Chapter 118: Officially Appointed, Psychic Professional Instructor Bai Fu
The 1.1 version update introduced leaderboards and an arena system, added several new Newbie Villages, and raised the player level cap from level 20 to level 25.
Although the scope of this update wasn’t large, it greatly enhanced the game’s playability.
With the introduction of the arena, players who enjoyed PvP found their haven. As a game that promoted its ultra-high freedom, Beyond the Stars allowed players to explore PK (player killing) in novel ways, reaching new heights.
It could be said that version 1.1 was quite a successful update.
Therefore, when the spoilers for version 1.2 were released, most players immediately clicked the link to see what interesting new features the upcoming version would bring.
【The players in the Garden of Silence have had their fun for long enough. It’s time we got a Bai Fu too, right?】
【Follow Bai Fu meow, follow Bai Fu thank you meow】
【Add a pants-off feature, please I’m begging you!】
【Bro, are you trying to kill the game? If you can really take off pants, the game would be flooded with naked perverts on update day】
As soon as Bai Fu opened the official update preview page, she noticed that the video pinned at the top was already plastered with live-stream comments.
She clicked on the video, and with a cheerful tune, the official chibi mascot Star-Play Girl appeared on the screen.
【Did everyone miss me? It's been a few months, and today Star-Play Girl is bringing you a super super super super exciting version update reveal!】
【At 2 a.m. five days from now, Beyond the Stars will go into maintenance for updates. The update duration will be the same as last time. Adventurers, if you have urgent matters to attend to, please be sure to prepare in advance】
【Alright, let’s get to the point】
Star-Play Girl’s straightforward style earned widespread praise. In the rest of the video, she introduced the specific details of version 1.2, which were mainly split into two directions.
One focused on gameplay experience optimization, including increasing the number of Newbie Villages, improving arena matchmaking rules, and enhancing the login interface.
The other involved feature additions and changes. Version 1.2 would introduce four new functions.
One, Team Arena Mode, aimed at enriching entertainment gameplay and allowing players to preview the fun of faction-based battles.
Two, Game Story Chronicle, which let players who missed parts of the plot browse story summaries, helping them understand what the game was really about.
Three, Challenge Instances, where players could fight previously defeated popular Bosses again.
Four, Job Trial, where after the new version goes live, players could enter a virtual space to try out other classes and decide whether to switch.
Bai Fu quickly skimmed through the version 1.2 update notes. To be honest, none of it had much to do with her. She had tried before—unable to register a game account, she couldn’t enter the arena, and thus didn’t expect to profit from the new Challenge Instances either.
But the updates beyond the game content truly caught her eye.
No, it wasn’t just a spark—it was a constant glow!
Right after the update spoiler video, the developers had inserted a clip montage of plots from various Newbie Planets in version 1.1. As the most active NPC on Origin Star for that version, Bai Fu unsurprisingly appeared in the video.
【Damn, it’s Fu!】
【Yay, it’s Bai Fu! Licking the screen!】
The players erupted in excitement.
Then, upon opening the Origin Star subpage of the update preview, Bai Fu was delighted to find herself as the page’s cover character.
Of course, she wasn’t alone. Also featured on the cover were Xia Shi, Yulia, the never-before-seen Truth Society President, and an unknown man.
According to the official intro video, all the characters featured on the cover were key figures in version 1.1’s storyline and were highly likely to shine again in the new version.
For average players, seeing Bai Fu there was only natural. But for Bai Fu herself, it held profound meaning.
Forget the unknown man—Xia Shi, Yulia, and the Truth Society President were either main characters of specific plotlines or major Bosses. Being grouped with them was the developers' tacit recognition that she too was protagonist material.
“All my efforts in boosting storyline exploration were worth it!”
Bai Fu was overjoyed, wondering how the Developers would enhance and adjust her next.
【Isn’t this the villainess who showed up at the Abandoned Cooling Plant and Bagaros Base?】
【Villainesses are great! I love bad girls. Anyone else dislike Bai Fu? She’s too righteous for me. I don’t like goody-two-shoes characters】
【Whether she’s all righteousness or all ‘zheng’ness, I love her all the same】
【Aaaah, it’s Miss Xia Shi! She’s the one who released the Gene Primordials Lab quest series】
【Fu-stans scram, my Shi is number one in the world!】
Watching the comment arguments scroll across the top of the video, Bai Fu couldn’t help but laugh.
Yulia number one? Xia Shi number one?
She began to wonder how those players would react when they learned of her relationship with Yulia and Xia Shi.
That Yulia doll you love so much? I was the one toying with it in my hands!
But the thing that surprised Bai Fu most was the official response to a player Q&A.
Q: How does the Job Trial function actually work? Is it just hitting dummies in a virtual space, or not even that?
A: Each class has a corresponding Job Mentor. Players can spar with them in the virtual space. We can now reveal that the Gunner Mentor is Lumia, and the Psionic Illustrator Mentor is Bai Fu.
“Bai Fu? That’s me, isn’t it?”
Whoa!
Bai Fu was stunned. After her artwork had made it to the homepage, now she had actually become a representative of the Psionic Class!
