Free Web NovelChapter 8: Two Body Problem
"Is that your question?" Alex deflected.
Emma smiled wryly and shook her head. "No, it isn’t. You must be a Mage if you’re able to use mana. How exactly did you use mana to move that fast?"
"It’s a spell called Body Reinforcement Spell," Alex replied. He didn’t elaborate further and instead asked his own question. "Why did you fight those two monsters when they were obviously stronger than you?"
Emma waited for a few seconds, hoping he would explain more about the spell. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to, she let out a quiet sigh and answered his question instead.
"I didn’t know how strong monsters were. Those were the first monsters I’d seen since arriving here. I thought I could handle them if I prepared properly and got the drop on one," she admitted.
She paused briefly before continuing. "There’s another reason as well. According to my Guide, only our consciousness was summoned here. Our real bodies are still on Earth."
Alex’s footsteps slowed when he heard that. Emma noticed his expression and nodded as though she had expected such a reaction. It was the same reaction she had when she first heard the information.
"We received new bodies in this place. Meanwhile, our first bodies—original bodies—are still back home. After the System arrived, there were earthquakes and all kinds of chaos. I left behind guards, but I’m still worried something might happen to my first body if I stay here for too long," she explained.
For a moment, Alex simply stared at her. An earthquake had happened because of the System’s arrival? More importantly, his real body was still on Earth.
His first instinct was to doubt her. The information sounded too unbelievable. However, Emma had no reason to lie about something like this, especially when she had already shared several useful pieces of information.
A knot formed in Alex’s stomach as thoughts of his family surfaced. His parents were still on Earth. His younger sister was still on Earth.
If disasters were occurring across the world, then they could be in danger right now. Even his own body might already be injured. The realization made him feel more anxious than any monster had so far.
"How do we get back?" he asked.
"I don’t know. My guess is that returning home is tied to one of the Tutorial Quest rewards, but I never got the chance to ask. The Guide disappeared before I could. I also don’t know what happens if one of our bodies die. I just hope I won’t have to find out," Emma said.
Alex frowned. That answer wasn’t particularly reassuring, but at least it confirmed there was probably a way back.
Emma studied him for a moment before asking another question. "What level are you?"
Alex didn’t answer. The silence stretched long enough for Emma to understand she wouldn’t be receiving a response. Rather than pressing the issue, she smoothly shifted to a different topic.
"What rewards did you get from your Reward Boxes? You chose Hell Difficulty like me, so you should have received a Gold Box. Did you get the Body Reinforcement Spell from that?" she asked.
"That’s two questions," Alex replied.
Inwardly, he was cursing the System. Why did he got thrown into Hell Difficulty when he hadn’t chosen anything. Worse, why didn’t Emma encounter a monster after waking up when both were in Hell Difficulty? This System seemed to have fun playing around with him.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine. Did you get the Body Reinforcement Spell from the Gold Box?"
"Yes," Alex replied without hesitation.
The answer was a lie. He had already decided that he would keep his Talent and Physique hidden from everyone for now. There was simply no benefit in revealing advantages that could potentially create trouble later.
People often became jealous when someone else possessed something valuable. Emma seemed reasonable enough, but Alex wasn’t willing to gamble on assumptions. More importantly, they now knew there was a chance of returning to Earth.
If information about his Talent spread there, it could attract unwanted attention. Alex didn’t know how the world would change after the System’s arrival, but he doubted life would remain normal. In uncertain situations, secret trump cards were often the safer option.
Emma studied his face for a second before nodding. Whether she believed him completely or not, she didn’t press further.
"Alright. What’s your question?" she asked.
"What class did you choose?"
"Rogue."
Her answer came immediately. Then she shrugged lightly and added, "I don’t have any more questions right now. If you want to ask something else, go ahead. As long as it isn’t too personal, I’ll answer."
Alex considered that for a moment. There was one thing he had been curious about ever since learning she had also chosen Hell Difficulty.
"Why did you choose Hell Difficulty?" he asked.
The question seemed simple enough, but the answer surprised him.
"I just had a feeling. A gut feeling that I should choose it," Emma said with a shrug.
Alex stared at her for several seconds. That was one of the stupidest reasons he had ever heard for making an important decision. Fortunately, he was smart enough not to say that out loud.
The two continued walking through the ruins for a while before eventually finding a relatively safe location beneath a partially collapsed stone structure. It wasn’t ideal, but the surrounding walls offered some protection and gave them a decent view of the area.
After making sure there were no monsters nearby, they decided to rest for a short time. Completing the Tutorial Quest as quickly as possible was important. It might be their ticket home, and only by going home could they protect their first body.
However, their nerves were frayed after staying alert for the past hour, and they needed a brief break. Every sound had kept them on edge, and neither of them could maintain that level of focus indefinitely.
Emma sat down against a wall and began checking her equipment. Meanwhile, Alex focused on something entirely different, yet important.
His spell.
The Body Reinforcement Spell had become his greatest weapon, but it was also causing serious problems. Every time he pushed it too far, his muscles suffered damage. There had to be a better way to use it.
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