Three friends blinked against the sudden brightness of the jungle, their world spinning like a tilted carousel.

  Cane’s eyes darted around, confusion written all over his face.

  “W-what… where are we?” he stammered, clutching his head.

  Antly slammed his fists at his sides, anger flashing. “We were in a important match! How—how did we even end up here?”

  Sung sank to his knees, trembling. Fear gripped him like a vice. “I-I don’t like this… I don’t like this at all…”

  Then, without warning, a high-pitched sound pierced their minds, ringing so sharply it made their teeth chatter. All three collapsed to the forest floor, tangled in their own shock.

  They stared at each other, eyes wide, hearts hammering. And then… a voice.

  It wasn’t sweet, but it was undeniably alluring, smooth and precise. The voice belonged to a woman, so compelling that any normal adult would have been captivated the instant they heard it.

  But Cane, Antly, and Sung were still in their teens. They felt only the strangeness of it, not the pull.

  “Hey, boys,” the voice spoke, echoing inside their heads, firm and confident. “Welcome… to the Jungle of Survival.”

  The three boys stared at each other, hearts still hammering.

  Cane broke the silence. “Where… where is this voice coming from?”

  “From your heads,” the female voice replied. “But I am not… actually there.”

  All three froze, processing her words. Then Sung asked, trembling, “Where… where are we?”

  “In the Jungle of Survival,” she answered simply.

  Cane furrowed his brow. “The… Jungle of Survival? What’s that?”

  Before she could respond, another voice cut through—the deep, gruff tone of an older man.

  “Ma’am, please! Go sit in the Watching Hall. You aren’t supposed to be here.”

  The female voice tilted into something playful, almost teasing, as if deliberately bending the rules.

  “Let me be here, my manager Alfred,” she said, each word laced with mischief.

  The three boys, already confused, grew even more bewildered by what was happening.

  Then the voice came again—but this time, only the old man spoke.

  “Sorry, boys, if my madam disturbed you,” he said, calm and measured. “Now, let me explain what this place is… and why you are here.”

  “Before explaining,” the old man continued, “let me introduce myself. I am Alfredo, as my madam already said. I am responsible for managing this jungle… and you three boys.”

  He paused, letting his words sink in.

  “And don’t worry,” he added. “We won’t do anything bad to you. Your families, your school and any other matter is been already taken care of. More importantly—from now on, this jungle is your only world. You will live in it.”

  Alfredo took a pause, letting the boys process everything he had just said.

  As he looked at them, it was clear each reacted differently.

  Cane was kind of angry, but mostly confused, his mind racing to figure out what to make of this situation.

  Antly, on the other hand, seemed excited and thrilled, imagining freedom from parents’ nagging, school, and all the other responsibilities he usually had to deal with.

  Sung grew even more scared, trembling and teetering on the brink of tears.

  After observing their reactions, Alfredo continued.

  “I suppose it’s a lot to take in,” he said, “but there can’t be anything done about it now. Well, let me explain this jungle.

  Like I said, this is the world you will live in. So, basically, it’s another world—or, to make it easier for you teenagers… I suppose all of you have watched anime—so it can also be called an isekai.

  But don’t expect magic or special powers just because of that.”

  “This world is almost like your old world,” he continued, “but it works a little differently. You’ll discover the rules as you go. I’ll tell you a few things to get you started.

  This is a jungle that contains almost everything from the natural world: American corn, Indian spices, Chinese rice, Asian bamboo—plants and resources from all over the globe. It also has every type of landform you can imagine: mountains, deserts, plains, rainforests, plateaus… all kinds.

  The animals here are arranged in layers. At the spawn points, you won’t encounter anything dangerous. But as you go deeper, the animals get progressively more dangerous. By the way, your current location is the spawn point. You won’t face anything dangerous for the next 40 to 50 kilometers.”

  He paused for a moment, letting the boys absorb the information.

  “Now, there’s something more important you should know. This world… it’s like a changing world. As you progress through it—or this jungle, if you prefer—it might give you things, abilities, or you could even encounter otherworldly beings. But that’s only to say… we still don’t know what this world can do. And by ‘we,’ I don’t mean you three boys; I mean even my madam and I don’t fully know its limits.”

  “You might also find companions in this world, though who knows. Like I said, no one knows the limits or capabilities of this jungle. Everything you experience here could be completely unexpected.”

  All three boys listened closely, taking in Alfredo’s words.

