Chapter 153: As If a God Descended, the Fire of Hope Brought by Bai Fu
On the way to Ulysses Star, Bai Fu took the opportunity to search the interstellar web for specific information about Ulysses Star.
In this borderworld star sector located at the intersection of the explored universe and the Dark Zone, civilizations hidden within the Dark Zone were discovered from time to time.
Due to the different locations and discoverers, the fates of these civilizations after integrating into the Star Sea varied greatly.
Some Dark Zone civilizations developed quite well after joining the Star Sea. If they were lucky enough to produce one or two powerful Psionicists, they might even gain some voice in the Star Sea.
Other Dark Zone civilizations were less fortunate. Forget gaining influence—sometimes they needed luck just to ensure the continuation of their civilization.
The Ulysses civilization, where Vic hailed from, was a typical case. Ulysses Star was initially discovered by a mining team and connected via a wormhole to the main controlling faction of the Sea Lion System, the Star Web Commonwealth. The Star Web Commonwealth was a union of multiple civilizations, culturally inclusive and preferring trade over conquest or slaughter.
Therefore, Ulysses civilization had a relatively happy beginning after joining the Star Sea. The Star Web Commonwealth’s investment banks built two Starports on Ulysses Star and exported a large quantity of interstellar goods. But this golden age ended with the arrival of the ghost civilization that once triggered the Dimensional Catastrophe in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.
After losing the war of civilizations, the ghost civilization devolved into a terrorist organization, bringing disaster wherever they appeared.
Their attacks forced the Star Web Commonwealth to retract their forces, and the ensuing Flood Demon (Insect Swarm attack) further diverted their attention. Over time, Ulysses civilization, having lost its backer, attracted the attention of Star Sea criminals lurking along the chaotic star paths of the Sea Lion System—criminals so notorious each could be sentenced for centuries.
These criminals raided Ulysses Star frequently. Its resources were nearly plundered dry, and its population dwindled under relentless raids.
Fortunately, Ulysses civilization produced a few formidable A-rank Psionicists. They also sold off many assets to hire interstellar hunters, which allowed them to hold out till now. But as their assets dwindled, those A-rank Psionicists either died in battle or fled. Now only Vic remained. Perhaps Ulysses civilization truly stood at the brink of collapse.
"How tragic."
Bai Fu couldn't help but sigh quietly.
Had they not been discovered by the mining team, the Ulysses civilization might still be developing steadily, wondering whether other intelligent life existed in the universe.
Had the ghost civilization not suddenly emerged to cause trouble, then with the Star Web Commonwealth’s assistance, even if Ulysses’s native culture suffered a violent shock, the people’s quality of life wouldn’t have been too bad.
But there were no "ifs" in this world.
The Star Sea brimmed with hope and cruelty alike. Here, one could find genuine saints, but also cold blades crying “destroy you, none of my business.” One never knew whether hope or destruction would come first.
Bai Fu turned her head and saw Vic praying silently with his eyes closed.
Shouldering the last hope of an entire civilization alone, Vic indeed had more of a protagonist’s aura than any “protagonist” she had met before.
Yet, this protagonist aura might not bring him any great experience. Based on the information he had revealed, Bai Fu surmised that in the original storyline, Ulysses civilization would likely collapse entirely. When players entered the Star Sea, Vic would probably approach them as "the final flame of civilization," embarking on a path of revenge or rescue of his captured kin.
"Relax a little," Bai Fu comforted Vic.
Vic opened his eyes and forced a smile. His lips were pale, and sweat beaded on his temples. The pressure on him was clear.
Bai Fu said no more.
After entering the Star Sea, she could no longer personally guide players around like she had on Origin Star.
The Star Sea was too vast. Even with various spaceships, she couldn't attend to every player. Thus, while establishing her own force, she needed to recruit more NPCs to work for her.
"Anya is the Chief Commander of Combat Operations, Yulia is the Laboratory Director and Mana Recharge Master—I still need many commanders for field missions."
She wondered if this was a chance to recruit Vic, and get a whole crew of protagonists to work under her. Even if she couldn’t become the true protagonist, she could at least become the Overlord of the Star Sea—Fu the Overlord!
While she was deep in thought, Vic finally made contact with some Ulysses people. From their conversation, she learned that the slavers had only one ship equipped with very basic weaponry—its firepower might not even match that of Fragment Star’s freighter.
"There are 2 A-rank Psionicists, 6 B-rank Psionicists, and over 200 C-rank grunts aboard. These C-rank grunts aren’t that strong, but they all carry new-model Hotline Guns and Particle Guns manufactured by the Star Web Commonwealth, which can pose some threat even to A-rank Psionicists."
