Chapter 344: World-shaking Wisdom, Worthy of Bai Fu!
The full-scale invasion of the Apostolic Holy City made everyone in the Explored Universe feel the pressure.
Even the lawless Players were no exception.
But more than pressure, what filled the Players’ hearts was excitement.
The width of a grand interstellar war spanned at least billions of light-years.
On such a vast front, it was impossible for just the Sovereigns and Transcendents to hold the lines, so both sides would dispatch countless warships—and this was the moment for the Players to shine.
Their military discipline was indeed inferior to the seasoned warriors of the ace legions on both sides. Yet their unique nature allowed them to accomplish many things that even the ace legions could not.
For example—
Penetrating deep into the warzone, establishing detection stations as close as possible to the enemy or even behind enemy lines!
This mission was not exclusive to the Players.
But if entrusted to others, the hidden risks were immense.
Once a detection station was discovered by the Apostolic Holy City, its fate would inevitably be annihilation.
And if it were merely death, that would still be considered lucky.
In war, after all, who could expect no casualties?
But if those inside the detection station were captured and had their memories extracted—or worse, surrendered to the Apostolic Holy City under immense pressure, leading to critical intelligence leaks—that would be true disaster.
Sending the Players to carry out this task removed these concerns.
The Three Universal Civilizations had conducted extensive experiments and were certain: a Player’s memory was absolutely impossible to extract.
As for the Players surrendering to the Apostolic Holy City under pressure…
With Bai Fu, the supreme succubus, around, that possibility was negligible to the point of being dismissed.
“I’ve already sent ships to transport the Undying Ones to the front lines. They are expected to arrive at Camp B33 in four days. The rest will be up to you.”
Inside the virtual conference room, after glancing at the message from Élisée, Bai Fu looked up and spoke to the seated Buvalo and Dmitri.
Buvalo said: “Rest assured. I will personally oversee this operation.”
Bai Fu nodded: “Good.”
The battle situation was still uncertain, and with the Original Pact lurking with ill intent, she had no intention of rushing to the front to assist the Three Universal Civilizations in resisting the Apostolic Holy City.
Her plan was to continue remotely directing Shadow Fu and the others to stir up chaos within the Apostolic Holy City.
She refused to believe it—
Could such a massive Apostolic Holy City truly not be forced to divert troops away for reinforcements?
If not… fine, fine, then she would admit they were formidable!
But Bai Fu was not one to be underestimated either.
If they refused to come back, then she would simply make the Apostolic Holy City her own home.
When in a good mood, she would sneak into their databases to download the latest research on Psionics and Dark Energy.
When in a bad mood, she would smash the statues of the Supreme Apostles and even dump excrement on the ruins.
Even if such acts did not inflict any substantial losses on their army, they would at least disgust them greatly!
In short, with Sui Xi as the mole inside, Bai Fu was confident she would never return empty-handed. If fortune favored her, she might even seize something that could enhance her own strength—that would be perfect.
While Bai Fu cross-referenced the maps secretly sent by Sui Xi to plan her raids, the first batch of Players had already arrived at the front lines and begun their missions under Buvalo’s command.
The Apostolic Holy City’s advance was extremely fast, and the Three Universal Civilizations urgently needed a localized victory to stall their momentum and buy time to prepare.
To that end, they devised two plans.
The first was to send Players behind enemy lines to establish detection stations, pinpoint weaknesses in the Apostolic Holy City’s formations, and strike from there.
If that failed, they would be forced to adopt the riskier second plan: lure the enemy deep.
【Back in version 2.3, the officials kept hinting that our influence on the main storyline would grow larger. At the time, I thought it was just hype and empty promises.】
【Never thought we’d actually shoulder responsibilities heavy enough to decide the future of several Universal Civilizations!】
【Brothers, this is Iron Rain Guild’s time to shine. We must be the first to establish a detection station!】
【Yes! No shortage of video material now. If we capture some stunning star battle footage, maybe we could even sell it to film companies for a profit.】
The Players who received the mission were ecstatic.
Since joining the Garden of Silence, they had participated in numerous interstellar wars.
But never had they taken part in a battle of this scale.
