Chapter 107

### Chapter 107: Who Doesn’t Know Bai Fu? Hidden Main Quest in Hand! [5k]

The gun barrel that suddenly emerged from the shadows nearly scared Pratt out of his wits.

Fortunately, he was an old pro at acting and could match the newcomer Bai Fu in terms of performance, even surpassing her in some aspects. Apart from the initial dilation of his pupils, he did not show any other signs of distress.

He never imagined Bai Fu would be here.

Before sneaking out, he had confirmed that Bai Fu was asleep and that He Fu was occupied with some cards. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to do anything rash.

Could it be that everything was just an act, and Bai Fu had suspected him all along, following him secretly when he left?

Pratt shook his head inwardly.

No, there was no way that was possible.

Upon arriving, he had used his spiritual energy to probe the area for a long time, confirming there were no abnormalities before contacting the camp. From this perspective, even if Bai Fu had overheard him, she probably only heard the latter part. It was more likely that Bai Fu hadn’t heard a word at all, and was simply trying to put pressure on him and get him to talk.

Thinking this, Pratt slowly calmed down.

“Cheng… Chengzhu, please let me call you that for now. I’m a bit confused about the current situation.”

Bai Fu said, “You don’t need to understand too much. Just tell me what you want to use the Black Basalt fragments for, which you referred to as relics.”

Pratt’s face showed urgency, “Are you doubting me? I’ve already explained, the relics are used to save the sick people in the camp. You can investigate if you don’t believe me. If you still don’t believe me, you can follow us back to the camp and see how we use the relics. But if you find any problem, you can shoot me right away!”

Bai Fu smiled faintly, “I don’t want to hear this kind of rhetoric. Tell me what you really want to use the Black Basalt fragments for.”

Pratt’s heart skipped a beat.

How could he say such words? If he did, Bai Fu wouldn’t even need to lift a finger; the people in the camp would tear him apart.

He could only continue to argue, “I’m using the relics to save the sick people in the camp. There’s no need for us to keep arguing here. If you don’t want to help us, either let us go or kill us directly.”

As he spoke, he assumed a look of readiness to die.

Bai Fu paid no heed to Pratt’s attitude. She directly opened her personal terminal and called Dallas in front of Pratt.

“Help me check the private relationship between Pratt and the Former Republic. The sooner, the better. If you can’t find anything, post a bounty for it. Start with fifty thousand, I can afford that. If that’s not enough, add another fifty thousand. Whoever completes this task will also earn my friendship.”

Dallas replied with a smile, “As an S-class assassin and the new queen of the dark world, your friendship alone is worth more than fifty thousand. If family rules didn’t prevent me from taking commissions on the darknet, I’d personally take on this mission.”

You’re quite the speaker.

Bai Fu raised an eyebrow. When she looked up, she saw that Pratt’s face had changed.

“Dallas Makarov?”

“Do you know him?”

“I’ve heard of him.”

Pratt had contacted the darknet several times before. Although his status couldn’t reach someone like Dallas, he had heard many stories about how powerful Dallas was.

Dallas was the chief liaison officer for the darknet, a key figure in the Makarov family, known as the smiling tiger. His strength wasn’t inferior to some S-class assassins, but when facing Bai Fu, his demeanor was as gentle as if he were meeting an old friend—no, it was even lower than that, as if he was deliberately lowering himself.

If Dallas was willing to lower himself like this, Bai Fu must be terrifying beyond imagination!

Pratt’s heart sank.

He had never heard of Bai Fu’s name before and wasn’t sure if it was because his level was too low or if Bai Fu had emerged during the months he stayed hidden in the camp without going out.

Regardless, the situation was now very unfavorable to him.

Seeing Pratt remain silent, Bai Fu dialed Su Li’s number.

She got straight to the point, “Do you have intelligence networks in the Former Republic?”

“Bai Fu?”

Su Li was taken aback by the message, then laughed loudly.

After not seeing each other for so long, Su Li no longer held any grudges against Bai Fu. If Bai Fu weren’t here, she would have hugged Bai Fu and kissed her fiercely.

Before the attack on the Ocean Life Research Institute, she had worked hard for years to become a key member of the Railway Guild’s intelligence department. After this mission, she became the deputy minister of a new department managing the undead, rising half a grade above her previous direct superior.

It was exhilarating!

“When are you free to visit the Railway Guild? I’ll treat you to something fun~”

Devious woman!

Bai Fu rolled her eyes, “Let’s get to the point.”

“Of course, we have them. Except for the Truth Society whose headquarters we haven’t found, every other major force has spies planted among each other. What do you want me to investigate? Small tasks I can handle myself, but important intelligence requires me to apply to my former superior, Zhou Hailong. But rest assured, they value you highly now.”

