Chapter 175: Popularity Skyrockets, Star Sea Succubus Bai Fu Successfully Seduces Hiye!
Bai Fu had to push through the cheering crowd with considerable effort before reaching the room where Hiye was resting.
“Star Sea people are really enthusiastic.”
Bai Fu wiped her sweat.
Now, on Sea Lion Galaxy she counted as a rising star. She needed to capitalize on this fame to earn more money. Otherwise, relying solely on commissions to support Yuliya in the long run would be too time‑consuming and laborious.
“I, as the courtyard master of the Silent Garden, am not easy to be. Others are bosses, secretaries handle things when needed, nothing to do otherwise… I’m the boss, I do everything myself. When I’m idle, they drag me into experiments, using me at every moment as if I’m here to be their mother—practically changing diapers. How does it feel like I came to be someone’s mom?”
Complaining aside, Bai Fu still enjoyed it thoroughly.
From a mere passerby to now becoming a rising star in Sea Lion Galaxy—how could she not be happy at such a tremendous upgrade?
To push herself even further, it was necessary to invest more in potential talents.
Once Yuliya and the others matured, then she could live a life where if something needed doing, Yuliya and the others would handle it; otherwise… she’d be free.
Bai Fu sat down beside Hiye. For safety reasons, she used the medical equipment Manu had sent to perform a full‑body scan on Hiye, and sent the report to the fleet doctors of the Tianhu Star fleet.
During the checkup, she suddenly noticed something odd about Hiye’s leg. It looked like a layer of skin had peeled off. Getting closer, she realized that it was not skin but a special flesh‑colored bodysuit worn by Hiye. During the battle, that bodysuit covering her legs below the knees had torn in several large holes.
Virtual Void Sheer Socks
Quality: Orange
Additional Effect: As attire, they block dust intrusion and provide excellent shaping; as equipment, they greatly enhance the wearer’s perception of ambient environment and spatial fluctuations, and reduce external stimuli affecting the wearer’s body.
“No wonder Hiye doesn’t wear shoes. I thought she had some strange preference.”
Bai Fu suddenly understood.
She reached out and touched Hiye’s toes. As she expected, these were split‑toe socks. Virtual Void Sheer Socks—called socks, but in reality a membrane formed on Hiye’s body surface by her void energy. This membrane was similar to her psionic construct and was recognized by the game as special equipment.
“If this enhances perception of environment and spatial fluctuations, and I could integrate this ability into my psionic construct, together with the Psionic Perception Path skill, my reaction speed in combat could improve significantly. And this sock also reduces external stimuli to the body. It seems quite useful.”
Bai Fu stared excitedly at Hiye’s toes.
But she didn’t hastily start studying.
Study what Discipline!
She knew nothing about void energy. Even if she removed the Virtual Void Sheer Socks while Hiye was asleep, she wouldn’t be able to discover anything.
Better wait until Hiye woke up to ask her.
Bai Fu sat at the bedside. After the fleet left Tianhu Star, she could freely access the interstellar net.
After the Tianhu Star war ended, her reputation within the Star Web Commonwealth had skyrocketed to 860—just 140 points shy of being universally known (1000). She wanted to see how people in the Star Web Commonwealth were commenting on her now.
She opened the largest forum in the Star Web Commonwealth and saw that her name had become a trending topic.
In the related threads, the top hot post was—
“Introducing Queen Bai ‑ Savior Saint ‑ Goddess of Victory ‑ Pure White Hero ‑ Fu From the Dark Zone”
In the thread, onlookers marveled, saying this was the first time in decades they had seen someone become famous so quickly.
“Even the Void Battle Maiden spent half a year to reach such high popularity.”
The crowd discussed Bai Fu’s deeds, appearance, abilities, origins, and why her popularity had become so exaggerated. They concluded three main reasons.
First, Bai Fu was very beautiful, matching the aesthetics of most races in the universe—only unusual species like stone beings could not appreciate her beauty.
