The smell reached the camps before the sight did.
Oil wasn't involved.
Seasoning wasn't involved.
Just heat, flesh, and certainty.
The Morning Difference
While others chewed ration crumbs or stared at empty hands, Aria sat on a flat stone and ate.
Fresh fish.
Cleanly prepared.
Still steaming.
She didn't rush.
She never rushed food.
The cameraman swallowed.
"…That's your second catch today."
"Yes."
"…You're not saving it?"
She shook her head.
"…Fresh food saves me."
The chat paused, then reacted.
💬 [FoodieFan]: SHE EATS BETTER IN THE JUNGLE THAN I DO AT HOME
💬 [SurvivalVet]: Protein early = energy advantage
Envy Is Louder Than Hunger
Eyes followed her.
Not discreetly.
Not politely.
A contestant whispered too loudly:
"She's doing this on purpose."
Aria looked up.
"…Yes."
The honesty disarmed him.
The First Request (Formal This Time)
Two contestants approached together.
They didn't joke.
They didn't scoff.
They stood at a respectful distance.
"We want to trade," one said.
Aria finished chewing.
Wiped her hands carefully.
"…State your offer."
They glanced at each other.
"Credits. Tools. Labor."
She nodded once.
"…Fish is four hundred.
Cooked is five."
No hesitation.
No negotiation.
They paid.
She handed it over.
"…Eat slowly," she repeated.
They did.
Like people who understood value now.
The Chat Chooses Sides
💬 [CapitalistKing]: THIS IS FAIR MARKET VALUE
💬 [MoralPanic]: THIS IS PRICE GOUGING
💬 [EconomicsProf]: Scarcity pricing in real time. Fascinating.
A pinned comment rose to the top:
She isn't cruel. She's consistent.
Consistency Is Power
Aria cleaned her knife.
Reset her traps.
Checked water flow.
She didn't look at the people watching her eat.
She didn't look at the drones.
She just worked.
"…Energy first," she murmured.
"…Then expansion."
The cameraman frowned.
"Expansion?"
She looked uphill.
"…Later."
The Producers Count
In the control tent, someone whispered:
"She's made more in two days than we expected in a week."
Another replied:
"And she hasn't even tried."
The director leaned back.
"…She's not competing anymore."
Silence.
"…She's operating."
Breakfast Ends, Momentum Begins
Aria finished the last bite.
Stood.
Shouldered her rope.
Knife secured.
The jungle opened slightly as she moved.
Not welcoming.
But acknowledging.
The chat scrolled fast again.
💬 [Watcher]: This is the calm before something bigger
Closing Beat
As others scraped by on crumbs, Aria walked back into the trees.
Breakfast done.
Energy restored.
Plans intact.
The fish had fed her.
The system had fed itself.
And somewhere behind the cameras, the show quietly crossed a line it wouldn't be able to step back over.