Vic looked serious.
Bai Fu wholeheartedly agreed. She had experienced the power of Particle Guns firsthand.
The intelligence Vic brought confirmed that defeating these slavers would indeed be easier than destroying the Flame Transfer House. After all, Vic was an A-rank Psionicist. Moreover, after eliminating Lava, she had acquired dozens of guns from him, massively boosting the players’ combat strength.
"The only problem is that the main objective of this mission isn’t to eliminate the slavers, but to rescue people. A direct assault might be unwise. If the enemy senses danger, they might flee."
Bai Fu fell silent in thought.
"Looks like the best plan is to lure them into attacking first. If we can plant someone inside their ranks, that’d be even better."
Vic nodded. "Luring them is simple. If the ship lands on Ulysses Star, they’ll definitely come to investigate. But infiltrating their ranks…"
It was a bit far-fetched.
Slavers were greedy but cautious. Once they captured someone, they would search them thoroughly. Sending someone in disguised as a captive to create an inside-outside pincer move was nearly impossible.
"You shouldn't be so sure," Bai Fu smiled. "I think you need to reconsider who I and these brave souls who followed me into the Star Sea really are."
"Brave souls?"
Vic was taken aback.
It seemed he hadn’t heard that term in a long time.
"Their abilities are quite special. Just try not to be too shocked."
Bai Fu nodded at the Excavation‑Princess.
Digging‑Treasure, it’s your time to shine!
Roger that!
The Excavation‑Princess, who had been photographing Bai Fu on the side, instantly ran over at her command.
Vic looked puzzled.
Special ability?
As he was still wondering what the Excavation‑Princess's special ability might be, she suddenly shot herself in the heart.
【Holy crap!】
Not just Vic—even the livestream viewers passively watching Bai Fu were startled.
【Oh no, I can already imagine how this alien is going to freak out】
【Digging‑Treasure really knows how to make a splash】
【She won’t die from shock, right? The Star Sea’s medical tech should be reliable, right?】
Looking at the Excavation‑Princess lying on the ground, Vic’s brown skin had turned green in fear. Wait a second, lady, it’s just a performance—why so extreme?
He rushed over, reaching out his hand, not knowing what to do. In the end, he could only turn back and look at Bai Fu.
Save her! Hurry and start resuscitation—it’s not too late to bring her back!
But Bai Fu seemed not to notice the urgency in his eyes. "Don’t worry, she’s fine."
She wasn’t even breathing—how could she be fine?
Vic clenched his jaw and stood up, preparing to do something. At that moment, he was shocked to see the Excavation‑Princess suddenly “pop” out in the ship’s central hall.
She just appeared with a swish.
He lowered his head and saw that the corpse on the ground had vanished. When he looked up again, the Excavation‑Princess was already standing in front of him.
Vic’s brain froze. "Illusion? Dummy? Projection? Perception anomaly? Or…"
"Resurrection," Bai Fu provided the correct answer. "She, and the others, all possess the ability to resurrect. If you don’t believe me, you can verify it again."
"No, no need."
Vic’s mouth remained slightly open, a storm raging in his heart.
He believed it. And precisely because he believed it, he was even more shocked. Nearly a hundred brave souls with resurrection ability—was this a racial talent or something else? Even within the Star Sea, races with resurrection abilities were extremely rare. And Bai Fu, the one leading these brave souls—what exactly was her identity?
"Who are you, really?"
Anya jumped in at the perfect time, her face full of pride. "You may call the boss Silver Moon, or the Exalted Moon."
When it came to spreading the Fu Sect, her enthusiasm was no less than that of the Excavation‑Princess.
【Anyone who hypes up Boss Fu-fu is my long-lost sibling】
【You guys go ahead and praise her, but leave the close-contact duties with Boss Fu-fu to me】
Silver Moon, Exalted Moon?
Vic truly had never heard those titles before, but he etched them deeply into his memory.
He was beginning to believe Bai Fu really could solve his problems. But the more he believed, the more he felt indebted. After all, he had only given Bai Fu 2000 Credit Coins.
That sum wasn’t enough to hire Bai Fu alone, let alone her entire team.
He had to find a way to compensate them.
Vic wasn’t someone who liked owing others. In all his years roaming the Star Sea, he knew that maintaining a balance of benefits was essential to sustaining relationships.
