Chapter 231: Fourth Calamity Charges, Emergency Event
Since they already knew where the Secret Tower Headquarters was located, the Joint Fleet naturally wouldn’t waste time here.
After cleaning up the people who had traveled together with the Master of the Secret Tower and the decoy fleet they had previously surrounded, they immediately altered course and headed straight for the Star Gate coordinates provided by Bai Fu.
"Capturing the Secret Tower Headquarters should be enough to settle the quest."
Bai Fu was quite thrilled.
Eliminating the Master of the Secret Tower and the Dark Domain Insect Queen's avatar had earned her 2.1 billion XP. She spent half of it to max out her Psychic Forcefield. If she could now complete the mission to destroy the Secret Tower, that would easily net her another 2 to 3 billion XP in one go, right?
That would be enough for her to level up again and grab some new Prayer Cards to boost her combat power.
However, no matter how much 2 to 3 billion XP sounded, it was still too little for her current level.
The Calamity tier spanned 40 levels, broader than any tier before. Therefore, the power gap between Calamity-level psionicists was enormous.
Take the recent battle, for instance—she had just ascended and could already easily crush the Master of the Secret Tower. If she went all out, she could momentarily raise her Inspiration to 3062 points. Never mind one Master of the Secret Tower, even if it was the Master of the Secret Tower and the Dark Domain Insect Queen's avatar combined and then doubled, they still wouldn't be her match.
"The Dark Domain Insect Queen's avatar could withstand the attacks of three Calamity-level psionicists for a time. Although those three weren’t going all out, her true form must be no joke. Could she possess Domination-level strength?"
Bai Fu's expression turned grim.
After all, Sypris at her peak had Domination-level strength. The Dark Domain Insect Queen, who had backstabbed her, couldn't be far off.
Domination... that's insanely powerful!
From Calamity to Domination was also known as "Awakening," the most notable reason being that Domination-level beings possessed the power known as "Domain."
"Domain" was similar to the "Calamity Crown" in that it granted all sorts of enhancements to the psionicist, but it had the additional ability to affect surrounding space.
In gaming terms, a Domination-level psionicist would carry an aura that buffed or debuffed all targets within range!
Before the fight even began, you'd get nerfed out of nowhere. Now tell me, isn't that hard to deal with?
The good news was that Bai Fu wasn’t without countermeasures.
First, she had the Sypris card in her hand.
Second, various racial talents from the Prophet allowed her to max out her escape ability. As long as she didn’t run into certain specific Domination-level psionicists, she still had a shot at retreating. But if the enemy already possessed Transcendent-rank strength, then she might as well lie flat and wait for death. There’d be no chance.
"Now that there's no more bottleneck from advanced knowledge, I need to boost my strength quickly. After finishing off the Secret Tower, I’ll hurry off to other Newbie Planets to become the head reaper!"
A small player, pale and white, with two raised arms, reaping money and XP alike.
Beep—beep—
Just after the fleet had covered most of the distance, Bai Fu suddenly received a message from Scarlet Leaf.
"Bai Fu, something happened. Someone broke into the Star Gate I was guarding. What should I do?"
"Did you see who it was?"
"Couldn’t recognize them. Just saw it was a Star Shuttle. That’s a high-speed special ship produced by the Supernova Legion. Anyone who can afford that kind of ship is definitely not ordinary!"
Bai Fu paused.
Could it be the Secret Tower’s backer?
No, that didn’t add up.
If it really was the Secret Tower’s backer, why didn’t they pilot a ship to rescue the Master of the Secret Tower and the Dark Domain Insect Queen?
So, if it wasn’t a backer, were they here to snatch something instead?
"Does the Secret Tower have anything worth stealing?"
To Bai Fu, the good stuff in the Secret Tower wasn’t much. The only thing she truly coveted was the remaining Dissociative Agent Base Samples. Oh, and if she could seize the Secret Tower’s bank account, that would be delightful.
But to others...
Bai Fu honestly couldn’t think of anything in the Secret Tower worth robbing.
"Don’t act rashly. Just keep watch. The Joint Fleet and I will arrive soon."
Bai Fu’s expression grew somewhat serious.
She didn’t keep it to herself. After ending the conversation with Scarlet Leaf, she immediately informed the rest of the Joint Fleet.
Hearing that an unidentified individual had intruded, the Joint Fleet also panicked, fearing that the Secret Tower might still have a chance to make a comeback.
The Secret Tower originated from the Phantom Civilization that had fought them for over a thousand years. They absolutely did not want to leave behind any seeds of trouble after wiping out the Secret Tower, lest it spark another centuries- or millennia-long war.
Half a day later.
The fleet successfully reached the vicinity of the Star Gate.
While queuing to traverse the Star Gate, Cecia walked up to Bai Fu.
She felt surreal.
After breaking away from the Secret Tower, she had once sworn to kill everyone inside who had ever mocked her.
