[Prepare for full synchronization]
[Warning: Extreme pain incoming]
"Wait, what?" Ethan sat up straighter, alarm bells going off in his head. "What do you mean extreme pain? Can't we just—"
The screen went blank. Then the world exploded into agony.
Every nerve in his body ignited at once. It felt like being torn apart from the inside out, like acid flowing through his veins, like lightning crackling between his bones. He screamed, back arching off the bed, muscles seizing in spasms that felt like they might snap his spine.
The pain was everywhere and nowhere, abstract yet visceral, beyond anything he'd ever imagined possible. His vision went white, then red, then black as consciousness fled from the assault.
In the darkness, something alien stirred to life inside him, making itself at home in flesh that was no longer entirely his own.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain stopped.
Corin's body went rigid, every muscle locked in place like he'd been turned to stone. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even blink. For a terrifying moment he wondered if this was how he died again - frozen in agony while some cosmic parasite finished consuming his soul.
Then his muscles released all at once. He collapsed back onto the mattress, gasping like a drowning man.
[Synchronization complete]
The pink screen flickered back to life, letters glowing cheerfully as if it hadn't just put him through hell.
[Would you like to view your status window?]
"Jesus fucking Christ," Corin wheezed, wiping sweat from his forehead. His hand came away soaked. "What the hell was that?"
[Status window recommended for new host. Would you like to proceed?]
He glared at the floating text. Part of him wanted to tell this 'Parasite' system to shove its status window where the sun didn't shine. But curiosity won out - he'd read enough web novels to know this was the good part, where he found out what incredible powers he'd been granted.
"Fine. Show me."
The screen expanded, displaying a detailed breakdown that made his heart sink:
[Host – Corin]
[Level – 1]
[XP – 0/100]
[Core Stats]
• Strength – 5
• Stamina – 5
• Endurance – 5
• Intelligence – 5
• Charm – 3
• Luck – 5
[Parasite Stats]
• Lust – 15
• Depravity – 0
• Corruption – 0
• Corruption Points – 0 CP
[Skill Cards]
• None unlocked
[Parasite Modules]
• Lust-Meter: Active
• Orgasm Roulette Wheel: Locked
• Partner Corruption Meter: Locked
• Parasite Store: Locked
Corin stared at the display for a long moment, then started laughing. Not the good kind of laughter - the bitter, hysterical kind that came when life decided to kick you while you were already down.
"Are you kidding me?" he gasped between fits of laughter. "Most people get systems that make them badass warriors or genius mages, and I get... what, a walking porn system? Orgasm Roulette Wheel? Partner Corruption Meter?"
He wiped tears from his eyes, still chuckling darkly. "This is perfect. Just perfect. I die jerking off to porn, get reborn in a fantasy world, and my cheat system is literally designed around sex. The cosmic joke writes itself."
And those stats! All fives across the board. He'd seen tutorial characters in video games with better starting numbers.
[Your stats reflect your current reality]
The system's voice echoed in his head now, not just text on a screen. It sounded amused, almost condescending.
[Let's be honest - you were pretty pathetic in your previous life. Did you expect to wake up as some kind of superhuman? Though I must admit, your Lust levels are impressive for someone who never actually got laid. All those years of... self-improvement, shall we say... weren't entirely wasted]
"Thanks for the pep talk," Corin muttered. "Really building my confidence here."
[Stand up and look in the mirror beside you]
Corin glanced to his right and blinked in surprise. There was indeed a mirror there - a polished metal disc mounted in a wooden frame, reflecting the candlelight. He was sure it hadn't been there before.
With some effort, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. His ribs protested, but the pain was manageable. When he looked at his reflection, he got his first real look at his new body.
The face staring back was sharp-featured and pale, with dark brown hair that needed a good washing. High cheekbones, a straight nose, eyes that were more gray than blue. Not ugly, but definitely on the lean side of things. The body was tall - six feet, maybe a bit more - but built like a scarecrow. All angles and prominent bones, with the kind of wiry muscle that came from hard work rather than proper nutrition.
[Six feet tall, which is average for this world. Lanky build, poor muscle definition, facial structure that screams 'peasant stock.' Honestly, you're lucky to be seeing fives across the board]
"Gee, thanks," Corin said dryly. "Isn't the whole point of having a system supposed to be that it helps me?"
[Correct. And you will receive help. Through sheer hard work]
"Hard work?" Corin's voice cracked slightly. "What happened to magical power-ups and instant gratification?"
[This isn't a fairy tale, host. Now, would you like me to explain what those statistics actually mean?]
Corin sank back onto the bed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Yeah, sure. Lay it on me."
The system's voice took on a lecturing tone:
[Welcome, Corin. I am bound to you now. Your hunger feeds me, and my strength feeds you.]
[Level measures how far you have walked. Each act of indulgence adds experience. Break enough boundaries, and you ascend.]
[Strength is your force. With more, you will hold others down, or carry them where they cannot resist.]
[Stamina is your fuel. It keeps you moving, fighting, and fucking long after a normal man would collapse.]
[Endurance is your shell. Pain, exhaustion, strain—these will bend around you instead of breaking you.]
[Intelligence is clarity. You will learn faster, adapt quicker, and know where to strike when others stumble in the dark.]
[Charm is not beauty. It is the pull of your voice, the weight of your eyes, the ease with which others open their legs for you.]
[Luck is chance. A coin flip that falls your way more often than it should. In your hands, it bends probability itself.]
[Lust is your raw energy. Every orgasm swells it. Spend it, and more power comes to you.]
