Chapter 257: Seventh Enhancement — Bai Fu Becomes Spiritual Leader
During Version 2.0, Bai Fu successfully increased the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster storyline exploration to 9.3%, and the Edge Worlds storyline exploration to 1.6%.
The numbers might not look large, but considering the size of these two maps, the actual improvement was downright staggering.
Therefore, the moment the official patch announcement dropped, Bai Fu had already been looking forward to this wave of buffs.
At midnight, downtime arrived right on time. The second after all Players vanished, Bai Fu heard that pleasant notification sound she had been waiting for.
【Confirming Plot Participation (0%……10%……)】
【……】
【Correcting Character Role (0%……2%……)】
【……】
This time, her Character Role didn’t change much.
Although she had done a lot during Version 2.0 and made her name even bigger, there was no fundamental qualitative change.
So this correction simply changed the tag from 【Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster Player Guide】 to 【Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster Spiritual Leader】.
Although the change was minor, the term 【Spiritual Leader】 still felt quite satisfying to look at.
With that pleasant feeling in her heart, Bai Fu checked the specific corrections to her Character Profile.
【Correction 1: Your race has undergone a special evolution. Talent [Psionic Devotion] has been corrected to [Faith’s Blessing]】
The Talent 【Psionic Devotion】 was something Bai Fu had drawn when she raided the Truth Society’s Marsk Laboratory.
It was pretty powerful back then—each additional psionic summon on the field granted her +1 Inspiration, up to 30 points, and she could sacrifice a psionic summon to restore 25 HP each.
But now…
Bai Fu looked at her base Inspiration of over 4200, and her nearly 300,000 HP.
This was beyond “mosquito leg” levels of insignificant!
Fortunately, the evolved 【Faith’s Blessing】 effect wasn’t bad.
When the power level of friendly psionic summons on the field exceeded a certain threshold: Inspiration +200, Psionic Recovery Speed +200%, HP Recovery Speed +150%.
That “threshold” wasn’t even a limit for Bai Fu—summoning any one of her legions easily exceeded it.
It was clear that 【Faith’s Blessing】 could continue to evolve.
When she eventually became an 【Apostle】 or 【Psionic God】, the bonuses would likely become absurd.
Bai Fu eagerly tapped the second notification.
【Correction 2: Talent [King of the Earth] and Talent [Void Physique (Bai Fu)] have merged into an exclusive talent. Please name this talent…】
“Huh? I can name it myself? Is it because there’s never been this kind of combination before?”
Bai Fu thought for a moment and simply named it 【Bai Fu】.
For no other reason than—this looked impressive.
Especially when Players capable of seeing this Talent would definitely think she was god-tier.
If a Talent named after yourself isn’t awesome, then what is?
Truly one of a kind!
In reality, the fused Talent didn’t change much—only the all-status resistance bonus increased from 2% to 4%.
【Correction 3: Your Void trait has undergone a new evolution. You have gained the new passive skill [Void Shelter]】
Bai Fu quickly glanced at the skill description.
Though both were “Shelter,” the effect of Void Shelter was vastly different from Psionic Shelter.
Psionic Shelter consumed psionic energy to create a shield for defense, whereas Void Shelter, being a passive skill, automatically absorbed Void energy when out of combat, forming a fictional HP bar up to 10% of her max HP.
Yes—this extra HP bar could stack with the second HP bar from 【Fictional Life】.
This meant that if Bai Fu timed her fights right, she could enter battle with 30% more HP than if she rushed in unprepared—almost 100,000 HP extra.
“Well now, lucky it’s only HP.
If it also boosted stamina or endurance, Cecia might cry—finally managed to beat me once, and then a month later she’s back to losing again.”
Bai Fu chuckled.
The bonuses from Fictional Life were indeed high, but it was far too easy to lose control of.
Even with a Player Interface, she didn’t dare mess around—if she accidentally turned herself into a monster, that would be the end.
If it were a sentient Void tentacle monster, maybe that’d be fine.
But if it was a mindless beast… might as well just off herself.