He said, "With their abilities, infiltrating that group of slavers would indeed be easy. But there’s one problem: those slavers will definitely confiscate their weapons. Without weapons, they might not be of much use."
C-rank Psionicists were still too ordinary in terms of basic strength.
Bai Fu chuckled. "That’s not a problem. Don’t worry."
No matter how thoroughly those slavers searched, they couldn’t confiscate the players’ XP. As long as the players had XP, they could buy items from her instance store at any time. When the time came, the players could just buy a few Prayer Cards and toss them inside the slavers’ ship—if they could cripple the ship, everything else would be easy to handle.
Though Bai Fu didn’t explain the plan in detail, this time Vic didn’t press further. He believed Bai Fu truly had a way.
Since receiving the distress signal—no, since becoming the last A-rank Psionicist of Ulysses civilization—this was the first time he had felt relieved. That relief came from the fire of hope Bai Fu had kindled in his heart.
Over a hundred years had passed. For the Ulysses civilization, which had sunk endlessly into suffering, wasn’t it time to finally catch a break?
Vic tried to imagine a brighter future, yet dared not go too far. Never treat someone you meet in hardship as a god—otherwise, the gap between fantasy and reality might cut deeply.
As the spaceship pierced the atmosphere and descended toward the blue Ulysses Star, Vic, standing by the porthole, suddenly murmured,
"Actually, I used to be called a brave soul, too."
Bai Fu turned around, and the players loitering nearby, playing cards, all perked up their ears.
"After the Ulysses civilization was invaded by those from the chaotic star paths, many Psionicists from Ulysses stood up to defend the civilization. We fought back against the invaders, ventured across the Star Sea, hoping to find a backer for Ulysses. But it was all in vain—no one wanted to support a civilization that couldn’t offer benefits. As time went on, more Psionicists died, yet the situation showed no signs of improvement. The survivors splintered—some felt that Ulysses was doomed, and chose to pursue their own futures rather than perish with a dying civilization. And then there were those like me."
Vic fell silent for a moment.
"I thought about leaving, too. But my father gave everything for Ulysses, and I wanted to leave behind at least a spark. That way, someone might remember what he did."
"Anyway, after that great split, the spirit of Ulysses people nearly collapsed. No one called me a brave soul anymore. Hardly anyone held hope for the future. So if someone gives you a cold look after the ship lands, let me apologize in advance."
Bai Fu nodded to show she understood.
After hearing Vic’s words, the players started chatting among themselves.
【Damn, Ulysses Star has it way worse than Origin Star】
【Just imagining living in a place like this makes you feel hopeless】
【Damn it, chaotic star path huh? When version 2.0 of the Star Sea launches, I’m coming for you!】
【Watch out—Human Emperor incoming!】
The players’ emotions were fully stirred—they couldn’t wait to flash over to Ulysses Star.
A few minutes later, a player standing by the porthole on the opposite side suddenly shouted.
"What’s that?"
Following his finger, Bai Fu looked over and saw a near-perfectly circular region on the ground that had crystallized. White and black crystals were mixed together, like a searing scar—it made one’s heart tighten at the sight.
Vic explained, "Decades ago, Ulysses was attacked by a large pirate crew. To intimidate us, their flagship launched a plasma spear at the surface. The area became like this under its burn."
What the hell—that’s melted glass!
Bai Fu’s pupils contracted.
That level of attack—forget A-rank Psionicists—even S-rank Psionicists would struggle to take it head-on. Dodging would be the only option.
Amid the exclamations, the spaceship finally landed.
The hatch opened, and Vic stepped out first. Ulysses Star’s environment was very different from Origin Star—gravity, air composition, temperature—all were unfamiliar. But for Bai Fu and the players, adjusting wasn’t hard.
The landing had already drawn the attention of a nearby ruined-looking city, but only a few people came out to greet them. Among them was a little girl who ran up joyfully upon seeing Vic.
"Brother Vic, you’re finally back!"
Vic greeted the little girl, while Bai Fu and the players looked around.
The situation in Ulysses was even worse than they had imagined. The housing was dilapidated, the black buildings that looked like metal blocks were missing chunks everywhere. The clothes looked old and worn, and only a few people wore battle armor with any protective capability.
Even exploitation had its limits!
Bai Fu was speechless.
"This is the interstellar hunter I hired this time—Silver Moon, and her followers," Vic introduced.
The Ulysses people didn’t react much. Their brows had been furrowed since the moment they appeared, and now they just loosened slightly, nodded, and said, "Welcome."
In the end, no one believed Bai Fu could solve the problem. Even if Bai Fu resolved the current crisis, what about the next one?
