We dragged ourselves back to the clearing where we first woke up. The fire was nothing but ashes now, and the air was heavy with silence. Everyone looked exhausted—but alive.
I dropped to the ground, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "That... was insane."
Marco laughed, still catching his breath. "Hey, at least we made it out, right?"
Hyun Woo turned toward him, his tone sharp. "What the hell were you thinking, Marco? Using Taunt without any defense? That monster could've ripped you apart!"
Marco frowned, his grin fading. "Someone had to do something. It was coming straight for us!"
"Yeah," Hyun Woo shot back, "but you didn't even check your stats, your HP, nothing! What if it bit your throat before Minji froze it?"
The camp went quiet. Even the wind stopped moving for a second.
Marco clenched his fists. "I didn't have time to think. I just... acted."
I looked at both of them, trying to calm the air. "He's right—it was risky, but it worked. If Marco hadn't used his skill, one of us might've been the target instead."
Hyun Woo sighed, frustration still on his face. "We got lucky this time. Next time, luck might not save us."
Minji spoke softly, still sitting near the fire pit. "We need to start working together. No one should act alone again."
Everyone nodded. Even Marco stayed quiet, staring at the ground.
Riku, who had been silent, looked up and said, "He's right. We don't know this world's rules yet. The system gives us power—but it also tests us."
Hyun Woo finally stood and looked around at all of us. "Then from now on, we train. We learn what our skills can do, and we make sure no one dies."
For the first time since we arrived, his voice carried real command.
No one argued.
---