Chapter 301: A Universal Civilization Exploited by Bai Fu Just the Same!
After returning to Origin Star, Bai Fu did not go out for several consecutive days.
During the day, she stayed in the factory of Eternal Night Pure Land, directing Tiny Bai Fu and Little Black Foxtail to produce colorful Prayer Cards and to feed the Sacrificial Staff.
This book was first published on 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
Whenever she had free time, she would stroll through the streets. Seeing the Players, though exploited by her, still showing joyful smiles on their faces made her smile as well.
Everyone had a bright future ahead!
At night, she had originally wanted to spar with the Oathmaster to exchange blows and deepen their bond. However, these past few nights, Anya kept sending her gifts to her room, and every time, the wrapping was different. Sometimes she even deliberately switched the packaging midway through the process.
Well, whatever. She had nothing urgent to do anyway. Sparring with Anya was still sparring, bonding with Anya was still bonding.
Just do it directly!
Bai Fu solemnly held an adult ceremony for Anya.
Back in the day, Anya had followed her around, calling her “Boss” at every turn. Though still rather flat, she was now a true adult.
「？」
Cipris circled around Anya several times.
「Why does your face look strange? It’s flushed far too much. Don’t tell me you’ve fallen ill?」
Anya waved her hand. 「What nonsense are you talking about? Who said I’m sick? This is clearly the result of eating too well—over-nourished.」
Cipris asked suspiciously. 「Eating too well? What did you eat? Let me have some too.」
Anya looked disgusted. 「No. If you want food, go buy your own.」
Cipris flapped her transparent wings furiously. 「Wow, how stingy can you be! You can’t even spare me a bite? Don’t forget, you wouldn’t be this strong without my help!」
No matter how much Cipris argued, Anya only repeated, “No.” This made Cipris so angry that she nearly exploded.
Until Bai Fu passed by.
「What are you two arguing about?」
Cipris flew over and explained what had just happened.
Anya: 「……」
Bai Fu: 「……」
Was that something you could just “eat” into being?
Bai Fu casually handed Cipris a few candies. 「Anya was teasing you. It wasn’t because of eating, but from excitement. The Empire and the Supernova Legion are about to reach a cooperation agreement. In a few days, the Supernova Legion will send a batch of supplies. Some of the things there will be useful for you and Anya.」
Cipris: 「？」
Really? Why do I feel like you’re the one lying now? If Anya hadn’t eaten something good, would she really look so smug?
Cipris wanted to press further, but Bai Fu was rushing to a meeting, so the matter was dropped.
After bidding farewell to the unreliable duo of Anya and Cipris, Bai Fu headed to the Iron Rust Legion’s station.
Just now, a new message came from the Empire. They had already identified who leaked her information to Titan Industries.
「So, who was it?」
Sword Emperor and Dmitri shook their heads helplessly and sighed. 「Srik—he is a member of the Imperial Senate, and also the previous heir of the Valkz family.」
Bai Fu was shocked.
Hearing this, she immediately understood why Sword Emperor and Dmitri looked so dispirited.
Within the Imperial Senate, there were five special honorary seats.
These five seats were reserved for the five families who had rendered unmatched service during the Empire’s thirty-thousand-year campaign.
They were collectively known as the Radiant Families.
The famous Emperor Ignatz had once sworn upon the Cosmic Void: as long as the Rebirth Empire stood, as long as the Cosmic Void remained, the Radiant Families would forever shine.
This oath was still carved today on the Eternal Star Monument at Emperor Ignatz’s tomb star, where countless people came to pay respect every year.
More than seven thousand years had passed since Emperor Ignatz’s death. Though the Radiant Families had long fallen from the top echelon of the Empire’s noble houses, successive emperors and the Senate had never treated them poorly.
Honor—they were granted plenty.
Favor—they were given more.
Even lucrative opportunities were occasionally tilted in their favor.
It could be said that the treatment enjoyed by the Radiant Families was greater than that of many of the Empire’s own rulers.
Their decline was not because of oppression by the Empire or any faction within it, but simply because they could no longer produce a Peerless Beyond Measure powerhouse. Without one to anchor them, after thousands, even tens of thousands of years of attrition, how could they not decline?
The Valkz family that Sword Emperor and Dmitri mentioned was one of the Radiant Families, and the oldest among them. Long before the Rebirth Empire had even been named—before the founding year—the Valkz ancestors had already fought alongside the imperial bloodline across the stars.
