This time, the queen's scream was even more shrill. And filled with a fury that seemed to cut through the air. She leaped—leaped—and, upon landing, a thunderous crash echoed, crushing everything in her path. The impact shattered the stone floor, creating deep cracks, while a dense cloud of dust rose, momentarily obscuring the view.
As the mist began to clear, I saw the queen rapidly approaching Noa, her menacing shadow taking shape as she advanced. Through her line of sight, I noticed her jaws opening monstrously, like a hellish trap about to snap shut on its prey.
I was already in motion. I regained control of Justin and dashed to the side, running with precision. At the same time, I manipulated Noa and leaped, feeling the tension in the tips of my fingers. Both blades descended in perfect synchrony, aiming for the queen's neck joints.
They struck with a sharp snap. She screamed, a cry now overflowing with genuine pain. Her body trembled violently, her legs buckled under her weight, and she collapsed sideways with a dull thud that reverberated through the room. But she wasn't dead yet. Her frantic eyes spun as if searching for a final escape, while her fangs snapped in rage.
I knew it had to be now. With control over both bodies, I quickly climbed her head, feeling the battle's tension pulsing through the air. Her red eyes, still glowing like exposed hearts, blinked in desperation, and time seemed to stretch, as if awaiting the final blow.
"Since you're so desperate to see your daughters again, I'll send you to the same place they're at now..." I whispered, my voice low and laden with dark mystery.
In the next instant, the daggers pierced all three of the creature's eyes simultaneously, emitting a hollow, metallic sound. She convulsed violently, a scream of agony echoing through the area, reverberating off the walls. After her final breath, a heavy silence descended, enveloping the room like a shadow, as the creature fell motionless, her eyes now empty and lifeless.
My senses were beginning to dull, and I knew I had surpassed the limits of what my body could endure. The mere fact that I was still conscious was a complete mystery—a freak occurrence considering my state. I felt I would collapse the moment I lost focus, as if only the strength of my will was keeping me upright.
Honestly, this was the first time I found myself so close to danger in my entire life. Of course, it wasn't as if fear was present; I never felt that, not even because of my illness. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever feel it, but personally, I think that if not even the crazy phenomenon that gave me these powers managed to cure that, then probably nothing else will.
Anyway, my left eye, fixed on Justin, and my right, focused on Noa, could clearly see the numerous cuts and injuries covering both my bodies. Blood trickled in slow streams, and the pain, though muffled, still throbbed in the background, like a subtle reminder that I hadn't fallen yet.
My appearance was completely disheveled—torn clothes, dirt on my face, and scratches all over my body—but honestly, the important thing was that I was still alive. Nothing else mattered. Still, I have to admit: I didn't expect such difficulty in a dungeon that, based on the rewards, seemed to be something basic and without major threats.
Considering the fact that I almost died, I couldn't help but have some strange thoughts about this dungeon: (Is it just me, or is this dungeon genuinely trying to kill me? Forgetting for a moment the absurd requirements to enter... what kind of beginner dungeon is this, after all?)
Of course, at that moment, I really started to doubt if this dungeon was even considered "beginner" I mean, what kind of beginner dungeon has a level 23 boss? It was literally twice my level! Honestly, if it weren't for the skill I recently acquired, I would have died—no doubt about it. In the end, I survived more by luck than by merit.
Gasping, I let my body fall to the ground, exhausted. Both my bodies leaned against the still-warm corpse of the massive red ant behind me. Its exoskeleton was faintly steaming, and the metallic scent of blood lingered in the air. That's when, all at once, several floating screens appeared before my eyes, illuminating my face with a bluish light.
*You killed [Queen Yaktha – lvl 23] – Bonus experience gained for defeating an enemy above your level. 46 TP gained*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 15 – Status points allocated*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 16 – Status points allocated*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 17 – Status points allocated*
*New skills for the Assassin class available*
*New feature unlocked: System Shop*
Even with all the screens in front of me, I quickly ignored them. Honestly, in my current state, my stats were far more important. With that thought, I opened my status window—a translucent screen appeared before me, hovering in the air with a faint glow. My eyes scanned it attentively as I fought against the weight of sleep that threatened to overtake me every second.
[Stats:]
Health: 42/132
Mana: 69/142
Strength: 26
Agility: 27
Perception: 33
Physical Constitution: 26
Willpower: 30
My first reaction upon looking at my health status was, honestly, surprise. It was probably the first time my vitality had dropped to such a critical level. That reflected directly in the weakened conditions of both my bodies—Noa and Justin.
I tried to focus on the screens for as long as possible, but every inch of my body ached, as if even my bones were exhausted. An overwhelming fatigue weighed upon me, draining the little energy I had left.
