Chapter 80: Could it be that Bai Fu Is The New Version's Protagonist?
Shortly after Beyond the Stars officially launched, video uploaders began releasing segments like 《Game Express》 and 《Beyond the Stars News Broadcast》.
In these videos, the uploaders compiled interesting events happening in and outside the game, presenting them to viewers in a news-style format.
This type of video became extremely popular among players.
Every beginner planet opened in Beyond the Stars was different. Even different newbie villages on the same planet provided players with completely distinct experiences.
How big were the differences?
Some players might be navigating corporate mind games in a cyberpunk world, others might be exchanging blows in a steampunk and martial arts crossover, while some could be acting as heroes in a world where psionics and spiritual power intertwined, fighting to defeat a demon king.
Most players were naturally curious. They wondered how players on other beginner planets were playing and what recent events they encountered. Yet, most players were also lazy. They wouldn't even actively search for game guides, let alone dig through the community for other players’ shared experiences.
This gave video content creators room to shine. The most popular uploader gained one hundred thousand followers in just three days.
Excavation‑Princess realized this and finally made up her mind to switch from delving into game plots to focusing on game news content.
But deep down, she still felt uneasy. She only covered news from the Garden of Silence, and she wasn't sure if this niche had any long-term potential, nor did she know whether the Garden of Silence would produce enough newsworthy content to sustain her videos.
In any case, her plan was to try two episodes first. If the response was poor, she’d follow the lead of that once-renowned gaming industry legend, G-fat.
3?
What’s 3? I can’t count that far.
When Bai Fu clicked on the video posted by Excavation‑Princess, the first thing to appear was a lively piece of music and a self-made "refined opening sequence" stitched together from various game clips.
After the intro, Excavation‑Princess appeared in the center of the screen.
She sat at a desk adorned with a game setting compendium, a tiny custom Bai Fu figurine, and an Eye of Heaven badge from the Garden of Silence.
After all, she was an uploader with two and a half years of practice under her belt and wasn’t the least bit camera-shy.
“Hello, players! I bet it’s been a while since you last saw me in the livestream room, right? Actually, these past days I’ve been…”
After over a minute of introduction, she finally got to the main topic.
Because it was the first episode, Excavation‑Princess focused on introducing the Garden of Silence, the Goli Desert, and the entire journey she and Bai Fu took while fleeing to the Goli Desert.
This content also laid a foundation for her future videos. The material was substantial enough to fill a full twenty minutes.
In truth, just introducing the Garden of Silence and the Goli Desert should have only taken a few minutes. Excavation‑Princess’s main effort was put into comparing the Garden of Silence with other factions.
For this purpose, she specifically interviewed quite a few players from other factions.
“Now, let’s hear what these players have to say.”
The screen showed players with their names hidden and black bars covering their eyes.
“I came from a newbie village in the Old Republic…”
“I’m from the Human Alliance…”
“I joined the Railway Guild…”
These players came from different newbie villages and had joined various factions, yet their complaints were strikingly similar.
“I thought that even if I wasn’t treated like a savior, I’d at least be seen as a promising newcomer, right? But nope, they didn’t even treat me like a person!”
“Guess what I was assigned to do? Office secretary! My daily tasks were just serving tea and water. I quit after two days. I serve tea in real life, now I’m serving tea in a game too? What’s the point then? And when I left, the Railway Guild’s favorability dropped to -20. What the hell?!”
“This game is super realistic, and I love that, but because it’s so realistic, life-skills players like me have an awful time in big factions. The big factions already have logistics personnel, so our skills go unrecognized and even looked down upon.”
These complaints received strong support in the live‑stream comments.
For skilled players, joining any faction in the early game wasn’t too different, but for those who weren’t good at combat, it was miserable.
The screen cut back to Excavation‑Princess.
“Lately, factions have become a hot topic among players. The most discussed issue is: which faction should you join?”