Srik, heir of the previous generation of the Valkz family, had his family’s interests tied entirely to the Empire. As a Dominator, he could soon receive Bai Fu’s guidance and had a decent chance to ascend to Peerless Beyond Measure. So—why would he betray the Empire?
The Empire could not understand.
And after learning Srik’s identity, Bai Fu could not understand either.
It made no sense.
Could Titan Industries really offer him more than the Empire?
Surely not.
Neither Sword Emperor, Dmitri, nor Bai Fu believed that Titan Industries could offer a better deal than 「helping Srik ascend to Peerless Beyond Measure」.
Could it be that Titan Industries had threatened him?
When Bai Fu raised this, Sword Emperor and Dmitri shook their heads.
「I can’t think of anything Titan Industries could threaten him with. Did he commit a crime himself? He has immunity to a degree. Were his relatives threatened? The Empire investigated—there was no such thing. Besides, if they really were threatened, why wouldn’t he just report it to the Empire and have them save his family?」
「Then could it be a mistaken identity?」 Bai Fu speculated.
Dmitri replied, 「We investigated all those in the know. Only he suddenly fled—and it happened on the very day you and I were attacked. Before leaving, he told his family he had done something that seemed like a mistake. At the time, they didn’t know what he meant, but now… His Majesty is furious, already considering stripping the Valkz family of their ‘Radiance’.」
Could His Majesty not be furious?
If the leak had not happened, the Empire could have secretly helped many Dominators ascend to Peerless Beyond Measure. By then, even if Titan Industries and the Supernova Legion joined forces, the Empire could still contend with them.
But now? The Empire’s path to ascension was disrupted. The Supernova Legion and Titan Industries were stirring up trouble, and surely the Apostolic Holy City would move upon hearing the news.
Radiance, my ass…
Bai Fu could already imagine how the Emperor must have been cursing.
That Emperor had likely been dreaming of becoming even greater than Ignatz.
And now? If not for the Valkz family’s protection under the name of Radiance, Bai Fu suspected the Emperor might have already drawn his sword.
「So what do you plan to do now?」
Dmitri said, 「The Empire has dispatched specialists to pursue Srik. But catching him isn’t the most important thing. What matters most is finding out why he betrayed us. If this remains unclear, His Majesty and the Senate will not rest easy.」
If even the heir of a Radiant Family could be swayed, then what about the others? Had they too betrayed the Empire, only waiting for the right moment to be exposed?
Dmitri explained that for this reason, the Empire had accelerated its negotiations with the Supernova Legion, hoping to jointly pressure Titan Industries into revealing what trick they had used on Srik.
「I see. No wonder you said just days later that you were already close to reaching a deal with the Supernova Legion.」
Bai Fu understood.
But she felt something was off.
Had Srik really been turned by Titan Industries?
There was definitely a key mission hidden within. The reason it hadn’t been triggered yet was likely that she still lacked crucial information.
With that in mind, Bai Fu, who had been uninterested in the negotiations, proactively requested to participate in the talks with the Supernova Legion and even Titan Industries.
The Empire welcomed this. With her directly involved, they could skip the step of relaying messages and act bolder in negotiations.
Finally, on the eve of the celebration for Bai Fu’s ascension to Peerless Beyond Measure, the Empire and the Supernova Legion signed a cooperation agreement.
Both sides agreed to conduct a full-scale defense collaboration in the Dark Zone. The agreement would last three years, and whether it would be extended depended on the Apostolic Holy City’s future moves.
Bai Fu, however, was more concerned about the benefits she would reap.
The agreement stipulated that the Supernova Legion would grant her authority equal to what she had in the Rebirth Empire, with all special treatments fully aligned with the Empire’s. The price she had to pay was far less than what the Empire had demanded for signing the same deal—this was the Empire’s strong insistence.
【We were the first to contact Bai Fu, the first to invest in her, and the first to establish comprehensive cooperation with her. If the Supernova Legion gets the same treatment as us, then weren’t we just screwed first for nothing?】
After several rounds of fruitless arguments, the Supernova Legion finally accepted the Empire’s demand.
