Chapter 45: The Fourth Calamity Has Entered the City!
Bai Fu's marksmanship was terrible.
Even though she had been putting in extra practice for a while, it still wasn't up to par in actual combat.
Considering the dire situation she was currently facing, she had already decided to use her remaining free class slot to learn a Sharpshooter-type class.
That class didn’t need to be leveled too high—just enough to earn some Stat Points and unlock a few Skills that could improve shooting accuracy.
That would suffice, so she wouldn’t slow down the leveling speed of her main class.
The class system in Beyond the Stars didn’t limit the number of classes a Player could learn, but initially, Players were only given three free class slots.
Once those were all filled, to learn a new class one had to spend a certain amount of XP to unlock an additional class slot.
Unlocking the first new class slot wasn’t expensive, only requiring ten thousand XP, so Bai Fu wasn’t worried about possibly encountering a better class in the future and being unable to learn it.
Just ten thousand XP.
For her current self, it would only take defeating three Elite Assassin-level Elite Mobs to save up that much.
If it were an opponent like the one she had just exchanged words with over the radio, one would probably be enough.
That person's strength might not necessarily surpass the three Assassins she had just taken down, but the XP awarded for killing in the game didn’t rely solely on a monster’s strength. It was calculated based on multiple factors including strength, level, Template, and identity.
Take the mysterious and unpredictable President of the Truth Society as an example.
Even if his true strength was only equal to 1 Anya, thanks to his identity bonus, the XP reward for taking him down would definitely surpass that of ten thousand Anyas combined.
Bai Fu was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of reward that person she had just roasted might bring her.
But unfortunately, she had squatted on the fourth floor for over ten minutes—so long her legs had gone numb—and still hadn’t seen the guy show up.
She was a bit speechless.
After being flamed publicly by her and hearing his subordinates get taken out with his own ears, all he did was shout a threat and then immediately turned into a turtle hiding in its shell.
“You’ve mastered the art of strategic cowardice too?”
Bai Fu suspected that in his previous life, that guy must’ve hung around the Doghead Bar. Weren’t those lines he shouted over the radio basically—
Do you know who you’ve messed with? You’ve messed with the noble Desert Death God! Be arrogant now, but when I finish gathering my gear and descend from the mountains, that will be your moment of regret!
Her assessment: wonderful idea, but she wasn’t a squishy support—she was a full-tank build Desert Emperor.
This was the story of the Desert Emperor (Bai Fu) and her many individually gear-customizable and upgradable Sand Soldiers (Players) fighting against the Desert Death God.
Bai Fu put away her grenade launcher. During this process, shouting had already started coming from downstairs.
Division Four had arrived.
Leading the charge was Xia Shi. Her face was full of anxiety, especially after seeing the corpse of the Elite Assassin. Her concern for the safety of Bai Fu and Anya only grew stronger.
“Why did it have to be now?!”
She was about to rush into the stairwell when a Special Agent in Power Armor reached out from behind and grabbed her arm.
“Did you forget what the Intelligence Bureau Agent Handbook taught? The killer might still be around. Charging in recklessly is suicide. Just follow behind me obediently.”
Xia Shi wanted to argue, but her strength was nowhere near that of the Power Armor, so she had no choice but to comply.
Bai Fu, Anya, you two better not die on me!
A group of over a dozen people checked the corpse of the Elite Assassin, faces grim as they ascended the stairs.
Every step was taken with extreme caution, as if expecting assassins to leap out of the shadows.
Even when they neared Xia Shi’s residence, nothing unexpected had happened.
The Special Agent in Power Armor gestured for the others to stay put and let him go in to scout the situation first.
After everyone gave the OK, he stepped forward steadily toward the door, but stopped after only two steps.
Footsteps!
In that instant, all Division Four Agents present held their breath and locked their eyes on the figure emerging from the room.
Closer.
The footsteps were getting closer.
The Special Agent in Power Armor raised his left arm, which was equipped with a heavy rotary machine gun.
The moment the person inside showed their face, this heavy weapon would turn them into a sieve!
“Relax. It’s me.”
A female voice came from inside the room.
Xia Shi was the first to react: “That’s Bai Fu’s voice!”
As soon as she spoke, Bai Fu stepped out from the room holding a cup of water.
Despite being stared down by more than ten guns, her face showed no trace of fear.
“You Division Four people really have a special way of welcoming guests.”
Looking at the smiling Bai Fu, the Special Agents from Division Four exchanged glances.