Second, Tianhu Star was extremely important in the hearts of Star Web Commonwealth citizens. Recently many people were following the Tianhu Star war closely, so amid such attention, Bai Fu had delivered an almost MVP‑level performance.
Third, Bai Fu came from the Dark Zone. This exceedingly rare identity lent an alluring veil to her image, making people involuntarily curious about what lay behind that veil.
Based on these conclusions, many spectators predicted Bai Fu would soon become the new queen of advertising.
Bai Fu was in an excellent mood, as if credit points were waving at her.
The feeling of being a hero was spot on.
At that moment she had to thank herself for originally sticking to her bottom line and refusing to go the “sensational spicy” route. Sure, sensationalism could accumulate huge popularity quickly, but nothing beats standing in the spotlight now, receiving cheers from countless people.
Next, Bai Fu clicked the second‑most popular post in the thread.
This post was more complex. Spectators were discussing various scandals about her. Most came from a news site called “Surf News,” a few from forum accounts claiming inside information.
“Gentle Savior Saint? All fake. Watch the video: Bai Fu beating up an old granny.”
“Not only beat an old lady, but bullied a little boy.”
“Bai Fu is not from Dark Zone at all—she lied. She’s from Chaos Star Route. I used to be her neighbor.”
“I confirm the above is not lying. Bai Fu once joined a gang. Committed murder and arson many times. Pure White Hero? Probably a staged act.”
Bai Fu: “?”
Surf News?
She knew that name. After defeating the attacker Titan Warhammer, she acquired a communicator. Manu had it examined by professionals and discovered that Titan Warhammer was secretly coordinating with many media and internet trolls to leak scandals about Bai Fu. Surf News was the most famous among them.
“What a birth. They’re slandering me so much, damn Titan Warhammer. Can’t they learn something from that kindly person who gifted me the Advancement Stone!”
Bai Fu was exasperated.
Damn little black agents, don’t hinder me from making money!
She immediately contacted Manu. The moment Manu received the message, he pounded his chest and promised to resolve it.
One could not deny Manu’s efficiency. Just minutes later, the Star Web Commonwealth’s official spokesperson announced the record of “Secret Tower assassin Holt” hiring internet trolls to smear Bai Fu, and sent agents to surround the headquarters of the media outlets associated with Holt.
Big black operatives were arrested on the spot, small black agents fled in panic. Bai Fu’s name instantly appeared as headlines across all media in the Star Web Commonwealth.
Secret Tower, Bai Fu, fake scandal… any single one was a hot topic. Combined, they became the hottest of hot topics.
“Who is Bai Fu, and why would Secret Tower spread fake news to blacken her?”
Many people who hadn’t paid attention to Bai Fu were drawn in by the bizarre-looking news.
After reading about the sequence of events, everyone who had come was filled with fiery emotions.
"Woah, effortlessly defused Secret Tower’s assassination attempt and forced them to resort to fake blackmail? That’s seriously badass!"
"This is the first person in so many years, right? As expected of the queen from the Dark Zone civilization!"
"Secret Tower is just too embarrassing, hahaha."
Bai Fu had already been quite famous, but being contrasted against the notorious Secret Tower once again skyrocketed her reputation. Her reputation in the Star Web Commonwealth soared from 860 to 1031 in a flash, truly becoming a household name and an idol in the eyes of many.
Not only that, her reputation also increased to varying degrees in other galaxies of the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.
Beautiful and fought Secret Tower?
Savior Saint Fu-fu, we support you, yes!
Bai Fu estimated that her current fame in the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster was already not lower than that of the long-famous Hiye.
The benefits of skyrocketing popularity among the NPC community were obvious. The most immediate benefit was that when Believer of Fu posted screenshots of Bai Fu appearing on the trending lists of various galaxy news portals to the game community, it instantly triggered countless player imaginations.
