[Dungeon Challenge Initiated]

Objective: Survive the six Swarm Waves and conquer the Heart-Tree.

Time Remaining: 30:00

The moment the message appeared, there was no exchange of words between Alice and me. Before we could even process what was happening, our bodies had already reacted instinctively, moving into position.

Alice ran to Noa, my female body, while almost simultaneously, I guided Justin—my male body—forward to take the frontline.

Our strategy was relatively simple, but effective. Alice would focus on weakening the enemies, applying a precise sequence of debuffs to lower their defenses and mobility.

At the same time, I would coordinate the finishing attacks with Justin, taking advantage of every opening she created. And if any enemy managed to escape our encirclement, Noa was already positioned right next to Alice, ready to intercept any approaching threat.

In the end, both Alice and I remained still, attentive to every movement around us. Both of my bodies wielded daggers, ready to react to any threat. Alice displayed the same readiness: her eyes followed every detail in the environment, clearly prepared to use her skills the instant she sensed I needed support.

Of course, earlier, during our group discussion, Oliver had mentioned an interesting detail: dungeons seem designed to drain adventurers in the early stages. According to him, it’s as if the entire environment is crafted to slowly sap your strength, leaving you without mana—and therefore unable to use your abilities when you need them most.

For that reason, Alice and I decided to save our skills for truly critical moments. Wasting mana on insignificant creatures would be the worst possible choice, a mistake that could cost us dearly later. We were fully aware of this.

But honestly, there was no way to predict how the situation would unfold. After all, this dungeon was clearly at a much higher level than the first one I had entered. The difficulty alone could be on a completely different scale.

Yeah... as I lost myself in thought, a strange, muffled sound echoed through the area, pulling me out of distraction and catching Alice’s attention at the same time. From the trees arranged almost symmetrically, an unsettling movement began to appear: hives slowly emerged from the bark itself, as if sprouting from the living wood.

The tree textures twisted and deformed, forming pulsing, moist structures that joined in grotesque patterns. I had no idea how many hives were forming, but soon it became clear—they were far too many to count—and each one vibrated with a menacing buzz, as if something inside were waiting for the right moment to emerge.

Following Noa’s gaze, I instinctively turned to Alice, who was at my side. She met my eyes, and in that instant, it was obvious: her expression mirrored my own uncertainty.

Confusion marked her features, a silent doubt that said, without words, that she had no idea what was really happening, let alone what to expect next. In the end, all we could do was wait—simply wait.

Moments later, a disturbing noise spread through the forest, followed by movement within the hives that had formed from the twisted tree trunks around us. From the interior of these organic structures, shadows began to crawl, twisting slowly until they passed through the openings.

My eyes narrowed as the first figures emerged from the gloom—they were grotesque grasshoppers, each the size of a domestic cat, with translucent wings vibrating in a harsh buzz and sharp mandibles opening and closing at a disturbing rhythm.

Their legs were as sharp as blades, and each jump shook the ground, sending shards of stone scattering through the air like shrapnel. The impact reverberated through my bones, heavy and relentless. The sound of their wings was even worse: a deafening screech, shrill as tearing metal, making my ears ache and threatening to shatter my concentration.

Alice, standing beside me, narrowed her eyes just like I did, but there was more in her expression—a clear trace of disgust. Her gaze fixed on the crawling monsters, a shadow of revulsion crossing her face. Her voice came out almost in a whisper, loaded with distaste: “What are those things? They look... gross”

Well... I couldn’t exactly deny Alice’s words. After all, a grasshopper is already unpleasant on its own, but imagining creatures that size—each almost the size of a small cat—made the scene even more disturbing. The idea seemed absurd, yet there they were.

I sighed and tried to push the thought aside for a moment, focusing on our surroundings. About ten grasshoppers emerged from the hives, their wings buzzing a low, uneasy hum, their faceted eyes reflecting the dim light. Slowly, they formed a circle around Alice and me, encircling us as if we were the prey.

For a moment, the area fell into suffocating silence, as if even the wind had held its breath. Our eyes scanned the surroundings, locking onto each grasshopper surrounding us, until one in particular caught my attention.

It clung to a tree trunk, its body rigid, while its rear twitched in an unnatural, almost convulsive movement. Its mouth opened and closed slowly, producing a wet, irregular sound as if chewing something invisible. Then I noticed its eyes—large, dull, impenetrable—fixed on me with the cruel intensity of a predator measuring the distance to its prey.

That very grasshopper leapt, a blur tearing through the air. Its legs came at me like blades, aiming directly for my neck. Instinctively, I raised my dagger in front of my face.

The impact was brutal—the collision reverberated through my arms, making them tremble for a moment, though not enough to bring me down. Gritting my teeth, I resisted the creature’s force. Sparks flew as metal met chitin.

I pushed the grasshopper away and, before it could jump again, advanced with my male body, Justin, closing the distance in a single motion. I gripped the dagger and drove it into its underside, piercing the rough shell. Thick, greenish fluid sprayed onto the ground, exuding a putrid, corrosive stench, as suffocating as acid burning flesh.

