Chapter 214: Hidden Identities – Could Bai Fu Be From the Supernatural Garden? [75k]
Bai Fu speculated that in the original storyline, the main quest “Conflict of the Dark Domain Bug Clan” was supposed to trigger only in version 2.0 or even later versions.
The normal progression would be for players to unintentionally collect a prototype of dissociative medication during their interstellar adventures, which would trigger the prelude task for the main quest. After successfully gathering five prototypes, the Dark Domain Bug Queen revives and offers grand promises, persuading players to assist her in reclaiming her throne.
Unlike her, players value experience rewards highly, so even knowing the queen is exaggerating, they’d likely accept the mission and fight on her behalf.
Then, while helping the queen gather more prototypes, these players who accepted the “Conflict of the Dark Domain Bug Clan” main quest would end up completely opposing the Tower of Secrets, leading to an all-out war.
Whether the Tower of Secrets’ plan succeeds or the queen takes revenge and regains her throne remains uncertain.
The game’s plot develops dynamically; there’s no guarantee of justice prevailing. Without her interference, after version 2.0 of the Star Ocean opens, the Tower of Secrets should be able to recruit many players normally. The intense clashes between players would make it hard to predict who will win.
In version 1.4, the player level cap is 35, and even with hundreds of thousands gathered, they wouldn’t influence the direction of a star system-level civilization war.
But in version 2.0, the player level cap might open up to 45. At level 45, players could almost reach the peak of B-tier strength, and those with special encounters or well-trained professions might even defeat weaker A-tier superhumans in single combat.
Millions of such players battling in the star ocean would create quite a spectacle…
Bai Fu first felt sympathy for the various factions of the Initial Gateway Star Cluster.
She raised the bug egg and examined it carefully.
[“Is there something wrong with me?”]
The voice of the bug egg sounded.
Bai Fu shook her head: “Nothing, I’m just thinking about where to go next to help you collect the remaining four prototypes.”
[“This is simple, I can sense the approximate locations of the other prototypes.”]
Oh?
That drastically reduces the difficulty of this mission.
Bai Fu smiled and nodded.
Actually, she wasn’t thinking about that at all. She was considering whether the strategy of “controlling the emperor to command the vassals” would work within the Dark Domain Bug Clan.
[“You don’t want your queen to be stomped around by my foot, do you?”]
Even if this bug isn’t popular, due to lineage and other reasons, it should have a group of hardcore supporters within the Dark Domain Bug Clan, right?
If she could control these hardcore supporters, dealing with the Tower of Secrets and the new treacherous bug queen should be easier.
Bai Fu called Youlia and the others back in and told them about the Dark Domain Bug Clan.
“So powerful, you can’t kill it even by crushing it?”
Youlia approached Bai Fu, her eyes gleaming. Such a good thing not used for research with Tessia would be a waste.
The bug egg was startled by Youlia’s gaze.
[“What does this woman want? Is she going to eat me? Quick, take me away!”]
Only after Bai Fu sent He Fu with the bug egg to walk elsewhere did the bug egg finally relax.
Too scary, though it had been resurrected, it had been revived by a bad person, and it must escape from this bad person, otherwise, it would eventually be drained dry.
…
“Alright, now we can discuss serious matters.”
In the laboratory, Bai Fu convened a meeting with Youlia and the others.
Version 1.4 has been active for some time. Based on past update frequencies, version 2.0 will likely launch within two years. By then, all players will enter the star ocean in waves, changing the world entirely. She must improve herself and the power of Dark Moon Tide as much as possible before the update. This way, when version 2.0 starts, even without enticing players, a significant portion will come to her voluntarily.
“First, we need to build a base!”
The branch of Star Treaty in the Initial Gateway Star Cluster is excellent. Even if the number of players doubles several times, it can accommodate them. The infrastructure is also solid, requiring only minor modifications.
But Bai Fu still wanted to construct her own base.
Staying too long in Star Treaty might result in all the players she charmed being taken away by The Sworn One, which could infuriate her.
The location for base construction Bai Fu had already chosen — Ulysses Star. Near Ulysses Star, there is a very stable natural wormhole, making spaceship travel convenient. The only issue is that currently, Ulysses Star has nothing — no formed buildings and no NPCs.
However, none of this is a problem.
Without any buildings, she can assign construction tasks to players once they arrive, giving those who dislike fighting something to do.
Without any NPCs, she can use robots, Ulysses natives, and evolved Small Black Fu to fill in initially. Later, she can introduce Ulysses natives and other partners.
As long as a stable development environment is created on Ulysses Star, there won’t be a lack of NPCs.
