Chapter 75: 200,000 XP, the Perks of Being Kept by the Rich Lady Yulia!
Rattlesnake had a total level of 30, possessed a special Psionic Enhancement Template, an Agility Talent, and multiple single-target and area-of-effect psionic attack Skills.
Whether it was moving like a killer in the dark or acting as support to break through on the frontlines, he excelled at it all. But like most psionic-type classes, he had a glaring weakness—his body was extremely fragile.
Knowing his own shortcomings well, Rattlesnake launched an attack at Bai Fu the moment he failed to get the answer he wanted from her.
An invisible pressure swept across the sandy terrain beneath the night sky, carving a distinct trench in the fine sand.
The Psionic Shock was incredibly fast. Even though Bai Fu had been prepared, she still couldn’t dodge it.
It was as if a bomb exploded deep inside her brain.
The intense pain, like being crushed under a heavy tank, assaulted Bai Fu’s nerves. Her vision and hearing were suppressed to their lowest, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Immediately afterward came the game’s prompt sound.
【You have suffered a Psionic Shock, HP -109】
【You are in a brief [Dazed] state】
Rattlesnake’s psionic attack had bypassed the Psionic Shield and directly affected Bai Fu’s body. The over-100-point damage was the highest single hit Bai Fu had taken recently.
This showed just how troublesome psionic mutants could be.
Seeing Bai Fu frozen in place, a relaxed smile appeared on Rattlesnake’s face beneath his mask.
“You don’t seem like an ordinary person, but when faced with my psionic abilities, no matter what tricks you have, you won’t be able to use them!”
He panted lightly.
That Psionic Shock just now, meant to incapacitate Bai Fu in one blow, had drained quite a bit of his stamina and psionic energy.
He quickly drew a gun from his waist. Though it looked like a regular Human Alliance-made RS-1917 pistol, its bullets had been modified by the Doctor whom Marco had captured. Each bullet was coated in a different type of venom.
Although many strong individuals in this world had high resistance to toxins, with so many different venom types, surely one would suit Bai Fu’s constitution.
“Time to go. Don’t mess with people you can’t afford to mess with in your next life!”
Rattlesnake raised his gun.
Before he could pull the trigger, a strange force suddenly acted on him. He found himself unable to move.
No, it wasn’t just that—his body began turning against his will, completely exposing his back to Bai Fu.
For an assassin, showing one’s back was the greatest taboo!
What was going on?
As he was turning, Rattlesnake saw a small piece of Power Armor standing on a distant vehicle. He wasn’t sure if this change was related to that, but right now all he wanted was to break free of this restraint.
Psionic energy surged. While gathering power, he was pleasantly surprised to find he could move again.
Wait, wind noise from behind!
Bai Fu, enduring the pain in her head, launched a Grenade right at Rattlesnake’s exposed back.
Boom!
Sand and dust filled the air, obscuring visibility.
Without pause, Bai Fu activated Psionic Perception and dashed straight into the dust cloud. She had only heard Marco’s death prompt, not Rattlesnake’s. Since that was the case, there was only one option—charge forward. One must never show mercy to enemies.
In the nick of time, Rattlesnake had pulled Marco in front of him to take the fatal hit.
He survived. Marco died.
Killing his own employer—it would severely damage his reputation. Now, he had even more reason to kill Bai Fu.
“I’ve never suffered such a huge loss before. Not even when I was assassinating key members of the Truth Society did I get forced to this point. Looks like I have to use that move.”
Rattlesnake struggled to climb up from the ground.
Just then, he suddenly saw the yellow sand split apart, and a black-and-white figure dashed toward him like a sports car.
He had no time to react. His heart sank.
The next second, a fist wrapped in Black Gloves brutally struck his nose, sending him flying like he’d been hit by a dump truck.
“Damn!”
While mid-air, Rattlesnake hastily unleashed a second Psionic Shock, but before it could hit Bai Fu, she had already fired another Grenade.
【You have suffered a Psionic Shock, HP -65】
【You have slain Rattlesnake. Contribution 98%. After level adjustment, gained 39,200 XP】
【You have completed Mission [Yulia’s Trial] Objective 2. Reward: 70,000 XP, One-time Skill Card】
Bai Fu’s head still hurt, but her mood was excellent.
Rattlesnake had been strong, but he never would have expected her to give Anya a Battle Etiquette card before the action began.
“Your Psionic Shock is strong with hard control, but my Battle Etiquette isn’t weak either!”
Had she fought Rattlesnake alone, she would’ve lost at least a few hundred HP. While that wasn’t fatal for her with an HP of 1670, a cleaner victory was always better than unnecessary struggle.
Bai Fu first spent some XP to upgrade her increasingly handy Psionic Perception to Lv5. With that, the base sensing radius became 30 meters—much more useful than thermal imaging.
