P-PREGNANT?!

My spoon slips from my fingers and hits the floor with a sharp clink.

Oh no…

"But… but didn't you tell me I couldn't get pregnant? How is that even possible?!" I sputter, my voice cracking. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Eris sighs softly. "Because I'm a NightWhizkersz. Apparently, even though I'm a woman, I can still make another girl pregnant if I'm not careful..."

"I'm sorry, Felicia. I tried to hold back as much as I could, but… my magic was too strong. I didn't realize until afterward, but… the signs are there."

My hand starts to shake. The whole room seems to tilt.

"Y-you're not messing with me, right? Are you serious…?"

Eris reaches across the table, her smile gentle, her eyes soft. "Felicia, don't worry. I'll be here with you through the entire eighteen‑month pregnancy. I'll feed you the best, most nutritious food every day, and I'll take care of you. All you need to do is bring our beautiful babies into the world."

Gulp.

"Ahaha… haha…" My laugh comes out shaky as my eyes dart around. "Eris! Come on, you're messing with me again, right? N‑nyahaha! I won't fall for your trick this time!"

I try to brush it off and give a casual smile.

But Eris just sits there, watching me quietly. Her eyes soften even more, a rosy blush creeping onto her cheeks. Behind her, her tail sways slowly.

Badump.

Bddump.

My heart starts pounding in my chest.

I glance down at my belly, the same belly that just devoured a giant wyvern egg.

Now that I really think about it…

Eris has been acting weird all morning.

She brought out that massive wyvern egg just for me to eat. Why? We still have plenty of other delicious food!

That thing probably cost a fortune. Even Eris didn't want to touch it. She wanted me to have it all.

And more than that…

She was being extra careful with me.

Earlier, she wouldn't even let me walk down the stairs by myself.

I thought it was because my legs were still sore from yesterday's… activities, and I hadn't fully recovered yet.

But what if…

What if that wasn't it?

What if…

What if I'm actually pregnant?

If that's true, then it all makes sense!

It's not just my body cannot build muscle…

It's because the baby's stealing all my nutrients!

Oh no…

OH NO.

Am I really…?

AM I REALLY???

"Nah, I'm just messing with you." Eris says. "Hehehe. Felicia, you silly! You should've seen your face!"

"WUAAAAAAAAAH, ERISSSSS!!!"

I can't believe it!

She tricked me again!

And somehow, I even fell for it again! Her ridiculous lie!

Seriously? What is wrong with me?!

"AAAA! ERIS! I'M GONNA BITE YOU LATER!!!"

"Hehe, you're so cute, Felicia…" Eris looks at me with those annoyingly loving eyes.

"Hey! Don't think flattery is gonna save you—!"

"Nope. Bite me all you want. Eat me," she says with a smirk.

"Urrrgh! ERIS!!"

She just laughs.

Meanwhile, I sit there, tail all poofed up, ears twitching in rage.

Absolutely furious.

But even so…

I can't stay mad at her for more than five minutes.

____________________________________

"Hmmph!" I cross my arms and puff out my cheeks, still pretending to be mad at Eris, even though inside, I'm only half serious now.

"Alright, alright," Eris says with a laugh, twirling her fork before taking another bite of her sausage. "No more joking around. I'll tell you the real reason this time!"

"Oh you better!" I glare at her. "If you lie to me again, I'll never believe you ever again, even if the sky starts raining flaming Filoan birds!"

"Hehehe~" Eris giggles, clearly amused.

I groan inwardly. Seriously, how many times have I fallen for her tricks already?

Am I seriously just… dumb?

Or is she just that good at lying?

Haiz…

Honestly, I think it's both.

"Okay, so?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"

"Hmmm," Eris hums, leaning forward a little. "Before I explain, I want to check something. How are you feeling right now, after eating the wyvern egg?"

"Me? How I'm feeling?"

At her question, I pause and take a moment to listen to my body. I close my eyes and breathe in deep, focusing inward, like how Eris taught me during meditation practice.

"Let's see… I feel full. Like, really full."

I glance down and pat my stomach gently. It feels round and satisfied, as if it's glowing from within.

"Earlier, I also felt kind of sleepy… but that's gone now! Your prank woke me up real fast!" I scowl at her a little, and she just flashes an innocent smile.

"Mmm, anything else?"

"Oh!" I perk up. "There's this… warmth. Not just in my belly, but spreading out. Like a wave of heat, nice and gentle. It's kind of soothing, actually…."

"Mhm, interesting…" Eris murmurs.