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 20] – Experience gained. 40 TP obtained*

Even then, I didn’t have a moment to catch my breath. Those creatures wouldn’t allow it. It was as if the death of one served as a silent signal, igniting the fury of the others. In unison, the remaining grasshoppers raised their gleaming legs, pointing them at us before charging with a piercing buzz that made the air vibrate.

Honestly, the scene was grotesque enough to make anyone’s stomach turn: a swarm of cat-sized grasshoppers rushing forward, their mandibles glinting in the light, their huge, bulging eyes locked unnervingly on me.

The sound of their many legs scraping the ground echoed like a discordant chorus, while the acrid smell of rust and decay seemed to spread along with them. Yes, it was a repulsive, disgusting sight, but ultimately, that’s all it was. Despite their monstrous appearance, they weren’t strong—at least, not enough to pose any real threat to me.

The moment I assessed the situation, I took control of Noa, who was positioned near Alice, and then looked to her. Calm but firm, I said: “Alice, it’s okay. They may look numerous, but honestly, they’re pretty weak. I can probably handle them all without using any skills”

I added with a slight smile: “You won’t even need to spend energy applying debuffs”

Alice, who stayed by my side, lifted her face when she heard my words. Her eyes sparkled for a moment before she responded firmly, nodding in confirmation: “Got it!”

As soon as the words left my mouth, one of the grasshoppers leapt toward me, its serrated legs slicing through the air with a menacing hiss. Instinctively, I moved Justin a step to the side, feeling the attack’s wind brush past my shoulder.

With a quick twist of my wrist, I swung my dagger in a horizontal slash, the blade sliding along the creature’s joints and throwing it off balance. The impact sent it crashing to the ground, its wings buzzing frantically. Before it could wriggle or try to take flight, I bent down and drove the blade into its head, the sharp strike making the grasshopper convulse until it finally went still.

Meanwhile, two others lunged almost in sync—one coming from the left, the other diving from above. The first aimed directly at me, at Justin’s body, while the second charged toward Noa and Alice, who had stayed farther back. With a calculated reflex, I took control of Noa and pushed her forward.

Her short blade gleamed under the forest’s greenish light as it traced a precise arc through the air, striking the insect mid-leap. The blow split its wings in half, scattering fragments of chitin into the air before slamming it to the ground with a heavy, muffled thud that reverberated across the grassy floor.

The second enemy, diving straight at Alice, was intercepted by both Justin and me in unison. With a swift body turn, I raised the dagger in an upward motion, slicing through the creature’s abdomen while it was still in midair.

The impact was brutal—the dead weight pushed me back several steps, scraping against the ground—but I held firm, planting my feet like roots in the earth. With a sharp motion, I pulled out the blade and tossed the bloody carcass aside.

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 19] – Experience gained: 38 TP*

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 21] – Experience gained: 42 TP*

The buzzing grew louder, as if the very air vibrated with fury around us. Every grasshopper I took down seemed only to fuel the colony’s rage, making the survivors even more relentless. This time, four of them charged at once, coordinated as if obeying a single murderous instinct.

Two skittered close to the ground, their serrated blades ready to shred our ankles, their legs scratching the damp earth with a harsh sound. The other two dived from above, wings flapping loudly as they tried to force me to split my attention.

I can’t say the method was bad—it was actually a solid strategy and would have worked. If I had only one body, there would have been no way to face both enemies attacking my male form while still saving Alice. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel⦿fire.net

But that limitation didn’t apply to me. I moved Justin a step forward and, at the same time, guided Noa, my other incarnate body, positioning both to surround the two grasshoppers hovering just above.

With a single precise motion, I had Noa strike them lethally, her blades slicing through the air before the creatures even sensed the threat. The next instant, when two more ground-level grasshoppers crawled toward me, I controlled Justin and charged straight at them.

The first strike split its head into two uneven halves, but I didn’t slow down; I used its own corpse as an improvised shield, throwing it at the second enemy. The impact made it stagger, its claws scraping the air in a wild gesture.

I saw the opening I needed. With a swift spin, my blade traced a silver arc under the dim light, slicing through the staggered grasshopper’s neck. The sharp crack of the broken shell echoed, followed by abrupt silence before it could react.

The two diving from above... now those were a tougher challenge. I grabbed Noa and leapt back just enough to dodge the first strike. Still, I felt the wind tear past just inches from my face, as if an invisible blade of air had grazed my skin.

The second didn’t give me time to breathe. It came right after, diving at full speed. But I was ready—I raised my arm in the same instant and intercepted the blow with force, the impact reverberating up to my shoulder.

That was enough. Controlling my male body, I silently moved behind the grasshopper still distracted by my female form. With a precise motion, I delivered a clean, swift cut across its neck. The dry metallic sound echoed as the blade pierced its shell.

The other grasshopper, impatient and furious, suddenly descended, swinging its scythe toward me. With a quick reflex, I coordinated both bodies: Noa parried the blow, sparks flying through the air, while Justin simultaneously finished the execution, driving the blade in firmly to end the grasshopper.

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 19] – Experience gained: 38 TP*

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 19] – Experience gained: 38 TP*

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 22] – Experience gained: 44 TP*

*You killed [Green Grasshopper – lvl 20] – Experience gained: 40 TP*

*DING! Class: [Assassin] reached level 26 – Status points allocated*