Bai Fu was an interstellar hunter, and hiring an interstellar hunter came at a steep cost.
Although Vic had anticipated things turning out this way and even warned in advance, he still felt awkward now.
"Sorry, let me take you into the city first to inquire about the specific situation."
"Let’s go." After walking a few steps, Bai Fu suddenly asked, "Vic, how old are you?"
Vic was puzzled. "Twenty-five."
"A young man?"
"Among Ulysses people, that’s considered very young."
Bai Fu: "..."
No wonder that little girl called Vic 'Brother,' but still, she really hadn’t seen it coming. The weathered look on Vic’s face had led her to think he was about the same age as Old Nissen.
A twenty-five-year-old A-rank Psionicist—no wonder he was an NPC with the Lucky Talent.
On the way into the city, Vic gave Bai Fu more details about the situation on Ulysses.
Ulysses now had only three remaining cities. The population had dropped from several hundred million at its peak to just a few hundred thousand. These so-called cities were more like settlements on Origin Star. The only difference was that Ulysses had a higher level of technology, and its architectural style leaned heavily into a metallic aesthetic. Even on the brink of collapse, the dilapidated buildings still gave off a sense of technological coldness.
"Brother Vic is back!"
The little girl shouted ahead. On both sides of the road, many people peeked out from their homes. They only looked, saying nothing.
Eventually, Vic brought Bai Fu and the others to the city administrator’s residence to learn more.
The administrator was an elderly man. His eyes were already starting to cloud. When Vic entered, he was calculating how much food the city had left.
"Those slavers took 725 people this time. They didn’t take more because their ship couldn’t hold them. All 725 were able-bodied adults. With them gone, it’ll be even harder for us to gather food in the future."
The administrator scratched his head in frustration, and the other Ulysses people around him sighed as well.
Interstellar slavers visited Ulysses frequently, a routine dubbed "restocking." Each time, they took hundreds, sometimes thousands. The plummeting population of Ulysses was largely due to them.
The people of Ulysses were filled with endless hatred, but hatred couldn’t be converted into combat power.
When the slavers came again, they could do nothing to resist.
Resistance required force, and money. They were about to lose all their force, and as for money—where would they get it?
Whenever this happened, the administrator regretted his past choices.
Maybe when the Great Schism occurred, he should have made a decisive call and led the entire race away from Ulysses Star. Back then, they still had some money—enough to hire a starship to transport people.
But he had been fixated on the idea that abandoning Ulysses would turn them into rootless wanderers, more easily bullied in the Star Sea. Even if their bloodline survived by chance, the name 'Ulysses' would exist only in memory.
Yet even by staying on Ulysses, year after year, nothing improved. Now, with only a few hundred thousand people left, wasn’t the name 'Ulysses' still on the verge of disappearing into the tides of the universe?
The administrator forced a smile. "Vic, why are you back so early? Never mind, it’s good that you’re back. With you here, those slavers should act more cautiously."
Vic said, "Uncle, I’ve come back this time to rescue those comrades taken by the slavers."
Upon hearing this, the administrator’s face changed instantly. "That’s too dangerous. Don’t be rash."
He no longer wanted to stir up trouble.
Vic was Ulysses’s last A-rank Psionicist. If he died too, Ulysses would have no strength left to stand on and would be carved up by the slavers in no time.
Vic said, "I brought help back with me."
The administrator glanced at Bai Fu, Yulia, and the others, then still shook his head. "Those slavers are no ordinary people. Better to play it safe."
The Ulysses people standing behind him moved their lips but ultimately said nothing.
Vic had expected this. "We no longer have a way out. If we don’t resist, extinction is inevitable. Resistance may bring quicker death, but it also might lead to a sliver of hope."
The administrator remained silent, sitting still.
Vic stood for a while, then said resolutely, "I’ll act according to my own plan."
Leaving those words, he walked out of the administrator’s house.
Outside, he said to Bai Fu with a gloomy face, "The administrator wasn’t always like this, but the older he gets, he… sigh."
The people of Ulysses were on the verge of completely losing their will to fight. They lived like the walking dead. While there were a few exceptions, most of those exceptions eventually either died or were assimilated.
Bai Fu looked around, her gaze passing over one Ulysses person after another.
She suddenly thought of Origin Star. When Version 2.0 launched, Origin Star would also connect to the Star Sea. Would it become like Ulysses?
