Corin drifted in that space between sleep and waking, the kind where dreams blurred into reality and back again. The bed was softer than anything he'd ever slept on in either life. No lumpy mattress, no springs digging into his back. Just clean linen and actual comfort.
Voices pulled him back to consciousness. Footsteps on stone, the rustle of fabric, Lady Catherine's cultured tones mixing with a deeper, unfamiliar voice.
He cracked his eyes open just as the door swung wide.
Lady Catherine entered first, still wearing that burgundy silk that caught the afternoon light streaming through the window. The color shifted with each step she took, darker in the folds, almost red where the fabric pulled tight across her hips.
Behind her came a man Corin had never seen before.
Tall. That was the first thing that registered. The guy had at least four or five inches on Corin, maybe more. His hair was black shot through with streaks of silver, pulled back tight in a tail that hung between his shoulder blades. The face was weathered but sharp, with crow's feet around eyes that looked like they'd seen too much and remembered all of it. He wore robes of deep green trimmed with gold thread along the collar and cuffs. Expensive, but practical. A leather satchel hung from one shoulder, clinking softly with the sound of glass vials knocking together.
"Young master Corin," Lady Catherine said, her voice warm. "This is Master Aldric, the healer I sent for."
Aldric set his satchel down on the table with a heavy thunk and approached the bed. His movements were calm, deliberate, like a man who knew exactly what he was doing and didn't need to rush about it.
"Let's have a look at you, boy."
Corin sat up slowly. His ribs complained, but it was manageable. Aldric's hands moved over him without hesitation, checking the bandages on his shoulder first, then pressing carefully along his ribs. His fingers were cool and dry, the touch clinical but not rough. He peeled back one of the bandages, revealing pink flesh beneath where the crossbow bolt had punched through.
"Hmm." Aldric tilted his head, studying the wound. "Three cracked ribs, puncture wound to the shoulder, various lacerations and contusions." His fingers traced the worst of the injuries with the kind of detached interest a craftsman might show examining wood grain. "When they told me the nature of your wounds, I came prepared to stay for several days at minimum."
He straightened up, pulling his hands back and dusting them off on his robes. "But it seems your body has other plans."
Lady Catherine's brow furrowed slightly. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? No, milady. Quite the opposite." Aldric's expression shifted into something that might have been approval. "This boy has an extraordinary constitution. The wounds are healing at nearly twice the normal rate I'd expect from someone his age. With proper rest and a bit of magical assistance, he'll be back on his feet within the week."
Corin felt a small surge of pride at that, quickly followed by suspicion. Was that from this body originally, or had something changed when he'd transmigrated? Maybe the system had tweaked his stats without telling him. Either way, he wasn't about to complain.
"That's wonderful news," Lady Catherine said. The relief in her voice was genuine, though Corin couldn't quite tell if it was relief at not losing her investment or actual concern for his wellbeing. After all, she'd paid his stepmother good money for his service. Five years of indentured labor didn't come cheap, and having him die three days in would be a terrible return on investment.
Aldric reached into his satchel and pulled out a small vial filled with liquid the color of a clear sky. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain and speed the healing further."
Corin took the vial. The glass was cold against his palm.
He hesitated for a second but seeing the mistress there watching on, he didn't want to seem like he was too scared of a small bottle
He pulled the cork with his teeth and downed the contents in one swallow.
It tasted like mint mixed with something metallic, cool sliding down his throat and spreading warmth through his chest almost immediately. The constant ache in his ribs dulled to a background hum.
Then Aldric placed both hands directly over Corin's ribs. His palms were warm now, almost hot. He closed his eyes and began to murmur words in a language that sounded nothing like anything Corin had ever heard. Flowing water mixed with wind chimes, syllables that felt wrong in his ears but somehow right at the same time.
And then his hands began to glow.
Not metaphorically. Not figuratively. They actually glowed.
Soft white light emanated from his palms, spreading across Corin's skin like liquid moonlight. It seeped into his flesh, warm and tingling, and the constant ache in his ribs began to fade. The sharp pain when he breathed too deep smoothed out, replaced by a sensation that was almost pleasant, like stretching after a long sleep.
Corin stared, wide-eyed, unable to look away.
'Holy shit,' he thought, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing. 'Magic. Actual, real, honest-to-god magic. This is real. This is actually fucking real.'
The light pulsed once. Twice. Three times. Then it faded, the glow retreating back into Aldric's hands until there was nothing left but warm skin and the faint scent of ozone in the air.
