I landed with precision. I aimed for the same wound my other body — the female one — had already opened and drove the dagger in with all my strength. This time, the blade sank in to the hilt. My skill's energy surged through the beast like a silent lightning bolt, burning from the inside like invisible fire.
The bear let out a deafening roar — a cry of pain so deep it made the air itself vibrate. Its body convulsed, as if something inside had been torn apart... but it still stood. With a furious burst of strength, it grabbed my arm in its massive claws and slammed me into the ground with brutal force.
A sharp crack echoed in my ears — something had broken. I rolled to the side, the world spinning around me, and spat out blood, the metallic taste flooding my mouth. My body was screaming in pain, but I couldn't stop. Not yet.
Oliver, seeing the monster still standing, pulled out his third arrow with trembling hands. His face was drenched in sweat, his eyes locked onto the enemy like he was trying to pierce through the darkness with sheer will.
"Just one more..." he muttered, voice shaky, adjusting his aim with all the focus his exhausted body could muster.
"Oliver! Now!" I shouted with everything I had left, even as searing pain tore through my chest like living fire.
The bear rose to strike the final blow, its curved claws aimed straight at its prey, trembling shadows dancing beneath its colossal frame. Its eyes burned with fury.
Then... the third arrow sliced through the air and struck dead center in its throat. A flash erupted — a burst of purple light, even brighter and more blinding than before.
The creature's head snapped backward violently, and in an instant, its entire body collapsed like an avalanche of stone, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the entire forest. Dust rose. The birds fell silent. This time, it didn't get back up.
For a long moment, none of us moved. The only sound was the crackling of nearby flames devouring trees, sending sparks into the air like frantic fireflies. My hands trembled, and every muscle ached like it had been crushed.
But against all odds, we were still alive. Oliver was the first to move. He ran over to Noa — my female body — and gently helped her up, holding her steady as I staggered, still dazed.
"We did it..." Oliver murmured, breathless, sweat dripping down his brow.
The moment those words left his lips, we all collapsed to the ground. Honestly, none of us cared that the dirt was wet and caked in mud — we were way too exhausted to care. I let out heavy breaths, feeling the pain pulsing through every part of me — or rather, through both my bodies. Each one had its own wounds, but the female one was especially battered, with deep cuts and bruises spread across nearly all of her skin.
That's when, almost simultaneously, a series of screens appeared in my field of vision. They materialized in front of both my male and female bodies, drawing my attention with a sudden glow and faint notification sounds:
*You killed [Forest Bear – lvl 32] – Bonus XP for defeating an enemy above your level. XP shared with your group. 64 PT obtained*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 22 – Stat points allocated*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 23 – Stat points allocated*
*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 24 – Stat points allocated*
Honestly, I wasn't too surprised that I'd leveled up so much. Considering how absurdly tough that thing was, it was pretty obvious it was stronger than anything we'd faced so far. Still, I couldn't help but notice something odd: Even for a creature that massive, the points earned didn't even break a hundred. Compared to when I killed those guys earlier, it was clear — taking down humans gives way more rewards. Not that I'm planning to go down that road... or anything.
Anyway, as I stared at the two screens in front of me, Oliver's voice came through the communicator — steady and urgent: "Justin, Noa, head into the cave and wait for me there. I'm going after Alice and Ethan"
Hearing Oliver's words, my female body — the one closest to him — shifted her gaze away from the screens and looked straight at him. There was a hint of tension in my expression I hadn't even noticed as I asked, voice firm but laced with worry: "Are you sure you want to go alone?"
Oliver nodded slowly, his gaze softening with quiet calm: "You two look completely spent. Especially you, Noa" he said, his voice filled with genuine concern: "To be honest, I barely got hurt since I was just supporting from a distance. So, it only makes sense that you two get some rest while I go find Alice and Ethan"
I couldn't think of a single counterargument. In the end, he was right. Both my male and female bodies were exhausted and injured. Wandering around the forest any longer would be reckless — resting in the cave made way more sense. With that thought clear in my mind, I said goodbye to Oliver as he got ready to go find the others.
I leaned my female body against my male one, feeling the weight of exhaustion with every step, and slowly walked toward the cave's entrance, where the dim light inside promised a brief moment of relief. Honestly, I don't know if it was because I'd been so tense before — constantly on edge, expecting something to leap out from the cave's depths — but this time, the walk to the back felt much quicker.
In less than 20 minutes, I was there. The cave was big, sure, but not nearly as massive as I'd imagined. When I finally reached the back, I let my body drop to the ground with a weary sigh. Both of my bodies settled side by side, cold backs resting against the damp stone wall. There wasn't much to do now except wait for Oliver to return with the others.
The silence around me was thick, broken only by the faint sound of dripping water in the distance. I took that quiet moment to check out the new feature I'd unlocked. I closed my eyes for a second, focused my mind, and simply thought the word: Shop. In the blink of an eye, a translucent window appeared before my eyes, glowing softly like it was made of liquid light.
