Chapter 147: Super Evolution, Richest on Origin Star Bai Fu!
The official game website had already posted quite a bit of background material related to the Starsea, and had mentioned multiple times during past Q&A sessions that the Starsea map would officially open in Version 2.0.
However, the material on the website was all fairly general. It merely provided a basic introduction to the three major civilizations in the universe and the status of the regions they had explored.
For instance, the Rebirth Empire was known for its highly inclusive culture, where all sorts of bizarre things could be seen. The Supernova Legion's mainstream civilization was very martial and loved exploring the dark domain of the universe (unexplored regions). Titan Industries, on the other hand, loved doing business, was a haven for technological schools, and had an aesthetic preference for things that were "big"—not only big and beautiful in terms of technology and architecture, but also in other areas.
To better highlight Titan Industries' pursuit of big and beautiful, the official introduction page for Titan Industries showcased many images. The most iconic was a gigantic planetary mothership and a humanoid female Psionicist named Sovereign of the Starhunters.
Although the official page provided no detailed explanation for the two images, both the planetary mothership and the female Psionicist gained immense popularity among Players for their grand and stunning visuals.
Bai Fu also loved looking at these things, but compared to those distant major factions, she was more eager to obtain intelligence about the Starsea map to be released in Version 2.0. That was the real support she needed to survive.
Good news—this time, in the Version 1.3 update preview video, the officials finally brought the news she had been waiting for!
Star-Play Girl and Chibi Fu-fu primarily discussed the influence Players had on the development of the main storyline.
Chibi Fu-fu: 【Every Beginner Planet has more than one main storyline and hidden storyline. So, which one of them is the most important?】
Star-Play Girl: 【There is no such thing as 'the most important'. What we do is simply guide Players across the barriers of worlds to this realm full of wondrous sights. As for which storyline has the greatest impact, that depends on the progression of the world itself and the level of Plot Participation from the Players.】
Chibi Fu-fu: 【So you mean, as long as Players exert enough influence, they can turn their favorite storyline into the "main" storyline and enjoy a truly immersive experience?】
Star-Play Girl: 【Yes. Since today's guest is Fu-fu, let's use Origin Star as an example. In Origin Star's initial setting, the Five Major Factions were in a standoff, and it was uncertain who would have the last laugh—maybe the Truth Society, maybe the Gene Primordials. In the subsequent plot, many Players chose to support Fu-fu. Thanks to their efforts, Fu-fu's story became the brightest tale of Origin Star.】
Chibi Fu-fu: 【I see. That was a very clear explanation from Star-Play Girl.】
Star-Play Girl: 【In fact, Players have a tremendous impact on the game's development. Concluding the main storyline early, discovering key items in advance—not only does that allow you to unlock new storylines early, but also offers a chance to enter maps that haven’t yet been unlocked.】
Chibi Fu-fu: 【Maps that haven’t been unlocked? Could that mean the starry sky?】
Star-Play Girl: 【Yes. Recently, many Players have privately messaged Star-Play Girl, so here’s a unified explanation. Version 2.0 is the version for the major Starsea event, but that doesn’t mean Players must wait for Version 2.0 to enter the Starsea. The condition is just extremely strict. What exactly to do will be left for all Players to explore on their own. Now, let’s take a look at the new segment [Explore the Stars] brought to you in this update preview.】
The so-called "Explore the Stars" was a segment appended after the explanation of the update content, where Star-Play Girl and her guest would guide Players to enjoy the scenery of the new version.
In the first episode of "Explore the Stars," the video showcased the wonders of various Beginner Planets, and concluded the segment by using the Sea Lion Star System—where Fragment Star was active—as an example, guiding Players on a tour through the starry sky.
Passenger ships equipped with hyperspace engines, massive and dreamy ring worlds, and stargates surrounded by countless ships…
These scenes sent Players into a frenzy in the Live‑stream Comments. Many had already begun dreaming of commanding their own starships to roam the galaxy.
Bai Fu was more pragmatic than them. She quickly sketched a relationship diagram of the factions mentioned by Star-Play Girl in her notebook.
"The Sea Lion Star System is mainly controlled by the Starweb Commonwealth, which consists of multiple civilizations. It belongs to a star cluster called the Gate of Beginning. It’s named so because it’s located at the edge of the cosmic great wall known as the Edge World. The Edge World sits between the explored universe and the unexplored dark domain. It is influenced by the three major factions, but overall, the Sea Lion Star System falls within the sphere of Titan Industries."
