"Players! Always the players!" Linghu Sen's expression was furious as he slammed the official document in his hand onto the table.

As the City Lord of Wanxuan City, he had been diligent since taking office, never daring to slack off.

"How was it resolved?" Linghu Sen suppressed his anger, asking through gritted teeth.

"A fine of one silver coin and three days in jail." The Secretary beside him also wore a somber expression.

The Player in question had outright killed an NPC Native of Wanxuan City, using extremely cruel methods.

Not all Players were sane individuals. Having obtained such advantages, some naturally indulged in various unsavory forms of amusement.

"One silver coin, and only three days of confinement!" Linghu Sen's expression turned increasingly grim.

He desperately wanted to do something, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to act. He sighed. "I understand. You may leave. After all, it's a decision made by His Majesty, the Supreme Deity."

The judgment wasn't issued by him, but by the Game System.

Currently, there were three classes: the supreme Game System; the Players, who acted as its hounds and soldiers; and at the very bottom, the NPC Natives of the God-given World.

In terms of bias, the Game System naturally favored the Players, since they could earn substantial benefits for it.

Meanwhile, the NPC Natives of the God-given World were not complete life forms, but rather akin to strings of code. Despite possessing independent thoughts, they were still bound by the rules.

Players needed to reproduce to increase their numbers, but the NPC Natives did not. It didn't matter if they were killed, because the Game System could generate them at will, merely consuming some inconsequential errors in the process.

A single Player's monthly output could create numerous NPC Natives. Therefore, when an NPC Native was killed, the Game System would, at most, mete out a mild punishment, never taking it too seriously.

Even if a Player were to kill him, the City Lord, he would still drop Gold Coins as usual. Then, the Player would be punished, and another City Lord—either a new version of him or someone else—would simply be generated.

This realization plunged the City Lord into deep despair; he was destined to be a mere tool for his entire existence.

If only I could... Linghu Sen murmured quietly. He contemplated rebellion. Unlike the low-ranking NPC Natives, as a City Lord, he had seen much more and possessed self-awareness. He thought not only of himself but also of his many NPC brethren.

At this thought, he couldn't help but chuckle. I'm overthinking things.

The Game System was simply not something he could resist.

There were plenty of NPC Natives stronger and of higher status than him, and even they were helpless. How could he possibly succeed?

Evil Demons? He couldn't even come into contact with them.

Just like non-battle-type Awakeners in the Soul Aspect World, NPC Natives couldn't enter game instances. Therefore, they couldn't come into contact with the Erroneous Sin, let alone use it to rebel against the Game System.

Of course, he knew that becoming a Fallen Player was an option, but he didn't want to choose that path.

As an NPC Native, he greatly resented Players. More importantly, those Players who became Fallen Players were not good people; they committed all manner of atrocities, from murder to arson.

They were extremely radical.

Although Fallen Players had escaped the Game System's control and were actively resisting it, this didn't mean they were good people.

On the contrary, their actions were even more terrifying.

The entire world was a pasture for the Game System, meaning that no matter how much havoc they wreaked, they were, in essence, resisting the Game System.

If I truly sought cooperation with Fallen Players, whether I could successfully break free from the Game System's control and become a free NPC Native is one thing; I might just be killed and have my equipment looted by them the moment we met.

"My Lord, something terrible has happened!" The Secretary rushed back in.

"What is it this time? Did the Players slaughter the city?" Linghu Sen's expression darkened again. He couldn't help but consider the worst.

NPC Natives were law-abiding and completely controlled by the Game System, so they were unlikely to cause major incidents. The troublemakers could only be Players.

"It's not the Players. It's in the city..." The Secretary glanced warily outside the room before whispering, "An Abyss Offspring Egg was unearthed."

Linghu Sen was startled. "What? How could such a thing... appear in Wanxuan City?"

"It was just unearthed. I've already arranged for it to be sealed off by trusted subordinates," the Secretary said gravely. "Should we notify..."

"Wait. This matter is too significant. We must make proper arrangements first." Linghu Sen's mind raced.

