When I opened my eyes, it was already a new day. I ended logging off around 3 AM, I played too long. I was exhausted and dropped half-dead over my bed. I didn't had any time to check new things anymore, nor even to talk with the Great Spirit anymore either.
However, as I finally managed to rest, I felt like new! I stretched my arms and legs and the nice sun coming from the window was so warm and nice… The more I received it over my brown skin, the more relieved I felt, it even felt… tasty.
…
…Wait, tasty?!
And then as I glanced back at my body, I felt shocked.
"EH?! W-What in the world?!"
My entire bed was covered on branches and leaves everywhere, even flowers, and tiny fruits were growing all over it! They all were coming out of my… very own limbs?!
What?! Eh?! Huh?!
"Uwaaah! T-This can't be real!"
I jumped off my bed and torn apart all the branches and leaves from my body. It hurt a bit when I did it, and even blood came out- no, it was sap?! W-What the heck?!
I went to look into my mirror and saw my body… was the same as ever? But a few parts of my brown skin were even more brown and had a wood like feel to it.
One of my eyes was gold too.
"Why?! Is my body mutating or something?! Great Spirit! Can you hear me now?!"
"I can!"
Suddenly, I heard her within my mind.
"Calm down for a bit you dummy! Or your daughter's going to wake up and see this whole mess!"
"A-Ah… Right, but… is the other world affecting my own body too?!"
"…Something like that."
"Something like that?"
"Well… I… I did it while you were sleeping. I thought it was about time right? You already went through the fever of Mana so you can accept Mana in your body, so I just grabbed a bit of your original power and mine and planted it into your heart and body."
"HUH?! Why do you do that to my body without my permission?! …And why would I need this power in the modern world anyways? Not like there's monsters walking around-"
"Meow."
Suddenly, I heard little blackie, who woke up from his nap, he was sleeping over my bed.
"Eh? Blackie! …Wait, what's going on?!"
"MEEEREOOW!"
Blackie hissed at me!
"Why are you hissing?!"
"HISSSS!"
However, I quickly realized it was something else, he wasn't hissing at me.
But… something behind me.
A shadow slowly loomed in my back, emerging right at the side of my window.
"They're here! Elayne, dodge!"
The Great Spirit alerted me, but my reflexes were somewhat faster, I quickly jumped away from my current possession, as I saw a monstrous, distorting figure emerging from my very own shadows!
What the heck?!
This is not that world anymore!
W-Why are there monsters here?!
"OOOOOOOHHHH… TASTYYY…."
Suddenly, the shadow began taking a larger form, resembling a distorting set of faces and red eyes. It even grew two large and muscular arms and legs, and it seemed utterly bizarre!
"W-What is that thing?! Who are you?!" I panicked.
"Heheheehh… So much Mana… so rich…! I will eat good today! Kekekeke…" It began giggling.
Suddenly, I felt the power of the Great Spirit flow into my hands, which turned into…
Spears made of sharp wood?! Uwah! This is freaky when compared to the game!
"Give me… GIVE ME YOUR MANAAAAA!"
FLAAASH!
The enormous aberration jumped straight towards me. His entire body distorting into a gigantic hand and trying to catch me with it!
"Stay… AWAY!"
I screamed my lungs out, unleashing several spikes made of wood out of my body almost automatically. I felt the Mana flow through my body and then explode.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLAAAASH!
"GRUAAAGH!"
The shadow thing growled, suddenly stepping back as he was pierced by my wooden spikes, which then exploded upon contact, unleashing green and yellow light, which seemed to consume his entire body… for some reason.
"Uuunnggh…! It hurts…!" He groaned, looking at me with countless of distorting and despairing faces. "Mommy… Daddy!"
Suddenly I saw the face of a little girl crying within the countless of faces it held.
"What… what the heck is this thing?!"
"That's a Hollow!" Said the Great Spirit. "A combination of Negative Energy and Emotions which meld with Lingering Mana in the environment. I've felt their presence in this city since I arrived here. However, this is the first time they dare attack you, they're usually oblivious… It must be because of your rich Mana, which they feed on."
"H-Hollow…?" I asked in shock.
"They were not really that many before! I think the invasion of the Demon King brought tons of Mana to the whole world, causing their rapid birth. Cities are their breeding grounds, the daily lives of people, the stress of jobs, everything adds up into negative energy humans exude." Sighed the Great Spirit. "Now finish it off while its weakened!"
"GRAAAAAH!"
The Hollow suddenly wanted to take advantage of the pity I felt for it, suddenly jumping off the floor and spreading its body, countless tentacles popped out of its body, quickly trying to catch me with its amorphous body once more.
CLASH! CLAAASH!
Its body caught me between its tentacles, as I tried to resist, but it was stronger than I expected. Suddenly, I began feeling my Mana slowly getting sapped away…
"Gihihihii… So yummy! So-"
"If Mana's what you want… Take all of it!"
I made my hand grow five times its size, punching the Hollow on its countless faces with all my strength and mana!
BAAAAAMMMMM!!!!
"GRYYYAAAGGGH…!"
Its body suddenly began to distort, until it exploded into black particles.
SPLAT!
"Hahhh… Ugh…" I sighed, gasping for air, and looking down.
The only thing the Hollow left behind was… a small, purple-colored jewel.
"I really can't take a break, can't I?" I sighed.