Little by little, my eyes began to close against my will, heavy as lead. At some point, my consciousness simply dissolved, dragged away by the overwhelming fatigue that consumed everything inside me. Giving in was inevitable.
Some time later, when I opened my eyes again, my first reaction was to stare at the ceiling in silence. My whole body was throbbing — every muscle seemed to protest even the slightest movement. The pain was so intense that it made me hesitate before even trying to move. Still, I knew I couldn't stay there for long. I had promised the others I'd meet them as soon as possible.
As soon as I got up, the first thing I did was look around. The queen ant's body was still there, motionless. Initially, I thought the corpses would disappear over time — at least inside a dungeon — but that was clearly not the case. There was also something else that had caught my attention.
"Am I really just controlling Noa's body?... What a strange feeling" I muttered, furrowing my brow as I slowly opened and closed my hands, as if trying to make sure they were still mine.
Sure, controlling Noa's body wasn't new, but what truly surprised me was that, at that moment, I was taking control of his body without any trace of Justin. It was as if, somehow, my true self had always been Noa... or maybe, now, that was the case. The feeling was strange, new, like an identity shift I wasn't sure how to process. Still, it wasn't really a bad thing. After all, in the end, it was still me, anyway.
However, my thoughts lasted only a few seconds. As I got up, I looked toward my other body and began to move in its direction. As I got closer, I noticed more clearly the details of that body — the one I had used my whole life, in every moment, every gesture.
Seeing myself from a third-person perspective was a strange experience, like a scene from a distant dream. Still, I ignored the unsettling feeling and, with a trembling hand, touched my own shoulder, trying to snap myself out of it.
I didn't usually sleep this heavily, so after a few prods, my male body finally reacted. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and at the same time, my left field of vision returned to seeing through Justin's eyes. I gave a light yawn, feeling the cold air fill my lungs, and got up right after. Although my body still ached, the pain wasn't intense enough to stop me from moving.
In the next moment, my eyes focused on something right in front of me. I frowned, intrigued, as I stared at the small chest before me — although, on second thought, calling it a "chest" might be an exaggeration. It looked more like a poorly made wooden box, with holes and cracks all over, as if it had been thrown together in a hurry or abandoned a long time ago. Definitely not something I would associate with a real chest... or at least, not with what I'd usually imagine.
[Chest: (Common)]
A screen floated just above the chest, like a silent confirmation: that box was, indeed, my reward for completing the Dungeon. Still, for some reason, as I stared at it, an uncomfortable doubt arose — had all the suffering I'd gone through inside really been worth it? That thought made me sigh internally, as both my bodies displayed a mixed expression of exhaustion and discouragement. After a few seconds of hesitation, I took a deep breath and began to move slowly toward the chest.
As I approached, I examined the chest carefully, scanning every corner with my eyes. It didn't have any visible locks, indicating it could be easily opened. After adjusting Noa and Justin's bodies around me, I reached out and touched the weathered wood.
Then, I began to open the lid carefully. There was no sudden glow or flashy visual effect. On the contrary — the moment the chest opened fully, two translucent screens appeared in the air right in front of me, showing up at the same time with a soft, sharp, mechanical sound.
*DING! Experience gained: 2,500 XP*
*DING! You earned 500 PT*
*DING! The class: [Assassin] reached level 18 – Status points allocated*
As I watched the screens before me, one single thought kept hammering in my mind: the rewards were scarce. Extremely scarce. Maybe because I almost died? Still, something inside me refused to accept that as fair.
No matter how much I tried to rationalize, the dissatisfaction lingered. With that thought, both my bodies sighed again — this time, audibly. Not that it made a difference. After all, there was no one here to hear.
The next moment, I lifted my gaze toward the chest, letting my eyes slowly trace each crack in the aged wood. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see anything there that indicated valuable or surprising contents... which made sense, considering it was just a (Common) chest.
To be honest, my expectations had long been exhausted. Still, when I finally examined its interior, a slight surprise made me raise an eyebrow. Without hesitation, I reached into the chest for the items stored inside, curious to confirm if my impression was wrong.
From inside the chest, I pulled out two objects: one that looked like a ring and another that resembled a pendant. Both were simple, without much decoration, which, at first, intrigued me.
(Jewels? But why the hell would there be jewels in a chest like this?) I thought, feeling the perplexity reflected in both my bodies, whose faces showed slightly confused expressions, as if trying to understand the absurdity of the situation.
Honestly, I didn't imagine anyone would care about maintaining a sophisticated look in a situation like the one we were in. Well, maybe there are eccentric people who think like that, but still, something told me these pieces were different.
After all, they came from a dungeon chest, and I doubted common jewels had any value there. With that thought, I focused my attention on both the ring and the pendant. That's when, suddenly, two glowing screens appeared before me.