“In a few years, at most ten years, Ulysses Star will become the new center of the Initial Gateway Star Cluster!”
Vike, a Ulysses native, was moved by Bai Fu’s grand vision but didn’t lose his head over the bright prospects.
“What if the Tower of Secrets suddenly attacks us during our construction? Should we delay the plan a bit?”
Bai Fu approvingly looked at Vike: “You’ve thought things through thoroughly. So, before officially constructing Ulysses Star, we need to do a little preparatory work.”
In her view, the likelihood of the Tower of Secrets attacking her base wasn’t “what if,” but at least 50%!
No wonder, after all the good deeds she’d done recently — wiping out several S+ tier superhumans from the Tower of Secrets in Jin Gu Star, abducting Tessia, and brazenly seizing four prototypes — even a calm person would probably be raging like someone who ate a devil pepper.
One reason Bai Fu chose the uninhabited Ulysses Star to build her base was her concern about retaliation from the Tower of Secrets.
Building the base in a populated area, what if the Tower of Secrets pulls out neutron weapons again?
Players can respawn, but civilians die permanently. If this happens, the impact would be extremely severe. There would definitely be troublemakers deliberately using this incident to attack her, and she didn’t have the patience to argue with them.
Bai Fu shared her plan with Vike and others.
Currently, the Tower of Secrets is extremely angry with her. The longer this anger festers, the greater the explosion will be. Therefore, she planned to find something to vent the Tower of Secrets’ anger. Once their anger subsides, they shouldn’t recklessly target her.
Her plan was to first build a “fake base” on Ulysses Star using cheap materials, then intentionally leave many loopholes to attract the Tower of Secrets to attack. During the construction process, she would place many players in the fake base. When the Tower of Secrets attacks, they will surely capture all the players.
After destroying her base and capturing her people, the leader of the Tower of Secrets will be very pleased, but he won’t expect that all these players are undercover agents!
“Oh, right, we’ll also build a statue of me in the middle of the fake base. They’ll surely be happier when they fight, and if they’re happy, I’ll be happy too.” Bai Fu added.
Youlia, Scarlet Leaf, Xia Shi, and Vike: “…”
Everyone in the lab except Anya was speechless.
Why do you have so many tricks up your sleeve?
Anya, however, excitedly took notes. No wonder the boss effortlessly came up with such a brilliant plan. With tens of thousands of undercover agents inside the Tower of Secrets, if even 1% rise in rank, battles against the Tower of Secrets would be as easy as having full map hacks!
After a moment, Scarlet Leaf asked, “Should we contact designers and contractors now?”
Bai Fu nodded: “As soon as possible. Besides building the base, I have another plan.”
This new plan had nothing to do with the Tower of Secrets but concerned the development of the Silent Courtyard faction.
So far, the Silent Courtyard faction has developed well, but it’s still too thin. Apart from players, counting everyone, including her, Anya, Youlia, Xia Shi, and Vike, there are only five formal members in the star ocean. This kind of development model is unhealthy for a large faction, so she decided to change this situation while bringing players to the star ocean.
Step one: Bai Fu plans to transport the “protagonists” who have already pledged allegiance to her from Indigo Star and Jin Gu Star to the star ocean, letting them work with Anya.
These protagonists are very promising NPCs. Even if they can’t reach the Catastrophe tier, with sufficient resources, reaching the S-tier should be no problem.
Step two: Bai Fu plans to establish an investment department specifically for investing in NPCs with “Luck” or “Good Fortune” talents — explained to Youlia and others as investing in potential individuals.
If these NPCs are willing to join the Silent Courtyard, that’s best. If not, it’s fine too; it’s about building good karma. Networking is crucial in the star ocean. In the future, calling a group of helpers with “Luck” or “Good Fortune” talents during conflicts will surely intimidate enemies.
Step three: Bai Fu plans to form comprehensive cooperation with forces on Source Star, Indigo Star, and Jin Gu Star. She will provide money, supplies, and advanced knowledge to help these forces cultivate faction leaders for her.
With billions of people across the three planets, it would be wasteful not to utilize them fully. Even if top-tier experts cannot emerge, cultivating some B-tier or A-tier superhumans would be excellent. A major faction needs both a backbone and branches.
After listening to Bai Fu’s plan, Vike nodded and furrowed his brow: “It’s indeed a great plan, but completing it will likely cost a lot of money.”
“This isn’t a problem. The operations of Dark Moon Tide have already expanded, and we will soon have a steady income. Moreover, the initial phase of this plan won’t require much funding.”
Bai Fu had high hopes for this plan.
