It was strange.
That was what Song thought as he continued walking toward the relaxation chamber.
Many of the men before him had apparently grown used to going there to relieve their stress. The thought disgusted him. Despite Azeron's powerful, muscular appearance, he was still a man in his sixties. The idea of him lounging in hot baths surrounded by dozens of breathtaking women made him sound like some depraved old man.
Song had once assumed those previous young men were simply lustful idiots trying to lie to themselves for the sake of a few large breasts.
But now—
Song no longer blamed them.
A single hour inside this body had made him realize how unbearable it truly was. His heightened senses turned sight and sound into constant pain, an endless assault that bordered on terror.
And worse than that—
The pressure from others.
That young man, Kaeler… Song had managed to manipulate him, but he understood perfectly well that Kaeler knew something was wrong with his king.
The reason Song realized this was because he could feel Kaeler's emotions and inner thoughts.
Kaeler, the royal aide and personal guard. Song remembered the information from the book: terrifyingly intelligent, obsessively observant, utterly loyal to both king and queen.
Then Azeron's mocking voice echoed inside him.
"You realize he may expose you eventually. Your terrible acting makes me laugh. I never imagined myself in such a pathetic situation… or bowing my back."
Song answered quietly,
"And you realize he cares more about your beautiful wife than you do."
Azeron smiled.
"Everyone does. I know I'm very fortunate. But don't worry—I doubt he loves her romantically. Perhaps more like a mother. I never cared much about emotions."
Then Song felt something resembling praise from him.
"Well done manipulating him. You remembered a small detail." Azeron sighed softly. "My beloved queen always sneaks out without anyone noticing. She loves helping others despite knowing she should remain inside the castle. Perhaps we should spend more time with her."
Song grimaced.
"You're a cuckold. I'm not spending time with some old woman."
Azeron burst into laughter.
"First, you haven't seen her. Second, we both know you're too much of a coward to anger me. None of you would dare touch her."
Song looked around him.
He was crossing a bridge connecting the towers. The wind struck Azeron's massive chest as the fantasy city stretched before him, filling him with awe and unease.
He had never imagined a fantasy world could be this beautiful.
If one ignored the filthy cities to his left.
Green plains, endless forests, and magnificent floating mountains in the distance created scenery so surreal it would sound ridiculous if described in a novel.
To his right, the sea stretched endlessly. Song could even perceive the curve of the planet itself. When ships appeared on the horizon, their masts emerged first before the rest followed—as if rising from beneath the world.
Everyone knew the world was round.
But what most people never realized was that this exact phenomenon had once been one of Aristotle's earliest proofs that Earth was spherical.
It looked like a perfect place for vacations.
And yet—
Song still could not accept that he was truly in another world.
Fear crushed him suddenly.
Perhaps he should return home.
He shook his head violently. He refused to let greed control him. The power might be unimaginable, but the consequences…
Song seriously considered leaving.
Then he froze.
The fear of losing an opportunity that would never come again gripped him tightly.
He had to—
See his parents.
The guilt was killing him.
The city walls were astonishing—constructed from dark stone that resembled polished coal, stretching nearly forty meters high. With Azeron's vision, Song could even see the dome of energy surrounding them.
A bitterly ironic sight.
Because of the monsters roaming this world, humans rarely ventured beyond the walls. The main roads remained relatively safe only because of constant extermination campaigns.
Impaled skeletons lined the roads as warnings to bandits.
Song shivered.
He needed to leave this world.
He moved forward.
Ahead of him stood the doors to the chamber—beyond them, dozens of beautiful women waited.
But that was not what he wanted.
Song crossed the bridge while staring at his hand, memories from the novel resurfacing. The energy within Azeron's body—the force that allowed him to accomplish anything—was so overwhelming it could barely be contained.
Every day, Azeron had to carefully distribute that power evenly throughout his limbs and organs.
And Song now understood how difficult that truly was.
That was why he needed the spellbook.
Otherwise, his body would explode.
Azeron's regeneration could restore even severed limbs instantly while suppressing the pain—but despite that, the agony remained worse than anything Song had ever experienced.
Still, he continued forward with a hardened expression.
"Maybe you never realized this, Azeron…" Song said with unsettling cheerfulness. "But I will never give up. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me."
The golden door was covered in symbols Song could not understand.
Two creatures guarded it.
Song stopped before them.
Massive blue-skinned giants, both completely bald with glowing blue eyes, heavily muscled bodies clad in golden armor while holding luminous spears.
They were not human.
And seeing them in person was genuinely terrifying.
Expressionless.
The novel had never mentioned their names.
They were also the king's executioners.
During the wars, these two had coldly executed anyone Azeron ordered—monsters, men, women, even children from countless races.
As a reward, Azeron had assigned them as guardians of the harem chambers.
Song stepped closer.
Then he felt their emotions.
