In the end, we ended up entrusting most of the buffalo to Ethan. Meanwhile, Oliver joined Alice, and I—using both of my bodies—was put in charge of hauling just one animal. Once again, we were reminded of Ethan’s impressive strength—almost superhuman—even though his face clearly showed signs of exhaustion and the strain of such an effort.

Just remember, at this very moment, he was carrying four buffalo stacked on top of each other. That alone would’ve been enough to leave me speechless, but on the other hand, even with just one buffalo, my arms already felt like they were about to give out.

These creatures are ridiculously heavier than they look. Sure, just by looking, their sheer size already hints at their mass, but when you try lifting one yourself, the whole story changes—it’s like trying to move a living wall.

Anyway, the spot where we found the buffalo was pretty far from the cave we were staying in. By the time we finally reached the entrance, night had already fallen, with only faint golden rays filtering through the treetops.

When we finally dropped the heavy buffalo carcasses in front of the cave, our legs gave out beneath us; without exception, we all collapsed to the ground, our bodies silently begging for a moment’s rest.

But unlike us mere mortals, there was one person who, after carrying four massive buffalo as if they were sacks of grain, simply gave his shoulder a light roll, like he was just adjusting his posture. A heavy silence settled over everyone as we tried to process that absurd sight.

Alice was the first to break the silence. She leaned forward slightly, eyes wide, and asked in a tone that was almost disbelieving: “Ethan... weren’t the buffalo heavy?”

Her question sounded like even she didn’t understand why she was asking something so obvious. Yet, seeing Ethan’s casual reaction, that “obvious” didn’t feel so obvious anymore. Hearing his name, Ethan simply turned toward her, gave a quick glance, and then looked back at the four buffalo stacked absurdly on top of one another: “Well, yeah, they’re definitely heavy” he said with a faint smile and a relaxed tone: “But aside from my shoulders aching, I’m fine”

We stayed completely silent at his words. The reason was simple: there was nothing to add. It was already more than clear to all of us that Ethan was “abnormal” when it came to physical strength. In the end, we just enjoyed the rest of our break while the night slowly settled in.

As usual, we lit a simple campfire near the cave entrance; the flames danced, casting shadows against the uneven walls while we watched the ostrich meat roasting, releasing a strong, inviting aroma that mixed with the cool night air.

In the middle of our conversation, Alice—sitting in front of my female body and next to Oliver—suddenly seemed to remember something. Her eyes lit up for a moment before she said with a small smile: “Oh! By the way, I found something in the forest... maybe you’ll want to check it out tomorrow morning”

At her words, we exchanged quick glances loaded with unspoken questions. I was certain she’d discovered it alone—no doubt about that. But since we rarely had a chance to be by ourselves, my mind immediately latched onto the only moment she could have made such a discovery.

Oliver, beside me, seemed to come to the same conclusion almost instantly, his expression sharpening. Ethan, on the other hand, didn’t seem to pick up on any of it, as if the gravity of the situation had completely gone over his head.

“When exactly did you have time to find something like that? We’ve been together pretty much the whole time” Ethan asked, furrowing his brow slightly and raising an eyebrow, his confusion clear.

At the same time, Oliver and I exchanged a knowing look and let out a sigh of resignation at Ethan’s total lack of awareness. We all knew he wasn’t asking for any hidden reason, but still... he didn’t make it easy to defend him.

To our surprise, though, Alice didn’t seem as bothered as we expected. She simply kept a calm expression, as if the whole matter was irrelevant.

Slowly turning toward Ethan, her gaze carrying a mix of indifference and faint disinterest, she replied almost offhandedly: “I found it when I went to the bathroom” ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel※fire.net

Ethan, hearing her answer, just said a brief, “Makes sense” before looking away again, as if his interest had already faded. At her indifferent tone, Oliver and I exchanged another quick look—the kind that instantly confirmed we were thinking the same thing—before we simply shrugged, resigned.

The rest of the night passed with light conversation, small talk, and a few polite chuckles that felt more like courtesy than genuine amusement. The air around us, though calm, carried a quiet tension.

Naturally, we avoided any mention of our families—a still-too-raw subject, an open wound we preferred to keep buried, at least for now. Eventually, after talking for a while, we simply drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when I opened my eyes, I noticed something unusual: my vision was split. It was the first time both my bodies had woken up at the same time.

As I raised one body, my gaze swept briefly around. The others still seemed to be in deep sleep, their slow, steady breathing echoing softly through the cave. Moving carefully so as not to disturb them, I guided both my bodies toward the entrance in perfect sync.

Outside, patches of sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, staining the ground with golden speckles. In my male body, I stretched, feeling my muscles awaken as a sigh escaped me. At the same time, in my female body, I ran my fingers over the tutorial panel, watching the information unfold.

[Tutorial Progress]

Tutorial Duration: 87 days remaining.