【Correction 4: Character Power Role changed from [Special Boss (Edge Worlds)] to [Nightmare-level Challenge Boss (Edge Worlds)]】
【Correction 5: Under 【Garden of Silence】, the 【Tide of the Dark Moon Private Armed Company】 will be corrected in Version 2.1 【Wind Tide】 to a well-known faction in the Edge Worlds】
Corrections 6 & 7 were to adjust the roles of Ulysses Star and the Garden of Silence’s Second Base.
Corrections 8, 9, 10 & 11 were adjustments to certain NPC members of the Garden of Silence.
Correction 12 was…
“…Hm?”
Bai Fu suddenly froze.
Something about this correction felt off!
【Correction 12: Based on your influence on the game’s storyline, in Version 2.1, you will obtain a Main Storyline Quest Seed】
“Main Storyline Quest Seed? What’s that?”
Bai Fu immediately tapped the details.
One look—and she was shocked.
The so-called Main Storyline Quest Seed meant she could directly create her own Main Storyline Quest—rather than previously, where she had to publish a chain of quests through the faction system, and only after official recognition would it become a main storyline.
This was flipping the script!
“Well damn…”
Bai Fu grew excited.
To her, this Quest Seed was like an imperial sword of authority in a TV drama—utterly badass.
With this, her ability to attract Players would multiply—evolving into Bai·Succubus·Fu pro max version.
She could make her opponents into “Villains” through the main quest, rallying all Players to attack them.
Of course, at her current level, anyone qualified to be her opponent wouldn’t be killable by Player swarms alone.
But she never intended for Players to actually kill them—only to elevate herself and demean her enemies.
Bai Fu = Goddess of Justice.
Her opponent = Great Villain opposed to Justice.
As everyone knew—in most games, villains got pummeled by the righteous.
Once Bai Fu shaped that perception through a Main Quest, even without active recruiting, Players would naturally side with her.
And for someone who thrived by siphoning massive amounts of XP from Players, that bias was priceless.
“This buff—this Quest Seed—is the real prize.”
Bai Fu couldn’t help but hum in satisfaction.
After checking all the buffs, she—as always—opened the faction interface and created two new instances for Players to spend money on.
Next was planning how to use the Main Quest Seed.
Since this quest was meant for Players, setting the difficulty too high would be inappropriate.
“First phase—have Players grind some Reputation and Favorability in the galaxy clusters around the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.”
“Once the Garden of Silence grows, we can team up with nearby forces for a big event—drag out some villain faction for target practice, let Players have fun.”
“After that, the game will probably be at Version 2.2 or 2.3. Then, depending on the Edge Worlds’ situation, we’ll decide whether to go after the Ten Saints Council or factions of the Taim Civilization.”
“The ultimate goal of this main quest is to make me—Bai Fu—the Goddess of Justice of the Edge Worlds!”
“Perfect. Let’s do it!”
Bai Fu quickly made her decision—but didn’t rush to use the Quest Seed yet.
The surrounding galaxy clusters still hadn’t replied to her earlier proposals.
She’d wait.
Bai Fu made full use of this waiting time—
As a 【Mentor】, she drafted detailed development plans for Hiye, Cecia, Yulia, Anya, and others—personally guiding them to improve themselves.
When they obtained items that could enhance their abilities, she personally taught them how to maximize their effects.
As an NPC with scouting skills, Bai Fu was even better at guiding other NPCs to grow than Yuan Yi, who was nicknamed the “mobile library.”
In just one month, Yulia had successfully advanced to S+ Peak.
Then—something happened that Bai Fu hadn’t expected!
This incredible progress speed shocked the researchers Starweb had sent to assist Yulia in developing a new life-restoration potion.
The researcher quickly reported the news, and soon, Starweb’s rotating chairman—Clavel—personally came to Ulysses Star, hoping that Bai Fu would, for the sake of their relationship, guide Starweb’s most promising S+ Psionicist.
It was no wonder Clavel was so eager—mainly because the vast Starweb didn’t have a single Calamity-class, leaving it constantly at a disadvantage in dealings with other galactic-level civilizations.
Before Bai Fu appeared, they often fell behind when dealing with certain rampant evil forces.
