Little Pink Starfish

BraisedSpicySnack laid the gravely wounded knight flat. To be honest, it felt really strange to be performing emergency care inside a game.

He’d never experienced anything like this before and hesitated. Should he go for rough emergency procedures, or should he try to do it properly—boil some water, disinfect with alcohol?

But the knight’s condition was already critical. There was no time to think it over.

He performed basic first aid to pull the man back from death’s door. Soon, another player stepped in to help: a nurse named Ivy, Lilith’s friend. She never imagined she’d get to use her real-world skills in-game.

There was also an intern doctor—yes, his in-game ID was “Intern Doctor,” and in real life, he really was one. He came to assist BraisedSpicySnack.

Together, they barely managed to stabilize the knight and moved him into a civilian house. His injuries were mostly external, with the most severe being a knife wound several centimeters deep in the lower back, likely having damaged internal organs and caused bleeding.

Fortunately, the knight was a capable warrior. As a superhuman, his body was far more resilient than the average person’s, which was probably the only reason he survived this long.

Ivy watched as BraisedSpicySnack expertly extracted the dagger. To avoid censorship by the system, he couldn’t go for dramatic surgical incisions. So instead, he carefully managed the wound, drained the internal bleeding with a makeshift suction device, and stitched it up with crude materials.

At least from the surface, the knight’s vitals were stabilizing.

“You’re good. Which hospital are you from? General surgery? Emergency? Your ER skills were impressive,” said the intern doctor in awe. He had only been assisting, but BraisedSpicySnack’s skills surpassed even his supervising professor.

BraisedSpicySnack glanced at him. “Veterinarian.”

“What?”

“I said, I’m not general surgery or ER. I’m a vet.”

Intern Doctor: “…”

Everyone: “…”

A designer in the crowd stifled a laugh. BraisedSpicySnack wasn’t lying. He really was a vet in real life.

The players burst into laughter. The tension lifted, replaced by a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

“It’s over. I’m falling back in love with this game.”

“Why?”

“We saved an NPC. Just an NPC, and I’m genuinely happy about it!”

“Hey, I didn’t even do much. Just helped with the stretcher.”

“The immersion in this full-dive game is insane. The NPCs in Casey City treat us so well that we’re starting to grow emotional attachments to them.”

“Mainly because these NPCs don’t respawn. Unlike in other games, where NPCs don’t really die, every NPC in Bix Magic Cube is unique. Once they’re dead, they’re really gone.”

Some were reflective. Others hadn’t thought too much about it. But when the decision to save the knight came up, everyone reacted on instinct.

When the knight fell from his horse, players didn’t just stand back waiting to loot him. They ran forward to catch him.

No planning. No calculation. They just did it.

When Rin Star (Lin Xing) regained consciousness, he heard joyful laughter. The sounds were hazy and scattered, some words unintelligible.

When he managed to open his eyes, he saw a round-faced girl with bright eyes smiling at him. “You’re awake!” she said, then called for others.

Soon, a sharp-eyed young man appeared.

“He’ll be fine. He’s a swordsman after all…” The rest of his words faded out. Rin Star couldn’t catch them.

BraisedSpicySnack was inwardly sighing—if only real-world patients had superhuman constitutions like this, doctors would have way less trouble.

“Where am I—”

“Casey City,” Ivy replied with a smile.

Rin Star looked around. “You saved me?”

The house was packed with people. Though most of them wore cheerful expressions, their intense gazes made him feel strangely uneasy.

“Yes,” someone standing in front of him replied.

Rin Star tried to sit up but found he had no strength. He turned to the man who had saved him. “The matter is urgent. I carry a letter for the Earl of the Lanor family!”

“Oh? You need to rest now,” BraisedSpicySnack said, instantly realizing this was likely a quest opportunity.

Other players glared at him, but someone muttered, “Let him. He was the one who saved the guy.”

Rin Star said seriously, “No. This letter is crucial. I must deliver it to the Earl personally.”