"Because it's in the Edge World, the Sea Lion Star System is rather chaotic. Space pirates, cosmic criminals, and heretic groups run rampant. However, the regions controlled by the Starweb Commonwealth are relatively stable."
"It’s exactly because of this chaos that there are many private armed companies and interstellar mercenary groups in the Sea Lion Star System. So Crystalite Security Company is actually one of the top five private armed companies? No wonder Fragment Star is so afraid of them."
A force of this level probably wouldn’t need to grovel even in front of the Starweb Commonwealth.
"They mustn’t find out that the Pillar of the True Spirit is in my hands, especially that Yulia has fused with the spiritual core of the Pillar of the True Spirit."
Bai Fu remained skeptical of the integrity of unregulated private security companies.
As for the Red Moon Mercenary Group and the Blessed Congregation that Fragment Star had mentioned—even though the update preview didn’t bring them up—she didn’t dare let her guard down.
"There are many routes into the Sea Lion Star System, but the busiest one is definitely the Kalinas Starport. Near Kalinas Starport lies the best hyperspace gateway and jump slingshot in the Sea Lion Star System, which can greatly reduce the energy cost of long-range voyages."
Sitting on her bed, Bai Fu poked the starport icon she had drawn in her notebook with her toe.
Was this route to the Sea Lion Star System really safe? Although a hundred years had passed since Fragment Star had stolen the Pillar of the True Spirit, who could guarantee those factions hadn’t kept people stationed at Kalinas Starport all this time?
If someone really was lying in wait, the moment she showed her face, she’d probably be arrested on the spot. There was no way those factions would forget what the ship Fragment Star had stolen looked like.
"Looks like I’ll need to take a detour."
Bai Fu began pondering a strategy in her heart.
She wasn’t crossing the Starsea to get thrown in jail. Though Players loved calling her Jail Fu, it’d be ridiculous if she really ended up becoming Jail Fu.
Bai Fu scrubbed forward a bit in the video. After the "Explore the Stars" segment ended, the screen displayed the exact update time for Version 1.3. Just like with Version 1.2, it would be released ten days after the preview.
【New version, new vibes. We wish you more joy in this living world. See you next time!】
The update preview video ended there, but the impact it triggered was only beginning to unfold.
This update preview didn’t mention any new functions. Still, few Players cared anymore. What stuck in everyone’s mind was the dialogue between Star-Play Girl and Chibi Fu-fu.
The amount of information in that exchange was staggering. What shocked Players most was that, as long as they found the right method, they could actually smuggle themselves into the Starsea before the Galaxy Version was even released!
【Damn, is this game really this open-ended now?】
【No way, this is too much. Doesn’t this mean the game’s maps and storylines were already done ages ago? Is this even humanly possible?】
【Those jerks on Origin Star really hit the jackpot. They backed Fu-fu and ended up stumbling into a shortcut to the Starsea.】
【Ughhhh! As an Indigo Star Player, I severely condemn the Players of Origin Star!】
【There’s no way Fu-fu’s taking everyone to the Starsea, right? Origin Star doesn’t have ships that big. She’ll probably take no one, or maybe just a handful of Players.】
【Exactly. That’s what I think too.】
The topic of smuggling into the Starsea early skyrocketed to the top of the Community’s trending list at an incredible pace. Within half an hour, it had spread across video sites and social platforms, serving as a massive advertisement for Beyond the Stars. As a special guest and the main figure in the preview video’s featured example, both Chibi Fu-fu and Big Bai Fu rode this wave to gain a burst of popularity.
Seeing this, Bai Fu was in a great mood.
The officials probably chose to use her story as an example to prevent Players from other planets from accusing her of unfairness after seeing Players from Origin Star follow her into the starry sky.
Regardless of whether that was their intention, this time the officials had certainly given her a major assist. Now, every Player on Origin Star believed that, as the plot progressed, they could follow her into the starry sky in advance. The only question was: how many would she take with her this time?
Would it be like when she escaped from the Gene Primordials—bringing only Excavation‑Princess—or would she take more Players along?
No one knew.
But the players on Origin Star were well aware that the competition had already begun!
“Not good!”
The next morning, just as Bai Fu got out of bed and was still washing up, she received an urgent call from Su Li.
“What’s wrong? Did you run into another high-level mutant creature you couldn’t handle?”
