Chapter 24

Chapter 24: We Can’t Let Bai Fu’s Sacrifice Go to Waste! [Combined Chapter]

The room fell into a brief silence.

At this critical moment, no one expected Bai Fu to suddenly say something like that.

But upon reflection, such a reaction seemed quite reasonable.

Their actions just now were indeed somewhat impulsive, but beyond the impulsiveness, their unwillingness to leave and their determination to stay and share the burden could be considered reliable.

In other games, they would just be showing off to thin air.

Because the NPCs in those games would only repeat pre-set lines, even recalling past adventures passionately one moment, only to become indifferent poker faces once the task was over, not even acknowledging the players.

But in “Above the Stars,” things were different. The NPCs’ intelligence was sophisticated enough to fool anyone.

Seeing their reliable side, it was natural for Bai Fu to express such feelings. She was always a kind-hearted person.

Legendary heroes?

Yes, we are the legendary heroes from the “Other World,” fighting for love and justice!

At this thought, several usually very upright players couldn’t help but straighten their backs.

Those who enjoyed killing chickens in the village and trying to move NPCs to monster dens felt quite good too.

Playing games is about having fun, and being praised by NPCs from the heart is also a form of joy.

Bai Fu couldn’t help but chuckle, Yes, exactly like that.

But now wasn’t the time to be proud. The next part was crucial for boosting affinity.

“Since you insist on an explanation, I’ll give it. The Wildfire Gang has organized a raid team targeting your settlement. They’re already outside, and I came here pretending to be overly ambitious before they launched a full attack.”

“What?”

This news shocked all the players, those near the window quickly looked out.

Bai Fu urged them, “With your current strength, you can’t possibly win against this raid team. Immediately take your belongings and evacuate. Any delay will be too late.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Gui Yi Wo Fu stood up with great emotion, “I won’t go. If I leave, they’ll definitely realize I’m the one warning you. Then all your plans will fall apart, and you might even face danger. I won’t go.”

Many players agreed with him.

“It’s true we don’t need to leave. This time, it’s elite monsters. Replacing even one is a win, plus we have faction confrontation quests where accumulated damage can be converted to experience.”

“Brothers, it’s a game. In real life, if we run into difficulties, do we still run in games?”

“Let’s fight. My saber is already thirsty.”

“Haha, Afu, as always!”

Whenever something like this happened, the first to charge forward was always Black Tiger Afu.

Watching their relaxed or passionate expressions, Bai Fu frowned deeper.

She seemed to be gathering her emotions.

One second, two seconds… five seconds…

“Shut up!”

A low, muffled roar exploded throughout the room.

All the players stared in disbelief at the suddenly erupting Bai Fu.

“Do you think the Wildfire Gang’s goal is just to raid your settlement?”

“What…”

Jiujiao hesitated, not caring, just turning on the camera!

Bai Fu hissed, “Naive! The Wildfire Gang’s ultimate goal is to gradually compress your living space until you’re forced into the pollution zone. Staying here is pointless. You’ll just lose resources and make it impossible to defeat the Wildfire Gang. Preserving your strength and waiting for opportunities is what you should do now!”

“That may be true, but losing these resources isn’t a big deal.”

“Yeah, being forced into the pollution zone isn’t so bad either.”

Several players whispered among themselves.

This made Bai Fu’s voice even more distorted.

“You don’t understand anything! Outside the settlement, the pollution zone is full of sources. Humans, animals, plants—anything that touches them mutates. Lightly, they die; severely, they turn into mindless monsters. Even the strongest scavengers dare not stay long in the pollution zone. What can you do there? Become a monster and get killed by me?”

“That’s not it, but you…”

“You you you! Mind your own business. A failed mission is just a failed mission. If you want to manage, manage yourselves. Ask yourselves why you’re here.”

This barrage of words left the players speechless for over ten seconds.

Bai Fu remained calm.

She wasn’t worried about scaring off the players. She had planned for this beforehand.

