Chapter 205: The Might of Calamity, Queen Fu Slaughters the Battlefield

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a sharp, tragic scream, Bronze Furnace was run through and killed on the spot by the spearman summoned by Bai Fu.

【You killed Bronze Furnace, contribution 100%, adjusted for level difference: gained 32 million experience points】

A pleasant system prompt chimed.

The kill experience reward on the Star Cluster was relatively low. It encouraged players more to complete quests or accumulate experience through professions, such as crafting prayer cards or mechanical tools.

Even so, since Bronze Furnace was an S+ ranked Esper, Bai Fu still netted a hefty 32 million experience points in one go.

Although this amount paled in comparison to the squeezed-out rewards from players, it was still the highest single kill experience Bai Fu had ever earned.

One Bronze Furnace was worth 32 million. If she could wipe out all the Secret Tower members here, plus the extra reward from the Jingu Star Defense Battle, she could easily rack up over 200 million experience points, right?

Of course, Bai Fu knew that was a tall order.

She wasn’t truly a Calamity-ranked Esper. Other than Universal Frostlock, there weren’t any other large-area control skills in her Esper well, so it would be difficult to trap all the Secret Tower members present.

But that was fine too.

She had never intended to kill all the Secret Tower members. If they were all dead, who would be left to relay the message that "Cecia has betrayed the Secret Tower" to the Master of the Secret Tower?

She couldn't possibly go deliver it herself. That would be too suspicious and risk blowing her cover.

Bai Fu gazed coldly at Foster.

The final scream from Bronze Furnace nearly stopped Foster’s heart, but that jolt also snapped him back into control of his body.

He gasped for air like a survivor who had nearly drowned.

The fear of death Bai Fu spoke of—he felt it to the core!

Even Bronze Furnace couldn’t withstand a single exchange from Bai Fu. How could someone weaker than Bronze Furnace possibly hold out against her?

He simply couldn’t comprehend.

"With your strength, you could have easily killed us directly. Why bring us here? What are you scheming?"

Foster voiced the doubt in his heart. Instantly, all eyes turned to Bai Fu.

Since Foster was intent on stalling, Bai Fu was happy to play along. The longer she stalled, the more skills she could absorb.

"Scheme?"

Bai Fu glanced around and suddenly laughed, a chilling laugh.

"Why else would I do this? Of course, it's for Cecia!"

Why was it about her again?

Cecia was already burning with rage.

If she didn’t think she’d be instantly killed by Calamity-ranked Bai Fu, she would’ve rushed forward and stabbed her in the butt right then and there!

Damn you for constantly spreading rumors about me. I’ll stab you to death!

"Though Cecia never told me herself, just from our few encounters with you, and eavesdropping on your conversations, I could tell—you’ve been using her all along. But you never truly respected her. She saved you, and yet you secretly called her a monster. I don't even dare imagine how you bullied her normally!"

The more Bai Fu spoke, the faster her words flowed, her tone growing heavier until she was practically shouting.

After shouting, she walked up to Cecia, stretched out her cold left hand, and gently caressed Cecia’s stunned face.

“Cecia, don’t worry. The pain they gave you—I’ll return it to them, piece by piece!”

Cecia was speechless.

Damn it, Bai Fu’s entire act was actually connected from start to finish, wasn’t it?

She should’ve known from their encounter on Onandi Star that Bai Fu wasn’t just skilled at acting—she loved acting, the queen of drama.

But honestly, she didn’t entirely hate the sensation of Bai Fu’s fingers brushing her cheek. It was cold, yet warm. What she hated was that none of this was within her control.

She was the spider mutant, the Webweaver, she wove fate, she spun the future—but now, just like Foster and the others, she had become Bai Fu’s toy.

Cecia couldn’t understand it.

With Bai Fu’s strength, she could’ve just killed her outright. Why toy with her like this?

Was it some deeper scheme, or was Bai Fu simply a twisted sadist who found joy in manipulating others?

She wanted to smack Bai Fu so badly—but the gap in power between them...

Cecia clenched her teeth, just about to curse at Bai Fu, when Bai Fu suddenly withdrew her hand. Huh? Why stop now?

Bai Fu turned around to face Foster.

