Little Pink Starfish

Pei Sen felt that Eagle probably truly wanted to elope with him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have packed up nearly all of his belongings like this.

So much so that if it were possible to stuff the servants into the space ring, Eagle probably would’ve folded them up and stuffed them in too.

In the end, when Pei Sen stood at the Time-Space Train station, carrying a small leather case that was compact but not light, and Eagle—dressed in a shirt, breeches, tall boots, and wearing six rings—stood beside him looking exceptionally wealthy, he still felt a pang of regret for not bringing a few more things.

In one hand, Pei Sen held Eagle’s small suitcase, and in the other, he carried Peks by the neck to prevent the cat from escaping at the last minute. Since they were across servers now, he couldn’t just use “Recall” to bring it back. He had to come catch it in person again—such a hassle.

Of course, the cube on the cat’s collar had already been removed. Eagle found the idea of wearing something used by a cat distasteful. Even though the original cube pendant cat collar had been his idea in the first place, it didn’t stop the young master from being picky.

But this was a necessary medium. Eagle had commissioned one of the best jewelers to custom-make a new chain and had the simple little cube set in gold and silver, inlaid with a few small rubies that matched his aesthetic.

If you asked Pei Sen, it looked like the kind of overly ornate, gem-and-gold obsession the nobles of the Yasi Continent had. Most people ended up looking a bit tragic trying to pull it off.

Only someone like Eagle, whose looks were top-tier, could really make such an aesthetic work.

“Young master, I told you, we can come back any time. There’s really no need to bring so much stuff.”

This made Sadin and Ichabod so nervous you’d think Eagle was about to run off with Pei Sen and never return.

“No matter if we can come back or not, these things were always necessary,” Eagle insisted.

Pei Sen sighed and said nothing more.

He felt that somewhere in Eagle’s heart, there was probably a corner wondering if this really would be a one-way trip.

Even though Pei Sen had emphasized many times that they could come back, the Time-Space Train… going to another world? It didn’t sound like something you could just come and go from at will.

At least, not in the worldview of the native residents of the Yasi Continent. Even legendary mages who specialized in space-time magic wouldn’t dare claim they could freely travel between worlds.

Once the two of them boarded the train, Pei Sen finally let go of Peks. By then, it was too late for the cat to make a run for it anyway.

The layout of the Time-Space Train actually resembled the old green trains from earlier days, though its speed far surpassed them.

Four seats per row, an aisle in the middle, two seats on each side—standard layout. However, not all rows faced forward. Instead, the seats were arranged in pairs facing each other.

Compared to modern high-speed trains, this setup—with seats facing each other and a small table between them the same length as the seats—was quite common in the old green trains, perfect for placing items.

Peks had long given up resisting. The whole cat lay limp, sprawled out on the little table, unmoving.

Eagle playfully flicked its ear with a finger. “Behave and stop making trouble, or else…” Lately, Peks had been staring too much at his Light Finch. Don’t think he hadn’t noticed.

Peks rubbed against Eagle’s hand, thinking, I’m being so well-behaved, how could you say I’m causing trouble? The master said not to pounce on the bird, and I didn’t!

Just then, the train came to a stop. At another station on the Yasi Continent, several players who had saved up enough money boarded, heading for the Soulgreen Era.

Compared to the tourists who had originally planned to just visit, now there were finally a few veteran players deciding to move to the Soulgreen Era long-term.

Information about the Soulgreen Era server had become increasingly abundant on the forums. For lifestyle and casual players, making such a move wasn’t surprising.

Aside from the area occupied by Eagle, most of the Yasi Continent still couldn’t be called peaceful. Its environment had always suited combat-focused players.

Of course, the Lanno Duchy had plenty of land for players to farm and be true “farming” players.

But beyond that, this place wasn’t very suitable for purely lifestyle or casual players.

The Soulgreen Era had a much better environment. Encounters with Soulgreen Monsters were relatively rare, and the society was stable. Though some areas still had unrest, whether in terms of public safety or living standards, it was a clear improvement over the Yasi Continent. On top of that, quest trigger rates, variety of life skills, and learning methods were all much more player-friendly.

So players who disliked combat or farming started saving up slowly and migrating toward the Soulgreen Era.

The ones who just got on the train were a group of casual players traveling together.

Then they spotted Pei Sen sitting near the aisle…

Well, that wasn’t unexpected. Plenty of players had seen Pei Sen riding the Time-Space Train before. There were tons of screenshots on the forums.

The one by the window—

“No way, is that the little count—no, our faction leader, His Grace the Duke?”

“Holy crap.”

“Look at that fat black cat. If that’s not him, then I’m a Kui Wolf!”