[Depravity is how far you are willing to crawl. Each taboo shattered sharpens you and deepens our bond.]
[Corruption is your stain upon others. The more you take them, the more they bend to you.]
[Corruption Points are their surrender, crystallized. You may spend them in the store, once you unlock it.]
[Skill Cards are echoes of power. They will come to you as rewards, drawn from roulette or earned through deeds too foul for words.]
[Modules are gifts I keep locked. With time—and filth—they will open to you.]
Corin processed this information slowly, his mind working through the implications. A system based on lust and corruption, one that grew stronger through sexual acts and moral degradation. It was twisted, definitely not what he'd expected from a fantasy reincarnation... but damn if it wasn't interesting.
"So basically," he said slowly, "the more I get laid, the more powerful I become?"
[Oversimplified, but essentially correct]
A grin spread across his face. "Holy shit. I love it! At least with this system, I can get any girl I want eventually, right? Build up enough Charm and Corruption Points, maybe unlock some mind-control abilities..."
[First quest: Thirty-day body transformation]
The pink screen reappeared, displaying a new message that made his grin falter:
[This may seem magical, but we cannot transform your pathetic physical state instantaneously. You will follow a strict workout regimen starting tomorrow]
A detailed exercise plan scrolled past - push-ups, sit-ups, running, basic strength training. It looked suspiciously like every fitness program he'd ever ignored in his previous life.
"Are you serious?" Corin groaned. "I wanted a cheat system, not a personal trainer! Why do I have to work for it?"
[Because this is not a web novel where all your problems magically dissolve the moment you receive a system. Physical improvement requires physical effort]
The system's tone had turned decidedly sarcastic.
[Your body is the foundation. Without it, all the Charm and Lust points in the world won't help you satisfy anyone]
Corin slumped forward, head in his hands. "Fine. Okay. I get it. Work out for thirty days, build some actual muscle, then start my journey to become the world's most powerful sexual deviant."
He sighed deeply. "At least tell me where I am? What world is this - same Earth but medieval times? Some kind of alternate universe?"
[Find out for yourself. My primary concern is ensuring my host gets laid as soon as possible. I am not a tour guide system]
"Of course you're not," Corin muttered. "God forbid you be helpful about anything other than sex."
He looked down at his bandaged torso, noting how the linen strips wrapped around his ribs and shoulder. The wounds were healing, but slowly. In his old world, he'd have been in a hospital with proper medical care, antibiotics, maybe some painkillers. Here, he was relying on herb poultices and medieval medicine.
"When do I get the good stuff?" he asked, settling back onto the mattress. "Super healing, enhanced speed, mind reading, teleportation - you know, actual superpowers?"
Silence.
"Hello? System? You there?"
Still nothing. Apparently, he'd pushed his luck far enough for one day.
Corin closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to his previous life. Ethan Parker, twenty-something loser who spent his days working a dead-end job and his nights jerking off to increasingly depraved porn. No friends, no prospects, no hope of ever amounting to anything.
But now... now he had a second chance. A whole new world to explore, and a system that promised power through pleasure. Sure, it wasn't the noble hero's journey he might have fantasized about, but it beat the hell out of dying alone in a shitty apartment.
His thoughts turned to possibilities. If this was Earth's past, he could introduce innovations centuries early. Gunpowder, electricity, advanced mathematics. He could place bets on historical events, invest in companies that would become huge, maybe even prevent disasters.
And if it was an alternate world entirely, well, there were still opportunities. Trade routes, political marriages, maybe even discovering magic if it existed here. With his modern knowledge and a system designed to help him seduce powerful people, he could build an empire.
The mental image of himself as some kind of sexual puppet master, pulling strings from behind the scenes while building a harem of beautiful, corrupted women, was oddly appealing. Lady Catherine's face flashed through his mind - those warm blue eyes, that genuine smile, the elegant way she moved in her silk gown.
'Yeah,' he thought drowsily as exhaustion began to take hold. 'I could definitely work with this.'
Sleep claimed him gradually, dreams filled with grand ambitions and beautiful women bending to his will.
---
"Young master? Young master Corin?"
The sweet, melodic voice pulled him from dreams of conquest and corruption. Corin opened his eyes to find the auburn-haired maid standing beside his bed, a wooden tray in her hands. Sunlight streamed through the window - proper sunlight, not the gray overcast from before.
"I'm sorry to wake you," she said, setting the tray on the bedside table. It held a bowl of something that smelled like bread and herbs, along with a clay cup of water. "But we need to get you cleaned properly and change your bandages. The healer will be arriving this afternoon, and Mistress Catherine wants you presentable."
She had a fuller figure than the other maids, curves that her rough woolen dress couldn't quite hide. Her brown eyes were kind but confident, and there was something in the way she moved that suggested she was used to taking care of people.
"If you're feeling well enough," she continued, "I'd like you to come with me to the bath house. It's much easier to tend wounds properly when you're clean."
Corin's brain took a moment to process this. "Wait..." Corin inspected himself briefly. For someone who had been unconscious for days, he didn't smell bad.
"You've been cleaning me?" He asked.
She blinked, looking confused by the question. "Of course I have. For three days now. I promise I'm very handy with washing and wound care - Mistress Catherine specifically assigned me to your recovery."
The implications hit him like a freight train. This beautiful woman had been bathing his unconscious body for three days. Had seen him naked, touched him while cleaning wounds, probably knew his body better than he did at this point.
And she was offering to do it again.
That thought alone, Corin couldn't help but smile.
"Well then," he said, carefully sitting up. "I suppose I should follow your professional recommendation."