6. Healed and Horny as Fuck

The moment my body registered the change, I could feel the difference. My muscles no longer screamed with the kind of agony that made me question whether I'd ever walk again. No, the dull throb of pain had disappeared completely, and I felt… stronger. Freer. More like myself than I had in weeks.

The bandages that had been wrapped around me like some half-assed mummy were the first things I noticed. There was no reason to keep them on now that I was fully healed, so I tore them off, throwing them carelessly aside as I sat up. My bones weren't screaming in protest anymore, and I barely noticed any of the stiffness from the beating I had taken. Hell, even my ribs felt almost perfect.

I flexed my hands, rolling my shoulders and stretching my back as if nothing had ever happened. This is what I'm talking about. Fucking miracles from the system, I thought with a cynical smile.

"Alright, let's see what I've got."

I stood up, still testing my strength. No dizziness, no shakiness. I was good. Better than good, actually. The system had restored my health, sure, but it had also given me something else—power. A sort of untapped potential, like the floodgates had been opened.

I wasn't just healed; I was stronger than before. And for the first time, I found myself grateful for the system.

Laying on the small table beside the bed was a set of clothes—nothing fancy, just something the village chief's wife must've left for me to wear. They looked simple enough, but I couldn't ignore the way the leather gleamed in the low light. There was something about it, a weight to the fabric, something that screamed "function over form."

But what really caught my eye was the armor beside it, folded neatly. I reached over and picked it up, running my fingers along the smooth, black leather. The moment I touched it, I felt a faint hum. No, not a hum. It was more like a pulse. It wasn't anything magical, at least not in the traditional sense. This was just... different.

The armor was light. Almost too light for how durable it looked. The black leather was reinforced with dark-red stitching, woven in a pattern that almost seemed to shift under my fingertips, like the armor was made to adapt, move with me. The chest piece was sleek, covering the upper half of my torso and wrapping around my shoulders, leaving the arms free. The red markings on the leather seemed to glow faintly in the dim room. No, it wasn't glowing, not really. But it had this energy, this... presence.

I pulled the armor on, feeling the immediate comfort as it adjusted to my body. It was like a second skin, soft yet protective. It fit me perfectly. I ran my hands over it again, admiring how it molded to my form. It felt like I was wearing nothing at all, but at the same time, it felt like I was covered by a fortress.

Okay, maybe the system's not so bad after all, I thought as I marveled at the ease of movement it allowed me. I was used to armor that weighed you down and made you feel like you were walking in molasses. This? This felt like I could run through a damn battlefield without breaking a sweat. The system might just have redeemed itself for this one.

Next, I turned my attention to the Black Blade—still resting in its scabbard on the side table. I eyed it warily, almost like it was waiting for me to take it up. The scabbard was as dark as the blade itself, streaked with faint red veins that pulsed when the light hit them just right.

I reached out and gripped the scabbard, testing its weight. It looked heavy, but manageable. I was wrong. The moment I tried to lift it, the damn thing didn't move. I grunted, pushing harder, trying to get the damn blade out. The weight of the sword was like nothing I'd ever encountered. It was as if the blade was anchored to the ground.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I muttered under my breath, my arms shaking from the effort.

I didn't back down. Using my ki, I channeled energy into my arms, my body bracing for the power I knew I could summon.

And then, without warning, the sword lightened.

It wasn't a gradual shift, it was instant. The sword went from heavy as a damn anchor to lighter than air, almost too light. I blinked in surprise as I felt it slip from my hands—my grip too eager, too fast.

"Shit!" I cursed as the sword flew out of my hands, spinning through the air in slow motion, before I managed to snatch it mid-flight.

I pulled it from the scabbard, and that's when I felt it. The hum. The vibration in the air, the subtle pulse of energy that thrummed through my body as soon as I held the Black Blade. The blade itself was smooth, like liquid metal, but the moment my fingers gripped the handle, I could feel something else. It was like it was alive—waiting—but it wasn't intimidating. It was... comforting.

The handle was sleek, with dark, almost blood-red accents running along its length. The blade itself was sharp, black—as if it had been forged from the very essence of night itself. It was strange. I could feel my ki pooling into it like it was feeding off me. The hum got louder the more I concentrated.

"Alright, what the hell is this?" I muttered, inspecting the blade. "What's with the weight? Why does it feel like it's... my ki?"

I tried to reason it out. Maybe it was enchanted, like the armor. But then a flash of doubt hit me—I don't have any mana. That couldn't be it.

Whatever the hell it is, I'll figure it out later. For now, I'll just enjoy having a badass weapon.

I swung the sword a few times, marveling at how easily it flowed with my movements. The lightness was deceiving—it was like an extension of myself. Focused. I couldn't shake the feeling that this blade was going to change things for me.

But right now? Right now, my stomach was giving me far more immediate concerns.

I stepped out of the room and into the modest house. The space was plain, the walls slightly cracked, the wooden beams a little too old for comfort. Still, it was warm, the smell of something cooking filling the air.

I spotted the chief's wife, along with her daughter—the one I'd rescued. They were seated at a small table, talking quietly. The daughter gave me a grateful smile, and I couldn't help but return it, though it was awkward. Then I noticed Cole, hunched over a set of documents at the far side of the room, clearly busy.

"Well, well, look who's up," Cole said with a raised eyebrow, glancing over at me. His voice held a mix of surprise and amusement. "Wasn't expecting you to recover that fast."