On the second day after the signing of the agreement, the Supernova Legion dispatched a transport fleet to deliver the promised goods to Origin Star. They also issued an internal notice, announcing that leadership of the Undying Ones involved in the Dark Zone Exploration Project would be transferred to the Garden of Silence.
This order caused an uproar.
【What the hell?】
Players who saw the news were stunned.
Could things really work like this?
No—thinking about it carefully, it actually made sense. After all, the officials had already previewed that Bai Fu would be the protagonist of Version 3, and Excavation-Princess had analyzed before that Version 3 would be the version where Players truly shined.
Now that the Supernova Legion handed over command of their own Players to Bai Fu, wasn’t this laying the groundwork for the grand tide of Version 3?
Most of the Players whose factions had been switched cheered in excitement.
Sure, following the Supernova Legion was good, but following Bai Fu—the super backer of Players—was obviously far better!
Besides, the storyline had reached a point where a major quest was clearly about to arrive.
Yet, a small number of Players frowned. They had joined the Supernova Legion precisely because they disliked Bai Fu.
And now they were supposed to accept Bai Fu’s command?
What a joke.
Some of these Players directly quit the faction.
Others decided to play spy, joining the Garden of Silence, eating Bai Fu’s resources, using Bai Fu’s resources, and then—once the Apostolic Holy City arrived—they would defect, betraying Bai Fu in the process. “Hehe, sweet revenge!”
Bai Fu didn’t know if they’d feel satisfied, but she knew that after this wave, she would finally accumulate enough XP to complete her first Divine Transformation.
Eating my stuff?
First, eat your XP!
The Player community was in turmoil, and so were the NPCs.
The Supernova Legion’s order signaled one thing: they had aligned themselves with the Rebirth Empire!
Oh boy—the situation across the Star Sea was about to change drastically.
Some watched the show, some grew uneasy, and others grew furious.
The angriest, naturally, was Titan Industries, who had been hoping to ally with the Supernova Legion against the Rebirth Empire.
They were screwed!
Titan Industries’ president, Delano, nearly had his head split open.
What to do now?
Nothing!
“Damn you, Fitz! You dog—you actually ran to the Rebirth Empire’s side!”
While Delano raged, the representatives of the Rebirth Empire and the Supernova Legion had already arrived. There was no way the attack on Bai Fu could be settled peacefully anymore.
Facing the combined pressure of the Rebirth Empire and the Supernova Legion, Delano had no way to defend himself.
Titan Industries had no ability to deal with both the Rebirth Empire and the Supernova Legion at the same time. Worse yet, two of their Peerless Beyond Measure had already been captured. Titan Industries, at this point, had no hard capital left at all.
Delano nearly pulled his hair bald trying to think of countermeasures but still found none.
Just as the Legion Assistant of the Supernova Legion had thought, Titan Industries truly hadn’t considered asking the Apostolic Holy City for help.
Among the three Universal Civilizations of the explored cosmos, over twenty thousand years of struggle had forged an extremely awkward relationship. They all wished for the others’ demise, yet they constantly relied on one or two of the others, drifting between alliances and rivalries, alternating between quarrels and cooperation.
This was recorded in the book 《Records of the Empire’s Expansion into Star Ring Island》.
More than ten thousand years ago, during the 【Pioneering Era】, the Empire encountered the Universal Civilization Esper Garden dormant in the Dark Zone. Despite fighting with all their might, they could not defeat it.
The Empire had been in dire straits. If either the Supernova Legion or Titan Industries had attacked from the flank, the Empire would likely have collapsed into ruins.
Yet they did not. Instead, they accepted the Empire’s invitation and together attacked Esper Garden, ultimately destroying it.
Bai Fu believed that every one of the three Universal Civilizations held this mindset—
【They could lose, but only to the other two. If an outsider civilization stole the victory, wouldn’t the past twenty thousand years of their struggle become a joke?】
Thus, around Gagliani and Xuequan, the three Universal Civilizations pulled against one another for nearly twenty days.
For those twenty days, Bai Fu mostly just ate melon seeds, and by the end, she nearly couldn’t stomach them anymore. All the Dominators and Peerless Beyond Measure of the three Civilizations knew each other well, and had fought many times. When they held meetings, the scene was like a marketplace.
If not for the fact that they met in a virtual space instead of face-to-face, Bai Fu figured someone might have stormed outside to settle things with fists.
Finally, after much pulling and tugging, the three sides reached terms that were grudgingly acceptable to all.