To his shock—
Fear.
Respect.
Admiration.
To them, Azeron was a horrifying monster.
Song thought about speaking, but the sheer intensity of their fear overwhelmed him.
How the hell had he spoken to Azeron so casually?
These two looked moments away from pissing themselves just standing near him.
"We are honored by your presence, my lord," they said together in deep, thunderous voices, their faces completely rigid.
Song stopped himself from trembling.
He could not appear weak before them.
But something caught his attention.
He sensed shock within them. Fear too, despite their unmoving expressions.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Song asked curiously. "I can feel your fear. Do I truly terrify you that much?"
He smiled mockingly.
"Yes. Greatly."
The answer came instantly.
"Ah, that's ridiculous. I'm merely an old man looking to relax."
Song laughed before continuing while gripping the magnificent door handle.
"And now I can feel that one of you is deeply in love."
Song himself was under unbearable stress.
Embarrassment and shame exploded from the guard on the right while the other radiated secondhand humiliation.
Song pushed open the doors while teasing them.
"Perhaps you'll tell me the details later. As you both know, you're absolutely terrible with women's."
That had not been very smart.
But Song could barely endure it anymore.
The pain inside him was unbearable.
"I finally understand why your sense of humor was so twisted, Your Majesty," Song sighed quietly.
Maybe returning to his old world truly was the better choice.
He stepped forward while fragrant perfumes drifted through the air, intensified painfully by his enhanced sense of smell. Soft laughter echoed around him.
Pushing aside the curtains, he entered a breathtaking chamber bathed entirely in violet tones. The floor was soft beneath his feet, while small streams flowed gently toward nineteen colored pools scattered throughout the room.
Luxurious beds covered in silk cushions were arranged everywhere, soft enough to swallow a person whole. Thin silk curtains hung around some of them, partially concealing what lay behind.
"Ah… that's always the first reaction. Pleasant, isn't it?"
Song swallowed hard, struggling to close his mouth.
Dozens of beautiful women lounged within the pools or reclined lazily across the beds. Their elaborate clothing was revealing enough for glimpses of smooth skin, elegant figures, and exposed curves that made Song's heart race despite himself.
His legs weakened as he walked among them.
He remembered the description from the novel. He searched specifically for a tall woman with black hair and yellow eyes—
Then he froze as he heard their soft gasps and teasing voices.
"Oh, my lord… what a rare opportunity."
A tall woman approached proudly, placing a cool, delicate hand against Azeron's chest. Heat rushed instantly through Song's face.
Another touched his jaw, running her fingers teasingly through his beard.
"You finally came to visit us after so long," one whispered softly.
"We were terribly bored."
She took Song's hand while he slowly sat against one of the massive beds, leaning against the carved wooden frame.
Even in his wildest fantasies, women this beautiful had never existed.
He had read about them, yes—
But face to face?
Song sat there silently, stunned.
One woman's chest rose and fell directly before him while her arm wrapped around Azeron's massive neck. Another played gently with his long hair. Others surrounded him completely.
Then he shivered as one of them touched his enormous arms.
Maybe…
Maybe it would be fine to stay for a while.
He was exhausted. In pain. He only wanted relief.
Then—
CRACK.
The wooden pillar beneath his hand shattered like thin ice.
Song immediately stood up in panic.
Carefully, gently, he grabbed one of the women before she could fall.
Damn it.
He had forgotten his own strength.
The desire vanished instantly, replaced by irritation and fear.
If he lost control—
He might hurt them.
Or worse.
"H-Hey… where's Nyoma?"
The question was directed toward the beautiful woman still in his arms.
Shock appeared across her face.
Then jealousy.
Betrayal.
Pain.
"Hm? What about me?" she asked loudly.
Several others began laughing at her.
"Don't worry. I only need her for a little while," Song said with a strained smile, though internally he felt deeply uncomfortable. "Where is her room?"
He carefully set the woman down, but she turned her back on him bitterly while the others continued laughing at her wounded pride.
She refused to answer.
"Hey—quiet down."
Song's voice suddenly thundered through the chamber as his patience snapped.
The women trembled in fear instantly.
Apparently the guards had heard the shouting, because the doors opened immediately.
"My lord, is something wrong?"
"Leave," Song answered sharply. "I did not ask either of you to enter."
The two guards visibly flinched before bowing deeply and retreating at once.
Song's heartbeat felt unnatural.
Because he could feel everyone's emotions around him.
Then—
The sound of heels echoed softly across the floor.
Whispers and quiet laughter followed.
A breathtaking woman stepped forward.
Black hair.
Smooth pale skin.
Eyes carrying a strangely calm warmth.
"Oh… this is amusing."
Ignoring King Azeron entirely, she walked past him and embraced the crying girl instead.
Nyoma lifted her gaze toward him with those beautiful eyes—
And a sly smile spread slowly across her lips.