Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Create Your Own Main Quest, Become the Only True Protagonist? [52k]

In the late stages of version 1.1, due to the influence of the official update preview, some players anticipated that the new version of Silent Courtyard might offer more benefits. As a result, they decisively abandoned their original factions and began migrating towards Silent Courtyard.

The number of these players was extremely large, causing the total player count in Silent Courtyard to increase daily by over a hundred.

But this was just the beginning.

After version 1.2 was launched, the popularity of the Bagalos challenge instance made Silent Courtyard even more appealing.

Many players who were previously undecided could no longer sit still after seeing what happened in Silent Courtyard on the first day of the new version’s release.

Perhaps they too could unlock hidden classes if they reached Silent Courtyard?

Even if they couldn’t unlock hidden classes, learning those skills considered divine would certainly enhance their gaming experience significantly.

Recently, players from Silent Courtyard have been continuously posting videos on community forums and video websites showing themselves using Flowing Light, Yi Cai, and Moon Concealment to brutally beat Sand Worms. This has left players from other factions envious.

However, the two events that followed were the real reasons why most wavering players decided to join Silent Courtyard despite the distance.

After unlocking the Moon Dancer class, Pai Da Xing achieved an impressive thirteen consecutive victories in the arena. In the no-rules competitive mode, he even defeated the top-ranked player from another popular online game’s arena, climbing to fourth place on the live scoreboard with a chance to become the new “King.”

This event propelled Pai Da Xing into becoming one of the most watched players above the Stars. Many professional teams extended invitations for him to join.

Previously, although he was known for his skill, he still fell short of the top-tier players. Now, after training in Silent Courtyard, he seemed poised to become a master of casual combat.

“This is Silent Courtyard!”

“Good news for those who like Bai Fu!”

“Joining Fu faction grants a 20% boost in combat effectiveness.”

If this event alone wasn’t enough to prove the idea that “joining Silent Courtyard makes you stronger,” then the video subsequently released by Jiujiao provided the strongest evidence.

It’s common knowledge that Jiujiao is a weak player; her level may be high, but she can’t even defeat normal players half her level.

However, in the newly released video, she successfully killed two level 12 Sand Worms using sneak attacks with the skills Flowing Light and Moon Concealment, without dying herself!

Players watching the video initially thought they were dreaming, and then realized:

“If Jiujiao became so powerful after learning Flowing Light, Yi Cai, and Moon Concealment, surely I will become even stronger after learning them!”

Come on, come on, there wouldn’t be anyone weaker than Jiujiao, right?

Even if there were, they wouldn’t admit it.

Jiujiao’s video acted like a tempting bomb thrown into deep water, luring a large group of players to Silent Courtyard.

“Now every day we get a hundred or two, in a few days it will likely be three or four hundred, or even more.”

Seeing this situation, Bai Fu quickly handed over all the vehicles she had previously seized to Gao Yuan, instructing him to form a fleet to continuously shuttle between Shelter No. 11 and Shelter No. 5, transporting players arriving from various places, ensuring they don’t get stranded at Shelter No. 5, which could discourage some players from coming to Silent Courtyard.

“A new player who spends money will bring me at least 2000 experience points in the early stages. Adding the experience obtained from other sources, I can earn about 500,000 experience points per day now. When the peak period arrives, this number is expected to double.”

Bai Fu estimated that this peak period would last ten days to half a month. If her estimate was correct, then this experience would be sufficient for her to fully upgrade the advanced Moon Dancer class and raise the Spiritual Energy Painter class to levels 6 or 7.

A bright future lies ahead!

With a happy expression, Bai Fu walked to the window and overlooked the busy players outside.

Such a large influx of players into Silent Courtyard was both beneficial and a significant challenge for its development.

An increase in the number of players means that if the number of quests provided remains the same as before, players will face a situation where there are too many monks and not enough porridge, drastically reducing their gaming experience. At that time, definitely many players will leave after spending their experience points on skills.

Although she could still profit from these players, clearly exploiting them once wouldn’t satisfy her.

“Entering the Fu faction and wanting to leave without being drained dry?”

