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

The jungle was silent.

Too silent.

The usual hum of insects, the rustling of leaves, the distant cries of birds—all of it was gone. As if the world itself was holding its breath.

I struggled to steady myself, my body still trembling from whatever had just happened. My mind reeled, fragments of visions flashing before my eyes. That gold-eyed version of me… the whispers of the past… the words of that hooded figure…

"You must remember… before it's too late."

shira kept a firm grip on my shoulder, his eyes scanning my face. "Ardan, talk to me. What the hell just happened?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I even begin to explain? That for a brief moment, I had left this world—that I had seen a version of myself that wasn't me?

That I felt something awakening inside me?

I clenched my fists. "I… don't know."

Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke, his expression unreadable. "Whatever that was, it wasn't normal." His sharp eyes flickered to my hand. "And that mark… it's glowing again."

I looked down.

He was right.

The golden mark on my palm pulsed faintly, as if responding to something unseen. The pain was gone, but in its place was a deep, gnawing feeling—like something inside me had been unlocked.

shira bit his lip. "I don't like this. That guy… whoever he was, he knew you. He called you by name."

A shiver ran down my spine. He was right.

That hooded figure hadn't just spoken in riddles—he had known exactly who I was. And not just that… he spoke as if he knew a part of me that I didn't even know myself.

Who was he?

And why did seeing him trigger those visions?

I exhaled sharply. "We need to keep moving."

Tatsuo gave me a long look but didn't argue. Smoker, too, just grunted and turned toward the path ahead.

We moved cautiously, every shadow feeling heavier than before. The deeper we went into the jungle, the more I felt it—that unease, that creeping sensation that something was watching us.

And then—

A gust of wind rushed through the trees.

It wasn't normal.

The wind carried whispers, faint and broken, as if the jungle itself was speaking.

shira stopped in his tracks. "Tell me you heard that."

I nodded. "Yeah."

Smoker's grip tightened on his weapon. "We're being followed."

A rustling sound came from the trees above. Leaves trembled. Branches shifted.

Then—

A figure dropped down from the canopy.

We all stepped back, weapons ready. But the moment I saw the person's face, my eyes widened in shock.

It was a woman—tall and athletic, her body wrapped in a dark cloak. Her piercing green eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. She had an air of authority, a presence that demanded attention.

But it wasn't her appearance that shocked me.

It was the symbol on her arm.

The exact same golden mark that I had on my hand.

For a moment, none of us spoke. The woman's gaze flickered across us before settling on me. A slow smile formed on her lips.

"So," she said, her voice smooth and knowing. "You're the one who woke up."

My heart skipped a beat.

Before I could even ask what she meant—

The jungle erupted into chaos.

A thunderous roar shook the ground beneath us. Trees snapped like twigs. Birds scattered in all directions.

And then—

Something massive crashed through the trees.

I barely had time to react before a giant black-scaled beast emerged from the darkness, its glowing red eyes locking onto us with a hunger that sent chills down my spine.

Its mouth opened—rows of jagged fangs gleaming in the fading light.

And then it charged.

Everything happened in an instant.

shira shouted something. Smoker moved. The mysterious woman didn't even flinch.

And me?

I felt it.

A rush of something foreign yet familiar.

A power surging through me.

As the beast lunged—instinct took over.

And I moved.

Faster than ever before.