... Gwen dismantles a couple of planks from the deck, decorating her raft with them. Izzy, swiftly arranges them, expanding the outer perimeter.

Now, it isn't just a raft— it's a platform, with enough room to lie down.

Gwen "Now, how do I get a sail?... The kelp! Of course! Maybe they are useful after all."

With a silent gesture, Gwen signals toward the remaining planks. Izzy catches her drift, fragmenting the timber into rod-like portions. Gwen retrieves some of Izzy's bark, her hand closing around them, squeezing tightly.

Gwen "Umm... no not the right consistency..."

The pressure intensifies. Gwen's grip crushes it down to the fibers.

Gwen "Perfect. Though I never thought I would need something like this. Izzy, can you replicate this?"

[Yes, Nya! Easy Peasy!]

From an assortment of thin bark strips, Izzy crafts a lengthy, slender fiber.

Gwen begins to twist, creating a sturdy rope. It serves to bind the sticks, which she stakes at the raft's core.

Gwen "Izzy, two branches please."

Two branches are handed over from Izzy. With practiced hands, Gwen secures them horizontally to the central post, one aloft and the other halfway down.

Gwen "Now we need a gluing agent. Izzy, you can produce some sap. Right? Or do you need to rest for a while?"

[It's Okay Master! I Can Do it! Nya]

Izzy conjures a generous glob of golden sap from her branch, passing it to Gwen's hand.

With this, they attach a vibrant mosaic of green and red kelp to a long sheet, draping it over the branches. The process is lengthy, but their patience rewards them with a solid sail. By then, the air is permeated with a pungent aroma— the briny scent of the sea, intensified and oddly laced with a hint of dust.

Gwen "A change in the wind perhaps. Or is there something more to this trial? An unknown variable like a time limit. No, that would be way too irresponsible not to tell us. Unless... Earthas found a way to bypass his punishment. What do you think, Izzy?"

[Izzy Thinks Big Salamander Up To No Good Nya!]

Their words fall flat, failing to sway the wind's will. A sigh escapes Gwen— her hypothesis, after all, had been refuted. She surrenders to the quietude, reclining under the faintly glowing stars above.

Gwen "Wow. To think we will be traveling there quite soon. Whole new worlds, creatures, societies, and technologies. It almost feels like a dream. A very very wet dream for a scientist. But is that what I truly want?"

Her thoughts wander to Kanji, then shift to Claire...

Gwen "Dammit, Claire. I wish... I wish... I know... how do you deal with it? This predicament everyone calls "Love"."

Soon, Gwen succumbs to a profound rest.

[Night Night! Master Nya!]

Izzy assumes a protective pose, her branches curling around Gwen, crafting a comforting cocoon.

Hoursslips away. Gwen rouses, a piercing headache commandeering her senses. Izzy responds, administering a soothing elixir into her arm, promptly alleviating her discomfort.

Gwen "I'm so glad we decided to save some aspirin on hand. Did I sleep on the wrong side? Wait, what is that?!"

She sees a structure that resembles a medieval tower. Along its height are patches of corals. Some of which house the nests of birds. Her raft comes closer and she can see the building has gone through the passage of time. Decades or maybe centuries have passed.

A structure looms in the distance, echoing the grandeur of medieval towers. It wears a vivid coat of corals, the makeshift homes of nesting birds, along its stature. As the raft drifts closer, the building's age becomes apparent, bearing witness to countless decades— No perhaps centuries passed.

Their raft performs an exploratory orbit... and then, they spot it. A door.

Gwen "There! Izzy! Tie us to that!"

[Aye Aye! Captian! Arrr! Nya!]

Izzy releases a quartet of sinuous ropes, each equipped with a wooden hook, anchoring the raft in place.

Gwen "Excellent. Now for some observation."

Gwen inspects the tower's bricks. They exhale the familiar marine aroma, yet a subtle undertone of decay lingers. She dislodges a piece of the brick, while Izzy collects some coral. They set to work, examining these fragments...

Gwen "The corals appear to be normal. But... this brick... I see some cells. Living cells in this brick. Wait. Is this tower a creature? No, that wouldn't explain the door."

With a powerful kick, Gwen breaches the door, entering the tower.

Within, a spiral staircase promises ascension to higher floors, while also descending into darkness. She decides to travel up, guided by the mesmerizing glow of bioluminescent algae illuminating the walls beneath each window.

Gwen "Interesting. Should take a sample- Wait, what was that noise?!"

Her gaze shifts downward. The darkness isn't stationary— it's advancing slowly. Peering into the abyss, she witnesses a mass of extended arms, reaching, and probing the surroundings. That is when it clicks...