Bai Fu didn’t refuse.
For her, this was nothing more than lifting a finger.
With Spiritual Vision activated, she would tell the other party what negative statuses needed removing, which areas of knowledge they lacked, and which attributes they needed to focus on strengthening.
Three sentences—enough to move Clavel and the S+ Psionicist he brought to tears!
Many of these Psionicists who had been stuck at S+ Peak for years without advancing to Calamity-class either had some long-term debuff hanging on them or had gone down the wrong path into a dead end. Once Bai Fu pointed them in the right direction, they could quickly feel long-lost progress again.
The Starweb S+ Psionicist was just like that.
Half a month after Bai Fu’s guidance, he vaguely sensed he was touching the Calamity-class threshold. If all went well, in at most half a year he could advance.
“So miraculous?”
When the news spread, all civilizations and forces nearby were stunned.
This even included those currently negotiating with Bai Fu about forming a Mutual Aid Organization.
Seriously?
Bai Fu, a Psionic Priest, could actually guide Psionicists from different schools—martial artists, mentalists, espers—and it not only worked, but worked extremely well?
What kind of crazy plot twist was this?
At first, everyone thought it was fake, but after sending people to speak with that S+ Psionicist, they realized Bai Fu really was that amazing!
“No wonder Bai Fu’s strength rises so quickly—just how terrifying is her knowledge base?”
“It’s not just knowledge; her insight is top-tier—she hits the nail on the head every time.”
“In the Edge Worlds, only Mage Yuan Yi of the Arcane Library surpasses her in this regard, right?”
“How does Bai Fu do it?”
No one knew, but many were tempted.
If Bai Fu could guide them, could they too take another step forward in strength?
As more people had this thought, Ulysses Star welcomed a flood of visitors.
“I want to apply to join Tide of the Dark Moon!”
“Me too.”
“?”
Bai Fu never dreamed things would go this far.
She suddenly realized the Spiritual Vision skill was a big killer app for building her power.
Oh, not only for building power—but also for shaping a new image of herself, turning into a true “Saint” sought after by everyone from Psionicists to ordinary people.
“No problem at all.”
After a round of screening, Bai Fu recruited quite a few new S- and S+-class members for Tide of the Dark Moon, and even brought in a weak Calamity-class named “Dietrich.”
During the process, a spy from the Glorious Forces tried to slip in, but she caught him and refined him on the spot.
Unfortunately, she didn’t find the Glorious Forces’ hideout in his memory.
No matter—recently some Players had already infiltrated them. Sooner or later, she could use those Players and Virtual Heart to root out their base.
As Version 2.1 was about to launch, the surrounding galaxy clusters’ civilizations could no longer hold back and came to her.
Bai Fu of course knew what new conditions they had—it was nothing more than wanting her to give some guidance.
“No problem, but I also have a few conditions.”
She added some restrictive clauses to the agreement.
To her, guiding someone was just a matter of a few sentences—but she couldn’t let others know it was that easy. Otherwise, she couldn’t use it as leverage to trade for various benefits, and might even be targeted, captured, and imprisoned.
Those civilizations had no idea how many careful thoughts she harbored. Seeing Bai Fu agree, they breathed a sigh of relief, moved to tears.
If under Bai Fu’s guidance their civilization could produce more Calamity-class, or have their weaker Calamity-class promoted to higher rank, then even opening their markets and giving Bai Fu more profit would be worth it—
They could always earn more back from elsewhere.
Mutual aid—this mutual aid spirit really shone through.
“Perfect!”
Bai Fu stretched lazily in excitement.
The past two months had been very fulfilling for her—she had set the Garden of Silence’s development path for the next several years. Now she only had to wait for Players to return and send them in batches to other galaxy clusters to explore and earn money.
“Dietrich, you’re in charge of the Draco Galaxy Cluster next.”
“Cersia, you take the Cetus Galaxy Cluster.”
“Anya, you and Cypris hold the Second Base and deal with the Origin Consortium and Nilis.”
“Vic, you and Summer Poem are responsible for Ulysses.”