“It’s not a big deal. I just want to investigate if there’s any collusion between the Holy Spirit Sect and the Former Republic behind the scenes.”

Su Li was slightly startled, “I can decide on that. Has the Holy Spirit Sect gotten on your nerves? If you want to deal with them, just let me know. I know plenty of both high-profile and low-profile figures. Handling the Holy Spirit Sect should be a piece of cake. If you don’t want to do it yourself, you can ask your little disciple, Ferreira, to handle it. He’ll ensure all evidence is destroyed.”

Bai Fu: “…”

These intelligence operatives are truly ruthless; few of them are decent.

Hearing Su Li’s words, Pratt was stunned.

Although he hadn’t heard of Su Li, he knew Zhou Hailong, who was the intelligence minister of the Railway Guild and one of its four prodigies.

These days, the world was chaotic, making intelligence personnel’s status much higher than before the war.

Bai Fu not only knew Dallas but also Zhou Hailong. Damn it!

Pratt wanted to slap himself. Everything the person he captured said was true; this was indeed someone he shouldn’t provoke, let alone look at again.

Why did he encounter Bai Fu?

For now, he could only stall.

Bai Fu smiled at Pratt, “It’s fine if you want to hide it. With the capabilities of the darknet and the Railway Guild, I believe we’ll eventually uncover the information I need.”

Pratt had no choice but to continue repeating that he had no ulterior motives and had been misunderstood.

Just as he was rambling, his personal terminal rang. It was the person he had just contacted.

Oh no, this must be to confirm the situation again. If Bai Fu hears his plan…

Pratt’s face changed.

“Answer.”

Bai Fu slowly uttered a single word.

Pratt reluctantly pressed the answer button, “What is it?”

The voice on the other end sounded clearly panicked, “It’s Major Deklan from the Former Republic. I just contacted them, and Major Deklan wants to speak with you. I transferred the call to you.”

Pratt glanced at his personal terminal and then at Bai Fu beside him.

Hearing it was someone from the Former Republic, he felt relieved and even secretly delighted.

Bai Fu was formidable, but compared to the Former Republic, she paled in comparison. If the Former Republic helped him, he would successfully navigate this crisis today.

“Major Deklan, it’s me, Pratt. What can I do for you…”

Pratt’s words were cut short by a furious roar from the terminal.

“Fool!”

This shout left Pratt dumbfounded.

“I…”

“What ‘I’? Are you brain-dead from staying in that dump for too long? You provoked Bai Fu, and you expect me to help you get rid of her?”

If Pratt were standing in front of him now, Deklan would definitely break his nose.

Everyone knows Bai Fu is a disaster, and whoever provokes her faces calamity. The Truth Society messed with Bai Fu, and as a result, the Bagalos Base and the Black Eagle Base were destroyed. The Gene Progenitor targeted Bai Fu, suffered a backlash, and was beaten twice by the Truth Society in the following months. A group of unknown people destroyed the Ocean Life Research Institute. The Wanderers in the Goli Desert targeted Bai Fu, resulting in the destruction of all their camps.

Of course, this doesn’t mean major forces dare not provoke Bai Fu. They can survive on the post-war ruins because they possess technology and top-tier powerhouses stronger than ordinary S-class killers.

The key issue is that the Truth Society is causing trouble everywhere, and the Gene Progenitor is facing numerous problems. Plus, the widespread appearance of the undead has put all major forces on high alert, leaving them no time to deal with Bai Fu.

To confront Bai Fu, one needs either top-tier experts or a large force. Otherwise, Bai Fu can run away even if she can’t fight. And once she runs, they would have to constantly guard against her returning to assassinate them.

Such a level of killer might not be able to defeat a major force in a direct confrontation, but playing hide-and-seek assassination tactics would be enough to drive a major force crazy.

Deklan didn’t realize this initially and asked his superiors, who scolded him harshly.

As a major, he couldn’t stand such treatment and vented his anger on Pratt.

“Think before you act next time. Even though your offer was high, it’s uncertain whether it will come through. If you get into trouble, I won’t bother with you.”

Deklan angrily hung up.

Pratt was devastated.

Now, he realized Bai Fu knew about his plan to kill her, and Deklan made it clear he didn’t want to provoke Bai Fu for his sake. He was now completely isolated.

He lifted his head, no longer in the mood to act. He looked utterly defeated.

“Alright, I’ll tell you now.”

Under these circumstances, he couldn’t hide anything anymore.

Pratt recounted the history of the Holy Spirit Sect. Established after the Great Catastrophe in the Goli Desert, it began as a camp for survivors. One day, a man covered in wounds stumbled out of the desert and collapsed at the camp entrance.

The camp residents saved him and cared for him for a month. Though he recovered, his condition worsened until his death. On his deathbed, he revealed crucial information: the Great Catastrophe in the Goli Desert originated from a research institute in the region. The institute was researching a force that could not be fully controlled. Sure enough, the force spiraled out of control, causing the lab to be destroyed. Researchers either died or mutated, and the unleashed power caused the catastrophe.

