Chapter 92: Protagonist’s Privilege, Licking Bai Fu Comes with Full Benefits
In an originally unoccupied room within the Blue-tailed Scorpion Camp, Bai Fu quietly listened to the story told by Old Nissen.
Old Nissen spoke of the origins of the Goli Desert.
When Bai Fu first entered the Goli Desert, she purchased a brief report from the Dark Web. The report mentioned that before the great war a hundred years ago, the Goli Desert was not a desert, but a stretch of greenery.
The war destroyed the ecology of that greenery, turning it into a sandstorm-ridden desert.
Even so, due to the Pollution Zones beyond the desert that could mutate ordinary people upon contact, many still chose to settle near the few remaining oases within the desert.
Life in the desert was bitter, but better than turning into a monster due to carelessness.
“Most people’s understanding of the Goli Desert ends there. I grew up hearing such stories too, but...” Old Nissen suddenly changed his tone, “the truth is far more complicated. This happened not long before I founded the Watchers Camp.”
“To choose a suitable location for the camp, I set out alone on a journey. After walking for nearly ten days, I was suddenly attacked by a Giant Sandworm. That worm was powerful—I stood no chance against it and had to flee.”
“While running, I lost my bearings. Just when I thought I was going to die of thirst in the desert, I discovered a research institute buried beneath the sand.”
Research institute?
Bai Fu frowned slightly and gestured for Old Nissen to continue.
Old Nissen said, “That research institute had an extremely high security level. Its entrance had three gates, and inside were various security measures like lasers and electric grids. But for some reason, all the security systems were malfunctioning. I entered cautiously, saw many strange skeletons along the way, and eventually found an archive room deep inside. Although the data was wiped, some paper files remained.”
“Those paper archives contained two very important pieces of intel.”
“First, the institute was researching a previously unseen special energy—Psionic Power.”
As everyone knows, Origin Star originally had no Psionic Power. It wasn’t until over a hundred years ago that the humans living on Origin Star learned of the existence of this miraculous force.
“Second, the institute was a branch of a special organization called the 【Psionic Diffusion Committee】. The main site’s location was unknown, and the focus of their research wasn’t recorded. According to the files, this branch studied a special black slate, with notes stressing that if it went out of control, it would cause irreversible severe consequences to everything around it.”
At this point, Old Nissen’s expression grew extremely grim.
Bai Fu thought aloud, “You think this place turned into a desert because that black slate in the institute went berserk?”
Old Nissen nodded. “That’s my belief. Based on my later investigation, I think the Psionic Diffusion Committee was a joint organization founded by the pre-war nations. They discovered Psionic Power through some means and tried to cooperate in researching its applications. But due to various accidents, the collaboration failed and escalated into a world war that left the world in its current state.”
That possibility was indeed plausible.
Bai Fu asked, “I want to see that research institute.”
Old Nissen’s mouth twitched awkwardly. “As you know, it’s extremely difficult to navigate the desert, so… after I left that place, I was never able to find it again. But don’t worry, I brought those archives back. I’ll give them to you once we return.”
“……”
Bai Fu could understand. Not everyone had a map function like the Players and herself.
Old Nissen’s words had already revealed plenty of useful information, as could be seen from the newly popped-up game prompt.
【You have triggered a hidden storyline. Origin Star Storyline Exploration +0.4%】
Bai Fu’s Storyline Exploration had reached 0.9%. The number looked small but was already remarkable. At least in the Goli Desert, there shouldn’t be any NPCs with a higher exploration than hers.
Just as Bai Fu was feeling smug, Old Nissen spoke again: “By the way, there’s another thing you might find interesting.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about Yulia. In her first few years after birth, Yulia was no different from any ordinary little girl. She didn’t know what Psionic Power was, nor did she display any talent for it. But one day, while playing, she got separated from her companions. When her parents found her, she had suddenly become a Psionic genius. Many people thought it was an awakened talent, but Yulia once secretly told me—she saw a strange light in the desert that day. After being bathed in that light, she became who she is now.”
Bai Fu raised a brow. “Why are you telling me this?”
