As the time of the egg’s arrival was uncertain, I began carrying a weapon from the moment we crossed the bridge. However, it wasn’t my usual greatsword but rather a sword of ordinary size.
Based on past experience, I knew that in my weakened state, wielding the greatsword would be impossible. Though not entirely reliable, having something was better than nothing.
“Altera, aren’t we going too fast? I understand your urgency, but our stamina doesn’t match yours. Could you show a little consideration…?”
You’re just slow. I restrained my retort and decided to take a short rest instead. Pushing recklessly wouldn’t restore lost strength.
Meanwhile, the egg seemed to have grown larger, causing an unbearable sensation in my abdomen. Fortunately, they hadn’t noticed my changes yet.
They were mostly focused on my back anyway, and even as the egg grew, it pressed inward rather than outward, making it less noticeable externally.
This had its advantages—no visible signs of the transformation. Though the unborn child tormented me, my body clearly wasn’t functioning properly.
The downside? The pressure on my organs was immense. It didn’t hinder their functions completely, but it felt like being trampled by a beast’s forepaws.
“…Altera, why the sudden rush? Is there any particular reason you want to cross the mountain quickly? If so, please tell us. Could it be… revenge against Father?”
Myungho approached cautiously, asking why I was in such a hurry. I had no intention of revealing the truth; he might exploit any weakness.
“Something like that.”
I hugged my knees, careful not to draw attention. Myungho accepted this vague answer, expressing concern about my recent expressionless demeanor.
Though ordinarily I’d appreciate his thoughtfulness, now it only irritated me. I offered a curt response while resting momentarily.
“…Ugh.”
A wave of pain surged through my lower abdomen, forcing me to bow my head involuntarily. Though I managed to resist clutching my stomach, soon such concerns became irrelevant.
The vibrations I had sensed around me ceased abruptly. Even the gravel beneath me hurt against my bare skin.
“Altera! Are you alright? Your face is pale!”
How pale could someone as dark-skinned as me appear? Attempting a joke to calm myself, the sinking feeling in my chest persisted.
Within 24 hours—possibly sooner—it would emerge. Damn.
“…Maybe I ate something bad. Really… I’m fine. We’ve rested enough already; let’s move.”
Myungho eyed me skeptically, but I had no time for his doubts. Anywhere safer, somewhere private.
Even the light sword felt unbearably heavy, and the pebbles piercing my feet caused excruciating pain.
The sun was still high. Moving swiftly, we should find at least some shelter.
Ignoring the cries of agony from my body, I pushed forward, confident in my regenerative abilities despite lacking mana or defensive strength.
There was no time to hesitate. The intensifying pressure in my abdomen grew more painful with each passing moment. Though my party lagged behind, I couldn’t spare them a thought.
“Altera, can we slow down…”
“Keep up if you want to follow!”
Suppressing further complaints, I moved ahead with a narrowed detection range, avoiding enemies as best I could, though buildings remained elusive.
When the worsening pain finally forced me to collapse, emitting groans, the others caught up, utterly exhausted.
“Huff… Huff. Altera, please. This isn’t even downhill yet, and speeding up will make it impossible… Wait. Altera, you really don’t look well. Could it be poison from something we ate? But we’re fine…”
“It’s not poison. There are plants that only affect dragons, but their habitats differ. Still, her condition does seem concerning… Perhaps it’s from the backlash of overexertion earlier…”
The mage lay sprawled out, catching their breath, remaining silent.
Not okay… Struggling to endure the pain that made me fear my insides were turning to mush, I shakily rose.
“Ask the mage if there’s a building nearby.”
Through Myungho, the question reached the mage, who pointed in one direction. When asked for details, they gave a brief reply before collapsing again.
“Akashi says if we go straight that way, there’s a castle. The distance is unclear, but let’s try. It might be the old capital of the kingdom they mentioned.”
It’ll do. Using my sword as a cane with trembling arms, I drank a red potion from my bag and handed it to the mage.
“Tell them to drink just a sip.”
I could feel vitality returning, enough perhaps to suppress what tried to force its way out. The pain remained constant.
But this improvement was fleeting. The anxiety of when it would come lingered throughout the journey.
By sunset, after frantic walking, we finally reached the castle. Its walls, covered in mold, were cracked and desolate, with spore-like particles floating in the air—a distinctly alien space unwelcoming under normal circumstances. Yet, another surge of pain rendered all that irrelevant.
“…Is this the kingdom that fell in a single night? Why so many fungi? Hey, Altera? Altera? Hold on, guys. Altera’s gone! Did anyone see her?!”
Taking advantage of their distraction admiring the scenery, I slipped away quietly. Their confused search vibrations faded soon after.
When I recover, I’ll rejoin them. Trusting unreliable humans or dangerous creatures was impossible—I had no choice but to hide.
