In each of my hands rested a distinct object: a delicate pendant in my left hand, its subtle glow reflecting the light around me, and a metallic ring, firm and imposing, in my right hand.
Above both, a translucent screen floated lightly, gently hovering in the air, emitting a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to pulse with its own energy. At first, I stood there, staring, my eyes fixed on the screen hovering above the pendant.
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Type: Accessory – Necklace
Passive Effect: Increases the duration of buffs and debuffs applied by the user by 5%.
"Discreet and unassuming, yet made for careful hands that alter the battlefield without fanfare"
Honestly, I couldn't hide my surprise when I read the information displayed on the screen just above the pendant. It was clear this wasn’t made for me—or rather, I didn’t even know how to use buffs and debuffs. If you ask me, this seemed like something meant for someone like Alice.
In fact, she’s the only person that comes to mind when it comes to this kind of magic. With a quiet sigh, I looked away, focusing on my right hand, where a simple ring, with a discreet appearance, seemed to carry some hidden meaning. I then lifted my eyes again, watching the screen floating softly above it, closely observing the ring’s information.
Ring of Contained Shadow
Type: Accessory – Ring
Passive Effect: Slightly reduces noise from the user’s movements and increases the effectiveness of stealth attacks by 5%.
"They say the wearer of this ring doesn’t enter combat—he ends conflicts before they begin"
The first thought that came to mind as I held both accessories was that, at first glance, they seemed relatively simple. Discreet, almost common, as if they were made to blend in among everyday items.
But, as I looked at them more closely, the subtle glow of an unknown material and the perfection of their finishes began to intrigue me. Considering the rarity and questionable origins of the items, it was clear everything had been made intentionally to appear basic.
Still, I couldn’t help but be surprised at how much my stats would increase just by wearing them. Anyway, I realized the necklace wouldn’t reach its full potential with me, so I carefully tucked it between the folds of my clothes, already planning to give it to Alice later.
After that, my gaze shifted back to the ring. A thought came almost automatically: when I put the ring on, would the stats be updated only for the body wearing it... or would both bodies get the extra points? As far as I knew, my bodies shared the same stats screen.
My soul, though unique, was split between them—two bodies, one essence. But in the end, there was only one ring for two versions of me. And that was the real question: how would the system interpret this?.
Eventually, I ran a hand through my hair and messed it up slightly, as if that could clear the confusion in my mind. I sighed softly and muttered to myself: "Anyway, thinking about it now isn’t going to get me anywhere. Best to test it first and see what happens"
The next moment, just before I slid the ring onto my finger, a strange sensation washed over me. I hesitated. I didn’t know exactly why, but there was something uncomfortable about wearing that ring on my male body. Maybe it was the design—too delicate, with fine lines and subtle curves that evoked femininity.
Somehow, it seemed made for a woman. I briefly reflected on this, furrowing my brow, before making an impulsive decision. I threw the ring into the air, aiming it at Noa—my other body. Effortlessly, I caught it mid-air, as if I had been expecting that.
Although both Noa and Justin were, in essence, parts of me, it didn’t change the fact that Noa was a woman in every sense. At least, it didn’t feel strange seeing her wear the ring—unlike when it was on my male body, where it seemed out of place, almost too symbolic.
Anyway, with a quick motion and a bit of hesitation, I slid the ring onto her finger. To my surprise, it fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made for her. The sensation was oddly comforting... yet at the same time, unsettling.
The moment I put the ring on, a strange feeling coursed through my body, as if something was being pulled from within me. It was like gravity had softened, or maybe like I had lost the weight I had been unknowingly carrying.
It wasn’t exactly a feeling of strength, but something more subtle, like I had freed myself from an invisible burden that had been limiting me until now. It wasn’t a negative feeling, just... strange, and at the same time, oddly light, as if my body was floating, even though it was firmly planted on the ground.
Also, personally, I wasn’t sure if it was because I had never worn a ring before, but I felt a certain discomfort noticing the weight of the object on my finger. The cold touch of the metal seemed to constantly draw my attention, interrupting my thoughts.
In any case, what mattered at that moment was checking my stats to see if they were the same for both bodies or if something had changed. The instant that thought crossed my mind, two system screens appeared in front of me, glowing softly in the air, as if waiting for my interaction.
Name: [Justin Davies & Noa Davies]
Class: [Assassin – lvl 18]
Unique Skill: [Dual Existence]
Physical Constitution: 27
Class Abilities: [Silent Steps (Common)] - [Precise Strike (Common)] - [Wild Instinct (Common)] - [Basic Enhanced Senses (Common)] - [Detect Presence (Common)] - [Identify (Common)] - [Multiracial Language (Unique)]
Profession Abilities: N/A
I closely observed the two stat screens that appeared before me. Both seemed identical, like exact reflections of each other, which gave me a strange sensation, as if my two bodies were sharing a parallel reality.