As a bystander, Bai Fu reaped full profits. She estimated that once she fully digested the materials Titan Industries had sent, her Sacrificial Staff would be upgraded to a Universal Treasure.
「As expected of Universal Civilizations. Just a squeeze, and so many good things came out.」
Bai Fu felt completely at ease.
Speaking of negotiations, one matter had to be mentioned.
During the talks, the Rebirth Empire’s representative demanded that Titan Industries hand over Srik, and also explain how they had lured him.
This request dumbfounded Titan Industries.
Hand over Srik?
Wait—when was Srik ever with us?
As for luring him—that had never happened. How were they supposed to explain it?
At first, the Rebirth Empire thought Titan Industries was just being stubborn. But after repeated pressure from both them and the Supernova Legion, the truth came out: things were not at all what they had thought.
「So you don’t even know who gave you the intel? You only acted after activating other spies to confirm the information was true?」
This…
The Rebirth Empire grew even more confused about Srik’s actions.
If he wasn’t Titan Industries’ spy, could he be the Apostolic Holy City’s spy?
Bai Fu offered the Empire a suggestion: 「Issue a quest to the Undying Ones to search for Srik. When it comes to finding people, the Undying Ones may not be as professional as your agents, but as long as Srik appears in their view, they will definitely spot him.」
She was confident because Srik was now the Empire’s mortal enemy. If he appeared before Players in the Empire’s faction, his glaring red name would surely draw their attention.
The Empire’s people didn’t quite understand the logic, but since Bai Fu said so, they chose to believe her. After all, issuing a quest to the Undying Ones cost little.
Now, it was up to the Undying Ones to see if they could surprise them.
Three days after the negotiations ended, Bai Fu discovered that her long-triggered hidden quest 【Esper Evolution Tree (II)】 had finally become submit-ready.
Because she commanded an absurd number of Players, most at A-rank to S-rank strength, the quest rewards shot to the highest tier—
1 billion XP, a Special Talent, and +30 Connection with Esper Garden!
Bai Fu submitted the quest without hesitation.
After submission, she drew a new talent: 【Esper Genius】, which enhanced mastery and effectiveness of Esper Powers.
Though she had no Esper Powers herself, she could still use copied skills through the Esper Evolution Tree Atlas. Thus, this talent still had some effect.
But what she truly cared about was the Connection with Esper Garden. Upon completion, her value rose to 40.
Then she triggered 【Esper Evolution Tree (III)】, which required her to advance to Dominator, rewarding 1.5 billion XP and +30 Connection. She immediately submitted it.
【You have triggered the hidden quest ［Esper Evolution Tree (Final)］】
A new prompt appeared.
The final stage of the series looked deceptively simple: make a pilgrimage to Esper Garden. Its location was even marked directly on the map.
But Bai Fu keenly sensed danger in this quest.
「Quest reward: 10 billion XP, +30 Connection.」
This was 10 billion XP and a Universal Treasure. Even for Peerless Beyond Measure, such a reward implied massive risk.
Esper Garden surely held something dangerous—or else, something in the outside world would change against her once she entered.
「Better to wait until after my first Divine Transformation before heading there.」
Bai Fu wasn’t in a rush.
Esper Garden might be great, but she still had to live to use it.
She closed her quest interface. Days later, Titan Industries’ spaceship arrived at Origin Star to deliver reparations and supplies, and to take back Gagliani and Xuequan.
Upon learning they could finally leave, Gagliani and Xuequan were moved to tears.
「What happened to you two?」
Everyone stared at Gagliani and Xuequan in shock.
Bai Fu wore an innocent look.
Not her fault—blame the Beast God! It was the Beast God who tortured them!
「Come visit when you have time.」
Bai Fu waved at Gagliani and Xuequan, nearly scaring them unconscious.
Visit again? Another round and they’d die for sure!
With their bodies just reconstructed, the two quickly bolted into the ship. They never wanted to see Bai Fu again.
Shortly after Gagliani and Xuequan returned to Titan Industries, news suddenly came from the Dark Zone.
The Supernova Legion’s exploration team had discovered a civilization there. This civilization was under attack by the Apostolic Holy City, and after contact with the Legion’s team, they sent out a distress signal.
【Here it comes—the interstellar war teased in the preview!】
All the Players grew excited.