Gritting my teeth against the increasingly intense pain, one of the few things I could manage, the other being finding a decent structure.
Fortunately, I found a house with only minor mold growth and entered it barely.
Muffling any sound to avoid detection, I discarded my lower garments. Instinct screamed that restraint was no longer possible.
The scales encasing the crack had long since fallen off.
Kneeling, legs spread, I strained my abdominal muscles to push out whatever was inside.
“Ughh… Uuuhh!! Grr… Uhh…”
An overwhelming pain blinded me momentarily as something forced its way through what should have stayed closed. My lower half felt as if split in two, with dangling organs.
But the pain didn’t stop. It dragged me back to reality mercilessly, refusing even a momentary escape into delusion.
“Ughh, Grruh… Uhhh… Ah… AAAAAAAH!!!”
It tore. I instinctively realized my unprepared body had forcibly split apart—not the membrane, but the entrance itself.
“Aah… Haa, AAAHHHHHH!! That… Gggggh… Uuuuh…”
Something large squeezed through the narrow passage, slowly descending like a bowling ball. They say childbirth is the result of love—but why must I birth something without ever loving?
Endorphins released to numb the searing pain couldn’t mask the overwhelming sensation.
Blood flowed down my legs, soaking the fungus-carpeted floor. Touching my abdomen, I pressed firmly.
With a pain so severe it silenced even screams, I felt the egg descend further. Pressing the torn area worsened the bleeding.
“…Ah, ugh… Haa… Haa…”
Lying awkwardly with my head pressed to the ground, drooling uncontrollably, I feared blood might also flow from my mouth.
All rational thought fled.
Driven solely by the instinct to survive, I breathed and pushed the egg out, unaware of how long this continued—one year? A week? An hour? Who knows?
After what felt like an eternity or an instant, a thud signaled the egg hitting the floor.
Struggling to raise my torso with limp arms, I picked up the egg between my legs.
The metallic shell, obscured by my blood and fungal spores, reflected nothing.
Too weak to hold it, the egg slipped from my grasp, landing on the floor. Attempting to retrieve it, my legs buckled, face-planting onto the moldy ground.
Despite the excruciating pain, I clutched the egg protectively. I knew this act held no real meaning.
Yet, instinct demanded it. Emitting incomprehensible moans, I cradled the cooling egg.
Covered in blood and dirt, it mattered little—my legs and the floor were already soaked in blood.
While trying to regain composure, an unnatural vibration caught my attention.
Something unsettlingly wet and snapping echoed nearby. Thinking it might be an enemy, I struggled to rise, holding the egg with one hand and attempting to lift my stone sword with the other, which promptly fell due to its weight.
“Damn… Why… Now…”
Dizzy, I maintained a standing position by squeezing my legs together, though the slippery blood forced me to kneel before the enemy.
Lacking the strength to stand.
The human-shaped fungi detached themselves from the walls and wobbled toward me step by step, moving as sluggishly as slugs.
But I could do nothing.
That day replayed in my mind.
“…Don’t come closer.”
The fungus reminded me of that offspring.
“Don’t… Don’t come closer! Stay away… Stay AWAY───!!!!!!!”
“Found you! Altera!”
Responding to my desperate scream, Myungho burst through the door.
Seeing someone I never expected to appear, I stood frozen.
Had he been searching for me all this time?
Myungho swung his brush, drawing a large stroke across the fungus.
Unharmed, the fungus emitted a ghostly scream as a spirit burst forth. Ignoring it, he slashed diagonally again.
The ghost split as if cut and vanished.
“Guess I’m not too late. Are you alright?”
Having severed the ghost, Myungho turned to me with relief.
“…You… Stay… Back.”
In the brief recovery period, I raised my sword towards him, though still kneeling, with a trembling blade incapable of genuine threat.
Still, it reassured me somehow.
To feel capable of doing anything.
Myungho looked at me, then lowered both his brush and sword.
“…It’s alright, Altera. I won’t harm you just because you’re weakened.”
“How… Can I trust that?”
Humans cannot be trusted. Those who use all sorts of tricks cannot be trusted. For all I know, he could be hiding something under his clothes.
But he removed his coat and placed it on the ground, emptying his pockets as well.
Literally unarmed.
“Stay… Back! I said stay back…!”
Intellectually, I understood. Yet my heart whispered that he surely concealed something. Fearing him despite his emptiness, I flailed with my sword and dropped it.
Crawling on all fours to retrieve it, Myungho stood in my path.
He bent down and embraced me.
So, he planned to crush me to death. Preparing to accept my fate, he spoke.
“It’s alright. Altera. You’re not alone anymore.”
At those words, my guard and hostility melted away like snow. This foolish man chose to embrace me instead of seizing the dragon’s heart when given the perfect opportunity.
The pain remained.
“…Ughh. Kk, haaa…”
Thus, claiming my tears stemmed from the pain, I cried endlessly.
