novelraw Chapter 228 : Mantis Stalks the Cicada, and Bai Fu Follows Behind
Chapter 228 : Mantis Stalks the Cicada, and Bai Fu Follows Behind
Chapter 228: Mantis Stalks the Cicada, and Bai Fu Follows Behind
Secret Tower was about to collapse on its own. It was one thing when minor members defected earlier, but now even important members had started to flee?
Upon receiving news from the Star Web, Bai Fu couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
She recalled a recent mission issued by the Sanctification Order to raid a base of the Secret Tower.
Back then, the members of the Secret Tower base fled at the sight of her like they had seen a ghost—each one running faster than the last.
From this angle, there really must have been something wrong within the Secret Tower.
“The new version’s only been live a few days, and the main storyline’s already advancing?”
Bai Fu nodded vigorously.
This was a good thing—advancing the main storyline quickly was definitely a good thing!
She was eager to eliminate the Secret Tower so that Players could return to fulfilling commissions and earning her money and experience.
If the Players didn't work properly, how was she supposed to leech off of them?
Bai Fu inquired about the details.
The Star Web personnel began explaining patiently.
This time, the alliance formed by the Star Web, the Tide Civilization, the Tiane Eye Alliance, and the Kast Civilization was giving it their all, hoping to use this opportunity to eradicate the Secret Tower—this longstanding scourge that had existed for centuries.
In truth, the alliance had intensified its attacks on the Secret Tower ever since the Battle of Jingu Star. After Bai Fu captured Bangura and Representative of the Keura Tribe, Reynolds, alive on Shudun Star, the pressure escalated even further.
Numerous hidden bases of the Secret Tower were destroyed, and many affiliated factions like pirate crews were beaten so badly they were wailing.
But this offensive had always been confined to the periphery. Despite the alliance's efforts, they still couldn’t take down true core members like the Centurion.
The Secret Tower was simply too cautious. Apart from a few core members, most had no idea where the organization's true headquarters even was.
Now, with intel indicating that a key Secret Tower member was ready to defect, how could the alliance not take it seriously?
At first, the alliance suspected this Secret Tower traitor might be a spy sent by the organization.
To verify this, they conducted thorough interrogations and managed to obtain quite a bit of intelligence on the Secret Tower.
Relying on this intel, the alliance uncovered several moles whose status was not necessarily lower than that of Reynolds.
These moles, like Reynolds, hadn’t truly defected to the Secret Tower—they had simply exchanged benefits. They provided convenience, and in return, the Secret Tower helped elevate their status.
However, their actions ultimately had a detrimental effect on their respective civilizations.
Had it not been for these moles secretly stirring up trouble, the Secret Tower would never have grown to such a scale.
After clearing out the moles, alliance members were overjoyed.
But what truly convinced them of the traitor’s credibility was a set of coordinates to a Star Gate—one that led directly to the Secret Tower’s headquarters!
When the alliance fleet arrived at the Star Gate location, the Secret Tower was in the middle of dismantling it. Half of the structure had already been taken down. Although they detonated the remaining half in haste, they left behind a significant amount of data and allowed the alliance’s ships to detect specific-frequency spatial fluctuations.
With this data, the alliance would be able to calculate the Secret Tower headquarters’ location in two to three months at most—just in time to deliver the final blow to its crumbling foundation.
[If you can save me, I can tell you the names of more spies embedded by the Secret Tower, reveal their long-hidden plans, and disclose their relationship with the Dark Domain Insect Swarm.]
The bargaining chip offered by the Secret Tower traitor was simply too tempting.
As such, even at the risk of an ambush by Calamity-level threats or the Secret Tower’s mothership, the alliance still dispatched a fleet to retrieve the traitor.
To maximize the mission’s success rate, the alliance invited many Psionicists and factions they had cooperated with in the past—Bai Fu and the Sanctification Order among them.
Bai Fu glanced at the Quest Prompt that popped up before her.
