Little Pink Starfish

“Why did he kiss me?” Pei Sen touched the corner of his lips. Was it a farewell gesture?

At that moment, everyone around quickly averted their eyes, pretending they hadn’t seen anything.

Pei Sen also wanted to act like nothing had happened, but his ears still burned.

In the past, Pei Sen had thought that as long as Eagle was around, his days would be comfortable.
And now, with the ability to protect himself, Pei Sen could technically leave Golden Rose Manor—he was a “player,” after all.

Back then, he could use the excuse that Eagle offered many quest opportunities to justify staying. But now that Eagle had been taken to the capital against his will, what reason did Pei Sen have to remain?

Of course, his current position was high. He could issue quests and reap benefits.
And now, no one could restrict him. He could go run dungeons or complete missions freely, without someone constantly tailing him.

He should’ve been happy—but he wasn’t. Not at all.

“Besides… I promised I’d go rescue him,” Pei Sen thought to himself.
If it wasn’t possible right now, it was just because he wasn’t strong enough yet. According to Eagle, Esmia’s royal capital—The Eternal City—was no joke.

Pei Sen looked at the special small mirror in his hand. Eagle had given it to him the day before. It was an extremely expensive magical item on the Arslan Continent, using unscientific magic power to provide a sort of real-time communication.

Sadin, as leader of the Blackrock Gang, had also owned one—Wintersting used it to contact him in emergencies.

This mirror wasn’t made from ordinary craftsmanship. Its surface was pure magical crystal—only such rare, costly crystal could carry a magical formation of this scale in such a small item. If you tried with ordinary crystal, the mana required would shatter it before you even inscribed a formation.

The enchanted mirror, with a miniaturized version of a communication array inside, supported two-way communication. But due to its size, the array was a weakened version, and its capabilities were limited compared to fixed arrays.

Still, unlike stationary formations, which were cumbersome to set up and couldn’t be moved, this mirror was portable. As long as a mage injected mana—or it was powered by a magic crystal—it could connect with its twin anytime. As long as one mirror wasn’t destroyed, the pair would keep functioning.

However, if one mirror was broken, the other would immediately stop working too—the magic arrays were linked.

Of course, as excellent as this item was, it had one major flaw: each use only lasted five seconds. That was the limit of the weakened formation. Also, it could only be activated once per day.

You could technically use it more, but overuse would rapidly destroy the formation—burning the candle at both ends.

“Five seconds a day…” Pei Sen sighed. That was really short.
At most, it let them confirm each other’s safety. Nothing else could be done.

But still, having this absurd magic item was better than nothing. Without it, even a safety check-in would be impossible in this world.

And Pei Sen wasn’t the only one worried—Aken was as well.
Eagle had been planning a war. Now that he was gone, all the follow-up fell to Aken.

He had managed his own territory before but never fought a war. Deep down, he feared it—his entire family had been lost to war, which was why he inherited his title at such a young age.

“Are we really going to fight?” he asked Pei Sen and Ichabod.

Pei Sen pulled his attention away from the mirror and nodded.
“It’s not about whether we want to. Even if we don’t act, the neighboring lords will come for us.”

In fact, now was the perfect timing—Eagle, the new lord, had just left.

Even if the Frost Maple Knights were reluctant, they would have to follow orders. But now, with only acting lord Aken, newly minted Frontier Knight Pei Sen, and defense officer Ichabod, chances were they couldn’t even command the Frost Maple Knights.

An unprecedented opportunity.

Ichabod glanced at Pei Sen.
“He’s right. Even if we don’t make the first move, they will. And in this war, we’ll have to rely entirely on the Bix Tribe.”

Forget the Frost Maple Knights. Aside from Guardian Knight Linxing, the rest were unruly. Their captain had pledged loyalty to Eagle and might have his own plans.

Best not to use them at all.

Aken sighed. “Alright then.”

