「Three days quickly rolled by.」

Linghu Sen watched as the Abyss Offspring Egg gradually withered. His search had, of course, been fruitless.

"Such a pity," Linghu Sen spoke helplessly.

The Abyss Offspring Egg eventually vanished into nothingness. Linghu Sen couldn't help but sigh with regret. If I could have harnessed this power, I'm certain I could free my NPC brethren from suffering.

Fortunately, the Egg had disappeared so completely that he didn't need to clean up. He turned to leave the secret chamber, but as he reached to open the door, he suddenly noticed something was wrong.

An odd pattern was emerging on his hand.

"How…how is this possible!!!" Linghu Sen's expression filled with shock and fear.

What shocked him was that a mere Abyss Offspring Egg dared to invade him. After all, even though I'm only an NPC, I'm still considered part of the Game System.

The fear was more direct. I'm doomed.

Whether the Abyss Offspring Egg fully took over his body or he was discovered by the Game System, death was inescapable.

"Damn it, this..." Although he had been vigilant, he had never imagined the Abyss Offspring Egg possessed such an ability. Upon returning to his study, his mind was in chaos.

As an NPC, I'm fully aware of the Game System's brutality. Now that I've been contaminated by an Abyssal Demon, it's far easier for the System to simply erase me than to bother with purification. The cost of purification is far greater than that of appointing a new City Lord.

"Are you there?" Linghu Sen asked cautiously.

If communication were possible, there might still be a glimmer of hope. My main concern is the inability to communicate; without it, I won't even have the chance to persuade it.

This time, however, there was no reaction, unlike before when his words had elicited an immediate response.

Linghu Sen's heart sank.

As dawn vaguely lit the sky, Linghu Sen spoke calmly, "It seems I'm getting further and further away from the God Emperor."

By this point, his body was entirely covered in numerous peculiar patterns.

And yet, he felt no ill effects. On the contrary, he felt increasingly spirited and seemed to be in the process of accepting a legacy known as the Demon Race King.

From this legacy, he learned that the Demon Descendants were, in essence, the Demon Gods, and the Demon Race King was naturally the most powerful among them. This being was capable of confronting the entire world without perishing.

However, this is the Demon God in its prime. I haven't fully inherited its powers, like its extremely efficient Growth and development abilities. To grow stronger, I'll have to continually sow Chaos and assimilate more Demon Descendants.

It seems I've completely escaped the control of the Game System and become fully independent. Linghu Sen tried to contact the Game System, but he had lost this ability.

This made Linghu Sen couldn't help but smile.

"Success! I didn't expect it to be so simple," Linghu Sen mused, feeling that worldly affairs were truly unpredictable.

"Next, we need to turn all NPC brethren into Demon Descendants to get rid of the Game System."

"We just need to plan well to prevent the Game System from detecting it."

The Game System wouldn't care too much about losing one NPC. But if there were hundreds in the same place, it would definitely attract its attention. This is something I have to consider.

The sky gradually brightened, and a knock came from outside his study.

"City Lord, are you alright? I just received a message saying there has been an incident involving you," the Secretary's voice sounded somewhat flustered.

Clearly, because Linghu Sen had escaped the Game System, it could no longer detect the status of Wanxuan City's City Lord. Therefore, the Secretary had been dispatched. If Linghu Sen had died, the Secretary was to replace him. If there were other issues, the Secretary was to report them.

"Come in. It's just a minor matter." Linghu Sen concealed the peculiar patterns on his body, reverting to his normal appearance. This was a disguise achieved using skills he had gained after obtaining the Demon Race King's legacy.

The Secretary pushed the door open and entered. Upon seeing Linghu Sen sitting and reviewing documents, he hesitated, "The God Emperor has relayed a decree, stating that you..."

He didn't dare to finish, as speaking of death was taboo.

His purpose in coming wasn't truly to check if the City Lord was dead or alive, but to inherit the City Lord's powers. The previous knocks and inquiries were just formalities.

Contrary to his expectations, Linghu Sen wasn't dead, which nearly scared the Secretary half to death.

"Said I was dead, did they?" Linghu Sen remarked, completely unperturbed.

