"Aaaaargh, off you go!"
At that moment, everyone nearby felt a surge of fear—and respect—for Rina. She had just thrown a fully grown man more than fifteen meters without even breaking a sweat. After wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads and silently vowing never to anger this giant of a woman, their attention shifted to Cael.
THROW.
STEP.
Close to twenty meters out, Cael threw the first piece of wood and used it as a foothold. One after another, he hurled and stepped onto each piece with flawless timing. Everyone watched in stunned silence—everyone except Toma.
"He's gonna make it!" Kell shouted.
And he did.
Within minutes, Cael reached the center of the swamp.
"Phew," he exhaled—not from exhaustion or stress, but because he had never seen someone so strong.
What a beast.
He stepped forward slowly, eyes fixed on the plant before him. It was purple, with long leaves dotted by white spots. Its stem was short and brown. He moved without hesitation.
Using his hand like a shovel, he dug five centimeters away from the plant, going nearly a meter deep. The root was the real challenge—it reached far down into the mud. When he finally pulled it free, he quickly pierced the root, letting thick yellow liquid drip into the container. He waited until every last drop had fallen.
Then he severed the root and placed it inside the container, sealing it immediately. According to the card, this was the only correct method.
Cael raised his arm and waved.
Rina nodded.
She grabbed the vine with both hands.
INHALE.
"Haaah!"
She pulled.
Cael felt the vine snap tight and braced himself.
Watching all this, Mira asked nervously, "Shouldn't we help? She's doing everything alone."
She took a step forward, but Kell stopped her. When she turned, he shook his head calmly, a faint smile on his face.
"You'd only get in the way," he said. "And be honest—you're not strong enough to lift that vine."
Mira lowered her head, stung by his words, and stepped back to her previous spot. Kell calmly continued watching, anticipation clear in his eyes.
Cael soared past the ten-meter mark, body straight as a spear, the container clutched tightly in his hand.
"Huh—hah—huh—hah."
Like a machine, Rina repeated the motion again and again. In no time, Cael reached the eighteen-meter point.
TEAR.
The vine split slightly.
Toma, standing close to Rina, spoke immediately. "The vine is tearing. Be more careful."
"Understood."
But it wasn't enough.
TEAR.
The second rip was worse.
Rina's breath hitched. Cael was still too far. If the vine snapped now, he would fall straight into the swamp—into quicksand and unstable sludge. There would be no second chance.
No time.
Rina drew in a sharp breath and threw her weight backward, muscles locking as she pulled with everything she had left, turning strength into motion—trying to steal even a single meter.
Toma understood instantly.
His hand went to his belt.
Metal flashed.
"Feet!" Toma shouted.
The first throwing spike left his hand.
SNAP.
The vine gave way completely.
Rina staggered a half-step as the resistance vanished, but her body was already moving.
For a split second, Cael felt weightless.
The world tilted.
The swamp rushed up to meet him.
Then instinct took over.
The first spike passed beneath him. Cael adjusted mid-fall and planted his foot on it for a heartbeat.
A single, razor-thin moment of contact—just enough to push off.
He kicked, redirected his momentum, and stayed in the air.
A second spike flew.
Then a third.
One spike missed.
Cael's boot scraped empty air.
His stomach dropped.
Another spike whistled past—too far.
The next spike cut in beneath Cael's heel.
Cael caught it.
KICK.
The swamp below churned as if anticipating his fall. Cael refused to give it that satisfaction.
The last spike flew.
Cael stepped hard, pushing off with everything he had left—his final kick angling him toward solid ground.
Rina lunged forward, closing the last distance on pure momentum, and caught him by the forearm.
The impact jolted through both of them.
Rina didn't yield.
She yanked Cael onto solid ground in one violent motion and threw him behind her, away from the edge.
Silence.
Cael lay on his back, chest heaving, staring at the sky.
"…Did it break?" he asked weakly, lifting the container with one trembling hand.
It was intact.
A shaky laugh escaped him.
Kell let out a low whistle. "That was insane."
Mira rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside Cael. "Are you hurt?"
Cael shook his head slowly. "No. Just… not doing that again."
Rina turned away, exhaling deeply. Only now did her hands begin to tremble.
Toma walked over, his gaze dropping to the empty loops on his belt.
"You owe me," he said flatly.
Cael pushed himself upright and nodded without hesitation. He reached into his pack and pulled out a small case. Inside, thin needles caught the light—ten acupuncture needles.
Toma accepted the case, inspected it, and gave a short nod. "Accepted."
The tension loosened.
The group gathered closer—relieved laughter, quiet congratulations, a few muttered comments that sounded like prayers in disguise. Their attention shifted to the container, to the plant and the thick yellow extract inside.
Mira leaned in, eyes wide. "It's beautiful," she murmured. "I've never seen anything like it."
Rina crossed her arms.
"You all tired?"
They shook their heads—some too quickly.
"Good," Rina said. "Then we keep moving."
"Wait."
Everyone's attention shifted to Kell. He calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out two compasses.
"I think we should split up," he said. "And before you protest—these compasses point toward each other."
He pressed a small button. The needles twitched, then rotated, settling as they aligned toward one another.
"They also work as normal compasses," Kell added. "This mode—" he tapped it once more, "—I call it find mode."
Cael took one of the compasses, turning it in his hand. "What are its limitations?"
With his arms folded behind his back, Kell answered easily, "Distance. If we're more than five kilometers apart, the needles start spinning in circles, trying to reconnect."
Rina took the other compass from Kell, studying it with quiet interest. No one questioned why he hadn't revealed it sooner. Everyone had their own secrets.
"Good," Rina said. "We'll form two teams. I'll go with Mira."
Mira nearly jumped with joy. She immediately moved behind Rina, holding onto her without thinking. With Rina standing close to two meters tall and Mira barely one-fifty-five, it looked almost comical—like a child clinging to her mother.
Kell laughed. "Hahahaha."
Toma stepped up beside Kell. "Then we form the other team."
Surprise flickered across Kell's face, but he said nothing.
Cael approached them. "Let's go together."
Toma shook his head and gestured toward Rina and Mira. "Better if you go with them. They'll need someone agile."
Cael studied Toma for a moment, then raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You did save my life, after all. I'll listen this time." He paused. "But there won't be a next."
The teams split.
Team Rina headed toward the center of the forest.
Team Toma moved east.
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PS?