What Bai Fu wanted wasn’t just one good meal, but continuous nourishment.

To solve this problem, she devised several methods.

The first method was to accelerate the construction of Gao Yuan’s commission platform, accepting more missions from the outside world and assigning them to players in Silent Courtyard.

The second method was to collaborate with other forces — such as the Darknet — regularly sending players to help them with tasks.

The third method was to improve Silent Courtyard’s reputation, creating more challenge instances to quench the players’ thirst.

However, compared to these methods, Bai Fu actually had a bolder plan in mind, which she had conceived temporarily. She named this plan —

“The Source Star Reconstruction Plan!”

After the World War and the Great Catastrophe, Source Star turned into ruins, filled with mutated life forms and pollution sources. Survivors struggled to survive in this wasteland, often imagining how wonderful the world was before the disaster, but they didn’t dare to hope that the world could truly return to its former state.

They didn’t dare, but Bai Fu did, since she had control over a large number of fearless and pollution-resistant players.

She could center around the Goli Desert, dispatching players to gradually clear out the surrounding mutated life forms and pollution sources, allowing this scarred planet to slowly regain its original appearance.

There was no doubt that this plan was arduous yet romantic.

Precisely because it was difficult, Bai Fu was captivated by it.

Around this plan, she could find countless things for the players to do.

Eliminating mutated life forms, eradicating violent criminal organizations in the wilderness, constructing forward bases, researching effective drugs to suppress mutation infections, clearing pollution sources in the wilderness, uncovering the truth behind the Great Catastrophe, and judging those responsible for the disaster…

This was the rekindling of civilization, the epic of humanity on Source Star, and the glorious journey of the players!

Above the Stars repeatedly emphasized in its promotions that players could change the world with their own hands and create the future, attracting many players with this slogan.

They were tired of doing much in other games but ultimately changing little, unable to even witness the world after their changes.

Building their own faction base had already motivated many players, and Bai Fu believed that when an opportunity to save the world and become a savior recorded in history presented itself, these players would undoubtedly become more passionate.

What, this isn’t stimulating enough?

Bai Fu had her ways.

Whoever contributes the most gets their name attached to new buildings, camps, or cities!

Whoever performs well will have statues and hero museums built in their honor across the world!

Once everything settles down, documentaries, movies, TV series will be produced for all the players involved in this great cause, and novels will be commissioned for them, maximizing their sense of participation and honor.

Bai Fu was confident that this combination of strategies would entice most players to participate in her Source Star Reconstruction Plan.

Once this plan proceeds smoothly, Source Star will welcome rebirth, and she will surely make a fortune.

Firstly, it can be confirmed that this plan will inevitably replace the previous main quests on Source Star and become the new main quest. Whoever controls this new main quest will undoubtedly become the only protagonist of Source Star.

When Overlord comes, there is clarity.

When Overlord comes, Source Star becomes peaceful.

At that time, no NPC on Source Star will be able to shake her position, even if that NPC is from another planet and closely related to subsequent plots.

No matter how many plots they have, they cannot surpass the most important thing for Source Star—improving harsh living conditions and developing.

“Becoming the only true protagonist of Source Star can give me a great boost and allow me to command the players of Source Star to follow my orders for a relatively long period, thus gaining numerous hidden benefits.”

The more Bai Fu thought about it, the more she felt this plan was powerful.

To ensure the smooth execution of this plan, she must eliminate all obstructive people and forces.

For example, the Truth Society and Gene Progenitor—these two entities couldn’t be allowed to remain, even if they hadn’t become enemies yet.

…

Bai Fu changed her approach. She regarded the task of reconstructing the Goli Desert as a trial field before officially launching the “Source Star Reconstruction Plan”, planning to use some small tricks to enhance players’ participation and honor beforehand.

Two days later, when the widened main road of Shelter No. 11 was completed, Bai Fu suddenly appeared at the scene carrying a stone road sign.

This action attracted the attention of nearby people…





With the attention of the players, they were all curious about what Bai Fu was going to do with such a grand gesture.