"Yes. What happened to you?" the Secretary asked cautiously. This was truly beyond his expectations. The Game System itself had issued the notification; under normal circumstances, Linghu Sen couldn't possibly be alive.

"And yet here I am, alive and well, as you can see."

"It's only because I've broken free from the Game System."

Linghu Sen stood up, his tall and imposing figure exerted immense pressure on the Secretary.

In my memory, Linghu Sen was never this imposing, was he? the Secretary thought.

"You... how is this possible!" The Secretary's voice trembled. Linghu Sen's words shocked him far more than his imposing physique.

"What's so impossible? Otherwise, why would the Game System have notified you to come and succeed me?" Linghu Sen retorted with a cold smirk.

I know exactly why the Secretary is here. But since he showed me some respect, I'll consider him talented. If he had dared to boldly presume he could take over the City Master's Mansion, I would have snapped his head off instantly.

"I... I implore the City Lord to grant me the path to liberation!" The Secretary promptly knelt.

My only course now is to join him. I know I wouldn't survive trying to keep this secret or reporting it to the Game System. Besides, I also want to be free from the Game System's control.

"HA HA HA!" Linghu Sen burst into laughter. "I've been waiting for you to say that!"

"It is precisely because I recognize your talent that I spared your life. Otherwise, why would I be telling you all this?"

I'll transform the Secretary into the first Demon Descendant. First, the Secretary is quite talented. His ability to adapt to changing situations and astutely read people is more than adequate. Additionally, he has numerous connections, enough to ensure the number of Demon Descendants could proliferate rapidly in a short period. The more Demon Descendants there are, the stronger I'll become.

"Thank you, City Lord! I am willing to go through fire and water for you, City Lord!" the Secretary immediately pledged his loyalty.

I need to show the right attitude, he thought.

"Come closer. I shall bestow upon you a power that will change your very being," Linghu Sen declared.

The Secretary, overcome with excitement, rose to his feet and approached Linghu Sen.

Upon touching the Secretary, Linghu Sen immediately activated the power of the Demon Race King, assimilating and infecting him instantaneously. In the next moment, numerous strange patterns began to form on the Secretary's hands.

"This... this is..." The Secretary could clearly feel himself being gradually severed from the Game System, experiencing a sense of freedom he had never known before.

In addition, a completely new power surged within him.

As NPCs, their every action was controlled by the Game System. Therefore, there was no question of them growing stronger or breaking free from their roles; such an option simply didn't exist.

Whether they gained power or received a promotion was entirely dictated by the Game System's data adjustments; they didn't need to strive for anything themselves. Their position and job security often depended solely on the death of their superiors. Even then, advancement was only a possibility, as the Game System might simply generate a new NPC to fill the role.

Consequently, it was entirely possible for an NPC to remain in the same position for their entire existence.

Of course, even reaching the end of their designated 'lifespan' to be 'decommissioned' wasn't easy, assuming a Player didn't kill them first.

The strange patterns took less than ten seconds to completely cover the Secretary's body.

"Congratulations, you've gained your freedom," Linghu Sen said. "Now, you can choose a name for yourself, instead of just being the 'Secretary,' that perfunctory title assigned by the Game System."

The Secretary had never possessed a personal name; he was merely the City Lord's deputy.

This type of NPC, lacking any specific storyline or assigned quests, existed purely to maintain the main city's operations. Naturally, they weren't given any other detailed settings.

Now that he had become a Demon Descendant, no longer a derivative of the Game System, he could finally have a true name.

"There's no hurry for that now," the Secretary said. "We must form an organization as soon as possible to liberate more of our NPC brethren." Having become a Demon Descendant, the Secretary had naturally inherited some of their legacy. Although it was less than what Linghu Sen had received, he too understood a crucial aspect: the more Demon Descendants there were, the stronger all Demon Descendants would become.

"While the Game System hasn't yet reacted, we must convert as many of our brethren into Demon Descendants as quickly as possible."

"Otherwise, if we delay, we will undoubtedly face immense difficulties. Ideally, we should completely expel the Game System's influence from Wanxuan City," the Secretary declared without hesitation.

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