Just then, a servant rushed in to report—an assassin was requesting to see Aken urgently.

To be honest, Aken had almost forgotten about them.
Eagle had said he had only three days, then Sadin took him away. The two assassins had been completely overlooked.

Wait… the escaped assassins? Weren’t they the assassin leader and the lich?

Ichabod frowned. “Now that the young lord is gone, shouldn’t we just execute them?”

“Maybe not,” Pei Sen said thoughtfully. “Bring them up—we’ll hear what they have to say.”

Jekko and the lich had truly suffered. Since the day they tried to assassinate Eagle, their luck had spiraled.

After being betrayed by Oak, they expected to at least meet Eagle. Instead, they were hauled from Golden Rose Manor’s dungeon all the way to Red Maple Castle’s dungeon.

Compared to the former, this one was colder, damper, and far worse. Jekko fell ill with fever on the first night, leaving the lich completely helpless.

Fortunately, Jekko had always had strong willpower. When he awoke the next day, he used his eloquence to persuade a dungeon guard to pass along a message.

If this failed again, Jekko figured he’d die forgotten in this frozen cell.

The two were cleaned up a little before being brought to Pei Sen and the others.

Jekko looked awful, weak and haggard, but he forced himself to stay sharp. The lich was even more uneasy—he’d had enough of nobles and just wanted to go home.

“I’m Jekko. I used to be a slave.” His first sentence surprised everyone. According to Oak, this man had been the mastermind behind the assassination, commanding elite mages, swordsmen, and thieves.

A slave? That was unexpected.

On the Arslan Continent, the divide between commoners and nobles was hard enough to cross—but slaves were a level even lower, viewed as less than livestock.

Yet Jekko was refined and well-spoken, completely at odds with the image of a former slave.

He raised his hand to show a red scar.
“There used to be a slave brand here. And really—who else would admit to being a slave unless they truly were one?”

Not exactly a badge of honor—most former slaves would never mention it.

“So what? Being a former slave is supposed to be important?” Ichabod said coldly.

His opinion was still that they should just execute the two and be done with it.

Jekko gave a bitter smile.
“I’m no longer a slave. But if you don’t kill me, and if you let my companion go, I’m willing to become Earl Eagle’s slave.”
Noticing Ichabod’s mocking expression, he quickly added,
“Don’t be so quick to refuse. I’m a descendant of the Akamin people. You should know… we’re very expensive slaves.”

Even Frey didn’t know this secret. Jekko had hidden among common slaves for years—because once your Akamin identity was known, your fate was sealed.

Fewer than a hundred Akamin remained. Their blood was rare and valuable—nobles treated them as treasured possessions, not people.

Jekko had swapped identities with another slave to become “Jekko.” That hadn’t been his real name. Akamin all had beautiful names.

But Jekko didn’t want his.
He wanted to be Jekko, for life.

The lich nearly jumped in shock. “Akamin?!”

Then realized Jekko had exposed himself to protect him, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Pei Sen was confused. “Akamin?”

As a player, he’d never heard of them. Not surprising—they were so rare, they’d practically vanished. But natives of the continent knew of them.

Akamin, a rare race, looked human but had unique blood—it was fragrant when burned.

Aken explained: their blood was the highest-grade natural fragrance in Arslan. Fresh blood was required; after two hours, the scent dissipated.

It also had rejuvenating and healing properties.

It was said the scent was so intoxicating that once someone smelled it, they could never forget it.

Most Akamin died from excessive bloodletting at the hands of greedy masters.

To prove it, Jekko cut his finger and released a drop of blood. Even without burning, it gave off a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Afterward, he looked sad.
No matter how smart he was, it didn’t matter. No one cared if an Akamin was intelligent. They only saw them as scented slaves.

Pei Sen looked at the somber Jekko—he clearly had real skills to lead assassins. Then he turned to the lich. He couldn’t let this lich go.

“You can become our young master’s slave. But our lord doesn’t use perfumes,” Pei Sen said.

