had visitors tonight. What brings you to my humble abode?” she asked with a rhythmic, playful tone.

“Hi, I never really learned your name,” I said. “Before I leave, I wanted to talk with you.”

“With little me? The star of this world, Anna herself, wants to speak with me? I cannot believe this!” she said, giggling.

“Quit it with the jokes,” the Heavenly Empress said. “Take this seriously.”

“Oh?” The Dokkaebi woman looked at me. “My name? I don’t have one. Call me Nameless for all I care. Truth be told, I’ve never liked having names to begin with.”

“You do have a Constellation Title, at least,” I said. “Anyway… I wanted to humbly request that you protect this world from other Constellation threats. The two Primordial Beasts are still recovering their power, Song is still training and is a novice at this, and Mother alone… won’t be enough.”

The Dokkaebi’s entire atmosphere changed in an instant, her sharp crimson eyes glaring at me with slight anger.

“And who are you to order me around?”

“I’m… humbly requesting you to protect your world. What’s wrong with that? You have so much power, yet you do nothing with it! If you wanted to leave this world, you could have done so already, right? So why remain here if you’re not going to do anything?”

“I lived a pretty chaotic life back then, you know? I grew tired of absolutely everything about this world, and only because I was merciful did I stop myself from destroying everything and leaving.”

“…?!”

My mother gasped as she noticed the Dokkaebi’s powerful Cosmic Aura emerging.

Indeed, it resembled an endless sea of darkness, shaped like countless tentacles, claws, and fur, with blood everywhere.

It was a strange, monstrous, beastly, and warped Cosmic Aura, stronger than the two of us combined.

Could we win?

Although a part of me wants to say “probably not” another part of me thinks we got a fair shot, considering all the abilities I have gained.

Yes, she was this strong. If she had actually helped back then, our fights against the Constellations, Void Rulers, and Lucifer’s army would have been a walk in the park.

She helped at the end with the Void Ruler, but only by taking her blows and distracting her, never fully engaging in battle.

This Dokkaebi woman, Nameless, was probably the craziest wildcard this world had… and yet, she simply didn’t want to do anything.

“Even so, I must continue requesting that you protect this world,” I said. “I have riches with me—cosmic treasures. Please, take them if that can change your decision.”

I opened my inventory, showing her the corpse of Uroboros, the Steel King, and the Demons that Lucifer summoned, all Cosmic-level treasures.

“Hmm~ It does seem appealing,” she said, touching her chin. “But… bleh, I don’t want that.”

“Then what do you want?” I asked her. “Please! Just… open your heart for a single second. Think about these poor people. They aren’t at all like the ones from the past! They’ve learned from their mistakes; they’re trying to change, genuinely! For the first time ever! Please give them… give them a chance.”

“Perhaps you suffered a lot in the past, and I cannot speak on your behalf there,” said the Heavenly Empress. “But I have to side with Anna. These people aren’t like those you hated. They’re changing; they’re opening their hearts. I know why you became the way you are; I almost became the same. The world feels pointless the more you see that nothing ever changes, how the cycle of hatred never ends, how people continue killing each other, how poverty only worsens, how people die of hunger… but instead of simply forgetting about the world, I decided to make a change myself. Even if small, that change was able to save this world.”

The Dokkaebi glanced at us in silence, seemingly analyzing Mother’s words, squinting and then scanning the world below.

“But wasn’t it because of the very mistakes you mentioned that this world ended up as ruined as it is?”

“I…”

Mother couldn’t refute that.

“I wouldn’t be giving them a second chance, but, like… a tenth chance. You know how tiring this is? How does everything always go back to the same, even after this? Just wait a thousand years, maybe ten thousand years, and eventually, they’ll revert to their old habits. They always do.”

“That’s not true! I believe they can change! I believe there’s a future for them! And if they end up walking the wrong path again, then I will come back and show them the way once more.”

“You make a lot of promises, but can you really keep them, Anna?”

“I’ll accomplish them or die trying.”

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