This seems like an opportunity.

"Yes, My Lord. However, there seems to be something off about that Abyss Offspring Egg. It appears to be underdeveloped."

"Perhaps due to the presence of His Majesty, the Supreme Deity, it's only about half a person's height, its aura unstable and quite Weak," the Secretary muttered.

He didn't understand why the City Lord wanted to suppress this information, but it wasn't his place to question, only to report the facts. He sensed that Linghu Sen had other ideas.

"I understand. You've handled this well. Now, take me to see it," Linghu Sen said, a peculiar light flickering in his eyes.

To rebel against the Game System, one doesn't necessarily need the Erroneous Sin. The Power of Chaos from the Abyss could also work. In fact, it might be even more effective than the Erroneous Sin.

"Yes, please follow me." The Secretary certainly wouldn't refuse.

Led by the Secretary, Linghu Sen soon saw the heavily guarded Abyss Offspring Egg.

Its Weak state was apparent at first glance. Without proper care, it might completely lose its vitality within two or three days and turn to dust.

"How did this thing get here? Do you have any leads?" Linghu Sen was naturally suspicious.

When the Game System rebuilt Wanxuan City, it must have razed the previous ruins, perhaps even scouring the earth three feet deep to sterilize the area. How could anything have been left behind? Thus, the object's appearance was abrupt. It made him suspicious. He wasn't irrational; he couldn't possibly believe the object had always been there.

Remnants of some group intend to strike Wanxuan City again! However, their plan failed, which is why it was discovered.

"We don't have any leads at the moment. It just appeared out of nowhere," the Secretary reported.

He had ordered an investigation, but it had simply materialized out of thin air, leaving not the slightest trace.

"This is troublesome. If they could send one, they can send a second, a third, or even more."

"For now, seal the object in the City Master's Mansion. Find out how it appeared as soon as possible. We must eliminate the root of this problem to prevent future trouble," Linghu Sen said without hesitation.

"My Lord, this object is dangerous. Storing it in the City Master's Mansion might be ill-considered. If anything were to happen to you, I'm afraid all of Wanxuan City would descend into chaos." The Secretary hesitated. He truly hadn't expected Linghu Sen to do this. He had initially thought Linghu Sen planned to use the object to gain a promotion, but instead, it was being taken to the City Master's Mansion. For a moment, he couldn't quite fathom Linghu Sen's intentions. Still, he felt he had to offer his counsel; if it was ignored, that was another matter.

"It is precisely because it's dangerous that it must be kept in the City Master's Mansion. I can report to His Majesty, the Supreme Deity, at the first sign of trouble and request suppression," Linghu Sen stated his reason.

This reason was clearly nonsense. Linghu Sen had never been seen leading from the front when danger arose on ordinary days. Why would he suddenly have such an idea this time?

"Yes, My Lord." The Secretary had no intention of arguing with Linghu Sen. After all, he didn't usually reside in the City Master's Mansion. He only went there to report on major incidents, such as homicides or the current discovery of the Abyss Offspring Egg. Otherwise, most of the time, he wouldn't go to the City Master's Mansion. Therefore, even if the City Master's Mansion exploded, it would have little to do with him. He decided it was best to look out for himself.

"Mm, handle this matter carefully. Don't let any information leak out, or it will significantly impact our Wanxuan City."

"If this lowers Wanxuan City's assessment rating, then everyone's benefits will be reduced next year. Understand?!" Linghu Sen admonished sharply at the end.

Linghu Sen understood human nature. Appealing to grand principles of duty to city and country could work, but it was even better to mention how it would affect their own stipends. These people might not care about Wanxuan City's reputation, but they couldn't ignore their monthly stipends and various benefits. Only through self-interest could they be truly bound.

"Understood! We'll take this secret to our graves," the Secretary was the first to declare, as it directly concerned his own interests.

With someone taking the lead, the rest was much simpler; one after another, they eagerly affirmed they would definitely not leak any information.

"It's good that you understand. This is also for everyone's well-being," Linghu Sen stated plainly, though it was only a trivial hint.

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