Chapter 206: The Starsea Succubus Comes Online Again, Unlocking the Class Change Quest

After Sersia asked that question, the atmosphere in the cavern immediately became tense once more. The already chilly cave grew even colder.

Bai Fu completely ignored the chill.

The main force of the Secret Tower had already been driven off. Although Sersia, who remained, was the strongest among them, she no longer posed a threat to Bai Fu’s life.

This was partly because Bai Fu still had seven Calamity-level skills unused, and she was fully confident in protecting herself or even defeating Sersia. More importantly, she had already seen through Sersia. Although she hadn’t yet completely figured her out, she had at least gained some insight.

Sersia looked rather fierce at the moment, didn’t she?

She did look pretty fierce.

But the data panel returned by the Spirit Vision skill showed that Sersia’s favorability toward her was now 58 points, 22 points higher than the 36 points when they last parted. The favorability label had also changed from the initial “Twisted Jealousy” to “Twisted Dependence.”

Of course, favorability by itself was only a reference unless it reached an extremely high level.

A positive favorability didn’t mean the person wouldn’t harbor murderous intent. “Killing with love” and “yandere” were both very real.

Moreover, the shift between love and hate often happened in a moment. If one took the other’s positive favorability for granted and thought they could freely enjoy the benefits that came with it, it would only be a matter of time before trouble arose.

Bai Fu, who was considered the Starsea Succubus by players—and she quite agreed with the title—would never make such a rookie mistake!

Sersia’s expression looked calm now, but her heart…

Bai Fu slowly walked toward her step by step.

The crisp and pleasant sound of her shoes tapping against the ground echoed through the cavern, but to Sersia, it sounded like drums pounding against her heart.

She instinctively wanted to retreat and put some distance between them, but then realized that doing so would completely undermine the momentum she had when she shouted those words earlier. So she forcibly suppressed the urge to step back and said coldly:

“Looks like you’re ready to fight me to the death. In that case, I—”

Just as Sersia was about to raise the Poison Crystal, Bai Fu suddenly stopped in front of her and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

“Thank you, Sersia. You saved my life. Don’t be fooled by how easily I took down those three S+ rank Espers—it was all borrowed power. My real strength is still a step away from S+ tier. Only by coming here could I barely exert Calamity-level power. But this power doesn’t belong to me. My real body is still as fragile as ever. If you hadn’t killed Foster just in time, once he released the purified toxin of the Dark Domain Insect, I would’ve probably died here today.”

The name of the Dark Domain Insect’s purified toxin had been seen by Bai Fu through Spirit Vision. After learning of its effect, she immediately realized it was valuable material.

The oppressive pressure from the surroundings, the fragrance from in front, and the voice by her ear all combined to make Sersia’s pupils quake violently.

She froze.

She had thought Bai Fu would mock her or simply kill her outright, but Bai Fu actually came to thank her!

Every action Bai Fu took, every word she said, was completely beyond her expectations.

She even suspected Bai Fu was acting again—after all, Bai Fu had done so before, more than once.

But after hearing what Bai Fu said, she realized that this time, Bai Fu might genuinely be showing her true feelings.

Because if Bai Fu were acting, there would be no need to reveal her true strength or explain how she defeated Bronze Furnace and the others. Saying all that was essentially exposing her weaknesses and placing herself in a dangerous position.

If Sersia lost control in anger and suddenly lashed out, Bai Fu might die on the spot.

It had to be said—Sersia was still too young and had no idea Bai Fu was deliberately exploiting her mindset.

Julia, who resided in Bai Fu’s body, instantly saw through Bai Fu’s intentions. As close besties who had exposed each other’s secrets many times, Bai Fu didn’t even need to make any overt moves—just a blink, and Julia would know what she was up to.

Seeing Sersia frozen stiff, Bai Fu seized the moment to press forward.

“I should’ve explained everything to you earlier, but the situation was urgent, and this trap wouldn’t last long, so I didn’t have time to talk it out. Are your injuries serious? I should’ve stepped in when Foster and the others attacked you, but… sigh, I had no way to block their attacks. If I had shielded you with my body, I would’ve been exposed immediately. So I had no choice but to watch you get hurt. I’m sorry. I promise this won’t happen again. Let me check your wounds.”

She apologized as she released Sersia and took out a bottle of Quick Healing Potion from her portable space.

She shook the bottle vigorously and was just about to lift Sersia’s clothes when Sersia pressed down on her hand and said in a dull tone, “No need. My injuries are light. It’s nothing.”