Things were beyond expectations.

After firmly planting the road sign at the intersection, Bai Fu personally began carving words onto it. The words she carved were—

“Convert to Me Fu Road”

“—In commemoration of all who contributed to the construction of this road.”

The back of the road sign had already been engraved with the names of the participating players and NPCs, a dense mass of names that left the onlookers in awe.

“Holy cow, Convert to Me Fu Road! Brother Convert, your name has become the name of a road!”

The players were envious.

This road was designed by Convert to Me Fu, who spent quite some time on it. Although he earned more experience than other players, some still thought it wasn’t worth it since designing was too mentally taxing compared to simpler tasks like brick-laying.

But now, none of the onlookers thought it was unworthy.

The hidden benefits were right here!

Having a road named after oneself in the game was exhilarating!

The news spread instantly through Silent Courtyard, stimulating the other players. When the news reached the community, it sparked a new wave of discussion.

[“I just completed two quests, and the NPCs treated me really well, calling me ‘young master.’ I thought I was having a great time until Bai Fu personally carved a monument. I’m so envious.”]

[“Do one for me too!”]

[“Wait, if I’m not mistaken, there’s an old guy in Silent Courtyard named Big Bird Zuan Zuan who designed a garden plaza. If Bai Fu named that plaza after him, wouldn’t it be called ‘Big Bird Zuan Zuan Plaza’?”]

Upon hearing this, the players in the thread almost couldn’t stop laughing. Big Bird Zuan Zuan, who was @-mentioned, quickly bought a renaming card out of fear.

There was no way he could let such a glorious event turn into a funny story that would haunt him forever.

[“A lesson in blood: please make sure your character names sound human.”]

[“You wouldn’t want NPCs to call you ‘Mr. Egg-Blasting Knight’ with expressions of discomfort, would you?”]

As players enthusiastically discussed the new antics in Silent Courtyard, Bai Fu took the opportunity to name the two newly built structures “Dark Moon Plaza” and “Quiet Solitude Garden.”

These names might have seemed a bit cheesy, but playing this kind of adventure game without some cheese just wouldn’t work.

She had two purposes in doing this. One was naturally to guide players with the terms “dark moon” and “quiet solitude,” making them think she was the legendary Night Sovereign. The second purpose was self-promotion.

Bai Fu, who needed fame and popularity, naturally wanted to leave her mark when she did good deeds. Not only did she want to leave her mark, but she also wanted to do it in creative ways.

Though the official designation as the game’s hostess hadn’t come, she could first transform herself into the hostess of Silent Courtyard and even the entire Source Star.

Recently, due to concerns about the Truth Society or Gene Progenitors causing trouble, she sent Elder Nissen and Anya to the second branch of the Spiritual Energy Research Institute, which temporarily left Anya’s mysterious shop unattended.

In the early days of version 1.2, she randomly grabbed one of Sean’s underlings to manage the store, but now she replaced that NPC with Small Black Fu and Xiao Xiao Bai Fu.

Although these two were as brainless as He Fu, just watching the store and preventing player robbers was something they could easily handle.

Xiao Xiao Bai Fu was responsible for surveillance and intimidating force, while Small Black Fu handled transactions with players and retrieved goods.

Additionally, Bai Fu established a patrol team consisting of two Small Black Fus and two Xiao Xiao Bai Fus, allowing them to patrol Shelter No. 11, now renamed Bai Fu Town, whenever they weren’t busy.

While this operation didn’t become a community hotspot, it attracted considerable attention. Many artists and content creators made derivative works featuring Xiao Xiao Bai Fu and Small Black Fu, pushing these two little spirits toward becoming initial prototypes of Miku-style fufu dolls.

Anyway, they were all fufu, so no problem!

Just as Bai Fu was immersed in gaining experience and popularity, she suddenly received a message from Su Li.

“What is it?” Bai Fu asked.

Su Li shouted from the terminal, “Bai Fu, are you some kind of queen-level succubus? I can’t believe you managed to seduce undead people hundreds of miles away!”

“Huh?”

