While listening to the group’s conversation through the ears of my male body, Justin, I relayed every word to the others using my female body, Noa. As I reported everything I heard, I noticed Oliver, Ethan, and Alice’s expressions growing darker — or at least, that’s how it seed to .
Deep down, I had expected this. To , it was an inevitable path, one many end up taking here. In this place, where the only real law is strength, everything else becos irrelevant. Even when committing the worst atrocities, no one punishes them — and even if soone tries, they can simply kill those people too.
In the end, since we were thrown into this place, this lawless land, it was only a matter of ti before the first “human hunters” so to speak, started to appear. It was inevitable. With any sense of justice collapsed, the strongest quickly realized they could do whatever they wanted — and began acting as predators among defenseless prey.
Of course, that didn’t an we would accept it passively or see it as normal. There was a discomfort in the air, sothing hard to ignore — and among us, Ethan was the one showing it most intensely. He seed ready to explode.
When his voice finally rang out, filled with outrage, his anger was almost tangible: “How can they just talk about other human beings like they’re just experience points? Are they crazy?”
His fists were clenched, his gaze fierce. For a mont, no one answered — maybe because we all knew he was right.
Alice nodded slowly, clearly sharing Ethan’s thoughts. Her voice, instead of angry, sounded full of doubt and disbelief: “I just... can’t understand how soone can talk about killing people so casually. Like it ans nothing”
Finally, Oliver spoke. Unlike what you’d expect, there was no anger or disbelief in his voice — it sounded calm, strangely calm. It was the kind of serenity that doesn’t co from peace, but from inevitable acceptance, as if he had long ago understood the reality behind it all.
“This place is trying to drive each of us insane” he said, staring into the void, seeming to see sothing the others couldn’t yet: “It’s up to us to decide if we give in... or not”
Oliver’s words were direct and sharp. At first glance, it would be easy to point to the monsters — or even other humans — as our true enemies. But in reality, the root of it all is this twisted world, full of constant dangers, where we’re forced to fight every day just to keep breathing.
And more: whoever created this system, this insane ga we’re trapped in, did it intentionally. The possibility of gaining experience by taking another human’s life... that’s no oversight. It’s a deliberate, cruel feature, designed to push each of us to the limit.
But in the end, what’s the point of thinking about it? Rationalizing, finding aning? We’re just humans — fragile, disposable pieces on a board set up by an entity we don’t even know. Nothing more than pawns, trying to survive a ga we never asked to play.
“So...” I began, my female voice breaking the tense silence and drawing the three’s attentive gaze. I paused briefly, watching their faces, waiting for a direction: “What do we do now? Do we confront them... or just turn our backs and walk away?”
Hearing my words, Oliver took on a thoughtful look. His foot started moving up and down in an almost chanical rhythm — a habit I’d noticed whenever he got lost in deeper thoughts. The silence between us stretched for a few monts until finally his voice broke the air. But instead of a direct answer, he asked a question.
“What do you guys think about this?” Oliver asked, his voice calm but curious. His gaze first passed over , lingering briefly as if searching for a clue on my face, then slid to Alice, and finally rested on Ethan, waiting attentively for a response.
Ethan was the first to answer Oliver’s question. His voice cut through the silence with unmistakable firmness, though it also carried a trace of unease: “I think we should go after them. Honestly, after hearing that people like them are roaming the woods, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep without feeling anxious... Plus, I don’t want to risk innocent people getting hurt because of those crazies”
After saying that, Ethan looked up, a shy, embarrassed smile appearing on his face as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
“But, of course, that’s just how I feel” he said, his voice slightly shaky: “Honestly, I’m not very smart when it cos to handling situations like this. I’ll leave whatever’s best in your hands; I trust you guys to co up with better solutions than I could think of”
Oliver nodded slowly at Ethan’s words. Actually, it wasn’t just Ethan carrying those thoughts — Oliver himself was starting to realize it. And although Ethan described himself as “not very smart” Oliver knew it wasn’t really that. More than raw intelligence, Ethan seed to have a surprisingly open mind when it ca to certain subjects.
It wasn’t that he was dumb or incapable; on the contrary, his grades, though average, were often a bit above the middle, according to Ethan himself. It was as if his way of thinking broke away from conventional patterns, allowing space for ideas few considered.
Anyway, putting that aside, Alice was next to speak, her voice calm and steady: “Sorry, but if possible, I’d rather avoid unnecessary fights. I don’t see the point in wasting energy on conflicts that could be solved otherwise”
As soon as Alice said that, my first reaction was to raise an eyebrow, struck by a slight doubt: “Why are you apologizing? Seriously, your thinking is more common than you realize among us. Not wanting to take another person’s life is perfectly normal, you know? You shouldn’t feel bad about that”
Hearing my words, Alice shook her head slowly, eyes searching the void as if struggling to find the right words: “It’s not that... I just...”
