Trapped in the Beastworld Breeder System (BL)-Chapter 65: Do you want to die?

But Aries still wasn’t impressed.

Then Thales rose slowly from his chair and moved forward toward Aries, his presence immediately imposing.

Taken off guard by the sudden movement, Aries quickly stepped backward, fear flashing unmistakably in his eyes as he raised his free hand to shield his lips.

The instinctive reaction made Thales halt mid-step, his brows knitting slightly at the sight.

Now standing very close to Aries, their gazes locked deeply onto one another, tension thick between them, Thales spoke, his voice low and edged with disbelief.

"Wait... what are you doing? You thought I would?"

As he spoke, he gestured deliberately between his own lips and Aries’s, making his meaning unmistakable. Yet Aries didn’t say a word.

He simply stood there, lips still covered, shoulders tense, his body stiff with unease and guarded expectation. Thales let out a short scoff, clearly amused and mildly irritated, then reached out without warning.

He took the wine from Aries’s hand, lifted it to his lips, took a slow sip, and returned it just as calmly before raising both hands slightly in a mock display of surrender.

"As you can see," Thales said coolly, "I’m not acting on any of your lewd thoughts. I only came to make sure you accepted my hospitality."

With that, he turned and moved back to his seat, reclaiming it with an air of authority.

Once settled, he reached into his coat and brought out a stick Aries hadn’t seen since entering the Beast World. It was a tobacco wrap. Thales lit it with practiced ease and placed it between his lips, exhaling slowly as smoke curled lazily around him, clinging to his sharp features and giving the war lord an even more dangerous, rugged, and edgy appearance.

When Thales finally moved away from his personal space, Aries felt as though he could breathe properly again. However, that fleeting relief was quickly invaded by the sharp, unfamiliar scent of smoke. He inhaled carefully, forcing himself to adjust his senses to the new smell rather than show any discomfort. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Then he spoke, his voice low but edged with restrained accusation.

"Why are you saying it as though you haven’t tried to do something to me before?"

Thales removed the tobacco from his mouth and held it loosely between his fingers, studying Aries through narrowed eyes.

One brow arched slightly as he replied, "You’re talking about that night, right? My mistake. As you can tell, you were a wolfkin then. Trust me when I say humans aren’t my thing, but for the sake of the king, I’ll accommodate you."

"Until you’ve earned my trust and then kill me straight away, right?" Aries said, leaning back into the chair.

His gaze drifted down to the wine still in his hand, and despite himself, unease twisted in his chest at the thought of drinking it.

Thales let out a small, humorless laugh at Aries’s words before responding,

"I’ll apologize properly. Sorry about that night. I was drunk and didn’t know what I was doing. Thankfully, Prince Lucien saved you. So... are we cool now?"

"No issues," Aries replied simply, his tone neutral and unreadable. He knew what and what not to do when it came with dealing with Thales who appeared nice on the outside but nothing but a snake inwardly.

Then Thales added, as though the matter had already been settled, "I don’t really know what the king saw in you, but whatever it is won’t magically materialize without training. So starting from tomorrow, you’ll report to the field by 8 a.m. for training."

"Huh?" Aries said aloud, genuine confusion flashing across his face as he watched the war lord continue sipping his wine as though nothing significant had just been declared.

His thoughts spiraled as he stared off into nothingness. ’So you mean I can’t rest again? I actually have to train because of this stupid task? And how am I even meant to do that?’

After the announcement of the message which sent Aries to brood, that was all from Thales.

With a weary sigh, Aries eventually made his way back toward his quarters. His mind remained preoccupied with Thales’s words, replaying them over and over, preventing him from noticing the person walking straight toward him.

Or what he was about to walk straight into.

Suddenly, a force shoved him sideways. Aries stumbled, nearly tumbling to the ground, but strong hands caught him at the last second and steadied him. Startled, Aries lifted his eyes and found Prince Kenzie standing before him.

