Pei Sen couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to him?”
The designer smiled politely and said tactfully, “We just asked Mr. Kui Wolf to assist with some research, but it seems his mental resilience isn’t great. You don’t mind, do you, Mr. Pei Sen? Weren’t you enemies to begin with?”
“Yes, we are enemies. Once you hand him over to me, I will kill him—and afterward, I’ll give you all a reward.”
“That works perfectly.”
Pei Sen gave each of them a broken iron sword as a reward, along with some contribution points. This was the highest reward he could issue on behalf of the young master.
After collecting their rewards, the group didn’t linger and went to Neil to collect a new task before returning to Casey City.
“The level of freedom is higher than I expected,” the designer said thoughtfully, glancing back at Golden Rose Manor. “This kind of game quality is beyond what the current industry can achieve.”
“Boss, do we need to run more tests?” the architect asked.
The designer shook his head. “Not for now. Let’s try doing some quests. Now that we’ve changed weapons, let’s head to the Starfall Plains. I hear the monsters there are tough.”
“Alright.”
Watching Kui Wolf being dragged away—his expression unusually calm despite knowing he was going to die—Pei Sen turned and walked deeper into the manor, no longer paying attention to the minor character.
But halfway down the corridor, Pei Sen unexpectedly encountered Atwell. He hadn’t seen this priestly-looking young man in the manor for some time, likely because he had gone to investigate the attempted assassination of Eagle.
Several priests followed Atwell, all looking hurried.
“Could it be that they’ve found the perpetrator of the assassination attempt on the young master?”
Ever since Sadin expressed doubt that it was under King Leiser’s orders, the manor had not made any progress in uncovering who was so eager to see Eagle dead. In other words, the real culprit remained unknown.
Pei Sen glanced toward Atwell, who was on his way to see Eagle. For players, this was not good news—Atwell was notoriously cunning and manipulative.
Unlike the largely hands-off Sadin or Kesso, who stayed mostly in the mage tower in Adrien City, Atwell loved “interacting” with players.
Many had suffered miserably at the hands of this seemingly kind and gentle religious figure.
“But what exactly is the position of this Bright Church man in the manor?” Pei Sen had always wondered.
During his time at Golden Rose Manor, he had gotten to know the housekeepers, butlers, male and female servants, and even the gardeners. Yet the presence of the clergy remained a mystery.
“I should ask the young master or Lady Mary when I have the chance.” Compared to others, Lady Mary was at least friendly to Pei Sen.
Just as he was walking down the corridor, a figure in luxurious mage robes appeared, leading the beautiful young girl Bersa—it was Kesso. The awkward encounter gave Pei Sen no chance to avoid him.
Pei Sen hadn’t seen Kesso since learning the spell from the notebook. Kesso had only given it to him to mock him, certain that someone of Pei Sen’s status couldn’t possibly learn magic. But Pei Sen had—essentially a slap to Kesso’s face.
The esteemed Vice Steward of the manor and high mage had been bested by a “nobody.” Pei Sen wasn’t stupid enough to gloat now.
Kesso was naturally not pleased to see him, but he masked it well, giving Pei Sen a long look. “I heard you’ve already mastered all the spells in that notebook?”
Before Pei Sen could respond, Bersa pouted, “Master, you gave my notebook to him? I said it was for Franny!”
The notebook, which originally belonged to Bersa, wasn’t something Kesso usually carried around. Bersa had promised it to her friend Franny, whose younger sister in Adrien City had just begun studying magic. Kesso had offered to deliver it on her behalf—until he met Pei Sen and gave it to him instead.
To Kesso, it was just a basic book, but to Bersa, it meant more.
Kesso chuckled faintly. “Bersa, don’t underestimate this new steward. While his overall aptitude may be average, he might actually surpass you in magical talent.”
Bersa sneered at Pei Sen. “Him? Compete with me?”
