Celia saw herself laid out like a table. Not her physical self, but a far more metaphorical version, like a representation of all she was. This representation was infected with the parasite. Which seemed worse than it was at first, like she had an infection that was slowly spreading and consuming her anyway. But on closer inspection, she realized that wasn’t the case. The parasite was there yet inert, a corpse of its former self that had bonded to her. Inseparable in its new nature.
A nature that had, to some degree, changed her. She was no longer fully human, and was now part whatever this parasite was. A mutant.
The strangest part, however, was that a screen of some sort was slowly overlaying itself over her "self".
Modify being?
Slots open: 3
1: empty, 2: empty, 3: empty.
Available Modifications: Parasitic bond, Commutatio speciei.
Celia tried to look away. To look at anything that wasn’t it. But the "screen" followed her eyes wherever they went, always remaining squarely in the middle of where she was looking. Next she tried mentally willing the screen to go away, as if it were some construct of her imagination. Which worked… kind of.
Warning! Dismissing without (equipping) the (special grade) modifications Parasitic bond, Commutatio speciei will result in (parasite offspring (Celia) experiencing rapid decay and perishing within the next (5) (minutes)
Proceed?
Celia read the new screen once, then twice, before dismissing it and returning to the one before it. She then proceeded to try and wake up from this nightmare she was obviously having. Except, that didn’t work. The screen remained, sitting in the center of her vision, taunting her and demanding she get this whole your a mutant now thing over with. So, with great hesitance, she did exactly that. Mentally willing the correct Modifications into place.
Modify being?
Slots open: 1
1: Parasitic bond, 2: Commutatio speciei 3: empty
Available Modifications: none.
Special Grade Modification: Parasitic bond (locked)
Special Grade Modification: Commutatio speciei (subsumed)
Accept Modifications?
(Modifications automatically accepted)
Again, Celia founded herself befuddled by the screen. Utterly lost on what all the words on it meant, or how they were going to modify her. But before she could even try to come to a conclusion herself, she found her consciousness slamming back into her body. Where she woke up on the floor once again.
And immediately started convulsing.
On the inside, her flesh was twisting and breaking apart. The filaments of who and what she was forming into something new, starting not with her body but rather her mind. Thoughts collapsing in on themselves and forming a link with an empty voice on the other side. One she immediately recognized as the now dormant parasite.
"Is. We. Is. Feed. Grow. Become. Become. Become."
It’s thoughts speared into her own, tangling themselves around it and leaving the barest traces of infection. Of hunger, and the desire to grow and become more, and maybe one day establish herself at the top of the food chain as an apex predator of some sort.
It was a thought she shoved away from herself, locking it away in a deep recess of her/their now shared mind. Turning her attention now to her rapidly transforming physical self.
Flesh splitting into snake scale, turning a shade paler than before. Teeth and nails lengthening, sharpening into deadlier things. Tongue growing barbs, as the tips of her every hair blossomed a strange mix of flowers. Some orange, red, and green. Her one singular eye changing in ways she couldn’t understand, vision growing long and sharp, new colors blooming into existence before her. Clothes both consumed and eviscerated, morphing into something that was apart of her. A dress of inky blacks and stony whites, blooming outward around her hips and falling down the length of her legs.
At some point, she was pretty sure she got a bit taller by maybe three inches. A height increase that took a few seconds to get used to after standing. In fact it took her a few seconds to get used to her everything after standing. She felt like a new creature, like some sort of strange fusion between being a human and whatever the monsters of this world were called. More importantly she felt…
Hungry.
Modifications complete!
(Special grade) Modification Commutatio speciei has been subsumed!
New designation set: Newspawn Hybrid (Beyondling)
Slots open: 2
1: locked, 2: empty, 3: empty
Modifications available: none
Designation: Newspawn Hybrid (Beyondling)
Classification: (lesser) Feastling
With the new onset of the screens return, and subsequent disappearance, the hunger within Celia bloomed to life once more. But it was not just any hunger, it was one deeper than any she had ever known before. A starving need that took all of her willpower to ignore. Pulling at the strings of her mind as she forced herself to focus on the slightly more important matter of figuring out what she should do next.
And that was coming up with a plan. Unfortunately, planning wasn’t much of a strong suit of hers. So she settled with the absolute basics: find someplace safe, find food, and then find a way back to Glome.
It was a very simple plan, well set of objectives really, some of which she wasn’t even sure were even possible, but it was definitely better than nothing. It got her moving too, finally giving the cave she had fallen into a proper look. From its curved walls, to the pool of crystal blue water to her right, and eventually to what seemed to be the only exit and entrance. Well, so long as she didn’t count falling through the ceiling again.
All together, though, her little cave seemed like a nice enough spot to call her current shelter. Officially marking one of her objectives off the list - so long as the cave continued to remain as safe seeming as it so far.
Now then, it was time to go hunting.
Thanks for the chapter. Love the weird mutations.
Thanks for the comment! And things will get weirder!