On the other end of the terminal, Su Li gave a bitter smile. “If that were all, it’d be fine. Hurry and pack up, come over to my side. I don’t know what happened, but since last night, those Undying Ones who follow you have gathered together and kept fighting. They’ve been at it for a full eight hours. Our people here are terrified. If this problem isn’t resolved, your Origin Star Reconstruction Project probably won’t be able to continue.”
Players were fighting? And for eight straight hours?
Bai Fu was stunned.
What kind of superhumans were these? Even the once-renowned Five Generals of the Tieba weren’t this insane!
“Wait a moment, I’ll check what’s going on.”
Bai Fu quickly opened the Community and figured out the whole story in the Origin Star subforum.
What Su Li described as fighting was actually offline PvP, and the reason these players suddenly began PvPing while doing missions was because they had seen the official update preview video.
[How many players do you think Fu-fu will take this time?]
[No idea, but I think the key isn’t how many she’ll take, but what kind of players Fu-fu will choose.]
[Those with good relations? High contribution? Or strong ones?]
A massive debate broke out among Origin Star players around this question.
Although they didn’t know how Bai Fu would choose, all the players reached a consensus after the debate—
Only the strong were worthy of having Fu-fu!
After all, this was heading to a high-level map. Naturally, it would be filled with high-level monsters. Newbies wouldn’t just be useless to Fu-fu; they’d be a burden.
But reaching a consensus was one thing. Very soon, another new question arose—
Who exactly were the so-called strong enough to deserve Fu-fu?
Player A claimed it was them, Player B said the same. When verbal arguments couldn’t determine a winner, the players working under Su Li spontaneously gathered for offline PvP.
Bai Fu: “……”
You people really have too much free time.
No, wait!
Just as she rolled her eyes, Bai Fu suddenly realized this was a golden opportunity to squeeze one last wave of experience out of the players before leaving Origin Star.
This offline PvP the players had initiated was in an unrestricted combat mode—no limitations on weapons or items. If she could entice all the Origin Star players into joining, how many Prayer Cards, Skills, and Profession Knowledge Books could she sell?
These days, Bai Fu had already earned over 30 million XP from selling Interstellar Common Language alone. That number might look big, but leveling up now cost her over 6 million XP per level. That amount would only get her up four levels after completing her class transfer quest. She was deeply dissatisfied with this leveling speed.
But no matter how dissatisfied she was, she couldn’t just whip those stingy players who refused to buy Interstellar Common Language with their XP, right?
“Cough it up, dammit! Hand over the XP you’re hoarding! If you don’t, I’ll have to resort to even more intense methods. You don’t want to be trampled by me, do you?”
Sure, that would get her fat on experience, but what would be the cost?
Most likely, the conscientious Fu-fu image she had carefully crafted would collapse in an instant, replaced by a greedy glutton and wicked woman.
Now this was better—the players had given her a new idea.
“If I suggested a PvP selection myself, the impact might not be good. But now the players are doing it on their own. If I just go along with it a little, I can squeeze them dry without hurting my reputation!”
How delightful!
Bai Fu was thrilled. After soothing Su Li briefly, she rushed out and found Anya, asking her to put on a little play in front of Excavation‑Princess.
As the player in Garden of Silence most skilled at jumping to conclusions, Excavation‑Princess fell right into the trap.
【Big news, big news】
After Bai Fu and Anya walked away, Excavation‑Princess immediately logged into the Community and posted a new thread.
【Just now, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Fu-fu and Anya. Because it happened so suddenly, I forgot to record a video, so I’ll just summarize briefly. It’s mainly related to traveling to the stars.】
This topic instantly caught the attention of most Origin Star players.
Excavation‑Princess: 【Just now Fu-fu and Anya were discussing the size of the spaceship. Fu-fu said that after loading it with supplies, there would still be room for 100 more people—very spacious. Anya suggested taking some players along when leaving Origin Star. Fu-fu thought it was a good idea, but hadn’t decided whom to bring. Anya then suggested picking stronger players, saying they could help with more things. Fu-fu hesitated for a long time, didn’t directly agree, only said she’d ask around about who the stronger players were.】
Excavation‑Princess’s summary had an outstanding effect.
Who’s stronger?
Obviously, it’s me!
Origin Star’s Grappler King has arrived!
In no time, Origin Star players spontaneously gathered, using breaks in their missions to go crazy with PvP. To perform better in the matches, many gritted their teeth and bought Prayer Cards or Skills they hadn’t urgently needed.
Delaying leveling up a few days wasn’t a big deal. What mattered was performing well in PvP. If they got lucky and caught Fu-fu’s attention, earning a chance to head to the stars, then all previous losses wouldn’t matter at all.