He muttered in confusion,"What happened?"

"What were you thinking about so hard?" Kenzie demanded sharply. "Do you want to die?"

"What do you mean?" Aries asked, his mind still muddled as he struggled to fully register his surroundings.

"See that," Kenzie said, pointing toward the place Aries had nearly walked into.

It was one of the palace walls, lined with sharp, menacing spikes that glinted ominously under the light.

’How did I even get here?’ Aries muttered inwardly.

Apparently, there were two types of dungeons in the Wolf Kingdom. One was reserved for hardened criminals, those who had committed murder or a series of brutal killings.

The other was meant for lesser crimes, though "lesser" was only a word in name. The dungeon connected to this wall belonged to the former category. Its walls were riddled with jagged spikes, deliberately designed to ensure that no prisoner could ever dream of escape by climbing.

Kenzie then asked, his tone laced with faint amusement, "What have you come here to do? Have you decided to start your war lord duties straight away?"

Aries turned to look at him after staring blankly at the grim structure ahead. His thoughts churned darkly as he brooded inwardly. ’Seems like it’s true after all. This one has somehow grown to have forty percent affection for me, and his hostility has clearly lessened. Does this mean he’ll try to woo me now? Is that why he saved me earlier?’

Despite the turmoil in his mind, Aries did not allow any of those thoughts to surface. Instead, he replied calmly, his expression carefully controlled.

"Well, thank you for saving me, Prince Kenzie. But I think that should be the end of it, because we aren’t exactly on speaking terms... are we?"

"Oh..." Kenzie muttered, clearly taken aback.

A short snicker escaped his lips before he continued, "Well, what’s done is done. I admit you played your part well, and I’ll leave it at that. Still, answer me. Are you that eager to begin working? If so, I don’t mind showing you around the dungeon."

"What do you mean?" Aries asked, his brows knitting together in confusion. "Why would I want to see the dungeon?"

"I mean," Kenzie said, gesturing casually toward the spiked walls, "I saw you standing right in front of it. Besides, you’re the assistant war lord now. You might want to get accustomed to your responsibilities."

"Wait... let me understand this properly," Aries said, gesturing toward the dungeon gates. "What exactly does the war lord have to do with this?"

Kenzie gave him a look that was equal parts disbelief and mild pity before answering, "You really have a lot to learn. A war lord doesn’t just command the battlefield. He oversees the palace guards as well, and by extension, the prisoners. Any inmate that requires interrogation or torture must first be approved through your office now that you’re an assistant. You’ll be handling the dirty and menial tasks under Thales."

"Oh..." Aries was genuinely taken aback by this revelation.

So first, he had to train relentlessly on the field. And now, on top of that, he was expected to torture prisoners.

Everything felt horribly out of place. His chest tightened as frustration and dread welled up inside him. How had his simple desire to rest and live a peaceful life turned into a future soaked in blood and suffering?

He sank deeper into thought, trying to piece everything together, when suddenly, a hand stretched out toward him.

Aries blinked and looked up, meeting Kenzie’s gaze.

"Are you okay?" Kenzie asked, his voice softer now. "I’ve been instructed to interrogate a new set of traitors, and the king ordered that I go with the new assistant war lord. Still, if you’re unwell, I don’t mind handling it alone."

Aries studied him briefly, then offered a faint smile. ’Yes, he’s a little love-struck, he thought dryly. But how did we even get here? I honestly have no idea.’

Bringing his attention back to the matter at hand, Aries said aloud, "I’ll go with you. I wouldn’t want to go against the king’s orders."

And was that truly the reason he agreed?

No. Not entirely.

He simply wanted to understand what awaited him, to know what kind of path he had been forced onto before fully stepping into it.

"Good," Kenzie said with a nod.

He turned and headed into the dungeon, passing the guards after showing them his tag. After a brief pause, Aries followed behind him, the iron gates closing behind them.