With warships counted in the trillions, and battleships measured in planetary sizes, on a battlefield billions of light-years wide, countless faint lights ignited simultaneously, ultimately converging into a radiant path called the 【Road of Heroes】.
For the Garden of Silence!
For the Explored Universe!
For inscribing their names upon the Eternal Star Monument that would be sung for countless years to come!
Charge!
Amidst the cries, the Players piloted their ships into the depths of the starry sea, as thrilled as pirates setting sail for the ocean in pursuit of the One Piece.
“Let’s hope all goes well.”
Watching the Players take off from the hastily constructed spaceport, Buvalo and the others said gravely.
“Now, it’s our turn to act.”
Shortly after the Players departed, the Three Universal Civilizations launched assaults in multiple regions of direct conflict with the Apostolic Holy City.
Warships tore through the ink-black cosmos like sharp arrows, etching deep scars of energy across light-years. Wherever they passed, stars collapsed.
Such enormous disturbances immediately drew the Apostolic Holy City’s attention.
【The NPCs have drawn their focus. It’s our turn now—activate warp mode!】
The Players, upon receiving the signal, all activated their warp drives.
This was the assault of tens of millions. Even if only one succeeded, the fate of the entire world would shift!
……
“Oh? A group of rats suddenly slipped behind us.”
At the very front of the bridge of the Eternal Infinite, the Supreme Apostle, who had stood expressionless with his staff all this time, suddenly smiled.
“Is it an attempt to ambush, or some other ploy? Knowing they cannot match us in frontal battle, they keep scheming with little tricks. A fine idea, but unfortunately, this time, I brought with me the Apostolic Core Authority!”
As his words fell, his eyes turned into dazzling gold.
A phantom veil unfurled before him.
On its surface, countless threads pulsed.
Most threads fluctuated at similar frequencies, but a few discordant ones stood out, deliberately highlighted.
“Send them on their way.”
Plop… plop…
The threads dropped onto the nearby map, finally transforming into coordinates.
“Yes!”
The intelligence officer aboard the ship, after receiving the order, rushed off excitedly.
Moments later, from each of the nine Holy Fleets of the Apostolic Holy City, a smaller fleet detached.
These small fleets moved at astonishing speed, reaching the designated coordinates within minutes via pinpoint warps.
【Wait… oh no, Apostolic Holy City fleets? Why are they here?!】
The Players of Iron Rain Guild were the first to notice. They were completely stunned.
But the Apostolic Holy City gave them no time to think—opening fire the instant they appeared.
Creed-class battleships were threats even Transcendent-level Psionicists approached with caution. Each of these small fleets contained over a thousand Creed-class battleships. The lightly equipped Players stood no chance.
Boom—!
After only a brief exchange, every ship carrying Iron Rain Guild’s Players was reduced to ashes, and they themselves perished with them.
【Damn it! Our luck’s insane—we ran smack into an Apostolic fleet. Sword-bro, how’s it on your side?】
The kobold from Iron Rain Guild nearly fainted in rage, venting in the guild channel.
【Don’t even mention it. My luck’s just as bad. Ran straight into them too.】
【?】
What the hell?
The kobold was utterly bewildered.
Was Iron Rain Guild cursed? How else could their luck be this rotten?
【I’ll check with the others.】
Soon, the kobold discovered it wasn’t just Iron Rain Guild. The truth was far worse—
Every single one of the ten million-plus Players who had infiltrated behind the Apostolic Holy City… had been hunted down without exception!
【How… how is this possible?!】
The Players were shaken.
A mole?
No.
Impossible.
Most of those millions had no connection with one another. No mole could possibly track and report each Player’s movements with such precision.
So then… had the Apostolic Holy City mastered some special method of locating them?
“This is bad!”
The frontline commanders of the Three Universal Civilizations wore grim faces.
If the Apostolic Holy City could not only track the Undying Ones but also themselves, then their already slim chances of victory would shrink even further.
Full-map vision in war? That cheat was far too blatant!
In desperation, they could only send distress signals to the rear.
As a Psionic Priest, Bai Fu also received a distress call from Dmitri.
“I don’t know either.”
Bai Fu scratched her head.
She had no divination abilities. How could she possibly know how the Apostolic Holy City tracked the Players’ exact positions?