"Wait, bro, could it be that Fu-fu is still the main protagonist even in the Star Sea?"
"Honestly, it's really possible. Among all the protagonists who have appeared on Beginner Planets so far, Fu-fu’s identity is the most special. She comes from the Star Sea and has appeared on more than one Beginner Planet. I think even if Fu-fu isn’t the main protagonist of the Star Sea storyline, she must at least be a major linking character."
"I'm getting more and more hyped about the Sovereign of the Shadowed Night. Could it be that before Fu-fu got injured, she really was a Domination-level Psionicist?"
Heehee.
Bai Fu beamed with delight. She never expected that among the power ranks of Psionicists in the Star Sea, there would be a Domination level—something that just happened to match the identity players had imagined for her as the Sovereign of the Shadowed Night.
Truly, no performance could match the brilliance of player imagination, and no brilliance of imagination could beat a perfectly timed one.
If players came to a consensus that she was a Domination-level being, it would make recruiting them much easier. Just a flick of the finger, a wiggle of the toes—how could players not come kneeling?
After triggering a fresh wave of player imagination, Bai Fu discovered that her account backend on the Pan-Galactic Commission Platform had suddenly received a flurry of private messages.
When she opened them, she found that they were all from companies in the Sea Lion Galaxy. Once it was confirmed that her negative rumors were all fake, many well-known companies in the Sea Lion Galaxy—as predicted on the forums—immediately sent her partnership invitations.
These included arms companies, entertainment companies, cosmetics companies, as well as lingerie companies and stocking sellers.
"Stockings worn by the Queen of the Dark Zone—absolutely fantastic!"
"Hiss—"
Bai Fu drew in a sharp breath.
Money. So much money!
Looks like she wouldn’t have to worry about funding Yuliya’s training or the development of Ulysses and Origin Star anymore!
"Let’s talk in detail when we meet."
Bai Fu selected a few companies that she thought were decent and sent replies.
After finishing her messages, her gaze fell on Hiye who was lying beside her.
She thought of an even more lucrative idea. If Hiye agreed to do ads together with her—appearing in the same shots—then the contract amount would definitely be greater than the sum of its parts.
Unfortunately, on paper she was still Hiye’s subordinate. Their relationship wasn’t yet close enough to be like hers with Yuliya—mutually inclusive and interwoven. If she proposed doing ads together now, it would most likely be rejected.
Just as Bai Fu was sighing, Hiye’s finger on the bed suddenly twitched.
Huh? Waking up?
Bai Fu quickly leaned in.
Hiye didn’t wake up, but began struggling in her dream. Her forehead started sweating, her limbs flailing wildly, and she kicked a foot toward Bai Fu.
Smack.
Bai Fu caught her ankle in one swift motion, but even held, the foot kept wriggling and rubbing everywhere.
One more move and I’m hitting you with my elbow!
After several dozen seconds, Hiye finally stopped struggling. She suddenly opened her eyes. Her red pupils first showed panic, which quickly dissipated, followed by overwhelming confusion. She stared at Bai Fu’s hand still gripping her ankle with a puzzled expression.
"What are you grabbing my foot for?"
Tch.
Bai Fu let go with a disgusted look. "Who wants to do anything with your foot? You were thrashing around in your sleep, nearly shoved it into my mouth."
Hiye was stunned.
Ah, almost into the mouth?
No wait, the dream… the dream she just had…
Hiye came back from her daze. She finally remembered what had happened earlier, and what she had seen in her dream.
In the dream, she returned to a past she never wanted to face—one where she became a hideous Void creature.
As the dream resurfaced in her mind, her eyes immediately lost color. She lay blankly on the bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling.
Having communicated with Green Sludge before, Bai Fu roughly guessed why Hiye had become like this—she was afraid of becoming a Void creature.
