Chapter 21
Pei Sen couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong with him?”
The designer smiled and tactfully replied, “We simply had him assist us with some research. However, Mr. Kui Lang’s psychological resilience doesn’t seem very strong. I trust you won’t mind too much, Mr. Pei Sen; after all, aren’t you and he enemies?”
“Yes, he is my enemy. Once you hand him over to me, I will kill him and then give the three of you some rewards.”
“That would be perfect.”
Pei Sen rewarded each of them with a damaged iron sword and granted them some contribution points—the maximum amount he could offer after the young master had promised them their rewards.
Taking their rewards, the three did not linger; they went to Neil to claim another quest before returning to Kaixi City.
“The degree of freedom is indeed higher than imagined,” the designer mused, glancing back at the Golden Rose Manor. “This level of quality is simply beyond what the current gaming industry can achieve.”
“Boss, should we conduct any other tests?” the architect asked.
The designer shook his head. “Not for now. Let’s try completing some game quests first. Even with a new weapon, we should check out the Starfall Plains—I’ve heard the monsters in this game are incredibly tough.”
“Alright.”
Watching Kui Lang being dragged away, his eyes unusually calm despite knowing he was about to die, Pei Sen turned and walked inside, no longer paying attention to this insignificant figure.
Little did he know that halfway there, Pei Sen ran into Atwell. He hadn’t seen this priest-like young man around the estate for quite some time; he must have been dealing with the aftermath of Eagle’s assassination attempt.
Several clerics trailed behind him, all looking hurried and preoccupied.
“Could it be that they’ve finally found the culprit behind the attempt on the young master’s life?”
Ever since Sardin stated that it wasn’t His Majesty Lether’s doing, the estate had yet to uncover who was so desperate to see Eagle dead.
In other words, it remains entirely uncertain who the murderer actually is up to this point.
Pei Sen glanced at Atwell, who was eager to meet Eagle. His return was hardly good news for the players, as he was a formidable figure capable of manipulating them at will.
Unlike Sardin, who rarely involved himself in affairs, or Keso, who usually stayed at the Mage Tower in Adrien City, Atwell greatly enjoyed “interacting” with the players.
In the past, countless players had been ruthlessly deceived by this seemingly kind and approachable religious figure, suffering miserably as a result.
“However, what position do these members of the Church of the God of Light actually hold within the estate?” This had always been a point of confusion for Pei Sen.
During his time at the Golden Rose Estate, Pei Sen had come to know all the stewards, butlers, male and female servants, and even the gardeners; only this group of church officials remained a mystery to him as to why they were present in the estate.
“Hmm, I’ll just ask the young master or Lady Mary when I have the chance.” Compared to others, Lady Mary was indeed quite friendly toward Pei Sen.
Just as he was about to continue walking down the corridor, Keso, dressed in an ornate mage’s robe and leading the beautiful young lady Bertha, happened to approach from ahead. This awkward face-to-face encounter left Pei Sen no opportunity to avoid them.
Ever since Pei Sen mastered the spells from that notebook, he hadn’t seen Keso again. He knew Keso had only given him the notes to mock him; under those circumstances, Keso would never have believed Pei Sen capable of learning magic. Yet Pei Sen had done exactly that, which amounted to nothing less than a blatant slap in the face for Keso.
His Excellency the Deputy Steward of the estate, the distinguished High Mage Kexo, having been humiliated by a mere nobody, Pei Sen—no fool he—had no intention of flaunting his power further.
Upon seeing him, Keso was naturally displeased, but being far from naive, he did not let it show on his face. Instead, he cast a meaningful glance at Pei Sen. “I hear you’ve already mastered all the spells in the notebook?”
Pei Sen hadn’t even spoken when Bertha, standing beside him, voiced her displeasure: “Teacher, you gave my notebook to him? You were supposed to give it to Franny.”
It was one of Bertha’s old notebooks, which Kesso wouldn’t normally carry around. However, Bertha had promised her friend Franny that she would pass this notebook to Franny’s younger sister for studying magic. Franny lived in Adrien City, and her sister, who also possessed magical talent, was just about to begin her studies. Coincidentally, Kesso had been preparing to return to Adrien City that day and had agreed to deliver the notebook to Franny. Who could have expected him to run into Pei Sen? In a spur-of-the-moment decision, he simply handed the notebook over to him instead.