By now, Foster and the others were all struck dumb by what they had heard.

So that’s how it was. It all made sense now.

Bai Fu didn’t kill them immediately because she wanted to avenge Cecia right in front of her!

When he recalled the earlier scene of Bai Fu hugging Cecia, Foster couldn’t help but feel emotional—

What a tragic, touching love story!

If he were a bystander, he’d be clapping right now. But he wasn’t. He was a character in the story—and one of the people who bullied Cecia.

Then what the hell were they still standing around for?

"Let’s fight her!"

Foster roared.

His voice echoed through the cave, startling everyone—including Bai Fu.

Wait, Bai Fu was a Calamity-ranked Esper! Was he crazy, or were they?

Everyone knew the gap between Calamity-ranked and S+ was even greater than the gap between S+ and S.

After all, one was Awakening, the other was Job Advancement.

A regular S+ Esper facing several strong S-ranks and a group of A-ranks would do best to flee—otherwise, they'd risk being ganged up on and killed.

But a regular Calamity-ranked Esper facing several powerful S+ and a bunch of S-ranks would be thinking: "Which one should I kill first?"

Seeing no one move, and some even contemplating escape, Foster grew anxious. “Idiots! Have you forgotten we used a Dimensional Shard during the pursuit of Bai Fu’s doppelgangers? No one outside can get in, and we can’t get out. Run? Run where? On a small place like Jingu Star, do you really think we can outrun Bai Fu?”

“!”

Foster’s roar was like a thunderclap.

He was right. With the Dimensional Shard active, they had no way out.

They were furious. If Foster hadn’t used the Dimensional Shard, how could things have come to this?

But no matter how angry they were, they knew now wasn’t the time to blame Foster. They had no choice but to fight Bai Fu.

Surrender?

Bai Fu brought them here to avenge Cecia. Every one of them had called Cecia a monster at some point. Even if they wanted to surrender, Bai Fu wouldn’t accept it.

Fight!

Secret Tower's S+ ranked mage Becket, known for his gravity magic, was the first to attack Cecia.

His thoughts were clear: it would be difficult to hurt Bai Fu directly. Better to target her precious Cecia. If he could capture her, he might have a chance to escape.

He also understood that capturing Cecia wouldn’t be easy. Though Cecia was weaker than Calamity-ranked Bai Fu, she was still stronger than any of them individually. But capturing her was still far easier than capturing Bai Fu—and everyone’s attention was on Bai Fu now. This was the perfect opportunity.

Boom!

Under Becket’s control, the gravity in Cecia’s area began to rise exponentially.

The attack came so suddenly—this was the kind of intense gravity that even spaceship-grade alloys couldn’t withstand. Though Cecia’s body was incredibly durable, she had no time to prepare and still took the hit.

“Damn!”

Her expression changed. As the ground beneath her cracked like a spiderweb, her body slammed uncontrollably into the floor.

Good, next step was—

Becket was just about to move when he was shocked to find that his companions were all doing the exact same thing—

They were attacking Cecia!

Of course—go for the weaker target.

Foster’s entire body surged with energy. As he launched a full-powered punch, his eyes gleamed gold from the overflowing force, and the energy from his fist shot out like a roaring golden dragon aimed straight at Cecia’s head.

Another S+ Esper followed up without hesitation. He took a deep breath, his abdomen swelling as if pregnant. When he exhaled, it wasn’t air—it was a wind cannon, sharpened by Esper Power, strong enough to shatter mountains.

Others joined in as well. Even the A-ranked Espers, whose personal attacks weren’t strong, wielded advanced firearms. Their chaotic volley could still hurt an S+ Esper.

“Cecia!”

Bai Fu’s "anxious" cry echoed through the cave.

Cecia was about to faint from rage.

Bai Fu was the one acting cool—why was she the one getting beat up?

And Bai Fu was still acting. Still acting. Since she was so "anxious," why didn’t she come over and block for her? Now that the plan had succeeded, she didn’t even bother to put on the full act anymore, huh?

Cersia braced herself against that wave of attacks. Fortunately, her physique was outrageously strong. Even after taking a full round of beatings, her injuries still weren’t enough to affect her actions. But if she took a few more rounds, things would be different.

