The so-called meeting of the newly elected leaders from the various groups of initiates lacked the grandeur or atmosphere of a significant event.

There were no banners, no formal speeches, and certainly no grand hall to host such an event. Instead, without a proper venue and with System Points constraints, the leaders merely stood in a circle near the centre of the camp, close to the slightly levitating 'node', whilst they discussed amongst themselves.

In total, eleven individuals had been selected as the leaders of their respective groups.

Around them, the camp bustled with activity as the majority of their group members went about their tasks, making makeshift barricades, preparing food over small, flickering fires, and generally making the area more liveable. They had been told that they would be informed of any decisions later.

Only a handful of people stood directly behind the eleven newly appointed leaders, lending a thin semblance of authority to the gathering.

However, that number quickly grew as curiosity, like an uninvited guest, began to pull people closer.

At first, only a handful of bystanders lingered nearby, pretending to busy themselves with nearby tasks. But as the discussion grew louder, more people seemed to drift over, forming a loose crowd around the circle.

It wasn't long before the meeting became a spectacle, with the newly elected leaders at its heart.

Unfortunately, Jason was also encircled in the middle of the gathering. He stood quietly behind Morris and slightly to the left, with Smith to his right. At the start of the meeting, many people had sent curious glances in Jason's direction.

After all, he was the one who had single-handedly slain the Giant, and several of the groups had tried to recruit him. Yet Jason had refused all offers, which only made the people surrounding him discuss this fact in low murus as they questioned how Morris had managed to gain his support.

Despite there being eleven leaders, the dynamics of the meeting quickly revealed a disparity in power.

Whether it was due to Morris' 'Skill', or the fact that he represented the largest group, when he spoke, others seldom interrupted, and his words often brought the scattered opinions to some form of consensus.

While the meeting continued, Jason tuned out most of what was being discussed. Instead, his thoughts drifted back to the meal he had just consumed.

In his demonic form, food had been irrelevant, only something to be consumed for mere sustenance, with no pleasure or satisfaction derived from it.

Demonic food, if it could even be called food, was bland and hard, devoid of taste. The military rations Jason had eaten earlier had been no better; they were purchased solely because they were cheap and because they would keep this body's hunger at bay.

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Despite that, the simple meal that Jason had taken from camp's food stall, consisting of just oats, water, milk and bits of meat, had caught him unexpectedly off guard. Despite its simplicity, it had stirred something that Jason had seldom felt before.

The warmth of the food, coupled with its unexpected flavour, had sparked a sensation Jason had not felt in a long time. Jason was unsure whether it was this new body or the unfamiliar taste. But that experience was the most colour his life had seen in a while, and it unsettled him, lingering in his mind longer than it should have.

'Maybe I need to explore human cuisine further. For research purposes, of course,' Jason thought wryly, letting a small smile slip.

Though lost in his own musings, Jason remained attentive to key moments in the discussion.

The conversation primarily concerned camp defences, task distribution, and future planning. However, it eventually shifted into more hopeful and, at times, delusional talk, which Jason found hard to listen to.

A woman of medium build stepped forward to speak. Her dark brown hair was tied back, and her demeanour was both confident and concerned. She led one of the smaller groups, which was predominantly composed of women and children.

"We only need to hold out until help arrives," she said, her voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. Her words, while hopeful, hung in the air like a fragile thread.

Before anyone could respond, an older man stepped forward, scoffing loudly. The man's greying hair was long and unkempt, and his face was rough and hardened. He wore simple leather armor and had the demeanour of a survivalist, the type that often prepared for an apocalypse long before any system arrived.

"Help?" Ray repeated, his voice rough and edged with cynicism.

"Look around you, Jessica. We're in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a bloody forest, and trapped behind some invisible barrier. Do you think anyone even knows we're here…? I wouldn't count on it." He gestured to the camp, his movements sharp and dismissive.

"If you ask me, this is all part of some sick game. The government? Aliens? Who knows? But waiting for help is a fool's errand."

Jessica bristled, her confidence faltering but her determination unyielding. Before she could fire back, murmurs of agreement and dissent rippled through the circle, threatening to derail the discussion.

"Alright…! Everybody, calm down," Morris interjected, raising his voice just enough to command attention. His tone was calm but firm, cutting through the rising tension.

"We need to focus on what we know. So far, we've learned that we were transported to this 'tutorial' after accepting the system's invitation… It is no fault but our own." Morris said while pointedly looking at Ray.

Ray opened his mouth to retort, but Morris continued before he could speak.

"I agree with one thing, though," Morris said, his gaze locking onto Ray.

"We can't rely on anyone else. But instead of pointing fingers, let's focus on the here and now."

He pointed to the obelisk floating next to them.

"This node is clearly important. The tutorial told us to protect it. So instead of squabbling, let's direct our energy toward defending it and making this camp liveable."

Morris' words helped defuse the rising tension, and his calm reasoning encouraged the leaders to settle into a more productive discussion. The group began to refocus on practical matters such as organising defences, allocating resources, and planning for potential threats.

But, just as the atmosphere began to settle, a sharp, panicked shout cut through the camp like a knife, causing everyone to turn their heads in alarm.

The gathered leaders scanned the camp and quickly realised that nearly everyone had stopped what they were doing and had crowded around them to listen in on the heated discussion.

As the shouts of panic continued to be heard beyond the gathering crowd, all eyes shifted eastward as they were drawn toward the source of the noise.

There, past the gathering crowd, a group of people were retreating in a frenzy, their voices rising in alarm as they pointed toward the dark line of the forest.

Jason's eyes narrowed as he followed their gaze.

Whatever had startled the retreating group was coming their way—and fast.