Who told you I am an NPC

"Was it him who explained that the demonic beasts weren't created by the Demon King?"

Yan Yunqing guessed.

He was a little hesitant to move.

Thinking about the text message notifications sent by the game company before, Yan Yunqing felt a bit scared.

Running into a demonic beast lair and fighting for ten days and ten nights just to find the whereabouts of the Demon King?

No way… could it be that the one who actually wanted to kill the king was the Archangel?

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, turned out to be so sinister!

That shouldn't be right.

Thinking of Theodore, the Archangel who was mostly silent and seemed poor with words, but was always the first to respond and quickly complete any command given by the Demon King.

Yan Yunqing felt that Theodore, at the very least, shouldn't have the thought of killing the king…

After all, Theodore had the title of 'The Demon King's Most Loyal Watchdog' on his game panel back then.

Although Yan Yunqing once thought this title was strange, as if it were a metaphor for something, there was no denying that Theodore was really loyal.

The kind that reached the full value of 100 and would never betray.

"Yeah, Theodore threw a 'it's not him' to the other Demon King's retainers who had rushed over, and then retreated back to the Floating Island like a turtle."

Lilian's face was full of admiration.

"As expected of a one-track-minded guy… Of course, the Demon King's retainers couldn't just take his word for it, so they teamed up to investigate the demonic beast nest once, and finally confirmed that the demonic beasts were actually foul creatures born from the bones of gods."

"Therefore, it was finally confirmed that the demonic beasts were the 'calamity' in the prophecy.

That prophecy then spread far and wide, and the latter part, 'the world is annihilated, only the Descenders can save it all,' became known to everyone."

"That's pretty much what happened." Lilian felt her mouth go dry.

She flew to the side of the water tank, cupped a handful of water, and gulped down two mouthfuls.

Yan Yunqing: Cosmic cat mind blown.JPG

He tried to clear his thoughts.

"That's not right, you still haven't explained what a 'Descender' is?"

That was close, Lilian almost got away with glossing over the important part.

Lilian was taken aback, "Huh?

A Descender is just a Descender… Alright, alright, don't look at me like that."

"After this prophecy spread, a legendary mage gave a new interpretation to it, saying that a thousand years later, a Descender would descend upon this world from an otherworldly place, fulfilling this prophecy."

Lilian muttered, "Counting the time, it should be this time next year."

Because the essence of a mage is to use 'language' to manipulate elements, some mages with outstanding abilities or special talents would have a special sense for 'words.'

This was the 'interpretation' Lilian was talking about.

"Next year?" Yan Yunqing was surprised.

Could it be that this 'Descender' wasn't talking about him?

"Who is this legendary mage you're talking about?"

"You don't know?" Lilian looked towards Yan Yunqing's waist, where the pocket watch he had found in his backpack was hanging.

Thanks to this item, he was able to escape from the auction house so smoothly.

Yan Yunqing followed Lilian's gaze and looked at the pocket watch hanging at his waist.

"The legendary mage—Merlin Ellis."

[Merlin's Pocket Watch]: An old pocket watch left by the great legendary mage Merlin, with mysterious magic patterns engraved on it.

Wearing it can reduce the wearer's presence.

When the wearer says, "Oh Creator God, I'm going to be late," they will gain a 300% movement speed bonus for 30s, with a ten-minute cooldown.

『Merlin is great, no need to say more!』

Yan Yunqing was stunned. "Huh? Merlin?"

"I knew you were related to Merlin."

Lilian had a 'I knew it' look on her face.

"The magic patterns on that pocket watch are very ancient, exactly the style that was popular two thousand years ago.

I once saw it in a rubbing of a magic notebook. It was a magic circle created by Merlin himself."

"Ever since Merlin interpreted that prophecy, he also disappeared without a trace not long after.

But he's a human, after all, not a long-lived species.

Maybe he ran off to some corner and died quietly."

"There aren't many of Merlin's relics left in the world.

I haven't even heard of this pocket watch of yours—hey, you're not a descendant of Merlin or something, are you?"

Lilian was gossiping.

"I've read the historical records, you know.

I heard that Merlin was dashing and handsome in his lifetime, and was close to many beautiful human women.

He had dozens of girlfriends one after another!

Since he's your ancestor, you should know something, right?

Which one was your great-great-grandmother?"

Yan Yunqing had dark lines on his face.

"Great-great-grandmother… are you kidding me?"

Yan Yunqing broke out in a sweat.

"Are you really reading a history book?

Isn't that some cheap novel Merlin secretly wrote himself?"

Merlin? Dashing and handsome?

And had countless girlfriends?

What a joke.

Did that description have half a copper coin's worth of relation to the Merlin in his memory?

"That guy absolutely wouldn't have the guts to have dozens of girlfriends."