From that day onward, many players on Origin Star lived like grinding maniacs—missions during the day, PvP at night.
Su Li was stunned watching all this. What kind of superhumans were they? They worked all day and still had energy to fight at night.
She contacted Bai Fu: “Are you really leaving Origin Star for the stars? If you go, who’s going to control these ever-stronger Undying Ones?”
Bai Fu said, “Relax. I might be gone, but Old Niesen and the others are still here. Even if I’m far away, I can still manage the Undying Ones on Origin Star through the ones I take with me. If you run into trouble, just contact me through them anytime.”
“That’s true, but…”
Su Li shook her head with a sigh. Truthfully, she also wanted to see the star sea, but her talent likely wasn’t enough to survive there.
“Let me know when you leave. I’ll come see you off.”
“Okay.”
Bai Fu tilted her head to gaze at the cloudless night sky.
There was no need to be sentimental. It’s not like she’d never come back. Once she had a foothold in the star sea, she’d definitely find a way to return to Origin Star and take more players on her journey through the stars.
…
There were only a few days left before Version 1.3 update. In these final days, Bai Fu kept squeezing XP from players while running around collecting supplies for her journey to the stars.
She ordered several brand-new combat suits from the best Mechanic on Origin Star, stocked up several big crates of materials for crafting Prayer Cards, and finally cleared a room on the spaceship to move all of Yulia’s lab equipment in.
This way, even during the boring voyage through space, Yulia could continue her research in peace.
Actually, Bai Fu had originally planned to set up a workspace for Xia Shi too, but the proposal was rejected by Xia Shi.
“You really don’t want to come with me to the stars?”
Xia Shi wore a melancholic expression. She stood under the eaves, looking like a fragile literary girl. Upon hearing Bai Fu’s words, she forced a faint smile.
“I really want to go, but I’m too weak right now. If I go with you, I won’t be of any help—worse, I’ll become a burden. You’ve already saved me once, and I don’t want to trouble you a second, third, or even more times.”
Bai Fu said, “I don’t really mind, and you might not be a burden. At the very least, in terms of mechanical fabrication, you could help me quite a lot.”
Xia Shi said, “Didn’t you say you’d come back? I’ll wait for you on Origin Star. When you return, you’ll see a me who’s stepped out from the void in her heart. While you’re gone, I’ll do my best to protect everything you’ve left behind—Bai Fu Town, Garden of Silence, your Origin Star Reconstruction Project… I’ll stake my life on it. Anyone who dares defile your ideals, I’ll send them to their end without mercy!”
It was moving to hear, but also a little terrifying.
Huh?
Bai Fu asked, “Wait, what about your own ideals?”
Xia Shi gently caressed the True Spirit Pillar Fragment worn over her chest. “The Origin Star you shaped is the same as the one I once saw in my dreams. When the void in my heart appeared, you were the one trying to fill that hole. My current ideal is for you to realize your ideal.”
Damn, have you turned into a Fu Guard?
—You seem a little unfaithful to Fu-fu. I must kill you!
Bai Fu gave Xia Shi an increasingly odd look, but Xia Shi didn’t seem to notice the strangeness in her gaze. Instead, she smiled at her with the warmth of a spring breeze.
Fine, maybe this was for the best. Xia Shi’s level was indeed still low. Letting her stay on Origin Star to level up properly with the help of players, and spend more time with her father to mend her inner wounds, was the most suitable choice.
“I’ll leave you with some high-grade Prayer Cards. With those, no one on Origin Star will be able to harm you.”
As Bai Fu spoke, Xia Shi suddenly reached out, enclosing Bai Fu’s right hand in her palms. Then, she bowed her head, gently touching her fingertips.
“I’m praying… that we will meet again one day.”
“We will. I always keep my word.”
Bai Fu gave Xia Shi a light hug.
…
Two days before the 1.3 version update, Bai Fu once again received a call from Su Li.
“Did those Undying Ones cause trouble again?”
Su Li said, “No, this time it’s not them. It’s the Human Alliance. They’ve discovered that quite a few Undying Ones are Mutants, and now they’re throwing a fit, saying they’d rather die than cooperate with those Undying Ones. Their protest has seriously delayed the construction timeline for the camp. I think this issue must be resolved properly—otherwise, if you’re not around in the future, who knows what could happen.”
That was true.
The founding members of the Human Alliance had suffered greatly from mutant uprisings, hence their extreme hostility toward Mutants.