If the players ran, she could claim credit for defeating the entire player base on her own, earning plenty from the “Rebellion” quest.

The downside was she might be suspected of being related to the players and attacked by the Wildfire Gang, but that was manageable. The money she got from killing Da Biao Ge and capturing players was enough to escape to another settlement with Anya.

What would the players choose?

Bai Fu scanned the room.

Calamity Dragon clenched his fists, emotions surging.

“Damn it, even my father never cursed me!”

But being scolded didn’t feel so bad. After all, Bai Fu was concerned and didn’t want them to throw their lives away. Her agitated appearance was better than her previous poker face.

Not necessarily better, but suddenly, this character felt more fleshed out.

She wasn’t just a distant sage but a real sister figure.

Maybe this is what they call immersion?

If this were a gacha game, Calamity Dragon might already be spending money.

The other players weren’t as intense. They started chatting in the group chat.

“Even though I was scolded, I actually felt pretty good. Am I a masochist?”

“I never imagined Fu would go this far. She’s risking everything for us. If exposed, will she really be safe?”

“F*ck the Wildfire Gang, f*ck the planner!”

“Planner: ?”

“What are you waiting for? Cry!”

“Fu Bao, my Fu Bao”

“This expression, tone, and immersion are too strong! I used to ignore what NPCs said.”

“Stop being crazy. Anyway, we can’t let Bai Fu be exposed, or this plot might break.”

Though their thoughts differed, they shared a consensus—

They were playing a highly free game, yet how could a legendary hero let companions fall into tragedy?

True, the Wildfire Gang was strong in the newbie village, and the pollution zone sounded scary, but so what?

They had braved gunfire under bombardment, pushing forward for peace in the future;

They had walked through dark, cold hospitals with fear, finally bringing peace to wronged souls;

They had traveled far and wide, challenging gods and demons with mortal bodies, reopening humanity in a shattered world.

They were the players, fearless!

Pai Da Xing stepped forward, “Sis Fu, I fully understand your intentions, but I’ve decided to stay. Don’t rush, I know you might be disappointed in me, thinking I’m stubborn and overconfident, but…”

He glanced at the other players, smiling brightly.

“Perhaps this is the reason you said the supreme will chose me as an Undying. These traits aren’t always good, but without stubbornness, how can I have the courage to challenge powerful opponents again and again? Without confidence, how can I face crises head-on? Without emotional decision-making, how can I care so much about the world beyond the fog?”

Strength is the reason to rule.

Stubbornness is the players’ courage to face the ruler!

Pai Da Xing’s confident and slightly dramatic words sparked heated discussions among the players.

“Damn, Pai Da said it well!”

“Amazing, Pai Da, how did you grow such a mouth? Supreme will, Undying, beyond the fog—Bai Fu’s words are all sewn together.”

“Now I feel like I’m amazing too. Actually, I just wanted to kill some time with a game.”

“Though you just wanted to pass time, it’s undeniable that you saved the world.”

“To be honest, I only found this game enjoyable at this moment. I remember playing another game where despite being able to easily defeat the final boss, the game mechanics forced me to watch my teammates sacrifice themselves. By the end, I couldn’t even say goodbye to her as I wished.”

“Bro, this time we’re creating our own story. So, let’s do it without regrets!”

“Don’t say anymore, I’m fired up!”

Gui Yi Wo Fu stood up second, “I’ll stay too. I won’t let the Wildfire Gang hurt you, Fu!”

Next, Jiujiao, Calamity Dragon, and some players Bai Fu hadn’t seen before joined in.

“I’ll stay.”

“Me too.”

Finally, only Black Tiger Afu remained alone in the corner.

“Why are you looking at me? Don’t you understand me? I only focus on fighting. I never intended to leave from the start.”

“Hahaha!”

Laughter filled the room.

“You.”

Bai Fu’s gaze swept across each player, as if trying to memorize their faces.

Good, good, you’re really getting it!

“I’ve said this much, but you still won’t listen. If anything happens to you, it’s not my responsibility!”

