Starting the tutorial with two bodies

As soon as Oliver, Ethan, and Alice disappeared into the darkness, I let out a soft sigh. To be honest, I still felt uncomfortable surrounded by so many people. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy their company—quite the opposite.

Having a group is infinitely better than facing everything alone. Well... technically, I'm not entirely alone. There's another presence here with me. But it probably doesn't count. After all, this other person... is me.

With that thought, both of my bodies turned their gazes toward one another. It was something natural—once the idea popped into my head, it just happened. I noticed how the black strands of Noa's hair gently fell back, almost as if guided by a nonexistent breeze.

I also noticed Justin's hair, my male body—slightly messy, as if he had just woken up from a troubled dream. However, the most striking detail about both of them was, without a doubt, their dark brown eyes.

Perhaps because we were in an environment submerged in dimness, lit only by the faint glow of the orb, their eyes seemed even deeper. Curiously, my own eyes appeared strangely reddish... and I couldn't tell if it was just the reflection of the light or something more.

"I still can't get used to this feeling" both of my bodies said in unison, which made me raise an eyebrow—in both of them—in a mirrored gesture of curiosity and bewilderment.

In the end, I decided to just put it aside. Honestly, I never intended to stay there for long—my plan was just to enter the dungeon, complete it as quickly as possible, and then meet up with the others. Still, something bothered me. The dungeon entrance made it clear that only a pair could pass through, but I wasn't sure if it would consider Noa as a separate individual... or just an extension of myself.

"Thinking about this won't change much... What happens, happens, I guess" I murmured, shrugging as I confirmed my entry into the dungeon through the orb.

As soon as I did that, the orb started spinning a little faster and levitated a few centimeters above its previous position. I stepped back, watching carefully every movement, trying to anticipate what would come next. A few seconds later, a new translucent screen appeared before me—just like before, there was a message accompanied by the options to confirm or deny, hovering in the air as if waiting for my decision.

[Entry Alert: Two bodies detected. Single consciousness confirmed. Do you wish to proceed with both bodies?]

The first thing that came to my mind upon reading the message was that the system, it seemed, was recognizing me as a single individual, even though I had two bodies. Still, that didn't surprise me much—since the beginning, my plan was always to enter the dungeon with Noa. Without thinking much, I just confirmed mentally, and the message disappeared right after.

The moment I confirmed my entry through the panel that appeared before me, the orb—which had been slowly spinning while floating in the air—began to gradually slow down. Slowly, it lost altitude until it hovered again above the pedestal. Finally, its spinning stopped completely. Immediately after, the door beside it started to emit the same intense blue glow that had once radiated from the orb, as if it had been activated by its reaction.

The details of the door began to take on a faint bluish hue. I observed the scene with both of my bodies, Noa and Justin, positioned side by side. The glow lingered for a few more seconds before fading completely. Shortly after, the door creaked, breaking the silence, and began to open slowly.

Clouds of dust rose from the ground with each inch revealed, making me wonder how long that entrance had been locked. Of course, all of that could very well have been produced in that very instant—a fleeting illusion—and it was a doubt I'd likely never answer.

The moment the door opened, my eyes scanned the interior for any sign of movement. My female body leaned against the wall to the left, while the male one leaned to the right—both still, attentive, sharing the same cautious gaze.

However, all I could distinguish inside was a thick cloak of darkness. I let out a contained sigh, more out of habit than necessity, and took the first step inside. In the end, staying outside wouldn't lead me anywhere.

With that thought in mind, I took slow steps toward the door. The dark embraced me immediately, and for a brief moment, nothing around me was visible. However, that feeling of uncertainty lasted only a few seconds. As soon as my feet touched the corridor, floating blue flames began to emerge from nowhere, illuminating the space with a soft, supernatural glow.

With each step I took, the flames danced on the walls, as if watching me. At the same time, the door behind me began to close slowly, its creaking echoing in the stillness, creating the sensation that there was no turning back.

It seemed that now that I had entered, there was only one way out: finish the dungeon. I let out a silent sigh, feeling the tension rise. Then, I turned my gaze toward the long corridor ahead. The floating blue flames, which seemed almost ethereal, lit the space with a gentle light, but still, the darkness beyond them was impenetrable. I couldn't see the end of the corridor, only a faint line of light stretching an uncertain distance, giving the impression that the path was endless.

With a subtle movement, I drew the dagger from its sheath. Both of my bodies, Noa and Justin, now firmly gripped the hilt of the blade, in perfect synchrony. The next moment, I began walking down the narrow corridor, each step echoing in the silence that surrounded us.

The feeling that dominated my mind was one of claustrophobia, even though I knew I didn't suffer from it. Still, I couldn't shake the impression that the environment around me was about to close in, as if the walls, insidious and silent, could start moving at any moment and crush me without warning. The pressure in the air seemed to increase with every second, making the space feel even more oppressive.