This was a Job Mentor title! From now on, anyone interested in learning about the Psionic Class couldn’t avoid her. The attention this would bring was unimaginable—and it wouldn’t be fleeting hype either, but the kind that persisted as long as the game was live.
“Amazing!”
Bai Fu felt like grabbing Star-Play Girl and giving her two big smooches.
Just as she noticed this Q&A, many players began reaching out to her.
【For real? We can challenge Fu-fu?】
【Ah, I’m gonna fight Bai Fu?】
【This is great, haha! Wait for me everyone—once the new version goes live, I’ll show you how to beat Bai Fu without taking a hit】
【In your dreams. You? No-hit? You think this game has invincibility frames and parries like others?】
Although most players believed that challenging Bai Fu would only result in getting trampled under her feet, many still wanted to be the first to challenge her when the new version launched.
【I just like being trampled under Fu-fu’s feet, so what】
Bai Fu gently pinched her chin.
If the developers could make her one of the Challenge Instances’ Bosses, it would surely generate even more buzz. After all, this would prompt more players to record videos of themselves challenging her. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen.
She shook her head and casually browsed the discussion threads players had posted about her.
Once again, the Excavation‑Princess took the lead on the frontlines. However, this time, she didn’t speculate about Bai Fu’s identity as usual, but instead made some predictions based on the newly released content.
【I reckon the new version will feature quite a few storyline quests related to Fu-fu’s true identity. Everyone, look forward to it】
Look forward? Of course they should.
If Fu-fu truly turned out to be the Sovereign of the Shadowed Night, that would be insane. Twin shadows, sovereign of the night—even the heavily wounded version of the Sovereign of the Shadowed Night was already so cool. Who knew how powerful the complete form would be!
Bai Fu casually closed the official site and community page.
There were still five days until the new version went live, so she needed to prepare adequately to avoid unexpected chaos from a mass player logout.
Pretending to be a bystander munching on drama, Bai Fu swiftly returned to Tongshan Camp after escaping from Black Mountain City.
Upon submitting the quest to investigate the outbreak at Tongshan Camp, she received another 140,000 XP—not a huge amount, but not little either.
"Stay here at Tongshan Camp for the next few days and continue looking after the sick. I’m heading back to the Goli Desert."
With her instructions delivered, Bai Fu left.
On the way back to the Goli Desert, she tested the newly acquired Memory Fragment.
This Memory Fragment had a level cap of 35. For players, it was a massive hurdle, but for her, it was child’s play.
Upon entering the special instance of the Memory Fragment, she transformed into a Battle Maniac.
Stealth?
Stealth my ass!
She led the rebellious Mutants out of the front gate of the laboratory, crushing all those who dared to block their way until they were on their knees.
At the end of the instance, a plain-looking Mutant gazed at her with deep gratitude: “You really aren’t coming with us?”
Bai Fu shook her head. “Go. Go find your freedom. Don’t get caught again.”
While rushing through the instance, she also investigated the cause of the Mutants’ rebellion. The truth was shameful. Most of these special Mutants had originally been ordinary civilians, but because they were suitable candidates for conversion, the Psionic Diffusion Committee had them captured. In the lab, they endured endless torment. Once that pain passed a certain threshold, they decided to risk everything and escape.
“Thank you. Meeting you is the greatest fortune of my life. I’ll take them somewhere no one can ever find us and start over.”
The plain-looking Mutant kept thanking Bai Fu until the instance concluded and he vanished from her sight.
Bai Fu sighed. In the instance, these Mutants had been saved. But in reality, according to Behim, they had failed to escape in the end and were all executed—never gaining the freedom they so desired.
She checked the game prompt.
【Instance Clear Time: 13 minutes 46 seconds】
【First Clear of the Day: 140,000 XP gained】
This Memory Fragment could be challenged repeatedly, but only the first clear each day would grant XP rewards.
Even so, Bai Fu was very satisfied.
Getting an extra 140,000 XP per day wasn’t something to scoff at. If she could gather a few more Memory Fragments, she wouldn’t have to worry about XP for a while.
……
As Bai Fu neared the Goli Desert, the Old Republic publicly disclosed all details about the Black Mountain City attack. They strongly condemned the Truth Society and issued a top-level bounty on the traitor Behim.
When this news reached the Truth Society, the Truth Society President looked completely baffled.
“I didn’t know I ordered an attack on the Old Republic, let alone that I turned Behim into a defector?”
At first, he thought one of his subordinates had acted on their own. But after investigation, he became certain that someone had impersonated the Truth Society.
“Deliberately posing as the Truth Society? They must have an agenda... but—”
The Truth Society President let out a cold snort.
Whatever motives those impersonators had didn’t matter anymore. He was about to launch the final operation. If it succeeded, all pests would be easily crushed. If it failed, he’d likely be dead anyway, and wouldn’t need to worry about schemers anymore.
Come to think of it, being impersonated wasn’t all bad. At least the Old Republic’s attention had been diverted, leaving them too distracted to focus on anything else.
“That impersonator actually did us a favor.”
The Truth Society President couldn’t help but laugh.
There were few people in this world who caused him as much trouble as Bai Fu!
He dialed Dr. Ed’s terminal. “Make arrangements. I want to meet with Yulia now.”
“Yes.”