Old Nissen sighed. “I hope you can save Yulia. But now, I’m just an old man at dusk. I have no reward worthy of enticing you. All I can offer is this intel that might be useful to you. If Yulia wasn’t mistaken, then her powers are not unreplicable. If you save her, you might gain powers like hers.”
Bai Fu admitted—she was tempted.
Having fought Yulia’s Doppelgänger twice in close combat, she knew very well how powerful Yulia’s abilities were. Just her ability to float mid-air had made Bai Fu green with envy.
“I’ll do my best.”
Old Nissen’s voice trembled slightly. “Thank you.”
Bai Fu sighed internally.
She had to admit—Yulia had a good leader. Even though he had fallen from grace, he still poured his heart out for her.
Could even a biological father do more?
When they first met, could Yulia have foreseen this day with Old Nissen?
All she could say was—
Fate works in mysterious ways!
Bai Fu turned her attention to the new game prompt. This time, it was a quest prompt.
As a Regional Main Storyline, Elegy of the Watchers was extremely rich in content, with numerous branches. Moreover, the completion method differed from that of ordinary quests.
【Elegy of the Watchers】
【Quest Description: The Watchers are silent and nameless. They rose from the dust and returned to it. No one sings their praises, no one builds monuments for them. Yet, no matter how the sand blinds the eyes, as long as the human heart still yearns for beauty, the Watchers will always be there】
【Quest Objectives:
Branch 1. Eliminate the Traitor - Kill Carlisle. Reward based on contribution;
Branch 2. Guardian Angel - Rescue Yulia imprisoned by the Truth Society. Reward based on contribution;
Branch 3. Defender of Order - Rebuild the order of the Goli Desert. Special title reward: [Goli Desert Guardian], other rewards based on contribution;
Branch 4. Utopia - Build up the Goli Desert. Reward based on prosperity level of the Goli Desert;
Branch 5. Search for Lost Ruins - Find the research institute mentioned by Old Nissen. Reward: exploration progress;
Branch 6. Yulia’s Secret - Investigate the source of Yulia’s powers. Reward based on contribution.
【Quest Rewards: Completing any branch allows for quest settlement】
【Note: This is a Regional Main Storyline. As a Special Commissioner, you may recruit more Players to join the quest】
【Accept / Decline】
Bai Fu had absolutely no reason to decline.
After reading the note, she almost burst into laughter.
So-called recruitment meant that she could share a specific or all branches of this quest with Players, allowing them to complete the quest together with her.
One had to know—this wasn’t some ordinary quest, but the Regional Main Storyline of the game.
As long as Old Nissen no longer publicly issued quests, then she, who now held the distribution rights to the Regional Main Storyline, would in effect have replaced Old Nissen as the protagonist of the Goli Desert.
The protagonist!
Who would’ve thought that just a few months ago, she was still a cannon-fodder NPC from a villain faction who could’ve been killed by Players at any moment?
Bai Fu had to put in quite an effort to suppress her laughter.
Now that she had the rights to distribute the Main Storyline, there was no need to waste energy dropping hints that she was the Dark Moon mentioned in the version name of Tide of the Dark Moon.
Just standing in front of the Players and showing off the Main Storyline quest would make her the most dazzling girl in the crowd!
What could other NPCs even compete with now?
Good looks?
Sorry, I can distribute the Main Storyline.
A touching background story?
Sorry, I can distribute the Main Storyline.
In truth, Bai Fu not only could distribute the Main Storyline, but also looked good, and she was even making up stories to catch Players’ attention.
This title of popularity queen was as good as hers!
Unless the Players in the Goli Desert had truly resolved to skip the Main Storyline, they would have no choice but to obediently raise her Favorability, no matter how much they disliked her.
Of course, Bai Fu wasn’t the kind to stomp someone down and trample them over a small conflict.
Actions speak louder than intentions. As long as Players provided her with value and didn’t damage her core interests, she would distribute the Main Storyline fairly.
Put on a good performance and strive to become the actual protagonist in the next version, earning the right to distribute the Main Storyline directly—rather than inheriting it from Old Nissen as she was doing now.
In a great mood, Bai Fu offered a few consoling words to Old Nissen and then walked outside.