“Do you know?”
She asked Liet, who had defected from the Apostolic Holy City.
Liet shook his head: “I lived in the Apostolic Holy City for over two hundred years. I’ve never heard of anyone with such an ability.”
Bai Fu frowned.
Liet had only left the Apostolic Holy City a few months ago. Could it be that in that short time, the Apostolic Holy City had achieved a breakthrough? Or was the Supreme Apostle hiding a trump card?
Her gaze fell on Élisée, who was daydreaming beside her.
“Élisée, what do you think?”
“Ah, me?”
Élisée jolted awake and realized everyone was looking at her.
What opinion could she possibly have? Before obtaining her mother’s memories, she had not even been a Psionic Priest. Now, to suddenly be asked this question—it truly left her…
Eh?
Élisée froze.
It seemed she was not entirely without an opinion. That flash of memory just now… recalling, recalling carefully.
Her mother had said that the Fourth Apostle was in the Apostolic Holy City, and that the Fourth Apostle possessed a unique talent named 【Absolute Inspiration】. With this talent, the Fourth Apostle was extremely sensitive to all forms of energy, especially psionics.
Could it be that the Apostolic Holy City was relying on the Fourth Apostle’s talent to expose those Undying Ones who had infiltrated?
Élisée cast a glance at Bai Fu.
Even she, who had merely inherited her mother’s memories, could think of this. There was no way her mother had not thought of it. But instead of stating it outright, her mother asked her instead…
She understood. Her mother was giving her the chance to shine!
Her earlier performance had already earned her the trust of many within the Garden of Silence. But that was not enough to secure her seat as 【Chief Secretary】.
After all, the Garden of Silence was no small organization, but a behemoth with which even the Three Universal Civilizations were willing to lower themselves to cooperate.
To firmly secure the seat of 【Chief Secretary】, she needed not only recognition from within but also acknowledgment from external forces.
And if today she could publicly solve a problem that troubled the Three Universal Civilizations, would that not win her external recognition?
Her mother was indeed thoughtful!
Élisée, now brimming with world-shaking wisdom, instantly “understood” everything. She worshipped Bai Fu with utter devotion.
She cleared her throat lightly and stood up.
“I’ve thought of a possibility!”
She voiced her idea to everyone.
The crowd was stunned. So there was such a method?
“Then how do we resolve it?”
Élisée said proudly: “There are two solutions. The first is to have the Undying Ones practice the Apostolic Holy City’s psionic absorption method, disguising themselves as Apostolic members. The second is to completely conceal their energy fluctuations, thereby nullifying the Fourth Apostle’s Absolute Inspiration. Since our ultimate goal is to infiltrate the enemy’s rear in secret, the first solution won’t work.”
As she spoke, Élisée turned to Bai Fu.
“Mother, leave it to me. I will set out for the front immediately and bestow blessings upon every Undying One carrying out missions, ensuring that the Fourth Apostle cannot detect their presence!”
Bai Fu nodded at Élisée with satisfaction: “Very good. The situation is urgent, so this meeting ends here. I’ll contact Buvalo at once and have him prepare the necessary reception.”
Élisée left the virtual conference chamber with head held high.
Those who had not yet departed, including Liet, turned to Bai Fu with awe in their eyes.
If Bai Fu’s “daughter” was this formidable, then Bai Fu herself must be…
Formidable!
Liet’s admiration for Bai Fu deepened. More and more, he felt that his defection from the Apostolic Holy City to Bai Fu had been the right choice.
Bai Fu smiled faintly.
A small matter, nothing worth such fuss.
Yulia: “……”
Cough, cough.
Yulia thought she had better start planning escape routes for Bai Fu sooner rather than later. Otherwise, once Élisée fully recovered her memories, it might be too late.
……
“What? Bai Fu actually came up with a solution?”
Upon receiving the news, the frontline commanders of the Supernova Warband and Titan Industries were stunned.
But remembering it was Bai Fu, they found it less surprising.
If there ever came a day when Bai Fu failed to pull off something like this—that would be the real shocker!
Buvalo said: “I’ve already arranged for Élisée’s reception. Before she arrives, we must hold the line at all costs. The Apostolic Holy City must not break through!”
