"Ding. System detected that the host has absorbed a supernatural substance."
The notification echoed in Elric's consciousness with that familiar mechanical precision.
"Converting into Devil Fruit experience points…"
"Please select a Devil Fruit ability to enhance."
Elric thought for a moment, weighing his options carefully. He had two abilities now—the Surgical Fruit and the Staring Fruit, each with their own advantages and strategic applications.
Then he made his decision. "Enhance the Surgical Fruit."
The Staring Fruit already gave him the advantage of emotional perception—being able to sense others' intentions through subtle emotional waves, to see the colored auras that revealed truth beneath lies. It was incredibly useful for social navigation and avoiding betrayal.
But the Surgical Fruit had more tactical value in direct combat situations.
"Ding! Surgical Fruit EXP +3!"
"Current Surgical Fruit Level: 2 (4/20)"
The increase wasn't large—just a small fraction of what he'd need to reach level three—but Elric's grin showed his satisfaction nonetheless.
He had discovered a new pathway to gain Devil Fruit experience—absorbing supernatural cores dropped by mutated creatures when they died.
That meant every hunt, every corpse, and every scrap of glowing crystal out there in the apocalyptic wasteland was a potential chance to grow stronger. A resource to be harvested.
He opened his inventory with a thought, accessing the storage space, and pulled out a few hundred bottles of clean mineral water. The bottles materialized in stacks, and he began pouring them systematically into the bathtub.
Soon, the clear water shimmered under the dim emergency lighting, filling the tub to the brim.
Elric stripped off the torn remnants of his clothes—fabric stained with blood, dust, and the residue of battle—and slid into the tub with a sigh of genuine relief as the warmth enveloped him.
In a world where most people couldn't even drink clean water without getting sick, where survivors were dying of dehydration by the thousands, he was bathing in it. Luxuriating in bottles that would be worth more than gold to anyone else.
If anyone saw this now—the cool-headed survivor luxuriating in a bathtub filled with bottled water like some decadent emperor—they'd call him a monster. A show-off. An obscene waste of resources.
Maybe they'd even try to kill him for it, driven by jealousy and desperation.
He chuckled softly, the sound echoing off the bathroom tiles. "Guess that makes me the richest man left alive."
But just as he started to relax, just as his muscles began to unknot from the day's tension, he heard a sound.
"Creak—"
The bathroom door opened slowly, hinges protesting softly.
Elric turned his head sharply—and froze completely, every muscle going tense.
Standing in the doorway was Grace, the new woman who had joined them just today. She was no longer in the torn, soot-stained clothes from before, the practical survival gear she'd been wearing.
Instead, she was wearing a deep V-neck wrap dress that clung to her curves like a second skin, the fabric highlighting rather than hiding. Her long legs caught the faint light, and her hair had been brushed until it shone.
The transformation was… breathtaking. Strategic. Deliberate.
"What are you doing here?" Elric asked, his voice low but calm, betraying none of his surprise. "Didn't I tell you to sleep in the side room?"
Originally, he hadn't intended to take Grace in tonight—her husband had just died barely a day ago, and for the sake of basic decency, even in the apocalypse, he'd planned to give her space to grieve and recover.
But now… that dress. That look in her eyes. The deliberate choice to come here.
Grace's face flushed pink, the color spreading down her neck. Her fingers fidgeted at her side before she finally whispered, "I… I just came to help. To rub your back."
Elric blinked, slightly surprised by the excuse. "Oh? A back rub, huh?"
He gave a small nod, deciding to accept the premise. "Alright then. Come here."
Grace stepped closer with measured movements, kneeling beside the tub. The air between them thickened—the scent of soap, steam, and something else mixing together.
And from that point on… the "back rub" became something more.
........
Suck...suck...suck...
Elric lay comfortably in the tub, enjoying the girl's gentle service.
Grace's mouth felt a little numb; this was her first time giving oral sex. Furthermore, the thing was too large for her mouth to fit normally.
So, she gave up after just two minutes. Seeing her helpless expression, Elric didn't force her any further.
"Come here, stand here." Elric instructed the girl to stand in the tub.
Grace reluctantly stood up, revealing her beautiful body to him, a touch shy.
Elric surveyed the exquisite figure—perfect, flawless, curvaceous, and voluptuous.
Grace, gazing at his fiery gaze, felt a sense of relief.
"It's absolutely perfect," Elric exclaimed, his hand gently sliding over the girl's body.
Next, the last bit of the girl's secrets was about to be revealed to him. He slowly pulled down Grace's panties.
Elric pulled the girl's panties down to her calves, then approached her crotch and gently parted her pubic hair.
His fingers slowly rubbed her protruding labia minora twice, causing the girl to tremble. Elric kneaded them playfully, gently.
Grace suddenly felt a strange pleasure emanating from her lower body. It was unlike her sex with her husband. Although it was only her fingers, Elric seemed to possess a magical power, and two strokes left her completely limp.
At Elric's command, she could only struggle to stand. Although her legs trembled with the stimulation, she remained open, panting softly, "Ah... Ah no... Silka."
He simply extended his tongue, intending to taste it, but unexpectedly, the tip of his tongue penetrated the girl's vaginal slit, causing her vagina to begin to wriggle, and then he was sprayed with her cum.
"Wow... I'm sorry, I'm sorry~ I, I didn't know this would happen..." Grace panicked at the sight.
It's okay, help me clean up.
Grace carefully wiped herself with a towel, not daring to stand, her head lowered as she waited for him.
Elric picked the girl up, her shy and nervous expression agitated. He pressed his lower body against her vagina, feeling the warmth radiating from it, and rubbed it gently.
Having just climaxed, Grace's vagina was still moist, requiring no lubrication.
"Is this okay?" Elric asked, looking at the girl beneath him.
Grace's eyes were a little nervous and shy, and she whispered, "I'm ready. Feel free to come in anytime."
Grace's approach was so welcoming, and Elric naturally didn't hold back. He raised his now-hard penis, tentatively searching for the entrance, and thrust deep into the girl's gaze...
By the time Elric emerged from the bath an hour later, steam still lingered in the air like morning mist. Grace lay wrapped in a towel on the bathroom floor, her breathing slow and exhausted, her body completely spent.
The System's voice echoed in his consciousness again, that familiar chime announcing rewards:
"Ding! Congratulations, host—a qualified adopter has been successfully taken in."
"Devil Fruit Tree growth +1."
"Detected: 'Magma Fruit' seed germination in progress."
"Unlocked in-depth exchange reward: 50 bags of premium rice (10 lbs each)."
"Adopter Grace's remaining monthly rewards: 7."
Elric's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "A Magma Fruit…"
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