Pei Sen smiled politely but then had an idea. “Of course I wouldn’t dare compare myself to Miss Bersa. I myself didn’t realize how easy magic was to master until I learned all the spells in that notebook—in just one week.”
“You’re lying!” Bersa flared.
Pei Sen sighed, “I can demonstrate them now…”
“That doesn’t prove you learned them in a week!”
“In that case, why not give me another notebook and see if I can learn ten new spells in a week?”
“Fine—” Bersa choked and looked at Kesso.
Even Bersa could tell she was being baited.
Kesso, of course, had already seen through Pei Sen’s intentions—he hadn’t even tried to hide them.
“You’re currently learning swordsmanship from Sadin, right?” Kesso asked, still smiling.
“Yes, sir. Steward Sadin believes I have more talent for swordsmanship than magic.”
Kesso’s smile deepened. Everyone knew he and Sadin didn’t get along. Seeing Pei Sen switch from magic to swordsmanship likely annoyed him.
He understood Pei Sen’s little scheme: this was a not-so-subtle way of requesting more magic materials.
Interesting.
“Bersa,” Kesso said, “give him the magic book you prepared for Orr.”
“Master!”
“You want to see if he can master ten spells in a week, don’t you?” Kesso said softly.
Bersa hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. “If you don’t learn them all within a week, what then?”
“I’ll return the book and apologize,” Pei Sen said calmly.
Bersa was at a loss. She didn’t even know how to punish him if he failed.
Kesso smiled. “If you learn ten spells, the book is yours. If not…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the cold glint in his eyes made it clear—he wouldn’t be merciful.
Despite disliking Pei Sen, Kesso hated Sadin more and was willing to support Pei Sen if it meant defying Sadin.
Kesso always despised how Sadin acted high and mighty.
He scoffed and walked away with Bersa.
Pei Sen nearly laughed out loud holding the thick spellbook.
A classic open scheme. He hadn’t expected it to work this well!
He slipped the book into his backpack and hurried off—thanks to the run-in with Kesso, he was late meeting Eagle. Atwell had already left, seemingly headed to see Sadin.
Pei Sen missed the gossip but still asked, “Young master, those people from the church—are they here to protect you?”
“Yeah,” Eagle said indifferently. “Someone paid a lot of money to buy me the title of Divine Child.”
Wait, what?
Pei Sen stared wide-eyed.
“Why are you so surprised?” Eagle laughed. “The Bright Church is broke. Any noble can buy a Divine Child or Divine Maiden title if they pay enough. The church then assigns a Holy Priest and twenty regular priests as a personal guard.”
Pei Sen was speechless. There was such a loophole?
“There are around twenty Divine Children in Esmia alone,” Eagle added casually. “None of us believe in their god. It’s just a business deal. We get protection, and they get funding to support their priests.”
Apparently, this practice was common across the continent.
The so-called Divine Child was just a cover for nobles hiring bodyguards.
“So your Holy Priest is Atwell?”
“Yes.” Eagle rested his chin on his hand. “Honestly, Atwell and his priests are more useful than the manor guards.”
So many Divine Children already? Pei Sen hadn’t known.
Years later, the Bright Church would dominate the continent. But back now, they were this weak?
In the future, the most famous Divine Child was the mysterious, blind saint known as the Son of Light.
Pei Sen suddenly stared hard at Eagle—so much so that it made him uncomfortable. “What are you staring at—”
A warm hand suddenly covered Eagle’s eyes, plunging him into darkness.
Pei Sen wasn’t thinking about anything else. Looking at Eagle’s half-covered face—those refined features, that jawline—it was too similar. Too similar.
Son of Light, Saint Yan. One of the most popular NPCs in the late game.
Even though he was blind and wore a metal mask over half his face, he commanded overwhelming popularity and strength.
He judged all sins fairly and had once destroyed an entire city deemed evil.
Despite being blind, he became the strongest Divine Child in the Bright Church.
Pei Sen’s worldview was cracking. No way… Eagle couldn’t be him.
Eagle, still confused, said, “Pei Sen.”