Alright, that worked!

Bai Fu saw Sersia’s favorability rising rapidly and felt delighted, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she stubbornly insisted on giving her the potion.

“Minor wounds can become serious if left untreated. Since you won’t let me check, just drink the potion yourself.”

With that, she stuffed the bottle into Sersia’s hand.

Sersia looked at Bai Fu, whose face was filled with expectation, her expression conflicted.

She couldn’t tell—truly couldn’t tell!

Was Bai Fu genuinely concerned about her or just putting on another act?

If she really cared, should Sersia still lock her up in a dark room?

If it was all just another performance, should she angrily kill Bai Fu right here?

She couldn’t bear to.

Because even if it was an act, the concern in Bai Fu’s eyes was exactly what she longed for now.

Sersia mechanically drank the potion.

Seeing this, Bai Fu patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

“Good, you drank it.”

After a brief pause, her expression turned anxious again: “You killed Foster. That news will probably reach the Secret Tower’s steward soon. After that, you—”

“I can’t go back,” Sersia said coldly. “The Secret Tower will soon start hunting me down.”

“Then… will you stay? You don’t have to worry about Manu and the others giving you trouble. With my reputation as your backing, the others won’t exclude you. You won’t have to live in hiding anymore. You can live in the sunlight just like you’ve always wished. You can be on TV and enjoy others’ cheers after doing good deeds.”

Bai Fu looked sincerely at Sersia.

Even though she had been deceiving Sersia all along, she believed it was ultimately for Sersia’s own good.

If Sersia stayed with the Secret Tower, then with the progression of the version storyline, she would eventually be killed by the ever-growing number of players entering the Starsea, treated as a boss, and die without ever experiencing the life of praise she had yearned for—dying with regret and sorrow. Honestly, such an ending was quite tragic.

Now, although she had been thoroughly tricked and even mentally unstable at times, as long as she could recover, she wouldn’t have to fight against players anymore and could start pursuing everything she once longed for. Wouldn’t that be great?

Of course, Bai Fu had her own motives for working so hard to fool Sersia.

An Esper of Sersia’s level leaving would be a huge blow to the Secret Tower’s strength. If Bai Fu could also extract some secrets from Sersia, such as confidential information about the Secret Tower, the contribution score for her mission to eliminate the Secret Tower might shoot past 10% in one go.

As for whether Sersia would stay by her side—Bai Fu wasn’t particularly concerned.

If she stayed, great. If not, then so be it.

Sersia fell silent and didn’t respond immediately. After a long pause, she finally said lightly, “I’m a monster. I may not look like one now, but once the spider takes over my body, I’ll become a monster.”

Bai Fu said, “That’s nothing. I can help you fully absorb the spider’s power. You still remember Scarlet Leaf, right? She was infected by Void Blood and nearly mutated into a grotesque void creature. But with my help, she’s stabilized, and I think she’s not far from reaching the Calamity level.”

Scarlet Leaf!

The moment this name came up, Sersia’s emotions flared up.

She believed Bai Fu’s words about helping her absorb the spider’s power, but she completely gave up on the idea of staying with Bai Fu.

Just seeing Bai Fu and Scarlet Leaf standing together in the news made her want to capture them both and torment Bai Fu in front of Scarlet Leaf. If she had to see them together every day in real life—what then?

Either she’d choke on her rage, or she’d end up fighting Scarlet Leaf to the edge of the universe.

“I’m not interested in staying with you. I have things I want to do—revenge on those who once insulted me. But you hate the Secret Tower too, right? We can cooperate.”

“Cooperate?”

“I can provide you with all kinds of intel on the Secret Tower and show up to help you when needed. In return, you help me absorb the spider within me. Also… I need some undead. You’ve got plenty under your command. Lending me a few shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Of course not. Take as many as you want. I’ll assign them to follow you.”

Bai Fu readily agreed. Issuing a faction quest was no big deal.

Sersia asked, “What kind of intel do you want? I know the locations of several secret bases and where some of the important Secret Tower members are.”

Bai Fu nodded. “Besides that, do you know where the Secret Tower hides the base samples of the Dissociative Agent? I need at least three of them.”

“Three?”

Sersia frowned slightly. She opened her communicator, intending to mark a few points on the map. At that moment, she suddenly cried out.

“It’s connected!”

Connected to what?

Bai Fu was a little confused.

Sersia explained, “Connected to the interstellar network.”