But she also knew that was an incredibly difficult goal, so she hadn’t really believed it possible. Yet now, she was just one step away from that dream.
How fickle fate was.
All of this was thanks to Bai Fu. She really wanted to reward Bai Fu on the spot!
But she had to hold back—so many people were around. She only enjoyed rewarding Bai Fu in front of Scarlet Leaf.
"Thank you."
Cecia took a deep breath, her foxlike face lighting up with a heartfelt smile.
Bai Fu nodded lightly. "There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’ll wait until we catch the Secret Tower’s Chief Steward."
Cecia seemed thoughtful.
Soon, it was finally their ship’s turn to pass through the Star Gate. As the ship’s AI chimed, the players inside the ship erupted in cheers.
【Charge, charge!】
【Final battle, here I come!】
Back during the battleship barrage in deep space, players didn’t have much to do—either man the ship’s cannons or pilot carrier-based aircraft for kamikaze charges against enemy ships.
But now, the assault on the Secret Tower’s headquarters was a ground war, their turf!
Over a million players charging at once—the spectacle, the immersion, the experience...
【Hiss—】
Even the usually non-combatant Treasure Digger was now boiling with blood.
This was an unprecedented super mass battle!
Miss this one, and who knew how long they’d have to wait for the next?
【I’ve decided. I’m joining this battle too! Kill, kill, kill!】
The livestream room was flooded with question marks.
You? In battle?
Bet you’ll get insta-killed the moment you enter.
Treasure Digger was instantly indignant.
【Don’t underestimate the bond between us million-plus players!】
Besides, she was weak, but she could cling to a powerhouse.
Events soon turned out completely against the livestream audience’s expectations.
When the players followed the main force through the Star Gate and stormed the Secret Tower headquarters, the Secret Tower crumbled immediately.
Too sudden.
Just a while ago, the Chief Steward and other Secret Tower executives were still dreaming about outmaneuvering the Alliance and sweeping them away with the Spear of Lamentation plan.
Next thing they knew, the Joint Fleet had reached their headquarters and announced that both the Master of the Secret Tower and the Dark Domain Insect Queen’s avatar were dead.
At that moment, every member of the Secret Tower—including the Chief Steward—knew one thing:
The tide had turned!
The Secret Tower was finished.
Their only option now was to escape however they could.
On one side, there were dispirited Secret Tower members; on the other, blood-pumped players. Even though the Secret Tower deployed masses of Dark Domain Insects to assist in battle, the tide turned completely toward the players the moment the fight started.
In such a steamroll, even Treasure Digger fought like Xiang Yu.
Hahaha—hiya!
She threw out a few Prayer Cards, and the Dark Domain Insects lunging at her were instantly pierced by white spears, blood spraying as they died mid-air.
【Invincible, okay? I just usually don’t like fighting. When I do, I’m still super strong!】
Treasure Digger bragged excitedly.
By now, few viewers in the livestream paid attention to her words. Everyone was fully immersed in the action.
This was what real army warfare looked like! Damn it, why couldn’t they participate too? Why could they only watch?
【If only I had been born on Ancestral Source Star, Azure Sky Star, or Jingu Star!】
【Following Bai Fu is just too satisfying】
"Very good!"
Watching the players rampage through the Secret Tower base, Bai Fu nodded with satisfaction.
After this great battle ended, these players would surely earn tons of experience and Credit Coins, making them ripe for exploitation—an excellent chance for her to squeeze them dry.
Eat, and eat your fill all at once!
"Let me see where the last Calamity-level of the Secret Tower is hiding."
Bai Fu scanned around, searching for the Chief Steward's figure. She wanted to raise her Destruction Contribution a bit more before the quest settled. Ideally, she could push it past 40%. Right now it was at 38.2%. If she could eliminate the Chief Steward, it would definitely surpass 40%. Whether it could reach 45% depended on how important the Chief Steward was within the Secret Tower.
As she looked around, she suddenly saw a massive mushroom cloud bloom deep within the Secret Tower Headquarters.
Boom!
Red light lit up the sky.
"What just happened?"
Everyone turned toward the explosion. Through the smoke and dust, the Chief Steward of the Secret Tower emerged in panic.
Then, a figure radiating faint blue light shot into the sky, attempting to intercept the Chief Steward by launching countless streams of green slime from the ground.
These streams exploded mid-air, fragmenting and weaving into a massive swamp in the sky.
Faced with this situation, the blue-glowing figure had to give up chasing the Chief Steward and turned back to deal with the slime trying to entangle him.
"This slime… isn't that the Dark Domain Insect Queen's ability? That light-blue figure..."
"I know him!"
Scarlet Leaf emerged, her eyes widening as her fists clenched involuntarily.
"Ghost Hand Frank, upper Calamity-level! He has deep ties with the Taim Civilization and is usually at odds with the Star Covenant. It looks like he came in that Star Shuttle!"
