Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 502 - 139. Traveling Incognito at Night

Chapter 502: 139. Traveling Incognito at Night

In his previous life as a streamer, Li Aozi knew how to manage his fanbase. When he was a "Sovereign" mentor known as ’Li Aozi’, he had to maintain a necessary air of mystery. While approachable, he couldn’t get too close, and some less respectable tactics could not be used.

Now, as a player, Li Aozi had it much easier, free from any burdens.

"How to hype up the ’Sovereign’ class? Just tell everyone directly, the ’Sovereign’ class is stronger, more fun, and has better prospects than other occupations."

So, what occupation is truly more fun, stronger, and has better prospects at this stage?

— "Martial Artist".

"Build a reputation using ’Martial Artist’ and then intentionally lose to a few ’Mutants’, distribute some video clips along with exaggerated statements, and you can easily elevate the popularity of the ’Sovereign’ class."

As for the reality deviating somewhat? Players will interpret it themselves: it’s not the occupation that’s weak, but the person; I am also of the ’Sovereign’ class, why haven’t I found it boring? It must be your own lack of skill.

By the time players realize that the ’Sovereign’ class isn’t as miraculous as rumored, the public opinion is already in full swing. Those who have ventured onto the pathway of the ’Sovereign’ will argue: we’ve always said, no occupation is weak, only people; it was not claimed ’Sovereign’ was the strongest, you just misunderstood."

"This plan seems to be the most reliable so far."

After deciding on the plan, Li Aozi posted on the forum: "Isn’t this game very simple? I’m already invincible."

"Today is my first day playing this game, a ’Martial Artist’ with a retired soldier’s background, and I’ve already figured out this game."

Posts like this weren’t rare; many players loved to document their growth from scratch. Li Aozi deliberately used an exaggerated tone and coupled it with a screenshot of his attribute panel on the main post, claiming that the game was very simple and that he had unraveled it on his first try, suggesting that the Qiqiao Network was nothing special.

However, such brash statements seemed not uncommon and did not attract much attention. Li Aozi was not worried; he planned to keep updating the post.

"What’s next is quite monotonic. Level-up, learn—Ah, perfect, Isaac doesn’t have a career transition plan, so he’ll head back to his hometown for a while."

As a ’Martial Artist’, an occupation akin to a laborer, there were many ways to level up, whether as a security guard or a bounty hunter, and the efficiency in making money was considerably higher. Of course, it still depended on the region and country, just like during the period of the Frost Plated Republic.

"Speaking of which, I don’t even know where Isaac’s hometown is..."

Li Aozi opened his personal terminal to check:

"Oh?"

Six hours later, Li Aozi stood on the soil of Erga City. He hailed a taxi and, looking at the streetscape, couldn’t help but marvel:

"What a coincidence."

Isaac’s hometown turned out to be a village under the jurisdiction of Erga City. Glancing at the straight-line distance, it wasn’t far from the farm where the White Obelisk was located, very convenient for supervising and controlling the pathway’s constructions.

Seeing the bustling and flourishing scene on the streets, Li Aozi thought of something and immediately switched to camouflage mode, asking the taxi driver, "Hey, master, it’s been three years since I’ve been back. My hometown seems to have changed a lot, why is the neighborhood so lively?"

Perhaps taxi drivers worldwide enjoyed chatting, the driver took a sip of his tea and immediately perked up:

"Ho, you’ve asked the right person. As a soldier—didn’t you know? Before, our shabby place was only mentioned in geography textbooks and the national anthem, the Empire didn’t involve us in anything—yet who would have thought, just six months ago, a divine sign appeared at a local farm overnight."

"A divine sign?"

"It was an incredibly mysterious, sanctified White Obelisk that appeared on the earth overnight, which scared the farm owner. Initially, he thought it was some military equipment that had fallen and, fearing radiation, he quickly called the police. And guess what happened? That obelisk not only was harmless but actually granted several farm workers superpowers."

The driver spoke enviously of that miracle:

"Although it’s just moving heavy objects and brief levitation off the ground, far from a Transcendent’s level, it’s still a superpower; maybe it’s the arcane energy from the legends—you know about Li Aozi, right?"

"Li Aozi? I’ve heard a bit," ’Isaac’ responded nonchalantly, "Just a madman who blew himself into the sky with a nuclear bomb and now, no one knows if he’s dead or alive."

Right after he spoke, Li Aozi inwardly scoffed.

"...What is this? Am I despising myself? How terrible must I look in the eyes of others?"

"Hey, you don’t get it," the driver said, pepping up. "Although it’s not officially recognized, Li Aozi was very likely a talent cultivated by the Empire!"

"So what?" ’Isaac’ didn’t understand.

The driver said indifferently:

"That means, the first to lead people into space, to challenge Ersha’s blockade, was one of our Red Arrow People."

As a taxi driver, this statement sounded grand and righteous, elevating the narrative to a level of awe-inspiring grandeur that commanded respect.

"To many Red Arrow People, or rather ordinary people, Li Aozi’s emergence was like a superstar tearing through the night sky. When the days were pitch black before, even a slight spark was taken as the sun."

The driver casually remarked:

"Look around, the tourists drawn to these streets and alleys, at least seventy percent are here for the White Obelisk to awaken their Arcane Energy, and countless are influenced by Li Aozi."

"That’s nothing special though, right? Playing with the elusive Arcane Energy isn’t as handy as firearms." ’Isaac’ gestured dismissively.

"Isaac, show some respect! Do you know who is summoning you now?"

"Yeah, that’s just what you were saying."

As the vehicle turned a corner, a child who had awakened Gravity held onto an umbrella, drifting through the air, attracting gaze and photo snaps from tourists.

"Before Li Aozi, Arcane Users could only engage in specific combat and labor. People did not truly respect them as Transcendents, viewing them more like sufferers of malaria and leprosy. As a result, the Empire had to enact laws mandating the professional academies to house and educate Arcane Users."

Driving leisurely, the driver spoke:

"But after Li Aozi appeared, our little shabby city of Erga actually developed a considerable tourism industry because of the awakened superpowers. Tourism spurred consumption, activating hotels, food, entertainment, and even real estate."

Isaac picked up the thread:

"I see now, it’s not differences people discriminate against, but poverty and backwardness."

"Exactly. Without Li Aozi, people would’ve wanted to demolish this White Obelisk if it appeared hundreds of years earlier, thinking it was a curse."

The driver pressed the brake, stopping steadily:

"Now, they call it a blessing."

The driver opened the door and tipped his hat in respect towards Li Aozi:

"Welcome home, soldier."

’Isaac’ grabbed his luggage and got out of the car, turning to look at a green field. The artificial sun’s light coated the wheat fields with a layer of gray, giving it a semblance of a steel jungle from afar. He stepped on the dry, parched earth, this barren soil still in need of burning straw and manual fertilization to be viable.

This was a typical view of most rural areas on Azure Star.

Having seen the lush forests of Baizhu Star and the unique ecological farms of the magic civilization, Li Aozi found this landscape particularly displeasing to the eye.

"Back home."

’Isaac’ sighed in relief, straightened his black military uniform, and walked straight ahead on the broken asphalt path, exposing concrete, towards a humble, self-built rural building that soon came into view.

"Purr... Meow..."

Before he could get close, a short-haired tabby cat jumped onto the fence, slightly flicking its tail, its gray eyes curiously staring at the newcomer.