The chief's wife stood up from the table. "I was just about to bring you some food," she said kindly, though there was a hint of apology in her voice.

I cracked a grin, shrugging. "Used some recovery magic on myself."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "That kind of magic's rare," he said, eyeing me curiously. "To rebuild broken bones and all that."

I grinned, lying through my teeth. "Potions, a little magic, and a whole lot of willpower. Nothing special."

I inwardly smirked. God, I'm such a good liar.

My stomach growled loudly, cutting off any further conversation. "Anyway, I'll have my food now. I'm starving."

I took a seat next to the girl, who looked at me with wide eyes, her expression full of gratitude. "Thank you again for saving me... and the others," she said, her voice soft but sincere.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to thank me," I muttered. "But damn, you recovered fast for someone who was in that kind of condition."

Cole chimed in. "Well, you were out for a whole week. You were unconscious for a while, actually."

I froze. "A week?!" I almost choked on the word.

Cole nodded. "90% of your bones were broken. You didn't exactly bounce back in an hour, you know."

I could barely process what he said. A week? No way. That didn't make sense. But then, it did—time here was longer. The days were 30 hours long.

I did the mental math in my head, trying to make sense of it. The extra hours added up to nearly a full day and a half more than Earth's time. So I was technically out for 8 or 9 days on Earth. Fuck, no wonder I feel like I've been in a coma.

I couldn't shake the discomfort in the pit of my stomach. A week? Hell, even that didn't make sense. How had time flown by so quickly? It felt like I'd just closed my eyes for a damn second before waking up in this weird, awkward situation. But then again, it wasn't the time discrepancy that bothered me the most.

It was the hunger gnawing at me, demanding satisfaction. **Actual food.** Something decent.

I glanced over at the girl—**the chief's daughter**—sitting at the table beside me, her eyes still full of gratitude. "So, uh… what's your name?" I asked, wanting to break the silence, if nothing else. Her expression softened as she met my gaze.

"My name's **Ava**," she said, her voice gentle, though her cheeks were still flushed from the events. She gave me a small smile. "Thank you again for everything."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, not really knowing how to respond to all the gratitude. "I do what I can."

I could already feel the weight of my **body's need** pressing in on me—the **desire** to forget about the chaos of the past few days. I had just finished a life-or-death mission, fought a **goddamn Goblin Chief**, and somehow survived, and now I was standing here in some random village, ready for a damn meal. But my **mind** was elsewhere.

It had been **months** since I'd been with a woman, and after the mission, the release I craved was more about **stress relief** than anything else. I had my fair share of women in the past, but right now, the idea of lying in a bed and **escaping my own head** felt more appealing than anything.

"Hey, Ava," I began, shifting in my seat as I casually addressed the girl next to me, "do you think the **chief** and your mother would mind if I laid with you tonight?"

There was a brief moment of silence as I let my words settle in. The other two at the table froze, their eyes wide. **Ava** blinked at me, a little unsure how to respond, while the **chief's wife** stared at me, clearly trying to process what I just said.

I wasn't about to sugarcoat anything, and given the tension in the room, I figured honesty might just be the quickest route to what I needed. I cleared my throat, leaning back casually in my chair.

"I haven't been with a woman in months, alright? I'm just looking for a little… relief. Nothing serious," I added, almost to myself.

Cole, who had been flipping through some documents in the corner, stopped dead in his tracks. The words clearly shocked him, but he kept quiet, observing the situation silently.

The chief's wife stared at me, clearly flustered by the bluntness, but she didn't immediately speak. Her fingers twitched, but she didn't interrupt. It was then that the chief entered the room, his strong, steady presence filling the doorway.

The moment the chief stepped inside, his eyes immediately went to me and then shifted to his daughter, still seated beside me. There was a tense silence as he looked from one to the other.

"You… you wish to lay with my daughter?" The chief's voice was deep, but laced with a tinge of disbelief and anger. "Just after you've saved her life? After we've just received her back?" His words had a rough edge, but they weren't entirely hostile. It was clear that he wasn't just angry—he was caught between emotions.

I shrugged, meeting his gaze with the same casual indifference that had gotten me through countless awkward situations. "It's been months since I've been with a woman. I fought through hell to save your people, and now I'm just asking for a bit of relief."

The chief's face grew taut, his jaw tightening. He looked down at Ava, then back at me, as though weighing the situation carefully.

"I understand your needs, but what about responsibility?" he asked, his voice hard but not unkind. "This village has enough problems, and my daughter has already been through so much. It would not be easy to find a man for her now. She's already been through… what she's been through." His eyes darkened as he spoke the last part, clearly acknowledging her past struggles.

I stared at him for a second before answering. "Look, I'm not here for anything permanent. I'm not trying to claim your daughter as some prize. I just need relief, something to ease the tension of everything that's happened."

I wasn't going to sugarcoat it anymore. I'd never been good at lying about this kind of thing. At least now, the chief knew where I stood.

Before the chief could respond, Ava spoke up, her voice soft but clear. "Father, I don't mind," she said, meeting his gaze. "He saved my life. He's done so much for us. This is the least I can do."

The chief's expression faltered for a moment, and then, with a heavy sigh, he reluctantly agreed. "I cannot say this is what I had hoped for… but I can't deny the truth of it. You did save my daughter's life and kept the village safe. Perhaps it is the least I can allow." His shoulders slumped as if the weight of the decision crushed him. "But know this, Kaizen—you must take **responsibility**. A man who does not will only bring dishonor."