CHAPTER 362: "LIFE MANA"

"Life Mana"

"Yes, Mom."

The voice of Mia shook as she spoke, her eyes switching between Leon and the white figure in bed. The weak body of Cassidy resembled something so delicate that a gentle gust of wind would break it, but fire burned in her tired eyes.

"And... how is this man going to cure me?" Cassidy’s voice broke, weak but firm enough to ask the question.

Mia swallowed hard. The words caught in her throat like barbs. "He... he can heal you, Mom. But—" Her voice quivered, and she needed to close her eyes for bracing herself. "But he has to use his body and... you have to do things..." Her face burned hot with a deep red color. "I promise it’s true. I experienced it. After being with him... my body became strong, the frailness disappeared. I’m telling the truth, Mom."

The silence that followed was like a wall coming down on them.

Cassidy shifted her tired eyes from Mia to Leon. She had heard her daughter’s tale before—about her rapid recovery, her newfound vitality—but hearing it now, with this burden of reality behind Mia’s stuttering confession, made the air thick.

Leon, already standing up from the floor, struggled to force a small, uneasy smile. It quickly disappeared as he regained his balance and stared directly into Cassidy’s eyes.

He had to tell her all of it.

His head reeled in his brain inside. What do I say? How do I describe something like this?

Before he could get his words in order, the voice of the system slid through his head like a whisper.

[Bro, tell her: your body is a rich source of Life Mana. That’s the truth. You’re not a healer in the traditional sense, but your essence is stronger than any spell.]

Leon’s brows furrowed, but he nodded to himself.

He turned back to Cassidy. "Life mana flows through my body," he began, his tone calm but deliberate. "But I’m not a healing mage. I can’t cast any spell or incantation. The only way I can pass on that mana... is through my essence. The closer and more direct contact, the better." His voice grew deeper as he suppressed the shame to bare the truth. "Pleasure activates it. That’s how the flow becomes powerful enough to battle poison or disease."

The words lingered there, unvarnished, impossible to deny.

Cassidy and Mia both looked at him—eyes opened wide, lips parted. Even having known, even believing, the rudeness of his revelation ran shivers through the room.

Cassidy’s breath caught. She’d spent a year lying in bed, drowning in poison that no alchemist could label, much less heal. She’d survived each painful moment, holding on solely to guard her daughter and to fantasize revenge. And this man. was giving her hope.

Her hands shook against the sheets. But her gaze never faltered. "It’s all right," she whispered, as much to herself. Then louder, steady despite the shake in her voice: "But you have to promise me something. We do this only for healing. And you will be faithful to Mia. Only her. Forever."

The system laughed in Leon’s head.

[Bro, she’s spelling it out heavy. Better respond wise.]

Leon’s jaw clenched. He parted his lips, but Cassidy cut him off with a raw cry, her mother’s defense anger blazing past her vulnerability.

"What?!" Her voice broke, but her will thundered. "Do you think to remain with my daughter while collecting a harem? You have to be joking!"

Mia’s eyes flashed with panic. She longed to speak up—that she didn’t mind, that Leon captured her heart no matter what—but Leon was quicker.

He took a step forward, his eyes steady. "Does that mean I love her less?" His words contained no uncertainty. "Does that mean I won’t defend her, take care of her, give her everything she deserves? Why can’t we be more? Why can’t we be a big family?"

Cassidy’s mouth opened, but nothing issued. Her thoughts were knotted.

"You— I..." She stumbled. If it was true what he said, if his love did not diminish but merely grew. then what? But could she believe it? Could she embrace it?

Leon pushed on before she could respond. "Is now the time to fight about it? The poison is killing you at the moment. We get that settled first. The rest—we discuss later."

The ensuing silence wasn’t peace. It was urgency-driven agreement.

Cassidy nodded almost imperceptibly.

Leon took a breath, tension draining from him. Then he grabbed his shirt and yanked it on over his head. The easy action caught the attention of both women, their cheeks flushing in tandem. Muscles shifted beneath his skin, strength coiled and ready.

"I don’t care if you look," Leon declared, voice soft but challenging. His eyes flicked to Mia. "But will your mother be okay with that?"

Mia’s breath hitched. The image sketched itself in her mind, ripe and deadly—her mother moaning in Leon’s arms, healed but broken. Her face flush with crimson, her body deserting her with fire.

The system cackled malevolently.

[Bro, this would be one hell of a memory. Too bad I don’t have enough space to save it. Pay attention to the poison though—you’ve got work to do.]

Leon smiled weakly, ruffling his head at the sound audible only to him. But he couldn’t help but feel the rush humming within his chest.

Cassidy, however, moved uncomfortably. She pursed her lips, then opened her arms and pulled Mia into her gaunt arms. "I can’t," she said softly, shame shattering her voice. "Not in front of you. Wait outside, please."

Mia blinked in shock. She did not want to go. She did not want Leon alone with her mother—regardless of the reason. But Cassidy’s shivering hug, her blush, her pride... Mia got it. Reluctantly, slowly, she nodded.

As Mia moved away, Leon tossed additional fuel on the fire with one final rumble. "It won’t be fast."

Mia’s face flushed. She gave him a glare, but her body once again betrayed her with a shiver of warmth. She spun away rapidly, making a dash for the door, her heart pounding.

The instant the door closed, there was silence in the room.

Cassidy’s mind reeled, shame bouncing against desire, fear knotting with desperation. She wanted to believe this was a ritual of healing, nothing more. But her body... recalled the kiss he had shared with her beforehand. That spark of warmth, that stolen flame. It was the most alive she’d been in years.

Leon climbed onto the bed with deliberate slowness, his shadow falling over her pale form. His smile was gentle, but his eyes burned with intent.

"I’ll take good care of you, my Cassidy..."