Chapter 342: Isn’t It Natural for a Mother to Dote on Her Daughter?
Taking advantage of Élisée being stunned by her sudden appearance, Bai Fu threw an Apostle’s Psionic Vision at her.
【Name】: Élisée Kaya (Awakened…)
【Template】: Olden Awakened (Awakening Progress 12.5%)
【Main Class】: Tuner Lv19［+150］, Star-Chaser Lv37［+110］
【Sub Class】: None
【HP】: ……
【Stats】: ……
【Skills】: ……
【Talents】: Great Luck, Totality, Tuning, Superstring, Ethereal Particles……
【Favorability】: As Close as Mother and Daughter (93)
【Danger Level】: Green
A long attribute panel floated in front of Bai Fu.
The panel did not directly point out that Élisée was the God of the Ethereal Realm, yet the template’s description, some of the skills, and some of the talents all hinted at her identity as such.
【Olden Awakened】: Élisée was a lifeform born of the Olden days.
【Totality】: Élisée mastered all nine psionic attributes.
【Tuning】: Élisée grasped the true essence of psionics, able to use ［Tuning］ to alter the attributes of external psionic energy.
【Superstring】: Élisée comprehended the true essence of dark energy, able to use ［Superstring］ to invade all lifeforms, including mechanical life.
【Ethereal Particles】: From her understanding of psionics and dark energy, Élisée fused nine units of psionics with one unit of dark energy, accidentally giving birth to Ethereal Particles. These particles were gradually changing her body and soul.
Look, just look.
Just speaking of Élisée’s level of comprehension of psionics and dark energy—was this something an ordinary person could achieve?
No.
Forget ordinary people—even ordinary Apostles did not have her level!
Take the Fourth Apostle for example—if it had talents similar to Élisée’s, would it have any need to cooperate with the Apostolic Holy City? Wouldn’t it just seize the city by force and turn the entire Apostolic Holy City into its servants?
The Apostolic Holy City would stand no chance.
A single 【Tuning】 was enough to cripple more than half of the Apostolic Holy City’s strength, that cosmos-level civilization with its singular system of power.
“Ethereal Particles… could this be the very method required by the 【Path of Fusion】 quest for completely merging psionics and dark energy?”
Bai Fu’s eyes sparkled with excitement, itching to pounce on Élisée right then and there.
But she absolutely could not get carried away at this moment.
If she got too worked up and startled Élisée back to her senses, making her realize that Bai Fu wasn’t actually her “mother,” this golden mountain would fly away.
Bai Fu did not think herself capable of forcefully reading the God of the Ethereal Realm’s memories.
Even a Cosmic Treasure had its limits.
And clearly, the Ark of Heaven’s limits were beneath Élisée’s.
So—what could she do to coax Élisée into imparting that entire string of awe-inspiring knowledge, without arousing suspicion or rejection?
Bai Fu’s mind raced.
Time was running short, for Élisée was already snapping out of her shock, beginning to ask how Bai Fu was still alive.
Light and dark… light born of dark… Élisée had said she wished to protect the Garden of Silence, to ensure it remained great…
Oh? There it was!
A cunning idea suddenly came to Bai Fu.
She instantly switched on her Best Actress mode. Her previously taut posture gradually relaxed, her gaze toward Élisée softening with warmth.
“Élisée, have you remembered? Those memories—those fragments of our past together…”
Élisée nodded firmly: “Though scattered, I really have remembered many things!”
Bai Fu lifted her head, her gaze drifting—perhaps into the past.
“That day…”
She spoke of being ambushed by the Original Pact, merely omitting the fact that she herself had staged it.
Élisée listened with bated breath.
“At the brink of death, I urgently activated the imprint I had left inside you. That imprint was called 【Olden Awakening】.”
“In that very instant of activation, I fell into endless darkness from the attack of the Original Pact’s leader.”
“Because it happened so suddenly, I thought I was doomed. I also feared whether the imprint inside you had truly activated.”
“Fortunately, things did not turn out for the worst.”
“My body was utterly destroyed, yet my soul managed to linger through a special state called 【Projection】. Though uncertain of when I could return to normal, I was still alive—and so long as one lived, there was hope. As for you, Élisée, my child, you awakened smoothly. Though you still have some distance from the transcendent rank, under my guidance I believe you will soon fully master the power within you and become one of the strongest under these stars!”
Stared at by Bai Fu’s burning gaze, Élisée’s heart surged with emotion.