In Kesso’s eyes, this notebook was nothing significant, but for Bertha, it was an entirely different matter.
Kesso’s actions not only caused her to break her promise to a friend but also left her former notes in the hands of a strange man, which made her feel deeply uneasy.
Keso smiled ambiguously. “Bertha, don’t underestimate this newly appointed butler. Though his qualifications are unremarkable, his magical talent might even surpass yours.”
Pei Sen immediately received a nearly hostile glare from the young girl. She glanced at him arrogantly. “Him?”
As if to say, “Does this lowborn servant even deserve to be compared with me?”
Pei Sen smiled, originally intending not to argue with the young girl, but suddenly something stirred within him. “Of course, I wouldn’t dare compare myself to Miss Bertha. Until recently, I didn’t even realize that magic isn’t so difficult to master. In just one week, I managed to learn all the spells recorded in Miss Bertha’s notebook.” In truth, it had taken him only a single night.
Bertha flew into a rage. “Someone like you mastering that many spells in a week? You’re definitely lying!”
Pei Sen sighed, “I have indeed mastered all the spells in that notebook…”
“That still doesn’t prove you mastered it within a week!”
“In that case, why don’t you give me another notebook, Miss Bertha? Let me see if I can master that many spells within a week?”
“Fine—” Bertha managed only one word before choking on it, turning to look at Kesso.
Even someone as simple-minded as Bertha realized something was off; Pei Sen was most likely deliberately provoking her.
Kesso wasn’t as guileless as Bertha; he saw through Pei Sen’s intentions—not that Pei Sen had ever intended to hide them in the first place.
“Have you been studying swordsmanship with Sardin recently?”
Pei Sen maintained his perfect smile. “Yes, Lord Kexo. Steward Sardin believes I have more talent for swordsmanship than for magic.”
A faint smile touched Kexo’s lips. He knew exactly what Pei Sen was up to. Everyone was aware of the discord between himself and Sardin; under normal circumstances, he would hardly be pleased that Pei Sen, who had initially studied magic, had ultimately been taken by Sardin to learn swordsmanship instead.
This wasn’t a subtle scheme against him; rather, it was an almost overt request for more knowledge regarding magic.
This person is quite interesting.
Kexo looked at him. “Bertha, give him the spellbook we prepared for Or.”
Bertha was stunned. “Teacher!”
“Didn’t you want to know whether he could master so many spells within a week?” Kexo said softly.
Bertha felt somewhat uneasy; something didn’t quite feel right. Still, she followed Kexo’s instruction. “If you haven’t mastered more than ten spells in a week, what then?”
Pei Sen thought for a moment. “What else can I do? Return the spellbook to you and apologize?”
Bertha was at a loss again; she didn’t know how to punish him either.
Kexo smiled. “If you master more than ten spells within a week, this spellbook will be yours. If not…” He left the sentence unfinished, but the chill in his eyes made it clear to Pei Sen that the great mage would not let him off easily.
Although Keso understood Pei Sen’s intentions, he remained displeased with Sardin’s actions; he wished Pei Sen would devote more time to spellcasting, even though he harbored no fondness for him whatsoever.
As long as it meant opposing Sardin, Keso was occasionally willing to act, even when there was absolutely nothing in it for himself.
He had always found Sardin irritating, yet Sardin consistently put on an air of exaggerated magnanimity, as if Pei Sen weren’t even worth his notice.
Kexo let out a cold laugh and led Bertha away.
Pei Sen held a thick spellbook in his hands, so thrilled he nearly burst into laughter.
This was an open strategy; he hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly, yet somehow it succeeded instantly!
“We’ll check it out tonight!” Pei Sen tucked the spellbook into his backpack and hurried back. Having run into Keso, he arrived at Eagle’s quarters later than expected; Art维尔 had already left Eagle’s room, likely heading off to find Sardin.
Unable to hear any gossip, Pei Sen couldn’t help but ask Eagle, “Young Master, Art维尔 and the others must be from the Church, right? Why have they been staying in the manor to protect you?”
