Chapter 75: Embers and Faint Light

At Trelan Junior High School in late September, the sun blazed down with relentless heat, painting the classroom in golden light. In Class 1, Grade 7, Tian Dao slouched lazily in the back row, his gaze blankly fixed on the window—though in truth, his mind was elsewhere.

He wasn’t daydreaming. He was checking his personal stats.

【Name: Tian Dao Siming (Probationer, Ashen Remnant Organization)】

【Age: 12】

【Rank: First-Rank Stellar Envoy】

【Base Stellar Energy Value: 850】

【Stellar Source: Vector Control (Development: 95%)】

【Stellar Core: Star-Eclipse Eye (Compatibility: 100%)】

【Attributes: Strength S, Agility S, Mind S, Constitution S】

【Skills: Stellar Energy Control (Master Rank), Flash Step (Master Rank), Stellar Beast Knowledge Encyclopedia (Expert Rank)…】

【Current Popularity Points: 850,000】

【Loaned Popularity Points: 1,000,000 (Maxed Out)】

As The Prequel of the Stars: Embers neared the end of its first season, Tian Dao had long since ceased being the “Popularity Debt Default” he once was—back when he couldn’t even scrape together a single point.

Now? He was a Popularity millionaire, sitting on a cool 850,000 points.

Sure, he could afford to repay his debt in full. But as the old saying went: The debtor is king.

Since he knew he’d absolutely pay it back, why rush?

After all, with the "Fireworks of the Year's End" still months away, he was already this popular. Once that climactic finale aired, his popularity would skyrocket—like a rocket with no brakes.

Tian Dao quietly estimated that, given the current momentum of Stellar Prodigy across the 13 stations, he could easily bank three million Popularity Points after the season’s final arc. And that was just the conservative estimate—no cap, no limits.

So why rush to pay back the system?

Let it sit. Let it grow.

But while delaying repayment was smart, hoarding points was another story.

Because only by investing popularity could he make it multiply.

And so, over the past few days, Tian Dao had been deep in thought—how to make the most of his 850,000 points within the limited window of this first season.

After careful consideration, a plan began to crystallize in his mind.

He’d reinvest every last point into the upcoming "Fireworks of the Year's End" arc—then burn himself to the ground.

Because in the original first season finale, Coral Knight · Byron led two elite Stellar Envoy strike teams in a surprise assault on Yujin Base—a moment so intense it became legendary.

And yet…

It wasn’t really a surprise.

Not at all.

Because Doctor had orchestrated the entire thing.

On the surface, it looked like Byron ambushed Yujin Base unprepared. But in reality, Doctor had invited him.

The base wasn’t caught off guard. It was waiting.

Everything was a trap—designed to steal a single, priceless artifact: the Ever-Flowing Heart, a unique Stellar Artifact exclusive to the Ironcrown Family.

Doctor needed it.

Not just for power—but for the Third Perfect Awakening, a transformation that would elevate him to the rank of a true Four-Star Perfect Stellar Envoy.

But there was a problem.

The Ever-Flowing Heart was not only guarded by the Ironcrown Family—it was also protected by a self-destruct mechanism so complex, even the most advanced minds couldn’t bypass it.

If the artifact was ever removed from its host outside the Third Floating City · Quantum Fortress—or beyond the core zones of the Seven Floating Cities’ New Federation—the system would trigger instantly, obliterating the heart before it could fall into enemy hands.

So Doctor had to do one thing: lure an Ironcrown Family elite out of the secure zone.

Only then could he safely extract the artifact and transplant it into himself—unlocking the final step of the Awakening.

The plan was flawless—on paper.

But history had a twist.

Tian Dao knew the truth: the plan succeeded… and failed.

It succeeded because Doctor did extract Byron’s Ever-Flowing Heart and complete the Third Perfect Awakening.

He became one of the rare few Four-Star Perfect Stellar Envoys in history.

