Chapter 145: Popularity Surge, the True Protagonist of Origin Star Bai Fu Makes Her Debut!
It was already half a day later when Bai Fu saw the envoys sent by the Railway Guild and other factions in Haidu.
In that half-day, under the supervision of the Players, Haidu—which had just endured a major upheaval—was even safer than before the great war. Any trace of evil was swiftly brought to justice by Players bustling everywhere looking for Quests.
This astonishing efficiency made the representatives from the Railway Guild and other factions click their tongues in wonder and grow increasingly wary of Bai Fu.
At present, Bai Fu was only the nominal Queen of Origin Star. Or rather, she was undeniably the Queen in the eyes of the Psionicists. For ordinary people, her image was more tied to words like “strong” and “hero.”
But if these Undying Ones who followed Bai Fu continued doing things like maintaining order in Haidu, and if Bai Fu’s Reputation among the people grew sufficiently high, then surely many ordinary citizens would eventually support her as the true Queen of Origin Star.
It’s getting cold, give Fu-fu a yellow robe.jpg
Living in the Wasteland, following someone was inevitable—so why not support Bai Fu, who was by all accounts more approachable and kind-hearted than any other faction leader?
Besides, Bai Fu was good-looking. When she delivered speeches on TV, even if the content was full of sleep-inducing jargon, she at least had the advantage of being easy on the eyes.
“Good thing those at the top hinted before we came that they were inclined to pledge allegiance to Bai Fu. Tens of thousands of Undying Ones, plus the first historical figure—she’s not someone you provoke lightly.”
Once seated in the meeting room, the Special Agents from the Railway Guild acted extremely relaxed.
They cracked sunflower seeds and drank water, even beginning to ponder whether they should genuinely tailor a new Queen’s outfit for Bai Fu.
Since they were going to pledge allegiance, it was only natural to make the ceremony feel grand—otherwise, others might question their sincerity.
Compared to the Railway Guild, the people from the Old Republic and the Human Alliance were clearly more on edge. Especially the delegates from the Old Republic—just thinking about what Orion, the predecessor of the Old Republic, had done before the Cataclysm made them worry that Bai Fu would scatter their ashes just like she did with the Gene Primordials.
Maybe we should break ties with the Old Republic now...
【I shall not coexist with evil!】
But would Bai Fu accept that?
It seemed unlikely. Until now, no one had ever gained Bai Fu’s favor by groveling—she wasn’t even necessarily willing to be flattered by them.
The more the Old Republic delegates thought about it, the more anxious they became. In their eyes, Bai Fu was no longer some Succubus adept at charming Undying Ones—she was a downright terrifying Demon King.
As for Bai Fu’s view on this—
So naive. Who says a Succubus can’t be a Demon King?
She stood in the meeting room for a long time, only getting to the point after the Old Republic people were sweating bullets.
“I know why you came to see me, so I’ll just be direct. You don’t need to worry that I’ll lead the Undying Ones to attack you next. After all, I’m not a demon—provided, of course, that you’re not scheming against me in secret.”
The corners of the others’ mouths in the room twitched.
Scheming against you?
Two lives wouldn’t be enough to survive that!
Bai Fu’s words brought a bit of relief to the Old Republic and Human Alliance representatives.
“So what’s your next plan?”
Bai Fu glanced at the Railway Guild’s Special Agent. “You must’ve heard something from Su Li and Igor, right?”
The Special Agent nodded repeatedly and responded with passion: “Yes, we’ve heard about your Origin Star Reconstruction Project. We’re very interested in it and are willing to join, follow your command, and contribute our strength to rebuilding Origin Star!”
Origin Star Reconstruction Project?
When those words surfaced, the other two factions’ representatives were stunned. Could it be...
“So this Origin Star Reconstruction Project refers to...?”
Bai Fu briefly explained her vision to everyone in the room.
After she finished speaking, several Old Republic members shot up from their seats, only to sit back down awkwardly a moment later.
They were overly excited.
They hadn’t misjudged her—Bai Fu really did want to expand her work in the Goli Desert to a global scale on Origin Star. This idea could only be described as insane.