Aldric pulled his hands away. Corin took a deep breath, the kind of breath he hadn't been able to take since waking up in this body. No pain. No sharp stab in his side. Just clean, easy air filling his lungs.
"There," Aldric said, satisfaction thick in his voice. "That should accelerate the process significantly. Rest, eat well, avoid strenuous activity for a few days, and you'll be as good as new."
He turned to Lady Catherine, brushing his hands together. "I don't believe my services will be needed beyond today, milady. The boy's natural healing will do the rest."
"I'm grateful for your swift attendance, Master Aldric." Lady Catherine produced a small leather purse from somewhere in her dress. It clinked with the weight of coins when she handed it over. "For your time and expertise."
Aldric accepted it with a slight bow. "Always a pleasure to serve House Ashford, milady."
He gathered his satchel, nodded once to Corin, and left without another word. The door clicked shut behind him.
Lady Catherine turned her attention back to Corin. She studied him for a long moment, those blue eyes thoughtful and warm, like she was trying to figure out what to make of him.
'God, she's beautiful,' Corin thought before he could stop himself. The way afternoon light caught in her hair, turning the brown almost gold. The elegant curve of her neck where it met her collarbone. The way her dress hugged her figure without being improper, just enough to suggest what lay beneath without showing anything.
'Focus,' he told himself firmly. 'She's your employer. She owns your contract. Don't fuck this up by being a creep on day one before you end up on the streets! She might not be as easy going as Elara.'
But in truth, there was only one way to test out how true that was. And deep in Corin's mind, he was bent on finding out. But for now, caution was the best route.
"You're a fortunate young man," she said finally. "The merchant who found you said you were barely breathing when he loaded you into his cart. Another hour and you'd have been crow food."
"I'm grateful he found me," Corin said, and meant it. "And grateful you took me in."
She smiled that warm smile again, the one that made her whole face light up. "Rest now. We'll speak more when you're stronger."
After she left, Corin lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Magic was real.
He'd just watched a guy's hands glow and heal his broken ribs like it was the most natural thing in the world. This wasn't some medieval Earth alternate timeline where history had gone differently. This was a full fantasy world with multiple races and actual fucking magic running through it.
He'd left behind a life of jerking off alone in a shitty apartment. Dead-end job. No prospects. No hope of anything better. And now he was here. In a world where magic existed, where beautiful women surrounded him, where he had a system specifically designed to give him power through seduction and corruption.
'I died the most pathetic death imaginable,' he thought, staring at the rough-hewn beams above him. 'Electrocuted while using a high-tech sex toy. And somehow I ended up living my fantasy. If this is hell, it's the weirdest punishment ever conceived.'
The pink screen flickered to life without warning.
[Ready to check your progress, host?]
"Hell yes," Corin muttered.
The screen expanded, displaying his updated status:
[Host – Corin]
[Level – 1]
[XP – 65/100]
[Core Stats]
• Strength – 5
• Stamina – 5
• Endurance – 5
• Intelligence – 5
• Charm – 3
• Luck – 5
[Parasite Stats]
• Lust – 17 (+2 from bathhouse activities)
• Depravity – 1 (+1 from first corruption)
• Corruption – 5
• Corruption Points – 50 CP
[Skill Cards]
• None unlocked
[Parasite Modules]
• Lust-Meter: Active
• Orgasm Roulette Wheel: Locked
• Partner Corruption Meter: Locked
• Parasite Store: UNLOCKED
His Lust had jumped two points. He'd gained his first Depravity point. And he had fifty CP burning a hole in his pocket.
"Show me the store."
The screen shifted, displaying what looked like a shop interface. Most of the items were grayed out, their descriptions hidden behind question marks and blurred text. Price tags floated next to them: 100 CP, 250 CP, 500 CP, some climbing even higher.
Only one item was fully visible:
[Jump Rope – 50 CP]
[Description: A simple training tool. Improves stamina and endurance through consistent use. Nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned cardio.]
Corin stared at it. "A jump rope? That's what I can afford?"
[That's what you've earned access to, yes]
The parasite's voice carried amusement.
[The rest of the store requires more CP to unlock. Consider it motivation to gain more corruption points and discover what else is available]
"How much more?"
[That would be telling. Where's the fun in spoiling the surprise?]
Corin scowled at the screen. The logic was sound, though. Dangle mystery rewards, make him work for it. Standard game design. He'd played enough gacha games to recognize the pattern.
