Little Pink Starfish

Bix Magic Cube – Chapter 41 (Translation)

When the system notification popped up, Pei Sen was genuinely shocked—a hidden class?

In Bix Magic Cube, hidden classes were exceedingly rare. Before Pei Sen transmigrated, the game had nearly a billion players worldwide, spanning different realms and worlds. The class system wasn’t as limited as it was now—there were numerous class paths to choose from. Even so, the opportunity to obtain a hidden class was available to only a tiny minority.

In fact, not just hidden classes—even normal class advancements were notoriously difficult to achieve.

Technically, players could begin advancing classes once they hit level 60, but over 80% of players never managed it, because the requirements were far too demanding.

Take the Swordsman class, for example: players had to find clues and unlock them through personal exploration. On Ayla Continent, two advancement paths had been discovered: Knight of the Blade and Magic Swordsman. These class advancements provided great power—if you could meet the requirements.

Before Pei Sen transmigrated, there were countless level 80+ players, but only a handful had actually completed a class change.

Mages, too, had class advancements, but they were far fewer in number than Swordsmen. As a result, only one known mage class advancement had been found—Illusionist Mage, and only a very few players had succeeded in unlocking it.

As for Necromancer, Pei Sen had never seen such a hidden class in his previous life.

“If the Lich’s Legacy was always here in Moon Tree Forest, then theoretically players should’ve discovered it once they explored more. Could it be that, because the Mage class wasn’t available in early stages, and this location was destroyed before players with the right prerequisites could find it, no one was ever able to unlock the Necromancer class?”

Pei Sen quietly selected “Yes” without hesitation. If he were a native of this world, he might have thought twice—after all, liches had a terrible reputation here, known for their wicked undead magic. But as a player, he didn’t have to care about that at all.

From what he knew of class advancements, choosing one didn’t prevent players from learning the skills of their original class. In fact, advancement gave access to additional powerful skills.

For example, even after becoming a Knight of the Blade, you were still considered a Swordsman. You could continue using all your Swordsman skills, plus you gained the ability to learn new knight-exclusive skills.

Or take Magic Swordsman as another example. Knights of the Blade were generally required to swear fealty to someone and abide by knightly codes. But for players, this wasn’t enforced. Meanwhile, Magic Swordsmen were known as lunatics across Ayla Continent. It was said that studying their techniques would cause irreversible mental damage, and most went mad.

But those mental penalties were nerfed entirely for players by the system.

So Pei Sen figured the downside of becoming a Necromancer might be becoming a bit dark and creepy? No big deal. And it wasn’t like the Church of Light would immediately notice and start hunting him down. Even after choosing to pursue the Necromancer path, it wasn’t like he’d instantly become one. From what he knew about Bix Magic Cube, there were no instant transformations.

Sure enough, after his confirmation, a follow-up system notification appeared:

“You have chosen to pursue the hidden class: Necromancer (Lich). Fulfill the requirements to unlock this hidden class.”

So this place—the Lich’s Legacy site—was recognized by the system as one of the conditions to unlock the Necromancer, a subclass of Mage.

What mattered most now was the class advancement requirements. Without meeting them, he couldn’t actually switch.

Eagle hadn’t noticed anything on Pei Sen’s interface. He looked around the cave and asked, “Is this the lich’s hideout?”

Pei Sen figured it likely was. No wonder that lich had suddenly appeared during Eagle’s assassination attempt—he must’ve been living in Lanno all along.

He glanced at the advancement conditions and frowned—it wasn’t going to be a quick or easy process.

Necromancer Advancement Conditions
• Necromantic Knowledge: 50
• Discover three Lich Legacy Sites

Progress:
• Necromantic Knowledge (0/50)
• Legacy Sites Discovered (1/3)

Looks like I’ll really have to hunt down more liches.
That one who ran off… can’t just kill him. Gotta squeeze some magical knowledge out of him first.

Eagle wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like this place.”
The young noble had a mild cleanliness obsession, and a dank, dark underground cave like this was not his thing.

There was no physical exit—the only way they’d entered was through the magic circle.

Pei Sen suggested, “Young master, if this was the lich’s home, we should search the area. Maybe we’ll find clues. He and the assassin leader escaped—we might still catch them.”

Originally, he hadn’t cared too much about capturing them. Now? The lich was crucial to his class quest.

Eagle reluctantly nodded, despite disliking the place.

Pei Sen, however, wasn’t just looking for clues—he was also gathering resources.

The cave was large and looked like it had been lived in for a while, but it was visibly empty and impoverished. Pei Sen couldn’t help but sigh—the lich was really broke.