Smiling, she said, "Don’t worry, Supervisor Hiye. I won’t let you become one of those twisted Void monsters. I can help you condition your body, guarantee the gene compatibility rate with humanoid Void life can go up to over 99%, and the compatibility with those twisted ones down to below 10%."
These words successfully caught Hiye’s dazed attention. She turned her head, her gaze still bleak.
"You don’t understand."
Looking down on me?
Bai Fu replied with confidence, "Trust me, I’m a professional in this field. When have I ever let you down?"
But Hiye still shook her head. "I don’t care whether my body is twisted or retains a human shape. I just don’t want to become a Void lifeform."
"Why?" Bai Fu didn’t get it. "Void lifeforms’ innate abilities are significantly stronger than regular cosmic humans, right? If you became one, your power would definitely level up again."
Fear surfaced on Hiye’s face. "You don’t understand."
Bai Fu said, "If you don’t tell me, how do you know I don’t understand? From the Dark Zone all the way here, I’ve been through a lot—maybe even more than you. Talk to me. Maybe I can share some experience."
Hiye closed her eyes, bit her lip, and her body trembled lightly. At that moment, she had none of the authority of the Void Battle Maiden—just a bratty little sister who wouldn’t listen.
After a long silence, she finally opened up.
"My hometown is in a remote region of the Sea Lion Galaxy. It barely had any contact with the Star Web Commonwealth or the Chaos Starpath—almost none at all. One day, above the dome, a massive hole suddenly appeared. Monsters from the Void emerged from it and invaded my home. Void lifeforms are greedy and ravenous. Many people I knew were eaten. My sister and I went into hiding, dodging and running. We were lucky enough to survive for two and a half months."
Bai Fu slightly raised her brow. So because her home was invaded by the Void, she instinctively rejected it?
"But we were already nearing our limit. We were mentally exhausted and severely lacking food. For one bite to eat, my sister said goodbye to me temporarily and set off on a long trip alone..."
Hiye waited and waited, terrified and uneasy. On the seventh day, the door to their hiding place was knocked on.
She joyfully opened the door, thinking her sister had returned, only to find a wounded Void creature standing there.
Frightened, she kicked the creature hard and rushed back inside to raise her gun and shoot.
To her surprise, the Void creature did not resist at all during the entire process. It only gently pulled her up after she tripped over herself in fear, and then took out a pile of food from behind.
"Only then did I realize that Void creature was my sister. For me, she had taken a huge risk to search for food, and accidentally got infected with Void Blood, becoming a Void lifeform. Yet even then, she didn’t forget me. Dragging her wounded body, she brought food back—only to be attacked by me the moment the door opened."
On the hospital bed, the more Hiye spoke, the more unstable her mental state became.
Bai Fu was stunned. Could it be that Hiye had killed her own sister?
She quickly grabbed Hiye’s hand and was about to say “It wasn’t your fault” when Hiye spoke again.
That gunshot had inflicted new wounds on her sister, but Void lifeforms had strong vitality and didn’t die, just moved even more sluggishly.
At that time, Hiye’s sister fell to the ground and begged her to kill her before she lost her mind, but now knowing the truth, how could Hiye possibly do it?
The two of them hid in that place for another five days.
During those five days, Hiye watched her sister become more and more twisted. She couldn’t speak or write anymore. Hiye was terrified, but she endured it because of all her sister had done for her—she didn’t run.
On the fifth night, a huge Void creature appeared nearby. Hiye thought she was dead for sure. At that moment, her sister suddenly got up from the ground and pinned her to the corner.
Her sister wasn’t attacking. Using her final shred of sanity, she left the words “No matter when, you’ll always be my little sister,” and then charged at the massive Void creature outside.
After that, Hiye survived. During her escape, she was bitten by a Void creature and infected with Void Blood. But she was lucky—she met Oathmaster passing by. Oathmaster brought her back to the Star Covenant, and so she didn’t turn into a Void lifeform.
