Chapter 376: I Did Activate It—Steamed Bun, You Got a Problem with That?
Tch~
Thinking of the glaring 【Original Pact】 on Lufas' stat panel, Bai Fu couldn't help but snort coldly in her heart.
Poser.
Just keep pretending then.
You might fool others, but you think you can fool me, someone who's activated?
What a pipe dream!
In truth, Bai Fu had long known that the old man Lufas wouldn't behave himself.
So from the very start, she had never intended to truly accept Lufas.
Her plan had always been to use him and then quietly find a place to dispose of him.
That way, she’d not only avenge Scarlet Leaf and Jin Lu, but also reclaim the Void Sovereign Core from him and eliminate a hidden threat.
Still, even knowing Lufas was a thoroughly selfish man with a rotten personality, Bai Fu hadn’t expected him to turn so quickly.
It hadn’t even been two days since she fell out completely with the Original Pact.
Fine, fine, if you won’t act human, then don’t blame me for treating you inhumanely.
Bai Fu looked at Lufas with a smile on her face.
"Is that so? An ambush, a direct attack on Origin Star and the Esper Garden… Looks like the Original Pact is determined to completely eliminate me and the Quiet Garden."
She nodded, glancing around the room.
"This time, thanks to your timely arrival, we managed to repel the attack. But I doubt the Original Pact will let this go. They’re likely already plotting a second wave. I’ll have to trouble all of you to stay on Origin Star for a while longer."
Lufas and the others immediately pledged to hold the line until death.
The emergency meeting concluded in a harmonious atmosphere.
As they left the meeting room, Lufas even stole a few glances at Bai Fu.
Smug.
Bai Fu might have had a bit of cunning, but compared to him? She was still miles behind!
Once the Original Pact launched another attack, he’d make sure to give Bai Fu a good lesson—show her why, after all these years and countless hardships, he had never fallen, only grown stronger.
But just thinking about it darkened Lufas’ expression.
He’d had an awfully rough time these past few years.
First, his secret base was inexplicably unearthed by the Supernova Warband.
Then, due to a mishap, he was mistaken for a traitor by the Apostolic Holy City.
After painstakingly absorbing the Void Sovereign Core, he barely had time to enjoy it before Bai Fu and the leader of the Original Pact teamed up to knock him back to square one.
He didn’t even know what the hell he had provoked to end up in such dire straits.
Fortunately, all that was now in the past.
Lufas could clearly sense—his unlucky streak was coming to an end!
"That leader of the Original Pact—if Ignatz can do it, why can’t I, Lufas?"
Lufas dreamed of becoming the ruler of a new order.
No.
Now wasn’t the time to dream.
First, he needed to quickly contact those within the Rebirth Empire's reinforcements who had already allied with the Original Pact.
To take down Bai Fu, he needed more help.
Lufas began moving in secret.
He had no idea that Bai Fu was watching his every move.
Even more so, he would never guess—
That behind every stroke of misfortune he’d suffered over the years was one same name—
Bai Fu!
"Damn… even the Rebirth Empire’s fleet has people secretly siding with the Original Pact? Their reach really is long."
Bai Fu was slightly surprised.
Good thing she’d activated. Otherwise, she might’ve been in real trouble this time.
She didn’t rush to clean up Lufas and his allies right away. On one hand, she wanted to see if there were more moles. On the other, taking them out too early might alert the Original Pact.
Respond to all changes with calm.
That night, several major events occurred on Origin Star.
First, Bai Fu’s main body reported it would return in just one more day.
Second, Demetri—though still not fully recovered—piloted a ship across billions of light-years to lend support.
Third, someone from the Rebirth Empire suggested that staying on Origin Star was too risky. Why not evacuate everyone to the Esper Garden and then flee to the Rebirth Empire to lay low?
When she saw who made the proposal, Bai Fu rolled her eyes in secret.
Oh.
Wasn’t that one of the people secretly in contact with Lufas?
Transferring people via the Esper Garden? Please. They’d just end up as hostages in the hands of the Original Pact.