But at this moment, Bai Fu finally made her move.

She instantly locked onto Beckett, whose control ability was at full power. Just as Beckett attempted to stack a second round of Gravity Impact, she activated a newly absorbed skill.

Wait a second!

Beckett’s body stiffened slightly. He sensed something was wrong. His insides suddenly became scorching hot, and the temperature rose sharply. By the time he realized the danger, he spontaneously combusted.

“Ahhh—”

A scream erupted.

The commotion immediately drew the attention of the surrounding people.

“What’s going on?”

Foster’s eyes widened, utterly unable to understand. Cersia was a spider monster, and Bai Fu was a Psionic Priest. Did they have such abilities that could make Beckett spontaneously combust?

“Quick, help me put out the fire—no, give me a Dissociative Agent first—ah…”

Beckett stumbled toward a nearby S+ rank Psionicist.

Actually, Beckett was still salvageable at that point. His HP had only dropped by 30%. Even if the skill effect completed, it would only take away a maximum of 60%. With one bottle of Healing Potion, he could instantly restore his HP to above 50%.

But he looked too terrifying now. Everyone around was already on edge, and seeing him rush over, they instinctively dodged, making the already chaotic Melted Hole even more chaotic.

That gave Bai Fu an opportunity.

An Advanced Force Field unfolded, and Bai Fu suddenly appeared behind Beckett. At that moment, her entire body was engulfed in roaring black flames. The searing heat distorted the space around her.

By the time Beckett felt the icy killing intent behind him, it was too late to dodge.

Dark Burn!

Her black-flame-wrapped fist struck down three times in a row, landing all three blows at the same spot on the back of Beckett’s neck.

Beckett flew out like a cannonball. The immense force collapsed half the Melted Hole. When the dust settled, everyone was shocked to find that Beckett’s head had been smashed into a pulp, and his body limp like a mollusk.

He was dead.

This was Bai Fu’s killing move—

Three Punches of Peasant Fu!

Even the ridiculously tanky Cersia lost 17,432 HP from taking those three punches. Beckett, a mage, already had his HP reduced drastically by the burn. How could he possibly survive those three punches?

Bai Fu scanned the surroundings, her eyes radiating a chilling light. She merely stood there, yet looked like a queen who could dictate life and death at will.

Fear began to spread.

One was already dead—Tonglu. Now Beckett was dead too. The remaining people were under immense pressure.

Could they really capture Cersia alive?

And if Bai Fu came to snatch her afterward, could they protect her?

Bai Fu didn’t give them time to think. Secret Tower had deployed six S+ rank Psionicists this time. Excluding Cersia, Tonglu, and Beckett, there were three left. If she killed one more, even if Hiye and the others didn’t make it in time to assist, she wouldn’t have to worry about her safety anymore.

With that in mind, Bai Fu launched another attack.

Of the 13 skills, she had absorbed 8. She had just used 3. The remaining 5 might not be as potent, but with the right execution, taking down another S+ rank Psionicist wouldn’t be a problem.

“Frozen Hell!”

“Thousands of Blades!”

“Psychic Imprisonment!”

Bai Fu slammed down three Calamity-tier skills in one go, showing no intention of holding back.

To ensure she could take one down, after casting the skills, she also pulled out a stack of rare Prayer Cards.

Dark Thorns, Dark Vortex, Big Black Fu, Arbiter, Falling Demon Gravel, Spinning Demon Blade, Void Energy Orb… whatever she had, she threw.

Though the cost of unleashing this barrage was astronomical, if she succeeded in this mission, the Star Web Commonwealth and Tide Civilization would foot the bill.

Foster and the others originally planned to rescue the targeted S+ rank Psionicist, but seeing Bai Fu throw out so many Prayer Cards in one go, their faces darkened like a pot bottom.

They had no idea these Prayer Cards were far weaker than the skills Bai Fu had just used. They only assumed the cards were just as deadly.

Then why fight at all?

Without another word, they turned their weapons.

If they couldn’t fight Bai Fu, they might as well attack Cersia!

“?”

Without the gravity restraint, Cersia immediately turned into black mist and dodged while cursing.