After leveling the Skill, she opened the newly acquired one-time Skill Card.
【Rattlesnake: Psionic Omen】
【Rarity】: Purple
【Item Description】: A one-time Skill Card recording Rattlesnake’s Skill [Psionic Omen].
【Additional Effect】: Deals Psionic Shock to targets with Psionic < 50. Damage depends on the difference in Psionic values. High chance of causing Daze. Affects a radius of 20 meters.
As expected, it was something similar to a Prayer Card.
Bai Fu was very satisfied.
This Psionic Omen Skill Card was an excellent reward. In encirclement situations or for targeted breakthroughs, it could be dozens of times more effective than Battle Etiquette.
She slotted the card into her tactical backpack and stepped forward to loot the bodies.
As an NPC who had once been a Player, looting was a habit she had cultivated well.
Although both Marco and Rattlesnake’s faces were blasted to bloody shreds, she still found two intact items.
【You have obtained Rattlesnake’s ID Card】
【You have obtained Kirilenko’s Electric Knife】
The ID Card was what Rattlesnake had used to access the dark web. With it, she could now freely log in to Rattlesnake’s dark web backend.
As for Kirilenko’s Electric Knife, it was a special weapon that Marco hadn’t had time to use.
Its rarity was purple. Made of a special alloy, it possessed far greater durability than ordinary swords. Installed at the hilt was a fusion core similar to those used in Power Armor, producing ultra-cool effects of sparks and lightning arcs with each slash.
Of course, it wasn’t just for looks—the damage was considerable. Ordinary people wouldn’t survive a single slash. Only those with special abilities could resist it, such as martial artists like Marco who could endure using Qi.
Bai Fu casually spun the knife a few times. This Electric Knife perfectly made up for her lack of melee weapons.
“This Red Sandworm Camp really has an insane drop rate.”
Bai Fu was in love.
She slung the knife casually on her back, then called Anya and Old Nissen to head together toward Red Sandworm Camp.
With Marco and Rattlesnake dead, the remaining underlings were no longer a threat. She only had to make sure she didn’t get hit by the heavy weapons inside the camp.
However, under the second wave of assault by the Players, the Wanderers in the camp had no time to operate the heavy weapons anymore.
They were desperately calling Marco and Rattlesnake to return for support, but all they got back was the rustling of static.
“Damn it, don’t blame me for what comes next.”
A Wanderer grabbed some valuables from the camp and bolted.
With one person leading the way, the psychological defense lines of the others also collapsed.
By the time Bai Fu entered the camp, only the Wanderers trapped in the camp’s laboratory were still resisting under the Doctor’s command.
Out of over twenty Players charging in, only six were still alive. They couldn’t break into the lab, and the Wanderers inside didn’t dare rush out, fearing an ambush.
Upon arrival, Bai Fu first had Anya spray bullets into the lab for a full minute.
The sudden increase in firepower left the people inside stunned. What the hell was this?!
Then Bai Fu led the Players to charge the lab head-on. She stood at the front, turning herself into a wall, blocking every bullet so the Players behind could just fire and harvest XP freely.
“Holy shit.”
“This is awesome, Fu Fu is literally boosting us up the ranks?”
“Damn, I’m so jealous I could die.”
At this moment, the Players lounging in the "Spring" of Shelter Number 11 and watching the siege through shared view were red-eyed with envy.
But no matter how envious they were, they could only watch. They didn’t have the means to fly from Shelter Number 11 to the Red Sandworm region.
“A monster!”
The Wanderers in the lab fired desperately, but the ridiculous part was that even after emptying their magazines, Bai Fu—charging at the front—was completely unscathed. Even more absurdly, her clothes weren’t even wrinkled.
That was the power of the Psionic Shield.
As Bai Fu officially stormed the lab, the extermination battle against Red Sandworm Camp came to a close.
Except for the Doctor named Cui Jiming, all other Wanderers were swiftly turned into XP by the Players.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!” Cui Jiming fell to his knees in surrender.
Bai Fu checked his stats.
His level was low, and his attributes weren’t remarkable, but he had a very rare Talent: 【Drug Sensitivity】.
This sensitivity didn’t mean allergic reactions. It meant he had an extraordinary gift for pharmaceuticals, with alchemy bonuses far beyond the average person. No wonder Marco had captured him to make poison.
Now that Garden of Silence had a newbie guide and merchant (Anya), a soon-to-be-persuaded logistics and operations commander (Old Nissen), having a pharmacist was a perfect addition.
“Next, I just need a merchant who sells guns and ammo, and the framework for a proper Faction will be mostly complete.”
That was no trouble for Bai Fu.
The Wanderers of Red Sandworm Camp certainly didn’t make their own guns. They must have a supplier. She just needed to locate that source and negotiate.