An involuntary smile formed at the corner of my lips as I realized my theory was indeed correct. The thought solidified in my mind: the effects of the accessories were shared by both bodies. In simple terms, the more accessories I acquired, the stronger I would become—twice as strong, actually, as most people.
Confirming that the ring worked on both of my bodies, I turned my gaze upwards, carefully observing my surroundings. The scene around me was desolate. The bodies of the ants were still scattered across the floor, their bodies stiff and misshapen, as if frozen at the moment of death.
The thick, sticky green blood stained much of the floor and walls, creating patches that contrasted with the darkness of the environment. As I reflected on the scene, a small doubt emerged in my mind.
(So... how exactly do I get out of here?) I thought, my gaze fixed on the surroundings, trying to find any hint of an exit.
It was at the exact moment this thought crossed my mind that, suddenly, a wave of nausea took over me. It felt like my head was spinning uncontrollably, a vertigo so strong it made me lose my balance. In the next moment, when I was able to react, I realized I was outside the dungeon.
The scene around me was almost surreal: I was standing at the edge of a small creek, with a narrow bridge stretching toward the entrance of the dungeon. But no matter how much I looked around, trying to understand what had happened, no matter how hard I searched – the entrance to the dungeon had simply vanished, as if it had never existed.
I had no idea how exactly I had gotten out of the dungeon. From my point of view, it was as if I had just blinked, and when I opened my eyes, I was already outside. What should have been a sense of relief turned out to be nothing more than confusion, and the only thing I could do was sigh in resignation.
I tried, in vain, to make sense of anything logical in this illogical and chaotic situation, but it seemed like nothing made sense. In the end, the best thing to do would be to find the others. They should be waiting for me, and it was more prudent to reunite with them than to stay here.
With those thoughts in mind, I began to walk, controlling both of my bodies simultaneously, a task that required constant focus. My eyes locked onto the long, dark corridor ahead, and I followed the path where I had seen Oliver and the others walking before I entered the dungeon.
As I moved forward, I noticed that the silence was absolute, and I didn’t encounter any monsters. Or rather, no living monsters. What I did find, however, were giant rats scattered across the floor, their bodies mutilated in grotesque ways. Some were pierced by sharp arrows, others had deep cuts, and parts of their bodies were simply missing.
But the strangest thing wasn’t that. What truly unsettled me was the fact that the rats seemed to have died just over an hour ago. However, I knew for certain that I hadn’t spent more than ten minutes inside that dungeon. Time seemed to have distorted in some way.
In the end, I made an impulsive decision and began to run, feeding on the hope of finding the others. As soon as I took the first step, I was surprised by my speed. Although I had always been fast — probably faster than most humans — that sense of agility was beyond anything I imagined possible within human limits.
As I ran, I realized that my speed surpassed any human limit. I moved with an impressive quickness, far beyond what any human body could endure without collapsing.
Even aware of this, I pushed the thought aside and kept running, focused on controlling both of my bodies simultaneously, as if they were extensions of a single will. The sound of the wind cutting through the air around me was almost deafening, but nothing distracted me. After about five minutes, I reached a staircase leading to a higher level.
It seemed to be one of the few options available, but beyond it, there were two forks ahead, leading in unknown directions. What bothered me, however, was the fact that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see anything above me, which made it impossible to know where the staircase would truly lead.
As I reflected on everything happening, my gaze shifted to the left, where a subtle marking caught my attention. It was near the entrance to the stairs and seemed to have been made with some sharp object, maybe a knife or blade. It didn’t take me long to associate this marking with the trio — Oliver, Alice, and Ethan — who had probably gone up the stairs before me.
A final glance was cast at the tunnel ahead, that dark and damp environment, whose shadows seemed to swallow any light trying to escape. I sighed, turning towards the stairs, already knowing I wouldn’t miss that place. I climbed the steps with firm strides, the sense of relief growing as I moved further away from that oppressive space.
As I climbed the stairs, the top, once immersed in dense darkness, slowly began to brighten. The light, initially soft, gradually intensified until it became strong enough to force me to raise my hand to shield my eyes.
In the next moment, when I finally stepped outside, the first thing that came into my view was a landscape resembling a forest. It wasn’t so dense as to be oppressive, but it wasn’t open enough to feel desolate either.
The wind gently blew between the trees, and I could hear the soft rustle of the leaves. However, beyond the vegetation, something unusual hung in the air: a strange mist enveloped the area, as if creating an esoteric layer that distorted shapes in the distance.