A Price for Healing
Leon stared at the glowing screen, eyes wide like he'd just seen God. A slow grin tugged at his lips, stretching into a full-blown, cocky smirk.
"Finally... my cheat's here."
His voice cut through the quiet like a declaration, echoing off the stone walls. He chuckled—low, breathy, almost boyish—like someone who just found the last piece of a fucked-up puzzle.
With a satisfied hum, he stood and stretched, his lean muscles pulling taut under the warm amber light spilling in from the high windows.
"I'm not just gonna survive here," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "I'm gonna fucking dominate it."
Still grinning, he whistled some random tune and strolled to the bathroom. Might as well wash off the weight of yesterday. The place was ridiculous—duke-level luxury. Marble floors cold underfoot, golden taps shaped like serpents, and in the center, a wide obsidian tub already steaming, filled to the brim, herbal scents curling like smoke in the air.
He didn't rush. Just untied the robe, let it slide down his shoulders, and hit the floor in a quiet heap.
Then he stepped in—and immediately slipped.
"Shit—!"
Water splashed over the rim as he half-fell, half-crashed into the tub. He lay there a second, blinking, arms floating like a drowned idiot. Then he exhaled, letting the warmth wrap around his bones. The heat sank deep, loosening every muscle, dulling the sharp edge of tension behind his eyes.
He leaned back, resting his head against the black stone. A frown crept onto his face.
"So… the System wants me to build a harem to grow stronger. But…"
His eyes dropped to the thing floating between his legs. The thing that refused to work. The same limp, useless dick that'd haunted the previous Duke.
"…How the hell am I supposed to do that with this goddamn dead meat?"
He scowled.
He could still feel the shame buried in those inherited memories—the quiet humiliation, the isolation. Erectile dysfunction. The real reason the old Leon had no wives, no lovers. Just rumors and pity.
"But I'm not him," he said under his breath. "I'm not fucking him."
"System. You there?"
[Yes, Host.]
"You said I need a harem to grow stronger... But this body's broken. How?"
[Affirmative. The host suffers from a congenital dysfunction. However, the System is capable of repairing the host's body.]
Leon's heart thudded once—loud, hopeful.
"You can fix it?"
[Yes, Host. But there is a cost.]
His eyes narrowed.
"…What kind of cost?"
[The full-body healing process will reset the host's cultivation. Current stage: Grandmaster → Mortal.]
Silence.
His breath caught. In this world—Galvia—he remembered from the flood of past memories, there were seven cultivation levels: Mortal, Novice, Master, Grandmaster, Monarch, Grand Monarch, Conqueror.
Grandmaster was elite. One in ten thousand ever made it that far. It was the old Leon's only real legacy.
And now… it'd be wiped clean.
He hesitated. But not for long.
Because what the hell was that power worth, if he couldn't use the System?
If he couldn't rise?
He clenched his jaw. "If I heal this body... with the System's help, I'll reach even higher. Faster. Stronger. No ceiling this time."
His voice went quiet.
"Do it. Heal me."
[As you command, Host. Beginning the healing process.]
A soft green glow rippled over his skin, warm and pulsing like a heartbeat. He sucked in a breath. The sensation was strange—tingling, sharp, but not painful. His limbs buzzed. His spine arched. Something inside him shifted—bones cracking, muscles twitching, nerves realigning.
Then he looked down.
"...Oh?"
His eyes widened.
His dick—dead a moment ago—was rising. Slowly. Thickening. Filling with blood. Gaining weight.
A proud, veiny, very alive six inches stared back at him.
"HO-LY SHIT," Leon gasped. The words flew out, high-pitched and stunned. "It's fucking healed!"
He laughed—hard. Almost delirious. Slapping water as he bounced in the tub like a damn kid.
But then—
His chest tightened. Something else shifted inside. Not pain… but weightless. Hollow.
His brow furrowed. "System... was that all?"
[Healing complete. Host's internal injuries have also been repaired. Cultivation has been reset to Mortal.]
Leon let out a breath, jaw tightening. "Yeah… I feel it. Weak as hell now. Like my spine's made of string."
Still. He glanced down again.
For the first time since arriving in this body, he felt… whole. Like a man again.
"System," he said, quieter this time. "You never gave me a starting gift. Where's my bonus?"
[Host has one pending System Bonus Gift.]
"Then why the hell didn't you mention it?"
[Host did not ask.]
"…Tch. Seriously? Fine. I'm asking now."
[Would the Host like to open the System Bonus Gift?]
"Yes. Open it."
A shimmering treasure chest floated into view, golden and faintly glowing. A prompt flickered beneath it.
[System Bonus Gift – Open?]
[Yes / No]
Leon tapped [Yes] without hesitation.
The chest cracked open with a flash—and another screen popped up.
[Choose one:]
1. Receive Forgotten Knowledge of Galvia
2. Receive a Random Skill
Leon frowned, thinking.
With his cultivation wiped, most skills wouldn't mean shit right now. But knowledge? Knowledge stayed. Knowledge could be the foundation of everything.
He remembered the ten blank points sitting in his status screen.
"System, can I use those points to buy skills later?"
[Yes, Host.]
"Then it's obvious. I choose knowledge."
[Wise choice. Knowledge transferring now.]
[Processing… Downloading Knowledge.]
The moment the words appeared, pain slammed into his skull.
His mouth dropped open as ancient history, forgotten realms, secret family bloodlines, forbidden arts, and cultivation theories flooded into his mind. He clutched his head with both hands, gritting his teeth, eyes squeezing shut.
Minutes passed.
When it was over, he slumped back into the tub, breathing hard. Steam clung to his skin. His chest rose and fell, slow and shaky.
"…That… was fucking intense."
[Note: Due to low cultivation, portions of the knowledge have been sealed. Unlock condition: Grand Monarch Stage.]
His eyes snapped open.
"What?!"
[It is for the Host's safety.]
"Oh, don't you start that shit now!"
[System only has Host's best interest in mind.]
Leon groaned and rubbed a wet hand down his face, muttering curses.
"…Fine. I'll get there eventually. Just stop hiding crap from me."
[No promises.]
"…Tch. Asshole system."
With the bath done, Leon stepped out and grabbed a towel. Dried himself off, shaking droplets from his hair, and headed to the wardrobe. He picked out a set of nightwear: dark silk pants, light and loose, and a white button-up shirt he left half-open on purpose. The look was casual—but sharp enough to cut.
When he fastened the waistband, his eyes caught the mirror in the corner.
He paused. Walked over. Looked.
And froze.
"...Holy fuck."
A quiet breath escaped his lips.
"I'm... I'm fucking handsome."
He turned his head, left to right, staring at the angles like he didn't even recognize himself.
Long, raven-black hair, thick and wild. Pale skin, smooth but not soft. Golden eyes that shimmered faintly like sunlit amber. Sharp brows. Sculpted jawline. Straight nose. He looked like a fallen god carved out of marble.
Leon blinked once.
Then smirked.
"If I was back on Earth... I'd be a damn idol. No—fuck that—a legend."
And just then… the door creaked open with a soft click.