The Parasite Awakens Within
Strange changes had come over my body ever since I swallowed that tentacle down my throat.
First off, and obviously, I could use magic now. My mana had amplified at an astonishing rate, granting me power far beyond that of an ordinary mage. By now, a week later, I could casually swing my hand and cleave a whole tree in two with ease.
"This is magic~"
Savoring the thrill of flaunting my power didn't last long. A few days ago, my stomach had started feeling bloated and uncomfortable. It was like riding in a rattling off-road vehicle bouncing over rugged mountain paths for hours on end. The nausea was so intense I wanted to puke, but no matter how wide I opened my mouth and retched, nothing came up.
"Something's off..."
My gut kept bubbling and gurgling, spreading faint pangs of abdominal pain. I desperately wanted to vomit it all out or at least take a satisfying dump... but there was no sign of either. A body that had never known constipation in my life hadn't seen a bowel movement in days.
"Ugh..."
I brushed it off as a natural change during growth. Not sensing any real health issues, I just went about my days with this vaguely unpleasant sensation nagging at me.
The next day, hooked on the joys of magic, I holed up in the library all day, delving into the world's truths.
The realm of magic was vast, far beyond my everyday common sense. The rune language, once nothing but a tangle of complexity, now slotted perfectly into my mind. I pored over spellbooks I'd never been able to read before, honing my own unique spells.
"Hmm... if I do it like this..."
Huddled in a corner of the library, I extended my hand forward. Mimicking the precise gestures from the book, I gathered mana. With a sensation of something stretching out, I twisted my wrist, and a sharp icicle formed, shooting off at high speed.
Thwack—it embedded into the opposite bookshelf like a thorn.
Startled, I flicked my fingers and erased the traces of the icicle.
"Phew... way stronger than I thought."
I still wasn't adept at casting spells. Unable to gauge their power accurately, I had to use them with caution.
"This one later... and that too..."
There were endless spells I wanted to learn. The mountain of books stacked beside me spoke to my burning desire.
"Heh heh~ perfect!"
Humming happily, I closed the book. Just as I reached for another, someone came looking for me.
"Airi."
"Ah, Bessy."
A short-haired woman in a black robe approached slowly. Her name was Bessy, a golden-eyed mage with alluring two-tone golden hair. As her looks suggested, she was a prodigy in light attribute magic—the youngest elite court mage. Her delicate personality won her many admirers, but she herself was timid and introverted, always fidgeting with her fingers and avoiding eye contact.
At 24, just three years older than me, she put on airs as the big sister.
"Airi, I heard you can use magic now?"
"Yeah, I worked hard at it and it paid off!"
"I see..."
Bessy glanced at me with suspicious eyes, narrowing them as if I were some monster, then tilting her head.
Yeah, I'd be suspicious too. Just yesterday, this girl didn't know the first thing about magic, and now here she was, firing it off like a pro.
"If there's anything you don't know, ask your big sis. I'm the only one you can trust."
"Got it, I will."
This was a world where women could advance in society, but women's rights were scraping the bottom of the barrel. If I hadn't become a court mage, I'd be living in the gutters. Just as Bessy said, us women had to stick together to survive.
"Hee hee..."
Bessy suddenly burst into laughter. Giggling shyly, she pressed a loosely clenched fist to her lips.
"Why the laugh?"
"Oh, nothing. I was shocked to hear you were becoming Master Barhen's new wife... but it's just a silly rumor, huh."
"Ah..."
That perverted old geezer must've spread rumors about me being his sex slave or whatever, twisting it into remarriage. Well, legally becoming his lifelong property forever—same difference, right?
"Sorry to interrupt your studies. If you need any help, come find me anytime."
"Yes, Bessy!"
She really seemed worried about me. Finishing her business, Bessy left the library, and I hunkered back down in the dusty corner to devour the remaining spellbooks.
"This looks good... this too..."
Time flew by unnoticed as I studied through the night.
Late at night, after a simple dinner, I slipped into a secluded forest where no one would see.
"My stomach's been weirdly hungry nonstop..."
Rubbing my growling belly, I felt uneasy. I'd eaten a whole rye bread—twice my usual amount—peeled and devoured an entire bunch of grapes, and chugged two cups of milk, yet my hunger persisted. My stomach rumbled gurgle.
But there was no sense of digestion either. I hadn't had a bowel movement all day.
"Is something really wrong...?"
No obvious symptoms, so I couldn't help but worry. If it hurt, I'd get treated right away, but this world had no hospitals or pharmacies. Praying it was nothing serious, I tried to soothe my bloated gut.
"Phew..."
Before I knew it, I'd ventured deep into untouched woods. It was dark, visibility low, but the bright starlight overhead outlined the trees and bushes.
Blinking my night-adapted eyes, I pointed my staff at a tree ahead.
"Hmmmmm..."
Time to test today's lesson. A massive explosion spell that could half-demolish a building if fired recklessly in the library.
"Like this... aiming north..."
I could swing my hand roughly, but using the staff boosted the power immensely. Focusing, I gathered mana, and a blue glow began to blob at the tip—like a water droplet in zero gravity.
Judging the size right, I pulled back slightly, then thrust forward with all my might.
BOOM!
"Ow yeah..."
The frozen orb rocketed forward, slamming into the tree. With a deafening explosion, the trunk split clean in two and toppled. The ground shook, birds from nearby branches flapping away in frenzy.
Wonder if anyone in the village notices and comes snooping. Whatever...
"Fucking awesome!!"
Just yesterday, this frail girl's body couldn't swat a bug. Reveling in magic's greatness, I was jumping for joy.
"Hic!"
A voice buzzed in my head. A repulsive tone hammered directly into my brain.
Looking around for the source, but it was pitch black—nothing visible.
"Urk!"
The voice droned so loud it triggered a headache. Clamping my hands over my ears and bowing my head only made it clearer.
"Guh... where...?"
"Ah..."
The tiny tentacle I'd swallowed came to mind. Revulsion I'd forgotten surged up, but there was nothing I could do.
"G-get out of my body...!"
"Urk..."
The tentacle, calling itself a parasite, wriggled inside me. Suddenly, my stomach boiled like it would burst.
"Gahhh... h-heuk..!"
Unable to endure the agony, I collapsed to the dirt, clutching my belly with both hands. Tears and snot streamed down my pathetic, contorted face as my body convulsed.
Gurgle-glorp—
"Hng..! Eugh..!"
It hurt. Hurt like dying. I wanted to puke so bad, but my throat was blocked tight—I could barely breathe.
"Get out of my body..!"
I warned it again, but the tentacle didn't budge. Instead, it punished my insolence by thumping my stomach, spreading waves of pain.
"Gweeeh..!"
"Wh-what..?"
"I-I never asked for th-that...!"
"Urk..!"
As expected, the Forbidden Book was to blame. Realizing it now changed nothing. The tentacle was already inside me, and there was no solution.