The first thing that struck me about the Demon Realm was how… normal it looked.
Forget the stories about endless fire, blood rivers, or skull castles.The city I walked into looked like a proper metropolis—skyscrapers with glowing signs, hotels boasting seven-star service, schools with uniforms and campuses, shopping districts filled with food stalls, and neon-lit entertainment halls.
If you ignored the horns poking out of some heads, or the occasional tail swishing behind someone's coat, it could've passed for any modern human city.
Even the demons themselves were… unsettlingly human-like.The higher-ranked ones—the nobles, officers, and business leaders—looked almost exactly like us. Sharp suits, shiny shoes, briefcases. At most, their eyes gleamed unnaturally or their shadows twitched too much.The lower-ranked demons showed more obvious differences—scales, claws, odd proportions. But most citizens looked close enough that if they were walking in Mumbai, Tokyo, or New York, you'd just assume it was cosplay.
It was like stepping into a parallel Earth where money wasn't just power.It was religion.
The market streets overflowed with deals. Merchants hawked jewelry forged from compressed souls, banks advertised "low-interest curse loans," and students in uniforms traded magical trinkets outside their academies like baseball cards.
And everywhere, transactions glittered in the air—literal shimmering numbers, as if every coin spent left behind a ghostly receipt.
This was their life. Their rhythm.Buy, sell, trade. Wealth was identity.
And me? I walked in with the Chaos Ledger.Which, of course, ruined everything.
[ Passive Effect Activated: Wealth Aura. ][ Result: Surroundings perceive you as exuding limitless fortune. ]
I froze. "Wait—what?!"
Too late.
The moment I stepped past the first stall, the shopkeeper stiffened, pupils dilating. His hands shook as he shoved a box of fruit into my arms.
"Honored one! Take this. No payment necessary!"
"Eh?!"
Before I could return it, another merchant rushed over."Sir, you must try our enchanted wine!"
Then a hotel manager spotted me from the street."Our VIP penthouse is free tonight—please, accept our hospitality!"
I swear, within five minutes, I was juggling gifts like some emperor on parade.
"Wait, I'm not—""Honored guest, this way!""Your aura… so overwhelming…"
Whispers spread like fire:
"That's him.""The one who erased a beast into currency.""Look at the Wealth Aura… it's divine."
…Wealth Aura?! I was just trying to walk!
And then came the kicker.
"Master Arvale."
I nearly dropped the fruit. A tall man in a black robe was kneeling on one knee in front of me. His features were almost human—clean-shaven face, cold eyes, faint silver horns that curled back elegantly. His presence was sharp, like a corporate executive and a mafia enforcer rolled into one.
The crowd instantly parted, bowing.
"Forgive the rabble. Allow me to escort you properly," he said. His voice carried authority that made spines bend.
"I—uh—escort? Me?"
"Yes." His eyes gleamed. "The Obsidian Fang has been waiting for you."
The Fang? Again?!
Before I could argue, he motioned with his hand, and suddenly I was being paraded through the street like some VIP foreign investor. Students whispered, merchants bowed, even demons in shiny suits adjusted their ties nervously as I passed.
The Ledger hummed quietly inside me.And I thought bitterly—
How am I supposed to live like a normal person when even walking makes people mistake me for a god of money?
If anyone ever asks me what my first day in Demon City was like,I'll just say:
Imagine being broke, confused, and terrified—yet somehow everyone mistakes you for a billionaire mafia boss.
That's how I was dragged into the Obsidian Fang headquarters.
The building itself loomed over the city, not as a fortress of blood and spikes, but as a sleek obsidian skyscraper. Black glass windows reflected the neon lights of the streets, and a massive symbol of fangs biting a coin glowed over the entrance.
The lobby was busier than an airport terminal. Demons in suits marched across polished marble floors. Receptionists with subtle horns tapped away at crystal-like computers. Security demons stood like statues, each one radiating dangerous strength, yet bowing slightly as I walked past.
I wanted to melt into the floor.
But to them?
I was some kind of financial messiah.
"Make way for Master Arvale."
The robed man's voice thundered, and immediately the crowd split.Every pair of eyes followed me, glittering with fear, awe, or calculation.
I heard whispers:
"That aura… terrifying.""He's the one who turned the Shadow Beast into currency, right?""Only a Chaos Envoy could do that…"
Chaos Envoy?Where do they even come up with these titles?!
We entered an elevator—yes, a literal obsidian elevator with glowing runes instead of buttons—and ascended silently. My heart pounded, palms sweaty, and the only thing I could think was:
If they find out I'm just… me, won't I get executed?
The doors opened with a chime.
The top floor looked like a luxury hotel lounge. Leather sofas, chandeliers made of soul-crystals, panoramic windows overlooking the neon city.
And in the center sat a man with silver hair, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. His horns were minimal, almost decorative, and his eyes shone gold like molten coins. He radiated the kind of calm danger you'd expect from both a kingpin and a CEO.
The room went silent as we entered.
"Director Kael," the robed man bowed deeply. "I have brought him."
Director?!
The silver-haired man stood slowly, adjusting his cufflinks, and then smiled at me like an old friend.
"So… you've finally arrived."
Me: "H-Hello?"Ledger: [ Passive Deception Aura: Activated. ]Crowd: collective gasp
They all bowed. Even the Director lowered his head slightly.
"Forgive me, Chaos Envoy," he said smoothly. "We did not expect the Ledger's chosen to reveal himself so soon."
My brain blanked.Ledger's… chosen?I'm not chosen, I'm cursed!
But I couldn't speak. Every word I tried to force out was twisted by the Ledger's aura.
Me: "I… don't really—"Them (hearing): "The Envoy hides his true might. A test, no doubt."
Me: "I'm just—"Them (hearing): "He's modest. Truly terrifying."
It was like being stuck in a permanent comedy sketch where every denial sounded like a threat.
The Director gestured to a chair beside him. "Please, sit. This floor is reserved for the Organization's highest decisions. No one unworthy may enter… yet you walked in, and the building itself bowed to your aura."
I sat stiffly, trying not to sweat through the leather.
He poured two glasses of crimson liquid—wine, I hoped—and slid one toward me. "To our future alliance."
I almost choked. Alliance?! With what?!
Then came the words that froze the entire room.
"From this day forward, the Obsidian Fang acknowledges you, Rayan Arvale, as a candidate for Director."
The demons around gasped like he'd announced the Demon King himself.
"Director Candidate?!""So soon?""The Chaos Envoy truly moves fast…"
I nearly fainted. Candidate?! That means responsibility, power struggles, assassinations—
But they all looked at me like I'd just claimed the throne.
The Ledger hummed again.
[ Achievement: Mistaken for a Director Candidate. ][ Reward: 100 Chaos Credits. ]
…This stupid book is going to kill me.
The meeting went on with demons reporting profits, wars, and recruitment numbers. I just nodded occasionally, hoping no one noticed I didn't understand half the terms.
Yet every nod made them tremble.Every blink made them panic.Every sip of wine made them whisper about my "unshakable composure."
By the end, I wasn't just a stranger.
I was the mysterious financial juggernaut everyone swore to follow.
When I finally stumbled out of the skyscraper, arms full of contracts and gifts, the city below erupted in rumors.
"The Chaos Envoy has joined the Obsidian Fang!""A new Director Candidate walks among us!""The balance of power will shift!"
And me?
I just wanted a bed. A cheap one.Instead, I now had a seven-star suite booked under my name… for free.
That night, staring at the glowing city through a penthouse window, I muttered:
"…What kind of trial did I get dragged into?"
The Ledger responded softly, like it was laughing at me.
[ Correction: What kind of empire will you build? ]