“Because someone spent a huge sum of money to buy me the title of Divine Child,” Eagle said indifferently.
Wait, a Divine Child?
Pei Sen’s eyes widened in shock. It couldn’t be the kind of “Divine Child” he was thinking of, could it?
“Why are you so surprised?” Eagle said with amusement. “The Church of Light is notoriously poor. Many nobles can simply pay a hefty sum to purchase the title of ‘Divine Child’ or ‘Divine Maiden’ within the church. Though the price is steep, it’s quite a bargain. Once someone becomes a Divine Child or Divine Maiden of the church, they are assigned a Blessed Priest and twenty ordinary priests to protect them.”
Pei Sen stood stunned. There was such a thing?
“Right now, just within our Kingdom of Asmia, there are already about twenty so-called divine sons and daughters. In truth, we have no real need to worship their God of Light,” Eagle said casually. “The nobility all understand this is merely an exchange of equivalents. The priests and clerics of the Church of Light possess considerable skills and often prove highly useful; they dedicate themselves wholeheartedly when protecting people. Moreover, since the Church of Light likely cannot afford to support so many clerics on its own, the nobility step in to sponsor them. In return, these clerics provide protection to the nobles, who usually face little danger anyway. It’s a cooperation that satisfies both parties.”
In fact, this situation is not unique to the Kingdom of Asmia; it is quite common across various nations.
These so-called divine sons and daughters are nothing more than a fig leaf for nobles hiring bodyguards with their money.
Pei Sen thought for a moment. “So your Blessed Priest is Atwell?”
“Yes,” Eagle replied, resting his chin on his hand. “Most of the time, Atwell and the clerics he brings along are even more useful than the estate guards.”
So there were so many divine children during this period? Pei Sen had never expected it. He only knew that in a few years, the Church of the God of Light would spread its influence across the entire Yali Continent; he hadn’t realized that just a few years prior, the church had been so weak.
Several years later, incessant wars and conflicts would ravage every corner of the Yali Continent, turning it completely into a chaotic era. By that time, the Church of the God of Light would have become the most powerful force on the continent.
As far as Pei Sen knew, the Church of the Light God did have a Divine Son back then, though he had never heard of a Divine Daughter.
The three Sons of Light from the Church of the Light God, also known as the Divine Sons, were extremely famous and popular among players, especially…
Pei Sen shuddered all over and suddenly stared intently at Eagle, making him feel somewhat uneasy. “What are you looking at—”
A warm hand suddenly covered Eagle’s eyes, plunging him instantly into darkness, with only faint slivers of light filtering through the gaps between the fingers.
Eagle froze, slowly blinking, feeling his eyelashes gently brush against the hand covering his eyes.
Pei Sen, however, had no mind for such details. Gazing at Eagle, whose face was half-covered, he noted that despite its youthful softness, the high-bridged nose, the shape of the lips, and the refined chin bore an uncanny, overwhelming resemblance to the person in his memories!
Sheng Yan, the Son of Light, one of the most popular NPCs in the later stages of the game; countless players used high-resolution screenshots of him as wallpapers for their phones and computers.
Though blind, he wielded the Sword of Judgment for the Church of the God of Light, standing as the church’s most powerful divine son.
This NPC has always been powerful and cold, never cracking a smile, upholding absolute justice and fairness to judge all sins in the mortal world.
He once destroyed an entire city because it was a city of sin.
He once saved countless lives, for they were the innocent.
Though blind and with half his face obscured by a cold metal mask, nothing could diminish his unimaginable popularity.
Eagle felt the hand covering his eyes burning hot; though he wanted to scold Pei Sen, for some reason, no words came out.
Pei Sen, however, felt his entire worldview shattering, never once considering that his actions constituted an affront to the young master.
So… it was you.
I’m afraid no player could have ever imagined that the notoriously violent young master of the Golden Rose Manor, rumored in the game’s early days, would later become the most popular among the Divine Sons.
A beautiful blind man with half his face veiled—powerful yet shrouded in mystery.
Holy crap! How can this brat possibly be the same person as Divine Son · Holy Word? They look like two completely different people!
This is impossible!
Pei Sen simply couldn’t believe this fact, because the person standing before him differed too greatly from Eagle in every conceivable way.