With Javier dead, the outcome of this battle against the Wanderers was now beyond doubt.
The morale of the Wanderers completely collapsed.
To survive, some cried and begged for mercy, while others did everything possible to show their most brutal side, hoping the Players would be frightened enough to leave them a way out.
Unfortunately, all their efforts were futile in front of the Players.
The Players had seen too much of this pitiful act; they were immune. And in terms of ruthlessness, these Wanderers were nothing but weaklings compared to Players who could respawn.
Cornered, the only thing the Wanderers could do now was curse at Bai Fu.
“Demon Lord!”
“Damn witch!”
“You devil, someone will chop you to pieces and feed you to the dogs sooner or later!”
Bai Fu curled her lip, raised her hand, and shot the cursing Wanderer. Good insult—here’s a peanut for you.
She actually didn’t feel much emotionally. Being cursed at even made her a little happy.
The more frightened her enemies were, the more it meant she was doing the right thing!
Old Nissen followed behind Bai Fu as she stepped outside.
He looked around.
From the formation of the Goli Desert until now, the plague of the Wanderers, which had troubled people inside and outside the desert for nearly a century, was finally about to be swept into the trash heap of history.
It seemed that time had finally come.
What Bai Fu had just displayed was practically invincible in the Goli Desert. Neither his former prime nor the still-developing Yulia could match her.
The key was that Bai Fu wasn’t only strong herself—she also had a legion of respawning Undying Ones under her. In the already disorganized Goli Desert, the Garden of Silence had unquestionably become the ruling force.
At this moment, Bai Fu only needed to raise her arm and shout to be crowned Desert Queen.
Old Nissen’s eyes were full of emotion.
What he failed to achieve in the past had finally been accomplished by Bai Fu.
What gleamed in his eyes was not light, but time that had slipped away.
Facing the blinding sunlight outside, Old Nissen’s gaze fell on Bai Fu’s back.
She was a “girl” so beautiful that one might think of a pure white spirit dancing upon moonlit sand. The first time he saw her, he never imagined things would unfold like this.
Perhaps the prayers of countless residents in the Goli Desert had finally received a response from the gods.
Last time, the rise of the Watchers had been trampled by the Truth Society. This time, where would Bai Fu go?
More than half an hour later, Jian Qi Chong Tian and Black Bastard rushed up to Bai Fu one after the other, full of battle fervor.
“Reporting—all Wanderers have been eliminated!”
The two were now competing to show off in front of Bai Fu—not because they particularly liked her, but because they wanted to outshine each other in front of her.
Colleagues were natural rivals!
Compared to the two of them, Gui Yi Wo Fu, a Protector of the Fu Sect, almost seemed like he wasn’t even that sycophantic toward Bai Fu.
“Great work, everyone. Next, let’s clear out all the Wanderer camps, then we can return to Shelter Number 11!”
Under Bai Fu’s command, the surviving Players cheerfully set out on their final campaign.
The big fish had already been swept clean, and the remaining small fry were barely worth mentioning.
Bai Fu didn’t even have to lift a finger. The Wanderers who hadn’t followed their leaders to the Blue-tailed Scorpion Camp were quickly wiped out.
When the quest was finally settled, all the Players who had taken part went wild with joy.
【I leveled up 5 times in this quest, from level 5 to 10—just about ready to unlock an Advancement Quest】
【Haha, I hit level 16—officially entered the first tier of Players】
【Starfish‑bro is insane—still number one on the contribution board even after switching to a Psionic Class】
Happy?
There was even more happiness waiting for them!
Rolling with Bai Fu meant not only full meals every day, but also midnight snacks and treats!
On the same day they returned to Shelter Number 11, Bai Fu organized an event—
To celebrate the successful conclusion of the Desert Peace Operation, Anya’s Mysterious Shop was now offering a limited-time Prayer Card exchange event. Anyone who collected 50 Blessings could redeem one free 【Eye of the Dark Moon】 or one 【Summon Ghost!】 card from the shop.
“？”
Players wandering in front of Anya's Mysterious Shop were stunned upon discovering the event.
Damn, damn—was the Garden of Silence really offering this kind of benefit?