  Sung remained confused and visibly sad, his shoulders slumped as he tried to process everything.

  Antly, on the other hand, hung on every word, excitement and curiosity lighting his expression.

  Cane listened eagerly too, but with a sharp curiosity—he wanted to understand every detail of this strange new world.

  Alfredo watched them through the screens in his managing room, a dark space lit only by the soft glow of monitors and a few dim lights that barely counted as lighting. Of course, the boys couldn’t see him; they could only hear his voice.

  Alfredo spoke again, his tone calm and firm.

  “My explanation is done. Now, a few more things before you begin.

  You have been given basic supplies. You just need to dig out a specific place—there should already be a map in your pocket showing the location.

  For now, your main goal is simple: survive.

  I will contact you every day, but you cannot contact me back. And don’t assume I’ll intervene to help you. I will only step in if I determine you truly need it. Otherwise, I am not allowed.

  So… I am signing off now.”

  All three boys looked at each other. Well… not all three. Only Antly and Cane remained calm, while Sung lay on the ground, feeling sad.

  Both of them moved closer to comfort him.

  Cane said, “Hey Sung, don’t be so sad. I know this is a lot to take in. See, even I’m scared—my hands are trembling—but that Alfredo man said we’re safe here.”

  Sung, still upset, raised his voice. “How can I be okay? He said we’re here forever! Now I can’t even meet my parents!”

  Antly, irritated by Sung’s outburst, snapped, “Hey, you little kid! We already know that. But we can’t change anything, so let’s try to be excited. This place seems good enough… maybe even better!”

  Sung was still sad, but his mood had returned to a slightly more normal state.

  Seeing this, Cane said, “Okay… seems like we’re on the same page for now, guys. Alfredo said we have a map. But who has it? Or do we all have maps?”

  They checked their pockets. Sung pulled out a map and showed it to the other two.

  Antly grinned. “So that old man wasn’t lying.”

  Cane looked at him and said, “Do you still think Alfredo would lie… after hearing him say all that? And the fact that we mysteriously appeared here?”

  Cane opened the map and stared at it, confusion written all over his face.

  Sung and Antly looked at him, anticipating something.

  After a small giggle, Cane turned to them with a dumbfounded expression.

  “Does anyone know how to read maps… you know, the ones that aren’t digital?”

  Antly groaned, both irritated and disappointed. “Goddamn… we don’t even know how to read maps.”

  Sung, now in a slightly better mood but still with a sad look, spoke slowly and hesitantly. “I… I know how to read maps.”

  Both Cane and Antly turned to him in surprise. “You know!?” they said almost in unison.

  Sung nodded timidly. “Y-yeah.”

  Cane quickly handed him the map.

  Sung unfolded it carefully and studied it for a moment. “Since it’s just a map for this small area, I can navigate it. But if it turns out to be a big map… I’d need a compass.”

  Antly rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, whatever. Just read it.”

  Cane nudged him sharply with his elbow. “Hey, don’t be rude.” Then he turned to Sung with a small smile. “Hey Sung, it’s pretty surprising you can read maps like these. Thanks for helping.”

  Sung’s cheeks reddened a little. “N-no need for thanks… we’re friends, right?”

  Then his expression shifted—more focused now. He studied the map, turned it a bit, then started walking.

  Cane and Antly followed close behind as they made their way through the brush, the sounds of the jungle surrounding them.

  After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a large rock half-buried in the soil.

  Sung pointed at it. “The map says the supplies are under this rock.”

  Antly looked up at the rock—it stood almost half their height—and muttered, “Goddamnit, that’s quite a rock.”

  Cane, agreeing with him, said, “You sure, Sung, that the supplies are really here?”

  Sung glanced down at the map again, tracing the markings carefully before slowly nodding.

  Well… what should we do?” Cane asked, staring at the rock.

  Antly shrugged. “How am I supposed to know?”

  Cane sighed, still a little nervous but not as much as before. “I don’t know either…”

  He looked at the rock again and said, “Well… should we try moving it or something?”

  Antly cracked his knuckles, a smirk forming on his face. “Heh, why don’t we? Let’s give it a shot.

  Cane looked at the rock again—it stood nearly half their height—and said, “Well, we won’t be able to move it completely.”

  Sung thought for a moment, then suggested, “We could try moving it in a spinning motion.”

  Antly, already getting irritated, groaned. “Ugh, stop the chit-chat and just move it!

