The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

In a long, narrow, dimly lit passageway, a pool of water at the far end suddenly began to bubble with a gurgling sound. The still water, which had been quiet for some time, was abruptly disturbed by a violent ripple. The surface started to swell, as if something massive was about to break through from beneath. But it seemed as though this creature was restrained by some invisible force. The water’s surface continued to tremble and rise, yet whatever was beneath stubbornly refused to emerge.

Then, as if exhausted, the unknown entity beneath the surface abruptly lost momentum and sank back into the depths, leaving the surface calm once more.

It was as though a powerful force was roiling below, stirring up the pool into chaotic waves. Suddenly, something round and unfamiliar broke through the surface, and the form beneath it struggled, attempting to rise.

— Emerging from the water was, in fact, a person.

From her trembling shoulders and the slow, difficult movements of her neck and head, it was clear her attempt to float up hadn’t been easy. It looked like something was holding her down from the depths, pulling her back no matter how hard she tried to rise.

Just as her shoulders, which had barely managed to break free, appeared ready to slip back under, she made a sudden, desperate lunge forward. Raising her arms as high as she could, her weak fingertips made contact with the rough rock edge, and she immediately clenched her grip, fiercely clawing at the surface.

Although the damp surface caused her to slip initially, she didn’t give up. With a newfound surge of strength, she angled herself upward, and with great effort, managed to lift herself until her upper chest broke free of the water.

After what seemed like an eternity, her hand finally found the edge of what appeared to be a small platform. Overjoyed, the girl pressed down with all her strength, struggling to lift her entire weight up, hoping this ledge would help her finally escape the water’s hold.

Though she had overestimated her strength, each attempt at clambering up failed. One try after another, her fingers scraped the rough surface so many times that they were nearly rubbed raw, yet she still couldn’t manage to climb up.

There was one moment when her elbow almost caught onto the platform, but the slick, wet surface caused her to slip, and half her body slid back into the water, forcing her to start over.

“Ugh, ugh…” Jiang Hui barely knew how she managed to make it up. Her mind felt foggy, as if it had filled with water, leaving her slightly oxygen-deprived and dizzy. Her fingers, palms, and sides of her hands stung painfully, likely scraped with raw abrasions.

Finally, using her elbows as leverage, she managed to pull herself onto the platform. When her knees and shins finally touched solid ground, a wave of relief washed over her. Without caring how undignified her posture looked, she inched forward on her elbows and knees, half dragging herself across the ground, leaving a trail of water behind.

If someone had witnessed the entire ordeal, they’d probably understand why her climb was so difficult. She hadn’t climbed out of the water unencumbered; a safety belt was tied around her waist, with several ropes trailing behind, extending back and disappearing into the depths of the water.

Three of these ropes were tangled around her legs, knotted in a chaotic mess that severely restricted her movement.

Even a skilled swimmer would have struggled under such conditions, possibly drowning from the sheer weight dragging them down.

It was a close call—if she had passed out halfway, she might have only come to after being disqualified outside the arena. Though Jiang Hui hadn’t fully expected to make it to the end, she had prepared herself for elimination at any moment, but never in a way as harrowing as this.

She clearly knew how to swim, so the idea of being eliminated just because her legs got tangled in ropes would have been such a ridiculous and frustrating way to go. …Wait, what was she even thinking? Her teammates were still in the water—both of them!

Could they have been disqualified from lack of oxygen by now?

Jiang Hui quickly untangled the mess of ropes and pulled on the lines that were still connected to the two teammates underwater.

Of course, she wasn’t relying solely on her own strength—she didn’t have much left by this point. Thankfully, the retractable ropes allowed for automatic adjustment, making it easier for her to reel them in.

When she felt a slight but steady tug from the other end, she sighed in relief; it seemed that the two had managed to hold on.

When her two teammates finally struggled up from the water’s surface, Jiang Hui rushed over to help. With no small amount of effort, she managed to pull both Zhou Xiuwen and Huan Xian to shore.

The poor guys looked utterly waterlogged and dazed, their bodies operating on sheer survival instinct. Once they realized they were safe, they completely relaxed, too drained to even try to help themselves up. Jiang Hui had to unceremoniously drag them out, and neither one put up the slightest resistance, which honestly was a sad sight.

They’d been through a lot—neither of them had any experience with water before, and one of them was even deeply aquaphobic. Between the turbulent waters and unexpected currents, it wouldn’t be surprising if they ended up with lifelong trauma. Even Jiang Hui felt like she’d developed a bit of a water phobia after all that.

If you’re wondering how they went from simply floating through a flooded tunnel to being completely submerged, well, it’s a long story… They had been swept into this ordeal with no warning, and even now, they still didn’t fully understand what had happened.

After Jiang Hui and her teammates picked up those mental energy supplements, they’d swum on a bit further, collecting a few small, mostly useless items along the way, with no major discoveries. Luckily, the rest of the journey had gone fairly smoothly without further incidents.

The other two’s condition was visibly improving, and Jiang Hui started considering whether she should let them swim on their own.

As they swam further, the current suddenly grew turbulent. Before they could react, the surrounding water environment shifted dramatically, with the water level surging in an instant.

Jiang Hui and her teammates were caught off guard, and before they could dodge, a powerful current dragged them down to the bottom. Even Jiang Hui, despite her swimming skills, didn’t have time to react; she instinctively struggled, trying to escape the whirlpool. As for the other two, they were completely helpless, getting swept away by the rushing water almost instantly in some unknown direction.

And that’s… how they ended up here.

It had been quite an ordeal.

This place seemed like a new area, possibly the new zone they’d been searching for all along. But despite that, Jiang Hui couldn’t bring herself to feel excited. Although it looked like they’d been “rescued,” they had inevitably entered a dead end, especially concerning her two classmates…

Jiang Hui gave a supportive pat to Zhou Xiuwen, who was coughing after swallowing water, then glanced at the warning on his chest unit’s digital display, indicating his energy reserves were dangerously close to depletion. She wondered if she should talk to him about possibly opting out of the match entirely.

Just then, a notification sounded: “Beep. Main energy block A1 located. Charging mode activated on simulation units, unlimited charging allowance enabled. Supply point access countdown: 02:00:00 Galactic Time. Upon countdown completion, all individuals in this zone will be evacuated.”