The first thing that really caught my attention was the list of categories that appeared right after. Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about how oddly organized it all seemed — almost obsessively divided into neat sections: [Consumables], [Weapons], [Armor], [Skills].
Anyway, there seemed to be four clearly defined categories. I didn't have much trouble figuring out what each one meant, so I just tapped on [Consumables]. A moment later, a new translucent screen slid smoothly into view, replacing the previous one.
The interface was clean, minimalistic, and well-organized, with sharp icons and soft colors that made it easy to browse through the available items.
[System Shop Interface]
*Minor Healing Potion – 150 PT*
*Medium Healing Potion – 500 PT*
*Greater Healing Potion – 1.500 PT*
*Mythic Healing Potion – 10.000 PT*
*Minor Mana Regeneration Potion – 150 PT*
*Medium Mana Regeneration Potion – 500 PT*
*Greater Mana Regeneration Potion – 1.500 PT*
*Mythic Mana Regeneration Potion – 10.000 PT*
*Minor Elemental Resistance Potion – 150 PT*
*Temporary Night Vision Potion – 500 PT*
*Minor Cleansing Potion – 150 PT*
*Minor Energy Regeneration Potion – 150 PT*
If I had to sum it up in a few words, the list felt endless — a massive lineup of items that stretched far beyond what I could have imagined. Ironically, there was a search bar where you could type in the exact name of the item you were looking for, almost as if the shop knew there was no way you'd find everything just by scrolling.
Even so, among all the things I saw, the ones that really caught my attention were the healing and mana regeneration potions — though, of course, their prices were just as steep as the promise of their effectiveness.
I glanced up at the top corner of the screen where my point balance was displayed: Balance: 4.757 PT. Honestly, it wasn't a crazy amount, but it wasn't bad either — comfortable, though far from extravagant.
A second later, my left and right eyes met, like I was looking at my own reflection standing in front of me. There we were — both of my bodies — still marked by fresh wounds, visible and uncomfortable. That's why I knew a minor healing potion probably wouldn't be enough — or at least, that's what I figured at the time.
Without thinking too hard, my first instinct was to mentally select the minor healing potion from the list. In an instant, the interface vanished, and in front of my female body, a soft blue glow began to pulse gently, like a magical aura forming in midair.
I stared at the light for a few seconds, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. Confused, I reached out toward it, and with barely a sound, a small vial emerged from the glow.
The vial was fairly small and delicate, containing a transparent red liquid. The color wasn't intense — actually, it looked a little weak, almost watered down — or at least that's how it seemed to my eyes. The glass shimmered faintly in the ambient light, highlighting how fragile it was.
I focused on the vial and instinctively activated the [Identify] command. Instantly, a softly glowing translucent screen floated in front of me, displaying information that quickly filled my field of vision.
Item: Medium Healing Potion
Type: Consumable
Description: A light red liquid sealed in a precision-crafted vial. Once consumed, it gradually restores a significant amount of vitality within seconds. Ideal for treating deeper wounds and speeding up recovery.
Honestly, the info wasn't all that helpful. It said the potion was perfect for deeper wounds, but how deep is "deep," exactly? Where was the line? Either way, I figured I'd find out soon enough when I actually used it.
I gently removed the cork from the vial, catching a faint aroma that rose from the intense red liquid. My eyes locked onto the vibrant color, almost hypnotized, while my feminine voice came out naturally, laced with a bit of doubt: "This is actually safe to drink... right?"
In the end, with a slightly uncertain look on my face, I closed my eyes and let the liquid slide into my mouth. The moment it touched my tongue, the first thing I noticed was the taste. Strangely enough, it reminded me of strawberries — but it wasn't overly sweet or watered down. It was like sipping perfectly balanced strawberry juice — subtly sweet, refreshingly light. The flavor lingered, unexpected but nostalgic, stirring memories from my childhood.
Through the eyes of my male body, I watched as changes began to take place almost instantly in my female form. The wounds that had been visible and deep began to close up slowly, as if my skin were stitching itself back together, one careful thread at a time.
In the blink of an eye, all the visible injuries were gone — at least the shallow ones — leaving the skin smooth and untouched. Sure, they hadn't been major wounds, but the relief was overwhelming; the pain that had been haunting me faded away, like it'd been drawn out of my body.
In the next moment, through my left eye—the one I used to see from when I was in my female body—I slowly looked down at my clothes. The tears were still there, scattered across different parts of the fabric. That was to be expected.
After all, it wasn't armor—just an ordinary outfit made of cloth. I had figured it would rip eventually, especially after everything that had happened. Still, seeing the frayed fabric made it clear just how much I'd been through—more than I liked to admit.
The very next moment, as I held a torn piece of my clothes, I stared at the threads dangling from the fabric. A wry smile formed on my face: "Yeah, I figured..." I muttered: "Potions heal wounds, not clothes"