“Teresa, Ichi… you will be the mobile team to liaise with the various civilizations of the Initial Gate Galaxy Cluster.”
“Gao Yuan, Old Niesen—the surrounding development and investment business will be up to you to keep pushing.”
Bai Fu assigned new tasks to everyone in the faction.
Then, with Excavation-Princess’s Version 2.1 analysis video released, the Players who had been gone for two months finally returned.
【Version 2.1 will undoubtedly be a version where we Players can fully show our stuff】
【In this version, the Player level cap increases from 50 to 55, and we can finally advance to A-rank, becoming the backbone force of the Star Sea】
【The new version’s trailer repeatedly shows members of the various factions of the Taim Civilization—and of course, our Fu-fu. Clearly, the “Wind Tide” in 2.1 refers to the tide stirred up by the Taim Civil War】
【I boldly predict this tide will affect all surrounding civilizations, maybe even the entire Edge Worlds】
【But no worries—just follow Fu-fu’s lead and we’ll be fine. After all, Fu-fu is the officially appointed protagonist】
“A-rank unlocked? Time to harvest the Players again.”
Bai Fu’s eyes gleamed red.
The moment Players came online, she issued the first phase of a new Main Storyline Quest to develop nearby galaxy clusters to all Garden of Silence Players.
Then, she personally led the Guard and some high-contribution Players to nearby clusters to scout the terrain for future commissions.
A few months ago, when Players came to these places, the local NPCs all looked down their noses. This time, their attitude flipped 180 degrees—they nearly worshipped them.
The huge contrast amazed the Players. Learning that all the changes were thanks to Bai Fu, they calmed down immediately.
“Oh, it’s because of Fu-fu? Then it’s fine.”
Would it be surprising if the protagonist could do this?
With Excavation-Princess’s heavy promotion, the official publicity, and her own efforts, now no Player doubted Bai Fu was one of the Star Sea’s many protagonists.
The reason they said “one of” instead of “the only one” was because Players in other star sectors had also encountered suspected protagonists.
Those NPCs’ storylines weren’t as long as Bai Fu’s, but their highlight moments in the plot were no fewer.
Since she couldn’t meet those “protagonists” for now, Bai Fu had no intention of competing—she focused on her own business, pouring most of her energy into developing the Garden of Silence.
Meanwhile, the factions within the Taim Civilization fought ever more fiercely.
Their ambitions hadn’t lessened with the return of the Ten Saints Council. Lister did his best to defend, but against Nilis and Gustav’s coordinated offensives, he was beaten back repeatedly, losing many directly-controlled planets.
Several smaller factions rose and fell in the waves—confrontation, alliance, betrayal, merging—until they threw in with the Free Star System Alliance, giving that galaxy-level civilization the excuse it wanted to bite into the Taim Civilization.
The Alliance’s entry made the Taim Civil War’s situation even more unpredictable.
But more than the ship battles, Psionicist duels, and planetary struggles, what caught Bai Fu’s attention was the Glorious Forces’ movements.
Ever since the civil war began, they had been quiet. When everyone thought they wouldn’t act for a while, they suddenly struck big—
They attacked the home of the retired former Head of State, beheaded this longtime advocate of peace, and in the process, massacred many civilians attending his peace rally.
After the crime, they went online to call for everyone to rise up against the Taim Civilization’s rule.
The incident caused an uproar, with people all over the net cursing the Glorious Forces.
“Glorious? Glorious my ass!”
“So, Head of State—you’ve finally come to this step?”
This was a road of “succeed or die trying.”
Bai Fu guessed that next the Glorious Forces would go into rampage mode, committing crimes everywhere, and when public resentment peaked, that would be when the Head of State emerged to establish prestige.
“Need to find their hiding place quickly.”
Bai Fu considered sending more Players as spies—when suddenly, she received an urgent contact from the Head of State.
This time, it wasn’t for anything else—he wanted to hire her to deal with the Glorious Forces.
“Oh? Trying to kill me while I’m fighting them, to further rile up the Taim civilians?”
Bai Fu snorted coldly.
“Let’s see who sacrifices whom!”