The corridor he was led through was dimly lit, with guards standing at every corner. Soon, they turned and stopped in front of a large door, and beside it was another one just as large. The door next to it was left unguarded for anyone bold to enter, but the one they stood before was heavily guarded.
Three beast guards were stationed there, glaring at them. The ladies bowed deeply, but Aries did nothing of the sort. It angered the guards as they barked, "And who are you not to bow to the royal guards?"
"With your shabby clothing and that new face… a new servant, perhaps?"
Aries scoffed, completely unfazed by their attempt to sound intimidating. The short time he had spent with the Tiger King had already shown him the kingdom's hierarchy. And with how the archivist had introduced him, a human, a rare one at that, Aries couldn't bother bowing to animals, even though they were wild ones.
Laida stepped forward. Earlier while walking, he had asked for their names. The red-haired one was Laida, and the other was Caila.
Laida was bolder, so she confronted the guards with a tone carrying borrowed authority. "I believe you're tired of living if you speak to the king's esteemed guest that way. Since when do guests bow to palace guards?"
The guards looked from her to Aries, and only then noticed he had no tiger ears or tail and not to forget the unmistakable strange sweet scent they've been perceiving since they arrived. They quickly bowed and nudged the others to do the same.
Caila spoke quietly, "The king ordered that his guest should stay in this room. Please make way for us."
"Understood," the guards chorused, stepping aside to open the door.
Aries entered with the ladies behind him, awed by the difference in this new room. The bed was covered with high-quality fur, tables and chairs stood by the side, glowing orbs lined the walls, and the windows were wide open. Since he arrived, he had been caged—first in the prison, then in the windowless room. Seeing sunlight again, he hurried to the window.
The sky wasn't different from Earth; a normal blue sky. The air felt the same. Below, servants, recognizable by the clothing similar to what the ladies wore, moved around, and guards patrolled the grounds. The walls outside were built of bricks.
'This world seems a bit okay.'
"Not bad," he muttered, turning to the ladies.
They left briefly and returned, guiding Aries to the bathhouse where he was told to remove his clothes in front of them.
Aries stared at them. The first time he was bathed by the king's guards, he had been unconscious. Now, fully aware, he hesitated as his hand held the hem of his top.
"If possible… could you two please turn around while I take off my clothes and enter the water?"
The ladies exchanged glances, then nodded and turned away. Aries removed his clothes and entered the bath.
The water was milk, confusing him further. Do beastmen bathe with milk instead of water? Still, he was grateful the milky bath covered his entire body.
The ladies turned back and approached. They rolled up their sleeves, took sponges, and began scrubbing him.
As the process continued, Aries couldn't help humming softly. This was different from the first bath. Perhaps it was nice being scrubbed like royalty.
His eyes were closed until one of the ladies spoke.
"You smell so good, esteemed guest."
Aries smiled at Caila and replied, matching her gentle tone, "Just like you two, I also have a name. I told you earlier, so why not call me by it?"
"The king would kill us if he heard we addressed you by your name."
Aries glanced around and whispered, "Fortunately, the king isn't here to hear or kill anyone. It would be nice to chat about the kingdom."
"Oh…" Caila muttered. Gradually, they relaxed, and Aries could finally talk freely with them.
Throughout the bath, he learned much about the Beastworld. The Tiger King wasn't the only ruler—other lords existed. Long ago, all beasts lived together, with no territories or kings, just a council of elders. But a feud split them apart.
Now there were:
– the Wolves,
– the Serpents,
– the Foxes,
– the Tigers,
and others.
The wolves and tigers were natural enemies, the serpents fought everyone, and the foxes were the most neutral.
If any of them detected a human's scent, especially one like him, the Beastworld, already crumbling, would collapse fully.
This made Aries wonder again about the system. Why did it bring him here? Why him? His birth alone was chaos enough to destroy this world. It made him even more eager to read the Beastworld Guide.
While they bathed him, Aries closed his eyes and called the system.
"/Beastworld Guide/"
The system responded, and text appeared on a blue screen visible only to him.
Aries opened his eyes as the words unfolded:
[Beastworld Guide — Quick Access Version Loaded…]
> Welcome, Host.
You are currently in Beastworld, a divided land ruled by competing beast clans.
The world is on the brink of collapse.
● CLANS (Active Major Powers)
Tiger Clan — dominance, war, territorial obsession.
Wolf Clan — packs, raids, ancient enemies of Tigers.
Serpent Clan — underground nets, poisons, conflict with everyone.
Fox Clan — neutral illusionists, unpredictable tricksters.
(Additional clans exist but are irrelevant to your current survival.)
● TERRITORIES
Each clan controls a massive territory—forests, cities, borders, armies.
Beastlords rule with absolute authority.
Territory = instinct, culture, power… and endless conflict.
● YOUR ROLE
Humans once kept Beastworld balanced.
Human extinction shattered stability.
> Your existence is a catalyst.
Your interactions, especially emotional, directly influence world stability.
---
● WORLD PEACE METER
> Global Stability: –100 (Critical Collapse)
This number changes based on your effect on Beastlords.
● COMPATIBILITY SYSTEM (Beastlords Only)
Each Beastlord has two indicators:
Love Meter (LM) → calm, protectiveness, attachment.
Fury Meter (FM) → instinct, aggression, territorial rage.
Changes in these meters affect the World Peace Meter.
> Example:
Tiger King LM +5 → World Peace +1
Tiger King FM –5 → World Peace +1
Your combined influence over Beastlords will restore or destroy Beastworld.
● WARNING
Your scent and fertility are high-risk global triggers.
Uncontrolled exposure may cause:
— clan wars
— mass hunts
— territorial collapse
— instinct riots
— Beastlord fixation (lethal)
> Host should avoid accidental seduction.
…Unless you intend to.
Guide end.
Use command /More/ for extended details.]