But thinking it through, the plan was indeed feasible. According to incomplete statistics, there were now hundreds of thousands of Undying Ones scattered across Origin Star. If they all heeded Bai Fu’s call and joined the Reconstruction Project, then even if rebuilding the entire planet was too ambitious, connecting all the major settlements across Origin Star was well within reach. That alone would expand their operational zones dozens of times over.
The only issue was that eliminating the Mutant Creatures alone wouldn’t be enough to rebuild Origin Star. All the Pollution Sources had to be cleansed too. Undying Ones didn’t die, but they could still be corrupted. If they got contaminated while clearing Pollution Sources, everything would be in vain. A solution had to be found.
“That’s simple. I’ll have the Undying Ones work with relevant experts on research. I believe with enough samples, we’ll soon develop an effective anti-contamination medicine,” Bai Fu offered a solution.
Just lying in a lab for a while would earn them XP, and even dying in experiments wouldn’t make them lose XP. She was confident many Players would gladly accept such Quests.
That’s right!
Bai Fu’s words made the hearts of the Old Republic members involuntarily race faster.
They exchanged glances and saw anticipation in each other’s eyes. Regardless of what their superiors thought, they themselves genuinely looked forward to the future Bai Fu had described.
Except for a tiny minority, who would want to keep struggling to survive in the harsh Wasteland?
Though they lived better than most due to their power, could they guarantee their descendants would thrive in such a place?
“I...” one of the Old Republic delegates choked up emotionally, “I hope what you said is true.”
If Bai Fu wasn’t deceiving them, then even if their superiors refused to cooperate with her, they would willingly join the Garden of Silence and shout alongside the Undying Ones—
Hail Queen Bai Fu, we adore you so much!
“I’m sure it will be. That’s all I have to say for now. As for the specifics, we can discuss further once your sides reach internal consensus.”
Bai Fu smiled and saw off the envoys from the three major factions.
That evening, the TV crew sent by Igor arrived in Haidu.
After assisting with the recording of the Documentary, she gathered the surviving administrators of Haidu for a meeting and instructed them to continue managing the city. None of them dared object and obediently agreed.
Once affairs in Haidu were settled, Bai Fu loaded the spoils of this expedition and began her return journey to the Garden of Silence.
Because Xia Shi was in poor condition—worse even than Yulia had been when rescued—she didn’t rush. Two and a half days later, the convoy passed through Shelter Number 5 and arrived at Bai Fu Town.
Just like last time, the residents of Bai Fu Town held a grand celebration for her. The difference this time was that many Players who couldn’t participate in the operation against the Gene Primordials due to their low level also lined the road on both sides.
These Players looked at Bai Fu with even more fervor than Bai Fu looked at Yulia.
They were filled with regret.
Why hadn’t they joined the Garden of Silence earlier? Why hadn’t they done more Quests back then, learned more Skills from the Store, and improved their strength?
Well, now it was too late. They had missed the assault on the Gene Primogenitor entirely and could only watch as the other Players in the Garden of Silence raked in massive profits from the operation.
“Ahhh, I’m so jealous I could die.”
“Are there any new Main Quests on Origin Star?”
“There should be, right?”
“After finishing off the Gene Primogenitor, aren’t we going to fight the Old Republic and the Human Alliance next? I’m definitely signing up this time!”
“Count me in!”
Bai Fu had been secretly pleased with the Players' welcoming lineup, but upon overhearing their conversation, her mouth twitched involuntarily.
Fortunately, the people from the Old Republic and the Human Alliance weren’t present, or they would’ve been terrified by these overly enthusiastic Players.
【Don’t come any closer!】
Bai Fu waved at the NPCs and Players by the roadside. She knew the Players on Origin Star were worried there’d be no Main Quests to do after the Truth Association and the Gene Primogenitor had both fallen. But she wasn’t planning to publicly reveal her Origin Star Reconstruction Plan just yet.
She had already discussed it with Igor—they would reveal the plan in the trailer of the Documentary to serve as a massive advertisement.
In any case, let these Players stew for a few more days. The longer they bottled it up, the more explosive their reaction would be once they had a vent.
This would be extremely beneficial for elevating her status on Origin Star and pushing herself into the spotlight again.
