Chapter 2

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Chapter 2: Take That, You Big Bully!

A ledger is a book that records economic activities. Because of differences in time, location, and even worldviews, there are many types.

Lin Lin could only keep telling herself. In a world with demon races, dragon races, slimes, and other creatures, it makes sense for there to be strange ledgers.

Yes, it makes sense. Even if the ledger says things like "Sunny but very windy" and "Today’s lunch was really bad," it is still reasonable.

…No, no matter how much I try to convince myself, seeing the weather and lunch in the ledger is very painful.

This is why Lin Lin came to find the Demon King, holding two thick books and filled with anger.

Dragon Safir did not plan to leave. The three humanoid beings sat at the square table in the Demon King’s office. Warm afternoon sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the table, and Lin Lin spread out the account book.

Lin Lin pointed to the landscape illustration on top and said calmly, "What is this about?"

The Demon King replied, "I don’t know."

Lin Lin said, "This painting is very skilled; the use of color is excellent. The person who painted it must be very talented."

The Demon King suddenly spoke in an unexpectedly elegant tone, "Oh, my dear friend, I painted this for my 160th birthday. It brings back such memories."

…It really is you!

Although it was unfounded, for some reason, thinking of this loose and casual style made Lin Lin lock onto the suspect the moment she opened the account book.

Lin Lin quickly flipped through the account book, skipping over the daily entries that resembled a child’s diary. The front at least recorded income and expenses, but by the end, it turned into a simple log of daily events unrelated to money.

"What is this?" Lin Lin asked.

The Demon King looked down at the words written above and said honestly, "I make honey cakes pretty well."

Who cares if the Demon King can make honey cakes? Winnie the Pooh?

Lin Lin asked sincerely, "Where’s the money? The money that should be in the account?"

The Demon King looked up, as he realized something was wrong, and showed a bright smile.

Lin Lin was very familiar with this smile; whenever the Demon King tried to sneak something past, this handsome and powerful Your Majesty the Demon King would show a warm smile like sunshine.

On the day Lin Lin was summoned to this world, when she angrily grabbed the tip of his horn, Your Majesty the Demon King had that same smile.

This scoundrel is just trying to get away with everything and isn’t helping at all!

The more Lin Lin looked at that bright smile, the angrier she became. She reached out and grabbed the left tip of the Demon King’s horn, forcing the tall young man to lower his head for some serious reflection, "You should catch up on all the information you missed over the years!"

Your Majesty the Demon King obediently lowered his head, and his silky, curly hair swayed along with it.

The young man’s curled horns on his forehead, like a mountain goat, were a sign of adulthood in the demon race. Even Safir from the dragon race had horns on his forehead, but the dragon race’s horns were straighter.

A cool and delicate feeling landed in Lin Lin’s palm as her fingertips brushed over the uneven texture. Humans do not have such horns; the feeling is more like touching deer or sheep.

The strange touch of the non-human made Lin Lin instinctively feel uneasy, and she looked away.

In the moment Lin Lin noticed she was holding the Demon King’s horns, his smile paused for an instant.

It seemed that this method was effective in stopping his trickery, Lin Lin thought simply in her mind, as she saw the Dragon youth sitting across from her suddenly look taken aback.

The young dragon held a teacup, looking down as he sipped water. As he swallowed, the delicate ice-blue scales on his neck shimmered softly with the motion.

Safir never understood how to hide his intentions, so his gaze was very obvious. The young dragon raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw Lin Lin holding the Demon King’s horns.

Compared to disagreeing with Lin Lin’s offensive action, Safir looked more surprised, as if he felt unexpected emotions.

Lin Lin immediately let go.

The moment of instinctively letting go when realizing something is wrong is as natural as being called over by a leader and suddenly receiving praise for being promising, leading to an instinctive caution about whether additional work is incoming.

This time, Safir was quite quiet and did not say much; he slowly lowered his gaze and continued to drink water, as if his earlier surprise had never happened.

Lin Lin turned to look at the Demon King sitting next to her.

