The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

‘Wait, you both can’t swim? Or is swimming just not a thing in the Star Domain?’ Jiang Hui had initially intended to ask the question symbolically. In her past life, there had been a strong trend among teenagers to learn how to swim, so she instinctively assumed that many people could.

In fact, there was a time when society actively promoted physical fitness for teenagers, emphasizing well-rounded development in morality, intelligence, and physical and artistic skills. Parents were quite enthusiastic about enrolling their children in various extracurricular activities.

Swimming was one of the most popular special skills. Many of Jiang Hui’s classmates had taken up swimming lessons, and she had followed suit and learned systematically. By now, she could be considered quite proficient in water, which was one of the few skills she had developed in her previous life.

Although… there was no requirement for everyone to know how to swim, it was still quite unfortunate that two out of the three members of their team couldn’t.

Without time to complain, Jiang Hui hurriedly rummaged through her backpack for anything useful, and the other two did the same. Regardless of whether their thoughts aligned, they all sensed a looming atmosphere that was remarkably similar.

…

“It’s best to secure it a bit higher,” Jiang Hui said, knowing that would make it easier to operate once the water receded. She handed the package of hooks and loops that Huan Xian had provided to him, then reminded, “Zhou, make sure to secure it tightly.” Otherwise, if it came loose halfway, they could be in serious trouble.

She and Huan Xian secured their harnesses at their waists and began searching for places to attach the hooks and loops.

In the era of interstellar travel, these tools were much more convenient, almost semi-automated. The installation process was simplified; they just needed to find the right position and press the mechanism to lock it in place. Even with their somewhat clumsy movements, they managed to get everything set up.

Speaking of this equipment… since they had been on the plains, the harness had never been put to use. At first, she had wondered why such items were included in their resources. Was there a climbing component in the training area? It turned out that while they hadn’t used it for climbing, it was now coming in handy.

The group was unsure whether their haphazard attempts would be effective or what they would face next. All they could hear was the increasingly violent sound of rushing water and the closer calls of voices at varying pitches. They had to speed up their actions, quickly adjusting their harnesses to prepare for any unexpected situations that might arise.

The harnesses themselves were equipped with two fixed activity loops. To ensure stability, Jiang Hui sought out additional items to serve as alternative anchor points. Her hands and feet were busy, and she felt like she was running out of eyes to see everything.

Finally, she grabbed two sets of flexible, detachable ropes and handed them to the other two. Seeing their confused expressions, she decided to demonstrate by temporarily linking their harnesses together to prevent any of them from getting separated later.

“Hey, don’t tie a knot! This can be unfastened, just buckle it like this…” Jiang Hui quickly stopped Zhou Xiuwen’s actions. This was just for precaution; they shouldn’t actually bind themselves together tightly.

Just as they finished securing everything, a massive roar of water surged in like a dragon, bringing with it a wave of moist air mixed with a strong earthy smell. A cool breeze brushed against their necks, sending a chill through them. Almost immediately, torrents of water poured in from the tunnel entrances around them, splashing and knocking the three of them to the ground.

And this was just the beginning. While the initial rush of water was powerful, the actual volume was only up to their knees, soaking everyone completely.

Before they could even stand up, an even larger and more turbulent rush of water filled the winding tunnels, and this time it was the real deal.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Hui found herself completely submerged. Being in the water rendered her unable to move, and all she could feel were strong currents relentlessly colliding and converging beneath the surface.

If it weren’t for the safety harness around her waist being tethered to a hook fixed to the wall, she would have been swept away without a trace. There was no way she could simply float around in this area; she could occasionally see the silhouettes of Zhou Xiuwen and Huan Xian bobbing up and down in the water.

The current was too strong. Jiang Hui’s earlier idea of the three of them forming a circular formation using the hooks to float on the surface was too naive. She quickly realized that under such powerful water flow, she could barely even move her body, let alone stay afloat.

Thus, Jiang Hui abandoned any thought of struggling. Instead, she found a slight comfort in occasionally spotting the figures of her companions drifting with the rope in the currents, reassuring her that neither had been eliminated.

However, as time passed, it remained uncertain whether the two of them would eventually be eliminated. After all, they couldn’t swim, and if they lasted until the end, they would inevitably need the simulated vest to save them.

Yes, the simulated vest had that capability. After all, the students wore the simulated vest in the training area for complete protection—against falls, impacts, electrical shocks… and of course, it was also waterproof.

However, the vest had limited energy, and its energy consumption at the supply points was particularly obvious and rapid. So if it truly came down to relying on the simulated vest to save their lives, by the time the energy ran out, it was likely that those two would also be eliminated.

Jiang Hui was slightly better off, but just slightly. The water filled the entire tunnel with hardly a gap, and while she understood some principles of breathing and holding her breath, her knowledge was limited.

As the powerful water flow surged over her head and she couldn’t get any fresh air, Jiang Hui felt herself slipping into a very dangerous state of suffocation.

She gradually began to feel tightness in her chest, her consciousness growing hazy as everything around her became blurry and intermittent.

It was unclear how long had passed, but the water flow seemed to gradually subside. Although the water around them didn’t completely recede, the powerful current that had threatened to sweep them out of the tunnel had disappeared.

Jiang Hui came to her senses and realized she was floating on the water’s surface.

This was nothing like she had imagined! In an instant, she was fully alert.

She had almost passed out just moments ago, yet she hadn’t sunk? As she looked around, she discovered this was all due to the simulated vest.

She didn’t know what material the vest was made from, but it was supporting her entire weight, keeping her afloat like a lifebuoy—though even a lifebuoy has a certain tension to it.

Regaining her clarity of mind, Jiang Hui glanced at the electronic display under her right shoulder. The energy she had charged earlier had dropped by about 20%, leaving her with 57%. The ropes on her safety vest were securely fastened, and the other end was still connected to a hook fixed to the wall. They should still be in place.

Wait, where were the other two? Jiang Hui quickly flipped over in the water, now using her feet to tread and trying to get a better look at her surroundings.