“Gao Yuan, go arrange a place for Xia Shude and Xia Shi to stay. Also, find a doctor and a nutritionist to check on Xia Shi. Her body was already frail, and after being confined for some time, she looks borderline malnourished.”
On the vehicle, Bai Fu had given Xia Shi a physical exam. Goodness—when she grabbed Xia Shi’s foot, it felt like she was holding the tip of a bamboo chopstick.
Still, Xia Shi’s capture this time might have been a blessing in disguise.
While checking Xia Shi for any abnormalities, Bai Fu casually cast Spirit Vision on her—and immediately noticed that her Status Panel had changed significantly since their first meeting.
Most notably, there were two new Talents in her Talent section—
【Mechanical Perception】 and 【Magnetic Chain Resonance】.
The former provided excellent bonuses when learning and creating machinery. The latter granted superior bonuses while controlling machines—far beyond the average Machinist. Moreover, the more machines controlled simultaneously, the stronger the positive synergy among them. The effect was similar to the machines Fragmentstar used to protect himself in the egg-shaped room.
“These are must-have Talents for a Legendary Machinist!”
Bai Fu was curious where Xia Shi had gotten these two Talents. After tapping the details button and asking Xia Shude, she gradually pieced it together.
Fragmentstar was actually a very gifted Machinist. To resurrect himself, he had ordered the Gene Primogenitor to produce many Artificial Humans, all of whom were genetically modified per his specifications.
Because Fragmentstar’s understanding of genetic editing was limited—and the Gene Primogenitor’s execution was poor—most of the Artificial Humans produced over the years didn’t exhibit any remarkable Talents. Xia Shi was no exception. She seemed mediocre in the Artificial Human training camp; otherwise, the Gene Primogenitor wouldn’t have allowed Xia Shude to take her home and raise her.
But Fragmentstar and the Gene Primogenitor had never expected that Xia Shi possessed a Fortunate Talent.
The Fortunate Talent didn’t grant Xia Shi a charmed life, but it did cause a beneficial mutation in her body when defects in her genetic modification flared up—this mutation granted her two new machinery-related Talents.
Bai Fu understood.
This was called Awakening!
She suspected that, in the original storyline, Xia Shi likely awakened new Talents during a pivotal event while working with the Players—turning the tide of battle in one stroke.
As for what that pivotal event might have been...
Maybe Xia Shude getting sacrificed.
Transforming suffering into a dagger thrust into the enemy’s heart—ascending from despair to become the Mechanical Empress of Origin Star.
Considering Xia Shi seemed more like a protagonist, while Yulia resembled a final boss, maybe Players would even get to see a showdown between the two after making certain special choices.
But for now, they probably wouldn’t get the chance to fight.
“After all, they’ve both joined the Garden of Silence and become my wings.”
To expand and strengthen the Garden of Silence, having a Machinist hold the fort was absolutely essential.
Upon receiving the command, Gao Yuan nodded. “I’ll arrange it. By the way, the laboratory you asked me to build for Yulia is almost done.”
He handed over a key.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Bai Fu took the key and watched Gao Yuan leave with Xia Shude and Xia Shi. Then she turned around.
“Let’s go take a look.”
Before heading to the laboratory, Bai Fu made a quick trip home to retrieve the two hidden Fragments of the True Spirit Pillar.
Several minutes later, in the newly built lab—
Yulia was excitedly inspecting the equipment, while Bai Fu laid the three Fragments of the True Spirit Pillar on the ground one by one.
To her surprise, she hadn’t even done anything yet when deep violet lightning began crackling between the three fragments.
【True Spirit Pillar fusion in progress, progress: 1%...】
The process lasted nearly ten minutes. As the progress bar climbed, the three fragments drew closer together until they finally clicked into a palm-sized black stone slab.
Bai Fu cast Spirit Vision on it.
【True Spirit Pillar (Incomplete)】
【Quality】: Red
【Item Description】: An incomplete True Spirit Pillar. Rumored to be a miraculous artifact born in the Cosmic Wonder—Virtual Ladder Realm. Currently unable to function fully due to the loss of its Spirit Core.
【Note】: The interstellar pirate Fragmentstar hijacked the cargo ship transporting the True Spirit Pillar. He was then attacked by an unknown ship. Gravely injured, he accidentally arrived on Origin Star while piloting the vessel containing the True Spirit Pillar.
