CHAPTER 142: REINA

Two guards bowed as I walked up to my tent, and I stopped at the entrance to give them both a good look.

"No one is allowed to disturb us," I said in a cold tone.

"Y-YES... yes... My Lord!" they stuttered and fumbled over their words.

Rolling my eyes, I walked into the room. There was a small desk with a chair. The one-man bed was tucked away to the side, and opposite the bed was another throne—similar to the one I used.

Hmph.

I snorted disdainfully and snapped my fingers.

[Door Activated!]

A spatial rift emerged at the center of the room, but the suction force was mild. After summoning this gate a couple of times, I had come to understand I could control the strength of the rift’s suction force if I just concentrated.

My gaze lowered to see Reina’s expression, but it was cold and nearly lifeless. Even when in front of a rift and being carried around by a naked man with his pee pee dangling loosely, she didn’t seem to react.

Impressive. I couldn’t help but silently commend her.

Without hesitation, I walked into the rift, and we emerged in my room on Earth. Only after appearing here did her eyes widen a bit in shock, but she still didn’t say anything.

I headed straight to the bathroom and dropped her on the floor, ripping the ropes apart with a simple pull.

She blinked in confusion and her eyes met my gaze, but I didn’t waste time looking at that beautiful face. I had already seen enough of it in one day.

I entered the bathtub and turned on the tap, allowing steaming hot water to flow.

"Where is this?" Reina asked in a calm tone.

She wasn’t afraid of me like the others.

"Earth... the world I was born into," I said casually without looking at her.

"That tune you played earlier. Play it again," I said before looking at her.

She just sat where she was and kept looking at me with strange eyes. After a while, she pulled up the flute to her lips and began playing.

The soothing tune washed through me, and the slight headache I felt faded. The pain in my chest faded alongside my worries.

For the first time in a long while, I felt peace.

Ding!

My brows knitted at the sound of the system notification.

[Song of Harmony detected.]

’Allow it!’ I snapped at it, waiting for its response—but the response never came.

Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to enjoy the moment and forget all my problems.

— One Hour Later —

Walking out of the bathroom, Reina followed me with the same icy look on her face. I had a towel strapped to my waist, and my wet hair ran down my shoulder.

Victory is good, but nothing beats the feeling of a good shower.

"You can sit over there," I pointed at the bed.

She said nothing, walked over, and climbed the bed while I sat down on the sofa. While her face seemed cold and indifferent, I noticed her hands trembling while gripping the flute tight.

Reina looked past me but not at me, probably to hide the fear she was feeling right now.

"What’s the problem?" I asked while leaning back and allowing my stiff body to enjoy the comfy chair.

She looked at me with a tinge of resentment in her eyes.

"Just get it over with. My powers can’t stop you from having your way with me!" Her voice was venomous, but the content of her words was the most shocking of them all.

"What?" I blurted out with a raised eyebrow. "Don’t be stupid, I’m not interested in you."

"What?!"

It was Reina’s turn to be shocked, and for some reason, there was a hint of pain in her voice.

She felt hurt when she believed I was going to have my way with her... but she’s also hurt now that she knows I’m not interested in her?

Pick a side, woman.

"I’ll explain this to you in the simplest way possible." I sat up and looked her square in the eyes.

"I’m a man who is determined to take the place of god. If I can’t control my carnal urges now, how am I supposed to do so when I achieve my goal?" I asked, and her eyes dilated with shock.

"A god needs no one. No companions, no allies, no family, no loved ones. A god is sufficient in isolation. It is the universe that needs god, not the other way around. That is the man I plan to become. So you don’t have to worry—as long as you are with me, no one will lay a finger on you."

With that said, I laid back on the chair and let out a heavy sigh. It took me a while to understand who I am and where I’m meant to go, but now I know—nothing will stop me.

Lee Bai’s offer seems useless to me now, because I’m sufficient on my own.

I am god.

Seconds in, I quickly realized I hadn’t gotten a response from Reina. I glanced in her direction, only to see her gazing at me with shock written all over her expression.

She still found it hard to make sense of everything I just said. But I could understand. Someone like her must have fought so hard to maintain her purity from men, princes, and kings. So it’s not surprising—seeing someone different from the rest would leave her disturbed.

"I heard you have lived 99 lives. What were those lives like?" Reina asked, leaving me slightly stunned.

I didn’t expect her next words would be on such a sensitive topic. But I didn’t shy away from it. Casually, I adjusted my sitting posture, resting my chin on my fist while thinking of the right word to describe my past.

"Hell," I answered, and she blinked in confusion.

"Hell?" she muttered in shock, and I nodded.

"Ninety-nine times the heavens tried to impose their will on me. Ninety-nine times I rejected, and ninety-nine times I was punished for my free will. This will be their hundredth attempt. This is where they will fail." I declared in a cold voice.