Chapter 234

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Chapter 234: The Noble Moon Bai Fu, Guide in the Star Ocean Version [5k]

Bai Fu was once again the center of attention for countless people.

This time, the scale was much larger than after the end of the war on Heaven Lake Star.

As soon as her spaceship landed at Jin Gu Starport, a thunderous roar erupted outside.

Looking around, the main roads outside the starport were packed with people, and only the presence of robot forces kept order, otherwise, a major accident could have easily occurred.

At this moment, these people either held up light boards or held balloons, loudly cheering with various slogans but all pointing to one person.

“Bai Fu!”

“Dark Domain Holy Maiden!”

“Silver Moon!”

Along with the thunderous cheers, the sound of salutes echoed.

Boom-boom-boom—

Ninety-nine salvos of salute were fired to honor the arrival of the Dark Domain Holy Maiden!

Every Star Network citizen knew that Bai Fu deserved such respect. Since she arrived in the Star Ocean, she had continuously impressed Star Network citizens with her remarkable deeds.

She had beaten the marauding space pirates on the Chaotic Star Path, repelled the Dark Domain insect plague on Heaven Lake Star, and continually disrupted the Tower of Secrets’ advances until recently, leading a charge to completely destroy the Tower of Secrets.

When everyone saw this news from the news, they all went wild.

Strong!

Too strong!

In the public opinion field of the Star Network, Bai Fu had always been the most prominent figure, but no one expected her to stand out so much.

For a while, journalists, civilians, and Star Network officials looked forward to the day Bai Fu would come to Jin Gu Star.

Some wanted to interview Bai Fu up close, a super hot topic.

Others wanted to personally thank Bai Fu for her contributions to the Star Network.

Many realized that Bai Fu’s fight against the Tower of Secrets wasn’t necessarily for the billions of Star Network civilians, but the result was that Bai Fu’s actions saved countless lives in the Star Network and avenged many who lost family and friends to the Tower of Secrets. It also provided a safe development environment for the Star Network, benefiting every citizen. It was truly a great deed.

“Welcome!”

As Bai Fu stepped onto the ground, the Star Network’s rotating chair, Clever, immediately greeted her at the entrance of the starport.

The ceremonial band behind him played cheerful music, and celebratory spaceships in the sky displayed welcome messages on virtual screens.

They welcomed not just Bai Fu but others from Dark Moon Tide, including players.

Players were specifically added by Bai Fu.

She hoped the Star Network would mention their contributions in defeating the Tower of Secrets during the celebration.

The Star Network quickly agreed.

To Bai Fu’s surprise, the Star Network didn’t just mention it briefly; they organized a grand “parade” ceremony.

Everyone who contributed to defeating the Tower of Secrets deserved praise.

Clever transformed the path from the starport to the largest joint square on Jin Gu Star into a “Hero Returns” road.

First, the Star Network soldiers who had fought the Tower of Secrets over the years walked past, followed by Clever and Bai Fu, then more than a million players behind Bai Fu.

What an awe-inspiring scene!

Bai Fu was stunned by the grandeur of it all.

The players participating were equally amazed, their mouths agape.

Some had experienced the NPC’s cheers on the Source Star before, but today’s scene was a hundred times bigger. They never imagined they would enjoy such a spectacle in other games.

Jin Gu Star alone had 1.2 billion inhabitants.

According to the ceremonial band, this special “parade” ceremony was being broadcast globally via holographic projection across Jin Gu Star. If you counted those watching live broadcasts in the Star Ocean, they were now the center of attention for at least a trillion people.

[So cool!]

[Though the game has a main character, we’re not here to be side characters. We’re also the main characters.]

[This is the treatment reserved for following Fu Fu. Following other NPCs wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying.]

Even players unable to enter the Star Ocean were left speechless when they saw the live streams of Jiujiao and others.

They looked at the NPCs like Clever and Bai Fu, interacting cheerfully.

Who cares more about players, treating them as individuals rather than tools?

It’s Bai Fu!

[From today, I’m Bai Fu’s staunchest supporter.]

[If there was no Bai Fu, the Star Ocean would still be shrouded in darkness.]

[Take this away, take this away, I can’t bear to look, I might envy her too much.]

[F*ck, this storyline was supposed to be background, no player could participate. But Jiujiao dug Bai Fu out early, making these players even happier and more envious.]

[With the collapse of the Tower of Secrets and the start of version 2.0, what will our main quests be?]

[I don’t know, but once I enter the Star Ocean, I’ll save up money to buy a ticket and join Bai Fu.]

The parade gave players a messiah-like treatment, earning Bai Fu immense support from players. It was a win-win situation.

After the parade, Clever brought Bai Fu to the center of the joint square.