Bai Fu pointed a shotgun at Cui Jiming’s head. “If you don’t want to die, answer every question I ask. Got it?”
Cui Jiming nodded like a woodpecker.
After an interrogation, Bai Fu had the Players dig out all the hidden supplies in Red Sandworm Camp, and she also learned who supplied them with weapons: the famous Gao family from Shelter Number 5.
The Gao family had close ties with the Makarov family who ran the dark web. Not only did they sell weapons to Wanderer groups across the Goli Desert, they also purchased materials from those same groups. That resolved two of Bai Fu’s problems at once.
“Looks like I’ll need to have a talk with them next time I bring in a new batch of Players.”
“Fu Fu, I need to remind you of something.”
At that moment, Excavation‑Princess suddenly stepped forward.
“What is it?”
“I’ve said before, not all Undying Ones are trustworthy like us. Some would rather see you dead. They’ll secretly leak your location to the Truth Society or the Gene Primordials. They’ll pretend to be your allies, get close, and steal intel.”
Ah, so that’s what she meant.
Of course Bai Fu already knew this. But she still pretended not to and thanked Excavation‑Princess for the warning.
She believed that not only would some Players do this of their own accord, but as the Truth Society and Gene Primordials recognized the strength of Players, they would also send Players as undercover agents to infiltrate her ranks.
She already had a countermeasure in mind—
Strike first!
You think you’re the only ones who can send undercover Players? So can I—and I’ll do it better and faster. Not only will I plant Players among you, I’ll also deal heavy blows to your reputation, dragging your image down in the minds of Players.
After packing everything looted from the camp into the vehicle, Bai Fu led the Players back en masse to Shelter Number 11.
She had gained a lot from this operation. Guns and weapons aside, she even found a stash of money in Marco’s treasury—perfect for building the Garden of Silence base.
By the time they returned to Shelter Number 11, it was already morning.
Everyone, including Bai Fu, was a bit hungry, but what the Players looked forward to even more than food was something else.
Before the operation, Bai Fu had said that destroying Red Sandworm Camp was a trial. Now that the camp had been wiped out, they had passed the test. Could they finally join Garden of Silence?
Bai Fu did not disappoint them. In fact, she took it to the next level. She personally held an "awarding ceremony", having the Players line up as she handed out the custom Garden of Silence "Eye of Heaven" Badges she had ordered from Shelter Number 5 to each one.
The ceremony had few spectators—only Excavation‑Princess, Anya, little Yulia, Old Nissen, and Cui Jiming—but the ceremonial vibe was off the charts.
Excavation‑Princess stood off to the side snapping pics non-stop, capturing the excited expressions of the Players, and the shocked faces of Old Nissen and Cui Jiming as if they’d seen a ghost.
After the attack on Starfish‑bro and the others by assassins, she had cut the livestream, mainly to avoid revealing Bai Fu’s location.
But as a content creator, she still needed traction. If not livestreaming, then she would make videos.
And now, with a big batch of Players flocking to Bai Fu, she already knew what video to make next.
That’s right—it would be 【Garden of Silence News Express】!
Excavation‑Princess planned to turn Garden of Silence’s developments and the local happenings into a video series. The idea came to her after watching other Players’ Star News Daily.
She believed this segment would definitely attract a large number of viewers—because the content was simply too rich.
Whether it was Bai Fu quickly killing an assassin at Shelter Number 5, or beating down Marco and Rattlesnake at Red Sandworm Camp, or charging into the lab with Players, or the medal-awarding ceremony happening now, all of it was enough to spark massive discussion.
“I’m such a genius!”
Excavation‑Princess continued filming Bai Fu from various angles. She planned to release the first episode within a day or two.
By now, she was fully bound to Bai Fu and Garden of Silence.
The more Players joined Garden of Silence under the influence of her videos, the more content she had to film. And the more content she had, the more Players she could attract. Now that was a virtuous cycle!
Bai Fu only returned to her residence after seeing off every Player.
She first tallied up the mission rewards.
【You have completed Mission [Yulia’s Trial] Objective 1. Contribution: 51.9%. Reward: 77,850 XP】
Investing all that XP and her prior savings into Basic Card Creation, it reached max level Lv10 with 28,820 XP remaining.
【Basic Card Creation Lv10】: +20% efficiency and success rate for creating Prayer Cards.
Perfect.
Now her success rate for crafting Psionic Shield Cards was 90%. With a bit more practice, she’d hit 100% in no time.
“Once I complete my new plan, I need to sweep through every Wanderer camp in the Goli Desert.”
Bai Fu estimated that this sweep alone could raise her 4 or 5 levels. An Advanced Class seemed to be waving at her.
After closing the game interface, she pulled little Yulia from her bag.