He looked at his overall stats again. Five across the board for physical attributes. Pathetic three for Charm. In all those web novels he'd read, the ones he'd totally only skimmed for the plot and definitely not the harem scenes and lemons, the protagonists trained their asses off. They didn't just coast on their cheat abilities. They worked for it.
And if he was being honest with himself, he needed to do the same. Yes, the women were great. Yes, the power system was literally designed around sex. But he couldn't just be a loser in this world too. He'd died a nobody, wasted his entire life on porn and self-pity. He wasn't doing that again.
This world had bandits. Monsters. Magic. He couldn't rely on seduction alone to survive. He needed to get stronger. Build actual muscle. Improve his stamina. Maybe learn to fight properly so the next time someone came at him with a knife, he wouldn't almost die.
Because what other body existed in the universe that he could take over?
"Buy the jump rope."
[Purchase confirmed. 50 CP deducted. Jump rope will manifest in your room tomorrow morning]
The screen faded.
Corin closed his eyes. The healer had said rest was important, and his body agreed. Exhaustion crept back in, the kind that came from healing and magic and too much thinking. Within minutes, he drifted back to sleep.
---
Something touched his shoulder, gentle but insistent.
"Young master Corin."
He opened his eyes to find Lady Catherine standing beside his bed. Evening light slanted through the window now, painting everything in shades of orange and gold. How long had he been asleep?
"I apologize for waking you," she said, "but I thought we should speak while there's still daylight."
Corin sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His ribs didn't hurt. The shoulder was sore but manageable. Whatever Aldric had done, it had worked.
"Of course, milady." He almost gagged talking this way but he had to keep the act up.
"Stand," she said. "Walk with me."
He swung his legs off the bed and stood. The stone floor was cool under his bare feet. Lady Catherine moved toward the door, and he followed.
They walked through the corridor, past tapestries and oil lamps, down the grand staircase into the entrance hall. Through a side door into another corridor, this one lined with windows that looked out over the gardens. The gravel paths glowed in the evening light, the hedges casting long shadows.
"How old are you, Corin?" she asked as they walked.
"Twenty, milady."
She nodded, hands folded in front of her. "I like to know those who work under me. Their interests, their backgrounds. It helps me understand them better."
'Here it comes,' Corin thought. 'The interview.'
"What did you enjoy doing? Before all this?"
He thought carefully. Realistically, he'd enjoyed porn and women and basically living like a degenerate. But the original Corin's memories painted a different picture. A boy who'd helped his father at the forge, who'd gone fishing in the creek behind the village, who'd had simple pleasures.
"I enjoyed fishing," he said. "And forging, like I did back in the village with my father. Working with my hands."
Lady Catherine's face lit up slightly. "Fishing? That's interesting. I also love fish. Fresh trout, especially. There's a stream that runs through my lands where they're quite plentiful."
They turned a corner, entering another corridor. This one had portraits lining the walls. Ancestors, probably.
"Feel free to ask me questions as well," she said. "It's only fair."
Corin thought for a moment. There were a hundred things he wanted to know. About the empire, about magic, about her household. But one question rose to the surface, and he asked it as modestly as he could manage.
"Are you married, milady? Or betrothed?"
She glanced at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "No. Neither married nor betrothed."
'Yes!' Corin wanted to do a celebratory lap around the manor. Start that system quest today instead of waiting. But he kept his expression neutral, respectful.
"That's surprising," he said carefully. "A woman of your station and beauty. I would have thought suitors would be lining up."
"They were," she said, a note of amusement in her voice. "But I found them all insufferable. More interested in my lands than in me." She paused. "I prefer to choose my own path."
They walked in silence for a moment. Corin asked other questions. Safe ones. About the manor, about the estate, about her favorite foods and how long she'd lived here. She answered each one with patience, occasionally asking her own questions in return. The conversation flowed easily, comfortable.
Eventually, they passed through the entrance hall again, and Corin noticed something he hadn't paid attention to before. The servants moving through the corridors, carrying linens or trays or buckets of water. They were all women. Every single one.
The three maids he'd met. The cooks he could hear chattering in the kitchen. Even the figures he glimpsed through windows tending the gardens. All female.
Lady Catherine must have noticed his realization. She stopped walking and turned to face him.
"Most of the workers I employ, except the ones working the carriages and stables, are women," she said. "Have you noticed?"
Corin nodded slowly. "I have, milady."
Her blue eyes studied him carefully, searching for something. When she spoke again, her voice was measured, thoughtful.
"Do you know why you are here, Corin?"