They thought they had seen wrong.
After receiving the news of an attack at Xia Shi’s residence, most of them assumed Bai Fu was doomed.
Even if they rushed over, it would only be to collect her corpse.
But now, Bai Fu was not only alive—there wasn’t even a single visible wound on her body.
“The assassin didn’t come for you?” the Special Agent in Power Armor asked urgently.
Bai Fu took a sip of water. “They did.”
“Where are they?”
“You already saw one on the way upstairs, right? The other two are lying near the trash incinerator.”
The group of Agents no longer cared about anything else and hurried back downstairs. When they saw the two corpses lying neatly in the corner of the wall, they were all stunned.
“I know this guy—he’s a B-rank certified assassin from the Dark Web, Hyena!”
“His expression… what the hell is this?!”
Hyena had taken four bullets, one of which struck his heart—that was likely the fatal shot. But no one was focused on that.
All eyes were drawn to his face—
It was a face twisted in horror, like someone who had just witnessed Sadako crawling out of a television!
“What on earth did he go through before he died?”
The Agents present felt a chill down their spines.
Instinctively, they looked up toward Bai Fu, who stood at the window at the end of the third-floor corridor.
All of this had been done by this woman from the Abandoned Cooling Plant.
At that moment, no one dared to underestimate Bai Fu again.
Several minutes later, in Xia Shi’s residence, everyone was gathered around the tea table.
“Miss Bai Fu,” said the Special Agent who had stepped out of his Power Armor with a serious expression, “I am Xu Hong, captain of the First Squad of Division Four's Action Unit and the commander of this operation. I need to confirm something with you.”
“You want to ask how I killed them, right? Actually, I’m a Psionic Prayer-user.”
Bai Fu revealed information that was safe to make public for now.
Even if she didn’t say it, Division Four and the Truth Society would suspect she had special abilities. So she might as well selectively disclose a part of it—to conceal her greatest trump card—
A Constitution so high it was like flipping the middle finger at her enemies!
Sure enough, upon learning that she was a Psionic Prayer-user, all the Special Agents from Division Four revealed enlightened expressions.
“That explains it.”
A Psionic Prayer-user—a noble caster class, more inclined toward support—but exploiting information gaps to catch assassins off guard and eliminate them all wasn’t entirely implausible.
Xu Hong nodded slightly. “Regarding tonight’s assassination attempt, I owe you an apology. Division Four promised to protect you, but still…”
“Captain, don’t you think something about this is strange?” Xia Shi suddenly interrupted Xu Hong.
Xu Hong frowned. “Strange?”
Xia Shi said, “The timing of the assassins’ arrival was precisely after I received the message to attend the emergency ops meeting. It also happened to coincide with the shift change of the guards assigned here. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence—Division Four must have a mole!”
“Xia Shi!” Xu Hong snapped. “The emergency meeting was convened on the orders of Intelligence Bureau Headquarters. Are you implying there’s a mole in Headquarters?”
Xia Shi wasn’t at all intimidated by Xu Hong’s tone. “There might be. Who can guarantee that Headquarters is clean? This must be investigated thoroughly. Bai Fu is a hero in the fight against the Truth Society. We cannot sit by while a hero is harmed by the Truth Society. Otherwise, who would dare to stand up against them in the future?”
Xu Hong stared sternly at the unyielding Xia Shi for a long while before finally forcing out a reply: “Don’t say things that undermine unity.”
He turned to Bai Fu with an apologetic face. “Sorry to make you laugh.”
Bai Fu remained calm. “It’s nothing.”
Xu Hong stood up. “I don’t have any more questions for now. I must take the items recovered from the assassins back for analysis. Don’t worry—these next few days, they’ll be stationed here. Unless the Truth Society has gone completely mad, they wouldn’t dare make a move during this time.”
Bai Fu nodded.
After seeing Xu Hong off, only she, Anya, and Xia Shi—curled up on the sofa—remained in the room.
After a moment of silence, she asked, “Do you have a deep grudge with the Truth Society?”
Xia Shi looked up, her brown eyes filled with confusion. “Why do you ask?”
Bai Fu replied, “Because your attitude toward the Truth Society is more intense than anyone else’s.”
Xia Shi explained, “Oh, that. Actually, Captain Xu and the others have an even deeper hatred toward the Truth Society. Captain Xu, he… never mind that. I just personally despise the Truth Society. They kill and burn, commit all kinds of atrocities.”