But it failed because, just months before the attack, the Ironcrown Family had advanced their quantum tech—adding a new Quantum Guardian lock to every Ever-Flowing Heart.

Doctor couldn’t crack it.

So while the Awakening was complete, the Heart’s power remained locked—only a fraction of its true potential could be accessed.

Doctor’s strength was capped at that of a mid-tier Four-Star.

Worse, the Quantum Guardian was linked to the Ironcrown Family’s Mechanical Core, which meant that as soon as Doctor entered the Seven Floating Cities’ core zones, the Quantum Observer network would detect him instantly—no matter how well he hid.

So despite achieving perfection, Doctor remained trapped on the fringes—forced to rebuild from scratch, searching for a way to break the lock.

Tian Dao had known all this from the start.

Which was why he never once considered warning the base.

Because the attack wasn’t a threat.

It was part of the plan.

And that wasn’t all.

Doctor had also prepared a second phase—a contingency.

A plan known as Embers.

And it wasn’t activated when Byron arrived.

It had been running since before the first season even began.

Why did Doctor summon so many high-ranking officials from outside the Yujin Organization during the Final Evaluation?

Why did he leak fragments of the plan so early—when the Stellar Project was barely underway?

Was he reckless?

No.

He did it on purpose.

To lure Byron in.

To find safe homes for the 36 Stellar Prodigies.

Because Doctor knew—he and Embers alone couldn’t unlock their full potential.

Only by scattering them across the New Federation’s major factions, and letting those factions pour every resource into them, could the Prodigies reach their peak.

But for that to happen, Embers had to vanish.

Completely.

Forever.

Only then would the powerful factions trust the Prodigies—no longer tied to a dying organization.

Only then would they invest without hesitation.

So Embers was not just a plan.

It was a sacrifice.

A grand, calculated flame.

In this plan, all 36 Prodigies would be consumed by fire—reduced to Embers.

Then, at a predetermined moment, they would reignite—not as fragments, but as Faint Light.

And that second rebirth—the Faint Light—was the next stage.

The second phase.

That’s why the first season is called Embers, and the second Faint Light.

Doctor’s entire strategy—his decades-long manipulation—was built around this.

And though Tian Dao could only see the first act, he knew the second would involve building a new base, reconnecting with the Prodigies, and reclaiming influence.

He believed Doctor would quietly contact a few trusted Prodigies—those he deemed loyal.

Then, using their positions within their respective factions, he’d gather resources, choose a hidden location, and forge a new organization.

And the name?

Tian Dao didn’t doubt it.

It would be Faint Light.

Because Embers was dead.

It would never return.

And given Doctor’s special attention to him—his unique trust—Tian Dao had no doubt: he was the one chosen.

The new leader.

The one who would rebuild.

The thought sent a thrill through him.

Because if that’s how it played out, then soon… he’d be walking door-to-door, knocking on the doors of 36 Prodigies.

Sure, they all obeyed him now—cowed, subdued.

But most of them? They were traitors in disguise.

Surface loyalty. Deep rebellion.

They’d wait for one chance—and when it came, they’d try to drag him down.

And with years of elite training from their new factions, they’d grow arrogant.

So when the time came to reclaim them?

Words wouldn’t work.

Only force.

Because a fist speaks louder than a voice.

As for Chen Kong?

He’d be the one suffering in the second season.

Because from now on, Tian Dao and the other Prodigies—now standing against the ideals of the people—would be the villains.

The enemy of the ordinary.

The champion of the elite.

And when Chen Kong finally rallied his new team, won every battle, and stood on the brink of his dream…

He’d face Tian Dao and Doctor—the two who were supposed to be dead.

The ultimate boss.

The final twist.

Tian Dao grinned.

Sure, most of his time was spent chasing popularity.

But when it came to playing villain?

He was a master.

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PS: Today’s update is complete. Starting tomorrow, expect three chapters at 8 PM sharp.

Because Fat Tiger is staying up all night to finish the backlog—only then can I guarantee every chapter is flawless.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end