Gwen "This behavior. Is it... an urchin? Should I kill it? Oh, but it would have been such a good subject to study. Maybe I should try tieing it up. Izzy, go!"

Reacting quickly, Izzy envelops the creature within a spherical barricade of branches. Yet the Urchin merely phases through.

Gwen "I figure as much. Time for plan B. Izzy, prepare the torpedos!"

Transitioning from a walk to a jump, Gwen battles the staircase. Yet, maddeningly, the summit remains out of reach.

With no alternatives, Gwen instructs Izzy to target the steps beneath her.

The launched torpedoes spin and detonate, shuddering the entire structure.

As the smoke dissipates, a depressing sight meets Gwen's eyes— the stairs remain intact.

Gwen "I call the so-called "Bullshit" on that."

Despite her relentless efforts to jump further up, she finds herself trapped in a frustrating loop.

Gwen "There must be a trick to this. Another way to get up there... Outside! Of course!"

She shatters through a window. Izzy catches her, their grip finding purchase on a patch of coral.

Looking at these patches again, they are placed at a very jumpable distance from each other. Gwen slaps herself for not noticing it earlier—

Reevaluating their surroundings, Gwen slaps herself for overlooking the conveniently-placed corals, perfectly positioned a jumpable distance from each other—

The Urchin breaks the walls and begins climbing up.

Gwen "Oh, shit. This isn't ideal."

With nimble leaps, Gwen navigates from coral to coral.

As she ascends, the corals diminish in size, their journey growing more treacherous. Poised for another jum... an alternative plan unfurls. Izzy presents her with a rope, a wooden hook at its end.

With a strong throw, she conquers the peak.

Gwen "Seriously, all that hard work for a note. Well, that is to be expected from the designer.-

A hand clasps her shoulder. Reacting instinctively, Gwen rips a fragment of her shirt, slipping from its grasp.

Spying her raft bobbing on the waters below, she leaps... Her landing, however, proves too harsh, and she blacks out.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Izzy pulls her onto the raft and cuts the hooks off. It takes to sail and Izzy paddles as hard as she can.

Izzy hauls her onto the safety of the raft, hastily severing the hooked ropes. The sail opens and Izzy applies her strength and paddles away.

Behind them, a presence lurks. The Urchin! Its pursuit is slow yet relentless, a silent threat shadowing their retreat.

[Errrr... Master! This is no good! Nya!]

Blinking her eyes open, Gwen too spots the lurking menace.

Gwen "Izzy! Keep paddling! I'm going to try something."

With an intense grip on the air, she dissolves the surrounding gas. The Urchin, caught off guard, seizes and spasms in place.

Gwen "That won't hold it off for long. Izzy. Motor mode! Four times!"

Izzy sprouts four robust roots, whirling them to propel the raft into the horizon.

The Urchin has vanished from sight. Gwen allows herself a moment of peace, her gaze falling on the note. It reads...

"... of the"

Gwen "So it's "At the bottom of the..." so far. Maybe at the bottom of the sea lies the answer. Hmmm... it is just a guess for now. I need to find other notes."

A ripple of anxiety sweeps over Gwen. She whirls around, half-expecting to see their pursuer. When she faces forward again, an unusual sight catches her attention. A gargantuan salt pillar juts out from the ocean, encircled by four layers of shifting shadows submerged beneath the water, each layer cradling shapes unique to it.

Gwen "I believe our next note is up there. Let us test these waters."

They steer towards the outermost ring. As they approach, the shadowy figures halt, revealing their forms. Creatures akin to dolphins, yet bearing the skin texture of killer whales, surface. Their demeanor seems friendly, and so, Gwen extends her hand to cautiously pet one.

Gwen "Huh, I didn't expect them to be docile. I think they get angry if I try to get past-

Their eyes ignite with a crimson glow, their attention riveted... on Izzy!

Gwen "Shit! Izzy! Let's retreat for now!"

In the nick of time, they evade the agitated swarm.

[Master! What Happened?! Nya!]

Gwen "They appear to be technophobes or possibly racist toward plants. I wonder. That Urchin. Have you noticed anything that it may be attracted to?"

[Hmmmm... Oh! Maybe The Notes! Or Master... I Don't Know. Nya.]

Gwen "We'll try the notes."

She orders Izzy to construct a small raft and attaches the two notes to it. Izzy breaks off a chunk of her biomass and attaches it to one of its ends. The mass spins and moves the raft toward the group of dolphins.

Gwen commands Izzy to fashion a small raft, attaching the two notes to it. Izzy sacrifices a piece of her own biomass, fastening it to one end of the makeshift vessel. The biomass rotates, propelling the raft toward the curious dolphins.