Bai Fu didn’t reject the idea outright, only saying she needed to consult with the others on Origin Star first.
Evacuating the people wasn’t hard for her.
She could just move them into the Ethereal Realm, and from there, to another location.
The old her couldn’t do that—people would die from Ethereal rejection during the transfer. But the current her was above an Apostle and had fused with the Double Helix Tree. She now had the power to shield them from Ethereal corrosion.
"If there's nothing else, then I’ll see you all tomorrow."
Just as Bai Fu was about to "log off," Demetri suddenly called out to her.
"Hm?"
Bai Fu looked at Demetri, confused.
In truth, she’d noticed something off about him ever since he arrived on Origin Star.
He’d seemed restless, ill at ease—like he’d discovered something huge.
Had he uncovered something?
She remembered that the last time Demetri contacted her, it was to ask her to investigate the theft of the Empire’s Sacred Relic.
She still had an unfinished quest in her log titled 【Shadow of the Empire】.
"Any new findings about the relic?"
In a private room with just the two of them, Bai Fu asked first.
Demetri nodded.
"Was the thief’s identity shocking?"
"Yes."
"Don’t tell me it was Emperor Odoacre himself who stole it."
"Yes, but not entirely."
Bai Fu was baffled: "An accomplice?"
"Yeah. And that accomplice's identity is even more shocking. To be honest, I was still hesitating whether to tell you the truth, even up to the moment I saw you," Demetri shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Hm?"
"Because that person is Emperor Ignatz."
"Huh?" Bai Fu was dumbfounded. "That Ignatz? The Empire’s Ignatz? He’s not dead? He became a Seeker?"
Demetri: "Not just a Seeker. He’s now the leader of the Original Pact."
『!』
The room fell silent.
Bai Fu remained speechless for a long while. She knew Demetri wasn’t lying, because just now, she’d received a game notification that the quest 【Shadow of the Empire】 had been completed—and she’d been rewarded with a special item: 【Divine Light】.
Divine Light was an ultra-rare item capable of forcibly boosting a Domination-level being to Transcendence.
Bai Fu had planned to use it on one of her divine envoys, pushing the last of them into the Transcendent tier.
But that wasn’t the main issue now.
The key point was—
The leader of the Original Pact was none other than Emperor Ignatz of the Empire!
"You actually told me this secret?"
Bai Fu found it hard to believe. Demetri was known for his unwavering loyalty to the Empire. At such a critical moment—right when she and the Original Pact had completely turned against each other—he’d drop a bomb like this, knowing it would heavily damage the Empire.
Did he no longer love the Empire?
Or perhaps… this was all a conspiracy?
Demetri: "A day ago, I met with a projection of Emperor Ignatz. He asked me to help him deal with you."
As he spoke, he extended his right hand. Resting in his palm was a teardrop-shaped white crystal.
"He gave me this. Supposedly, it’s a gene locator. Once embedded in your body, you’ll never be able to hide again."
Bai Fu threw an Apostle Vision his way.
Yes.
Demetri wasn’t lying. This item called 【Tear of the Universe】 was indeed a gene locator.
Demetri handed the Tear of the Universe directly to Bai Fu—an act of absolute sincerity.
Then, he began to explain his reasoning.
It really wasn’t that complicated. After intense inner turmoil, he had finally seen his true heart.
Of course, saying it was simple was one thing. Actually making the decision was agonizing.
Even after resolving not to betray Bai Fu while talking to Ignatz, Demetri had still wavered once he boarded the ship to Origin Star.
Was he really going to betray Emperor Ignatz and Emperor Odoacre?
Demetri felt as though he were walking through a field of fire—no matter which way he turned, the flames would consume him.
But…
When he finally saw Bai Fu;
When he remembered all Bai Fu had done for the Rebirth Empire;
Most importantly, he remembered the path he had once walked.
He thought of his first day at school, the lessons he’d received, the comrades he’d fought beside, the hopeful gazes of those same comrades—so many memories.
Those memories led him to a profound self-examination.