The Demon King looked just the same as usual, already back to wearing that smile.

Oh no, this guy’s emotions are very stable, so I can’t use his reactions to judge the common sense of this world.

Not wanting to directly ask if touching the horns has any special meaning in front of these horned creatures, Lin Lin decided to talk to the friendly slimes later.

The young Dragon race showed no interest in the account book; he obviously cared more about other things.

"Why suddenly summon beings from another world?" Safir looked at the Demon King with a calm attitude that seemed almost provoking, "This is a very risky thing to do."

As the one considered a risk, Lin Lin looked up, feeling curious too.

"You ask about this…" The Demon King scratched his head, "I saw this old book in my father’s study, so I thought I would give it a try."

[Father?]

Lin Lin quickly noticed this word. Could it be that the Demon King has a title passed down through generations?

When it came to the Demon King’s father, Safir did not ask more questions. The young man lightly tapped his fingers on the table, looking somewhat relaxed. He didn’t know where he pulled out a piece of paper from the Demon King’s study, but he began to write and draw on it.

Lin Lin peeked sideways and discovered it was a sign-in sheet, filled with names of others along with Safir’s.

A attendance sheet! Do you villains have something like this as well?

Safir leisurely marked the days he had not shown up with a check. Perfect attendance this month, the young Dragon race member nodded in satisfaction.

Boss, look! He is cheating on his attendance!

Lin Lin’s eyes widened like saucers, signaling to her boss sitting next to her.

The Demon King, feeling uneasy under her stare, looked at the clock.

The Demon King said, "It’s five o’clock. It’s time to go home. You set the nine-to-five hours, so let’s not talk about work anymore!"

Lin Lin: …

Wow, the nine-to-five rule was created to avoid overtime, and you made me follow it.

Wow, I’ve become a capitalist.

–

Hello, it’s true, I might be the only one in the villain group who works hard.

Even though I am a human.

Lin Lin, summoned from another world by the Demon King, was given the task of managing funds for continuous growth. On her first day accepting her role as the Demon King’s servant, she made a promise.

Work four days and rest three, with five types of insurance and two kinds of benefits, fifteen months of salary, and a nine-to-five schedule.

Now, the very scary thing is that her direct boss spends every day trying to stay until after five o’clock, hoping Lin Lin won’t bother him with work matters.

After finishing afternoon tea, Your Majesty the Demon King smoothly moved on to dinner.

"Let’s have a meal together," said the Demon King, feeling very happy.

Lin Lin, "…No thanks."

The last time she dined with the Demon King, they had swamp catfish. She spent the whole night feeling sick. Her face looked darker than the swamp where they caught the fish.

Although she signed a contract with the Demon King, Lin Lin is human and cannot withstand the toxins of the demon realm creatures.

After several days of eating only boiled radishes and boiled cabbage, having a hard time finding normal human food, Lin Lin felt her mood getting worse, directly linked to the tasteless and monotonous meals.

The wise Dragon race spoke up, "She needs to eat human food."

Lin Lin suddenly looked at Safir, her eyes showing a hint of expectation.

Could it be… could it be that this seemingly cold guy is actually a very reliable person!

Safir looked at Lin Lin, and they locked eyes. The knowledgeable Dragon nodded slightly, exuding a quiet confidence that said, "You don’t need to say anything for me to understand," with noble and graceful movements.

The Sapphire Dragon’s expression was calm as he slowly said, "Humans need to eat millet. I have millet; give her five tons."

Lin Lin: …You eat five tons of millet yourself! You have no understanding of humans at all!

That night, Lin Lin ate boiled radish with steamed millet while tears filled her eyes, looking at the Rock Slime who brought her cabbage soup.

Lin Lin carefully placed the hot soup from the Rock Slime onto the dining table to avoid burning her hands. Then, once the Rock Slime got to the right spot, it slowly turned into liquid and flowed out from the bottom of the soup bowl, safely returning to the ground.

As a low-level creature, a slime cannot communicate with humans using language.

However, Lin Lin, who had signed a contract with the Demon King, could pick out some keywords from the sounds the slime made.