The quest reward was only 15 million experience, but completing it might lead to the reward for eliminating the Secret Tower entirely.
What was there to hesitate about?
She accepted the commission!
Shortly after, the Star Web sent over more detailed documents.
Bai Fu swiftly browsed through them. The files contained detailed intelligence reported by the Secret Tower traitor, including the locations of several bases and laboratories.
What surprised her was that none of these locations overlapped with the bases reported by the undercover Players she had planted.
Coincidence?
As Bai Fu gathered a large group of Players to assist the Star Web, she quickly got a handle on the situation.
“Fu-fu, the Secret Tower just made a new move!”
Onboard the ship, a familiar group of Players suddenly appeared—Excavation‑Princess, Starfish‑bro, Sword Qi Soaring, and others.
Their eyes were glowing with excitement. Bai Fu had seen that look many times before—it always meant something big was coming.
“What move?” Bai Fu asked.
Excavation‑Princess explained.
“Half a day ago, the Secret Tower issued an order to all Undying Ones they had captured, telling them to gather at a specific location.”
As she spoke, Excavation‑Princess brought up a star map.
“These Undying Ones departed from these places...”
She tapped four points on the star map, each representing a Player. The points began moving slowly, leaving behind four distinct paths—each stopping abruptly after reaching a certain location.
Excavation‑Princess didn’t need to say more. Bai Fu understood completely.
The points had stopped at four Star Gates!
And the destinations of those Star Gates were, without a doubt—
“The Secret Tower’s headquarters!”
Excavation‑Princess clenched her fist tightly.
Back when Players were captured on Jingu Star, some were transported directly to the Secret Tower headquarters. But since they had been suddenly taken there, they couldn't determine the headquarters’ relative position on the map—only a fog of war.
Under those conditions, Bai Fu couldn’t get anyone to calculate the headquarters’ coordinates.
If not for that, she would have long reported the location to the Star Web and other factions. The Secret Tower wouldn’t have had the chance to continue its antics.
But better late than never.
The Secret Tower had finally slipped—sending out Players to stir up trouble.
And in doing so, they had completely exposed themselves!
Bai Fu beamed.
A nail she had planted a year ago was finally about to bear fruit.
This was in the bag!
Now that the Secret Tower’s headquarters had been exposed, it didn’t matter whether the traitor was truly a defector or what the Secret Tower’s plans were.
She would charge in headfirst and beat them down in their own home!
Amid her excitement, Bai Fu didn’t immediately relay the news to the alliance.
She not only wanted to deal with the Secret Tower but also hoped to take down the Dark Domain Insect Queen in one fell swoop.
She couldn’t confirm whether the Dark Domain Insect Queen was at the headquarters. If she leaked the intel now, the alliance might launch a preemptive strike and scare the queen away.
Better to wait and see what the Secret Tower wanted the Players to do.
Excavation‑Princess said, “The Secret Tower didn’t specify the task—just told them to enter an unnamed machine one by one. After exiting, they were all loaded onto a large transport ship, which is now headed for a neutral planet called Aurora Star. We checked—Aurora Star is located in the Spindle Galaxy, which lies between the Tide Galaxy and the Sea Lion Galaxy. It’s a colony galaxy.”
No mention of what the task actually was?
Bai Fu pondered for a moment and decided to prepare for both scenarios.
She praised Excavation‑Princess and the others, then quickly sought out Scarlet Leaf to relay what had been said.
“You want me to lie in wait near a Star Gate to prevent the Secret Tower from destroying it later?”
“Exactly. Just watch. If things go south, don’t force it—use the Prophet’s Mark and get out.”
That made sense. But if the Star Gate were destroyed, wouldn’t they miss this golden opportunity to eliminate the Secret Tower...
“You don’t want to miss out on being ‘bitten’ by me like last time, do you?”
Boom!
The Qi Surge erupting from Scarlet Leaf’s body caused her hair to float in the air.
Of course not.
Alright then—since you put it that way, I’ll definitely run at the first sign of trouble!