“What?”

There was no interstellar network relay equipment installed anywhere near Jingu Star, so how could she possibly be connected to the internet here?

Bai Fu quickly opened her communicator. Just as Sersia said, she really was connected. She suddenly had a bold guess, so she immediately opened the game map.

“Just as I thought!”

The game map showed that she wasn’t on Jingu Star at all, but on a planet near the Sea Lion Galaxy.

She quickly zoomed in on the map and discovered that a new portal marker had appeared compared to before. This marker referred to the passage she had opened using the Esper Evolution Tree Atlas.

So that’s how it was—Bai Fu gradually understood everything.

She had previously wondered why the Esper Evolution Tree Atlas was different from the Pillar of True Spirits and the Needle of Sin and Punishment, which had drifted to the novice planet from the Gateway Cluster. If that was the case, then when version 2.0 arrived, how were players on Jingu Star supposed to travel to the Starsea and access the true Starsea version?

Now she had a clue.

According to her guess, when version 2.0 arrived, the seal of the hidden map [Esper Well] would be lifted for some special reason. After that, players on Jingu Star would be able to travel to the Starsea through this portal.

Bai Fu explained her discovery to Sersia. Sersia had a sudden realization. She no longer dwelled on it and, after marking five points on the map, sent Bai Fu both the map and the known locations of Secret Tower bases and members.

“I’m not sure if any of these five places have a source specimen, but judging by various movements, the probability is high.”

Bai Fu nodded at the information and was about to contact Manu when her eyes shifted.

Right now, the Secret Tower members likely hadn’t reported Sersia’s betrayal to the Secret Tower Chief Steward. In that case, perhaps she could take advantage of this opportunity to make a profit.

“Sersia, can you log into the Secret Tower’s database?”

“Database? What are you looking for?”

“Advanced knowledge—any kind will do. But if it’s S+ grade psychic-type advanced knowledge, even better!”

“I don’t know if I still have access. I’ll give it a try.”

Sersia attempted to connect to the Secret Tower’s database.

Bai Fu didn’t rush her and waited quietly by her side.

Over ten minutes later, the virtual screen in front of Sersia suddenly flashed red.

“My access has been revoked. Looks like the Chief Steward already knows I’ve betrayed them. But I downloaded a lot before I was locked out. Take a look yourself.”

With that, she forwarded the data to Bai Fu, which just happened to contain the advanced knowledge Bai Fu needed.

Without another word, Bai Fu began studying immediately.

Watching the progress bar slowly increase, she was overjoyed and threw her arms around Sersia in a hug.

“Thank you, this advanced knowledge came at the perfect time!”

“It’s just a trade. You… don’t really need to be so polite.”

Sersia suddenly felt a bit unaccustomed to Bai Fu’s affectionate gesture. She started glancing around unconsciously, and her body stiffened like she had been standing in a cold storage for a long time.

Bai Fu deliberately held on for a long time. Only when Sersia’s legs started to go numb from the stiffness did she let go. Timely positive reinforcement was very important!

“You can try using some dissociative potions. They should help you suppress the spider.”

She shoved dozens of bottles of dissociative potion into Sersia’s hands.

“Hold on a moment, I’ll inform Manu and the others about what happened here.”

“Wait!”

Just as Bai Fu was about to act, Sersia stopped her.

“Hm?”

“I’m not interested in meeting them. Let’s just exchange contact info. I’ll tell you the drop-off location later. Just send the Undead there. Not too many—100 will do.”

“Well, since you put it that way, sure.”

Bai Fu didn’t insist. She and Sersia exchanged communicator codes, and then she watched Sersia turn into black smoke and disappear.

The reason Sersia left in such a hurry was partly because she genuinely didn’t want to meet Manu and the others, and partly because she felt like she couldn’t control herself—she wanted to imprison Bai Fu.

She didn’t think it was her fault. If anyone was to blame, it was Bai Fu for having such a face that made people want to bully her.

Once Sersia was completely gone, Yulia emerged from Bai Fu’s body. Her expression was as calm as ever, as if she hadn’t seen anything, but her words were sharp.

“So was it big sister or little sister this time?”

Bai Fu rolled her eyes.

Yulia said, “I have no objections to your contact with Sersia. The better your relationship with her, the greater my chance to study her. I’m very interested in her abilities. If needed, I can help you play matchmaker.”

“Alright, alright, stop talking about that. Let’s handle business first.”

Bai Fu quickly contacted Manu.