After asking around, Bai Fu learned that several players originally following Su Li had defected, with their destination being Silent Courtyard.

She shrugged.

What could she do? She hadn’t even used her full strength yet; this level was merely equivalent to a succubus gently wiggling her tail.

Su Li grumbled complaints for half a day, “Alright, forget about that. I contacted you for a serious matter. Since the sudden attack on Black Mountain City in the Former Republic, the actions of the Truth Society have become increasingly bizarre.”

Attack Black Mountain City?

Bai Fu pretended she hadn’t heard it.

“How bizarre?”

Su Li explained, “We attempted to send undead spies to investigate the location of the Truth Society’s hidden base. After two months, we finally had some leads, but before we could act, the Truth Society made an emergency adjustment and evacuated everyone from the base. Strange things happening must mean something big is coming. We unanimously believe the Truth Society is planning something major.”

“You’re telling me this because you want me to collaborate?”

“Exactly. My side is severely short-staffed right now, and I want to hire a batch of undead from you.”

“That’s fine. How many do you need? I’ll arrange it immediately.”

Bai Fu readily agreed. Maintaining friendly relations with the Railway Guild was beneficial for her current situation.

Su Li eventually took 200 players.

After ending the call with Su Li, Bai Fu furrowed her brows. It looked like something big was about to happen on Source Star soon. The good news was that the basic outlines of her five strongholds were nearly complete.

Time to erect monuments. Once the monument was erected, players could set out to investigate the Truth Society and the Gene Progenitor, preparing to clear these obstacles.

Bai Fu acted immediately.

She chose a pleasant afternoon and, in front of all the players, pulled off the cloth covering the giant stone monument.

After previously naming roads and buildings after Convert to Me Fu and others, most players had already guessed the purpose of the large stone monument standing in Dark Moon Plaza. But when the monument truly appeared before everyone, seeing the words inscribed on it, watching Bai Fu deliver a passionate speech in the middle of the square, and surrounded by cheering NPCs, they still felt incredibly exhilarated.

Positive feedback, positive feedback—what keeps players continuously playing a game isn’t anything else but this continuous positive feedback.

Even though they were all working hard, those working in Silent Courtyard found it much more enjoyable than in other factions!

Jiujiao snapped pictures of Bai Fu relentlessly.

[Everyone, stop rushing me. The third episode of Silent Courtyard News will definitely be out by the day after tomorrow at the latest.]

Jiujiao was almost driven crazy by the players in her live stream urging her. Not only were the players in her live stream urging her, but there were also several players standing beside her demanding updates.

Fortunately, she had already finished half of the video beforehand, otherwise, she was afraid some players might lock her up in a small black room and force her to work overtime making videos.

[This video will include a special interview with Fu Fu. Everyone, look forward to it.]

Jiujiao took a few more photos of Bai Fu when she suddenly noticed something amiss in the photos.

[What is this?]

She quickly zoomed in on the photo and discovered an unfamiliar person appearing in the upper left corner of Bai Fu, staring at her with an eerie gaze.

Something was off!

Jiujiao’s pupils contracted sharply as she shouted loudly towards Bai Fu: “There’s an assassin!”

Her shout shook the entire plaza.

“Fufu draws her sword!”

“Run fast!”

“Stop that assassin!”

The assassin hiding in the shadows realized he had been exposed and stopped pretending. He raised his sniper rifle and pulled the trigger.

There was no trace of anxiety on Bai Fu’s face. In fact, she had noticed the assassin long ago. Her fully upgraded spiritual energy perception range extended a full 100 meters, and nothing—not even an ant—could escape her detection. The reason she hadn’t acted immediately was because she was controlling He Fu and Small Black Fu to secure various key locations in Bai Fu Town.

She wasn’t sure if the assassin was acting alone, so proper precautions were necessary.

Now that Jiujiao had exposed the assassin’s presence, she saw no reason to continue pretending.

Was this retaliation from the Truth Society or another faction?

Regardless of who it was, it was a perfect time to let this assassin witness the full power of her complete Fu Fu. She was not the fragile type whose forehead and chest could be pierced by bullets!

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