Aken and Ichabod looked over. Jekko might be valuable, but they had no interest—Aken had never cared for fragrances, and Ichabod even less.

Jekko froze. Rejected?

“From now on, you’re the young master’s new slave. But for now, we won’t reveal your Akamin identity. He’s not here, and we’re not after your blood. You’ll need to prove your value in other ways.”

“And your companion can’t leave either. He’ll also be the young master’s slave. You’re both released from the dungeon—for now. You’ll serve Frost Maple Territory. What happens later, we’ll decide once the young master returns.”

Jekko needed a moment to process it.

He’d once admired Viscount Frey, but never dared reveal his secret—knowing he’d become nothing more than a prized pet.

But here, even after admitting his identity, they didn’t treat him like a commodity.

He stood tall and said solemnly,
“From today, I pledge all my loyalty to Earl Eagle.”

Even as a slave, at least they saw him as a person—not just as “fragrance.”

Pei Sen nodded indifferently.
He didn’t care much about Jekko—he was more interested in what secrets he could dig out of the lich.

But no rush. Right now, organizing war quests came first.

He got up to issue quests to players—recruiting them for the coming war. As long as rewards were generous, there’d be no problem.

When Eagle was around, Pei Sen had been enthusiastic about questing—he gained a lot from it.

But now… he felt oddly disinterested in everything.
He just wanted to stare into that mirror, as if Eagle’s face might appear.

[DING]
Crisis at Frost Maple Territory: Earl Eagle Lannow has been forcibly taken to the royal capital by Duke Burke Angre’s loyal Sword Saint, Sadin Brisk. Neighboring nobles now covet Frost Maple’s land.

To protect Frost Maple and defend Eagle’s territory, Red Maple Castle seeks all who are willing to fight. Fight for Earl Eagle! Fight for Frost Maple!

Note: This is a large-scale war quest. Players in the Thorned Rose Faction can earn faction points, EXP, gold, and war chests. Non-faction players can earn merits, exchange them for gear and items from the quartermaster, and also receive EXP, gold, and chests.

Quests like this had always been extremely popular with players.

Especially recently, when players had been running into one setback after another—first the Blackrock Gang’s leaders were wiped out by Sadin, then their coordinated assault on Sadin himself had failed completely. They couldn’t even pin him down.

Now, many players were fired up, determined to level up and grow stronger. Even those who had relied on zerg tactics during the beta had begun to realize: if your level is low and your stats are weak, those crowd tactics mean nothing against powerful NPCs.

“Damn it, it’s Sadin again! This guy’s in everything!”
“He actually kidnapped our little earl? He’s dead meat!”
“He’s the Blackrock Gang’s top boss, right? I wonder if killing him still gets you rewards?”
“Probably, but we can’t kill him. He’s way too strong.”
“What even is his level? Level 80 Swordmaster? Feels like he’s stronger than that…”
“Doesn’t matter. Once I level up, I’m slicing that bastard to pieces.”
“Forming war quest party—Level 30+, no runners, must know how to fight!”
“Let’s goooo!”

The players’ enthusiasm surged. Pei Sen, however, felt it still wasn’t enough.

He needed a full show of force. Eagle wasn’t here anymore—and if they were going to defend Frost Maple, they had to dominate this war.

[DING]
Guild System is about to be launched.
War Quartermaster will soon stock “Guild Base Deed.” Requires 300,000 merit points or faction contribution to purchase. Limited supply—once sold out, no restock.
War Chests have a chance to drop Guild Base Deeds.
Players holding a Guild Base Deed may apply to Earl Aken Ashclaw to form a guild and claim a guild base.
Note: Founding a guild requires Level 30+, a Guild Base Deed, and 5 Gold Bits to purchase a base seal from Earl Aken.

Now this was the real bombshell—players exploded in excitement!