So it was! So it was!
【Mother】 was not dead—how wonderful that was!
With the great waves descending, she had wanted to guard the Garden of Silence with her own strength. Originally, she worried she might not be able to—but now, she had no fear.
With 【Mother】’s guidance, and having inherited her strength, how could she not grow rapidly?
Ha!
Detestable Original Pact—just you wait for the shock of your lives!
“Very good, Élisée. I like that look in your eyes.” Bai Fu praised.
Élisée asked: “Mother—please allow me to call you Mother—I want to know, what can I do for you now?”
Bai Fu shook her head: “You cannot help me now. What you must do is raise your strength properly.”
“But…”
Meeting Élisée’s yearning gaze, Bai Fu furrowed her brows: “It’s not that you can’t help at all. Élisée, don’t you want to protect the Garden of Silence? In that case, I have a plan.”
Bai Fu’s plan was to seize this chance to slip into the shadows.
Since the Original Pact thought she was dead, why not let them believe it a while longer?
During this time of feigned death, she could push Élisée into the spotlight, making her the new banner of the Garden of Silence, handling its affairs in the open.
This way, she could both tether Élisée to her side for easier coaxing, and also use her reputation to attract more Players to join the Garden of Silence.
Everyone knew version 3.0 had two protagonists.
Bai Fu, symbol of darkness, was the founder of the Garden of Silence. Now, Élisée, symbol of light, had also arrived and become its new banner. So—which faction had the brighter future? Wasn’t it obvious?
Joining the Garden of Silence was the only choice!
“As expected of me, to think up such a perfectly fitting plan for 3.0’s theme of Light and Dark in one stroke!”
Bai Fu began explaining her plan to Élisée.
Of course, the version she told Élisée was trimmed and beautified.
No mention of using her name to draw Players, nor of tricking her in the process.
Élisée was stunned: “Make me the new banner of the Garden of Silence? No, no, Mother, that flatters me too much. I’ve only just arrived—how could I hold such a high position? Better let Mama Yulia, or the White King, the Black King, or Sister Shadow-Fu instead!”
Bai Fu shook her head: “You need not decline. They all have other matters to attend to.”
Under Bai Fu’s persuasion, Élisée ultimately accepted the heavy responsibility.
Yet she still worried.
Though Bai Fu and Yulia had acknowledged her, and the White King, the Black King, and Shadow-Fu would accept her because of Bai Fu—what about the others?
What of the geniuses of the Garden of Silence, the Undying Ones of the Garden of Silence—would they accept her?
“They will, Élisée. Believe in your own charm!”
“I’m not comforting you, I’m only stating a fact. I created you—how could I not know how great your charm is?”
With Bai Fu’s smooth words, Élisée grew dizzy and dazed.
“Good. Go rest for now. Soon, Yulia will take you outside and announce your new identity to the world.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Led by a Tiny Bai Fu, Élisée went to the guest room.
Once she had left, Yulia—who had been smiling all along—flashed instantly to Bai Fu’s side.
Her smile widened even more.
“Care to tell me what this is about? How did you suddenly end up with such a big child?”
“What child? She just misunderstood the relationship between us.”
Bai Fu pouted and told Yulia the truth.
Wow—you’re truly wicked!
“You’re not afraid she’ll fully recover her memories one day and chase you down in fury?”
“It’s fine. As long as I run away before she regains her memories, it’ll be alright. Besides, when that time comes, it’s not certain she can even defeat me.”
Yulia: “……”
Alright then, since you insist on doing this, I’ll play along with your act.
“Should we tell Anya and Hiye the truth?”
“Of course. If we don’t, what if a slip-up gives us away?”
An hour later.
Anya, Hiye, Cecia, and the other core members of the Garden of Silence all knew the inside story.
Another hour later.
The rest of the Garden of Silence’s members, along with the Players, all received a message: Chief Secretary Yulia would be delivering a speech at the central square of the Esper Garden. Reportedly, the speech was of great importance.
【Could it be that war is about to break out?】
【Unlikely so soon. Maybe they’re planning some massive project.】
Players gathered together, discussing the possible theme of the speech.
They had pushed their imagination to the limit, but when Yulia called Élisée onto the stage, they were struck dumb in disbelief.
É-É-É-Élisée?
Wasn’t that Élisée?
She had been famous for three whole versions already, had even made the official homepage in version 3.0. By now, almost every Player in the game recognized her. Among all NPCs, her fame was second only to Bai Fu.