  Cane frowned. “But how should we do it?”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Sung looked at both of them, thinking carefully. “Well… it’d be better if Antly pushed from the right side—he’s the strongest of us. Cane, you take the center, and I’ll go to the left. We’ll push it to the right together.”

  Antly cracked his neck and gave a confident grin. “Fine by me. Let’s just get this over with.

  They got into position.

  Antly went first, planting his feet and pushing hard, the veins on his arms starting to show.

  Cane followed, pressing his shoulder into the rock, his legs slipping slightly against the dirt.

  Sung couldn’t muster much force, but he still tried, straining with all he had.

  After a full minute, the rock barely moved an inch.

  Antly’s irritation grew, his teeth gritted. Cane was still holding up, sweat dripping down his face, while Sung’s forehead was soaked and his breathing heavy.

  “This rock isn’t moving,” Antly growled. “Should we try something else?”

  But before either could answer, Sung shouted—louder than his usual timid tone, his voice tired but determined—

  “No! Don’t stop! The rock’s moving… from my side!

  After another three whole minutes of struggling, the rock finally shifted—half moved from its original spot.

  Sung collapsed to the ground, panting heavily from exhaustion.

  Both Cane and Antly immediately stopped pushing and rushed to check on him.

  Sung, barely able to lift his head, spoke in a half-dead voice, “It’s… nothing. I’m fine. But… look below the rock… there’s something.

  They found something beneath the rock—a chest-like box, half-buried in the dirt.

  Cane quickly bent down and helped lift Sung up.

  Then he called out, a bit frustrated, “Hey Antly, come here and help me move Sung closer to the chest!”

  Antly growled under his breath. “Fine…”

  Together, they got Sung on his feet and walked him over. The three crouched beside the chest, curiosity taking over their exhaustion.

  Antly gripped the box, dug his fingers into the soil around it, and with one strong pull, lifted it free and set it above the ground.

  They all stared at the chest, excitement written across their faces.

  Why wouldn’t they be excited? They had spent so much time and effort just finding it—and even more dragging it out of the ground.

  Antly brushed the dirt off the lid, and together, they opened the box.

  Inside, it had—

  Inside the box, they found a variety of items—each looking different, yet oddly purposeful.

  There were basic survival tools: knives, ropes, and a few pieces of protective gear. It looked like a starter survival kit straight out of a video game.

  Then, lying among the items, was a compass.

  Sung stared at it, his expression twisting slightly. It almost felt like the world had heard his earlier thoughts about needing one.

  But the compass wasn’t normal. Its needle spun faintly, twitching as if reacting to something unseen… or maybe it was just broken.

  There was also a strange pair of gloves—or at least, something like gloves. They looked too reinforced to be ordinary, almost like a mix between gauntlets and protective gear. Or maybe they were just random equipment—they couldn’t tell.

  The last item caught their attention most—a book. Its cover was blank, smooth, and colorless. Cane flipped it open… only to find the pages inside were blank too.

  Antly instantly grabbed the gloves and one of the knives, his grin already returning.

  Cane, meanwhile, sat cross-legged, flipping through the blank book with growing curiosity.

  Sung carefully picked up the compass, turning it over in his hands, studying it closely.

  Antly slid the gloves on, flexing his fingers with a smirk. But then—his smirk froze, shifting into wide-eyed shock and then an even bigger, amused grin.

  The gloves had changed. Red engravings slowly began to spread across the pitch-black surface, glowing faintly like lines of fire etching themselves into the material.

  Cane stopped flipping the book, his focus pulled toward Antly’s reaction. He saw that some kind of red writing had started appearing slowly across the gloves Antly was wearing, the symbols glowing faintly against the pitch-black surface.

  But Sung didn’t notice—his attention was locked on the compass. It spun and twitched as if alive, reacting perfectly to magnetic pull… and yet something about it felt off. Too deliberate. Too aware.

  The strange phenomenon on the gloves suddenly stopped.

  Now, the entire surface was covered with glowing red writings—symbols none of them could understand. The markings pulsed faintly, giving off a small, eerie light.

  Cane stepped closer, curiosity and concern mixing in his voice.

  “What did you do to make that happen?”

  Antly, still staring at his hands with a mix of shock and excitement, replied, “I don’t know… but I really want to find out what these gloves are supposed to do.”

  Meanwhile, Sung was still lost in his compass, completely unaware.

