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

The meat had eased my hunger.

The water had soothed my throat.

But my mind?

It was still restless.

I wasn't used to relying on others.

Especially not on someone as mysterious as her.

She had helped me twice.

Now it was my turn to find her.

Not to beg for more food.

Not to ask why.

But to understand.

Because if I didn't, I might not survive this island much longer.

The Path of the Hunt

I stepped out of the hollow tree, feeling the weight of exhaustion still clinging to my body.

The jungle around me was dense, humid, and alive.

Sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above, leaving the world below in a haze of green shadows.

I glanced down at the ground, searching for tracks.

I wasn't a master tracker, but I wasn't clueless either.

She had approached my shelter.

And people always leave a trail.

I crouched low, scanning the damp soil.

Then—I saw it.

A footprint.

Small, light, barely visible.

She had moved carefully, almost weightless on her feet.

But she had been here.

And she had gone… that way.

A Predator's Playground

I followed the trail, stepping lightly, careful not to disturb the jungle's rhythm.

The further I walked, the more I noticed it.

This part of the jungle felt… different.

The trees were older, their roots rising from the ground like twisted bones.

The sounds of birds and insects faded.

Silence.

A hunter's silence.

I wasn't alone.

I tightened my fists.

Then—

Snap!

A branch broke behind me.

I spun around, muscles tensed—

But there was no one there.

Only the jungle.

Only the shadows.

She was close.

Watching.

Testing me.

A Game of Strength

"I know you're there," I said, keeping my voice calm.

Silence.

I turned my back, taking another step forward.

I could feel it.

The tension in the air.

She was about to strike.

And then—

She moved.

A blur of green and brown burst from the trees.

Before I could react, something sharp pressed against my neck.

A blade.

Thin. Sharp. Deadly.

She had me.

But I didn't panic.

I met her yellow eyes, calm but burning with curiosity.

She was close now. Closer than before.

She could have killed me.

But she didn't.

I smirked.

"You're fast," I said.

She tilted her head slightly. "And you're still alive."

A test.

This was all a test.

I had passed the first part.

Now, it was time to see what came next.