Taim Civilization?
Bai Fu suddenly remembered.
During a meeting with Andras, he had mentioned that a small alliance within the Origin Consortium wanted to push for the consortium to align with the Taim Civilization and thereby link up with their backer, the Supernova Legion.
After learning this, she had looked into the Taim Civilization’s background. The Taim Civilization was one of the strongest sector-level civilizations in the Edge Worlds region. Because the Supernova Legion backed them, even the three Transcendent-rank psionicists of the Edge Worlds rarely picked a fight with the Taim Civilization.
So what was an upper Calamity-level with strong ties to the Taim Civilization doing at the Secret Tower Headquarters?
Bai Fu couldn’t figure it out.
But she also knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. This was a golden chance to strike a drowning dog—she absolutely couldn’t let the Chief Steward escape.
She charged ahead, leading the pursuit of the Chief Steward, who had just shaken off Frank.
From a stats standpoint, the Chief Steward's strength should have been slightly higher than the Master of the Secret Tower’s, but that slight edge meant little in front of Bai Fu, who had activated "Blessing of the Mind."
Trying to run?
Bai Fu laughed.
Once the battle shifted to the planetary surface, her Psionic Army would grow even stronger. The Chief Steward had no chance of escaping!
"I’ll help you!"
The crowd surged forward.
Some helped Frank, others aided Bai Fu.
Under the group assault, no matter how wildly the Chief Steward tried to flee, he was eventually beaten to his knees.
After all, he was facing Bai Fu, Hei Fu, Scarlet Leaf, and a Calamity-level from the Tide Civilization—four Calamity-level powerhouses.
"Wait, don’t kill him yet. I have a few words to say to him in private."
Once Bai Fu spoke, the Alliance members had no objections. They voluntarily moved away to deal with other Secret Tower personnel.
In the crater formed by the explosion, Bai Fu and the Chief Steward faced each other. Behind her stood Scarlet Leaf and Cecia.
"Are you here to give a victory speech?"
The Chief Steward wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and let out a cold laugh.
The feeling of losing all hope was unbearable. By now, he had nothing left to say to Bai Fu. His gaze shifted, eventually resting on Cecia, filled with guilt.
"I have nothing to say to you. You’re just a passerby in my life. But to Cecia..." Bai Fu turned and called out Cecia’s name, "Cecia, remember I told you I had something to tell you after catching the Secret Tower’s Chief Steward? I can tell you now."
She revealed the truth about the lab where Cecia had stayed as a child, which the players had uncovered.
The Secret Tower had never been Cecia’s savior.
In fact, it was precisely because of the Secret Tower’s senior research director Scalpel that Cecia had become a half-human, half-spider.
Bai Fu explained, "Sorry. I’ve known for a while. I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid you’d lose control and do something irrational. Now that the Secret Tower is on the brink of collapse, I think it’s safe to tell you."
To her surprise, Cecia didn’t shout or scream upon hearing the news. Instead, she sighed and forced a smile.
"As expected. Actually... I had already suspected it. When you never brought up the investigation again, I figured the truth was something like this. Thank you."
Cecia looked at the wounded Chief Steward, momentarily at a loss for words.
It was the Secret Tower that had made her into what she was, but once she entered the Secret Tower, the Chief Steward had indeed taken care of her. That care was subtle but lasting.
"Why?" Cecia sought an answer.
The Chief Steward smiled, a relieved smile.
He had always worried Cecia would be mistreated by Bai Fu, but judging from Bai Fu’s words, this child—who so resembled his long-lost daughter—seemed to be living well, far better than she ever did in the Secret Tower.
That was good.
Suddenly, all his resentment toward Bai Fu vanished.
"The True Spirit Pillar is of no use to me anymore. Take it."
The Chief Steward pulled a True Spirit Pillar from his chest and handed it to Bai Fu.
Bai Fu recognized it. Wasn’t this the fake pillar she had retrieved for the Sanctification Order? What was this guy playing at?
She was confused and wanted to ask more, but the Chief Steward had already closed his eyes.
He was gravely wounded. His HP had been continuously dropping. If treated in time, he might have survived, but the fall of the Secret Tower had left him in despair. He had no will to keep going.
Let this be the end of his life.
Let him pass away alongside the Secret Tower, the Master of the Secret Tower, and his daughter.
—
432
The final damage value floated above the Chief Steward’s head.
The next second, Bai Fu received the kill notification.
"He’s dead."
She told Cecia.
Cecia bit her lip tightly, then turned and walked toward the ship after a long silence.
At this moment, the Secret Tower was completely, officially over.
Bai Fu received a notification for completing the mission to eliminate the Secret Tower, but she didn’t have time to check the rewards just yet—because Frank, having just finished off another avatar of the Dark Domain Insect Queen, was now staring at her.
More precisely, he was staring at the True Spirit Pillar in her hand.