Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

The room was completely empty, and nothing had happened.

But in Gwen’s eyes, several translucent figures emerged around her.

These were her friends—imaginary friends.

“Hey, Gwen, come to play with us again?” A pure white horse spoke while nuzzling her cheek. The white mane on its body rippled like ocean waves, and fluffy feathers covered the pair of wings beneath its ribs.

“Hmph, she only summons us when she runs into trouble.” A girl next to them crossed her arms with a cold snort.

This girl looked almost identical to Gwen, except she was much taller. Her long white hair fell to her waist, her figure was perfect, and her expression stern. She wore a suit of silver-white armor and carried a longsword.

She resembled a glacier burning quietly.

She was Gwen’s imagined grown-up self.

A group of children nearby burst into giggles and laughter.

“Wow, little Gwen, don’t say that! Can’t I just miss you all for no reason?” Gwen made an exaggeratedly heartbroken face, as if tears would fall any second, but her eyes were filled with joy and contentment.

Gwen felt very happy. So many friends accompanied her.

At first, these imaginary friends existed only in her imagination—adorable pets, a cool version of herself as an adult, and those ever-present, ever-playing companions who came at her call.

Whenever she felt lonely, in pain, or dizzy with hunger, she imagined a group of friends who cared about her, helped her, and did for her all the things she wanted but dared not do.

She knew clearly these were fantasies, yet she couldn’t help but want to sink into them.

But everything changed after she gained the Link.

The **Captain’s** advice had kept her alive. **Fries’** encouragement gave her courage. **Scepter’s** knowledge…

**Scepter’s** knowledge made her imaginary friends real.

When Gwen had been so weak she was on the brink of death, the friends in her Link gave her many ideas.

Such as how to identify different wild vegetables, how to find food, and how to approach the **Sea of Unawareness**.

Gwen still remembered how they had discussed this in the Link back then—

**Captain**: “Do you still have that wild grass?”

**Scepter**: “Hold on, I have a good idea. It might involve the supernatural though.”

**Fries**: “!!!”

**Scepter**: “Don’t worry, I’m not telling her to become a supernatural being. Just get close to the Sea of Unawareness. The constitution of the supernatural is far superior to that of normal people—that’s because they’ve long been exposed to the seawater of the Sea of Unawareness.”

**Scepter**: “As long as she doesn’t formally step into the Sea of Unawareness, it’s still safe—this is the most important point: never cross that boundary.”

**Scepter**: “Although I don’t know where this Link comes from, the fact that we can communicate in it means we have strong enough wills. For ordinary people, that’s equivalent to an overwhelming desire.”

**Scepter**: “Is there something you really want to achieve—something you want to do no matter what, a desire so strong it can distort and ignore reality?”

Something she wanted...

Gwen hesitated for a moment, a bit shy, before she said, “I want friends.”

**Scepter**: “…”

**Scepter**: “Good. Remember this wish. It is the embodiment of your will. From now on, you must treat it like a blade—hone it until it’s razor-sharp, sharp enough that even the towering wall of reality crumbles before it.”

**Scepter**: “To place your will above reality is the supernatural. But as long as you don’t cross the boundary, you can linger on the edge of the Sea of Unawareness.”

**Fries**: “The Sea of Unawareness… what is it?”

**Scepter**: “It is the origin and end of the supernatural, the birthplace of the world, and also its final resting place. If you step into it unprepared, you’ll only turn into a twisted monster.”

**Captain**: “What if someone is fully prepared?”

**Scepter**: “Then they’ll become a *less* twisted monster—also known as a supernatural being. There’s no way to completely avoid the Sea of Unawareness’ corruption. All supernatural paths merely preserve part of you. The rest still becomes distorted, which is why there are different types of supernatural beings.”

**Scepter**: “The Sea of Unawareness is dangerous. But as long as you resist temptation and don’t step into it, you’re safe.”

**Fries**: “Wait, I don’t get something. If someone with a strong enough will can step into the Sea of Unawareness, wouldn’t those determined people easily become monsters?”

**Scepter**: “No. To enter the Sea of Unawareness, you need more than a will that transcends reality—you must also know the path.”

**Fries**: “Path?”

**Scepter**: “Yes. If you don’t know where the Sea of Unawareness is, no matter how strong your will, it’s useless.”

**Fries**: “I see… so what exactly is the path?”

**Scepter**: “You already know it.”

**Fries**: “…Huh?”

**Scepter**: “‘The will that transcends all can enter the Sea of Unawareness.’ Just knowing that is the path to it.”

**Fries**: “…”

**Fries**: “Wait, let me get this straight—you mean, the moment someone *knows* how to enter, they *can* enter?”

**Scepter**: “Yes. That’s why knowledge is pollution. It’s one of the reasons why all major Churches restrict supernatural knowledge.”

Back then, **Scepter** was still explaining, and no one noticed that Gwen had fallen silent for a long time.

Thinking about it now, Gwen let out a soft sigh.

It was at that moment that her fate changed.

Sister Scepter had meant well, but she likely hadn’t expected that the instant she mentioned “entering the Sea of Unawareness,” Gwen had already drowned in it.

Gwen never even heard the next warning—she had already crossed the boundary.

Her parents died. Her friends died. The uncle who had watched her grow up and used to chat with her while smiling also died.

The village fell quiet, then gradually withered, and finally turned to ruin.

She remained in the basement, surviving on food and water her parents had prepared in advance, relying on her imagined friends to endure countless lonely days and nights.

The moment **Scepter’s** voice rang out in her mind, her friends manifested by her side.

No one had expected her wish to be so powerful—so powerful that it had already transcended reality. The moment she knew there was a road ahead, she shattered the towering wall of reality.

By the time she realized what had happened, everything was already irreversible.

Her consciousness kept sinking deeper and deeper into that boundless abyssal sea.

Until a beam of light appeared before her—gentle and soft like a rope, it connected her to the distance.

Just as she was about to drown, Gwen used the last of her strength to grab that light. It pulled her all the way back, out of the Sea of Unawareness, and into reality.

From that day on, she could always see a thread extending from her body, heading who-knows-where.

And not long ago, she saw that same thread on someone else.

A brown-haired girl, wearing boots, stepping through the mud of the lower district.