Alice paused, furrowing her brow, confused, as if she didn’t even know exactly what she wanted to say: “I just... think we shouldn’t consider killing others as the first option. Of course, I agree with all of you. If I could, I’d rather take care of them now than spend the night not knowing if they might find us. But, if possible, I want to avoid unnecessary fights. Still, I’ll support all of you in the best way I can, no matter what choice we make”
Oliver nodded slowly, a subtle, crooked smile forming at the corner of his lips as he listened to Alice’s words. There was a calculating gleam in that gesture, as if every syllable from her had triggered an invisible gear in his mind. Then he shifted his gaze to , fixing it with a silent intensity that needed no words to be understood.
Even without saying a word, the aning of that look was clear to : “I’m torn between Ethan and Alice, but honestly, from my point of view, we could co up with such a precise attack plan that they wouldn’t even know what hit them. After all, we have the advantage of observation with my other body”
After I said that, the atmosphere sank into a heavy, loaded silence. Oliver’s expression turned thoughtful, his eyes slightly narrowed as if weighing every possibility. We all waited, barely breathing, for his decision.
Seconds later, he lifted his gaze — now firm, determined — and declared with conviction: “Everyone, let’s get them. I think, like Ethan and Justin said, leaving them loose is way too dangerous. We don’t know when or how they might ambush us... and we can’t take that risk”
We all nodded in agreent. Even Alice, who had tried to soften the situation with a lighter response, showed no objection. Deep down, she understood — just like us — that this place, and the people in it, might not be as welcoming as we’re trying to be.
Oliver glanced around briefly, noticing that everyone seed to silently agree with what he said. He sighed softly, as if relieving a weight off his shoulders, then continued in a firr tone: “Alright, everyone... since we’re all on the sa page, I’ll share the plan I ca up with”
Oliver laid out his plan. I wouldn’t call it grand or ticulously detailed — it was straightforward, even simple, but there was a functional logic behind the proposal. Effective enough to raise no objections. Personally, I saw no major issues, so I just nodded silently.
anwhile, I turned my attention to a more imdiate task: keeping control over my male body, Justin. I was still perched high in the tree, watching the group gathered below, still engaged in conversation. Voices mixed with the soft sound of wind rustling the leaves, and I remained alert, quiet, lurking.
“Do you think the next group will bring another girl?” one of the n asked, adjusting his bow over his shoulders while looking at the horizon with disinterest. His voice carried a mix of curiosity and boredom, like he’d asked that question dozens of tis before.
Everyone around laughed at the man’s words, as if they found his comnt particularly witty. The laughter echoed briefly, muffled by the surrounding environnt. Amid the group’s ease, the apparent leader spoke with a crooked smile and a nearly amused tone: “Oh, definitely. From what I can tell, the group has at least one woman. With a little luck, maybe even two”
The n’s eyes glead as they listened closely to the leader’s words — a mix of expectation, ambition, and respect hung in the air. Among the group, another man, also an archer who’d been silent until then, stepped forward and comnted with a slight smile at the corner of his lips: “Anyway, what really matters is the experience we’ll gain from this. Even if it doesn’t get us on the podium this ti, it’ll still be a step closer to that... “thing” we saw last ti”
ntioning “that thing” his voice faltered briefly, as if the re mory was enough to send an invisible shiver down everyone’s spines. Still, no one interrupted him. Everyone knew exactly what he was talking about — and they all shared the sa unease.
The mont I heard that man’s words, I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. What exactly did he an by “thing”? The choice of word didn’t go unnoticed. Even before that, I admit there was still so hesitation inside — not about acting, I’m firm when necessary — but that didn’t an I was made of stone. I’m not a robot.
I still feel. I still think. But after hearing everything they said, the last sparks of doubt inside simply died out, like trampled embers. Now it was clear: these monsters... these “Humans”... are not human. They never were. At best, grotesque imitations — monsters just wearing a human appearance.
At the exact mont that thought crossed my mind, Oliver — standing beside my female body — spoke as soon as I pointed toward the n I was watching with my male body perched on the tree branch.
“Alright” Oliver murmured, slowly turning to face the group. His eyes shone with a mix of determination and caution: “Everyone ready? You know what to do”
Saying those words, each went a different way, silently spreading through the dense vegetation around. I positioned myself behind a bush, which offered a partial view of the enemy camp, the air heavy with the damp sll of the forest and the soft rustle of leaves.
When I looked up, my eyes t Oliver’s, who was just a few steps away from where I stood, partially hidden behind a tree. It was the sa tree sheltering my male body, now dusty and motionless.
For a few seconds, we silently watched each other, as if a quiet understanding flowed between us. Then, almost at the sa ti, we exchanged a slight nod—a subtle gesture that said more than words ever could.
With a steady hand, I drew my dagger from its sheath, feeling the cold tal against my skin. I took a deep breath, controlling the anxiety starting to rise in my chest. A silent thought crossed my mind, almost like a whisper: (Alright... ti to hunt so monsters)
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