Fascinated, they engage in playful antics around the raft, causing waves to splash around.

A sudden dread pulls Gwen's gaze back. The Urchin is in sight again. She clutches her fingers into a cross, her eyes shut tight as the creature approaches.

It aims for the smaller raft.

Gwen "Yes, the plan is a success!"

The dolphins, noting the Urchin, echo a series of clicks before lunging in an offensive bite. The Urchin, however, dismisses their assault with ease, retaliating with its many arms.

The ensuing battle is brutal, resulting in losses on both fronts, leaving behind a haunting circle of blood in the water. Oddly, no bodies remain...

Gwen "A mighty fine fight. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to experiment on any of them. They splattered like the corpse from earlier. Hold on... I have an idea."

Gwen signals Izzy to advance the raft to the next ring, where they are met by a nest of eels.

Gwen "Izzy. Grab one of them."

Accessing her inventory, Gwen has Izzy place one of the eels inside. This action incites the eels' wrath, and they retaliate with small lightning bolts. Gwen raises her defenses, but her arms and legs bear the brunt of the scorching attacks.

Izzy creates a wall around Gwen.

[Oh My God! Master! Are You Okay?! Nya!]

Gwen "Yes, I'm perfectly alright. A few bandages will help me recover."

Four bandages are applied to soothe her burn wounds. Gwen peeks beyond the wall, noting that the eels' assault continues unabated.

Gwen "They appear to be a bit simple-minded. We just need to wait out until they become exhausted."

... So she waits. As the clouds pass overhead, the noise beyond the barrier dwindles. She turns to Izzy, directing her finger skyward. Understanding the command, Izzy stretches beyond the wall...

[They Look Like They Are Napping. Nya.]

Gwen "Excellent. Now is the time to strike. Izzy, can you create a lot of wooden needles? Like as sharp as you can make them."

[Yes Master! Can Do! Nya!]

Bundles of needles burst from each of Izzy's branches.

Gwen "Woah! Stop! You don't have to go that far. I don't you to be exhausted just yet."

[Okie Dookie. Nya.]

Gwen hoists Izzy onto her back, her hands working to collect the profusion of needles. Four additional arms sprout from Izzy, aiding in the task. Sharing a knowing smile, they prepare for their counterattack...

Gwen "Are you ready, Izzy?"

[Yes! Nya!]

The needles, hurled over the wall, rain down upon the eels, skewering them into silence. The water beneath churns, dissolving the eels into a morbid crimson paste...

Gwen "Well, that was simple indeed. We should keep going. Down with the walls!"

With a satisfied kick, Gwen dismantles the wall, propelling the raft forward. As they reach the third ring, a nauseating stench assaults them— rancid, similar to decaying fish. Realization dawns, they are indeed surrounded by a floating dead fish.

Gwen "That's odd. Is the challenge supposed to be to pass while experiencing such a horrid smell? Or are the dead fishes actually alive?"

Izzy hands her a stick, with which Gwen prods one of the lifeless forms.

Suddenly, the mass of the deceased fish begins to move in a rhythmic manner. A pattern she recognizes...

Gwen "This movement... It's a coral snake. A very large one. Izzy, falcon mode! Now!"

A pair of wings burst forth from Izzy, lifting them towards the clouds.

Gwen "Okay. We should safe at this height. Let us observe for now."

Below, an enormous serpent reveals its head, its scales disguised as the floating dead fishes— an impressive feat of evolution, Gwen muses.

Spotting the raft, the serpent begins to circle...

Gwen "Okay. Here's the plan. We need something much larger than a needle. Perhaps a stake will do. Then you have to do a dive bomb but only at my command. You got that, Izzy"

[Yes! You Can Count on Izzy! Nya!]

... Suddenly, it launches itself out of the ocean, its head barreling towards the raft.

Gwen "Now!"

With perfect timing, they descend. A single swing of her arms drives the stake straight into its target— the serpent's skull. It penetrates the creature's brain, delivering a fatal blow.

Gwen "It's game over. May you rest in peace. You wonderful specimen."

In a violent crash, the serpent's body disintegrates into a grotesque crimson pool.

Gwen "Okay, I was being a bit reasonable and calm until now. Just this once... I'm going to rant. WHY ARE THE BODIES KEEP TURNING INTO THIS SHIT?!"

The words leave Izzy rattled, detaching her from Gwen's back. Quelling her anger, Gwen moves towards Izzy.

Gwen "No, Izzy! I'm so sorry! Did I scare you? Are you alright?"

[Master Scary When Angry. Izzy No Like This. N... Nya.]

Gwen "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that I didn't get to study-

A massive metallic tail drops, which Gwen narrowly blocks, but not without cost.

