After he failed to form an alliance, Leo made his way back to the house. His steps were slow, thoughtful, and slightly heavy, as his mind wandered through the whirlwind of events that had unfolded today.
He had been bullied by some random, arrogant mage, a guy who acted like he owned the world.
Then there was that girl... That fan girl. She had been ready to drop her entire wallet at his feet just to be close to him, clinging like a loyal puppy, all sparkly eyes and dangerous obsession. Honestly, that level of desperation scared him a little.
And then… that girl who had helped him. She was strong, calm, confident… and she was in his school.
But what really stuck with him—the thought that refused to leave—was this: the owner of this body… the original Leo… was clearly someone different.
A good guy.
A genuinely kind, helpful, optimistic kind of person.
The sort who'd smile at strangers and lend his last coin to someone in need. That kind of personality was dangerous in this world.
Naively dangerous!!
Not that Leo was complaining. It was fine to be good. Goodness had its place. But there also needed to be caution.
Quick wits. A sense of wariness. Otherwise, people would take advantage of that kindness without a second thought.
Because that's how people were. They always used the kind ones, drained them dry, and then, when it was the good person who needed help… they turned away.
Pretended not to notice.
Fuckers!!
'But where is that guy now?' Leo wondered, narrowing his eyes. If he was inside this new body… then what had happened to the original soul?
Did he die?
Was Leo some kind of replacement now?
An intruder?
The only thing he remembered clearly was waking up in the school—already in this body. So whatever had happened… it must've happened there.
He needed to find out. He needed to understand the world, the people, the enemies. Before jumping into the madness, he needed to know what he was walking into.
"She said… we've got four days before the relic appears, right? I have to gather as much intel as I can," Leo muttered under his breath as he stood before the old house.
It was big. Not too big, but too big for someone like him. The wooden exterior, the wide creaking veranda, and the tall windows gave it the vibe of a place filled with love and happiness.
Leo smiled faintly as he looked at it, unsure if he was going to stay in this body temporarily or permanently. But for now… he could at least live as him.
Maybe even honour him, in a way. Whoever the real owner was, he had lost everything—just like Leo once did.
He stepped inside the house, removing his shoes at the entrance and calling out, "Pride, I brought some delicious food for you!"
His voice echoed softly through the hallway. He walked into the living room, dropping his bag and setting the packed food on the table.
"Eat this and start pumping those muscles," he said casually, rolling his shoulders, "Tonight, we're going for a—" his words trailed off mid-sentence.
Something was off.
"Hm? Pride?" he called again.
Silence.
A strange, heavy silence.
Leo's brows furrowed. He looked around. Something about the stillness of the house made his skin tingle.
Where was Pride?
His fingers instinctively reached for the pen in his bag. He held it tightly and stepped cautiously out of the living room, eyes sharp, every footstep slow and deliberate.
He moved silently down the corridor, his ears twitching at every creak in the wooden floor. Just as he passed a certain door—
Splash.
A soft, wet sound.
No—more than that. The unmistakable sound of blood splashing… and something thick sliding.
Leo froze.
His grip on the pen tightened. His throat dried. He swallowed hard. His feet moved on their own as he spun and kicked open the door.
BAM!
"Are you alright, Pride?!!" he shouted, danger, attack—
Instead...
He was greeted by the sight of a bare, naked woman bathing herself.
"..."
"..."
Everything stopped.
Everything.
His breath caught in his throat. His body locked up. His eyes, wide and frozen, could not look away.
She stood there in the middle of the bathroom, the steam rising slowly from the bath, clinging to her glowing skin. Her long, wet hair slid down her back like black silk. Her pearl-green eyes—soft, deep, locked onto his, unflinching, almost challenging.
For a moment, the world stopped breathing.
His pupils dilated.
His heart skipped… then pounded hard in his chest.
A single droplet of water slowly trickled from her chest. It followed the perfect curve of her breast, dragging the moment into an agonizingly slow eternity, until it reached the peak... and fell.
Drip...
At the same time, the pen slipped from Leo's trembling fingers and fell.
Tap.
Leo blinked, snapped back to his senses, and gasped. His face turned crimson. He turned sharply on his foot and slammed the door shut behind him, standing outside it as if he'd just stepped out of hellfire.
His body was stiff, his heart pounding like a drum, his mind struggling to process the explosion of sensation.
He just...
He just saw a naked woman.
In real life.
Not a dream. Not a fantasy. Not a magazine. Not a video... A real, flesh-and-blood, breathing woman.
He just lost another virginity!
Seeing a naked woman live!
His heart wouldn't slow down.
He pressed a fist to his forehead, breathing rapidly, whispering to himself, "W-What the hell was that? Is this… is this a new kind of attack?"
Because if it were, then...
Leo was already defeated.
No amount of strategy or skill could have saved him from that. He was totally unprepared. Caught off guard. Absolutely destroyed.
He leaned against the wall, exhaling. His body was still hot, his mind spinning, her image etched into the deepest parts of his memory.
'Damn it!' he cursed silently, gritting his teeth. He had underestimated this war.
Now, he truly understood what Valra had meant.
Masters would go to any length to kill him!!
Just then—
"Pssst! Psssssst!!"
Leo flinched hard, startled, and instinctively spun toward the sound. His eyes darted to the side… and there she was.
Pride.