“But the young Earl can’t go out freely,” Ivy explained. So far, he had only left the manor three times. Once he was nearly assassinated, and the other two times he escaped in secret.

The players remembered Sadin, the butler who had practically imprisoned the young Earl at Golden Rose Manor.

Rin Star grew agitated. “But I must deliver this letter and token to the Earl in person! It’s urgent. There won’t be time otherwise!”

“How about this: tell us what it’s about. We’ll deliver the message. Maybe the Earl will come out himself,” Ivy suggested.

Rin Star hesitated. “I am Rin Star, knight of the Shuangfeng Domain in the Duchy of Barst, sworn to Lady Red Maple, a baroness known by many in your Lanor territory.”

BraisedSpicySnack: “…Sorry, we’re players. We have no idea who that is.”

The players glanced at a Casey City NPC in the room, whose house this was. Seeing the NPC nod, it seemed that the locals did indeed know of Lady Red Maple.

The players had only been in the game a short time and knew almost nothing outside of Lanor Territory. They had no clue about Barst or Shuangfeng.

“Ten years ago, Lady Red Maple married a man named Lanor—he was your Earl’s uncle.”

The Lanor family was known for their beauty. Eagle’s father, Burke Angre Lanor, had once caused a sensation in the Esmia capital. His brother Swiggy Lanor had also lived a colorful life.

Lanor Territory bordered the Duchy of Barst. Right next to it was Shuangfeng, Lady Red Maple’s domain.

She was one of Barst’s most famous widows—not only beautiful and wealthy, but also strong-willed. Many refugees who ended up in Casey City were fleeing the wars caused by her expansion.

Shuangfeng originally had only three cities, like Lanor. But thanks to Lady Red Maple’s aggressive tactics, it now held seven.

Years ago, the Lanor family had only two brothers. Burke Angre went to the capital and became entangled with King Leiser. Swiggy became an adventurer and mercenary. Eventually, he met and married Lady Red Maple.

He never revealed his noble identity, but Lady Red Maple fell for him anyway. Despite being a major noble, she insisted on marrying him.

In Shuangfeng, few knew Swiggy’s true identity. Only when Lady Red Maple was gravely wounded did she summon her knights and order them to swear fealty to her husband, naming him her heir.

Rin Star didn’t know the contents of the letter, only that he had faced multiple assassination attempts en route. Lord Swiggy had emphasized that the letter must be delivered to the Earl in person.

Had these people not saved him, he would have failed.

The players looked at each other.

“The young Earl’s uncle? Sounds important. So… he married rich and inherited her domain. Now he wants something from the Earl?”

“Stay here and recover. We’ll go to the Golden Rose Manor for you. If needed, we’ll carry you there,” said BraisedSpicySnack, estimating that Rin Star wasn’t fit for travel.

Refusing to let others deliver the letter, the players went to Golden Rose Manor before nightfall to deliver the news.

Pei Sen was surprised. In the original timeline, this had never happened. Lanor and Shuangfeng had no ties.

But now Swiggy Lanor was said to be the Earl’s uncle?

Was this a butterfly effect caused by his presence?

“No, if it were the original timeline, Casey would still be the same corrupt place it was—a city run by slavers and a greedy city lord. That knight wouldn’t have made it. He would have been captured and sold.”

Now that Wallis and Kui Wolf were out of the picture, things had changed.

“So it was my butterfly,” Pei Sen muttered. Should he be proud, or uneasy? The future he once knew was slipping away.

Eagle smiled. “Interesting. So the Lord of Shuangfeng is my long-lost uncle.”

They had lived next to each other for years, and he had never known.

Swiggy had disappeared not long after Burke Angre went to the capital. Apparently, the two brothers were not close.

“Even if he’s a lord now, it won’t be easy. Red Maple’s noble title came from her deceased husband. Her family still holds power in Shuangfeng. They won’t accept it being passed to an outsider—especially one who’s not from Barst.”

Eagle suspected that his uncle was in a very dangerous position.

Rin Star’s journey from Red Maple Castle should have only taken a day. The fact that delivering a letter was this hard said a lot.