“I’ve cleared out Red Sandworm Camp, the one that could threaten Old Nissen. Now it’s time for you to uphold your end—tell me why Li Cheng betrayed the Gene Primordials and what secrets he knows about them.”
Little Yulia didn’t play any tricks and answered truthfully.
“The Truth Society President once showed Li Cheng part of his memories. I don’t know the exact content, only that it was from his past. In that past, Li Cheng learned the cause of the World War and the truth behind the leak of the Pollution Source that led to the contamination of the entire world.”
“The Li Cheng you know is different. He may have been a government official’s son, but he was extremely driven. Although he received some preferential treatment, everything he achieved at school and training camp was earned through his own efforts.”
“The way he later became the person you see now is definitely tied to those memories shown to him by the Truth Society President.”
Bai Fu nodded. “You mean his faith collapsed?”
“Maybe,” little Yulia didn’t say definitively. “He doesn’t know that much. If he did, the Truth Society President wouldn’t have allowed him to remain in the Gene Primordials as an undercover agent.”
Bai Fu asked, “So what caused the World War, and what is the truth behind the contamination?”
“An extraterrestrial visitor. One day, before the World War broke out, a strange pod fell onto the southern continent of Kolodo. From that day on, the world began to change. Eventually, the profits brought by that extraterrestrial visitor led to the outbreak of war. I overheard all this from Dr. Ed, who was guarding me.”
Bai Fu frowned slightly.
Well, well, she had made up a cosmic being identity for herself—and it turned out there really were cosmic beings.
But was that all?
That couldn’t be it. If that was all, would the Gene Primordials go so far as to hunt her down?
Little Yulia said, “That should be all Li Cheng knows. Maybe he knows more details than I do, things shown in the Truth Society President’s memory. But the Gene Primordials might not see it that way. They’ll think Li Cheng knows far more than he actually does, and that he’s told you everything.”
Makes sense.
Bai Fu received a game prompt.
【You have completed Mission [Secrets Hidden in the Heart]. Reward: 50,000 XP, 0.2% Origin Star Plot Exploration】
After completing the mission, she triggered a new one: 【The Origin of the Truth Society】.
【Mission Description: We still don’t know the origin of the Truth Society that we saw that day. It remains a mystery. Even within the Truth Society, it seems very few people know the President’s real name.】
【Mission Objective: Discover the true identity of the Truth Society President】
【Reward: 300,000 XP, Exploration】
【Hidden Reward: ?】
【Note: Completing this mission will unlock a new mission】
Bai Fu grew thoughtful.
This appeared to be the Truth Society’s exploration mission. The one she triggered from Xia Shi, 【Source of Psionic Power】, was likely the Gene Primordials’ exploration line. These exploration missions seemed tightly tied to the main story.
She glanced at the newly obtained Exploration value. The game explanation mentioned that higher unlocked Exploration meant deeper engagement with the plot, and at certain thresholds, it would yield very rare rewards.
“Is this one of those dream-seller setups?”
Still, even if it was, Bai Fu decided to eat the pie anyway.
The base reward for the new mission was already 300,000 XP. The hidden reward couldn’t be bad either.
Bai Fu looked at little Yulia. “So, can our cooperation go a little deeper now?”
She still had the unusually generous Mission 【Shadow of Truth】 unfinished. That mission’s objective was to destroy the Truth Society, so she needed intel from little Yulia.
“Help me rescue some people,” said little Yulia. “As long as you get them out, I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know. But I know who does. Graham, the Deputy Director of the Truth Society’s Special Operations Division. He operates near the Railway Guild. I only know the general area, not the exact location. If you can pinpoint his position, not only can you find the people I want to save, but you’ll also deal a heavy blow to the Truth Society.”
Bai Fu received a new mission.
【Little Yulia’s Request (1)】
【Mission Description: ……】
【Mission Objective: Find Graham】
【Mission Reward: 100,000 XP】
The reward was surprisingly generous.
Before this, she had already earned over 200,000 XP through Yulia’s Trial and Secrets Hidden in the Heart, which made her feel like she was being kept by little Yulia.
If this kind of “sponsorship” was on the table, Bai Fu was more than happy!
Who wouldn’t want to be sponsored by a hot, rich lady who didn’t force you to scrub with steel wool?
What she didn’t know was that little Yulia did want to see her scrub with steel wool. Of course, it was purely to test her physical resilience and recovery ability—nothing perverted about it.
Bai Fu placed little Yulia back into her bag.
One day later, Shelter Number 5.
Bai Fu pulled out Rattlesnake’s ID Card, logged into the dark web backend, and contacted the Truth Society using Rattlesnake’s identity.
【I’ve killed Bai Fu. How do you want to verify it?】
This message immediately shook the Truth Society.