A few minutes passed, and the cave remained engulfed in a calm silence, broken only by the slow, steady breaths of Ethan and Justin. Since my male body was asleep, all my focus and control were concentrated in Noa, my female body. My eyes, slightly squinted, stayed absentmindedly fixed ahead, where a translucent screen floated in the air.

It rippled gently, like it was made of liquid mist, with subtle movements that seemed to react to the slightest changes in the environment. I watched it closely, following the details of the information unfolding there, while the faint glow of the interface cast soft reflections inside the cave’s dark interior.

Status

Name: [Justin Davies & Noa Davies] Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs noᴠelfire.net

Race: [Dyadren]

Class: [Assassin – lvl 24]

Profession: N/A

Unique Skill: [Dual Existence]

[Stats:]

Health: 18/139

Mana: 146/249

Strength: 33

Agility: 34 (+35)

Perception: 40 (+15)

Physical Constitution: 33

Willpower: 37

Titles: N/A

Class Abilities: [Silent Steps (Common)] – [Precise Strike (Common)] – [Insidious Poison (Common)] – [Predatory Gaze (Uncommon)] – [Savage Instinct (Common)] – [Enhanced Senses Basic (Common)] – [Detect Presences (Common)] – [Sense Hostility (Common)] – [Identify (Common)] – [Multiracial Language (Unique)]

Profession Abilities: N/A

My current level was 24. In other words, just one more level and I’d be able to acquire a new skill. The anticipation was high, but it’s not like the abilities I already had were weak or lacking. Far from it. I could say with full confidence that my current skill set was, at the very least, powerful.

In practice, it was more than enough to let me face monsters up to ten levels above me without worrying too much. Of course, that didn’t mean I could be reckless, but so far, I’d handled every challenge that crossed my path well.

By the way, among all my skills, currently classified as (Common), there was a single exception: a skill I gained as soon as the status window opened, categorized as (Unique). Honestly, I still don’t quite know exactly what [Multiracial Language] is supposed to do.

Of course, the name is pretty self-explanatory, and at first glance, it seems like a passive skill, more geared towards understanding or communication than direct action. However, until now, I haven’t found any other race besides mine to test the effects of this skill... So, how it actually works remains a mystery to me.

By the way... what exactly did they mean by "other races"? I mean, inside that white room where I chose my class, I clearly remember those two beings who, curiously, looked just like me — one as Noa, the other as Justin.

At that moment, they mentioned other races were going through the same process I’m facing now. That always gave me pause... Were they referring to Elves? Dwarves? Do those fantasy creatures really exist? Thinking about it makes me look at everything from a broader perspective.

Considering the size of the universe... maybe the strange thing really would be if humanity were the only intelligent life out there. Maybe Elves and Dwarves are just a tiny fraction of what exists beyond what we know.

Still examining my status, I let my eyes wander across the info on the screen when a quiet, comforting thought popped up, almost like a form of self-affirmation: (Well... in the end, the fact that I’m leveling up this fast is a good thing)

Anyway, with a subtle movement of my hand, the screen disappeared, and the usual darkness of the cave took over again. Still, it wasn’t total darkness — my eyes were already used enough to distinguish outlines, shapes, and some nearby shadows.

I could still see the uneven ground and the stone walls around me, damp and cold as always. Oliver and Alice hadn’t returned yet, so there wasn’t much to do except wait. Going out alone right now, considering everything, was probably a terrible idea.

It was exactly at the moment this thought crossed my mind that something unexpected happened: my field of vision abruptly split in two. On the left side, I kept seeing through Noa’s eyes, my female body, with the usual perception I was starting to recognize as my own.

But on the right side, a new perspective appeared, vivid and almost disorienting. The first thing my eyes — or rather, Justin’s eyes — caught were two legs, steady and still, a little ahead of where I was. They were covered by a pair of black boots, worn at the edges, as if they’d already been through many rough roads.

My gaze, now guided by Justin’s vision, slowly moved up, as if my own brain was processing the information in slow motion. I passed over the folds of the dark pants, the waist, the chest... until my eyes finally met Noa’s face — my other face. It was like looking at myself, but from an impossible distance. My female body was there, still, staring back at me.

My first reaction was pure surprise. However, this expression wasn’t just mine — I noticed the same shock on Noa’s face. It took me a few seconds to understand why. My eyes... which had always been plain brown and unremarkable... now, under the cave’s diffuse glow and the contrast with the faint light from outside, looked red. Not just an effect of the lighting... no. They were definitely red. The reflection was sharp, as if something inside me had awakened, even changing the color of my eyes.

With an almost instinctive movement, I brought my hand closer to my face — or rather, both of my bodies did, in perfect sync, like reflections of each other. My eyes, doubled in perception, blinked at the same time. And it was in that brief moment, when my eyelids opened again, that I noticed the change.

The red eyes... had vanished. Or maybe "vanished" wasn’t exactly the right word. The crimson shade that used to burn so fiercely seemed to have retreated to the depths of the iris, like embers hidden beneath a layer of dirt. The natural brown had returned, but still with that faint reddish glow.