“Here, let me give a grand introduction to the Garden of Silence. Though it’s a newly formed faction, it offers a unique gameplay experience that most other factions lack.”
Joining the faction meant being promoted directly to a core position, with the faction leader personally guiding missions. Since the faction still had very few members, joining now came with the exclusive perk of a personal conferment ceremony!
Alongside the introduction, Excavation‑Princess also aired interviews with players from the Garden of Silence.
These included Sword Qi Soaring, Convert to My Fu, and a few recently joined players.
Naturally, these beneficiaries had only good things to say.
“The best is yet to come!”
The contrast between their smiling faces and those miserable expressions created a striking visual impact.
Bai Fu nodded in satisfaction as she watched the video.
The new version was about to launch, and Excavation‑Princess’s promotion came at just the right time. Surely, a wave of new players would be drawn to Shelter Number 11, becoming premium vegetables in her chives field.
But clearly, not all players agreed with Excavation‑Princess’s comparisons.
Both the live‑stream comments and the video’s comment section were in an uproar.
“Compared to many unknown small factions, the Garden of Silence is indeed a decent pick. But to say it’s better than the Five Major Factions? That’s just laughable. If Bai Fu weren’t an NPC, I’d suspect Excavation‑Princess was bribed by her.”
“Of course, I get why she’s hyping up the Garden of Silence. It’s Bai Fu’s faction, after all. Any player who’s been following this journey knows that Excavation‑Princess is deeply tied to Bai Fu now.”
“Let me talk about what Excavation‑Princess conveniently omitted—the Garden of Silence’s disadvantages. First, and most important: it’s located in the Goli Desert. For an average player to get there takes at least two days, and the travel cost is at least 1,000. Can you afford that?”
“Second, Bai Fu isn’t a main storyline character. If you join the Garden of Silence, you’ll have to accept that there are no main quests to do. Many think that’s fine—you can just do daily, side, or hidden quests. But you’re way too optimistic.”
“Small factions issue fewer quests and have lower reward caps. Right now, there are few members, so everyone can level up fast by doing quests. But if a large influx of players joins, it’ll be a case of too many monks and not enough gruel. Progress will stall.”
The top comment in the comment section struck right at the heart of the matter.
Bai Fu noticed that Excavation‑Princess was active in the comments as well, but when faced with these issues raised by the comment, she had no way to respond directly.
Although she had analyzed many times that Bai Fu was a key plot figure—and part of her speculation had already been confirmed—until the official reveal connecting Bai Fu to the main storyline of Origin Star, her theory remained just that: a theory. And theories were hard to defend in the face of such criticism.
However, as a master of shamelessness, Excavation‑Princess had her trump card:
【Just wait and see if I’m wrong!】
During the days when she was digging into the game plot, she had used this move countless times to respond to other players' doubts.
Although she lost every time, she was never afraid.
【There it is, now that’s the Excavation‑Princess I know!】
Seeing this scene, the onlooking players burst into laughter, especially those who enjoyed the drama. They didn’t care who was right—so long as there was a fight, they loved to watch.
Bai Fu shook her head silently.
What a pity.
If she could speak in the community, she would definitely jump into the fray now and fish like crazy, harshly disparaging herself and the Garden of Silence, stirring the controversy to an even hotter boil. That way, when the official update announcement dropped, she and the Garden of Silence would gain even more attention and popularity.
At the same time, Sword Qi Soaring received a private message from Black Bastard, the President of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness Guild.
【Didn’t you smugly tell me before to watch the rankings and the arena? Now that the new version is about to go live, no need to keep hiding, right? Tell me, what kind of shady tricks are you playing?】
Sword Qi Soaring twitched his mouth.
Shady tricks?
It was all for showing off.
He had originally planned to join the Truth Society, monopolize all of their quests, rocket to the top of the level rankings, and become the first to emerge in the arena.
But the Truth Society turned out to be unreliable, and his whole plan collapsed. Although he clawed his level back up by returning to Bai Fu, aiming for the number one spot on the level rankings was already impossible.