Bai Fu smiled.
This Succubus physique wasn’t just for show. She had already mastered the art of manipulating people like Scarlet Leaf and Cersia.
Not long after, Scarlet Leaf piloted a ship carrying thousands of Players, broke off from the main force, and headed directly for one of the Star Gates.
Meanwhile, Bai Fu led her Players to rendezvous with the Star Web’s fleet as usual.
This time, the Star Web had dispatched a mixed fleet of over a thousand warships, and the other three civilizations in the alliance were not to be outdone.
Outside these thousands of ships, the alliance also had several mobile fleets on standby, ready to provide support at any time. These mobile fleets contained far more warships than the fleet sent to retrieve the Secret Tower traitor.
This was the baseline strength of a galactic-level civilization.
In the struggle against the Secret Tower, civilizations like the Star Web had been at a disadvantage—partly because they didn’t possess three Calamity-level beings or backup like the Dark Domain Insect Queen, and partly because the Secret Tower had always remained in hiding, leaving the Star Web and others with no target to hit.
But with the betrayal of a key member, that dynamic now seemed on the verge of reversal.
“Long time no see.”
Manu and Mitchell of the Tiane Eye Alliance both greeted her with wide smiles. They looked visibly younger, as if their good mood had rejuvenated them.
Bai Fu could understand their feelings.
People do feel uplifted by joyous events.
In stark contrast were the Secret Tower members, who always looked aged and defeated every time she agitated them into breaking down.
The good news was that soon the Secret Tower members wouldn’t need to worry about getting agitated—they’d all be dead, and there’d be no defenses left to break.
After everyone assembled, the alliance immediately departed to intercept the Secret Tower traitor.
Since this was a coordinated large-scale operation, Bai Fu didn’t need to steal the spotlight this time. She would have plenty of chances to perform once the Secret Tower’s true intent and the location of the Dark Domain Insect Queen were confirmed.
Thousands of warships launched in unison, creating an overwhelming presence. As the fleet swept the area, Secret Tower members tried multiple times to break through the formation to kill the traitor but ultimately had to retreat with visible reluctance.
“We did it!”
Cheers erupted across the alliance fleet.
In their eyes, this moment marked the strategic turning point in the war between the alliance and the Secret Tower.
From today onward, the alliance would shift fully into a counter-offensive!
“Thank you, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead for sure.”
Aboard the command flagship, a blond Horned Man named Isaac looked visibly relieved. He had lost an arm during the Secret Tower’s pursuit, but that wasn’t a big issue—any high-level hospital could reattach it once things settled down.
“You’ve kept your word, so I have no reason to keep secrets.”
Isaac began to disclose everything he knew.
He had previously served as Deputy Director of the Secret Tower’s Combat Strategy Office, so his intelligence was extensive.
After he defected, the Secret Tower scrambled to patch the leaks. But his betrayal had been too sudden—even their quick response wasn’t fast enough to seal all the gaps.
“The Secret Tower has long been carrying out a plan known as [Spear of Lamentation]. Back when their predecessor, the Phantom Civilization, triggered the Dimensional Catastrophe, they mastered a method to connect with higher dimensions. The so-called [Spear of Lamentation] is about guiding Lamentation Apostles from the Ethereal Realm to attack you. The plan has been ongoing for years but hasn’t gone smoothly.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Fu had an epiphany.
No wonder the Secret Tower had always sought the True Spirit Pillar. They intended to harness the power of the Apostles from the Ethereal Realm.
In the original plotline, the True Spirit Pillar on Yulia was likely to end up in the Secret Tower’s hands, triggering a larger disaster and creating more opportunities for Players to shine.
Isaac continued:
“The relationship between the Secret Tower and the Dark Domain Insect Queen is rather unique. The Chief Steward opposed cooperation with the Dark Domain Insect Swarm, but the Master of the Secret Tower pushed it through single-handedly. That’s why we don’t know many specifics. We only know that the Master and the Insect Queen jointly developed a type of special parasite.