  Cane called out, “Hey, Sung!”

  The sudden shout startled him. He fumbled the compass, accidentally tossing it forward. Without thinking, Sung dove to catch it—and hit the ground hard.

  A dull thud echoed. Cane and Antly snapped their heads toward him.

  Sung lay on the ground, arm raised, his hand tightly gripping the compass.

  Sung groaned, voice half-strained from the fall and half-sharpened by panic.

  “What do you need?”

  Both Cane and Antly hurried over, each grabbing an arm to lift him up.

  “Sorry to startle you,” Cane said, guilt written all over his face.

  Once Sung was steady on his feet, he brushed some dirt off and then froze.

  His eyes landed on Antly’s gloves—the pitch-black surface crawling with glowing red markings.

  For a moment, fear flickered through him, and he instinctively stepped back.

  But then he exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. He was starting to understand that this world was different—strange things were the new normal.

  Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “How… how are those gloves glowing?”

  Antly shrugged, flexing his fingers in the glowing gloves. “I don’t know what’s up with these, but they look cool, don’t they?”

  Cane smirked. “First time you’ve told the truth, but I’m not sure about the ‘cool’ part.”

  Antly’s expression twitched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Cane ignored him completely and turned to Sung. “I thought you were scared of stuff like this. You seem… fine now?”

  Sung took a slow breath. “Well… I’m still scared. But after seeing what was inside that chest, I think I’m starting to understand something.” He looked down at the compass in his hand, the faint metal glint catching light. “This isn’t a normal world, is it?”

  Cane smiled faintly, glad to see Sung at least trying to be brave.

  But he noticed it — Sung’s hands, still trembling ever so slightly as he held the compass.

  Cane sighed quietly. He’s just putting on a brave face.

  Still, he didn’t say anything.

  He knew if he comforted Sung now, the kid might start depending on him for every little thing.

  So instead, Cane just gave him a short nod — the kind of nod that said “You’re doing fine.”

  And that was enough for the moment.

  Then Cane looked back at the chest.

  “Hey, come here,” he called out to the others. “Let’s see if there’s anything else in this thing—and maybe split what we’ve got properly.”

  Antly groaned, resting his hand on his head. “Can’t even admire my gloves for a minute,” he muttered under his breath.

  Then louder, he said, “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

  Sung, still holding his compass carefully, walked over to the chest too.

  They checked the chest again, hoping there was still more left.

  Inside, they found a few remaining items—two knives, a couple of ropes, and a strange red jewel that shimmered faintly under the light.

  There were also three medium-sized string bags. Each one seemed neatly packed with essentials: a small pillow to sleep on, a spare set of clothes, and some basic supplies.

  But one of the bags had something extra—a thick, weathered book.

  Cane pulled it out and read the title aloud. “Field Survival Manual: Medicinal Plants, Edible Herbs, Hunting, and Basic Survival Skills.”

  Antly whistled. “Guess someone really didn’t want us dying out here.”

  Sung ran his fingers over the book’s worn cover, muttering, “This… might actually save us

  The sun dipped low, painting the jungle in streaks of orange and crimson.

  The wind began to stir—gentle at first, then picking up, rustling through the trees.

  A distant howl echoed faintly across the forest.

  All three froze.

  Their hearts jumped in sync, eyes darting toward the source of the sound.

  For a tense moment, none of them spoke—until Cane muttered, “Alfredo said we’re in a safe zone… forty to fifty kilometers of no danger, remember?”

  Antly nodded slowly, still glancing toward the trees. “Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy.”

  Sung stayed quiet, gripping the compass a little tighter.

  They all looked at each other—the fear still there, but slightly eased.

  Cane sighed and straightened up. “Alright, let’s sort this stuff before it gets dark.”

  He pointed at the items spread before them.

  “All the basic supplies—ropes, clothes, pillows, and whatever else—we’ll split evenly. And these three bags will make carrying things easier.”

  Both Antly and Sung nodded in agreement.

  That left only a few things on the ground:

  two knives, the glowing red stone, and the survival book.

  Cane glanced at them, then said, “The compass, gloves, and that weird empty book already have owners. So now we just have to decide who gets these.”

  Antly frowned, his tone rising, “What do you mean owners? I’m not giving my gloves to anyone!”

  His voice carried a mix of confusion and irritation, echoing faintly in the dimming jungle air.

  Before Cane could respond, Sung quickly stepped in, raising his hands slightly.

