Finding a Backer

White light flickered, and the scenery froze.

Bai Pu found himself in a universe of stars.

Scenes flashed by like a high-speed movie, each frame rushing past.

The roars of the Plague Dead, the oppressive presence of the Blood Ring Hammer Knight, the heroic figure of the female knight...

The scenery finally settled on the image of Blood Hand Colen, black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, eyes wide open, dying while looking up to the sky.

[Plane World: Flesh Plague: Origin]

[Time Used: 19 Days, 3 Hours, 33 Minutes, 07 Seconds]

[Time Period: 17th Century]

[Location: Europe - Baltic Sea Region]

[Based on your completed tasks and evaluation, you have received a Spirit Energy Points reward of 3496 points.]

[You have accumulated 350 points of world renown in the Flesh Plague: Origin plane. Your level of renown in the Flesh Plague: Origin plane is C-grade: Somewhat Known.]

[You have obtained the C-grade title: Eagle Eye.]

[Please maintain and increase your level of renown. The next time you enter the Flesh Plague: Origin plane, you will receive additional benefits based on your Spirit Realm ticket.]

Bai Pu checked the effects of the "Eagle Eye" title.

[Eagle Eye: C-grade title. When entering a Spirit Realm plane with this title equipped, you will gain a scouting skill, allowing you to learn some information about your target. After using the scouting skill, you must wait one natural day before using it again.]

"Not bad, very practical. It would be even better if it could be used in the real world..."

Bai Pu shook his head, dismissing the greedy thought. This Eagle Eye title was probably a reward for his achievement of finding the Blood Ring vanguard's headquarters with one "look" in the vast northern lands.

Subsequently, the Spirit Realm Will sent new prompts.

[You have obtained the Awakened's inherent ability: Datafication Constitution.]

[You have obtained the Awakened's inherent ability: Spirit Energy Field. Attacks without Spirit Energy particles cannot cause actual damage to you.]

[You have obtained the Awakened's inherent ability: Storage Space. The volume of the Storage Space is 10 cubic meters, and the length, width, and height can be changed arbitrarily, but the volume will not change.]

"Tsk, Spirit Energy Field... This is the root of the decline in the influence of the state machine in the early Spirit Energy Era. Hot weapons are completely retired, individuals possess transcendent power, and martial arts are used to violate prohibitions..."

However, with the development of the Spirit Energy Era and the establishment of official Awakened armed forces, the initial chaotic situation had long been ended. Awakened have Spirit Energy Fields? The country also has Spirit Energy combat troops, all of whom are Awakened, equipped with Spirit Realm standard equipment.

Nowadays, even powerful Awakened must obediently abide by the law in the real world.

In the real world, the government can dispatch a large number of Secret Archer Units and Crossbowman Units at any time, using absolute numerical superiority to crush any Awakened who dare to challenge order.

Only the Spirit Realm is a lawless place, not under the jurisdiction of any country's government. No matter how lawless the Awakened are in the Spirit Realm, the law cannot control them.

Of course, being able to become an Awakened means having a high IQ, and they won't be stupid enough to challenge the order of the real world. As long as they respect the law, the country is still very preferential to Awakened.

In addition, Awakened are not short of money, and enjoying life in the real world is much more comfortable than being wanted.

Before Bai Pu's eyes, a satellite overhead map of the real world appeared. The perspective quickly descended and zoomed in, and before Bai Pu's eyes, the structural diagram of Ward 3072 in the Superpower Corporation Hospital quickly appeared.

With the hospital bed as the center point, a huge circle encompassed the Jiangnan Base City where the Superpower Private Hospital was located, and even included other nearby satellite cities.

[You are about to leave the Spirit Realm and return to the real world.]

[You can choose any location within a radius of (100) kilometers from the teleportation anchor point as your return anchor point.]

The return anchor point can be freely chosen. This is one of the pieces of information Bai Pu had checked long ago—of course, he must abide by the Awakened laws of China and cannot choose private territory as the return anchor point; it is also best not to choose private places of the opposite sex, such as returning to a female restroom, which, while not violating the law, would be condemned by social morality.

It is precisely because of this regulation of the Spirit Realm Will that the Superpower Corporation is eager to send people into the Spirit Realm to hunt him down. Otherwise, they only need to wait in Ward 3072, why bother putting in so much effort?

"It's time to go back... The show has only just begun!"

Amidst the twinkling starlight, Bai Pu left this starry sky.

Jiangnan Base City, Xi City, a dark alley.

A flash of white light, and Bai Pu appeared at the end of the alley.

[You have returned to the real world.]

[Detected that this is your first return to the real world after becoming an Awakened, a special reminder:]

[Please strive to obtain and increase your popularity in the real world. Every three natural months, a roulette draw will be conducted based on your level of popularity in the real world. The real-world roulette draw has a chance to obtain tickets to enter the Spirit Realm.]

[Calculating your real-world popularity, please wait...]

Bai Pu was silent. With the development of the Spirit Energy Era to this day, the importance of real-world popularity has long been known to everyone.

The monthly roulette draw, which can yield Spirit Energy Points, equipment, props, and all sorts of things useful to Awakened, is already highly sought after.