Still, this had to be his hideout.

Meanwhile, Perks was quite content in the cave. The shadow cat was naturally attuned to the dark, unlike light-aligned beings like Eagle, who felt uncomfortable here. The cave’s heavy dark magic presence made Perks feel cozy—so much so that it yawned and wanted to curl up and nap.

Although cats are nocturnal by nature, Perks had adopted a human schedule. It even slept more during the day. Now, in the middle of the night, it was utterly sleepy.

It found a mat to lie on and began curling up for a nap—

“Meow!”
It leapt up in fright.

Pei Sen looked over and discovered a fragment of shattered crystal on the mat—still leaking necromantic aura.

“This was probably a magic item the lich used,” he muttered. “One-use only, looks like it shattered after activation.”

He moved the mat aside—underneath was a hidden compartment.

…What a basic hiding spot. The lich clearly wasn’t too bright.
There’s a whole cave, and he hides stuff under the one suspicious mat? Might as well write “loot here” on it.

Pei Sen opened the compartment. As expected, there wasn’t much. Maybe the lich didn’t have anything worth hiding.

Inside was a thin notebook and several tiny black mana crystals imbued with necromantic energy.

Pei Sen flipped through the notebook. It looked like the lich’s study notes. The handwriting was messy, the language clumsy—he could barely decipher it.

The crystals were tiny—the largest was the size of a soybean; the smallest, like a grain of rice.

Wow, this guy really was broke.

Pei Sen pocketed everything and stood, ready to explore the rest of the cave. This was a Lich Legacy site—there had to be more. That young lich probably used this very place to start his journey.

Perks immediately curled up on the mat as soon as Pei Sen moved on, letting out a huge yawn.

While Pei Sen searched the cave, Eagle had wandered toward a stone wall that looked plain at first glance.

Pei Sen followed. “What is it, young master?”

“There’s something wrong with this wall.”
Since mastering divine arts, Eagle had become naturally sensitive to dark and necromantic energy.

Pei Sen examined the wall but couldn’t find anything. Finally, he tapped it. “Might just be your imagination.”

“No. There’s definitely something,” Eagle insisted.

Pei Sen touched the wall again and finally noticed a faint color difference—hard to detect in the dark, but it was there.

He took out a small knife from his inventory—he always kept basic tools on hand.

Scraping the wall lightly, he realized it had been coated in a chalky substance to blend in.

He drew his sword and gave the wall a firm vibration strike. The chalk covering crumbled off, revealing what was beneath.

Ding.
You have discovered a Lich Legacy Site. Necromantic Knowledge +1.

“So it was this…” Eagle murmured.

Even if the lich had been standing in front of him, it might not have triggered such a strong reaction. The source of his discomfort was actually the item on this wall.

Engraved into the wall was a necromantic magic circle. At its center was an object—clearly the source of the earlier aura.

Pei Sen memorized the circle and then looked at the centerpiece.

No wonder the lich tried to cover it up—it’s a heavy magical artifact.

It was a Death Eye—a pitch-black, perfectly round orb, about the size of a longan fruit. It exuded a faint necromantic mist.

Eagle grimaced. “That’s the thing. I could sense it from far away—it made me uncomfortable.”

The Death Eye was far easier to detect than an actual lich.

Pei Sen suddenly understood why the lich hadn’t carried it with him. As a lich, he could conceal his aura to avoid detection. But if he had brought the Death Eye, it would’ve lit up like a beacon to the Church of Light.

Unless he wanted to be hunted constantly, he had no choice but to leave it behind.

There was another solution though.

Pei Sen carefully removed the orb and put it into his system inventory.

“How about now?” he asked.

Eagle let out a breath. “It’s fine now. The aura’s blocked—I can’t sense it anymore.”

Even though faint necromantic energy lingered in the magic circle, the moment the orb disappeared, all discomfort vanished.

Pei Sen nodded. He had also memorized the magic circle.

“Let’s find the exit,” he said.

He had taken everything of value—hopefully, when the lich came back, he wouldn’t cry too hard.

Soon, they found the exit circle. Pei Sen picked up the snoring Perks and the three of them left the cave.

---

By the time they exited Moon Tree Forest and reached Adrien City, dawn was just beginning to break.

Eagle smiled. “The people at the manor must’ve realized we’re gone again.”

Pei Sen sighed. “Probably.”
This time, unlike last time, there were no allies helping them cover their tracks—news would spread quickly.

He glanced at Perks. “The sun’s coming up.”

The black cat had a natural advantage at night—even when its stealth failed, it wasn’t obvious. But in daylight, failure meant exposure.

