The jungle shimmered.
Not with light—
with information.
A translucent grid rippled across the air, invisible to the trees but undeniable to those trapped within it. Leaves froze mid-fall. Insects stuttered. Sound dipped, like the world holding its breath.
Then—
SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT
All platform users acknowledged.
Token System initialized.
▸ Silver Tokens — Quest completion reward
▸ Gold Tokens — Eliminating platform users
▸ Platinum Tokens — Requires 10 Gold Tokens
Tokens are counted per team, not individually.
Shop, Trade, and Inventory unlocked.
A rectangular window unfolded mid-air, lines sharp, text clean.
PRB squinted at it.
"…So this is basically a game economy," he muttered.
Soamja leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "No no no—this is capitalism with extra steps."
PRB snorted. "I give it five minutes before you try to exploit it."
"I give myself three."
Multiple teams across the jungle, blue quest windows hovering, token counters ticking faintly in the corner of their vision.
PRB & SOAMJA — SAME GOAL, DIFFERENT BRAINS
Their quest window pulsed.
QUEST: THE FRACTURED ALTAR
Objective:
▸ Restore three logic seals
▸ Prevent collapse of the altar
▸ Cooperation required
Reward:
▸ Variable Silver Tokens (Difficulty-based)
PRB read it once. Then again.
"So… this thing literally won't let us finish unless we cooperate with another team."
Soamja crossed his arms. "Forced friendship arc. I hate it."
A familiar voice cut in.
"Wow. Destiny really said team up or perish."
They turned.
Another group emerged between the trees—dusty, scratched, alive.
"Soamja," the girl at the front said, relieved.
"PRB," someone else added, grinning.
Soamja raised a brow. "Well, look at that. The jungle ships us."
PRB sighed. "Let's just finish this and go home."
"…You think we can go home?" someone whispered from the back.
That word—home—hung heavier than the quest.
THE ALTAR — WHERE LOGIC BROKE
The altar wasn't ancient.
It was incorrect.
Stone twisted in angles that didn't resolve. Symbols rewrote themselves mid-blink. The ground beneath it flickered like corrupted code.
PRB knelt, fingers hovering over the first seal.
"It's not magic," he said. "It's probability compression."
Soamja tilted his head. "You're saying words like they explain things."
PRB smirked. "They do. Just not to you."
"Rude."
The first seal reacted only when two hands pressed down simultaneously.
"On three," PRB said.
"One—"
"Soamja wait—"
"THREE."
The altar screamed.
Then—stabilized.
Silver numbers ticked up faintly.
Silver Tokens +40
Soamja blinked. "Hey. That actually worked."
PRB exhaled. "Don't sound so surprised."
By the third seal, both teams were laughing, shouting instructions, arguing over timing.
Someone slipped.
Someone cursed.
Someone else said, "If we die here I'm haunting you."
The altar finally went still.
QUEST COMPLETE
Silver Tokens +60
PRB checked the counter.
Team Total: 100 Silver Tokens
Soamja checked his.
Team Total: 92 Silver Tokens
"…Why do you have more?" Soamja demanded.
PRB shrugged. "Efficiency bonus."
"I hate you."
[GRAPHIC]
The altar dissolving into particles, teams sitting on the ground, exhausted but smiling.
FLAME & SERENE — FIRE AND STILLNESS
Deeper in the jungle, flames cut through mist.
Flame spun mid-air, landing lightly. "Okay, that thing definitely wanted me dead."
Serene wiped blood from her cheek. "It wanted balance."
"Same thing," Flame said. "Different marketing."
Their quest window hovered.
QUEST: CALM THE WILD NODE
Objective:
▸ Neutralize elemental overflow
▸ Do not destroy the core
Failure Condition:
▸ Excessive force
Flame stared at Serene.
Serene stared back.
"…Don't even think about it," she said.
"I wasn't—"
"You absolutely were."
Flame sighed. "Fine. You stabilize, I restrain."
They moved in sync.
Fire wrapped gently this time—not to burn, but to contain. Serene's hands glowed faintly as the node quieted.
QUEST COMPLETE
Silver Tokens +70
Flame grinned. "See? Growth."
Serene allowed herself the smallest smile.
DIVINE — TOP 0.004%
Divine's quest window was different.
He knew it the moment it appeared.
He didn't smile.
SPECIAL QUEST — SOLO ELIGIBLE
Objective:
▸ Eliminate Apex Predator
▸ Protect designated ally
Reward:
▸ 200 Silver Tokens
▸ Exclusive Skill (Unrevealed)
▸ Exclusive Skill: SMITE
Chaerin read over his shoulder.
"…Kill that?"
Ahead of them, the ground shook.
The bear emerged—not massive.
Colossal.
Scars layered over scars. Eyes empty of fear.
Chaerin grabbed Divine's arm. "We should run."
He didn't move.
"What's the point of survival," he asked quietly,
"if there's nowhere you're willing to stand?"
The bear charged.
Divine stepped forward.
He was outmatched. He knew it. His legs shook as he pulled a jagged stick from the ground.
Chaerin screamed his name.
SKILL CLAIMED: SMITE
The air collapsed.
Light didn't explode—
judgment did.
A column of annihilation erased the bear, the earth, the trees, the sound itself.
When vision returned—
There was nothing.
A crater.
Silence.
Divine dropped to one knee.
Chaerin stared. "…What did you just do?"
Divine stared at his hands.
"I protected what I chose," he said.
"And I'll accept whatever that makes me."
Silver Tokens +200
Team Total: 257 Silver Tokens
Across the jungle, everyone felt it.
A massive crater glowing faintly, Divine kneeling, Chaerin frozen in shock.
JAM — THE ENDING
Night returned.
Not natural.
Hunted.
Unfamiliar platform users ran through the undergrowth.
They never saw him.
Space folded.
Blades never touched.
Tokens chimed softly.
Gold Tokens +1
Gold Tokens +1
Jam stood alone, bloodless.
His counters hovered.
Gold Tokens: 7
Silver Tokens: 10,000
He paused.
Felt it.
That power.
That choice.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"So," he murmured, eyes lifting toward the distant crater,
"someone finally pulled the trigger."
The jungle didn't respond.
But something ancient listened.
And remembered.