“Pei Sen, have Neil prepare the carriage. I’m going to Casey City.”

“Now?” Pei Sen was surprised.

“Yes. We’re not running away—we’re going openly,” Eagle replied.

Pei Sen wasn’t sure Sadin would approve.

“I am the master of Golden Rose Manor. We’ll go with guards. There should be no danger. Even Sadin has no reason to object.”

Neil was now loyal to Eagle and Pei Sen. Unlike the old steward Vargo, he didn’t report everything to Sadin. He quickly arranged the carriage without alerting anyone.

Eagle took Aken, Jekko, and the manor guards, including Priest Atwell, and departed for Casey City.

Sadin was in the middle of reporting Bix tribe news to Burke Angre via magic. By the time he learned of Rin Star’s arrival, Eagle was already on his way to Casey.

The trip now only took twenty minutes thanks to the newly paved roads.

As Eagle’s carriage arrived, Sadin appeared, intercepting him.

“Young Master.”

Eagle stepped down calmly. “You’re fast, Sadin. I remember during my assassination, you took your time showing up. Yet now, you’re already here.”

Sadin caught the sarcasm. “The Duke’s orders are that you not get involved in matters related to Swiggy Lanor.”

“Swiggy Lanor? Your Duke’s own brother.”

“The Duke wishes to keep you out of trouble.”

Eagle smiled. “Really? Am I to just stay locked away and wait for fate?”

Just then, Rin Star insisted on being carried to Eagle. He was a knight, and Eagle a noble—it wasn’t proper for a knight to summon his lord. He had to fulfill his duty in person.

Players carried Rin Star on a stretcher to the city gate.

Eagle saw the dying knight with neatly bandaged wounds. He knew the Bix tribe had saved him.

But now Sadin stood in his way.

“Sadin, I am fifteen. By the laws of Esmia, I have full rights as a lord,” Eagle said calmly.

Pei Sen glanced at his Young Master, who seemed to glow with authority. He looked far older than fifteen.

“Sadin, you are merely the steward of Golden Rose Manor. You serve the Lanor name—that’s the only reason you hold that title.”

Sadin frowned. Something felt wrong.

“If you continue to oppose me, I will relieve you of your duties and ask you to return to the Duke’s side.”

Sadin froze in shock. “What?”

He couldn’t believe what he just heard.

“You are a mighty level-eight swordmaster, I know. But during my assassination, you were last to arrive. When I faced the Mage Association, you didn’t protect me—you hesitated. You always answer first to your true master: the Duke in the capital.”

“You are no protector, Sadin. You are a warden, and I have been your prisoner.”

Sadin was furious, but remained composed. His eyes grew cold.

“So you insist on accepting that knight’s letter, even against the Duke’s wishes?”

Eagle met his eyes. “Yes.”

Sadin stepped forward. Pei Sen immediately blocked him. So did Aken, Jekko, Atwell, and the manor guards.

Even Kames, once loyal to Sadin, now stood with Eagle.

Sadin realized with shock that his former subordinates were no longer on his side.

When had Eagle won them over?

And then came the players.

A sea of them poured in from all sides, surrounding Sadin with fierce glares. They protected Eagle and Rin Star.

Eagle was their faction leader. Who would they choose between him and Sadin? No contest.

Besides, Sadin might be handsome, but Eagle was ten times better-looking. And today, he was especially dazzling.

“Sadin, will you stop me from accepting this letter?” Eagle asked, smiling.

Sadin stood alone, facing a sea of defiance.

In the center stood Eagle, golden-haired and radiant even in the twilight, surrounded by those who would die for him.

Their hateful stares burned his skin.

Even as a powerful swordmaster, Sadin felt a chill from the isolation.

He was not afraid.

But he was cold.

Frozen.

And then came a sharp voice at his ear:

“Wanna fight?”

…It almost made him explode with rage.

Did this Bix tribe brat know who he was?

He was a level-eight swordmaster!

LEVEL-EIGHT. SWORDMASTER!