If successful, the Silent Courtyard will grow rapidly. Additionally, she will gain an implicit benefit.
When players discover that the Silent Courtyard has many NPCs suspected to be protagonists, and those NPCs befriended by the Silent Courtyard are mostly suspected protagonists, how will they view the Silent Courtyard and her as the court master?
Although some players might think her role is similar to Xiong Ba from “Fengyun,” most players will likely consider her as “the protagonist among protagonists, connecting all stories.”
Once this prestigious reputation is established, she won’t have to worry about someone suddenly appearing to compete for players.
Let’s get started!
After the meeting ended, Bai Fu immediately took action.
Scarlet Leaf was responsible for contacting designers and contractors. Youlia continued researching Tessia’s hair. Anya and Xia Shi were tasked with receiving players.
As for herself, Bai Fu found Jiujiao to leak information through her.
At noon, with bright sunshine and warm breezes, Jiujiao was live streaming, walking towards Bai Fu’s residence while smiling and greeting players in the live stream.
[“I just received a message from Fu Fu saying she has something very important to discuss with me. Although Fu Fu didn’t reveal what it is, judging from her tone, it should be something extraordinary. Now, I’ll bring everyone to investigate.”]
Her words immediately sparked heated discussions in the chat. When the news spread to the community, many players stopped what they were doing to watch the live stream.
Recently, players from novice planets like Source Star have been transported to the star ocean in batches by Bai Fu’s spaceships. Discussions about this in the community have been ongoing, and everyone wants to see what Bai Fu is planning next.
[“Could it be that Fu Fu is preparing to invade the fourth novice planet?”]
[“Impossible, Bai Fu doesn’t know the location of the novice planets. How can she invade, teleport here directly?”]
[“Then what could it be?”]
Amidst the chatter, Jiujiao arrived at Bai Fu’s residence.
[“Miss Jiujiao, welcome.”]
The sweet voice of the AI butler rang out, and the white metal gate opened automatically.
Jiujiao thanked her.
She then stepped over the threshold and entered the room, looking around. She spotted Bai Fu’s figure in the corner near the window.
Today, Bai Fu was dressed in an ordinary checkered shirt and wide-leg jeans, wearing a large round-frame glasses, exuding an artistic charm that caught the eye.
[666]
[No wonder FuFu looks good in anything]
[Absorbing!]
However, compared to Bai Fu’s appearance and clothing style, Jiujiao (the excavation girl) and the players in the live stream were more focused on the virtual screen floating in front of Bai Fu.
Even though it was several meters away, with the help of the zoom function, everyone could clearly see the content displayed on the screen.
[Supernatural Garden Decline History]
[With the disappearance of the Ten Thousand Phenomena God, this war that lasted for over a hundred years finally ended with the victory of the three major cosmic civilizations. Most of the super-ability users in the Supernatural Garden signed the peace agreement, but a few chose to leave…]
Just as Jiujiao wanted to continue reading, Bai Fu suddenly stood up.
“How did you come here… oh, I almost forgot, welcome, welcome.”
Bai Fu smiled and lightly patted her forehead, and when her hand fell, she quickly turned off the virtual screen.
Jiujiao asked, “Was FuFu just reading a book?”
“It’s nothing, that’s not important. Let’s talk about the main issue instead.”
Bai Fu pointed to another chair in front of her, obviously not wanting to discuss what she had been reading earlier.
Jiujiao didn’t dwell on it, sat down on the chair, and soon got into the topic, discussing the main matter with Bai Fu.
This time Bai Fu called her over to collect information through her.
“I plan to build a city on Ulysses Star. Since this city is mainly used to serve the undead, before officially starting construction, I want to hear more from the undead – functional buildings, entertainment facilities… you can suggest anything, and I will try my best to meet your needs.”
After hearing Bai Fu’s words, Jiujiao’s eyes widened.
Is this going to be the player’s main city?
This news itself was already surprising, but what shocked her even more was that Bai Fu would actively propose to collect player opinions when building the main city!
[WTF?]
The originally lively live stream room was instantly flooded with countless comments.
[Is there such a thing?]
[I declare, FuFu is number one!]
[I think the planner should bow to FuFu. The planner is always like missing person, never showing up, and some unpleasant places actually have to rely on FuFu to optimize.]
Subsequently, the message spread like wildfire in the community and video websites, and many players gave Bai Fu new titles –
[The NPC who respects players the most] and [The NPC who spoils players the most].
What, you don’t agree?
Then give an example, see if there is any other NPC in the game who is as good to players as FuFu!
Can’t find any? That’s right.
This round of battle between the Black Children and Fu followers ended with the Fu followers winning easily, with overwhelming advantage.
