Grand Return System-Chapter 53: The First Step Into Flame

The First Step Into Flame

After an unknown period of time, Rias finally woke up.

The night had deepened. Moonlight spilled softly across the lakeside camp, silver light dancing over rippling water. A faint mist drifted above the surface, and the crackle of a small campfire echoed gently nearby. The scent of damp earth and burning wood mingled with the lingering heat of Mana in the air.

Inside her body, everything had changed.

Her cultivation had already stepped into the Onyx Realm — one star.

More importantly, she had fused completely with the purgatory flames of the Inferno Kong and successfully evolved her own Divine Bone.

Deep within her spiritual core, a crimson bone pulsed quietly — elegant, fierce, alive. It felt like a second heartbeat inside her.

The power of the precious bone had yet to be completely absorbed. In the coming days, she only needed to convert the remaining power into her own Mana, and her cultivation would rise rapidly.

This was the true power of a precious bone — especially one left behind by a King realm descendant. The energy contained within it was vast, enough to support cultivation all the way toward the King realm itself.

In The Forsaken Domain, such bones were more precious than immortal elixirs.

They were treasures people would kill for.

And Leon had simply... given it to her.

Rias slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was him.

Leon sat calmly before her, legs crossed, midnight robe flowing loosely around him. Amethyst embroidery shimmered faintly under moonlight. His long black hair rested over his shoulders, and his purple eyes reflected quiet depth.

He looked... steady. Untouchable.

Her heart surged with excitement.

She had stepped onto the path of immortality.

She wanted to throw herself into his arms.

But then—

A cold gust of night wind brushed against her bare skin.

Her excitement froze.

She looked down.

And her mind went blank.

She was almost naked.

The red silk robe lay scattered beside her. What remained clung loosely to her body, barely covering anything. Sweat from the flame fusion had soaked through her thin inner garment earlier — now dried, but translucent enough to reveal the curves beneath.

Her boobs rose sharply with her breath, barely concealed. Her narrow waist and smooth abdomen glowed faintly under the moon. One long white leg was fully exposed, and the line of her hip curved clearly where fabric had slipped.

Her face turned crimson instantly.

She snatched up the red robe from the ground and wrapped it around herself in panic.

"Ah... How embarrassing... I wonder if Master saw anything just now. Ah ah... it’s so embarrassing, so embarrassing."

Her heart pounded violently.

She had always carried herself with noble elegance — controlled, graceful, composed.

Yet here she was, practically exposed before him.

"M-Master?" she called softly, unable to meet his eyes.

Leon responded without missing a beat. "Well, I didn’t see anything."

Her face burned even hotter.

You wouldn’t emphasize it if you truly didn’t see anything...

Her thoughts spiraled.

He must have seen everything.

Her flushed skin. The outline of her chest. The way the fabric clung to her curves.

How was she supposed to face him now?

Leon turned slightly away — at least outwardly calm.

But internally—

Control yourself.

When she had first opened her eyes, the robe hadn’t fully covered her yet. The moonlight had traced the smooth length of her legs, up toward the curve of her hips. For a brief second, the delicate shape of her boobs beneath loose silk had been visible again.

He swallowed.

He was a cultivator.

But he was also a man.

And right now, his "dragon" was very aware of that fact.

He subtly adjusted his posture, drawing his robe more carefully over his lap.

Steady your Dao heart.

He inhaled slowly, letting Mana circulate to cool the heat rising within him.

Rias noticed something.

As she tightened her robe and stole a quick glance toward him, her eyes flickered downward instinctively.

For the briefest moment—

She saw the slight tension beneath his robe.

A faint, unmistakable bulge at his crotch before he adjusted his posture.

Her breath caught.

She immediately looked away, heart racing.

She knew what that meant.

She wasn’t ignorant.

Her cheeks turned even redder.

So Master... is still a man after all.

Strangely, that thought did not frighten her.

It made her chest flutter.

There was something reassuring in knowing that his calmness was not indifference — that her presence affected him too.

But she would never say it.

Never.

Leon cleared his throat lightly.

"Disciple, you’ve already absorbed the precious bone of the Inferno Kong and fused it to form your own Divine Bone. From today onwards, you’ve officially stepped onto the path of immortality."

His tone was steady again, teacher-like.

"You’ve just entered cultivation, so you might lack foundational knowledge. It just so happens that your Senior Sister hasn’t returned yet. I’ll use this time to explain."

Rias lifted her gaze cautiously.

There was nothing unusual in his expression.

No lingering heat.

No embarrassment.

Just calm authority.

How steady...

Her admiration deepened.

She wrapped the robe tighter around her body, crossing her legs properly now, trying to restore dignity. Yet even covered, the red silk followed her curves naturally — the shape of her waist, the gentle swell of her chest beneath fabric, the subtle curve of her ass where she shifted to sit more comfortably.

She felt self-conscious.

But also... aware.

Of him.

Of how close they were.

Of how her heart felt different than before.

"Master..." she spoke softly, voice gentler now. "Thank you... for everything."

He looked at her.

"Why thank me?"

"For the precious bone. For accepting me without asking about my background. For... believing in me."

Her crimson eyes shimmered slightly under moonlight.

Leon held her gaze for a moment.

Then he said calmly, "When I take students, I look only at fate. Not status. Not background. Since you stepped forward and chose me, I won’t disappoint you."

Her heart trembled again.

Since you chose me...

Those words echoed inside her chest.

She lowered her head slightly, hiding the soft smile forming on her lips.

"Then... I won’t disappoint you either, Master."

There was quiet determination in her voice now.

Leon nodded.

"Good. Now listen carefully."

He began explaining the structure of cultivation — how Mana circulated through meridians, how the spiritual core stabilized, how Divine Bones influenced affinity and growth.

As he spoke, Rias listened intently.

But her mind wasn’t entirely calm.

Every time he leaned slightly forward to illustrate a point, she could see the strong line of his jaw, the faint shadow under his eyes, the way his purple gaze sharpened when discussing principles.

He’s really handsome...

Her thoughts slipped.

She imagined standing beside him one day — not as a weak student, but as someone worthy.

The image lingered.

Warm.

Dangerous.

She pressed her thighs together slightly without realizing it.

Leon noticed the small shift but assumed she was adjusting posture.

He continued teaching.

Yet in the depths of his own mind—

He could not fully forget the earlier sight.

The faint glow of firelight against her skin.

The way her robe had slipped.

The curve of her body beneath moonlight.

He exhaled slowly again.

You accepted her as a student. Control yourself.

But beneath discipline, a quiet truth lingered.

He had always preferred beautiful women.

And fate had just delivered him one whose heart was slowly leaning toward him.

The campfire crackled softly.

From the distance, faint footsteps approached — likely Selena returning from hunting.

Leon concluded calmly, "That’s enough for tonight."

Rias nodded obediently, though part of her wished the moment could last longer.

She pulled her robe tighter, but her heart remained open.

Something had changed tonight.

Not just her cultivation.

Something deeper.

And as she watched Leon’s silhouette against the moonlit lake, a thought formed quietly in her heart—

Master... or perhaps one day... something more?