Thus, the Players of the Garden of Silence immediately recognized her.
But was this reasonable?
How could Élisée, the protagonist of the Revolutionary Army faction representing light, suddenly appear in Bai Fu’s faction—the Garden of Silence, one of the three cosmos-level civilizations representing darkness?
Could it be she had been captured?
So that’s what the officials meant by light and dark intertwining!
But very quickly, everyone realized they had oversimplified things.
Captured?
Pah.
Élisée had come of her own accord.
What’s more, from this moment forth, she would replace Yulia as the new Chief Secretary of the Garden of Silence!
Boom!
Like a nuclear bomb dropped into the sea, an unending roar surged across the vast plaza.
“What?”
Even Digging-Treasure, who had once preached 【Light Born of Dark】 during the version update, rubbed her eyes frantically in shock.
It had to be an illusion. Yes—this must be an illusion!
The Players of the Revolutionary Army faction, watching through livestream, felt completely numb.
【Wait, can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?】
【Where’s my precious Élisée? How the hell did my precious Élisée run off to Bai Fu’s side?!】
【Oh, oh, I get it now—that’s what they meant by light and dark intertwining!】
【Damn it, I’m splitting apart inside! I just joined the Shadow Legion, and now you’re telling me Élisée defected to Bai Fu?!】
【Crap crap crap, Bai Fu stole my wife!】
A swarm of Revolutionary Army Players howled in the livestreams and community.
And there was another group of Players who didn’t howl—but their mentality exploded even harder.
They had joined the Revolutionary Army not because they believed in its future, but purely out of dislike for Bai Fu. They wanted to oppose her by siding with her rival faction that had a protagonist of its own.
And now…
The protagonist had defected!
What a sin—what sort of sorcery did that enchantress Bai Fu possess?!
【So what now?】
No one knew.
Those who despised Bai Fu could not get past their resentment. But for others, thoughts were shifting.
If Élisée had defected to Bai Fu and was being entrusted with such an important role, didn’t that mean the Revolutionary Army had no future in version 3.0? That Bai Fu’s side was the true path to greatness?
Of course it did.
In that case—switch factions!
“This way, I can harvest even more XP. And this time, it’s high-quality crops that have never been exploited by me before.”
Watching the shifting winds of public opinion in the community, Bai Fu’s mood soared.
A few minutes later, she suddenly received a message from Élisée.
Hm?
A phantom appeared before Élisée: “Élisée, what do you want from me?”
Élisée’s chest rose and fell slightly with excitement.
Before stepping onstage at Yulia’s invitation, she had been terribly anxious, worried that she would be booed.
But events had gone far beyond her expectations.
Many had accepted her—not only refraining from booing, but cheering and applauding instead.
Of course, there were still some who couldn’t understand the decision.
Élisée could understand them. But she wanted to do something, to help them accept her as quickly as possible. Only then could she better unite the Garden of Silence into a single force, unleashing even greater power.
Yet she didn’t know how. And so she came to Bai Fu.
“Mother, I shouldn’t disturb you, but…”
“How is this a disturbance? Whatever questions you have, you can always ask me. Whatever’s on your mind, you can always come to me. I’ve got nothing but time.”
Élisée was deeply moved: “Mother, you’re so good to me.”
Bai Fu smiled: “Isn’t it natural for a mother to dote on her daughter? Alright, let’s get to the point. If you want them to trust you, the best way is to let them witness your abilities. That includes both administrative ability and personal strength. Administrative ability is hard to show in the short term, but personal strength is another matter.”
Élisée: “So, Mother, you mean I should fight them?”
Bai Fu rolled her eyes.
Fight? If she fought them, they’d just resent her even more.
“What I mean is that you should guide them in cultivation. That was originally my responsibility. If you can replace me and do it well, won’t they accept you then?”
Élisée’s eyes lit up.
That made sense.
So what should she teach them?
Naturally, how to fuse psionics and dark energy… cough cough. No, that was too fast. If Élisée grew suspicious, it would be bad. Better to start with guiding them in mastering different psionic attributes first!
Élisée nodded.
“I’ll give it a try!”
“Go on, go on.”
Bai Fu waved at Élisée with a cheerful smile.
Hehe.
At last, she had found a perfectly legitimate way to steal Élisée’s abilities!
While Bai Fu was busy stealing, new movement finally stirred within the Apostolic Holy City.