"Check this out!" Riva's voice carried across the water as she held up a wriggling, silver-scaled fish unlike any they'd seen before. "This one's got these weird little feelers around its mouth. Bet it tastes different than those striped ones."

  The morning sun dappled the surface of the small tributary they'd discovered branching off the main confluence. After days of navigating the water byrinth, Alexander had decided they needed to replenish their supplies and better understand the resources avaible in this new environment.

  "Don't eat anything until we've properly identified it," Elijah called back, carefully examining a cluster of blue-green pnts growing along the waterline. He was meticulously creating a catalog of the river's flora in a small notebook salvaged from a previous floor.

  Alexander watched from his position on a ft rock overlooking the tributary. From this vantage point, he could maintain security while organizing their gathering efforts. The narrow waterway teemed with life—fish darting beneath the surface, pnts swaying with the gentle current, and small amphibious creatures sunning themselves on exposed rocks.

  "We've got about four hours before we need to head back to the main confluence," Alexander announced. "Let's make them count. Riva, focus on potential food sources. Elijah, medicinal pnts. Lyra, you said something about minerals in the sediment?"

  Lyra nodded, already ankle-deep in the shallows with her pants rolled up to her knees. "There's a distinctive coloration to the sand here that suggests mineral deposits. If I'm right, we could find materials useful for equipment repairs and modifications."

  She had fashioned a simple but effective dredging tool from a small wooden frame covered with a piece of tightly woven cloth. As Alexander watched, she dragged it carefully through the sediment, then brought it up to examine the contents.

  "Just as I thought," she said after a moment, holding up a handful of dark, glittering sand. "Iron oxide, some copper compounds, and—" she rubbed a bit between her fingers, "—something crystalline I'm not familiar with."

  Valeria, who had been quietly collecting water samples nearby, drifted closer to observe Lyra's find. Though still maintaining some distance from the former Unaligned, she'd become noticeably more colborative since their water navigation challenges began.

  "Corporate resource guides mentioned unusual mineral formations in river systems on Floors 7 through 9," she offered. "Something about altered composition due to the Game's environmental design."

  Alexander nodded. The information was useful, though he noted Valeria's continued habit of framing her knowledge in terms of corporate sources—a subtle reminder of her connections and status.

  Elijah had moved further along the bank, crouching to examine a cluster of what looked like water lilies, but with translucent, almost glowing petals. As Alexander watched, his brother's posture changed subtly—head tilted slightly, expression distant. Alexander recognized the signs immediately; Elijah was hearing something again.

  Making a casual show of checking their perimeter, Alexander made his way over to where Elijah was working.

  "Finding anything useful?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral.

  Elijah gnced up, then around to ensure the others were out of earshot. "These pnts have incredible antiseptic properties," he said, then lowered his voice. "But that's not all. The whispers are... concentrated here. Especially around these underwater rock formations."

  Alexander followed his brother's gaze to a series of oddly regur stone structures beneath the water's surface—not quite geometric enough to be artificial, but too patterned to be completely natural.

  "Worth investigating?" Alexander asked quietly.

  Elijah nodded. "I think so. But subtly."

  Alexander straightened and called to the others. "We should check what's below the surface too. Riva, how's your diving?"

  "Better than your haircut," she shot back with a grin, already stripping off her heavier gear.

  "I'll go too," Elijah volunteered. "Some of these pnts might have submerged portions with different properties."

  Alexander gave his brother a subtle nod, understanding the real reason.

  While Riva and Elijah prepared to dive, Lyra had set up an impromptu testing station on a ft rock, arranging sediment samples from different locations in neat rows. She added drops of various liquids from her toolkit to each sample, carefully noting the reactions.

  "Got something," Lyra announced after several minutes of testing. "The sediment from the eastern bend contains significantly higher concentrations of copper and some kind of crystalline compound I haven't seen before. It's reacting to heat in an unusual way."

  She demonstrated by heating a small sample with a focused beam of sunlight through a curved piece of gss. The dark sand glittered, then seemed to align itself into a pattern.

  "Magnetically reactive too," she murmured, running a small metal tool over the heated sample. "This could be incredibly useful for equipment modifications."

  Alexander was impressed, as always, by Lyra's methodical approach. While others might have seen just mud and sand, she had already identified valuable resources and practical applications.

  Meanwhile, Riva surfaced from her dive, pushing wet hair from her face. "There's a whole forest of those glowing pnts under there," she reported. "And some kind of shellfish clinging to the rocks. Could be good eating if they're not poisonous."

  Elijah emerged moments ter, his expression thoughtful as he clutched several samples of submerged pnts. He made his way directly to Alexander.

  "Those rock formations," he said quietly when they were alone. "They're not random. They form patterns—almost like circuit paths. And the whispers are definitely stronger there."

  Alexander frowned, filing away this information. "Any sense of what they might be?"

  Elijah shook his head. "Not yet. But there's a connection here we're missing."

  The team continued their exploration and gathering throughout the morning. Elijah established a small processing station to prepare and preserve the medicinal pnts he'd collected, demonstrating an impressive knowledge of preservation techniques. Lyra continued her systematic sampling of riverbed materials, creating a map of resource concentrations. Riva focused on identifying edible species, while Valeria cataloged water quality differences throughout the tributary.

  By midday, they had amassed an impressive collection of resources. Elijah had prepared several healing poultices and tinctures from the aquatic pnts, immediately proving their value by treating a deep scratch Riva had received from a sharp shell.

