One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The blade pressed against my neck, cold and unwavering.

The jungle girl's yellow eyes studied me, searching for something—weakness, fear, hesitation.

But I didn't flinch.

Because I knew this wasn't an execution.

It was a test.

A predator doesn't kill unless it needs to.

And right now, she was deciding if I was worth keeping alive.

A Deadly Standoff

For a long moment, neither of us moved.

The jungle around us was eerily quiet, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.

Then, she spoke.

"Why did you follow me?"

Her voice was low, steady, yet filled with something else—curiosity.

I could lie.

I could say I was lost, or that I didn't mean to track her.

But I knew better.

She wasn't the type to tolerate lies.

So I told the truth.

"You helped me," I said, my voice even. "Twice."

She said nothing, only watching.

"I don't trust free favors," I continued. "I wanted to know why."

She tilted her head slightly, as if considering my words.

Then—the blade vanished.

She stepped back, slipping the weapon into a small sheath strapped to her thigh.

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension.

I had passed.

For now.

Understanding the Jungle

She turned and began walking away.

Not a word.

Not an invitation.

But I understood.

This was my next test.

I followed.

She moved like a ghost through the jungle, her feet barely making a sound.

I tried to match her pace, stepping where she stepped, moving as silently as I could.

I wasn't perfect.

Branches still snapped under my weight.

Leaves still rustled as I passed.

She glanced at me once but didn't say anything.

But I saw the message in her eyes.

Too loud. Too slow. Too weak.

I gritted my teeth and kept moving.

The Village of Shadows

After what felt like an hour, the jungle finally opened up.

My breath hitched.

Hidden between massive trees and thick vines was a village.

Huts built from wood and leaves. Tents strung high in the trees. Campfires burning low.

People—dozens of them—moving through the shadows.

I hadn't been tracking her.

She had been leading me here.

She turned to face me, arms crossed.

"This is my home."

Her home.

A hidden village.

A place untouched by the outside world.

And I had just been brought inside.

But why?

I clenched my fists, watching the unfamiliar faces around me.

Some stared. Some ignored me.

But I could feel it.

The unspoken tension.

I wasn't welcome.

Not yet.

She studied me once more, then spoke:

"If you want to survive, you'll have to prove you belong here."

She gestured toward the village.

"Come."

Then she walked away.

And I knew—

My real test had just begun.