After we finished our breakfast — which, by the way, also counted as lunch and dinner since, unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of making choices — we stayed gathered around the campfire. The flas had almost completely died down, leaving only a few shy embers and a faint warmth still escaping from the ashes. Oliver took advantage of the quiet mont to share his ideas with us.
He spoke with restrained enthusiasm, lightly gesturing as he explained how we could more strategically leverage the visual connection between my two bodies. It was strange to think sothing so abnormal could beco an advantage — and deep down, I knew he was already plotting how to get the most out of it. The source of this content ɪs novelꜰire
Of course, this was a part I had only explained to everyone superficially and quickly. In the end, it was much simpler to say we shared the sa vision than to try to accurately describe how everything really worked between my two bodies.
Explaining it in detail would take ti, specific terms — and patience, which, at that mont, no one seed to have in abundance. Overall, the ideas he presented were good and relatively easy to put into practice. Personally, I saw no real reason not to follow exactly what Oliver had proposed.
With that thought in mind, I just nodded calmly after hearing all of Oliver’s explanations and proposals. Then, switching to my male body, I answered in a calm but firm tone: “Sounds good to . The ideas are solid and, overall, line up with what I’ve planned from the start”
Hearing my words, Oliver let out a small corner smile, visibly relieved: “Great” he said with an almost imperceptible sigh.
“Glad to hear it. Setting Ethan aside for a mont, out of all of us, you’re clearly the best fit to make the initial approaches. Your skill set, especially your stealth level, puts you a step ahead on this kind of task”
After saying that, Oliver suddenly raised an eyebrow. His gaze drifted to the campfire, watching the flas dance for a mont as if searching for an answer he didn’t find. Then he turned his eyes back to . He opened his mouth hesitantly, like he was about to say sothing important — but then closed it without a sound.
Noticing the awkward mont and struggling to maintain control over my male body, I cautiously asked: “What’s up?”
Oliver looked at hesitantly, running a hand nervously over the back of his neck before choosing his words carefully: “This might sound weird, but... do you know what happens if one of your bodies... you know...”
He didn’t finish the sentence — and honestly, he didn’t have to. His look, the hesitation in his voice, made it clear what he was trying to say. We stayed silent for a few seconds while my thoughts briefly tangled in a dense cloud. In the end, I shrugged with a casual expression and a slight sigh: “Honestly? No clue”
My words imdiately silenced the three of them. The following silence was heavy, almost tangible. So I continued, my voice steady but almost thoughtful: “Maybe... if one of my bodies dies, the other just collapses like a puppet with cut strings. It’s possible. But until that day cos — if it ever does — I guess I’ll never really know for sure”
I paused, staring off into the distance over their shoulders, then added with a slight smile, half ironic, half sincere: “Of course... I hope that day never cos. Preferably”
Oliver silently nodded at the end of my words. The three seed to understand the point I wanted to make, and for , that was enough. There was no need to drag the topic out. Either way, after that brief talk, we decided to head out and finally get the day started.
We had so at stocked up from recent hunts, but nothing that would last long. The lack of any kind of refrigeration made things more complicated. The constant heat didn’t help, and we knew the at would soon start to rot.
Until we found soone with so kind of temperature manipulation — magical or technological — we’d have to keep hunting regularly, always making sure to have fresh supplies before the old ones spoiled.
Anyway, my boots sunk with a muffled sound into the muddy forest floor with every step I took. The dense foliage whispered with the wind, and damp branches brushed my shoulders as we moved forward in silence. Alice was right behind , her eyes scanning the path with the sa precision she wielded her skills.
Oliver followed, positioned strategically to provide support both at the front and the rear. Ethan ca last, steady as a wall. Our formation wasn’t random — it followed a clear logic based on everyone’s abilities.
Alice and I together could quickly take down any threat with coordinated attacks; her magical precision complented my direct offense perfectly. Ethan, with his strength and endurance, naturally took the rear, ready to protect the group from ambushes.
Oliver, always versatile, took the center, ready to intervene wherever needed — whether reinforcing the front line or covering Ethan in a potential fallback. Everyone knew their role exactly. And in that humid, tense forest, that could an the difference between making it ho or never leaving.
By the way, it was my female body walking alongside the three of them while my male body moved ahead, scouting the area carefully. He tried to track any monsters, or at least sniff out any sign of a creature for us to face. Now that we were all at higher levels, we could act as a team, fighting together to sharpen our skills and speed up our progress.
Anyway, as we walked through the forest, I felt a light touch on my shoulder — Alice, walking just behind , was trying to get my attention. When I turned, her soft voice echoed in the quiet air: “By the way...”
She glanced toward the trees around us, shrouded in that thick, constant fog. The atmosphere felt strange, almost unsettling. After a brief silence, she continued: “Do you think this fog will ever clear? Since we ca in here, it seems like the weather hasn’t changed, always foggy... It’s not natural, right?”
Alice’s question caught the attention of Ethan and Oliver, who were a little ways back, also interested in the conversation. But as she ntioned, it was clear that this fog wasn’t a usual phenonon here.