“I’ll go talk to them. Don’t worry, I’m not going to fight anyone. There’s no need for you to come back me up.”
Bai Fu immediately contacted the leadership of the Human Alliance.
“I’ve already heard about the conflict between you and the Undying Ones.”
The leader of the Human Alliance spoke in a low voice. “Silver Moon Queen, I personally have great respect for you. You’ve changed the layout of Origin Star. You’ve brought hope to it. But… we have our principles. I hope…”
“Ha.” Bai Fu interrupted, “I’m not here today to question anyone. I completely understand how you feel. I just want to have a proper conversation. You must’ve heard rumors that I’m preparing to leave Origin Star.”
The Human Alliance leader fell silent for a while, then confirmed.
“The star sea is vast—so vast that Origin Star isn’t even a grain of sand in it. In such an enormous universe, countless civilizations rise and fall, writing epic histories of collaboration, war… These stories play out constantly across the star sea. One day, Origin Star will also enter the star sea, becoming a node in the web of interstellar civilizations. If we want to survive in this ever-evolving cosmos, what choice do we have but to evolve with it? I won’t force you. Even if you insist on leaving the plan, I won’t retaliate. The choice is yours. The stance and perspective from which you assess things, and how you judge what to do—all of it is up to you.”
“I’ll give it serious thought.”
After ending the conversation, Bai Fu shrugged.
Ever since deciding to leave Origin Star, she had become far more at peace.
Though she longed for the stars, the thought of leaving still tugged at her heart.
Oh well—since she was leaving anyway, she might as well leave her mark on this planet.
Bai Fu found Gao Yuan and asked him to build a massive statue of her in Bai Fu Town’s central plaza.
“Actually, I already had people secretly working on one. I’m sure we can get it up before you leave Origin Star.”
So tactful?
Bai Fu raised an eyebrow. “Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Gao Yuan chuckled. “Rest assured. Oh, and here are the weekly sales numbers for your merch. The figures are excellent. Even the most famous female idol on Origin Star isn’t one-tenth as popular as you. Considering other income streams too, I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming the richest person on Origin Star.”
Bai Fu glanced at the data. Even though she’d expected it, she was still stunned by the numbers.
Now this was what real money flow looked like!
Unfortunately, the money earned on Origin Star couldn’t be taken to the star sea. Most goods from Origin Star would fetch barely anything there. She could only reinvest it in Origin Star, improving services for players and drawing in more to support her.
“If only I could replicate Origin Star’s operations in the star sea and become a popular idol.”
After entering the star sea, her expenses would surely increase. She needed a stable source of income.
Bai Fu thought to herself—even becoming a pop idol and selling merch might not be sustainable long-term. She didn’t have time for releasing albums or filming movies. She had to come up with a better monetization method.
“Product endorsements?”
That sounded good. Her outfits had been selling well already. But she needed a reliable partner to build a commercial empire. Gao Yuan had done well, but he was too ordinary in terms of strength—taking him to the star sea would be too dangerous.
“How about collaborating with a player?”
Bai Fu’s first thought was Calamity Dragon, the wealthy woman often seen with Excavation‑Princess.
She opened Excavation‑Princess’s livestream to check if she was with Calamity Dragon.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered the livestream, she saw Excavation‑Princess and Calamity Dragon sitting together. At that moment, Calamity Dragon was ranting.
【Do you know what’s been giving me a headache lately? A few days ago, Fu-fu went viral again and even trended. Then my dad saw her on the news and asked me if she was from the game I play. I said yes, and that I knew her. That’s when he got this wild idea—he wanted me to ask Fu-fu to advertise for his company. Advertising isn’t unusual, but this time my dad specifically wants Fu-fu. I gotta say, great vision, but how the hell do I even ask Fu-fu about this?】
【If I’m not mistaken, Calamity Lady’s family sells beverages, right?】
【Yeah, and to advertise, my dad even had someone make the drinks in-game.】
Calamity Dragon awkwardly picked up two bottles of drink from the ground.
While players in the live‑stream comments excitedly discussed it, Bai Fu had a sudden epiphany.
This could be a great opportunity to boost her fame and gather popularity.
Find Calamity Dragon, casually drink the beverage, then praise how it suits her taste—perfect advertisement.
She was sure this would make her go viral again.
The first NPC in Beyond the Stars to advertise a real-world product?
What a catchy title!
It would definitely attract the attention of people who didn’t usually follow Beyond the Stars. Then, she could release a documentary right afterward. The effect…
Explosive!
Bai Fu was thrilled.