On another world, the Shepherd family was starting their morning routine.
"Isn't he awake yet?"
Daddy Shepherd grumbled, scratching his stomach like a caveman.
"He's your son, honey. Of course he's lazy. Just like you, fufu~"
Mommy Shepherd teased while fixing the dining table.
"Step-mom or not, you should at least try to care about him."
Daniel Shepherd said, already half-ignoring her as he unfolded his newspaper.
Violet pouted, arranging the plates with a little too much force.
"It's just… he's already so grown up. I can't form that kind of mom-son bond with him. It's… it's just…"
Hard. That was the word stuck in her throat.
Two months. It had been two whole months since Violet moved into this house with her two daughters, and still… her stepson was like a ghost. No matter how many smiles, how much small talk, how many awkward family dinners, nobody was able to connect with him.
Like the boy had built an invisible wall around himself.
"Just wake him up. He'll appreciate it," Daniel said behind his newspaper.
"Er… fine. But if he barks at me, I'm banning chocolate jam from this household. Hmph!"
Violet puffed her cheeks, untied her apron, and tiptoed toward the stairs. Daniel just chuckled, already more interested in the stock market than his wife's worries.
"Geez…" Violet muttered under her breath, smoothing her skirt nervously. "This is more embarrassing than I thought."
She knew barging into a new family and trying to be "mom" wasn't simple, especially when the so-called child was a grown adult. But she didn't think it would feel this impossible.
Alex wasn't "hard to reach"… he was a whole fortress with barbed wire and dragons guarding the gate.
Still, she braved it.
"Ahem. Ahem. Alex? Are you awake?"
Knock, knock.
Silence.
"Alex?" she tried again, softer this time.
Still nothing.
Taking a deep breath, Violet twisted the knob and peeked inside.
And instantly regretted it.
"What the hell?!"
Someone was dancing inside the room.
"Ohhh… ahhh… MOMMY! I'm so glad it's you! Finally, the goddess of my household has descended into my lair!"
Violet froze. "W-What are you even—"
"I know! I've been a jackass! A rotten bastard! But not anymore! From this day forth, I, Alexander Shepherd, officially recognize you as my TRUE mother! Rejoice, for your son has been born again!"
He threw his arms in the air like he was accepting an Oscar.
"Yaaaaay!"
Those were words Violet had once dreamed of hearing when she married into this family. A son accepting her. A new bond forming. A fresh start.
Better late than never, right?
She could have been happy, except her jaw dropped, her cheeks burned red, and her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.
Because, her stepson was naked, and between her stepson's legs… was that.
A massive, ungodly… thing. Spinning and flopping around like some kind of ceiling fan from hell.
"W-What the—?! What the hell is that thing?!" Violet squeaked, stumbling backward.
Her legs gave out, and she dropped onto her butt with a plop.
She had lived a pure, normal life, and she had never, not once, seen something this ridiculous. It was unholy. It wasn't even hard! It was just… spinning around like it was possessed by some demonic wind spirit.
"Ah, my mommy fell! Don't fall, mommy! Here, let your DEAR SON help you up!"
And then he started running toward her.
Every step he took, that monstrosity bounced. Left, right, spin, wobble, whirl. It was like a circus act.
Violet's instincts screamed louder than her voice. She bolted. Without a second thought, she scrambled up and sprinted out of the room, not daring to look back, terrified of the monster chasing her—no, the monster attached to her.
Behind her echoed Alex's delighted yell:
"Wait, Mommy! Don't reject my love of family bonding power!!"
"Aww, she's gone. I couldn't even complete the damn quest. Dammit"
Alex, the eternal virgin, stood there like a fallen hero. Moments ago he had slipped on his own cum and died like an idiot.
Now he had woken up in this new body, recalibrating both his limbs and his little brother, right when a hot milf barged in like a final boss encounter.
Lucky for him, the memories of this body's old owner were still intact.
"Ha ha ha... ha ha ha... this world… this world is finally going to make me lose my virginity. Ha ha ha"
The eternal virgin cackled like a maniac, slammed the door shut, and scanned the room. Books. Herbs. Notes. It looked like a nerd's dungeon lair, like the guy who lived here was some greasy shut-in no-gamer.
But nope. The original Alexander was outgoing, charming, smart as hell. Even in a damn party with the kingdom's princess.
"Damn, this guy's a total giga-chad."
And not just that. He was an alchemist. Not the lazy potion-mixing kind either—he was sharp, talented, a walking encyclopedia of knowledge and skill.
Alexander Shepherd. Alchemist. Absolute prodigy.
And now… unfortunately, host to the craziest virgin in the multiverse.