I shook my head, pushing away the thoughts that kept trying to distract me, and kept moving forward with both of my bodies. After what seemed like an endless minute, walking nonstop through the long corridor, I finally reached what appeared to be a hall. The space was relatively wide, but somehow, the feeling of claustrophobia still lingered in the air, as if the walls were about to close in at any moment.

Both of my bodies cast quick glances at the surrounding environment. My left eye was seen from the perspective of my female body, while the right manifested through the view of my male body. In that exact moment, a new screen appeared before me, illuminating the darkness around me with its unexpected presence.

[Dungeon Challenge started]

Objective: Survive the wave of enemies until the timer runs out.

Time remaining: 10:00

I kept my gaze fixed on the screen in front of me for a few seconds. Personally, I couldn't understand what was happening. Since I entered the room, there hadn't been any enemies in sight. Plus, there didn't seem to be any access points where these so-called enemies could appear.

The hall I found myself in seemed just like an extension of the sewer corridor I had passed through moments earlier, maybe a little wider and more spacious, but still with that damp and stale air, as if the place was trapped in a forgotten past.

My first thought was that this place was an abandoned crypt. However, something about it didn't seem to fit. It was as if the environment had been carefully designed to emulate the aesthetic of a forgotten crypt, but upon closer inspection, I realized there were no signs of wear on the walls.

They didn't look freshly made, but they didn't show the natural wear of time either. It was as if the place had been built recently but somehow had been left behind, waiting for the years to wear it down.

It was almost at the exact moment that this thought crossed my mind that, suddenly, a deafening roar echoed throughout the environment. My eyes instinctively moved, a little surprised, toward the sound. It was coming from the wall in front of me, and in a nearly imperceptible movement, something like a hatch opened.

It was a second, a blink of an eye, and the moment the hatch opened, a series of red eyes began to emerge from the shadows, as if materializing out of the dense darkness emanating from the place.

The creatures responsible for the eyes began to emerge, their long red bodies uncoiling one by one, as if they were coming out of some hidden place. My gaze fixed on each of them—there were about five, all with the same intensity: their blood-red fangs, both in my female body and in my male body, clearly staring at us like prey to be hunted.

In the next instant, I activated my [Identify] skill, and new screens began to appear rapidly before me, each bringing crucial information about the enemies now observing us with deadly interest.

[Yaktha Ant - level 6]

[Yaktha Ant - level 4]

[Yaktha Ant - level 3]

[Yaktha Ant - level 5]

[Yaktha Ant - level 6]

This was a type of enemy I had never encountered before, maybe because they only appeared in the tutorial. I wasn't sure, but the dungeon had already been clear about what I needed to do from the start.

With that thought in mind, I raised my dagger with precision, the cold metal reflecting the little light that entered the environment, while my eyes stayed fixed on the ants, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The fangs clashed against each other, producing a sharp snap that reverberated through the environment, creating a disturbing sound. Although the noise was unsettling, it wasn't enough to affect me significantly, so I simply ignored it.

The ants, however, seemed to watch me with unsettling attention. Their red eyes glowed intensely in the darkness, as if fixed on me, while their antennas moved slowly, swaying back and forth, as if they were picking up every movement I made.

In the next instant, both of my bodies began to run, each in a strategic direction. The female body, agile and fast, moved close to the left wall. Three ants, with their small and intense eyes, fixed their gaze on me, then quickly glanced at Noa. In a coordinated move, they charged toward me, their legs striking the ground with precision, making a sound that made the air feel thicker.

Meanwhile, the male body ran along the right wall, its presence more imposing, almost challenging the environment. Two ants, with focused and determined expressions, immediately turned toward me. My gaze fixed on them, watching their legs move in unsettling synchrony, as if they were programmed to attack. They got closer, and every step they took seemed to echo in my mind, anticipating the imminent impact.

Surprisingly, those creatures were incredibly agile. Honestly, it wasn't what I expected from an ant that somehow reached human size. Anyway, three of them were charging toward Noa, while two were heading toward Justin. My mind sped up in that moment.

Separating them was effective up to a point, but what to do from there? As I tried to process these doubts, my thoughts tangled, and I realized that my back had already touched the wall behind me. The space seemed to shrink with every second.

My eyes turned to the wall before focusing on the ants' fangs. Honestly, they seemed sharp enough to cut me with the slightest movement, like blades ready to tear flesh. I wondered if this could work to my advantage... Maybe it was an advantage, or just another trap to be exploited.

With that thought, I focused, patiently waiting for the ants, who were quickly approaching, like a wave of small predators coming from where Noa and Justin were. The sound of their movement grew louder, and the tension in the air seemed to increase with every second.