Peeking nervously from the slightly open door of another room, her expression sharp with urgency as she waved her hand at him like a squirrel in distress.
Without hesitation, Leo rushed toward her. The moment he got close enough, Pride grabbed him by the sleeve, yanked him inside the room, and quickly closed the door behind them with a soft thud.
"What's going on?!" Leo whispered harshly, his voice a mix of panic and confusion. "Is that Master trying to fu—uh, I mean, kill me?"
Pride shrugged her shoulders casually, "I cannot say for certain. She entered bearing keys—I first assumed she was an intruder. Yet I sensed no magical presence from her. Thus, I chose to remain hidden, that I might observe her intentions from the shadows."
Leo raised a brow, humming in thought as he leaned back against the wall, trying to slow his racing heart. She didn't feel like a threat, but her sudden appearance was definitely suspicious.
He had no memory of her, and as far as he knew, the owner of this body didn't have any living parents.
So who the hell was she?
His eyes wandered around the room they were hiding in. It was the same room he had entered last night... His room.
"There is something else," Pride said, reaching for the study table. She picked up a small photo frame and handed it to him.
Leo took it, blinking down at the image. A younger version of himself—red-haired, a familiar face he'd now seen in the mirror—stood beside a mature woman with flowing dark hair and gentle eyes.
She looked elegant. Older. Composed. And she was smiling down at the boy in the photo with a warmth that radiated through the glass.
"Your mother?" Pride tilted her head, pointing at the pair. "You both wear glasses."
Leo's face went blank.
Seriously?
Just because they wore the same type of glasses?!
Was that her logic?
By that reasoning, half the damn population would be related to each other!
Maybe more, as smartphones were destroying everyone's eyes.
Anyway..
He resisted the urge to groan and simply shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath. Still… he kept staring at the photo.
The woman had sleek, jet-black hair and deep green eyes, her appearance striking and mature. She definitely looked like someone who could have a child around his age… but something wasn't adding up.
'Didn't I lose my parents?' Leo frowned internally. 'Also... she looks familiar… I feel like I've seen her before—'
"Leo!"
A voice suddenly rang from outside the door.
Leo stiffened.
Pride glanced at Leo, who quickly motioned for him to hide beside the door. Pride crouched down and hid behind it.
"Leo! Open the door! Are you hiding someone in there? What do you mean by 'Pride'?"
Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With a calm face, he didn't actually feel, he stood up and opened the door.
And there she stood.
A woman with long, silky black hair with white tips that cascaded almost to her hips. Her hair was still damp, strands clinging lightly to her neck and shoulders, two antenna-like hairs flowed before, and the faint trail of steam curling from her skin like smoke rising from freshly heated stone.
She wore a black turtle-neck top—shoulderless, clinging to her curves—and a long flowing skirt that moved slightly, hiding those thicc thighs, as she stepped forward.
Her entire body still seemed warm… not in a metaphorical way, but literally. Like she had just stepped out of a hot bath, and her skin still carried that moist heat.
Her green eyes—glinting softly from behind lower-framed glasses—scanned the room slowly with a serious expression. [Imgincmt]
Leo blinked rapidly as he looked at her, then at the photo frame still in his hand… then back at her again.
The resemblance was unreal. His mouth opened slightly, disbelief settling in his eyes.
'What the hell...? Is it just me, or… am I the only one who's grown up?!' he thought, feeling a cold chill run down his back. The photo looked like it had been taken ten years ago. But she hadn't aged a single day.
"What are you staring at?" the woman asked in a mildly irritated tone. Her frown deepened slightly as she glanced around the room. Her gaze held a sharpness, but it wasn't cruel—just confused and probing.
Leo blinked again. "Wait... weren't you the teacher? The one in the classroom earlier?"
The woman gave a light scoff. "So what? Since your science teacher didn't show up, I stepped in and took her place. Is something wrong with that?"
Leo stared at her, trying to make sense of everything. Her scent still lingered in his nose from earlier. A mix of soap, warm water, and… her. His brain refused to process normally.
She frowned again, noticing his behaviour. Something felt off. Usually, he'd come running into her arms like a child starved of affection.
But now… he looked hesitant.
Guarded.
'Maybe it's because of that,' she thought, glancing toward the hallway. Maybe he was still embarrassed. She sighed gently and gave him a soft smile, the kind only someone older and composed could manage.
"There's no need to make it awkward. It was just an accident, okay?" she said, voice calm and soothing, trying to act like the mature one.
Leo paused, then slowly nodded. "Okay... M-Mom?"
The woman's body jolted.
"Mom?"
Leo blinked.
'So… not mom then. Great.' He sighed inwardly. That had been his biggest fear. That he had taken over someone's son's body, and now had to live that lie. As an orphan… the idea of replacing someone else's child terrified him on a level no battle ever had.
Just as he was about to apologize—
"Wait… You called me Mom? Really? Oh my god!!"
Before he could react, the woman squealed in excitement and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and pulling him straight into her soft, generous bosom.
"MFF!!"
Leo's muffled groan was barely audible. His face was smashed against her chest, his nose instantly overwhelmed by the raw, intoxicating scent of her skin and lingering bathwater. Her body was still warm—steaming, soft, and utterly real—and his brain promptly shut down.
His fingers twitched helplessly at his sides.
This woman was chaos.