Yan Yunqing asserted. "He'd have his legs broken."

Lilian's interest was piqued.

"So, you are indeed related to Merlin!"

Yan Yunqing was vague. "Ah… um… a little bit, I guess. I know a little about him."

"You really are extraordinary."

Lilian pinched her chin. "A feather blessed by Theodore, Merlin's relic…"

Yan Yunqing shuddered and blurted out, "How did you know…"

He realized he had misspoken and closed his mouth again.

Lilian giggled.

"You're asking how I knew that feather belonged to Theodore?

Please, I'm an elf, you know. I'm very sensitive to magical fluctuations.

The magical fluctuations on that feather are exactly the same as Theodore's.

I noticed it at first glance."

Yan Yunqing was shocked. "That early?"

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have insisted on following you."

Lilian flew in front of Yan Yunqing and tugged at his hair.

"I'm really curious, how could Theodore, a guy who only has eyes for the Demon King, give a blessed feather to an ordinary human."

"Wait—wait!" Yan Yunqing found a loophole in Lilian's words. "Ordinary human?"

"Ah, that's right." Lilian blinked.

"A human affected by a transformation potion. I knew from the beginning.

I heard the group of mercenaries who sold you here discussing it secretly."

"Transformation potions are very expensive.

The mercenary group that accidentally got it wanted to sell the potion at the auction house, but it was broken by you when you suddenly appeared.

To make up for their losses, they had no choice but to sell you, who had temporarily turned into a cat-man, to the auction house."

Yan Yunqing: …

Yan Yunqing was in disbelief. "So you were acting from the very beginning?"

Although he knew Lilian was definitely not as useless as she appeared, to know everything from the beginning, and even earnestly deceive him, and even call him 'little cat'—

Where was the trust between humans and elves?

Lilian was very innocent.

"I admit, at first I just thought it was fun, and then I found out you had Theodore's feather, so I was a little curious about you, and just tried to get a few more words out of you."

"Who knew you weren't even sure if you were a beastman or not."

Lilian spread her hands.

"Then I found out that the pocket watch was related to Merlin, so I decided to follow you."

Yan Yunqing was at a loss for words.

"So, you didn't just because of this…"

Lilian said as if it were a matter of course, "You have Theodore's feather, and you're related to Merlin who interpreted the prophecy, and you're so mysterious.

I just guessed that you were related to the 'Descender'!"

Lilian studied Yan Yunqing's expression and said slowly, "Now it seems that my guess was right.

You are indeed related to the 'Descender,' or rather, you are the 'Descender'?"

Yan Yunqing covered his face.

No wonder Lilian wasn't surprised at all when the old village chief said he was a Descender.

It turned out Lilian had thought he was this Descender from the very beginning.

How should he put it, it felt like the process was all wrong, but the result was somehow correct.

But you can't solve problems like that!

"Are you angry?"

Seeing Yan Yunqing covering his face, Lilian flew over and peeked, trying to pull his hands away to see his expression.

"You're not really angry, are you? I've already confessed everything to you!"

"You're not crying from anger, are you?"

Yan Yunqing: …

Compared to being angry, Yan Yunqing was more speechless.

"No." Yan Yunqing lowered his hands. "I'm just a little emotional."

Lilian: "Emotional about what?"

Emotional about your winding, eighteen-bend mountain road of a thought process!

"It's nothing." Yan Yunqing waved his hand wearily.

"So, now that you're sure I'm a Descender, are you still going to follow me?"

Now that her curiosity was satisfied, shouldn't Lilian be leaving?

Lilian blinked a couple of times. "Of course."

Yan Yunqing: ?

"What else are you curious about?

Theodore's feather or my relationship with Merlin?"

"It has nothing to do with those." Lilian shook her head.

"But if you're willing to tell me, that's fine too.

I'm really curious about those things."

"As for why I'm following you…"

Lilian gave a mysterious smile, held up her index finger, and waved it in front of Yan Yunqing's eyes.

"Because this is my 'destiny,' to follow the 'Descender' and save the world!"

"Destiny?"

"This is what the elder told me.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me about the 'Descender'." Lilian shook her head.

"This was what I was supposed to do later, so the elder told me these secrets."

"Didn't you say you snuck out?!"

Yan Yunqing narrowed his eyes. Was even that a lie?

"Yeah, after listening to what the elder said, I ran away the next day."

Lilian looked even more innocent.

"According to the elder's original plan, I still had to study in the tribe for a long time.

When I was about to come of age, he would let me out to find the 'Descender,' but I didn't want to study anymore, so I just came out early to look for him."

Yan Yunqing: … A problem child, no doubt.

Why was he feeling a little sympathy for Lilian's elder?

Facing this problem child every day would really shorten one's life, right?