Chapter 10: The Midnight Exchange
Stillness settled deeper into the night.
Beneath the moonlight, Silverhaven City's towering skyline shimmered with countless lights as people continued their ordinary lives below, completely unaware of the monsters hiding among them.
The city breathed on in blissful ignorance.
Fenrir Endarth walked alone along the quiet sidewalk.
The young woman he had rescued had been safely admitted to a nearby hospital.
Before disappearing inside, she had thanked him over and over again.
She had even tried to ask for his name.
Fenrir had simply smiled before turning away.
Some things were better left unknown.
Especially now.
His life had become too dangerous to involve innocent people.
As he walked, his fingers brushed against the black card inside his coat.
Midnight Exchange Society.
Lucien's final words echoed inside his mind.
"You need answers."
Fenrir stopped beneath a lonely streetlamp.
"OBLIVION."
A familiar blue screen appeared.
"Can you identify this card?"
Several seconds passed.
Then—
[Scanning...]
[Unknown Material Detected.]
[Ancient Spatial Enchantment Identified.]
[Recommendation: Infuse Mana.]
Fenrir frowned.
"Mana?"
"I have mana?"
[Affirmative.]
[All awakened beings possess mana.]
"How do I use it?"
A brief silence followed.
Then—
[Imagine it.]
Fenrir stared blankly.
"...That's your explanation?"
[Yes.]
He sighed.
"You're unbelievably unhelpful."
[Incorrect.]
[I have provided precise instructions.]
'One day I'm definitely punching this thing.'
[Violence against System entities is not recommended.]
"...You can read my thoughts?"
[Affirmative.]
'Wonderful.'
Fenrir removed the black card from his pocket.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Following OBLIVION's instructions, he imagined a stream of energy flowing through his body.
At first...
Nothing happened.
Then—
A gentle warmth spread through his chest.
It flowed into his shoulder.
Down his arm.
Into the card.
Click.
The crimson eye engraved upon its surface slowly opened.
A deep voice echoed inside his mind.
"Identity confirmed."
"Temporary visitor access granted."
The silver crescent moon began to glow.
The air before him rippled like the surface of a disturbed lake.
Space itself folded inward.
A doorway slowly materialized.
Beyond it...
Was another world.
Fenrir stared in silence.
"So..."
"It really exists."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the doorway disappeared behind him.
His surroundings completely changed.
Gone were the streets of Silverhaven City.
In their place stood a vast underground metropolis unlike anything he had ever imagined.
Ancient stone buildings stood beside elegant cafés.
Floating magic circles illuminated storefronts.
Blue crystals embedded throughout the streets bathed the entire city in a gentle glow.
Above the marketplace floated metallic spheres engraved with countless runes, projecting maps of unfamiliar star systems.
Crystal screens displayed news from places Fenrir had never heard of.
Merchant ships.
Interstellar trade routes.
Distant worlds.
People filled every road.
Or rather...
Beings.
A woman with snow-white wings calmly sipped coffee outside a café.
A dwarf hammered glowing metal inside an enormous forge, each strike sending sparks dancing through the air.
Two horned demons loudly argued over the price of an enchanted battle axe.
Several elves quietly browsed books inside an ancient library.
A family of beastkin enjoyed dinner together while laughing at one another's stories.
Outside a bookstore, a vampire calmly turned the pages of an old newspaper as though nothing around him were unusual.
Nobody looked surprised.
Nobody appeared hostile.
To them...
This was simply another evening.
Fenrir stood frozen.
"..."
"So humanity has been living beside all this..."
"...without ever noticing."
[Correct.]
A strange feeling settled over him.
For the first time since awakening—
he didn't feel alone.
Monsters.
Magic.
Ancient races.
None of them were human.
Neither was he.
And somehow...
that thought no longer frightened him.
A calm voice interrupted his thoughts.
"First time?"
Fenrir turned.
Standing beside him was an elderly gentleman with neatly combed white hair.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with spotless white gloves.
Despite the lively chaos surrounding them, he looked as though he belonged in the lobby of a luxury hotel.
His posture was flawless.
His smile warm and professional.
"My name is Sebastian Crowe."
"I'm one of the reception managers of the Midnight Exchange."
