Morning came with a dull glow, the jungle still damp with the night's cold. The fire had burned low, its embers glowing faintly beneath a blanket of ash. The air was thick with the mingling scent of smoke, sweat, and the lingering aroma of roasted meat.

Gaius sat near the edge of their makeshift camp, rolling his shoulders, flexing his fingers, testing his body.

And what he felt was astonishing.

The pain that had torn through him the night before—the bruises, the aching ribs, the deep scratches from the battle with the reptilian beast—was nearly gone. His muscles were no longer screaming in protest with every movement. His breathing had returned to a steady rhythm, and when he pressed against his side where claws had raked him, there was no sharp sting, only a dull, fading soreness.

It was unnatural.

He had spent his entire life knowing the limits of his body. In the arena, injuries were common, and he had learned well how long wounds took to heal. But this? This was something else.

His eyes flickered shut as he focused inward, reaching toward that presence, that thrum of energy within him—the Aether.

It was real.

He had felt it flood his limbs when he slew the beast last night, and now, it had worked through him, knitting his body back together in a fraction of the time it should have taken.

He exhaled, a slow, deliberate breath. This changes everything.

Aether wasn't just some reward. It was power.

And they needed it.

A quiet rustling behind him made him turn. Aera was crouched near Joran, adjusting the cloth that covered his forehead. His fever hadn't worsened, but it hadn't broken either. He needed medicine.

Gaius pushed himself to his feet. "I'm going out again."

Aera frowned. "Alone?"

"Someone needs to stay with Joran." Gaius flexed his fingers, testing the sensation. "I'm faster on my own."

Darin hesitated. "We should all go. We need more than just food, we need—"

"I know what we need," Gaius cut in. "And I'll bring it back. But before I go, you all need to understand something." He turned to them, his expression hard. "We're not just gathering points. We're gathering strength."

Aera's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Gaius exhaled, looking at his hands. The pulse of energy within him—subtle, but undeniable—throbbed beneath his skin. "The first time I killed one of those things, something happened. I felt something enter me. At first, I thought it was just the rush of the fight, but it wasn't." He met their gazes, his tone unwavering. "It's called aether."

Darin furrowed his brows. "Aether? What does that mean?"

Gaius furrowed his brows. "I'm not entirely sure. For now it seems to be of help. When I killed those creatures, I felt it—like energy sinking into me. At first, I thought it was just adrenaline, but my wounds healed faster, my strength returned quicker. The wounds from yesterday—they're almost gone."

Aera studied him carefully. "You're saying that by killing these creatures, we're absorbing something that makes us stronger?"

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"Yes." Gaius rolled his shoulders, feeling the residual energy settle within him. "I didn't realize it at first, but after last night, I can't deny it. I feel different. I should still be in agony from those wounds two days ago, but I'm not. My body has already recovered more than it should have."

Darin swallowed hard. "That… sounds impossible."

"None of this does," Aera muttered, glancing toward the jungle. "But if you're right…"

Gaius continued. "The system shop sells more than just medicine. You saw it yourself, Aera. There were weapons, armor, things that make no sense. And if the shop is real, if the points are real—then so is the aether."

Aera's jaw tightened. "So what are you saying?"

Gaius let his arms fall to his sides. "I'm saying we need to hunt. Not just to survive—but to grow stronger. Whatever hell this is, whatever trial we've been thrown into, there's only one way forward." His voice turned cold. "We kill, or we die."

Silence stretched between them. The jungle hummed around them, the distant call of something unseen echoing through the trees.

Aera was the first to speak. "You go out first. Gather what we need for Joran. But when you come back… we all go."

Darin exhaled shakily. He wasn't a fighter. Not like Gaius. Not like Aera. But even he seemed to understand the truth in those words.

Gaius nodded. "Then that's the plan."

***

Gaius moved through the jungle, his grip firm on the makeshift spear, the crude point carved from wood. His vambraces were still his best weapons, but the spear gave him reach, a better weapon for his task. The thick underbrush made his movements slow, but not clumsy. His strength had returned, and his body no longer protested every step. The aether had done its work.

He had a job to do.

Pushing deeper into the jungle, he moved with careful steps, his eyes scanning the tangled growth ahead. It didn't take long before he found signs of movement. Tracks—clawed feet pressing into the damp soil, some fresh, others older, overlapping. He crouched, running his fingers over the impressions. They were heading in the same direction.

He followed.

Soon, he spotted them—more of the reptilian creatures, hunched and stalking through the undergrowth. Their jagged teeth glinted in the sparse light filtering through the jungle canopy, their black, sinewy skin almost blending into the shadows.

But something else caught his attention.

Slithering alongside the reptilian beasts was another creature—something snakelike. It coiled and twisted around the trees, its sleek body rippling as it moved. Unlike the wild battle he had witnessed on the mountainside the night before, there was no hostility here. The snakes and the lizards moved together, as if existing within the same domain. Not predators fighting for territory, but hunters searching for separate prey.

Gaius frowned. How strange. The creatures at the mountain had torn each other apart, but these… they coexisted. He didn't like it. There was a pattern here, something just beneath the surface, but he didn't have time to figure it out now.

He had to choose his fight.

His eyes flickered between the lizard beasts and the snakes. The latter unsettled him. With no true edge to his weapon, he knew the risk of a snake slithering around him before he could react was too great. He needed to be smart. Patient.

So he waited.

Minutes passed as he remained hidden, watching, waiting for the right moment. Eventually, the creatures began to split, one of the reptilian beasts drifting from the others, moving toward the thicker brush alone.

Gaius struck.

No longer exhausted, no longer weakened by hunger, he moved fast. His steps were silent, and before the beast could react, he was upon it. His spear drove forward, all his strength behind it. The beast jerked, sensing danger, but it was too late. The sharpened wood pierced straight through its skull, driving deep with a sickening crunch. The body spasmed, its limbs twitching for mere moments before it collapsed, lifeless.

The system's voice echoed in his mind.

"You have absorbed another creature's Aether. You've grown stronger. 10 points have been allocated."

Gaius exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. He could already feel it—stronger, sharper, more aware. This was no mere illusion. The power coursed through him, subtle but undeniable.

He needed more.

The hunt continued.

By late afternoon, he had taken down three more. Each kill was efficient, precise. He was no longer just surviving—he was controlling the fight. The creatures barely had time to react before he ended them. The battles had not been hard, but the jungle had its own dangers.

The snakes had begun to linger. As if they could sense something was wrong. He didn't know if they had noticed what he was doing, but he refused to take unnecessary risks. He had pushed as far as he dared.

With the bodies of the fallen beasts slung over his shoulders, he turned back toward camp. His work for the day was done.