“Idiots! You believe whatever Bai Fu says? If Bai Fu said the Chief Steward was a traitor, would you believe that too?”

Of course not—but if the Chief Steward appeared just as close to Bai Fu as you do, would we believe it or not?

Foster and the others could no longer care.

To survive, this was the only path they could bet on. Every other path seemed like a dead end.

Cersia trembled all over. She was on the verge of snapping, ready to slaughter Foster and the others. But if she acted now, she would officially sever ties with Secret Tower.

She wasn’t mentally prepared. If she left Secret Tower, where could she go?

Her fury grew. Foster and the others grew more frantic.

They still hadn’t subdued Cersia, and with Bai Fu’s onslaught, their casualties were piling up. Even the most resolute minds were beginning to crumble.

They were going to die anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to live just a little longer?

An A-rank Psionicist roared and charged out from the Esper Well’s entrance. Once he ran, the mental defenses of the others collapsed too.

What were they still waiting for? Run!

Bai Fu didn’t stop them—she let them flee on purpose. But when Foster tried to escape, she intervened.

Foster had once hunted her, and he was also a Fleet Commander. Killing him wouldn’t just satisfy her grudge; it would throw Secret Tower’s fleet into deeper disarray.

“You…”

Staring at Bai Fu blocking his path, Foster was drenched in sweat.

Just as he expected, Bai Fu had no intention of letting him go.

Foster looked around. When they arrived, he had hundreds by his side. Now only a few dozen remained. With just these few, they stood no chance against Bai Fu or Cersia.

He was doomed.

Despair surged like a tide.

Foster gritted his teeth. “If that’s the case, I can only use this trump card.”

He pulled out a bright white crystal no bigger than a fingernail.

The moment she saw it, Cersia’s expression changed drastically. “Purified Toxin of the Dark Zone Insect Swarm?”

She knew better than anyone else present—aside from Foster—how lethal that toxin was. Once it exploded, she might survive by absorbing others’ life force, but what about the others? Like Bai Fu—could she survive it?

Bai Fu was a Calamity-tier Psionicist, but that didn’t mean she was immune to poison.

If Bai Fu died from poison, wasn’t her trip to Jingu Star in vain?

No way—Bai Fu must not die at Foster’s hands. If Bai Fu were to die, it had to be by her hands!

Just as Foster was about to crush the white crystal, Cersia’s Life Wither hit him squarely.

Foster’s focus was entirely on Bai Fu. He never expected Cersia to sneak up from behind. Under the effect of Life Wither, his limbs went limp, and he could only watch helplessly as the crystal slipped from his hand.

Just as it was about to hit the ground, a pale hand reached out and caught it.

“Cersia?!” Foster glared at her. “And you still claim you’re not in cahoots with Bai Fu?”

It didn’t matter anymore—none of it mattered!

The spider legs shot from Cersia’s back pierced Foster’s throat. Under Life Drain, Foster’s body convulsed violently, but he couldn’t escape. A dozen seconds later, he lost all signs of life.

With Foster dead, the remaining Secret Tower members who hadn’t fled finally lost all courage. They rushed out madly.

Bai Fu didn’t pursue.

Neither did Cersia.

She actually hated Secret Tower. Many there treated her like a monster. More than once she had thought: if given the chance, she’d kill them all. But she never did. Nor did she flee from Secret Tower—because of one special presence.

The Chief Steward.

It was the Chief Steward who saved her when she was parasitized by a spider.

It was the Chief Steward who taught her to master spider powers.

Though he never showed her favoritism, he was the only one who treated her like a normal person over the years.

For her, that was enough to stay.

But because of her own issues, and Bai Fu’s sowing of discord, she could no longer return to Secret Tower.

Now, she was all alone, with nothing left.

No—she still had one thing. A debt between her and Bai Fu.

That’s right. She couldn’t beat Bai Fu. But even if she couldn’t, she had to settle the score with her. After all, she no longer cared about life or death.

If she lost, Bai Fu would kill her.

If she won, she’d imprison Bai Fu. Then perhaps she would never feel empty again. She would no longer envy Bai Fu.

“Are you satisfied now?”

Cersia turned to Bai Fu, her face devoid of joy or sorrow.