The small, palm-sized stomach held tightly in Vasida's hand was a curious sight. Even after she had crammed a massive half-meter-long breadfruit into it, the stomach showed no signs of expanding or filling up. It was as though it possessed endless depth.
After the last bite of breadfruit slid down, Vasida's stomach gave the faintest of twitches. Lilith, always observant of her friend's magical state, leaned in and remarked excitedly, "I see it! Your magic power's coming back, even if just a little!"
Vasida, who had felt the gnawing hunger subside somewhat, grinned in relief. "You're right! My stomach can digest it right away. This is amazing!"
The whole process of eating breadfruit, without the hassle of chewing or swallowing; felt almost effortless for her. She marveled at her strange ability, which allowed her to bypass the usual struggles of eating entirely.
With newfound determination, Vasida squatted down, her eyes fixed on the remaining breadfruits scattered around. Widening the opening of her magical stomach, she swiftly stuffed them in one by one, barely pausing to breathe. In seconds, the ground was bare, and the breadfruits had vanished into the strange void of her stomach.
A wave of energy surged through her. She straightened up, her body thrumming with vitality. Not only had her magic been fully restored, but there was even more energy left to spare.
"The magic is full!" Lilith exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration and a hint of envy. "It's incredible how quickly breadfruit works on you. It has to be because of your innate materialization. With that ability, you'll never run out of magic power, as long as you have enough food."
Lilith's expression grew serious for a moment. "Vasida, when witch magic is fully developed, promise me that I'll be the first to know. I want to sign a contract with you immediately!"
Vasida was taken aback. She had always seen her constant hunger as a curse, but now, for the first time, she realized it might be one of her greatest assets. Flushed with the praise, she felt a little flustered.
Nearby, their companions, Lyra and Sylph, joined in the excitement. "This breadfruit is really something. We should gather more while we can and store it for later!" Lyra suggested.
"Yeah, good idea!" Vasida, brimming with energy, agreed eagerly. The group set off at once, their spirits high. This time, Lilith illuminated their path under the trees as the trio scrambled up the branches like nimble monkeys, picking fruits as fast as they could.
The further they ventured into the forest, the more plentiful the breadfruits became. Whole bunches of them plummeted to the forest floor with soft thuds, creating small piles at the base of each tree.
After a while, Lyra glanced down from the treetops, a hint of worry crossing his face. "Hey, Lilith, how long do these breadfruits last? I don't want them to spoil."
Lilith looked up thoughtfully, adjusting her glasses. "They're fine at room temperature for about a week. Usually, that's plenty for the average little witch. But Vasida's appetite is... a bit more unusual."
Vasida, perched on a nearby branch, chuckled sheepishly. She had no idea how much she needed to eat to keep up with her body's demands, but she knew it was far from ordinary.
Sylph, although clearly weary from the day's work, piped up with a determined nod. "Let's gather as much as we can. We can store them in the dormitory, and if that's not enough, we'll come back for more. We're not that far from here."
"Good plan!" Lyra agreed.
From her perch in a nearby tree, Vasida poked her head through the leaves, her eyes gleaming with an idea. "Actually, I can just store it directly in my stomach! It'll absorb the excess energy, so none of it goes to waste."
Lyra grinned, encouraged. "Even better! Let's see how much you can fit."
The three little witches worked feverishly, gathering a sizable pile of breadfruits; twelve bunches in total, about sixty or seventy fruits. This amount would last a normal witch at least two months, but Vasida, with her bottomless stomach, had a unique advantage.
As soon as the last bunch was picked, Vasida wasted no time. One after another, she consumed the breadfruits, the pile quickly vanishing as if into thin air. And yet, despite the sheer quantity, her stomach gave no indication of being full.
Lilith, watching in awe, couldn't help but ask, "So, Vasida, how much more can you fit in there?"
With a mischievous smile, Vasida patted her still-flat stomach. "I think I've got room for more."
Vasida took a moment to feel out her stomach, which still felt surprisingly empty despite all the breadfruits she'd already consumed. She stretched out her hand and gestured thoughtfully, "I think... I can fit about five more."
"Five more?" Lilith's eyes widened in disbelief. "You can really still fit that much?"