  “Hey, Antly, calm down at least and let him finish,” he said, his tone soft but steady.

  Cane exhaled, scratching his head. “I meant,” he said patiently, “that the compass is with Sung, the gloves are yours, and the mystery book is with me. So they already have owners. I wasn’t talking about taking anything from you.”

  Antly blinked, his shoulders relaxing a little. “Oh…” he muttered, looking away, slightly embarrassed. “Well, fine then. Just don’t say things like that next time.”

  Cane smirked. “Noted.”

  Sung let out a quiet sigh of relief, the tension fading from the group as the forest wind brushed past them.

  Cane looked at the remaining items and said, “So, I was thinking — either I or Sung should keep the survival book. We’re a bit more… you know, smart with this kind of stuff. Not that I’m calling you dumb, Antly.”

  Antly’s eyebrow twitched, his irritation showing instantly. “Oh, really?” he said, crossing his arms. “Well fine, fine, whatever. You keep it then, genius.”

  Cane grinned. “Good to see we agree.”

  Sung chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You two argue like an old married couple.”

  Antly shot him a glare. “Watch it, Sung.”

  The small moment of banter eased the tension, and for the first time since arriving in that strange world, a hint of normalcy crept in — even if just for a second

  Cane rubbed his chin, thinking out loud. “Okay — next item is kind of sensitive. Two knives, three of us. Here’s my idea: we distribute by strength.”

  He looked at Antly. “You’re the strongest. If you have a knife, you’ll be better at protecting all of us.”

  Then he glanced at Sung, voice softening. “Sung’s the weakest right now — giving him a knife helps him learn self-defense. He won’t be helpless.”

  Cane shrugged. “That leaves me in the middle. I’m second-strongest, so yeah — it’s a bit unfair, but I can manage without. If it helps the group, I’ll let it be Antly and Sung.”

  Antly’s mouth twitched between pride and irritation. “You sure about giving me and Sung the knives?”

  Sung swallowed, fingers tight on the compass. “If you think it’s better… I— I don’t mind trying. I’ll learn.”

  Cane nodded. “Then it’s settled. Antly and Sung take the knives. I’ll handle the rest — food, ropes, making sure we don’t trip over ourselves.”

  Antly huffed but didn’t argue. “Fine. But Sung? If you drop it, I’m taking it back.”

  Sung managed a nervous smile. “I won’t drop it. I promise.”

  Cane said, “Well you guys, the last item is this weird red rock. Calling it a red jewel wouldn’t be wrong either. What do you think it’s for—and who should keep it?”

  Sung, staring closely at the rock, said thoughtfully, “Doesn’t its color match Antly’s gloves?”

  Cane looked again and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Antly, hold it for a second.”

  Antly shrugged. “Alright.” He reached out and picked up the red stone.

  The moment his fingers touched it, a small flame flickered out of it—just a tiny spark, like from a matchstick or lighter.

  All three boys instinctively jumped back, surprised.

  They had been expecting something big, but instead, it was only that small flicker of fire—strange, but still… something.

  Antly, as usual irritated, said, “What the hell is with this puny fire?”

  Sung, thinking aloud, replied, “Well, even this much is pretty useful. The smallest ember can burn an entire forest.”

  Cane shot him a look. “Hey, Sung, don’t jinx it.”

  Then turning to Antly, he said, “Hey, can you control it?”

  Antly frowned, focusing — which was never his strong point. The fire flickered, changed shape slightly, but then shrank back to its small flame again.

  “I tried,” Antly said, frustrated. “But I couldn’t.”

  Cane smiled faintly. “No worries, Antly. Even this little flame can be useful.”

  Cane looked at both of them and said, “Well, the stone’s his now.”

  The moon shone over them, and the stars watched these three souls from above.

  A chill breeze swept through, sending shivers down their backs.

  Cane stretched and said, “It’s already night. Shall we sleep?”

  The other two nodded. They took the pillows from their bags and lay down on the ground.

  All three stared up at the starry sky, their eyes reflecting the glimmering light above.

  They looked at each other, silent but connected — and said goodbye to their first day in the jungle.

  But it wasn’t truly over.

  Because someone was watching them.

  In a dark room lit only by the faint glow of monitors, Alfredo sat, eyes fixed on the screens.

  From behind him, that familiar alluring voice spoke — his madam.

  “These boys…” she said with a faint smile. “They’ll be interesting to watch.”