Damn it, he couldn’t reply to that.
Sword Qi Soaring could only learn from the exemplary senior of the Garden of Silence, Excavation‑Princess, and her superior tactics.
【Just wait and see.】
Black Bastard: 【Oh ho? I really want to see what kind of hand you’ve been hiding.】
Sword Qi Soaring: “……”
Play dead, then.
Recently, there had been rumors that Bai Fu was actually the ace agent of the Gene Primordials, and the idea of her being a cosmic being was a lie she made up to deceive others. He didn’t know if it was true, but he believed Bai Fu’s real identity was anything but ordinary. Even if there were no immediate benefits, maybe in a few more versions the situation would reverse.
Individual strength determined many things, but the version determined the ceiling!
Sword Qi Soaring closed the chat window with Black Bastard. At that moment, Old Dog suddenly sent a message.
【Details of the new version update and the launch trailer are out. Go check it now!】
This message immediately caught the attention of countless players.
They all rushed to open the official game website, flooding the update announcement comments and trailer live‑stream comments section to the brim.
Even before this update arrived, the officials had previewed version 1.1【Tide of the Dark Moon】. Yet amidst the dense lines of update details, one small line still caught many players’ attention:
【Version 1.1 adds a new Newbie Village】
【Origin Star – Shelter Number 11 in the Goli Desert】
A main quest was guaranteed to exist in every Newbie Village—this was a fact confirmed by players who experienced version 1.0.
“Shelter Number 11 in the Goli Desert? Isn’t that where the Garden of Silence is? Origin Star only launched this one Newbie Village—holy crap, was this made specifically for the Garden of Silence? Could it be Bai Fu really is tied to the main storyline?”
Sword Qi Soaring and Excavation‑Princess both widened their eyes.
When they started watching the newly released trailer, their excitement only grew.
The first half of the new trailer introduced features like rankings and arena. The second half showcased some breathtaking landscapes of Beyond the Stars and several popular NPCs. Among those from Origin Star were the Gene Primordials’ and Railway Guild’s capitals, the Goli Desert, some story-related NPCs from the Gene Primordials and Railway Guild—and Bai Fu.
“Woc, it’s Fu!”
In the video, Bai Fu had dyed her hair black and was sitting in a car, driving deep into the Goli Desert along a road slowly being swallowed by yellow sands. The car kicked up thick clouds of dust, and in the dust behind, a sandworm gave chase at full speed.
Without a doubt, this was a promotional segment made to coincide with the addition of the new Newbie Village in the Goli Desert.
But most players wouldn’t see it that simply.
Especially after Excavation‑Princess launched her counterattack.
【Haha! I told you Fu Fu’s storyline wasn’t simple—it’s very likely tied to the main plot! Now do you believe me? Certified by the official trailer!】
【To be honest, I think Fu Fu isn’t just connected to the main storyline—she might be the main protagonist of this version!】
【Don’t doubt it. Do you know what Shelter Number 11 is? That’s right—it’s now the headquarters of the Garden of Silence!】
With Excavation‑Princess’s analysis, the reply from that commenter under the video was instantly downvoted into oblivion.
All the previous doubts became a joke.
On the contrary, Excavation‑Princess’s analysis was hailed as divine. Many players began to believe that Bai Fu was truly the protagonist of the new version.
【Excavation‑Princess, you’re amazing!】
【Excavation‑Princess, spill it—do you have connections with the Beyond the Stars story developer? How else could you guess Bai Fu’s plotline so accurately?】
【Awesome, awesome. So what is Bai Fu’s true identity anyway? Is she really a cosmic being, or not?】
【Looks like I’ve got to join the Fu Sect now.】
Just then, Sword Qi Soaring received another message from Black Bastard.
【Damn it, did you know from the start that Bai Fu was a key plot character in the new version?】
Sword Qi Soaring calmly replied with a smiley face.
