Chapter 4
After completing the main quest, Pei Sen glanced at his status panel.
“[Pei Sen] Lv3
Strength: 18
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 3
Willpower: 3
Constitution: 3
Free Points: 3
Main Quest: Save Eagle Langno (Completed)
Skill 1: Basic Fireball Spell
No new main quest has appeared yet, but completing the first one boosted Pei Sen by a full level and a half. In Bix Cube, a game notorious for its difficult leveling system, this reward is exceptionally generous.
Due to his initial attributes, Pei Sen automatically gains an extra 5 points of Strength every time he levels up, whereas the other four attributes only increase by a single point each upon leveling.
Glancing at the pitiful three free attribute points available, Pei Sen did not allocate them to Intelligence; given his current Intelligence level, adding points there would be like trying to fill a cart with a single cup of water.
With his current Intelligence, his fixed starting skill, Basic Fireball, would barely be strong enough to kill a rabbit if cast.
After successfully escorting Eagle back to his room and changing into his nightrobe, Pei Sen began to cough lightly shortly thereafter.
I’m afraid that mysterious incantation from earlier has given him a chill.
When he went to the kitchen to fetch Eagle’s dinner, the two maids there warmly welcomed him in. Although Pei Sen was new, and those serving the young master never stayed long, he was undeniably handsome!
Sometimes, this favorable attitude wasn’t about gaining anything from Pei Sen; it was simply because his face was exceptionally handsome.
“Today, Lady Mary mentioned that the young master might catch a cold and asked us to prepare some thick soup.” Brenda, the head kitchen maid, stopped the younger maids from swarming forward to chat with Pei Sen.
Pei Sen had no interest in chatting with these young girls either. He picked up the heavy tray. “Understood.”
“You’d better make sure the young master eats more,” Brenda said tactfully. “His appetite hasn’t been very good lately.”
Pei Sen carried the tray toward Eagle, feeling somewhat grateful at this moment that he was a strength-based mage, for the tray was incredibly heavy. The full set of silver cutlery was solid silver without any compromise, and the tray itself had a small magic array embedded into the silver plate. This silver plate likely contained other materials mixed in, as it was far heavier than a pure silver plate would be; ordinary materials probably couldn’t serve as a viable medium for a magic array.
Beneath the silver plate lay insulation, while above, thanks to the magic array, all food within the silver bowls and dishes was maintained at just the right serving temperature.
Pei Sen examined the magic array closely. “Insufficient professional knowledge: unable to identify the inscribed magic array,” a message appeared before his eyes.
Pouting slightly, he could only give up.
“What a hassle. When exactly did the game unlock the Mage class? I recall it was quite some time later… Initially, wasn’t Warrior the only available class?” Pei Sen strained his memory. “It seems I’ll have to find another way to learn the relevant expertise.”
He returned with the tray to Eagle, watching him casually wave a pure gold cat teaser adorned with silk tassels, teasing an obese black cat at his feet that could barely walk.
Indeed, Eagle kept a cat—not one of the Persian-like breeds favored by nobility, but a solid black feline. Pei Sen knew that in ancient Chinese legends, black cats were called “mysterious cats,” capable of warding off evil and protecting households; however, in various Western tales, black cats were considered rather unlucky.
Rumors had it that when Eagle first wanted to keep the cat, Lady Mary had gently tried to dissuade him, though she ultimately failed.
No one could change the young master’s decision.
Eagle casually teased it, and it responded with perfunctory indifference, lying lazily on the ground without even bothering to stand up.
Pei Sen glanced at the cat. “Young Master, Brenda said she specially prepared a thick soup for you.”
He had seen with his own eyes Brenda adding a small vial of potion into the soup, likely to prevent Eagle from falling ill. The soup’s rich flavor was meant to mask the taste of the potion, which explained why this young nobleman was probably quite reluctant to consume such things.
In this world of swords and magic, many unscientific phenomena exist. For instance, potions crafted by mages or the church can genuinely cure various diseases in a way that defies scientific logic. These are not mere placebos like holy water in the real world, but truly effective magical or divine elixirs.
Placing the tray on a nearby table, Pei Sen noticed that Eagle showed no intention of eating. Feeling slightly awkward, he wondered if he really had to feed someone this old…
But seeing Eagle extend his hand, he breathed a sigh of relief; at least it seemed the young master intended to eat it himself.
Instead, Eagle simply raised his hand and knocked the tray straight onto the floor. “I don’t want to eat.”
The broth instantly soaked through the light beige wool carpet, while the black cat nearby cast a disdainful glance at Pei Sen.
Pei Sen didn’t even flinch, continuing to ask gently, “Then what would Young Master like to eat? Skipping meals isn’t an option; I’ll have the kitchen prepare something new.”
Secretly, however, he clenched his fists, so furious he nearly lost his composure.
Eagle’s gaze finally settled on the handsome young man. In terms of visual appeal, even if Pei Sen couldn’t quite match Eagle, he wasn’t far behind either. After all, his appearance was the result of years of refinement and widely recognized as the most perfect character creation possible. Although Pei Sen had referenced someone else’s design, he made his own adjustments. One of his friends, a highly skilled sculpture student, offered suggestions that proved incredibly useful. Moreover, Bix Cube itself didn’t allow data import; no matter how much one wished to replicate another’s look, subtle differences would inevitably emerge once actually entering the game.