Bai Fu successfully boosted her reputation among the player group, making her image in the eyes of players become even taller and stronger.
But her harvest this time was not limited to this. She deliberately showed the virtual screen in front of Jiujiao, letting Jiujiao see the keyword [Supernatural Garden] displayed on the screen. Not long after the live stream ended, Jiujiao released a new video targeting [Supernatural Garden].
[FuFu’s Backstory As I See It]
Jiujiao is now a big UP main with millions of followers, and the title of the new video is very straightforward, immediately attracting countless players’ attention.
[Here we go, Digging Treasure, you finally released a new video]
[Nice, this is the plot analysis video I’ve been looking forward to. Compared to the Star Ocean Sightseeing, I still prefer this kind of video.]
Bai Fu opened the video. It must be said that since becoming famous, Jiujiao’s videos have become more and more refined, with self-made openings and specially commissioned background music.
In the soothing music, Jiujiao smiled and greeted the audience in front of the screen.
[I believe everyone noticed FuFu reading a book during the live stream, right? After the broadcast, I specifically searched for the content of that book and the mentioned Supernatural Garden. I didn’t know until I searched, but once I did, I was shocked!]
[We only knew that FuFu is the Overlord of the Silent Courtyard before, but we didn’t know which Silent Courtyard or what kind of force FuFu’s Silent Courtyard is. But after searching the content of that book, I think I have figured everything out!]
[Listeners, please listen to my analysis!]
Jiujiao took out a book and introduced the Supernatural Garden and its war with the three cosmic civilizations according to the content of the book.
After introducing the Supernatural Garden, she put down the book and smiled faintly.
[Do you remember something? During the attack on the Gene Progenitor, FuFu once said she has been looking for a way to return to the Rebirth Empire.]
[Did you notice any coincidences? Yes, the star area under the jurisdiction of the Rebirth Empire was once the territory of the Supernatural Garden!]
[Let me directly say my conclusion. I boldly speculate that the Silent Courtyard where FuFu is located was established by those super-ability users who left after the defeat of the Supernatural Garden!]
[As for whether FuFu herself is from the Supernatural Garden or someone from elsewhere who later joined the Silent Courtyard, because there is no evidence, I dare not jump to conclusions.]
[What I am sure of now is that the Silent Courtyard split due to internal differences. It’s hard to say exactly what these differences are, but someone conspired with outsiders, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Silent Courtyard. FuFu had to run away with Anya, eventually reaching the Source Star, and our story starts from here!]
[Understanding FuFu’s backstory, the tasks on FuFu also make sense.]
[First, rebuild the Silent Courtyard. Now it seems that the development momentum of the Silent Courtyard is very good. I speculate that when FuFu’s task is officially triggered, players who contribute significantly to the reconstruction process will enjoy a great reward.]
[Second, revenge. First, revenge against the traitors. After dealing with the traitors, conflicts with which forces will arise is unclear. By the way, we may need to explore the Supernatural Garden in the future, but it’s too early to say now. I estimate that these plots may be released in version 4.0.]
Jiujiao spoke confidently, and judging from the comments in the video and the comments below, her speculations won the approval of a large number of players.
Supernatural Garden, a universe-level force, so FuFu has such a background?
Amazing!
Now we have to continue supporting FuFu!
Although ultra-class NPCs like The Sworn One look cute, compared to FuFu, who bears so much responsibility and is clearly a pivotal character in the game plot, they still fall short.
“Continue to support FuFu meow!”
Bai Fu was almost laughing uncontrollably.
She just wanted to create a misunderstanding for Jiujiao, linking the Silent Courtyard with the Supernatural Garden, but unexpectedly, Jiujiao went further, promoting in the video that contributing to the Silent Courtyard would bring many benefits in the future.
This promise… It’s obvious that many players are eager to take it.
What is a publicity ambassador!
Jiujiao deserves a little incentive to encourage her to work well.
After receiving several waves of players, Bai Fu publicly awarded a new honorary medal to Jiujiao, who had diligently followed her and promoted her cause, in front of all the players.
The design of this medal wasn’t special, but the medal holder could claim a free monthly package at the Silent Courtyard, containing prayer cards, coupons, and some special items.
Actually, these things weren’t very useful for Jiujiao, since she rarely participated in battles, but it was a symbol of honor, recognition of contributions.
Seeing this medal, the players became even more convinced that contributing to the Silent Courtyard would bring many benefits in the future, as Jiujiao claimed.
…
As more players arrived, the private armed company Dark Moon Tide officially began operations.
