Surviving the Sea, Powered by My Eyes Novel – Chapter 1 Surviving at Sea, Talent Unlocked “Mind Repository. Communication link in progress. All intelligent beings detected and assembled.” Aimee Estrada felt groggy, and her whole body ached as if she had been tightly bound with ropes. The scorching summer sun burned her skin. Her body instinctively tried to curl up, but she was completely immobilized. With her waning consciousness, Aimee fought fiercely against her unresponsive body. Finally, her fingers twitched, as if some invisible barrier had shattered. Regaining control at last, she struggled to open her eyes and pushed herself up with shaking arms. ‘Strange. Wasn’t I sleeping at home?’ Aimee thought, confusion swirling in her mind. Before she could reflect further, a blinding flash of light shot across her vision. Pain was the last sensation Aimee experienced before slipping back into unconsciousness. ***** On a vast, endless sea, countless rafts were scattered in every direction, resembling a swarm of black dots on the water. The sight sent chills down one’s spine. “Welcome to Tartasland, players.
The sea survival game has officially begun.” A cold, mechanical voice echoed across the sea. At that moment, everyone lying unconscious on their rafts suddenly opened their eyes. “What is this place?” “Wh-Who tied me up and put me on this raft?” “Where am I? I can’t swim!” “Help! Anyone there?” Similar cries of confusion and panic erupted from rafts across the sea. Everyone awoke to find themselves in an entirely unfamiliar place, and panic swept through them. ***** Aimee woke up again, blinking a few times. ‘Huh, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Was that a weird dream?’ She looked around. Above her was a deep blue sky, and below was clear water. The air was thick with the damp, salty, slightly fishy smell of the sea. The sun blazed so fiercely that she couldn’t look at it directly, and her pajamas were soaked with sweat. Aimee slowly pushed herself up, focusing on the calm, glassy surface of the sea. The water’s clarity felt surreal, yet it was unsettling that nothing could be seen beneath it. ‘So it wasn’t a dream. Where the hell am I?’ Aimee thought again. She rubbed her hands, doubt gnawing at her. “Dear players, take it easy for now.” A lively, human-like mechanical voice, much warmer than the earlier cold announcement, broke through, addressing all players in zone 997.
Suddenly, a flash of blue light appeared in front of Aimee. Then a digital screen showed a cartoonish girl with pigtails and subtitles below her. “Whoa,” Aimee muttered, her brow furrowing. Then the subtitles made her heart skip a beat. [I’m System 05 for Zone 997. Welcome to the sea survival game. Please read the rules carefully.] [1. This is a real place. Please respect every living creature here. If you die here, you die for real.] [2. All players are between 15 and 50 years old. The elderly and kids stay in your old world, frozen in time. After the rules, you can decide if you want to link your family to your fate.] [Friendly reminder: Once you bind your family, your life decides theirs.] [3. Every player starts with a raft (50 square feet) and a novice package.] [4. The first three days are a Novice Protection Period. It’s relatively safe, so gather supplies quickly for the challenges ahead.] [5. Many treasure chests are scattered across the sea. Open them to get essential supplies.] [6. Tartasland has many small, uninhabited islands. Each is a mix of opportunity and danger. Be careful when exploring.] [Alright, everyone, the ultimate survival game is now live. Best of luck to you all.] The screen disappeared instantly, and a stream of silvery light swirled around Aimee’s wrist.
A metallic watch shimmered into view, showing the time, 7:50 AM. Aimee was only 23, fresh out of college, and she was an avid webnovel fan. She had a hunch about what was happening. She twisted her wrist, checked the watch, and tapped the round center button. The blue screen appeared again, resembling a phone app, with tabs for Profile, Mailbox, Trade Hall, Chat Channel, System Bag, and more. Suddenly, the system addressed Aimee directly. The subtitles matched what she heard in her ear. [Dear Player 658234166, would you like to generate a new name?] [Do you want to change your player name? If you don’t answer before the timer runs out, the system will default to your current one.] ‘Who uses their real name online?’ Aimee thought, quickly tapping “Yes” and changing her nickname to Lucky. Lucky was the dog Aimee had as a kid. Since Lucky’s passing, she’d consistently used that name and avatar online. When Aimee checked her profile, it had changed to: [Name: Lucky] [Age: 23] [Health: 100/100] [Energy: 60/100 (Hot and exhausted. In need of water and food.)] [Strength: 4/10 (Human max is 10. Average is 6. Below human average strength.)] [Agility: 3/10 (Below human average.)] [Mentality: 100/100 (?!)] [Talent: Not unlocked] [Skill: Not unlocked] Aimee stared at her profile, sensing something odd. [Mentality: 100/100 (?!)] Aimee didn’t know what mentality was or how to use it, but the system’s apparent shock indicated its importance.
Suddenly, a box resembling a game loot package appeared before her. [Novice package delivered. Would you like to open it?] Aimee rubbed her eyes in disbelief. As she grappled with the bizarre situation, the item’s sudden appearance shattered any remaining hope. She pushed aside her swirling thoughts and said, “Yes.” [Novice package opened successfully. Congratulations! You’ve received: Dry Bread x1, Novice Fishing Rod x1, Talent Awakening Stone x1.] The novice package contained only three items. The first two were obvious from their names. However, Aimee’s mind kept circling back to the last one. ‘Talent Awakening Stone?’ [Talent Awakening Stone detected. This item is the only way for humans to unlock special powers. Use it to unlock a random talent. No levels. It’s all up to luck.] [Do you want to use the Talent Awakening Stone to unlock a talent randomly?] Aimee glanced down at the shabby raft beneath her. It seemed ready to flip with one wave. Then she remembered the dry bread and the fishing rod from the package. Without hesitation, she chose to use it. ‘No point in hesitating. Might as well take a gamble. I’ve been pretty lucky already.’ The screen erupted in a burst of rainbow light, exploding with color. Aimee’s heart raced. ‘With colors like that, this must be a super lucky draw! I’ve always had the worst luck in gacha games and never won the lottery.
Is this finally my lucky break?’ She focused on the package, fists clenched in nervous anticipation. But then, the rainbow glow gradually faded, transforming into a dull white light. Her chest tightened. ‘Come on, seriously? Am I this unlucky?’ she thought.