Lin Lin poked the horn on Rock Slime’s head and asked, "Does touching the horn of a demon have any special meaning?"

The dark golden Rock Slime looked serious, thought hard, and replied, "Beep! Sleep!"

Hmm… That seems like an unrelated answer, maybe there are things that slimes don’t know.

Lin Lin moved her gaze away out of boredom, ignoring the small gestures Rock Slime was making, and struggled to swallow her food.

It tasted like chewing wax.

Lin Lin had a regular routine, and after eating, she went back to her room to rest.

Walking through the dark hallway, she was already used to the pure white demon statues standing on either side; each statue had different shapes with their eyes lowered, but they all looked so lifelike as if they could come to life at any moment.

The first time Lin Lin walked through this hallway, she felt as if she were being watched from the shadows, but now she had learned to ignore that strange feeling and clear her mind.

But this time there was an unexpected event.

Empty your mind. It is not a wise thing to do.

Lin Lin started to reflect when everything became dark.

The light on the wall suddenly went out, and the closed windows blocked all brightness. The already eerie and closed castle became even more strange and silent.

Lin Lin looked around, but of course she could see nothing. In the darkness, she heard tiny sounds like grass blades rubbing against each other.

Humans are very strange creatures. Perhaps because they are weak, their senses, which are dull compared to demons or elves, suddenly become incredibly sharp when they are in a disadvantageous position.

Even if some feelings might be wrong, they could just be illusions created by fear and tension.

The small sounds were amplified infinitely, like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, and Lin Lin’s heart began to race.

In the pitch-black corridor, there was not a single ray of light. Lin Lin opened her eyes wide in vain; she caught a whiff of the scent of fallen leaves.

There could be no fallen leaves in the castle, let alone this strange, slightly rotten smell.

Someone is watching her. Maybe it’s not a person.

Lin Lin frowned and took two steps back, her back pressed against the cold stone statue of a demon standing in the corridor, the icy touch coming through her silk dress.

The statue has curves.

In the deep silence, Lin Lin could still think that this might be the demon with angel-like wings.

Lin Lin had not paid much attention to the statue’s appearance, but compared to those terrifying demons with sharp teeth, one of the cold, indifferent faces really looked more like an angel.

Lin Lin herself was not interested in the legends of gods, but she had heard that some angels fall and become demons, their feathers changing from pure white to gray or black. If you only judge by the colorless statue, their handsome, cold faces and dignified bodies are no different from their former angel brethren.

They are devout and chaste believers, defenders of the light. They possess solemn faces and the strong bodies of warriors.

Lin Lin heard a rustling sound again.

In the darkness where she cannot see, something is quietly approaching.

A faint breath brushed against her face. She felt a presence from all around her, like countless cold threads wrapping around the side of her face.

Lin Lin squinted slightly.

This was not her imagination; someone was standing around her, even looking closely at her face.

Silent dark creatures were watching her.

Lin Lin tried to appear calm, but her body couldn’t help but lean back. She leaned completely against the wings of the Fallen Angel Stone Statue, the hard statue pressed painfully against her back.

Lin Lin kept stepping back, lost her balance, and accidentally fell into the arms of the Fallen Angel statue. Luckily, the statue held a staff, and its slightly bent cold arms "caught" her.

Lin Lin steadied herself by holding onto the statue’s forearm.

The man’s body was wide and cold. Lin Lin could even feel the delicate texture and tension of the taut muscles in the statue’s arm. The Fallen Angel Stone Statue, holding its staff, wrapped around her in a way that was both binding and protective.

She was trapped between unknown dark creatures and the statue of the Fallen Angel.

The statue behind her was just as cold, and the chilly air surrounding her made her tremble uncontrollably.

"Hello?" Lin Lin said softly, successfully calming her emotions once again.

She received no response.

Lin Lin closed her useless eyes in the darkness, using her other senses to pick up on details, and then she noticed that one side of her loose hair had been gently lifted by someone.

