Phoenix dragged himself up the stairs as fast as possible, his nose and eyes still reeling after smelling that shit that was stuck to his body.
The black gunk clinging to his skin smelled like spoiled milk mixed with rotten eggs and shit, and he wanted nothing more than to scrub it off as fast as possible.
As soon as he entered the shower, he started scrubbing it off like his life depended on it. After repeating the process for 6 more times, he was left feeling human once again. He stood under the shower for way longer than necessary now, just enjoying the fact that he didn't smell worse than a garbage dump anymore.
It was when he reached for the body wash for the 8th time that he noticed something weird. The shower head above him was..... lower? No, wait. It wasn't lower, but himself, he was higher now. Phoenix straightened up and found himself looking mirror and noticed his eye level wasn't quite right. His heart skipped a beat as he grabbed the old measuring tape Elena kept hanging in the bathroom corner for some reason.
Five foot nine. He was five foot nine now.
"Holy shit," he whispered, staring at himself in the fogged-up mirror. He somehow grew two inches after one training session? He felt that it wasn't normal, even by this world's standards. He wiped the steam away and flexed his muscles experimentally. His arms looked..... different. Stronger. There were actual lines where his biceps should be, faint ridges across his stomach that hadn't been there yesterday. All the baby fat was gone, and he felt and looked noticeably stronger.
Then his eyes drifted lower, and he nearly choked on his own spit.
Six inches. A solid six inches, and noticeably thicker too. Phoenix just stood there, mouth hanging open, trying to process the fact that his dick had apparently gotten the same growth spurt as the rest of him. He did a ridiculous little flex in the mirror, grinning like an idiot at how much more.... bigger everything looked.
"This technique is fucking amazing," he muttered, doing another pose just because he could. For the first time in either of his lives, he actually liked what he saw in the mirror, for he had muscles for the first time now.
After towelling off and throwing on a fresh t-shirt and shorts, Phoenix practically skipped down the stairs. The house felt different somehow, brighter, and more welcoming. Or maybe that was just his mood. Sunlight streamed through the big windows, making everything look warm and golden.
He soon reached the living room and found his mother, Diana.
She was sprawled across the living room sofa like she owned the world, wearing nothing but a fluffy white bathrobe that had seen better days. She held a can of something like a cola in one hand, taking lazy sips while scrolling through something on her holo pad. The whole picture seemed really relaxing, and Phoenix found it attracted to her just out of the shower look with her hair still wet.
She looked up when he walked in, green eyes doing a quick scan that made him stand a little straighter. "Well, well. Someone's looking better than before, smelling better too," she said, lips curving into that amused smile he was getting used to. "Come, sit down. We have a lot we need to talk about."
Phoenix nodded and dropped into the chair across from her, trying not to stare at how the robe had ridden up her thicc thighs. Diana noticed his stare anyway; she noticed everything but just smiled wider instead of saying anything.
"You're progressing faster than I expected, kid. Most people take weeks to hit their first breakthrough, but you did it in one session. Keep this up, and you might actually be ready for UCE and get into a good one. Maybe even..... You know what, never mind." She took another sip of cola, ice clinking in the can. "Problem is, I can only train you so far."
Phoenix frowned after hearing this. "What do you mean?"
"You chose the pure body cultivation, all about physical enhancement, muscle development, that kind of thing. I'm a magic specialist. Different skillset entirely. I really thought you would choose magic since it's easier to learn and far less painful. Most, if not all, weak men choose it." She gestured vaguely at herself. "Elena's the one who knows body arts inside and out. She'll be taking over your training from tomorrow."
That did not make sense to Phoenix. Diana had always felt more physically intimidating, while Elena felt like the soft magic type. "So you are a magic person?"
"I work in the military, remember? They want people who can blow things up. Elena works for the government council. They prefer the power above everything else. And Elena punches harder than anyone else I know." Diana smiled at the mention of Elena's name and shifted on the sofa, and her robe chose that exact moment to come completely undone.
Phoenix's brain promptly short-circuited. The terry cloth fell open like curtains, revealing smooth skin, toned muscle, and Diana's firm and generous breasts. He tried to look away, really tried, but his eyes had apparently developed a mind of their own.
Diana caught him staring and smirked. "See something interesting?"
"I, uh..." Phoenix's voice cracked like he was going through puberty again. Which, considering the growth spurt, maybe he was.
Before he could stammer out some lame excuse, Diana stood up and crossed the space between them with predatory grace. The robe hung completely open now, giving him a full view of everything as she settled onto the couch right next to him. Phoenix could smell her shampoo, feel the heat radiating off her skin, and his heart started hammering against his ribs.
"You've been looking since the morning when we started training," she said, voice dropping to that low, playful tone. "Might as well touch them."
Before Phoenix could process what was happening, Diana took his hand and guided it straight to her chest. His palm pressed against soft and warm, his fingers automatically curving around the weight of her breast. The sensation hit him like a lightning bolt, silky smoothness, perfect firmness, the way she seemed to perfectly fit in his grip.
"Go ahead," Diana murmured, covering his hand with hers. "Don't be shy now."
Phoenix squeezed it instinctively, marvelling at how warm and alive she felt. His other hand started reaching out on its own, drawn in by pure teenage hormones that were running wild. Diana watched him with those sharp green eyes, amused but not stopping him, and Phoenix felt like everything was a dream.
Then, the front door was slammed open like a gunshot.
"Hello, my darlings, I'm home!" Elena's cheerful voice echoed through the house, followed by the click of her heels on the hardwood floor as she walked in.
Phoenix panicked and froze like a deer in headlights, his hand still very much attached to Diana's chest. Diana, meanwhile, just smiled and stretched like a satisfied cat, making no move to cover herself or push him away.
Just then, Elena appeared in the doorway, took one look at the scene, and raised an eyebrow.
"Well," she said, setting down her purse with deliberate calm. "This is new."