Not that I’m saying the fog has a life of its own — that’d be an exaggeration — but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that everything here seed controlled sohow, like we were inside a testing ground or sothing.
Everyone seed lost in their own thoughts about the thick fog covering the forest since we first set foot in it. Still, I was almost certain their impressions weren’t much different from mine.
It was hard to think otherwise — this place gave off an uncomfortable, artificial vibe, like sothing was silently watching us. After all, the place wasn’t called “Tutorial” for no reason.
As I looked out at the forest scenery, lightly veiled by the fog hanging like a curtain over the quiet trees, a subtle thought crossed my mind. Before I could hold it back, the words slipped out in a low voice: “Seriously... even though they say all this is necessary...”
An ironic smile ford on my lips, bitter and involuntary, as I added, almost like I was talking to the fog itself: “I just can’t feel any goodwill toward whoever brought us here... whoever they are”
Silence took over again after my words. Honestly, I figured everyone there must have been feeling sothing similar to what I was feeling. After all, nothing changed the fact that we were thrown into this place without warning, without explanation. We were ripped from our lives and thrown into this nightmare.
anwhile, people kept dying — right before our eyes, in real ti. It was impossible to ignore. The feeling of helplessness, the constant fear, all built up, mixing with a dull rage. It was inevitable to feel a growing hostility toward whoever — or whatever — put us here.
My thoughts wandered aimlessly, loose and disconnected from reality, but that didn’t last long. Sothing broke that state — or rather, soone. My male body finally picked up sothing, not through sight but hearing: voices.
They started out faint, almost like whispers carried on the wind, but gradually got clearer. And the most important part: I could understand them. They were human words, clear and recognizable conversations. That could only an one thing — humans were nearby.
Without hesitation, I turned my gaze to Oliver. He looked lost in thought, eyes fixed on so undefined point, but when he noticed my serious expression, his posture shifted too. His eyes narrowed slightly, alert to what I was about to say.
Taking advantage of the mont, I spoke, my female voice firm and clear, softly echoing through the quiet surroundings: “Oliver... humans. I don’t know how many exactly, but I can hear their voices. There’s movent. At least two of them... maybe more”
As my words echoed through the area, the tension beca almost palpable, though still subtle — like a heavy breeze before a storm. After all, our last encounter involving humans hadn’t ended well. Or rather, deaths had happened.
Violent, unnecessary... maybe inevitable. Honestly, nothing stopped others from thinking the sa as us, or worse. That’s why we beca more cautious when dealing with humans. Trust, once broken, is hard to fully rebuild. But, to be honest, I never really cared that much.
Unlike the others, I didn’t feel particularly shaken by the fact that we killed. Maybe because, from the start, I was already used to this place, its harsh rules, and the constant presence of death lurking nearby. In the end, I just think that if I don’t kill, I’ll be the one who dies. And that cold, straightforward thought feels more real than any regret.
I waited patiently for Oliver’s next words while silently reinforcing my conviction. Lost in thought, Oliver finally broke the silence, looking at with a mix of curiosity and concern: “Do you know what they’re talking about? Or if they seem hostile in any way?”
Hearing that, I focused on my male body. My feet were firmly planted on a sturdy branch, feeling the rough texture of the bark beneath my boots. Keeping perfect balance, I carefully controlled every move while watching the conversation unfolding below, in the shadows of the forest.
I activated my [Silent Steps], becoming nearly invisible to others’ senses — so I didn’t have to worry about being noticed. The air around was calm, and the only sound was the whisper of leaves in the wind, giving a false sense of security.
Of course, as the na suggests, this ability only masks the sound of my steps — not my presence itself. In theory, soone could still detect sohow. But honestly, considering we’re just at the start of the tutorial, it seems very unlikely that anyone has evolved enough to detect presences.
Anyway, as I positioned myself behind a tree, seeking better cover, I sharpened my senses — eyes alert for any movent, ears catching even the faintest whisper. In front of , from what I could make out in the dim light, there were four people. Their conversation wasn’t heading anywhere good; on the contrary, the mood carried a strange weight, like sothing bad was about to happen.
The first voice to break the silence belonged to a man wearing armor similar to Ethan’s but with a shinier, less worn look, as if he’d seen fewer battles. His tone carried a mix of arrogance and amusent as he laughed loudly, a hoarse sound echoing through the air: “Ihahahaha! Who knew killing other humans gave so much experience? Can’t compare to dispatching those dumb monsters”
Right after, another voice echoed through the room, this ti from a man dressed in relatively lighter clothes, like he prioritized agility. A sleek bow rested clearly on his back, his arrows neatly lined up in a well-kept quiver. He spoke in an upbeat, almost challenging tone: “Alright? Hey, don’t you think it’s about ti we start aiming at that? If we manage to take out a few more people, we should hit level 20 soon!”
The mont I caught the topic of the conversation, my expression instantly hardened. I expected people like that to exist — it was inevitable, after all. Eventually, others would start killing humans like us, and soon realize that this approach was way more effective compared to hunting monsters. What really surprised was how fast those who not only thought about it but actually planned to specialize in hunting humans showed up.
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