Say nothing—act like a pro!
【Damn you, trying to use your relationship with Bai Fu to seize the new main quests and grab the top of the level rankings, huh? Just you wait! As soon as the servers open, I’m bringing my crew over!】
Heh, too late!
Sword Qi Soaring laughed out loud. He truly didn’t expect things to turn around like this.
So this was the Fu Sect?
This time, he could honestly say: Believing in Bai Fu leads to eternal life.
With the faction reputation he had farmed earlier, no matter how hard Black Bastard and the others tried, they wouldn’t be able to catch up in a short time.
“Launch already, will you? I want to see Black Bastard tailing behind me so bad!”
It wasn’t just Sword Qi Soaring. Many players on Origin Star were eagerly waiting for the game to go live.
With both the promotional push from Excavation‑Princess’s video and the official announcement, many previously hesitant players had now made up their minds to throw in their lot with Bai Fu.
Never mind that Bai Fu might be the protagonist of the new version—even if she wasn’t, following her was still better than slaving away in their old factions.
The officials had already indirectly refuted the rumors through the update announcement and the new promotional trailer—there was no need to worry about not receiving quests after joining the Garden of Silence.
Charge!
“Well done, Excavation‑Princess!”
Bai Fu was in an excellent mood.
Excavation‑Princess’s line about her possibly being the protagonist of the new version was simply a stroke of genius.
According to her initial estimate, she had expected to recruit a few hundred players thanks to the Newbie Village. But after that declaration from Excavation‑Princess, there would surely be wave after wave of players chasing the main plot coming from all over to join the Garden of Silence.
One thousand, two thousand...
Bai Fu didn’t know where the upper limit lay.
She only knew that with a hundred players, she’d dare to go cause trouble for Graham; with ten thousand, she’d challenge the Truth Society head-on!
“You call yourself the Truth Society, huh?”
Standing before you now is Bai·Apprentice Psionic Illustrator·New Regional Boss·Fourth Calamity’s Guide·Fu!
Bai Fu wasn’t worried at all that players lured in by the word “protagonist” would end up disappointed once they reached the Garden of Silence.
She might not be the protagonist now, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t grow into one as she got involved in more and more plotlines.
Besides, she still had the newly unlocked regional main quest in the Goli Desert, 【Elegy of the Watchers】, in her hands.
The protagonist of the 【Elegy of the Watchers】 series wasn’t Old Nissen, then it was Yulia. Now one had joined the Garden of Silence, and the other—her main body had been imprisoned by the Truth Society while her doppelgänger was tucked away in Bai Fu’s pocket like a toy.
Holding both the biggest faction in the Newbie Village and the regional main quest—if she wasn’t the protagonist, then who was?
Before the players arrived, Bai Fu immediately contacted Gao Yuan and told him to open several player-facing shops in Shelter Number 11. She also urged him to quickly dispatch representatives to handle commission assignments and purchase sandworm materials.
“Stop hesitating! Miss this chance, and you’ll miss your opportunity to shine across the entire world!”
Bai Fu was pushing him hard.
Gao Yuan gritted his teeth and agreed.
He was now the Gao family’s decision-maker, but he hadn’t been in the position for long. To earn respect, he needed results—so he decided to bet everything on Bai Fu.
One day later.
At Shelter Number 11, Gao Yuan and Bai Fu stood atop the roof of Old Nissen’s tavern.
With the official launch of Version 1.1, Tide of the Dark Moon, a massive crowd of players suddenly surged outside Shelter Number 11. A rough count showed at least two hundred people, and the number was still climbing.
“Where did all these people come from?”
Gao Yuan quickly turned to Bai Fu and found her as calm as ever.
But he couldn’t stay calm. His heart was filled with awe—and questions about Bai Fu’s true identity.
Who exactly was she?
“Welcome to Shelter Number 11!”
As the newbie guide, Anya walked over to those players logging into the game for the first time.