"If you’d experienced something like that, could you really accept becoming a Void lifeform without any psychological burden?
"In truth, I don’t reject Void lifeforms. To reject them would be to reject my sister who died for me. I’m just scared. She sacrificed so much for me, and if I end up becoming a Void lifeform anyway, what meaning would her sacrifice hold?
"No, maybe what I’m really afraid of isn’t even that. Maybe I’m afraid of the loneliness after losing my sister. If I became a Void lifeform, that loneliness would cling to me like a nightmare for the rest of my life."
Hiye grew increasingly emotional as she spoke.
Bai Fu was quiet for a moment. "If that’s the case, then why did you still use this hidden power to save me? If you hadn’t used it, at least for a short time you wouldn’t have had to worry about becoming a Void lifeform."
Hiye didn’t answer directly. "There’s nothing to say. I did it of my own will."
Since she didn’t want to explain, Bai Fu guessed aloud: "Is it also because you’re afraid of being lonely? After finally getting a subordinate like me, you don’t want to lose me?"
Hiye said nothing, but Bai Fu received a game prompt.
[Hiye’s Favorability -1]
If she guessed wrong, there shouldn’t have been any reaction. But since her favorability decreased, that meant she guessed right and hit the mark.
Bai Fu wasn’t happy about that.
That’s too much. I guessed right, and you still lower your favorability? Doesn’t this mean our minds are in sync?
"You can go. Don’t bother with me."
Hiye began driving her out.
Of course Bai Fu wasn’t going to leave just like that. She’d told Green Sludge she was going to help Hiye become a humanoid Void lifeform. If she left now and Hiye gave up on herself, who would she cling to for benefits?
"Why haven’t you left yet?"
"I don’t need your help, and you don’t need to feel guilty for me."
"Do you really want me to say the gu—"
Before she could even say “get lost,” Bai Fu suddenly stood up, her shadow covering Hiye’s face.
She realized that the perfect opportunity she had been waiting for—to explosively raise Hiye’s favorability, to overthrow ‘Empress Hiye’ as the ‘treacherous minister,’ take control of the court, and turn Hiye into her puppet—had arrived.
"As long as you’ve come into contact with Void Blood, there’s a chance of becoming a Void lifeform, right?"
Bai Fu asked.
Hiye furrowed her brows, but in the end, she nodded.
Bai Fu said, "Great. If you think becoming a Void lifeform would make you feel lonely, then I’ll accompany you!"
Hiye blinked, not understanding Bai Fu’s meaning at first. Accompany? How?
She quickly understood, because Bai Fu jumped onto the bed and sat down on her waist, pressing down her hands firmly—and then opened her mouth and bit down on her.
Bai Fu was going to drink her blood and become a Void lifeform with her!
Hiye panicked.
"You… get off! Are you crazy? Get off me!"
She struggled with all her might, but injured as she was, her strength was no match for Bai Fu in her psionic construct. She couldn’t break free at all.
During the scuffle, the door suddenly opened, and Yuliya walked in from outside.
"You two…"
Looking at Bai Fu straddling Hiye, Yuliya looked utterly dumbfounded.
Did she walk in at the wrong moment?
The room fell into silence. After a moment, Yuliya casually closed the door and asked, "Do you want me to help hold her down?"
Hiye: "?"
Ah? Is this the time to say that?
Bai Fu’s eyes lit up.
This is it!
While Hiye was stunned by Yuliya’s words, Bai Fu bit into Hiye’s shoulder.
Slurp—
The blood melted in her mouth.
Then, she received a game prompt.
[You have been infected with Void Blood]
[Void Blood has fused with your genes. You have gained Stat Bonuses]
It worked!
Bai Fu was overjoyed.
Not only had she successfully increased Hiye’s favorability again, but she also got the chance to unlock a New Race. This time she had truly profited big!
PS: Thanks to reader 20190715004003379 for the reward.
Bowl out—begging for monthly votes~