“Pei Sen,” Eagle spoke.
Only then did Pei Sen realize his hand was still covering Eagle’s eyes. Eagle’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly, brushing against his palm like a feather, causing him to jerk his hand back as if burned. “My apologies, Young Master.”
He realized he had gone too far in his offense.
Eagle, however, stared at him and asked curiously, “Why did you cover my eyes?”
Pei Sen didn’t answer; he simply gazed into Eagle’s beautiful emerald-green eyes. Would these eyes… go blind someday?
Eagle, a young master so pampered and with such a volatile temper—how terrified and desperate would he be if he lost his sight?
In any case, based on Pei Sen’s understanding of Eagle, if such a thing had truly happened, the blow would have been enough to break him.
Yet in reality, it did not; not only did he remain unbroken, but he also became the renowned and immensely powerful Divine Son of the Church.
“Young Master.”
“Hmm?” Eagle felt that Pei Sen seemed a bit off today.
Pei Sen sighed and once again spoke with genuine sincerity, “I will protect you.”
Eagle paused for a moment, then broke into a smile. “Alright.”
Although he didn’t know when Eagle had lost his sight, Pei Sen believed that achieving such immense power certainly wouldn’t happen overnight. Sooner or later, Eagle’s fate would take a sharp turn, and he would no longer be able to remain this carefree, short-tempered brat.
Pei Sen felt that as long as he remained in the manor, he had an obligation to protect him.
Unlike other players, Pei Sen no longer viewed this world purely as a game. After spending so much time with the young master within the manor, even though the boy was quite mischievous, he couldn’t bear to watch such a child truly suffer a tragic fate.
“Still too soft-hearted, I suppose. But even if something happens, he’s destined to become the Divine Son.” Stepping out of the room, Pei Sen slapped his forehead, realizing his savior complex was acting up again. This young master, even if momentarily setback, was fated to become a great figure; there was no need for his sympathy at all.
Eagle Langno would not forever be the little young master needing protection.
But at least for now, he truly remains the young master of the Golden Rose Manor.
And in just a few days, it will be this young master’s fifteenth birthday.
“Young Master, are you saying you want to invite those Bix people to the birthday banquet?” Lady Mary frowned. “I think it’s better not to do that; perhaps we could give them some other rewards instead.”
Eagle paid no heed. “I find them quite interesting. We can allow them into the courtyard for the banquet; it’s just some food, nothing significant.”
“But Young Master, they are truly—” Mary had clearly also heard about the madness of this group of Bix people.
Eagle merely chuckled coldly. “Everyone says these Bix people are madmen, yet they work for me with all their heart and soul for the least amount of pay,” he said icily. “I think they are far better than certain individuals who neither take my words seriously nor regard me as their lord.”
Mary hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back; what he said was indeed correct.
Nevertheless, out of safety concerns, Mary remained reluctant to proceed. She glanced at Pei Sen standing beside Eagle, who responded with a helpless expression.
Many within the manor knew that Pei Sen shared the same lineage as those Bix Cube beings, whereas the players were unaware that the popular NPC was also one of the so-called “Bix Cube.” In truth, Pei Sen firmly opposed Eagle’s sudden decision, even though those involved were his own “kin.”
His objection stemmed not from any other reason, but simply because Pei Sen truly did not want Eagle’s appearance exposed to the players’ eyes.
As a well-traveled gamer, even if Pei Sen had never seen a pig run, he had certainly tasted pork.
He definitely didn’t want the forums to be filled with inappropriate content about him and the young master in the future.
To be fair, those players were truly capable of such things.
However, once this young nobleman made up his mind, no one could change it—not even Pei Sen.
This level of stubbornness is truly difficult to deal with.
Since there was no changing his mind, everyone in the manor sprang into action; the young master had made his decision, and they would ensure his safety under these circumstances.
Kemis stood rigid, his expression grave as he faced the guards lined up before him.
Pei Sen stood off to the side, saying helplessly, “Kemis, there’s really no need to be so tense; the Bix race isn’t particularly strong in combat.”
“Their combat power isn’t high, but what if they turn on each other? I dare not let the young master witness such a bloody scene.”
That… makes some sense, though it’s not unavoidable. We can simply clarify the rules when they arrive; they aren’t truly so irrational as to disregard reason entirely.