“Wait, it’s not surprising for Pei Sen to go between servers. But a high-level NPC like the young duke from the Yasi Continent can also just wander around?”

“Our faction’s leader running off… seriously?”

“Uh, this scene is giving me a very particular image…”

“Don’t be so coy. Just say it—it looks like Duke Eagle is eloping with Pei Sen the guide NPC!”

“??? Elope???”

The screenshot of Pei Sen, Eagle, and Peks traveling together was quickly posted on the forum, sparking intense reactions.

Many veteran players remembered the long-ago quest. Back then, the rumor of the young master and the butler eloping had been fake—so why did it seem so real now!

“People working at Red Maple Castle, how useless are you? Not a peep of this got out?”

“I just knew His Grace Eagle had been packing like crazy the past few days… but I’d never have guessed he was running off with Pei Sen! Everyone thought he was heading to the capital!”

“?? What’s he going to the capital for!”

“Wasn’t there talk that Leiser went mad? I thought our young master would go settle scores and maybe even inherit the throne or something… and instead he runs off with Pei Sen?”

“Beauty leads to ruin, confirmed.”

“So our faction leader might’ve just given up a throne?”

“Uh, can we talk about whether he’s coming back or not? If he doesn’t, what happens to the Lanno Duchy and our faction?”

“He already got on the Time-Space Train, you think he’s not coming back? Didn’t Pei Sen go to Soulgreen and then return to the Yasi Continent? Chill. He can definitely come back.”

“Did no one on the train try talking to them to see if there was a quest?”

“……”

Of course, some players went up to talk, but—nope—there were absolutely no quests. After all, they weren’t heading to the same destination.

The players were going to the Soulgreen Era. Pei Sen and Eagle were headed directly for the Gate of Eternity.

There were several boarding stations for the Time-Space Train on the Yasi Continent, but only one drop-off point in the Soulgreen Era. So when the players got off and found that Pei Sen hadn’t gotten off with them like before, they were stunned.

“Damn, they didn’t get off!”

“Where else could the train go? Don’t tell me they’re just riding it for fun and will circle back to the Yasi Continent?”

“Maybe they really are riding it for fun?”

“Someone at Red Maple Castle keep watch tonight—see if Pei Sen and Eagle return.”

“And if they don’t?”

“If they don’t, that means the Time-Space Train has more stations!! I really want to know where—could it be that Bix Magic Cube is launching a new server?”

“Ahhh maybe it really is! Isn’t Pei Sen a guide? Could Eagle have a new identity on another server too?”

“……”

For players, guessing game developments and world-building is part of the fun—especially with a game as unique as Bix Magic Cube, which never plays by the rules. Different servers meant entirely different worlds and storylines—how could that not be exciting?

The launch of the Soulgreen Era server had coincided almost exactly with the game pods being officially sold in several countries abroad. Its unique setting and stunning scenery, along with its cultural landmarks, had attracted even non-gamers. Some influencers even promoted Bix Magic Cube as a virtual travel destination on public platforms.

Compared to spending money on real travel, buying a game pod seemed like a better deal. Especially for elderly folks with limited mobility, the game was very friendly. Inside, they were no different from the younger players physically.

Whether at home or abroad, a trend had begun where people gave Bix Magic Cube pods to their parents as gifts. It let them explore the world from home and meet up in-game with their children. For kids living far away, this really was convenient.

Of course, some people who gave their parents game pods were too embarrassed to reveal their own game IDs—either because of their silly usernames or their overly “enhanced” avatars. The idea of being parent-supervised in-game was too mortifying.

Recently, the number of players in Bix Magic Cube had reached a new peak.

But Pei Sen was thinking about the excitement surrounding the opening of the Gate of Eternity. From the day the server launched to the time he transmigrated, it had always been extremely popular.

“Young master, we’ve arrived.” Pei Sen was the first to stand, lifting the little suitcase. Eagle turned his head, inhaled deeply, then suddenly reached out and took Pei Sen’s empty hand.

“Don’t be nervous. Though this is a strange place, I’m here.”

Eagle was slightly taken aback, then smiled and nodded.

To Eagle, this wasn’t just a strange place—it was a different world!

Aside from Pei Sen by his side and the chubby black cat at his feet, he knew absolutely nothing here.

Pei Sen stepped off the train and looked toward the peaceful village not far away, feeling a deep sense of emotion.

This was the place he knew best. But that familiarity came from a player’s perspective. From the viewpoint of an NPC, the natives of the Gate of Eternity were the most dangerous and complex of all.

Extraordinaries were everywhere. Sword Saints and Legendary Mages were as common as dogs. Compared to this place, the Yasi Continent was a complete little brother.

But it was exactly this complexity that made this place truly fascinating.

“Come, Eagle.”

Let’s go explore this world—together.