“Meow…” Perks whined pitifully. It wasn’t that cat didn’t want to hide—cat was trying hard. Plus, cat was hungry and sleepy! If someone gave cat a nice fish, maybe it’d do better?

“I think I’ll just put you in the pet slot.”

“Meow!” No! Cat refuses!

Eagle didn’t know what a pet slot was, but Perks’ reaction told him enough. “Perks, I don’t want Sadin chasing me the moment we walk into Adrien City,” he warned.

The cat felt so wronged. Neither former nor current master treated cat well!

Still, it stuck its butt up and squeezed back into the shadows, doing its utmost to stay hidden.

---

They entered Adrien City without issue.

After Casey City and Arzi Town were destroyed, Adrien—once modest—had become the bustling heart of Lanno.

Many wealthy refugees had settled here, and the city had a unique charm that set it apart from the others.

At its center stood a tall Mage Tower, dwarfing even the lord’s manor.

Back when Eagle had first arrived in Lanno, the Mage Tower didn’t exist. It was built later, after Kesso, a member of the Royal Mage Corps, followed him here.

In Esmia, not all high-level mages had a Mage Tower, but those who did weren’t just rich—they were influential, often holding titles in the Mage Association.

This tower was considered a branch of the Mage Association. Several mages lived here, sponsored by Golden Rose Manor.

Even rich nobles like Viscount Frey only had one tower in their domain. Mages weren’t cheap, and without a tower, most wouldn’t stay.

The area around the tower was the wealthiest part of Adrien, filled with taverns, shops, and even a red-light district.

Because all mages were rich.

Eagle looked at the Mage Tower. “This city has changed a lot since I arrived.”

But as they walked toward it, they noticed something off—an undercurrent of fear in the air. People looked startled, anxious.

Pei Sen quickly realized why. It’s the aftermath of the mass player suicide event. The trauma hadn’t faded yet. Even the proud mages in the tower were shaken. Kesso’s disappearance had only made things worse.

“What’s wrong with this city?!”

While they were wandering, they heard a proud voice not far away. Pei Sen, holding a warm meat pie, looked toward the speaker.

It was a group of six, all wearing long black cloaks—like the ones Pei Sen and Eagle wore. But under their cloaks, glimpses of ornate mage robes showed. They didn’t bother hiding their noble features—unlike Pei Sen and Eagle, they didn’t wear hoods.

Six people: three men, three women. The leaders—a stern-looking man and a pale, cold woman—radiated power. The four younger ones behind them were beautiful, arrogant.

“It’s just a rural backwater. The people are timid and cowardly.”

That was a brown-haired youth. The girl beside him sneered, scanning the area with disgust.

Pei Sen and Eagle exchanged looks. Eagle shook his head.

These six aren’t from the local Mage Tower.

Eagle had excellent memory. He remembered everyone in the tower—and these six didn’t belong.

Worse, the man and woman in front were likely high-level mages like Kesso.

“Let’s go,” Pei Sen said.

Even if they weren’t flagged as hostile (red names), high-level mages were dangerous. And Pei Sen knew—mages on Ayla were volatile. Kesso was one of the mild ones.

Just then, the cold woman spoke. “No, there’s something more here. This city isn’t just backwater—it’s scared. Something must’ve happened recently.”

She was a rare Illusionist Mage, sensitive to fear and emotions. That’s how she knew something was off.

“We should question someone.”

Early morning streets were quiet. Most shops were still closed. The suicide event had left people too scared to wander.

“You two. Come here.”

The male mage’s voice was commanding, not requesting.

Pei Sen sighed internally. I try to avoid trouble. Why does trouble always find me?

He turned around, lowered his hood, and smiled warmly. “Young master, stand behind me,” he whispered.

He opened the quest interface, just in case. By now, players were likely logging in.

Ding.
Faction Emergency Quest: Protect Earl Eagle Lanno.

“As a member of the Thorned Rose faction, your top priority is to protect faction leader Earl Eagle Lanno. While inspecting his territory, Earl Eagle encountered an unknown group of dangerous mages. Prevent any harm from coming to him.”

Reward: EXP, Faction Contribution Points

But instead of stepping back, Eagle pulled down his hood, revealing his golden hair and dazzling face.

His voice was colder than the female mage’s. “Who are you people?”

Pei Sen wanted to sigh. His young master really didn’t let things slide. He might complain about Lanno being a backwater, but when outsiders mocked it? That was unforgivable.

I can complain about my home. You can’t.
I can scold my people. You better not touch them.

Pei Sen realized—he was beginning to really understand Eagle.

This little brat is seriously pissed now.