Kemis glanced at him skeptically, clearly unconvinced.
Pei Sen, however, knew that using quests to constrain players would be effective, especially in this situation. Aware of the severe consequences of causing trouble, generally no one would dare to do such a thing.
“Better to make it clear: whoever causes trouble at the banquet will bring punishment upon all Bixians.” Even if this might harm his own interests, Pei Sen had no other choice. Based on his understanding of players, such a supervisory measure would absolutely prevent any incidents.
Kemys nodded. “That’s the only way,” he said, then glanced at Pei Sen. “Of course, you’re the exception.”
Pei Sen smiled but said nothing.
It seemed Keso had returned to the estate from Adrien, and Artwell had rushed back, all because of Eagle’s birthday. For everyone in the manor, Young Master Eagle came first.
His fifteenth birthday was no small matter, yet he could only spend it here in this remote borderland.
Though he was the only son of His Grace the Grand Duke and Her Highness the Princess, he could not even return to the capital. On his birthday, his mother remained in distant Bonfries, while his father showed no concern whatsoever.
Under such circumstances, the estate staff naturally resolved to hold an exceptionally grand birthday banquet, doing their utmost to fulfill Eagle’s wishes.
Pei Sen gathered a large bouquet of star grass. Every year around Eagle’s birthday coincided with the blooming season of star grass. He never understood why Eagle liked star grass so much, yet this plant, fairly common across the Starfall Plains, had always been available on the exchange list. Players in the Starfall Plains, unable to defeat rabbits, were nonetheless more than willing to scour the fields for star grass.
For a time, it seemed as though every single stalk of star grass along the edges of the Starfall Plains had been plucked clean, leaving nothing behind, much like geese being stripped of their feathers as they fly overhead.
Over this period, many players have been exchanging Star Grass for contribution points, and Pei Sen’s inventory has accumulated quite a large stash. Fortunately, the grass doesn’t wither while stored in his bag. He gathered all the Star Grass, carefully arranged it into a large bouquet, and prepared to offer it as one of the birthday gifts.
He realized that, given his current identity, almost any gift he chose would seem inappropriate. If he gave something too valuable, it would raise suspicions about its origin, especially since he never left the manor grounds.
Yet if he gave nothing, the young master would surely be displeased.
A large bouquet of Star Grass, plus…
Pei Sen rummaged through the warehouse for quite some time before pulling out a ring, then hesitated. “This… giving a ring doesn’t seem quite appropriate.”
He searched again for a long while but couldn’t find anything more suitable.
This ring was a piece of equipment his main character had obtained, not in the world of the Yali Continent, but in another game world within Bix Cube. It possessed no other functions besides “Defense.” Later, when his main character acquired better defensive gear, this ring was replaced. He had intended to sell it before, but since each player could equip only three accessories, a purely defensive ring proved difficult to sell, so it had remained stored in the warehouse all this time.
“Ring of Light’s Protection: Automatically manifests a protective shield when encountering danger. The shield has 1000 durability, lasts for 3 seconds, and has a cooldown period of 10 days.”
Purely in terms of attributes, this ring is far too specialized. In actual player-versus-player combat, its skill can only block damage once, and moreover, players have no control over when the protective shield activates. It’s hardly surprising that it can’t be sold.
Pei Sen had no way to give Eagle items of other categories, especially those that were overly powerful or didn’t originate from the continent of Yali; there was simply no plausible explanation for their origin. As for magical scrolls and the like, even high-level mages like Kexo rarely possessed them, making such gifts even harder to justify.
In fact, most of his stored equipment consisted of robes, staves, and vast quantities of mana crystals, potions, and magical inscriptions discarded by his mage character. After all, this was a storage account, and his main character was a mage, so naturally, these were the predominant items.
Only this unassuming ring seemed most suitable, yet it was highly likely that the young master would disdain it and refuse to wear it altogether.
Pei Sen hesitated for an entire day, still unable to decide whether or not to give it.
Actually, Young Master Eagle probably lacks for nothing…
“However, in this world, rings don’t seem to carry any special meaning.” Pei Sen felt he had no need to be so sensitive. “This isn’t the modern era.”