Pei Sen snapped out of it, realizing his hand still covered Eagle’s eyes. He withdrew it quickly. “I’m sorry, young master.”
Eagle looked at him curiously. “Why did you cover my eyes?”
Pei Sen didn’t answer. He stared into Eagle’s bright green eyes. Will these eyes really go blind one day?
Eagle, spoiled and temperamental as he was, would surely fall apart if he lost his sight—right?
But he didn’t. He became the mighty, revered Divine Child.
“Young master.”
“Hmm?” Eagle sensed something off about him today.
Pei Sen sighed. “I’ll protect you.”
Eagle blinked, then smiled. “Alright.”
He didn’t know when Eagle would lose his sight, but such power couldn’t be gained overnight. Somewhere along the way, fate would twist.
Pei Sen felt that, at least for now, while he was still in the manor, he had to protect him.
Eagle’s fifteenth birthday was fast approaching.
“Master, you’re saying you want to invite the Bix tribe to your birthday banquet?” Lady Mary frowned. “I think that’s unwise. It might be better to reward them in some other way.”
“I think they’re pretty interesting,” Eagle replied indifferently. “Let them join the banquet in the courtyard. It’s just food—nothing that important.”
“But Master, they’re really—” Mary had obviously heard about how wild the Bix tribe could be.
Eagle let out a soft laugh. “Everyone says the Bix tribe are lunatics, yet they work the hardest for me, doing their jobs with the least compensation,” he said coldly. “I think they’re much better than those who ignore my orders and don’t even treat me as their lord.”
Mary was at a loss for words. What he said wasn’t wrong.
Still, for safety’s sake, Mary was reluctant. She glanced at Pei Sen, who responded with a helpless expression.
Many in the manor knew that Pei Sen was also of the Bix tribe, though the players did not. They didn’t know that this popular NPC was actually a Bix too. Eagle’s sudden decision to invite them left Pei Sen firmly opposed—even if these were his “people.”
It wasn’t for any other reason—Pei Sen simply didn’t want Eagle’s face to be exposed to the players.
He’d been on the forums. He knew what they were capable of.
The players really would go there.
But once the young master made up his mind, no one could change it—not even Pei Sen.
So with the decision made, the whole manor sprang into action. Once Eagle decided something, they had to ensure his safety, no matter the situation.
Kemmis stood rigidly, a serious expression on his face as he addressed a lineup of guards.
Standing to the side, Pei Sen said helplessly, “Kemmis, you don’t need to be this tense. The Bix tribe’s combat power isn’t high.”
“That may be, but what if they start fighting each other? I can’t let the young master witness something that bloody.”
Fair point. But it could be managed.
“When they arrive, just make the rules clear. They’re not so crazy they can’t be reasoned with.”
Kemmis gave him a skeptical look. Clearly not convinced.
But Pei Sen knew that using quests to constrain players would work—especially in this situation. If the players were made aware of the severe consequences of misbehaving, most wouldn’t risk it.
“Just tell them that if anyone causes trouble during the banquet, the entire Bix tribe will be punished.” Even if it impacted his own interests, Pei Sen could only do this. Based on his understanding of players, this kind of collective responsibility would ensure nothing happened.
Kemmis nodded. “That’s the best we can do,” then glanced at Pei Sen again. “Except you, of course.”
Pei Sen just smiled without answering.
It seemed Kesso had come back from Adrien City to attend Eagle’s birthday. Atwell had also returned in a hurry. To the people of the manor, nothing was more important than the young master.
His fifteenth birthday was no trivial matter. Yet, he would spend it in this remote outpost.
The only son of the Duke and Princess Carolina, and yet he couldn’t even return to the capital. On his birthday, his mother was far away in Bonfrese, and his father was equally absent and indifferent.
Under such circumstances, everyone in the manor was determined to make the birthday celebration as grand as possible—to give Eagle everything he wanted.