“That was demonic power, a punishment from the heavens. Everyone will die, not just me, but countless others. All who try to control that power will become its captives. Their vitality becomes incredibly strong, even granting them immortality, but they are no longer themselves!”

The man cried out in despair and fell lifelessly.

His words incited rage among the camp residents. Most lived in the Goli region, and those nearby knew their homes were destroyed by the institute. Could they not be angry?

Thus, the Holy Spirit Sect was born, dedicated to avenging the institute’s founders and restoring the world to its original state.

“The reason I consider the undead demonic is because their immortality mirrors the man’s words.”

Pratt interjected, then continued explaining.

Hatred made the Holy Spirit Sect members extreme, but this extremism didn’t last long. After the first generation passed away, the sect became less extreme. Especially after Pratt’s father became a priest, things changed significantly.

Unlike revenge and restoration, Pratt’s father preferred money. Despite his efforts, he achieved nothing useful. Instead, he focused on using his priestly title to amass wealth.

Pratt also liked money, but unlike his father, he had grander ambitions.

That man was found by Pratt’s great-grandfather, who learned more secrets while caring for him.

For example, the masterminds were pre-war superpowers, and the man had a peculiar fragment inside him. The Holy Spirit Sect believed it to be a relic, protecting the man from the Goli Desert to the camp. Only Pratt’s great-grandfather knew it was actually something from the institute.

Pratt couldn’t bear being a mere priest in a small camp. He yearned for a broader world.

Learning these secrets from his father, his thoughts stirred. While winning the camp’s favor, he secretly contacted the Former Republic, hoping to use the Holy Spirit Sect’s secrets for his own advancement.

During his contact with the Former Republic, he intentionally withheld the fact that he already possessed a relic.

“I intend to use the Former Republic to gather all relics and fuse their powers.”

“Are you afraid of losing control?”

Pratt shook his head, “I’ve investigated thoroughly. This research isn’t as simple as the man described. Although the Goli Desert lab had issues, other labs seem to have successful cases.”

Bai Fu understood. Pratt was gambling big. If he won, absorbing the Black Basalt’s power would place him at the top of the Source Star.

Then, he could wield unimaginable power to bring down the institute’s masterminds and transform from a radical sect priest to a savior of the world.

To achieve this, he would stop at nothing. As long as he became a savior, someone would surely wash away his sins.

Quite a dream.

Bai Fu estimated that the original outcome of this main quest was for the player to discover Pratt’s treachery after helping him a lot and then team up to defeat Pratt, the world boss with the protagonist’s facade.

“You have a piece of Black Basalt, and so do I. Do you have any leads on the third piece?” Bai Fu asked.

Pratt nodded, “I’ve spent a long time investigating and finally have some clues.”

As he explained, Bai Fu triggered a new main quest—

**[The Would-Be Savior]**

This main quest was different from regional quests like **[Watcher’s Lament]**. It involved the entire Source Star.

**[1. Old Hatreds: The Former Republic emerged from pre-war nations leading spiritual energy research. Here, you might find the complete list of the Spiritual Energy Diffusion Committee.]**

**[2. Experiment Subjects: It’s said that the Truth Society absorbed some experiment subjects from the spiritual energy research institutes. Clarify the situation.]**

**[3. Sealed Secrets: Pratt’s investigation led him to the location of the Third Branch of the Spiritual Energy Research Institute. The address is… However, that place is now controlled by the Gene Progenitor. Find a way to enter the institute and uncover its secrets.]**

**[4. The Last Black Basalt Fragment: This task has merged with [The Black Basalt Mystery].]**

**[Note 1: This task is a chain quest. Completing any part triggers subsequent tasks.]**

**[Note 2: This is a hidden main quest. As a special commissioner, you can recruit more players to participate.]**

Bai Fu roughly reviewed the rewards for these four branches. Most rewards were hidden and would only be revealed upon task completion evaluation. However, the base experience rewards for all four branches were generous.

Branch 1 offered 500,000 experience points, and Branch 4 matched the Black Basalt Mystery’s 700,000 experience points. Consuming all these branch rewards would be enough to unlock advanced professions, and doing the regional quest in the Goli Desert would elevate her to the peak of the Source Star.

“Well done.”

Bai Fu smiled and nodded at Pratt.

The task would settle automatically. Since that was the case, Pratt was no longer needed.

Since he wasn’t a good guy anyway, it was best to get rid of him to avoid complications.

“What are you going to do?”

Pratt sensed danger but was too late to resist.

Bai Fu launched into a combat stance and swiftly drew her electric knife, slashing at Pratt.

—

Next update will be in two parts…

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