“Rest assured. Though the Apostolic Holy City is strong, it’s absolutely impossible for them to breach a line we’ve spent months reinforcing in just a few days.”
Days later, Élisée arrived safely at the front.
No sooner had she disembarked than she urgently gathered a group of utterly trustworthy Players—
Namely Excavation-Princess, Starfish-bro, and Believer of Fu.
Since it was uncertain whether the Apostolic Holy City truly relied on the Fourth Apostle’s ability to detect Players, Élisée decided to test with a small group first. If successful, then a large-scale infiltration could be attempted.
“This operation is highly unusual. While executing the mission, you must not reveal any information to the outside. Do you understand?”
“Understood!”
Excavation-Princess shouted excitedly.
“Good. Come here—I will place a blessing upon you.”
Once everything was prepared, Élisée added another buff to their ship, then personally sent them off into the stars.
All that was left now was to wait.
And wait they did—for nearly three days.
During those three days, the frontline command received no reports, nor did they see Excavation-Princess and the others return to a respawn point. They waited with hope but also with unease, fearing that the team had been captured and could not even self-destruct.
Fortunately, the long wait did not end in disappointment.
“We found it! We discovered a Star-Dome Relay. After observing nearby for a day, we confirmed that numerous Apostolic ships were entering and leaving. This must be a supply hub for the Apostolic Holy City!”
A supply relay?
Buvalo’s eyes lit up.
If Excavation-Princess was correct, then seizing this relay would allow them to trace out the Apostolic Holy City’s weak points!
He immediately ordered other Players to launch mass operations, pretending to attempt more infiltrations into the Apostolic rear, to divert their attention.
Meanwhile, Dmitri and the others quickly assembled a strike fleet and rushed toward the coordinates sent by Excavation-Princess.
Quickly, quickly, they had to strike before the Apostolic Holy City could react.
Millions of giant warships tore through the starry sea, bursting from hyperspace near the Star-Dome Relay.
The moment they appeared, the surrounding void for hundreds of millions of light-years trembled.
“It’s… it’s the fleet of the Explored Universe!”
Inside the relay, a young commander froze, finger hovering over the star chart, staring at the myriad light-points that suddenly sparkled across it like gemstones. His pupils shook uncontrollably.
“Notify the Supreme Apostle at once!”
“It’s already too late!”
A cold voice rang within the relay.
The next second, Dmitri stepped out of the rippling space.
From his body, endless gray mist spread in all directions. The annihilating ripples it carried reduced everything ahead into invisible dust.
“Must you be so violent?”
Zero, the Metal Lord, emerged next, scanning the area before locking onto a square-shaped device.
“I need the assistance of a Psionic Priest.”
“I’ll do it.”
Heinz stepped forward.
The two collaborated seamlessly, cracking the relay’s data systems within seconds.
“Move out! Whether we can buy more time for the rear depends on this strike!”
At the forefront, Dmitri once again led the fleet into hyperspace.
The warp-light wove together, rewriting the map of cosmic microwave background radiation.
This time, Dmitri’s forces moved even faster.
When they re-emerged, the command group of the Apostolic Holy City’s Eighth Fleet was still reporting the capture of Players to the Supreme Apostle.
The new Inquisitorial Chief, in charge of the Eighth Fleet, stepped to the side viewing window of the bridge.
Beneath his feet lay shattered starlight.
He raised his head.
In his vision, more than a thousand hyperspace channels opened simultaneously. Countless warships, their tails blazing azure, tore through the dimensional veil, spreading like psionics devouring the stars.
“It’s an enemy assault!”
The explosive roar rang across the command channel.
Even the Supreme Apostle, who until now brimmed with confidence in this war, was momentarily struck speechless.
How had the enemy bypassed his detection?
“Your Excellency, Supreme Apostle, we must dispatch reinforcements at once!”
The Supreme Apostle shook his head: “It’s too late. If the enemy dares reveal themselves, they must have prepared well. So… use that. The super-massive secret technique I taught you before. Let the eternal darkness of the universe witness the miracle of mortals!”
“Yes!”
The super-massive secret technique the Supreme Apostle spoke of bore a very simple, easy-to-understand name.
Its name was—
Artificial God!