Pei Sen had gathered a massive bouquet of stargrass. The birthday season always coincided with the bloom of this flower, and though Pei Sen didn’t know why Eagle liked it, it had always been on the exchange list. Players in the Starfall Plains, less interested in hunting, eagerly collected stargrass instead.
Before long, the stargrass on the plains’ edge had been completely stripped bare.
Recently, players had been trading in stargrass for contribution points like crazy. Pei Sen’s backpack was packed with it. Luckily, the items wouldn’t wilt while stored, so he gathered them into a beautiful bouquet, preparing it as one of his gifts.
As a steward, anything too valuable would raise suspicions—especially since he never left the manor. But not giving a gift at all? The young master definitely wouldn’t be pleased.
So, a huge bouquet of stargrass. And…
Pei Sen rummaged through his storage for a long while and eventually found a ring—but then hesitated.
“A ring… might be too inappropriate.”
He searched for a while longer but couldn’t find anything better.
The ring had been looted by his main character in another world within Bix Magic Cube. It wasn’t found in the Aryl continent, so it didn’t have great lore compatibility. It had only one effect: Defense.
Ring of Light’s Blessing
Activates an automatic protective shield when in danger. Shield durability: 1000. Duration: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
From a stat perspective, it was very specialized. For PvP, the uncontrollable trigger made it nearly useless, and so it never sold. It had just sat in his warehouse.
He couldn’t give away overpowered gear or rare scrolls—especially not ones that came from beyond Aryl. That would be impossible to explain. Most of his inventory consisted of gear and resources for a mage build: robes, staves, magic crystals, potions, and runes.
Only this plain-looking ring seemed appropriate. But even so, there was a real chance the young master would simply think it was ugly and toss it.
Pei Sen wavered. Does he even need anything?
“But rings don’t seem to carry much meaning in this world,” Pei Sen told himself. “It’s not like back in the real world.”
It was just him overthinking. In this world, rings were just jewelry. Men wearing rings wasn’t uncommon among nobles. Necklaces and rings were widely worn. Earrings, though, were mostly for women.
So maybe I’m just being overly self-conscious. Still, I hope he doesn’t throw it out because it looks too plain.
When the banquet began that evening, Pei Sen spotted Casey City’s mayor Valles looking distinctly uncomfortable, alongside Adrien City’s mayor, Lakory. Compared to Valles, Lakory seemed smooth and diplomatic—likely more dangerous. After all, Adrien City housed the Mage Tower, where Kesso resided.
Still, both were better than the no-show mayor of Arzi Town.
Eagle’s situation was dire. As a lord, he couldn’t even command these three city mayors. Out here in the boondocks, there was no real entertainment. Guards and experts surrounded him at all times.
But rather than protection, it was more like imprisonment.
Although Eagle had a foul temper and enjoyed luxury, he couldn’t even leave the manor without approval.
The longer Pei Sen stayed at the Golden Rose Manor, the more he realized this.
Tonight, although Eagle had insisted on inviting the Bix tribe, the manor had only reluctantly agreed. And now, the courtyard looked more like a military camp. Pei Sen understood the precautions, but truthfully, even just Kemmis’s squad could keep all the players in line.
The difference in power was stark.
Eagle seemed to have everything, but in truth, no one gave him what he truly wanted.
At just fifteen, he had already seen too much of the world’s coldness. He sat at the head of the banquet, smiling one moment, expressionless the next.
Pei Sen sighed inwardly. This brat… was actually really smart.
The players, meanwhile, were reacting in a totally different way.
Their current quest?
“Attend the Fifteenth Birthday Banquet of the Count of the Thorned Rose.”
And that’s when it hit them: their faction leader is a fifteen-year-old kid.
“Fifteen? No way he’s reliable.”
“Doesn’t matter. As long as his people are reliable.”
“This is a Peace Mode quest. Probably just an event for rewards and XP.”
“Sweet.”
“Finally gonna meet our mysterious Count!”
Most players were excited. The guards everywhere didn’t bother them. It was Peace Mode. These were neutral NPCs, and they wouldn’t attack. The sheer number of guards actually made it feel more grand.