Every game had guild systems. It had been tolerable during the beta to go without one, but now that Bix Magic Cube had been in open beta for days with no sign of guilds, players had grown restless. Guilds were the backbone of community and large-scale events.

No one expected it to drop like this—no announcement, no warning. A full system reveal through a world notification.

In fact, it had been Pei Sen’s suggestion. The devs simply took his advice.
After the war, Frost Maple would have enough territory to award guild bases to players.

“Finally, we’re getting guilds!”
“What the hell, 300k merit? I spent all mine on skills, I’ve got nothing left!”
“No way to farm that solo. Not possible.”
“Well, maybe if you kill the enemy faction boss, you’ll earn tons of merit.”
“We’re gonna have to snipe bosses now. This is gonna be chaotic.”
“Only one base deed in stock? It’s gonna be a bloodbath. But maybe I’ll get lucky from a war chest?”
“If I do get it, I’m selling it. Some rich guy will buy it for sure.”
“So only rich players or lucky whales can start guilds now. Guess we’ll just join one.”
“Man, I just saved up enough for a house, and now they want 5 Gold too?”
“Dude, you can’t even afford a house. You think you can run a guild?”
“…”

Regardless, the release of the guild system instantly skyrocketed attention on the war event.

The forums were full of wails.

“So we who picked Ranno and Frost Maple are just abandoned now? This game’s unplayable.”
“Told you other regions were a trap. I already deleted and restarted in Frost Maple.”
“I’m not that far from Ranno. I’m on the way now. Hopefully I can still make it in time.”
“Respect. You’re just sprinting across the map?”
“Three days? I’ve already been running for ten. I should make it.”
“What if you die on the road?”
“I won’t. I follow the Way of Cowardice—never fight, just run. I’m too broke to be worth robbing.”
“I get it now.”
“Yeah… makes sense.”
“This guy must be… uh…”
“We know what he looks like.”

Human trafficking was rampant on the Arslan Continent—far beyond the isolated issues in Casey City.

Most players chose to boost their appearance during character creation, so the Bix Tribe tended to be attractive—especially compared to the sickly-looking local commoners.

That made traveling alone risky. Even if they were broke, they were still a tempting target.

For someone to run ten days without getting caught, players on the forums concluded:
Either his character’s appearance was… regrettable,
Or he wisely minimized his appearance stats.

Or he was just absurdly lucky, because “safe” was not a word that applied to Arslan.

Now that the Frost Maple war event was about to begin, players were flooding in.

So much so that new players couldn’t even spawn into Frost Maple or Ranno—they were full. That said everything about the quest’s popularity.

Even Pei Sen had no idea how many players had arrived.

Ichabod stood atop the city walls, staring at the massive crowd below, his scalp tingling.

“Your people’s numbers are terrifying,” he said.
And not just in quantity—all of them were supernaturals. It was almost unimaginable.

Pei Sen smiled. “Let’s hope it’s enough to take down our enemies.”

But still—what use were numbers against Esmia’s royal capital, The Eternal City?

When they received word that neighboring nobles were moving troops, Ichabod and Pei Sen personally led the players into battle—war mode had officially begun.

But Pei Sen’s thoughts were elsewhere.
He was far more focused on that five-second daily communication with Eagle.

“I’m already nearly Level 45,” Pei Sen thought.
“I said I’d go save him, so I need to level up. And find the Lich’s place of inheritance, complete the hidden class quest too.”

He glanced at Jekko—now a temporary quartermaster—and the lich, currently serving as a kind of mascot. Pei Sen frowned thoughtfully.

No, Frost Maple still lacked real talent.
They couldn’t rely solely on players.

With the young master gone, Pei Sen had to protect Frost Maple no matter what.

He checked his pocket watch and pulled out the mirror.
It was nearly time to contact Eagle.

Eagle should have reached the capital by now, right?

But when the time came, the mirror remained silent.

Eagle hadn’t activated the magic item that day.

Pei Sen’s heart sank.