The only one feeling awkward was himself. In this world, whether rings, necklaces, or earrings, they were purely decorative items. Although few men wore rings, nobles quite enjoyed adorning themselves with accessories, especially rings and necklaces; earrings, however, were indeed worn only by women.
Unlike in the modern era where rings carry special meanings, here a ring is simply a ring.
“Rather than worrying that the ring seems a bit odd, you should be concerned that even if you give it to the young master, he might find it too ugly and plain and simply throw it back at you.”
By evening, when the banquet officially began, Pei Sen looked down at Wallis, the lord of Kaxi City, whose face was grim, and Lacori, the lord of Adrien City, whom he was meeting for the first time. Compared to Wallis, this Lacori appeared slick and worldly, outwardly overflowing with respect, yet in truth perhaps even less trustworthy than Wallis. This was because Adrien housed a mage tower, and Keso had resided within that very tower for years.
However, compared to the absent mayor of Alqi Town, these two were slightly better.
This alone showed just how dire Eagle’s current situation was. As a feudal lord, he could not even command the three cities beneath him. In such a remote borderland, there was naturally little entertainment to be had. Though he seemed surrounded on all sides by guards and experts, protected thoroughly, it would be more accurate to say that rather than being protected, these people were merely guarding the prison that confined him.
Although this young master has a terrible temper and is utterly unpredictable, living a life where food is fed to him and clothes are dressed for him, appearing to enjoy boundless wealth, in reality, he cannot even leave the estate without someone’s approval; he holds no real authority over his own actions.
The longer Pei Sen remained at the Golden Rose Estate, the more he understood these matters.
Take today, for instance: Eagle personally insisted on inviting the Bix race to his birthday banquet. Although the estate eventually gave reluctant consent, the courtyard now resembles a military camp. Pei Sen knows they have taken such measures to prevent the attending Bix from causing trouble, but frankly speaking, Kemis’s squad alone would be sufficient to suppress any players.
The disparity in strength is simply too great to ignore.
Eagle seemed to have everything he could want, yet no one would ever give him what he truly desired.
He was only fifteen, yet he had already witnessed much of life’s warmth and coldness. Like today’s situation—he watched it all, appearing to smile one moment, then expressionless the next.
Pei Sen sighed; this brat was actually a very clever child…
The players didn’t share such deep sentiments. Upon receiving the quest, “Attend the Fifteenth Birthday Banquet of Count Thornrose,” they were momentarily stunned. So their faction leader was just a fifteen-year-old kid?
“Fifteen years old… He doesn’t seem reliable at all.”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as the people around him are reliable.”
“This quest is in peace mode; it’s probably just meant for us to attend the event and collect some rewards and experience points.”
“That’s not bad.”
“Plus, we’ll get to meet our mysterious Earl!”
The vast majority of players were quite interested in this. As for the large contingent of guards glaring at them from the sidelines, they didn’t consider it an issue. After all, it was Peace Mode; these guards were neutral units and wouldn’t start a fight. Having more people simply made the scene look grander and more impressive.
“Should we prepare a gift for the young Earl?”
“The quest didn’t mention anything.”
“Isn’t this game supposed to be extremely free?”
“That’s true. We could give a gift; there might even be an unexpected reward.”
“But we’re practically broke ourselves… What could we possibly give?”
“The exchange list mentioned that the young count likes Star Grass.”
“But I’ve already exchanged all the Star Grass for contribution points.”
“Me too…”
The players pondered for a long time; indeed, there was nothing suitable to give. Surely they couldn’t just pick a wildflower by the roadside and present it to His Lordship the Count.
Speaking of which, Bix Cube’s incredibly advanced interaction system has been raved about endlessly on the forums. Basically, anything achievable in reality can be done in this game—such as picking a flower by the road, stroking the grass, or picking up items.
One player was particularly eccentric. While others were busy with construction quests or heading to the Starfall Plains to hunt monsters, he became a scavenger within this holographic game. He loved picking things up whenever he had the chance, hoarding everything he collected. Not only did he fill his backpack and warehouse to the brim, but he also secured a spot outside the city, spending two days building a shed dedicated solely to storing his scavenged treasures.