Gwen "Shit. There go my arms. Izzy, gorilla mode! Let's give this oversized Hippocampus a bit of discipline."

[Alright, Master! Nya!]

Reaching out with her feet, Gwen retrieves two syringes. Izzy sprouts a pair of tendrils, administering the injections into Gwen's arms. Subsequently, a larger set of tendrils morph into robust, gorilla-like arms.

The sea horse vaults into the sky. They swerve, landing a strike on its chest. No effect...

Gwen "Well, that didn't work. It is possible that It has the same weakness as a normal Hippocampus. Izzy, strike into the gaps of its fins!"

With a nod from Izzy, they touch down on the raft once again. The sea horse repeatedly swipes but finds no success in its attacks.

Spotting an opening, Izzy seizes the moment, striking a gap.

They penetrate the creature's body. Under Gwen's guidance, they begin their ruthless assault on its internal structures, ripping apart blood vessels.

A strange, guttural groan escapes the creature before it succumbs to death.

Gwen "Alright. Now for the long-awaited note."

She hauls the weary Izzy up the towering salt pillar. At the summit, they find a note, which reads...

"... the sea."

Gwen "At the bottom of the sea. How predictable? Surely there is a twist! This could just be a trap for all I know! But... answers don't search for you, you search for them. I wish this saying would apply here but... we have no direction but forward and hope for the best."

As the raft meanders aimlessly across the vast ocean, Gwen finds herself grasping at straws. Regrettably, nothing intriguing seems to cross their path. Gwen sighs, an unfamiliar sensation crawling up her neck— impatience, a destructive emotion known to have led many geniuses to their downfall. At least... according to the tales.

Gwen "Breathe in and breathe out. Maybe there is a condition that must be met..."

The ocean's hush is broken by the sound of chirping.

Gwen scans her surroundings before her gaze falls upon a pair of seagulls soaring above the clouds. They appear to be... mating in mid-air? Such a thing is unheard of in that genes! Absorbed in their strange aerial dance, they seem utterly pleased... A pang of envy stirs within Gwen.

Their legs intertwined and the birds succumb to gravity, plunging into the ocean's surface.

From the watery grave of their demise, a strange structure begins to emerge...

Gwen "What in the hell is that? Are those lampreys?"

Emerging from the depths, the structure takes the form of a giant human hand, its palm proffering a note. A writhing mass of lampreys encircle the wrist, some venturing outward, though never straying from the vicinity of the hand.

Gwen "Alright time for experiment number one. Izzy fire the torpedoes."

Izzy unleashes five torpedoes targeted at the lampreys.

Five of the creatures detect the incoming threat and snap at the projectiles, reducing them to a cloud of dust. Gwen gulps...

Gwen "I see now. They have my latent powers. This is going to take a while. Let's try something else. Izzy, prepare the needles."

Izzy spawns hundreds of needles, filling the raft to near capacity. Perched precariously on the edge, Gwen analyzes the lampreys, receiving no response. Her anxiety peaks, prompting a signal to Izzy...

Izzy's branches morph into a makeshift catapult, unleashing volley after volley of needle-filled storms upon the lampreys.

The horde observes the onslaught, coiling together to form a colossal lamprey mimic. Their many teeth-ridden mouths vibrate in synchrony, unleashing a powerful sonic wave.

Under the immense pressure, the needles crumble to dust.

Gwen "Well, this is very troubling. That means there is only one solution left. Izzy, prepare me another raft."

Swiftly, Izzy constructs a smaller raft.

Gwen "Nice work. Now for the painful step. Izzy, don't freak out. Ok."

[Okay! Master! Nya.]

Gwen inhales, then with a decisive motion, severs her entire right arm.

The pain is agonizing, yet it pales compared to past tortures she's endured. She retrieves four syringes from her inventory, injecting them into the stump where her arm once was, staunching the bleeding. Using torn pages from her notepad, she meticulously scrubs away the evidence of blood from both her body and the larger raft.

Gwen "Izzy, please paddle us away from here. Asap! Also, initiate protocol 700 cell regeneration."

[Got It! Nya!]

Izzy melds with Gwen's shoulder, replacing the severed arm with a rapid regrowth. Aided by Izzy, they distance themselves from the small raft, just as the lamprey horde surrounds it.

Gwen "I knew it would work. Now time for the prize."

She reaches the hand and takes the note. Izzy pushes the raft out of sight of the hand. Gwen sits down and reads the final letters.

Reaching the submerged hand, Gwen retrieves the note. Izzy steers their raft out of sight. Exhausted, Gwen settles down to gaze upon the final message...

"..., please form a swirl."

Gwen "No... You can't be serious! Don't tell me that you expect to...

(To be continued)