The other person did not touch her skin. Lin Lin thought about this.

Throughout the entire process, it wasn’t just Lin Lin who was being cautious.

This realization eased Lin Lin’s tension in the darkness again, but she still couldn’t control her wandering thoughts.

Could there be creatures in Demon King Castle that hate humans?

Lin Lin heard a rustling sound again.

What is it that stands before her?

Compared to the demon, the unknown makes one shiver even more, not to mention that slow, gentle breath lightly falling on her exposed skin.

It was too terrible; although there was no direct touch, this overly careful observation made her just as uncomfortable. It even felt somewhat sticky and gross.

A faint breath came from an unknown direction, brushing over Lin Lin’s soft face, nearing her delicate neck.

Lin Lin instinctively wanted to move away, but her frozen body wouldn’t budge. She parted her lips, feeling dryness in her mouth.

Lin Lin couldn’t see, but in the darkness, a shape revealed its sharp teeth and was drawing close to her tender neck, ready to bite down and leave a mark.

Lin Lin felt uneasy; this discomfort came not only from her panic of the dark but also from a sense of warning she couldn’t explain, as if there were a third person calmly advising her to stay away.

Lin Lin turned her body slightly, the mark left by the Demon King on her neck felt warm.

Sharp teeth brushed against her neck in the air, without touching her skin.

The dark creature underground quietly stared at Lin Lin’s face. It could feel the dangerous aura of the Demon King Imprint, but it couldn’t help but drool as it assessed whether this woman was worth the risk.

The warm and soft scent of the human woman spread in the air. The higher body temperature of surface creatures was easy to sense, and even her hidden fear smelled delicious.

The dark creature finished its assessment.

It took another step forward.

A force pushed against it, preventing it from getting closer, and the dark creature narrowed its eyes.

Like a small light flickering to life in the dark night.

In the pitch-blackness, the Fallen Angel Stone Statue, which had its eyes tightly closed as if asleep, slowly opened its eyes. Lin Lin was cradled in its arms.

The stone statue’s golden eyes glimmered softly.

The Fallen Angel’s light golden eyes coldly regarded the intruder hidden in the darkness, and the staff in its hand shone with a faint glow. Even though it had turned to darkness, the Fallen Angel still showed a hint of disdain for the dark creature.

No matter if they have fallen or not, angels always respond to the prayers of humans seeking protection.

The offender in the darkness did not back down, but instead, lowered their body, taking on a more beast-like stance, creating a tighter and more dangerous standoff.

The greedy person is best at tasting blood from a sharp knife.

A silent struggle.

Lin Lin could not see these things. She only knew that danger was getting closer.

But she was starting to feel impatient.

If you can hurt someone, hurt them; if you can’t, then get lost! Why all this drama? Don’t you know others have to work tomorrow!

"What a dirty rat that can’t stand the light," Lin Lin shouted, "Come on, come on, let me give you two punches."

The sound broke the silence.

Silence was broken.

Lin Lin threw wild punches at the air.

The creature hiding in the darkness seemed to be like a cat that had its tail stepped on. A cool breeze brushed past Lin Lin’s ear, and something quickly pulled away.

The lights on the walls flickered back to life, leaving the hallway empty.

Lin Lin blinked, adjusting to the sudden brightness. She leaned against the chest of the statue to calm her racing heartbeat. Those wild punches took a lot out of her.

Half a minute later, Lin Lin pushed herself away from the Fallen Angel Stone Statue’s arm and stood up straight again.

She couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but Lin Lin felt that the curve of the statue’s drooping eyes looked different than before.

Lin Lin tilted her head slightly, carefully studying the statue.

"Lin?"

Lin Lin turned around.

The Demon King, standing at the other end of the corridor, greeted her. The young man looked at her curiously and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lin Lin gathered her long hair. The mark of the Demon King still felt warm against her skin. "I just got tangled up with something gross. Can you remember what dark and nasty creatures are in the castle?"

The Demon King smiled brightly. "Isn’t it a coincidence? They’re all here! All of them are trash!"

You are very proud!