There, he publicly detailed Bai Fu’s contributions in the final battle against the Tower of Secrets.

Even without disclosing details, everyone thought Bai Fu was impressive. Once the details came out, everyone was shocked to the point of disbelief.

The Tower of Secrets, once invincible, was handled by Bai Fu as if it were a plaything. This was truly Bai Fu’s power!

Amidst the intense atmosphere, Clever honored those who died due to the Tower of Secrets.

“492 years ago, our brave ancestors repelled the invasion of the Phantom Civilization…”

“491 years ago…”

“…”

“Today, everything has settled, and all victims will finally find peace.”

Clever’s speech sparked huge cheers. Before handing the stage to Bai Fu, he announced that Bai Fu would forever be a friend of the Star Network.

At the center of the stage, Bai Fu seemed to emit a halo of light. She was a holy maiden, revered as the noble moon.

Coughing slightly, Bai Fu cleared her throat and gazed out at the crowd.

Clever asked her to say something to the audience, a perfect opportunity for promotion. However, promoting herself or Dark Moon Tide directly would be inappropriate, so she changed her approach.

The best promotion wasn’t direct, but transforming herself into a continuously engaging personal brand.

Now she was seen as a holy maiden and a noble moon, so she would continue to be holy and noble!

First, Bai Fu thanked those who came to see her, the Star Network officials, and supporters like Youlia, Scarlet Leaf, and players.

Then, she suddenly mentioned Ulysses Star.

“After three years in the Star Ocean, my homeland has been saved, but Ulysses Star… When I met Wei Ke, I promised to help bring back the scattered Ulysses people. Unfortunately, it’s too difficult for me alone. I need help.”

“So, may I make a request?”

“If anyone finds Ulysses people captured by space pirates, please take a moment to contact Dark Moon Tide. Thank you.”

Bowing deeply, Bai Fu said these words.

Clap-clap-clap!

Instantly, applause surged like waves.

No one expected Bai Fu to say this, not even Wei Ke who accompanied her to the square.

Wei Ke stared dumbfounded at the dazzling Bai Fu, feeling a mix of emotions, unable to utter a complete sentence.

If he hadn’t met Bai Fu, what would have become of the Ulysses people?

Without doubt, the Ulysses civilization would have vanished long ago from the Star Ocean.

“Do you need this?”

Yulia handed Wei Ke a piece of paper.

“Thank you.” Wei Ke took the paper, “She… has always been like this?”

She referred to Bai Fu.

At this moment, Ich, Teresa, and other NPCs who had joined the Silent Courtyard under Bai Fu’s recruitment cast curious glances at Yulia.

They knew Bai Fu was powerful and respected, but they didn’t know why.

“She…”

Yulia nodded with a smile.

Crafty, with more tricks than a honeycomb, sometimes shameless, but she indeed radiated a light that made people want to follow her.

“At the Source Star…”

Yulia recounted Bai Fu’s past, removing the negative parts and keeping the positive ones. She knew this was the best moment to boost the cohesion of the Silent Courtyard, so she spoke up.

Everyone listened intently.

The grand celebration ended with praises for Bai Fu.

What happened here spread like a storm through nearby star systems and reached Su Xi’s ears in the Tam Civilization.

Looking at Bai Fu on the stage, Su Xi felt bewildered.

Long ago, when she first met Bai Fu, she thought Bai Fu was an ordinary person, unlikely to truly save those in need.

But now, the situation was completely different.

Could someone who progressed from A-level to Catastrophe tier in two and a half years be considered ordinary?

Those cheering and genuinely applauding for Bai Fu—were they really not saved?

“You’re doing what here? Frank wants us to go meet him. Hurry up! We might witness the arrival of an Apostle soon!”

Eron walked out, interrupting Su Xi’s thoughts.

Su Xi nodded and stopped paying attention to the dazzling Bai Fu on the virtual screen.

…

After the celebration, Bai Fu’s reputation rose again, but she gained more than just that.

She stayed on Jin Gu Star for a few days, negotiating collaborations with several companies that rushed over. Now she had both fame and power, and these companies planned to invest in the newly built Ulysses base to strengthen their relationship with her.

For these generous benefactors, Bai Fu showed them great respect.

Money was never enough for her, who aimed to build a superpower rivaling the Star Treaty.

Besides, the newly built Ulysses base needed these companies to bolster its presence.

When leaving Jin Gu Star, Bai Fu found an additional 10 million credit points in her bank account.

Considering she could earn more by selling off the items collected from players, she decided not to be frugal anymore.

Buy, buy, buy!

First, she bought advanced experimental equipment and spiritual energy crystals for Youlia, then advanced mechanical manufacturing equipment and network devices for Xia Shi, followed by a super combat suit for Anya. Finally, she turned her attention to the starship trading market.