What’s funny is that players occasionally sneak into his scavenger shack to steal things, so this player, who aspired to be a scavenger, ended up engaging in PK battles with other players quite often, honing his skills better than most.
One can only say that the diversity of players is indeed reflected within Bix Cube.
“By the way, there should be NPCs in the manor who teach skills, right? Do you think we could try currying favor during the young count’s birthday banquet and succeed?”
“Isn’t it rumored that a player from the first closed beta managed to learn a skill from Kemis?”
“Stop talking about it. Ever since he succeeded, everyone has been pestering Kemis every day; they’re almost making that NPC sick.”
“However, in this manor, Kemis is just a squad leader. Maybe we can try to find an even bigger thigh to cling to.”
“Dreaming would be faster. I’ve realized that in this game, not only are the monsters hard to defeat, but skills are also incredibly difficult to learn…”
“It’s been over a month since the first closed beta started, and players still haven’t discovered any dungeons or anything like that.”
“This really feels like a game that demands long-term exploration.”
Everyone was chatting enthusiastically. Braised Spicy Gluten Strips listened casually as he followed the main group into the manor. Not far away, he spotted a familiar face: Claude, the very player he had once triple-killed.
Even though Claude’s quest rewards had been reduced, being a closed-beta player still gave him a significant lead over those from the second test. Over this short period, through sheer hard work mining stone walls, he had managed to acquire a decent leather armor set. Coupled with his worn iron sword, he now cut quite an imposing figure.
Today’s event is a massive experience-grinding session, so of course he wouldn’t miss it.
Just as he was looking around, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Glancing over, Hongshao Latiao saw none other than the designer trio.
“Hey, shouldn’t you guys be off work by now? Still putting in the effort online?” Hongshao Latiao knew their recent company assignment involved playing the game, and he felt a twinge of envy; after all, he only had this much time to dedicate to the game because he was currently on leave.
Actually, not all 2,200 registered players showed up for today’s event. Some had real-life commitments preventing them from logging in, while others were still busy grinding monsters on the Starlit Plains. In reality, only about 2,000 players actually attended.
Tu Tu blinked and said, “The three of us are willingly working overtime.”
The truth is, this game is so fascinating that none of us want to log off.
“By the way, is there something you might be interested in?” the designer suddenly asked Hongshao Latiao.
“Braised Spicy Strips asked with interest, ‘What is it?'”
“I seem to have found a clue to the game’s first dungeon.”
“Really?” Braised Spicy Strips exclaimed in surprise. “We first-test players have been in the game for over a month without finding anything, yet you, Big Brother, have only been in the game for a few days and already discovered dungeon clues?”
The architect beside him chuckled, “Did you forget that we’re professionals?”
Compared to ordinary players, they have a deeper understanding of the game and are familiar with typical quest structures, including dungeon configurations.
Besides, ordinary players wouldn’t go out of their way to search for such things. Games typically don’t hide them too deeply either; after all, dungeons are meant to be cleared by players. What’s the point of burying a dungeon so deep?
However, Bix Cube truly goes against the grain, requiring players to explore everything on their own. This gameplay style proves difficult for many players to adapt to, necessitating some time to become familiar with the game.
Since the very first day he entered Bix Cube, the designer had keenly perceived its differences from other games; thus, with deliberate effort, finding clues was not particularly difficult.
However, this did cause him to fall behind in other aspects; for instance, his level is still only 2, far lagging behind other players.
“Also, I made some special inquiries yesterday.” The designer has quite an extensive network in the real world. “This game is truly bizarre. For instance, it does have an official game license, yet no one at the approval bureau recalls ever issuing it; it simply exists within the pool of already-approved licenses. Furthermore, the game’s built-in forum is equally strange. Its server address appears to be located outside China. Someone tried to trace its IP address, but found nothing at all.”
Hongshao Latiao smiled. “Yeah, this entire game is weird. But if they really wanted to control it, wouldn’t they just ban the sale of the game pods?”
“Speaking of which, there’s another strange point: all the game pods are delivered via express shipping, yet no one can trace the shipping address… As you know, everyone purchases the game pods directly through the built-in forum, and they’re mailed straight to their homes. We tried tracking the couriers and managed to locate a few warehouses, but we still couldn’t figure out how the game pods even entered those warehouses in the first place.”
