Chapter 5: Path

Nyx had been weak, fragile, and vulnerable — but no longer. Now, with powerful, webbed limbs and an unbreakable streamlined shell, he cut through the water with ease.

Enlightened, Nyx's eyes widened.

'A tortoise… Of course! Slow, but steady… Weak offensively, but is a master of survival. That's my path.'

Nyx felt an odd sense of kinship with the creature he had become. A tortoise was slow, but it endured and survived against odds much greater than itself.

The further Nyx swam, the more he began to understand his new form. Each kick felt natural — instinctive almost — as if he had been meant for this all along.

A few seconds later, Nyx noticed the water growing brighter, indicating he was getting near the surface. He could already feel the fresh air and the vibrant sun above.

With a final, powerful kick, Nyx broke through to the surface. He gasped, greedily inhaling the fresh air.

The sensation of oxygen in his lungs felt like ecstasy. For a few moments, he floated there before finally looking around at his surroundings.

What entered his eyes was an endless expanse of blue.

'Well… what did I expect?' Nyx dryly chuckled.

He had swallowed plenty of salty seawater to know he was far from land, and while couldn't tell whether he was in a sea or an ocean, he hoped it was the former. If it was the latter, he could be stranded for weeks, months… well, he'd be dead before he could last months. But the point was, if he was in a sea, it meant, he was close to land.

Sighing lightly, Nyx turned his head around, in search for any sign of salvation. 'Come on, System. You could have at least dropped me on… or near an island.'

A moment later, a dark shape caught his eye. Out in the distance, beyond the surging waves, he could make out a faint outline of land. It was a small, jagged landmass, but it was solid ground. Right now, that was where he wanted to be.

No, that was where he had to be.

As much as he wanted to remain oblivious and ignorant, now that his lungs were filled with oxygen and the headache caused by lack of oxygen was clearing; his mind naturally thought of the dangers in the water.

Just because he had transformed doesn't mean he was safe.

He was no longer part of the dominant species that ruled all other organisms. As a tortoise, he had advantages, but his disadvantages were glaringly obvious.

Large sharks, killer whales, anything with a big enough mouth could swallow him whole. That was not even mentioning the poisonous sea creatures. A single bite anywhere other than on his shell, and he was as good as dead.

Suddenly, The System's voice pulled him out of his momentary panic.

<{Congratulations, Nyx! Evolution to Semi-aquatic Stoneback Tortoise is complete.}>

Hearing The System's words, Nyx furrowed his brows. He had assumed his transformation was finished, but it seemed that was not the case.

<{You have received Water Manipulation. Use it, study it, and learn it well!}>

Once again, Nyx was confused by what he received. He understood the concept of Water Manipulation. It was self-explanatory. But how was he supposed to use it? This was his first time attempting something magical.

If The System was capable of judgment, Nyx imagined it would be shaking its head in disbelief. Every other Chosen probably came prepared, with at least some knowledge. Yet here he was, groping in the dark.

Nyx sighed and chose to put his confusion aside for now. Like The System said, he had to use it, study it, and learn it well.

But in his case, he would have to start by studying Water Manipulation before he could even hope to use it.

This was his path! He would take it slow, figuring it out through trial and error. After all, wasn't that how tortoises moved forward? Slow and steady? One step at a time.

The System continued:

<{Between Two Worlds grace period will end in thirty minutes.}>

Nyx frowned.

'Hmm… two worlds? Why does it sound as if the Trial will end in thirty minutes? … Or am I wrong?'

Nyx wasn't expecting an answer — The System had proven itself selectively informative — but to his surprise, it explained:

<{Between Two Worlds is an ability that separates you and every other living being in two separate worlds. During this time, the dangers to your life are minimal. After thirty minutes, the two worlds will converge, and you will face the true conditions of the Trial and its dangers. Prepare accordingly and survive.}>

Nyx's jaw dropped.

'No wonder… So that's why I'm still alive.'

He was given a buffer, a world where he was safe from predators. But as soon as the grace period ended, the true Trial would begin, and when that happened…

Whether he wanted to or not, his eyes found their way below, looking into the ocean with pure fear.

'I was careless. I understand the dangers of the world. But I haven't treated it seriously enough. I have no sense of danger. Letting my mind wander while being in what could have been infested with predatorial sea creatures was beyond idiocy.'

In the real world, danger was a concept he'd never been introduced to. All he knew from the moment he was conscious of his surroundings was the white room he was chained inside and the knowledge he was taught by Doctor Rose.

But to survive in this world, he only had himself to rely on. He needed instincts, awareness, and a sense of caution.

Nyx sighed heavily.

'This is real. I'll have to build a shelter, hunt my own food, then cook it, survive… There is much to do.'

With that, Nyx closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.

His thoughts were now completely focused on the island. It was his best — maybe his only — chance to survive and prepare himself for whatever dangers the Trial would throw at him.

With single-focused determination, he used his legs and flippers to propel himself forward, each kick pushing him closer to the island.

***

Meanwhile, back in the facility buried deep underground on Earth, Doctor Rose stood in front of an enormous flat-screen TV divided into dozens of screens, each displaying different information. Streams of data flashed, increased, and decreased. Beside her, a team of doctors, scientists, and researchers worked together to record the data.

"His heart rate has stabilized." A scientist muttered. "It is no longer spiking as it was before."

Doctor Rose nodded slowly,

"He must have been unlucky with where the Trial dropped him. But…" She turned her head in the direction of another screen, displaying a live feed of Test Subject. "He's still alive. That's good."

A few screens over, a separate set of data was monitoring Nyx's blood composition.

Doctor Rose turned to another researcher with slick-backed hair and asked, "Have there been any changes in his blood composition?"

She then added with a greedy gulp:

"A mutation or perhaps… even an evolution?"

The researcher shook his head.

"Nothing as of yet, Doctor Rose."

Doctor Rose frowned behind her mask and sighed.

"That makes sense. He's still in the Trial."

"Monitor him closely." She ordered, and after taking one final look at Test Subject, she turned toward the door. "No one is to leave this room until he wakes up. You are Cultivators. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what to do. The brat is too valuable."

As Doctor Rose stepped out of the room, her voice was heard from behind the closed door.

"Remember, this isn't just another one of our tests."

***

As for the aforementioned person, after many minutes of swimming, Nyx's flippers finally made contact with the rocky shoreline, and he pulled himself up onto the solid ground. The jagged stones dug into his belly, but he didn't mind. It reminded him he was alive. Most importantly, he had reached his first milestone in this world.

Exhausted, he laid still for a moment, catching his breath. But this time, he refused to make the same mistake twice. His head shot out in all directions, taking in his surroundings.

The island's terrain was uneven, and it looked as though humans had never discovered it. Dense grass and trees covered his surroundings. In the distance, jagged cliffs rose high into the sky. Above him, the clouds grew dark, hinting at possible rain.

It was the complete opposite of the safety of the white room he knew from birth. Here, everything was unpredictable, and danger lurked even in the most unforeseen of places.

After a few moments of catching his breath and observing the island, Nyx pushed himself up. Immediately, he felt the difference. Moving on land felt… strange and uncomfortable. Being on land one would think a human… correction, a former human would be like a Semi-Aquatic Stoneback Tortoise in water, but surprisingly, it was the opposite.

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