The moment the item description popped up, Bai Fu received a new game notification.
【You have triggered the Hidden Quest [The Lost True Spirit Pillar in the Dark Domain]】
【Quest Introduction】: The True Spirit Pillar plundered by Fragmentstar amid the chaos is an extremely rare psionic item. Multiple factions in the Sea Lion Galaxy are interested in it. Now that it’s in your hands, its fate lies with you.
【Quest Objectives:
Branch 1: Hand the True Spirit Pillar to the Redmoon Mercenary Corps. Reward – 3 million experience points, unlock Redmoon Mercenary Corps faction Affinity, unknown;
Branch 2: Hand the True Spirit Pillar to the Holy Blessing Order. Reward – 3 million experience points, unlock Holy Blessing Order faction Affinity, unknown;
Branch 3: Hand the True Spirit Pillar to the Shijing Security Corporation. Reward – 3 million experience points, unlock Shijing Security Corporation faction Affinity, 10,000 Titan Credits, Shijing Corporation Amethyst Customer Card;
Branch 4: Keep it for yourself. Reward – None.】
【Note: This Quest has a high probability of triggering follow-up Quests, depending on how you interact with other factions】
Bai Fu read over the Quest description. Although the Quest didn’t specify in detail, she figured that to better complete the Quest and trigger its follow-ups, what she needed to hand over was a complete True Spirit Pillar—not this incomplete version she currently held.
“A complete True Spirit Pillar, huh.”
Bai Fu looked up, her gaze falling on Yulia.
She believed she had figured out the current situation. The reason Yulia awakened her Psionic Talent was likely because she had unknowingly fused with the Spirit Core that flew out when the True Spirit Pillar exploded.
She didn’t know how to retrieve the Spirit Core—perhaps she would have to kill Yulia. So, her answer was that she wouldn’t give this True Spirit Pillar to anyone.
She was the one who picked it up—why should she hand it over to someone else?
“It actually fused together? Hm, the pattern on this slab looks exactly the same as the one on me.”
While Bai Fu was still thinking, Yulia walked over to her side.
Without hesitation, Yulia opened her collar. Psionic energy swirled, and a violet pattern slowly surfaced around the valley of her chest.
Bai Fu’s eyes were momentarily dazzled by the large pattern.
“Any deep insights?”
Yulia asked seriously.
Bai Fu: “……”
Asking while leaning in close—was that on purpose?
Bai Fu handed the True Spirit Pillar to Yulia. “There’s something called a Spirit Core inside the True Spirit Pillar. Your power likely comes from that Spirit Core. Since the Spirit Core is missing, this True Spirit Pillar is currently incomplete.”
“Is that so?”
Yulia nodded with a half-understanding look, then tucked the True Spirit Pillar into the middle of the pattern on her body.
Two seconds later, she said regretfully, “Too bad. I thought doing this might draw the Spirit Core out so I could give it to you.”
She handed the True Spirit Pillar back to Bai Fu.
Alright, fine—acting so serious with a deadpan face while playing tricks, huh?
Bai Fu had never seen a woman with such a high level of aggression.
Luckily, she had sparred with Yulia before, or she really might’ve been fooled—thinking Yulia was some kind of innocent airhead.
Forget it, she wouldn’t lower herself to the level of this cunning woman.
Just as Bai Fu was about to put the True Spirit Pillar away, something ridiculous happened. The item in her hand suddenly shattered again into three fragments.
“?”
【True Spirit Pillar Fragment】: When worn, grants Blessing from Yulia.
Bai Fu’s eyes widened. She quickly opened the detailed description. This Blessing was the same buff called 【Sanctified Link】 that she had gained earlier after touching the pattern on Yulia’s chest—an all-stats bonus of +10.
The difference was that 【Sanctified Link】 only lasted four hours, while the buff from the True Spirit Pillar Fragment would remain as long as the fragment was worn. And there were three fragments in total.
“One for me, one for Anya, and one for Xia Shi—just enough to share.”
Well done!
Bai Fu gently patted Yulia’s shoulder. If Yulia hadn’t squeezed the True Spirit Pillar, she wouldn’t have known it had this effect.