Braised Spicy Gluten Strips: “…”
Tu Tu Hua Hua, standing nearby, waved a hand dismissively. “Why worry so much? As long as the game works, isn’t that enough?”
The Architect nodded. “That’s true.”
The designer chuckled and said no more, though he knew his goal was unattainable; it was simply impossible to learn anything from this holographic game and apply it to his own.
This game, at least in its current stage, was utterly irreplicable.
The Bix Cube residents obediently entered the manor to attend the birthday banquet, none displaying their usual frenzied and uncontrollable behavior, which secretly relieved Kemis.
And when Eagle emerged, the players collectively let out a gasp of astonishment.
This exquisitely handsome young master with golden hair and emerald eyes is actually their faction leader, His Excellency the Earl!
Due to Bix Cube’s extremely high level of realism, its characters are nearly indistinguishable from real people. Originally, players’ expectations for holographic games were simply “the more realistic, the better,” and in this regard, Bix Cube has already achieved perfection. However, various censorship measures, mosaic filters, reductions in the visceral impact of bloody scenes, and the artificial sensation of objects penetrating human bodies—discovered by surgeons like Braised Spicy Strips—prevent players from perceiving this as a truly real world.
Fundamentally, killing within a game inherently produces some degree of psychological stimulation. This issue exists not only in holographic games but also in traditional keyboard-based games. Nevertheless, Bix Cube has indeed minimized such stimulating effects to the greatest extent possible.
However, when NPCs possessing breathtaking beauty like Eagle actually appear, the high degree of realism makes their looks seem excessively lifelike—so dazzlingly radiant that players find themselves unable to look directly at them.
If Pei Sen’s face represented a gentle, striking beauty devoid of any aggressiveness, then Eagle’s good looks reached the level of radiant brilliance.
This kind of stimulation simply could not be diminished.
“Holy crap, my little count is so handsome.”
“Stunningly beautiful—ahhhhhh! I can’t even find other words to describe it.”
“Boohoo, little Earl, rest assured, I will never betray you! In this life, even if I die, I shall die within the Thorny Rose faction!”
“This is definitely my faction! Little Earl, quickly tell me who your enemy is, and I’ll make sure to kill them for you!”
“From now on, the little Earl is my god! I’m going to build the most beautiful city for my little Earl.”
“…”
Watching the frenzied players, Pei Sen turned his head away and sighed quietly. He had long anticipated this scene. While Kemis and the others worried that the players might frighten Eagle, Pei Sen feared they might scare him in an entirely different sense.
However, an “NPC” of Eagle’s caliber would quickly strengthen the players’ sense of faction belonging; this was likely the greatest benefit of having Eagle make an appearance.
The manor guards prevented the players from getting too close to Eagle. Fortunately, the players were so awestruck by their faction leader’s beauty that they didn’t attempt anything excessive, and the birthday banquet passed without incident.
Eagle’s room was piled high with gifts, yet he had no intention of opening them. Just then, Pei Sen pushed the door open and entered; Eagle looked up.
A large bouquet of star grass filled his line of sight.
“Here, for you.”
Eagle looked at Pei Sen. “A birthday gift?”
“Yes.”
Pei Sen had already taken out the ring, yet for some reason his heart softened, and he swapped it for another one from his inventory. He didn’t know if this decision was right; he only knew that he could never bring himself to treat the lonely youth sitting in that gilded cage as just another insignificant NPC.
The ring was no longer the same one; Pei Sen gazed at the band resting in his palm.
“The Ring of Thousand Illusions”—this was almost certainly one of the most valuable pieces of equipment on Pei Sen’s storage account, left unsold simply because there hadn’t been time to list it. Originally, Pei Sen had never intended to give this to Eagle; he had only planned to offer him a defensive item, such as the earlier Ring of Light’s Blessing.
Yet now, as if guided by some unseen force, he had somehow brought out this very ring.
Eagle had already spotted the ring. “Pei Sen, is this ring… also meant for me?”
Pei Sen sighed and gave a slight nod.
Yet in this silent room, holding a large bouquet of flowers along with a ring, he was about to present them to the youth before him who seemed to be smiling.
…Why does everything feel so strange?