Vasida nodded confidently. Without missing a beat, she resumed picking, determined to test the limits of her stomach's capacity. One by one, the breadfruits piled up. By the time she had picked a staggering sixty-three bunches, Lyra, Lilith, and Sylph finally noticed her stomach beginning to expand: slowly, but surely.
When Vasida stuffed the sixtieth bunch of breadfruit into her magical stomach, her body was visibly straining. Her stomach stretched to its fullest, smooth and taut with not a single wrinkle left. Then, with a soft, almost comical sound, Vasida let out a small burp.
"Too full," she said with a sheepish grin, patting her swollen belly.
Lyra stared, astonished. "That's enough food to last an ordinary little witch for a whole year!"
Lilith, who had been watching Vasida closely, nodded thoughtfully. "Your stomach is outside now, but I don't see any sign of magic loss. It's like it's replenishing itself even as you consume energy, right?"
Vasida gave a contented sigh, gently rubbing her stomach. "Exactly. I don't think I'll be hungry for a while now."
The satisfaction in her voice was evident, and she couldn't help but smile at the overwhelming sense of fullness, something she rarely experienced. "Thanks so much for tonight, everyone."
Lilith waved her hand dismissively, but with a warm smile. "No need to thank us! We witches might value independence, but we always help our friends when they need it."
"Yeah, we couldn't let you wander into the breadfruit forest alone at night and faint out there!" Sylph added, giving Vasida a friendly nudge.
Lyra chimed in, pointing to the last few bunches of breadfruit still on the ground. "Besides, we got something out of it too! These three bunches are for us. We won't need to come back to pick any more for the next week."
Touched by the kindness of her friends, Vasida immediately offered, "I'll carry them!"
The three bunches of breadfruit were heavy, several dozen kilograms in total, far bigger than Vasida herself; but she lifted them with ease, hoisting them up onto her shoulder as though they were weightless.
Lyra and Sylph moved to help her, but Vasida waved them off, her eyes gleaming with energy. "I've got this! I'm full and ready to go!" She dashed off toward the edge of the forest, breadfruits in tow.
Lilith, who had been ready to cast a levitation spell to help lighten the load, quietly tucked her wand back into her cloak, a bemused smile playing on her lips. "Well, let's let her show off a bit!" she said, watching Vasida with a mix of pride and amusement.
Lyra and Sylph exchanged glances, then reluctantly followed after Vasida, who was practically bounding ahead of them like a calf filled with endless energy. It was clear that a well-fed Vasida was a completely different person from the weak and hungry one they had seen before.
By the time they reached the dormitory, Lyra and Sylph were panting, struggling to keep up. Vasida, on the other hand, looked as fresh as ever.
Before they parted ways for the night, Lilith suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Don't forget, both of you should give your manifestations of talent a cool name!" she said, turning to Sylph and Vasida with a playful grin.
"Name?" Sylph and Vasida exchanged puzzled looks.
Lilith shot a glance at Lyra, who immediately understood.
"Mine is called the Bloodthirsty Needle," Lilith said proudly, holding up her syringe and flashing a mischievous grin, her fangs gleaming ominously.
Not wanting to be outdone, Lyra summoned his own manifestation. A gilded book floated in front of him, its pages fluttering gently despite the lack of wind. "And mine's the Book of Cards!" he declared, with a dramatic flourish.
Sylph blinked, momentarily speechless. "...What is going on? This is so embarrassing."
But Vasida's face lit up with excitement. "Wow! That's so cool!" she clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Compared to those, my 'stomach' sounds so simple! Hmm... I need something better. Let me think..."
She furrowed her brow, tapping her chin thoughtfully. After a moment, her eyes sparkled as inspiration struck. "I've got it! From now on, my manifestation will be called the Devouring Stomach!"
Lilith nodded approvingly. "Nice! 'Devouring Stomach' sounds fierce. It's got a real edge to it, definitely worthy of standing alongside my Bloodthirsty Needle."
"It fits your stomach's power perfectly," Lyra added, smiling.
Now all eyes turned to Sylph, who hadn't yet named her own manifestation.
"Sylph, what about you? Do you have any ideas?" Lilith asked, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.