Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

The room was empty—nothing had happened.

But in Gwen’s eyes, one translucent figure after another appeared around her.

They were all her friends—imaginary friends.

“Hey, Gwen, back to play with us again?” A pure white horse rubbed against her cheek as it spoke, its snowy mane rippling like waves. A pair of wings sprouted from its sides, covered in fluffy feathers.

“Hmph, she only ever summons us when she’s in trouble,” a nearby girl said, crossing her arms with a cold snort.

That girl looked almost identical to Gwen—only taller, with long white hair cascading to her waist. Her figure was flawless, her expression icy, and she wore a suit of silver-white armor, sword in hand.

Like a glacier burning quietly.

She was the grown-up version of Gwen, imagined by Gwen herself.

Nearby, a group of children burst into laughter, playing and joking around.

“Waaah, Little Gwen, don’t say that! Can’t I just miss you all purely out of fondness?” Gwen put on an exaggeratedly heartbroken face, looking as if she might cry any moment—but her eyes were full of joy and contentment.Gwen felt happy, surrounded by so many friends.

At first, these imaginary friends had only existed in her imagination—adorable pets, a cooler version of herself when she grew up, and a bunch of little companions who always came when called and played with her without fail.

Whenever she felt lonely, in pain, or dizzy from hunger, she would imagine having a group of friends who cared for her, helped her, and did the things she wanted to do but didn’t dare to.

She knew clearly they were just fantasies, but she couldn’t help sinking into them.

But after the Link appeared, everything changed.

The 【Captain】’s advice helped her survive. 【Fries】’s encouragement gave her courage. 【Scepter】…

【Scepter】’s knowledge made those friends real.

When Gwen had been weak and on the verge of death, her friends in the Link had offered her many suggestions.

Like how to distinguish wild vegetables, how to find food, how to approach the Sea of Unawareness.

Gwen could still remember that time when they were discussing things through the Link—

**Captain:** 『Do you still have those wild herbs?』

**Scepter:** 『Wait a sec, I have a good idea—but it might involve the supernatural.』

**Fries:** 『!!!』

**Scepter:** 『Don’t worry, it’s not about turning her into a supernatural being—just getting her close to the Sea of Unawareness. Supernaturals are stronger than ordinary people precisely because they’re in frequent contact with its waters.』

**Scepter:** 『As long as she doesn’t officially step into the Sea of Unawareness, it’s still safe—that’s the key. Never cross the boundary.』

**Scepter:** 『We don’t know where this Link comes from, but the fact we can communicate through it means our willpower is strong enough. For ordinary people, that’s equivalent to an intense wish.』

**Scepter:** 『Do you have something you *desperately* want to achieve? No matter what, something you crave so strongly it could twist reality itself?』

What she wanted...

Gwen hesitated for a moment and said shyly: 『I want friends.』

**Scepter:** 『…』

**Scepter:** 『Good. Remember that wish—it’s the embodiment of your will. Now you must hone it like a blade, sharpen it until even the high walls of reality crumble before it.』

**Scepter:** 『To place will above reality is to become supernatural. But if you never cross that boundary, you can still linger on the edge of the Sea of Unawareness.』

**Fries:** 『What *is* the Sea of Unawareness?』

**Scepter:** 『It is the beginning and end of the supernatural. The birthplace of the world and the resting place of its end. Step in unprepared, and you’ll become a twisted monster.』

**Captain:** 『And if one *is* prepared?』

**Scepter:** 『Then you become a *less* twisted monster—a supernatural being. There’s no way to completely resist the Sea of Unawareness’ corruption. Every supernatural path merely preserves *part* of you; the rest still gets distorted. That’s why supernatural beings differ based on their path.』

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

**Fries:** 『Wait, I don’t get something—if all it takes is a strong will to enter the Sea of Unawareness, wouldn’t a lot of strong-willed people turn into monsters?』

**Scepter:** 『No. To enter the Sea of Unawareness, you need more than just strong will—you need to know the way.』

**Fries:** 『The way?』

**Scepter:** 『Yes. If you don’t know where it is, no amount of willpower will get you there.』

**Fries:** 『I see… so what exactly is “the way”?』

**Scepter:** 『You already know it.』

**Fries:** 『…Huh?』

**Scepter:** 『“Will that transcends all can enter the Sea of Unawareness.” Knowing this *is* the way.』

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**Fries:** 『…』

**Fries:** 『Wait—let me get this straight. You’re saying that just by *knowing how* to enter, you *can* enter?』

**Scepter:** 『Yes. That’s why knowledge itself is pollution—one reason why the major Churches seal off knowledge of the supernatural.』

Scepter had still been explaining at the time, and no one noticed Gwen had gone quiet.

Remembering this, Gwen sighed softly in her heart.

That was when her fate had changed.

Sister Scepter had meant well—but she probably hadn’t imagined that the moment she mentioned a way to enter the Sea of Unawareness, Gwen had already drowned in it.

Before hearing the next warning, Gwen had already crossed the boundary.

Her parents were dead. Her friends were dead. The neighbor who had watched her grow up and smiled as he talked to her—he was dead too.

The village had grown quiet, then gradually desolate, and finally dilapidated.

Yet Gwen had remained in the basement—surviving off the food and water her parents had stored ahead of time, surviving with her imaginary friends, through countless days and nights.

The instant Scepter’s voice sounded in her mind, her friends had appeared around her.

No one had expected her wish to be so intense—so intense it had already risen above reality. Just knowing there was a road ahead had been enough to shatter the walls of the real world.

By the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late.

Her consciousness had sunk ever deeper into that boundless sea.

Until a beam of light appeared before her—soft light, like a rope, connecting her to something far away.

On the brink of drowning, Gwen used her last ounce of strength to seize the light. It pulled her, dragging her back from the Sea of Unawareness into reality.

From that day forward, she could always see a thread extending from her body—stretching somewhere unknown.

And just recently, she saw that same thread on someone else.

A brown-haired girl, standing in the muddy streets of the Lower District, wearing boots.