“Should we bring gifts for the Count?”
“The quest doesn’t say anything…”
“But the game’s super free-form, right?”
“True, we could try it—might get an extra reward.”
“But we’re broke. What would we even give?”
“The exchange list says the Count likes stargrass.”
“Already traded all of mine for points.”
“Same…”
The players debated for a while. In the end, no one really had anything suitable to give. What were they going to do—pick weeds from the side of the road and hand them to a noble?
Then again, with Bix Magic Cube’s ultra-realistic interaction system being so hyped on the forums, it was said that nearly anything possible in real life could be done in-game. Picking roadside flowers, plucking grass, or scavenging trash? All completely doable.
One quirky player, instead of grinding monsters in Starfall Plains or doing building quests like everyone else, had become a full-time scavenger. He filled his backpack and warehouse with junk he’d picked up and even built a little shack outside the city to store it all. Every now and then, other players would sneak in to steal stuff, leading to frequent PvP battles. Ironically, this scavenger ended up with better reflexes and combat skills than most.
Player variety in Bix Magic Cube? Off the charts.
“Hey, there must be skill-teaching NPCs in the manor, right? Think we can cozy up to one during the Count’s birthday party?”
“Someone from the first closed beta learned a skill from Kemmis, right?”
“Don’t remind me. Ever since then, everyone’s been swarming Kemmis so much he’s probably got PTSD.”
“But Kemmis is just a squad leader here. Maybe we can aim higher—try to latch onto someone even more powerful.”
“Yeah, sure, dream on. I’ve realized something: this game is hard as hell. Monsters are brutal, and skills are stingy.”
“It’s been over a month since beta started and no one’s even discovered a proper dungeon yet.”
“Feels like the kind of game you have to live in to figure it out.”
The players chatted away enthusiastically. BraisedSpicySnack followed the crowd into the manor. Not far off, he spotted someone familiar—it was Claude, the guy he’d killed before.
Even though Claude’s quest rewards had been nerfed, as a first-beta player, he was still way ahead of second-beta players. Recently, he’d upgraded to decent leather armor and had a battered iron sword. He looked pretty legit.
This party event was a great way to sponge off XP and rewards, so of course he showed up.
As BraisedSpicySnack looked around, someone patted him on the shoulder. It was the little dev team that had been testing the game—Designer’s group.
“You guys are still online? Shouldn’t you be back at work?” BraisedSpicySnack teased. He knew they were technically working by playing, but he was still a bit jealous—he only had this much playtime because he was on leave.
Actually, not all 2,200 players were present at the party. Some had real-life commitments or were still out grinding in Starfall Plains. Around 2,000 actually showed up.
“We’re working overtime voluntarily,” said TutuPaints with a wink.
The truth was, this game was just too good. No one wanted to log out.
“Hey, I have something you might be interested in,” the Designer said suddenly.
“Oh? What is it?” BraisedSpicySnack asked.
“I think I found the first dungeon in the game.”
“Seriously?” BraisedSpicySnack was stunned. “We first-wave players have been in the game over a month and haven’t found squat. And you, barely a few days in, already found a dungeon?”
The architect laughed. “You’re forgetting—we’re professionals.”
Compared to the average player, they knew better what kinds of quest triggers to look for and how dungeons were typically hidden. Most players weren’t actively looking for them. But dungeons are made to be found. What’s the point of hiding them too well?
Still, Bix Magic Cube went against the grain. Everything had to be explored. No handholding. And that took time for players to get used to.
From day one, the Designer had sensed this game was fundamentally different. So he intentionally sought out dungeon triggers, and sure enough, they weren’t that hard to find—if you were looking.
Though in doing so, his level was still stuck at just 2, far behind other players.
“Oh, and I dug up something else yesterday,” the Designer added, lowering his voice. “This game is really weird. It has a proper license number, but no one in the licensing office remembers approving it. They say it’s part of an existing batch, but it’s like it snuck in.”