The effect of 【Sanctified Link】 scaled with Yulia’s strength. It seemed necessary to find Yulia some strength-enhancing items. After all, they were now practically bound together. The stronger Yulia got, the stronger Bai Fu would become.
Yulia stared at Bai Fu in confusion.
There it was again—that strange look!
She was sure she lusted after Bai Fu. But what about Bai Fu? How exactly did she see her?
Confusing. Clearly, more aggressive probing was needed.
After leaving the lab, Bai Fu took Yulia straight to the spaceship they found in the Gene Primogenitor’s territory.
This time, she floored the accelerator and raced full speed. It only took half the time it had taken to return to Bai Fu Town to reach the spaceship—but the price was that the much less physically robust Yulia ended up dry heaving from the ride.
“Not everyone’s body is as freakishly strong as yours!”
With Bai Fu’s insane physical condition, Yulia was starting to worry about her own future.
“Yes, yes, I’ll be more careful next time.”
Bai Fu pulled Yulia into the spaceship.
As she expected, the computer onboard didn’t recognize the empty shell of the True Spirit Pillar—it recognized the Spirit Core that had already fused into Yulia’s body. In other words, Yulia had become the key to the spaceship.
【Verification complete. Cargo Ship RX0713 is now awaiting new commands from its owner】
Inside the cockpit, a blue virtual figure appeared before Bai Fu. It spoke the Origin Star interstellar common tongue that it had learned from Fragmentstar.
Yulia transferred command to Bai Fu, who asked, “Can the ship return to the star system you came from?”
The AI replied, “The ship was previously attacked and suffered an unexpected descent. I recommend performing a full system check before initiating return.”
“How long will the maintenance take?”
“Three days for the system check. Based on the technological level displayed on this planet, repairs are estimated to take between one to two months.”
One to two months at most?
Bai Fu didn’t mind. Now that she had found a way to leave Origin Star, she wasn’t in any rush to leave just yet.
Her plan was to wait until the Origin Star Reconstruction Plan was fully underway, until she became the true Queen and true protagonist of Origin Star—then she would leave, taking with her all the resources harvested from Origin Star and a huge haul of experience points from the Players.
That was the safest approach.
With all that XP and resources, she just needed to gather higher-level psionic knowledge out in the star sea and complete the corresponding Rank-Up Quests to rapidly boost her level—no need to start from scratch and struggle through the star sea.
“Can you teach me the interstellar common tongue?” Bai Fu asked.
The AI immediately transmitted its compiled language data to her. Using the game’s learning function, Bai Fu mastered the interstellar common tongue in just one hour.
Excellent—now she looked even more like a real alien!
“Let me know once the system check is complete. I’ll help you gather the necessary repair materials.”
“Understood.”
Bai Fu had driven to the site earlier, but the return trip was much easier. The spaceship shot straight into the sky and landed near Bai Fu Town in just one hour.
“It’s still just a standard cargo ship—its speed on the planet’s surface is way too slow.”
Bai Fu shook her head. She planned to get a better ship after reaching the star sea.
After disembarking from the spaceship, she placed the [Interstellar Common Language] into the Faction Instance Store as a new item for sale, pricing it at 3000 XP.
This action quickly caught the attention of the players in the Garden of Silence.
【Look quick, there’s a new item in the store, [Interstellar Common Language], damn, this thing must be for preparing to enter the Starsea, could it be the next version is the Starsea Version?】
The players in the Garden of Silence got excited all at once.
Players from other planets, however, were confused.
Wait, bro, we’re still crawling on the ground, and you guys are heading to the skies?
No way, you can’t do that!
【I think probably not】
【I think it is】
【I’m not sure if it is, but I can tell you with certainty—something big is coming!】
While the players in the Garden of Silence and those from other planets were arguing, a player from the Railway Guild suddenly dropped a bombshell.
【Something big? Like what?】
【I’m not sure either, but judging from the reactions of the Railway Guild NPCs, it must be big!】
【How big is big?】
【As big as Fu-fu, I suppose】
Soon, players from the Old Republic and the Human Alliance chimed in as well.