Manu had still been stalling the Secret Tower when he got the message. He immediately brought the others over.

“You convinced the Night Mother?”

Even Manu, who considered himself quite familiar with Bai Fu, couldn’t help but widen his eyes. The Mindblade Swordsman and the Mecha Fighter Quinn were even more stunned.

Night Mother Sersia—she was one of the Secret Tower’s top combatants!

But after a few interactions with Bai Fu, she had actually betrayed the Secret Tower for her. What kind of succubus was Bai Fu?

With a calm expression, Bai Fu sent Manu all the intel Sersia had given her.

“There’s no time to waste. Contact the Joint Conference immediately. If we’re too late, the Secret Tower might have already evacuated everyone from their base.”

Manu gave Bai Fu a deep look, then immediately complied.

As the Starweb Commonwealth, Tidal Civilization, Eye of Heaven Alliance, and Caster Civilization convened an emergency meeting, Bai Fu returned once more to Jingu Star. She had one more important task—to plant players as spies inside the Secret Tower.

After Foster’s death, command within the Secret Tower fell into chaos, and despair filled the atmosphere. No one was in the mood to capture players.

But if they wouldn’t capture players, Bai Fu could make the players go to them instead. She directed the previously selected group of players to launch a charge against the Secret Tower.

The first charge ended in a complete wipeout.

On the second charge, thanks to contact with the Chief Steward, the remaining members of the Secret Tower had calmed down under his reassurance. They didn’t kill the players charging in this time, instead locking them all in the spaceship cargo hold.

“Phew~ now it’s complete.”

Bai Fu let out a breath of relief.

Her next task was simple. Just one word—

Wait!

Twenty minutes later, the meeting among the four civilizations concluded. They quickly organized several fleets to verify whether Sersia’s intel was true.

Ten minutes later, Bai Fu received a notification that her advanced knowledge learning was complete. At the exact moment the notification sounded, another one followed.

[You have unlocked the class advancement quest [Final Advancement]]

[Branch 1. Warrior’s Glory – Reach 1000 combat points]

[Branch 2. Transcendence Path – Collect a blueprint for a rare [Red] prayer card]

[Branch 3. Psychic Specialist – Acquire one additional advanced psychic knowledge]

[Quest Rewards: 20 million EXP, 1 random talent or passive skill, advancement eligibility]

“I finally triggered the class advancement quest!”

Bai Fu’s hands trembled with excitement. If Sersia were in front of her now, she’d definitely give her a big kiss.

“I should be able to complete the Warrior’s Glory quest when I go collect the dissociative potion source specimen. Even if I can’t, I can gamble with cards. I’ve got over 1.5 billion EXP—I refuse to believe I can’t draw a red card!”

Bai Fu chuckled with delight.

About ten more minutes passed, and she received word from Manu—the joint fleet assembled by the Starweb Commonwealth and other civilizations had already arrived near Jingu Star.

“Perfect. Time to pull the net.”

Bai Fu glanced at the Jingu Star Defense Battle quest. This round should net her quite a bit of experience.

But what she cared more about was the reward for the [Nascent Esper Evolution Tree Atlas] quest.

She had already recorded Onandi’s esper power. She only needed two more to unlock the new ability [Copy] for the Esper Evolution Tree Atlas.

Collecting those two esper powers wouldn’t be hard—Sersia could fill one of the blanks, and she just needed to find one more to complete the quest.

Thinking of this, Bai Fu quickly opened her communicator and sent Sersia a small gift—her selfie.

In the photo, she had taken off her shoes, placed them beside her, dipped her feet into the warm pool water, gently swaying them to create ripples, and smiled while flashing a peace sign at the camera.

[How’s your body feeling? I’m finally done here and can take a break. Let me know the drop-off location—I’ll personally deliver the Undead to you.]

Beep beep—

Sersia opened her communicator at the sound.

She had set a special notification tone for Bai Fu, so she immediately knew who it was when it rang. But she never expected Bai Fu would actually send her a selfie!

Staring at the radiant Bai Fu in the photo, her heart started pounding.

Such a pale Bai Fu—no, such a big Bai Fu!

Next time they met, Scarlet Leaf and Yulia probably wouldn’t be around, right?

If that was the case, she could devour Bai Fu alive!

[I’m fine. The location is...]

Sersia quickly replied.

This time she lied—she wasn’t fine at all. Although saying this might sound blasphemous, with all the spell components gathered, what she urgently needed now was a place to cast her spell.