CHAPTER 507: I’M NOT WORKING...

Chapter 507 – I’m Not Working...

They drifted in lazy orbit around him.

Hollow Core Archons. A modern infernal artifact. Triple-class utility units.

Scout. Guard. Seal-node.

Self-replicating when bound to high-greed environments. Capable of linking to InfernalNet. Equipped with shadow-tracking sensors, density-pressure ward fields, and passive aura-logging.

Most demons couldn’t even afford one.

Lux had thirty-six.

He waved two fingers and the three Archons darted forward, scanning the edges of the tower’s dimensional seams. Silent. Efficient. Unseen.

He flicked a command into his HUD.

[Deploy Hollow Core Relay Grid]

[Link to Nexus Prime]

[CFO Clearance: Authorized]

[Zone Surveillance Mode: Active]

The Archons pulsed once. Then split. One hovered high. One sunk low. One burrowed into the ground with a smooth spiral of runes.

"Zoltarin might have Grandpa’s favor," Lux muttered. "But I’ve got the Vaults."

And that meant knowledge.

Power born from pattern. From repetition. From tech the old lords never trusted because they were too obsessed with tradition.

Lux didn’t need tradition.

He needed results.

He watched the Archons finish deployment. The barrier shimmered. The outer field expanded—fused now with both his father’s raw sealing magic and Lux’s modern technetics.

A hybrid defense grid.

Zavros stepped back, visibly drained but satisfied. "Done."

Lux nodded.

So was he.

They stood side by side, staring at the sealed gate. Silent.

Lux folded his arms. "If he moves..."

Zavros finished, "We’ll know."

Lux glanced sideways.

And for once...

He didn’t hate this moment. Not entirely.

Maybe they weren’t the perfect father-son duo.

But today?

They got something done.

Lux stood next to Zavros, staring at the shimmering reinforcement laced over the old Greed Tower like a spiderweb of sigils and tech.

Two Vaelthorns from two different centuries.

Old blood and new code.

The hybrid seal was stable now. Monitored. Hardened.

If Zoltarin so much as breathed too hard in there, the entire monitoring grid would spike red.

No more surprises.

Lux finally exhaled. "Alright. That’s done."

Zavros gave a small nod. His face was unreadable as always, but his stance had relaxed. A little.

They both touched the return ring.

The magic snapped.

And they were back in the office.

The familiar coolness of the Greed HQ washed over Lux instantly.

Seraphyne looked up from the datapads she was skimming on the couch. Legs crossed. Her tail flicked lazily in greeting. "Back so soon?"

Zavros just walked back to his desk like he hadn’t just recast one of the most complicated legacy seals in modern infernal history.

Lux, meanwhile, sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"So," he started, voice casual, "since everything’s settled here..."

Zavros looked up. "You’re going back?"

"Yeah. I need to return to the mortal realm."

Zavros blinked. "Don’t you want to stay for dinner?"

He said it like it was nothing. But the pause afterward made it... not nothing.

"I mean," Zavros added, slower, "just the three of us?"

Lux hesitated. Just for a second.

Seraphyne looked hopeful too.

And yeah... okay, maybe that tugged something in his spine.

But...

"I’ll pass," Lux said with a faint grin. "I got a housewarming. Goddess edition"

Zavros raised a brow. "A meeting?"

Seraphyne tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Another bank merger?"

Lux waved a hand. "Nah."

She perked up. "Ooh. Business or personal?"

"Both." Lux smirked. "I mean, it’s kinda half personal, but if I play my cards right, there’s definitely a business angle. Smooth relations, improved trade flexibility, some backdoor negotiation grease..."

Zavros frowned. "So... work?"

Lux opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

He was about to say something that would’ve been smart. Sharp. Precise.

But Zavros stepped toward him. One foot. Two.

And Lux, spontaneously, took a step back.

Instinct.

His mind flashed to the weight of that chain wrapped around Zavros’s wrist. The way it pulsed with authority. With power older than Lux’s birth.

Zavros noticed.

He paused.

"Lux," he said softly.

Lux didn’t move.

Zavros’s voice dropped lower. "Did you go to the mortal realm to work?"

Lux stayed quiet.

Zavros tilted his head, eyes locked on his son like he was piecing together a contract clause that suddenly looked dangerous. "Are you doing PR jobs up there?"

Lux froze.

Well... shit.

He wasn’t.

Not technically.

But also... not not.

He wasn’t trying to run PR.

He was just... he was...

Okay, yes, he was sleeping with powerful women. And collecting heiresses. And aligning his name with celestial favor. And owning chunks of a mortal bank. And investing in a gaming company. And creating his personal branding.

But that wasn’t work. That was—

"...Nope," Lux said, too fast. "Nope. I fck around and I will continue to fck around."

Seraphyne raised an eyebrow.

Zavros narrowed his eyes.

Lux scrambled. "I destroyed a car. Like totaled it. I wrecked a bike too. I bought a mansion. Okay, stole it. Whatever. Took it over, got it for free. I bankrupted some billionaires. And made my first debut as a model. Mortal model."

Zavros stared.

Lux gestured wildly. "I’m not doing spreadsheets. I’m not setting up department hierarchies. I’m not attending shareholder summits."

Zavros folded his arms.

Lux deflated slightly. "...I might be sleeping with people who own shareholder summits."

Seraphyne made a small sound. Something between an impressed purr and an exasperated sigh.

Zavros looked unconvinced. "Really? Because you still handle things."

Lux stopped.

His lips parted, but nothing came out.

That one hit too close.

Because yeah. Even now. Even while claiming he was off-duty. He was still reinforcing seals. Still calculating long-term alliance benefits. Still tracking legacy threats and laying groundwork for future holdings.

And worst of all... still wearing the damn CFO aura.

He didn’t answer.

Didn’t have to.

"I need to go," he muttered instead.

He turned to the door.

It pulsed as he approached and shifted shape.

The solid obsidian pane blurred, warped, and shimmered. Turned into an elevator door. A thin layer of mist leaked from the base. It smelled faintly of paper contracts and wind from the mortal realm.

His escape route.

His bridge.

His not-work.

Zavros didn’t stop him.

Neither did Seraphyne.

But when he glanced back... yeah.

They were both watching him.

Not angry.

Not disappointed.

Just...

Worried.

Like parents who knew their son wasn’t just playing.

He was already building an empire.

And pretending it was a vacation.

Lux stepped into the elevator.

The doors hissed closed.

[Transference to Mortal Realm: Initiated]

[Route: Personal Anchor Point – Lux’s Mansion]

[Estimated Arrival: 00:00:07]

Lux leaned against the wall, eyes closed.

"...I’m not working," he muttered again.

The system didn’t respond.

Because it knew.

He was.