【Damn, this settles it, I’m switching to Psionic Prayer-user right now】
【Fu‑fu is awesome!】
【This is Fu‑fu, this is the Garden of Silence, always thinking for the Players. What discounts the developers don’t dare to offer, I, Bai Fu, will give you boldly!】
【With this kind of benefit, this game experience… I suggest letting Bai Fu become a Developer】
Before the Players crowding around Anya's Mysterious Shop could even finish their prayers, Bai Fu pulled out an even bigger trump card—
Released the Main Storyline quest!
This time, the quest she distributed to Players was Branch 3 of the 【Elegy of the Watchers】 series—【Defender of Order】. To defend the order of the Goli Desert, it wasn’t enough to just defeat the Wanderers; they also needed to restrain Outsiders, resist foreign invasions, and clear out the Mutated Sand Worms drifting internally.
This branch was a long-term quest. The rewards, once accumulated, were considerable—perfectly suited for the current stage of the Players.
As for the other branches, she would release them to Players bit by bit later. Good things needed to be given out gradually—that’s how you controlled the Players better.
The Players who received the Main Storyline quest practically “rioted.”
Version 1.1 had been live for less than a month, and whether it was Players in other regions of Origin Star or Players on other Beginner Planets, they were still painfully exploring the Main Storyline. But while exploring was fine, so far, not a single Player had truly triggered a Main Storyline quest.
However...
Exploration?
Fu‑fu told them—in the Goli Desert, in the Garden of Silence, there was no need to struggle with exploration, because the Main Storyline quest would appear right in front of you!
Shelter Number 11 became more lively than ever, and the Players' joy spread quickly through the Community.
【Being Fu‑fu’s dog is the greatest honor.jpg】
【That dumb NPC said I was kissing up to Fu‑fu by joining the Garden of Silence. Kissing up? Look how sweet it is now, hahahaha! My review: licking the Gene Primordials left me with nothing, licking Fu‑fu gave me everything!】
The Players idly browsing the Community were all dumbfounded after learning the truth.
Wait a second, bro, could there really be such a huge gap between NPCs?
Affected by this sentiment, something completely unexpected by Bai Fu happened.
At the same time, on various Beginner Planets, different Players began “managing upward,” angrily bashing their own Factions.
“I swear, can’t you guys learn from Bai Fu?”
“If you were even one-tenth as good as Bai Fu, if you told me to go east, I’d never go west.”
“Where is our planet’s Bai Fu?”
The Factions getting scolded were left dizzy.
Bai Fu? Who?
If it was just one or two people mentioning this name, that would’ve been fine. The problem was—at the same time, many Undying Ones suddenly brought up that name. They couldn’t ignore it.
But no matter how they investigated, they couldn’t find anyone named Bai Fu who matched the Players’ descriptions.
Which made sense—after all, Bai Fu wasn’t even on their planet.
“Could this Bai Fu person be some kind of succubus-like being who bewitched those Undying Ones?”
“Could she be the leader of some secret society?”
“Investigate—find out who she is. I can’t eat or sleep until I know!”
Just like that, a bizarre event unfolded. The Great Star Sea Era hadn’t even begun, yet Bai Fu’s reputation had already broken through the confines of Origin Star and started shining across various parts of the universe.
Bai Fu: “……”
Didn’t seem like such a bad thing?
That evening, just as Bai Fu was making Prayer Cards, her Personal Terminal suddenly rang.
It was Gao Yuan.
“The Makarov family behind the Dark Web wants to meet you. They’ve already sent a representative to Shelter Number 11. Do you want to meet them?”
The Makarov family?
A special plot, maybe even a quest.
Bai Fu thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll meet them.”
Gao Yuan said, “I’ll notify them right away.”
Bai Fu packed away the Prayer Cards, got up, and walked to the window. Then she saw several “luxury bulletproof vehicles” rolling through the streets of Shelter Number 11 and stopping at her residence.
A group of people stepped out, lining up on either side, formal as if they were welcoming a queen!
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the Players.
“Damn, Fu‑fu really holds that much power?”
“Duh, it’s Fu‑fu—how could she not?”
The Players all craned their necks, wanting to see what was going on.