“Oh, and there’s another crucial piece of intel. Under the Insect Queen’s guidance, the Secret Tower developed an item called [Cooling Nest]. You should’ve seen it on Jingu Star. [Cooling Nest] is used to release Flood Disasters, and the factory that produces it is on Aurora Star. If that base isn’t taken out in time, it could trigger a major catastrophe once the Secret Tower makes its last stand.”
“This intel is extremely important.”
The alliance fleet rejoiced and hurried to convene a meeting to plan the next step.
The importance of that factory spoke for itself.
Knowing that the alliance would go to raid it, the Secret Tower wouldn’t sit back and watch. Perhaps this would also be a good opportunity to draw out and defeat reinforcements?
Bai Fu, however, was thinking deeper—this was the second time she had heard the name Aurora Star.
The Secret Tower had recently sent a large number of Players to Aurora Star, indicating that they hadn’t forgotten its strategic importance.
If they hadn’t forgotten, why didn’t they evacuate personnel and resources? Why go out of their way to send Players there ceremoniously?
Something was off—very off.
Bai Fu looked at Isaac intently.
Aurora Star might be a trap laid by the Secret Tower, waiting for them to step into it.
However, one thing worth noting was that the alliance had dispatched an enormous fleet this time and invited numerous powerful Psionicists. Could the Secret Tower really deliver a heavy blow through this trap, or would they fail and be countered?
Given their current state, it wasn’t clear they’d be willing to bet everything on this.
Was it possible that Aurora Star was just bait, and the Secret Tower’s true target was elsewhere?
Bai Fu couldn’t decide, so she summoned Cersia, hoping to hear the opinion of someone who had spent a long time within the Secret Tower.
“The Chief Steward sent tens of thousands of Undying Ones to Aurora Star. But given the situation, there’s no way they could reverse the worsening scenario there. Based on what I know of him, he wouldn’t do something meaningless. So the real purpose of sending them must be something else.”
Bai Fu trusted Cersia greatly.
As the fleet altered course toward Aurora Star, she secretly contacted Manu and Mitchell to warn them that something was off.
But once the operation began, Bai Fu realized that capturing the factory was far easier than expected.
The alliance fleet even managed to rescue tens of thousands of Players who had been captured by the Secret Tower.
“Isn’t this going a bit too smoothly?”
Bai Fu immediately summoned Siphris to help cleanse the Players of parasites. She also personally used her Psionic Vision skill to examine their data panels.
That inspection revealed a problem.
“Every Undying One has a parasite. About a quarter of them have a [Queen’s Beacon].”
“Queen’s Beacon?” Cersia’s expression turned serious. “During the war on Tianshu Star, I used one of those when it suddenly appeared near a Brainworm.”
Bai Fu’s eyes lit up. “So it’s like a portal?”
Cersia nodded. “More or less.”
So that’s it!
Bai Fu understood everything instantly.
The Secret Tower had deliberately sacrificed the Aurora Star factory just to send these Players back—for three reasons.
The first was to let the infected Players try to spread the parasite to others.
But this would be hard to achieve. The Secret Tower knew Siphris was with her. If Siphris found the infected Players, she would surely exterminate the parasites immediately.
So the Secret Tower’s main goals were likely the second and third.
The second was that, from their perspective, these Players were already brainwashed. They probably intended to use them for missions like gathering intel or carrying out assassinations.
The third was to use these Players as mobile portals—at critical moments, they could use these “portals” to launch a surprise attack.
“Unfortunately for the Secret Tower, they’d never dream that Players cannot be brainwashed. The only effect of brainwashing on Players is a locked faction alignment. And they’d never expect my high-level Psionic Vision can easily detect the beacons they left!”
Would the Dark Domain Insect Queen suddenly emerge through a portal?
Bai Fu smiled.
It was time to show the Secret Tower just how terrifying Players—and the NPCs who controlled them—could truly be!