It was then that he realized: from beginning to end, what he truly believed in was the will nurtured over thirty thousand years of the Empire’s history—a will that would strive to reignite even after becoming ashes.
In the past, Emperor Ignatz had embodied that will.
But now, to Demetri, Ignatz had lost it.
As for Odoacre… did he ever possess it?
"So, you chose to tell me the truth because…"
"That’s right. Even though you’re not an Imperial citizen, I think you embody the Empire’s will better than Ignatz or Odoacre ever could. Ignatz says he wants to preserve civilization forever, but if the Empire loses that will of ash, then it’s nothing but an empty shell—not the Empire I want to protect. You might think I’m extreme, but this version of me is the truest one."
"But you don’t really know me that well, do you? Aren’t you afraid I might insist on becoming a god and trigger the Reaper’s Descent?"
"I’m willing to bet that you won’t—that you’ll do everything possible to resolve the threat of the Reapers at its root."
Demetri smiled. All his unease and panic had vanished.
Having spoken his heart, he had nothing left to struggle with.
Bai Fu stared at Demetri for a long moment, then smiled back: "I do want to resolve this problem. But for now, I have no solution. If I had to name a direction, my current goal is to obtain a program found by the Original Pact’s founders in the Void. It might reveal the truth behind the Reaper system."
Demetri's eyes lit up: "I could infiltrate the Original Pact and—"
Bai Fu interrupted him: "No need. I’ll get that program myself. Even if you managed to get it, there’s no way you’d get past the Child of Prophecy, the Fate-Weaver, and Ignatz to deliver it to me."
True.
Demetri didn’t insist.
Even Bai Fu wasn’t sure she could come back alive after infiltrating the Original Pact. If he went, it’d be suicide.
"What we need to do now is teach the Original Pact a lesson. And we can make use of this gene locator."
Bai Fu narrowed her eyes, already formulating a plan.
……
One day later.
Origin Star.
Bai Fu returned as scheduled—but this time, she came back alone.
Shortly after her arrival, the Original Pact launched a second wave of attacks—several times stronger than before.
In an instant, all orbital structures around Origin Star were destroyed.
At that moment, Lufas volunteered to go out and meet the enemy.
"No rush, no rush. It’s not your time to act yet. You all stay here. I’ll go out and engage. If the Original Pact takes the bait, then you can jump in."
Bai Fu politely escorted Lufas and the Rebirth Empire officers associated with him to an observation platform.
Lufas chuckled inwardly.
Even better.
Once Bai Fu was entangled with the Original Pact, he could swoop in under the guise of assistance—and strike from behind.
Whether or not he could become supreme in the Star Sea—this was the moment!
Lufas brimmed with anticipation.
Meanwhile, the Original Pact was equally eager.
"Bai Fu, the net is already cast. Let’s see how you escape this time!"
The moment Bai Fu took flight, Ignatz gave the order.
Lufas, you lot—go!
Lufas cracked his knuckles.
Just as he was about to fly out, he was shocked to see a massive Zodiac Armillary Sphere appear around the observation platform.
This was…
"Predestined Celestial Sphere?!"
Lufas' face went pale.
Who activated it? Why hadn’t he noticed earlier—wait, it was Bai Fu!
She’d planted the Predestined Celestial Sphere ahead of time—and who else but Bai Fu could have done that?
Holy shit—where did she get that? And how did she see through him?
Lufas panicked.
"Bai Fu, you despicable wretch! Let me out!"
Inside the sphere, other suspicious Rebirth Empire troops also started shouting.
Was this reasonable?
Was this how the story was supposed to go?
Weren’t they supposed to ambush Bai Fu from behind and leave her stunned?
"Dog barks."
Countless shadows surged from within the Predestined Celestial Sphere, binding Lufas and the others. Alongside them came an Ethereal Realm Force Field and the Ethereal God-King.
"Kill them. Leave none alive!"
Bai Fu gave the order, her icy gaze locked on the charging members of the Original Pact.
Now that she knew the biggest secret of their leader, there was no reason to hide her true strength any longer.
Let the slaughter begin.
Let rivers of blood flow!