For a few seconds, I stared at myself from two different perspectives, as if looking at myself through a broken mirror. My mind wrestled, trying to decide if it had just been a brief illusion—born from exhaustion or confusion—or if there was actually something real and tangible behind that strange feeling.

Still, I couldn’t just dismiss the possibility that some change had happened inside me. After all, beyond the system’s interference, I now had two bodies—a condition that by itself was already unusual.

However, if any change did happen, it wasn’t something easy to notice. Even if, for some reason, I didn’t notice the reddish tones now present in my eyes, I was sure Ethan, Oliver, or Alice would definitely notice... sooner or later.

My thoughts kept me entertained for a few seconds, wandering between memories and guesses. But as soon as I heard Ethan’s voice, I snapped out of my daydream and immediately looked at him.

His body started to stir subtly, his fingers twitching slightly and his eyelids fluttering—a clear sign he was about to wake up. Just like I’d imagined.

A few seconds later, Ethan leaned forward lazily, bringing his hands to his face and rubbing his eyes slowly as he looked around, still half asleep.

His gaze wandered across the cave before briefly settling on Noa and Justin—my female and male bodies, respectively—as if his subconscious recognized them even before he was fully awake.

Then, as if it was the final signal that waking up was complete, Ethan’s voice echoed, dragged out and a bit groggy, breaking the quiet silence that had settled.

“Where are Oliver and Alice?” he asked, his voice thick with confusion.

I hesitated for a moment, not quite sure how to answer that question. But it wasn’t like I needed to hide the truth. Of course, I wouldn’t exactly say what they were doing... I figured it was better to let Oliver and Alice have their time a bit longer.

With that in mind, I took a breath and answered Oliver’s question with Noa’s voice, my female tone soft and low in the cave’s dark atmosphere: “They went to the creek nearby to wash their faces. Since you and Justin were still asleep, I thought it’d be better to stay here and keep watch”

While speaking, my eyes instinctively scanned the cave interior, as if to reinforce the reason for my choice. The damp air mixed with the smell of earth and moss, making everything even quieter and heavier with that tense calm that only the early morning brings.

After hearing my words, Ethan just nodded and stretched out long and slow, like he wanted to brush the topic off right there. He didn’t ask more questions or try to push. The next moment, he simply sat a bit apart and stayed quiet, his gaze distant, like someone pretending not to care.

Watching his behavior, it was clear to me he was purposely giving us space—leaving Alice and Oliver alone, without interruptions. That was a pretty nice move on his part, I admit. Especially coming from Ethan... considering how stubborn he usually is in situations like this.

While both my bodies sat side by side, the conversation kept a calm pace until, suddenly, Ethan’s voice came from the other side of the room. His words broke the brief silence and echoed softly off the walls, carrying a tone of casual curiosity: “By the way... you two are surprisingly in sync when you fight. Are you sure you’ve never worked together before?” He raised an eyebrow, a slight smile at the corner of his lips, like he was teasing or just testing our reaction.

Hearing Ethan’s question, I raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. My gaze flicked over Justin’s face—my other male body—while a slight confusion settled in my thoughts. Honestly, I’d never stopped to think about how I fight.

When I’m in combat, all my attention is completely on the fight itself—every sense focused, every decision made in the heat of the moment. There’s no room to analyze what I’m doing from the outside.

But now, thinking about it with some distance... considering I move both my bodies simultaneously, it probably looks to others like Noa and Justin—who, in the end, are just different parts of me—fight in perfect sync, like two partners with years of training together.

I paused for a brief moment before answering Ethan’s question. My voice, deep and calm, echoed softly through the space: “Maybe it’s because we have the same class... the same skills.” I shrugged, letting out a nearly invisible smile.

“I guess that makes us able to understand, even if unconsciously, each other’s thoughts. From the outside, it probably really looks like we’re fighting in sync...” I paused. Looked at Noa for a second, as if just realizing it now: “But honestly, I’ve never really paid attention to it”

Noa slowly nodded in agreement with my words, showing she shared the same thought. Of course, deep down, I knew I was just reaffirming what I already believed, but still, it was comforting to have that silent confirmation.

Personally, I admit I thought my answer was a bit weak, maybe not as convincing as I wanted. Still, from a logical point of view, it made sense. Ethan, in turn, simply nodded with a slight smile, confirming he understood what I meant.

“So that’s how it is...” Ethan murmured, like accepting an inevitable conclusion.

I blinked, saying nothing more, lost in my thoughts. Suddenly, footsteps echoed at the cave entrance, accompanied by voices drawing nearer. Even from a distance, it was easy to recognize who was speaking—the familiar tone eased any alert. My suspicions were confirmed when, slowly, Alice and Oliver appeared in the shadows.

Noticing the two getting closer, Ethan jumped up, stretching his arms and shoulders in a quick stretch. With a slight smile, he said: “Well, since you two are back, I guess I’ll go wash my face now. Besides, I’m feeling a bit thirsty”