Not to mention that there is a chance to draw a ticket in the roulette, which means an opportunity to enter the Spirit Realm! This is something that other Spirit Realm plane draws do not have. Therefore, real-world popularity is more important than popularity in most Spirit Realm planes.

In today's society, Awakened are using all sorts of tricks around "real-world popularity." Some have good looks and pleasing personalities, so they become streamers; some are good at talent and become stars; and a few Awakened who are confident in their own strength participate in the Awakened League...

[Calculation complete. Your real-world popularity is 197 points. Current popularity level: D (Beginning to Show Talent).]

How could I have D-level popularity?

Bai Pu was stunned for a moment. What does D-level popularity mean? At the very least, it must be a streamer with tens of thousands of fans, or a second or third-tier small star who has played an important supporting role in film and television dramas.

Bai Pu grew up in an orphanage, was physically weak, had few friends, and knew very few people. Where would he get D-level popularity?

After thinking about it, the only thing that could have caused his real-world fame to skyrocket was the Superpower Corporation.

And... it should be infamy!

Maybe Bai Pu's name is already on file at the Security Bureau.

"This is not a bad thing. As long as it is handled properly, infamy can be transformed into good reputation. I am naturally opposed to the Superpower Corporation, and the gap in strength is extremely large. I must strive for real-world popularity! The higher my popularity, the smaller the space for the Superpower Corporation to attack me in the dark—huh?"

"I didn't expect my looks to be so high after recovering my health." Bai Pu admired himself in the window of a military green jeep beside the road, slightly lost in thought, "Should I consider learning singing, dancing, and rap, and debut as a star?"

No wonder the female natives of the Flesh Plague: Origin plane had their favorability towards him rise so quickly. Although the appearance was self-adaptively adjusted in the Spirit Realm, the hidden attribute of charm would not be reduced. If the original appearance was high, the adjusted appearance would not be low.

The car window suddenly slowly lowered, revealing a woman with tea-colored glasses and wheat-colored skin, her eyes shooting straight over the upper edge of the glasses: "Are you drunk? Wandering around half the night half-naked, be careful of being caught by the Security Bureau as a pervert!"

Bai Pu didn't expect anyone to be in the car.

Hearing the words "half-naked," Bai Pu was shocked and realized that he was not wearing any clothes at all, only a spiked iron shoulder guard.

The clothes Qin gave to Bai Pu could not be brought out of the Spirit Realm; the tattered linen clothes given by the Spirit Realm Will by default would also automatically disappear upon leaving the Spirit Realm.

Bai Pu entered the Spirit Realm naked, and he returned to the real world almost naked as well.

Recently, Bai Pu's Stamina attribute had increased too quickly, and his perception of the outside world's cold and heat was not so clear. In other words, he didn't feel cold easily.

Fortunately, the other party should only be able to see his upper body and hadn't noticed the embarrassing fact that he wasn't wearing pants.

Bai Pu flashed away, making a quick escape.

The tea-colored glasses beauty leaned out of the car window, looked at Bai Pu's quickly disappearing back, and muttered, "I didn't expect him to be an Awakened. Did he just return from the Spirit Realm?"

After a slight pause, the tea-colored glasses beauty added, "...His butt is quite perky though."

Half an hour later, Bai Pu was walking down the street wearing a set of old clothes. The only piece of equipment—the Iron Shoulder Guard—was stored in his Storage Space.

His upper body was a tracksuit, and his lower body was a pair of washed-out jeans. This was what Bai Pu had scavenged from a community charity's used clothing recycling station—the used clothing recycling stations were all idle old clothes donated by residents, and the charity would distribute these clothes to people in need.

Bai Pu was quite in need right now.

"I'm probably the most down-and-out Awakened there is."

Bai Pu mocked himself.

In the real world, he didn't want to steal or rob, not because of high moral standards, but because it was a bottom line he set for himself.

Awakened ones can be lawless in the Spirit Realm, but if they return to the real world and don't restrain themselves, it's easy to confuse the Spirit Realm and reality—disregarding human life, ignoring rules, and ultimately embarking on a path of no return.

"The Superpower Corporation's influence in reality is much greater than in Plane World: Flesh Plague: Origin. However, in the real world, there are restrictions of rules and order, and it's a competition of who is better at using the rules of the real world!

"Now, the Superpower Corporation has the advantage of a pre-emptive layout, and may have already used official power to monitor my account, social relationships... I can't use the balance in my personal account for consumption, and I can't even appear in my previous community! Otherwise, the Superpower Corporation will quickly lock down my location."

Bai Pu thought silently. This was also the reason why he didn't choose Jiangnan Base City, the capital of the Jiangnan Region, when he returned, but instead chose Xi City, eighty kilometers away.

In Xi City, he was unfamiliar with the place, and Bai Pu's actions were certainly limited, but the Superpower Corporation's monitoring power must also be weak.

"I must find a backer for myself!"

Bai Pu looked up. On the big screen in Xi City Square, a message was being broadcast: "Welcome Mr. Bratton, General Manager of Byron Pharmaceuticals Group, to Xi City for inspection. This Byron delegation will discuss trade cooperation with Great Tang Pharmaceutical and other well-known enterprises, which may involve the procurement of a number of bulk drug raw materials, which will inject new vitality into Xi City's economic development..."