“And the in-game forum? Totally sketchy. Its server doesn’t even seem to be based in this country. Someone tried to trace its IP and came up empty.”
BraisedSpicySnack whistled. “Damn. That’s shady. But if they wanted to shut it down, couldn’t they just ban the sale of the game pods?”
“Well, that’s another weird thing. All the game pods were shipped by courier, but there’s no origin address. They traced them to some warehouses, sure, but no one saw how the pods got there.”
“…what the hell.”
TutuPaints waved it off. “Who cares? Just enjoy the game.”
The architect nodded. “Yeah, don’t overthink it.”
The Designer smirked and said no more. He knew whatever secrets this game held, there was no way to replicate its tech—at least not right now.
All the Bix tribe players obediently entered the manor. Despite their usual chaotic nature, they behaved themselves this time, and Kemmis quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Eagle appeared—and the players all gasped.
That golden-haired, green-eyed, exquisitely handsome young noble… he was their faction leader? The Count of the Thorned Rose?
With Bix Magic Cube’s ultra-realistic graphics, characters looked nearly indistinguishable from real people. And because of censorship and visual filtering, most players didn’t even feel like they were playing a violent game. The gore was softened, the impact dulled. Even an ER doctor like BraisedSpicySnack felt the dissonance.
But the moment someone like Eagle showed up, reality hit hard.
He was too beautiful. Blindingly so.
If Pei Sen’s looks were gentle, elegant, and approachable, then Eagle’s were pure, radiant brilliance.
And no amount of graphical filtering could dim that kind of visual impact.
“Holy crap. Our little Count is gorgeous.”
“Stunning. I literally have no other word.”
“Oh my god, Count, I swear I’ll never betray you. I’ll die for the Thorned Rose faction!”
“Name your enemies, Count. I’ll kill every last one!”
“He’s my god now. I’m building him the most beautiful city in the world.”
…
Watching the players lose their minds, Pei Sen turned away and sighed quietly. He’d known this would happen. Kemmis had worried the players might scare Eagle, but Pei Sen thought it was more likely to be the other way around.
Still, Eagle’s appearance would quickly strengthen the players’ sense of faction loyalty. That, at least, was the silver lining.
The guards wouldn’t let players get too close. Fortunately, the players were too awe-struck to try anything crazy. The banquet went off without a hitch.
Inside Eagle’s room, a pile of birthday gifts had accumulated. But Eagle showed no interest in opening them. Just then, Pei Sen walked in. Eagle looked up.
A massive bouquet of stargrass filled his view.
“For you,” Pei Sen said.
“A birthday gift?” Eagle asked, looking at him.
“Yeah.”
Pei Sen had already pulled out the original ring, but for some reason, his heart softened. He swapped it out at the last second.
He didn’t even know if he’d made the right choice. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to give the cold, emotionless Ring of Light’s Blessing to the boy sitting there alone in his golden cage.
This wasn’t just an NPC anymore—not to him.
The ring was no longer the one he’d prepared. Pei Sen looked down at what now lay in his palm:
Thousand Illusions Ring
An ultra-rare item from Pei Sen’s warehouse account. Originally saved for later sale. The most valuable equipment he owned.
He hadn’t meant to give this to Eagle. It had no defensive properties—just potential. But somehow, that’s what he pulled out.
Eagle had already seen the ring. “Pei Sen, is this for me too?”
Pei Sen sighed… and gently nodded.
In that quiet room, holding a massive bouquet of flowers and a single ring, Pei Sen prepared to hand them to the smiling young boy in front of him.
…So why did it feel like this whole thing was so very, very wrong?
Lord Starfish says: Because it is wrong you homunculus. Anyways, I just paid for the 140~ chapters of this book, so if you like it and me, give me some money to prove it. Whenever you have some spare bucks, send em’ my way as a little sweet treat to motivate me, I would appreciate it.
Little Pink Starfish 
Leave a comment