With players around, Origin Star shouldn’t end up this miserable. But there was no guarantee it wouldn’t face some suffering. A bit of hardship from the Star Sea could mean an earthquake-level disaster for a regular civilization like Origin Star. In such a disaster, many people she knew—perhaps even those she had good relationships with—might die.
Bai Fu had feelings for Origin Star. It was, after all, her in-game hometown.
"I have to find a way to prevent this outcome. The best way would be to grow strong enough to protect Origin Star before Version 2.0 launches. S-rank strength should be enough."
S-rank was the pinnacle for a "mortal," the path from mortality to becoming a Calamity.
"When do you plan to act?" Bai Fu asked Vic.
Vic replied, "Let’s begin now. Please temporarily transfer command of your followers to me. I’ll assign them to draw the slavers’ attention."
"What’s your plan?"
"I suspect someone on the inside has secretly sided with the slavers. Last time they came, I was still on my way back, and they had already departed. So this time, I’ve only contacted those I trust."
Bai Fu nodded. "As long as you have a plan."
She summoned Sword Qi Soaring, Black Bastard, and Starfish‑bro, explained the situation, and reminded them,
"This mission is critical. I know you usually enjoy competing, but now is not the time."
After some discussion, Vic took half the players and left temporarily.
Bai Fu stood for a while in the broken-down street, when she suddenly noticed the little girl who had greeted Vic after they disembarked walking over.
"Big sister, you’re so pretty."
Oh my, kids really know how to talk!
Bai Fu handed her a few energy-restoring candies.
"Big sister, I heard from Brother Vic that he originally couldn’t afford to hire an A-rank Psionicist. You were the one who lowered your price and even flew him back. Thank you." The little girl quickly said thanks as she accepted the candy.
Bai Fu said, “No need to thank me. It was just a normal transaction.”
The little girl looked up. “Big sister, does our Ulysses really have no future?”
Bai Fu paused for a few seconds before saying, “You are the future of Ulysses. Vic is also the future of Ulysses. One day, he will become the hero who leads you out of suffering.”
This sentence greatly lifted the little girl’s spirits. “Big sister, you’re such a good person.”
Bai Fu neither confirmed nor denied it. She called Anya over and let Anya play with the little girl.
The upcoming battle was going to be dangerous, and it wasn’t suitable for Anya to get involved.
But letting Anya play with the little girl wasn’t purely for fun. The main purpose was to have Anya keep an eye on things and see if any moles would jump out and stir up trouble once the fighting started.
Anya’s strength was already very close to that of a B-rank Certified Assassin. There were few people in Ulysses who could beat her. Besides, she had power armor and Prayer Cards—catching a mole would be a breeze.
Once everything was in place, Bai Fu led the remaining Players back near the ship, monitoring the situation closely in case those slave traders tried to bomb them by launching the ship.
While waiting, she marked the Ulysses Star on the map.
She had taken a liking to this planet. Buying a habitable planet was far too expensive, but if she could transform Ulysses into her base in the Star Sea to receive Players arriving from various Beginner Planets...
Bai Fu thought the idea wasn’t bad. She just didn’t know how the people of Ulysses would feel about it.
In her view, this should benefit the people of Ulysses far more than harm them. She didn’t represent any civilization—her followers were Players and NPCs she had “tricked” into joining her. Her stationing here would not only ensure Ulysses’ safety but wouldn’t impact the Ulysses civilization.
In any case, she would wait and see when the time came.
With her current strength, even driving away this group of slave traders wouldn’t solve the problems Ulysses Star faced. Only when her name could strike fear into the criminal syndicates in the chaotic star routes of the Sea Lion System would she have the confidence to make moves on Ulysses. Otherwise, if she invested heavily in construction here, it might just get blown up halfway through.
Bai Fu waited for more than two full hours.
When the sky had already begun to dim, she received an urgent communication from Vic.
“A unit of the slave traders has attacked your followers. According to your followers’ report, they are interrogating those they captured. Once the interrogation ends, they’ll immediately launch an assault on us. They don’t know your followers have a special communication method, so they have no idea their plan has been completely exposed. This is our chance!”
Vic was emotional.
The various special abilities shown by the Players made him increasingly convinced that Bai Fu was some kind of superhuman.
Bai Fu nodded. “Begin the operation. Lure them to a place farther from the city, somewhere the ship can’t land easily. I’ll head over right away.”
Vic followed her instructions.
After the call ended, Bai Fu glanced at Yulia, who was clipping her toenails.
“We’ve got work.”
Yulia put away the nail clipper. “Let’s go.”
It was time to stretch her muscles a bit. Being cooped up in the lab all day would dry her out eventually.