  "The healing properties are at least twice as potent as simir pnts from previous floors," he expined as the wound visibly began to close under the application of his green paste. "Something about the water composition here enhances their efficacy."

  Lyra had collected enough mineral-rich sediment to begin upgrading their equipment. She focused first on reinforcing their fishing spears with the magnetic compounds she'd discovered, creating barbed tips that would hold more securely in a struggling fish.

  "The crystalline element bonds remarkably well with wood when treated properly," she demonstrated, showing how the modified spear tip adhered to the shaft without additional binding. "It creates a natural seal that's waterproof and surprisingly strong."

  Alexander organized the collection efforts with military efficiency, establishing a rotation that allowed team members to rest and hydrate while maintaining productivity. He maintained their security perimeter throughout, always alert for potential threats in this unfamiliar environment.

  In the early afternoon, he called for a break. The team gathered on a sun-warmed rock to share a meal of freshly caught fish, seasoned with some of the edible water pnts Riva had identified.

  "We should do another collection run tomorrow," Alexander said, reviewing their inventory. "These resources are too valuable to pass up."

  "Agreed," Elijah said, carefully wrapping his medicinal preparations in rge leaves. "I've barely scratched the surface of the healing compounds avaible here."

  "I want to explore that deeper pool we spotted further upstream," Lyra added. "The current pattern suggests it might have even higher mineral concentrations."

  As they discussed pns, Alexander noticed Elijah's attention repeatedly drawn to the underwater rock formations he'd identified earlier. Whatever connection existed between those structures and the whispers clearly continued to intrigue his brother.

  When the break ended, Alexander pulled Elijah aside under the pretense of checking his inventory of medicinal supplies.

  "Those formations," Alexander said quietly. "Worth another look?"

  Elijah nodded. "Definitely. There's something about their arrangement that seems... intentional."

  "Take Lyra with you," Alexander suggested. "Her technical perspective might help. Just keep the real reason to yourself."

  While Elijah and Lyra investigated the underwater formations under the guise of gathering more samples, Alexander helped Riva and Valeria collect the edible aquatic species they'd identified. The work was straightforward but satisfying, their inventory growing steadily with valuable resources.

  When Elijah and Lyra returned from their underwater exploration, Alexander noted the excited gleam in his brother's eyes. Whatever they'd found had been significant.

  "The rock formations create natural channels for the water flow," Lyra reported to the group, spreading out a rough sketch she'd made. "They direct currents in specific patterns that concentrate certain minerals and pnt growth in predictable locations. It's like a natural filtration and cultivation system."

  "It could help us predict where to find specific resources throughout the river system," Elijah added, exchanging a meaningful gnce with Alexander that conveyed there was more to discuss privately.

  As the afternoon progressed, they refined their gathering techniques based on their growing understanding of the ecosystem. Lyra created improved collection tools, Elijah developed more efficient preservation methods for the medicinal pnts, and Riva perfected her fishing technique for the different species they'd identified.

  By te afternoon, Alexander called an end to their gathering expedition. Their inventory was significantly enhanced, with specialized sections for medicinal pnts, mineral compounds, food resources, and construction materials.

  "We should head back to our main camp before dark," he decided, helping to pack up their collection equipment.

  As they loaded their canoes, Alexander noticed Elijah carefully pcing several samples of the stones from the underwater formations into his pack. Their mysterious connection to the whispers remained a private matter between the brothers, but Alexander made a mental note to find time for a secure conversation about it ter.

  The journey back to their camp in the central confluence chamber was smooth, their canoe handling noticeably improved after days of practice. As the setting sun cast long shadows across the water, they arrived at their isnd camp and began organizing their gathered resources.

  "These should be categorized by potential use," Alexander directed, ying out a leather mat to dispy their findings. "Healing, food, equipment repair, and construction materials."

  The team worked together to sort everything, their inventory interface gradually filling with new items, each carefully beled and described. Elijah's medicinal preparations were stored in small containers fashioned from hollowed reeds, while Lyra's mineral samples were wrapped in leaves and organized by composition.

  "Tomorrow we can integrate these into our equipment," Alexander said, examining their enhanced inventory with satisfaction. "Reinforced paddles, improved fishing gear, more effective healing supplies—all critical advantages for whatever challenges lie ahead."

  As night fell over the river, the team gathered around their campfire to enjoy a meal featuring their newly discovered edible aquatic species. The conversation flowed easily, focused on practical applications for their findings and pns for the next day's exploration.

  Later, when the others had turned in for the night, Alexander took first watch as usual. Elijah joined him at the edge of the isnd, ostensibly to check the security of their canoes.

  "Those rock formations," Alexander said in their secure channel. "What did you really find?"

  "They're artificial," Elijah replied, equally hushed. "Or at least, partially. Natural rock formations that have been subtly modified. And the whispers..." he paused, searching for words. "It's like they're being channeled through them, somehow. Amplified in specific directions."

  Alexander nodded, processing this information. The mystery of the whispers had only deepened with each floor, but this potential physical connection was new—and potentially significant.

  "Keep this between us for now," he said. "But stay alert for more of these formations as we continue through the confluence."

  As Elijah returned to his sleeping area, Alexander gazed out over the dark water, reflecting on their productive day. The river had yielded valuable resources and new insights, but as with everything in the Game, it also presented new mysteries. The underwater formations, the whispers, the unnatural current patterns—all pieces of a puzzle they were slowly assembling, one floor at a time.

  Tomorrow they would continue mapping the byrinth, better equipped and better prepared thanks to today's discoveries. For now, that was enough.