After so long in the Star Ocean, she needed a true flagship.

After comparing options, Bai Fu spent 8 million on a “Star Deity-class” starship from Titan Industries, which matched the “Sky Shuttle-class” of the Super Nova Task Force, the same model Frank drove. With a cosmic civilization’s standard jump drive and cruise system, it was much faster than Scarlet Leaf’s ship, and its armor and shields were unsurpassed.

“This eight million is well spent. With this, I can harvest players from new planets much more efficiently.”

Bai Fu was very satisfied with her new starship and named it “Peaceful Night.”

Back at the Initial Gateway Subcommittee, Bai Fu hosted another celebration, marking her victory over the Tower of Secrets and her advancement to Catastrophe tier.

Actually, it was just another excuse to harvest more player experience.

This cut yielded 320 million experience points.

Her players were wise, knowing that version 2.0 was imminent and the level cap would rise to 50. So they weren’t eager to spend their experience points.

“Damn, you’re not giving anything, huh? Wait till the next version, I’ll squeeze every last drop out of you!”

After the celebration, Bai Fu officially moved all her assets to Ulysses Star.

Since Lemang had resigned and Scarlet Leaf officially took over as division head, she should have stayed to manage things. Instead, she passed her work to Green Mud and went to find Bai Fu.

“What?”

Green Mud was speechless.

Such a detached minister was useless!

Scarlet Leaf didn’t want to rush, but since Tessia had gone to Ulysses Star, she feared that if she didn’t follow, when she returned, Bai Fu might already resemble Tessia.

Such a pure girl must not be deceived by the cunning Tessia.

She had to protect Bai Fu!

After a month of hard work, using automatic construction kits produced by Titan Industries, the first base of the Silent Courtyard on Ulysses Star was completed and officially put into use.

“It’s looking up!”

Bai Fu laughed, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

With the player main city built and her strength reaching Catastrophe tier, she was ready for the influx of players when version 2.0 officially arrived.

Next, things became easier.

Bai Fu assigned Anya to command the players and left He Fu under Anya’s command. Then, she set off in the Peaceful Night to search for other new player planets.

This was crucial.

Version 2.0 would be her time to soar. She needed experience, lots of it. These 1.2 million players wouldn’t suffice, so she needed to gather more.

Actually, Bai Fu was a bit late.

Recently, the official announced maintenance downtime.

As expected, version 1.5 was a brief transitional phase.

By the time she arrived at a new player planet, players would likely be forced offline due to the update.

Harvesting experience?

No one to harvest!

But it wasn’t a big problem. Bai Fu quickly devised a plan.

Exploiting players wasn’t limited to new planets; it could happen anywhere. Players would lose the same amount of experience regardless of location. The key was controlling them first.

This was simple.

Bai Fu planned to run between multiple new player planets during the downtime, forming cooperative relationships with local civilizations and securing positions in advance.

When other factions in the Star Ocean rushed over, she could immediately jump out—

“This place is mine, Bai Fu’s. Go back where you came from.”

Unhappy?

Deal with it.

Thus, players entering the Star Ocean would have no choice but to follow the “Bai Fu route,” and they would be thoroughly exploited.

Of course, players couldn’t guess her intentions. They would only feel surprised upon relogging.

Wow, Fu!

“Perfect!”

…

As Bai Fu flew toward the nearest new player planet, Origin Conglomerate and the Tam Civilization’s high-ranking members gathered for an emergency meeting.

They had reviewed all reports on Bai Fu, understanding her strength, her relationship with Andreas, and her agreement to attend an internal meeting months later.

The situation exceeded their expectations.

Bai Fu had grown too quickly, faster than they could even think of countering her.

Still, to execute their plans, they needed to act.

“I heard the Tam Civilization is unstable. Recently, someone attempted to assassinate the Yuan Shou, but the Yuan Shou survived. Many exploration teams were dispatched to pursue the assassin in the Dark Domain. If this continues, conflict is inevitable. We must enter the scene quickly to secure maximum benefits. Delaying any longer means we won’t get a share.”

Hampton surveyed the others sitting around him.

One nodded, “Intercept Bai Fu on her way to the meeting. Prevent her from ever reaching the venue. Without her as a benchmark, Andreas can’t persuade others. We just need three more seats of support to remove Andreas from power.”

“That’s the safest approach. Do you have any recommended personnel? They must be capable and reliable.”

“I’ll arrange it. I know people in the Catastrophe Legion.”

“The Catastrophe Legion? Excellent. If it’s those lunatics, killing Bai Fu won’t raise suspicions. It’s up to you.”

The meeting began and ended hastily, and the Origin Conglomerate and Tam Civilization members dispersed to act individually.

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