A protagonist’s characteristic sense of justice?
“Actually, I also dislike the Human Alliance, but at least those people kill for a reason—however extreme. The Truth Society is different. You can’t comprehend them. They act without rules, and before any action begins, no one knows what they’re going to do. I hate this kind of disorder. That’s why I joined Division Four—to eliminate the Truth Society.”
I see.
A Lawful Good alignment.
Bai Fu smiled faintly.
In that case, if Xia Shi found out her real identity, she would definitely dislike her.
After all, she was perhaps the most rule-breaking NPC in this world. Her very existence was disorder.
As Xia Shi was denouncing the Truth Society’s atrocities, her personal terminal—similar to the Pip-Boy from "Fallout"—suddenly rang.
“Hold on a second.”
She got up and went to the balcony.
A few minutes later, she came back, her expression extremely grim.
“Bad news. The Director just contacted me. The Truth Society has revised the bounty on you.”
This didn’t surprise Bai Fu at all. “What’s the new bounty?”
Xia Shi said, “Class A bounty. The reward is 500,000—sky-high! They also declared they’d eliminate you within half a month.”
Well now, I’m worth 500,000?
Bai Fu asked, “What’s the highest bounty on the Dark Web?”
“25 million Credit Coins. That’s for the Truth Society President himself.”
Fifty times more?
Bai Fu was slightly shocked, but quickly regained her composure.
500,000 wasn’t her limit.
She was destined to become the Queen of the Wasteland. If all went well, she would eventually top the Dark Web Bounty List!
As she sighed, a game prompt sounded in Bai Fu’s ears.
【You have triggered the Special Quest [Shadow of Truth]】
She opened the details page.
【Quest Description: The Truth Society has issued a new bounty on you. It seems your actions have enraged them. They are determined to use more powerful forces to kill you and declare to the world that the Truth Society’s authority must not be challenged. But they underestimate the vitality of weeds. The Wildfire cannot be extinguished. Can even a storm uproot it?】
【Quest Objective: Repel the upcoming new wave of assassinations from the Truth Society】
【Reward: 30,000 XP, 15 Origin Star Reputation, Title [Shadow of Truth]】
【Note: Based on task performance, you may have the chance to unlock new quests】
【This quest is mandatory】
The quest rewards were quite appealing—30,000 XP and a title.
The Wildfire title she obtained earlier had provided her with a 30 HP bonus, and this Shadow of Truth clearly looked higher-tiered than Wildfire, so the bonus would definitely be greater.
Bai Fu almost wanted to shout for the storm to hit her harder.
Xia Shi said, “You’re in great danger right now. For safety’s sake, I suggest you find a place to hide, or simply cooperate with our Gene Primordials Intelligence Bureau. Even though there are moles in the Bureau, it’s still the safest place aside from the military.”
“I’ll consider it seriously.”
Bai Fu felt that, in terms of intelligence, it was still better to rely on Division Four for now.
Over the next two days, Division Four was constantly in meetings.
In the mornings, they discussed the attempted assassination of Bai Fu; in the afternoons, they discussed intelligence from Bureau Headquarters.
Not long ago, agents from Division Three intercepted a secret message from the Truth Society and confirmed the location of one of their bases.
The Gene Primordials had already decided to launch a raid on that base to wipe it out completely.
As Division Four got busy, Bai Fu found herself with some free time.
Apart from unlocking a 【Sharpshooter】 class, she spent most of her time watching Player activity.
Excavation‑Princess's "success" had inspired many Players.
Now, all the Players at the Abandoned Cooling Plant were trying to save up enough money to buy train tickets.
On the third day after Excavation‑Princess and Bai Fu met, another train departed from the Abandoned Cooling Plant headed straight for Lynn.
Almost everyone on that train was a Player—Starfish‑bro, Black Tiger Ah Fu, Calamity Dragon, Convert to My Fu, who had good relationships with Excavation‑Princess and got notified right away, as well as Iron Rain Guild’s Sword Qi Soaring, who had purchased their tickets through guild fundraising.
As the scenery of the Abandoned Cooling Plant receded rapidly outside the window, Convert to My Fu clenched his fists with excitement.
“Lynn, here we come!”
Seeing the posts they were making, Bai Fu also became excited.
“My Sand Soldiers have arrived!”
With Players, she was finally in her complete form!
So you want to assassinate me, huh?
I’ll show you the true meaning of terror!