Completion Criteria: [Survive the tutorial and accumulate tutorial points]

Tutorial Information: [The starting point varies for each beginner depending on where they were at the start—be it forests, deserts, or even seas. Wild beasts roam these biomes. Defeat them to earn tutorial points and grow stronger]

Rules for Earning Tutorial Points: [Earn points by defeating beasts in the area. Points are shared among contributors. If you eliminate another newcomer, their points are transferred to you]

Final rewards will be determined by the total Tutorial Points earned and the number of survivors.

Remaining survivors: [2724/5900]

Total TP Earned: 5,899

Putting aside my tutorial points, which were already pretty high, something else started to bother me: the number of survivors. In just one day, it had dropped alarmingly, and that sudden decrease was making me more and more uneasy.

What could be happening out there to cause this? Was there something—or someone—hunting people? Could it be other humans, willing to kill to ensure their own survival? I had no answers. And not knowing the bigger picture... that was, without a doubt, the biggest disadvantage you could have in a situation like this.

On the other hand, seeing those numbers drop so drastically led me to conclude that, in just a few days, there would be fewer than a thousand humans left in the tutorial: (Well... maybe I should save that kind of thinking for when—or if—the time comes. Dwelling on it now won’t help me at all, except to sink me into constant, suffocating paranoia)

It was a simple, almost trivial thought, but somehow it helped me stay sane in this place. Letting that reflection go for the moment, my mind began to wander, thinking about what we’d do that day. As we’d agreed the night before, we’d spend the day investigating something Alice said she had found in the middle of the forest.

But at that moment, none of them had woken up yet. The only sound breaking the silence was the distant wind rustling through the leaves outside, so I figured it was the perfect chance to bathe before everyone started moving.

Honestly, ever since we arrived here, baths had become a rarity—for various reasons we preferred not to discuss. Still, after three days without so much as feeling clean water on my skin, even I was starting to worry about my own smell.

With that thought, both my bodies moved through the forest in perfect synchronization, our steps so harmonious it was like the rustling leaves were keeping pace with us. After a while, I stopped when we reached the stream, not far from the cave where we’d been staying. My eyes scanned the surroundings in a quick sweep, alert for anything out of place.

At the same time, I sharpened my hearing for any sounds that didn’t belong there—the snap of a branch, the subtle rustle of some hidden creature—but all I caught was the constant murmur of water and the whisper of wind through the trees. I heard and sensed absolutely nothing. In other words, I was completely alone.

With that in mind, I didn’t hesitate much before starting to remove my clothes. Within seconds, both my bodies had let the pieces fall to the ground, forming a small pile at our feet. Casually, I found myself looking at... well, myself—with both bodies—as if it were just a momentary curiosity. The gesture, however, held no deeper meaning.

That said, I’d be lying if I claimed I didn’t feel a restless curiosity about both my bodies—Justin’s, now altered after all the stat boosts, and Noa’s, a female body that, despite its obvious differences, still carried the strange sensation of being mine.

I studied both of them closely. The male body looked slightly different from what I remembered—more robust, with sharper muscle definition, like it had gone through weeks of intense training.

As for Noa’s body... it seemed more feminine? It was hard to say for sure; it’s not like I had much experience being a woman to know exactly what made the difference.

Still, from a purely objective standpoint, Noa would probably be considered by most men a strikingly attractive woman—delicate features, natural posture, a certain balance of strength and grace. To me, though, there was neither attraction nor repulsion. Just indifference. At the end of the day, that body was still me.

Either way, putting those thoughts aside, I lingered a few more seconds, both my bodies staring at each other intently, almost as if trying to read one another. In the end, a quiet, firm thought crossed my mind: (I really don’t feel the slightest bit of lust)

Honestly, it wasn’t a new conversation; I’d already discussed it with Alice on another occasion. But until now, I’d never put the theory to the test for absolute certainty. Now, with both my bodies standing face to face, completely naked, there was no longer any doubt: I simply couldn’t look at myself with lust.

From my perspective, it didn’t matter if the form was male or female—what I saw before me was, undeniably, still me. With that indifferent thought lingering, both my bodies moved in perfect sync into the stream.

The water wasn’t deep enough for a full dive, but it rose just above the knees—almost to the waist—enough for a decent bath. The moment my feet touched the rocky bed, I felt the cold slice across my skin; as always, the morning water was icy, with that sharp chill that seemed to wake even your bones.

Both my bodies began bathing side by side. Honestly, the fact that one was female and the other male didn’t even cross my mind at that moment. All that mattered was the shock of cold water running over my skin.

Still, I did notice one curious difference: my female body seemed far more bothered by the feeling of dirt clinging to the skin than the male one. Maybe it was heightened sensitivity, or just a different perception. Either way, I decided to wash thoroughly, almost obsessively—for the sake of my mental well-being and the relief of finally feeling clean.