Fenrir nodded cautiously.
"Fenrir."
"A pleasure."
Sebastian inclined his head politely.
"I assume Lord Lucien sent you?"
Fenrir raised an eyebrow.
"You know him?"
"We've conducted business together for nearly eighty years."
'I'm beginning to think everyone in this world is ancient.'
Sebastian gestured toward the bustling streets.
"Welcome to the Midnight Exchange."
"The only truly neutral territory in this region."
"No fighting."
"No assassinations."
"No political conflicts."
"Everyone obeys one absolute rule."
Fenrir waited.
Sebastian's smile remained unchanged.
"Break the peace..."
"...and you'll disappear forever."
His voice never changed.
There was no threat.
No intimidation.
Only certainty.
For some reason...
Fenrir believed every word.
Sebastian turned.
"Come."
"I'll show you around."
As they walked deeper into the marketplace, Fenrir found himself looking in every direction.
Everything felt impossible.
A blacksmith forged weapons with brilliant blue flames.
Several fox-eared children chased one another through the streets, their laughter echoing between the stone buildings.
A giant troll quietly enjoyed a bowl of steaming noodles at a nearby restaurant.
An angel and a demon sat across from one another, calmly playing a game of chess.
Fenrir blinked.
'I thought angels and demons hated each other.'
"They do," Sebastian said.
Fenrir nearly jumped.
"Can you read minds too?"
The old butler chuckled.
"No."
"Your face is surprisingly expressive."
"...I see."
"Then why are they playing chess?"
"The Exchange forbids violence."
Fenrir looked back at the pair.
"So..."
"They settle arguments with board games?"
"Sometimes."
Somehow, that was even stranger.
As they passed an old bookstore...
Fenrir suddenly noticed the conversations around him beginning to fade.
A witch slowly lowered her teacup.
A werewolf merchant stopped arranging his merchandise.
Two vampires quietly exchanged glances.
An elf scholar looked up from his book.
One by one...
Eyes turned toward him.
No one approached.
No one spoke.
They simply watched.
Sebastian's smile faded slightly.
"...Interesting."
Fenrir lowered his voice.
"What?"
"They're reacting to your aura."
"My aura?"
"You've suppressed it remarkably well."
"...But not perfectly."
Fenrir immediately became alert.
"Is that bad?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
Sebastian looked ahead.
"Whether someone recognizes it."
That answer gave him absolutely no comfort.
Far across the Exchange...
Inside an elegant private lounge...
A woman slowly lifted her eyes from a crystal wine glass.
Long crimson hair cascaded over her elegant black dress.
Golden eyes shimmered beneath the candlelight.
Her beauty was breathtaking.
A single glance from her was enough to leave ordinary men speechless.
Several powerful vampires stood respectfully nearby.
Each bowed their head.
She ignored them.
Instead...
Her gaze settled toward the entrance of the Exchange.
A slow smile appeared.
"...Impossible."
She could feel it.
An ancient bloodline.
One that should have vanished thousands of years ago.
Her elegant fingers slowly tightened around the crystal glass.
Crack.
The glass shattered.
Red wine spilled across the table like flowing blood.
She didn't even notice.
Softly...
Almost affectionately...
She whispered,
"A Sovereign..."
"So one still lives."
Her smile deepened.
"How interesting."
Elsewhere...
Within the highest tower of the Midnight Exchange...
An old man dressed in simple gray robes slowly opened his eyes.
His pupils held no color.
Only endless silver.
He quietly looked toward the entrance.
For over three thousand years—
nothing had surprised him.
Nothing had frightened him.
Nothing had made him rise from his meditation.
Until tonight.
"The wheel of fate..."
"...has begun to turn once again."
For the first time in over three thousand years...
The Master of the Midnight Exchange stood.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
He walked toward the young man who had unknowingly shaken the hidden world simply by stepping through its gates.
Completely unaware of the countless eyes now watching him...
Fenrir Endarth took his first true step into the supernatural world.
Deep within his soul...
Beyond the God Devourer bloodline....
Something ancient stirred.
The sealed dragon bloodline pulsed once.
As though recognizing something.
As though hearing a distant call.
Then—
it fell silent once more.
Destiny had finally begun to move.