Bai Fu quickly accepted a large number of commissions suitable for the current stage of the players. The players did not disappoint her; they completed these tasks with extremely high efficiency and nearly 100% positive reviews.
Through the efforts of the players, the fame of the Dark Moon Tide Company was thoroughly established in the commission circle of the Initial Gateway Star Cluster. Previously hesitant commissioners began to send commissions to Dark Moon Tide, and nearby other star clusters also extended olive branches to Dark Moon Tide.
Players cannot truly die, meaning that commissioners can command players to do dangerous tasks without worrying about disputes with Dark Moon Tide if accidents happen.
While managing the Dark Moon Tide, Bai Fu also dispatched a large number of players to cooperating forces such as Star Treaty and Tide Civilization, allowing players to help them work and further deepen the relationship between both sides.
At the same time, the plan to build a fake base on Ulysses Star to attract the attention of the Tower of Secrets and the investor plan were also launched simultaneously.
To better convince the forces on Source Star, Indigo Star, and Jin Gu Star, Bai Fu personally visited all three places by spaceship.
Forces like the Railway Guild never expected Bai Fu to return, and even proposed new cooperation.
Previously, their cooperation with Bai Fu had gone smoothly. After seeing Bai Fu’s current strength and wealth, they almost agreed to the new cooperation without hesitation.
“I thought you’d forget about us old friends.”
Gao Yuan and Su Li smiled at Bai Fu.
“Do you want to go explore the Celestial Sea with me again? Like before, let’s make the Silent Courtyard bigger and stronger together in the Celestial Sea!”
Bai Fu threw out a tempting offer.
Gao Yuan and Su Li hesitated for a while, but were eventually attracted by this offer, along with Elder Nissen.
Though his nickname contains the word ‘old’, Elder Nissen is actually less than fifty years old; he just looks weathered due to hardships. Now that Sean manages Bai Fu’s city, he plans to follow Bai Fu to visit Youlia and wander in the Celestial Sea. Fifty is still a youthful age!
After picking up Elder Nissen, Gao Yuan, Su Li, and some B-class super-ability followers, Bai Fu visited Indigo Star and Jin Gu Star consecutively.
These trips were also smooth, especially on Indigo Star, where Qi and Teresa, who had already become her devoted fans, expressed their willingness to follow her to the ends of the earth.
“What irresistible charm.”
Bai Fu proudly raised her leg.
A month passed in such busyness. When Bai Fu returned to the Initial Gateway Subcommittee of the Star Treaty, except for the investment department which hadn’t started operating formally yet, everything related to the Silent Courtyard faction was moving forward in a positive direction.
“The Tower of Secrets hasn’t acted yet, haven’t they discovered it, or are they wary? Looks like we need to provoke them.”
Bai Fu seized the opportunity to accept a television interview, where she talked extensively about the Ulysses Star base, expressing her high hopes for this base and mentioning that she had specially sent nearly twenty thousand players to settle there to accelerate its construction.
“What do you think?”
Tower of Secrets, meeting room, the Master of the Tower of Secrets looked around.
The Head Butler frowned slightly: “This might be a trap set up by the Star Network and Bai Fu, waiting for us to jump in.”
The Master of the Tower of Secrets said, “That possibility can’t be ruled out, but there are nearly twenty thousand undead people there. Aren’t you eager to capture more undead people to brainwash?”
The Head Butler shook his head: “The risk is too great.”
The Master of the Tower of Secrets smiled: “What if we use the Abyssal Stalker?”
The Head Butler was stunned for a moment.
The Abyssal Stalker is a special celestial giant beast with interstellar travel capabilities. If it is used, even if Ulysses Star is a trap, they can escape from the trap in time.
But…
“Isn’t it better to expose the existence of the Abyssal Stalker prematurely?”
“It will be exposed sooner or later. Acting now can capture a large number of undead people and also take the opportunity to retaliate against Bai Fu!” A hint of coldness flashed in the Master of the Tower of Secrets’ eyes.
The Head Butler nodded. He could tell that the Master of the Tower of Secrets had made a decision, so let’s act.
On one side, dispatch the Abyssal Stalker and a large number of super-ability users to raid Ulysses Star, while on the other side, send people to contact the Dark Moon Tide, luring more undead people into the pre-arranged encirclement.
If Ulysses Star is a trap, the Abyssal Stalker can be used to cover for the actions on the other side.
If Ulysses Star isn’t a trap, it’s even better. Capturing a large number of undead people through two channels, Bai Fu will surely be furious upon learning of the losses, and after venting this anger, the Master of the Tower of Secrets probably won’t act recklessly anymore.
“Act.”
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