Gui Yi Wo Fu said, “This is my choice. No matter what, I won’t blame you, Fu.”

Bai Fu turned away.

No one knew whether she didn’t believe them or was simply upset that her goodwill was ignored.

“What do we do?”

“We need to find a way to calm Fu Bao down.”

“As long as we play well, Bai Fu will naturally calm down.”

“Don’t rush, let me check first.”

Calamity Dragon secretly threw a reconnaissance skill at Bai Fu.

[Name]: Bai Fu

[Template]: ?

[Primary Profession]: ?

[Secondary Profession]: ?

[Health Points]: ?

[Attributes]: ?

[Skills]: ?

[Talent]: ?

[Affinity]: Treasured (83)

[Danger Level]: Red

When the data returned, Calamity Dragon almost thought he had misread.

What, 83? Isn’t that higher than the initial 82?

So, Fu is an aloof character, saying it’s unrelated and turning away, but her affinity actually increased.

Calamity Dragon quickly shared the data with the others.

Seeing this data, all the players felt relieved.

“Fu Bao is really good, always tolerating me.”

“In the next vote, we must put Fu at the top!”

“Charge! Since the affinity hasn’t dropped, we’re good to go.”

Jiujiao looked at Pai Da Xing, “How do we fight?”

Pai Da Xing replied, “It’s too difficult to fight head-on. Let’s split into two groups. One group stays here to set traps, while the other intercepts and lures the Wildfire Gang closer. Also, notify the ones outside. When they return, we can surround them.”

One player shook his head, “There aren’t enough people outside. Even if they all come back, they probably can’t surround them.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll help!” Calamity Dragon crossed his arms.

Jiujiao was stunned for a moment, then realized, “I forgot, Calamity Sister is rich!”

Calamity Dragon chuckled and immediately pulled out his ace—

Posting on the forum, hiring reinforcements with money!

“Okay, okay, this makes our chances much higher.”

“Don’t be too confident. The other side is mostly elite monsters, and the leader might be a small boss.”

“Who cares? Mortals. Even if they’re gods, as long as they show their health bars, I’ll kill them for you!”

“Old Brother Gui Yi, enchant your weapons with gold juice.”

“Unfortunately, time is too tight. Otherwise, I could have used dust explosions to kill them.”

Players gathered, quickly dividing tasks. They weren’t worried about the upcoming battle.

Just fight!

Everything prepared, Jiujiao, who first met Bai Fu, walked up to her, “Fu Fu, the battle is about to begin. Leave now to avoid getting involved.”

Bai Fu pouted, “At this point, do you think I can leave? If I leave, they’ll suspect my connection to you.”

“Oh, what do we do now?”

Bai Fu stretched out both hands, “Bind me. Hit me too, create some injuries on me.”

Jiujiao hurriedly refused, “No, absolutely not. How can I hit you?”

Others echoed in agreement.

Bai Fu emphasized, “I’ve been here for almost ten minutes. Nothing unusual happened. Do you think they’ll believe that?”

It did seem hard to believe.

“Fine, hurry up. After tying me up, take me outside as a hostage. They won’t accept it and will try to provoke you to kill me. Just ignore it and throw me aside when the fight starts. I’ll leave myself.”

Even after Bai Fu said this, no player dared to act.

Gui Yi Wo Fu’s eyes turned red.

Damn, Fu is already risking exposure. How can she make such a bigger sacrifice?

“If you don’t do it, I’ll do it myself!” Bai Fu raised her hand.

Jiujiao rushed to grab her sleeve.

“Wait, wait, Fu Fu, I’ll tie you. No need to hit, just untie your hair and smear some red paint to disguise yourself. From afar, they won’t see clearly.”

They finally reached an agreement.

A minute later, Jiujiao and Calamity Dragon escorted Bai Fu outside.

At the door, they exchanged glances.

This time, Bai Fu’s sacrifice cannot go to waste!

PS: It’s still a combined chapter.

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