【I can confirm, he’s not lying. It really is big!】
【Alright, alright, but if it turns out not to be as big as Fu-fu, I’m gonna blow up with you guys】
Players were having a heated debate in the Community, but as time passed, some observant ones noticed that ever since the Gene Primordials were knocked down by Bai Fu, something about the atmosphere on Origin Star had indeed changed.
In the ten days following that event, many people arrived at Bai Fu Town, and Bai Fu herself had gone out several times.
On the tenth day, a new piece of news suddenly spread like wildfire.
【Tonight at 8 PM, please tune into the Railway Guild’s Agate Channel. The Psionicist Bai Fu, who bears the title of Silver Moon, will be joining us to share her vision for the future of Origin Star】
Whoa!
This news instantly exploded across all settlements, shelters, and player communities on Origin Star.
The future of Origin Star?
That livestream topic was insanely huge!
【Quick quick quick, don’t hog it for yourself. When you’re watching, start a stream—we want to watch too】
When 8 PM finally arrived, both NPCs and players across Origin Star crowded in front of TVs or radios.
Igor’s voice came through: “Ever since the Truth Society and Gene Primordials fell in succession, the name Bai Fu has become the focal point of Origin Star. Who is Bai Fu? Why is Bai Fu so powerful? Why did Bai Fu go after the Truth Society and the Gene Primordials? And what does Bai Fu want to do next? These are questions that many care about. So today, we’ve specially launched a program titled 《Fireside Chat》, and the very first guest is—Bai Fu!”
Amidst cheers and applause, Bai Fu appeared on the screen wearing the specially made Garden of Silence uniform, both elegant and mysterious.
Following the format of the initial rehearsal, Bai Fu began to chat with Igor. She answered several of his questions one by one, and expressed her intention to collaborate with him on a documentary detailing the world war and Cataclysm on Origin Star.
“Many of the materials will be revealed for the first time, so please look forward to it. I believe everyone living on Origin Star deserves to know what turned our world into what it is today. However…”
At that point, Bai Fu suddenly stood up.
“Rather than looking back, what I want more is to look ahead.”
“I often ponder a question—after living in this world for many years, if one day I decide to venture afar, I must do something for it.”
“Before going on air today, I had several rounds of discussion with the Railway Guild, the Old Republic, and the Human Alliance. We’ve reached a unanimous agreement that after clearing out the threats on Origin Star, it’s time for the planet to return to what it was meant to be!”
“A world where people can travel freely, a world where one doesn’t have to fear being attacked by Mutant Creatures on the way!”
“I’ve already conducted a successful trial in the Goli Desert. I believe the success there can be replicated across all of Origin Star. And here, I sincerely call upon…”
Bai Fu’s impassioned voice pierced through space and time, moving the hearts of most NPCs who were listening quietly.
Especially after the leaders of factions like the Railway Guild appeared on the Agate Channel to support her, a thought uncontrollably emerged in everyone’s mind—
What if she really succeeds?
The program wasn’t over yet, but at that very moment, Bai Fu had already transformed into Origin Star’s number-one superstar, with titles like Queen and Goddess pouring down on her like rain.
The players watching the livestream also went wild.
Before this, they had been wondering whether there would still be a Main Storyline after the Truth Society and Gene Primordials had perished. But Bai Fu’s speech clearly told them—looking for a Main Storyline?
What could be bigger than rebuilding Origin Star?
From Goli Desert to Origin Star, from destruction to construction, from a passerby in major events to a hero of Origin Star—if one performed well, their name could even be permanently etched on this planet, becoming the name of a city or a landmark. The temptation for players was simply overwhelming.
【I used to wonder who the real protagonist of Origin Star was. Was it one of the five NPCs that appeared on the official site? Now I’m sure, there’s only one true protagonist of Origin Star—
Fu-fu!】
Bai Fu’s TV appearance achieved a success far beyond expectations.
The photo of her bowing to the audience before the TV, then rising and raising her right hand to shout “Long live Origin Star,” became the photo of the year on Origin Star, and the cover image for a ton of posts in the Community and a flood of videos on streaming platforms.
After the broadcast ended, Bai Fu immediately opened the Community.
She had played her hand—now it was time to see how the players and Developers would respond.