This game was clearly designed to allow face customization, yet it somehow achieved the near-impossible: almost no two faces were alike.
As for Pei Sen’s face, even though it belonged to an alternate character, its level of attractiveness still left him quite satisfied.
When such a nearly perfect-looking young man knelt slightly on the ground and gazed at him with gentle eyes, it somewhat calmed Eagle’s irritable mood.
“I don’t want to eat,” he emphasized once again.
Pei Sen clenched his fist. “Just eat a little.”
Eagle turned his head away.
Pei Sen sighed, got up for now, and called for the maid outside to replace the carpet.
He had no intention of being kicked out of the estate just yet; at least he needed to reach level ten. So even if this brat had a terrible temper, he would endure it.
Compared to being captured and sold by a group of ill-intentioned people, enduring this young master here is actually not so bad.
Just as Pei Sen finished clearing the dishes and stepped out, he happened to see a middle-aged man dressed in an ornate deep-purple mage robe approaching. Lady Mary walked beside him, slightly behind. Without needing any explanation, Pei Sen could vaguely guess that this man held an even higher status.
Upon seeing him, Lady Mary asked, “Pei Sen, the young master refuses to eat?”
Pei Sen replied helplessly, “Yes.”
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “It’s no trouble; I’ll have Bertha clean the carpet.”
Mary sighed, “Lord Kesso, I truly feel bad about troubling Miss Bertha every time.”
“It’s no trouble at all; we are here to serve Young Master Eagle.”
However, the man named Kexo glanced at Pei Sen, seemingly surprised by his striking appearance. “Is this a new butler who just arrived?”
“Yes, he is the young master’s personal butler,” Lady Mary said calmly.
Kexo frowned. “The young master’s personal butler cannot be chosen carelessly. Has he been thoroughly investigated?”
Pei Sen stood helplessly a short distance away. Hey, hey, hey! Even if you want to question me, could you at least not do it right in front of my face? Don’t I have any dignity left?
“I’ve looked into it. He’s likely from Balster. He was once captured by Kui Lang in the city and nearly sold off,” Lady Mary said indifferently.
Pei Sen: “…” I didn’t even know I was from Balster?
It then dawned on him that Lady Mary was probably trying to cover for him; half of her statement was true, while the other half was clearly fabricated.
So the human trafficker who forced him to fake his death is named Kui Lang. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely kill that bastard.
But why would Lady Mary help cover for him?
Kexo smiled and glanced at Pei Sen again. “Interesting. He actually has magical aptitude, albeit a terrible one.”
Pei Sen happened to know that high-level mages in this world could tell at a glance whether an ordinary person possessed magical aptitude, as they could perceive an individual’s level of magical affinity.
Even if Pei Sen’s aptitude was utterly worthless, he was still a mage with an affinity for magic; as long as Keso wished, he could perceive the floating magical elements nearby and gauge their affinity with individuals.
In Keso’s eyes, Pei Sen was an ordinary person possessing magical talent, albeit extremely poor talent.
Even so, Lady Mary remained somewhat surprised; she glanced at Pei Sen in astonishment, saying, “That is truly unexpected.”
On the continent of Yali, people endowed with magical talent are actually quite rare; mages can be said to be the rarest among the rarest.
The Bix Cube game did not initially feature the Mage class; it was only unlocked quite some time after the server launch. Even then, few players chose to become Mages, as this profession was notoriously difficult to master, lacking the sheer satisfaction of playing a Swordsman.
Pei Sen seized the opportunity to ask, “Is Miss Bertha going to use magic to clean the carpet?”
Kexo glanced at him with an ambiguous smile. “Yes.”
“Since I possess magical aptitude, albeit a poor one,” he said with an apologetic expression and a slight smile, “could Miss Bertha teach me the cleaning spell? That way, if the young master soils the carpet again, I can clean it myself.” He then turned sincerely toward Lady Mary, adding, “This would also save us from troubling Miss Bertha every time.”
Mary narrowed her eyes slightly, the corners of her mouth curving upward. “Well said. After all, as the young master’s personal butler, it is indeed improper to trouble others with such matters repeatedly.” She looked at Kexo. “Sir, why not teach the Cleaning Spell to Pei Sen?”
Pei Sen could now clearly see that Kesso’s status was higher than Lady Mary’s, yet the two obviously did not get along; more accurately, Lady Mary always maintained a subtle, lingering wariness toward Kesso.
Since Miss Bertha belonged to Kesso’s faction, Lady Mary likely did not want her getting too close to Eagle, which was why she had gone along with Pei Sen’s suggestion.
“Very well.” Kesso casually tossed over a small booklet. “These are Bertha’s notes from when she studied magic as a child; you can learn from them,” he said with a smile. “If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to come to me or to Bertha.”
He wasn’t worried in the least. Although this newly appointed personal butler possessed magical talent, his aptitude was extremely poor, and it was nearly impossible for someone of common birth to comprehend the obscure language of magic.
Children like Bertha, who possess outstanding aptitude, still spend a tremendous amount of time and effort mastering magic from a young age before even gaining entry.
Kesso knew that Mary remained wary of him and was reluctant to let him bring Bertha close to Eagle, yet she expected such a personal butler to learn magic in a short span of time.
That was nothing but a fool’s dream.
However, what Kesso did not know was that there exists a kind of mage in this world…
They are called gamers.