"Besides that? Hmm…" I scrunch up my face, trying to dig deeper. I then focus on my arms, legs, fingers, even my tail. "Nope. Nothing else, I think.

"Do you feel dizzy? Or nausea? Or stomachache or something like that?"

"Hmmmm nope! Just… toasty and full." I reply.

"Ah... Just as I thought," Eris then narrows her eyes.

"Huh? What? What did you find out?"

"Try using your mana sense, then look into your body."

"O-okay!"

I then do as Eris says.

As I open my mana sense, my vision sharpens. And immediately, I see it!

A slow, steady stream of darkness-attributed mana particles flows outward from my belly. The mana seeps into my bloodstream, like ink dissolving in water, and travels upward toward my chest. There, it all gathers, converging at one single point.

My mana core!

There's so much mana now, and yet… if I wasn't using mana sense, I wouldn't even notice it!

"WOAH! What is this?!" I gasp, eyes wide with awe and confusion.

"Your mana core," Eris says, calmly watching me, "it's devouring the egg."

"M-my mana core?!"

"Yeah," she nods. "Apparently, your core is… incredibly rare. Like, one-in-tens-of-millions rare. I've only ever read about it once."

"Woaaaahhh, really?" I blink in disbelief.

"Yep."

"W-what is it called, then?"

"It's called a Devouring Core," Eris answers

However, her voice starts turning serious.

_________________________________

Devouring Core

Normally, the body follows a simple and natural rule, a hierarchy of needs shared by almost every living being.

First comes survival.

The body uses food to repair muscles, fuel the brain, power the organs, and keep everything running smoothly. Only when those basic needs are met, when the body is strong, stable, and healthy, can mana cultivation begin. After all, mana core cultivation also require a certain amount of energy as well. The stronger the mana core, the higher energy it will need to fuel this process.

That's why the proper magic training starts with nutrition and physical wellness. That's why Eris has to eat a lot and maintain her peak physique.

Because if the body is starving, mana cultivation will slow down or even halts completely.

But there exists a rare and terrifying exception to this rule.

A type of mana core that completely disregards the body's needs.

The Devouring Core.

Unlike normal cores that wait patiently for the body to be nourished before drawing energy, a devouring core never stops. It will cultivate constantly, drawing energy constantly, with no regard for the host's condition. But more than that, it has a unique and frightening ability:

It can convert regular nutrients into mana at insanely high efficiency, even food that has no magical properties at all.

This makes it immensely powerful.

While most people must rely on mana-rich food, potions, or direct meditation to grow their core, someone with a devouring core can simply eat and grow stronger. Their progress in magic skyrockets, especially in the beginning. Their mana capacity swells far faster than anyone else's.

But…

There's always a cost.

The core is greedy. It always wants more. And it doesn't care if there's not enough to go around.

If the person doesn't eat enough, the core won't wait.

It will begin consuming the body itself!

It will burn fat, break down muscle, drain strength and energy just to feed its endless hunger for mana.

Yes, like a cancer cell!

It will continue to grow even if that will kill the person!

And thus, this often creates a dangerous imbalance.

The person gets stronger magically, yes… but their body gets weaker physically.

They might look thin, pale, even fragile.

Their muscles won't grow properly.

Their bones might become brittle.

They'll tire easily, feel cold often, and even suffer from brain fog or blackouts.

And despite eating more than anyone around them, they'll still feel hungry all the time, especially if the food they consume doesn't have much mana in the first place.

And then, it gets worse.

As the core grows more powerful, its appetite increases. Normal food won't be enough. Even a full feast might not satisfy it.

And that's when the real danger begins

Because now the person is trapped in a vicious spiral.

A powerful core they can't control.

A body too weak to hunt or earn better food.

They can't fight. They can't recover.

And without enough magical nutrition?

Eventually, there will be nothing for the core to devour anymore.

The person die.

Unless, they somehow find a new food source, one dense enough, rare enough, rich in both nutrients and mana.

Only then can the devouring core be satisfied.

Only then… can they survive.

__________________________

Gulp… I swallow hard.

What Eris just told me… it's terrifying!

So the reason I eat so much but still feel weak… is because I have Devouring Core Syndrome?!

Oh no!

"W-what should I do now?! Eris, help me!!!"

"Hey, don't worry," Eris says reassuringly. "Now that we've figured out the root of the problem, the solution's actually pretty easy!"

"E-easy?"

"Yeah!" Eris grins. "We just need to feed that core with good food, right?"

"Oh, right!"

"So, one wyvern egg every day! If not one, then two! Or three, if you're still hungry!"

"YEEEAAAH!!"